A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Welcome to the Gardens: one of the most tranquil areas of the Tower Grounds.
Forum rules
Welcome to the Gardens: one of the most tranquil areas of the Tower Grounds. Birds sing in the trees which line the wide paths between beautiful flower beds and serene lakes. There are benches to sit and listen to the waterfall, and there is neatly trimmed grass to lie on and rest. Novices and Soldiers as well as Warders in Training can be seen, sweeping the stone paths as Accepted and Dedicated study from books and relax under leafy trees.
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

A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Bella » July 21st, 2017, 2:04 am

By all accounts, it was a fairly average day in the infirmary...which was a nice change of pace from all the chaos and destruction and tension and people in need of care from the past few months. Gareth was happy to simply tend to the occasional injured trainee, or maybe a Novice whose stomach had gotten upset after that dreadful mushroom soup was served.

Gareth and Maever were working together on a fresh inventory of their herb collection--fresh, drying, and dried. Some were being pulled to use for creating new salves and poultices or teas. Others were simply being noted for their status and quantity, then put back.

However, the quiet was soon broken...because, why not? Through the door of the infirmary came flying a small child. She was shouting, although mostly incoherent, and the two Yellows turned toward her immediately. Gareth, being a father still even if his children were grown, was on his knees in an instant to be closer to her level.

"Calm, child," he said, looking her over and seeing no obvious sign of injury or illness. "We cannot help if we cannot understand."

She stopped and took one deep breath. "There's an animal hurt in the gardens!" she finally spat out, still just barely understandable but at least closer than it had been. "Will you come?"

Gareth had been expecting many things, but that was not it. However, a creature in need was a creature in need... "Of course, child. You show us the way." He rose to his feet and looked at Maever. "Your aid may be needed." Gareth did not know the state of the animal, but they may need to attend the child's emotional state as much as the animal. Aid would be useful.

User avatar
Matty
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 964
Joined: December 16th, 2015, 8:19 pm
PC: Murdock Mather, Keeper of the Archives
SC: Nathaniel Carridus, Asha'man (Blue)
TC: Maever Donovan, Asha'man (Yellow)
Location: Plain of Lances, UK

Re: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Matty » July 21st, 2017, 7:05 am

Maever Donovan Being a Yellow was about more than just Healing those who were injured. It was also about non-conventional Healing methods, not always involving the Power. Maever was adamant in trying to use the praying primrose as a poultice, but some of the flowers he had picked needed to be dried out as well, and he was rather excited to see what good they did. He and Gareth were arranging the herb collection they had, and the Illianer was most pleased when some of the fresh praying primrose was put to one side to test in poultices.

"I did no realise we did have so much heartleaf," he muttered, mostly to himself before that was checked off the list and they carried on.

This quiet but satisfying task was interrupted by the appearance of a child in need, and it was like a hush fell over the Infirmary as practically every Yellow in the vicinity turned to see what the matter was, Maever included. He didn't know what the problem was until Gareth calmed her enough to get it out of her, but as soon as he knew what it was Maever was on his feet and setting down the notes he had been keeping. "Oh dear!" he exclaimed. "Of course Gareth, we do be needing to see what the matter do be with the animal! Please child, do lead the way."

The girl was apparently a little calmer as she managed to say "you talk funny!" before turning and scuttling out. Maever went a bit red but both he and Gareth followed, his legs and Gareth's even longer ones, easily able to keep up with her.

They went out to the gardens - a natural end location where animals were involved - and Maever rolled his sleeves up in anticipation as they came across the tragic scene in question.

There was a small picnic beside a fountain, with a blanket and a picnic basket and all those other lovely picnic related things. Maever quickly spotted the animal in need... it was a squat little duck, lying on its side with an injured wing. "Fortune prick me," he murmured, as flashbacks to his dearest Jeffrey came to mind. The Illianer approached carefully and got to his knees slowly, looking down at the duck that was now quacking and wriggling on the spot. A few return quacks made Maever jump, before he realised that there were other ducks in the fountain nearby.

"Is he gonna die?" the kid asked in that calm way kids did when they were about to burst into tears at the wrong answer.

