Crimsonthorn

[Kiyohito]

Vladamir Gaidin

He once attempted to write in verse. It was a valiant effort, but Vladamir relinquished to the Pattern’s will instead; he was no poet. After all these years, he still remembered the earnestness with which he sat before the page, blank with all the possibilities he felt in his heart. He felt a fool at the time, he recalled fondly.

Although rarely looking up, for all his introspection, Vladamir was quite aware of those that flowed around him. He was a bump on the bank in a stream of people. They were quite content to ignore him, but not the other way around. Amid the things his eyes could see and his ears could hear, he focused momentarily on the bond. Caia’li was calm, but it was a tightly controlled calm that he recognized when she encountered something she disliked. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her when locked within the Hall of the Tower, but this night he particularly attuned to any fluctuations in her steady shell.

As such, he recognized the stoic Aes Sedai that sat nearby. She had not greeted him, and he contemplated whether or not to stand and bow before her given the Brown’s proximity. What kept him seated was not uncertainty, however. Malaika Sedai was as stoic as a Borderlander Lord at the wall, and she accepted the dues that came with her ring, but he was around the library enough to discern a person’s disposition. Perhaps hers was why he liked her so much. It was a lot like his own.

Rather than offer empty platitudes or pretend all was well when it would be an insult to do so, he turned the page and began to read aloud. Vladamir’s accent was soft. His cadence over the verses smooth, without error. The inflection telling that he felt every syllable. She would probably recognize the author.  

“In the realm of conflicts fierce and wild,
Where courage blossoms, undefiled,
Amidst the tumult, chaos untamed,
A journey beckons, untold, unnamed.

With stalwart hearts and spirits bold,
We step into the battlefield, behold,
Where swords clash and banners rise,
A symphony of valor fills the skies.

In the arena of souls' duress,
Where shadows loom, and doubts oppress,
We seek the strength to face the fight,
And conquer darkness with inner light.

With shield and armor, we march ahead,
No path too treacherous, no fear to dread,
For deep within, a fire burns bright,
Igniting bravery, igniting might.

In the trenches of adversity,
United, we stand in solidarity,
Bound by the essence of human will,
We forge ahead, undeterred, still.

With every clash and every blow,
We learn the strength that heroes know,
To face the tempests, undismayed,
And rise above the fray unswayed.

In unity, we find our power,
To mend the wounds, to bridge the tower,
To embrace differences, find common ground,
And let compassion's victory resound.

With the realm of conflicts faced,
Where courage blooms, all doubts erased,
We find the strength to rise and soar,
With valor's grace forevermore.

So let us march, hand in hand,
Through trials dire, across the land,
With hearts aflame and spirits bright,
We conquer darkness, bringing forth the light.”


He looked upon the words he knew well; there was a reason he brought this book with him tonight. After a moment of silence, he closed it and laid it aside, hand gently resting on the cover as he looked to her, a somber smile softening his features.

“May peace be with you tonight, Aes Sedai,” he finally said.