A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

The offices of the M'hael, Amyrlin Seat, Master of Arms, Keeper and the MoNSTers
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Prew
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A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Prew » August 20th, 2016, 3:57 pm

As he ascended the stairway, floor after floor, the monotony of the slate grey stone walls broken only by the occasional tapestry depicting glorious moments of the Westlands past,Prewtez d'Grayson had time to reflect. His destination an office near the very top of the imposing tower and an audience with the Amyrlin Seat, the most powerful woman in the Tower and perhaps in all the Westlands. He knew that Miahala Ives, the current holder of the Seat, met with supplicants in an audience chamber on a lower level, and that few other than Aes Sedai or the occasional Gaidin was actually invited to her office. And no doubt the location of such office allowed those summoned time to be sufficiently humbled as they climbed floor after floor of stairs.

But Prewtez had not been summoned, he had requested to see her, it was a matter of honor. Honor, a quality his father had sought to instill in his bastard son. “An honorable man carries out his duties with no expectation of reward and owns up to his failures without excuses,” so taught the Lord of House Northan. And his father had lived by this rule, taking Prewtez into his House and grooming him as his successor, taking responsibility for his own mistake. And it was honor that led his father to find a commission for Prewtez in the Queen's Guard when a legitimate son was born, ending the need for a bastard to be successor. This sense of honor was reinforced in the military, personified by his commander, Jaxon Bradenton, a man who was almost a second father. The cat and mouse game of border patrol led to both successes and failures. Sometimes Prewtez's patrol would kill or capture a band of Murandian raiders, at other times the prey would escape across the border. Prewtez expected no reward for the former and took responsibility for the latter. It was simply the honorable thing to do.

And now it was honor which had led him to request a meeting with the Amyrlin, to own up to his failure. That she was aware of it he had no doubt. Having been gone for months without a word, first recovering in bed from a grievous wound, then slowly rebuilding strength in his atrophied muscles, he was sure he was thought dead by those in the Tower. The Mistress of Arms, to whom it had been his duty to report, had filled him in on the happenings in the Tower during his absence, and why no one could be sent to ascertain his whereabouts.

Arriving at last to the floor of his destination, high in the upper reaches of the Tower, Prewtez proceeded through the hallway and the Administration Hall to the office of the Keeper of the Chronicles. After announcing himself to the Keeper he was instructed to take a seat. Two Sisters chatted nervously in the chairs near him before they were summoned to the Amyrlin's office. A short time later, the pair emerged, their attitudes now contrite. The Gaidin took a deep breath and rose as his name was called. He was led into Miahala Ives office, the Keeper announcing his presence. Going to one knee, Prewtez bowed his head, “Mother, I am honored you have chosen to see me. I come to confess that which you already know, my failure to complete the mission you had given me.”
Death comes for us all, we can only choose how to face it when it comes.

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Bella
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Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Bella » August 23rd, 2016, 4:57 pm

After the departure of the women, Miahala had moved to look out the window and gaze upon the Tower grounds below her. She stood with her arms folded over her chest, the fingers of one hand idly playing with the necklace she now wore--in addition to the other. This one she let rest atop her dress, while the other was her private bearing kept hidden away.

The woman before the window did not look like the same woman many months ago. When the Hall of Sitters elected to remove the requirement of the Three Oaths, she--as a Green to her core--chose to remove them. The agelessness of her face was gone, and she now looked to be a "normal" woman in her forties. Her skin still pale and smooth; long auburn hair threaded with silver and braided over her shoulder. Saldean eyes still keen as ever.

She sent her Keeper to bring in the next meeting and turned to face him as he entered, dropping her hands and holding them before her with an expression of impassivity that she had perfected even without her agelessness.

I still can't stand when they call me Mother, she thought, wondering at how Amora could stand it. She had even seemed to like it at times. Mia didn't like anyone she didn't give birth to calling her so. "Rise, Gaidin," she said smoothly. "Have a seat." She gestured to the pair of high back armchairs, taking one herself and waiting for him to sit in the other. "It is known to me. I heard you were injured in the process, however. You seemed recovered now?"

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Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Prew » August 26th, 2016, 6:07 pm

Taking the chair across from the Amyrlin, Prewtez paused for a moment before answering. Here he sat, facing a woman who held audience with obsequious nobility yet whose office bore none of the opulence of said personages. As a young officer he had once served on the Palace Guard for the Lion Throne and had observed first hand the ostentatious decor of the Andoran Palace.

