The Grey Tower

Ubriel had just come from the Training Yards and would normally be heading off to the library right now, but the young Drin that had become her new student was going to get himself into irreparable trouble if she didn't have a talk with him. She asked a groom to saddle a nice, even-tempered bay gelding for her while she groomed and saddled Peach.

Her horse whickered and neighed in delight to see her back so soon. "Hi there, Peach. I thought you could help me with a new Drin. Do you feel up to a jaunty ride?"

Peach tossed her head a couple of times and whinnied before butting her forehead directly into Ubriel's chest and rubbing vigorously. Ubriel laughed in delight and skillfully finished getting Peach ready for the ride. It was not long before both Peach and the bay gelding, Mory, were both happily nibbling the grass in the stable yard and waiting for their riders to be ready.

Ubriel sat on the top of the rail fence and watched for her student.

Ga'vin quickly round the corner panting out of breath, his pockets were stuffed full of pieces of bread and a few few cookies that the accepted hadn't managed cram down his throat before the yellow sisters could shoo them away. Ga'vin brightened up and he grinned when he saw Ubriel sitting on the fence.

But then paused and bowed, respectively, acknowledging his superior. His focus then went to the two horses that were saddled and ready to ride and he glanced over to Ubriel curious as to what was going on. He thought maybe she had wanted him to tend to her horses or muck out the stables or something like that but the stalls were clean and the horses already tended to. He then wondered if she had been planning on teaching him another lesson and he cursed himself inwardly for forgetting his staff, but he had been in such a hurry to escape from the Aes Sedai that he hadn't brought it with him.... he wouldn't make the mistake again. From now on he was going to carry it everywhere he went... even eat and sleep with the thing.

He waited patiently curious as to what she would require of him... he hoped it wasn't half of the winnings... those bloody woolheads left as soon as the Aes Sedai nabbed him... but still he had a plenty of cookies that he gotten from the Accepted that he could share.

Ga'vin appeared suddenly around the corner and skidded to a halt in the stable yard, looking completely lost. Ubriel hopped down from the fence and motioned to the gelding. "This is Mory. He is a basic riding horse but he is well trained and reliable with good stamina. You can ride him whenever you feel like you need some time to yourself. If you take my basic horsemanship class, he might even be given to you."

Ubriel leapt into Peach's saddle and continued, "This is Peach. I trained her myself as a Battle Pony. She is also my best friend. If you will kindly mount Mory, we will take a little ride. I read your file. I know you can ride and I think this will be a good opportunity for us to conduct your orientation interview. If you don't object?" Ubriel motioned to Mory and grinned. There was alot to go over and it seemed to her that Ga'vin could use the benefit of some directions on how things worked here.

"As we are riding, I will explain things as we go. If you have any questions, you can feel free to ask them," Ubriel glanced sidelong at the Drin. "Or if you persist in being mute, you can write out your questions and I will address them."

OOC: This is an opening to take Ubriel into your confidence and speak if you can. She will keep your secret but if you choose to stay mute, she will not bring it up again.

Ga'vin smiled glancing over to Mory, when Ubriel mentioned that he could ride her horse whenever he liked, his head snapped back around and looked at Ubriel in surprise. It was a very generous offer, but then she mentioned the horsemanship class and then threw the entire horse to sweeten the deal!

....Did she feel that bad for having to hurt him? She had tried to lose, tried to save him from the older students and the rest of the warders but Ga'vin had been too proud, and took the beating instead ....

Ga'vin smiled back at the dark brown horse, rubbing its head as he quickly offered up the sugar cookie that it was nipping at his coat for and then saddled him... it had been a long time since he been on a horse.... his gaze suddenly went distant remembering the last ride he had been on.... remembering the trollocs snarling and snapping as they pursued him, remembering clinging to the grey mare's neck slumped over in the saddle bleeding to death... that horse had saved his life, he wondered what had happened to her.

Ga'vin blinked and glanced up, suddenly realizing that Ubriel had been speaking to him about something.

.... I will explain things as we go. If you have any questions, you can feel free to ask them,"

Questions... he smiled and nodded... questions... he had few, how did birds fly? where did the sun go at night? but then he doubted Ubriel meant those sort of questions. Ga'vin shifted uneasily beneath the suspicious sidelong stare the woman gave him.

