New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Welcome to the Gardens: one of the most tranquil areas of the Tower Grounds.
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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.
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Lugh
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New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Lugh » May 4th, 2018, 2:49 am

Beron
Beron walked through the Gardens, his mind a blur as he tried to sort through everything that had happened in a few short hours. He was now wearing the darker grey of a Ji’val and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw the Novices and Soldiers duck out of his way, scurrying to find free time or avoid chores.

Tommorow, he would berate them, but even with all the emotions the Three Arches had stirred up it was an afternoon to celebrate. He had been given the afternoon free, to give him time to requisition more uniforms and move to his private room. He knew he had time enough for that later, now he wanted to share his advancement and so he found himself in the Gardens, walking through the pathways as he checked the clearings and benches for Isla.

He briefly thought of Owen, he knew the Soldier was an artist and as a Ji’val he now was allowed some decor. Plus the Soldier seemed like he would enjoy being able to relax away from the press of dorm life.

As he neared the spot he had first met Isla, he wished for a moment he has grabbed his flute; but he knew that would have taken away from the time he hoped to enjoy in the Gardens.
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Bella
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Location: New England

Re: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Bella » May 6th, 2018, 12:15 am

It was serendipity--Isla was not far from that very spot.

When she brought herself to the gardens, which was as frequently as she could, she found herself wandering towards this area often. It wasn't a conscious choice, something she thought through. It seemed to just...happen. She entered the gardens, let her eyes wander, and her feet joined the party.

Today, she had chosen to do her self study out here. Most of the time, she kept to the library. But the weather was too beautiful today, and she just had an urge to be out here.

So, book and pages of notes in hand, here she was. Sitting in the grass, adding stains to her dress that she'd have to wash out later, she had the book open on her lap and was reviewing passages, comparing them to the pages of notes in her hand. She wasn't even really paying much attention to what or who might be around her...

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Lugh
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Re: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Lugh » May 6th, 2018, 8:15 pm

Beron
Beron saw the rock face was empty, the spot he had played music occupied by a pair of Novices busy with some embroidery. He could not imagine wanting to spend his free time doing such a tedious task, but as they looked up from their hoops he continued on his way down the path.

The next parting in the foliage brought him a familiar sight, and he thanked the Wheel that Isla had decided to study in the bright florals of the Gardens. With soft footfalls and a swordsman’s balance, Beron walked over to the patch of grass Isla had claimed as her own. As he watched her, the sun lighting the subtle shades in her hair and watched her face in concentration as she study.

A flashback, as intense as any dream he had ever had struck Beron, as his mind reached back from the knot of emotions that had lived in his mind for a brief moment in the Arches. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that though the lesson had been real, what the Arches had shown him was not.

Still as he stood there, admiring her in the sunlight he could recall the Aes Sedai he had seen in his vision, and as he recalled Isla’s tender words at the Infirmary and the growing strength he was starting to realize made up her core, he realized that she was beautiful, and that the future strength he had seen was present even now in her supple tone and intelligent gaze.

Watching her concentration never falter, and knowing she was lost in a book that most likely contained herbs or healer’s knowledge, Beron recalled a carefree afternoon spent when they had first met. Selecting a suitable grass length, he wet the makeshift reed and played softly to see if she’d recall the song.
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Bella
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QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Bella » May 7th, 2018, 11:16 pm

The sound didn't mean much to her at first, her subconscious just associating it with the wind blowing through the trees and the grass, so she kept on reading. It took a few moments more, but she then realized that this...breeze had a tune. It was a song, and one that pulled up a memory. The memory made her smile.

Isla let herself be lost in that moment before she realized she wasn't listening to a memory. She lifted her head and looked around, seeking the source of the tune and finding...

"Beron!" she exclaimed, smiling with the pleasant surprise. She quickly put a marker in the book and closed it, setting it aside in the soft grass and getting to her feet to hurry up to him. Then she stopped, wondering why it was she had felt the need to get up, but here she was, still smiling. "It's good to see you," she said quietly, a little sheepishly.

She hadn't intended to speak again, but her eyes dropped a little with her embarrassment and she saw his uniform.

