Welcome to the Black Tower (TBCB: Eamer)

[Matt]

Calmon nodded, he had three out of the five right, but he was still struggling with Air and Water. No matter, many Soldiers struggled with that pair, just as, he imagined, Novices struggled with Fire and Earth. He showed Eamer Water and Air again, drawing as much of each as he could hold before releasing it again. The next lesson, they worked on the two flows until he was able to distinguish between the two, and Eamer passed a retest shortly afterwards.

The next few weeks flashed by, and Eamer's strength in the Power increased considerably as he began to perform every possible task with the Power. Soldiers were expected to learn so quickly that many didn't make it, and although at times Calmon wished he didn't have to, he pushed Eamer hard, leaving the boy exhausted after each lesson. He taught Eamer how to heat his food, so that he didn't have to eat meals cold, and how to clean and press his black coat so that the Asha'man wouldn't snap at him. The lessons continued every day but Calmon noted that the boy seemed to be extremely weak in Air and Water. Very weak indeed. it wasn't until Maxton discovered that the boy had a partial block that Calmon understood.

"Good morning." He said, greeting the boy on yet another morning lesson. How long had it been since the boy had come to the Tower? "Today we're going to do something different." He told Eamer with a smile. "You are going to chose the lesson I give. What would you like to learn?"

[edladd]

Eamer was falling into a steady routine at the Black Tower - if anything about life there could be called routine!  Weeks flew by and months came and went, while Eamer gained strength and skill despite the problem that was holding him back.  He spent much of his time working on his block, and was finding it increasingly frustrating that he was unable to rid himself of the thing.

One of the most annoying things about it was that it mostly effected Air and Water.  And so, all the block breaking exercises he'd been doing were concentrated solely on those Powers.  Eamer hated using Air and Water.  Every time he seized the Power, Earth called to him, drawing him like a song.  Denying himself the opportunity to use Earth was nearly as difficult as resisting the urge to hold the Power.

It came as a pleasant surprise then, when 10 months after arriving at the Tower, he heard something very rare.  "You are going to choose the lesson I give. What would you like to learn?"  Everyone at the Tower was normally so focused on converting people into weapons that the question of choice rarely came up.  It took a few moments for the true value of the question to occur to Eamer, but once it did his mind cleared and he knew exactly what he wanted to learn.

"I'd love to do more Earth Singing Sir".  He'd done some already, of course, but it was small scale stuff.  Mini earthquakes to founder an advancing charge, and some work cracking rocks.  Eamer knew in his heart that he could do more.  He'd heard that some people with an affinity for Earth could sense when there were minerals in the ground nearby.  And it would be something special to pour all his strength into an earthquake.  It would probably mean Travelling somewhere out of the way of civilization to really let loose like that, but who knows - if you never ask you never get.  That was the type of thing Maxton had been trying to drill into him for months now, and it was beginning to make sense.  Even if it sometimes resulted in nearly getting murdered in the Blight, new experiences were always worth pursuing.

Besides, he was so sick of everyone focusing on his shortcomings of late.  It would be nice to go and do some work on his strengths for a change.  He put on a hopeful grin and waited to see what Calmon would say.

[Matt]

Calmon could almost see the boy's mind working as he thought of what to learn, and he was pretty sure he knew what was coming. Earth Singing. Calmon smiled. The boy loved to work with Earth, and no wonder! People tended to enjoy doing things that they were good at and Eamer was defiantly strongest in Earth as far as the Power went. Calmon himself wasn't too bad with Earth himself, although his main strength lay in Spirit and Fire.

"Earth Singing it is then!" He told Eamer with another smile. "We'll have to go somewhere more private, though, come with me." With that he took off towards the nearest place he knew well enough to Travel from and opened a gateway to an open plain in Saldaea and stepped through, ignoring the sudden chill.

Looking around, he didn't think there would be too many interesting minerals underneath the surface, but interesting or not, they were down there. He knelt on the hard earth and motioned for Eamer to join him. "We'll cover the delicate weaves now while you're not too tired." He explained to the boy. "Seize Saidin and watch me."

Still holding Saidin from when he had opened the gateway, Calmon wove flows of Earth just so and used them to...reach into the ground beneath them. He found a number of small deposits of what was probably lead coal and iron and he brought them to the surface using a touch of Spirit. The deposits were tiny, so he drew more out, placing them on the surface so that they could examine them.

He settled another weave of Earth over the minerals and demonstrated it to Eamer. "Now tell me, Eamer, which mineral is which?"

[edladd]

Eamer followed his instructor through the Gateway, wishing he'd worn a heavier coat.  He still wasn't very good at the trick of ignoring the cold, especially when he was trying to channel at the same time.

