A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

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.
Jack
"Lord of Chaos"
Posts: 470
Joined: May 25th, 2015, 9:01 pm
PC: Malcym Ashe

A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Jack » November 10th, 2020, 1:50 am

Malcym Ashe sat in a small, secluded Garden clearing near the lake, his eyes cleared as he took in the scent of his surroundings. It was just after midday, on a clear autumn day, just before the weather would become too brisk to stay out without winter clothes.

He could hear the ripple of the now colorful leaves on the trees around him, the sound of the water ... could smell the food in a nearby basket. Once upon a time, it had frightened him, the growing sensations — but now he seemed to take some pleasure in them.

The dreams were less of a problem now, as was the fear of getting lost in something beyond his control. Rather than clamp down on it, hide whatever he was now or would become, he was slowly beginning to embrace it.

He only wished he could the same with growing, confused emotions. Instead, he avoided them like the plague, instead using them for fuel when he sparred or trained.

Yet he continued dwelling on certain topics and taking certain actions -- like the one he had readied today.

Mal was dressed in his standard grey drin uniform, but his brown hair was combed back, still slightly damp from the quick bath he had taken after late morning training. He was groomed, clean-shaven, his uniform freshly pressed — all as if he were to be present for a Tower ceremony. His long sword was belted around his waist, his practice sword nearby, on the edge of the blanket spread out before him.

He’d made sure a note had been passed on to Catasina, asking her to meet him for their lunch hour here.

Lady Catasina,
If you desire a reprieve from the gruel they serve, a picnic awaits in the Gardens along with the goal of arranging a surprise for our mutual acquaintance who gave us that berry bath.
Yours,
Mal


The letter had included a brief sketch of where to meet up, but part of him hoped she would consider it simply foolish and move on. Nearly two weeks had passed since the prank Jessa Sember had played on them — two weeks since he made his promise to Catasina about ... well, ensuring that the lies Jessa Sember had spread about her wouldn’t go unavenged.

And he thought he was done swearing oaths ... well, beyond the one he swore to the Warder Yards and the Grey Tower. Most noblewomen were trouble, pure and simple, too caught up in their own little worlds. Those who signed the Novice book were even more ...

... or so he thought. For some reason, Catasina was different to the point he almost let slip something when one of his sister’s ladies-in-waiting pressed him on it during a visit two weeks past. He’d even told her one of the deepest secrets he dared reveal to a few others in this place. Not everything, but enough to build a common trust. Along with the truth that whatever issue he might have with her, she would be the first to know.

He recalled the last words he heard from his sister Amberlee the morning she left, in the wee hours before any soul could conceive getting up before sunrise.

"Admit it, the novice, you l...

Mal scowled. “She’s the daughter of a noble, and I’m what? An exiled Murandian soldier who ... nothing could ever be possible ..."

The small woman touched her brother’s face. “My dear brother, you underestimate ..."


The memory evaporated the second he heard footfalls rustle the grass, smelled her ...

Mal stood abruptly and turned, hearing more than seeing Catasina approach from the edge of the garden trees. His silver-blue eyes were cast toward the Garden floor.

“Lady Catasina, please be welcome,” he said, a bit more nervous than usual. He gestured to the blanket and the basket, along with two clay bottles and two simple wood cups. “Lunch today would include boiled quail eggs, grapes and sliced apples, bread and cheese from Hama Valon’s finest shop, simple greens with an olive dressing ...” he listed off a half-dozen other finer alternatives to what the Kitchens served the learning ranks. “And the option of Two Rivers light apple cider or Mindean pear wine.”

Amber had left him some coin before she had departed ... and much of it was now before them, especially the pear wine. Minde might be known in Murandy for fierce temperament, but one of its families produced a rare pear wine of the finest quality. It was half of what he’d spent, the other half on food.

Without looking up, he gestured toward the blanket and murmured, “Sit, and we shall talk of ways to properly ‘thank’ Jessa for her act a few weeks ago.”
Jerid Walker Asha'man
"We all suffer. It's how we move past it that defines us."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
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SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Alianora » November 12th, 2020, 2:44 am

Catasina do Moerin a'Mathira, Novice
Catasina, relieved to be freed from classes and chores for the hour, walked slowly along the paths in the gardens, frequently looking down at the note in her hand. This wasn't a place she came often, and she really wasn't sure how it would be possible to have lunch out here. Still, the promise of escape from the novices' dining hall had been too inviting for Catasina to resist. She made her way slowly through the paths until she came to the clearing by the lake and saw Mal sitting on a blanket spread out on the grass. The novice frowned, grey eyes darting from the blanket to the grass to the white slippers she wore on her feet.

I do hope this grass doesn't run my shoes, she fretted as she took the first hesitant step off the path. Holding her skirt up just enough so that it wouldn't drag on the ground, for a moment, Catasina reconsidered whether she shouldn't just turn around and go back to the Tower, where she at least wouldn't risk getting dirty before her next class. It was then that Mal stood, however, and she knew he'd spotted her. She moved slowly and carefully towards him, giving a nod and a quick smile as he spoke to her.

She settled herself near the center of the blanket, brushing at the hem of her skirt and tugging at it to ensure her legs were covered. Then she looked around her to check that none of the fabric was touching the grass around them. Only once she was satisfied with the state of her slippers and dress did the novice examine the food more closely. All of it was superior to anything the Tower's kitchen served, not that that was especially difficult, and the pear wine in particular earned a raised eyebrow from Catasina. That had appeared at her parents' dinner table only on very rare occasions, and they'd never even allowed her sisters to have any, let alone Catasina herself.

"Thank you for inviting me," she said politely while she poured herself a little of the wine. "This looks much better than what passed as breakfast this morning." She served herself small amounts of all the foods Mal had laid out, and while she did, thought about the problem that had brought them here. Before touching her food, the novice muttered, "I've been thinking about our Jessa problem since your note arrived, and I don't know what to do about her. Not that I can't think of plenty of fun pranks to try, and we need to get her back somehow....but then she'll retaliate, and when will it end?"

