Feeling Further (fanfic)
Posted: May 8th, 2016, 7:00 pm
Jhanic watched intently as Asha'man Kalir studied his spears. Well, he was really watching the threads of Earth that the Asha'man was laying into the metal of his spears. Kalir sat quietly with a ponderous look on his face. "Yes, the weaves seem more sophisticated since you've begun training." He narrowed his brown eyes in thought, tapping his fingers against one of the shafts. "I wonder, though. Could the weaves be made even more sophisticated?" His eyes shot up and looked at the Dedicated, now animated, rather than deep in thought. "Child, have you learned to Delve?"
Blinking, Jhanic tilted his head. "I use that for Healing," he explained.
"Oh, no, no!" Kalir laughed at the misunderstanding. "I meant, can you Delve metals?"
"Ah," Jhanic said. "No, I did not know such a thing was possible. Is that the weave that you've applied now?"
Kalir nodded his head. He plucked the weaves from the spear. "I have not learned to Align the Matrix, but I at least know Delving. Simply take flows of Earth, and Delve into the metal, just like you would a patient. You'll be able to feel the metal, identify what metal was used, and...I think...since you have the Talent, you can direct your channeling more appropriately."
Handing the Dedicated one of his spears, he motioned with his hand for Jhanic to try. Already feeling the pull of Saidin, Jhanic summoned the Void and seized the male half of the One Power. Channeling Earth, he directed the flows into the steel of the blade, carefully. And, just as Delving people had gone, he felt the metal, and what had been done to it. The metal itself was strong, but he could tell that it had been made to stand up to unusual circumstances, like a weapon should. But, it was almost like it had a personality, as if it had seen battle. He felt the scratches from impacts and the scrape of sharpening tools. He had seen the battle with it as well. There was also something accompanying it, something that felt like him. There was a presence of Saidin on the surface of the metal. It did not seem to go very far, though. He wondered if maybe he could envelope all of the steel later on, while something was being forged. Feeling the weaves, he felt that Kalir had been right. Something was off. Delving deeper into the metal, he could almost feel like there was a certain way that it should have been forged, but had not been. It was something that the blacksmith was not able to sense, because he didn't have the ability to touch the True Source.
Pulling his weaves from the blades, he narrowed his eyes in thought as the Asha'man had a moment ago. He felt a bit drained. Perhaps he had used too much of the One Power in that. He glanced up at Kalir, who was looking at him in deep thought, like he had the spears a moment ago. "Did you see what I meant?" the Indigo Brother asked.
Jhanic nodded. "Yes, Asha'man." The weaving that he had felt had helped the blades, but it had not quite done what it needed to do. He ran his hands down the blunt of the blade and thought again. The metal itself was not in line, and the weave had tried, but without a plan, with a...matrix, it had no guidance. At least, that's what it felt like. Even with all that, it was mostly a feeling. "If you'll give me a moment..." Jhanic patted his coat, but realized that he had not brought his notes. Asha'man Kalir was kind enough to offer a few pieces of paper, and a quill. The Aiel Dedicated jotted down notes as he explained his thoughts. "It seems to me that this is called Aligning the Matrix, because there is a way for metals to be stronger than what the blacksmith can make them. However, without that ability to touch the One Power, there is no way of knowing that." He began to sketch the matrix that he had felt, but it was difficult to put on paper, so he added notes in the corners as well. "I will try again, now that I know of the matrix within these blades."
"May I?" Kalir asked, his interest piqued again as he dug for fresh paper.
Jhanic nodded as he seized Saidin once again.
This time, with more of a plan than before, Jhanic began to weave all Five Powers at once. The complex weave of Aligning the Matrix took shape, each of the five dancing and weaving through each other. He sent the weave into the metal, and this time, instead of aimlessly moving the metal around, he had a better idea of how to use the Earth in the weave, and somehow even the others. It was an intricate operation, and still one that was conducted mostly through instinct. It looked like a delicate operation, but within the weave itself, it felt enormous. He wanted to take notes on what he was experiencing, but that would take away from the weave.