He watched carefully as Calmon delved his flows into the earth, bringing up a few small piles of shiny particles.

"Now tell me, Eamer, which mineral is which?"

Eamer copied the testing weave, which was almost entirely Earth, streaked with traces of the other Powers.  The first one he tried, iron, was easy.  They had done quite a bit of work with Iron back at the Tower, and so he was familiar with how it felt through a weave.

The next one was a bit trickier.  It was another metal, he thought, much denser than iron though.  And heavier too.  "I guess this is the lead?", Eamer asked, and received a nod as confirmation.

He moved onto another pile, probing it with the weave.  This one was much lighter than the others, probably non-metallic.  It was still quite compact though, and somehow dusty.  He closed his eyes, allowing himself to concentrate on the feel of it.  There was something of a sense of energy about it, or at least the potential for energy.  "This must be the coal."

He transferred his attention to the fourth pile then, wondering what it could be.  Calmon hadn't mentioned a fourth mineral, so this must be some kind of test.  He settled the weave on top of it, and his brow furrowed.  This pile didn't make any sense!  He got conflicting messages about the density, the size of the particles, everything!?  It took him a few minutes to realise what was going on.  This pile was a mixture of minerals from the other piles.  Sneaky, he thought.  He changed the weave to a smaller version of the first one Calmon had shown him, and separated the pile into it's component parts, before depositing each with it's like.

That done, he turned back to Calmon with a grin on his face.  He'd always liked puzzles, (except for one), and it felt good to be capable for a change.  He had a feeling the rest of this lesson was going to be as enjoyable.

[Matt]

Calmon watched Eamer weave the flows of Saidin to complete the task he had set him with, interested to see how the boy would perform now that he was focused almost entirely on Earth. He wasn't disappointed. Calmon felt a certain sense of pride when he successfully separated the minerals he had left lumped together, the boy was a natural. Calmon suspected that Eamer would probably be able to teach him about Earth Singing by the time he was given the dragon pin.

"Well done, Eamer." He told the boy with a nod of approval. Now that the boy had proven that he was capable of identifying those minerals, it was time to go another step further. "Now I want you to watch me again." He repeated the the weave he had used earlier to bring the minerals up to the surface, making sure that Eamer was paying close attention. it didn't require all that much of the power, but it was a bit more...delicate than the usual fireballs and earthquakes. Once he had finished demonstrating, he motioned to Eamer. "Your turn, Soldier. I want you to draw out some iron and place it in that pile there." He instructed the boy, indicating the small lump of iron. "Once you've done that, I want you to continue until you've drawn out each of these other minerals and place them in their respective piles. Once you've completed this, we'll see if we can find something for you to...have fun with." He favoured the boy with another small smile.

[edladd]

Iron.  Eamer could feel it there in the ground all around them.  Tiny amounts, but lots of them.  He picked out a weave of Earth - pure glorious Earth - and delved it into the land around them.  A web of strands, with hundreds of points touching the tiny deposits of iron.

Now to draw them out.  He added threads of Spirit to the mix, tiny in comparison to the Earth.  He paused for a moment to look at the weave.  It was astounding to see the relative quantities of the Powers involved, but still, he had to strain harder for the Spirit part of it than for the Earth.  Then again, he always could manipulate Earth without thinking about it.

It was a bit of a shock too to see how large a weave he could handle.  True, it wasn't as large as the one Calmon had made, but Eamer was sure he couldn't have managed this just a few short months ago.  It seemed it really was true that male strength with the Power grew in spurts.  He activated the weave and drew the deposits to the surface, bringing them together as Calmon had.  The resulting pile was roughly the same size as his - which Eamer was quietly proud of, seeing as Calmon has drawn his deposits from the same patch of land just minutes before.

It took some effort to release the weave.  As the Power left him it felt like blood draining from his veins.  With a sigh, he dropped the Quiet, instantly regretting it as the cold bit him harder.  The only consolation was that he knew he would get to take it up again soon for more 'fun'.  He grinned, thinking about what types of weaves an Asha'man would consider fun.

[Matt]

Calmon watched silently, confident in the boy's abilities to do as instructed. It had proven a struggle for Eamer to learn even the most basic weaves involving anything other than Fire and Earth but then again, the boy had been contending with a block. The amount of Saidin that Eamer could draw upon had grown considerably of late and the increase put the man at about middling strength among the men of the Black Tower.

Eamer had grown in more than just his strength in the Power and Calmon was proud of the man he was becoming. It wouldn't be too long before Eamer earned the dragon pin. Sure enough, Calmon wasn't disappointed when the boy had finished and he gave another nod. "Good. Now for something a little more...dramatic." He knew Eamer would be watching so he grabbed the necessary flows and wove them together appropriately - Earth touched with a little Spirit and Fire. The ground on which they were standing shuddered and lifted into the air so that they were left standing atop a small plateau of earth.

