Bed for Sale* (Open to All tower residents)

[Locke]

Terric

Terric stopped in his tracks. Was this a Wetlander joke or did she actually want to be carried? Wetlanders were stranger than he could have ever imagined. While he mulled this over he decided to answer her question.
“Yes Aiel do use spears. No Aiel would even touch a sword if he could help it.” It wasn’t a subject up to debate for Aiel. For the entire existence of his people, the Aiel had never touched a sword and would not as long as they lasted. He had heard it had something to do with their service to the Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends.
Terric came to a conclusion. He sighed and looked down at the tiny Novice. He was going to be well and shamed by the end of this. “If you wish me to carry you,” he paused, face going red beneath his tan. “If you wish me to carry you. I will.” There went nothing. Either he met his Toh or he embarrassed himself further. Avyra didn’t follow Ji’eh’toh but one’s Toh was a personal matter. A small voice in his head told him that he didn’t owe a thing to this Treekiller, but if ten years as a Red Shield taught him anything, it was to listen to his conscious.

[Avyra]

He stopped walking, a bit in shock, and she stopped too. He looked a bit stunned about her comment on being carried, as though not knowing how to take it. “Yes Aiel do use spears. No Aiel would even touch a sword if he could help it.” Hm. It was an odd rule, but she couldn't see why a spear would be any less admirable than a sword. She had yet to see spear fighting here, though, most of the young men preferring swords. His voice tore her from her thoughts. “If you wish me to carry you." He stumbled over words and went a tad red in the face. “If you wish me to carry you. I will.” Avyra had to stop herself from doubling over laughing. "Oh, I didn't mean it literally. Unless you want to carry me, that is, because I doubt I have enough strength to escape if you did want to toss me over your shoulder." She started to walk again, turning back to make sure he was following.

[Locke]

Terric

The young woman laughed. "Oh, I didn't mean it literally,” she said between gales of laughter, “Unless you want to carry me, that is, because I doubt I have enough strength to escape if you did want to toss me over your shoulder.”
Apparently that would not be the way he would meet his toh. He couldn’t be for sure, but he was starting to think, Aes Sedai were worse than Maidens. Even Aes Sedai in training.

He decided to follow. Maybe food would stop him from making such a fool of himself. He strode along trying to take shorter steps, eyes scanning the hallways. Carrying her might have been quicker, he thought ruefully.
Terric had Toh to a Treekiller but he wasn’t even brave enough to tell her. His spear brothers would laugh themselves sick. Then they would tell him to stand up and tell her. He strode faster and said it without turning. “I have toh.” The words rushed out in a jumble. He stopped said it again slower, “I have toh.” Running from it would just incur more toh. Well, he had agreed to explain ji’e’toh to the young Cairhienin where best to start then with an incusion of toh.

[Avyra]

(IM HOLLERING THIS IS WONDERFUL)

The pair didn't speak for a while, and Avyra didn't mind. She was just lost in some thought. She did like Terric. He reminded her of Seonin when she had first met the Seanchan, unfamiliar with customs and the like. He sped up, a bit, and Avyra started to jog to keep up. He seemed... afraid, almost? "I have toh." He then stopped, and repeated it again. "I have toh." What was toh? She paused, not replying, thinking back at their earlier conversation. He had told her that she had no toh with him after she had thought she might have offended him. And now he was saying he had it on her. Oh. She smiled, shaking her head. "Is that when you repay me in someway for being offensive... or something? A punishment? You have none with me, if that's the right thing to say. You didn't offend me, Terric." She paused. "But I have never heard of toh, so the rules might be different, but in my book, you owe me nothing." She figured he might try to rebuke this, so she then added, "If you feel like you need to serve me, then carry me to where we are going. But I won't require you pay me back anything, services or otherwise." He was just confused, she knew, and she couldn't punish him for that. Because she knew that, if she was in his shoes, she would be lost too.

[Locke]

Terric

She smiled, up at him "Is that when you repay me in some way for being offensive... or something? A punishment? You have none with me, if that's the right thing to say. You didn't offend me, Terric." She paused. "But I have never heard of toh, so the rules might be different, but in my book, you owe me nothing." She paused then added, "If you feel like you need to serve me, then carry me to where we are going. But I won't require you pay me back anything, services or otherwise."

Relief showed through his Aiel reserve. This tiny Novice was quite perceptive. “In the Three-fold Land, if you did not believe somebody offended you or you think the offence was not worth noticing, you say, ‘You have no Toh.’” He looked down at here showing the faintest hints of a smile. “That is the second lesson any Aiel learns about Ji’e’toh. The first is to learn when to say, ‘I have Toh.’”
He continued their walk happy to explain Ji’e’toh. In life, he had learned that knowledge went a long way towards staving off animosity. Unless water was involved, or goats. What would his spear brothers think? Explaining Ji’e’toh to a Treekiller. The strangest part, she seemed to actually want to learn. No, he corrected himself, the strangest part was that she still instead on being carried.
He reached down to her, “If you insist, I will carry you the rest of the way.” It would be easier than trying to accommodate for her short Wetlander legs. “And if anybody asks, we can tell them you’ve played a Wetlander joke on me,” He let out a booming laugh. The pattern was playing a joke on them all anyway.

