Ways of the Spear [attn; Locke]

[Avyra]

“So you should probably know, free food and not dying are among my top five favorite things.” She couldn't help but grin at that. "Free food and not dying are perks here, aren't they?" She returned her gaze to the sparkling water. "But, I suppose I should stay. I mean, my mother was a Novice, but she left and never got her ring or shawl." She paused. "No matter how much I want to actually do this, I should actually finish my training. Life as an Aes Sedai can't be that bad." Maybe it was. She honestly had no real idea what an Aes Sedai did. Maybe she should talk more to Mirin Sedai about her training. After all, Avyra found it odd that she didn't know what she might be getting to later in life. Being an Aes Sedai was huge, a life long commitment, and she was about to make it without even knowing what the title brought for her. But she knew she didn't want to return to her family without accomplishing anything at the Tower. Her mother would be disappointed if Avyra left without becoming what she had turned her back on. "On the same lines," she said, turning the subject away from herself. "Why are you here? What made you come train at the Grey Tower?" She found it odd that an Aiel already trained in the art of spear fighting would seek out apprenticeship at the Tower. Or want to protect or bond with an Aes Sedai.

[Locke]

Terric

Now that was a good question, how he had come to train at the Tower. If anything it was the base for a fine joke. He looked out over the water and thought a bit before answering.

“A series of small steps, accidents, and honor.” If somebody had told him a year ago that this would become his life, he would have laughed them out of the hold. “I left the Three-Fold Land hunting a Wetlander thief. That was my job. I am Aethan Dor. That was nearly a year ago. Earlier this month, I reached the woods around Baerlon. There I was accused of Poaching,” the word was still unfamiliar. “They said I illegally killed game animals on ‘the Lord’s land.’ I didn’t touch their flocks, it’s like if you came to visit my hold and you killed a lizard to eat and we arrested you. It’s Wetlander nonsense.” He hadn’t realized how much this still bothered him. He had spent his entire adult life hunting criminals only to be called a criminal by Wetlanders, and then to have been robbed by them.

“After maybe a week in a cell, they shipped me to Hama Valon in a cart full of some of the vilest men imaginable. Ravak Gaidin pulled me out of that cart.” He skipped over the part where he goaded some of the sorry excuses for Tower Guards and they beat him while he was still manacled. She wouldn’t understand the joke. “I’m still here because of Ji’e’toh. I have toh to Ravak Gaidin. My duty was to find the thief, but I wasn’t the only hunter looking for him. I have toh to my people and my Spear Brothers for abandoning the hunt. But here, I can meet some of my toh and also gain much ji as a spear in Sightblinder’s side.” He still had doubts sometimes but this was the path he’d chosen and he’d meet his toh when it was over.

[Avyra]

The tiny Cairhienin listened to his story, his rumbling voice narrating how an Aielman like himself came to train as a Drin in the Grey Tower. She had seen a few Aiel channelers in the Tower to train, but never a Warder. How he got here was surely interesting. His story, however, was slightly hard for her to follow due to all the Aiel words tossed in; she still didn't have a good grasp on the whole Je'e'toh concept. She knew what it meant, sure, but some of the details still bogged down her mind and made her head swim. But she was learning slowly, with the help of Terric, and she had been thinking about even studying a bit in the library once her lessons let up slightly. "So," she said, trying to work through his story. "You owe Ravak Gaidin because he saved you, but you also owe something to your people because you left your hunt. And you hope to fix some of that here, by training as a Drin?" She looked a bit confused. "What would that do? Or are you meeting the toh you have with Ravak Gaidin now, and will meet the toh with your people later?" She ducked her head, brushing a strand of hair back as she looked at the ground. "Sorry, I'm still trying to wrap my head around Ji'e'toh." The words sounded strange in her clipped Cairhienin accent.

[Locke]

Terric

“No you’re doing fine,” he watched the water rippling around his ankles. “In some situations, you have no option but to incur toh. There is rarely a right answer. Then you just have to decide. Sometimes you go with the situation that incurs the least toh or you could do what I did and follow the path that you hope will allow you to do the most good. I usually try to do the right thing and just face the consequences once the dust clears. Honestly that’s the best anybody can do.” He pulled his feet out of the water and began to dry them off with a handkerchief.

He looked over at her, “So do you want to continue these lessons? We still have time before the next bell, or we can pick back up tomorrow.” Those guards could get lost in the dunes, he did enjoy teaching her. She was also making progress. He didn’t expect her to become a master, but that wasn’t what she needed. It was just one more tool for her workshop.

