Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Hama Valon, the city around the Grey Tower.
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Welcome to Hama Valon! The aptly named 'mountain guard' is the city that has grown up at the gates of the Grey Tower at the western edge of the Two Rivers. Like all cities, there are quiet quarters with pleasant inns, such as Elman's Creek, which used to be the nearest village when the Tower was young, but was absorbed as the new city grew; its Band of Brothers Inn is still a favorite relaxation spot for many of the Tower's denizens. And again, like all cities the world over, there are less pleasant places--narrow, nameless streets that house hells and other houses of ill repute. Most of the city falls somewhere in between, with hawkers crying their wares in the streets, respectable shopkeepers ready to serve you, and petty cutpurses happy to follow you.

Novices, Soldiers, and drin'far'ji must be accompanied by a chaperon when outside Tower walls or they risk being picked up as runaways and duly punished.
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Bella
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Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Bella » November 2nd, 2022, 9:03 pm

That night, Natlya had almost been scared to go to sleep... She did not want to wake up in the morning and discover that her bed was empty, like it had been for so long now. She didn't want all of this to have been a cruel, taunting dream that she'd arise to find was only that. Still, she knew she couldn't just stay awake forever.

In the morning, much to greater relief than she'd admit to aloud, she awoke to find that it had not been a dream.

They dressed, ate, saw to Dog Gaidin's care for the time they planned to be away, then headed to the Mistress of Novice's office. Miahala Sedai had been in and was willing to grant them an audience with the Grey Tower's very newest Novice, asking them to wait in the antechamber while the runner novice for the day went to fetch Pit.

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Locke
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Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Locke » November 27th, 2022, 3:03 pm

Pit
It was only Pit’s first morning in the Tower and she was awake before the crack of dawn, wearing an itchy white dress, and scrubbing tiles on her hands and knees. She was a student now, a Novice. She had been a student before, Terric’s student. He’d managed to teach her two things: how to fight with a spear and that all adults lied. Well the Aielman hadn’t lied really, but he hadn’t told her the whole truth. Pit knew she would have tried to resist if he’d told her this would be her fate.

“Stupid, bloody, Aielman,” she muttered as she scrubbed furiously. Approaching footsteps caused her to look up from her angry work.

“Pit?” The questioner was an older Novice with brown skin and freckles. “You’re requested,” she said, reaching for Pit’s bucket and cloth. “I’ll take those, just follow me.”

The tall Novice had taken the bucket and turned to leave before Pit could ask any questions. She couldn’t so much but rush after her. “Wait, what’s going on?” she asked as she caught up.

“Rule one of being a Novice: Don’t make people wait,” the freckled woman said over her shoulder, “Rule two: Save your questions until after you’re following orders.”



As they reached the antechamber outside the Mistress of Novices’ Office, the older girl gave her an apologetic look before curtseying and backing out. Suddenly her heart jumped into her throat. This was where they sent trouble Novices right? Had she already managed to get into trouble? Actually taking stock of the room's occupants, she saw Terric and a red haired woman with the look of a pretty silversmith. With an excited squeak she rushed over throwing her arms around the big Aiel, before she remembered she was supposed to be mad at him. Letting go, she backed away and performed a curtsey like the Mistress of Novices had taught her. “Sir, ma’am?” she said unsure the proper terms of address for either.

She looked up as a shadow fell across her. Terric had moved to kneel at her eye level. “I have toh. I should have explained what being able to learn to channel would mean for you. I knew this might not be a life you would want. That might try to run. So I allowed myself to assume that they were wrong about your potential. I will meet my toh, but in the meantime we need your help.”

The Lugarder girl’s eyes widened, Terric had tried to explain toh, she didn’t totally understand, but he was apologizing at least. “I’m still mad at you,” she said, crossing her arms, “but what can I do to help?”

“First, don’t let anybody see you crossing your arms at a pair of Gaidin,” Terric said in a voice tinged with amusement. “Well this is, Natlya Cade–”

“Oh your, girlfriend,” Pit said with an excited gasp.

“It’s best to avoid interrupting the upper ranks, in the future, but yes, that is the wetlander term for what we are,” he said in a longsuffering voice. “As I was saying, we need your help. If it is not too painful, please try to answer our questions about the people who kidnapped you back in Lugard.
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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Bella » November 27th, 2022, 10:52 pm

Natlya watched, and listened, with a hint of amusement. That feeling was laced with...nostalgia wasn't exactly the right word, but there was something she identified with in the girl.

"Why don't you go find a Drin to terrorize or a spear to shine or something?" she said to Terric, although she was smiling. The look was teasing and mischevious, but there was also a bit of seriousness to it as she wondered if Pit would do better just talking to her. The night before had been so full of emotion that she couldn't recall if that had been his original suggestion or not.

Once he was gone, she turned to Pit and nodded down the hall. They started walking. "I didn't want to come here when I was younger either," she said quite plainly after a few moments. "My lover and partner when I was a teenager, probably around your age, could channel and was given no choice but to come here. The fact that we'd tried to run a con on an Asha'man didn't help our chances." That was said with a wry laugh.

