Claude al'Kenni -  is working with his sword in the shade going over forms and such things to himself. He is stripped down to his waist and sweat glistens on his body.

Fayth enters the clearing, a soft smile on her lips, her eyes taking on a faraway look. When she sees Claude, she stops, and watches for a while, grinning. After a few moments, she chuckles. "Men and their swords, men and their swords..." she says, moving to one of the benches.

Claude stops his practice and turns to find Fayth, he gives her a lopsided grin and retorts playfully, "Well, where do you think you are? A carnival? That -is- what we are here for." He wipes sweat off his brow with the back of his left hand and puts the tip of the sword into the ground and shifts his weight to lean on it slightly.

Fayth snickers. "Perhaps that is why -you- are here...I happen to think that there are weapons mightier than a sword." She sits on the bench and grins up at him. "A woman, for instance."

Claude continues to grin and then plucks his weapon out of the ground and sheathing it slowly, "I'm inclined to agree, especially the women that are here for training. Though...on the other hand, you can't do it all yourselves....no one can it everything alone." Striding towards Fayth slowly he seems to have no shame in being this way, it almost seems natural in the way he moves, with a noticeably deadly grace to his step and the ripples of his arms and chest. He stops beside the bench and looks off into the distance for a time, silent, before turning back to Fayth. "Has the day seen you well today Fayth?"

Fayth smiles at Claude and nods. "I suppose you may be right...although from what I've seen lately, I'm beginning to think that having someone protect me would be much more trouble than it's worth..." She winks at Claude, her eyes twinkling. She looks in the direction Claude is gazing and shrugs. "The day has seen me well enough, I suppose. I rarely have bad days, which I suppose is a good thing...And you? How does the day find you? Working hard, I see." she says, gesturing to the area he was previously practicing.

Claude chuckles and replies carelessly, "Ah yes, today finds me well, though not all do. And I always work hard, the first lesson I ever learned in life." He chuckles again and gives her a sly grin, "Your talk...you can't be serious? But I have little knowledge of what Aes Sedai and their in trainings do, not my place to wonder or ask."

Fayth laughs. "One thing you will soon learn about me, Claude, is that I am very rarely serious." she shakes her head, and returns the grin. "I do, however, find it hard to believe that you have little knowledge of Aes Sedai. I would have thought they'd be posting messages describing their every move. It surprises me to learn that the Aes Sedai have been secretive..." She giggles, and her grin turns rather mischievous. "Again, I'm not serious." She moves over on the bench and pats the area next to her. "Planning on pretending you don't wish to sit again, eh? So tell me, Claude. Do you plan on becoming a weapon as well? Is that why you are here?"

Claude laughs heartily and drops into the bench beside Fayth and smiles, "So you'd prefer me to sit then, eh? Oh, I knew you were kidding, at least I hoped you were...I tend to think I'm a good judge of character, but thats my opinion." He gives her a wink and throws up both arms to grip the back of the bench. "Become a weapon....yes, I suppose thats why I am here, though...I'd like to think I've come very far since arrival. Butone can always learn something new."

Fayth shifts on the bench, folding her legs under her and turning to face Claude directly. "Well, I wouldn't want your legs to get tired..." She looks down at his legs for a moment, grinning, then returns her gaze to his face. "A good judge of character, eh? And what, pray tell, have you determined about me?" Her grin still mischievous, she rests her arm on the back of the bench and leans her head against her hand, waiting for his response.

Claude chuckles and says, "Well, that youre the type who likes to kid around, and that you, like most who come here, find it amusing to get into trouble....no matter how much you say you don't. I haven't been around you to get anything else out, but all in all your a good girl, despite being on the mischievous side." He grins at her, a knowing smile which turns back into his lopsided grin.

Fayth nods, and her eyebrows raise. She stares at him, the edges of her mouth quirking upward. "Not bad...not bad at all." She giggles at him, and blushes just a little. "Well, you seem to have me pretty well figured out...it's a shame that I don't know you as well as you seem to know me..." she tsks softly.

Claude laughs and winks at Fayth, "Well, if you really want to know. In my heart, I'm like you. But when I'm around here, I have to be more resignedcolder is a better word. Thats why I prefer to keep to myself." He shrugs and turns his head to look at Fayth and his eyes seem to glimmer in the light.

Her eyes narrowing, Fayth nods once more, and peers at Claude with a mixture of understanding and pity. "I had a friend who felt the same way. He ended up leaving the tower. It was better for him, really. It was breaking his heart to subdue his feelings. He's much happier now." she trails off thoughtfully, and becomes engrossed in her thoughts, seemingly forgetting that Claude is sitting there. (Fayth)

Claude shrugs again, "No, no. You misunderstand, I am not unhappy. But its hard to be cheerful all the time when your designed to be a weapon. Besides, I've come too far to leave, its never crossed my mind." He seems to notice Fayth isn't listening anymore, but doesn't care as he looks down and starts to stroke his goatee with his right hand and finger the pommel of his sword with his left.

