Practice Makes Perfect (attn: Adanys)

[Sunny]

Owen

It had taken an inordinate amount of time to learn to channel, and now that he could access saidin, Owen was expressly forbidden from touching it without supervision. The restriction rankled as much as any of his father’s nonsensical edicts. How was he supposed to learn how to use the One Power if he couldn’t practice? If musicians could only touch their instruments while in the presence of their teachers, no music would exist at all!

Thus the slim soldier escaped from class one sunny day and made his way to the wall just north of the east gate. He had discovered that if he sat there with his back to the stone he could see everything, but no one could see him. It was the perfect setup for practicing this new skill without fear of being caught, and he had every intention of taking advantage of it. The Asha’man’s warning about danger lingered somewhere in the boy’s mind, but he brushed it aside impatiently. He would only use a trickle, after all. What harm could possibly come of that?

It still took time to find the center of quiet -the Void, Koran had called it- required to access the Source, but eventually Owen did just that. Fire and life roared through him, a torrent of beauty and rage that he grasped with all his might, forced downward as he had been taught until the river became a stream, and the stream a slender line of light, flowing from his hand as if his entire body were a pen and the One Power the ink.

Koran had taught the whole group the day before, saying he found it safer than the fireballs others preferred. It was a simple weave of Fire and Spirit, and Owen lost himself in sketching through the air. Mountains, trees, entire galaxies...the light faded as he drew, but he didn’t mind. It meant more space to create, and that could only be a good thing.

The first tension of exhaustion had begun to creep up between his shoulder blades when he realized he was no longer alone. The lanky boy hastily closed his hand and shoved saidin away, scrambling to his feet with a bow as awkward as any he had ever given.

Before him stood a girl a head or so shorter than himself, staring up at him with eyes that reminded him of warm honey. She wore traveling clothes, he realized, and couldn’t be much older than he. “Light shine on you,” Owen gasped past the rush of adrenaline doing its best to consume him. He pushed long hair away from his face and bowing again. This time it was a little more graceful, at least. “I am Owen. Are you- I mean, uh. What can I do for you?” He was blushing. Light, sometimes he hated his face.

[Adanys]

She had hopped off the wagon hours ago, but when most of her time was spent looking around at everything, she hadn't progressed very far in the time she had been walking. Avalan arrived at the Grey Tower late in the morning, 2 hours later than she had planned to arrive. She had spent nearly half of her life sailing with her father, had seen more of the world in her 19 years than some people would ever see in a lifetime. But she still couldn't stop the feeling of awe and wonder than rose up in her chest.

When she focused on the road in front of her again, she realized she had arrived at the gate, and someone was waiting for her. He asked a lot of questions and she barely had the presence of mind to answer him. Pay attention, girl! she told herself sternly. She saw that his mouth was indeed still moving, but she only caught half the words. Was the Tower made of glass? She turned her eyes back to the man and saw that he was pointing to the North. She nodded, guessing he meant for her to head that way. She thanked him and walked along.

She had no idea who she was supposed to be looking for, and he had most likely told her, but she had not caught a name. Unperturbed, she headed the way he had pointed, gazing around the lush landscape. She was finally here, making her own life, not merely following along in the lives her parents had created. That's why she was so awed. She was here because she had chosen this for herself.

Her musing came to an abrupt halt when she spotted someone sitting against the wall. They were too far away to make out clearly, so she aimed her feet in that direction and wandered closer, studying. She had just determined it was a boy, probably about her age, when suddenly light flowed from his fingertips. She stopped and stared as he drew in the air with the glowing stream of light. As if his fingers were the pen and the air above him his canvas. Mountains, trees, and galaxies poured from the fingers! The light faded quickly, but was soon replaced by more images. She broke her gaze from the stunning display above him, and focused on the artist himself. His face was set in concentration, with long brown hair framing a face she could only describe as beautiful. He was so focused on his work that he didn't even see her.

Wanting to get a better look at what he was doing, she took a few steps closer. Suddenly, the light was gone. She blinked in surprise and snapped her eyes back to the boy, who was now scrambling to his feet. He bowed, somewhat awkwardly, and she felt herself flush in embarrassment at having startled him. Her mother was always chiding her for this very thing. Perhaps she should start wearing bells so people would hear her coming.