Maever had no idea where her family was, but he could deal with the duck and then the rest would fall into place afterwards. "He will be okay!" he promised. And with Gareth there he would keep the girl calm and away from him as he worked. Normally, Healing was assigned to people based on their strengths - and Gareth was a most excellent Healer - but Maever had been incredibly selfish in his desire to assist the duck, and he would feel most terrible about it later. For now though, he had work to do. The Illianer seized Saidin and ever so carefully Delved the creature, finding the broken wing and wondering how this could have happened in the first place. But then there was nothing for it but to fix the little fellow up. Strands of Air and Spirit and Earth, so delicate and gentle, were plucked from the raging torrent of Saidin, and the Illianer fixed his eyes on the duck as he worked. The duck was most alarmed and began to quack hysterically, but then when the Healing was complete and the wing was back in place, it rolled upright and began to waddle around the blanket, clearly in a state of euphoric bliss.

"Ohhh it did work!" Maever marvelled, delighted. Almost as delighted as the girl, who let out a screech of joy.

"I JUST WANNA HUG IT!" she cried, which suddenly explained how the duck had been injured in the first place....
Image
------ Murdock -------------- Nathaniel --------------- Maever -------

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: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Bella » July 22nd, 2017, 2:33 am

The pair of Asha'man had followed the girl swiftly through the corridors of the Tower and out into the gardens, which was indeed an expected place to find all manner of animals. And, of course, it would be a duck. Gareth had been witness to the most traumatic destruction of Jeffrey, and the big Yellow now thought the Pattern had a dry sense of humor.

Although either of them could have Healed the creature, Maever seemed very eager and Gareth was not going to stand in the way of that. Besides, he was a father and so was likely best suited to soothe the child.

She stood very sedately, watching with an intensely serious gaze. He had seen that look on Tia before, around this age, and knew that it was a perilous edge to stand on. One wrong thing would send her right back into hysterics, but he had faith that his Brother could take care of the creature.

And he did. And the girl squealed. And she rushed for the--

"Oh, no," Gareth said, using one big arm to keep her from doing just that as she surged forward on her quest. "The duck is pretty small, little one, and we don't want to see it be injured again accidentally."

She whirled on Gareth, at first accusingly and then with big, watery eyes. "Did I hurt it?"

The Oaths constricted around him before he even tried to speak. "I don't know," he answered, and that was the truth. He didn't know; he just suspected. "What I do know is that it was hurt, but now it's better. However, it's newly fixed and will need to be treated very, very carefully. You could feed it some bits of water grass and bread, though. Help it feel better."

Her lips pursed to one side and then the other as she evaluated his words, then she nodded and went to the picnic, plucking off some little pieces of bread. She held them up. "This good?"

Gareth smiled softly as he stood. "It is," he said, then watched--closely--as she moved to feed the animal. He shifted back to stand nearer to Maever. "Any sign of her parents?"

User avatar
Matty
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 964
Joined: December 16th, 2015, 8:19 pm
PC: Murdock Mather, Keeper of the Archives
SC: Nathaniel Carridus, Asha'man (Blue)
TC: Maever Donovan, Asha'man (Yellow)
Location: Plain of Lances, UK

Re: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Matty » July 29th, 2017, 3:17 pm

The Illianer was most pleased that the Healing had worked, as their dear little duck was most pleased. He was also quite used to people by the looks of it, as the girl approached with her offering of food and he went to gobble it up from her hand quite contently. Ducks do no be having the ability to hold a grudge when there do be bread involved, Maever thought affectionately, though then Gareth was standing next to him and he looked up with a bit of a blush. He hadn't actually thought about the girl's parents, despite the fact that she was quite clearly alone. "Well," he reasoned with a look at the blanket and the food, "there do be plenty of food here for a family, so she must have been left here, no?"

The Illianer cast his pale eyes further afield, a concerned cast to them. No parents to be found, had they left her here intentionally? It seemed rather unusual. "The girl may be knowing something," he murmured to Gareth, "I will talk to her." He was childless and would probably remain so until he died an old and alone Healer, but he did enjoy them and he liked to think he could talk to them. The man kneeled down on the edge of the blanket, "the duck do be liking you!" he told the little girl. "What do your name be?"

"Anne!" the girl declared. "And this is Clarence!"

"Ohhh, Clarence do be a lovely name for a duck," Maever said, and the Oaths meant it was most certainly the truth.

"Clarence is my brother!" Anne said.

"Ohhh, well it do be as lovely name for a little boy as well," Maever assured her. He watched as the duck, er, Clarence, finished nibbling from her hand and apparently felt relaxed enough to sit down on the blanket there and there. With a smile he looked back to Anne, who was taking more bread from the basket, "where do Clarence be now?" he asked.

"Clarence is sat here silly!" Anne said, pointing to Clarence the duck.

