08/14/2000

Courtyard, The White Tower, Tar Valon
Marble tiles gleam from a straight path which leads from the Gates of the
Tower to the wide double doors which announce its entry point. Soft grass
and well planned patches of flowers can be found to either side, with the
occasional shady tree. Accepted and novices sit on stone benches, some
practicing their Power to the dismay of uneasy petitioners passing through.
To the side there is a stable, near the fenced entrance to the clearly
visible yard where shirtless boys go through sword forms through the day.

Guards take the weapons of those wanting to enter, though the Gaidin spread
about the courtyard, seemingly about their leisure, look ready to pounce on
any men who "forgot" a dagger at the gates. Aes Sedai pass through on
various errands, some nodding to acknowledge bows or curtsies. The
atmosphere is busy, but calm.


Salamas is sitting benieth a tree, one of his legs exteded out while the
other is bent up. His sword lays beside him on the grass, and his eyes are
looking far up through the leaves and into the sky. He looks rather
somber.. but then most people around the Tower do. Esspecially those that
were at the battle.

Somber? Not the word for Neelkan. And he was at the battle. Not quite in
the thick of it, but he was there. Instead of being gloomy or grumpy, or
even angry, he's grinning lightly as he wanders out into the courtyard.
He's got a bandage wrapped around his left hand and he passes by a random
novice and says something to her that makes her blush and stammer, but he's
moving on before she can make any response.

Salamas looks down from the sky as the doors to the tower open and smiles
slightly when he sees Neelkan. A hand raises and becons the Trainee over.

Spotting the somber Gaidin, Neelkan widens his grin and continues on now
swirving in the direction of Salamas. He does a half-bow towards the man
then straights with his grin still there, "Light shine on ya, Gaidin."

Salamas nods slightly, his smile widening still further. "And on you
Neelkan. I've heard you had a chance to fight a Fade." He tilts his head
slightly, his hand motioning for the trainee to sit.

Sitting down next to the Gaidin like he was motioned to, Neelkan nods
lightly with a grin and says, "Ye'h. I'd seen 'em 'fore, but first time
fightin' one, ye'h." He kind of wishes he would have known the blood was
going to give him a nice itchy rash though, or he would have wiped it off a
lot faster.

Salamas nods slightly, shifting his weight on his leg in such a way that it
makes it pretty obvious it was injured in some way. "Proud of how you did?"
he asks.. as if comenting on your cheerfulness, though by no means
disaprovingly.

"Nawh. Would've liked t' 've done more. Wish we would've one, 'cause I was
hopin' t' get back 'at the blo--eh.. the people who held m' f'r 'at time."
Neelkan shrugs his shoulders the grins over, "But 'ere's very little I
could've done personally t' turn the way the battle went." Why's he acting
so cheerful then? Maybe it's just the only way he knows how to deal with
this sort of thing.

Salamas nods slightly.. "You are right in that at least. I wish more of the
soldiers looked at it that way. Esspecially the Generals. I fear they blame
themselves." he pauses and looks over at his sword for a momment, then back
to the trainee. "You should be proud of how you fared though. Not many
could stand up to a Fade, much less fight one." he pauses and smiles, "Just
don't let it go to your head."

"Well, I'm not scared of some fla-- some ugly thin'" Neelkan says with a
small grin and shakes his head. "I'm glad 'at I got t' fight one 'n walk
'way. I saw a bunch who didn't. 'n ya think the Generals 're blamein'
themselves f'r the loss?" He glances over as if concerned, but he's still
grinning.

Salamas chuckles. "That is the way of Generals Neelkan. Anything bad is
their fault. Anything good.. is the Soldiers.. not them. Within reason of
course.. but yes. I've heard that the Generals, are all unhappy and not
with any of us."

Neelkan ponders softly for a moment, then nods, "Hakurou used t' d' 'at
whene'er we'd lose a fight 'r somethin'." He's refering to his bandit days,
and his Leader then. "I'd a'ways tell 'em it was a dumb way t' be. Dwellin'
on loses is no way t' live. Ya should learn from 'em, 'n move on." Which is
part of the reason that he was made the 'Second' to this person he's
talking about.

Salamas chuckles.. "Leadership is never as simple as it often seems
Neelkan. Thier is more to worry about then simply learning from your
mistakes. But yes.. that would be the ideal thing to do. Still... I would
not want to be in any of the Generals shoes right now. Moral is very low...
there are a lot of wispers amoung the men about leaving the army."

"'en the Generals should do somethin' t' up it. Not 'nother attack 'r
nothin'. Not so soon." Neelkan doesn't have any ideas on how to do
something of the like. His suggestions would likely include everyone
getting sloppy drunk in a tavern or something. And that isn't likely to go
over very well at all.

