Sure Words

Elaryl M'Kasa, Written by Becky
Posted on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 11:10 am

“I am Aladis al’Toraine. My mother was a travelling Merchant of Caemlyn and my father a Malkierian Swordsman. This coming nameday will be my 13th with the blade, though I am rough and unpolished. I also have some experience with the Knife and a little with the Bow. I came to the White Tower to fulfil my dreams of one day becoming a Warder. I plan on specializing in the Sword. I stand ready to learn anything and everything you can teach me!” the Trainee stood back and bowed smoothly.

Elaryl nodded to him. It always struck her as strange, the number of students who professed that they were here to become Warders. She had certainly come here for that purpose, but there were always less students than she expected giving that reason for their purpose at the White Tower. This Borderlander also had about as much experience with a sword as she did; there were many students in this class who seemed close in age and experience to herself.

Of course, this experience varied: some students had received formal training, others had learned from guardsmen, others from necessity. Most types of training were a far cry from the kind they would receive at the Tower, and that was where her skill and theirs usually differed; she had the benefit of spending a little under half of her training life under the Warders of the Tower.

In any case, this Trainee certainly looked happy about being here, in a strange way; she had seen him smiling as she described the lesson, even when she had informed the Trainees of how Basic the skills they learned would be. He had no questions, so she nodded to him and learned the last two Trainees’ names, backgrounds, and ambitions. It was time to start.


OOC: Thank you for joining us—you’re not too late, but please have your responses to Parts One and Two posted by Friday, when Part Three will be up. Thanks!

In reply to Reeds for Steel: Introductions and a chance Meeting[show]/[hide]

  Sunlight glistened off his sweat soaked body. Stripped to the waist, his shirt and coat hanging   nearby on a tree branch, the bundled lathes held before him in a ready stance. His mind was blank, devoid of any thought or emotion. He had learned this trick from his Father. The Flame and the Void, it was one of the only tricks he still remembered from his old man.  "A Soldiers trick..." that brought a smile to his face, a feeling that was totally new and alien to the new him. "He told me that on my eight nameday, when he thought me it..." His voice was low, toned only for his own ears. "Who did?" He reacted without thought, spinning, bringing the lathes up for an attack. The crack of lathe against lathe was followed by a soft yelp and a thud. He paused. What type of Assassin yelps? In fact... What type of Assassin alerts his target? He let the Void crash down around him as his mind caught up to his body. He took a step back and slowly looked down, his breath catching in his throat. Oh blood and bloody ashes... Way to go Aladis. "Hey you big jerk... What ya do that for?!" The woman laying sprawled on the ground, staring up at him, looking hurt, was the furthest thing from an Assassin he had ever seen. With long curly blonde hair, soft sky blue eyes and skin the colour of alabaster, she looked more like a Princess than a hardened killer. "Your forgiveness please m'Lady!" he dropped to his knees beside her, looking concerned. Convince her you give a rats ass Aladis. If you fail you could ruin everything! "I get jittery when I train!" he offered her his hand, standing and smiling down at her gently. "You coulda taken my head off!" she pouted prettily and crossed her arms, staring up at him sullenly. "But... You are quite cute," she grinned mischievously, "So... I forgive you!" Her voice was soft and musical, it matched her looks perfectly. "My name is Elenna. And you are?" she took his hand and waited for his help. He took her hand gently and lifted her carefully to her feet, takeing a step back and bowing to her precisely. "Greetings Elenna. Aladis al'Toraine, Trainee of the White Tower of Tar Valon at your service!" He took a second to look her over covertly, noting her perfect hard bodied physique and slight stature with a small grin to himself. Well my my... You are a little beauty! He smiled a little before shaking his head softly to clear it. She did not appear hurt and for that he was thankful. He looked slowly up at her face, his breath catching in his throat once more. She stood there, hands resting on her hips, her eyebrow arched, a small smile on her pale rosebud lips. "Yes Aladis? What are you looking for hmm?" She laughed softly, stepping forward, poking him playfully in the chest, staring up at him with a mock glare. "I am a Trainee NOT a piece of meat you silly man!" "I... I wasn't..." Blood and bloody ashes. She thinks I was LOOKING! "What I mean to say is... I was making sure I had not hurt you Elenna. Please forgive me!" he bowed again, deeper this time. Bloody ashes I don't need THIS either... She could report me! Her laugh was loud and clear, beautiful in its purity. "Silly little Aladis... I know what you were doing. Do not be so serious... I am joking!" she smiled, reaching down, picking up her pack and the bundle of  lathes she had dropped and straightening to look at him again. "You never answered my question by the way. But for now... I have a lesson to attend!" she smiled up at him. "Come with me. You can answer my questions later!" "But... I..." "No! No buts! Aladis you have knocked me over and now you want to hurt my feelings? What kind of man are you?" she stared up at him with mock affront in her eyes. "Okay... Forgive me Elenna. I will indeed come with you!" he smiled, patting her softly on the shoulder before turning and grabbing his pack and clothes. "Yay!" she laughed softly, clapping her hands with glee. "Lets hurry then. But don't think I have forgotten my question!" she turned, shooting him a grin over her shoulder before dashing away.
 
Blood and bloody ashes... What HAVE I gotten myself in to?
 
 He stood in a daze, listening as Elenna, the daughter of an Andoran Noble as it turned out, continued to give him an animated run down of her life so far. He listened politely and nodded where it was needed but for the most part kept silent. He had no idea what to say. He had known women yes, had even loved one or two but... Elenna was very VERY different from any of them. Bloody Light blasted woman IS insane! he thought incredulously. "And THEN when I was 16... OH! Shh! Its starting..." she cut off suddenly as a woman, standing at the front of the yard, wearing two badges of honour, began to speak. He listened intently and began to smile softly from ear to ear. A Sword lesson? Oh he was going to enjoy this immensely. He was young, barely 12 years, but he had spent all those years training and using the blade his father had given him when he was nine. He was young but able. He waited patiently, listening as every man and woman, in turn, introduced themselves and answered the decorated Trainees questions. When it came to his turn he bowed precisely and spoke. "I am Aladis al'Toraine. My mother was a travelling Merchant of Caemlyn and my father a Malkierian Swordsman. This coming nameday will be my 13th with the blade, though I am rough and unpolished. I also have some experience with the Knife and a little with the Bow. I came to the White Tower to fulfil my dreams of one day becoming a Warder. I plan on specializing in the Sword. I stand ready to learn anything and everything you can teach me!" he stood back and bowed smoothly. Every word of it was truth, strange as that was, but vague and incomplete. Just the way the Dark Lord would have liked it!
 OOC: Hope I'm not too late!

Login to post!


Replies to Sure Words