Party for One (Nani!)

[Marit]

OOC: This is set to the day after Amayani is raised to Gaidar.
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Yani lay on her bed, propped up on her right side. The dark green linen felt stiff and still smelled new, as did the whole room, in an old, dusty way from not having been used for some time. Her eyes lingered on the piece of fabric lying neatly folded on top of the armoire, its colors indistinctive and shifting. Her mouth was fixed in a childish grin.

She couldn't quite grasp the fact that she had, finally, been raised. That she had been deemed worthy of the fancloth. Her body still ached from the ordeal, especially her butt and left leg, but as long as she didn't sit or lie on it she could ignore it, for now. For now, she would watch the color-changing cloth in peace, not in pain. She could try at least.

The Yellows couldn't Heal the wound properly, not after Toria Sedai had Healed it to the state it was now, but she didn't mind. The Aes Sedai had Healed it good enough that she hadn't bled out or suffered any permanent danger. The rest would heal naturally, and she would very well survive the ache and stiffness during the time that took. And she would bear the scar with dignity. As much dignity as one could bear a scar on the buttock…

Yani looked out the window, finding it strange to look at the Tower instead of out over the Yards, and sighed. She couldn't lie on her bed all evening, even if she could do whatever she wanted today. The bells would soon ring Low, though she didn't feel like having dinner in the mess hall that evening. She had just been raised, she should celebrate. Dinner and a beer at the Band of Brothers sounded like a good idea.

Rising from the bed, wincing ever so slightly from the pain in the wound, she dressed in clean clothes; a dark green shirt and a pair of dark brown breeches, and pulled on tall leather boots. She stopped and contemplated whether or not she should put on the fancloth. A dinner and beer might not be the proper place to wear it. Then again, she had been given it only yesterday, and she was going out to celebrate just that. With that in mind, she flung it over her shoulders and clasped it around her neck, the same childish grin re-appearing on her face.

She tried to wipe the grin off her face as she walked out of her new room, but a smile was still on her lips when she walked through the halls. The sound of her footsteps, alone, as she passed the doors of the trainees, did cause her smile to vanish, and her footsteps to have a less spring in it. She wished she had someone to celebrate with, a certain someone, especially, but also more than one.

She wished she had her old friends around. Their names went through her mind as she walked out of the Tower grounds; Thoia, Amelia, Kain… And Jip, and Lysira and Caden, her old teachers and mentors. Some were gone, Light knew where, and others - Kain, Caden - dead. It stung her heart to think of them, all of them, but she would not let that dampen her mood. She knew they wouldn't have wanted that. Instead she would celebrate for them as well as for herself.

The Band of Brothers was as she remembered it, even if she hadn't been there often. She greeted the barkeeper and the maids with a gracious nod, and found an empty table a little away from the other patrons. The maid took her order for dinner - roasted beef, lamb stew and cheese pie, and a honeycake - and came back with a large beer.

"Cheers to us," Yani said softly, raising her glass ever so slightly, smiling and thinking of Thoia. How she wished her best friend had been here to celebrate with her. The fiery Domani was there in her heart though. Yani took a deep sip of her beer, enjoying the taste, and smiled to herself. She'd done it. She was Gaidar.

[Nani]

A day full of training. Full of classes, lectures, and idiots. Nani did not suffer fools easily, and her classes seemed to be chalked full of them today. There was something to be said about a strong ale at the end of the day. And so the Ji'dar pulled on her travel uniform, not as nice as her Group 17 uniform (see the signature), but still serviceable in the regard of being able to designate her what she was.

Her feet carried for towards the Band of Brother's inn, the only half decent inn in the town that surrounded the tower. Ale was always flowing, and the atmosphere was always pleasing, and always loud and boisterous. Leather boots that went to her knees beat on the ground, as she walked. No one with her, she was by herself. And if she were completely honest with herself, that was the way that she liked it. If she were alone, there was no way that she could get into trouble with other women about the men they liked. It was like her curse to be plagued by women so jealous and insecure about themselves, that they needed to take it out on her. The most recent one was Taibrelle din Alon, a novice of great beauty, but of little intellect.

The Ji'dar was still very mad about what that Novice had done, and while she had gotten her retribution, it just wasn't enough for her. It would be with time, but for now, she couldn't do anything more then more forward. On her left hand where her wedding ring would go was a simple silver band. Through it she could feel the emotions of the person who held the other half of the ring. He was still wearing it, and even though she had resigned herself to a life without him, she still held onto this part of him.

As she entered the inn, she looked around the full room looking for somewhere to sit down. A Gaidan fancloak caught her eye and she passed it by, before she went up to the bar and ordered herself an ale. A smile graced her face as she greeted the bartender. He smiled back and served up the ale to her. "You might want to spend some time with your friend there Nani. She's looking awfully lonely for having obtained what she did." He said, pointing to the Gaidar she had looked over earlier. It was Amayani, although Nani had permission to call her Yani. Then it clicked for the Ji'dar. Yani had obtained her fancloak and was now truly a Gaidar. The Ji'dar nodded to the bartender and smiled. "Thanks, I'll do that." She said as she moved over to Gaidar who was sitting by herself.

