To Offer a Helping Hand (ATTN Natlya)

[Prew]

Upon leaving Ferran Gaidin’s office, Prewtez d’Grayson reflected upon the Master of Training’s words as he made his way down the staircase to the foyer of the Warder Hall. Functional rather than ornate, the stairway was a far cry from the one in the Grey Tower. There tapestries and wall hangings decorated each level, the bannisters ornately carved with depictions of nature and wildlife. But the Warder Hall, like everything in the Yard, was utilitarian in nature. Like the men and women who lived there, the Yard was designed to serve at peak efficiency.

Reaching the foyer with its Fang and Flame symbol imbedded in the floor, Prewtez thoughts turned to Ric Gaidin. The man had not only been his instructor in unarmed combat, one skill Prewtez had had little need for in the cavalry, the occasional soldiers’’ brawl was something officers broke up, not joined in, but had also been a rock upon which he could lean during his quest for the fan cloak. Ric had time and again provided him with support and encouragement, especially when the challenges proved toughest. Now Prewtez was being asked by the Master of Training to be that rock of support for a newly enrolled Drin’far’ji.

Being just a few minutes after High, Prewtez sought out the Warder Mess where all Drins not assigned elsewhere should be having dinner. Entering the room, smiling at the buzz of excited voices and the various shades of grey… a few Gaidin and Gaidar over in the corner, two tables of the Ji speaking loudly and laughing boisterously as they wolfed down their food… and the more subdued tables of Drin, in their light grey uniforms, some more intimidated by their seniors than were others. From the description Ferran Gaidin had provided Prewtez easily spotted his target, her bright red hair a beacon for the young woman who was sitting off to the side, eating alone.

Suddenly aware that he was not wearing his uniform, preferring instead the greens and greys of his travelling clothes, Prewtez introduced himself before taking a seat across the table from the Drin… Natlya… just the one name.

“The Light Illumine you, Drin,” he said, raising his left eyebrow involuntarily, the scar above it becoming prominent. With his long salt and pepper hair pulled back and tied at the nape of his neck, the scar stood out even more. “I am Prewtez Gaidin, and have been asked to be your mentor as you make your way through the challenges towards earning the fan cloak. May I join you?”

Not waiting for a reply, he took a seat across from the young woman. “I suppose we should begin by asking if you have any questions you need answered.”

[Bella]

This food was terrible. Natlya poked at it with a fork, reflecting that it was about as bad as the food in the orphanage had been. Not that she had run away from that place because of the food, but it certainly had been a contributing factor. She bet that the Aes Sedai and such ate like kings and queens... She tried to not show her feelings about it too much, of course.

She had gotten in enough trouble already.

When the Gaidin came to her table and introduced himself, her eyes widened. What have I done now? Swallowing hard, she bowed her head. She had learned that much. "Gaidin," she greeted stiffly, scrambling to recover her wits. She hated it when she lost her cool like this and it was happening too often here.

Any questions? Yes, like how did I end up in this position? It wasn't the first time she had asked that of herself, of course, but those other times did not involve scratchy, boring uniforms and working until she thought her body would break. Of course, being a drin did not involve hiding in barrels from angry nobles (yes, that had happened) or trying to avoid her hand being cut off...

"None that come to mind, Gaidin," she replied, feeling a little back under control. Enough to smile the smile that usually appeased people. "I mean, they lay everything out for you pretty good 'round here."

[Prew]

Observing the expression of surprise and, perhaps, alarm that momentarily crossed the girl’s face upon his introduction, Prewtez wondered if he had been like that upon his arrival at the Tower. No, not like that, he decided. Of course he had been considerably older than Natlya when he had first donned the light grey of the Drin’far’ji rank, and had had considerable experience with uniforms and ranks and duties. And though it had been a challenge to adjust from being one who issued orders to one who obeyed them… well, even officers had to obey someone else’s orders, even Gareth Bryne, he reckoned.

As her countenance adopted a smile he had the sudden feeling he was being played. Was it just the natural suspicion that came with the Fan Cloak? Trust no one completely, always be wary of others…

Placing his hands on the table in a relaxed fashion, one that said he might stay a while, Prewtez responded:

“So, you’re all set, are you? Yes, I imagine everything is “laid out pretty good”, chores, classes, training, study, more chores…” a grin, a remembrance of those first few weeks, “So, if you have no questions, mind if I ask some? For example, why here? What would motivate you to petition to become a Warder?” Looking at her half-eaten meal he added, “I doubt it was the food.”

[Bella]

"Well, you've eaten it," Natlya replied before she could stop herself, and then she all but bit her tongue. She swallowed hard and forced herself to focus. She didn't really want to tell this guy why she had wheedled her way onto the warder yard rosters, although she was positive that everyone who taught her or trained with her was wondering the same thing...

