What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

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Bella
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What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » August 19th, 2016, 9:27 pm

On the trip to take Morgan's remains home again, Natlya had a lot of time to think.

Many things were no clearer than they had been before she left, but there were a few things that had settled into her mind and now that she was back again, she meant to see them through. The first one was a stop that brought her to the door of the Master of Training. She was fairly convinced that she was not one of his favorite people, but she hoped he would hear her petition.

Just in case the request was not enough, she had a folded piece of parchment in her pocket. She had written it, so it was hardly anything official, but it was at least...formal.

Nat reached his door and found it closed, which granted her several long moments to stand in front of it and just breathe deep. She could do this, and hopefully he would listen and accept her request. In truth, she was more scared of him saying no than she was of asking. When she felt ready, she took another deep breath and lifted her hand, knocking on the door.

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Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » August 22nd, 2016, 12:01 pm

Ravak Darrow
Ravak picked up the iridescent quill on his desk. A small letter sat before him, blank aside from 'Mirin' written at the top with some care. At some stage, someone would need to teach him how to make letters look all curving and eligible. That wasn't the problem with writing the letter, of course. "Bloody Mirin," he muttered half-heartedly, then for the fifth time this morning, placed the quill back down again after tapping it against the inkwell.

He pinched the bridge of his nose briefly, then looked for more work to do. Schedules for tomorrow seemed like the next piece on the pile. Muireen had replicated the schedule from last week. He grabbed the quill, dipped it in the inkwell, and scored a bar across Fiona's name. "Mirin's concern now, the Light protect her." The 'Lady Trakand' would not find things as enjoyable under the Cairheinin's auspices, nor those white dresses. Rav swapped Afanen and Artur's chores around - the former could do with some time mucking out the stables.

A shadow crossed the bottom of his office's doorway. He anticipated a knock, but when it didn't come, he rose from his chair silently and moved to his weapon rack. Chances were it was a Drin considering how best to tell the Master of Training what they'd done wrong, but... Easing the sword-breaker from its scabbard, Rav moved back to behind his desk, resting the weapon behind the drawers and out of sight.

That was when the knock finally came. Not a would-be assassin who had somehow slipped unnoticed beyond an entire hall of trained soldiers. He grinned sheepishly, then settled behind his desk before calling "Come."

The door opened to admit Natlya Ji'val. So not a Drin neither. The woman stood looking pensive. Rav frowned slightly, wondering what the hesitation had been for, but he beckoned her in. "Take a chair Natlya. What can I do for you?" Something about her body language said this wasn't about a punishment, nor was it something day-to-day. "Would you like tea?" Expecting a negative answer, he let go of the sword-breaker, crossed his hands on the edge of the desk, and sat back to listen.
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Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » August 23rd, 2016, 5:46 pm

This was at least better, in many respects, than the last time she'd had to come before the Master of Training so formally.

He was polite as he invited her in, although she couldn't miss some...tension in the set of his body when she first walked in. Her history as a thief and grifter made her know how to read people, but that didn't always mean she could analyze what it was she saw. Thus, she didn't understand it, just saw that it was and that it eased when she came in.

Nat took the seat offered and, as he'd expected, declined the tea. She didn't think that she could stomach anything at the moment.

"Thank you for seeing me, Master Darrow," she said, muted and polite. "I will try to be brief. I simply..." She paused. She had rehearsed this in her mind several times, but now that she was here, none of it seemed to be what came out. Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out and began again. "When I signed the training books, it was simply with the name Natlya. No family name. I would wish to know if that can be changed; can I fix that now?"

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Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » August 25th, 2016, 1:23 pm

Ravak
The Shienaran's first thought was a simple huh. He hadn't known quite what to expect, but this was still wide of the mark of several expected outcomes. There was only one reason the Master of Training could think of, for why a person would look to have their name changed. The lack of a new ring or ribbons in her hair or a myriad of other wedding traditions should have been in evidence if Natlya had got married. She would have also broken a cardinal rule of the Warder Yards, but that was an aside. If not for marriage, then what?

Rav shifted, leaning forward slightly, brows coming together in curiosity. "It is something I can do, insofar as I have a quill and a ledger. But..." If not for marriage, then what? I mean, how could she take a family name if she didn't already have one, and wasn't married. She hadn't been adopted, surely? Maybe there were some southern custom he was unaware of, but it just seemed... peculiar.

