A Snowy Evening in Tar Valon ---&RPawadr

...for in character discussions, contributions and Wheel of Time themed stories.
jeb
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2022 3:35 pm

A Snowy Evening in Tar Valon ---&RPawadr

Post by jeb » Mon Jan 23, 2023 1:55 pm

Ely edit Feb 10 2023:

1-6 qps, depending on length and quality.

Rplizer +1 qps : x
Extra meticulous edit +1 qps : o
Length bonus +1-2 qps : o
Part of a series +1 qps: o

Summary: +1 qps : x

Total: 3 qps, Sarenna also awarded

****************************************************

Summary: two novices in their respective fields come together and talk of optimistic views of what the future holds while reflecting on hardships of a past life.

Sarenna and Jeb
Main character: sarenna
POV: Jeb

The Warders' Practice Yard
A large expanse of bare ground at least fifty paces across and nearly twice
as long stretches forth, its earth beaten hard. At intervals around it
under the trees stand wooden stands holding quarterstaffs and practice
swords made of strips of wood bound loosely together, and a few real swords
and axes and spears. A large gray stone building lies to the east, home to
the warder students and those warders who are not sharing quarters with
their Aes Sedai in the main Tower structure itself.

A sign hangs on the wall.
[ obvious exits: N E S W ]
A dirk is lying here on the ground.
A fine-grained oilstone lies upon the ground.
A hide pack, fashioned to hang from a belt, collects dust here.
A water skin made from dried human flesh lies here.
A thick, leather backpack lies abandoned here.
A soft leather pouch has been discarded here.
A small purse is here. [2]
An iron lantern hangs from the wall above the gate.
A weapon rack stands on the ground here, ready to store weapons.
Some elaborate figurines spew fresh water into a broad basin here.
Sarenna the Wearied Novice is resting here.
A shaggy brown mare stands here.
A gray palfrey prances skittishly nearby.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A grim storyteller reads from a journal.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
Coulin the Master of Arms is here teaching his students.
A gray haired weaponsmaster stands nearby.

Sarenna looks at Jeb.

Jeb enters the room, a little sweaty and looking travel worn.

Sarenna waves hello to Jeb.

rack (here) :
a dusty key
a large wood and metal key
an elegantly carved key
an ethereal key
a well-worn ornate key
the gatekey of Baerlon
a heavy axe with a dark, serrated blade
[2] a plate of pickled quail eggs
a plate of hot stew with some bread
a plate of roast beef and jacket potatoes
a plate of roast potatoes and turnips
a plate of roast beef and jacket potatoes
a plate of roast potatoes and turnips
a plate of roast lamb with apple jelly
a plate of kippered eel

She's five-and-a-half feet tall, and
slightly plump, with reddish-brown hair
and brown eyes. Her skin is lightly
tanned, and there is a smattering of
freckles across her nose. Her full
lips are often curved in a smile.

Sarenna is in excellent condition.

<worn on body> a plain white dress

Sarenna says 'Hello there.'

Jeb says 'Hello, how are you?'

Jeb says 'I don't see many of those dresses. Are you a novice?'

Sarenna says 'Oh, I'm well, thank you. I was just preparing some meals for the Gaidin.'

Jeb emote: Jeb looks around hungrily.

Sarenna says 'Yes, I am.'

Jeb says 'I also saw the food in the Tower Square. Did you cook all that?'

Sarenna says 'In the rack, help yourself.'

Sarenna says 'Yes, I did.'

Jeb whistles appreciatively.

Jeb says 'That's a lot of cooking.'

Sarenna chuckles politely.

Sarenna says 'Do you know what Aes Sedai translates to, from the Old Tongue?'

The snow stops.

Jeb opens his mantle a little as the snow stops.

Jeb says 'Hmm.'

Jeb says 'I don't know it, but I don't speak any other languag.e'

Sarenna says 'Servants of All. Well, as a Novice, you begin to learn the meaning of that phrase. Cooking, cleaning, dishes, and any other work they need you to do.'

Jeb says 'What does it translate to?'

Sarenna smiles happily.

Jeb emote: Jeb looks gravely.

Jeb says 'It is strange that the duties you speak of are the most important.'