"Careful not to shift your weight overmuch, Eamer, a fall would not kill us, but it would be most undignified." He told the boy with a small smile. "Now, raise your own tower of earth over there" he indicated the open plane, "and when you've done that I want you to shake it down with the strongest Earthquake you can summon." Preparing himself, Calmon wove a column of Air about their earthen structure so that it would hold during the impending earthquake...hopefully.

[edladd]

Eamer watched intently as Calmon raised the mound, keeping an eye out for signs of strain.  It was quite difficult to know how far above you another man might be in terms of strength, but it was possible to get a rough idea.  He knew he still had a long way to go.  He gave a slight shiver at the prospect of handling such large quantities of the Power.  Even the amount he could manage now seemed blissful.

"Now, raise your own tower of earth over there"

Eamer did as instructed, plunging the threads of Earth, Fire and Spirit into the ground.  Slowly, the level of ground rose.  This was similar to a weave Eamer had used to save himself and the others back in the Blight, though there he'd been able to exploit a natural fissure in the layers of rock.  This mound rose to roughly two thirds the height that Calmon's had, before the strain was too great and Eamer was forced to release it.  The mound subsided a little, until it was only half as large as Calmon's.

Not to worry, he thought with a smile, Now I get to destroy it.

He seized thick threads of Earth again, lacing them liberally with Spirit.  It was strange to notice how similar this weave was to the one for drawing out a mineral.  However, where that weave was designed to get the mineral without disturbing the rest of the ground - this one had no such compunction.

The rumblings started slowly, the earth seeming to groan as it was wrenched about.  Soon, cracks started to appear, and the weave took advantage of the developing fissures, resulting in more violent convulsions.  Eamer strained, adding more and more Power into the weave.  The strongest you can summon, he said.  He gritted his teeth, drawing more ... more.

The bliss and sweetness started to verge onto pain, a sign that Eamer was beginning to draw too much.  But it still felt amazing, More he thought, and strained even further.  The pain was getting worse, but still it felt so good.

Suddenly, it stopped.  The Power was cut off like a tap being closed.  He took a shuddering breath, barely keeping on his feet as he realised what had almost just happened.  Thank the Light he was able to cut me off!  He could still sense the Power, there beyond the shield.  I'm lucky I didn't sever myself.  He looked over at the other mound.  It was well and truly destroyed alright, along with a good bit of the area around it.  A number of leatherleafs stood in a copse not far away, twisted and cracked by the tremors.

Sheepishly, he turned to look at Calmon, hoping that he wouldn't cut the lesson short after this fiasco.

[Matt]

Eamer's mound was quite high for a first try and murmured a word of approval. Later, he would teach the boy that raising a tower of earth was more about technique than strength. It was all about where you drew your earth from and about achieving balance and stability. The weave Eamer was preparing now, however, had far less to do with skill than strength. The weave to make the earth tremble was fairly simple and one had only to add more Power to it to achieve the desired effect. Calmon had seen earthquakes founder enemy charges time and time again and new the weave to be a powerful tool in the right hands.

The earth beneath their feet began to vibrate suddenly and Calmon watch idly as a pebble skittered off the edge of their platform. The vibration grew to shudders which increased to violent tremors with great speed. In moments Calmon was struggling to keep his balance, even though the earthquake was concentrated away from them. The ground heaved and split open, growling its displeasure as it did so. Still the earthquake grew in strength.

Calmon looked over at Eamer to find the boy's face alight with the happiness that came from holding a great deal of the Power. This close, he could sense how much the boy was holding and Calmon guessed that he was reaching the border of what he could hold. That was ok, he had told Eamer to make it a strong one, just as long as...This close he could also feel a certain sense of straining that came from somebody at their very limit. He could feel it now. "Eamer enough!" Already holding Saidin as he was, he wove a shield as quickly as he could and slammed it into place as hard as he could. However, shielding somebody who was already holding the Power, especially this much, was a hard thing to do and Calmon's shield seemed to bounce off the flow of Saidin. Calmon drew on the Power as deeply as he could and tried again, grunting with the effort. If Eamer had tried to prevent Calmon's shield, it might have been impossible, but receiving no opposition from the boy, Calmon managed to push his shield past the rapidly flowing Saidin.

The two of them stood there panting for a long moment and then Eamer turned to face the Asha'man. He looked down at his student until the boy looked away. Though Calmon refused to let it show, he was furious and disappointed both. He stayed silent as he opened a gateway to the bottom of the platform and then to the place where they had arrived from, leaving Eamer to hurry after him.

