A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

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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A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » February 27th, 2017, 2:54 am

Despite all she might have said and thought about it when it was first proposed, Miahala now had to confess that there were many benefits to having given up the Three Oaths. It certainly made her work as a Green easier--to not worry about when she could or couldn't use the One Power in a fight--and being able to lie came in handy itself...

There was another aspect, however, that she had taken to using to her benefit. That was the loss of the tell-tale agelessness that had been like the smooth lines of a statue upon her features for so many decades.

Now, she looked like a woman. To look at her, someone would place her in her forties, perhaps, but still handsome. The threads of silver wound through her auburn hair and gave it a faint sheen. Her blue-green eyes no longer peered out of a block of ivory, but simply the face of a woman...and oh, she liked that. She had missed it.

For how often in the latter decades of her life--both those leading up to her death, and certainly those after her resurrection--had she just wished to be looked on as a woman? As a human? She was a creature burdened by her own reputation. She had no desire to be a legend in her own time. This woman was born to a farm, and had never aspired to the life she had been given.

Did she regret it? Never. Would she change it had she the chance? At times, maybe she'd say yes. But more often than not, no. She had much pain and sorrow in her years, and certainly her share of destruction, but she knew that she had done good in the world. People lived who would not have without her actions; there were evils that would still thrive had she not ended them.

So no, she neither regretted nor resented her life. But that did not mean she enjoyed all that came with it.

And now that her face no longer screamed the truth of her to the world, she took advantage of it.

This advantage frequently came in the form of trips to Hama Valon. Even with the springing up of this entire Tower-centric city, the Band of Brothers Inn remained just as it was. She had loved to come here when she was young, truly young, and she could once again enjoy it as she used to. Her features could now afford her some anonymity.

If anyone recognized her, it was because she was Miahala and they knew her. Not because she was Aes Sedai.

Coming here for a night of music and drink, oftentimes a dance, and simple relaxation was just what she needed that night. So much, it seemed, had been happening of late that she now just needed some time to...be.

Tonight, she was dressed in a way that hearkened back to those early days of her Tower life. In truth, she might have been mistaken for a serving girl--in her white blouse, green corset top and full skirt--but for the high quality of the outfit, her age, and the clear and commanding presence that surrounded her.

When she arrived, she walked straight to the bar and smiled at the bartender. He was known to her, and she to him. He was already pouring her a glass of spiced cider. She paid for it and then carried it to a table at the edge of the dance floor, where she sipped it and watched the dancers swirling around the floor to the musicians' lively tunes.

She recalled her youth before she even came to the Tower--her brother playing while she danced at the local tavern. The very thing that her mother had cast her out of the house for, and allowed her to land here...

"May I have this dance, milady?" a masculine voice from above asked her.

Miahala lifted her eyes to see a man--not quite young, but younger than she herself appeared to be--standing beside her. He had a polite smile and his eyes did not hold the glassiness of a drunk. One hand was behind his back as he bowed slightly, holding out the other. She had seen him there before, but they had never spoken.

She put her hand in his and rose to her feet. "I would enjoy that," she said smoothly, letting him lead her to the floor as a new song began...
Spoiler: show
Because these are Important Things...she's wearing this, but in green: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/73 ... bda9e9.jpg

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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » February 27th, 2017, 3:10 pm

Spoiler: show
This continues on from The Past Undying, Redeux and a yet-to-be-published fanfic from yours truly.
Ravak Darrow, Gaidin Captain
Ravak closed his book with a decisive snap, then set it down on the small table beside his chair. He squeezed his eyes shut as if that alone would push out the headache that had been building for the last twenty minutes. Behind the lids of his eyes, the world was reduced to darkness and silence.

He ground his teeth. Opening his eyes, Rav looked through the doorway to his bedroom. His uniform was haphazardly discarded on the bed, as was his sword belt. Beyond that lay fluffy white pillows and a proper mattress.

Before he decided on either conclusion, someone rapped on the door. Rav glanced down at himself, making a judgement about how presentable he was. The fire was dying, so there wasn't much light; his creases on his trousers wouldn't be noticed. "Come," he called out.

The door opened to a familiar silhouette. She peered into the room, mostly taking an interest at the topless Ravak and the cooling fireplace. Raising a hand, an orb of pearly-white light blossomed above her palm. "Hiding in shadows?" Varistan Sedai asked quizzically.

