Fanfic:Riahana's Survival Test
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Riahana Ferria Drin'far'ji made her way to the archery range, her bow in hand, with her quiver slung off her back. She was scheduled to practice during her free time, and always looked forward to her archery sessions. She found a sense of peace while practicing. It helped that the Drin'far'ji was starting to master grasping the Void while she practiced.
Riahana could grasp the Void, but she couldn't always hold on to it. She was getting better, just as Mouse Gaidar said she would. Allowing herself a small smile, Ria pulled the waxed bow string from a pouch in her belt. Just as she was about to string her bow, though, someone interrupted her.
"Drin'far'ji? Your presence is requested in the stable yard. Follow me," the unfamiliar Gaidar ordered.
Without hesitating, Ria replaced the bowstring into her pouch and followed the Warder. The pair stopped at the armoury, where the woman nodded to the Drin'far'ji's bow, "You will not need your bow."
Ria was confused for just a split second, but handed the bow and quiver over to the quartermaster. Many thoughts ran through her mind, but all seemed somewhat outrageous. All but one, that is.
Survival test.
It has to be the survival test, Riahana thought to herself. Was it time for her Raising so soon? Or...her Raising test, that is. If she did not complete the survival test, then...
The Drin'far'ji frowned. If she did not complete the survival test, she would be dismissed from the Tower. Failure was not an option for Riahana. She had worked too hard to earn her reputation as a Warder in Training with great potential. She had to work doubly hard to shake off the reputation bestowed upon her by her blood lines. She had to work triply hard to prove herself to Master Ives. Failure would not do.
Not long after they left the armoury, the pair entered the stable yards, where Riahana saw the Master of Arms waiting, along with five saddled horses. The man's presence spoke of power. Quiet, but potent power.
The Gaidar moved to the other side of Caden Ives, leaving Riahana on her own. She expected the Master of Arms to say something, but he didn't... not then. Aside from Caden, and the Gaidar who escorted her, there were two others. One of the Gaidin approached Riahana, and placed a blindfold over her eyes. Before she could say anything, two pairs of hands lifted her up onto a horse.
Finally, Master Ives spoke, "Riahana Ferria Drin'far'ji," he rasped like a serrated blade across ground frost, "today you leave the Tower for the first time since you began your training. Over the next two days, we ride deep into the Mountains of Mist. You are to remain blindfolded for the duration of the journey. Even if we are attacked, you are to remain blindfolded. It is our job to defend you until we reach our destination.
"It is our job to coddle you like the child you are - so that you can one day become the Gaidar you can be."
There was no malice in Caden's tone, but as always, it held the hard, cold edge of truth. "We will feed you, and defend you until the end of our two day journey," he continued, the voice all known in the forced-upon darkness, "At that time, Drin'far'ji, will your journey begin in earnest. We will tell you more once we reach our destination."
Without hesitation, Riahana felt her mount move. Riding blindfolded was no challenge for the Drin'far'ji, but she hoped someone had her horse on a lead line. The way the horse pulled its neck, Riahana suspected one of the Warders was indeed leading her charge.
The two day trip was, overall, uneventful. Every so often, the group would stop, and hands would pull Riahana from her horse before spinning her until she had no clue what direction she'd been facing to begin with. Those same hands, or so she assumed, placed her back on the horse, and the group carried on.
When they stopped for camp, Riahana was lifted off her mount, and sat on a stone. She could hear people around her setting up camp, talking amongst themselves about various going-ons about the Tower. Once a fire was built, hands guided her closer so that she could benefit from the warmth.
Someone warmed a stew, and someone else did indeed feed her. None addressed her that night, but cared for her as if she was a baby yet to be weaned from her mother. They went so far as to tuck her in her bedroll when it was time to sleep.
The next morning came with someone gently shaking her awake. After breakfast, she was placed once again on her horse, and the group set off again. They took her down to turn her around a few times, but not nearly as many times as they'd done the previous day.
Eventually, the group stopped, and someone helped her dismount. Hands placed something in her belt, and then stepped away.
The Master of Arms spoke to her for the first time since the day they left the Tower, "Riahana Ferria Drin'far'ji, our journey has come to an end, but yours just begun," he rasped to her - the direction of the voice coming from the front, "You will remain blindfolded until you no longer hear our hoof beats. Only then, once you are certain you no longer hear us, will you remove the blindfold and look upon your surroundings."
