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Post by Crystal on Oct 15, 2004 23:34:43 GMT -5
((Actually, I'm strong in Fire, Air and Spirit. X.x I changed it a little because Water doesn't suit her character.))
She could feel the taint of saidin in the link, and cringed back from it. The coldness overtook her, and flesh knitted itself back together.
He was in turmoil. She could feel it through the bond. And she herself wasn't much better.
She took a deep breath, once it was over, and waved the other boy to come.
"You can sense it if I lie. Very well. My name is Ariena Ilran. I have been at the White Tower for seven years, and I was a wilder - someone with the spark inborn."
She kept back a few other things. He didn't need to know them and they were too personal to tell anyone.
"I was one of the strongest Accepted in the Tower, and only a few weeks away from being raised to the shawl. There was another girl in the Tower. She used to be my friend, when we were both novices, but now she is still novice and I would be full Aes Sedai. She stole a Gaidin's cloak - Light only knows how - and told me that if I didn't stay Accepted, she'd accuse me of stealing it. I used to be one of the worst - and she was one of those who never did anything wrong. They'd believe her."
She trailed off. It sounded so childish and superficial now. How to explain the web she had been caught in?
"At any rate, I didn't. I wanted to become Aes Sedai. So she did what she said she'd do. She went to them and accused me. I found the cloak hidden in my room, along with other valuables that had long been missed by other Aes Sedai. An angreal among them. They found them too. I knew the penalties - they would throw me from the Tower and there was evidence enough that they'd never believe me. I ran away that night and took with me everything I could."
She fingered the angreal that dangled on a silver chain about her neck. It was a figurine of an odd shape, with a small hole through it where she had threaded the chain. The ring of an Accepted hung alongside it.
"That's all," she concluded numbly. No use letting him know of her father's death. "I lost almost everything in the Erinin. Now I'm here, and while you're at it, could I have some of that hare? I'm starving." She helped herself to some without waiting for an answer. It was undercooked, but still something.
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Post by TK on Oct 15, 2004 23:50:29 GMT -5
"You're telling the truth..." Leun muttered, and he nodded. He could sense withheld information, though he did not press her. Her own personal secrets were her business, and she had a right to them. It seemed as if her causes were aligned with his own. She was not an enemy, then, but an ally.
Gesturing over to where al'Taren stood, he said, "This is Braendar al'Taren, who..." Al'Taren's secrets would not be revealed by himself. If al'Taren wished it, he would reveal them himself. "...was wrongly jailed in the White Tower. He cannot channel. We were captives there together, for I was about to be gentled by the Hall. We escaped and fled to here. We've decided to head to Shandalle for now. Oh, and I'm Leun Darakh, by the way. I think I sort of dropped the roasted hare on the ground when I lunged at you, but al'Taren just came back from hunting, though, you can ask him." His mouth curved into the first genuine grin he had worn in days.
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Post by Crystal on Oct 16, 2004 0:07:39 GMT -5
The grin erased the signs of age from his face. She was a little surprised by that. She'd thought nothing could break that constant hard frowning mask. She re-evaluated her estimate of his age yet again. It was something of a habit with her, the curiousity about other people's ages. Perhaps a year older than her, if that. With the hard wrinkles smoothed out, he WAS surprisingly good-looking after all. Ariena grinned back, surprising even herself. Then the half-frown, half-mask fell again and with it the years. Light, stop thinking like that, she chided herself. You're as bad as a bloody Green! That didn't help much. She HAD been going to choose Green Ajah, after all. ((Doggone it, TK. I have evil tabloid notions now. It's all your fault.  ))"Shandalle sounds fine to me." Light, anywhere away from the White Tower sounded good, even if she was traveling with two men she hardly knew, one of whom had tried to kill her. She glanced at al'Taren, and her eyes widened as she looked at him carefully for the first time. "Your eyes are golden! You're a Wolfbrother?" Her father's had been the same - she'd grown up with the wolves and they had been the ones who taught her the hunt and tracking of prey. She couldn't remember what her father had said they called her. Something to do with a cat. No... a kitten. She clearly remembered her father laughing when he told her that. That had been before the madness took him and they sent her to the White Tower. She'd never seen him again. |
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Post by irishdragonlord on Oct 16, 2004 8:35:24 GMT -5