Natlya Cade was not one to avoid her past. She owned it fully, but used it liberally as well. "I didn't want to be here, but I followed him anyway. I joined the Drin, broke a bunch of rules, got in trouble all the time. After my lover died..." The sting was faint, after so long, but still there. "I didn't want to stay. I ran away several times, got caught, brought back. They worried I would do myself an injury, and they were probably right.

"Soon, though, I realized this place isn't so bad. And you won't be a trainee forever." She smiled. "All this to say that I do get it, but this place can be good if you make the most of it."

There reached an alcove where there was a bench, set slightly into the wall and not exactly in everyone's path and line of sight. "What can you tell me about what happened?" she asked gently then, hoping that her sharing and understanding would make this part a little easier.

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Locke
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Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Locke » November 28th, 2022, 12:26 am

Terric stood and headed for the Warder's yard. He placed a hand on Natlya Cade's shoulder before he left. Taking some time to practice forms in the Yards would be for the best. He was becoming far too close to this case.

Pit
Pit watched the Aielman leave with a pang of regret before reminding herself that she was still mad at him. As she walked and listened to Terric’s girlfriend, she thought she understood what the geezer saw in her. Well, maybe she was out of his league. She’d been a conwoman at some point, and Terric was like one of those honorable heroes out of a gleeman’s tail. She did seem sincere, and Terric was smitten with her, so she couldn’t be a bad person. She decided to answer her. “My parents died when I was little, or maybe they abandoned me, I don’t really know,” Pit said, sitting with her arms crossed. “Either way, the lady who ran the orphanage sold me off to some people for a nice purse. I guess adults always choose what’s best for them,” she said with a sniff.
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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Bella » November 28th, 2022, 12:31 am

Natlya listened, nodding slightly as Pit spoke to show that she was paying attention. "Many do, I'm sorry to say," the Gaidin had to agree with a sad smile. "It sounds like your orphanage was worse than the one I grew up in, though I ran away from that place when I was maybe eleven. I never knew my parents myself, so my age is a guess at best."

She lightly patted the girl's shoulder, then asked kindly, "Where did you end up after that? What happened then?"

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Locke
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SC: Alric Aurella
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Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Locke » December 2nd, 2022, 9:33 pm

Pit
It had all been a blur, but Pit tried her best to remember. Most people, even in Lugard, who bought and sold orphans tried not to leave a trail. She was impressed Terric had even managed to find her. She wrapped her arms around herself as she finally spoke. “It’s hard to say,” she spoke slowly, eyes fixed on the tile floor, “I just remember cellars and attics. Usually they’d move me with a bag on my head or lock me in a box.” She’d mostly put the ordeal out of her mind, or so she’d thought. A tear leaked from her eye as she looked up to meet Natlya’s eyes. She set her jaw and continued speaking, “I do remember something. One house, well there were a bunch more kids. All sorts of ages. A woman came in and looked dead at me. I guess she bought me next.”
Last edited by Locke on December 2nd, 2022, 11:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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User avatar
Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Bella » December 2nd, 2022, 11:26 pm

It was hard to hear stories like this, even if they were far more common out in the word than Natlya or anyone wanted to admit. She also knew that she could have very easily ended up like Pit. In fact, she'd had a few close calls early on after she left the orphanage and then later one when cons went wrong...

"I know it's hard," she said sympathetically. "Is there anything you can tell me about the house? Even little things that might not seen like they'd matter could be useful. Too much information isn't a bad thing, after all."

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Locke
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Joined: April 13th, 2016, 5:21 pm
PC: Terric of the Salt Flat Sept of the Nakai Aiel
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TC: Nasrin Naceri

Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Locke » December 2nd, 2022, 11:35 pm

Pit
Pit scrubbed away the tears forming and forged on. “It was way outside the city. I remember noticing that when the lady took me out to her carriage. We had the shutters down the whole ride though so I don’t know where she took me after that. But the house, it was a big ol’ manor house. Kinda run down but not really dirty. They kept us kids in a big basement.”
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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Bella » December 2nd, 2022, 11:52 pm

Nat marked the things that Pit said. It wasn't really a lot, but it could give them a place to start. There were only so many unoccupied but not entirely ruined manor houses sitting a carriage's ride away from the city. She offered a comforting smile and nodded. "Thank you, Pit. That helps us so we can try to help others," she said sincerely.

"If you need any help while you're here, you can call on me. I'll do what I can." She glanced down the hallway briefly and then back to the girl. "I won't press you any further and let you go back to whatever you were doing. I know this was hard, but I appreciate it."

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Locke
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Joined: April 13th, 2016, 5:21 pm
PC: Terric of the Salt Flat Sept of the Nakai Aiel
SC: Alric Aurella
TC: Nasrin Naceri

Re: Running Wild [Attn: You Know Who]

Post by Locke » December 3rd, 2022, 12:26 am

Pit
Going back to what she’d been doing meant more scrubbing, Pit just wanted to go to her new quarters and sleep, but the nightmares lurked there. They’d gone away over the last few months, but sleep still didn’t come easily. Calling after the departing Gaidin’s back, she said, “There were other kids in that house, we weren’t friends, we didn’t know each other like that, but we were all the same. My friend Kala talking to her da’s the only reason anybody came after me. I don’t know if any of them had a Kala. You’re gonna help them right?”
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