The Grey Tower

[subtitle]Ji'val Natlya Cade[/subtitle]
It was something that she had never considered likely to happen. In fact, the possibility had never even crossed her mind, but here she was, acting on a missive from the Master of Training asking her to help out a new member of the warder-in-training ranks. She recalled how when she first came here, a Gaidin who had been assigned to her.

She had, in fact, only seen him once and hadn't been in the best of moods with him. It made her cringe a little to remember her behavior, but...it was years ago now.

Years. She had been here in the Grey Tower for years now. That was a fact of her life that caught her by surprise when she allowed herself to think about it, especially considering the sequence of events that brought her there, and that had nearly driven her away on more than one occasion, and yet without success. She was still here and...doing well enough to gain a mentee.

Natlya entered the trainees' dining hall, armed with a name and short description. Pausing in the doorway, her hazel eyes scanned the room. Funny, this was where her mentor had found her as well. Spotting a young man, alone at a table, that matched the description, she walked over and tilted her red-haired head. It was tied back, but at least not sweaty like it usually was with all her hours in training.

"Drin Alerin?" she asked politely.

Alerin just couldn’t understand how someone could mess up making stewed cabbage. I can’t tell everything he added but there is too much of… something. It was probably something imported from far away since he couldn’t recognize it. He took another bite, trying to want to eat it, hunger is the best spice as they say.

He put the spoon down, unable to finish despite his best efforts. Taking a bite out of the small loaf of bread he tore the rest of it open and stuffed the rest of his cheese into it. At least this would taste good. He took a bite and washed it down with a mouthful of water.

A voice sounded beside him, “Drin Alerin?” and he turned, spotting something he had never seen before. Red hair. He found out he really liked red hair. Learn something new every day. Attached to the red hair was a pretty woman a few inches shorter than him. Smiling, he turned the charm up and propped his elbow on the table. “That’s me. What can I do for you?” As soon as he finished saying that, he saw the rest of her. On closer inspection he realized she was wearing the uniform of a Ji’val, not a Drin. The smile faded slightly. He couldn’t help smiling for cute women. Besides, it was too late to undo it now.

The smile did not go unnoticed, nor the tone change--the first or the second. The instincts of the thief and grifter she was one had been honed by the instincts of the Gaidin she was becoming. Not that she remarked on it, of course, and once his eyes had roamed over her uniform, he shifted back slightly. Her lips tilted slightly in a smile.

"I am Ji'val Natlya," she introduced herself, inclining her head politely. "I have been asked to be your mentor while you are learning your way here in the Tower."

She noticed the half-finished bowl and recognized the same concoction they had been giving to the trainees since she was his rank. Some others seemed to enjoy it greatly, and she didn't mind it, but it was definitely not her favorite and given its half-completed state, it clearly was not his either. At least there was always something to supplement it, though after the work they did, trainees often ate everything.

Gesturing to the table, she said, "May I sit? Or if you are done, we could walk through the Yards. It's your choice."