This is a Revenge Plot [attn; Damien]

[Avyra]

Avyra

Avyra had finished her chores tonight early, and she had decided that, despite something telling her to do otherwise, to go off and prank Danos. She still needed to get him back for breaking some of her ribs, and she had been waiting for the perfect time. Now was perfect, seeing as it was his hour to be sharpening blades. He had told her it was a boring job. She made her way to the armory, nodding and being polite to all who she passed. Which, luckily, wasn't many other people. The armory itself wasn't hard to find, despite the fact she had never been there before, and she was glad to see the door open. She wouldn't have to open any doors to get there. She considered her moves, not really wanting to scare him and have him accidentally hit her with that sword. His back was turned, luckily as well, his broad shoulders seeming to block out the view of most of the room. Just in the month or so that she'd known the Drin, he seemed to be getting even bigger. Not taller, just bigger. It was totally not fair. Not really having a plan, Avyra suddenly darted forward, springing onto one of his thick arms with a small "yyaaaa!!" sound.

[Damien]

Danos

Danos sat hunched over one of the tables in the armoury, the rasping of the whetstone as it ran along the blade soothing after the classes. He loved the weapons practice, and had grown strong and fit with the exertion, but in many ways the more clerical classes often made him feel as if his brain was being stuffed with knowledge until what he had known before was removed.

Even lost in the revelry and fatigue of his final chore for the day, Danos heard the scuff of slippers on the floor as someone entered the Armoury.

Danos placed the sword on the table, and was about to turn when suddenly Avyra appeared and latched onto his arm.

Startled even though he knew someone was there, Danos knocked over the jar of oil he had been using for the whetstone, but fortunately not a lot of it spilled.

"You're liable to give someone a heart attack appearing like that," Danos said chuckling as he moped up the oil with a his rags.

"I'm surprised you finally have a moment to come prank me. You must have finally worked down your list from the tree," Danos said teasingly as he moved over and made room for Avyra at the table's bench.

[Avyra]

She instantly jumped off when she heard a jar break, and she gave a tiny grimace. "Well, I didn't mean for that to happen." She helped him clean it up, being closer to the floor as she was, careful not to prick sharp glass on her fingers. "You're liable to give someone a heart attack appearing like that," he said with a chuckle, and she raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I didn't scare you, did I?" Avyra rolled her eyes. "I don't think I could scare you, even if I tried. But, anyway, this is the first chance I've had off in a while, so I might as well come pay you a visit." Instead of sitting on the bench, she moved to sit on the table as he worked so she could at least be somewhat eye-level with him. She took the silence as a chance to look around. The armory itself was nice, if one liked weapons. There were a lot of swords in there, most probably too heavy for her to even think of lifting. A few daggers, warhammers, spears. It was interesting. "You guys have a lot in here. I sort think there were this many types of weapons." She paused, climbing down from the table to go inspect one of the swords that was actually high enough for her to reach. "I've never actually held one of these before... I'm gonna go for it." She paused, taking it by the hilt with both hands, lifting it from the shelf. Then giving a startled squeak when it proved too heavy for her, the tip almost instantly finding a home on the floor. She still held the hilt. "Okay, that's heavy. How do you Warders even carry these, much less fight with them?!" She couldn't imagine having one of these on her belt. If she had a belt.

[Damien]

Danos

Avyra instantly jumped off when she heard a jar break, and she gave a tiny grimace. "Well, I didn't mean for that to happen." She helped him clean it up, being closer to the floor as she was, careful not to prick sharp glass on her fingers.

"Don't worry about it, I've spilled much worse when they first gave me chores in the Stable. Let me tell you, the grooms get pretty steamed when you tip your wheelbarrow and dump all the muck in the middle of the walk," said Danos with a chuckle as he recalled having to muck twice that day. It had been kind of funny to see the look on their faces.

Danos finished cleaning the mess, noticing Avyra as she hopped off the table and headed for the racks of assorted weapons. The racks teemed with gear, a vast assortment of weapons that Danos was still just getting to know.

"I've never actually held one of these before... I'm gonna go for it." Avyra said, grabbing the sword and before Danos could warn her, she grasped the hilt with both hands, and giving a startled squeak when it proved too heavy for her, the tip almost instantly finding a home on the floor.

"Okay, that's heavy. How do you Warders even carry these, much less fight with them?!" Avyra said incredulously.

"Well for one thing we usually don't take bare steel. I found that out my first day, we use practice blades that are weighted similar to begin building up the muscles. And to save our floors and toes," Danos said with a shake of his head, as he helped her rack the sword back in place, and grabbed the smallest practice blade he found.

