The Grey Tower

Gaidar Captain, thought Riahana. She was still somewhat surprised by the promotion, and not entirely sure of the kind of leader she would be. Part of her couldn't help but think it odd that she, a bonded Warder, was Gaidar Captain and leader to those Gaidin and Gaidar who were unbonded. She knew of many of the unbonded Gaidin and Gaidar, but did not know many of them well. It was one thing she hoped to change sooner rather than later. If they were to fight as a unit, then there needed to be a trust between she and them. . .and trust wasn't something freely given.

The new position, and earning the trust of those under her command had been at the forefront of her mind since she'd been promoted. Gareth reassured her in his way. Even now, she could feel him through their bond, letting a slight smile settle on her lips as she made her way to the Mistress of Arms' office.

Ria wasn't surprised by the summons, given that she'd not met with the Mistress of Arms or Mistress of Training since her promotion. With a change in leadership often came a change in priorities. She made her way to Amayani's office, carrying herself with the grace of a Warder, and the hyperawareness of everything around her. No, she likely didn't need to be as on guard here as she was, but it was habit that came with the fancloak.

Arriving at the office at the appointed time, Riahana knocked and waited for an answer.

Ubriel was grouchy. She was not grouchy about anything in particular. She was just in a general sort of growling and mumbling kind of mood. She couldn't explain it. She hadn't exactly been asked about it either so it really didn't matter if she could explain it. In her hand she held a small bound journal that she had devoted to the needful things of being Mistress of Training. She had notes to herself for new training formats that she wanted to implement and notes about things that had been brought up to her when she was out and about on the Tower grounds. Today, she was looking over a list of things that she wanted to ask the rest of the Warder Yard administration to think about.

She felt a tiny muscle cramp start in the muscle atop her cheek and reached up to work out the ache only to realize that the cramp was due to a scowling contortion of her whole face. Her brow was furrowed and knitted so close together that her eyes were squinted. Her lips were pursed and she had pulled them over so far to the left that instead of chewing her lower lip, she was nibbling the lower part of the inside of her cheek. It was actually the other cheek that had cramped. What is wrong with me? I don't mind this meeting, I am looking forward to it. No one has been terribly misbehaved and there have been no major injuries in training this week. Why am I so irritable?

Putting the journal down on an incidental bench in the hall, she rubbed at her cheeks with both hands and closed her eyes. Humming softly to herself in a low monotone, she lifted each of her heels alternately several times. Finishing her face massage, she popped her own cheeks a couple of times and shook her head. "Blah!" She let out a wordless grunt that she was thankful there was no one around to hear. Taking a deep breath and letting it out again slowly, she took the journal back up in her left hand and flipped it back to the page with her list on it.

• Border tower patrols once a month. Extra training and a change of pace.
  New recruits, enlistment interviews to include a Yard tour and brief description of duties and expectations, or some other basic warder information class alternative, mandatory.
  Ajah exploration class for Ji'alantin and Ji'dar, in preparation for choosing a bondmate.
  Gaidin Master skills; blademaster, shadow specialist, strategic specialist, warhorse.

As she looked over the list and walked toward the office of the Mistress of Arms she realized, My face is scrunched up again... And so it was that she was contorting her face into a series of strange expressions as she came in sight of the door of the office just as Riahana finished knocking. She had closed the distance between them before realizing how she must look to the other woman and said, "Welcome to the Warder Yard administration team! You are going to have to work on your intimidating faces greeting skills."

Riahana heard footsteps behind her as she knocked, and looked over her shoulder to see the Mistress of Training approach. The curious expression on Ubriel's face was not lost on Riahana, though she made no mention of it. The new Gaidar Captain couldn't help but smirk at Ubriel's comment on intimidating faces. It seemed clear to Riahana that Ubriel did not know of the Gaidar Captain's family tree.

With the smirk ever present, Riahana tipped her head to one side briefly, "Well thank you. I am eager to work with both you and the Mistress of Arms. As far as my intimidating looks department. . ." She paused for effect, and her smirk grew, "My Great Grandfather-in-law was Master Caden Ives, Freak of the Yards and the man who once sat in the office we are about to enter. If there was one thing Lord Ives could do, it was stare down a trainee until they were shaking in their boots, sweating nervously, and wondering what on earth they'd done to get his scrutiny.

