A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

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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Ashfalcon
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A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Ashfalcon » December 28th, 2022, 2:31 am

"Try it, lad," Cavros had told him, and Darthalien had simply nodded. It wasn't that his mentor had never led him astray, but rather that he shared something of the Asha'man's curiosity about what he was and might become. Cavros Asha'man belonged to the Blue Ajah, his chosen purpose to bring out the full potential of the students who came to the Grey Tower. He seemed to feel that the best way to do that was to expose them to as much of everything as he could, and see what called to them.

Yes, but Healing? Darthalien wondered. He knew how to bind a wound, of course, and even how to set a bone in an emergency. And it wasn't as if Healing had been a foreign skill among the Weavers of his homeland. Indeed, it was often how they got their foot in the door with Houses and Courts that might otherwise have preferred to do without them. So... Try it, he thought, affirming the idea.

"Ah... excuse me?" he asked, of an elderly Aes Sedail in a yellow shawl. "I am Darthalien, a soldier. I was supposed to accompany one of your Ajah into the city as he did his rounds today. Do you know who might...?"

The woman looked him over with serene dignity, then lifted a hand. "Down the corridor, little soldier. Left at the second hallway. They will be gathering at the far end." She tilted her head just slightly, assessing, and Darthalien kept his reactions closed away and his face pleasantly expressionless. "You aren't late, at least."

"I am grateful, Aes Sedai," he said, and bowed. The he turned and hurried away. He heard a sniff from behind him, but it sounded amused rather than irritated and the woman didn't call him back. He'd made it a point to be early, just in case he became lost; and naturally he he had become lost and now would arrive only a little before time.
Last edited by Ashfalcon on December 30th, 2022, 12:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Bella
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Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Bella » December 29th, 2022, 4:55 pm

Fortunately, the man that the Soldier was going to meet was a man not prone to impatience.

It was a moderately sized group that would be going into town, but Asha'man and Aes Sedai had been paired up with the newest of learners so that there was no danger to those they were treating. Learning had to be a cautious process, after all. Gareth Asha'man was going to be working with a Soldier named Darthalien, whom he hadn't met before.

The truth was that Gareth had spent a lot of time in...partial retirement. There had been a lot of healing to do after Riahana passed away. He knew he'd never be who he was again, but he was doing better with life now than he had been in the early days. The call of the healer was more than even his grief could tame, so he'd never fully retired.

Now, he was getting back into things more. That was what brought him here. It had always brought him joy to work with the next generation of Healers, or potential Healers.

They were still waiting for a couple of Novices, but all but one Soldier had arrived. When one walked in, Gareth had a good idea this was the man he was meeting. The large, broad Asha'man walked over to the interesting looking fellow. "Soldier Darthalien?" he asked in his rumbling tone, mountains moving against each other.

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Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Ashfalcon » December 30th, 2022, 12:46 am

Darthalien looked over, and then up. The Yellow who stood beside him was not that much taller than he was, but the man was broad-shouldered and well-muscled enough to make him seem even larger than his actual height. Darthalien bowed from the neck, then said: "I am he, Asha'man. I have come to learn what I can of Healing." That was good, he thought. I remembered all the words and put them in the right places. He'd been worried that his time in the dark would loosen his grasp on the language of the Westlands, but if anything the time he had spent working on translations had improved it. "We will be going into the city, yes?"

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Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Bella » January 4th, 2023, 11:08 pm

Gareth nodded and smiled in a friendly way. "That's correct," he rumbled. "The Grey Tower takes its patronage of the city very seriously, so we regularly go into Hama Valon to offer our services and help the people. It's also a good place to meet a variety of people with different ailments that we can use to help learners like yourself.

"Have you shown an aptitude for it yet, or are you interested in learning if you do?"

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Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Ashfalcon » January 5th, 2023, 5:01 am

"I doubt I have much aptitude," Darthalien admitted, "But I am much interested in learning. I understand that Healing -- basic Healing -- relies primarily on Water, and that is not my strength. Even so... I feel it that we who hold power owe a debt to those without. We owe it to help them, to carry them up. And I freely admit that I do not yet know my own strengths. It came as a great surprised to find that I held the burn--" He hesitated, and then corrected himself. "--the Spark, at all." He looked up at the older man. "Teach me what you can, and I will learn all I can, and we will see where this ends." He paused for a breath, then added: "If it ends." He was not prepared to rule out a role in the Yellow Ajah; Darthalien was prepared to follow where his talents led. So far, he had a mentor in the Blue and a small number of friends in the Brown, but clearly there was more to explore.

He considered a moment longer, then added: "I am also interested in meeting different people, and learning the ways of the Westlands." If nothing else, it would improve his ability to speak to them and understand them.

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Bella
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Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Bella » January 12th, 2023, 10:31 pm

Gareth listened to the young man's answer with active attention. He appreciated hearing the thoughts of the Grey Tower's learning ranks, given he'd always strongly believed in the up-and-coming generations. He thought of his own children for a moment, his daughter especially off in the world taking after her Green great-grandmother...

As often it did, though, thoughts of the children brought him to thoughts of their mother.

He caught himself before it got too deep in those thoughts. Instead, he nodded. "You'll certainly meet many sorts of folks in town. Hama Valon, like the Tower itself, attracts people from all over this world. You'll meet many different nationalities." He paused as the main group began to prepare to depart for the city, and he gestured for Darthalien to walk with him and join them.

