The Meaning of Pain (attn any requiring Basic Training)

[Nynaeve]

IC:

Another day passed and Evelyn grew hopeful. There was only one class left before the bunch of miscreants would be passed on to Ezekiel for the process of the oath taking. That meant she wouldn't have to see their pitiful faces ever again. Aside for the casual sighting around the fortress, of course. Or if she had to teach them another class (*sniff*). But for some reason, she felt increasingly put off by that specific group. Teaching them seemed to feel more and more like a torture than the usual annoying chore.

 

And so she waited for all the recruits to gather around her and finally shut up. A few were missing, which tuned down her annoyance a bit. She always managed to drop a few. Failing to do so would have seriously injured her ego and would have left her pouty for quite a few days. Luckily that was not the case and she could at least take comfort in that.

 

"Ladies and gents. You finally honor me with your presence. To the tardy ones, it is your lucky day! You're going to pay the Master of Recruits a little visit once the class ends. So at least you have something to look forward to." Evelyn gave everyone a leveled look before continuing. "Today we review the last letter. A. Agility. It is both the power of moving quickly and easily, while also thinking and drawing conclusions just as fast. The information must first be processed in your mind before it is translated into action. One will not occur without the other. Both have to be swift and exact."

 

Evelyn picked up her backpack and signaled everyone to follow her. "We're going outside of the fortress. There is a rocky area in the outskirts of Amador, not too far off. A few CotL are waiting there for us, to assist with your training. And keeping them waiting is probably not a good idea. They're not as cuddly as I am. So, let us not keep them waiting more than we have to." With that said, Evelyn broke into a run, not bothering to check if the rest were keeping up.

 

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Evelyn waited patiently until the last recruit finally made it to the spot, half passing out on the ground. She let them rest for a while, while she conversed with the CotL she asked to help her out. A tall cliff loomed over them. It wasn't too hard to guess what the exercise would consist of. The element of surprise was not the challenge, anyway.

 

"Okay, listen up. Your task is very simple in description, less easy in practice. I want you to scale that cliff." A few recruits sighed as they looked up at the mighty cliff. "And after you climb up, you have to go down the same way." More sighs were heard. "The same standard rules. You will be tied to a rope that my good friends will be in charge of. After all, you're no use to me as a big splat. But if you slip, you start all over again. No excuses. You both act fast and think fast. Be sure you make the right choice. Don't grab a shaky rock just to be faster, though. Find your ground if need be. It surely beats starting over. However, I will not suffer recruits who take half a day to pull this off. Careful yet quick. That's what I want to see."

 

Evelyn nodded at one of the CotL who let her know that they were ready for the first recruit to go on. "You may go in the order you got here, that way the ones who recently arrived can have a bit more rest before their time is up. Let the fun begin."

 

 

OOC:

First of all I want to SUPER apologize for how long it has taken me. It was part waiting on other people to post and partly cause I got distracted. But I take all responsibility :)  So, just RP your characters going through this last exercise (no godmodding, I wanna see'ya all ache, sweat and get all scraped *wink*) and then I'll move us on to the oath and finally THE END lol

*hugs*

 

 

 

Evelyn

CotL

[Shamaeso]

Looking up the cliff, Essaul shrugged his pack straps snug and nodded to the CoTL with his rope that he was ready. Starting out he kept reminding himself to pace himself and not let the excitement out. Not even 15 feet off the ground he could feel the sweat starting and new this was going to be a tough physical task. Keeping a steady pace he slowly worked his the rock. His knee started to ache from the rock that Evelyn had nailed him with the other day. Quickly pushing the ache out of his mind he kept working his way up and hoping the rocks and gravle he dislodged did not hurt anyone below. Pausing to catch his breath he looked around and realized he was not making as good a ground as he had hoped but started back on the steady pace he had set earlier. Just knowing this had to be the final task was exhilarating to him as soon he would be able to take more advanced classes.