Fayth shakes her head and refocuses her attention on Claude once more. "Mmhmm. So you've come far in your training, then?" She sighs. "I think that if I didn't have to scrub so many pots, I would have more time for lessons, but..." She shrugs. "What can I do?" She rolls her eyes in the direction of the tower.

Claude smirks and nudges Fayth with his elbow playfully and says, "I'll give you a word of advice, choose to accept it or not. Look on the brighter side of life and at the goal ahead, not at the obstacles, destroy them as you come to them. If the big goal is worth a little suffering and a little toil, then grit your teeth and tough it out. And hope for the best."

Fayth snickers. "You're full of some awfully good advice for someone who keeps to himself so much..." She raises an eyebrow at Claude questioningly. "I thank you, though." She nods. "I think that becoming an Aes Sedai is what I was meant to do, and as long as I manage to keep my sense of humor throughout the training, I really don't think it will be all that bad..." She beams at Claude and nudges him back.

Claude blushes slightly and grins, "Just cause I keep to myself, doesn't mean I don't have good advice, but thank you. And, no, it can't be all that bad if there are so many here...or at least....I'm told there are many." He chuckles a little more and continues to stroke his curled goatee

Fayth shrugs. "There are enough, I suppose." She giggles and leans in close to Claude, whispering "Apparently you really haven't met any of the Sedai here, otherwise you would understand why I am concerned about losing my sense of humor..." She chuckles at him, and winks again.

Claude gives her a small smile and replies in his own whisper, "I told you before, I haven't met many of them, nearly none in fact. But, keep your chin up, and if all else fails...well, even I've heard about what happens when two or three novices get together for a prank." He wets his lips and gives her a wider smile and another wink.

Fayth snickers again. "Really?" She raises an eyebrow. "You'll have to give me a few examples. I have some novice friends...and a few accepted...who wouldn't mind getting a little...revenge..." She grins at him, and, still whispering, adds "Perhaps even a few...gaidin..."

Claude smiles a secret smile and responds in whispers again, "Well then, I don't know much, like so many things, but I know this. Some...very few...but some, even manage to avoid getting caught. Now, I wouldn't know about how to get a gaidin, don't even want to think about it. But...youre a smart girl, you've got a good head on you, among other things, and you'll figure something out." He gives her another nudge and slouches more in his position on the bench.

Fayth snickers, and blushes a pale shade of pink. "I'll have to do a little research to see what I can do..." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Among other things?" her face schooled to an expression of innocence, she winks at him and leans back to where she was originally sitting before she leaned in. "You know," she says, gesturing at him. "That's really not good for your posture..."

Claude shrugs lightly and replies, "Life's short, and then you die. I do as many things my way as I can. But, if it bothers you, I just won't do it while your around." laughing richly and lightly he straightens a good deal, but is still obviously in a very relaxed position.

Fayth chuckles. "I don't believe I said it bothered me. Although I appreciate you thinking enough of me to not want to bother me. I'm flattered, really." Her face turns a slightly darker shade of pink, then she very pointedly sits up as straight as possible on the bench.

Claude smirks to himself  but says nothing and doesnt move, except to adjust his sword which is digging into his side. A rather unpleasant feeling at best. Tilting his head slightly back to look at the sky his long braids slide off the side of his face and hang about his shoulders, back and chest, batting against each other softly.

Fayth glances at the sword, and this time it is her turn to smirk. She mumbles "men and their swords" once, then says nothing more, simply shaking her head and tsking at the weapon.

Claude laughs lightly and states, blindly, without turning his head or his eyes away, "So, you find the weapon silly. Thats your opinion. But I'm going to adjust it when its digging into my side like a needle the size of your forearm no matter what anybody thinks of it." He grins to himself and turns his head again to look for Fayth's reaction.

Fayth raises an eyebrow at Claude and gets a very indignant look on her face. "Did I say the weapon was silly? No. Do I care if you want to move the silly thing? No." Apparently realizing that she just, in fact, called the weapon silly, she sends an embarrassed grin Claude's way and shrugs. "Whoops." she says, looking rather abashed. "So I don't like your sword..." She grins, that familiar mischievous glint back in her eyes. "I like it more than your goatee..." She grins and winks, to show she is just teasing.

Claude gives her a sly grin and replies, "And it would be over my dead body that I would stop wearing either of them." In a rather childish gesture he sticks his tongue out of his mouth and then laughs and returns the wink. While he lifts his left boot and crosses it over the right letting it rest on top.

Fayth laughs out loud, obviously very amused. "You know, I find more -men- that are attached to their hair than I find women." She pauses, and ponders for a moment. "More men are attached to their swords as well. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these men didn't sleep with their swords in their beds with them." She sighs and shakes her head, her body still shaking with laughter.

Claude purposely begins to stroke his goatee and feigns a thoughtful look. "Hey now, thats an idea. Sleep with the sword. it would be closer and..." He trails off and gives a hearty chuckle.

Fayth rolls her eyes at Claude. "I certainly wouldn't put it past you to sleep with it, that's for sure..."