Jack
"Lord of Chaos"
Posts: 470
Joined: May 25th, 2015, 9:01 pm
PC: Malcym Ashe

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Jack » November 12th, 2020, 11:00 pm

Mal waited until Catasina had seated herself before he returned to his spot, carefully evaluating the area from time to time. Just because he had picked up Catasina’s presence did not mean others would not appear unannounced.

“You’re welcome,” he responded as he reached for the cider bottle. “I fear breakfast for us trainees isn’t much better, depending on ‘creativity’ of some of Yards’ middle ranks.”

He poured his own cup, always a fan of the cider coming from the Two Rivers, and prepared a plate of his own. Mal’s silver-blue eyes watched the Novice calmly as she spoke and quietly ate a few grapes before taking a sip of his drink.

“I fear, my Lady, you are correct about Jessa,” Mal murmured after a moment. His eyes fell to his glass, his mouth twisted in contemplation as he thought about it. The young soldier shook his head.

“She’s like a coyote refusing to let go of a meal, and worse, she’s patient and resourceful,” he said. “The rumors she spread about you and the way she orchestrated it prove it, just as she was able to obtain information about me I thought long buried. She’s also not above using others to get things done so as to remove herself from direct involvement.”

His silver-blue eyes danced as he reflected on their predicament. “Our options are limited I fear: We orchestrate a counterattack and she retaliates and the cycle continues until either party waves the white flag ... or we find a way to ensure we repay a debt in such a way that it puts her on the spot and in the Tower’s view above and beyond all reproach.”

The only question was how. Mal might have some skill with strategy, but he was more prone to meeting his opponent face to face. And there were other considerations.

“And in a way that won’t lead back to in any way to prove that you were involved,” Mal said, eyes half cast at Catasina. “How she involved you in her revenge last time — the way she did it — was vicious even for her and I fear any escalation on her part would be much darker and malevolent if she targets you again.”

The young soldier didn’t really think much about the rumors that had begun to surface over the Tuatha’an caravan years ago -- there were enough soldiers alive to counter those reports, nor was he afraid to directly confront Jessa about them.

He pushed his food around on his plate with a fork aimlessly. “Whatever comes, Catasina, I would not want you to be caught up in the wake of whatever she unleashes," Mal said quietly. "I don’t want harm to come to you.”
Jerid Walker Asha'man
"We all suffer. It's how we move past it that defines us."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
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Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Alianora » November 15th, 2020, 10:20 pm

Catasina do Moerin a'Mathira, Novice
Catasina ate a couple of apple slices while she listened, blinking when Mal spoke of his desire to keep her out of danger. While she appreciated his intentions, what little she knew of Jessa suggested that that concealing her involvement in anything they did would be all but impossible. She drank a little of her wine, trying to make the small amount she'd poured for herself last, then set the cup down and looked at Mal. Quietly, Catasina admitted, "It may already be too late for that. The rumors didn't bother me, but she somehow knew just what to include in them in order to make me feel that I had to confront you about them. Since she went to that much trouble to draw us together...I'm not sure there's any chance she'd ever believe I wasn't involved in anything she suspected you of arranging."

She looked away from him then, still bothered by how easily Jessa had manipulated her. After a few bites of her bread and cheese, as well as some further thought on their situation, Catasina said, "I'm afraid you're right that there's not much we can do. Either we play another prank on her, and then live in anticipation of what she'll come up with next, or we find a way to make her stop now."

With a sigh, she looked back towards the Drin and continued, "The only way I can think of to make that happen is to complain to whoever's in charge of the Warder Yards." It was the only solution she could think of, but Catasina didn't actually think it was a good one. She was already shaking her head as she explained, "If you think we should then I'll consider it, but I don't think it would stop her for long. It's possible, but I'm afraid that getting in trouble would only encourage her to be more secretive in finding ways to get at us both, and has a better chance of making things worse then being any help."

The novice picked up a grape and rolled it idly in her fingers. "I'm not sure what else to do because while I do enjoy a good prank, I have no desire to spend all my years in this white dress looking over my shoulder, wondering what sort of mess is going to get dumped on me next." Putting the grape in her mouth, Catasina chewed and swallowed, hoping Mal had more useful thoughts on their situation than she did.

Jack
"Lord of Chaos"
Posts: 470
Joined: May 25th, 2015, 9:01 pm
PC: Malcym Ashe

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Jack » November 16th, 2020, 2:46 am

Malcym smiled quietly as he looked at the Novice when she spoke and for one instant his eyes flashed with ... something more than admiration.

Most young nobles he knew might have been either insulted or quick to accept being screened from further incidents. But Catasina appeared different. She might be very detailed and particular about her appearance ... but rather than being traumatized, she had lept to the occasion of repaying unforgivable debts.

But she was right about one thing.

Jessa was intelligent and aggressive. A powerful and dangerous combination if Mal had ever seen any, and she held such an abundance the Drin had seen in very few people. People he knew.

“The rumors might not have bothered you, but I don’t think it was entirely her intent to see that effect on you,” Mal said, eventually picking up a piece of bread. He chewed on it briefly, swallowed and sighed. “Her intent, I think, was to drive a wedge between whatever fragile connection or bond or semblance of friendship we were forging. And she has been exceedingly good at that in the months I’ve known her. Some good friendships have been spoiled because her taint was everywhere.”

Throughout the entire conversation, he watched Catasina with a mix of curiosity and admiration. This talk had all but scuttled his appetite, even as he selected an apple slice to choose to chew on. But her appetite and palette seemed whole.

Perhaps it was the difference in their upbringing: Mal had been raised first the stepson of an officer and later merchant, while Catasina had likely grown up more accustomed to intrigue. And he was a soldier, exposed to a more ... realistic sense of life than most.

”The way you look at her ... it’s not a way I’ve seen since I met your wife, a respect for someone who probably actually burst through that ego of yours ... “ His sister’s words echoed in his brain on the morning of her departure.

Mal took a sip of his cider while he considered Catasina’s proposal of informing the Yarder Wards’ officers. But the moment she concluded it to be a bad idea, he inclined his head in agreement.