The grin erased the signs of age from his face. She was a little surprised by that. She'd thought nothing could break that constant hard frowning mask. She re-evaluated her estimate of his age yet again. It was something of a habit with her, the curiousity about other people's ages. Perhaps a year older than her, if that. With the hard wrinkles smoothed out, he WAS surprisingly good-looking after all. Ariena grinned back, surprising even herself. Then the half-frown, half-mask fell again and with it the years. Light, stop thinking like that, she chided herself. You're as bad as a bloody Green! That didn't help much. She HAD been going to choose Green Ajah, after all. ((Doggone it, TK. I have evil tabloid notions now. It's all your fault. ))"Shandalle sounds fine to me." Light, anywhere away from the White Tower sounded good, even if she was traveling with two men she hardly knew, one of whom had tried to kill her. She glanced at al'Taren, and her eyes widened as she looked at him carefully for the first time. "Your eyes are golden! You're a Wolfbrother?" Her father's had been the same - she'd grown up with the wolves and they had been the ones who taught her the hunt and tracking of prey. She couldn't remember what her father had said they called her. Something to do with a cat. No... a kitten. She clearly remembered her father laughing when he told her that. That had been before the madness took him and they sent her to the White Tower. She'd never seen him again. The entire time Braendar's mind had been a blend of what-under-the-Light happened here - the two muttered some One Power things about 'linking' and kinda just looked at each other the whole time... using the One Power and he couldn't tell?! This was awful, what would... The girl - Ariena - ate his hare. ?! Braendar's mind, however, froze back into icy resoluteness when he heard Wolfbrother. He almost lunged at her then - he had no idea why, but something told him too - but he held back. "...wait...? You know what a Wolfbrother is?! How... what...?!" Braendar stopped before he began spouting gibberish, which he almost was already. He didn't know whether to run or dance for joy. Someone knew what on earth he was! He made a mental note to give Aes Sedai a second chance. |
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Post by TK on Oct 16, 2004 9:36:23 GMT -5
((I don't think Ariena actually SAID that her father was a Wolfbrother, she only thought it... Braendar shouldn't be able to know.))
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Post by irishdragonlord on Oct 16, 2004 9:51:12 GMT -5
((I don't think Ariena actually SAID that her father was a Wolfbrother, she only thought it... Braendar shouldn't be able to know.)) ((Quote: "You're eyes are golden! You're a Wolfbrother?" What she didnt say was what happened to her father.)) |
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Post by Crystal on Oct 16, 2004 9:53:38 GMT -5
((IDL, I never -said- anything about my father being a wolfbrother. How did you read my mind? X.x))
Ariena's eyes were haunted. "My father was a Wolfbrother. He used to be a hunter, and he had those eyes... we moved around a lot. I used to play with the wolves we met. They thought I was his cub. Then the White Tower found me - and my father settled down near Tar Valon. I saw him once or twice."
"And?" Braendar asked. (sorry for god-moding)
"He died," she said flatly. "He held the madness off for years, but they said in the end he became fully wolf. One night he knocked over a candle and died when the hut burnt to the ground." She held in the tears. "I only found out... just after I ran away. I went to his house and..."
She choked, blinking hard, and turned away. "Look, just leave me alone, alright? I don't wanna talk about it."
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Post by TK on Oct 16, 2004 10:03:09 GMT -5
In the back of his mind where the bond lurked, Leun could feel pangs of remorse. Light... Leun thought. His own parents had cast him out of the village when they learned he could channel, but perhaps that was the better way. They were already dead to him now, but he had long been at peace with it - poor Ariena.
"How about we just get some sleep?" Leun murmured. He weaved the One Power, and the Fire grew with a sudden rush. They'd all be warm tonight.
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Post by Crystal on Oct 16, 2004 10:08:06 GMT -5
Ariena threw him a grateful look. She felt sympathy run across the bond, and for once she welcomed it.
She curled up on the ground beside the fire, wrapping her cloak around her body, trying to push the thoughts away.
Once she was sure they were asleep, she stumbled away, into the woods, and cried. The shock had buffered her, from the day she'd been told of her father's death, and she'd locked it all inside. Now it all burst out again, the shock and grief. She wove Spirit, drove Leun into a deeper sleep so he wouldn't feel it. At the very least she wouldn't disturb him.