"I learned a good many things from Master Ives, and I likely picked up a few of his intimidating stares," Riahana answered, smirk still firmly in place.

Ubriel thought the name sounded familiar and nodded. Riahana seemed to have found something either very amusing or very smelly and Ubriel wondered if it were she. She turned her head and sniffed lightly toward her armpit just to be sure. Nah, she must be smirking at my joke. Grinning broadly, Ubriel said, "Good stuff. I'm still working on mine. I haven't seen you since our last ride. How have you been? Peach and I just got back from a long and winding journey. We will be back in the obstacle course in the morning if you want to join us."

Ubriel thought for a moment about what she knew of the woman before her. She thought about asking her about her experiences as a married woman, and if she had any wisdom to share, but she didn't want to get into the details of their personal lives in the middle of the hall. She contented herself with turning to wait for the door to be opened.

"C'mon in." Yani's voice was muffled by the piece of sweet roll she had failed to resist, and she hastily chewed the remains in her mouth as she looked to the door, expecting it to open. When it didn't, she turned her attention back to the table for a last look, making sure the mulled wine and sweetrolls - thankfully she'd had more than one for each delivered, meaning her lapse in self-control wouldn't be obvious - were in place. Once satisfied, she headed out into her main study and crossed the distance to the door.

Through the wooden door she could make out the voices of both the Gaidar Captain and the Mistress of Training, though she couldn't quite make out the words. So they had both arrived at least. In truth she had expected them to enter on their own, and not wait out in the hallway like some trainee having being sent to her office.

"Are you gonna stand out here chatting, or are you coming in?" she said as she opened the door, giving them both a look before her face split in a smile and she made way for them to enter. Closing the door behind them, she nodded towards her private study, where she'd set up a table for three, and led the way.

"Congratulation again on your new rank, Riahana," she said as they walked across her study. "How are you settling in?"

Some thought it strange that a bonded Gaidar had been chosen as the Captain of the unbonded Gaidin and Gaidar, but she believed that Riahana would be quite fit for the task. The fact that she was bonded was in her mind a benefit, given the benefits a Warder gained from the bond. And that she was bonded to a Yellow was even better. The Yellows were one of their most important allies among the Ajahs, if not the most. One might think it would've been the Green, given what they stood for and their tradition to bond several Warders, but the life of many Gaidin and Gaidar had been saved by the hands of a Yellow.

Ubriel grinned when Yani opened the door and teased them. It had been drilled into her as a Drin and still as a Ji to always knock and wait at a closed door. The habits were hard to overcome. Walking in and back to the study, the sight and smell of sweet rolls made her stomach wobble and she thought for a moment she would be sick. A bead or two of sweat appeared on her forehead as she swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut to force down the nausea. By sheer force of will she managed to push that feeling far down and poured herself a cup of tea to help. She had not felt like having anything for breakfast and the smells from the mess hall as she passed it on her way here almost had her running for the latrine.

After a swallow of tea, things in her middle calmed to the point she could properly ignore them. As long as she didn't look at the sweet rolls, she could ignore them. She took her seat next to Riahana and turned to listen.

Her notebook of ideas and thoughts was sitting idly on her lap and she was unconcerned about getting the chance to discuss her points. Amayani was a good leader and she would be sure to ask what their concerns were. Ubriel contented herself with that delicious warm tea that was wrapping itself around her queasy tummy and soothing it so effectively. Mmmm... Lemon. I can't believe I spent my whole life never knowing the joy of lemon in my tea.

Riahana was about to answer Ubriel's question when the Mistress of Arms opened her door. The Gaidar smirked as she walked back towards the private study, "While the hallway has its own appeal, I suspect proper decorum suggests holding our meeting here is more appropriate." She looked around the study, and noticed the table set up for the meeting. Taking her seat, she looked to Amayani, "I'm settling in well enough. I've begun to meet the the unbonded Gaidar and Gaidin, and have been doing my best to get to know our various Drin' and Ji."