“I agree we shouldn’t,” he murmured. “Jessa’s master has connections and if he were to learn we had humiliated his best trainee ... it might provide her with more resources.”

His eyes fell to his cup briefly. He knew none of the Yard’s leadership beyond name only. He could appeal to Lysira Gaidin or to the Captain-General, but ... it might only risk favors owed and the risk that Catasina had been involved. He might go to Jerid Asha’man ... but that was already too fragile a trust to exploit.
His silver-blue eyes looked from above his cup at the Novice as she spoke about not wanting retribution but not wanting to look over her shoulder for the rest of her days.

“Please, like you’ll spend the rest of your days in Novice or Accepted white,” Mal said automatically. “I see you in an Aes Sedia shawl and whatever style you prefer and a Warder selected and bonded within five years and Jessa still toiling away at being second-best at that time.”

His jaw clicked shut as his mind caught up with his mouth. And his thoughts flashed to one possibility he hadn’t considered. One even his sister knew was likely impossible unless circumstances came to it.

” Your heart’s here, big brother, and so is the chance that you’ll become a better soldier than even our stepfather ...”

“I could leave,” he murmured, almost painfully. His eyes fell back to his plate. “I could leave the Yards, return to Murandy or go to Illian ... it might throw Jessa’s attention enough that she would forget about you ...”

Catasina could never have the option of leaving, but he did. He was a trainee, and a problematic one at that.

He stopped speaking and his body tensed as heard ... smelled something nearby. Footfalls and the scent of other men.

And then a whistling sound ...

Mal had already begun to rise when he heard that sound and he launched himself without hesitation at Catasina, causing both to fall flat on the blanket. He heard one crack as the pear wine bottle shattered, and a second crack of the apple cider bottle where he had sat in front of mere seconds before.

Adrenaline rushed through his body and he felt an immediate ... explosion of everything. He realized he lay on top of the Novice and immediately blushed. It was ... well the first time since the bloody incident in the stables he had been this close to her and ...

... the sound of boots against the grass caused him to re-adjust his mind. His lips accidentally brushed against hers before he whispered “Stay behind me ...” before he pushed himself up.

He rounded, hand on the sword at his side just as he saw five men dressed in Drin uniforms emerge.

Mal knew their faces. Three of them, nondescript men, were ones in his training group. All of them followed Jessa’s group of Ji around like dogs begging for scraps.

All were armed with blunt wooden weapons of one sort or another, some bearing metal studs or spikes.

The lead one, a tall Tarien with dark hair, beady brown eyes and a scar along his left cheek of his horse-shaped face.

“My boys, what do we have ‘ere? A lovers’ lunch between a drin and a Novice? My, but what would those in charge say?” the man said, the tonality suggesting a commoner’s birth. “Should report them ...”

Mal’s grip on his sword hilt tightened. “Go away, now,” Mal growled in warning. “We aren’t wanting company and you are not welcome here.”

The Tarien laughed. “Hear that, lads? The cute couple doesn’t want us ruining their little tryst ... think they’re too good for us.”

The other four men, about fifteen paces from where he and Catasina were located, took a few steps forward, all laughing at their apparent leader’s comment.

“Go, now, and you’ll not be reported,” Mal said calmly. He eyed every one of them, his silver-blue gaze evaluating every avenue available. There was no route of escape unless they jumped in the lake ... and while he had faced all five in spars before, he knew that at best he could only disable three -- but not without sustaining injuries. Five men were too great a challenge for him and there was Catasina ... his free hand went to the dagger on the backside of his belt, and he quietly drew it ... and then pushed it toward the Novice behind him.

The five jackals seemed to feed on the pair’s situation and appeared boldened by the young soldier’s words. The leader advanced another step and a few inches of Mal’s sword came free of its scabbard.

“Now why would we do that when we need to teach a fellow brother about proper respect, especially when he offended someone higher above himself ... and might as well teach the Novice who so soiled said person’s reputation ... “

One of the other men smirked and howled out his own comment. “Might want to soil the Novice, take turns with her company. She might be ripe fruit to pluck even, that little chi...”


Steel flashed before the other trainee could finish the word. Mal drew the curved longsword at his side and stepped into a defensive guard. Gone was any pretense of being a mere trainee; instead, the trained soldier had emerged.

“You go through me before you touch her,” he growled. “And the last of you will be gasping for breath and begging for death ... “
A cackle of laughs emerged and it only served for Mal to tighten his grip on his sword.

“Aww, how cute, our fellow drin is in love,” the leader said, his scarred face tightening in mockery. “Walk away, fool, and we may forget you and just have fun with the pretty ...”

“Yes,” Mal said simply, calmly, sword level with the men in front of them. “She may have my heart, but it’s yours to present to the Gaidin Captain ... “ he added sharply. And then he did one thing he knew he might regret.

He bluffed. “Of course, by the time I kill the two worthless scum to my right, a dozen Aes Sedai will likely be on us all, because let’s face it, attacking a Novice, not a bright idea when you come to think about it,” Mal said simply. “Honestly, clearly moronic, given how the Mistress of Novices might keep tabs on all her charges and when one channels without permission, it sends up proverbial fireworks.”

In whatever time he had spent with Catasina, he honestly had never asked about her ability to channel. Or her skill. In hindsight, it probably might have been a tactful thing to inquire after.

But right now, it was a likely window of escape and perhaps a way for Catasina to improve on this particular bluff.
Jerid Walker Asha'man
"We all suffer. It's how we move past it that defines us."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Alianora » November 17th, 2020, 3:38 am

Catasina do Moerin a'Mathira, Novice
Catasina had to bite her lip to stop from laughing at Mal's claim that she would wear the shawl within five years and have power over Jessa. It was an image that very much appealed to her, but spending only two or three years as a novice was an accomplishment which very few women achieved. Still, it made her smile that Mal thought she was capable of becoming one of them. The novice directed that smile at him as she said, "I hope so, I want to learn as fast as I can. But most of the novices I've met have already worn white for at least five years, some as much as fifteen."

