Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

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Welcome to the Warder Yards. This is the place for Warder and Trainee roleplays. Informal non-training interactions take place here, as well as some extended role plays. Yet these events may take place at any area of the Tower, and sometimes outside of it, since the images to the left merely serves as inspiration towards the sceneries of your stories. Channelers are always welcome, and might even find his or her bondmate through the threads that are displayed below.
Sunny
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Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Sunny » March 19th, 2017, 3:41 am

Dax
Zarayne’s entire body slumped after she spoke of Ravak, and Dax wasn’t terribly surprised when she attempted to give him her blade a few breaths later. I’ve only just met Ravak Darrow, she had said. I think I am the one trying to be someone I’m not. The Tairen rarely had flashes of deep insight, but for a moment he felt more kinship for the woman in front of him than the Gaidin Captain did.

He took the blade, but he did not step away. Instead he pursed his lips as he ground its point in the dirt at his feet. “My father abandoned me before I could properly talk,” Dax told her, his tone perhaps a bit harsher than he intended. The memories were difficult to think about, let alone share with another, and yet it seemed important to share his understanding. “He didn’t come back until I was an adolescent.” He jabbed at the ground with the wooden sword, blue eyes distant. “I wanted him to love me, and yet I hated him. Where had he been all those years? Why did he leave me? What was wrong with me?” Dax paused, but couldn’t get the Aielwoman to meet his eyes. After a breath he continued. “Things did not improve when he returned. Eventually I picked up one of these,” he indicated the sword with a shake of his fist, “and I chose to become someone of my own making, rather than trying to become what he wanted.”

The Gaidin pressed the sword’s hilt back into Zarayne’s hand. His voice was gruff when he spoke again. “You are the only one who gets to decide who you are, Zarayne. If you decide you want to fight, I will help you fight.”
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False alarm- there's still a song for me; I'm just about around to sing it
There's still a chance for me...and I'm still here singing.

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Craig
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PC: Ravak t'Sha'hal Darrow
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Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Craig » March 21st, 2017, 11:31 am

Zarayne
Why am I doing this? She had no compelling desire to be like her father. Like Dax, in her youth, she had questioned what she'd done wrong to deserve being abandoned. Unlike Dax, she knew now that she hadn't been discarded. Emotion didn't sweep reasoning away from her, but it didn't stop her from feeling either. In spite of the circumstances behind the truth, she had been left bereft of a parent for most of her life, and that had affected the person she'd become.

Zarayne thoughts moved onto her mother. Her father's absence had made the bond between her and her mother all that stronger. Even after the strain of the last couple of years, Zarayne wished to be like her mother. Of course, that couldn't happen now; Mother was a Wise One, whereas she was to become an Aes Sedai. Similar paths, but different. The other attribute she had wanted to mimic was her mother's ability to fight. Sinead had been Far Dareis Mai before becoming who she was now. Why shouldn't she have that same opportunity to defend herself?

She stared at the wooden hilt for the longest time before finally nodding. "I wish to learn." Her fingers curled around the sword as she stepped back, raising the weapon up as she'd been shown by the topless Gaidin. "I want to know how to fight. For me." Then she nodded again. "Thank you."
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

Sunny
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Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Sunny » March 27th, 2017, 7:31 am

Dax "How did this even happen" Torellion
Dax could not stop the smile that spread across his face as the novice lifted the lathe sword. The movement alone was enough for him, but then she actually thanked him, and the Tairen’s head tilted to the side. “Don’t thank me,” he said, “thank yourself. You’ll be glad you did this in five or ten years, when some drunken sot corners you in an alley and you kick his bloody ass into the middle of the Fourth Age.”

He grinned, bringing his own blade back up. “Now. Let’s discuss ribbons and swallows,” he said easily. “The Ribbon in the Air is a horizontal slash-” he demonstrated the form slowly, then showed her the variants that could be done with it. From there he moved on to demonstrate the Swallow Takes Flight.

