Archery: Favorite Pastime
Vogue al'Deem, Written by Beth
Posted on Sat, Aug 21, 2010 22:11 pm
"Try again Vogue." Vogue sneered at the Aes Sedai in front of her. They'd been trying all night for Vogue to be able to control and focus the auras. Nothing had seemed to work. She took a deep breath and focused her thoughts at Kahti. She opened her eyes slowly, the auras swirled around the Aes Sedai normally. She shook her head. "Alright, thats enough for tonight, you have the archery lesson soon. Best be on your way and grab some breakfast. I'll meet you over there; I just have a few more notes to make." Vogue vacated the Aes Sedai's office and easily found her way to the kitchens. They were just barely starting breakfast, but they had some warm bread ready. Vogue took a couple pieces, and some fruit. She left and had her breakfast in the garden, away from people. The master at arms had agreed to let Vogue do some lessons while she was here. He had tried to convince Vogue to become at trainee, but she had told him she would think about it. She was still technically under her 'punishment.' The Master at Arms had seen Vogue around the training field for a few days. They talked at length, Vogue was still unsure if she truely did want to join the ranks of the trainees. However, she had a feeling Kahti Sedai would NEVER finish her examination. Even if she did finish, she was sure there would be a brown sister waiting to scoop her up.
She heard the bells toll in the distance, and brushed the crumbs from her lap. She had already grabbed her archery equipment. She had tucked those into her bag before seeing Kahti Sedai. She'd been using the bow her whole life and had created her own custom glove. Most male gloves were too large for her hands. She’d been able to sew a glove, which covered three of her fingers, her palm, and buttoned at her wrist. She'd also created her own bracer, for the same reasons.
She made it to the lesson just as the trainer was standing up to introduce himself. Kahti Sedai had already beaten found her seat near the back. Vogue scanned the group of trainees. Nothing like an early morning, however, for Vogue she'd been up all night long. The yellow sister was determined to study everything about Vogue, even what she was like without sleep. It was to see if the auras happened more or less. She glanced over at Kahti Sedai, who was sitting on the edge just glancing over all the trainees, her eyes mainly watching Vogue. What did I get myself into? Agreeing to be studied rather than in a jail cell. Maybe I should have picked the jail cell. She sighed, and turned her attention to the trainer. Why would i put myself through all this? For what, to be bonded to an Aes Sedai for the rest of my life. GAH! All I need is to see auras the rest of my life. I'd rather find some abandoned mountain and stay there! Vogue totally missed the trainer's speech, but she caught several trainees saying their name and how much experience they had with the bow. She didn't see many female trainees during her days of observing. Would they accept a misfit, like me?
Vogue was one of the last to address the class.
"Vogue." She paused. The trainer nodded for her to continue. She frowned, closing her eyes against the auras swirling around him. Kahti Sedai will just love this lesson! "I hail from a small village in Two Rivers. I spent my childhood with the bow."
Some of the male trainees glanced her way, the look saying everything. They didn't think a female could be a trainee. I know the men outnumber the women, but didn’t I see they use to have a female Master of Arms! She sat back down, briefly glancing over the trainees, only to lower her eyes quickly. They didn't have the mass swirling of Auras like many of the Gaidin, but they certainly had their share. She groaned, rubbing her temples. Kahti suddenly beside her, hand on her shoulder.
"You alright to do this, child?" Vogue nodded and shrugged the women off her shoulders. "There is nothing wrong with stepping out. I've been pushing you hard lately." Vogue shook her head.
"I am doing this Aes Sedai, and I'd appreciate if you'd keep to the sidelines like agreed."
Vogue tried to keep the bite out of her voice, but it didn't work. Many of the trainees glanced askew at her, mouths hanging open in shock. It will be good to have something familiar to do. The bow will help, practice will definitely help. I am a bit rusty since I've been cooped up inside since I got here.