There was a pause, whilst the breeze raked the ground and the trees above. "You are in the Mountains of Mist," came the same damaged voice, "and this is the start of your survival test. You will remain in this immediate area for four days, where you will put your knowledge of survival to use. All you have for supplies are the clothes on your back, the blindfold, and the utility knife that has been placed in your belt."
It was laid bare then, the exact nature of the Drin'far'ji's predicament.
"At the end of your fourth day, you will begin your journey back to the Grey Tower. To pass the test, you will arrive at sunset on the seventh day. Arrive after sunset, and you will fail. Get assistance from anyone on your journey, and you will fail. You must be entirely self reliant, Drin'far'ji.
"Do you have any questions before you are left on your own?"
Riahana shook her head, "No Master Ives, I do not."
"Very well, then," came the reply after a short pause which might have been remorseless scrutiny. Certainly, it could not have been pride? "Remember, do not remove the blindfold until you can no longer hear us."
With that, Riahana heard the party move off.
The Drin'far'ji sat down to wait and listen to the retreating party. Only once she was certain that she could no longer hear them, Riahana counted to one hundred, to be sure. When she finally removed her blindfold, it took Ria a few minutes to let her eyes adjust to the light.
Ria knew it was late afternoon, but aside from that, she knew little about her situation. She scanned the area around her, to get a sense and feel for her environment. She was in the Mountains of Mist, but she was not above the tree line. She was in a clearing that had been used for camping, but there were no obvious signs of shelter.
Opening her senses up to her surroundings, Riahana studied her environment more closely. She had three more nights in her current setting before she began her trek back to the Tower. She would have plenty of time to figure out which direction was North, South, East or West, but seeing the tracks left by the departing group of Warders put her mind in motion. With luck, the weather would hold, and she would be able to track her way back to the Tower, following their trail.
The setting sun was at her back, and the trail led off at a shallow angle towards her right. If the group were not trying to mislead her, then the Tower lay to the southeast. If she moved at a good clip, it would take Riahana a good three days to cover the ground they traveled on horseback. That part of her test, though, would not begin for another four days. For now, she needed to worry about immediate concerns: finding water, making a shelter, and building a fire.
Riahana drew upon what she learned from her cousin and her time in the Tower as she started thinking about setting up her impromptu camp. Water flowed downhill. The clearing she was in led uphill behind her, and downhill in the opposite direction. Following the slope, or fall line, the Drin'far'ji started her search for water, and materials for camp. She wouldn't wander far...the clearing would make an ideal spot for a camp site, and she didn't want to become disoriented in the woods.
It did not take the warder-in-training long to hear running water, and come across a creak running at the base of the hill. It was not a five minute walk to the creek from the clearing, which was a good thing. There was no easy way to tell if the creek might have been contaminated with anything upstream without following it to its source. Unsure how long the creek might be, she settled for following it for a time to collect wood for both shelter and fire. Only after collecting the supports for her structure did Riahana make her way back to the clearing. With luck, she would finish building the structure before it got dark. She would be able to find wood and kindling closer to camp to build a fire, time permitting.
Given that it was already settling into late afternoon, early evening when the Drin'far'ji started building her lean-to, she doubted she would have food that night. She could survive without food, though, and had access to water. Setting her mind to the task, Ria got busy with the shelter. It took about two hours for her to finish draping the lean-to with thatch and underbrush to help protect her from the elements. Once she placed the last branch of long pine needles, she looked to the west. The sun was just above the horizon, so she would have to work quickly for a fire.
Kindling was quite easy to find from dried leaves to some of the pealing bark on the surrounding trees. Picking these up, along with smaller branches, Ria gathered enough to help her get a good starter fire going, then turned her attention to larger pieces of wood for her main fuel. The biggest question lay in how she would start the fire. She could use a friction method, but...it tended to take a bit of work, and lots of practice. Her cousins showed her how to make a bow, but she had no string, so she'd have to rapidly rotate the stick between her palms...not as easy as using a fire bow.
The Drin'far'ji had another option, though. As she'd colleced wood, Ria noticed some rock outcrops not far from camp. Some rocks would spark if hit by other rocks or metal. Once she had enough wood gathered, she went to the nearest outcrop and picked up what looked like chert. Taking the utility knife she had, she turned the cutting edge towards her (to avoid dulling it), and hit a couple of quick, glancing blows off of the non-cutting edge with the piece of rock. When she saw a few sparks, the Drin'far'ji smiled.
