Ryvin casts a brief look at Zira - and spits on the ground. She does not further speak to her.
"Are you lot done fighting, then?" she roughly asks of the men - and casts a cool glance at Ryland. "And also done unfavourably comparing women to Trollocs? If so, the others are waiting in the room of doors. Shall we go?"
"Indeed Ryland. You have not had an interaction with a Trolloc for nearly long enough to compare them to women. Their conversations may be much more refined than their combat techniques". Amorial pauses, "Hrmm. Does that qualify as a joke Ryland? I may need to get back to the Stedding sooner than I thought!"
Ryvin snorts at Amorial's comments, then releases a stream of vile-sounding words, interspersed with guttural snarls.
"There. If you preferred that, seek out Trollocs - or Myrddraal - for conversation. But do not worry overmuch, Amorial; it was only a very little joke," Ryvin says.
Alathea flushes with embarrassment. "I am sorry, Analin Sedai. I mistook your meaning, yes?"
Analin shakes her head. "No need to apologize, Alathea." Which was a very concise insight into the woman's world view.
And I'm sure you have also ensured that we will neither be ambushed, nor stranded, in whatever unknown place we find ourselves."[/b] Kodo dips low on one knee, head bowed and hand upon his heart. "Honour to serve," he says, his voice perfectly respectful, "Analin Aes Sedai."
Analin nods as if taking Kodo at his word. "I have considered the possibility of traps and ambush, yes. As, I'm sure, have Alathea and at least some of your other companions. However, it sounds as though you are mistaking an acceptable risk for an insurmountable obstacle." She gestures at the portal.
"There is no reward without some risk. And there is no way to insure no ills will befall us if we enter the portal. We can do our best to mitigate those risks, but nothing can eliminate them entirely. To live is to accept the risks we face and move ahead in spite of them."
Amorial listens to the speech provided by Ryvin, "I see your point Ryvin. I do speak Trolloc and you are quite correct, quite vile but I wonder, is there no hope for any of them? It would seem that there must be some among the bunch that would provide good conversation. Alas, we may never know".
"The only ones I saw that were even remotely within bowshot of 'redeemable' were the first ones," Ryvin says, shuddering. "The first Trollocs ever made... And I am not even sure of them."
"Explain Ryvin, whatever do you mean by that?"
Chen nods at Ryvin, following the group as they make their way to the room of doors. "What use is there in conversing with Shadowspawn?" he asks Amorial. "Except perhaps to torture information out of them. Even so, better results with darkfriends than monsters."
He doesn't seem to get the joke and eyes Ryvin up and down quizzically. "I see absolutely no resemblance between human women and trollocs Ryland. The height difference and lack of fur or feathers alone." he states.
When he enters the room of doors, "Risk? I should like to be second in, after Rhoekk followed by a channeler. Just a tactical opinion."
Ryland groans and shakes his head. "I didn't say women at like trollocs! I meant that compared to an angry women, trollocs are ni...never mind. Where is Fia? I must speak to her."
"Fiallain will be better able to explain than I, friend Amorial," Ryvin demurrs. "Besides, it is not an experience we are likely to recreate anytime soon, and other business it upon us."
The Ebou Dari smiles a bit at Chen. "It could also be useful to deceive and spy on them, as well as read anything they have written. Knowledge is power."
Keelix simply slides his blade back into its scabbard and waits for the group to return to the room of doors.
She grins as Ryvin speaks
"You should use that language more often. It suits you"
She chuckles afterwards
"Yes. Suits you perfectly"
-Posted with Wayfinder
As Amorial, Chen, Keelix, Rhoekk (carrying books of all things!), Ryland, Ryvin and Zira enter the room they overhear Analin's Warder berating the rest of their friends.
Landa shakes his head in disapproval and glares at Alathea, Fia, Kodo, Litheene, and Merdrith, "I have been a Warder for many years, never have I heard of anyone speaking in such disrespectful tones to an Aes Sedai. Never. This behavior is simply unacceptable. You will all treat Analin Sedai with respect from this moment forward. Is that clear?"
Ryland bristles at the warders words as he walks in to the room. "Warder Landa, in case you forget the people you address were willing to do violence on behalf of Analin Sedai and Merdrith Sedai just last night. Maybe respect should flow both ways."
