The Grey Tower

Sojin Majere One bundle of lathes met two others and the sound of wood cracking against one another sounded on the sparring mat.

Sojin eyed his two opponents, both them Sa'Ji'lantin and both very skilled. One was a red-haired youth with a scraggily beard and the other a slender youth from Tear. Both were sweating, trying to press the silver-haired Gaidin for an advantage.

Sojin's brow hadn't a drop on it, as he clung to the void.

The spar had only begun ten minutes ago, and already a crowd had gathered around to watch as practice swords cracked against one another. In truth it was really a training exercise to test how well the two Sa'Ji could work together as a unit.

Even as Sojin calculated their next move, he had to admit they were doing a good enough job. But not great.

He pushed back, his blade held at his waist with both hands. Both young men reacted, one attacking high and the other low in precision assault. The only problem was the red-haired lad was a step behind his partner.

With fluid grace, his sword went down, catching the Tarien lad's sword and knocking it away. Sojin continued his maneuver in a windmill fashion, parrying the would-be thrust and following with a sharp blow to the shoulder. The boy grunted and stumbled backward on to his rear even as Sojin pivoted and brought his sword down across the Tarien trainee's chest.

“You're dead, Sa'Ji'alantin Toman and Meridith,” he said sharply as he extended a hand to the Tarien, Toman, to help him up. “Do you know why?”

Toman grunted, echoed by his partner soon after as he got up with the help of others.

“You were too skilled, sir,” Toman answered, wincing slightly. “It wouldn't be ...”

Sojin raised a finger and the boy's jaw clamped shut before looking silently Meridith.

The boy gave a sheepish look through a gap-tooth grin. “We should have been watching you more closely … “

Sojin cut him off with a look. “You weren't in sync, Meridith. One of you was a second off in your rhythm, which ended up with both of you dead. If you are ever to protect your channelers as a team in the future, you must be more receptive to the other's patterns.”

Toman drew his breath and spoke up. “But sir, what are the chances that we would ever be working in a team. Most Aes Sedai or Asha'man only have one ...”

“Wrong, Toman,” Sojin said before the boy could finish. “You might find yourself bonded to a Green or say accept a bond from an Indigo or Blue, you might find yourself out with another channeler who has one or more warders of his or her own. You will need to work with them. Understood.”

Both boys nodded in the affirmative but Sojin wasn't pleased. His sapphire eyes firm, he looked at both trainees. “You failed this lesson. As make up, you both now share every task together. You will share duties together, patrols, lessons and even meals from now until you are called to take your test. Am I clear?”

Both blinked in unison but a look from the silver-haired Warder made them nod.

“Lesson ended,” Sojin said. “Dismissed. Now go to the Infirmary and see to your injuries.”

Both boys bowed hurriedly and quickly pushed through the crowd of spectators. Most were trainees themselves, evaluating how Sojin acted as an instructor. A few veteran Warders seemed curious about their returned brother in battle, some critical and others nodding in approval.

Soon the crowd broke now that the spar was over, leaving Sojin to return to a nearby bench where his sabre rested. Placing the wooden sword against the bench, the Warder took a seat and reached for his water skin.

At just over forty, he was still in good shape, and nowhere near to showing his age, other than a few grey hairs in an otherwise full head of silver hair. Dressed for the day in black training garb, he might have been passed over for an instructor if not for the fact he appeared ready to attack even while sitting.

Sojin had slowly been returning to his duties in the Yards after his return from a nearly a decade of overseeing House Walker from its estate in Andor's part of the Mountains of Mist. Most wouldn't have recognized him but soon began hearing horror stories from those whom he had trained with in the Yards.

Unbeatable with a sword. Unyielding. Once bonded to a Green as fierce as he had been. Trained by the Freak of the Yards himself, Lord Caden Ives. And he had proven to become a decent trainer to some extent.

Most are still too young to serve as Warders, let alone protect a channeler. The thought lingered in his mind as he sipped more water before stoppering the water skin.

“They've still got a lot to learn,” Sojin muttered aloud, half to himself. “So young and yet need to be strengthened and tempered.”

Riahana tended to spend much of her time on the archery range when she was in the Yards, but she knew there were skills she needed to sharpen. She wandered the yards, watching various trainees spar with instructors, or other trainees. One particular match caught her attention, and so she came to watch as Sojin defeated two Sa'Ji'alantin, and drove the lesson home with an assignment meant to build teamwork. The punishment reminded Ria of her Great Grandfather-in-law, as did the Gaidin's style with the sword.

The Gaidar Captain overheard the man's comment, and couldn't help but smirk slightly, "So did we when we were their rank. The Freak of the Yards was a hard instructor, yet he would have said not hard enough. . .for our foes will be unrelenting." She leaned against a nearby post, "Forgive my intrusion...you look familiar, though I am not sure we have had the pleasure...I am Riahana Ferria...Gaidar and Warder to Gareth Tomosan Asha'man."

((OOC: hope you don't mind a chat with a Gaidar Captain who is in need of a bit of work on her swordsmanship. ))

Sojin’s hand had trailed close to his saber, the green manta ray hide hilt almost within reach.