Her smile quickly disappeared once Mal changed the subject. Catasina stared at him, grey eyes wide as she tried to comprehend the words he'd just spoken. Her mouth even hung open for a moment in shock before she realized it and closed her mouth again.The novice blinked and drank more of her wine before asking softly, "You would do that for me?"

But I don't want you to go, she wanted to protest. Catasina studied him, surprised by her own thoughts. She tried to come up with reasons that that wouldn't work either, but before she could say anything else, Mal appeared distracted, and she heard a sound she couldn't quite identify. To Catasina, it seemed as if one minute she was sitting still on the blanket, thinking to herself, and in the next, she was lying on her back with Mal on top of her. Remembering the incident with the berry juice, when he'd grabbed her to try to get her away from it, Catasina pressed her lips together and looked up, fully expecting that they were about to get covered with something revolting.

Instead, she saw only the sky and trees overhead, and when she turned her head to the side, trying to understand what was happening, she saw several pairs of legs in the grey the Drin wore. She still hadn't managed to make sense of anything before Mal told her to get behind him. His words made Catasina nervous, and she didn't hesitate to do as he said. She got to her feet and scurried behind him. From there, she could just barely see the five men in front of them, bearing weapons that looked threatening enough to her even if they were only wood. She shivered, hoping Mal knew what to do because she certainly did not. Nervously, she focused her eyes on his back, trusting blindly that he would protect her from the group of men.

Though she listened to the exchange of words between Mal and the men, Catasina could tell Mal wasn't having any success in convincing them to go away. When he pushed the handle of his dagger towards her, she eyed it fearfully before closing her hand around it. She gripped it tightly, as if the object itself would be able to defend her, despite that she hadn't the slightest clue how to use it. She shrank back as the group of Drin drew closer to them both, letting out a gasp as one of the men spoke and she finally understood why they had sought out herself and Mal.

This is Jessa's doing, Catasina observed to herself. She gave the dagger she still held a speculative glance. If she could get at the other woman with it....she wasn't sure what she might do. That realization scared her, but not nearly enough to make her drop the weapon. Her grip on it tightened as the ugly words one of the men spoke hit her, words she understood but had never heard directed at herself. The comments were disgusting, and Catasina knew she was turning bright red with embarrassment at having to hear them.What do they mean to do to me? She knew the answer, but couldn't make herself think it.

She moved her gaze from the dagger to Mal's back, trying to draw comfort from his presence and the words he spoke in her defense. She believed he meant them, that he would do everything possible to protect her from the men...but she had counted five, and Mal was only one person.What if he can't stand against them all?

In the next moment, Catasina wondered if he'd had the same thoughts, because his next words were to threaten them with the Mistress of Novices and the Aes Sedai. She blinked at him, barely stopping herself from objecting that she was not channeling. She wasn't...but maybe she could. With her eyes on Mal, Catasina struggled to calm herself. It was more than merely difficult with how afraid she felt, but she watched him, reminding herself that she was not alone here, not ignored and cast aside, and she calmed enough to close her eyes and picture one of the boring exercises she'd been put through in class so many times before.

To empty her mind, thinking of nothing but a bright red rose in the sunlight, was incredibly dull, and it took Catasina more than a few tries to keep the image steady in her mind. She tried to focus, shutting out the men that threatened them, even Mal in front of her, and after some time had passed, the novice reached for saidar and felt a trickle of it flowing into her. The amount she could hold was small, and though she strained for more, Catasina just couldn't manage it. She would have to do what she could with what little she did have. Frowning in concentration, Catasina held out her left hand and pulled threads of Fire and Air to form a small flame that flickered above it. Then she gathered all the courage she had and moved to stand at Mal's side.

She took a deep breath and said, "He's right," as she held out her hand before her, the tiny flame dancing above her palm. She couldn't make it any larger, certainly couldn't throw it as the Aes Sedai could, but let herself hope that the Drin didn't know that. "The Aes Sedai will sense my channeling, and they'll want to investigate. You won't want to be here when they arrive." She did her best to be convincing, but Catasina could hear a slight tremble in her words, and she feared that the Drin would hear it too. It didn't help that she was lying; there were no Aes Sedai close enough to feel her channeling. All she could do was continue to feed the flame with saidar and attempt to scare them off, but the mocking laughter that rang in her ears told Catasina that all her effort simply was not enough.

Jack
"Lord of Chaos"
Posts: 470
Joined: May 25th, 2015, 9:01 pm
PC: Malcym Ashe

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Jack » November 17th, 2020, 9:01 am

Malcym Ashe A dozen different sensations assaulted Mal’s senses. The hesitation and trepidation in Catasina’s voice, the smell of fear and uncertainty coming from her -- the sense of something darker from the men in front of them, along with a slight hesitation in some of them after the young soldier had issued his bluff.

Not all of them bought it, but he just needed one or two to be slowed or caught off guard.

On the surface, his face was calm, his body coiled like a spring -- underneath, a hundred different emotions sought to break free — most powerful of all rage and undeniable urge to tear their throats out.

Whatever stupid name they called it — the flame and the void, the Emptiness — it was working. His only thought was simple enough: protect the channeler.

Protect Catasina. Of course, when the Novice did step from behind him, hand outstretched and producing a flame, that hesitation wafting from some of the men grew. Perhaps they would back down, especially if Catasina’s comments actually proved true.

Unfortunately, that sense of trepidation was also backed by a tiny bit of certainty. He could sense it in her voice -- no Aes Sedai could possibly sense that little bit of channeling.

He wasn’t an expert in such things — despite some intimate experiences once upon a time — but he’d picked up enough information since coming here to know that strength was everything.

Unfortunately, at least three of the men in front of them had been in the Yards longer than Malcym Ashe. Including the horse-faced leader -- Camden -- and Mal saw those dim eyes slowly light up with realization.

However, one of his men, holding a banded club, looked nervous and spoke up. “Don’t know about this Cam ... maybe we should just cut out gracefully, deal with the goatkisser and his ... girl another time,” he said, his Domani accent very noticeable. “You’ve seen what he can do with a practice sword in the sparring yard ... and that pig sticker ain’t wood.”