"It's important to remember that you can help and heal here even without the One Power. We learn how to heal without it, herbcraft and first aid, and so on." He paused thoughtfully. "However, I will point out that Healing with Saidin relies primarily on Earth and Fire. It is the counter-balance to Healing with Saidar. Both rely on Spirit as well, and Spirit is important for Delving. Have you learned about what Delving is? Or experimented with your strength in Spirit?"

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Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Ashfalcon » January 14th, 2023, 6:12 am

"Does it?" asked Darthalien, suddenly much more interested. "I suppose whoever told me that must have been thinking of Saidar, then. In that case I might prove more capable than I expected, though I'm sure there's more to the aptitude than just strength in particular elements. Delving, though..." he hesitated, turning the word over in his head.

"You don't mean looking for water or metal in the ground, so... something like that, but looking for injuries in the body?" He was guessing, but the ground beneath his feet felt solid. "That... I would like to try that." He thought he could do it. He'd worked with Spirit a bit under Cavros' supervision, but he'd have to be very careful about how much he said. It would quickly become suspicious if he showed too much certainty about what her could do with Spirit, and while he was perfectly willing to shamelessly ignore the rules about practicing unsupervised, he was not about to lie outright to either Aes Sedai or Asha'man.

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Bella
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Location: New England

Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Bella » January 18th, 2023, 7:44 pm

"You certainly will be trying it," Gareth agreed with his natural affability. "It is a crucial element to being a healer. Even if you are not strong in Healing weaves themselves, being able to Delve and discover the nature of what's wrong remains a vital skill. One should never use a Healing weave without first using the Delving weave.

"So once we begin working today, I will should you how to Delve. It is much akin to a fine mesh net of Spirit," he explained, even though he wasn't at the point of demonstrating yet. "You use that net over a body, and what it encounters will be relayed back to you. You'll know of any injuries or ailments that your patient is suffering from. The better you are at it, the more you'll learn--such as the age of an injury or ailment."

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Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Ashfalcon » January 19th, 2023, 12:49 am

Darthalien nodded eagerly, and shoved down a sudden burst of impatience. There was a novice hurrying towards them; hopefully she was the last of the students. "I do know a bit of first aid," he said. "How to fashion a sling, or splint a broken bone. Most of it was meant to stabilize the injured until someone could Heal them..." He paused a minute, reviewing those old lessons in his head. Light! Has it really been two years since I last thought about that? Apparently it had. He still remembered most of it, though, or thought he did. And most of it was simple, designed to be easily remembered by Daggers caught in the midst of some disaster. "So perhaps that will prove to be of some use."

The Novice must indeed have been the last; he overheard one of the Aes Sedai muttering something about an extra shift washing dishes as the girl stammered out her apologies. Still, it seemed only a moment later that they were all on the move, and he was once again out in the sunlight... and even stranger, outside the walls of the Tower.

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Bella
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PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
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QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: A Healer's Spirit (Attn: Bella)

Post by Bella » January 27th, 2023, 11:55 pm

"All such information is of use," Gareth rumbled affably. They headed outside, and the weather was quite pleasant. It wasn't quite the deep heat of summer, but the chill of winter was long past. The group was a quiet din of chatter between the various teachers and students, although the large Yellow Asha'man held off on saying anything further until they reached Hama Valon.

The group moved to a large building close by where the Tower pathways entered the city, since it was a place where members of the Grey Tower often connected with city citizens for various needs. Like this one.

"Many of the people we'll see today won't need channeled Healing," Gareth then continued as they entered the space. There were several very basic cots set up, many with patients already sitting or laying on them, but then others standing in line as a young man and young woman sat at a table and processed them through.

Gareth led Darthalien toward the back. It had become a somewhat subconscious habit of Gareth to go to the back of places, since he was so large yet considerate and didn't want to block anyone. "Now, we shall begin. For the first person or two, I simply want you to observe. If you have any questions, you may ask them once I've finished initial assessments."

He waited just long enough for acknowledgement before turning to a cot where a young woman (very young to him, but he was getting up there in years himself) sat with a young child on her lap. He guessed the boy to be perhaps two. They were both upright and alert, so it was not an emergency. "What seems to be the problem?"

"He's been complaining that his nose hurts, it seems like," she said with concern, fatigue etched around her eyes. "He's not very talkative yet so he doesn't say so in words, but he bats at his nose a lot and his breathing sounds...off." Even as she explained, the toddler all but smacked himself in the face.

Gareth smiled kindly. "We'll get him taken care of," he reassured her. He turned to his student as he seized Saidin. "I will now perform the Delving weave, so watch closely." He drew on the One Power and brought together the many fines threads of Spirit, merging them into a delicate, fine fishermen's net that he settled over the boy.

After a moment, his lips twitched in a smile he tried to suppress. "Could you had me those tweezers?" he asked, pointing to the two-pronged device that was on the healer's table beside the bed. Once he had them in hand, he knelt his large body front of the boy and used a big hand with surprisingly gentleness to tilt the child's head up. Then he used the tweezers to pull out a small bit of...

...something. It was covered in phlegm, so there was no telling what it had been originally. The mother was gaping and the child was whimpering, but his breathing already sounded better. "My son did the same at that age," Gareth told her with a chuckle. He got to his feet and moved away as mother comforted child. He turned to Darthalien. "How do you feel about replicating the weave you saw? Do you have any questions?"

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