[Avyra]

“In the Three-fold Land, if you did not believe somebody offended you or you think the offence was not worth noticing, you say, ‘You have no Toh.’ That is the second lesson any Aiel learns about Ji’e’toh. The first is to learn when to say, ‘I have Toh.’” It wasn't so strange, not like she had thought it was. They were, actually, very similar to the other people she had met. It made her... well... it was very refreshing actually. They continued their walk, he explaining further what everything meant, and still, it seemed, having trouble with the short legs concept. He was moving slow enough that she didn't have to jog, but fast enough that she had to still take huge strides to continue beside him. “If you insist, I will carry you the rest of the way. And if anybody asks, we can tell them you’ve played a Wetlander joke on me." He laughed, the sound a great boom, holding out his hand to her. Avyra rolled her eyes, taking his hand. "Well, if you insist, I will happily comply. I don't think being winded before you eat is a good thing."

[Locke]

Terric

He lifted her up into arms and started walking. She wasn’t very heavy at all. If he had to guess, she weighed less than some packs he’d carried in the field. A small part of him wanted to pretend she was, however a larger part didn’t want his eyes clawed out. He’d been hit in the face enough over the past few weeks, and she could actually reach now.

He continued his explanation of Ji’e’toh. “Ji’e’toh, is more than just saying you’re sorry. That’s just a small part of it. It’s a system that guides our daily life. Honor and Obligation,” he strode along easily now. “From little things like insults among friends to wars between clans, it’s all about Ji’e’toh. The Aiel War as you Wetlanders like to call it, that was a matter of “Ji’e’toh for us. Since toh is a personal matter, you cannot force somebody else to meet it. Refusing to meet it however loses ji. Reminding somebody of their toh loses even more ji than simply having unmet toh. I once read a book by a Kandori scholar, Estel Yachovni. She called the system ‘shame based.’ That’s more accurate and less insulting than it sounds.”

As he talked, he realized something, he felt more at home walking along carrying a tiny Treekiller and explaining Ji’e’toh than he had in almost any other situation since leaving the Three-fold Land.

[Avyra]

She still, despite her knowing what was about to happen, squeaked when he picked her up easily in his strong arms, starting off at a long, fast stride, almost a jog. He seemed to like going fast, and now that she wasn't struggling to keep up, he seemed more comfortable. She couldn't exactly blame him.

"“Ji’e’toh, is more than just saying you’re sorry. That’s just a small part of it. It’s a system that guides our daily life. Honor and Obligation,” he explained. “From little things like insults among friends to wars between clans, it’s all about Ji’e’toh. The Aiel War as you Wetlanders like to call it, that was a matter of “Ji’e’toh for us. Since toh is a personal matter, you cannot force somebody else to meet it. Refusing to meet it however loses ji. Reminding somebody of their toh loses even more ji than simply having unmet toh. I once read a book by a Kandori scholar, Estel Yachovni. She called the system ‘shame based.’ That’s more accurate and less insulting than it sounds.”

She nodded, shifting a bit in his arms to get more comfortable, her arms around his neck to keep herself upright. It was an understandable tradition, and one that she actually... Well... Understood. It made sense to her head, even though she wasn't Aiel. In fact, she was Cairhienin. That fact just made her even more amused. A Cairhienin, being carried along by an Aielman. That was a first, for sure.

"This is so... How do I describe this? Unexpected," she said, looking up at him. "The stories people tell... They aren't true. I knew that, deep down. But now I know for sure. How did they start?" She paused. "Why would anyone be afraid of you? You aren't scary. Different, but not scary. And certainly not savage." She paused. "And not even so different, actually."

She laughed softly, but it held no humor. "My people were so... Wrong. Foolishly wrong." She paused. "Who would have ever thought? A little Cairhien and an Aielman... Not fighting."

[Locke]

Terric

Avyra shifted in his arms as she considered her next words. "This is so... How do I describe this? Unexpected," she said, looking up at him. "The stories people tell... They aren't true. I knew that, deep down. But now I know for sure. How did they start?" She paused. "Why would anyone be afraid of you? You aren't scary. Different, but not scary. And certainly not savage." She paused again obviously searching for the right words. "And not even so different, actually."

He didn’t know how to feel. Part of him liked the “Scary Aiel” reputation. Another part, probably his bruised face and ribs, was quick to remind him that that reputation was good for landing him in prison whether or not he deserved it. Maybe the little Cairhienin was right. They probably weren’t so different after all. Wetlander’s did baffle him most of the time but they were doing what made sense for them. Some of them, like Ravak Gaidin, even understood ji’e’toh in a twisted Wetlander way. Maybe Avyra was like Ravak Gaidin. He’d have to stop calling her a Treekiller for sure.

“Fear, fear comes from the unknown. People tend to fear what they don’t know or understand,” he said as he descended a flight of stairs careful not to jostle her. “Understanding and tolerance is well and good, but if I’m veiled and charging a man with my spear, I want him to fear me.”

[Avyra]

“Fear, fear comes from the unknown. People tend to fear what they don’t know or understand. Understanding and tolerance is well and good, but if I’m veiled and charging a man with my spear, I want him to fear me.” As they went down the flight of stairs, she tightened her grip a bit, nodding at his words. They were true. People did fear much of what they didn't understand... like her father. "Well, its one thing to fear someone because you don't understand them. Trust me, I could understand the entirety of your culture and definitely still fear you if you're charging me with a spear, but not because you're Aiel." She paused. "It would be because you're huge. And charging me. With a spear." She fell silent, then gave a sigh. "But... do I know about fearing something you don't understand." She paused, letting her head fall to his shoulder. "My mother was a novice at the White Tower, a channeler. She left to be with my father, who fears Aes Sedai. She never told him." She paused. "And when I showed the Talent, he was livid. He hated us. He wanted both my mother and I dead, and probably wanted my brothers and sister dead too just so that there's no possibility of them being channelers." She sighed. "I thought... I thought he might actually hurt us. But he left, without even looking back." Her voice was small, hurt. She had loved her father, or the man she thought he was.