Fia folds her arms in front of her as she simply raises an eyebrow and returns Landa's glare with a flat look. Neither she nor her sister had said anything she thought would be construed as disrespect, though she did not feel the need to explain that to the warder. In truth, after this morning, the seemingly constant bickering was grating on her already stretched nerves. Irritably, she wondered if these wetlanders weren't every bit as prickly as one of the many varieties of insidious thorn-bushes in the three-fold-land. Her attention was soon arrested by something else however.
At the sound of Ryland's bristling voice, her cheeks color slightly and she stiffens imperceptibly. She shoots what she meant to be a quick probing glance in his direction but then doesn't immediately look away. Though the rest of her features are composed, her eyes give challenge.
Alathea blushes again at Landa's admonishment, but says nothing. Instead, she waits until he is done speaking, then waits for the others to enter the room. Stepping towards the open doorway to the maple woods, she turns to speak to her assembled companions. "Although many of you think me foolish for doing so, I intend to go through this doorway, yes? Not only am I confident in what it does, but I know as well as the rest of you that, eventually, one of us will attempt to use these doors no matter how much caution and scrutiny we bear. I volunteer to save us the trouble and time we would otherwise spend before finally using the doorways anyway, yes?"
"Sounds like a plan," Ryvin says as she hears Alathea's words. "Though I'd suggest a different location, with regards to Merdrith's sensibilities. If the doors do have an unpleasant side-effect or worse, we run into enemies on the other side, it might be a nice idea not to blight her memories of her pleasant childhood."
Ryvin grins at Landa in an insouciant manner as she brushes by him.
"And I wouldn't start berating them just yet. Not until you've heard me mouth off to an Aes Sedai, leastwise. Wouldn't want you to set the bar too low."
Analin frowns and looks at Ryvin. "Memories?" She gestures at the portal. "This is a portal to Merdrith's memories, not a physical location?" The blonde Aes Sedai had, after all, come in to the conversation very late.
And while she didn't support Landa's admonishment, Analin also didn't discourage the warder or contradict him.
Kodokura sighs audibly, even as he ignores Landa's speech, then steps forth. "I'm not quite sure why, except that I'm sure that I'm more expendable than most of the rest of you. Let me go first, and witness what happens." He waits for confirmation to move forth.
"No, no," Ryvin says. "Just a door to a place that holds fond memories for her."
She casts a glance at the damane. "Isn't that right."
The Ebou Dari frowns at Kodokura.
"What in the bloody blue blazes makes you think you're expendable at all, man?"
Amorial shrugs, "Humans. Why do you feel the need to be so hasty? Let us take our time before we enter this place. Perhaps there are other doors which we should open and determine which, if any, we should enter. Perhaps we should enter none at all! Is our goal to get back to our own world and time or to walk into every portal we see and wander about aimlessly?"
"You are not expendable," agrees Alathea. She looks as if she might say more, but does not.
Ryland glances at Fia and locks eyes with the wise woman. The boarderlander wilts a bit and looks apologetic for a moment before turning back to focus on the portal. "No. I will go. Friend Amrial, please keep this in safe keeping until we meet again." The wolf lord hands the strange stone sword to the treesinger and walks through the portal.
"Hold on!" Ryvin says, lunging to grab Ryland before he can go through the door. "I wouldn't call you expendable, neither!"
Chen smiled behind his mask. Ryland showed the proper respect to the artifact. He moved to follow Ryland.
"I will accompany you then."
Ryland smiles with out mirth as he looks into Ryvin's eyes. " I am a free man Ryvin. I do as I wish. Now remove your hands...please.
"There are none of us expendable and it is pointless to argue who might be more or less so." Fia slides smoothly in front of Chen. Standing before the portal, she turns and looks back at Ryland. "Let's go." She waits for him then will step through.
Ryland smiles at Fia and takes her by the hand before he enters the portal.
Fia looks surprised and maybe a little embarrassed as Ryland takes her hand, but she doesn't pull away. She gives him a slight smile before squeezing his hand to stop him from moving through. She turns to Alathea.
"I am sorry for stepping ahead of you sister, but if something were to go wrong, you may be needed here to get us back since you can read these things. Is there anything further we need to know? We should be able to walk back here through the other side?"
Merdrith steps forward as well, "I too will go, it is my memory after all".
Landa steps nearer to Analin, "Analin Sedai, do you wish to go as well? I agree with the Ogier, this seems to be a hasty decision but as always, where you go I go".
Amorial takes the sword and holds it reverently, "Of course Ryland. I will make sure nothing happens to it. Alathea, are you sure this is just a memory and not a dimension to yet another mirror world?"
Alathea shakes her head. "I think you misunderstand. This place is not a memory--it is real, yes? When Merdrith says that this is her memory, she means only that it is an important place in her memory. I do not know if these doorways can reach other mirrors of the Wheel, but this is of this one."
Zira will also go. Since it is Tali after all.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Analin nods at Landa. "I consider this part and parcel of our task." She looks at Alathea. "Have you studied similar ter'angreal, Alathea? I am familiar with Portal Stones but this is wholly different."
Alathea shakes her head. "No, Aes Sedai. I have taken the lessons regarding objects of the One Power that all the Novices and Accepted are required to take, but my instructors...they all said that my talents must lie elsewhere. Such lessons were not easy for me, yes? But while we were in the other Mirror of the Wheel, we came across a cache of ter'angreal. I do not know how, but when I studied them, I knew what each did, almost as if their purposes were written on them in ink. And when Ryvin brought me to these doors, I read their purpose just as easily, yes?" She lowers her eyes, as if to ashamed that her explanation sounds boastful. "I do not know how, Aes Sedai, but I know."
"Everyone has Talents of their own," Ryvin says, shrugging. "And if the Power was used to make these doors, then logically there must be a Talent to deal with their like. In time, Talents repeat. You, Alathea, have been blessed with a rare one in a time where it is needful. The Wheel weaves..."
Fia, Ryland, Chen, Analin, Landa, Zira and Merdrith step through the portal.
As you enter the forest all is as it seems. The sounds of birds chirping can be heard nearby though you cannot see them. The air smells clean and fresh. The sun is blocked overhead making it difficult to deterine the time of day.
Merdrith picks up her shoe and places it back on her foot. She smiles at the rest of the assembled, "It is as I remember it". She looks around and finally she points east, "My old home is this way. I wonder if anyone still dwells there. Will you all accompany me?"
Looking backwards, you see that the doorway sits in the middle of a large maple tree. Peering into the room, you see the rest of the group watching you though you cannot hear them.
Those still in the room see the group step through unharmed. Merdrith points but you cannot hear what she is saying.
Amorial breathes a sigh of relief as nothing happens when his Friends step through the portal. He looks grim but says nothing further.
Analin nods at Alathea. "You rediscovered a lost, or at least very rare, Talent. I would love to talk to you more about it when we have time."
After the group walks through the portal, Analin channels a pair of weaves, extending her range of vision and hearing to sweep the area around them for signs of habitation, intending to quickly spy out a circle around the portal from above.
After passing through the portal, Fia scans the area for any signs of danger. She looks back, relieved to see the portal still open, hidden within a tree. "I wonder how long it will stay open like that." She says as Alathea steps through.
When Analin begins to channel, she stops, watching intently as the Aes Sedai weaves. "If that does what I think it might, it could be very useful someday." she murmers softly as she stands next to Ryland.
Ryland inhales deeply, attempting to detect anything in the are. The wolf lord then reaches out trying to find the wolves.
Looking at the door, Alathea holds up the maple key. "I do not know how long it will stay open. But even if it closes, we only need the key to open it again, yes?" She looks around, studying her surroundings to commit her location to memory. "We need only remember where the door was, and we may safely return to the room."
As you check the area you can see that there is clearly a path that does run to the East in the direction where Merdrith is pointing. The Forest has little undergrowth near your present area though there are some bushes dotting the landscape under the forest canopy. To the west is a small pool of water approximately 40' away, that appears to be where the path ends. There is little foot traffic here besides that of your comrades.
As you reach out with your senses, you determine that there are some small woodland animals in the bushes nearby, likely they fled the pool when your group arrived startling them.
Your senses however do not detect any wolves nearby.
Landa looks to Alathea, "Should we retain a guard here at the door just in case?"
Merdrith looks to Chen, "Can you mark the tree Gardener that we may easily locate it again should teh door close?"
As Analin directed her senses of sight and hearing directed far away, the Aes Sedai looked distracted and unaware of what was going on around her.