"Or if you persist in being mute, you can write out your questions and I will address them."

His smile faded, and his eyes grey distant, he wasn't looking at Ubriel anymore... he was looking right through her.... a mile long stare... common among the older soldiers, haunted by what they had seen. Ga'vin finally blinked, and then lowered his head. Many people had nightmares, but Ga'vin's dreams at night weren't nightmares... they were memories! It had happened it had been real. He hadn't just been orphaned once.... it had happened three times! twice the same way. Like most youths, he blamed himself for what had happened... if he hadn't been so worried about the Aes Sedai maybe he would have spent more time scouting! Maybe he would have spotted that horde of trollocs! Maybe he could have warned the men who had taken care of him since was child to have about the impending attack... but they were dead... all dead in cook pots like the his other adopted parents....light he didn't even remember their names, just their screams!

The day was excellent day to go riding, but he felt cold and hollow he wanted to go curl up in a ball and sleep and never wake up. But thats what had done the first few weeks when he came to the tower... he had just slept, and cried then fell asleep woke up crying until he passed out.

Ga'vin had moved on since then, he was ready to look toward the future. But at times, very like at this very moment he still felt the loss and the hurt. But he refused to let it paralyze him like it had.

Ga'vin lowered his head, remaining silent. He had a question... why was he alive?... Quickly brushing the thought away, he let an agonized sigh. He liked Ubriel, but he didn't know her that well yet...

Every person he had ever cared for and had ever spoken to died.... He didn't want anything to happen to Ubriel or the warders or any of the Aes Sedai that had rescued him, and so he held his peace, and said nothing.... that way they would be safe.

Ubriel nodded, beginning to understand that this young man had been through something horrible. She could wait for him to trust her. She was certain by the way he acted that if he was mute, he had not been so for long. He had none of the improvised signs and gestures that her other mute friends used.

She made an impatient gesture and waited for Ga'vin to mount Mory. "We are going to wander the grounds for a bit and then the outer edges of the land held by the Tower. Then we will go into Hama Valon just to help you get your bearings." Ubriel led the way out of the stable yard and out between the fenced pasture and corral. "No need to explain what a pasture is. You can see the horses out there grazing. We are going to do a lap around the Tower first. I am sure you have explored it some at this point but you may not have realized what each building was that you were looking at."

Ubriel turned to the right as they passed the exercise corral and said, "Of course this is the Warder Hall. This is a good chance to ask you, what brings you to the Tower? Specifically, why have you chosen to study to be a Warder? It can be a complex answer so if you prefer to wait until we have finished our ride, I understand." Ubriel prattled on."Myself, I was instructed to come by an Aiel woman. I don't know if I believed her but she seemed to think it was of dire importance that I come here to train. Since coming, I have found that the calling to devote my life to the service of something so much greater than myself, like the Tower, has given me purpose. If I am ever bonded as a Warder, I can think of no greater honor."

Ubriel fell silent as they passed the Warder Yards and turned again at the graveyard, toward the lake.

OOC: I have included a couple of links that might be helpful if you want to look at them. They are maps and descriptions of what you will be seeing as they ride. If you want to write out your answers and pass them to Ubriel as they go from subject to subject, that's fine or you can wait till they are back at the stables and just respond with thoughts as we ride.
http://www.grey-tower.net/Library/artwo ... tworkid=25
http://www.grey-tower.net/Library/artwo ... tworkid=26

It was good to get away from the practice yard once and a while. It took a while but evenly Ga'vin perked back up and was smiling again, looking at the horses. Although he was a rather good rider already, taking the horse riding class would be a lot of fun and break up some of the day to day stress... light he even would get his own horse to! He of course didn't know everything, charging into battle or the fancy formal parade forms had not been required as a scout, messenger or stable boy. Tending horses and riding through forest at breakneck speeds and evading the enemy was more up his alley.