"This would be more what you'd start with. Even I haven't gotten to live steel yet, although I'm hoping to earn that right," said Danos as he showed her the grip on the wooden handle.

As he watched her , he noticed that she wasn't swinging wildly as he had expected. She seemed more thoughtful, "Silver mark for your thoughts," Danos said as he watched his friend, wondering how the past moon or so had treated her.

[Avyra]

She liked to think she had helped put the sword back, but Danos had just lifted it easily back onto the shelf. So not fair! "We use practice blades that are weighted similar to begin building up the muscles. And to save our floors and toes," he explained, walking over to find a practice blade. It was small, but still rather heavy in her hand. It was too big to comfortably hold with one of her hands but too small to justify holding with two. However, its swing was nice, and she did a few sword swings. Completely wrong, untrained swings, but swings. She was careful not to hit Danos in the knees, though. She did, however, seem distracted while using her blade, and Danos seemed to notice. "Silver mark for your thoughts." Avyra looked back at him, lowering the weapon. "Hm? Will you give me the silver mark before or after I spill my deepest, darkest secrets?" She didn't wait for his answer, though. She walked over to the bench, putting the sword on the table as she sat down with a sigh. "I don't know. I like it here, but I feel so... out of place." She paused, bringing her knees to her chest, as though trying to make herself even smaller. She was very uncomfortable. "I don't look like an Aes Sedai. I'll never look like an Aes Sedai."

[Damien]

Danos

"I don't know. I like it here, but I feel so... out of place," Danos heard Avyra say quietly. She paused, bringing her knees to her chest, as though trying to make herself even smaller.

"I don't look like an Aes Sedai. I'll never look like an Aes Sedai," he heard her say quietly.

Danos chewed his lip in thought, allowing the silence to draw out a little to make sure she had said her peace.

"Well that's a heavy doubt to catch around. I don't know about looking like an Aes Sedai. Seems like the sisters I've met come in all shapes and types. I've even met Aiel since coming here, and I secretly think they make your Novice dresses fit like sacks," said Danos as he gestured to the dress she wore. In Jornhill he had never know a woman to not try to dress for her shape, seemed like giving them all one dress was a bit like expecting every Drin to wear one size of pants.

"And more than that, from what I've gleaned, the Power chooses you not the other way around. So what if you've pulled a few pranks, or twisted some small clothes around here," Danos said as he tried to comfort and lift Avyra's spirits.

[Avyra]

"And more than that, from what I've gleaned, the Power chooses you not the other way around." He was trying to comfort her, but in all honesty it was just bringing her closer to tears. "I wish it had never chosen me," she mumbled into her knees. "The One Power ruined my life. It tore my family apart. I never should have come here. I should have just let mysef go insane. Maybe I'd burn myself out on accident. Then Mirin Sedai will have to let me go." She bit her lip, sighing. "I'll never be like the other Aes Sedai. I'm not pretty like them. I'm not regal. I'm just... me. I have nothing going for me here. I should just go home." She was shaking. "Look at me, right now. Aes Sedai aren't supposed to be emotional. They're not supposed to cry. They're supposed to be... everything I'm not." Avyra didn't want to face him. Light, why was she even telling him all this?! He probably didn't want to hear it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be pushing this at you like I am. This isn't your problem."

[Damien]

Danos

"Look at me, right now. Aes Sedai aren't supposed to be emotional. They're not supposed to cry. They're supposed to be... everything I'm not," Avyra finised, her frustration and sadness evident. As she protested that she shouldn't be telling him this, and that it wasn't his problem, Danos stood and waved off the complaint.

"Let's go for a walk," Danos said as he took her arm and led her out into the Warder Yards. It seemed safer to be seen out and walking with an emotional Novice, then risk getting caught in the Armoury and add a misunderstanding to Avyra's list of issues with the Grey Tower.

As they walked, Danos looked around for a Drin'far'ji he had seen shortly before, looking around until he spotted her dueling. He did not know much about Fiona, only that they shared a class and the diminutive Drin seemed determined. "Look there Avyra, see Fiona. She's tiny, getting battered and still doesn't quit. Neither did you when we sparred, even when you ended in the Infirmary. I don't know about being regal or polished, Light help me if serving an Aes Sedai means I have to spend time in fancy clothes and acting all noble. But I can tell you that it seems to me for all their polish and poise, and Aes Sedai has a streak of iron through her. And that I've seen in you, you have taken a few chances since I've met you, but I've never seen you meekly drop your head."

