Not quite knowing what to expect as she made her way to the Warders Yards, Lillian Tremina was rather lost as she looked about for her mentor. Rosheen Tahn Sakhr, he was meant to be around somewhere waiting for her but Lillian had little idea where the man could be. No description, just told to go and find him during this time.

 

Nevermind that there were literally hundreds of men down here, a number of which were rather attractive but Lillian couldn’t let that distract her. She had to find her mentor and hope she wasn’t late, and that he wouldn’t make things too difficult. She hadn’t expected it to be as loud as it was either, with the constant clacking of all the lathes she could only think of the kitchen in the White Tower matching the awful din.

 

It was then that she noticed that there was a woman staring at her. Not just any woman, but a rather tall one that looked like she could take on any number of men. That wasn’t what really caught her attention, it was the hair. She couldn’t think of any way to describe it, the closest thing she could compare it to was a rooster.

 

Realising she was being rude, Lillian almost turned away but realised the woman might be able to help her. Walking over, Lillian was careful to avert her eyes a little, she wasn’t sure whether the woman would expect the same sort of deference that Aes Sedai did. Curtseying before her, Lillian was quick to speak.

 

“Excuse me, do you know of a Rosheen Tahn Sakhr? I was told to report to him, but I have no idea what he looks like.â€

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

 

“Look, you can’t do this to me. I train… boys. I train women who really, really, really want to become Tower Guards. I train dedicated people. I will not waste my time on some pampered skirt wearing, One Power abusing slip of a girl who will probably turn out to be too frail to hold up a sword anyway!†Rosheen knew a lost cause when she saw one, but that didn’t mean she was going to let Ginae do this to her without protesting. Training an Accepted. Pah! It was an insult to her skills. Let Aran do such things. He could dandle the girl on his knee for a bit and make her forget all about wanting to hold a sword so she could ‘defend herself’. Why didn’t these women just get warders? There was no reason for them to get their hands dirty.

 

After a few more angry words, Rosheen found herself booted out of Ginae’s office. So this is what it felt like… she could already hear Lyv and Aran laugh. Muttering about fool Aes Sedai with their fool notions of grandeur, Rosheen stalked off towards the armory, where Ginae had said the Accepted would be waiting. Ok, so maybe Lyanna had also gone through this kind of training, but… Well… Lyanna was different. She was a green sister. What was the point in training some Accepted that would probably chose the Yellow or the Brown Ajah? Why should Rosheen make it easier for the girl to ogle all the male trainees and guards?

 

When she arrived at the armory, she noticed that she was the only one there. No Accepted yet. She sighed. “Figures. Of course I get to wait for her.†After a few minutes a girl appeared, dressed in white. Ok, so there was a banded hemline. It was all the same to Rosheen. And the girl was staring too. She matched Ginae’s description though. A pretty girl. No doubt softer than a young bunny. She sighed, waiting for the girl to walk her way. When she finally did, Rosheen wanted her to go away again. This was going to be painful.

 

“Well, ‘he’ is about my height, and currently wearing blue breeches and a blue shirt. ‘He’ has blue eyes, like mine, and red hair, like mine. In fact, ‘he’ wears his hair the exact same way as I do. ‘He’ also happens to be female. In fact, ‘he’ might just be me.†She offered the girl her hand in greeting. “Rosheen Tahn Sakhr. I guess that makes me your trainer.â€

 

~Rosheen Tahn Sakhr

Tower Guard

 

 

 

Embaressment didn’t even begin to cover Lillian’s reaction as the woman revealed herself to Rosheen Tahn Sakhr. Even with her coppery skin, she couldn’t hide her neck and face going red from having said what she had to her trainer. And now from her tone of voice, she could easily turn her like Estel Sedai had during their first meeting. This didn’t bode well for the future at all.

 

Taking the woman’s hand as it was offered to her, the grip her hand was taken in was quite firm, the calluses on Rosheen’s hand easy to feel. As the woman finished speaking, Lillian was already pulling herself together as she spoke. “Lillian Tremina.†There was no real point noting that she was Accepted, in her dress it was impossible to mistake her for anything else.

 

Careful not to make eye contact as they unclasped hands, Lillian waited in silence for Rosheen to speak. She had no idea how this was meant to work, and she’d learned from Aes Sedai that it was always best to be cautious with someone you didn’t know. Especially with someone who already had cause to be irritated with you. If no one had been watching, Lillian was almost certain she would have satisfied her urge to kick her own foot.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

Great. Just bloody lovely. Rosheen swallowed several snide comments, calming herself down before she tried to start her lesson. Lillian Tremina. She had to remember that. “Welcome to the yards, Lillian. Follow me.†She walked towards a storage area. With some luck she’d be able to find training gear that would fit Lillian. “There are several things you need to keep in mind while you’re training here.†She was aware of the fact that she sounded ominous. The speech she was about to give wasn’t all that different from the speech she gave every trainee though. It was something they had to know.

 

They walked inside, and Rosheen waved Margot over. “This young lady needs some training gear.†She said. Margot measured Lillian with her eyes, and walked off, only to return with two pairs of dark brown breaches and a couple of light shirts moments later. “These should fit.†She said. “I take it you have your own boots?†it wasn’t really a question. It would take weeks for new boots to get comfortable, and Rosheen didn’t particularly feel like wasting that time. “The first thing you need to realize that, though you might be an Accepted in the White Tower, you are just another trainee here.â€

 

They walked out again. “That means that I am your mentor. And I will not tolerate any use of the One Power in the yards, unless it is to save your own life, or that of one of your fellow trainees. I will also not tolerate any ogling at your fellow trainees or at any of the Tower Guard. If I catch you wasting time on that, I will make you regret ever wanting to be trained. Understood?†She barely waited for an answer, pointing at a side building of the barracks. “Get changed there. We’ll see about getting you some weapons when you’re done.â€

 

~Rosheen Tahn Sakhr

 

 

 

Following Rosheen as she was led about, they entered a building where a woman soon supplied her with some breeches and shirts. Told to get changed, she disappeared into the side building that Rosheen had pointed out to her and making sure it was clear, she quickly got changed. While she was no stranger, to breeches and tunics, it had been a number of years since she’d last worn them.

 

Stepping out of the room in her new garb, it felt oddly tight, in particular the tunic. She had worn baggier clothing when she had been on the farm, and the other occasion didn’t count to anything. Walking over to Rosheen, she couldn’t help but feel more exposed than she could have in one of the Domani dresses she had owned before she had come to the Tower. Then it had been the sort of thing to amuse her, the effect it had on men.

 

After so long, all it did was made her feel rather embaressed at the stares she got. Holding her dress to her chest as she closed the last feet between her and Rosheen, her expression was neutral save for the colour of her cheeks. She didn’t speak either, she simply waited until she was spoken to. Light, but she had been so keen to come to the yards, especially since Taei had before her. Now she wondered whether she had made the right choice, or whether she had spent so many years in the Tower that she didn’t even know what to do anymore, or how to shrug it off.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

To Rosheen’s surprise, the girl appeared to be shy. She clutched her dress to her chest, as if she felt exposed in the training gear she was wearing. Rosheen smiled faintly. Most of the female trainees that started here felt that way. Training gear was tight, clingy even. She would get used to it soon enough, and probably even come to appreciate the freedom of movement it gave her. “Very well.†Rosheen said, taking the dress from Lillian. “Don’t worry, you’ll grow accustomed to it. People here all wear the same, or at least variations on the theme. Tomorrow I want you to show up in your training gear.â€

 

She returned to the armory, where the sounds of hammers ringing on steel were almost overwhelming. Rosheen had to raise her voice to make herself heard. “It’s time to choose your weapons. In there you’ll find all kinds of weapons. You can choose up to three of those.†She pointed at a storage building next to the armory. At least the sound would be less severe in there. She held the door open for Lillian, waiting patiently for her new trainee to walk into the storage room.

 

Swords, axes, spears and other weaponry was stored there, in racks that lined the walls, and in rows and rows of racks that filled the interior of the room. There were several high tables with tall chairs sitting in the center of the room. A few Guards were showing their trainees around, advising them on what weaponry to choose. Rosheen preferred to let the trainee choose without her interference. “Choose your weapons wise. If you have questions about what something is, or how you wield it, don’t hesitate to ask.†And with that said she sat down in one of the chairs, giving Lillian the chance to figure things out for herself.

 

~Rosheen Tahn Sakr

 

 

 

Out of her peripheral vision, Lillian could see Rosheen smiling as the woman spoke to her, but it didn’t seem to be one of cruel amusement. The tone of her voice as she spoke was actually quite warm, certainly a lot more so than when they had first met. That boded far better than earlier as far as Lillian was concerned. In fact, it was just fine with her if things continued that way, all she needed to do was keep quiet and interrupt as little as possible.

 

It was the armoury they went to next, and inside was an array of weaponry that Lillian had never thought to see. Racks upon racks of equipment, arms and armour of every sort. Swords were the most common weapon, but axes, maces spears and many other weapons were also to be found, most of which she couldn’t even name.

 

Listening to her trainer, Lillian was surprised at Rosheen’s words and that she just went over and sat nearby. Pick her own weapons? She didn’t even know what to do with most of them! Turning to the weapons, she quickly discounted maces and axes, they were all too heavy. A stave would be easy but her eyes wandered over them towards the swords.

 

Swords of all sizes and shapes were there. In search of something easy yet useful, she found herself thinking she needed some length, but it couldn’t be heavy or she would quickly tire. Looking at some rapiers, she decided against them, they looked like they would snap if they were struck with anything heavier. Instead her eyes drifted, roamed, trying to find something that stood out for her.