Rav just shrugged. "If you're looking for company, I'm not really in the mood at the moment Vari." He made an offhand gesture towards his bedroom. "I was just thinking of turning in."

The Kandori's expression brightened, her pale eyes seeming to playfully suggest something about his state of undress and the bedroom. Yet the carefully placed words that came from her mouth offered nothing of the sort. "Actually I was looking for Miahala Sedai."

"And you came to me?" Rav asked in surprise. He spread his hands, then stopped himself with a frown. "Actually, that's a point. She wasn't in the Hall earlier either." That animated the Gaidin. He stood up and walked into his bedroom.

Vari stepped inside, pulling the door ajar behind her. She called through "So you don't know where she is then?"

"I have an idea," Rav replied as he tugged on a fresh shirt.
---- In full dress uniform, Ravak Darrow walked through the streets of Hama Valon. Vari's interest in her Ajah Head wasn't so pressing in that it needed immediate attention, but Ravak was already set on looking for the Captain-General. After all, it broke the monotony of working, sleeping and eating.

He pressed his thumbs into the palms of his hands as he walked. The city was no longer the safe and pleasant haven he'd previously thought of, so his senses were on alert. It was also why he wore the full regalia of his office, including the golden pin on his lapel, so that everyone knew who he was. It was easier to move through a crowd when they saw swords and a fancloak on a man who had earned both.

Ravak hadn't visited The Band of Brothers since the attack against him. It wasn't superstition or paranoia; Rav had never been much of a fan of the place. Hama Valon had plenty of drinking establishments, and others just fit him better. But he remembered one of Mia's off-hand comments after the attack. Glaring at the stragglers loitering around the door, the Gaidin Captain stepped inside to the sounds of music and carousing.

He gave the room a scrutinous inspection. There were musicians, dancers, gamblers -- all the usual sort. There wasn't anyone glaring at him from across the room, nor any assassins lurking in the shadows. Least none that I can bloody see. It was a little disconcerting standing in the same room where an invisible attacker had stabbed him, knowing that there could be another Grey Man ambling by unnoticed. He pushed the thought aside as he moved into the common room, still giving the place a scan.

Ravak paused midstep as he looked once more at the dancers in the centre of the room. All sorts drifted in amongst one another, from commoners to Accepted to nobles, with the nobles looking the most out-of-place. Yet there was another face in the crowd that stood out more squarely than a fist of Trollocs. He approached the edge of the dance, stood cross-armed at the perimeter, and watched his focus of interest with a steady stare.
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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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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » February 27th, 2017, 3:32 pm

Within the first few bars of the song, Mia learned that his name was Dafyd. He was a well-off, though not wealthy, blacksmith who had set up shop here in Hama Valon a little under a year ago. He had, for reasons even he didn't understand, decided to remain despite the place being a veritable magnet for trouble.

Well, she had said, what do you expect in the shadow of a Tower? To which he'd laughed.

She also learned that he was a good dancer. Since she already knew that she was, it was a pleasure to learn that he was. Not that she ever expected to see him again, but it made their moving around the dance flood fluid and enjoyable. The song was not a jig although it was not slow, and he knew the more complex steps to it.

The Green, the woman, flowed with him as gracefully as water pours through the curves of a river. She might well put a woman half her appeared-age to shame. (Little did they know what other dances she was still more than capable of.) They talked a little in the slower steps, and he made her laugh a time or two, but otherwise, they just danced.

Everything was going just lovely until Mia's eyes happened to fall upon the sidelines of dance floor and landed on...

...Ravak.

Arms crossed. Intent and perhaps not highly pleased look upon his handsome features. And perhaps for the first time in her life, Mia missed a step.

Of course, she caught herself a step later and Dafyd kept their balance as they moved back onto the beat. His brows drew down with curiosity but she offered a small smile and shake of her head, because she wasn't going to explain. She wasn't even sure she could explain it entirely, after all.

She and Ravak had not seen much of one another since their trip together, although she had thought of it often. The interceding time, while not incredibly lengthy, had been...busy. That was for sure. It was that busyness that had drawn her out tonight, seeking to relieve some of the tension in her soul.