Another man, a slim one holding a simple club, was quick to agree and already seemed to be edging away. “Alion’s right, Cam, and rumor is he cut down a few Seanchan and the bloody Seekers serving the Great Lord just so he could allow that flaming Asha’man and his Warders time to escape, took crossbow bolts and still managed to be breathing ...”

Mal’s eyes flickered at two words the slim man had said ... Great Lord ... ... He was already calculating the distance to his practice sword ... nothing more than a wooden stick with an iron core. Those two words meant Catasina and he would not be allowed to live.

And the leader knew it, just as the thought flickered in his mind. “He’s flesh and blood just like anyone else, Irwin,” he snarled. “Go and run, but I don’t think our patron will much appreciate it ... and training accidents do occur.”

He pointed his spiked club at the Novice. “And that one little flame isn’t big enough to draw a moth,” he said with a dark, crude smile.

While they were yammering, Mal looked sideways at Catasina and then inclined his head barely to the lake. What he knew of channelers was simple: hold the One Power and your senses expanded, including hearing. So he prayed he could hear his barest of whispers.

“If you can, jump in the lake and try to use the shallows to make the other side ...”

The slim one -- Irwin -- moved forward again, just as a fourth man, apparently the more loyal of the group edged a hand behind his back.

“Shame we didn’t bring crossbows ... and that we couldn’t have used the slings to more effect,” Camden said ... “But I say we swarm the Tinker lover, beat him dead and take turns with the girl. I hear Murandians taste ...”

“Watch your tongue,” Mal growled, “or I swear the Gaidin Captain will ...”

A chorus of cackles erupted in the small clearing. “Clean her boots with it? Really? No one’s going to miss you or that weak-willed trollop of yours.”

A sliver of rage escaped its prison and Mal stiffened. “Not words I’d use on her ...”

The leader smirked and widened his arms. “Aww ... the goatkisser is in love ... “

Mal smiled wistfully and spared the briefest of looks at the Novice beside him.

“As we met ... “ he murmured. “Once is rare, twice ... a blessing in the Pattern ...”

The young soldier caught the subtlest of movements from the man who reached behind his back ... heard metal rasping against leather ... and before the first flash of steel could be seen, Mal acted.

His sword went flying through the air, hurled as much in desperation as instinct, and the blade sunk through the man’s chest. The drin fell to the earth, club in one hand and a dagger in the other, dead.

The surprise from the other four lasted scant seconds ... but Mal was already moving. His body rolled across the short distance as he retrieved his practice sword and turned ...

... and the closest man was already within striking distance, club raised to strike.

Mal was quicker, and from his kneeling position, swung the practice sword into a savage upward arc that caught the man in the upper ribs. The other drin grunted at the impact just as Mal quickly rose and turned the maneuver into a savage horizontal cut against the man’s neck.

The attacker crumpled like a sack of wheat. But as soon as he was on his feet ... the slim man was on him, swinging his cudgel down. Mal raised his sword in defense and it held. A second swing toward his lower ribs and Mal again defended ... and he heard the crack of wood and snap of iron ...

... and quickly rammed the splintered pieces into the side man’s jaw in a savage side punch. He followed through with an effective punch to the face ...

And then felt a sharp blow to the back of his skull ... his practice blade dropped from his hand as he fell to his knees even as his body turned ...

Through blurry eyes, he saw his attacker smirking ... he heard the rustling of boots and smelled the scent of five other men coming from the brushes ... and saw Camden advancing on Catasina.

Gone was the divide between void and emotion ... the world erupted into icy fire and a howling scream ... and the earth called to him ...

“ ... I’ll welcome her taste soon enough, and the others just arrived just after ... “ the man in front of him said ...

.... the earth hummed ... it sang... and in the maelstrom of ice and fire he saw Catasina ...

“No!” His hands clenched into fists as he pounded the ground ... and it shook ... the entire area seemed to come alive .. the lake began to ... and people began to fall to the ground ...

As if in a dream, he saw the spiked cudgel in front of him .. .. from a stunned drin ... and he grasped it as he stood up. He moved toward his Novice’s position ... toward a horsefaced drin’s position ...

... he heard words, but he didn’t care. Power raged through him, dulling senses for change ...

“Stop!”

The order came too late. The spiked cudgel came down on Cam’s face. A second time. A third time. Blood splattered the drin’s grey uniform.

“Never ... she’s mine to protect,” he growled.

In his rage, he heard another voice, smelled another presence and he turned ... club raised ... and then felt the storm immediately cut off.

He fell to his knees, the weapon dropped, and he looked up ... and saw gold-green eyes.

“Catasina, she’s ... Asha’man ... “

“She’s safe ... “
Jerid Walker Asha’man Jerid Walker had been enjoying a brief peace in a remote part of the Gardens. The Indigo Asha’man had been in the Tower for several months, but seldom observed, and in this rare moment he liked to enjoy himself.

The Hall of Sitters occasionally probed and poked about his absence and the things he might have learned, and he answered. He’d become proficient enough in the Game to know when to distort the truth. His own Ajah ... they knew well enough let their own former leader live his life in peace.

And so now he sat, on a nearby streambed, gold-green eyes closed. He could sense his daughter and surrogate Warder nearby ... and across the bond ... his actual Warder and wife. Lysira was teaching a bunch of trainees how to shoot straight while his daughter Liana was served to protect him that day as an unbonded Warder.

But the spike of saidin ... a powerful spike at that ... made him open his eyes. He stood just as his daughter stood. He seized saidin and cast a look at the lone Tower-liveried servant in the distance.

“Go, get as many Tower Guard as you can find,” was all he ordered.

Even as the servant fled, Jerid was already moving through the Gardens, a black-clad figure among the leaves. Silent ...and his Warder ahead of him with a silence that transcended her own ...

... he stopped only a heartbeat when he felt the sheer power of saidin echo in the immediate area.

Liana had since drawn her sword as they advanced ... and both saw the backsides of at least five idiots advancing ... and then the earth shook.

