"Not in particular, just when the opportunity presents itself. Master Coulin likes training us every day. And I doubt he will let me get many days off once I have recovered. Since I need to catch up with Galad and Gawyn; And I can't really predict when I will have something resembling a day off."

I think and eat for a while

"It sounds like both of us are going to be incredibly busy. "

She smiles warmly, "I suspect being busy is likely to become a way of life, I've not seen an idle Aes Sedai all that often.

You may want to consider buffering when you begin training and show that you've fully recovered. A sister is likely to want to examine you fully whichever day you decide to try and restart training. If it's too far ahead of schedule, it'll be a more full study... Although you did seem to be healing slowly initially, so I'm not exactly sure how it tracks with what they were expecting. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after would be safe? It's also important not to appear to have taken too long to heal."

"ok. If you think that one or two days more would give about the right recovery time for the condition I was in. I'll try restarting training in two days.


Hmmmmmm..."

I eat and think. Then I ask.

"How is your training going?"

As you ask the question you hear a sharp, concise wrap at the door. Just two swift knocks, but Susan is on her feet immediately and heading to the door.

Susan opens the door to relieve a roughly five foot tall Aes Sedai in a green shawl. She has an air of authority about her, even for an Aes Sedai, and has piercing blue eyes. "Come now child, it is time." and with the she turns and starts walking away. Susan looks visibly shocked but glances over to you and mouths sorry and then adopts a stately pose and walks briskly after the Aes Sedai.

You're left contemplating what just happened when your stomach rumbles angrily, reminding you that you should continue eating.

I am visibly confuse by the scene. But I trust the Green Aes Sedei more than most of them. I think that Susan will probably be fine with that particular Green Aes Sedai.
Although I am Curious as to what is going on.

But my curiosity will have to wait. With Susan not in the room. I go ahead and eat my fill from the food provided. Once I am Sated for now, I will go take a bath. Because I am sure I need one.

Then I will go around the White Tower and look for Matt, Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne. To see what they are doing and talk with them.

You finish up your meal, easily eating both the portion brought for you and Susan before you reach anything approaching full.

Once finished with that, and bathing, you make your way out to look for the others. Luck takes you by a pathway overlooking the training courtyard as you see Matt, brandishing a quarterstaff, in the training ring facing off against both Gawyn and Galad. Both Gawyn and Galad have the wooden practice swords you are familiar with.

Master Coulin is overseeing the match, and a large number of the trainees are surrounding the ring, looking on. You can hear some cheers for Galad and Gawyn from where you stand.

Gawyn and Galad both begin the fight by circling counter to one another, moving as wolves to flank their prey and deny Matt the ability to focus his defenses. Matt meanwhile has hit feet planted, splitting his attention between the two.

Galad makes the first move, as Matt's attention shifts from keeping an eye on Galad to Gawyn, and darts in with a fast low slash at the legs. You recognize the move as a hobbling tactic, designed for team fighting where one member forces the opposing swordsman to defend a low blow or risk reduced mobility from even a glancing blow. You know the concept is to paint a no win scenario, as even a successful block opens you wide to your second opponent.

As Galad moves in, Matt's attention snaps back to him immediately and his quarterstaff becomes a blur and Matt pivots to the outside, and catches Galad in the back pushing him forward towards Gawyn, tripping the two of them up as Gawyn had been moving in to take advantage of the opening Galad was meant to create.

Matt seizes the opportunity and wraps Gawyn's swordhand in a spinning attack, forcing Gawyn to drop his sword as he stumbles forward, only to be met with the opposite end of Matt's quarterstaff in his gut. Gawyn topples over, clutching at his stomach in pain.

Matt side steps into a wide spin, that forces an approaching Galad to halt, granting Matt a few precious seconds to recenter his attention on Galad. At this point Matt goes on the offensive, utilizing a flurry of quarterstaff strikes that you notice require alternating blocks both high and low, as Matt leverages both ends of the quarterstaff to force Galad into a difficult proposition of finishing one successful block and immediately rushing into another parry.

After several successful blocks, Matt closes the distance, wraps the quarterstaff behind Galads legs, tripping him to the ground and finishes the spin leaving the quarterstaff inches above the prone Galad's neck.

