Basic Training

Quote:

Dismissing the child, Mortimus sneered. Incorrigible. - Excerpt from Inquisitor Evelyn's collection of legendary lives 

A good idea, perhaps the birth of a tradition; that was, to weed out the unfit. Training a Child required time and money, and though they all walk in the Light - it was simply not practical to take any who wanted to be a part of their community without the testing day. Once sworn, the Child of Light could be taken out of the Fortress, but the Fortress would never be taken out of the Child. Evelyn should know this. The inquisitor was an experienced instructor, and qualified since the initation wrapped up well with the first batch. Pleased with the progress of those who decided to enlist, she did not hesitate when the opportunity came to teach again. So on that particular day it had fallen to her again to supervise the initiation.

Months earlier in preparation for this, she had asked the old campaigners for more team activities. There were several she had been eager to try out, including one that Ezekiel suggested. He told her to splice the group into two, pitted against one another to capture an item. However it was the time to learn the basic formation. She did not intend for the routine to be by rote though.

When she was younger her folks asked her to teach the villager's children dancing to supplement their income. What made the children under Evelyn's tutorage acquire better stances than the ones from the Guild turned out to be the ambidexeriousity she required of her pupils. From the basics her charges had to learn their routines not only from memorised point, but from every direction imaginable; often she would switch up the beats to confuse them, and it was not altogether uncommon to hear her demanding instructions: left, right, right, right, left! The children had to help each other figure out how to step in sync. There was one rule above all, and that was to always keep their sticks connected. Finally they put on their production, and lo, each child stepped with a stick in hand resting the end on narrow shoulders as she directed a long flowing ribbon at them. The children split into three great stars, and ringing around her neck was a precise circle. Swoosche - the audible moment her children withdrew the sticks, she had fallen, and she crumpled gracefully to the applause from the villagers.

Under her favourite napping tree, Evelyn saluted the sun as it peeked over the horizon. Ezekiel led a group over, and she could hear their steps, but he stood watching, but did not disturb her until the hour neared. Squinting at the Hand, she acknowledged him with a nod, then peered beyond the man at her latest students. He was smiling, confident and posing for the recruits before turning them over to her. Some looked so green they surely had not seen a lance or known a woman before. Perhaps others looked weak because their stomachs lacked sustenance, and yet some appeared queasy enough to be secretly grateful for empty stomachs. Others wore the smugness of those who had always been physically superior as to subdue the other bullies.

Ignoring the wind, she made the beeline to a fairly buff man with the grizzled look of a guard. Idly she wondered what made the man leave his group, perhaps the demise of a house, those were commonplace. "You think you can beat everybody here one on one? You can fight and win over them perhaps, but you will not win me in an engagement."

"For every mountain there is a higher mountain elsewhere, and physical strength does not reflect upon how strong you are. However good a fighter you'll be there'll always be another stronger. What will lances do against the tainted Aes Sedai in Tar Valon?" She did not call them witches as some of her co-workers would. It was to protect them from their own misled practices, nothing more. "We do not directly engage them, but rather through a variety of skills succeed in denying our enemies. We win together. The friends you make here boys and girls will be the dearest in your life. Work, but do so as a group. Pool your talents and skills, and you will prevail as long as your heart is loyal. One day you will win me in a fight, but there will be no longer need for a fight."

"Today we are gathered for a purpose. Can anybody tell me what it is?"

OOC: Discuss why you joined the COL. Help each other figure out Evelyn's answer. You may write out Evelyn's replies as you deem appropriate.

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Ken walked out of the mess hall and went and stood out in line as sun gleames off my armor i look around* hmmm what a wonderous day *i snaped to attention as Inquisitor Evelyn started talking*

Ignoring the wind, she made the beeline to a fairly buff man with the grizzled look of a guard. Idly she wondered what made the man leave his group, perhaps the demise of a house, those were commonplace. "You think you can beat everybody here one on one? You can fight and win over them perhaps, but you will not win me in an engagement."

"For every mountain there is a higher mountain elsewhere, and physical strength does not reflect upon how strong you are. However good a fighter you'll be there'll always be another stronger. What will lances do against the tainted Aes Sedai in Tar Valon?" She did not call them witches as some of her co-workers would. It was to protect them from their own misled practices, nothing more. "We do not directly engage them, but rather through a variety of skills succeed in denying our enemies. We win together. The friends you make here boys and girls will be the dearest in your life. Work, but do so as a group. Pool your talents and skills, and you will prevail as long as your heart is loyal. One day you will win me in a fight, but there will be no longer need for a fight."

"Today we are gathered for a purpose. Can anybody tell me what it is?"

*when ken steped forward he said in a clear vocie "i joined to rid the world of it is infeastion of darkfriends and stop the dark one at any cost"

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Not wanting to show he was confused Essaul followed the lady with his eyes. She had just lectured one of the other recruits and Essaul watched so he would not be surprised and put on the spot.

Still feeling his way around the fortress he had tried to keep a low profile and just get settled into a routine. Pondering the last question by Evelyn he thought about why he had joined the Children. Adventure. Fighting the Shadow. But expressing it would need more then a few words.

Looking around for the Saldean girl he had noticed when he was getting signed in he pondered his response to the question.

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Evelyn & Ken & Essaul