 

There it was. Taking it from the rack, Lillian held it up before her. It was a longsword, probably with some name peculiar to it but if there was one it was unknown to her. The blade was straight save for near the tip where it quickly curved to form a tip. The blade was thin, there was a dip in the centre of the blade that she had no name for, a fuller. One on either side made the blade flexible and light, yet it would still be strong enough to take a blow and give her reach.

 

Nodding to herself, Lillian walked over to Rosheen and presented the blade hilt first for her mentor to take and examine. She just hoped that her trainer agreed with her choice, it felt right.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

Rosheen watched closely as Lillian wandered past the weaponry. Though some trainers disagreed, Rosheen always felt that this was the best moment to ‘weigh’ a trainee. The serious ones always had a pretty decent idea of what they wanted, even if they didn’t always know what weapon would achieve that purpose best. They had a good idea of what their body could handle. Much to Rosheen’s relief, Lillian walked past the axes and maces, and other weaponry that was far too heavy for her. She chose a sword, which was a good choice as far as Rosheen was concerned. Swords were useful, especially if the wielder knew what he or she was doing.

 

There were many types of swords though, and it took Lillian a while to decide on what sword she wanted. When she walked back to Rosheen, she looked content. That was a good sign. The right weapon would instantly feel right in your hand. It would have the right weight, and the right length, and it would make you feel confident just by holding it. Rosheen had felt that way when she first took up her naginata. Lillian handed her the sword, and Rosheen held it out in front of her, with a stretched arm. It was a little light for her taste, but for someone of Lillians height and weight it would be good. It was double edged, with a sharp tip. “Good choice.†She said, handing the sword back to Lillian.

 

With some help from one of the blacksmith’s apprentices they found a scabbard and swordbelt to go with the sword. “Bring this with you tomorrow. You won’t be practicing with it for a while, but I want you to get comfortable with it’s weight and size. Try to wear it as often as they’ll let you.†She said, nodding towards the White Tower. Would the Aes Sedai frown upon an Accepted wearing a sword? Rosheen didn’t know, and she didn’t particularly care either. Lillian Tremina was here to learn how to fight, and Rosheen would teach her just that, no matter what her mentors at the White Tower said.

 

~Rosheen

 

 

 

Taking the sword back, Lillian was glad of her teacher’s approval. She would have been loathe to take up another weapon now that she had found this one, or perhaps she was being a little melodramatic. Either way they soon they had a swordbelt and scabbard to match the longsword. Sheathing the blade, she attached the sheathe to the belt as Rosheen spoke.

 

Lillian had serious doubts about having opportunities to wear the blade at her side, it would look rather odd appearing in classes with a blade strapped at her side. Though the idea of some of the reactions it could get almost brought a smile to Lillian’s neutral demeanour she had cultivated around Rosheen. She didn’t know the woman yet, didn’t know what behaviour was acceptable around her.

 

As Rosheen gestured for her to leave with a nod, Lillian retrieved her dress from the table her teacher had been sitting at. She also made sure to return to her so she could say a pair of simple words. “Thank you.†Getting no immediate response, Lillian turned and made her way back to her quarters. She would need to put the things away for now, but later she would be able to put the belt on.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

Rosheen waited patiently for her new trainee to arrive. After talking to Orion and Corin about her for a while, Rosheen had decided to treat her like that. Lillian was just another trainee. She could go back to being an Accepted when she was in the White Tower again. When she was in the yards, she belonged to Rosheen. The day before she had seen to getting Lillian geared up. Today she would see about teaching Lillian some basic fitness routines, as well as some basic movements.

 

All in all the Accepted had surprised her by being grateful and courteous. Not snotty like she’d imagined all Accepted were like. It just proved to her that she’d never met any reasonable Accepted yet. Lyanna had been amused when Rosheen told her about her new trainee, and had given her some anecdotes about her own training. That didn’t make her feel all that much better. She still remembered Estel Sedai. Aes Sedai had a penchant for abusing the power the Creator had given them. Sure, not all of them, but it only took one to do serious damage to the people at the yards.

 

Lillian arrived right on time. “Very good.†She said, guiding Lillian over to the track around the yards. It was dusty as always. “Let’s see how well you can run first.†She set off in a slow trot, allowing Lillian to catch up with her. Whenever Lillian seemed to get comfortable with a pace, Rosheen increased it slightly, testing Lillian’s endurance. She’d always been a runner, but she knew from experience that she was one of the few. “Let me know when you get too tired.†She said, continuing at a set pace for a while.

 

~Rosheen Tahn Sakhr

Tower Guard.

 

 

 

She had feared she would be late, but she made it on time if Rosheen’s lack of remonstrance was anything to go by. Still, she had needed time to fix herself up. In particular, she’d needed to bind herself. She’d gotten Taei to help her with that, she hadn’t ever had to do it before. She didn’t want to attract as much attention as she had yesterday, and it would be easier not to do so if she wasn’t quite so… free.

 

Running? That she could do, or at least she had been able to do it once. Her time on the farm had been over a decade ago now though. While it had left her with slightly broader shoulders and a flatter chest and stomach, she wasn’t sure whether she’d retain fitness quite so readily. Undoing her swordbelt, she laid it to the side so it wouldn’t be banging against her leg all the way before joining Rosheen.

 

It was an easy enough jog at first, but Rosheen had the habit of pushing her every single time she settled into a rhythm. By the time they had reached a run, Lillian found herself thankful that her classes were in a Tower rather than a mansion, with all the stairs she had at least retained something resembling fitness. But Rosheen was something else altogether, Lillian couldn’t even hear the woman breathing, only her footsteps.

 

Or perhaps that was because Lillian couldn’t hear much over her own breathing. She wasn’t sure how long it was, but Lillian had been determined to last as long as she could. Her legs had begun to ache, and her lungs burned as she began to drop back but Rosheen spurred her on, telling her to keep up. Lillian made another fifty feet perhaps before she had to call to stop.

 

Coming to a halt, Lillian did her best to try and breath slowly and deeply, but her heart was pounding against her chest, and she felt a little sick. It reminded her of when she had been on the farm and had started running everywhere to try and keep her mind off saidar. Running herself ragged had made her feel ill like this, and sweat pouring off her from both the sun and the running.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

 

Lillian was in no worse shape than the average fresh trainee, but she wasn’t in a better shape either. She didn’t exactly have the build of a good runner either, and she was too slender to ever attain the strength she would need to become a Tower Guard. She wasn’t there to become a Tower Guard though. She was there to learn to defend herself. That didn’t mean Rosheen would go easy on her though. She slowed to a trot, motioning for Lillian to join her. The young woman, who was no doubt at least ten years older than Rosheen, breathed loudly, and looked pained. Good. Pain would teach her what limits she had, and how to push beyond those.

 

“Ok, I want you to start out with a run every morning. Find a pace that’s comfortable for you, and settle into it. Run until you can’t run anymore, and then try to go at least half a lap beyond that. Try to increase the number of laps you run every day.†Slowing down to a walk, Rosheen wandered off to a secluded part of the yards. This could be embarrassing for some new trainees, and she preferred to do it away from the eyes of other trainees. She pointed at a mat that she’d laid out on the grass earlier.

 

“Lie down there, and do sit-ups. Same recipe as with running. Show me how many you can do now. When you’re done, I want to see how many push ups you can do.â€

 

~Rosheen

 

 

 

Following Rosheen in the trot, every step seemed to hurt more but there was little choice but to follow, Lillian suspected that Rosheen would not brook anything she considered to be slacking. As Rosheen slowed to a walk and went off the track, Lillian jogged painfully over to her swordbelt and blade, retrieving them before walking as quickly as she could to catch up to her teacher.

 

Still getting her breath as they stopped before a mat, Lillian bent down to place her sword belt on the ground as Rosheen pointed at it. What the woman said Lillian confused, she had no idea what she was meant to do next. In a rather small voice, she asked. “What are those?â€

 

There was a pause, and while Lillian couldn’t see Rosheen’s eyes, she had the distinct impression that the woman was looking at her disbelievingly or perhaps rolling her eyes. Still, she didn’t criticise her, instead Rosheen got onto the mat and showed Lillian how each were done. She had to say, she wasn’t sure what her slightly queasy stomach thought of either, but it wasn’t good.

 

Waiting for Rosheen to get up, Lillian sat down on the mat and laid back the way Rosheen had. Placing her hands behind her head, she strained as she pulled herself up only to have Rosheen nudge her with the toe of her boot and telling her she was doing it wrong, that she had to keep her back straight.

 

Lillian wasn’t sure how many she did, all she could remember was the first one and the last one where she made it halfway before her midriff betrayed her and she sagged back while breathing heavily. Another nudge of the toe and a reminder that she had push ups to perform came after only a short respite.

 

Rolling onto her chest, she brought her feet together with her feet and toes curled in. Placing her hands to push up, a couple of adjustments were made by Rosheen before she made her first push up. By now the sensation was burning in her solar plexus, but it was like she had pushed through a certain point, or perhaps it was just that it was a different exercise.

 

Either way, she didn’t last as long with the push ups as she had with the sit ups, but she’d kept pushing until she gave way. Falling onto her chest in a rather undignified manner and whoosh of air that came from her lungs, she felt like everything hurt, much like it had when she had still been adapting to the farm, or her time abroad. Only those times she hadn’t had a choice, this time she was putting herself through it now.