Indigo and Gaidin remained afoot but Jerid saw some of the men armed with varied weapons stumble.

As Jerid entered the glade, he saw the five trainees about to recover ... and blunt flows of Air the Asha’man channeled slammed down against them. He tied off the weaves without a second thought and moved forward.

And then he saw ... Mal heaving down the club ... it was too late to prevent it but ... the solid shield of Spirit slammed shut across the boy’s access to the One Power ... and the second shield of Spirit was hurled toward the girl ... one he tied off.

Mal turned and ... then dropped, the club released. Jerid caught the boy as he dropped to his knees and he asked ... Liana Calin Gaidin Liana moved with liquid grace as she passed the Drin and her father Asha’man, hand on the hilt of her sword. Whatever force had knocked everybody on their feet had endured ...

The small, slender redhaired Gaidin knew a channeler’s attack when she sensed the earth shake in an area that had no such record ... and given the number of armed men against a drin she knew and a Novice ... well, it couldn’t be good.

A nearby drin grunted as he attempted to rise and Liana simply applied the side of her boot to his jaw. She quickly moved on to the Novice ... and kicked the dagger she had held out of her grip before kneeling ...

... and helped her up. The young Gaidin raised a gloved hand to the Novice’s face and smiled softly. She then rested her hands on either shoulder of the Novice.

“You are safe, Novice,” Liana murmured. “And so is your friend.”

Liana smiled kindly, but her grip on the Novice was like iron. “What happened here? Who is responsible.”
Jerid Walker Asha'man
"We all suffer. It's how we move past it that defines us."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Alianora » November 18th, 2020, 3:48 am

Catasina do Moerin a'Mathira, Novice
Catasina stayed put beside Mal while the group of men continued to toss insults at the pair of them. She blushed furiously at the comment about the flame in her hand. The Light help her, but it was true, and knowing that made her feel useless. She shrank back behind Mal, feeling safer there, but not before he suggested that she run to the lake for cover. It was a suggestion that Catasina ignored. Not only did she not know how to swim, but from the way the man in front had been eyeing her...she was sure he'd chase her, and she wasn't dumb enough to think she had any hope of successfully outrunning him.

The novice shivered, but kept her head up, doing the best she could to hide her fear. She let the flame in her hand die out and strained for more of the One Power, filling herself with as much as she could hold. Pain flickered at the edges of her consciousness, and Catasina knew as soon as she started to weave that her second attempt at a flame would be no more impressive than the first. She scowled in frustration and let go of the useless threads. With them went some of the Power she had held, leaving her with only the tiny amount that she could handle comfortably. Her hand tightened around the handle of Mal's dagger, and she watched the group of men nervously.

It was then that someone moved. Catasina wasn't sure whether it was Mal or one of the others who moved first, but regardless, the talk ceased and the fighting began. Not knowing what to do, she raised the dagger before her, grasping it tightly with both hands, and wished she knew how to use it. For a very short time, she did nothing but stand still and watch what was happening around her, impressed by how easily Mal appeared to be dealing with the group. What she did not notice was that Mal did not have all of them occupied.

The scarred man, the one who'd been staring at her, was stalking closer to her, and there was nowhere she could go to get away from him. She scrambled backwards, off the blanket, but the Drin moved much faster than she could. He grinned at her, making another of his lewd remarks that caused Catasina to blush again. He was close enough to touch her now, and she screamed, swinging wildly with the dagger and accomplishing nothing. With a laugh, the Drin pushed her arms aside and reached for her.

His fingers barely brushed the fabric of her dress before the earth began to shake. Catasina cried out again as she toppled backwards, ending up on her back in the grass. She raised her head, wondering what had caused the violent motion, and saw that her pursuer had also been thrown to the ground. With one hand, she let go of the dagger and tried to push herself to her feet while the earth continued to heave. Looking down, she didn't see Mal hurry over to deal with the man, but still holding saidar, she clearly heard the sound of a heavy weapon connecting with her pursuer's head. Relieved and grateful, Catasina sank down onto the grass that had finally stopped moving underneath her.

Her head dropped, but she looked up sharply when she felt a shield cut off her access to the One Power. Blinking, she noticed the redheaded woman first and felt a jolt of pure panic. Jessa? Shaking, she looked to Mal for help and found him kneeling on the ground with an Asha'man in black nearby. Why isn't he doing anything? The answer came when the woman walked in her direction, allowing Catasina to see that she definitely wasn't Jessa, but just another woman who happened to have red hair. Despite that, she was still shaking when the woman approached her, asking who was responsible.

Catasina didn't know what to say. She knew very well who was responsible, but was it wise to tell this woman? What would Jessa do to her, if she found out? Catasina didn't want to know, but the firm grip the woman had on her shoulders suggested that she was likely one of the Gaidin, and therefore someone she couldn't refuse to answer. She took a deep breath and said, "I know who's responsible, but....I can't prove any of it." What if she doesn't believe me?

Not knowing what else to do, she told the woman everything, beginning with the mess in the stables and the chain of events that had resulted from that one unfortunate encounter. She was especially careful to mention some of what she'd heard from the group of Drin, the talk of offense taken and a damaged reputation that was all she had to link the men to Jessa. After what she and Mal had been through, the Ji's involvement was obvious to her, but she wasn't at all sure the stranger would agree. At the end of her explanation, Catasina looked into the woman's eyes and said, "The person who put them up to this is a Ji named Jessa. I don't know her last name, but Mal might." Her voice shook with her nervousness, and the grey eyes shone with desperation, begging to be believed.

Jack
"Lord of Chaos"
Posts: 470
Joined: May 25th, 2015, 9:01 pm
PC: Malcym Ashe

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Jack » November 19th, 2020, 1:51 am

Liana Calin Gaidin Liana listened quietly, her emerald eyes watching the girl intently. The young red-haired Gaidin had initially noticed the Novice’s reluctance and fear when approaching the girl, but given everything that had apparently just occurred, she was not surprised.