“It’s good to practice frequently if you are serious about learning,” he said as they squared off once more. “You likely will not have time to meet daily until you are raised, unfortunately. Every three would suffice, and I can give you exercises to practice on your own, as well. Sound good?”
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False alarm- there's still a song for me; I'm just about around to sing it
There's still a chance for me...and I'm still here singing.

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Craig
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Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Craig » March 29th, 2017, 12:49 pm

Zarayne
She had no idea what a sot was, but from the context she understood the implication. This was still a foreign place to the one she was used to, where her well-being and safety would never have been in doubt. Wise Ones were outside of conflict in the Three-fold Land, and women were protected in Shienar. Neither of these rules seemed to apply in this place. It didn't make Zarayne scared nor even unduly concerned, but this was hardly the idyllic utopia some people thought it should be.

"I shall watch out for sots," she declared. The novice didn't understand the Gaidin's returned grin.

The Ribbon in the Air was a horizontal slash at the most basic level. Even to the unskilled Aielwoman, that move was easy enough to manage. But then Dax added a flourish to the end, the blade moving up or down into a different position. "To keep your foes guessing," the Tairen stated. There was also a further rule: the attack could not be above chest height. The attack was meant to be a bodily blow, and the neck and head were too small a target for this form. Zarayne practiced the form a number of times, alternating with upward or downward strokes, swinging the weapon both leftwards and rightwards. The bundle of lathes seemed less like a stick and more like a true weapon as she got into the hang of it.

Next up was The Swallow Takes Flight. In lieu of learning basic blocks, this form would ensure her safety if she had need to defend herself. The slashes she made with the blade were much shorter and punctuated with a thrust at the end. It either forced her opponent back or skewered them in the chest or abdomen. Zarayne seemed more at ease with this form than the previous one. In part it mind her think about some of the other Aiel she'd seen in the Training Yards, dancing with spears instead of swords. She could envision the weapon in her hand as a spear, with herself dancing in the cadin'sor of the Far Dareis Mai. It was a childhood dream of hers.

Zarayen raised the weapon up in a mid guard as the Tairen spoke again. Private practice with Dax was a markedly better option than embarrassing herself in the Training Yards. "Of course, thank you," she said with a smile. "I'll train whenever I can. Every three days at worse."

They then danced. It was clear that Dax was not moving with his full speed or using all of his strength, but Zarayne needed both. He pulled his blows when wood connected with her pale flesh. For her part, Dax seemed not too hurt when her practice blade struck against him. The disparity in their muscle mass likely had a huge influence on that.

After what felt like an hour, Dax called the duel to a stop. Zarayne breathed heavily, her grip on the weapon's hilt slick. Sweat rolled down her skin where her dress wasn't sticking to her. It was like being in an unpleasant version of a sweat tent.

"Did I do alright?" she asked between pants. Usually she would wait for feedback from her instructors, but for once she wanted instant gratification in the form of Dax's praise. Assuming I deserve it.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

Sunny
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Joined: July 18th, 2014, 3:23 am
PC: Jaryd Kosari
SC: Dakson Torellion
TC: Finn
QC: Owen Andarin

Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Sunny » April 3rd, 2017, 4:33 am

No one spars like Dakson, drinks at bars like Dakson, no one helps a novice avoid scars like Dakson...
Dax traded blows with Zarayne, his mind split equally between their physical movement, building a training plan for their next meeting, and errant thoughts of his youth. Sometimes the Tairen wondered what he looked like to the men who had taught him to wield a sword as an adolescent boy. The part of him that had trained dozens of Drin to fight knew he had been just as eager and fumbled just as much as the Aielwoman in front of him, but his pride refused to acknowledge that fact even after so much time.

Ridiculous boy, Jem muttered. Dax shook his head and refocused on their spar. He was not in the mood to deal with the recriminations of a dead man.

