OOC: Read my bio, or you won't get this at all.

 

IC: Ze'el had stayed in his hometown for a month after murdering his parents, he spent all of his time in his rooms (graciously donated by a friend of his late parents). The townsfolk thought that he had been in mourning, but he was not. He had been forced to burn down his house, for he wanted to leave no evidence of his crime. Unfortunately, this meant that all of the dresses he made had been destroyed as well. He had spent the entire month making new dresses, so that he could make enough money to get to Tear and the Amnesity. Normally, he would make about ten dresses in one month, however before he was completely bored and unmotivated, and now he was excited and had something to look forward to. With his new motivation, Ze'el made eighteen dresses.

 

After the month was up, he went to the villagers and stated solemnly that he realized it was his duty to spread the light to the entire world, and with their blessings (and donations like a horse and supplies) he left for Tear. He wanted to learn all about this Amnesity and the men who could do what only Witches could do. He had grown up being told that the Dragon was the Dark One's servant and all channelers were pure evil, but that didn't bother him. After all, if they knew what he had done they would call him evil as well. He rode through Altara, selling his dresses, and found to his delight that they sold well. He made much more money now that he didn't have to cut the prices severely for the White Cloaks.

 

Of course, he inquired about the Dragon Reborn, and the Black Tower (he had learned the name from a nameless traveller) and found that there was more to the Black Tower than he thought. About half the people in Altara agreed that the Dragon was for the Light (although they still feared and disaproved of him) and the other half called him a Darkfriend. As he made his way into Illian, Ze'el found that most of the people declared the Dragon Light, and that the Black Tower served the Light (although they agreed that the Black Tower was dangerous and didn't generally want to be associated with them). Intruiged, Ze'el continued on to Tear, and by the time he made it to the city Tear, he was convinced that the Dragon Reborn was at least openly for the Light, if not wholly for the Light.

 

This meant a change in plans. Before, Ze'el was planning to go to the Tower as himself, because of course a bunch of Darkfriends wouldn't mind a fellow guiltless murderer, but this changed things. He decided to stay in Tear and not go to the Tower, but after two months realized how boring it was. Sure, Tear was more exciting than his small village, but he still had to be Kassian there, and he still made dresses. While he made a good amount of money, he was really bored. He decided that if he had to pretend to be Kassian anyway, he might as well go and learn how to channel, because that had to be more interesting than making dresses.

 

So, Ze'el wove a tale about his parents being killed by darkfriends and wanting to serve the Light as a channeler. He decided that the best way not to be descovered was to continue to be Kassian. After all, he knew the role of Kassian well, playing the part for his entire life. So with Kassian's shaky hands, Ze'el (for he would continue to refer to himself in his mind as his true self) walked through the shimmering silver doorway.

Arath leaned against the wall outside his home, enjoying a rare moment to himself.  He would have to go teach another class soon enough, and he needed a moment to unwind from the already tiresome day.  He couldn't remember being so . . . wool headed . . . as a new soldier.  Not that that had been so long ago, but it still seemed an age. 

 

From the shade of the wall Arath had a clear view of the traveling grounds.  There was a fairly constant flow of traffic through the area, from recruiting parties going out, to supply wagons coming in.  Soon enough the recruiting parties would be coming back and he would spend an afternoon sorting through new Soldiers and making sure they were situated.  But for now, he had a few minutes on his -

 

A small group emerging from a new gateway caused him to grimace.  A plain clothed man followed behind one of the Asha'man, looking startled by the gateway and crouching even though the top of the gateway easily cleared his head.  A common first reaction to Traveling.  Arath suppressed a sigh as they immediately started toward him.  So much for his free time.

 

Straightening up, Arath watched as the pair approached.  "Sir," said the Asha'man, saluting fist to heart, "This the first one of the day?"

 

Arath nodded.  "I'll take it from here."  Motioning the new man to follow, Arath walked inside.  "What is your name soldier?  Where are you from?"

Ze'el looked at his surroundings interestedly. Oh his first step through the Yards, he could see that he would not be bored here. There were plenty of people, some were tall, some were short, some were fat and some were thin (although most of them were thin). One thing that almost all of the men had in common though was that they all wore black coats. It was rather chilly this time of year, but obviously it was some sort of uniform. Ze'el was misled into thinking that some freedom of dress was allowed when he saw that some men had pins on their collars; however, he soon noticed that the pins were all identical, and that there was a pattern to them.

 

Some men wore regular clothes, and obviously they couldn't channel, and of those in black coats there was a system of how they wore pins. Some men had no pins, some had a silver sword, and some had a silver sword and a gold dragon. It seemed to denote rank, for it made sense in the progression- first no pins then one, then two. The man leading him was of the highest rank that he had seen so far- having both the Sword and the Dragon. Ze'el was soon led to another man, and his escort saluted. Obviously this new man was above even those with the Dragon.

