When it Hits Home (fic)

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.
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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.
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Matty
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 964
Joined: December 16th, 2015, 8:19 pm
PC: Murdock Mather, Keeper of the Archives
SC: Nathaniel Carridus, Asha'man (Blue)
TC: Maever Donovan, Asha'man (Yellow)
Location: Plain of Lances, UK

When it Hits Home (fic)

Post by Matty » May 3rd, 2017, 11:14 am

Big Blue There were many things to be pleased with, and passing his test to become an Asha'man was one of them. It hadn't really settled in yet - even when he went to get fitted for some better quality clothes, even when the blue cord was settled over his broad shoulder, even when trainees he had been learning with before were bowing and curtsying and the like. Nate handled it of course, he'd experienced the same with other Dedicated who were raised before him, but it was a bit jarring all the same.

Nate was especially pleased to have the time to develop his own interests, which he wasted no time in doing. People he had met around - in Mayene, especially - he sent out missives to, preparing to establish some eyes-and-ears around the land. He wanted to head out via Gateway and talk to these people in person but the Blue Ajah still had weaves for him to learn, customs to get a handle on, and it was all so... ugh why wasn't he able to just head on out and do his thing already? But the man had to establish himself first and he would be let out when he was good and ready.

Well. Being a new Blue did mean there were some aspects of Asha'manliness he had to wait to occur rather than grabbing them with both hands, so Nate would play at patience for now. He still had some hammer lessons to complete.

He trained in the Warder Yards with somewhat less concern for the natural inclination to remove his shirt when training, given how much work he put in and how it normally clung irritatingly to his torso anyway. This was of course in correlation with the number of Aes Sedai scoping the yards, who wanted to observe Big Blue in action. Nate wasn't sure how he felt about being called Asha'man Brawn or Big Blue, but these Aes Sedai were very friendly, and thus Nate found a new way to pass the time when he wasn't hammering with his, er, warhammer.

On this day Nate was ready for his training, because even as an Asha'man he could improve on his weapon handling skills. He had his early breakfast briefing with the Head of the Blue Ajah, a conversation Nate was coming to tolerate more than look forward to, and it was only really knowing he'd be in the Yards afterwards that kept him from saying what was on his mind - "When am I going out into the real world?". Hammer strapped to his back, dark blue shirt worn without his black coat, and his thick, elbow-length hair tied behind his head. Part of him was ever so tempted to cut it, but Bells seemed to approve of it and he'd had no complaints from anyone else either. Suraki Gaidin made some comments about Malkieri, because his grandmother's sister's friend's brother's dog's dad had seen one once or something, but other than that he didn't care how Nate wore his hair.

"Today we're making good on that promise to hit some actual people. Seanchan-allied raiders in the west of Tear."

"They're still at it?" Nate had thought this would have been dealt with by now, given that this had been on the cards prior to his Raising.

"They sure are. Easy to retreat into the Plains of Maredo and hide," Suraki scowled, "but we're taking the fight to them. Remember our lessons and don't hold back."

"I wasn't planning to," Nate said. There was that momentary twitch as Suraki did what many others had around Nate - forgotten he was an Asha'man now, and he could be that forthcoming if he wanted to be. "How many are going?"

---

It was a small group of Warders, with an added Nate. Some of them were actually Ji in training, there for similar reasons to Nate. The Mayener provided the Gateway for the ten-strong group of men and women - six fully ranked Warders, Nate, and three Ji. The Gaidin had paired off and seemed to have one Ji between them to keep an eye on, though Suraki seemed more inclined to let the other Gaidin babysit the Ji as he took Nate under his wing.

The farmland on the edge of Tear had seen better days, and signs of struggle were evident everywhere. Nate looked around with dismay, hammer out at the ready, quietly appreciating the weather - it was going to be bright and sunny for a good few days - but he knew that this was what they were here for. Deal with the ruckus, make sure the people were safe. This was what he was a Blue for. "Let's do this," he growled.

They didn't take long to find the fight but Nate couldn't say he took much notice of anyone else. As the bandits swarmed at them from the top of a hill, Nate was ready to stretch his hammer muscles and he ran on in with a fearlessness that came from seeing death, and coming out on the other side of it. You let grief kill you slowly, or you let it fill you up, make you more than you once were.

The first smash of metal against skull was violent, wet and dry, hard and soft all at the same time. Nate let the momentum of the swing take him all the way around before he was back facing the way he started, the bandit in a bloody mess at his feet. "Who's next?!" he demanded, meeting a sword swing with the haft of his hammer as another bandit thought to take him from the side unawares and hadn't counted on a crazy thing called reflexes. Nate lifted a large foot to kick the man in the stomach, and he recoiled back, off balance. That was all the time Nate needed to raise the hammer and bring it down with a slam, over the back of the bandit's head. The force of the swing smacked the bandit to the floor so hard he broke his nose, but that was the least of his problems given that he had a bloody hammer to the back of his head.

Parry, wait the the opening, swing and hit. Nate was a big man, he had a long range, and this made it harder even for the small and nimble to stay out of his way. Nate wasn't a clean fighter and he didn't pretend he was, so he wasn't above using Air to trip a man and then get the attack in. He didn't do it often though, there was something more authentic about the barbaric act of swinging a hunk of metal around and obliterating people au naturale. The hammer head was smeared with red, and his shirt was splattered in sweat and innards, but it was so satisfying to be doing the right thing, the Blue took a certain amount of personal satisfaction in it that he probably shouldn't, tapping into someone more carnal and primitive. His ancestors shrieked in his bones, echoed with his dim memories of Viadulo, a chorus that fired his blood and wreaked death on those who opposed him.

There were no fatal casualties from the Grey Tower. Nate didn't take a scratch, he'd gone in on the offensive and people had eventually made an effort to avoid the angry-eyed man with the hammer and the conviction to use it. When the coast was clear Nate trudged on back to the bottom of the hill he had been fighting on to where their group were gathering up again.

"Great job!" Suraki said, his own hammer in a similar state to Nate's. He was sat on a rock, cleaning it down - Nate seized Saidin and cleaned his own with Air. "... show off."

Nate grinned and waved a hand, Water and Air cleaning Suraki's as well. "Glad you approve. Did the bandits fall back?"

"What's left of them. They might try bringing some Seanchan channellers with them next time, who knows? But I think we've done most of the work today, they'll think twice before trying to fight here again." Suraki looked up at Nate, who was sheathing his hammer. "How did you feel out there? You looked rather angry."

"I guess I was," Nate said with a shrug, "I was just focussed. I wanted to get these people away so we can take care of the farmers here. The Tairens are going to need some help replanting fields, repairing houses, and a guard just in case any Seanchan do turn up. I'm going to sort that out now, so just hit me up when you and the others are ready and I can make a Gateway. I'll follow later." He was sure his afternoon meeting wouldn't mind toooo much if he was delayed because of his cause. It was what any responsible Asha'man of the Blue would do, right?

Suraki shook his head, smiling a little. "You're an odd duck, Big Blue."

"Oh Light not you too," Nate groaned.
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------ Murdock -------------- Nathaniel --------------- Maever -------

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