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Post by irishdragonlord on Oct 16, 2004 11:31:04 GMT -5
((IDL, I never -said- anything about my father being a wolfbrother. How did you read my mind? X.x)) Ariena's eyes were haunted. "My father was a Wolfbrother. He used to be a hunter, and he had those eyes... we moved around a lot. I used to play with the wolves we met. They thought I was his cub. Then the White Tower found me - and my father settled down near Tar Valon. I saw him once or twice." "And?" Braendar asked. (sorry for god-moding) "He died," she said flatly. "He held the madness off for years, but they said in the end he became fully wolf. One night he knocked over a candle and died when the hut burnt to the ground." She held in the tears. "I only found out... just after I ran away. I went to his house and..." She choked, blinking hard, and turned away. "Look, just leave me alone, alright? I don't wanna talk about it." ((!!! Sorry!!!  heh heh... ^-^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; I'll delete the 'where's your father' part ^_^)) Braendar was silent. He nodded dumbly, and went to bed. He woke up in the night, listening to a crying sound. He called himself a light-blinded fool for being so blunt and went to Ariena in the woods, watching her for a minute until she seemed able to listen and articulate coherently. "Um... listen. I really need to talk to you. Really." He drew a deep breath. "Look... about your dad. My parents are dead, too. Both of them. They were killed by the Black Fever. And I was exiled from my land. I'm a noble's son, and because I ran with wolves, they exiled me as a man who could channel, so I ran away." He didn't bother to mention that special honor that ran in his House, that the Captain - burn him! - himself had known, and still he had... "I know how you feel. But there's still that matter of talking." He sat down on his haunches. "I need to know about your father. I know about the madness - if you enjoy being a wolf too much, or refuse to let the wolf go when it becomes part of you... a little more of you leaves. I don't know how I know it, but I do. The wolves don't like it - they say it's not supposed to work like that. But I want - need - to know when and how your father gave up. Anything. Anything about how he held it off or how he began to give up. Anything at all." He didn't bother to add he needed reassurance that he wouldn't end up the same. |
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Post by irishdragonlord on Oct 16, 2004 11:32:02 GMT -5
((fixed my other post))
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Post by Crystal on Oct 16, 2004 12:08:35 GMT -5
Ariena choked back her crying and wiped her face fiercely with one hand. She wouldn't look at him - her voice became flat, deadpan, as if reciting history.
"He held it off because of me. He didn't want to give me up. I hunted with him and the wolves until I was about eleven or twelve." She paused. "I learnt their language without the link - there are certain indications, the ears and the motions, until I could, if not understand completely, at least sort of grasp the general gist of it. He said they called me... Black Kitten? I can't remember properly. It was something to do with my colouring." She pulled on a few strands of dark hair absently.
"My father fought it off until I left. He fought since he was a boy. At first he didn't want to become a wolf. Then for my mother. And then for me. He became a hunter - it was the closest he could get to it and still remain human - and he taught me how as well. We moved around a lot until we reached this region. I think I was originally from Indrahar or something."
She swallowed the lump and continued on in that same emotionless voice. "I was a wilder of unusual strength. It wasn't long before the Aes Sedai found me and took me to the White Tower. My father wished me the best, but after that - he just gave up. He didn't want to move anymore, just settled down in a little village not far from Tar Valon. He became more and more wolflike everytime I visited him. Until he finally went totally mad. I begged Freiden Sedai - one of my teachers - to help him, but she said she couldn't. She didn't know anything. I went to his house after I ran away. He'd toppled a candle and..." she shrugged, pulling the mask of ice and calm over her face again.
"I'm only telling you this because you're a Wolfbrother as well. Light, if you tell anyone else, I swear I'll pluck out what beard you have hair by hair." She fixed him with a glare, then rose and walked back to her spot, where Leun was still dozing.
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Post by irishdragonlord on Oct 16, 2004 12:12:50 GMT -5
Ariena choked back her crying and wiped her face fiercely with one hand. Her voice became flat, deadpan, as if reciting history. "He held it off because of me. He didn't want to give me up. I hunted with him and the wolves until I was about eleven or twelve." She paused. "I learnt their language without the link - there are certain indications, the ears and the motions, until I could, if not understand completely, at least sort of grasp the general gist of it. He said they called me... Black Kitten? I can't remember properly. It was something to do with my colouring." She pulled on a few strands of dark hair absently. "My father fought it off until I left. He fought since he was a boy. At first he didn't want to become a wolf. Then for my mother. And then for me. He became a hunter - it was the closest he could get to it and still remain human - and he taught me how as well. We moved around a lot until we reached this region. I think I was originally from Indrahar or something." She swallowed the lump and continued on in that same emotionless voice. "I was a wilder of unusual strength. It wasn't long before the Aes Sedai found me and took me to the White Tower. My father wished me the best, but after that - he just gave up. He didn't want to move anymore, just settled down in a little village not far from Tar Valon. He became more and more wolflike everytime I visited him. Until he finally went totally mad. I begged Freiden Sedai - one of my teachers - to help him, but she said she couldn't. She didn't know anything. I went to his house after I ran away. He'd toppled a candle and..." she shrugged, pulling the mask of ice and calm over her face again. "I'm only telling you this because you're a Wolfbrother as well. Light, if you tell anyone else, I swear I'll pluck out what beard you have hair by hair." She fixed him with a glare, then rose and walked back to her spot, where Leun was still dozing. Braendar stayed where he was, mulling it over in his head. And, of course, Ariena would rip his hair out if he went back, probably if he spoke or not. He lay back, thinking. So, he wasn't that far gone. He didn't want to be a wolf, as Ariena's father probably had. He liked his humanity too much for that. He just couldn't enjoy the being a wolf too much. Lying on the ground, he fell asleep with his back on the dirt, his mind still pondering. |
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Post by irishdragonlord on Oct 16, 2004 12:29:21 GMT -5
He was in the dream again.
