The Grey Tower

Nate spread his hands innocently, "letters are good, they make things sound grand and important," he explained. "I can come grab you in person I guess but then with the Asha'man around keeping watch... those Yellows think I'm gonna go on a rampage and attack everyone in sight or something," the Dedicated shrugged his thick shoulders. "But the stuff at Mar A'whatsit is important. You don't have to have all your own problems sorted out in order to be able to help other people solve theirs. If I dropped my sword pin down a hole and my fat fingers couldn't grab it, you could still get it without having to get that bread you said you were gonna get. Or something." Nate just smiled a bit, "I'm going to be helping people even if I don't have everything figured out yet. But you reckon Red or Blue? If they ever get me Raised..."

Nate drank more of his drink, letting the alcohol relax him. It was well needed after so long without. "Nobody thinks of your average, regular person, Bells. The kids who are orphaned by war. The poor people whose houses are blown up by Seanchan. The villagers who are killed by the Black Ajah." Nate's grip on his mug tightened, broad knuckles turning almost white. "The Reds will sort out the problem people. But the regular folk left behind? No, someone needs to look out for them.

"I came to the Grey Tower because I was supposed to look after my brother. Reuben was all set to join the Black Tower, and in the end... he went without me. I couldn't take care of him, I guess. So I thought I'd come here and be a Warder. Only, turns out I can channel too, another weapon to add to my list. What's the point in being able to set things on fire if it doesn't benefit anyone? When I'm Raised, whatever Ajah it is, I won't be sticking around the Tower all that much. There's too much world out there in need of fixing, and my brother needs a visit. From my fist."

He considered Alrim's question about the test, though what happened in Nate's Arches was no doubt different to what his Borderlander buddy had endured. "I don't know," was his rather uninspiring answer. "And you know what I think? It doesn't matter if it's true, or a lie, or a possibility in the middle of yes and no and maybe or whatever. It's how you learn and move on from it. The Arches are tough, Bells. They showed me a pretty ugly side of me, and I'm not proud of them. I don't know if I want to talk about them. But if you want to share what you did for your test... then I can listen."

At the suggestion of a game of dice Nate nodded and let the other man share the rules and so on. Nate did play a little, but he was not all that great at it. Still, he enjoyed a casual game for coppers, and here he idly tossed the dice across the table with wooden clatters. "Are these rigged?" he had to ask, eyebrows raised. There were ways to raise coin, and this was not one that Nate was particularly fond of, though he would never tell Bells to not do something. As one of his Asha'man instructors said when Nate ate too much beef and was ill, "take what you want, and pay for it." Bloody Cairhienin... that beef was well spicy as well, Nate had certainly paid for it later.

It did not escape Nate's notice that they had an audience. He turned his head to give them a smile when they were closer, just as Alrim spoke to them. The man had a way with women, Nate didn't know how he did it, he just... talked to them and they simpered and smiled. It was good to see, but why was he bigging Nate up so? Bells was a good wingman but hey, Nate wasn't the only guy at the table. The Dedicated snorted at Bell's claim that he couldn't lift him, getting to his feet and standing at his considerable height. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, grinning. The women sat at the table around them, four of them and a couple from a table on the other side looking over at the big Dedicated with the naturally loud voice.

"Are you being serious?" one of the women asked.

"I think he is," her friend said, a shock of red curls shaking as she turned to look up at Nate. "But I think you could do it!"

"So do I!" Nate remarked, "no offense Bells, but I've lifted heavier things than you in my time, and not with Saidin either."

"I don't doubt it!" the redhead remarked, and Nate winked down at her as he rolled his sleeves up and cracked his neck.

"Is that so?" Alrim asked with that gleam in his eye. "Care to make a wager on it?"

Nate almost choked on his own saliva.

The women murmured between them, looking from Nate to Alrim, before they took out their purses and placed some coin on the table. Behind them, a couple of other ladies and one spindly fellow with a moustache he kept twirling, also offered some coin. "Lift him over your head!" the man said, and Nate gave him a thumbs up. Why were these people betting? It wasn't as if Nate was going to struggle to lift Alrim...

Ohhhhhh!