It was not the same color.

Her blue eyes bounced back up, lighting. "You've been raised!" she said.

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Lugh
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Re: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Lugh » May 8th, 2018, 5:24 am

Beron
Isla continued to read as Beron played the tune softly into the wind, and he smiled to himself when he saw her head tilt ever so slightly as she listened. Leaning against a tree trunk, the sun and garden relaxing after the morning.

"Beron!" Isla exclaimed, when she stopped reading and looked around the path. Beron could see her smiling as she quickly put a marker in whatever book she was studying and closed it, setting it aside in the soft grass.

Beron got off the tree and moved over to give her a hand up if she needed it, but she met him at the path before he had a chance, her smile warm "It's good to see you," she said quietly.

Beron was about to let her know the same, when suddenly she must have noticed his uniform change. Isla’s blue eyes bounced back up, lighting. "You've been raised!" she said.

Beron laughed, glad to share his news and feeling pride at what he knew was now a shared milestone. “I have been. I’m such a new Ji’val, the dye is probably still wet on my jacket.”

Beron joked as he spun a quick twirl for Isla, the color was the only change in his uniform. He had been surprised to learn that his arms and shoulders had filled out in his time as a Drin. “I earned my coat this morning, so they gave me the rest of the day. I have to move into my new room, but the first thing I thought of was to share my good news with you. So I took a guess at the Gardens and luckily my feet led me here.”

Beron paused for a moment to point out the books waiting for her return, “I can see you were hard at work, I can sit with you while you finish; or would you enjoy a walk through the Gardens? I know my free afternoon is a rare gift for mid ranks, so I can easily wait for your free chime.”

He had initially thought to invite her to Hama Valon, but he remembered their last chat had ended with a narrow avoidance when Gareth Ashaman had discovered them. I should make time to see him as well, there is more I could help with as a Ji’val Beron thought to himself, as he stood with Isla.
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Bella
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QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Bella » May 9th, 2018, 10:43 pm

Isla smiled, almost shyly, and shook her head. Her heart beat a little harder now than it had just moments ago. She waved back at the book as she said, "I wasn't that hard at work. I'm mostly just making sure that I am fully on top of things, but it's mostly down to triple-checking now. Just being thorough.

"I would like to take a walk," she said earnestly. "It's my independent study period, so I am fairly free with my time." She turned to walk back to where she'd been sitting, picking up the book and putting her notes inside the cover. Holding the relatively small tome to her chest, she returned to Beron's side.

She gestured to the path, inviting him to lead. "I didn't say a proper congratulations," she said warmly as they began to walk. "I'm very happy for you. How do you feel?"

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Lugh
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Re: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Lugh » May 10th, 2018, 2:58 am

Beron
Beron was glad to here that he had not interrupted Isla at her studies, although he realized that he was perhaps less than ideally diligent when it came to his own school work when she mentioned triple checking her work. “Well at least it’s a nice day so you got to enjoy some sun with your books. That was one of the harder parts of my first few weeks here, all the time cooped over a desk. Although I remember you saying Accepted get to study what interests them a little more, so that would help.” .

"I would like to take a walk," Isla said as she collected her books and notes from the lush green grass. "It's my independent study period, so I am fairly free with my time." Holding the relatively small tome to her chest, she returned to Beron's side.

Isla gestured to the path, and Beron settled in beside her, enjoying the floral smells that floated on the breeze.

"I didn't say a proper congratulations," she said warmly as they began to walk. "I'm very happy for you. How do you feel?"

“Thank you Isla, that means a lot that you’re happy. I know you earned your Great Serpent ring before me, and in a lot of ways talking with you and the words you shared help me advance as quickly as I did,” Beron replied as he spied the fork in the path. It led to a spot he had seen before, and was a place he had never seen before.

As they moved along the path, the plants and trees became a little more like home, pine trees and mountain blossoms. Even the air seemed chilled, although Beron knew thinking of Saldaea may have something to do with that.

“As for how I feel, there’s a short and long answer,” Beron continued as he thought for a moment. “In short I am proud, I know not everyone makes Ji’val, and I am eager for the next challenges to tackle,” Beron caught himself then, knowing that custom on the Three Arches was as strong as bedrock. Even as a Drin he had heard that people never spoke of the test, but as he looked at Isla he realized there were other customs he was already bending.

