The Grey Tower

One of the benefits of being a professional soldier was the ability to school one’s expressions. Alric did this now, masking what would have otherwise been slack jawed incredulity. Of course he’d meant blocks with the Power. Admittedly he hadn’t specified, so some fault was his own, but she was Aes Sedai, of course he’d meant with the Power. After bashing their way through a thicket of unrelated ideas, they were finally back on topic. Yes, Blocks for the Power.

“Well, apparently, I have a Block. I’ve talked to a few Dedicated about the specifics, but I haven’t gotten a solid answer. I have a personal lesson with Asha’man Rodric on the subject tomorrow. From what I’ve been told, there does have to be some kind of stimuli. I don’t know what my stimulus is, but even if I found it, that sounds rather inconvenient. I’d rather channel whenever I want, not just when I have a mouthful of chocolate, to use that example. What does it take to channel without the stimuli? Is it just practice? Hopefully Asha’man Rodric will be able to tell me something.” He wasn’t very confident about the meeting though. He’d heard so many outlandish rumors about the man. There had to be a kernel of truth somewhere though.

Oh but a mouthful of chocolate did sound good...

Katrie blinked and then listened to Alric speak, her mouth skewing to the side thoughtfully. “It’s... I don’t think practice is all it takes to get past a block. I’ve never dealt with one personally, so this is all just from the information I’ve been able to glean,” she spread her hands, the miniature trebuchet falling back into her lap and listing crookedly against her stomach.

“The Aes Sedai - or in your case, Asha’man - working with you will have to break your block. That doesn’t sound like something that happens with... practice? There was this one poor Novice that I saw walking around the gardens clucking around like a chicken... her arms were flapping up and down and everything. The Aes Sedai working with her said she was attempting to figure out if embarrassment or anger might spur the girl to surrender and embrace saidar.” Her nose wrinkled. “I don’t see how feeling either of those things would make you peaceful enough to touch the Source, but...” Katrie shrugged eloquently.

At Alric’s look she realized her error. “I’m sure it will be fine though!” she added hastily, attempting to reassure the Soldier. “Asha’man Rodric sounds like a capable and resourceful teacher.” She could see that it didn’t succeed and frowned thoughtfully. Brown eyes glanced down at her notes, then to the small siege weapon in her lap, then back to the dark skinned man sitting uncertainly in front of her.

“This... might seem a little untoward-” Light, but it was difficult to say that word without snickering quietly, “-but you seem to know things that I am learning about and wish to continue to learn about them. Has anyone assigned you a mentor? Or... I don’t know if I like that term, but you could be my... apprentice? Is that what it’s called? Is that how it’s even done? I’m not entirely sure myself, but when Asha’man Rodric isn’t trying to break your block, and you’re not busy with chores and lessons, we could do things like build a miniature ballista and you can tell me what it was like being in the army and I can tell you how silly Cairhienin nobles can be! Oh I have so many stories... so very many. And when you do finally break your block, I can help you figure out what you’re naturally inclined towards with the Power!”

Alric sat, considering the odd woman’s proposal. An apprenticeship of sorts. It would be familiar territory. He did miss life as a scholar. It wouldn’t be the same as working for Javier, but he’d let his intellectual training fall by the wayside. Besides, having an Aes Sedai as a mentor could have other, nonacademic benefits. In Mayene scholars often found patronage within the nobility. They presence of a scholar or artist in a noble house would bring prestige, and the scholar or artist would have an income and sometimes a compensated workspace to pursue their studies. He knew he wouldn’t be paid for this, but friends in high places could come in handy. Even if he hoped the need wouldn’t arise. His time in the military had taught him: If you hope you won’t need it, you definitely need it.

He raised a callused hand to shake in agreement and paused. He’d had to prove his worth, and his parents had been required to provide a sizable donation before Javier had accepted him as an apprentice. Lowering his hand, he asked slowly, “Katrie Sedai, this is a great offer, but what do you gain from this?”

Warm brown eyes blinked at the strange Soldier. What did she get out of it? Well, wasn’t it obvious? Katrie peered at him, slender fingers curling as her proffered hand wavered a little.

“What do I get out of it? Isn’t it obvious?” she repeated her thoughts out loud, head tilting to the side as she studied Alric. At the uncomprehending look, she huffed quietly and her hand dropped down into her lap. “I get to make siege weapons! I get to learn about them in more than just my books! And I get to have someone else to talk to!”

Dax always listened to her, and he was more than happy to help her in the evenings when they had time. It was her Warder that had suggested redistributing the weight of the arm with a small metal rod that went all the way across the frame instead of trying to attach it to the frame with wooden pegs. But he was a Gaidin and as such had his own responsibilities to see to. She supposed she could go and find him and interrupt but she didn’t want to do that.

No one else seemed to share her excitement and enthusiasm about her interests; no one she knew asked the same questions she did! Oh some of the other Aes Sedai had asked her why she was wasting her time with trivial nonsense (like trying to recreate the things she read about), but that wasn’t the right question! The right question was: why not try to make them? How else was she supposed to figure out how it all worked??

Even Rav had been less than impressed and they were friends. Muscles had given her one of his trademark looks with his face pulling down. The pretty Aes Sedai huffed again. There were only a handful of dents in his door from where she had fired marbles at it. And if you thought about it, that was pretty impressive considering that the trebuchet was tiny! There were other things that she wanted to try and make... like a ballista and a swinging battering ram... Alric and Dax could help her with that. Then the next step would be to make them full sized! Katrie gestured excitedly as she explained all this to the Soldier, white teeth leaping out from coppery skin as she grinned at him.

“So, you see? That’s what I get out of it. I want to see if the ballista I build will shoot pencils into doors. Like, actually lodge them into doors! And if the battering ram actually does break through porcelain and earthenware?!” She giggled with breathless delight. “Could you imagine??” Brown eyes swung back to Alric, her look intent and she stuck out her hand again. “If you agree, know that it won’t all be siege weapon making and testing to see if they work. I have lots of ideas and things I want to try, some of them with the Power, some not. You’ll be able to come up with your own too. And who knows what we’ll find in books and other things!”