"Oh, ummm, well, I do be meaning your brother Clarence," Maever replied.

"Clarence my brother has gone to stay with the Creator," Anne said with that matter of fact, knowledgeable tone where she was too young to be truly aware or upset by the implications of what she was saying. "He was very very sick and the Lellows couldn't help him, so Mama and Papa are taking Clarence now. I can't go with them."

"Oh, ummm," Maever blinked, there hadn't been any cases of this nature that he was aware of but then he wasn't so arrogant as to assume everything had to be run by him first in the Infirmary, "I do be sorry to hear that."

"It's okay!"

"Well... we will wait here until your parents do come back!" Maever decided. "I do be Maever, and this do be Gareth!" He looked up at Gareth and patted the blanket, inviting him to sit with Anne and Clarence. Maybe he had some idea of this case with a child called Clarence, he'd have to ask when Anne was sufficiently distracted.
Image
------ Murdock -------------- Nathaniel --------------- Maever -------

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: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Bella » August 2nd, 2017, 2:16 am

Maever never ceased to intrigue Gareth, as the mountainous Yellow watched the other healer speaking with the little girl. He listened carefully, continuing to keep his eyes out for her parents. As a parent himself, he was keenly aware of such things. The part about the little brother, though, hit him harder.

It reminded him of a time when his twins were very young, and Einion fell ill. Gareth had been able to Heal him, but it had been a nearer thing than he was comfortable with. The thought of losing a child...

Gareth noticed the invitation and then came over to sit on the blanket with Maever and Anne. He wondered where it was that her parents were taking him, though, that would leave her here alone in the gardens...with a duck for company. None of this was said, of course, and he smiled at her.

"We are pleased to meet you and your friend," Gareth said, nodding at the duck. "Is there anyone else here with you for your meal?"
Spoiler: show
OOC: You seemed to be rolling on with Anne, so I figured I'd see if you want to keep writing her or for both of us? <3

User avatar
Matty
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 964
Joined: December 16th, 2015, 8:19 pm
PC: Murdock Mather, Keeper of the Archives
SC: Nathaniel Carridus, Asha'man (Blue)
TC: Maever Donovan, Asha'man (Yellow)
Location: Plain of Lances, UK

Re: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Matty » August 2nd, 2017, 7:06 am

It was with great gusto that Anna shook her head. "Nope!" she replied, though she wasn't at all put out by this from the sounds of it. "I have you and you and Clarence." She pointed to Gareth, then Maever, then the infamous duck (who was still sat there, nonplussed by the humans).

"Of course you do!" Maever agreed heartily, smiling at Anna. "But do there be anyone else with your Mama and Papa and Clarence?"

"No," Anna said as she went and grabbed a sandwich from the basket. "Here you go!" she said, holding it out for Maever to take.

"Oh, ummm, thank you but I do no be hungry..." there was an awkward moment as she stared at Maever, still holding the sandwich out, until Clarence reached up to peck at it. She let it drop and took another one from the basket to repeat this gesture. Oh dear. Well. Maever didn't want to upset a little girl, so he took the sandwich. "Thank you!" he said, though he wasn't a big fan of eating meat and this was most certainly some sort of poultry. Still, the man sucked it up and took a bite, finding it was... a sandwich. Pretty much as expected. Anna's smile made it worth it.

Though this smile faltered when she reached into the basket and took another sandwich out, holding it for Gareth. "Papa says we have to eat to be big and strong like him! But you look stronger! So you should eat too!" Child logic at its finest. Maever tried not to smile at the sight, because it was more amusing when it wasn't him being offered sandwiches, and when Anna was distracted he casually put his behind his back and on the grass.

"That do be very kind of you Anna, Gareth do be needing to eat plenty to be big and strong!" the Illianer said without irony, "and so do you! So why no have a sandwich as well?"

"I dun like bread."

Clarence was done eating the sandwich in front of him and he set off at a waddle towards the fountain, where he then hopped onto the side presumably to join his friends in the water. It was a shame, him sitting there was relaxing and good for everyone. Animals were proven to make people happier. Maever managed to refrain from making a mopey noise as they were left alone on the blanket, but on the other hand they weren't being accosted by numerous Clarences wanting sandwiches so there was that to consider.

"Okay," Maever blinked when Anna put the sandwich on Gareth's knee, "do there be anything else in the basket to eat, Anna?"

That was when Anna took an apple out and threw it at Maever. "Here you go!"