She bit the inside of her lip, but put the smile back on. "I came here with someone. I couldn't channel, turned out, but I wanted to stay and so I decided to try to better myself as part of the yards." There was enough truth to it, but bland enough too. Hopefully he wouldn't push that one. "A little hard work never hurt anyone, right?" she asked, far more flippantly than she felt about it.

[Prew]

Bloody ashes! Prewtez was coming to the realization he should have asked Ravak about this girl’s background. Something just didn’t feel right about what she was saying. And her attitude was not one he would expect from a Drin. What was there in her past that might explain it? He doubted she believed that line about ‘hard work’. Yet if she did come to the Tower with a potential channeler, why did she choose the Warder Yard? There were plenty of other positions she might have applied for that would be far less challenging than the path she had chosen. And if she wasn’t keen on being a Tower servant there was always the city of Hama Valon itself. After all, it was not as if she would have time to socialize with her friend much while training in the Yard.

Although these thoughts filled his head, Prewtez decided it was best not to push the issue. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and asked the redhead:

“So, then, are there any particular questions you have that I might answer for you? About the training itself, Tower life, anything at all?”

[Bella]

What is it with wanting me to ask questions? Nat thought as she sat and looked at him as placidly as she could, placid being as close to obedient as she was able to achieve. She was immediately suspicious, of course, because...well...she was immediately suspicious, it was just what she did. She knew she could not remain silent long without rousing his suspicion however.

Her mind raced to try to unravel the knot of his potential motives, but out loud she said, "I'm to be faced with choosing a weapon." It was the first thing that came to her mind and, honestly, was something she had been thinking about. "I'm not very big, so I know those bl--" She caught herself from cursing. "Those very large swords just won't be for me. I have a little experience with knives, but no training..."

Nat paused. "That's not really a question, then. I suppose... I'm looking for advice on how to find the best one for me?"

[Prew]

He couldn’t keep the smile from his face as the girl caught herself in mid-curse. Having been a soldier for over a decade, Prewtez was certainly familiar with and unoffended by such language. In fact, he had caught himself more than once resorting to ‘soldier’s curses’, but fortunately not in front of the Mistress of Arms!

At last Natlya had asked a question that he could answer so perhaps this wasn’t a venture in frustration after all!

“Yes, you’ll want something light,” he agreed, “I am currently training another young woman who is smaller than you and she is able to handle a light katana quite ably. I suggest you check out the armory and see what the weaponsmith has to offer. Of course, if you are somewhat ambidextrous, as was another of my students, you might choose a shorter sword as well as a fairly long knife, such as a stiletto. With your size you might have the ability to get inside an opponent’s guard and the shorter weapon could be quite damaging in such a case.”

The gaidin paused a moment to gauge her reaction before adding “If you like, I would be happy to train you.”

[Bella]

If you are somewhat ambidextrous... His words bounced around the inside of her skull. You mean like teasing a man with one hand while my other removed him of the burden of his coin purse? She knew better than to say that one out loud, but yes, she was not unknown to bit of dual-handed dexterity... Maybe it could actually be a benefit here.

Perish the thought!

"Um," she said, trying to process his suggestions. "You listed several things there, um, Gaidin. Which one would you be able to train me in?" Sometimes, this place made her feel like a total dunce. She wasn't used to feeling like that. It was...humbling. And annoying. She hoped that feeling would pass soon.

[Prew]

Light! This is almost as challenging as spending time with Marissa Sedai! The thought brought a smile to his face, Well, not exactly he decided. The Aes Sedai had been as annoying as he felt a woman could be, this girl, on the other hand, simply seemed confused and a bit defiant, almost as if she didn’t really want to be here. He hoped that was not the case, the training was so rigorous it would drive all but the most dedicated to quit.

“My speciality, if you can call it that, is training with the sword. I’ve worked with a dual wielder before, one who can use two weapons at once, and would be happy to give you some sparring lessons in the weapon of your choice.” Prewtez hoped he was making himself clear.

“You’ll also need to enroll in some classes. A good starting point is Unarmed Combat. The instructor, Ric Gaidin, is tough but fair.”

[Bella]

Inwardly, she frowned. He said he could help train her in her chosen weapon, but didn't really help her feel like she knew what that chosen weapon would be yet. She looked down at her food and where she had pushed it around to the edges, making it look like she had eaten more than she actually had, and tried to process what little information she felt she had.

"I am ambidextrous," she began thoughtfully. "But the idea of dual-wielding is a little intimidating right now, I'll admit, since I don't even know what my one weapon is." Nat looked up, chewing for a moment on the corner of her lip. "Is there some way to determine if a sword or a dagger might be better to start with?"