It was instinct these days, honed not only by years as a Warder to two Aes Sedai but also serving as House Walker’s High Seat.

His tenure hadn’t exactly been spent around trusting folk and it was a wonder his father hadn’t had more trust issues when he had ruled from the Caralain in years past.

A vaguely familiar voice touched his ears that caused him to stay his hand from gripping his sword.

His lips curved in a slight smile when he heard her words. The smile vanished as suddenly as it had come.

“Aye, Lord Ives was a hard instructor, especially when it came to his hands,” Sojin murmured. “His first evaluation of my sword skills proved a worthy challenge, and made me improve on the skills I already had before coming here.

He looked over and the face that peered back at him brought flashes of familiarity to him. Ice blue eyes seemed a bit stubborn, dancing with a light almost filled with amusement. Like most Warders, she had was fit and appeared very capable to defend herself.

And then she said her name and his mind instantly recalled whom she was.

She was a child of the Tower, the descendant of one of the Tower’s most powerful channelers. The only way he knew this was because Jerid Walker had pounded it into his head from the moment he showed an active interest to be father. Knowledge was power, he said, and know all the kin of possible allies, even those who had perished.

“No forgiveness is needed,” Sojin said, standing. “I’m Sojin Majere, just another Warder returned home after a long stint at House Walker.”

He bowed slightly, acknowledging the Gaidar’s rank.

“A pleasure to meet the new Captain,” he added.

He scanned the yards and murmured, “Lord Ives’ lessons have merit, and so did his discipline, though I’ve been very fortunate to have encountered that one time only. They do seem more hollow without his presence.”

He spoke respectfully of one of the mentors who helped shape what he had become as a soldier and a Warder.

He turned his head and smiled briefly.

“Though I would imagine you’ve had more experience, given familiar ties,” Sojin said.

(OOC: I don't mind at all, though fair warning, Sojin doesn't go light on training or sparring since they're one and the same thing to him.)

Riahana smirked ever so slightly as she thought back to her days in the grey Drin and darker grey Ji' uniforms. She did not advertise her relationship to Master Ives, and would have rather it gone unnoticed. Unfortunately, such news tends to travel as wildfire, though anyone who knew the Freak of the Yards at all would know he would not go easier on family. "Perhaps a bit more experience than most," she acknowledged.

"Mind, I pursued archery as my main weapon skill, thus limiting such exposure to some degree. He was the one who taught me how to wrap the Void around me, and helped me hone that particular skill," she couldn't help the trip down memory lane. "I can still feel the sting of his slaps each time I stumpled," she added with a soft laugh.

A moment of silence settled between the pair as Ria's eyes scanned the Yards, "I admit the atmosphere is different without him. Not bad or worse. . .just different. I too have returned not all that long ago after a hiatus of our own, and find the Warder Yards smaller than when I left. And now to be Gaidar Captain? Perhaps it is my turn to carry on the family tradition of the Yards, though I am no Master Ives."

"Gareth and I returned to the Tower because of family. If I may be so bold. . .what brings your return to the Tower, Sojin Gaidin?" Ria asked.

((OOC: No worries. . .Ria doesn't need light. She's a pretty tough cookie, and probably could use the workout.))

Sojin chuckled in amusement at Riahana's recollection of Caden Ives' “incentives” to never fail. He had come under similar methods once or twice, especially when swords crossed on the sparring yard as a trainee.

The man had hands like gauntlets made of Power-wrought steel and a grip worse than a bulldog in a death throes.

“Aye, but try staring the man down,” he said. “The man could match a Fade in a staring contest and come out the winner.”

Sojin had reached for his practice sword at the mention of the Gaidar Captain's penchant for archery and limitations in other areas of the martial arts.

It was nothing to sneer at, of course, especially given that a skilled archer could probably drop most enemies before reaching the front lines. He knew from very painful experience on more than one occasion.

“No one can ever be Master Ives,” Sojin said casually. “Every person who holds the rank, whether it's Captain, that of Training or Master of Arms, places his or her own mark on the posting. The teachings of the one before might shape some part but not the whole. That person must succeed or fail on their own merits, not let themselves live in the shadows of others.”

Odd how lessons learned in the field and in the Yards measured could be used for practical advice.

Propping the practice sword casually on his shoulder, Sojin considered the question briefly. Even casually, he looked ready to cut down any threat. Answers were complicated to say the least.

“Family was what caused me to come back,” Sojin said. “Or rather a desire to remove myself from it. I left House Walker as its High Seat, a role my father Jerid Walker Asha'man left me in after … certain events destroyed the ancestral home in the Caralain.”

He frowned slightly. “For almost a decade, I governed the house from the estate in the Mountains of Mist, but I scant had love for politics or Daes Dae'mar. If I'm to be surrounded by potential enemies, I prefer that it be on the battlefield with a sword in my hand rather than in a hall with a pen in my hand.”

Sojin's frown faded slightly and he added, “Besides, another day in there and I may as well have stopped thinking of myself as a cavalryman. And there's benefits here, teaching young trainees and Warders alike how not to stab themselves in the foot with a sword. If they're up for the challenge.”