"Oh, I did be meaning for you to eat Anna!" Maever said, offering it back after giving it a quick rub on his sleeve to clean off a stray bit of duck fluff.

"I dun like apples."
Image
------ Murdock -------------- Nathaniel --------------- Maever -------

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: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Bella » August 4th, 2017, 9:54 pm

Babysitting a little girl that he hadn't known until just moments before had not been on his plan for the day, and he found himself...trying to understand exactly what was going on so he could perhaps temper his annoyance. He was annoyed at a child this age being left on her own, but he realized that he may be judging unfairly. He did not yet understand everything.

He took the sandwich and smiled at the comments about being big and strong. Gareth made a little show of opening it, but didn't yet take a bite as his own uncertainty was unnerving...

"Is there anything in the basket that you do like to eat?" he asked in his best fatherly voice. "What about trying one of the sandwiches without the bread?" He remembered when Einion went through a phase where a different food each week, almost on a schedule, was the most vile of things and he would not touch it.

Only for it to become his favorite a few days later.

"Do you know where your mother and father and brother actually are now?" Gareth asked, seeking clarity in the moment. It was like standing bulwark against a raging stream to get straight answers out of young children sometimes, though. He knew from experience that if she didn't want to tell him, he'd have better luck talking to the duck.

Quack.

User avatar
Matty
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 964
Joined: December 16th, 2015, 8:19 pm
PC: Murdock Mather, Keeper of the Archives
SC: Nathaniel Carridus, Asha'man (Blue)
TC: Maever Donovan, Asha'man (Yellow)
Location: Plain of Lances, UK

Re: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Matty » August 6th, 2017, 8:00 pm

Anna wore a look of concentration on her face as she looked in the basket again. Maever, having cleaned his apple, had a great idea and he bit into it. "Oh my!" he declared, "this apple do be delicious! Ohhh fruit, so tasty." Maever did like apples well enough, he wasn't obsessed with them but they were sweet and round and cheerful. Pears on the other hand, made him sad. They just looked unhappy. The Illianer continued to eat his apple, making noises about how tasty it was.

"I want an apple!" Anna announced, and she took one out of the basket to copy Maever. He was surprised when that actually worked, as she took a bite of her own and didn't complain. "Mmmm it do be tasty!" she said, in a reasonable imitation of Maever.

She seemed more interested in her fruit than answering Gareth, but that could have been because she was a child rather than anything else. She took a few more bites before throwing the apple into the fountain, eliciting some alarmed flapping and quacking from the ducks still there. "Ohhh, ducks do no be liking apples like we do," he told Anna. "So, ummm, Gareth and I did wonder where your Mama and Papa do be now? Do they be with Clarence?"

"Uh huh. To... go visit the Creator..." Anna looked thoughtfully at her sticky hands as if wondering where the apple had gone. "In a box!"

There was a pause as Anna took another apple from the basket, and Maever finished his. It sounded to Maever as if Clarence had died and gone to be buried, though this was a guess at best based on Anna's mutterings. "Do they be far from here? Did they say they would be back?"

"You talk funny! Mmm apple." Anna rolled it towards Gareth, "apple for you!"

"Ummm," Maever chuckled softly, "I do be wanting to see Mama and Papa, if that do be alright with you?" It wasn't as if he needed permission from a child but getting them to co-operate was normally much smoother than when they resisted.

"Okay! They will be back soon." Anna nodded her head, "with no Clarence."

Maever sat back and watched as one of the ducks hopped back onto the fountain's edge and waddled along it, away from the group. He wasn't going to go anywhere until Anna's parents returned, and when they did he would be able to get the full story from them in person. It would be untoward to presume something had taken place based on the tellings of a four year old but on the other hand, it was all he and Gareth had to go by.

"Eat your apple?" Anna asked Gareth. "And sandwich!" The sandwich was still there of course, and Anna had noticed it all over again. Maever was glad he hadn't been spotted removing his own sandwich from the equation, but this relief was short lived as their fountain duck hopped down and went to look behind Maever for said scraps. They were remarkably okay with humans nearby. "That's not Clarence!" Anna remarked.

"Gareth," Maever muttered, "do you be wanting to look after Anna as I do go find her parents? Or would you rather go?" he spoke in a low voice, the Adult Voice that passed by most children, Anna included in this instance. Phew!
Image
------ Murdock -------------- Nathaniel --------------- Maever -------

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: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Bella » August 10th, 2017, 1:48 am

It had been clear before but was now confirmed that her brother had died, and been taken by her parents to be buried. It shot a pain through his father's heart, but he always wanted to know why they had left their daughter alone. Had she had a caretaker that was missing somewhere, or was she really on her own?