 

Rolling onto her back, she tried to control her breathing as she took great gulps of air. Putting a hand just above her eyes to block out the sun, it seemed to take everything she had just to keep that hand up. Did they do this everyday?

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

 

With some corrections, Lillian was doing a decent job. Well, not that decent, but at least it gave Rosheen a decent view on what the girl could and could not do. She told Lillian to practise these two things as well as the running, also increasing the frequency with which she did things each day. Sitting down next to the mat, Rosheen handed Lillian a water flask. “Have some water.†She suggested.

 

“And don’t worry too much. It’s always hard at the beginning, but it’ll get easier if you practise more. I know it’s not much of a comfort now, but after a while you’ll notice that the things you struggle at now will become easy. You’ll know you’ve improved when you can do the number of push ups and sit ups you’ve done now with ease.†She got to her feet again, giving Lillian a hand. She was still panting, but at least she didn’t look as though she was ready to sick up anymore.

 

“One more exercise before we move on to some basic movement.†She said, guiding Lillian over to her favourite balance exercise. It was a twenty foot pole, raised two feet in the air by two other poles. While the pole wasn’t exactly narrow, it was often hard for people to make it across during the exercise. Sandbags were on either side of the pole. Rosheen pointed to the left side. “I want you to carry those bags over to the other side of the pole. One at a time will do. Every time you fall off, you have to take the bag back to the beginning of the pole, and start over.â€

 

~Rosheen.

 

 

 

She couldn’t be serious. Lillian looked at the pole she had been led to, there was no way she was going to be able to do that. The sinking feeling she was feeling had nothing to do with the earlier sickness, rather it was the knowledge that she was going to more than likely end up hurting herself. She certainly couldn’t say no to her teacher, in fact as she took up one of the sandbags she found herself reciting an inner mantra that roughly went ‘trust Rosheen, Rosheen will know best’. Unfortunately, owing to it being the second day Lillian had known her, that mantra wasn’t very strong.

 

About to step up, Rosheen had called Lillian to stop. Sitting her sandbag down, she unlaced her boots and chucked them aside as instructed. Light but her toes ached from the earlier running and pushups, though the grass underfoot was welcome. Taking up the sandbag again, she made her first attempt at the pole.

 

She didn’t even make it three feet before slipping off one side. Rosheen’s advice that she needed to bend her legs helped for her second attempt. She made it as far as halfway before her foot slipped and she twisted and fell backwards, breath rushing out of her as she fell on the ground and the sandbag landed square on her chest.

 

Coughing, her face was as red from embaressment as it was the lack of oxygen as she made her way back to the beginning of the pole. She was a lot slower on her third time, edging her way and making sure her footing was right before committing her weight into each step. Not that it didn’t stop her from teetering a few times, but eventually she made it to the other side.

 

The overwhelming feeling of achievement was somewhat ruined when Rosheen reminded her there were another nine sandbags waiting for her. The earlier buoyant feeling descending somewhere around her feet, Lillian went to retrieve another sandbag…

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

 

This wasn’t working. The pole exercise was the perfect way to get a trainee to think about what they did with their feet, but Lillian wasn’t thinking, she was just worrying. Rosheen sat down and unlaced her own boots, chucking them aside by the time Lillian moved for the second sandbag. “Ok, new routine.†She stepped up on the pole, facing Lillian. The pole was broad enough for her to dance across without falling, but that wasn’t the point of this exercise. She offered her hands to Lillian. “Come on, up you go. Take my hands, and look at my face, and I’ll teach you how to walk on a pole.â€

 

Squatting down and sitting the sandbag gently on the ground, as opposed to satisfying her urge to simply let it drop, Lillian walked over to the pole where Rosheen was standing as if she were on solid ground. Looking to put her foot on the pole, Rosheen reminded her to keep her eyes up. Looking into Rosheen's face, Lillian focused her gaze a little lower around Rosheen's mouth. It was confusing trying to find her footing, but she soon found it and stepped up, Rosheen taking her hands and keeping her steady as she did so.

 

“Very good.†Rosheen commented, letting Lillian shift about a bit. “now we’re going to walk. One foot in front of the other.†She stepped back slowly, making sure she wasn’t pulling Lillian forward. “No, eyes on me.†She said when she saw Lillian’s eyes drop to the pole. “Don’t put your weight on your foot until you’re sure you can stand on it without falling.â€

 

Frowning in concentration, Lillian slowly moved a foot forward, trying to find the pole and missing it. Nearly panicking, it was only the fact that Rosheen had her hands that kept her from falling. Eventually she found her footing, and after a second reprimand for looking down began to feel about to try and find the best place to put her foot. After what seemed an interminably long period, she stepped forward. The second step didn't take quite as long, but she wasn't used to stepping without looking, and if she were honest about it, she would say she hated it. Hated it because she feared hurting herself. A third step.

 

Fear was clear on Lillian’s face, but at least she was moving. One step at a time, slowly moving forward. Rosheen held her hands lightly, only catching her when she wavered. “Moving on a pole like this may seem dangerous to you, but it’s nothing compared to moving in a swordfight.†She said, guiding Lillian through another step. “If you fall here you might break something. You might end up with a bump on your head. If you miss a step during a swordfight, you may end up getting run through. If you can move freely on this pole, you can move freely on the ground, and moving freely, and knowing that you can trust your feet is one of the most important things you’re going to learn here.â€

 

Rosheen's speech would have been inspiring if it had been while Lillian had solid earth under her feet. Perched precariously as it was and not wanting to break anything, the suggestion that she might do so didn't help her confidence. But it needed doing, and focusing on Rosheen's lips so she didn't look anywhere else, either at Rosheen's eyes or the pole, she had gathered a little speed by the time they made it to the end of the pole, though Lillian knew she had a long way to go, and no doubt Rosheen knew it too.

 

“Well, now that we’re here, let’s move back.†She could see Lillian start to panic at the thought of having to walk backwards. “Why are you worried? The pole is still there, it hadn’t just disappeared. Trust your feet, they’ll guide you, and trust your trainer. I’ve never dropped anyone, and the only reason trainees of mine end up in the infirmary is because they get into fights when I’m not there. You don’t seem like the kind of girl to get into fights, so you should be fine. Now step.â€

 

Walking backwards on a pole seemed strangely counter intuitive, but with Rosheen holding her hands there was no chance of her turning around. That and she felt quite certain that if she tried to turn around she would most likely end up in the infirmary. Closing her eyes seemed to make things easier and worse at the same time, but closed they remained as Lillian moved her right foot backward, trying to find a foothold. Gaining it, she slipped and would have fallen if not for Rosheen grabbing her. Biting her lip subconsciously, she made a second attempt and had better success. Then a second, then a third, then every other step along the pole in a slow, but slightly more confident spirit than when she had started.

 

There was always a point when a trainee realised that walking on the pole wasn’t as hard as it looked. Lillian hadn’t reached that point yet, but they’d have hours and hours of training ahead of them to work on her skills. Rosheen helped Lillian off the pole, joining her a moment later. she handed Lillian a lathe. “Now I’ll show you why it’s important to trust your feet. Leave your boots off.†She moved to a free patch of grass, where Lillian could move backwards without tripping over anything. Well, anything but her own feet of course. After a few pointer Lillian was standing in a basic guard stance, legs spread slightly, knees bent just a little, and lathe high in her hands, which were at shoulder length in front of her. “I’m going to advance now, and you’re going back away slowly, keeping the same distance between us. When I move my lathe, you move as if you want to counter it.â€

 

The lathe felt a little lighter than her real blade, something that Lillian considered a mercy. She was fairly certain that if it wasn't for the fact she had other classes to attend after this, she would have crawled right back to bed. After tidying up, and a bath, she had sweated so much that the tunic almost clung to her. Backing away as Rosheen advanced, Lillian placed her lathe in its path each time.

 

Lillian was doing better than Rosheen had expected. She stepped back easily, placing her feet well. How well was something that the next few moves would determine. Rosheen’s lathe moved constantly, herding Lillian back further until they reached a little dip in the field. This would determine if Lillian trusted her feet, or if she’d falter and land on her butt. Stepping forward a bit faster than before, Rosheen forced Lillian back towards the treacherous dip.

 

Eyes widening as Rosheen quickly pressed her, Lillian shuffled back to try and get clear and focus on making sure she kept her eye on the lathe. Focusing on so many things proved to be a mistake, the elevation behind her dropping, she staggered back and one of her feet hooked behind the other leading her to fall smack on her backside then onto her back. Ow.

 

Arching an eyebrow, Rosheen offered Lillian a hand to help her up. “Footwork. Very important. You’re not bad at it, but you need to get better. Practice with other accepted or other trainees when you have the chance, and don’t be afraid of this pole here either.†She said. “I’ll meet you back here tomorrow, we’ll try the same thing while you’re wearing your sword belt then.†She said. She’d always thought that was rather cruel of her own mentor, especially after she’d gotten her legs tangled in it for the twentieth time.

 

 

Rosheen Tahn Sakhr

Lillian Tremina

The late summer sun was shining warmly on her face. Rosheen sighed contently, spurring her horse on a bit more. Nikos was a big horse, trained for war, but he wasn’t above a frolic in fields like these. Whinnying like a little girl… err… horse he galloped forward, followed by the horse Lillian had selected. The grove they were heading to was less than a days ride from Tar Valon, and in weather like this is had felt like a trip she was taking for her own enjoyment. Of course she still had Lillian’s training to see to, but she doubted that would take much time. She just hoped that Lillian didn’t turn out to be too pampered to enjoy sleeping under a starry sky.