“Yes, Amyrlin,” it was difficult for him to continue to use the title 'Mother' with a woman who appeared only slightly older than himself. What has happened to the ageless appearance these women had exhibited? It slowly began to dawn on Prewtez that he had missed more than a battle while convalescing.

“I am pleased to say I am fully recovered, and am even getting up to speed in terms of my swordsman skills. I only regret that I was not present to lend my sword to the defense of the Tower.” Which was not quite the truth. He knew the Tower employed a military force comprised of veterans from various armies across the land, that the Drin, Ji, and, especially, the Gaidin were superior to other soldiers. In addition, the Tower was full of people of both sexes who could cause great destruction with their weaves. His sword would not have made one whit of difference in the outcome of the battle. In truth, while he regretted missing the fight, he had no wish to become a part of a glorified garrison detail. He had come to the Tower for two reasons, to become the best swordsman he could be, perhaps even obtaining the Herons of a blade master someday, and to become a warder, to bond with an Aes Sedai, to have one person, and her alone, to defend and protect.

Before leaving the Queen's Guard and journeying to the Grey Tower, Prewtez had never actually been out of Andor, unless one counted pursuing raiders across the border into Murandy counted. He yearned to see more of the world, and hoped he would eventually bond with a Sister who travelled. In addition to the disappointment and guilt of failing in the Amyrlin's mission, he had also missed out on traveling farther eastward.

“Tell me, Mother, these Seanchan, do we now have an enemy in addition to the minions of the Dark One? Might we expect another attack?”
Death comes for us all, we can only choose how to face it when it comes.

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Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Bella » August 26th, 2016, 11:46 pm

With a woman who bore such a strong sense of duty, she took his words well in their meaning. She had been here to defend the Tower, and it had still been...tragedy. Only by the grace of the Creator did any of them survive, with their own numbers being used against them and Hama Valon being leveled to rubble in the process.

To his inquiry, she tilted her head slightly. Her keen eyes contemplative. "This was not the first time the Seanchan attacked our walls, Gaidin," she said after a while. "I was present for that attack as well, though it was many decades ago. They have never been allies to us, though it was discovered that this attack was only in small part the Seanchan. Mostly, it was hired mercenaries and I would be shocked if Dark One's allies were not part of them."

It was all of the story, and only a little of it. No story was simple. No question like that answered easily. "The Tower is not lacking in enmity against us, I'm afraid. And we are glad for your return to health and to us, for we need every sword we can gain against the darkness. Whether it be human or otherwise, born of the Dark One or just the darkness that can be in the heart of Man."

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Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Prew » August 28th, 2016, 2:47 pm

Prewtez considered the Amyrlin's words. The Grey Tower had a history, perhaps not approaching that of its white counterpart, but one that predated him by decades. A history long enough to acquire several enemies, of that he had no doubt.

“I am glad to have recovered my health and stamina, Mother. Of course my sword is always ready to serve. But a sword not oft used will begin to rust. I have the utmost respect for the officers of the Warders Yard. I can think of no finer example of what a Gaidin should be than Riahana Ferria, a woman who has taught me much. I am proud to serve under her and Amayani do Ciresh a'Sorene, and I've worked with Ravak Darrow to improve his sword skills, he impressed me as the type of man I would trust to have my back in a fight. The Tower's defense is in good hands,” he paused for a moment, a small smile playing across his face, “But perhaps I might be best used in taking the fight to our enemies. I came here to offer my services as a warder. It is my desire to find someone seeking a bond. I know the advantages to be gained. My recovery time, for example, would have been drastically reduced, at least the Tower would have been able to find me...” his voice trailed off as he looked earnestly at his superior.

Taking a deep breath, he continued “The problem is, I know not how to go about it. The one Aes Sedai with whom I am most familiar is... not... er.... suitable.” Marissa Sedai with her incessant chatter, her thinly veiled hints of wanting more than simply a working arrangement, he shuddered inwardly at the thought of having her in his head. So if I might ask a favor...” one he doubted he deserved considering his failure, “Should a Sister be considering taking a warder...” he stopped, and waited to see if he had overstepped his bounds.
Death comes for us all, we can only choose how to face it when it comes.

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Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Bella » September 9th, 2016, 12:02 am

His request did surprise her, although not so much that it showed in anything more than a slight lift to her brows and faint upward twist to her lips. For a moment, she almost wondered if he was asking her if she needed a warder, but a swift reexamination of his words and what she knew of his disproved that internal theory.