Several minutes later, just as the sun set, Ria had a good fire going, and was ready to hunker down for her first night out on her survival test. Having a shelter, water near by, and the ability to build a fire put her in quite good spirits. Sure, she would be on her own for several days, but the shelter, fire and water all gave her quite a bit of confidence in passing the latest challenge on her road to becoming a Gaidar.
DAY TWO
The schedule at the Tower had learning ranks up at the crack of dawn, starting their exercises before eating breakfast and going to class. Out in the wilderness, bird song and the rising sun woke Riahana. She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do with herself for the next three full days. Food. I need to think about finding food, Ria thought to herself. Sure, she could last days without having to consume any food, but food was energy, and it would help keep her going. Besides finding her way back to the tower, Ria figured finding food would be her biggest challenge.
As if to emphasize the point, the Drin'far'ji's stomach growled quite loudly. With a frown, she climbed out of her lean-to. The fire helped keep her mostly warm, but she found herself a little chilled near the dawn hours. I can find some more of the long pine branches to use as a kind of blanket to help keep me warm. They make decent enough bedding in the floor of the lean-to, and insulated me enough. They'll be awkward on top, but...it'll do.
Riahana's stomach grumbled again, reminding her of the food dilemma. With a frown, the young Warder-in-Training made her way to the creek to wash her face and hands, and get a long drink of water to help curb her hunger for a little while, at least. On her way back to camp, she took her time to collect more wood for the fire, and insulation to lay over her at night.
While on her hunt for fuel and bedding, Ria did notice some of the bushes had berries on them. Eat the red and you're surely dead, but eat the black for a good snack, Ria recited the rhyme she'd been taught during her lessons on the flora around the Mountains of Mist. Fortunately, there were plenty of black berries around if she rationed them during her next few days in her temporary camp.
The Drin'far'ji had another dilemma. What was she to do during the next few days before she started her trek back to the Tower? Routine seemed like the safest bet, so after a light breakfast of berries, Ria went through her morning exercises as if she were at the tower. While going through the various forms, she focused her mind on the Flame and let each thought and emotion that could cloud her judgement burn away.
By the time Riahana finished her string of stretches, she found the Void wrapping itself around her. It was becoming a familiar feeling, an old friend, in a way. She had yet to master it, but when she found the time to slip into the Void, she managed to do so on most attempts.
The real test was still staying in the Void, so the Drin'far'ji extended her exercises to go through each unarmed form. After an hour, or so, she relaxed, and let go of the void. With a small smile and a sense of accomplishment, Ria moved towards the stream to hydrate herself before collecting fuel for the coming night's fire.
Morning slid into afternoon, and afternoon into twilight, when Riahana built her second fire. She ate more berries, but her growling stomach suggested she might want to consider something a bit more substantial in the coming days. For now, though, the berries would have to do.
The Drin'far'ji hunkered down for the night, glad for the extra insulation she found in the form of evergreen needles, as the temperature seemed much colder than the night before. Sleep didn't come as easily, as Ria spent time stoking the fire to help keep herself warm. Her second night on her own was a restless one.
When dawn finally came, Riahana repeated the rituals of the previous morning with her breakfast, exercises and hunt for water and fuel. Her grumbling stomach suggested she needed more to eat, and the lack of energy she felt only reinforced what the rest of her body was telling her. What to eat, though?
I have no sling...and I've never used such a weapon. I would waist more energy learning to use such a thing. I would be better off thinking of catching fish, or setting up a snare. Riahana thought to herself.
Yet again, though, I have never set a snare. Fishing, though, I have done, and the thorns on the berry bush would work as a hook. the Drin'far'ji reasoned. With her decision made, Ria set about making a few hooks from the berry bush.
While making the hooks didn't take long, Ria did find she had another dilemma. She needed cord to use as a fishing line. Searching her surroundings, she found a plant that looked to have woody, fibrous texture to it. Testing her suspicions, Ria used her knife to pull a bit of the bark off, and found it tore off in long strands.