Gareth knew the Tower was a safe place, most of the time, but a child this age should not be left to her own devices. Children could get into such mischief and so very quickly... They couldn't possibly want to lose a second child.

He looked down at the sandwich and now apple in his hand, and took a small bite of the former. The pretense was enough to look like he was eating it without going too far, since he was far more concerned about the child than the food. Just then, Maever spoke and Gareth looked at him.

"You go," he said, thinking that Maever did not look exceedingly comfortable with the girl, though he did well, "and I'll stay."

User avatar
Matty
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 964
Joined: December 16th, 2015, 8:19 pm
PC: Murdock Mather, Keeper of the Archives
SC: Nathaniel Carridus, Asha'man (Blue)
TC: Maever Donovan, Asha'man (Yellow)
Location: Plain of Lances, UK

Re: A Yellow Checkered Blanket [Attn: Maever Donovan Asha'man]

Post by Matty » August 21st, 2017, 9:30 pm

Maever might be the Head of the Ajah, but that didn't make him better than anyone else. It made sense for people to play to their strengths, and if his was finding Anna's parents, then so be it. And he didn't have the ego to balk at the sensible instructions from Gareth. "I'll go and see what I can find," he said. "Good luck." He got to his feet, "I will be back soon Anna, I do just be needing to.." the Oaths made his tongue catch, "find something!" There. He bustled away at speed, lean legs propelling him across the Tower Grounds in search of the parents.

Back at the picnic blanket, Anna watched Maever leave with a forlorn expression before looking up at Gareth with a smile, and holding up another apple. "Yum yum!" she said.

-

It took Maever some probing of the Tower guards, questioning some passersby, and a sprinkle of luck. But after a short time looking he was able to find the parents of little Anna, and the Illianer dithered before aproaching them. They were seated on a bench, hands together, heads bowed as if praying to the Creator. There was no other child in sight, and it left a sinking feeling in his stomach. Still, he tried to put on his usual cheery smile, and he advanced with careful steps. "Hullo," he said softly. "I do be Asha'man Maever. Do you be the parents of a little girl called Anna?"

Up close, both looked like they had had better days. The man looked like he might be jolly, with a big belly laugh that moved his whole body when he smiled, but a shadow had fallen over it. The woman looked worse, because there was no real sadness there. Just the notion that she ought to be sad, so she was acting it, when really she was still numb. The Illianer had seen enough people coping with loss to recognise that gaze in her eyes. "Is Anna alright?" the father asked, though he didn't sound all too concerned. He was trying, Maever could see it, but that was all.

"Anna do be fine, Asha'man Gareth do be taking good care of her as we speak," Maever assured them both. "But she do be wondering where he Mama and Papa do be. Ummm.. it do no be any of my business, but she did mention her brother..." Maever watched the ripple of grief flush through the pair, and he knew he would have a lump in his throat when he next spoke. Still he persevered, "I do be sorry."

"Why did the Creator take him from us?" mumbled the mother, not making eye contact with anyone. Her husband tightened the arm around her a little.

"Ummm. The pattern, it do be working in ways we can no understand. We do be powerless to stop these bad things from happening, and that sadness will no ever go away. But the Wheel do be weaving, and Clarence will be okay. I do be sure of it!" Maever offered a shaky smile, "sheltered in the palm of the Creator until he do be rewoven into the pattern."

"I don't care about him being rewoven," the woman said with no heat at all. "I just want my baby back."

"I know," Maever said, moving to sit on the bench next to her. "I do be knowing, and I do be so sorry." He wiped his eyes before he carried on, "but there do be something to remember - two things, even. One, you do be having a beautiful daughter waiting for you to love her and cherish her. And two... you do be having each other, and your memories. They will no bring back Clarence, but as a unit you do be strong, and you will persevere. I do believe it." He put a hand to the woman's back - he still didn't know their names - and rubbed gently, coaxing out the tears from behind that wall she had erected. "It do be okay to cry," he murmured. "Crying do be making you feel better, I do promise."

-

It would be a bit of a while later when Maever eventually returned to the blanket with two teary-faced parents in tow, but return he did. What state the blanket would be in, well, that depends on how well behaved Anna was for her temporary guardian...
Image
------ Murdock -------------- Nathaniel --------------- Maever -------

Post Reply
meble kuchenne na wymiar cennik

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests