Fanfic:Why Warders?
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Needing some help...
Isaria knocked on the office door, and entered. "Good day, Sapphire Sedai, i was wondering if i could talk to you about the Green Ajah and weapons training?"
Newness
The rich smell of kaf wafted up from the Sea Folk porcelain tea cup Saphire Sedai held in both hands. A smell she was not used to, let alone taste, even with the cream. A certain Indigo had urged her to try it at some point, saying it would keep her awake during paperwork. On a day like this, she could use something to keep her eyes focused on all of those flaming scrolls that continuously arrived one after another. Sipping it tentatively, she did indeed sense some veil of haze lift from her eyes. A knock at her study door soon followed and she lowered the kaf and turned her attention to the sound.
Listening to the novice who entered, Saphire Sedai set her kaf aside on her desk "Please, have a seat child and we'll talk it over." and motioned to the chair on the other side facing her. The couch and tea table just beyond were still in a dismal state of disrepair, after . . yesterday. "It is good to hear you are interested not only in weapons training, but my Ajah as well . . Isaria is it?" Yes, Mia mentioned her. "What can I help you with?"
Grateful
Isaria took a seat and smiled at Sapphire. The other woman looked very tired, and she felt bad for barging in on her. "I'm sorry to interrupt you like this, i guess i didn't realize you'd be so busy." she shrugged uncomfortably. "See, i'm interested in the green ajah, but i'm not really sure how to go about starting my training." she blushed a little "I'm actually a little afraid of some of the warders." Isaria had thought a lot about the Green ajah, and the thing that bothered her the most was the close association to the Gaidin. Even after nearly five years, her past haunted Isaria. She wasn't sure that she wanted a warder, yet as far as she knew, there wasn't a Green Aes Sedai without at least one. She realized that Sapphire had said something and she blushed again "I beg your pardon?"
Brothers of Battle
With a wave of her hand, Saphire dismissed the comment. "No worries. I enjoy speaking with the Learning Ranks, especially when I have a lot of paperwork to do."
Folding her hands on her desk, Saphire listened. Isaria seemed ill at ease, even bashful. Although she demanded respect, Saphire wanted to make sure that those in the Learning Ranks knew they could approach her and seek help. "That is a difficult problem." She replied, frowning in thought. Afraid of Warders? How odd. "Although you don't have to bond one, it will make things much more difficult for you if you don't have a Gaidin to protect you when you are raised." Thoughts of escorting Isaria to the Band of Brothers to meet Trainees and introducing her to a friendly Ji'alantin to instruct her in the weapon of her choosing emerged as suggestions. But Saphire pushed those thoughts away, and instead asked, "What is it you exactly fear about the Gaidin?"
I'm not sure...
Isaria shrugged uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. She liked, and even admired the Aes Sedai, but she wasn't sure she wanted to delve into her past too deeply.
Isaria chose her words carefully, "Before i came here, i learnt that men can't be trusted. All of them, not just the Gaidin" Unbidden, the thought of Gatts floated into her mind. She guessed that she could, in a roundabout way, trust him, yet the thought of sharing any kind of bond with any man scared Isaria.
She noticed that Saphire appeared a little concerned about her reluctance to bond a warder, and she didn't quite understand it. "This might sound like a silly question, but why are warders important? I mean once i'm raised, i can protect myself"
Oh, Just a Few Reasons
The Green Sister nodded silently to the answer, and thought back to Atreus when he arrived as a Drin'. That was the height of his mistrust for women. The Pattern repeats itself. She noted, and listened to Isaria's returned question, and answered.
Leaning back in her chair, Saphire began to speak, "While the One Power is a useful tool, it is not an omnipotent and we can't use it all of the time and it doesn't solve everything. We can not use the One Power as a weapon in most circumstances for example, the Three Oaths bind us to that. My Warder is sworn to protect me at the expense of his own life, to be a weapon when I either don't see the full situation, react in time, are shielded or in a steading, or when the Three Oaths bind me. An example . . not two months ago I left the Band of Brother's Inn with my Gaidin Atreus. We were held up by a band of thieves. While they didn't directly threaten my life or his, merely meant to injure is or perhaps rape me, I could do nothing. Atreus was my only protection then, and he was trained to see them coming before I. When I have multiple Warders I will be better prepared to walk straight into battle. The Power requires a lot of concentration and focus, and a channeler usually can't weave the Power and watch her surroundings at the same time. My Warder is there to protect me when I can't pay attention. Channeling is a very tiring activity, and my Warder is there to protect me when I'm drained, or simply sleeping. He is skilled at things I am not, like foraging, tracking, moving and hiding without being seen by channelers, stealth, surviving in the wild, sensing shadowspawn, using multiple weapons he is skilled at, but most importantly - looking out for me. Even when I am not acting in the interests of my own life, he is. We are widely hated, and many times they must travel in secret. Warders are there to protect me when I must keep my identity secret and can not channel. My Warder can lie, but I can not. He can counter attack or pre-emptively attack when our lives are not in direct threat. These are also the advantages Warders have over bonded Asha'man. If I were captured as damane, he would likely be my only chance of escape since he would know where I was, my state of health if he were close enough, and be able to get to me without being leashed himself. The list goes on . ."
Her voice trailed off as she ceased to think of examples of just how much she depended on Atreus, and Gwilym before him. And genuinely hoped that Isaria would heed her advice.
