A Chance of Fate (Attn: Drune)

[Cal]

Zuin walked through the grounds of the Tower on his way back to his room from his final class. He knew that he could have walked through the Tower but the fresh air would do him some good he had decided. He spent to much time inside and had done for most of his life. He needed to be out doors more often. Part of it was a feeling that he needed to balance what he had missed in his first fifteen years of his life when the only time he had ventured outside was to walk from the house to the carriage. The rest of the time he had spent in the library of the house or in his room studying.

Perhaps he should take an extra class which was outside, maybe one of the weapon classes. It would do him some good to do some exercise. He wasn't fat, quite the contrary, he was actually quite thin but building up some muscle wouldn't hurt him too much, would it? He nearly laughed out loud at the very thought of taking a weapon class. A couple of months ago he would never even have considered taking a weapon class and yet here he was considering it. His time at the Tower had changed him, far more than he could possibly have dream. He guessed it was the realisation that he had wasted the first fifteen years of his life that was making him push out in all directions. He didn't want to waste more of his life. He want to do everything he could and learn everything possible because he might not get another chance to do it.

It was a very different out look on life that when he had first came here when he had been quite content with just sitting in a room reading. He still loved it but he felt now that there was more to life that just books. That wasn't to say he would do keep reading and studying for all he was worth, only that he had realised that there were other things in life which were worth doing besides studying and reading. They were still his favourite thing to do but more things wouldn't hurt.

[Drune]

Standing up off the ground, Alerin brushed himself off as the day’s training came to an end, He didn’t know why the Unarmed Fighting class had to be so late, but at least he didn’t have to go around all day with these aches and pains. He stretched a bit, working out some of the kinks. Looking at his clothes, he brushed them off a bit more. Darn, he would need to take better care of them. He needed to cool down a bit, so he decided that he would take a walk through the Tower grounds to begin to familiarize himself more with the layout of the Tower.

Stopping by a well, he drew up a bucket of water. Taking a few swigs, he poured the rest over his head, letting the water drip off his face onto the ground. He needed some time to still his mind with all this… newness swimming around in it. At least the food wasn’t too bad. He could make it better, but he wasn’t here to cook, he was here to become a Warder, a Gaidin. Shaking his head, he raked his hair back with his fingers into a semblance of order.

He headed off, using a towel he picked up earlier to dry off his face then tossing it over his shoulder. It was a pretty nice way out, perfect for a good walk, even thought it was starting to get dark. Perhaps he would go and read a book in the library after dinner. That is, if he could find his way back there.

As he rounded a corner he came upon a man dressed all in black, causing him to stop. An Asha'man? No, he dosn’t have the two pins. I wonder why the Asha’man make it harder to tell the difference. The Aes Sedai make it really easy to tell the difference. He gathered himself quickly. “You’re a Soldier, aren’t you?”

[Cal]

Zuin reached the corner and stopped as he saw a Drin walking towards him. At least he assumed the man was a Drin since he wasn't in the black of a male channeller and he wasn't a women so he couldn't be a female channeller. He also wasn't dressed like any of the guards despite carrying himself like a warrior. Therefore he must be a Drin.

He seemed slightly taken of guard by Zuin's sudden appear but he recovered quickly and spoke. Zuin processed his statement quickly. The man was obviously new if he couldn't be sure Zuin was a Soldier at a glance. The black coat and trousers was usually a dead give away to those who knew what they were looking for. No one else would were such garb. The pins on the Asha'men and the Dedicated marked them out further.

"I am a Soldier and your a new Drin, am I correct?" Zuin asked although he was nearly positive that he was. He stuck out his hand and said "I'm Zuin. Nice to meet you." A couple of months ago he would have stood here or ran instead of introducing himself and offering a hand to shake. The changes in him still amazed him but he was confident they were for the better, for one he was more confident. He didn't cower when full ranks came near him any more and he could talk to people more easily. He still hadn't master his emotions but they were more under his control more of the time.