[Avyra]

He explained more about the odd custom that somehow made sense, drying his feet as he stood up. Avyra did the same, backing up slightly so she wouldn't have to crane so far to meet his gaze. “So do you want to continue these lessons? We still have time before the next bell, or we can pick back up tomorrow.” Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "You'd still teach me?" She paused, her delicate, pale features reddening slightly. "I mean, I'd be delighted to continue with your lesson today." She was... well, amazed by this turn of events. He still wanted to teach her, even if she was pathetically weak. And probably hard to teach. She paused, then wagged a finger up at him. "Now, don't you go picking me up this time. You should slow down to my pace." Her tone was light, and it was obvious that she didn't care too much about if she was carried or not. In fact, she wouldn't argue with being carried in Terric's gentle arms; it was... well... Avyra hated to admit that it was enjoyable.

[Locke]

Terric

They headed back to the Warder Yards. Terric amused himself by making exaggeratedly short steps. After a look from Avyra, he changed to shorter but less comical steps. “So why did you think I wouldn’t want to teach you?” he asked looking around the Gardens. That low wall, they could use that for balance practice one day.

His thought’s drifted back to the present and to the tiny Chairenin by his side. What did he actually feel towards her? He had never given it any thought. He enjoyed spending time with her, and she was pretty enough. Another pair of green eyes drifted up from his past. Jilla, what had he ever meant to her? She had dropped into and out of his life without a care. She would come through with a jibe and leave with a kiss. One would have a better chance surviving off of heat shimmers than understanding Jilla. Terric called himself ten kinds of fool. She was in the past where she belonged. He assured himself, again, that she had never cared for him one way or another. Forcing those memories into the Flame, he wrapped himself in the Void.

[Avyra]

She caught a look at what Terric was doing with his feet, mocking her short little legs, and she gave him a light nudge with her shoulder, shooting him a look. Then she smiled and shook her head. “So why did you think I wouldn’t want to teach you?” She considered his question, and she brushed a bit of her hair out of her eyes as she looked back down at her feet. "I..." She really didn't know. "I'm not too sure. It was a feeling I had. It was a bad feeling, too; I'm glad you're still willing to put up with my lack of physique and continue teaching me." She paused. "For not, well, giving up on me." She had never had that happen to her, yet, but she didn't want to ever experience such a feeling. She then smiled up at him. An actual smile. "You're an amazing friend, Terric. I'm glad we met." She paused. "I'm glad you had the audacity to try to sell that bed."

[Locke]

Terric

He didn’t expect her to become an algai’d’siswai, but learning the basics of self-defense would do her wonders. Hopefully it wouldn’t ever come to it but maybe something he taught her would save her life, even if was something as simple as how to fall or how to break free if somebody grabbed her wrist.

As they neared the Warder Yards, she smiled up at him. "You're an amazing friend, Terric. I'm glad we met." She paused. "I'm glad you had the audacity to try to sell that bed."

He was caught off guard but recovered quickly, “You’re a great friend too. I don’t feel as out of place around you.” He gave her a genuine smile of his own, “You know I never did manage to sell that bed. Raihana Ferria told me in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed to sell the bed. So now when I’m in my room, I just lean the bed up against the wall.”

[Avyra]

“You know I never did manage to sell that bed. Raihana Ferria told me in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed to sell the bed. So now when I’m in my room, I just lean the bed up against the wall.”

She stared at him, then laughed a bit. "Or, you know, you could sleep on it. How does your roommate feel about this turn of events?"

Avyra figured that they didn't use beds in the Three Fold Land. Or furniture. She had heard a bit of that from the stories but she never really payed attention to it. To him, sitting on a chair must be weird if he was used to the ground.

"So, no horses or beds in the Three Fold Land?"

They entered the Yards again, and she was glad to see that their sparring rink was still empty of people.

[Locke]

Terric

"So, no horses or beds in the Three Fold Land?" Avyra seemed slightly incredulous.

“Who needs a Wetlander bed when you have a perfectly good sleeping mat on a floor full of rugs? Nights in the Three-fold Land are extremely cold so yes, we do use blankets. Wetlander mattresses are just excessive, so are bed frames. I guess it comes from living in cities.” He shrugged as he stepped out onto the sand. “And as for horses, we don’t have an issue with pack animals, children and the elderly ride in wagons when the Sept is on the move but our legs are perfectly capable. Now,” he said jumping subjects again, “lets practice punching a little while longer then we’ll do stances and break falls and call it a day. How does that sound?” Terric felt his stomach growl, he hoped he had kitchen duty for his afternoon cores. His stomach would be growling for his entire next class. The kitchen staff was always happy to let student’s dispose of leftovers so he would persevere.