Nani pulled out a chair across from Yani and she smiled, lifting her mug to Yani. "Celebrating something Yani?"

[Marit]

The beer was sweet in her mouth, in a bitter way. It was strange how she'd not only grown accustomed to the taste of ale, but actually enjoyed it, considering how foul it had tasted the first time she'd drank it. Now she sipped it slowly while her eyes wandered around the room; she could see most of it from her table. Her eyes were seeing, but her mind wasn't following. It was stuck in the past, reminiscing about her old friends and all the good memories from days past. She was strictly thinking about only the good memories, stopping any thoughts of longing or sadness the instance they tried to surface. She was here to celebrate, and she knew her friends would want her to be happy, even if they weren't there with her.

That was the reason that, when Nani entered the inn, her eyes caught the movement and saw the familiar frame dressed in familiar dark grey colors, but her mind didn't give any react of recognition. And while her ears picked up the voices of the bartender and a familiar reply, her mind didn't process it. So she was taken by surprise, not completely but still, when the chair across the table was pulled out and a grey-clad, brown haired woman sat down.

"Nani!" she exclaimed, not able to hide her surprise. It took only a second, then her face split in a smile. It took a couple of seconds more for her mind to process the question.

"Why, what makes you think I'm celebrating anything?" she said with a poor attempt at keeping a straight face. It didn't last very long, then the grin was back. She flipped part of the cloak back over her shoulder so it hung down over her arm, lightly fingering the color-changing fabric. "I got it yesterday," she said with glee in her voice.

[Nani]

Nani caught sight of the surprise and smirked softly. Her face widened with a smile and she reached out to touch it lightly. "It's so beautiful. I can't wait to obtain mine." The Ji'dar raised her glass in adoration and praise and drank deep. The Ji'dar was very excited to make the trip out to obtain it. She just had some more training to complete before she felt that was well rounded enough to protect someone. Her weapon skills were most certainly there, and she felt ready to defend someone if their life required it.

But she wanted her lessons in Herbcraft to mean something more then more effective poisons for her fans. Nani pulled her mind back to the present. She leaned one arm on the table and looked at Yani. "Come on then, tell me all about the trip!! I want to know what happened!" She said with a smile. The Ji'dar wanted any advantage she could obtain for this trek she would be taking on soon enough. Also word around the yards were that there were soon to be some positions up for grabs, like the Gaidin Captain and Master of Training. If she could get in with Yani for this, then they might be able to make the Yards stronger then they already were.

After Yani told her about the trip, Nani was going to talk to her about the roles coming available. She wanted in, and she wanted to take control, but she needed support. The Ji'dar started to worry the ring around her finger, and felt the small ball of emotions in her head jostle around again, as if the other end was agitated at her happiness.

[Marit]

Amayani's smile widened even more, if possible, when Nani reached out to touch her cloak. She recognized the look in the other woman's eyes, a look of awe and longing, one she herself had most likely held in her own eyes every time she'd laid eye upon a fancloth. To be honest, she still did, though the longing was replaced with surprise. She hadn't really grasped yet that it was hers, for now and forever. She continued to finger the fabric lightly as Nani leaned on the table.

Yani could barely contain a small laughter at the eagerness in the Ji'dar's voice. She opened her mouth, ready to spill the entire tale, but stopped herself, turning the motion into that of picking up her mug and taking a deep sip of the ale. It gave her a moment to think, and think quickly. The raising test was a mystery to trainees, and had been for her as well until she arrived at the Citadel. She couldn't recall any of the Officers specifically forbidding her to talk about it, but she had a feeling that she wasn't supposed to speak of it to anyone who hadn't been through it.

But, this was Nani. Surely she could talk about it with her friend? She was sure she would've talked about it with Thoia, had her old roommate still been around. Or would she really? It felt like she was about to break an unwritten rule. A rule that no one had told her, specifically, but one that was hidden in plain sight in all of her years of training. There were rumors of the mysterious test, and some close to the truth, she now knew, but they were only rumors.

She took a quick sip of the ale again, and smiled a crooked smile at the woman sitting across her table, who by now was showing clear signs of impatience.

"You know I can't tell you, not really." She flipped her head slightly to the side in an apologetic motion. "Though I'm quite sure you'll find it out for yourself very soon. You can't be far behind." She couldn't say it for sure, but she had a feeling it was true. The Ji'dar was good at what she did, better than herself in some parts, and surely the Officers would see that too soon.

"What I can say though, probably, is some advice. Hone your fighting skills, train against multiple opponents. And survival skills, those are always good to have. Haven't you been practicing some herbcraft with Elisha?" She took another sip of the ale. It was surprisingly good today, and soon empty, she noticed.

"And, you should put some study into the Blight, and its creatures," she added at last with a slight wink. That was as close as she would get to the test itself, at least for now.

[Nani]

Nani smiled softly shaking her head with small disappointment. It was unfortunate that Yani wouldn't spill the beans on what she had gone through, and that was too bad for Nani, but she had to respect the Gaidar's wishes to not tell her. "I am so very close. A couple more herbcraft classes and a few more training sessions. I'm nearly there." She said softly with a smirk. Her ale was finished off with her last gulp and within moments, a barmaid was over refilling it for her.