Seeing Ravak there suddenly shifted the course of her thoughts, but she was not used to having to make excuses for herself or letting anyone dictate her choices. Thus she finished out the song and the dance, but then excused herself from a second, with her thanks, before making her way over to The Frowning One.

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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » February 27th, 2017, 8:01 pm

Ravak
Ravak waited impatiently for the dance to conclude. She had seen him, that much was obvious, but she hadn't made her excuses. What was so pressing about the dance that made her overlook his clear interest? A mixture of peevishness and expectancy made him raise a hand up to his lapel to straighten his pin. It made no difference. Only when the music stopped did Miahala and her partner part ways, then only afterwards did she make her way towards him.

As she approached, Rav looked past the Saldaean's head to her former dance partner. He was switching his focus between the back of Mia's head and Ravak himself. The latter just glared at the man until he received the Gaidin's very unsubtle message. Yes, that's right, your presence isn't welcomed here. Toddle on.

He pulled his attention back to Miahala. His eyes took in her apparel in a single judgemental glance, wondering what had possessed her to come out looking so ordinary. If their time in Shienar had been anything to go by, then the word normal did not belong in the same sentence as the Captain-General. She was a woman of high standing, if for no other reason than because Borderlander blood ran in her veins. She'd actually fought on the Blight. So why pretend to be anything other than what you are?

"Mia," he stated brusquely, intentionally skipping both full name and honorific. "Am I intruding on something?" He had questions both about her attire and her presence here, but he also knew how to pull off subtlety. "Your absence had been noted."
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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » February 27th, 2017, 10:06 pm

It would be impossible to miss the way he looked at her, and it wasn't in the way that most men did when she looked like this. She found it equally impossible to miss the way he stared at Dafyd until the poor man shrugged his big shoulders and departed. The Green felt a little bad for him, he'd been nice enough, though her curiosity about Rav's attitude pulled her more.

Mia, is it? she reflected with a slightly raised brow. In public was the bigger surprise to it, of course. The rest of his clipped tone could not be missed either and she pressed her lips together slightly to keep from laughing.

Was he...trying to scold her?

The lights of the tavern danced with the amusement in her eyes, even if the rest of her face was fairly well-schooled. "Ravak, the fact that my absence was noticed is made almost painfully clear by your glaring presence before me," she said, speaking smoothly and evenly. "As for intruding, not at all. You are welcome to join me." A faint smile curved the edges of her mouth, unflappable and unfazed.

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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » February 27th, 2017, 10:23 pm

Ravak
Was she mocking him? The Gaidin Captain almost pulled himself up straight to utilise every one of the two inches in height between them. Almost. The last six words from her mouth is what caught him short.

"Join you?" he asked, genuinely perplexed. He looked at her and her plain clothes again, then glanced at the other dancers. She fit right in, whereas he was, what was it, 'a glaring presence'? "I don't exactly blend in here," he grumbled. "Besides, I'm assuming this escape into the city was intended to be subtle. This Gaidin Captain hasn't been caught dancing with anyone for years. It would raise eyebrows."

He adjusted his tone yet again, not even allowing for a reply, as he aimed for commanding and in-charge. He did have precedence of rank, even if he in turn took orders from Mia's great-granddaughter. "So you aren't returning to the Tower then? One of your sisters was looking for you."
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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » February 27th, 2017, 10:35 pm

Feeling stray bits of hair around her temples, she brushed them back with the fingertips of one hand, forcing them to blend in with the rest of her loosely braided hair. His attire was a good point. Why had he come as such? She realized he was there to find her, that had been made obvious by action and word, but the uniform was needed for that?

Mia tilted her head slightly. That tone... She wasn't sure if she liked it or not. It wasn't usually in her nature to like people trying to be commanding of her, yet at the same time... Well, she wasn't sure she hated it.

"No, point of fact, I am not. She may continue to look for me, and if the Tower is burning down, I will be sure to learn of it." She waved her hand slightly and then all but speared him with an intense, unwavering and unblinking gaze. "Would you or would you not agree that I am, in fact, in full possession of my own sovereignty?

"I am fully permitted to step foot off the grounds when I see fit and as I see fit, without asking permission or forgiveness of anyone. In this instance, I will only be departed from those glass and stone walls for but a couple of hours. I think my absence alone will not breed calamity."

