08/03/2000

Practice Yard, White Tower, Tar Valon

Hard packed earth is ringed in by a plain wooden fence. Daily the practice
area is maintained by the pounding of young men's feet, as they are ran
about the yard or set to forms. Towards the left hand side of the yard the
thud of arrows hitting targets can be heard. The right is devoted to racks
full of practice weapons and armor. Throughout the day the harsh voices of
Gaidin urging the boys to work faster, stronger, harder can be heard. At
night the silence is almost eerie as only the cicadas come out to play
their nocturnal commentary.

A three story building is at the end of the hall, providing a place for the
trainees to live. A set of iron stairs up to the door is a favorite meeting
spot for some of the boys, to sit and rest when such things are granted.
Often they can be seen catching a meal there, to avoid wrinkled noses and
sniffs from young ladies unaccustomed to the sweat and grime they daily
generate.


Though his chores and lessons are done for the day, oddly enough, Neelkan
has opted to stay in the practice yard and work for the time being. Though
he is under no Gaidin supervision other then glances over to make sure he's
not stealing a weapon or anything. That makes it easy for him to take long
breaks from whatever work out he's been doing. He's just got done beating
up some wooden dummy with straw filled padding with a practice wooden
sword. He was nice enough to leave some of the straw inside for another
trainee to knock out. He's sitting off to the side on a bench, drinking on
a glass of water and watching some of the trainees for now.

Denn'ryiel enters the practice yard almost absently, and stops near the
entrance, watching everyone spar from there. She doesn't really see Neelkan
from this angle, and perhaps that's part of why she looks a bit depressed.
She doesn't look like she's in a hurry to be anywhere.

Empting the cup, Neelkan moves to stand from the bench to head over to the
table where water is waiting for the trainees to get a refill, and that is
when he spots a certain friend of his. He grins a little, until he sees her
expression, then he frowns, dropping his empty cup onto the bench and
moving over towards her. He doesn't say anything until he's standing a few
feet off to her side, "'ey Denn."

Denn'ryiel turns her head and smiles a bit, as her emotions pick up. Not to
the degree they were before the entire ordeal, but it's still an
improvement. "Hello Neelkan, I thought I might find you here," she says,
gesturing with her head to the Yard.

"Ye'h... I figured I got behind in m' trainin' 'nough lately 'at I should
pick it up 'gain." Neelkan says with a small shrug, closing the rest of the
distance between them and reaching out to grip her arm lightly. He can't
help it now really. For some reason it's almost as if he wants to make sure
she's really there, and safe. Silly perhaps... but... He smirks again
lightly and asks, "Were ya needin' m' f'r somethin' 'en?"

Denn'ryiel glances down at her arm and smiles a little bit, though she
flushes. She seems to understand the purpose. "No... not really. It's...
just been a little hard to get back into the rhythm of things here... you
know?" She asks curiously, knowing there's no real way to put it into
words. "I'm probably not making much sense."

Tightening his grip before releasing it and lowering his hand, Neelkan nods
and smirks alittle, "Ye'h. I know what ya mean, Denn. Just... give it a few
days. I'm sure it'll all be back t' normal 'fore ya know it. 'n if it
isn't... well... I'm still 'ere, right?" His smirk widens at that last bit,
then he diverts his eyes to glance off towards the training going on around
them.

Denn'ryiel nods once, and turns to see what Neelkan is looking at. "I
wonder how many of them were at the battle," she murmurs, and then shakes
her head. "I wonder of them really know what a battle is."

"I had 'fore." Neelkan says with a small shrug. "Mostly small skirmishes
with rival... 'groups'. But the injuries 'at landed m' 'ere f'r Healin'
were from a battle much like the one we were in. Only... I don't really
think 'ere were Dreadlords in that one." Or if there were, he didn't stay
consious long enough that time to find out. He was just lucky to have been
found quickly by a Yellow with a soft heart. Little did the Yellow know he
had only been there to steal supplies from them and got caught in the cross
fire.