Salamas chuckles and nods. "I believe that is exactly what they plan to do.
But again that is easier said then done." He sighs and leans back against
the tree.. "But life will go on. We have suffered defeats this bad before..
or at least I've read about them... at the begining of the war. And we came
back then." He pauses and tilts his head slightly, "How are your lessons
comming Neelkan?"

Neelkan wants to point out that the attack should have never been made the
way it was. They were ready for them. He's a bandit. He was trained to
attack with stealth. Get close unnoticed, then strike. Then he glances
over, "M' lessons? Well, mostly all I've learned so far is stuff I a'ready
know. Fightin' 'n stuff I know. I'm hopin' 'ey teach m' more 'bout Fades 'n
Trollocs 'n thin's like 'at."

Salamas chuckles and nods slightly, "And what would you like to know about
them?"

"Well, fightin' 'em isn't like fightin' men, 'at's f'r sure. In some ways
it's easier, 'n other ways it's harder." Neelkan shrugs slightly then
continues, "I just think I would've had a better chance fightin' 'em if I'd
known more 'bout 'em 'sides 'at 'ey're big, ugly 'n mean. I pretty much got
lucky 'at I made it out without gettin' hurt."

Salamas nods and leans forward, sitting up slightly, and moving his leg
again. "Then ask. I'll let you ask questions first.. then I'll tell you
anything you may have missed."

"Well, I know 'at ya should 'void gettin' Fade blood on yer skin, 'n ya
should wipe it off weapons quickly afterwards if possible." Neelkan says,
glancing at his hand as he does. It still itches a little, and the Yellows
didn't want to waste healing energy on something so small so they just put
ointment on it for the time being. "But... where's the best place t' aim t'
kill a Fade?"

Salamas nods at each of the observations. "The neck. A Fade will keep
fighting even after limbs have been severed, but chopping of the head will
kill it. Even then it does not die quickly. On the up siode however,
killing one fade can aften relieve you of many trollocs as well."

"Really? 'ey lead the Trollocs 'en?" That explains why the Trollocs around
him pretty much stopped attacking except to.. uh... munch on the dead and
injured when he almost beheaded the Fade he fought. Neelkan nods, "Aim f'r
the neck 'en. I see. 'n... 'is 'ey're something special 'bout 'ey're faces?
I know 'ey ain't got eyes. I saw 'at 'fore, 'n..." He's not going to admit
it scared him everytime he saw it. "How d' 'ey see t' fight if 'ey don't
got eyes?"

Salamas shrugs slightly, "No one knows for sure. But they see perfectly.
Most likely some kind of gift given them when tehy are created. Perhaps a
limited use of the Power..." he shrugs, "A Brown would be better to ask
about that than I. But yes, they lead the Trollocs, often at least. without
some sort of leadership, trollocs will fight amoungst themselves, or simply
not do anything. That is why Gaidin are trained to attack the Fades
whenever possible. There are some though, that do not lead any trollocs..
but opperate on their own."

"Aim f'r Fades, 'en? I can do 'at." Neelkan pauses, then shrugs lightly,
having no idea what more to ask. He's not much for questions. Side effect
of rooming with Sunan, definately. "Anyway, 'at's all I got t' ask."

Salamas nods and thinks for a momment. "What do you know about trollocs?"
he asks, leaning back again.

Salamas and Neelkan are sitting under a tree. Neelkan's hand is bandaged
and Salamas' leg looks injured somehow...

"Well, 'ey're big. 'ey seem t' look like mixes 'tween animals 'n really
large men." Neelkan ponders for another moment then says, "'ey don't seem
'at hard t' kill realy, but... is it just m' 'r d' 'ey seem t'... uh...
stupid?" He thinks Trollocs are stupid.

Salamas laughs and nods. "They aren't bright.. but they are good at what
they do. They are very strong.. and increadibly tough. It takes a lot just
to get through to something vital, and at the same time not get crushed. A
fully trained Gaidin can usually handel several... but a normal soldier..."
he shrugs. "It would depend on their training."

"The first battle, the one at Beldar's Gate, I fought a couple. Had help
ye'h, from Denn 'n some other soldiers under Verbena's command, but..."
Neelkan shrugged. They just didn't seem as tough as fighting people.
Because as far as he was concerned, they were animals, and hedidn't have to
hold bck on fighting an animal.

Salamas chuckles and shrugs, "I suppose it depends on your perspective." He
stands, favoring his right leg heavily.. "I need to be going Neelkan.. It
was good to talk with you."

Nodding to the Gaidin, Neelkan doesn't get up to follow or bow. He's going
to rest here a little while longer. "'anks f'r the talk, Gaidin. I hope yer
leg feels better soon."

Salamas nods, "Thank you Neelkan." he nods then turns and heads for the
practice yard.