Finally, the metal felt in line with the intended matrix, and he pulled back, breaking his contact with Saidin. He wiped away the thin sheen of sweat from his brow, and steadied his breathing. As he wrote his notes, he decided that he would have to take this a bit slower. Asha'man Kalir was taking notes as well. The Indigo Brother glanced at the other spear, then shook his head. Good, Jhanic thought. If anyone is going to touch my spears with the One Power, it will be me. He and the Asha'man traded notes to add to their own, a favor that Jhanic was also glad for. Perhaps an outside perspective would help him even more.
Blinking, Jhanic tilted his head. "I use that for Healing," he explained.
"Oh, no, no!" Kalir laughed at the misunderstanding. "I meant, can you Delve metals?"
"Ah," Jhanic said. "No, I did not know such a thing was possible. Is that the weave that you've applied now?"
Kalir nodded his head. He plucked the weaves from the spear. "I have not learned to Align the Matrix, but I at least know Delving. Simply take flows of Earth, and Delve into the metal, just like you would a patient. You'll be able to feel the metal, identify what metal was used, and...I think...since you have the Talent, you can direct your channeling more appropriately."
Handing the Dedicated one of his spears, he motioned with his hand for Jhanic to try. Already feeling the pull of Saidin, Jhanic summoned the Void and seized the male half of the One Power. Channeling Earth, he directed the flows into the steel of the blade, carefully. And, just as Delving people had gone, he felt the metal, and what had been done to it. The metal itself was strong, but he could tell that it had been made to stand up to unusual circumstances, like a weapon should. But, it was almost like it had a personality, as if it had seen battle. He felt the scratches from impacts and the scrape of sharpening tools. He had seen the battle with it as well. There was also something accompanying it, something that felt like him. There was a presence of Saidin on the surface of the metal. It did not seem to go very far, though. He wondered if maybe he could envelope all of the steel later on, while something was being forged. Feeling the weaves, he felt that Kalir had been right. Something was off. Delving deeper into the metal, he could almost feel like there was a certain way that it should have been forged, but had not been. It was something that the blacksmith was not able to sense, because he didn't have the ability to touch the True Source.
Pulling his weaves from the blades, he narrowed his eyes in thought as the Asha'man had a moment ago. He felt a bit drained. Perhaps he had used too much of the One Power in that. He glanced up at Kalir, who was looking at him in deep thought, like he had the spears a moment ago. "Did you see what I meant?" the Indigo Brother asked.
Jhanic nodded. "Yes, Asha'man." The weaving that he had felt had helped the blades, but it had not quite done what it needed to do. He ran his hands down the blunt of the blade and thought again. The metal itself was not in line, and the weave had tried, but without a plan, with a...matrix, it had no guidance. At least, that's what it felt like. Even with all that, it was mostly a feeling. "If you'll give me a moment..." Jhanic patted his coat, but realized that he had not brought his notes. Asha'man Kalir was kind enough to offer a few pieces of paper, and a quill. The Aiel Dedicated jotted down notes as he explained his thoughts. "It seems to me that this is called Aligning the Matrix, because there is a way for metals to be stronger than what the blacksmith can make them. However, without that ability to touch the One Power, there is no way of knowing that." He began to sketch the matrix that he had felt, but it was difficult to put on paper, so he added notes in the corners as well. "I will try again, now that I know of the matrix within these blades."
"May I?" Kalir asked, his interest piqued again as he dug for fresh paper.
Jhanic nodded as he seized Saidin once again.
This time, with more of a plan than before, Jhanic began to weave all Five Powers at once. The complex weave of Aligning the Matrix took shape, each of the five dancing and weaving through each other. He sent the weave into the metal, and this time, instead of aimlessly moving the metal around, he had a better idea of how to use the Earth in the weave, and somehow even the others. It was an intricate operation, and still one that was conducted mostly through instinct. It looked like a delicate operation, but within the weave itself, it felt enormous. He wanted to take notes on what he was experiencing, but that would take away from the weave.
Finally, the metal felt in line with the intended matrix, and he pulled back, breaking his contact with Saidin. He wiped away the thin sheen of sweat from his brow, and steadied his breathing. As he wrote his notes, he decided that he would have to take this a bit slower. Asha'man Kalir was taking notes as well. The Indigo Brother glanced at the other spear, then shook his head. Good, Jhanic thought. If anyone is going to touch my spears with the One Power, it will be me. He and the Asha'man traded notes to add to their own, a favor that Jhanic was also glad for. Perhaps an outside perspective would help him even more.