When Ubriel enquired as to what had led him to want to become a warder. He bit his lip tilting head, funny he hadn't actually thought about it that much. He had followed the Aes Sedai to the tower like a frightened lost puppy and was put up in the Drin's barracks... then he made friends and well it just seemed like the thing to do as these where the people who had rescued him. He had been starting to feel a little nervous lately at the thought of being bonded... perhaps it was all the terrible things that white cloaks had said about them, they were all lies of course, he knew that now. But being bonded to an Aes Sedai was a really big thing! Firstly She would know his every single move and he would never get away with anything every again! And secondly she would be in charge! What if she wasn't any fun? What if he got stuck with a brown sister and never got to leave the library? Light! that would be terrible! Or a yellow who wanted to practice her newest healing weave every time he got a bloody splinter! Or worse, added to a green sister's collection of pretty young boys! No if he had the choice it would be the Blue Ajah, he didn't want to be part of a traveling sausage festival. But what ever Aes Sedai it was, she would have to build a lot of trust for him to conscent to it... some drins always talked about the honor of the bond and how it was their only goal in life! Not him he would submit when he was ready!

Ga'vin glanced over to the graveyard and glanced up toward the gardens just beyond where a few robins hopped about looking for worms. Not wanting to be a complete nonsocial lump on the log. Ga'vin pulled out his note book and the armylin's pen..... Ga'vin's eyes grew big, maybe she wouldn't notice her pen was missing, he thought to himself as he scribbled a question to ask Ubriel. Once he was finished he tore out the page and handed it to her.

What Color Ajah would you prefer to take up you bond? Or would you rather be a warder to a male chaneller? why or why not? Have any of the sisters of the tower asked you yet?

Ubriel lay her reigns loosely in front of her across Peach's neck and took the note from the Drin. She pursed her lips and scrunched her face in thought. "Good question." Using her knees and legs to guide Peach while she thought over the question, Ubriel cocked her head to one side and said, "There have been a few interested channelers. I haven't got a preference really whether I am bonded to an Aes Sedai or an Asha'man. There is a Soldier that I am fond of but I am not sure that I should bond anyone that I am romantically attracted to. I mean, if either relationship went wrong it could bring the other down with it." She looked for the hint of understanding in Ga'vin's eyes and grinned.

They were passing the Serpentine pool and Ubriel felt it needed no explanations. It was a great pool of water and was lovely to look at. Coming up on the other side was the channeling yard where young channelers trained in the safety of an open area. "That practice area for channelers is a very good place to avoid. Even when you think it is empty, it can be swarmed by a class of channeling students without notice. It is warded on all sides including top and bottom for a reason. Some of those new students are down right dangerous with even simple small weaves." Ubriel nodded to herself remembering some of the flashes of lights and loud bangs she had witnessed coming from that area.

Turning her attention back to Ga'vin's question she said, "I don't really know for sure which ajah I would prefer to be bonded into. I think it is going to depend greatly on the character of the channeler and what their personal mission is. There is a Brown I am fond of. While he spends a great deal of time in the Library, he also makes expeditions into the Blight. His area of study is the young of Trollocs. I imagine being bonded to him would be very... challenging."

She laughed and shook her head thinking of her favorite tutor. "There is the Green ajah and their mission to be at the front lines of the Last Battle, but I don't think I could stomach being just another weapon in an arsenal. Anyway, there is a class called Ajah Exploration. I intend to take it so that I can learn more about the ajahs that I am unfamiliar with like the Indigo and the Grey and the White."

Ubriel turned to Ga'vin and asked, "Do you know the difference between being a Gaidin and being a Warder? Have you considered that you might bond yourself by oath to the Tower itself and never take a bond-mate? Although there are significant benefits that come with the warder-channeler bond. What do you think?"

When Ubriel mentioned that she was attracted to a male channeler, Ga'vin smiled and looked away blushing a little. His long flaming red hair swayed as he shook head side to side, he didn't understand at all. He always thought that being able to share one anthers hearts would have strengthened both warder and channeler. He scratched down another note.

If you were bonded to someone else, both of you would sense attractions to different partners... would it not be more distracting, especially having to choose the between bond and love. And then it when it was time to leave, the warder would end up filling his channel's head with their own heartache and discontent! Not to mention having needs that neither of you would feel comfortable sharing or able to keep secret?


