Veryl Materasu's Journal

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Veryl
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Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:18 am

Veryl Materasu's Journal

Post by Veryl »

5th day of Jumara, Age 7:

Father married her today. I still do not know how I feel about him marrying someone else. I suppose mother has been gone for some time now. He still finds the time to come and play a game of stones or snakes and foxes with me from time to time.

I watched him practicing in the courtyard today. One day I will be as great a swordsman. Hopefully, I will be able to get him to teach me even though he will have more duties now as the Prince Consort.

17th day of Amadaine, Age 9:

So I am to have a baby brother now, and the House will have a true heir for Queen Ethenielle. They are naming him Diryk. Prince Diryk at that. In truth, I feel relieved. The stress of rule is not something that I think would have been fun. Although, if I was King then I could make father teach me the sword. I am not as weak as he thinks me.

7th day of Danu, Age 10:

My father still refuses to train me in the sword. He says that with my ailments it would not be wise for me to attempt such training. He is having me sent to Shienar to train in battle and tactics under Lord Agelmar. I can't help but feel he is just trying to send me away.

9th day of Tammaz, Age 12:

Agelmar has been teaching me well. He does not treat me as the invalid that father did either. He found out today that I have been mimicking the swordsman as they practice from atop the wall in my free time. He was concerned at first, but I was able to convince him there was little harm in letting me try.

He has said that if my lessons in tactics suffer in the slightest that it will end, but until then he has given permission for me to train with the others. I also have to begin a regiment of exercise for conditioning my body to hold up under the stress he says.

11th day of Tammuz, Age 12:

The others all seem to think I am just the spoiled brat of a Lord and that I shouldn't be here. I took quite a beating these last couple days in the sparring. I must get better.

9th day of Tammuz, Age 14:

I am to spar against Lord Ingtar today. The winner gets to be part of the next patrol and begin training to lead the others. This is my chance to prove myself.

15th day of Tammuz, Age 14:

My former ailments seem to be gone. Whatever that Aes Sedai did, seems to have healed more than just my wounds. Unfortunately, Agelmar has informed me that my time training here is at an end. Why did I have to care so much about winning that sparring match?

Ingtar will be ok I'm told, but his friend, Uno, the Sedai kept him alive but could not save the eye. I have shamed myself and my House. I must leave, but to where...

I must continue training, that is more clear than ever now. I need to learn discipline and control. Tonight I will thank Lord Agelmar for his tutelage and hospitality and in the morning I will make my way to Tar Valon. I have heard that some of the best blademasters in history have come from the students there.

23rd of Shaldine, Age 15:

I have arranged entrance into the warder students, with the help of a Sedai I met on the road. I did not tell them who I was, as I wanted to be sure I got no special attention.

I mulled around for a long while, unsure about getting back into the sparring ring. I still have not figured out why it is that I seem to need to go full boar into every fight, and I worry that I will hurt someone again.

18th of Jumara, Age 17:

I have finally gotten back into the forms. The stances feel familiar, like an old friend. I even joined in a couple of sparring sessions successfully. I am remembering that this is what I am meant to be. I will learn and I will return to my father to be the next Sword Bearer for whichever of my brothers or sisters take the throne when the time comes.

17th of Choren, Age 19:

I've only just found this journal again. The events described in it are mostly foreign to me. I awoke a few days ago with no recollection of my past. I was lying in some dark tunnels, filled with a dreadful stench. There was a strange stone in the area and I went up to examine it and upon touching it I found myself in some woods.

I wandered for a while before wading across a river and finding a village. It was there that I met Master Aruon. He was a Gaidin from Tar Valon, and as the only fragments of memory I could seem to grasp were of training in Tar Valon, he led me back there.

We checked the books and records of me had been lost it seemed. So he helped me re-enroll and also helped me to get set up in a room there.

After a couple days rest, I went out to the practice yards and found my footing unstable and unsure. But according to this journal I am supposed to be good at this.

7th day of Aine, Age 20:

The stances have become familiar once again, and more of my memory is returning. My body does not seem to remember the forms as well as it once did, however, and something feels off as I train.

As I spar against others, I see weaknesses and opportunities that I know would be the perfect time to strike, but I must hold back as this is merely a school to learn and not a true fight.

Although Master Aruon has taken me under wing and tried to help me when he wasn't otherwise occupied, I can't shake the feeling that this is not the place for me anymore. I don't know how I can reach my full potential when I'm constantly having to hold back and cannot really test myself.

...

I only hope he is not to upset when I tell him that I will be leaving.

1st of Danu, Age 21:

I have packed what belongings were mine and left Tar Valon. I still wish to become worthy of my father and my future place and so I journey to Andor. Another student heard that I was leaving and told me of an old and experienced blademaster that is a member of the Queen's Guard. He claimed to have seen him fight once and swore that the man moved like water, flowing from one form to another.

I will seek him out to try to further my studies. I can only hope to find a place that I feel will ultimately help me achieve my full potential, so that I can return home with honor.
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