Jeb is carrying:
a plate with bread and green veined cheese
a dirty rock
[5] an apple

Jeb puts an apple in a weapon rack.
Jeb puts an apple in a weapon rack.
Jeb puts an apple in a weapon rack.
Jeb puts an apple in a weapon rack.
Jeb puts an apple in a weapon rack.

Sarenna says 'Perhaps not the most important, but not the least, either.'

Jeb says 'I even carry around apples that I may eat when I want.'

Jeb shakes his head at her.

Sarenna smiles happily.

Jeb says 'It is food or death sometimes.'

Sarenna nods in agreement.

Jeb seems very serious about this.

Sarenna says 'That is true.'

Jeb says 'I guess it is not very often'

Jeb says 'food or cleaning.'

Sarenna nods in agreement.

Jeb says 'is there a lot of cleaning to do for novices in the White Tower?'

Jeb says 'I have not traveled the Tower grounds. I come here sometimes to train.'

The Warders' Practice Yard
A large expanse of bare ground at least fifty paces across and nearly twice
as long stretches forth, its earth beaten hard. At intervals around it
under the trees stand wooden stands holding quarterstaffs and practice
swords made of strips of wood bound loosely together, and a few real swords
and axes and spears. A large gray stone building lies to the east, home to
the warder students and those warders who are not sharing quarters with
their Aes Sedai in the main Tower structure itself.

A sign hangs on the wall.
[ obvious exits: N E S W ]
A dirk is lying here on the ground.
A fine-grained oilstone lies upon the ground.
A hide pack, fashioned to hang from a belt, collects dust here.
A water skin made from dried human flesh lies here.
A thick, leather backpack lies abandoned here.
A soft leather pouch has been discarded here.
A small purse is here. [2]
An iron lantern hangs from the wall above the gate.
A weapon rack stands on the ground here, ready to store weapons.
Some elaborate figurines spew fresh water into a broad basin here.
Sarenna the Wearied Novice is resting here.
A shaggy brown mare stands here.
A gray palfrey prances skittishly nearby.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A grim storyteller reads from a journal.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
Coulin the Master of Arms is here teaching his students.
A gray haired weaponsmaster stands nearby.

Sarenna says 'There is. Nothing is ever quite clean enough, especially if it looks like you don't have work to do.'

Jeb stretches out, pulling one arm after another, and then tilting toward his legs.

Sarenna chuckles politely.

Jeb says 'My ma always made me clean. Seemed like she made messes to test my obedience.'

Sarenna says 'But in exchange, we get room and board, we get to learn from the Sisters and use the library, and we are trained to safely channel Saidar. So, it's worth it and then some, to me.'

Jeb frowns at this memory, still leaning toward his toes in a stretch.

Jeb says 'That is a lot of freedom for such small work.'

Jeb says 'Where are you from, though, that you are so mindful of it?'

Jeb says 'I have traveled a bit and not everyone hears Aes Sedai and thinks servant or gets excited about books.'

Jeb looks pensively after finishing his last words.

Jeb says 'Few get excited about books, really.'

Jeb says 'They are heavy and hard.'

Jeb rubs the back of his neck as if reliving a memory.

Sarenna says 'I'm from a farm a bit west of Whitebridge. And I like books, because when I was young I didn't have the option to read them much. We couldn't afford many.'

Jeb says 'I bet you did a lot harder work then just cleaning back then.'

Sarenna nods in agreement.

Jeb says 'Books aren't very useful tools on a farm.'

Jeb nods at her.

Jeb says 'Even with the money for it, most farmers do not buy books.'

Sarenna says 'Up at dawn, or earlier, every day. Eggs, milking, mucking stalls, changing hay, mending clothes, cooking, cleaning... the list goes on.'

Jeb is carrying:
a plate with bread and green veined cheese
a dirty rock

Sarenna smiles happily.

Jeb puts a plate with bread and green veined cheese in a backpack.

Jeb emote: Jeb discards a dirty rock.

Jeb drops a dirty rock.

Jeb says 'Most boys I knew could stop working after they finished on the farm.'

Jeb emote: Jeb fidgets a bit.

Jeb says 'Sounds like you didn't.'

Sarenna shakes her head. "No. There were things to do from the time I woke until I went back to bed. I only stopped for meals."