“The long answer is that the Arches really caught me by surprise. I can see their purpose on the other side of the test, but I feel a little adrift now. I saw parts of myself that surprised me, and lived what I would have thought was the Gaidin pinnacle not that long ago. But ultimately I learned that service to the Grey Tower could mean so much more than my narrow expectations.”

Beron stopped there as they rounded the corner and the place he had found came into view. There before them, spread out on the ground was a labyrinth. The smooth stone seemed made of glass or whitest marble, alternating with granite polished to a smooth sheen. The stone pooped around with stations cut out through the One Power. As one followed the path, it weaved through flowers and other plants towards a central spot. He had learned it was meant to focus and allow someone time to reflect as they moved along the snaking turns.

“I guess I feel like I’ve crested a hill and found five trails when I expected one. I was reminded that I am more than a weapon being forged, and now that has me thinking,” Beron said with a chuckle, “I’m rambling, forgive me. I wanted to show you this when I found it the other day. I really enjoy the stone and glass they made this of.”
Spoiler: show
OOC: https://ssjd.ca/labyrinth.html something like that
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Bella
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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: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Bella » May 15th, 2018, 12:09 am

As he spoke of what he experienced, Isla reflected that she understood what he meant very well. Her own trip through the Three Arches had been...enlightening, to say the least. Even some of his words specifically echoed her experience, in that it had revealed to her a much broader path--more choices in her life--than she had thought when she arrived.

"Nothing to forgive," she replied to his apology, although the words trailed off slightly as she looked at what he showed her.

She wondered how it was that she had never found this before, but then, the gardens here were practically the size of some villages out there in the world. It would take time to find everything, everywhere...if it was possible in the least. Still, this was among the most curious of sights yet seen here.

Isla tilted her head as her blue eyes took it all in. "How...odd," she commented, still examining it. "It is lovely, but curious. I wonder what its purpose is..." It has partially a question and partially a statement.

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Lugh
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Re: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Lugh » May 15th, 2018, 2:44 am

Beron
Beron watched as Isla trailed off, the bright blue of her eyes lighting up as she walked towards the rock layout.

Isla tilted her head as she bent to examine the stone. "How...odd," she commented, still examining it. "It is lovely, but curious. I wonder what its purpose is?”

Taking her words as a question, Beron stepped on the stones and walked along a few of the stones that were laid out, the thick stone surprisingly soft beneath his feet. “I’m not sure to be honest, I had thought it would perhaps be for channelers with it being made with the One Power,” Beron shrugged as he hopped onto the grass beside Isla. “Looking at it here, it reminds me of a fencing square I saw once. Maybe it’s for focusing thoughts?” he suggested as he traced out the path’s travel as it twisted before them.

As he traced his hand through the air, trying to illustrate the pattern he paused. Looking down, he noticed how close he was standing to Isla,and again was struck by the ease he felt with her. “I had thought of you a lot since our conversation at the Infirmary. I hope to still take you up on the offer of shopping in Hama Valon. Have you chosen any decor yet?” Beron asked curious if Isla had taken advantage of that small freedom afford mid ranks yet.
Spoiler: show
Edited after a reread
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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: New Paths (Attn:Bella)

Post by Bella » May 16th, 2018, 8:38 pm

Where had her breath gone? He was standing close, and yet...she didn't mind. She felt certain that if it had been anyone else, she would indeed mind and not be so comfortable. Why was he different? Her blue eyes widened a little as she looked up to meet his gaze, swallowing hard to give herself a moment to find her air.

"I would like to go to Hama Valon with you," she found herself saying, without even realizing that the words were coming out of her. "I...I don't have much by way decoration," she went on, forcing herself to focus. If her breath had been the first thing to leave, it seemed clear that her brain had been a close second!

"I didn't really grow up with much by way of decorations in my living spaces, so it doesn't...you know...come naturally to me, one could say," she explained somewhat lamely. "Do...do you plan to? Now that you are Ji?"

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