She had not been surprised, either, by the number of injured trainees either when she and Jerid Asha’man had arrived in the clearing. Liana knew from experience that Malcym Ashe could handle himself in a fight when backed into a corner -- though the slightly younger man had an ego to match the skill.

A slight, subtle smile touched her lips and vanished as quick as it had appeared as she listened to the Novice’s story and she nearly raised an eyebrow at the name “Mal.”

Light, but the bloody oaf was likely in love with this Novice.

But her face grew more somber and calm as the girl continued her story. Pranks between learning ranks were one thing, but escalating things to the use of violence and possible murder was another affair entirely.

And the name sparked something in Liana’s green eyes.

“Short, red-haired, pretty in a way, speaks with an accent that could be placed in the Black Hills or northern Andor,” Liana said after a moment. “Almost perpetually has a chip on her shoulder and a mean streak 20 leagues wide?”

She barely waited for the Novice to respond before murmuring, “You’re in a pickle saltier than Mayener sardines.” She released her grip on the girl’s shoulders and grabbed her arm, gently hauling her up. “While hard to believe she would be so stupid as to orchestrate something like this, something you or your boyfriend did could cause her to take leave of her senses.”

“Come, the Asha’man will want to speak with you both, just as soon as he finishes burning through young Master Ashe’s ears ... again,” Liana said, almost in exasperation.

Malcym Ashe and Jerid Walker Asha'man Malcym sat dazed, everything a distant echo as his silver-blue eyes stared up at the Asha’man who now knelt beside him. The youthful-looking channeler’s gold-flecked forest green eyes looked back, unyielding.

“What happened ...” Mal croaked, realizing the throbbing pain in the back of his skull still pounded. The bloody drin that had clobbered him ... now lay flat on his back beyond the Asha’man, stunned and likely knocked out.

And so were five new faces, all previously holding weapons but now likewise subdued. He could hear the rustling of more boots ...

“Malcym.” The Andoran accent was sharp, clear and calm. The young soldier looked at the Asha’man ... even as he fully realized his situation now. He could smell the coppery scent of fresh blood on him and he looked to his left ... at the pulpy remains of what had remained of another trainee ... and the nearby club he had used.

“Catasina ... “ he whispered and attempted to stand. His legs wobbled slightly but he fought to ignore the feeling -- only to be yanked down by the Asha’man.

“ ... will be fine. Liana is seeing to her.” Was all the Asha’man said. Mal shot him a dark look and nearly growled in opposition before he remembered who was speaking to him.

The Indigo Asha’man had proven time and again that he was not afraid to mete out the appropriate punishment.

“What happened?” The Asha’man asked. “More importantly, why did you kill other trainees?”

There was no judgment in the Asha’man’s voice, only a desire for the truth.

The words were quick to leave Mal’s lips, everything from a simple picnic leading up to the attack. He spared very few details, but his eyes were already on the Novice, who was sitting on the ground, speaking with a small red-haired Gaidin. Liana Calin, the Asha’man’s daughter.

“A great rush of power just surged up ... “ he murmured, looking around. “The earth just started humming and then this ... “ he pointed toward the now-faceless Camden “... was about to attack the Novice ... and I couldn’t let it happen.”

Mal’s senses were coming back bit by bit and he suddenly realized one thing ... there were more than a few new ridges and rents in the Garden clearing than before. Beyond, the lake was still rippling ...

“Asha’man, if you hadn’t come and created ...”

Mal’s words faltered as he saw a look of concern cross the Asha’man’s gold-green eyes.

“Drin’far’ji Ashe, it brings me little pleasure to say it was you who made the earth shake,” Jerid said calmly. “I sensed a strong spike of saidin while enjoying a morning in the Gardens and came here. By then the earth was shaking. You, child, are a wilder, albeit probably the oldest I’ve encountered.“

Even as the Asha’man spoke, one of the attackers that had been knocked on their arses and subdued suddenly came up with the dim idea to stand and reach for a knife before rushing. Mal saw the movement, his body tensed to move even as the Asha’man’s words shocked him ...

“Boy, if you’ve any desire to live and keep your limbs intact, drop the knife and submit to the Tower Guard,” the Asha’man said without ever taking his eyes off Mal. The attacker blinked and a heartbeat later dropped the knife. A second later, and a dozen Tower Guard emerged from the garden cover, weapons drawn.

Before he could speak or utter another word, Catasina’s words flowed through his ears and his face darkened.

“Jessa Sember,” he growled. His eyes grew dark and he looked first at the men around him, including the one he had skewered with his blade. “This is her doing. These ... drin follow her little circle around like lapdogs looking for what they consider meager scraps of influence, hoping to get on her good side.”

He began to rise again. “And I’m going to kill her, tear her throat out with my teeth ...”

But the Asha’man was quicker, and while he didn’t knock the drin back on his rear, the channeler had a presence much larger than his near six feet would suggest. A strange sensation seemed to emenmate from the man ... and he saw the barest flicker of the man’s hand when the drying blood came off his grey uniform coat.

“You will do no such thing, drin’far’ji,” he said simply. “As it is, the Warder officers will likely be hard-pressed to explain why two of its trainees are dead and why a bunch of them attacked another trainee and a Novice in the first place. And then there’s the matter of the Master of Soldiers probably wanting to sink his claws into your hide and claw you away from them since you can now channel.”

“But she nearly killed someone I care about and I won’t ...” The Asha’man’s hand smacked the back of his skull, in the exact spot where he had been struck. Mal winced visibly.

“Boy, you must have had something knocked loose because you’re not listening, more so than usual,” the Asha’man said sharply. “You can barely stand, you are injured and unless I’m missing something, there is no woman trainee here. The ones responsible are either dead, beaten senseless or about to be taken to the dungeons to answer some questions.”

Mal stiffened. “What right do you have when you know little ...”

The Asha’man raised an eyebrow and gestured to an area across the lake. “Take a long walk that way, child, and you’ll find out exactly what I know. I buried two daughters in our sad little cemetery because of rash actions I committed over the course of two hundred years. You go and kill a Ji’val without evidence that she was behind this ... “ he waved a hand at their surroundings ... “and you’ll find my anger a pale echo to the fury and justice the Hall of Sitters will level. I hunted down or killed Black Ajah with more mercy than what they will show you.”