[Drune]

So he is a Soldier. He can channel then. The Soldier stretched out a hand and Alerin extended his own hand in response, clasping his hand firmly. Come on, you’re a Drin, a Warder in training. You will have to be around people who can channel all the time. “Yes, I am new. About as new as you can get. My name is Alerin al’Nai.” He hesitated for a moment. This was the first person he met that could actually channel. Sure, he had seen Aes Sedai and Asha’man from a distance but standing next to someone that can channel, and an untrained one at that, was different.

He looked the man up and down and was kind of jealous of his clothes. He really liked the clothes that the male channelers wore. Too bad he couldn’t use the One Power, he imagined himself looking really good in that black jacket. At least the uniforms that they made the Drin and Ji wear weren’t that bad looking. Grey wasn’t as cool as black though.

“So, you must be able to channel. Ah, stupid question, of course you can. They wouldn’t have let you into the tower otherwise.” Stop saying stupid things! Try to get him off track. He took a small, calming breath. “I used to be a cook before I came here, what about you?” He was sure that he heard that channelers in training weren’t allowed to channel without supervision, let alone use the One Power to teach new Drin their place but, as he just realized, there wasn’t another person in sight. Light he was nervous.

[Cal]

He really was new Zuin noted. He seemed scared, or maybe nervous was a better word. He was probably one of the first people this boy had met since he had arrived at the Tower. That would explain the nerves the boy had.

"You know, I'm not going to use the Power to beat you up." Zuin said, taking a guess at what they boy was fearing. If he was new then he wouldn't know that the channeller had little to do with the Warders and their trainees. They didn't ignore them they just didn't share many classes so didn't really interact. Individuals did but not the groups as a whole.

"As for where I came from. My father is the High Seat of House Faere of Andor. I'm his third son, the useless the one in his eyes." Zuin said. It was true, he had been the useless one before coming here. Lacking confidence and ability in all but study.

In his time here he had changed. His was more confident and better spoken. He didn't cower away from the middle and full ranks. He could channel with a degree of control and skill.

The changes weren't just mental. He was taller and stronger, not by much in either case by there was a change there, one he hoped would continue.

[Drune]

Alerin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. He was being wool-headed thinking that this random Soldier was going to use the One Power on him. Still, it was reassuring hearing it from him. Besides, this Solder was effectively the same rank as him, a Drin.

He gave an embarrassed chuckle. He has so much to learn. There were things about the Grey Tower and channelers that were either dead wrong or blown way out of proportion that he had learned as a child. At least he would be considered on equal standing with his fellow trainees.

“You were a noble in Andor? That is really interesting. It is surprising to think that people of such mixed backgrounds are brought together by the common bonds of training in the Grey Tower.” The comment about Andor brought of a memory of when he got here. “Captain Darrow said that Andorans have a strong tie to the White Tower. Why did you choose the Grey Tower, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Even though he held no loyalties to the nobility of Andor, it was still impressive to be in the presence of a noble. He could tell there was a certain air about him. Of course on second thought it could be the same air that being a Ashe’man or Aes Sedai in training gives. He was sure that some of the Accepted he had seen could pass as ladies in a court.

[Cal]

Zuin had guessed that the boy had some misconceptions but hadn't realised the scale until that moment. He nearly laughed at the thought of him at the White Tower. "The White Tower only trains females, just as the Black Tower only trains males. The Grey Tower is the only one to train both. As for why I'm here rather than at the Black Tower. Well when a channeller with the Spark channels for the first time they fall ill. When I first channeled I was on my way to Camelon. There was a Grey Tower Asha'man there who opened a gateway and threw me into the infirmary here to recover and be trained. I've been here since."

Truth be told he wouldn't have gone to the Black Tower if he had the choice. There training was more brutal, less controlled and more risky. On top of that the relation between the Black Tower and Andor was sketchy at best and hostile at worst. They didn't like the fact that it was in their lands.

"And besides that its only really the Royal family which have a link with the White Tower. Most other houses don't send people for training unless they have the Spark and so are a dangerous to themselves and others until trained" Even as he finished speaking he was cursing himself in his mind. Telling a boy who was obviously unnerved by channellers that they could be dangerous until trained if they had the Spark was probably not a good thing.