Ga'vin shifted nervously when they approached the channeling yard and quickly put up his hood, hiding his bright red hair, so that he wouldn't stand out from affair. The subject of bonding a was making feel a little nervous, he hoped Ubriel wouldn't pass any of his notes around. When his instructor suggested avoiding the channeling yard, he nodded his head quickly in agreement! she didn't have to tell him twice! Light he had enough trouble with the yellows and the accepted as it was. When Ubriel announced she was fond of a brown, and of his hobby of studying trollocs, he gave her a blank stare and arched his brow, obviously he was thinking... they were both crazy!... Another reason to stay far away from the brown ajah! he wasn't traveling thousands of miles to study trollocs! or collecting beetles! or blue ice worms that lived in blocks of ice in the flaming frozen north! He could imagine it now, being dangled in the air as bait to lure in trollocs so that they could study their social hierarchy while dining.


Then when she mentioned, about becoming a Gaidin, he turned around with a horrified expression on his face as if she had suggested that he should consider taking up piracy or becoming a mercenary! No a Gaidin was ten times worse! he would rather answer to one Aes Sedai, not the whole bloody tower! Ga'vin reached for his note book again... he really hoped the Amylin didn't notice her pen was missing, he hadn't done it intentionally he just forgot to give it back. Ga'vin's face reddened a little and he looked away quickly as he handed Ubriel the note. He prayed that she wouldn't show anybody these notes, he was lending a great deal of trust to share his feelings like this, he hoped it didn't get him into trouble.

I would prefer to be beneath one Aes Sedai that I could trust, rather than being harassed by the whole tower, it would be like a being a Drin for life. Besides as a warder, my Aes Sedai would actually care about what happens to me... at least I would like to think so... If Aes Sedai only required Cold Steel without affection, the warder bond would be trivial and unnecessary and after all there are no shortage of skilled soldiers. And considering the fact that Aes Sedai can level entire armies, I would assume they would require something more from their warders...After all their are many loyal and brave soldier, but I believe an Aes Sedai requires more than just trust, loyalty, and bravery or even skill with a weapon... As I would require the same if I was to be bonded.

Please don't mention this to any warder or channeler.

Ubriel read both notes carefully trying to glean as much information as she could from them. She could see his discomfiture at certain topics but there was not adequate explanation in the notes. She would take him at face value. It was the only thing she could do.

"I disagree about the warder bond versus a romantic involvement. It would be no different, I expect, than a married couple going off to work. As for what can and can not be sensed by the warder bond, you can talk to some bonded warders if you like to verify this but it isn't that your bond-mate can sense everything. It isn't like mind reading. It is a general idea of your current state of being. In a romantic situation, the channeler can kind of dim that awareness, so I am not worried about that.

"I think it would be difficult to be married to my boss though. I don't think I would handle it well if my bond-mate-slash-husband decided to try to pull rank over doing the dinner cooking or the laundry or the like. In fact, I believe it would be very frustrating that I was unable to wallop him for such a thing. Anyway, I have not been bonded yet so perhaps I would change my mind."

Ubriel looked out at the large serpentine building that stood just beyond the channeling yard. "This is the hall of novices and hall of soldiers. I can never remember which side is which but they are separated."

Riding on, Ubriel said, "As for being "harassed" by multiple channelers, once you are a Gaidin, before you are bonded, you will find that the Gaidin Captain and other members of the Warder Council are your superiors. They are the only four people who will ever give you direct orders while you are unbonded. If a channeler asks you to perform a task, you can always decline. The Aes Sedai do not effect things so strongly in the Warder Halls."

They passed the pigeon cote and Ubriel pointed out the food storage facility as they passed it on the way to the lane leading out to the gates into Hama Valon. "As for Aes Sedai levelling armies, while it is true that many of them are quite powerful, they are also bound by oaths. They can't lift a finger unless they are actually in danger or it is Shadowspawn. Aes Sedai, even the Browns,"Ubriel grinned,"need their Warders for protection. An Aes Sedai can not Heal herself. They can not watch every direction at once. A ward is only effective against one, maybe two things at a time. Warders are also trained in survival and can protect an Aes Sedai when she must hide herself."

Ubriel scrunched her face and thought. "Then there are the times an Aes Sedai might be shielded and can not use the One Power to save herself. Or... Well there are lots of reasons a channeler may need a strong protector. But usually the channelers that stay in the Tower don't bother to bond anyone. There simply isn't any need. It isn't like Aes Sedai would EVER experiment on their own Warders. In fact you could probably call experimenting on a person with the One Power the same as using it as a weapon since there is the possibility that the weave will injure the person, so the Three Oaths won't physically allow them to do such a thing."