The boy straightened from his bow and said, somewhat breathlessly, “Light shine on you." She chided herself again for startling him. He pushed some hair from his face, and bowed again, looking more composed this time. “I am Owen. Are you- I mean, uh. What can I do for you?” She thought she saw some color rise in his cheeks, but wasn't sure if that was a blush, or just annoyance at having been interrupted.

She returned his bow with one of her own. She glanced up at him. "Nice to meet you Owen. I am Avalan. I actually just arrived and was pointed in this direction. Though, frankly, I don't recall where I was supposed to go. I think the man at the gate said something about Warder Halls?" He seemed to belong here, perhaps he could tell her which way to go. "Could you point me in the right direction?" She remembered to smile after asking, knowing it rankled some people if she asked for something and they deemed her face not friendly enough. Though she couldn't understand why people expected everyone to go around grinning like idiots all the time.

[Sunny]

Owen

Avalan. That was a pretty name; it danced off the stranger’s tongue and straight into the place in Owen’s mind where song lyrics formed. Avalan...ah-vah-lan. “You’re name is beautiful,” he told her before he fell too far into composing lyrics. He’d only just met her and didn’t have anything to match with the word, after all...and she might think it was weird, or take the effort as something that it certainly was not. “The Warder Halls?” He added to confirm her intentions. Avalan nodded and he chided himself for his assumption that she was looking for the Mistress of Novices.

“I can show you the way,” Owen told Avalan cheerfully. He brushed his backside clean of grass and dirt, then swept his hair over one shoulder with his hand. “You’re new, it’s not a short walk, and besides I should probably make myself scarce anyway. What I was just doing is not...uh...not allowed, strictly speaking. I got carried away.” Hopefully she would not turn out to be the tale-carrying sort, because if she were, he’d just earned himself a month of unpleasantness.

She looked as if she would object and he shook his head. “Truly, it’s fine. Let’s walk through the grove, it’s a little shorter than going back to the main path.” He led the way east, making for the side path that would take them north to the Halls.

“Are you looking for someone, or do you want to be a Warder?” he asked curiously. She could not be more different than Beron, and the differences fascinated him. Besides, if she’s going to be a Warder, then perhaps I’ll get to use her name in a song after all. Assuming he still remembered how to play the guitar when he got his back, anyway.

[Adanys]

AVALAN

After his somewhat awkward introduction, Avalan was surprised when Owen cheerfully offered to lead her to her destination. She briefly wondered if following the first person she met, and a channeler at that, was a good idea, but she quickly dismissed the suspicious thought.

She considered his admission to doing something he wasn’t allowed to do. Was it against the rules for channelers in training to channel without supervision, or had he done something to get into trouble and had the action denied of him? Or had what he’d been doing not been as innocent as it had appeared and he didn’t want her telling anyone what she had seen? She gave him a sideways glance as they walked along, trying to figure out which it was. Was he a trouble maker, or just in training? She was about to ask when he spoke first.

“Are you looking for someone, or do you want to be a Warder?” Owen asked, sounding curious. He no longer smelled….nervous, that’s what she assumed he’d been earlier, or maybe it had just been startled. She was still trying to sort out all the different emotions and their smells. There were so many!!

She thrust her hands into her pockets. “I came here with the intention of being a Warder. I’m sure you know about my kind, the wolfkin. Well, being who I am, I believe I have certain….qualities that would make me a very good warder. I can defend myself in a fight well enough, and with some training and guidance, I hope to become a useful tool to an Aes Sedai.” She realized she was rambling and stopped talking, deciding she’d said enough for now.

She heard noises, clanging and voices and animals, and assumed they were getting close. Her heart hammered in her chest. What was going to happen now? Would she be able to stand the test of time and truly be able to become a Warder, someone worthy to protect an Aes Sedai? Or was she just a foolish girl who thought she could become somebody she was not?

[Sunny]

Owen

Owen blinked at Avalan, surprised despite himself by her airy comment. Wolfkin? He hid his confusion by glancing away and stuffing his hands in his pockets, torn between asking for clarification and mortified certainty that any such question would be an invasion of privacy.