He reaches out a hand to help Galad up then, and you see him say something but don't manage to make it out over the murmors of the students around the ring. You do see Galad and Gawyn both hand over a gold crown (as in the coin, not a head crown).

Matt then looks about, and at Coulin. You think Matt looks nervous for a second, but his body language relaxes significantly as you see Coulin begin talking. Coulin looks pleased.

Matt is already beginning to pack up his stuff as Coulin is starting to address Galad, Gawyn, and the amassed trainees.

I'll head down to the training yard and talk to Matt.

"Congratulations on winning your match. That was a very impressive display of Staff Fighting. It's good to see you Matt."

Matt smirks, "Good to see you as well Eli, although I wish we could be meeting elsewhere. As to the fight, they were overconfident and discounted choice of weapons. A good quarterstaff is great for fighting multiple enemies, and the increased reach stops them from closing. They underestimated what a farmer boys skills could be, but my da trained me in the quarterstaff from a young age, it's a convenient weapon at hand when herding horses. Potential horse thieves have to be dissuaded sometimes.

Anyway, would you like to get a drink, we might be able to get in a few rounds of cards or dice." Matt looks up at the position of the sun, "Probably a lot of rounds."

"I remember reading somewhere that the techniques of quarterstaff fighting can be applied to all sorts of other weapons.
I would imagine that you would be a nightmare to fight with a spear or glave.

I could use a drink and a talk. But I have seen your luck with cards and dice and I am not pitting my luck against yours. Although I am pretty low on funds... I have seen how you make money grow. Do you know the Taverns in Tar Valon?

"I might be able to make good work with one of those, but I'm really just a gambler at heart. I've not been to the taverns around here yet, but I'm sure I can find some. Let's go see what we can get, and if we can grow Gawyn and Galad's generous wager to a real purse." He smirks and hops forward, a clearly mischievous spring in his step.

On his way out of the garden and training area he comes across Elayne who smiles as she sees the two of you, "Ah, perfect. Just who I needed to see. I have a task for you Mattrim, an opportunity for you to serve your Queen." She's speech manages to be both lofty but also hushed... she clearly doesn't want to be overheard.

You see Matt's spine stiffen at the concept of being ordered about, and he's about to protest when she barrels on, "I need a letter delivered to my mother, and I don't have anyone to trust that would be free to leave. I need her to know that I'm safe, and that things are well here."

She continues, "And the seal on my letter should help you in getting in, as an agent of the crown. Just... don't let anyone know of your leaving. I don't know who can be trusted in the tower."

"Mat, Are you planning to go South once you leave? I would imagine that would be the easiest direction to travel with the river. If you do, you would pass pretty close to Caemlyn. I think.

Up to you Mat. "

Matt seems to be about to object to entire ordeal, and then sighs. "I will deliver your message Elayne, just stay safe... I can tell you're considering doing something incredibly foolish."

On the way walking off, he talks with you, "Not a bad plan, but I need a coin purse and a drink first. The tavern or inn should solve both problems. What is your plan Eli? If you are going to be staying in the tower, I can't have you knowing my exact movements. You can't trust what the Aes Sedai can extract from people." There is a level of derision in his voice when he speaks of the Aes Sedai, while he seems healed of his general mistrust and seems to be on the mend he still doesn't trust Aes Sedai.

I look worried when Mat mentions that Elayne is considering something dangerous. and say

"Elayne, Before you do something dangerous. Could you talk to Susan, Egwene and Nynaeve? You know that they would help you with the danger. And Please talk with Gawyn, He has been worried sick about you with you gone from the tower. And could you talk to Galad and I later too?"

------------------
After we are done talking I walk with Mat and Reply

"I am planning on training with the Warders once I have recovered from Healing. Although I suspect that the Wheel has other plans for me. I suppose that is understandable. Can't tell what I don't know.
I guess I will try to help with the coin purse and drinks. I have about 9 silver marks left."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:23, Sun 10 Jan 2021.

Elayne says, "I have no intention of taking unnecessary risks, I assure you both. And Gawyn and Galad can both wait, they've caused enough trouble already."

She has a tone of finality in her term, you can see the stubbornness set in. You get the feeling that there may be a sore topic there are Gawyn and Galad specifically.