He didn't say a word until they were back at the Black Tower. "There will be no lesson tomorrow." He informed Eamer in a quiet voice. "You will instead spend the time thinking about what you almost did." With that he opened another gateway, this time to Murandy, shutting it behind himself. There was no need to say anything else to the boy, he knew what had almost happened and didn't require a lecture although Calmon did consider having Maxton give the boy a solid beating. It was only then, in the privacy of the Travelling Room in his palace that he allowed himself a sigh of utter relief.

[edladd]

Eamer could feel shame twisting in his stomach like a knife.  He couldn't bring himself to look his mentor in the eye, or to respond to his questions.  On hearing there would be no lesson the day after, he nodded mutely, and walked away.

He didn't fell like going back to his house, as he couldn't stand the thought of having to talk to anybody, even one of the Dedicated he shared with.  Instead he just wandered, out of the busy area at the hub of the Tower grounds, and into the still-forested parts.  For the best part of an hour, he walked, playing the near disaster over and over in his head.  What had possessed him to do it, to ignore the warning pain and keep drawing Saidin.  He wasn't stupid, he knew what could have happened.  What if Calmon hadn't been there to stop him?  What if it had happened during a battle, he could have killed a battalion of his own comrades, by mistake!

The sun was beginning to set, but Eamer had no desire to head back yet.  He sat beneath a spreading oak, and tried to put the days events in some sort of perspective.  He'd nearly killed himself, and Calmon.  Strangely, he felt worse about disappointing the Asha'man than he did about dying or nearly burning himself out.  No lesson tomorrow, I know what that means.  There would be no more private lessons from Calmon.  Eamer doubted that the man would even talk to him for quite a while.  I can't say I blame him.

The moon was past it's zenith before Eamer took to his bed, but sleep was still a long time coming.

[Matt]

On the second day since the near disaster, Calmon stood underneath the oak that he fondly referred to as 'the Tree of Learning'. Every single one of Calmon's students had sat beneath its branches, forever in fear of setting its limbs on fire and attracting the ire of their teacher. Today, however, one of its students was missing from its leafy shade. Where was Eamer? Just because Calmon had cancelled the lesson for yesterday was no reason to be late for the lesson tonday!

Calmon allowed a few more minutes to pass before sending a wandering Dedicated to search for his student. The Asha'man sat himself down against the tree, making himself comfortable as he waited for the Dedicated to return with Eamer.

Finally Calmon saw his student approaching and one look at the boy's face told him why he had been kept waiting. "Thankyou, Dedicated Karne, go and enjoy the rest of your afternoon." The Dedicated saluted and assured him that he would do just that before hurrying off in search of his friends. Eamer stood there quietly, avoiding Calmon's gaze. "Take a seat." He told his student, indicating the grass. He fixed Eamer with his firm gaze, waiting for him to look up. "Why are you late for your lesson?" He asked in the same tone he used with all of his students when asking such questions.

[edladd]

Eamer felt bad enough without needing to be summoned to Calmon for further 'discussion' of his failings.  Karne had found him on a bench outside the Soldier's mess, lost in thought.  This hour of the morning was scheduled for private tuition, and Eamer wasn't certain what he should be doing instead.  Besides, he was too annoyed with himself to want to be around people still.

He'd followed Karne back to Calmon's 'Tree of Learning', before the other Dedicated left him alone with the Asha'man.  "Take a seat", Eamer folded his legs under him, and continued to study the dirt in front of him - not wanting to see the disappointment in Calmon's eyes again.  Eventually, the thick silence got the better of him, and he looked up.

"Why are you late for your lesson?".  Eamer blinked, taken aback.  "I thought ... I mean, you said ...," he thought over what Calmon had said two days before.  Eamer had taken it to mean that the lessons were cancelled 'from now on', sure that the Asha'man wouldn't want to waste any more of his time with him.  After going out of his way to be helpful, Eamer had failed him on one of the most basic aspects of channeling.  And on the first one that Calmon had imparted to him.

On reflection though, he had literally said 'no lesson tomorrow'.  Eamer shook his head ruefully as this occurred to him - he should know enough about Calmon by now to know that he wouldn't say something that he didn't mean.  A weight lifted itself from Eamer's shoulders.  Calmon was here, and he seemed to be willing to continue the lessons.  Maybe it would take some time to earn his trust again, but it was good that he would be having an opportunity to try.

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't know ... I mean, I had thought that you wouldn't, um, really want to continue this tuition.  And for the other day - sorry about that too.  I won't let it happen again."  His cheeks colored, remembering what happened.  "If you're still willing to work with me sir, I swear I'll not let you down again."