She took a deep breath and shook her head slightly, fully in command of herself no matter her outfit or the setting. "Now, if you would like to join me for a drink, I would be very pleased to have you." She knew how that sounded and purposely did not bother to adjust her wording, because she meant everything she ever said.

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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » February 27th, 2017, 11:05 pm

Ravak
The tone, the bearing, that glare. This was the Miahala Sedai that had commanded as the Flame of Hama Valon for the many years of the young Shienaran's training. He felt like a Drin'far'ji again, and not in any way her superior in rank or any other bearing. It's not like anything she said was some monumental proclamation therefore unthought by Ravak himself, but the delivery!

Fortunately he didn't have to answer for his crimes against the Green. No, in fact the entire world (or tone of the conversation) rotated on its axis. A drink? He could manage a drink. In fact, a drink sounded wonderful, even before the offer of joining her. "Of course," he smiled. Or tried to smile. Her wrath had only just died down again. Plus, maybe this was how Miahala lured in her victims. He could imagine the fairytale now: how the Greens had a basement stuffed full of Warders that didn't suit their standards. He wrinkled his nose at the foolishness, and followed Mia toward the bar.

If Ravak was under any allusions that it was his presence that would see them being served quickly, he was disabused of the notion in exceptionally quick order. She didn't need the trappings of her rank to find a place parting at the bar for her, nor did she need the accompaniment of an exquisitely fine silk dress to find herself getting immediate attention from the barman. "Just a pint," Rav answered to the unspoken question.

They found a small table for two near, but not directly adjacent, to where the dancers continued their revelry. Plenty of noise to drown out their conversation even a table over. Rav smiled as he raised his mug and took his first sip. "So, if I may ask, why are you dressed as you are? Assuming I'm not impinging on your sovereignty."
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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Bella » February 27th, 2017, 11:21 pm

The time it took to leave the spot where they had stood, fetch theirs drinks, and find a new table--the drink she'd left on the other already being cleaned up during her dance--was enough to bring her back to who she had been while she'd been fleet-footed on the dance floor and she was able to sit back in her chair with a small but easy smile.

She commanded this chair and this table no less than anything else, but the air of static tension she'd coiled around herself just moments ago had dissipated now.

Mia held her glass of spiced cider in both hands, raising it near her lips as she looked at him across the rim. "It is a fair question," she said, putting his mind to ease that she wasn't about to put her foot down again. "I know it is different than how I usually am attired, but I came here for a drink, a dance, and some relaxation.

"I did not wish to bear the regalia and mantle of the Aes Sedai for such things. I wanted to be Mia Sha'hal, and here I am. This is close to how I chose to dress when I was a much younger woman, before I became Miahala Sedai." She nodded at him. "You seem a bit overdressed for the place, however. Wish to answer that question in return?"

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Re: A Most Clever & Poignant Post Title [Attn: Ravak Darrow Gaidin]

Post by Craig » February 27th, 2017, 11:35 pm

Ravak
Ravak gave an uneasy grin when the question was batted his way. As if a sign of contrition, he pulled free his fingers from his thick leather gloves then stuffed them away behind his swords. "With everything that has happened over the last few years, and especially what had just occurred here in particular, I can't say that I feel at ease strolling around Hama Valon like I used to." He took a hold of one of his sword hilts as he adjusted one of his legs under the table. "Ignoring the scars I got up in the Blight, the rest of the marks on my body all came from within this city's walls. It's not exactly paranoia when you know the danger is real, you know?"

Hardly a reassuring speech, but then he didn't need to bolster Mia's mood. He took another draught from his mug, eyeing the room even as he did so. When the ale returned to the table, he continued with an off-hand gesture to the room. "Plus, I suppose it gives them some reassurance. I mean, if I'm not happy going out without all this, how do they feel? I'm not being arrogant, but I'm sure seeing the swords and fancloak and all this, it must provide some sense of protection. After all, it's the lot of us in the Tower that summon all of these troubles down on the city. We owe it to them."

He thumbed the rim of his drink as he considered to whom or what he owed the most debt to. There was the Grey Tower, of course, and Hama Valon. Doing something specifically for the good of Shienar had long ceased to be a reasonable consideration. Was there anything else? Not yet, he thought with a glance at Mia. He gave her a warm smile. "It's funny. I'd rather be dressed like you are now than like this. And I came to pull you up short." He snorted. "It's a strange world."
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