Zarayne tired quickly, but that was to be expected under the circumstances. When they stepped apart and she asked “Did I do alright?” between heavy breaths, the sellsword didn’t bother to hide his smile as he looked her over.

“That was much better than I expected,” he said. “I’ve had grown men cry mercy within moments- and they weren’t even fighting skirts along the way.” Blue eyes crinkled with amusement. “If you don’t already have training gear ask Velanya Sedai to get you some; you’ll need it next time.” The Gaidin set his sword aside, nodding to Zarayne to do the same.

“No need to break yourself on your first day,” he told her in an explanatory tone. “We have all the time in the world to do this properly. Now- stretch your arms and back, like so, every time you practice.” He demonstrated the movements as he spoke, moving slowly so she could copy him. “Otherwise the muscles across your shoulders will bind up within hours. I guarantee that is not an experience any novice wants to endure while doing her chores.”

Although he settled back on his heels, his gaze remained critical and he held himself ready to correct her if she overbalanced. “Do you have any questions for me before we break for the day?”
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False alarm- there's still a song for me; I'm just about around to sing it
There's still a chance for me...and I'm still here singing.

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Craig
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Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Craig » April 3rd, 2017, 2:21 pm

Zarayne
Zarayne beamed from the praise. She tried not to think of her mother in that moment, wondering how proud she would be of a daughter who could fight and channel, but of course she did (hint: zero approval rating due to swords). No matter what she had said or thought about doing things for herself, her mother was still the ideal she strove toward.

The novice worked her muscles as instructed. Pain was a fact of life, but she needed nor wanted any more than her fair share of it. As Dax had stated, chores were hard enough without adding additional difficulty into the process.

Questions: now that was a luxury. Aes Sedai usually told and never explained. Now she had a rare opportunity to get answers. Of course, that was the moment when her brain started to seize up. She focused on her exercises whilst struggling to think of something meaningful to ask.

At last something came to her. "Why aren't you punishing me like the other teachers would have?" Not that Dax Gaidin was like other teachers. They normally wore shirts over their torso. As inappropriate as it was, her eyes occasioned down to his chest muscles when she thought he wasn't looking.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

Sunny
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Joined: July 18th, 2014, 3:23 am
PC: Jaryd Kosari
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Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Sunny » April 8th, 2017, 5:19 am

Dax
The Aielwoman listened to his instructions and for that Dax was grateful...though more for her sake than for his. It was hardly his problem if she woke up too stiff to move the next day, after all. Still, he took pride in knowing his students did well; he always had. It took her some time to finally come up with a question, however, and when she did it had nothing to do with their work. "Why aren't you punishing me like the other teachers would have?"

The Tairen turned to look at her just quickly enough to see the blatantly appreciative sweep of her eyes. When her gaze leveled with his face, he met green eyes with a show of brazen interest, one eyebrow cocked and a half smile on his lips. It was all a show to get a reaction from her...although certainly one Ravak Darrow would try to knock his head off for giving. Oh well. “Maybe I owe your father a favor,” he said lazily. “We’ve known each other a long time, after all, and he’s done some fairly decent things for me in his time.”

There was a pause. “You’re...not telling the truth.” She sounded uncertain.

“No, no I’m not.” He admitted easily, his smile widening. “Your father would warn you about my shamefully dishonest ways, you know. He’d probably even make that grumpy face of his, the one with his eyebrows all scrunched together.” Dax demonstrated with greatly exaggerated intensity, but after a moment he relented enough to address his student's actual concern.

“What would I punish you for?” He asked in a candid tone. “You have done nothing wrong that I am aware of. Novices are allowed to train in the Yards, after all.”
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False alarm- there's still a song for me; I'm just about around to sing it
There's still a chance for me...and I'm still here singing.