 

The river Erinin flowed along the road they’d been on. Most people travelled by river or by main road, rather than by horse on the dirt track they were on. They’d seen the occasional traveller when they were closer to Tar Valon, but the last hour had been quiet. Rosheen could see the grove in the distance now. She pointed it out to Lillian. “I’ve stopped there overnight for a couple of times. It’s a fairly old grove, but there’s nothing mysterious about it. It’s just too close to Tar Valon to be interesting to either Andor or Cairhien.â€

 

About half an hour later they were tying the horses to a tree. Nikos objected, feeling a lot for more frolicking in the fields. Rosheen patted his nose, muttering about how he was turning soft on her. “And you’re supposed to be a proud Saldean warhorse.†She left him behind, guiding Lillian further into the forest. Within hearing range of the horses, Rosheen stopped. There was a small clearing, which would do just fine. She sat down, leaning against a tree. “Well? Make a fire for us, will you?†she said, smiling at Lillian. “Oh, but you can’t use the one power.†She wondered if Lillian knew how to go about such things.

 

~Rosheen

 

 

 

It had been years since Lillian had been outside the walls of Tar Valon, and not since she had first arrived that she had had permission to do so. The company was certainly better as well. Halvie Sedai on their return to the Tower had been far from comforting considering what had happened, and that man had been… Well, what he was.

 

Rosheen on the other hand was easy going, though Lillian only spoke when spoken to. Rosheen didn’t press her, didn’t try and chip away at her like some of the Aes Sedai did, trying to pry things out of her she didn’t wish to share. When she was with Rosheen there was only the training, no hidden agenda of any sort. It was refreshing, not to mention welcome as far as Lillian was concerned.

 

The grove that Rosheen pointed out looked welcome enough. While she had liked riding horses, and still did, it had been a long time and she was becoming sore from the length of travel. Dismounting as her teacher did, she tied her horse nearby before following Rosheen into the grove.

 

A small time they later they found a clearing, where Rosheen proceeded to sit down and tell her to make a fire. But before she could even reach out for saidar she was told specifically not to use it. What? They didn’t have any coals.

 

Rosheen seemed surprised that Lillian had no clue what to do, judging from the way she rolled her eyes. Hardwood, softwood, tinder, all the things that were needed to make a fire were shown to Lillian step by step and soon she was sitting on the ground and twirling a stick in her hands and feeling like an idiot. Perseverance despite that feeling was soon rewarded with smoke then a small flame as the tinder caught. As the flame caught, it was then that Rosheen decided to inform her that she could also use a blade on stone to create a spark, or flint.

 

Keeping her face neutral, Lillian repressed a desire to hit something in frustration. Still, at least she knew what to do now in case she had nothing to create a spark with.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

There were three basic things that every person needed if they wanted to survive outside. Food wasn’t one of the,, even though Rosheen had no intentions of letting her trainee go hungry. But she had no intentions of letting her eat until all three things were available either. She settled down next to the fire, feeding it with more wood. “Sit down.†She told Lillian, who did so swiftly.

 

“Fire is one of the three things everyone needs in order to survive in the wild. Aside from fire, you need two more things.†She glanced at Lillian, offering her an opportunity to tell Rosheen if she already knew what those things were. She was silent though, which was a signal for Rosheen to continue. “The second thing we need is water.†She tossed a water skin at Lillian. “go fill that. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to find a brook nearby.†Not that she had any intentions of letting Lillian wander out of her distance all by herself. She knew the grove well, but it was better to be safe than sorry when your trainee was an Accepted of the White Tower.

 

“Well? Get a move on. Even Aes Sedai will need to drink from time to time.â€

 

~Rosheen.

 

 

 

Sitting down as Rosheen instructed, Lillian listened as Rosheen began to talk of two other things she would need to survive. Or rather, the second thing, which was water. That made sense enough, and taking the waterskin she got to her feet and began walking towards water. The river was to the east of them, therefore it stood to reason that the brook would be in that direction as well.

 

As she walked, she listened for the sound of water and sure enough she soon heard it making its way through earth and stone it had long worn away. Uncorking the waterskin as she knelt by the water, it didn’t take her long to collect the water needed as well as stealing a quick sip for herself while she was at it. It had been a long ride after all.

 

Returning to the camp to find Rosheen seated by the fire, the woman explained as she sat down that if they had been staying closer to Tar Valon they would have had to purify the water. Could either boil the water, or strain it through some cloth if need be. Something to remember for the future, but Lillian was keen to move onto the third point.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

Lillian was eager to learn things, which was a good thing. Survival lessons could take forever if the student just refused to accept things as they were. “Now for the third thing.†Rosheen said, smiling when she saw Lillian perk up. “Shelter.†She pulled a piece of canvas out of her saddle bag. “Shelter to keep you from the rain. If you get rained on, you will get sick, which means that you’re in a lot of trouble.†She showed Lillian how to tie the piece of canvas up in a triangle, with one point pointing down. “This is how you can keep the rain away. It works against snow as well, but I don’t suggest trying to survive with just this. Snow is something else entirely.â€

 

“You can also use it to shelter yourself from the wind. Don’t leave home without one.†She said, smiling again. She pointed to the fire again, indicating that Lillian should sit by it while she fished some bread and cheese out of her saddlebags before joining Lillian. She handed her some of the food. “Tomorrow I’m going to teach you how to find your own food while you’re out in the wild, so… enjoy this while we still have it. Whether we fill our stomachs or not will be up to you.†She winked at Lillian though, indicating that she wasn’t particularly worried.

 

~Rosheen

 

 

 

Shelter seemed easy enough, especially with the canvas. Lillian supposed if one didn’t have such, you’d have to take what was around you to create a shelter, fallen branches and such. But the canvas was definitely a much better idea as far as that was concerned. Though snow the would clearly have to learn about another day. And shelter from the wind was always a good idea, especially on a plain where the wind could cut through one’s clothing as if it weren’t there to chill you to the core.

 

Food was also welcome, though the idea of hunting on the next day gave Lillian mixed feelings. Food was good, as was knowing how to provide for oneself, but actually killing? She’d gutted dead animals, but she’d never had to actually kill one before. The thought wasn’t something that appealed to Lillian, but there it was.

 

Choosing to focus on her meal, Lillian ate in silence though it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Rosheen didn’t insist on it, but she hadn’t asked her to speak either, so it was just a matter of enjoying the respite from the White Tower for at least a time. Smiling slightly, Lillian occasionally glanced up at the sky as she ate. It was rare to be out at this time.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

 

Rosheen found she rather enjoyed Lillian’s company. It was rare to find Accepted that didn’t try to order you around, and didn’t spend their time ogling boys and chatting your ears off. Then again, there weren’t a lot of boys around here, and maybe it was Rosheen’s own silence that stimulated Lillian into holding her tongue as well. Either way it suited Rosheen. After about an hour she suggested that it was time to get some rest. Rosheen was used to sleeping on the ground, but she was fairly sure that Lillian wasn’t. “Whatever you do, try not to think about being uncomfortable. The moment you think about it you’ll find yourself thinking of every single pebble under your mat, and about every single sound, and you won’t sleep at all. Be aware, but don’t be restless.â€

 

If they’d been in any other place, Rosheen might have suggested that they kept watch. But this close to the white tower nothing ever really happened, and even if it did, Rosheen was a light sleeper. When she was sober at least. Rosheen rolled on her side and closed her eyes, drifting off instantly. Hours later she woke up again, at the crack of dawn. To her surprise Lillian was already up. And brushing her hair. Rosheen sighed. She’d started out so well, and here she was, primping herself. Rosheen pulled her fingers through her own hair, brushing the remains of the Mohawk back.

 

“Alright, time to make ourselves useful.†She said. She pulled a couple of strings from her saddlebag. “From now on, when you travel, whether it’s by yourself or alone, you should always bring a pair of these. They come in handy." She wandered into the grove a bit further, until she found what she’d been looking for. A rabbit hole. Showing Lillian how, Rosheen tied the string into a loop, and attached it to a stick, which she then put into the ground above the rabbit hole. “If the rabbit comes out, the snare will go around it’s little neck, trapping it, and if it’s lucky, killing it as well.†Rosheen pointed at another rabbit hole. “Give it a try. Remember, this is our meal we’re talking about. It might seem cruel now, but when you’re really hungry, it’s either you, or the fluffy bunny. So you’d better learn how to deal with the fluffy bunny before it becomes essential for your survival.â€

 

~Rosheen.

 

 

 

Falling asleep was difficult at first, or so Lillian had found. While Rosheen might have had good intentions with her warning to Lillian about sleeping outdoors, the problem was that by warning her it made her fully aware of how uncomfortable her position was. Trying to find an enviable way to lie proved impossible, so all she could do was find ways to distract her mind until she eventually passed into an unconscious and not quite restful state.

 

Her year on the farm had left a number of marks on Lillian, and waking up at dawn was one of those things. Sitting up, she opened her saddlebag and quickly got out a few of her essential things. Things like the nail buffer and her brush, the former of which she was quickly done with and the latter interrupted when her mentor awoke.

 

Setting her brush aside, she was still carefully doing what she could with her hands as she followed Rosheen through the trees. Soon they found what they were after, or what their mentor had been after anyway, a rabbit hole. The snare was simple enough, though her lack of familiarity proved to be a bit of a problem when it came to assembling the bunny choker.