Standing against a fence, he hoped Avyra would see the students and Gaidin all at work practicing different weapons, different skills. "I haven't spent much time with the Ajah's although I know the gist of a couple. Yellow's heal, Indigo I've been told invent things, Green readies itself for the wars ahead, and that's about it. But just like every one of us Drin have to choose a weapon that works, none of us are exactly alike. I'm better with fists than swords still, and truth be told I hope to find time to try the polearm soon, I like the look of how it moves, how it fights. For me to try a bow would be wasted," said Danos as he showed Avyra his thick rough hands.

"I don't know anything about the One Power, but I have heard once you learn you can't stop learning, is that true? Seems to me that would take notions of running home out of my head. I've seen you change even since meeting you, and so what if you haven't found your fit just yet. Half of our training as Drin seems to be pounding square pegs into holes until we become round, or find a hole that works. I don't think every sister has to be the same person, what will make you strong will also be a peg only you can be for the Grey Tower," Danos said firmly, looking Avyra in the eyes so she could see his sincerity. "That's my marks worth on it, now if you're determined to leave, and the Tower will let you, I have some kinfolk that could use help if returning home seems to hard. But I wouldn't recommend running away, seems to me the Sisters would have little sympathy for that."

[Avyra]

Avyra really didn't want to move, but she he grabbed her arm gently she knew it would be useless to struggle. If he was strong enough to pick her up and toss her over his shoulder, she knew he would have no trouble dragging her along. He probably wouldn't even feel her struggling. So she walked beside him, letting him lead her out to the Warder's Yard. Now she was glad she hadn't been crying. There were quite a few people practicing all sorts of weaponry and fighting techniques, and she stopped when he did, as he pointed out Fiona. "She's tiny, getting battered and still doesn't quit. Neither did you when we sparred, even when you ended in the Infirmary." Even though that was me being stupid! "I don't know about being regal or polished, Light help me if serving an Aes Sedai means I have to spend time in fancy clothes and acting all noble. But I can tell you that it seems to me for all their polish and poise, and Aes Sedai has a streak of iron through her. And that I've seen in you, you have taken a few chances since I've met you, but I've never seen you meekly drop your head." Avyra knew that wasn't her. None of this was her. Her stomach twisted a bit, and he continued, giving his perspective on all the Ajahs. "I don't think every sister has to be the same person, what will make you strong will also be a peg only you can be for the Grey Tower." He looked at her, and she looked up to meet his eyes. Why was this man so gentle? Did he not know he had her heart? Normally, she wouldn't look away. It showed weakness. But she did anyway, dropping her gaze to the ground in front of her. "I don't want to run away," she said finally. "I don't want that. I just... I don't know what I want. But." She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever become a good Aes Sedai. Not like the other women here." Avyra leaned against him, burying her face in his side, under his ribs. "They're all so... beautiful, tall. And powerful looking. Intimidating. I'm none of those. I'd never fit the description of an Aes Sedai." She paused. "I'm too emotional for it. Everything I've done here... I don't like getting in trouble. But I do it anyway. Its not me. I'm not that idiot who climbs the trees just to climb the trees. Maybe if I showed them I could do it, then I'd be... I don't know. What ever was I thinking?"

[Damien]

Danos

Danos was surprised when Avyra began crying into his jacket. It seemed out of character for her, but as Danos considered it he realized that he hadn't really spent much time with Avyra quietly.

Hazard of having the Mistress of Novices and Master of Training watching for "inappropriate" relationships. And the chore schedule being never ending, he thought to himself as he let her voice her complaints and weather the storm of being so upset.

She seemed to be reeling, totally without a rudder or the usual direction he would have expected from a trainee. Light I have no clue how they train these women, I don't even know how to say it will get better thought Danos regretfully.

Eventually she seemed to calm a little, and he could hear her better and he heard her again talking about her looks, how she would never appear to be an Aes Sedai.

For this particular talk, Danos knew he was out of his depth, he wished the best for Avyra and thought she seemed hung up on looks needlessly, But again, I'm a Drin and liable to collect more scars that admirers. Plus the burns took much of my vanity away, thought Danos to himself.

"I'm sure that they would have you hopping from a birch strap if you were failing that badly? Is it just that you have had a string of punishments Avyra? And seems like your Mistress of Novices should be building you up when you feel like this," Danos said, his voice serious as he considered how long Avyra must have felt like this.