Denn'ryiel nods her head once, with a frown. "They have more right to be in
a battle though than I. After what I did... I should have just stayed
behind to Heal." She flushes more. Had she not gotten captured, perhaps
Verbena's position would be better now. Yes, the Sedai is taking up most of
her thoughts now.

Shaking his head, Neelkan just moves over and puts his arms around the
young-looking woman, pressing his cheek against her hair. She may not want
him to do this, but right now... it just seems like the right thing to do.
Even at the Entrance of the Practice yard. If people stare, he doesn't
care, nor see, because he closes his eyes and just says, "Ya did what ya
thought was right at the time, Denn. So did I." And Verbena and whatever
fate she is facing now also weights heavily on his mind as well.

Denn'ryiel closes her eyes and nods weakly against Neelkan's face. "I
know... I tell myself that, but it doesn't help much." She doesn't seem to
care about who's looking on either, though others certainly are.

Neelkan just tightens his arms more and says, "I know how ya feel, Denn. I
feel the same. I should've gotten both of ya outta 'ere. Blood 'n ashes. I
just..." He shakes his head again, moving against her hair. "No, Kaomi told
m' 'at 'ere was nothin' I could've done 'at would've made 'ings better.
Prolly just would've made 'em worse. I'm just glad yer safe..." That's
probably the only thing that's kept him from /physically/ beating himself
up over it.

Denn'ryiel nods her head slightly. "You did nothing wrong, truely,
Neelkan... Kaomi spoke truthfully." That... could have a double meaning.
"And I'm glad you're alright. If something happened to you..."

"'ey, don't worry 'bout m'." Neelkan says, rubbing his hands a little
against her back, still hugging, "'n anyway, I wouldn't go 'n shamelessly
die. I got things t' do 'ere! Gotta prove t' all 'ese 'bloody women' 'at I
can finish 'is trainin', e'en if I don't need it." He pulls his head up to
wink, even if she isn't looking.

Denn'ryiel nods her head and smiles weakly. "You'll do it, I'm sure. If
what happened before is any indication, you're going to be great someday,"
she says, with a little touch of pride. "Just don't forget us little people
when you become famous," she says with a grin.

Moving his arms out of the hug far enough to give her arm a playful pinch,
Neelkan wrinkles his nose a little and says, "I'd ne'er f'rget m' friends,
Denn. But yer right. I will be famous one of 'ese days." He reaches up with
the pinching hand and fluffs at his hair, grinning a little. He's kidding,
really. (Well, mostly.)

Denn'ryiel chuckles a little bit, and the laugh reeaches her eyes. She
wasn't kidding, well, except for the forgetting the little people part. "I
know you wouldn't," she says, suppressing an urge to kiss that wrinkled up
nose. Perhaps somewhere else.

Somewhere else would probably be best. Neelkan probably won't hear the end
of this from the young boys in the barracks as it is! At least he wasn't
shirtless when she came into the Yard. That might have ended up looking...
worse. So far it was just a hug. That's all... "Good." he says in response,
pulling back a little bit more again, but not too much.

Denn'ryiel blushes slightly and looks up to Neelkan. "Perhaps we'd better
go before we become the talk of the Tower again. Or I can go if you need
practice still."

Neelkan glances around the Yard and says, "I don't care what 'ey think. But
I actually should b' gettin' some rest, unless 'ere's somethin' more ya
needed t' talk t' m' 'bout?"

Denn'ryiel shakes her head with a frown. "No... at least nothing urgent.
Take care, Neelkan," she says, before hugging him once more then turning
around to depart.

Neelkan returns the hug for the moment it is being given, nodding his head,
"A'right. I'll see ya later. Take care of yerself t'." He watches as she
goes before heading towards the Barracks where he can go back to /still/
catching up on all the sleep he needs to get. His sleep clock is a little
off thanks to the prison.