 

Once she was done, thanks to the help of Rosheen who pointed things out that she got wrong, she had it ready and had placed it before the rabbit hole. Falling back a good couple of dozen feet, they sat and watched as Rosheen spoke. That only lasted for a few minutes, because by a miraculous stroke of fortune, a rabbit just happened to pop its head out and proceeded to be dangled by the lethal stick and string. Walking over quickly, Rosheen was the one who bent down and instructed her how to snap the neck, followed by the example that left them with their meal ready. Lillian flinched at the crack, she wasn’t used to it being done so casually, she’d only butchered things after they were dead. But, at least she knew how now.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

 

 

Well, that was quick. Rosheen had expected the ‘hunt’ for food to last several hours at least, but it had only taken them a few moments. She told Lillian to set the snare up again. The rabbit they caught was a little scrawny, through technically it was big enough to feed them both. She wanted to catch another rabbit though, just for butchering purposes. It was much easier to show how it was done on one rabbit while her trainee worked on the other one.

 

Rosheen glanced around, and decided that they might as well do something useful while they waited for another rabbit to come and find out what was taking it’s mate or brother or sister so long. She took the rabbit back to the camp, and left it there, dangling from it’s feet. The camp smelled of humans, so foxes or other predators shouldn’t be a problem. “You see, if it were winter, or just a bad season, predators would be hungry too. Hungry enough to ignore the dangers of wandering into a human camp to see what they can steal. It’s a good season though, so I doubt they’ll be that desperate. Keep it in mind though. If you have trouble catching your own food, the average fox will have the same trouble, and he or she will try to steal your food.â€

 

Leaving the bunny behind, Rosheen walked into the grove again, pointing out a few mushrooms under a tree. “Those are edible. In general the brown and white ones are edible, and the red ones aren’t. That’s nature’s way of telling you to keep your hands of the dangerous things.†She pointed out a few more edible things, like berries and roots. “The best thing for you to do is take a herb class with the Yellow Sisters. They can point out every single thing here, and tell you exactly what it does to you.†Rosheen rose to her feet again. “Now, why don’t you check the snares to see if we’ve caught something?â€

 

~Rosheen

 

 

 

Setting up the snare again didn’t take long, nor did returning to the camp. Hanging the rabbit from a branch puzzled Lillian though the explanation made sense, and the point about predators was also a good one. She didn’t like the idea of having her food stolen, or possibly being settled on as a meal by a starving wolf or some such. There was probably a ward for such things, yet another of the million and one things she would have to learn when she returned to the White Tower.

 

Leaving the camp again, they went for a walk were a number of different things were pointed out to her. Common berries and roots that could easily be used for sustenance as well as which mushrooms were usually safe and which were not. The suggestion to see the Yellow Sisters about a more indepth explanation seemed a good one, they were quite thorough as she knew from lessons in the past about the use of different herbs. Even though most of her time in the infirmary had been spent in the floor above copying their books, but that was a different matter.

 

But, that signalled the end of that particular lesson and they went to check on their snare. Lillian was surprised, she knew that rabbits bred quickly but two rabbits caught in the time they did so was surprising considering what she remembered back from her earlier days and the people she had known telling her stories of the trail. But, there was no arguing with what the wheel had woven and collecting the second rabbit, they took the snare with them as they returned to the camp.

 

Sitting down with Rosheen, the instruction on how to skin the rabbit began in earnest. Lillian was only half listening as she just went ahead though. Save for the things that were specific to the rabbit, Lillian was already well versed in skinning dead carcasses thanks to the farm and as she was instructed chucked the skin and everything else that was unusable onto the ashes of last night’s fire so they could be burnt away when they later reignited it.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

With the hours they had to spare, Rosheen decided to let the rabbit stew while she taught Lillian some sword forms. Basic movement had been relatively easy as soon as Lillian realised that there was little more to it than just following your feet. It was a lot like dancing. Moving to the side and crossing over went well enough once she learned to stop looking at her own movement. Just counter your opponent, and you’ll be fine. In a way female trainees were easier to train in sword forms than male, because female trainees often had a bit of dancing in their background, and more talent for simple things like rhythm and movement.

 

She was glad she’d brought a pair of lathe’s now. ‘hunting’ had taken far less time than she’d expected. She instructed Lillian on how to hold her lathe. The first techniques she taught Lillian was Unfolding the Fan and Folding the Fan, along with the starting stance Leopard in the tree, and the basic guard stance, Lion on the Hill. Simple forms, but if a trainee was allowed to skip those, or if they weren’t flawless the trainee might as well quit there.

 

“Ok, once you’ve just learnt how to start a fight. Of course the best way to start a fight is to run away from it.†And that wasn’t a joke. “I swear, if I got paid for every time a trainee of mine allowed himself to be beaten because he couldn’t stay out of a fight, I’d be rich.†But of course that wasn’t the point of the lesson. People wanted to know how they could swing a sword without sticking themselves in the foot, and Rosheen was there to teach them. She sighed. “Alright. Get on with it.â€

 

The lathe that Lillian was handed was similar to her own blade, thought a little lighter. Rosheen was patient and Lillian soaked it up like a sponge. They were basic movements after all, drawing of a blade and the sheathing of it, as well as a ready stance and a basic guard stance called the Leopard in the Tree and Lion on the Hill respectively.

 

Over the next hour and a half, Lillian was also made acquainted with a number of forms such as Arc of the Moon, Parting the Silk and Heron Wading in the Rushes. The last of which proved to be quite difficult, as she was not used to balancing so, except in the dim memory of a time before she had gone to the White Tower and had danced her nights away. Still by the time it wound down, Lillian was able to at least keep her balance if not complete her pivots with any degree of confidence.

 

When they finished, they made their way to the rabbit stew which had been mixed in with some of the roots and herbs that Rosheen had pointed out earlier to give it some additional taste and content. While Rosheen attacked her meal with a spoon, Lillian had brought along sursa which she used to pick away at her meal. While the White Tower used common cutlery at its meals, Lillian still liked to remember her heritage and she easily picked away at her meal as the pair ate quietly.

 

Rosheen arched an eyebrow at the… sticks… that Lillian used to eat. “Sursa?†she asked, pointing at the sticks. “not all that practical for eating, if you ask me, but… I’m surprised they let you keep those at the White Tower. Aren’t they all about conformity and such?â€

 

Catching herself from looking up at Rosheen, Lillian was careful in how she answered. It was true that they preferred their own cutlery but sursa were also available as well, and Lillian preferred them when possible. Much neater. "They don't encourage sursa, but we're allowed to use them as long as we also know how to use knives and forks."

 

With a shrug Rosheen dismissed the subject. Tower Guards were quite diverse, and while they all wore the red cloak eventually, there were never two identical ones. Well, unless you wanted to count the twin sets. “So how do you like being at the White Tower? Is it all you hoped for?â€

 

Finishing the morsel in her mouth, Lillian laid her sursa over the bowl she ate from as she contemplated an answer. “I just fumbled into it really. Its been… Not what I expected, but then I get a chance not many do. I get everything provided for, get to learn to use a power not many can, all I have to do is my classes and chores. Small price.†Lillian paused before taking up the bowl and sursa again.

 

Rosheen laughed at that. “You can talk freely here, you know. My only affiliation to the White Tower is a red cloak, and I think that’s still stuffed in my saddlebag somewhere. I’m not about to rat you out to the Mistress of Novices.†She shivered slightly at the thought of seeing Faerzyne Sedai again. “Scary woman, that. I met her a couple of times when I had a trainee that couldn’t seem to find his way around the yards. Always ended up in the novice halls for some reason…â€

 

Looking up at Rosheen, Lillian considered the offer for a moment before allowing herself to smile. “Honestly then? Its frustrating. I learn all these things, some of which I know I’ll never have any use for beyond a ceremony where I’ll be raised to Aes Sedai. I could be out doing so many things, if I hadn’t discovered the power I would probably be married by now, maybe with children. I would have been a merchant, I would have completed my apprenticeship. There are a lot of maybe’s and what if’s to becoming what I am. But, that is what the wheel has woven so I’m stuck with it, which sounds pretty ungrateful considering how lucky I am, but… yeah.â€

 

“Yeah, the wheel is funny that way.†Rosheen had heard some things about becoming Aes Sedai from Lyanna as well. “Some people seem to be meant for things like that, and others just… fall into it. My little brother is the same way. I always knew I wanted to become a Tower Guard, or at least a warrior, but he stumbled into it because he wanted to spend more time with me. Does that make him a less motivated person right now? probably. Will that make him a worse Tower Guard? I don’t think so.†Rosheen chuckled. “One benefit you have is that when you’re done with your training, people will be bowing for me. My little brother will still be bowing to just about everyone when he gets promoted.â€

 

Nodding, Lillian smiled slightly as she met Rosheen’s gaze. Grey blue eyes, apt Lillian thought though she wasn’t entirely sure why. “I know but… It would have been nice to have been able to do more with my life. When life is so regulated and… It would be nice to be able to just spend a week doing nothing, or traveling, or doing something useful beyond scrubbing a floor or washing someone’s clothes. All these years and despite the fact I know I’m going forward, it still feels like I’m doing nothing with my life in some ways.â€

 

Rosheen nodded thoughtfully. “Well, if it’s a comfort, you get to live a lot longer than most people, so there’s plenty of time for you to laze about after you’ve finished your training." Rosheen stretched, after which she settled against a tree. “Unlike us non-channelling people, who have to take their rest where they can.â€

 

Chuckling, Lillian shrugged at the comment about those without the power not having the extra years. “That’s true, but its also how you spend your years. I also wonder when I look at all the Aes Sedai, will I end up as they are? Most Aes Sedai don’t leave the Tower for years after they are raised to the shawl but I want to when I do finish regardless of Ajah. Will I be like them when my training is done though? I don’t know and its something I worry about.â€

