The Grey Tower

Jain missed Lianna. Even though he had only known her for six months, it hurt to have left her behind. It didn't matter that he had to travel quickly and there would have been no way for him to have been able to smuggle her out of the White Tower with him, it still stung. He remembered the cold nights they had spent together, with her snuggled up against him... She called him her heater and every morning when he needed to slip away before he was found, she would beg for just a minute more even though they both had been punished for rule breaking. What had started out as a friendship based on protection had evolved into something so much more... He knew he couldn't dwell on missing her but it still affected him. He hoped they could be together again sooner rather than later. For now, Jain settled into practicing his Forms.

As always he started off with his blades in their sheaths, a bastard sword at his waist, a great sword across his back and long bladed dagger balancing the bastard sword. He went through the calming and centering routine he had begun to learn from his grand father and refined at the White Tower and in a quick flourish, drew the sword at his waist and began flowing through the Forms. He fell into one of his own personally designed routines that had the blade swinging through the air first in broad, deliberate strokes before the momentum of the blade began to quicken the blows. Instead of fighting the motion, Jain moved with the blade, almost in a dance around the space he was in as if there was music that only he could hear. In a particularly quick spin, one of his daggers flew out and struck near the center of one of the targets he had set up for the purpose. He stuck the sword into the ground and drew the great sword on his back without stopping, moving faster with the increased weight of the blade. He cut through training dummies as he moved and when the head of the final one had been severed, he stopped and as if it were nothing, he resheathed his great sword and walked over to retrieve his bastard sword and dagger from where he had left them.

He glanced at a nearby tree and said "I saw you watching me, Ragan. I haven't seen you since you left years ago, but there is no way I would forget someone like you. How long have you been at the Grey Tower?"

Ragan hadn’t been able to sleep. Lying in bed in absolute silence for three hours had done nothing but make him angry. ‘I know what would help me sleep’ Ragan thought, ‘if I were with the pups.’ Ragan realized that he hadn’t gotten very much sleep when he wasn’t with the newest members of his pack. It had been a small litter, but it was still the first litter since the Trolloc attack, and they were important and loved by everyone. They were like a gleeman at the tower, any time someone saw them they wanted to hold them and play with them, though very few of them were allowed by Mother.

Finally, Ragan convinced himself that he wouldn’t get caught and snuck out of his room. He silently made his way down to the Warder yards where his pack slept. He warned claw to keep the pups quiet as he approached, a stray yelp here or there not to be worried about, and he slunk up to the pile of wolves who were mostly asleep. ‘I am here little ones’ Ragan thought to the pups as he laid his head down on Mother’s stomach. They scampered over away from their parents, eliciting a wary glance his way before the pups nuzzled into him and they all fell asleep.

A branch snapping woke Ragan up. The only wolf that was still there was Mother, she had curled around Ragan in is sleep, and had what almost seemed to be a smile on her face. ‘Good morning little one,’ Mother crooned in his head, ‘I must be going with your brothers and sisters.’ She licked his face and then scampered off to the outside of the tower. Another cracking branch made Ragan jump, he swung himself into the tree that they had been sleeping under.

Ragan anticipated a warder to walk into view, but instead was a familiar face. ‘Jain!’ Ragan thought ‘I haven’t seen him since we stopped visiting Fal Dara.’ No longer worried, Ragan swung down from the branch he was hiding on and watched as his childhood friend prove again that he will always be the better swordsman.
After Jain had finished his dance of stances and strikes, He called out to Ragan. “I saw you watching me, Ragan. I haven't seen you since you left years ago, but there is no way I would forget someone like you. How long have you been at the Grey Tower?"
Ragan, not sure of what to say to a friend he hadn’t seen for a majority of his life, walked up to his friend and gave him a hug. “I arrived here on my seventeenth naming day, so almost a year and a half”

Jain returned the embrace and looked at his old friend. "Light! Your eyes get brighter every time I see you." Jain settled back and went on, "So about a year and a half? So you've been here almost as long as I have been gone from Fal Dara... My grandfather told me I wouldn't reach my full potential unless I went to Tar Valon and trained with the Gaidin. Then he arranged a merchant guard job for me in a caravan that was passing through the city so I would have some money in my pockets when I arrived... Things were good at the White Tower too... My grandfather was right, I really did learn a lot in the months I was there. But then there was an accident..." Jain frowned before going on. "I guess I'm not as good with the sword as I thought... Anyway it meant I had to get out of the Tower in a hurry and one of the Novices told me about this place... She wanted to come too but I had to leave so quickly that she had to stay behind."

Jain feel silent for a moment as if he was deep in thought, remembering something from a time past. He then shook his head and smiled at Ragan. "So what have you been up to at the Grey Tower? And what about before then? It's been a few years since you came by Fal Dara."

"If you can count a majority of our lives as a few years" Ragan said to his old friend as he laughed. "Nothing much really changed after we stopped going. My da got worse though, training me to near breaking." Ragan winced at the memories, and continued. "But I did find someone you might have known, his name was Cameron and I think he said something a while back about being related or at least knowing you. He was a blacksmith as well." Ragan smiled remembering the way Jain had started learning the craft, and how he had wished to join him.

 

"Mentioning my eyes, that has changed a bit too." Ragan said. "I'm a wolfkin officially now, got my own pack and everything." Ragan full belly laughed at this. Since Jain was a good friend even when everyone ran away from Ragan on account of his eyes. "And as for since I joined the tower" Ragan said "I learned how to speak to more than Just you, as you can see" Ragan chuckled. "And I have the pleasure of calling the new Amyrlin my sword mentor."

 

"You look as if you need breakfast, or at least some tea," Ragan said as he clapped Jain on the shoulder "would you care to join me? If not I can wait."

"Cameron huh?" Jain thought for a few moments about the different blacksmiths of Fal Dara that came by his grandfather's forge before speaking. "I think I remember a man named Cameron... His metal working was fair according to my grandfather but he was masterful at engraving... a true artist. Grandfather always told me that he would be the smith to go to for elaborate scroll work or fine detail work."

Jain stretched a bit before saying, "And the new Amyrlin is your sword mentor?" Jain scoffed slightly and punched Ragan in the side stating, "No offense to her but are you really that poor with your swordwork that an Aes Sedai can out class you?"

Jain calmed down and became somber. "All kidding aside, its good to have a friend like you close by again, Ragan. The Novice I mentioned before is named Lianna and she is an Aiel but being with her was something akin to being with you. Of course, a few things were different..." Jain colored slightly at that, "but I could trust her and she could trust me to always have each other's backs in a fight." Jain clapped his hand on Ragan's shoulder. "I'm glad you are here and to call you friend, Ragan. I would gladly take you up on your offer of breakfast but before we go would you like to spar?"