 

Wiping sweat out of his eyes he could feel his arms aching and his fingers were sore from the rough edges of the rock. Steadily he worked his way to the top. Pausing to look around he took a minute to rest and drink some water from his goatskin. With a deep sigh he indicated to the CoTL he was ready to start back down. Realizing this was going to be even tougher then the climb up as he would have to continually look down and this would make for more sweat in his eyes.

 

Slowly reaching the bottom he slumped with his back against the rock face and quickly realized that Evelyn would probably reprimand him so standing up straight he untied his rope and worked his way off to the side. Waiting on the others to complete their task he tried to stay focused and not give in to the aches in his arms and legs.

[Jehaine]

Sharina looked around at the other recruits in the line, frowning slightly as she noticed a couple of them were missing. It was part of regular training that the ones without the physique to become warriors would drop off in these series of trials, she just hadn't really expected it to happen to some people in the group she was in. Still, that didn't change the fact that Evelyn was now jogging off to an unknown location, forcing the others to keep up or keep out.

 

The jogging itself was fairly easy, which was to be expected of a healer. Emergencies hardly ever came at convenient times, and more often than not consisted of her and her parents snatching a couple of bags from a table and running to the other end of town. Though she was feeling a bit winded from the run, there were others that were in a much worse condition than she was as they listened to what they were supposed to be doing next.

 

After Essaul had finished his descent, it was her turn to climb. Securely tying the rope around her waist in a double knot, she spat in her hands to make them less slippery and jump up on the first outcropping rock from where she would start, her fingers feeling for secure ledges where her boot might fit into a bit higher up.

 

Though she was strong, most of that strength was focused on keeping a patient down, not pulling herself up almost continually. Halfway up the cliff, she had had to wait for half a minute to keep some muscles in her chest from cramping up, and with some less than gentle tugs from the Child of the Light at the top she started climbing again, using the same path Essaul had used earlier.

 

Once at the top, she waved at the people at the bottom passing out from vertigo before gently leaning down from the edge of the cliff until her boot found one of the ledges she had used to push herself up earlier. Climbing down took a little more time from not being able to see where she was going -- looking down was never a good idea -- but managed to reach her destination after two more short breaks. She had some scrapes, her fingers and toes felt like they had had better days and her mouth was dry from the times she had spat on her hands for additional grip, but she made it. After untying the rope and handing it to the next person in line, she took a long drink from a waterskin before watching how the next person fared.

 

 

Sharina

Queen of the Hill

[Tigara]

Zari and Zela looked up the cliff, then down. Looked up it, then down again. It was a formidable cliff. Zela was rather eager, but Zari really wasn't sure about this. Heights weren't his greatest feature. After Sharina got down, Zela rushed over and hooked herself up. Taking a running leap, she tried to get a secure holding, but failed to with the impact. She grunted and fell to the ground. The others giggled at her, but she just gave them a blue-eyed glare. She grabbed onto it again and pulled herself up. It was a slow and agonizing process for her, largely caused by her grabbing faulty handholds and falling....three times. Coming down for her was much faster, if less graceful. Not that she's the perfect example of grace in any situation, but particularity not in this one.

 

Once she was down, Zari was hooked up and took a much more logical approach. The whole time he had been assessing where the three ahead of him went, where they had trouble, where they had an easy time. His whole course had been plotted before he was strapped in. Taking careful, but precise hand and foot holds, he was up and back in a reasonable time. "And that, dear sister, is why brains beats brawn." he told her with a smirk.

 

Zari and Zela

Opposites, yet so very alike

[Nynaeve]

IC:

 

Evelyn yawned. The lesson lasted longer than what she anticipated and she was growing anxious with finally seeing the training completed and done with. When the last recruit reached the ground and collapsed on the ground from exhaustion she grinned and stood up. "Whoever is left standing has met the requirements that the CotL requires of you as initiates. It means nothing more that you qualify. That you have potential to perhaps be greater than what you are. And with that, our training is concluded. find your way back to the fortress. Clean up and stand ready to be summoned to take the first oath. You are dismissed."