 

“I think it’s up to you. Those Aes Sedai who stay at the White Tower do so because they want it.†Rosheen repressed the urge to flinch. Lyanna stayed at the White Tower because Lanfir Leah conned her into taking the Keeper position. Politics. How she despised them. “And I know this is probably the least useful advice you’re ever going to get, but… if you want to keep your freedom, you’re going to have to stay out of the White Tower politics.â€

 

Laughing, Lillian nodded in agreement. Politics did not interest her, then again she was in no position to gain anything from them. Then again, all she wanted for now was to finish her training and become Aes Sedai, maybe things would change when she was raised. That was precisely what she feared. “I agree, but what will my Ajah require of me when I am raised? That is something else as well. Its years ahead and no doubt I shall be a different person by then, I am to when I was a Novice after all.â€

 

“Your Ajah can require nothing off you that you are not willing to give.†Rosheen said, repeating what she’d heard Lyanna say in the past. That was a bit of a lie, and she knew it very well, if it had been true, Lyanna wouldn’t have been Keeper. Oh well. Lillian didn’t have to know such things just yet. “So how do you like your weapons training so far?â€

 

Lillian smiled. “Will I get in trouble if I say I don’t?†Getting a laugh rather than a scolding, Lillian relaxed more as she continued. “I like it, its been years since I’ve done anything really physical. After four months now, I feel different, feel like I’ve actually achieved something with my own hands. Getting up and down all those stairs in the Tower is also easier too.†Lillian grinned at the last.

 

Rosheen laughed again, In truth she thought that Lillian was doing rather well. She was a dedicated student, and it also helped that she didn’t have to fetch Lillian from the mistress of novices office once every week. “you’re picking everything up fairly well. Did you do a lot of physical work before you came to the White Tower?â€

 

Shaking her head Lillian chuckled. “Only if you count the dancing. I was apprenticed to a jeweler in preparation for later inheriting the family business, I would have been a merchant in my own right. I never got to finish my apprenticeship, which is a shame because I still love the work, when I have freedays I drop by different jewelers in the city and look at their work, try and figure out how they did it. Takes a steady hand and a lot of patience.â€

 

“So does learning how to wield a sword. Some people might be able to get by just swinging their maces about, but as soon as you’re a little under seven feet, you’ll have to find some other way to make things work for you.†Rosheen folded her hands on her stomach. “I would have been a merchant too, if I hadn’t joined the Guard. My parents owned a trade caravan.†She sighed, thinking back on the good old days.

 

Nodding, Lillian finished the last of her bowl and set it aside with her sursa set inside it. “Where would you have been if not here? Or was this always going to be the only way for you?â€

 

“hrrm.†Rosheen pondered on that for a bit. “I don’t know. This feels right. I like being here. Or… there, rather.†She waved in the general direction of Tar Valon. “I’ve always enjoyed training, and learning how to fight.“ she shrugged. “And I suppose I could always go back to the trade caravan, if I get bored with this.â€

 

Lillian was slightly envious, it would have been nice to possess Rosheen’s certainty in what she was doing. She couldn’t say she was possessed of the same drive… Not that she didn’t work hard, but she just didn’t know what she wanted to do, even when other Accepted had long since picked their Ajahs. “I wish I could say the same, I don’t even know what Ajah to go with. All of them have their own purpose, and I think I could be a sister in any, but I have no idea which one I actually want to be.â€

 

Rosheen looked at Lillian for a moment, surprise clear on her face. “Really? I thought most girls had that stuff figured out the moment they stepped out of the arches.†She shrugged slightly. Not that it mattered much. For her it and always been clear that she was meant to be a warrior, but her brother was only just discovering his path. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t end up where he belonged eventually. “But you still have time to decide, right?â€

 

Nodding, Lillian considered her words before she spoke. “There is time, but there is also pressure. Each Ajah wishes to have more sisters and those who haven’t made clear their aspirations are… “ Chuckling slightly, Lillian decided to voice her thought. “… fair game. It does mean I am given more attention by different sisters, but the attention cuts both ways. More opportunities, but everything scrutinised.â€

 

Rosheen nodded thoughtfully. When she had been but a promising young trainee, people had watched her train as well. She had felt like ‘fair game’ for a while as well. That had changed the moment Lyanna started focussing on her. “Isn’t there an Ajah that appeals to you more? Or less, at least?â€

 

Lillian shrugged, she wasn't really sure what to say. There were times when she felt there was something she was having particular fun with, or that it appealed to her, but that feeling quickly changed between the Ajahs. All of them appealed to her, and despite her clashes with some sisters, they had never been things that had lasted. "I don't know really. One day I'll think I've finally found a way to decide it, then something else comes along and I change my mind again. Until I can really settle on something for at least longer than a month, I'm not going to declare myself for it and then find out my interest is quickly waning. Going to another Ajah after having picked would not go well."

 

She could imagine that. In a way it was like choosing a path, only more complicated. Once you became a blademaster, you could at least focus on other paths. “But can’t you do more things in one Ajah? I mean, I’m sure that there are philosophical Green sisters and political Yellows.â€

 

She'd thought about that, but Lillian couldn't quite decide whether that would work or not. "Thats true, but then it depends on how much my Ajah will require of me. Blues say that each sister has their own agendas to follow, yet in the hall they stand together. Will it be the same elsewhere? Green sisters seem to be more united, does that necessarily mean less freedom though? Each Ajah’s inner workings are hidden, I’ll not know for sure what I have chosen until it is too late. In the meantime, all I can do is simply try and pick up on what hints I can since I won’t be told outright.â€

 

“Hrrm.†This was more complicated than Rosheen had thought. She supposed that part of that was because she’d never really paid attention to what went on in the White Tower. She was pretty settled, after all. “Don’t you people have mentors to talk to about this sort of thing?†she vaguely remembered that from a conversation she once had with Lyanna. “Oh, here’s a piece of advice…†she started, grinning at Lillian. “Don’t pick the Blue Ajah.â€

 

Mentor… Lillian didn’t particularly wish to think about that. Ever since she had returned from her time on the farm, and since Lillian and Halvie had discussed their differences, there hadn’t been much discussion between them. Not that Lillian had really been able to take things to her mentor beforehand, she could criticise herself for weakness without Halvie giving her further commentary by the spadeful. Blue Ajah? “Why do you say that?â€

 

Sighing deeply, Rosheen settled back a bit. This story always got the same reactions from every single Aes Sedai or Accepted. Even Lyanna, who was usually on her side, had thought she acted a bit rash. Rash! While that… woman… tossed her about with the One Power. At least she and Lyanna were now clear on that. no one power use on her. She shivered at the thought of it. “Well, once upon a time there was a blademaster. Me. Then there was an Aes Sedai. Estel Sedai of the Blue Ajah. Estel thought it was a good idea to stomp around in a rage. I told her it wasn’t. She picked a fight. I accepted her challenge. She then proceeded to use the One Power on me. And yet for some reason this darkfriend still walks around freely. Not in the yards though, she’s been banned from there.â€

 

That sounded like something Estel would do, but if Estel had truly been darkfriend then she would not have been allowed to walk freely at all. No, Lillian had an idea of how she’d managed it, even if Rosheen had seen it as a weapon. The oaths were reliant on how the user defined them, and that alone. “I know her. I wouldn’t call her darkfriend, but I can understand why you would. She is… not everyone leads a happy life, and not everyone copes. The oaths are limited in their ability to constrain, in her mind she would not have perceived what she was doing as using the power as a weapon. Much in the same way a half truth can be told.â€

 

“You have your opinion, and I have mine.†Rosheen said, smiling sweetly. No one had agreed with her on this point, but at least the Master at Arms had agreed that that woman was dangerous. Too dangerous to be kept around without a leash. “Either way, don’t go blue. When I was a trainee I was stalked by a Blue sister.†She shuddered at the thought of ‘Nasty’ Sedai. “Nastasia Sedai was determined to put me on a Blue leash. And she wanted me to cut off the Mohawk too.†Rosheens eyes narrowed as she thought back on that time. Cut off the Mohawk, pah. The woman was insane. All Blue sisters were insane.

 

Smiling in turn, she had heard of Nastasia Sedai but only seen her once briefly. Lillian knew that some of the Blue Sisters could be quite… forceful, yet it was those who were much quieter that went unnoticed. The way in a lot of that Ajahs, but there was little that could be done about that. She wasn’t here to change Rosheen’s mind about anything either, she was here to learn. There was something to say nevertheless. “I’m not saying you should cut it off.†Lillian was sure to make that clear from the start. “But have you ever thought of letting it all grow? Even if just to shoulder length like some of the other guards.â€

 

Rosheen fixed a glare on Lillian. “No.†was her icy reply to that question. Letting It grow. Pah. People were all nuts, as far as she was concerned. “I happen to like my Mohawk. That’s why I’ve had it since I was thirteen. The fact that I haven’t changed it yet should mean something. You know, that’s the thing I’ve never liked about Aes Sedai. Especially the ones like Nasty and Estel the darkfriend. They just but in everywhere, try to run your life and all that.â€

 

Well, that was almost the end of that. “I’m not trying to run your life, I’m just saying it might be nice.†And that was as far as Lillian was willing to take it. “But how long have you been a guard now? You couldn’t have been one for more than a few years?â€

 

She had to ponder on that for a while. “Let’s see… I came to the yards when I was sixteen… and then I got promoted at eighteen… so that means I’ve been a Tower Guard for eight years.†She frowned at that. “I’m getting old.â€

 

“Twenty six? I wouldn’t have guessed it.†Lillian wouldn’t have either, then again she sometimes wondered if her years in the Tower had left her less astute than she had been to begin with. But if she had been a guard for eight years now, she must have become involved in some business between the dreary hours she had heard of on the inner walls. “Any stories?†What she would give to learn more of life outside the Tower after all her years within.