He missed his queue in any other way because the noise of the Warder Yards began to filter through the trees and the woman’s entire attention shifted toward it. “The Yards are rather loud,” the soldier told her mildly. “You get used to it though, or so I’m told. The soldier quarters are on the exact opposite ends of the grounds so I rarely hear it.” Thank the Light. He’d had enough of that for a lifetime in Shienar. Even walking through it made him tense, though thankfully that particular reaction hadn’t started yet.

Avalan’s eyes caught the light as she looked at him, glowing gold. Wolfkin.

He tried not to ask, truly he did. However, what Avalan had said stuck with him and his curiosity got the better of him. “What’s a wolfkin?” he blurted. “I’ve never heard of any such thing, and I read a lot! Are you related to wolves? Are you like a Sniffer? How would it help with being a Warder?”

[Adanys]

Avalan almost stumbled when the question came tumbling from Owen’s mouth like a river breaking through a dam. She had never guessed that he wouldn’t know. She knew the world at large was mostly clueless about the wolfkin, and that was just how the wolves wanted it. But, here at the Grey Tower? She was sure several of her kind had made it this way.

She slowed her pace -she’d have to if she was going to explain herself- and pursed her lips, trying to think of where to start. “Well a Wolfkin is not related to wolves, not in the way people are related to each other. It’s..hmm,” she paused. She was not so good at this, having never actually explained it to anyone, and knowing only the bare basics herself. “We can communicate with wolves though. Not with words exactly, but with images, and smells. For instance, my name given to me by the wolves is Waverunner, because I often sailed with my father. And when the wolves send my name, or I introduce myself, we send the image of myself,” she didn’t mention that ‘herself’ sometimes meant her as a wolf, “running on waves, along with the smell of the sea.”

She abruptly stopped talking. Light, but she was carrying on! This felt so personal...too personal! Should she be sharing this part of herself with a complete stranger? In one way, this was just like telling him her name and who she was, but given that her kinship with the wolves was such a personal thing, it felt much, much different.

Owen continued to lead her onwards, and she noticed that they were now at the edge of the clearing. She focused her attention forwards again, taking in the massive building that loomed before them, the stables and grounds surrounding it. People were milling about, some practicing various forms of weaponry and fighting. She was no longer gawking like she’d done when she first arrived at the gate, but she was still impressed. She’d never seen anything that could compare to this. Anticipation bubbled up inside her. She was going to train here!

She decided to abbreviate her story. “And being a Wolfkin means I can see better, hear better, and smell better. These heightened senses could be very valuable to me as a Warder. And being bonded will add its own set of quirks.” They were almost at the building’s front doors now and she knew they’d be parting ways soon. She had finally put a name to the scent coming from Owen: curiosity. He smelled eager. She smirked. This was too good to pass up. “I can also smell people’s emotions, though I haven’t quite learned how to identify them all.

Ah, it looks as though we've arrived. Well, nearly. I'm assuming the office is inside this building?” She looked up at the double doors they were standing in front of.

[Sunny]

Owen

With a question to answer, Avalan seemed more than happy to talk, and Owen was equally happy to listen. He was quiet -he could be that on occasion, truly- through her explanation of the wolfkin, and wondered that he had never heard of them before. Imagine being able to talk to wolves. For a moment he felt wistful as he considered the possibilities. His father would have found such a skill useful, even valuable. Perhaps he would have been able to forgive Owen’s disinterest in training…

....No. Farrin would have used him like any other tool and then been frustrated that he wouldn’t do more. Besides, I can channel. That meant he was out of his father’s control forever and he would not trade that freedom for the world. For a moment he considered reaching for saidin to reassure himself, then pushed the childish urge away. The One Power would always be there; no need for pyrotechnics in the moment.

Owen shook his head, turning his attention back to Avalan. “Yes, we’re almost there,” he told her as he pushed the door open. He gestured for her to precede him, then pointed down the corridor. “Just down the hall.”

They walked together companionably for a few steps. “Being Wolfkin sounds amazing,” he ventured finally. He smiled at her, broad and unfeigned. “There are wolves everywhere, or close enough. If you can talk them, then you always have friends nearby. That is an amazing gift no matter what you choose to do.”

They had reached Riahana’s door; Owen turned toward it, then paused. “If you are training to become Gaidin, you’ll be here a while. I’d love to talk more if you ever have a spare afternoon sometime.” Then he reached up and rapped on the wood hard enough to bruise his knuckles.