"Fighting multiple opponents is easy for me, I'm too quick for just one to take on." She said with a small laugh, before she leaned back and nodded. "Blight study, I will add it to my list of refreshers from my years as a warrior in the borderlands." The Ji'dar gave a small sigh, and leaned her head back, her hair falling down the back of the chair. "What do you think of the new Master of Training? He seems to have it out for me." She brought her head back up to look at Yani. She needed some validation on her concerns about the turns that the Warder Yards were taking with the new management since Kain left.

The Ji'dar wanted to get her fancloak so that she could just never have to listen to him again. The faster she could get out from under his thumb, the better she would be. It always seemed like Nani drew more additional duties then any other Ji'dar or Ji'atalin in the Yards. She rarely spent time with her sisters any more, and it was starting to irritate the living light out of her.

[Marit]

Yani gave a polite smile and nod to the barmaid who came over to refill their mugs, before turning her eyes back to Nani. She heard the eagerness and longing in her friend's voice as she talked about how close she felt to be ready, and as she'd said herself, she had a feeling her friend was close behind. She couldn't see any reason why she wouldn't be. But, she realized, she knew little of the inner workings of the Officers of the Yard. What they lay to ground for deciding when a trainee was ready.

Nani's next subject startled her slightly, and she wondered for a moment if the Ji'dar had read her mind. But no, that couldn't be. And she knew her friend had several reasons to bring up such a subject. For one, the Master of Trainng was a bloody pain, and extremely unhelpful to trainees. She'd experienced that herself several times. And secondly, there were the rumors - which she had a feeling that were more than just rumors - of Nani's relations to Kain, the former Master of Training.

"I'm not sure if he has it out for you specifically, or trainees in general. He's a bloody pain that one," she added, leaning a little closer to Nani and keeping her voice down. "I think I even heard some of the Gaidin complaining about him." It had only been a snippet of a conversation she'd overheard, and she hadn't had the chance yet to speak with any of her now fellow ranked. That thought was a weird one, and her hand went down to fiddle with the cloak as if to confirm that it really was true.

"But, yeah, I think he had it out for me too lately." She leaned back again and took a sip from the ale, a thought hitting her. "Maybe it's a sign that you indeed are close to the testing? Like I said, he pushed me hard with all kinds of pointless duties the last weeks, months, too. Didn't give me time to think or breathe before suddenly summoning me." She stopped herself from continuing, sensing that she was threading into waters she had already avoided. If she continued she would spill the secrets of the mysterious testing.

[Nani]

Nani Hatherton

"Then we should get rid of him." She said softly back. "Once I'm a Gaidar, we should get rid of him. His attitude are making it hard for Trainees to succeed. We need to push them, but we can't break them beyond repair." Nani knew what it was like to be near that edge. She had been lucky to be saved by a man who had cared for her, but she also knew that not everyone would have a Kain like she had. And then there was a little slip. So there would be a summons, and she would likely not be ready for it. Her face split into a smile. "Enough of the digging for information, we're here to celebrate you getting Gaidar!" Nani said as she raised her now full mug up to toast the Gaidar sitting across from her.

"Tell me what it's like to be a Gaidar! What changes from Ji'dar to Gaidar??" She asked, excited. She wanted to hear everything, and couldn't wait to learn everything about the next step. "And perhaps, if you have time after I'm a Gaidar, we could work on bows more? I'd like to continue to expand my education in range weaponry."

[Marit]

Yani couldn't help a small frown from forming as Nani spoke; she didn't like the way the conversation was heading. Sure, the Master of Training was an incompetent fool, but Nani's word spoke of revolt. And while she agreed that the Yards would be better off with another Master of Training, she wouldn't participate in any planning to overthrow him. Though, maybe now that she was Gaidar, she could try and have a word with the Master of Arms about the business? If she dared..

Luckily Nani left the matter alone, and changed back to the reason she was here. Grinning back at Nani, Yani lifted her own mug and took a deep swallow. Setting the mug down, she laughed heartily at Nani's excitement.

"I only got the fancloak yesterday, I haven't had the time to feel much difference yet! Apart from a sore body and a new room that smells unused. And I could sleep as long as I wanted this morning, and not have any classes or chores I had to attend." That had been lovely. Not that she had slept any longer than she used to, but after taking her usual morning run - a little slower due to her wound, but old habits die hard - and a wash and breakfast, she'd spent most of the day relaxing.

"Once I've gotten used to this," she said, fingering her new cloak, "and my new rank, I'll let you know the difference. Unless you've been raised yourself by then. Who knows?" she added with another grin. She had no idea of the Officers' minds on the matter, but surely Nani couldn't be far behind her.

"I would love to help you with the bow," she replied, taking another sip of her ale. "Have you taken some runs through the Archery Course? If not we could run through that. And if you're up for it we can gather some more and have a spar?" Sparring with the bow was quite fun, and she did that too seldom.

"And maybe you could teach me how to defend myself against those fans of yours? With my sword."