It clicked as Nate moved around the table, and now he knew what Alrim was up to, he was going to milk it for all it was worth. He flexed his arms and squared up to Bells, hands on his hips as he looked down at him. "Let's get this over with!" he declared. "One Warder trainee off the ground in three, two, one..."

Alrim did not budge.

There was that gap of anticipation, that soon turned to confusion, and then amusement and delight and sheer disbelief. Even Nate was a little stumped as he stood there. "What in the Light?" he asked, a sentiment shared by the table and onlookers alike. "Hang on, I got this..." he planted his feet and made a concentrated effort to pick his friend up, but somehow... Alrim did not move! It was possible to see Nate strain and struggle to lift the smaller man, but he couldn't get him from the ground.

"It makes no sense!" the redheaded woman declared. "Here, let someone else try!"

The evening turned out to be a little different to what Nate had expected, but there was always a level of unpredictability when he and Bells got together and after the last couple of months this was exactly the kind of evening Nate needed. Revelry, music, light gambling, and people gathering around just to have a good time, Nate was happy to forget he was a Dedicated and just be... Nate. The man who was in demand for arm wrestling with a number of fair ladies and stocky men who wanted to test his strength. The crowd that gathered were under Bell's spell, that was for sure, and Nate was glad to be along for the ride, grinning and joking with the small group of women who had joined from the table nearby and not left since Nate's initial attempt to lift Bells from the floor. I need to learn how he did that, the man thought to himself as more people tried and failed to lift his friend. I'm sure I can lift him normally!

The amount of coin Bells earned for them was not an incredible amount compared to the lofty coinage some of the other Dedicated had from their pre-Tower days, but it was more than Nate had before buying the bells, and with this he would be able to get enough to complete his friend's collection! The man decided to keep that bit of information to himself for the time being, resolving to surprise the man instead when the time was right. Right then he was full of ale and snacks, sufficiently arm-wrestled out, and was passing the time with a game of dice as Bells was lifted by the barmaid who had been observing their business with raised eyebrows and an unconvinced expression for most of the evening. Nate understood the cynicism but it was still delightful to see her lift the Ji'val from the floor, as if she was stronger than Nate himself!

"The Grey Tower?" one of the women at the table asked, half draped across Nate so he could only use one arm to roll his dice, "you boys are from there?"

"That's right," Nate said with a smile.

"If the men there are all like you then I'll go train there all the time!" said a woman on Nate's other side. Nate just shook his head and laughed, wishing not for the first time that evening that he had Bell's natural ease with women.

"The Warder trainees? I'm not one of those, I'm a Dedicated learning to channel. Now Bells here, he's going to be a great Warder and he's the fellow to keep an eye out for." Nate nodded his head as if revealing an epic secret of the Grey Tower to their smaller audience. "Loyal, brave and strong, those Warders." And by extension, Bells as well, though Nate didn't say that outright. He didn't need to, from the way his friend was earning some appraising looks for himself as well. Nate smiled a little to himself, finished his ale, and took up the dice again with a warm glow in his stomach from the night's shenanigans. He bagged up his coin, sparing a few pieces of silver for the ladies to go get themselves some drinks, and he gave Alrim an amused look. "I don't know if I have your sleight of hand or charisma," he said, "you got your audience like a Gleeman, they were hanging on to your every word. I was your fabulous assistant." The Dedicated grinned broadly, "you'll have to show me how you made it so I couldn't lift you up..."

The door to the Inn opened and Nate felt as much as saw the eyes that bore into him. It was one of the Yellow Asha'man who had been guarding Nate's room at the Infirmary, not today but at times in the last few weeks. Right then he didn't look all too happy, and as he approached the table Nate gave Alrim a cautious nudge. "Sorry in advance," he muttered, "for landing you in hot water." He stood up and gave a salute to the Asha'man, only wobbling ever so slightly on the spot. "Asha'man Wellin," he said.

"You've caused a bit of a stir at the Tower," Wellin said with a mildness that only ever came before anger's hot pursuit. "Maever has been beside himself with worry at your disappearance. You had both better come with me and explain why you took off away from your escort for an evening."

Ah well, it was fun while it lasted. And with any luck Maever wouldn't be too hard on him. However, if he was... then it was worth it. Nate gave another salute and when Wellin turned his back on them, offered Alrim a silent "sorry!".