With a small smile, the Drin'far'ji pulled off a number of long strands, and wound them together to make a stronger cord before moving to the creak. She had seen fish skirting the shadows, around some of the boulders. If she was careful, she might be able to actually catch one, and have a substantial meal that night.
Fishing, like many things, though, requires patience, and even with patience, you might come home empty handed. Many times, Riahana had a bite, and nearly caught a fish, but each time, her catch slipped away before she could sink the hook. After several hours of trying, the Drin' gave in, and made her way back to camp after taking a long drink of water.
Riahana had her wits about her to collect wood as she started back to camp. The sun was nearly setting on her second day alone in the wilderness, so she got to work lighting her fire before collecting berries for a less than desirable dinner.
When the sun rose the next day, Ria found it very hard to stick to her routine. Without much more than berries in her stomach, she felt weak, and lacked motivation or energy to do much of anything. Listless. She felt listless.
Perhaps I am not cut out for this, after all...if I cannot make a meal any more substantial than berries? Do I really deserve to wear this uniform? Doubt crept into her mind thanks to her weakened state. Maybe those who said I was riding on my family name were right
Something at the back of her mind, though, pushed back. "No. They weren't right. Not once did Master Ives treat me differently from the others in the Yards. If anything, he pushed me harder, and set the standard higher. I can do this." She spoke aloud as if to solidify the thought in her mind, and push back the self-doubt that seemed to creep in with weakness.
Pushing herself from the lean-to, Riahana went about her routine. Tomorrow would be the fourth day, and she would have to prepare for her trek back to the tower. She couldn't carry the creek with her, nor could she carry the lean-to. She would have to prepare herself mentally for the long trek back home. She would need energy, which meant food.
After a small breakfast of more berries, and her exercises, Riahana made her way back to the creek, where she attempted to fish one more time. The day passed just as slowly, and, unfortunately, with no fish to anchor themselves on her line. Taking it as a challenge, though, Ria gathered fuel for the night, and made her way back to camp. She may not dine on fish that night, but she was determined.
The fourth and final day in Riahana's temporary camp dawned, and with it, the same doubts she had the previous day. Once again, she vanquished those thoughts by focusing on her accomplishments. She had become a solid archer, and a competent unarmed fighter with no experience in either before coming to the yards.
The Drin'far'ji focused on her successes, and then her attempt to catch a fish to help keep her doubts at bay. The trek before her made Riahana nervous. She learned the basics of tracking from her cousins, and had some of the other Drin' and Ji' show her some other tricks during her time at the tower. She had never, though, tracked on her own before. What if she got lost?
Before the doubting thought could take root, though, Riahana had a bite. Giving the line a solid, smooth yank, she hooked the fish, and pulled it in. A confident smirk appeared on her face as she saw a decent sized trout before her.
After a long drink of water, Ria headed back to camp to set about starting a fire, and cleaning the fish. A good meal tonight would set her up well for the first leg of her trek back to the Tower. It was also the boost of confidence she needed.
An hour after catching the fish, Riahana Ferria Drin'far'ji ate, and it was the best meal she'd ever tasted. The big meal lulled her to sleep, and she woke up the next day refreshed and full of energy. She took time to break down camp, and make sure her fire was extinguished before heading to the creek for one long drink of water. She had no way of knowing where her path would lead her, and she wanted to be hydrated, just in case water became scarce.
Back in the clearing, Riahana found the tracks she'd seen the first day, and got her bearings once more. She looked up to the sky and frowned. Clouds were coming in, which might mean rain. She picked up the chert she used to start her fires, and put it in her pocket, along with her fishing line. She wasn't sure if she would manage to set up camp that night, but it didn't hurt to be prepared.
With one more deep breath, the Drin'far'ji followed the trail she believed would lead her home. Concentrating on the hoof marks, and damaged foliage, Riahana kept her mind off the weather. Only now and again, would she look to the sky, and each time, the clouds seemed to get darker and darker.
At High, a thunderous boom shattered nature's relative silence. Ria could smell rain, and frowned. She could not afford to stop yet. . .not for four more hours at least. When the first drops of rain fell, the Drin'far'ji let go a curse, but pulled her uniform tunic around her tighter as she kept going.
It was not a light rain, and it lasted a good hour or so. When it finally let up, Riahana was soaked through and through. She shivered with the cold of it, and was glad to see the sun come out. She was walking a dangerous line, and knew it, but she also knew she had another three hours to go before she could stop. She did not want to get too far behind on her first day. She could not afford to be late on that seventh day.