Mal blinked and took a half step back, unsure of whether the Asha’man would just as soon skewer him as anything else. Jerid Walker was at best unpredictable, at worse merciless -- an untold number of dead Dreadlords and Shadowsworn was testimony.

The gold-green eyes flickered toward the approaching women and Mal turned ... his rage still echoed in the background but his silver-blue gaze found Catasina and a wave of relief flowed through him.

The Asha’man didn’t say a word at first, merely channeled a flow of Spirit and cut the shield of saidin he’d placed between the Novice and the One Power to ribbons.

“You two are very fortunate,” the Asha’man said after a moment, gaze flickering back and forth. “And very unfortunate in that I don’t know how to handle this affair. Based on your story, Novice, you were attacked and young Master Ashe acted in self-defense. Much else ... and you’d need proof, and I doubt those still left living will admit to anything beyond bad blood between your friend and the attackers.”

The Asha’man looked at the young Gaidin, who stood close to the Novice with hands on the girl’s shoulders in a comforting, almost sisterly fashion. The Gaidin gave the barest of nods, as if answering a silent question.

“The only thing I can do now is release you, Novice, and have you escorted to the Mistress of Novices for penance with a request of leniency given today’s events,” the Asha’man said. “Malcym will be escorted first to the Master of Soldiers to have his name written into the Book of Soldiers and then placed under house arrest until it’s determined he had no choice in killing two Tower trainees. At best, he’ll find himself followed by a Gaidin or Tower Guard -- and at worst, he’ll be clapped in irons and sent to the cells for a spell.”

The Asha’man let the words set in but a few seconds. After more than two centuries, Jerid Walker had turned the Game of Houses into a weapon to he could use effectively.

“Unless, of course, you have more to tell ... something you might have forgotten, a few words uttered by those fools who attacked that you might have overlooked at first ...”

Mal tensed and was about to say something when the Asha’man’s gold-green eyes silenced him with a look. “She speaks, we listen,” the Asha’man said sharply. “Light alone knew the world would be better off if more men did that. Murandy, Tear and Amadicia might actually be better off for it.”
Jerid Walker Asha'man
"We all suffer. It's how we move past it that defines us."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: A Mostly Normal Lunch (Attn: Alianora)

Post by Alianora » November 19th, 2020, 11:38 pm

Catasina do Moerin a'Mathira, Novice
Catasina nodded as the redhaired woman accurately described Jessa. "Yes, that's her," the novice said. She let the woman pull her to her feet, and as she followed beside her, Catasina objected, "But...we didn't do anything to her......well, there was the itchweed, but....nothing like this." And all this, just for a little itchweed? The threats they'd made, the attempt on both their lives, the knowledge of how far Jessa would go over something so small....it scared Catasina to think on it too far, and she shivered as she continued to move.

Trying to distract herself, she looked around her, noting the fallen Drin, hardly a comforting sight. Her eyes landed on the barely identifiable body of the man who had been pursuing her. Mal killed him....over me. Vaguely, Catasina wondered if she should have been feeling guilty or regretful about the death, but the truth was that she didn't feel either. She just felt thankful that he'd intervened...by whatever means necessary.

She took her eyes off the man then to search the area for Mal, wishing she could tell him how grateful she was to him. If the redhaired woman hadn't been with her, and Mal not in the company of one of the Asha'men, Catasina would have, but as they were....she would have to wait. She looked down at her dress, noticing for the first time that she'd gotten grass stains around the hem, and on the bodice, red specks that she feared wouldn't ever come out of the white material. She sighed, took the skirt in one hand, and gave it a couple of good shakes. A few pieces of grass that had stuck to it fell to the ground, but they left green marks behind them. Frowning, she let the skirt drop.

Raising her head again, Catasina pulled her black braid over her shoulder and tried to work some of the escaping pieces back into it. She did this automatically, grey eyes still looking for Mal. They focused only on him once she spotted him, still by the Asha'man. She would have liked to stand beside him, but the redhaired woman with her had stopped. She laid her hands on Catasina's shoulders, and the novice had the distinct impression that it would be unwise to try to pull away from her.

She didn't dare attempt it, remaining in the place where the woman had stopped them, and Catasina moved only to make her curtsy to the Asha'man. She'd broken enough rules so far today, and saw no reason to add another to the list. She looked up as she listened to him, unsurprised by her own punishment. What he said about Mal startled her more, and she turned her head sharply to look at the Drin. Mal can channel? It made sense, when she thought about it; she knew she hadn't been responsible for shaking the earth, but simply had not made the connection during the chaos. She wondered, for a moment, how he felt about leaving the Warder Yards, but knew it didn't matter. Channelers like herself, when discovered, were given little choice about learning, but those like Mal, much more rare, were given none at all.

Catasina was still looking at Mal as the Asha'man moved on to his punishment. In her eyes, it was much more severe, and entirely undeserved. What else was he supposed to do? Just stand there and not resist? Her lips thinned, and she clasped her hands together behind her back. Talking back to an Asha'man would be more than merely foolish, she knew, and yet part of her badly wanted to do it anyways. She bit down on her lip to make herself be quiet, but when they were asked if they had anything else to say, the novice spoke.

She had told the redhaired woman all the events that had led up to this day, but had not thought to bother with the specifics of what the men had said, other than those words that hinted at their link to Jessa. Remembering the rest of it still made her nervous, fearful, and maybe just a little angry.

"They said..." she started..."They said they were going to beat Mal to death, and....." Her voice grew quieter, and she turned away from both men. Red colored her face as she forced herself to go on."...and...that they were going to take turns with me....and I think they would have, if Mal hadn't stopped them!" She took a breath and continued, "And I know there is no way to prove Jessa's involved, but..." Turning back to Mal, Catasina spoke to him instead of the Asha'man she didn't even know. "Since there's nothing to be done about her, what if she tries again?" The thought of it made the novice want to flee back to her tiny room and stay there for days.

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