 

He was quickly handed off to the new man and couldn't help but notice how rude the man was, demanding his name before giving his own. "I-I am Kassian Loreen sir, from Amadacia." Ze'el had travelled for a while before reaching the Amnesity, and he knew that Amadacians weren't welcomed warmly by people of other countries. He wondered what this man's reaction would be.

 

Kassian "Ze'el" Loreen

Not that devious right now

Arath nodded as he led Kassian to his office.  "I'm Attack Leader Faringal, the officer in charge of your training here at the Farm.  I will oversee your training and make sure you don't kill yourself.  I may not personally see to your training but I keep a close eye on you.

 

"Amadacia huh?  I don't believe we have any soldiers from there.  None that are still with us anyway.  I imagine that the Whitecloaks stiffle any rumors of the amnesty the moment they spring up."  That might explain why he seems so nervous too, he thought. 

 

Arath pushed open his office door with a flow of air and motioned the new recruit through.  Settling himself behind his desk he rummaged around for his pen to add Kassian Loreen to the role book.  "So what did you do before you came here?  Any military background?  And what kind of useful skills do you posess?"

Ze'el looked around the Farm curiously as he was led to the other man's office. The place was a hive of activity, people were running around and more importantly... channeling. He could see men fighting with swords of fire, men destroying the ground explosively and men lifting things without touching them. He was almost disapointed when he was led into the closed office, but he knew that he would have plenty of time to observe them... and do such feats himself.

 

"I'm Attack Leader Faringal, the officer in charge of your training here at the Farm.  I will oversee your training and make sure you don't kill yourself.  I may not personally see to your training but I keep a close eye on you.

 

"Amadacia huh?  I don't believe we have any soldiers from there.  None that are still with us anyway.  I imagine that the Whitecloaks stiffle any rumors of the amnesty the moment they spring up."

 

Ze'el nodded at the tirade of words, and picked out the important parts. He was right about this man being higher than the others, umong other things. It was unfortunate that this man would be overseeing his training, because Ze'el would much prefer to be left alone; he couldn't afford for this man to be too attentive. The up side to that was that if he made a strong impression on this man, then it would be much easier to get along in the Black Tower. The part about not having any soldiers from Amadacia was a very good thing, it meant that no one could recognize him, and if they somehow managed to prove that he had murdered his parents, no one could reach him here.

 

"So what did you do before you came here?  Any military background?  And what kind of useful skills do you posess?"

 

Hm, hopefully he wouldn't have to be too impressive... Ze'el decided to stick to the truth as much as possible, for this man might detect a lie. "I-I'm afraid that I don't have any military background. I lived in a village near Amador and my father was a dressmaker. He always wanted me to join the Children, but because of my shaky hands," Ze'el lifted his hands so that the Attack Leader could see, "I was rejected. Eventually I took up dressmaking, and the Light willing my hands would stop shaking only to stitch and weave.

 

"Almost four months ago, a man murdered my parents..." Ze'el cast his eyes downward, as if in sorrow. He knew that the eyes were the hardest part of the body to fake emotion in. He could manage to make his eyes show a little sadness, but he didn't want to risk anything. "I mourned for a month, but then realized that I had to spread the Light to the world, so that no one would ever feel the pain I did- surely the murderer must have been a darkfriend.

 

"I made my way west, going through Altara and Illian, selling dresses, before finally getting to Tear. Throughout my journey, I had been hearing of the Dragon Reborn and the Amnesity... at first I was skeptical, of course, but after a while I decided to see for myself. I spent a time in the city, and finally concluded that the Black Tower, despite the name, actually served the Light."

 

Ze'el met Arath's eyes, knowing that the determination there wasn't faked this time. "I am determined to learn all that I can, in order to serve the Light... I can't give you much, but my dresses sell for a good amount, and I'll work as hard as I have to." Really he did want to learn as much as he could... it was just to serve his own purposes, not the Light's.

 

Kassian "Ze'el" Loreen

Bends the truth like any Aes'Sedai

Arath listened to the new recruit speak, frowning slightly at the story.  His shaky hands stopped when he sewed dresses?  That sounded . . . wrong.  Awfully convenient at the least.  Arath had a suspicion that the 'shaky hands' business had started up about the same time that joining the Whitecloaks had become a serious concern.

 

"Well, dresses aren't in very high demand around here," he stated with a grimace.  "Some women are crazy enough to follow their men here, but they are few and far between.  Fortunately, you don't need to pay your way around here.  We take Ebou Dari beggars and Tairen High Lords the same.

 

"All of your needs will be met by the Tower.  After today you will prepare all of your own meals with the power, or go hungry.  You'll have a room in the soldier barracks at the north end of the Farm.  You can head over there after we're done here and another Soldier will get you situated."

 

Arath paused for a moment, still studying Kassian.  "So.  What is it that you want from us?  What do you want from the Black Tower?"

 

 

Ze'el supressed a frown as the man before him seemed to ponder his words. It looked like the attack leader didn't fully believe his story... that would have to be fixed. So far, Ze'el had tried to stay as close to the truth as possible, but it appeared that he might have to be dishonest. It was curious; he didn't mind killing people or torturing them, but it bothered Ze'el slightly to tell an outright lie. Well, it wasn't of great concern, for he was very good at ignoring things that bothered him.