“Enter.”

He stuck his head inside, gaze flitting past the decor to the woman at the desk beyond. “Riahana Gaidin, I have someone who would like to speak to you about training. Avalan, this is Riahana Tomosan Gaidin. She can help you from here.”

[Adanys]

Avalan

Avalan tilted her head, considering his words and smiling as Owen grinned at her. "You're certainly right about that. There are more wolves around than people realize, and much closer too. And they are friends, not pets as some people assume when they realize what I am." Her smile quickly turned to a frown at this, her eyebrows creasing.

During her travels she'd encountered several people that had jeered about her being an animal like the wolves, or asking where her pets were. For some reason the latter bothered her much more than the first. But those people were easy enough to shut up; she'd simply asked one of the wolves to come over and show themselves, and the men had been on their merry way fast enough.

They were standing in front of another door now, so Avalan quickly smoothed her features. She considered Owen's invitation only for a moment. She liked the idea of having a friend, she had a feeling she'd need one in the months to come. "I'd like that," she nodded as Owen knocked on the door.

"Enter," came a woman's voice from within. Owen stuck his head inside and stated her purpose, then turned to her and introduced the Mistress of Training. Avalan smiled and thanked Owen, then stepped fully into the room, the door closing behind her. Taking a deep breath, she stepped towards the desk. "Good day..ma'am," she faltered a bit, not quite sure how she should address the woman in front of her. She had piercing blue eyes that Avalan suspected didn't miss much. She reached out her hand, schooling her face into calmness. "As Owen said, I'm Avalan. And I'm hoping to train to become a Warder."

[Roan]

Riahana, Mistress of Training

When the Soldier spoke, Ria had already set aside her quill and rested her hands on her desk. She studied as the young woman entered her office, noticing the young woman’s pale eyes. The Gaidin wasn’t expecting an offered hand, but she accepted it, returning a firm handshake. “Welcome to the Grey Tower and the Warder Yards, Avalon,” she replied.

Avalon was able to school her expression, which was impressive from someone so young. The Gaidin knew stature wasn’t the end-all be-all when it came to being a Gaidin. She wasn’t exceptionally tall, and her best friend, Lysira, was shorter than her. Both were more than capable as Gaidin. The would-be Drin stood taller than Ria, which certainly wouldn’t hurt as she progressed in her training.

The woman’s golden eyes stood out. Ria wasn’t naive when it came to wolfkin, and Avalon wouldn’t be the first to sign the roster. She offered a warm smile to Avalon, “Why don’t you tell me why you wish to join our ranks?”

[Adanys]

Avalan

Avalan felt her nerves settle as the Gaidin shook her hand and smiled warmly. She hadn't even realized she was nervous until now. She took a steadying breath, keeping her face calm. No need to look like a stammering child while she asked to be trained as a fighter and defender.

"I grew up on a farm in Altara, and spent many years sailing with my father. While I enjoyed and was able to help out with both, neither were anything I was passionate about. And since my father was away a lot, my mother ran the farm alone until me and my brothers were old enough to help her. Being an independent person, she passed those qualities on to me and taught me to take care of myself." She wondered if she was carrying on too much. She wanted to be clear about why she was here, but not bore the woman at the same time. She shifted in her chair, and continued.

"I became independent and learned to look after myself, and I guess over the years, a bit protective too. Especially when I saw people who couldn't take care of themselves, or were in situations that were too much for them to handle alone. I can't tell you how many scuffles between bullies and their victims I thrust myself into," she said with a slight smirk, remembering all the times she'd come home with a fresh black eye. Her mother would always just shake her head ruefully and teasingly ask if she'd left anyone alive.

She knew she'd have to explain how her being a wolfkin had changed things. Pausing briefly, she decided to go forward with the assumption that the Mistress of Training already knew of her kind. "After I manifested the ability to commune with wolves, and my senses sharpened, all of my previous instincts sharpened. I didn't know what to do with them...or myself. I grew restless very quickly. I remembered my mother telling me about the Grey Tower, and that warders were trained here. My own mother is an Aes Sedai, and I liked the idea of having someone to protect and work with, or just to be source of..support, I guess." She shrugged, suddenly feeling self conscious. She fell silent and waited for the Gaidin to respond.