Post by Galvin Menithil on Sept 26, 2020 18:38:36 GMT
From "More than the Serpent Ring"
It was always a strange thing to see an Aes Sedai standing in the training yard. It had become more and more common in recent years, and while some of the old guard among the guard or even the guardsmen would grumble about how they shouldn't be coming to the yard at all it always brought a small smile to the yardmasters face to see the women practicing rather than oggling his trainees or the warders who were training. He was even more surprised that Avyanna would have consented to such a thing, as much as she cared to see her people instructed in the necessary duties of what made an Aes Sedai, he would never have thought that she would allow a full set of novices to be stolen from what he imagined most other Aes Sedai would call "essential instruction" in politics or history. He knew better of course, swordsmanship taught discipline as much as it taught how to fight. Too many young men in their own program had been lost because of their lack of discipline, thinking that because they were the best swordsmen in their village or had the finest instructors at their palace that that alone would give them an edge over the farm boys or merchants sons who had come with no more than desire in their hearts. He had even kept his eyes on young women who would study the sword, but be lost to his instruction once the Aes Sedai started lecturing them on "the importance of studying real subjects. The girls would eventually fall out, moving to assist the kin and no one could possibly say how this happened, Well, Avyanna certainly could but she had enough on her plate to worry about, there was no way she could take the time to lecture full sisters on the importance of allowing these girls to mold themselves.
He watched as the young ladies lined up for their instruction, and was surprised to see little Miss Ranai among those lining up for what he had assumed to be rudimentary lessons. The young lady was certainly more than capable of holding her own against most of the fools who would pick up theirs swords in their first week. Surely she wouldn't need to sit through one of the more rudimentary lessons that were intended just to introduce these young women to the blade. He was about to move toward her to ask as much when the Aes Sedai handed out practice blades and he saw just how excited the young lady became. She remembered some of what he had tried to instill in her, but her footwork was all over the place and her focus was more on pretend enemies than her form. He shook his head, smiling as he watched her finish the form out. There was a time he had been much the same, and his own instructors had let him make those mistakes. It was important she be allowed to do the same, lest he kill what little interest the girl had for his subject.
He took a seat nearby and pulled his own blade out, sitting quietly he began his meditation. Honing himself so his blade would become an extension of his arm. He had his own class coming down soon, and it would not do for their instructor to be lecturing about the importance of making yourself one with the blade if he did not do just that.
It was always a strange thing to see an Aes Sedai standing in the training yard. It had become more and more common in recent years, and while some of the old guard among the guard or even the guardsmen would grumble about how they shouldn't be coming to the yard at all it always brought a small smile to the yardmasters face to see the women practicing rather than oggling his trainees or the warders who were training. He was even more surprised that Avyanna would have consented to such a thing, as much as she cared to see her people instructed in the necessary duties of what made an Aes Sedai, he would never have thought that she would allow a full set of novices to be stolen from what he imagined most other Aes Sedai would call "essential instruction" in politics or history. He knew better of course, swordsmanship taught discipline as much as it taught how to fight. Too many young men in their own program had been lost because of their lack of discipline, thinking that because they were the best swordsmen in their village or had the finest instructors at their palace that that alone would give them an edge over the farm boys or merchants sons who had come with no more than desire in their hearts. He had even kept his eyes on young women who would study the sword, but be lost to his instruction once the Aes Sedai started lecturing them on "the importance of studying real subjects. The girls would eventually fall out, moving to assist the kin and no one could possibly say how this happened, Well, Avyanna certainly could but she had enough on her plate to worry about, there was no way she could take the time to lecture full sisters on the importance of allowing these girls to mold themselves.
He watched as the young ladies lined up for their instruction, and was surprised to see little Miss Ranai among those lining up for what he had assumed to be rudimentary lessons. The young lady was certainly more than capable of holding her own against most of the fools who would pick up theirs swords in their first week. Surely she wouldn't need to sit through one of the more rudimentary lessons that were intended just to introduce these young women to the blade. He was about to move toward her to ask as much when the Aes Sedai handed out practice blades and he saw just how excited the young lady became. She remembered some of what he had tried to instill in her, but her footwork was all over the place and her focus was more on pretend enemies than her form. He shook his head, smiling as he watched her finish the form out. There was a time he had been much the same, and his own instructors had let him make those mistakes. It was important she be allowed to do the same, lest he kill what little interest the girl had for his subject.
He took a seat nearby and pulled his own blade out, sitting quietly he began his meditation. Honing himself so his blade would become an extension of his arm. He had his own class coming down soon, and it would not do for their instructor to be lecturing about the importance of making yourself one with the blade if he did not do just that.