In reply to Death from Above: Archery[show]/[hide]
Tal sighed. He ran an eye over the parchment neatly tacked to the front of his door. Three weeks. It had been three weeks since he had returned to the Tower and still, the Master of Arms was “too busy” to see him. Too busy indeed, though apparently not too busy to assign him to teach classes. He almost growled, frustration threatening, momentarily, to boil over. Classes and all were very well, not that he minded teaching. It was just the waiting that rankled. Limbo was never a comfortable state to be in. Talaban read the note again.
Talaban,
Take a class in archery for the trainees. The necessary information has been disseminated. Tomorrow at the south range, an hour after Breakfast.
Caelan Rohan
Archery. The arms man almost sighed again. Part of him wondered if this was deliberate. Tal generally steered clear of bows himself, being far more at ease with a bandolier of throwing blades. Granted, his skill with arrows and such had increased somewhat but Tal was nothing more than a middling hand with a bow. “Guess I know enough to teach a beginner’s lesson,” he muttered silently.
Eyes snapped open, jade green orbs peering up at the shadowy roof. Talaban sat up in the bed. Two hours before dawn. It had taken little for him to slip back into the familiar routine. Even his exile had not changed that. He dressed in the dark, more by instinct then by sight, the wan moonlight showing little more than slivers of faint shadow.
The garments felt cool to the flesh as he pulled them on, black silk sliding smoothly over skin. Pale blond strands were pulled back as his wispy hair was neatly contained within the plain leather hadori. His right hand reached out, grabbing the sword belt from its hook at the end of the bed, the easy weight of a blade on either hip strangely comforting. Feet slid into shoes of soft leather, feeling the cold of the hard stone floor become distant as the arms man slipped from his room.
There was little activity this early in the morning, the majority of the tower residents still fast asleep, safe for the kitchen staff, the guard patrols and perhaps the odd night owl like himself. Talaban ghosted down the corridors, stepping softly through the hallways of the Tower barracks and into the chilly night air of the open yards. Plenty of time for him to run through his morning exercises.
The great bell chimed within the Tower courtyard, signalling the commencement of the Breakfast hour. It sounded distant as Tal found his way into the south range. A sheen of sweat glistened on his skin as the wiry man sank into the lotus position to meditate and wait. He had never particularly liked detaching lessons, although to use the word hate would have been an overstatement. Hopefully, the trainees would be on time.
Tal opened his eyes, just as the bell chimed again distantly. It was a fair sized group that had assembled at the entrance to the range. An even mix of males and females, tall, short, dark and fair, you named it, it was probably present there somewhere in the motley mix of trainees gathered for the lesson. It was one of the Tower’s oddities, turning a motley crew of individuals into some of the finest fighters in the land.
Coming to his feet in a single motion, the arms man motioned them forward and into the range proper. Stopping before the shed which held the lesson stores, Tal turned to address them.
“Good morning. My name is Talaban. I’ve been away from the Tower for a good while, so I expect none of you know anything about me at all. This is a basic archery lesson. For those who know nothing about bows, it’s a good place to start. For those who do know something, well, treat it as a share and tell session mixed with some practice. Feel free to assist any of the others if they seem to be having difficulty,” Tal paused momentarily to take another look at the class.
It really was a good mix of experience. A group of them were looking for the badges on his garments, trying, as it were to size him up with relation to themselves. Hopefully, they did not bother too much about the fact that there were no markings on him. Life would be much easier for everyone if they helped those who needed it rather than waste their time trying to figure out if they were actually ahead of him. Murmurs were starting up as the trainees started to talk among themselves.
“So before we begin, I’d like to know your names, where you’re from and any experience, if any, with the bow. Any sort of bow.”
A burly youth shouldered his way to the front, two badges sewn into either side of his upturned collar. “My name is Swane and I’m from Tear. Fairly good with a short horse bow.”
OOC: Okay, standard drill here. 300 word intro post please. Lesson will continue in about a week’s time and remain open till after part two is posted. Do feel free to email me if you have any queries. Away we go :)