"Gaidin, would that I were able to help," she began. "I fear it's been a long time since many of my Sisters took to confiding about such things in me, and becoming the Amyrlin Seat has not precisely increased their comfort level in the idea of me as confidant."

She spoke with a candor most unusual of Aes Sedai, she well knew. It had always been her way, however. The woman had rarely needed the Three Oaths to speak the truth for she found that, if for no other reason than it was the easiest thing to remember, the truth was generally your best option. She held to that, and did so now.

Tilting her head slightly, she looked him over. A thought did suddenly spring to mind. "Although..." She trailed off thoughtfully. "What sort of Aes Sedai do you seek? I may know of one who could be open to the idea."

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Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Prew » September 15th, 2016, 2:06 pm

Prewtez did his best to hide his surprise at the Amyrlin's admission. Whatever preconceived notions, even half formed, that he had held concerning the sort of person who would hold such a lofty seat were being dispelled by Miahala Ive's candor. As a former officer in the Queen's Guard, he was experienced himself in the gap between one in authority and those who served, yet this woman spoke to him with an openness he had not expected. He found that the nervousness felt initially was replaced with an almost relaxed conversational attitude.

“Except for the occasional excursion across the border into Murandy I had never been outside Andor before coming to the Tower,” a slight smile crossed his lips, “I had hoped to see more of the world before...” he hesitated to even name that which loomed in the future. Would Tarmon Gai'don happen in his lifetime? Many seemed to think so. “Before I grew too old.” If he should live to grow old that is.

“I suppose what I am saying is that I seek an Aes Sedai who has business in the wider world rather than one who spends most of her time here in the Tower. Does that sound like the one you have in mind?” Of course he would be open to anyone suggested by the Amyrlin Seat. He could trust her, couldn't he?
Death comes for us all, we can only choose how to face it when it comes.

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Location: New England

Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Bella » September 16th, 2016, 1:53 am

As she listened, Miahala nodded and thought. It was with the mind of a mother, not Mother, that she considered.

Sadira did not get out of the Tower as much as she used to, and it was since the death of Scerai. Sadie had not chosen to bond again, but her mother knew that she was not spending her time to its best effect by remaining within these stones walls. Are you making the most of it, old woman? That incessant little voice was trying to raise its head again.

"She is a Blue, and has spent much of her time out in the world on various causes. Some have said she occasionally treads a Green line, but she remains true to her causes. She has not traveled as much of late, but I think that is for want of a warder to aid her. It can be treacherous for we channelers to go out on our own, after all."

Not that it had ever stopped Mia, of course, but she could at least acknowledge the logic of it.

"Her name is Sadira Jolstraer. She's not too difficult to find, but I could arrange for you to meet her, if you wished." Mia didn't know if he would have heard through the Tower about the relation. Some knew, and some did not. She didn't mention it.

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Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Prew » September 18th, 2016, 1:34 pm

“Mother,” there, that awkward title again, but Prewtez was no stranger to formality and respect,”This Sadira Aes Sedai, does she seek a warder?” Light help him but he didn't want to be forced upon anyone simply because the Amyrlin Seat willed it. “Perhaps a meeting would be in order. If she has need of traveling, I could provide the escort... and a chance to see if there is compatibility.” He colored a bit at the thought. An audition, then? But who would be auditioning for whom?

“I have been so focused on my training I confess to having not gotten to know many here, nor am I privy to what channelers might be doing. If Sadira Jolstraer is willing, I would gladly meet with her,” how did one go about it, he wondered. Take advantage of what is offered, he supposed.

“If you might arrange such a meeting, I would be most appreciative.”
Death comes for us all, we can only choose how to face it when it comes.

the Aiel
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Bella
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Location: New England

Re: A Question of Honor (ATT: Miahala)

Post by Bella » September 21st, 2016, 5:16 pm

For a change while in this office, the "mother" title (or epithet, depending on her mood) was actually on-point. Sadie might not precisely be looking for a warder, but she just might be finding one. She would not agree to the meeting because the Amyrlin told her to, but she would because her mother did. It was a far more potent power.

"I shall," she said with a faint smile. "I will let you know."

She rose to her feet, signifying that the meeting was concluded. "And aside from that, I thank you for coming here today to speak with me on matters. Such things do unfortunately happen, but I am glad you are hale and returned to us. Light illumine you, Gaidin."

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