------------------

Matt smiles and pats his small money pouch. "I won a gold Andoran mark off my wager with Gawyn and Galad each, it's not much but I think I can turn it into enough."

Matt leads you both to a tavern just outside of the White Tower, in a busy sector of Tar Valon. As he walks in you see a fairly full tavern with a few games of cards and dice going on. Matt quickly mingles into the crowd and shortly there after has found himself a seat at a table.

Do you intend to try to play at the same table as Matt, just hang out, or play at a seperate table? Or something else?

"I'm pretty sure that the only reason they caused trouble was because they where worried about you."
-----------------------------------------

I will just hang out and observe the games to try to figure out the rules for each one. Do the card use the suits I am familiar with? such as Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades?

There appear to be five suits, and none of them match what you're used to. It takes a bit of peering around to put together what the symbols are, but you have a guess that the suits are Cups, Rods, Coins, Winds, and Flames. There is a 3 card deal after an initial ante, followed by bidding rounds before two one card deals. Identifying the rank of the cards proves difficult to you however, as the game is largely played silently. Or at least is being played silently by those you see playing.

Matt ended up dicing as opposed to playing cards.

hmmm... similar to a tarot deck's minor suits. but different.

I consider asking one of the card groups to teach me how to play but that feels like it would be a dumb idea.

I observe the dice games now to see if I can figure out how they are played.

Are there anyone playing something besides dice and cards. Like Stones or something else?
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:15, Thu 14 Jan 2021.

The only games you see being played here are either dice or cards.

After observing the dice game for 3 rounds you think you have the general gist of the game. The dice pass around the table with each person rolling 2 dice. After the first round the person whose dice had the lowest total is eliminated and the next round starts which continues until only one person is in the game at which point they win the pot. You suspect there are some dice combinations that have more meaning, but you haven't seen any at this point.

Matt has won all three rounds so far at a table of 5.

I'll join the biggest table playing dice that doesn't have Matt in it. No point in pitting my luck against his. I'll match the ante up to 8 of my silver marks on the dice game and hope for the best.

If the ante is more than 8 marks then I will find another table.

You wisely pick a table that Matt is not sitting at and have no trouble finding people eager to match play with new blood.

Their eagerness fades over the next 5 games, as you win 4 of the 5, taking your 8 silver marks up to 40 with some well timed risks.

You do start to hear grumbling over at Matt's table over. Glancing over you see him raking in a staggeringly large pot of golden marks. He looks to have turned his 1 gold mark into 80 or more.  He seems to be getting ready to pack up as he deflects comments.

I'll comment that I need to get going and then gather up my winnings. Then I'll leave with Matt. I'm going to keep an eye out for disgruntled gamblers that might decide that Matt or I cheated somehow and try to take back their money by force.
Once we are clear of the tavern I will comment to Matt.
"Well, that was profitable despite the fact I didn't know what I was doing. One of these days, would you teach me the rules to some of these games?

Matt takes the opportunity you provide by coming over to leave and replies smoothly, "Well my friends, it looks like our time together must end. I wish you good luck." and steps back from the table smoothly with a tip of his hat, quickly disengaging.

A block or two from the tavern he replies, "I'm surprised you didn't get taken for a ride not knowing the rules, I'd be happy to teach what I know but these games are often different from town to town. I tend to just leverage knowing the basics, a bit of luck, and quick wits. Those basics stay true most places."

"Yeah, you are right. I was lucky that I didn't lose the last of my money. I had to observe for a bit to get an idea of the basics.
Thank you Mat. I look forward to learning from you."

Matt smiles at the size of his new purse and tucks it away, "Well Eli, I think it may be best that we separate for a while. I have no doubt we will see one another again, I'm starting to think there's not much that can be done to keep the four of us away too long. That said, I intend to put as much distance between me and the tower as possible. Stay safe, and remember the Aes Sedai have too many machinations to count... don't trust them Eli, they'll leverage us against one another if it serves there purpose."

I'm assuming you let him head off (I believe your intent was to travel with him to the inn for gambling but not leave the town with him).

"Thanks for the advice Mat. See you later."

Yeah. I'll let him head off and then I will head back to the White Tower.