 

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Ezekiel barged into rooms with no pause, ordering the recruits to meet him back in the yard. Ignoring any questions or inquiries and simply stating a fact. They were either going to be there or he was personally going to pick out an eloquent punishment for each and every one of them. And he was known for his vast imagination and cruelty.

 

Eventually, he made his way back to yard, pursing his lips in contemplation for a moment before proceeding. His cloak flapped in the soft breeze as the sun started to set down, giving the sky a red/purple shade. They were all about to undergo one of the oldest customs the Children of the Light had. The first Oath. A solid tie to the Fortress and the cause.

 

Increasing the usual volume of his voice, Ezekiel spoke ceremonially. "We meet when day ends and night begins to seal your commitment to the Light. Please, repeat after me." Raising his eyes to the setting sun, Ezekiel recited. "By the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, I swear fealty to The Children of The Light. I vow to serve, respect and grant obedience to the high command. In the name of the Creator, I swear it."

 

 

 

OOC: Ok, post yourself taking the oath and what you feel when you swear it....and consider this thread done!(OH THANK GOD) Way to go! you've all been brilliant!!!!!

 

Because this training turned out being a hell of a lot longer than what I initially planned, this will count both towards your basic training and a class.

 

I hope you had as much fun as I did  ^_^

 

 

 

 

Nyn

CotL

[Shamaeso]

Essauls spoke the oath out loud in a solid vibrant voice, "By the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, I swear fealty to The Children of The Light. I vow to serve, respect and grant obedience to the high command. In the name of the Creator, I swear it."

 

Filling with pride as he spoke each word he could feel his confidence growing and took solace in surviving Evelyn's lengthy tests. Looking around he wondered if the others felt the same as they spoke the Oath out loud.

[Jehaine]

Sharina beamed proudly at having passed the test. Even if it was just the qualification round, being seen as suitable to join the Children of the Light was a great honor in itself in her eyes. Helping the other students where she could -- not like after the training and her turn scaling the cliff it could make her clothes any dirtier anyway -- she was one of the last ones to leave for an overdue bath and a fresh change of clothing. She already knew what to ear as well...

 

She had waited for half an hour in her brand new armor of the Children of the Light. It was still a bit off here and there, but until it could be replaced by a better fitting version she was stuck with this one. She didn't mind though, the uniform was still a uniform regardless of how well it fit, and more importantly, this was her uniform now. She was about to become a full member of the Children, and all she would need to do now is speak the Oath she had been repeating to herself over and over again.

 

- "By the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, I swear fealty to The Children of The Light. I vow to serve, respect and grant obedience to the high command. In the name of the Creator, I swear it."

 

Her voice radiated confidence and pride at achieving the goal she had set out for herself two years before she was old enough to join the Children. And the best part was that this was just the beginning! There was a whole array of classes to follow about almost everything, and perhaps she would be following an Officers class herself one day, to lead recruits through a series of exercises much like Evelyn had today. The mntal image of herself in shining armor, golden knots and all while barking out commands was enough to make her giggle though, and she managed to correct herself before it turned into a laugh in itself. She didn't want to step on anybody's toes after all, not this fast after the raising ceremony.

 

 

Sharina

Child of the Light!

[Tigara]

The Twins stood together, grinning like idiots. With thier voices in perfect sync, they spoke the oath clearly, if in a slightly accented way.

 

"By the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, I do swear fealty to The Children of The Light. I do vow to serve, respect and grant obedience to the high command. In the name of the Creator, I do swear it."

 

Having said that, they grinned at each other, put their arm over the others shoulders, and shared a thought. We finally made it. Mom would be proud of us.

 

Zari and Zela Chasei

Official Children of the Light

[mcs0083]

Kollan walked up to the woman that was told to him to be Evelyn. She looked like a fierce individual. "Umm...excuse me ma'am. Is this where I receive basic training?"

 

Kollan Gaireth

New initiate in the CotL

[Nynaeve]

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