Re: A Leisurely Ride (Ga'vin)
Posted: January 10th, 2015, 3:37 pm
Ubriel read the sincerity of the note. "I am just an orphan..." it said. She took up her reins and jumped the hedge row into the open field before the gate. She expected Ga'vin to follow her and didn't look back to make sure that he did. There were some things she would be lenient about but others... He was here to grow up, to train to be a strong man and the protector of something more than himself. She would not usher him like a lost duckling.
Once over the hedge and into the field, Ubriel lay the reins loosely across Peach's neck once more and patted the horse's nose. "I love you, Peach. Why don't you go nibble some clover for a bit?"
She motioned for Ga'vin to dismount and then lay her cloak on the grass and sat upon it. She read his note once more and, when he was sitting in front of her, she began to answer, slowly and using as many of the hand signs that she had learned to go with her speech.
"No one can tell you if you will be a good Warder. That is something you have to discover for yourself. However, I believe you have demonstrated all of the gumption and determination that will be required for you to make it through all of the training." Ubriel plucked a piece of clover and played with the stem in her fingers. She thought about what she knew about the Drin's history. He had been raised for the most part with Whitecloaks. That could explain some of his strange ideas about the power structure between channelers and Warders.
She looked at him, carefully reading the set of his face. "You know, part of becoming a Gaidin, being tied to the Tower, is accepting those within as your family. It takes trust and the desire to be understood and wanted. That can be hard. There will always be conflicts between family members and the Tower has seen its share, but the first priority of every member of this Tower is the well-being of all of the people within it."
She grimaced, "I myself, have felt the need to pummel a fellow student more than once out of sheer personality conflict." Grinning again she continued, "But that acceptance and protection extends to the maids and woodsmen and even into the village of Hama Valon. So I guess if you want to know if you will be a good Warder, you really have to ask yourself if you can accept us as a family? Can you care about us all that way?"
She watched the question roll through his thoughts and said, "The desire to be bonded to a special person that shares your goals and interests, that will treat you with the same importance as they treat themselves... well, that is something even a village farm wife looks for. We all want to feel that intense connection to one special person who just understands us. The trick is opening yourself up to finding them. You have to be ready to embrace that relationship when it comes along."
She laughed and said, "You are not a waste of time. Even if you packed up and left today, I would be pleased that I had met you. I do hope you will stay. There is a great deal here for you to learn." Holding up one hand she pointed to the tip of her thumb, "Right now you are a Drin. You are expected to explore some basics and figure out what your strengths really are. Learn how to survive on your own and get to know how the Grey Tower really works. Even those of us that visited other Towers before coming here had alot to learn about how it was different."
Pointing to the next fingertip on her hand she said, "After you have passed your test to become a Ji'alantin, since you are a male (I am Ji'dar since I am female) then you will be expected to learn more about the channelers and what their ajahs really mean. For instance, you may have heard of the Red ajah of the White Tower. The Red ajah here is NOTHING like that. In order to really know which ajah you fit best with, you should learn a little something about each of them."
Ubriel paused to be sure Ga'vin was following. "As a Ji'alantin you will also be asked to share your personal experience and your skills with new Drin. You will teach what you can and you will help guide them, just like I am trying to do for you. Make a note of how big and frightening the Tower is to you now so that you can remember and relate when you get the chance to be a mentor." Ubriel had so many things she wanted to share. But she stopped and gestured to ask if Ga'vin had any questions.
Once over the hedge and into the field, Ubriel lay the reins loosely across Peach's neck once more and patted the horse's nose. "I love you, Peach. Why don't you go nibble some clover for a bit?"
She motioned for Ga'vin to dismount and then lay her cloak on the grass and sat upon it. She read his note once more and, when he was sitting in front of her, she began to answer, slowly and using as many of the hand signs that she had learned to go with her speech.
"No one can tell you if you will be a good Warder. That is something you have to discover for yourself. However, I believe you have demonstrated all of the gumption and determination that will be required for you to make it through all of the training." Ubriel plucked a piece of clover and played with the stem in her fingers. She thought about what she knew about the Drin's history. He had been raised for the most part with Whitecloaks. That could explain some of his strange ideas about the power structure between channelers and Warders.
She looked at him, carefully reading the set of his face. "You know, part of becoming a Gaidin, being tied to the Tower, is accepting those within as your family. It takes trust and the desire to be understood and wanted. That can be hard. There will always be conflicts between family members and the Tower has seen its share, but the first priority of every member of this Tower is the well-being of all of the people within it."
She grimaced, "I myself, have felt the need to pummel a fellow student more than once out of sheer personality conflict." Grinning again she continued, "But that acceptance and protection extends to the maids and woodsmen and even into the village of Hama Valon. So I guess if you want to know if you will be a good Warder, you really have to ask yourself if you can accept us as a family? Can you care about us all that way?"
She watched the question roll through his thoughts and said, "The desire to be bonded to a special person that shares your goals and interests, that will treat you with the same importance as they treat themselves... well, that is something even a village farm wife looks for. We all want to feel that intense connection to one special person who just understands us. The trick is opening yourself up to finding them. You have to be ready to embrace that relationship when it comes along."
She laughed and said, "You are not a waste of time. Even if you packed up and left today, I would be pleased that I had met you. I do hope you will stay. There is a great deal here for you to learn." Holding up one hand she pointed to the tip of her thumb, "Right now you are a Drin. You are expected to explore some basics and figure out what your strengths really are. Learn how to survive on your own and get to know how the Grey Tower really works. Even those of us that visited other Towers before coming here had alot to learn about how it was different."
Pointing to the next fingertip on her hand she said, "After you have passed your test to become a Ji'alantin, since you are a male (I am Ji'dar since I am female) then you will be expected to learn more about the channelers and what their ajahs really mean. For instance, you may have heard of the Red ajah of the White Tower. The Red ajah here is NOTHING like that. In order to really know which ajah you fit best with, you should learn a little something about each of them."
Ubriel paused to be sure Ga'vin was following. "As a Ji'alantin you will also be asked to share your personal experience and your skills with new Drin. You will teach what you can and you will help guide them, just like I am trying to do for you. Make a note of how big and frightening the Tower is to you now so that you can remember and relate when you get the chance to be a mentor." Ubriel had so many things she wanted to share. But she stopped and gestured to ask if Ga'vin had any questions.