The Gaidar Captain was about to pour herself a glass of mulled wine and grab a sweet role, but noticed Ubriel didn't seem to be quite herself. She arched a brow to her fellow Gaidar, "Everything ok, Ubriel?"

(OOC: I hope it's ok that Ria noticed, Bree! If not, I can edit accordingly)

Ubriel was holding her cup in front of her mouth, just under her nose with her eye-lids at half mast. Lemon tea, sweet lemon tea, oo oo oo. Lemon tea... "What?" Ubriel slowly raised her eyelids and focussed past her cup. Ria had asked her if she was ok. "Oh, well, I hope so. I have been a little off, not myself for a few days. I think I may have just gotten too tired on my travels. I have been really busy since I got back too so ... Hopefully a few days of rest and I will be right as rain."

Having said it, she took a moment and thought about it. Sure. That could be it. It is plausible. It was a hectic trip and a lot happened. I got married! I should probably mention that to these ladies at some point. But not today. I could definitely be just a little extra tired. I think I will go see the Yellows. "Ria, you are married to a Yellow Brother, aren't you?"

Ubriel looked over to see if Amayani was going to help Ria get rid of those foul sweet rolls. Light, when did pastry start smelling so sickening? Lemon tea, sweet lemon tea...

A faint smile showed upon Ria's lips at the mention of her husband, and she felt the familiarity of the bond between she and Gareth. "Yes, I am. It is how Gareth and I met, to be honest. I was injured from a bit of a freak accident, and he's the one who attended to my wounds." It was not lost on Ria that being bonded to Gareth might be beneficial to her and her position as Gaidar Captain, though she wouldn't want to assume anything without discussing things with him.

Taking another bite of sweetroll and washing it down with mulled wine, she looked to the two, "Though I am pretty certain we've got more to discuss than how I'm settling in and who I'm married to." She couldn't help the friendly smirk, "What's on our agenda?"

Yani poured herself a glass of mulled wine and settled into one of the chairs, taking a sip as the other two followed suit. She didn't really notice anything off with Ubriel until Riahana asked if she was ok, first then did she see that the Mistress of Training was a bit pale. She'd taken the younger woman's intense study of her tea as concentration, maybe mulling over what to say in this meeting - Light knew she could get lost in thoughts herself - but she could see now that Ubriel was a bit under the weather. She wasn't quite sure if she believed Ubriel's explanation, but she let it pass for now.

Grabbing a sweetroll - without feeling guilty for it this time - she listened to the small chatter of the other two for a moment as she took a bite. As Ubriel inquired about Riahana's Ward, Yani felt a small stab of loneliness. She didn't get herself think of it most of time time, but right then it was painfully obvious to her that she was alone.

She looked at her two companions. Riahana had her Ward and husband, and even a child if she recalled. And Ubriel had her eyes on a Dedicated, that much was obvious, though she didn't know how far that relationship had gone, or even if Ubriel admitted to it yet or not. And herself… She had friends, the two in the room counting among those she hoped, but none that was closer to her. She'd long since given up hope of seeing Thoia again. Light alone knew where that girl had gone off to.

Light, she missed her…

Suddenly she was acutely aware of two pair of eyes watching her, and she realized she'd gotten lost in her own thoughts. Masking any confusion by taking a sip of her wine, it also gave her a moment to process the most recent conversation.

"How you're settling in was part of the agenda," she replied with a smirk of her own. "It's good to hear that you're getting acquainted with the unbonded Gaidin and Gaidar. They need someone to guide them, to give them a purpose beyond the Yards." It felt a bit strange to talk of those who had earned the Fancloak, some many years before her, in such a manner, but the words found her voice with surprisingly ease.

"Have you made any plans for this yet?" she asked Riahana, knowing it was early in her new position to have any big plans made out yet. But ideas were just as welcome, and she could offer some insight from her year in the shoes Riahana now filled. She had seen Ubriel's note, and knew the younger woman was eager to speak her mind as well, but it'd felt natural to their conversation to let Riahana have her time first.


OOC: Sorry, sorry, sorrysorrysorry for the delay... I'll do my best to get responces up fast from now on. And apologize for this not-so-great post, but hey, it's a post!