The grey-haired guard jabbed his sour-faced companion roughly in the ribs. "I swear, one day you're going ta let one of these pups stray, and you'll be out on yer arse Heb."
Heb grunted dismissively in response, meandering back to the guard post without a glance back. The grey-haired guard threw his hands up in exasperation with a loud sigh. "Fine," he muttered, turning to the new arrival. "The name's Mordjen. Pleased to meet you. I'll take you to where you ought to go. If you'll follow me, please?"
Mordjen stepped out in front, taking comfortable but ground-eating strides. As he walked, he chattered amiably with the newcomer. The entrance road was somewhat long, and Mordjen only went halfway down before veering off to the right. He cut across a field towards a large four- or five-story building. It looked like a dormitory, and faced the tall glass Grey Tower itself.
"I never tried t' be a Warder meself," Mordjen continued. "Me wife, Liz, bless 'er. Well, she would probably cry herself to sleep every single night if I told her I wanted t' try an' get meself bonded to some fancy Aes Sedai." The guard chuckled at that, then cleared his throat after stealing a glance at the man striding alongside him. "No no, I watch the front gate, and help carry firewood when there are special occasions. That is more than enough connection t' the One Power for me, yessir. But if I could learn some of the way of the Warders, like how they fight with their bare hands, I would very much enjoy learning about that. I think it would make me better at being a guard." Mordjen seemed to be lost in his own thoughts for a moment, his pace slowing briefly.
"Anyways," Mordjen perked up, "Master Darrow.. or is that Captain Darrow now? Mm, well ne'er mind that. He said he would be seeing t' inviting me and some of the boys to a class with his trainees. 'pparently there's a Blademaster for that now. Am sure that will come about when the time is right. Master Darrow always seems to be busy now, especially with that kid to look after, but I think he's a goodly soul. Proper head on his shoulders." They were walking into a hard packed dirt yard, between four buildings spaced far apart. To their immediate right was a barn-sized building all on a single story, with a few people around it. The men and women practicing various forms of fighting styles were spread from there all the way across the Yard. At the opposite end were two newer structures, made of unweathered stone, although the purposes of either was not evident from the exterior. Immediately ahead was the large dormitory hall, and it was towards that and a large set of doors that Mordjen led them. "Master Darrow is a good man, but a hard man too. Don't be letting on what happened with Heb back there, if you please. He's a trial for most, but this Tower is probably the only thing keeping him from finding an arrow wi' his name on it. He didn't mean no harm; I'll keep on at him. The Master of Training's office is upstairs." Mordjen pointed at the set of stairs that ran central through the large lobby. The foyer had a tiled floor and wood panelled walls, with several tables, chairs and benches set out, occupied by groups of trainees in the various greys of the Warder Yards.
Mordjen turned and clasped his hands behind his back, bouncing up once on his toes. "He usually has open hours in his office from a couple of hours before High, until a few hours before Low, if he's no out running an errand. If he doesn't happen t' be there right then, there is usually a book with a pen. You can scribble a request for a meeting, and then come back. Right now, it is about four hours after Early, so he is probably already there." The guard grinned broadly, and nodded. "It is good to welcome you to the Tower. Good luck!" Patting the newcomer jovially on the shoulder, Mordjen retreated back the way they had come.
Ravak Darrow, Master of Training and Gaidin Captain
Heb grunted dismissively in response, meandering back to the guard post without a glance back. The grey-haired guard threw his hands up in exasperation with a loud sigh. "Fine," he muttered, turning to the new arrival. "The name's Mordjen. Pleased to meet you. I'll take you to where you ought to go. If you'll follow me, please?"
Mordjen stepped out in front, taking comfortable but ground-eating strides. As he walked, he chattered amiably with the newcomer. The entrance road was somewhat long, and Mordjen only went halfway down before veering off to the right. He cut across a field towards a large four- or five-story building. It looked like a dormitory, and faced the tall glass Grey Tower itself.
"I never tried t' be a Warder meself," Mordjen continued. "Me wife, Liz, bless 'er. Well, she would probably cry herself to sleep every single night if I told her I wanted t' try an' get meself bonded to some fancy Aes Sedai." The guard chuckled at that, then cleared his throat after stealing a glance at the man striding alongside him. "No no, I watch the front gate, and help carry firewood when there are special occasions. That is more than enough connection t' the One Power for me, yessir. But if I could learn some of the way of the Warders, like how they fight with their bare hands, I would very much enjoy learning about that. I think it would make me better at being a guard." Mordjen seemed to be lost in his own thoughts for a moment, his pace slowing briefly.
"Anyways," Mordjen perked up, "Master Darrow.. or is that Captain Darrow now? Mm, well ne'er mind that. He said he would be seeing t' inviting me and some of the boys to a class with his trainees. 'pparently there's a Blademaster for that now. Am sure that will come about when the time is right. Master Darrow always seems to be busy now, especially with that kid to look after, but I think he's a goodly soul. Proper head on his shoulders." They were walking into a hard packed dirt yard, between four buildings spaced far apart. To their immediate right was a barn-sized building all on a single story, with a few people around it. The men and women practicing various forms of fighting styles were spread from there all the way across the Yard. At the opposite end were two newer structures, made of unweathered stone, although the purposes of either was not evident from the exterior. Immediately ahead was the large dormitory hall, and it was towards that and a large set of doors that Mordjen led them. "Master Darrow is a good man, but a hard man too. Don't be letting on what happened with Heb back there, if you please. He's a trial for most, but this Tower is probably the only thing keeping him from finding an arrow wi' his name on it. He didn't mean no harm; I'll keep on at him. The Master of Training's office is upstairs." Mordjen pointed at the set of stairs that ran central through the large lobby. The foyer had a tiled floor and wood panelled walls, with several tables, chairs and benches set out, occupied by groups of trainees in the various greys of the Warder Yards.