His axe was buckled tightly on his back - oh, how he missed knowing he had guaranteed protection - and his small swords were on his thighs.
Rockfur was sitting, staring at him.
Brother is unhappy. Brother is afraid. Brother is... Rockfur looked puzzled, before saying ...is indignant. He seemed satisfied with that.
Rockfur turned away. Brother will follow. It was a command.
Braendar walked after him. He wasn't in the forest now - he seemed to be walking on some mountains. Fog covered mountains.
The world became a blur as he followed Rockfur, who was now leaping from mountain to mountain. Three strides, a forest, two more, white oblivion, and after four more strides...
They were in a valley in the mountains, staring at a door covered in what seemed to be vines and leaves frozen alive in stone. Rockfur turned to face Braendar and stared him in the eye.
Now, Brother, you see what it is. Soon, you will see what it was.
Braendar stared around, looking. There was nothing but that door and dirt in the valley. Nothing.
And then there was a whole lot more thant nothing.
An awe-inspiring city stood there. The door was in a large, ornate wall now, with a huge palace in the middle of the city. Nothing stirred - Braendar didn't expect anything too, he'd been to Cairhien once in his dreams and not a sould had stirred - but the city looked... alive.
The forest and mountains were the same, so Braendar knew they hadn't left. But what...?
This is the Brother's... ancestral... home? It wasn't really a question, more of an uncertain confirmation.
This is the place of the Eagle that Spears the Dark.
Then it hit home.
"Manetheren," he gasped. This place was ages gone! Destroyed completely! How under the Light had he got here?!
Brother is confused.
Braendar whirled to stare at the wolf. "How did you do it?! You've brought Manetheren back!"
Rockfur sent an image of a very silly wolfpup. This is the dream. A dream in the dream. This place gone in real hunt, but here, in the dream dream, it is still.
Braendar got everything up to the word "this". He decided to forget it - wolves were incomprehensible at times - and stare at the city.
A large statue that he hadn't noticed before stood in front of the palace, in a large square.
Rockfur followed him up to it.
Here is the Eagle. Here is... Rockfur struggled again, searching for the two-leg word. He is... Aemon.
Braendar's mouth fell open.
Aemon great-great-great-great-great sire's brother.
Braendar stood there dumbly. It was true, his right name was not al'Taren- it was al'Tairen al'Carai an Caldazar, the Talon of the Red Eagle. His House was directly descenced from the blood of Manetheren, but of course, that had meant next to nothing in Shandalle. But it still carried immense honor.
Now that Rockfur said Aemon had been his great-somethingth uncle, it hit him very, very hard.
Braendar turned and left. The anger inside at his exile welled to knew heights. Rockfur watched him go and left, knowing better than to stay.
Braendar went back to the normal dreams and had anger and hate boil inside him until dawn, where he woke, not rested in the least.
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Post by TK on Oct 16, 2004 15:50:08 GMT -5
Leun was awoken to glimmers of light, just as the sun worked its way past the trees. Immediately, he could feel within the bond with Ariena, feel a sense of sadness, of remorse. She had been weeping. Leun felt a pang of guilt. It was a Warder's duty to protect the one to which he was bonded, and she had been weeping... Why had I not awoken? he thought to himself miserably. It was not a formal bond, but Leun felt that the duty still remained. Maybe there'd be some time to day to mention it to her and apologise.
Ariena and al'Taren were already awake by now, though they both seemed tired. He had not had anything to eat but a hare the last night, though his appetite had been satiated, and still was. That was a token of being a Warder - he could go long times without food and rest.
Shandalle, he thought to himself. He did not know what he would be doing there, but he did not care. It was halfway across the world between the Aryth and the Waste from his home, and he preferred it that way. He truly did feel sorry for Ariena, but really, now that he had time to dwell on it... he would rather his family had keeled over dead than them betraying him on a whim.
"I think we should get started early," Leun muttered, just loud enough for them to hear. It seemed like spirits would be at a low for the entire day.
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))
heh heh... ^-^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; I'll delete the 'where's your father' part ^_^))