 

"What do I want from the Tower? I want to serve the Light. I want to be able to repay my debts to the world and to the Creator and help the Dragon Reborn. I want the Black Tower to give me the power to fight the Shadow, and to keep people from being hurt by the Shadow. I want to be able to do things of the Power that will help the world- like the ability to Heal. There's so much good that we can do with the One Power and I want to be able to help the world," Ze'el declaired ferverently.

 

After a slight pause, Ze'el continued in a softer tone. "Darkfriends... my parents are dead because of them. I don't know your story, but if you've never lost your parents you can't imagine what it feels like." Ze'el looked downwards, his whole posture screaming depression. "I... I don't want anyone to have to go through what I went through. No one deserves to loose their loved ones to the Shadow."

Arath pondered Kassian's words for a while.  It seemed the boy would have made an excellent Whitecloak, what with his devotion to serving the Light.  While it could be useful if channeled in the right direction, Arath had never been very fond of fanatics.  But if the man's story was true, he at least shared one thing in common with Arath.

 

"When I was five years old, I was tortured, and I watched my mother die at the hands of darkfriends." Arath unconsciously rubbed the dragon fang scar over his heart, his eternal reminder of that evil day.  "When I was sixteen, a few months before I came here, I killed my father.  He attacked me and in self defense I touched Saidin for the first time.  I know all too well what it feels like.  So I find it curious that you say you have a debt to the world, and the creator.  The world has done nothing but take from you, and the Creator has only given you Saidin, a curse which WILL kill you.  Doing good is difficult with madness ready to creep up on you at any moment."  All the while that he talked, Arath tried to catch Kassian's eye.  The young man had a maddening habit of avoiding eye contact.

 

"But if that's what you really want, there is a place for you here.  You will need to set your own agenda aside though.  Your life will belong to the Lord Dragon.  His weapon to do as he wills.  Can you handle that?"

Ze'el was about to insist to the man all of the things that the Light had done for them all. It was second nature, growing up around people so ferverently supporting the Light. When he thought about it, it was slightly... disturbing. If you say something enough, eventually you start believing it, and Ze'el in no way had any feelings towards the Light. Luckily he didn't have to go off on a rant about the Light because the man continued on.

 

Ze'el listened to the man's inquiry, and nodded. Yes, he could handle being a weapon of the Dragon Reborn, as long as the Dragon gave him what he wanted. "I will serve the Dragon Reborn so that he can win the Last Battle."

 

Really, Ze'el had been facinated by stories of the One Power ever since he was young. You would think that in Amadacia there would be almost no stories of the Power, but suprisingly there were more than in other places. They loved to point out all of the things that witches could do and all of the unnatural skills they had that you could identify them by. Ze'el couldn't wait to use the One Power for his own purposes.

Arath chewed thoughfully on his bottom lip for a moment, then siezed Saidin.  A flow of air opened the closet to the right, and pulled out a black coat, approximately Kassian's size.  With a flick he tossed it to the newest soldier of the Black Tower.  Something still didn't feel right about the man, but there was nothing that Arath could put his finger on.  Briefly he wondered if the taint was beginning to affect him, making him so suspicious of new recruits lately.  But he quickly dismissed the idea.  Ever since he had discovered a dreadlord amongst his own trainee's he had been on edge.

 

Still, it never hurt to be watchfull, and Kassian made him uneasy.

 

"This is your uniform, Soldier.  You'll get the collar pins when you advance ranks.  Silver sword pin for Dedicated, gold Dragon pin for Asha'man.  If you survive that long.  We push you hard, beyond your limits.  All your chores are done with Saidin, and you're expected to learn how to defend yourself without the power." A stern look let him know that 'shaking hands' were no excuse.  "Unless you have any questions for me, you can go get something to eat at the inn and claim a bed in the barracks."  Arath closed the role book and cleaned the nib of his pen while he waited for Kassian to say something.

Ze'el blinked at the display of the One Power, but accepted the black coat from the man. It looked like it would fit him decently, and he approved of the color. Ze'el listened intently and found that he was correct earlier in his assumption that the pins alluded to some sort of rank. Silver sword for Dedicated, and gold Dragon for Asha'man, got it. Ze'el bit his lip slightly at the mention of the Inn and Barracks. He would have to get directions from someone.

 

Realizing that the other man was waiting for him to say something, Ze'el spoke. "Yes sir... I'll find what I need," he promised. He made his way to the door, giving the Arrack Leader time to stop him if he desired, and exited. He quickly went around to all of the places mentioned. He asked for directions to the Inn, and found a meal there, before finding a room in the Soldier Barracks to sleep in. Apparently he was ordered to do all of his chores and make all of his meals with the One Power, but until he learned how he would be spared.

 

Alone in the confines of his room, Ze'el couldn't help but smirk. The fun was soon to begin.