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Craig
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Joined: November 20th, 2015, 10:29 am
PC: Ravak t'Sha'hal Darrow
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Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Craig » April 9th, 2017, 4:22 pm

Zarayne
When it came to people, Zarayne was a questionable judge of character. Not that she knew that, of course. Dax's playful smile confused her, seeming apropos if he'd been Aiel, yet completely out-of-character for one of the Grey Tower's teachers. And if he is interested? The Aielwoman's extensive knowledge of the other sex was limited to the chittering of fellow novices she'd overheard in the dining rooms. Oh, she knew male physiology from assisting her mother, but not male psychology.

She challenged him, which again was completely out-of-character, but everything about this encounter seemed a step removed from normality. He's dishonest and shameful? She couldn't see the shame, nor the dishonesty. More confusion for Zarayne to wade through in due course. At last he answered truthfully, and she had a ready reply.

"But this isn't the Yards," she said with a gesture to the glade they were standing in. "And in addition, I know those Drin aren't allowed to teach others, yet I still asked them to. Also, I believe training swords can't be taken from the Yards without permission." It may have appeared that Zarayne was seeking out punishment after punishment, but it was a question of honesty so far as she was concerned. Lies incurred toh and the truth liberated her from having to remember falsehoods.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

Sunny
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Posts: 3757
Joined: July 18th, 2014, 3:23 am
PC: Jaryd Kosari
SC: Dakson Torellion
TC: Finn
QC: Owen Andarin

Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Sunny » May 2nd, 2017, 6:06 am

Dax
The Tairen arched an eyebrow in response to his impromptu student’s protestations. Whether she’d grown up at her father’s side or not, it seemed she had inherited some of his...particular...opinions about rules. Still, she hadn’t blushed or stammered at his tone, so perhaps- Aiel, he reminded himself. Strange people. Still, his smile didn’t fade just yet.

“I couldn’t possibly care less about the bureaucracy of practice weapons acquisition,” he said with a chuckle. “Will it help you learn? Yes? Then be my guest, just bring the bloody thing back when you’re done so we don’t have to go chop down a tree to make new ones any time soon.” He could practically feel Julian and Ravak cringing...but they were far away, and the truth was the truth.

He shifted to settle his back against the nearest tree, his expression sobering a little. “For the other: it’s true Drin don’t teach classes, but they do help others learn. I think it’s bollocks to restrict their ability to share knowledge based on the color of their trousers, but that is neither here nor there.” He shook his head. “I’d certainly rather they spend their time teaching classes than being bored enough to corner novices in the woods on false pretenses.”

Dax's smile returned as he shifted against the tree. “Does that suffice, or would you prefer I set you to scrubbing pots?” he asked, eyes twinkling as he peered up at the tall novice. "Some might say signing up for lessons with me is penance enough, you know."
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False alarm- there's still a song for me; I'm just about around to sing it
There's still a chance for me...and I'm still here singing.

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Craig
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Posts: 2613
Joined: November 20th, 2015, 10:29 am
PC: Ravak t'Sha'hal Darrow
SC: Elia Darrow
TC: Zarayne
QC: Farah Kattan
Location: Scotland

Re: Aiel Take it From Here (Craig)

Post by Craig » May 4th, 2017, 11:49 pm

Zarayne
Zarayne regretted pressing the issue now, even if she had needed to. "Please, no pots," she stated simply. It wasn't the pots she was concerned about, but the Mistress of the Kitchens. That woman wielded a wooden spoon like a sceptre, and she knew how to crack knuckles. She had no desire to be reminded of the woman's strength and temperament.

She had no idea what to say to the second part of the Gaidin's statement. Zarayne had seen plenty that she liked about Dax (and could still see plenty), and-- oh no! The heat in her cheeks began to rise as she hurriedly looked away from his chest and his arms. If she could just end this meeting without turning addle-minded, that would be a success.

"I will take my penances in lessons," she suggested. She thought that was maybe a wetlander joke, but she didn't watch for a smile. Her eyes focused on anything but the handsome Tairen before her. She was only just beginning to learn how to use a weapon; she wasn't about to throw it away for some man!
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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