Ubriel shook her head and sighed. "Sorry I got a little carried away. I do that when I start to try to speculate on things. I think that might be why I get along so well with that Brown I told you about." She smiled and stroked Peach's neck. She was enjoying the ride. "Ga'vin, I know you are interested in the quarterstaff, but are there any other fighting styles that you are interested in pursuing?"

Ga'vin bit his lip, doing his best to soak everything in. Ubriel had a few good points, but he supposed that it all really depended on the channeler and the warder. Some warders didn't require any sort affection from their channelers, and claimed to be a distraction, and treated the bond like a job or duty. But Ga'vin wasn't the sort that could fight with his head, but rather through his heart. IF his heart was a million miles away, and he would be the most oblivious person in the world. How would he be affective at watching over somebody if he was day dreaming and staying up at night worrying about somebody else a millions miles away? Besides he had heard of warders going mad after losing their Aes Sedai in battle, if he was risk losing his bloody little mind, he figured it should be over somebody actually worth losing everything over. To him it was all or nothing.

But there was no sense of arguing over such a thing, he hoped Ubriel wouldn't tell anyone about the way he had felt, he hadn't told anybody else this and he wasn't sure why he told her... he sensed he could trust her, but he hadn't intended to be this forthcoming, but then she had shared quite a few of her own secrets with him as well, perhaps it was a mutual unspoken agreement, he would carry her secrets to the grave.

When Ubriel insisted that as a Gaidin he would only have to answer to four others in the warder council. Ga'vin snickered and had to fight from bursting out into hysterical laughter, because if he did, he would fall out of saddle! Was she nuts? Who did she think the warders took their orders from? the Aes Sedai! The warder council was only in charge because they were allowed to think that they were. Ask any married fool a tough question, and the happily married fools will turn to their wives for the answer! but this was just his simple observation. The tower was made for Aes Sedai, a Warder was made to serve his Aes Sedai... the Gaidin served all of the bloody Aes Sedai in the bloody tower and they got used like rented mules...

But then Ubriel had been around the tower for a lot longer than he had so she probably knew how things worked more than he did, but he wasn't convinced. When it came to brains and the bronzes... it felt like warders came out dead last on both sides. They were just servants, warders guarded the rear and did the dirty work, some drin thought being a warder was a glorious honor filled duty, but in all actuality Ga'vin saw it differently they were to be seen and not heard, and their when needed.

Ga'vin listened as Ubriel explained about the Aes Sedai and their oaths... who else would the they be leveling? Again, Warders did the dirty work... but he had a suspicion it was merely a curtasity extended to the warder so they felt useful and important... the more and more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he was cut out to be a warder? .....Ubriel almost made him question his motives entirely! he didn't mind serving, he just wanted to know that the person who held his bond cared for him was all.....perhaps he was just to needy to be a good warder... the thought troubled him.

He smiled when she mentioned the brown, and then nodded, perhaps... but he figured she was probably way to intelligent for that, he could see them arguing about every last single little thing... after all too many brilliant minds between two ears made for a bloody nightmare of a headache.

"Ga'vin, I know you are interested in the quarterstaff, but are there any other fighting styles that you are interested in pursuing?"

Ga'vin looked down, and worried lines formed over his face clearly troubled about something that was eating away at him. Finally he took in a few deep breaths and put his pen to his notebook, and then tore out the page... and he hesitantly handed her the note and lowered his head...dreading at the answer she would give him.

Master Ubiel, Do you personally think I could be a good warder? ... I cannot separate my heart or my mind as you or the other respected warders do. I would be lost if my heart was far away and my duty elsewhere. Next to you and the other other warders I feel like a disgrace and unworthy of the bond... and yet I don't think I would be whole without being bonded... I would feel like a dried out leaf tumbled in the wind without the bond, I could in the tower ...not simply as a Gaidin.

I am sorry... please forgive me, I am just an orphan. You must see me as a waste of your time now.

He prayed she would be truthful, no matter how bad it hurt, he needed to know if he should stay in the grey tower... he didn't know where else to go, or what to do. He was afraid of being bonded to the Aes Sedai, but then suddenly he realized he was equally afraid if not more terrified of the thought of not being bonded at all! It was a like an invisible force that drew him, that compelled him, he was afraid because he didn't understand it and he was terrified that he would never be whole!