"If there's a good reason, then I can do it, but--" He spread his hands in an admission of bafflement. "But you'll need to tell me why."
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Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » August 26th, 2016, 11:38 pm

Of course, Nat knew that this was coming. One could not make such a request without explaining the why of it, but it was the why that was going to be difficult. Not because she was embarrassed or anything like that, but simply because it was painful.

She looked down at her hands, collecting her thoughts as she cleaned out from under one nail with another. Everything seemed to inwardly scatter when she had to see to this task, but she was resolute in seeing it through. She just had to frame it properly, and hope--she was not keen to praying--that he saw it her way and granted it to her.

"When I came to the Grey Tower," she began without looking up, but she made sure to speak clearly, "I was not alone. I came with a young man, Morgan Cade. He signed the soldier books. We had been...together for years." Now she forced herself to look up, the hazel of her eyes solemn and intent. "We were beloved."

Pausing again, she inhaled slowly. "He died when the Seanchan attacked. I could not protect him, my dearest heart. I believe that had we managed to both live and be raised, we would have married. Now I have nothing but memories. I wish to honor him. I wish to take his name as my own. We can never be more, but he was the only family I have ever had."

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Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » August 30th, 2016, 12:44 am

Ravak Darrow
Motherly hands straightened the lapels of Rav's shirt. He tried to stop the petite Domani, but with a gentle seriousness she slapped the offending hands away. "Once you learn how to make yourself presentable, you can do this. Until then, I'll make sure my Warder is up to the task." Kaia made a great deal of picking lint off his shirt before appending the golden badge to his uniform. She placed her hands at his waist and turned him towards the mirror. "See the difference a little care makes, dear boy?"

Begrudgingly, Rav nodded. Kaia had a keen eye he didn't possess, as well as an attention to detail he evidently lacked. With a smirking grin, he admired himself. "What would I do without you?"

Kaia's reflection brightened as she laughed richly. "Find another woman who's willing to dress you. Or at least one willing to put up with your serious stares."

Grey-blue eyes stared blankly out into the middle distance as the memory faded. Her passing had come in the wake of the siege, and it was just as sudden as any unnatural death. Did that measure up to the loss of a betrothed? He didn't know.

"I have some appreciation for what you have gone through. You have my deepest sympathies Natlya." He offered what amounted to a supportive smile, although a moment later it was gone. He hated himself for the next words that came from his mouth. "I have to ask though, did Morgan have any other family you are aware of?" He winced at his own harshness. "It would only be right to ask them first."
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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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Location: New England

Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » September 2nd, 2016, 1:44 am

His expression of sympathy surprised her and she blinked at him for a moment. It was not that she thought the Master of Training an especially cold bastard or anything, but...well, she rather expected few people to care about the loss of one that was most important to her. An unfortunate circumstance of growing up orphan, perhaps.

"If there are any to be found, sir," she said, "they are not to be found. And they did not care enough for him in life besides to care whether I take his name or not." If either of them had parents, or parents who cared, they would not have been thieving and conning on the streets of every city they walked into for their years together.

Natlya inhaled slowly, thoughtfully. "So far as I have ever been certain of, he and I were the only family we each had. The only that mattered."

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Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » September 10th, 2016, 5:34 pm

Ravak
Rav nodded, still bothered that he had asked that question. Bothered too by the fact he knew he had to ask, to be fair to whatever family Morgan had. As a northerner, family meant everything. Honour too, but family came before that. For Ravak that meant blood, but he knew that southerners - and the Aiel - had different notions. And there's no right for me to place my morals in the way.

He slid open the narrow drawer by his left hand, retrieving the leather-bound ledger with its blue dust jacket. Thumbing carefully through the pages, he read the dates until he got towards when Natlya had originally signed the books. About the only thing legible on the pages were the dates and the signatures.

"I believe this is you." He slid the ledger to the other side of the desk, turning it as he did so that it faced the Ji'val. "Would you like to do the honours?" Taking up the iridescent quill ter'angreal, he offered it to her feather-first.
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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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Bella
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QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: What is in a Name? [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » September 11th, 2016, 10:38 pm

Taking a deep breath, Natlya looked at him for a long moment, almost scared, and then pulled the book toward her. She took the quill and her eyes roamed down to the line where her name had been signed in. There was a long blank space beside it, where her family name would've gone if she had sought to claim one when she joined.

In this place, she now wrote "Cade" and added the date beside it.

So done, she gave the quill back and swallowed her heart back down in her throat. "Thank you, sir," she whispered, unable to now meet his eyes.

Natlya Cade
OOC: Thank you for the thread.

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