Mordjen turned and clasped his hands behind his back, bouncing up once on his toes. "He usually has open hours in his office from a couple of hours before High, until a few hours before Low, if he's no out running an errand. If he doesn't happen t' be there right then, there is usually a book with a pen. You can scribble a request for a meeting, and then come back. Right now, it is about four hours after Early, so he is probably already there." The guard grinned broadly, and nodded. "It is good to welcome you to the Tower. Good luck!" Patting the newcomer jovially on the shoulder, Mordjen retreated back the way they had come.
In the moderately-sized office beyond Riahana's, Ravak Darrow hunched over the small desk in his private study. The room had no windows, so a lit candle was the only real light being cast down onto the pages of the book he was reading. He scribbled notes onto paper in his awkward hand as he jotted down names and dates of people mostly long dead or long forgotten. The feather of the quill in his hand refracted a rainbow of colour off of the candle light. Rav barely noticed the beauty of his ter'angreal as he stared a touch feverishly at the book.
When his eyes stung from staring too hard and failing to blink, he put the quill down, and marked the page with a paperweight. It was just a rock from the Gardens, but it had flecks of colour on it from where lacquerwork had once been. A present from his daughter when she was four, and he treasured it as much as he cared for her drawings, or her stories from the Mar a'Mael, or almost anything she did. He pinched at his raw eyes and forced himself away from the desk.
The main office was filled with the light streaming through the two stained glass windows. Rav groaned from the sudden change in luminescence as he stepped towards the small tea stand. Everything in the room was Shienaran in style, if not in manufacture. It was a lot easier to get imitations carved than to import furniture from the Borderlands. Hard edges and clean lines were everywhere, all built from solid oak. The large desk that dominated the room had solid sides as opposed to spindly legs, so his lower half was concealed from anyone on the other side of the room. Two newer chairs sat on a Taraboner rug for the Gaidin's visitors. A weapon rack in one corner held Rav's weapons. His Tower-forged longsword was placed so that the Flame and Fang on its crossguard was visible. Beside it rested a stout sword-breaker, a long quarterstaff made of silvery wood, and a simple longbow. There was two further tables, covered in more sheets of paper being weighed down various throwing daggers and painted rocks.
Rav poured from the teapot into a small chipped cup, and added a dash of milk from another container. Taking the lukewarm cup, he moved behind his desk and sat down opposite the two mounds of paperwork that denotes his dual duties. Shaggy unkempt hair was flattened as he sat back in his tall leather-backed chair, and brought the tea to his parched lips.
As he lowered the cup, Ravak heard approaching steps along the floorboards outside of his room. He placed the cup down on the table, and made a quick check of his shirt to ensure everything was unruffled. Settling back into his chair, Rav folded his hands on the desk and waited for the new visitor to appear.
When his eyes stung from staring too hard and failing to blink, he put the quill down, and marked the page with a paperweight. It was just a rock from the Gardens, but it had flecks of colour on it from where lacquerwork had once been. A present from his daughter when she was four, and he treasured it as much as he cared for her drawings, or her stories from the Mar a'Mael, or almost anything she did. He pinched at his raw eyes and forced himself away from the desk.
The main office was filled with the light streaming through the two stained glass windows. Rav groaned from the sudden change in luminescence as he stepped towards the small tea stand. Everything in the room was Shienaran in style, if not in manufacture. It was a lot easier to get imitations carved than to import furniture from the Borderlands. Hard edges and clean lines were everywhere, all built from solid oak. The large desk that dominated the room had solid sides as opposed to spindly legs, so his lower half was concealed from anyone on the other side of the room. Two newer chairs sat on a Taraboner rug for the Gaidin's visitors. A weapon rack in one corner held Rav's weapons. His Tower-forged longsword was placed so that the Flame and Fang on its crossguard was visible. Beside it rested a stout sword-breaker, a long quarterstaff made of silvery wood, and a simple longbow. There was two further tables, covered in more sheets of paper being weighed down various throwing daggers and painted rocks.
Rav poured from the teapot into a small chipped cup, and added a dash of milk from another container. Taking the lukewarm cup, he moved behind his desk and sat down opposite the two mounds of paperwork that denotes his dual duties. Shaggy unkempt hair was flattened as he sat back in his tall leather-backed chair, and brought the tea to his parched lips.
As he lowered the cup, Ravak heard approaching steps along the floorboards outside of his room. He placed the cup down on the table, and made a quick check of his shirt to ensure everything was unruffled. Settling back into his chair, Rav folded his hands on the desk and waited for the new visitor to appear.
OOC: Post Johan's perspective of the guard showing him to the Warder Hall, continuing into the Master of Training's office and him approach to/through the open door. |