The rain meant finding water was not so difficult. There were puddles here and there, in the nooks and crannies of some of the boulders. Ria made sure to drink up as she carried on. The sun helped dry her out and warm her up, but she was far from bone dry when she noticed the sun beginning to set. She would need a fire that night if she wanted any sort of sleep.
The Drin'far'ji had been following a cliff for some time, and found a small cave just tall enough to fit her body not far from the trail she followed. There was enough fuel for her to put together a fire, so Riahana went about it. She planned on fanning some of the smoke into the small cave, to make sure there were no critters inhabiting the little alcove.
Once the fire was lit, Ria fanned smoke into the alcove for five minutes. When nothing stirred, she deemed it save enough, and decided she had indeed found a home for the night. She gathered a bit more fuel for her fire, and some underbrush to insulate her from the ground.
Sleep came, but it was another restless night for the Drin'far'ji. The only bonus for Riahana was her uniform was dry when she woke up on the morning of her sixth day from the Tower. One more night out here, if I am lucky. Light, may I fine my way to the Tower in time. I cannot fail!
The sky was still overcast, which did not bode well for her second to last day away from the Tower. Riahana also knew tracking her way back to the Tower would be tougher with the previous day's rain. Any hoof prints would have been washed away. Really, though, she had little to complain about. Until these last two days, the weather had been more than ideal for her.
Setting out again, following what signs she could, and having a rough sense for where she might be in relation to the Tower, Riahana began her second day's hike. Before long, though, she came to a steep embankment. Looking over the ledge, she realized she stood atop a river terrace. Below her there was a braided river which looked a bit swollen. It would pose a challenge for the Drin'far'ji.
Ria spotted a trail that led down and followed it until she got to the floor of the river valley. Across from her, she spotted what looked like a trail leading up the other side. Just getting, there, though, would be a challenge. The first braid she crossed was only knee deep, but the water was fast moving. She kept her balance, and made it to the bar that separated the first braid from a larger, deeper braid.
Angling herself a bit upstream, Ria struggled against the current, and lost her footing a couple of times before managing to make it across. Slowly, but surely, Ria did manage to cross the river. By the time she crawled to the other bank, though, she was exhausted.
There was no choice for Riahana, though. She had to press on, so she started to climb up the steep, and slippery trail she spotted from the other side. She almost had to crawl to make it to the top and carry on. It was only just coming up to High, and Riahana had a long way yet to go.
Fatigue started to get to the Drin'far'ji. As she followed the trail, she tripped on roots from time to time. Pay attention, girl...you cannot afford to get hurt, she admonished herself.
Unfortunately, Ria didn't listen to her own advice. She stumbled on another root, but this time, her left foot caught, and she felt her left knee twist and pop in an almost unnatural manner. "Blood and ashes!" she cursed after her initial scream. She winced as she got her foot free, and winced again when she tried to bend her knee.
Riahana's stomach heaved when she attempted to stand, and put weight on her injured knee. Knowing what she needed to do, Ria slowly lowered herself back to the ground, and pictured the flame her Great Grandmother produced her first day at the Tower. It took time and effort, but Riahana let each extraneous thought burn away. She let the pain she felt melt away, let the worry burn away, until all she was left with was the Void.
Only when she wrapped herself in the void did the Drin'far'ji push her to her feet. With an injured leg, her journey would take twice as long. She would not stop that night. It was now well past high, and Riahana had a lot of ground to make. With the cold, calculating Void around her, she set out, and let the pain sit outside of the Void.
The sky opened up on Riahana once again, but she paid the rain little mind, keeping the Void around her as if it were armor. She fell a few times, and bit back a curse each time her knee jarred, but managed, somehow, to hold onto the Void, and continued on her trek.
The clouds obscured the setting sun, but day turned to dusk turned to night. The temperature dropped, and Riahana knew she was cold, yet ignored it as she found comfort within the Void. The clouds melted away, revealing a star-filled night, moonless night, yet Riahana paid it no mind. Her goal was the tower, and she was taking it one step at a time.