"Daes Dae'mar," Riah started and wrinkled her nose, "It is something I have little love or patience for, myself. Given my family, some might think otherwise, but I am a straight forward woman, and prefer to call things as I see them instead of dancing around with words." She turned her gaze to look out over the yards, "I was mostly fortunate with our time away from the Tower...we spent much of our time in a small hamlet full of hardworking people. Most things were cut and dry without the...dance that oft happens in the halls of the Tower."

When Ria looked back to Sojin, she nodded towards his practice sword, "But as you say, there are merits for being here. For me...teaching those who wish to learn how to shoot straight, though in my new role, I will likely have to expand my repertoire a bit." She couldn't help but laugh softly, "Master Ives may have started me on the path of the sword, but as I indicated earlier, I spent most of my time in the learning ranks with the bow. I am good enough to avoid slicing my own foot off...and can hold my own against competent swordsmen, though I am far from an expert."

A thought had formed as Riahana watched Sojin spar with the two Sa'Ji'alantin. She intended to work on her skill with the blade, but finding someone to work with her seemed tricky...until she chanced upon the Gaidin. "Sojin Gaidin, would you be willing to do me the honor of working with me to improve my own skills with the blade? There is no pressure here, and no is an acceptable answer."

((OOC: sorry for the delayed reply...was traveling yesterday and catching up with family today.))

“Honest folk are a bit refreshing after so many years of dancing around the truth, or attempting to find it,” Sojin said. “You were fortunate that you and your Asha’man found such people, something I miss from when I was a soldier.”

Truth was, when he had been bonded to Saphire all those years ago, it had probably been some of the more honest moments in this place.

Sojin’s sapphire eyes glimmered when he heard Riahana’s request. He understood well the importance of archers, but some tended to be overconfident in their abilities right up to the end when the enemy was in spitting distance.

“It wouldn’t be a burden, Captain,” Sojin said simply, nodding his head toward the rack of practice weapons.

“Keep in mind, I am not some freshman trainer and rank holds no measure during combat,” Sojin warned. “I’ll press you until I think you’ve made sufficient progress and I won’t give quarter. Now go pick your weapon.”

Sojin moved back to the sparring circle, waiting for Riahana to return. When she had, he stood at the ready, his practice sword held horizontally.

“Attack, Riahana Ferria Gaidar.”

Riahana surveyed the rack of practice swords and found one that was of the approximate length, though slightly heavier than her actual blade. She rolled her wrist a couple of times to get used to the weight and movement of her chosen practice blade, and moved into the sparring circle. Giving Sojin a respectful nod, she replied, "I presented you with my request for that very reason, Sojin, Gaidin. I wish no quarter, and in fact ask to be pushed as far as you think you can push me. It is my desire to improve my swordsmanship in such a way as I might have gotten Master Ives' approval if her were still here."

As Gaidar Captain, there was a greater weight of responsibility to those in the yards. Beyond that, Riahana knew her sword skills could use improvement. She had been fortunate in that she had not been pressed to prove herself with blade beyond the skill she already possessed. To have the chance to train with one who'd been trained by the Freak of the Yards was important to the Gaidar.

Moving to her place in the sparring circle, Riahana wrapped herself in the comfort of the Flame and Void, focused on the task before her. As the familiar Oneness enveloped her, she moved into a middle guard. Anyone familiar with sword forms would recognize it as The Ox Lowers His Horns, and it was one of the forms she'd learned from her Great Grandfather-in-law so long ago. With her weight on her back foot, and her center of gravity somewhat lowered, she watched Sojin from the hilt of her sword, the point angled downwards but pointing towards him.

Riahana did not strike immediately, though she did not pause for long. Striving for the grace she'd often seen from those like Caden Ives, and Sojin Majere, Ria moved forward quickly, pushing off from her backfoot, and striking with a thrust towards Sojin's chest. The Moon on the Water, while an offensive strike, was defensive in nature, as it was meant to have one's opponent move back to avoid being impaled. For Riahana, it was an opening volley to get a feel for her sparring partner, and trainer.

Son measured Riahana’s stance, balance and even the balance of the practice blame she had selected.

He could respect her desire to improve her skills, could even hazard a guess at the reasons why.

But respect had nothing to do with this spar, other than the fact that she was a fellow soldier who could land a lucky blow.

She attacked, in a fairly uncommon technique for someone who might be just basic at sword skill.

Instead of retreating like most would, Sojin’s blade came up from the middle guard stance to his shoulder and caught Riahana’s blade in a parry.

Wood cracked on wood as Sojin twisted his wrists, and batting Riahana’s sword away. And he advanced, pivoting to the right to bring his sword down in a diagonal slash against her side.

Hard.

“You are mortally wounded, Warder,” Sojin said. “I guess braiding hair and gossiping had more appeal to you during your absence actual skill.”

The words had a hash bite to them, sharpened by the Void. He didn’t mean them, but they had to sound sincere.

“Again, unless you wish to return your fan cloak for needle and yard.”