 

“Well, I suppose I could tell you about that one time when… no… well, I could, but… alright, you convinced me.†Rosheen said, grinning at the look on Lillian’s face. “Last time I went on a mission me and a fellow Tower Guard had made a bet. We were supposed to watch over some Blue sisters, but we made a bet, to see which one of us could break their icy demeanour first. Aran won, of course, because eventually his Aes Sedai threw a punch at him. That was funny.†Rosheen giggled for a moment. “But that’s not the point. We were hunting a male channeller, and that all went wrong. Up to the point where we needed another male channeller to save our behinds.â€

 

Lillian frowned, her own encounters with male channelers had been far from pleasant. Well, one of them at least, but even then the other had been… Well, he was and he wasn’t, he was confusing for her because while she could understand what he had said, she still knew he was wrong. “Another? How did that happen? And what went wrong?â€

 

“We were sent out to find a young male channeller. Blues and Grays were sent because he was supposed to be the son of the mayor. Only when we got there it turned out that the channeller was in fact the mayor himself. He fled, and we chased him all the way to Shadar Logoth. That was where things took a turn for the worse.†Rosheen spoke of the events as if they mattered little to her, but that wasn’t the case. She still hadn’t forgiven herself for letting the man run. “There we met up with another male Channeller.†Rosheen looked a little haunted as she remembered him. “He was… odd… wore a robe. Had all kinds of markings on it too.†A scowl formed on Rosheen’s face. “He was a Darkfriend. And I couldn’t kill him because we needed his help to get out of that accursed place.â€

 

Lillian was very silent as she took what Rosheen had said in. That was not what she had expected, in fact it wasn’t even close to what she had thought would be said. It also struck far closer to home than she felt comfortable with, memories of a man who had… Lillian found it difficult to even dislike the man, in fact if it weren’t so dangerous she would have considered him good, he had saved them when he had them at his mercy. What she did feel was pity, it was a waste.

 

There was something about the look on Lillian’s face that drew Rosheen’s attention. “Is something wrong?†There seemed to be something wrong. “Do you know him?â€

 

There it was, Rosheen had picked it right there. And that was exactly what she wasn’t meant to talk about, but then it wasn’t as if Rosheen hadn’t known of the man before. In fact, it was rather odd that of all the mentor’s she could get, she would get one that had a similar experience. “I’m not meant to talk about it…†Lillian bit her lip slightly as she mused it over, she trusted Rosheen and she’d given information that she probably wasn’t meant to. It wasn’t as if one casually spoke of Dreadlords assisting Aes Sedai.

 

Rosheen shrugged. “I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff you’re not meant to talk about. Or meant to do, for that matter. First thing you’ll learn as an Aes Sedai though is to ignore such rules in favour of greater things.†She thought back on her own experience with the dreadlord. “But if you did have an encounter with him, I’d like to know.†She’d like to know why the Blue Ajah hadn’t chased after him yet. Why he was still alive to do whatever he wanted.

 

“You won’t tell anyone else.†It wasn’t a question, it was confirming something that Lillian already believed. “It was… A time ago. Me and another Accepted were kidnapped, a male dreadlord was trying to break us. Wanted us to swear. He wanted us so he could make a circle, one that he could use to kill the man you know. That man came, killed the dreadlord who took us and of all things, he escorted us back to the White Tower.â€

 

"Didn't the White Tower do anything about that?" Rosheen said, frowning at the entire situation.

 

"I have no idea." It wasn't as if the Aes Sedai informed an Accepted as to what they were going to do. They required answers from her, nothing more. She didn't have their experience, they would handle it as best they could. Lillian wasn't sure if she wanted them to catch him though, without him she would have been broken and no doubt sworn to the Shadow. A bittersweet thing to realise that the thing you are meant to hate helped you from a fate you could not escape, then left torn between what you are meant to know and feel and the new feelings that ran counter to all that you knew. "He simply vanished as far as I know... To be honest, a part of me hopes he isn't caught. He didn't have to do what he did. We talked on the way back and he is... He isn't evil because he wishes power or is hateful, he does what he does because he thinks its the right thing. It makes him more dangerous, but at the same time its... I don't know how to put it."

 

“Doing bad things or making bad decisions doesn’t make a person evil by default.†It was a small comfort, of course. This was a man that was evil, purely evil as far as Rosheen was concerned, but she also realised that she was seeing things black and white. To her someone who had sworn to the Shadow was evil. She was sure there were levels of evil though. “I suppose that in the end we’ll see if there’s enough good in him to cancel out the bad, or if he was right about taking the path he’s on now. Personally I think he’s heading towards a certain death, whether it’s at the hands of the light, or with one of his own tearing out his throat.â€

 

“I doubt it’ll be one of his own. I’m not strong in the power, but he… He just tore through the man who had captured us and his followers like they weren’t even there.†It wasn’t fear in her voice, but there was something. “If I had to fight him and… kill him, I would do it but… I would regret it. It’s a hard thing to admit knowing that he is Darkfriend, openly so, but there it is.†Snorting, Lillian had a slight smile on her face as she looked to Rosheen. “And you? He led you out Shadar Logoth?â€

 

“That he did. Walked with us right to the gates. And then he walked off. I think the Aes Sedai present pretty much shared your opinion about his strength.†Rosheen gritted her teeth, frustrated by the mere memory of the situation. “Channelers keep forgetting that a knife to the heart kills them just as easily as it does every other person. I came this close to killing him, or at least taking a hot at him.†She said, keeping her fingers a mere inch apart. “But he could lead us out. So I didn’t. And then there was a lot of chaos, and I never got another shot at him.â€

 

And there it was. Lillian wondered sometimes whether they were in some ways worse, because even though he had spared them, they certainly wouldn’t have spared him. Then again, they couldn’t afford to, whereas he clearly thought he could. It was hard to find black and white in a world of grey. “I’m not sure it would have worked. While we watched the fight, one of his armsmen managed to get close to the man. His weapon simply dissolved before it made contact. He was… M`aeshadar, that was what they called him. Magistrate in the old tongue. Maybe it is what they call their most powerful.â€

 

Rosheen shrugged at that. “Well, a weapon is still pretty useful, whether Channelers accept it or not.†She winked at Lillian. “Speaking of which, are you up for some more practice?â€

 

Laughing, Lillian grinned at Rosheen. “Do I have a choice?†The response getting another laugh from her, she took up her lathe as she prepared herself for further instruction.

 

 

Lillian TreminaRosheen Tahn Sakhr

Sometimes it was just obvious that, whatever happened, the day would be just splendid. Grinning smugly as she walked out of the barracks, Rosheen knew that this was going to be one of these days. She’d set up a spar between her two trainees, the boy and the Accepted. She was pretty curious about the outcome, but she’d be pleased either way. To her surprise, they were both already waiting just outside the training ring. With lathes. If Rosheen had been an emotional person, she’d tear up at the sight of it. “Alright then, it’s a beautiful day, let’s not waste any more time. Get ready!â€

 

It had been an interesting wait, mainly because the trainee Nerome she was going to be dueling had spent the time trying to hit on her. It had been rather flattering, and she had even found him rather amusing. But with Rosheen's arrival it was time for them to begin. The Lion on the Hill stood tall as Lillian sized up her opponent. He was a little taller, short black hair and green eyes far paler than her own. He seemed to be waiting for her to take the lead, but Lillian was perfectly content to let Nerome make the first move.

 

Well that hadn't worked out so well. Frowning slightly as they moved into position, he wondered for a moment or two what Rosheen must be thinking of all this. She was probably beaming, if he knew her at all. He began it simply, starting by moving straight into Hummingbird kisses the Honeyrose. A sharp stab for a sharp face indeed.

 

Raising her lathe so it was vertical and bringing it to the left, Nerome's lathe passed over her shoulder barely. Stepping forward with a vicious riposte, Nerome slid underneath the blow and swung with a quick slash that forced Lillian to dance back in turn. Circling one another as The Creeper Embraces the Oak, The Falling Leaf was swept away by the Low Wind Rising that in turn manifested itself as The Falcon Stoops.

 

Rosheen certainly trained her mentees. Ducking quickly, as he felt her lathe brush past him, he whirled around smoothly into the Boar Rushes down the Mountain and following it up with Tower in the Morning as stereotype often had it. She had speed, of course and slipped past him with a grace that frustrated him. Quickly he was given a return, to which he responded with Parting the Silk as he moved forward.

 

Leaping back as Nerome’s lathe swished through the air she’d just occupied, Lillian leaped back into it. The Moon Rises Over the Water swept aside as The Swallow Takes Flight only for The Swallow to Ride the Air. Slipping aside the attack, Lillian remembered to make good use of her feet. He was stronger, so she had to be quicker and lighter, smarter if she was to win. Feigning high as the Courtier Taps his Fan, Lillian sank down to one knee as The River Undercuts the Bank.

 

Leaning hurriedly towards the left, Nerome felt his neck go crack as he went a little too deep into the turn. Light! He was used to being the faster one amongst two opponents. This…was….unexpected. Pushing ahead with Ribbon in the Air he lashed at her with the Courtier Taps his Fan before moving back into guard stance, which he then followed up with Lightning of the Three Prongs. He had always been taught it was a good rejoinder.