Dawn broke, and still the Drin'far'ji carried on. She stopped only to drink, and eat a berry or two if she happened upon them. Her body ached, her stomach growled and gnawed at her with hunger, yet she still carried on. She didn't know how much ground she had yet to cover, but feared it was too much to make up for her to succeed and pass her survival test.
The very thought almost shook her from the Void, but Riahana pushed it out of her mind. She would make it... she must make it, and thus, she carried on, one step at a time, one step closer to her goal.
High came and went, and with it more hunger pangs. The Drin'far'ji's jaw was set in grim determination. The pain was ever present, but the Void helped her push past it. She stumbled, jarring the injury again and again, but she held onto the Void, and pushed ever forward.
Only when the sun began to sink on the horizon did Riahana realize how close she was. The Tower loomed before her, as did her goal. She had perhaps an hour to make it if she were to pass, but it would be a hard fought hour. Her body was beginning to rebel. Beyond the badly injured knee, her legs were cramping on her due to the constant grind she'd been on since the previous day.
Too close to quit now...come on, girl, you can do this! she encouraged herself.
Set to task, Riahana did what she could to pick up her pace. The hour seemed to crawl and fly by all at once. It seemed twilight was upon her as she started to make her way to the Foyer of the Tower. She saw other Drin' and Ji' lining the red carpeted path she would take to finish her journey.
Twenty feet away stood Master Ives, waiting, expectantly, as his cool gaze taking everything in.
Riahana stumbled her way down the red carpet, and came to stand before the Master of Arms. She held on to the Void because she dared not let it go. She did not trust herself to stand steady without the now familiar comfort of the Void around her. With effort, and a wince, Riahana knelt down. She had completed the test, and survived.
Just in time.
Unblinking, the Master of Arms stood before her, with the melted fancloak hanging about his powerful build. There was a long pause, in which he scrutinized her - took in her obviously worn physical state. He did not say anything, and it was as if his presence encompassed the whole Foyer. The high domed ceiling was no bar to the gravity of this moment - where a Trainee had taken the first true step to becoming a Warder.
Countless had signed the Drin'far'ji book without making it this far. For what the training regime did was to cut away those who were not steadfast in their beliefs or held no willingness to rise to any kind of challenge. Riahana had come, in time, surviving the wilderness of the Mountains of Mist, and showed once and for all that family was treated no differently than any other Trainee.
"We are gathered here today because of Riahana Ferria Drin'far'ji, whom has proved herself worthy to wear a darker shade of grey."
With a metallic shriek, Caden drew the ceremonial sword of ardent silver at his hip. The candlelight of hundreds of wicks sent spectres all across the floor when reflected upon the polished weapon. The Freak spoke out in his commanding grate, wide chest thrumming with each word.
"Great Granddaughter-in-law," he rasped and officially claimed her as family for the first time - the echo of the words rising into the empty space above, "you have passed the trials set upon you by your superiors, and have passed them admirably and without dishonesty or failure."
Even holding on tight to the Void to keep the pain, fatigue, and hunger at bay, Riahana couldn't help but hold her head up a bit higher. To hear the Master of Arms claim her as kin for the first time since she signed the books? She didn't smile, but one corner of her mouth twitched upward slightly.
The ceremonial sword was held point-up, with the veteran Gaidin still looking upon the woman below him. His face did not change, nor did his voice, yet was there not a faint crease to that good eye? Was that the only way he could express his pride now, when the Shadow had burned the rest of those expressions away?
"It is the duty of every individual to dedicate themselves for the betterment and advancement of their home and calling." The sword came down and touched each of the young woman's shoulders, then returned to its raised position. "Yet it is my distinct pleasure, honour - as well as duty - to confer upon you, the rank of Ji'dar of the Grey Tower."
It was done.
"Rise, Riahana Ferria Ji'dar."
Holding on tight to the Void that surrounded her, Riahana heaved herself to her feet, somehow remaining steady. She would collect her new uniform, but not just then. As the ceremony came to a close, some came to congratulate Ria. She was as gracious as she could be, but politely excused herself to head to the infirmary.
The new Ji'Dar wanted nothing more to bathe, and collapse in a bed, but knew better. The Yellows would scold her if she delayed treatment, thus she started to make her way from the hall, only to find her strength sapped.
As Riahana nearly collapsed, gentle hands held her up, and guided her to the Infirmary so that her wound, and exhaustion could be tended to. She would celebrate her Raising, just not this night.