Jeb says 'And now you have more freedom. Are you aiming to do something with it?'

The Warders' Practice Yard
A large expanse of bare ground at least fifty paces across and nearly twice
as long stretches forth, its earth beaten hard. At intervals around it
under the trees stand wooden stands holding quarterstaffs and practice
swords made of strips of wood bound loosely together, and a few real swords
and axes and spears. A large gray stone building lies to the east, home to
the warder students and those warders who are not sharing quarters with
their Aes Sedai in the main Tower structure itself.

A sign hangs on the wall.
[ obvious exits: N E S W ]
A dirty rock lies here.
A dirk is lying here on the ground.
A fine-grained oilstone lies upon the ground.
A hide pack, fashioned to hang from a belt, collects dust here.
A water skin made from dried human flesh lies here.
A thick, leather backpack lies abandoned here.
A soft leather pouch has been discarded here.
A small purse is here. [2]
An iron lantern hangs from the wall above the gate.
A weapon rack stands on the ground here, ready to store weapons.
Some elaborate figurines spew fresh water into a broad basin here.
Sarenna the Wearied Novice is resting here.
A shaggy brown mare stands here.
A gray palfrey prances skittishly nearby.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A grim storyteller reads from a journal.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
A warder's student stands here catching his breath.
Coulin the Master of Arms is here teaching his students.
A gray haired weaponsmaster stands nearby.

The White Tower is bathed in a reddish orange light as the sun sets.

Jeb emote: Jeb does a few sets of repetitions of standing on his tippy toes and then flattening his feet.

The night has begun.

Sarenna says 'Yes. I want to learn and grow, in different ways. History, in particular, fascinates me. But we have classes on symbolic logic, mathematics, healing, nature, tactics and strategy, how to
combat Darkfriends and Shadowspawn... and so much more.'

It starts to snow.

Jeb looks up at all the snow as it falls, settling on the fountain.

Jeb says 'With so many options how do you find what you want?'

Sarenna says 'By listening to your heart, and going where it leads.'

Jeb continues to fidget a little bit, and pulls his mantle close.

Jeb nods gravely.

Jeb says 'I am here because I am looking for a role in the martial world.'

Jeb says 'At each step that means more than it did when I started.'

Sarenna says 'You wish to train with the Gaidin?'

Jeb smiles proudly.

Jeb says 'I am an Apprentice to a Gaidin.'

Jeb says 'This means I train with the Gaidin.'

Sarenna smiles happily.

Jeb stretches and his stretches are clearly more exagerated now.

Jeb says 'But it does mean more.'

Sarenna says 'That's great! I am sorry, I did not know. May I ask which?'

Jeb says 'I am apprenticed by Reil Gaidin.'

Sarenna nods in agreement.

Jeb says 'I'll have you know it wasn't an easy feat to gain an apprenticeship.'

Jeb says 'So when you say follow your heart.'

Sarenna says 'I have not met Reil Gaidin. And I am sure it was not. At some point, I will have to convince a Sister to take me on as an apprentice, too.'

Jeb says 'I was persistent, but just looking for work, and now I think I am following my heart, maybe.'

Sarenna smiles happily.

Jeb says 'But, I also just want a job and there is always food well-cooked in Tar Valon, so I imagine it is better than most cities.'

Sarenna says 'Well, that's wonderful. I believe that if you always do that, you'll be successful, no matter what.'

Jeb says 'You mentioned history. I think that the Brown Ajah focuses on history. Are you hoping to apprentice with the Brown Ajah?'

Sarenna says 'Well, I need to get back to some other work. Stay safe, and I am sure I will see you around. '

Jeb says 'Thank you Sarenna.'

Jeb says 'I hope to see you more'

Sarenna says 'Anytime. Light protect you.'

Sarenna smiles happily.

Sarenna waves.

Jeb says 'and hear about how your journey is going'

Jeb says 'good luck following your heart.'

Jeb waves.

Sarenna stops resting, and clambers on her feet.

The Fal Dara alarm horn sounds loudly.

Sarenna says 'Thank you. You as well.'

Sarenna leaves west.

Jeb looks north to the sound of the alarm and heads out for another tour of the borderlands.