 

Bring her lathe across her body and pointed downward, Nerome’s thrust was diverted to the side and rather than respond with the Courtier Taps his Fan which would have been expected, Lillian spun on her right foot then on the left as she moved in close and thrust as she stepped forward with her right, almost touching him before he slapped it aside hurriedly. Following up rather than allowing Nerome breathing space, The Kingfisher Takes a Silverback almost incapacitated him but Lillian had to fall back in turn as she was forced on a back foot while knocking the Arc of the Moon overhead.

 

With every blow, the launch and return came faster and faster. He could not admit it to himself just then, but he could feel himself giving in- he could not match her speed right now. His neck felt ready to fall off. Almost doubling up as he blocked her by lowering his back so that her lathe went past his spine, he swooped up from below with Low Wind Rising which had taken her by surprise, even though she had reacted quickly and it took more than just twisting an already strained neck to avoid her thrust at his face.

 

After letting his shoulder feel the weight instead, he turned back with as much force as his body could summon for Moon Rises over the Water before returning to guard stance. She was tired too he realized, as she didn’t return with anything more than a block. They both stood staring at each other, eyes locked in a battle as fierce as the one they had just been through.

 

Wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve to get the sweat out of them, Lillian knew she had to win. She couldn’t disappoint Rosheen now, not after all the time they had spent together and one way or another she was going to do it. Yelling at Nerome wordlessly, she charged forward at him and began to hack at him repeatedly, as if maddened. She had to force a mistake out of him somehow, if she kept doing one thing he would get used to it and then she could switch on him.

 

He knew the lull wouldn’t last of course, but it was long enough to give him a little time to recover. However, Lillian Tremina was on a rampage. She was attacking him blindly, her blows coming down skillfully if without thought. Which was very unlike her previous performance, he found himself thinking as ducked time and time again. Once every third blow, her lathe would come in contact with his with his skin, which led to an angry repartee that came from mainly the need to defend. Somehow, he couldn’t feel the same necessity to win that he saw in Lillian’s eyes. He just didn’t want to be defeated. If only there could be a draw, he found himself thinking as he gave back once more with Swallow Rides the Air.

 

Bashing the blow aside as she took her lathe in both hands now, she hacked at him again and again now. She just needed to get him focused solely on her lathe. That was it, a bit more, a bit more. Raising the lathe high, instead of swinging down as Nerome went to block, wound back and unleashed the Tower of Morning. Almost cursing as he just stumbled away from it, she chased after him alternating between one and two hands.

 

She was up to something. He could sense it in the way her rage had calmed down. In the way that she was still bearing down at him persistently, like a storm unrelentless, even though the surface appeared calm. What though? He found his mind thinking furiously towards the different possibilities as he blocked her once more, a particularly skillful dealing of the Kingfisher takes a Silverback. Well then- if she was to attack, he would merely let her. Defender was not so bad a role to play, after all. He just needed the right moment….

 

And there it came. Ribbon in the Air was flowing smoothly through the air, ready to reach him and strike, when suddenly, he caught it, locking the two lathes together. Excellent. The struggle was a desperate one of course, for easily he twisted her lathe as The Grapevine Twines and made it fall on the ground. He had won, then?

 

She’d known what was going to happen as their blades had locked and he began to twirl. She’d straightened her elbow too much which meant that he had the leverage needed to disarm her. She was so close! No, Lillian would be damned if she lost after coming this far. The lathe flying from her hand, she cried out and clutched her hand, tears streaming from her eyes.

 

Nerome blinked. Blood and bloody ashes, surely he hadn’t hurt her? There hadn’t been enough power in that strike…surely not?! Rushing forwards towards her, he gently laid a hand on her back, eyes filled with concern. “Are you alright!?â€

 

It was a dirty trick, but then there were no rules against dirty tricks in their duel. Looking up as she grabbed his shirt with both hands, she pulled up and towards her as she leveled a brutal knee into the man's crotch. Nerome looked like something had died deep inside before he slipped from her grasp. Taking up his lathe, she pointed it towards him as he laid on the ground. She won by virtue of him being unable to continue.

 

Doubling up in pain, Nerome sank to the ground, unable to move. He couldn’t think. Thee was no time for anger, or outrage or even a cry of pain. He curled up in a little wall, feeling his mind shutting down as everything around him froze.

 

Foul play makes fabulous wins...

 

 

The spar was rather brutal. Just the way Rosheen liked it, actually. Lillian was giving Nerome no room to breathe, which was just perfect. The boy needed to learn not to underestimate his opponents. This was as much a learning experience for both her trainees as it was a test of their skill. They moved to the sword forms with ease, as she had expected after all the time she had put into teaching them. Lillian had been a fast learner, but Rosheen had no doubt that Nerome would shape up yet. If he could only get over his doubts and accept that the Yards were the place for him.

 

Such thoughts coursed through Rosheen’s mind as she watched her trainees move. From form to form, feinting and blocking and thrusting and slashing. They left a few dangerous openings, which Rosheen would comment on later. As it was, she was silent. They needed no encouragement from her. Each of them was determined to win, determined to show her what they were worth. She felt herself beaming with pride. While she had always enjoyed taking on youngsters, and teaching them a few moves, this was the first time she felt the intense gratification one could get from seeing one’s protégé’s do their very best.

 

Lillian had the upper hand through most of the spar, which wasn’t really surprising to Rosheen. The girl was fast, determined, and her fighting style was a lot more suited for duels than Nerome’s was. She’d have to tell him about that later, in case he felt bad about his performance. She had just as much faith in him as she had in Lillian, and perhaps more. For Lillian this was just a way to spend time until she was raised, after all. For Nerome, this was a way of life.

 

When he finally took the upper hand, she was almost relieved. Almost, until she saw the look on Lillian’s face. She’d have to tell the girl that smirking right before feinting was a very bad idea. She allowed herself to be disarmed by Nerome, crying crocodile tears instantly. Rosheen frowned. If it worked it worked, but she didn’t approve of such tactics. She cringed when she saw Lillian’s knee connect with Nerome’s crotch. He instantly went down, and Lillian declared herself the winner of the match. Rosheen had to agree with that.

 

She stepped into the ring, crouching down next to Nerome. Best not to touch him now. No doubt every nerve in his body felt connected to his crotch at the moment. “Well fought.†She said to both of them. “Though I have to say I do frown upon such tactics. Use them when you’re being mugged in a back alley somewhere, but if I ever see you pull something like this in the yards again, I will turn you over my knee and make you regret ever thinking of it.†A level stare at Lillian was all it took to get her point across. At least, Rosheen hoped it was. She wouldn’t like to have to actually give an Accepted a spanking.

 

Averting her eyes at Rosheen’s gaze, Lillian was still excited. She had actually won a fight! She’d only been in a brawl once before with Nynaeve Sedai, and that had been rather inconclusive not to mention the trouble that had come with it. Admittedly, she hadn’t won fairly as such, but she had won nevertheless and it was something. Unlike her studies which were only rewarded with more work, here she felt like she had reached a milestone, she could actually beat someone and that meant she could defend herself.

 

Of course, there was the issue of Nerome who was still lying on the ground. Perhaps she had used her knee with too much force. In fact, he wasn’t doing anything at all except lying there white faced. She knew that it hurt men pretty badly, but she’d never really done it before, maybe she’d been a little too enthusiastic. Light, he really wasn’t getting up, she’d heard of others doing it before to put a person down so they could run, but she thought it was more like getting a head start. The way Nerome was, she thought she could walk all the way back to her quarters and he’d still be here.

 

He needed help. “Ah, shouldn’t we take him to the infirmary? He doesn’t look well at all.â€

 

“Oh, he’s not walking for a while.†Rosheen said, looking down on Nerome, who did indeed look miserable. Rosheen was pretty sure a knee to the crotch didn’t actually damage anything serious. Or did it? She never actually used the tactic, not after Aran had described to her exactly what it felt like. Nerome looked nauseous. “Why don’t you run to the infirmary and get us a yellow sister?†She half-ordered Lillian. She really hoped her mentee wasn’t permanently damaged. That would be a shame, especially after all the progress he’d made. Rosheen watched Lillian walk off towards the infirmary. “Run, woman!†she shouted after her before grinning down at Nerome. “Oh, trust me. Once the pain is over you’ll be laughing about this too. And it’s a good lesson for you too. Never trust a woman who pretends to be defeated. We never give up that easily.â€

 

Everything seemed to be happening very very slowly. He could see Rosheen, who had bent down and was talking to him, grinning as she did, but what she was saying, he couldn’t make out. Every word seemed stretched in his mind, elongated tenfold. Come to think of it, this was a little hilarious. On the other hand though, he felt like something not quite stable had snapped inside him. He felt like... the bile was rising up in his throat, his eyes crinkled as he tasted the vomit. Rosheen certainly didn’t look happy. Somehow, that made him smile.

 

Rosheen was starting to get worried now. Nerome was smiling, while looking miserable, and seriously nauseous as well. She hoped he wouldn’t vomit all over himself, or her for that matter. She looked up at the sound of Lillian calling. Her other trainee was rushing towards her, with a yellow sister by her side. Thankfully it was Fayth. Fayth never gave her half as much trouble as some of the other yellow sisters did. Fortunately it seemed like Lillian had already explained to Fayth what the problem was, because the Aes Sedai went to work on Nerome immediately. Thank the Light, the boy would feel a lot better soon.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Nerome

Rosheen Tahn Sakhr