<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/42/Gaidin.jpg)</div><div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/42/Gaidin.jpg)</div><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Ardan Taliesin</span><br/>By Aysande</span></div><hr/><div class="floatright"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">image</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://img15.deviantart.net/9fef/i/2013/349/6/a/lord_balen_by_nemanja_s-d6y3w1g.jpg)</div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Age:</strong> 35<br/><strong>Nation:</strong> Caemlyn, Andor<br/><strong>Gender:</strong> Male<br/><strong>Orientation:</strong> heterosexual<br/><strong>Talent:</strong> Sniffer<br/><br/><strong>Position:</strong> Gaidin to Aleana Sedai<br/><strong>Skills:</strong> <br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">Horsemanship</li><li type="disc">Leadership</li><li type="disc">Swordplay, 2-handed (not heron-level but not far)</li><li type="disc">Archery (decent)</li><li type="disc">Game of stones</li><li type="disc">Butchering </li><li type="disc">Survival</li></ul><strong>Appearance:</strong> Ardan is an inch or two short of 6' tall, but he has a set of solid shoulders about him.  He has an athletic build, with a good layer of muscles but he is not bulky or heavy. He keeps in shape with swordplay, but also by running several laps along the outer wall of the White Tower.  He keeps his curly brown hair short and in spite of his best attempt, they remain in a constant state of disarray. He has deep brown eyes, so dark they look like they are black. He has a bold nose that sports signs of a break years ago, and thick, soft lips in a rather square face.<br/><br/><strong>Personality:</strong>Ardan comes from a modest background, but he can be considered ambitious. It isn't that he is aiming for the top, but rather that he sets himself goals and work hard to achieve them. He is a firm believer of when one wants something done, it is better to do it than to rely on others.  He has confidence and trust himself to stand strong. He is hard to anger, does not have a temper and he loathes to get into a shouting match. He is not soft, however, or at least not with most people. He is battle-hardened, having fought Aiel, and always battle-ready.<br/><br/>In private, when he feels that he is allowed to let his walls down, he proves to be a sensible, gentle man who enjoys peace and quiet, to swim or walk in a garden. Speaking of emotions is as easy for him as it is for water to break rock: it takes a lot of time, it's a difficult process but with patience - lots of it - it may happen. He knows to keep a secret, and feels absolutely not compelled to even bother to answer to a prying question by anything else than a dark, steady stare and silence.<br/><br/><strong>History:</strong> Being the second son, the youngest of five children, Ardan was an unplanned by much loved surprise. He was, however, the last to use everything and that meant that much of what he had was already good to be thrown away. It didn't stop the young boy who wished to prove to his father that he was as good as Seamus, his older brother, and to work in the back of the shop.<br/><br/>During a visit in the inner city where his father was prime cut of beef with Ardan who was now fifteen years old,  the teenager caught sight of a band of recruit training to be a Queen's guard. When his father spotted his interest, he suggested that he look into it further. He was a great help at the butcher shop, and he appreciated the help, but the shop could sustain only one family, and Seamus was up to inherit the shop…<br/><br/>Ardan joined the Queen's guard, and set off to make his father proud. It took him years of hard training, but Ardan became known for his hard work and his dedication, but also his trustworthiness. He raised in rank quickly, but at a price. He had no personal life; no life outside of the Guards, and whenever he visited his parents, he was reminded that he should try to find himself a wife and have children. Seamus took over the shop and it was thriving, he had a few kids of his own now and all of his sisters were spoken for… But it was not meant to happen.<br/><br/>War came when he was in his mid-twenties. The Aiel war. He joined in the name of Andor and fought with all that he had against the veiled barbarians. He received more than one wound for it, namely his nose broken by the butt of a short spear, but when the war ended, he was still standing, and not crippled by any of his injuries. He considered himself lucky. <br/><br/>Back in Andor, he was honored for his service by the highest rank that he could fill. The war had left many positions open, but Ardan ended up Lieutenant, with a handful of men under his command. After some time training with his men, he was assigned a rather dangerous case. A false Dragon's followers had settled on Andoran soil and began to cause trouble as their leader was captured.<br/><br/>The mission when according to plan, and by the end of it, the Guards were ready to haul their prisoners back to the prison of Caemlyn, but Ardan was hesitant. He was concerned to leave the very capable Aes Sedai on their own. They had suffered some rather important losses, some of the sisters were in bad shape or exhausted by the healing… He ordered his men to head back to Caemlyn and to pass the message that he was heading to Tar Valon and would be back as soon as possible. Given the long standing relationship between the White Tower and Andor, Ardan felt that he was doing what was right.<br/><br/>He had always admired Aes Sedai, their knowledge, their power, their reputation. He believed in their cause, in their ways. Even the Red who was adviser to the good Queen, Light bless her,  fascinated him though he knew better than to show it. Now that he was with a few of them, he gave support however he could. He stood guard when they needed sleep, walked by his horse  and let them use the animal to give their leg some rest… <br/><br/>Once at he Tower, the Amyrlin thanked him for his service and offered him to stay, to become a Valdar and train to possibly become a warder even though he was already a bit old to enter service. At least he did not have to start at the bottom. The Valdar training did not teach him much, but he became better with his sword, learned more forms, and he also learned to use a bow decently. At some point, there was a change in the Amyrlin, and when he heard her name, he assumed that his services would not be forgotten but he did not expect anything.<br/><br/>He loved his time in the Tower, and spoke with Aes Sedai whenever he was given the opportunity. All he had left to do was to pass the last test. No one would tell him what it was, only that it would happen quickly, at a moment he would not expect it to happen… <br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">OOC Notes:</span></span></div><hr/><strong>O&amp;O:</strong> I do not write smut as a male. <br/><strong>Available for bonding:</strong> No. He is created for an Aleana Sedai</div>