Cake? bun? Fruit? honey? (OPEN RP)

[Wayward_fool]

Ray-ray sniffled and wiped snot from her nose with her sleeve. With her other hand, she shakily supported herself along the walls towards her dorm. Passing Novices gave her sympathetic smiles, but she ignored them. Probably thinking bad thoughts about me anyway. Blood and bloody ashes! She half stumbled and let out a low moan as she felt the shift under her dress... ummm... shift.

 

Finally, she reached her door. With shaky hands, she drew out the key from her pocket and inserted it. Stupid Pi-ah... or Pi-uh… or Piah Sedai. Whatever her bloody name is. It's not like I STOLE anything. I just wanted to have a quick look and I would have put it back. Who knew her delicate Sea Folk porcelain chamber pot would break so easily. Absently, she pushed open her door. Good, her roommate wasn't it. That girl was good as a pillow friend at night, but during the day, she was mostly in the Library, “researching”. Probably ogling at the Librarian again. As if last night wasn’t epically earth shattering enough.. Closing the door with a click, Ray-ray limped to her bed and, unthinkingly, sat down.

 

She stood up immediately with a yelp. Touching her bum gingerly, she could hardly keep the tears from flowing. Wrinkling her nose, she limped to the cupboard to get a jar of Tenderleaf Balm the cook had given her. It smelt exactly like Pia Sedai’s chamber pot, but it was great for times like these. She barely unscrewed the top when a series of excited knocks sounded at her door.

 

"Who is it?" She shouted, somewhat hoarsely. Clearing her throat she tried again. “Who in damnation is knocking my door like a demented blindworm!?” She realized suddenly it might be an Aes Sedai and clamped her mouth shut, praying that the Creator would be fair and not let her have two spankings in one day.

 

[Amadine]

Amadine's belly growled, she started in spite of herself and looked around to check if anyone else had heard it. She giggled to herself and continued on towards the kitchens. Her lesson in the library had dragged on through lunch, though the Brown sister instructing the group of Novices on the history of the world had not noticed.

 

Lost in thought, Amadine was surprised when another novice almost ran into her. The girl was in a hurry to get somewhere. From the tears in her eyes it looked to Amadine that she, one of the few novices newer than her... Regalia she thought, had come from the Mistress of Novices. Amadine had yet to have a bad encouter with Pia Sedai, but she had seen quite a few girls run crying from the direction of her office.

 

Amadine's belly grumbled again. She stopped in the hallway, torn between finding something to soothe her aching belly and checking to see if the novice was okay. Her compassion won out and she turned back towards the novice quarters.

 

As Amadine rounded the corner she saw the novice struggling with her key, just then she got the lock open and slipped inside. As Amadine approached the door she could hear sobs coming from the other side.

 

Amadine knocked on the door and was surprised by the reaction she got.

 

"Who is it? Who in damnation is knocking my door like a demented blindworm!?”

 

Amadine was taken aback, sure she had heard plenty of cursing. Her brother and father were stablemen for an inn after all. She gathered herself "Um Regalia, it's Amadine, i've come to check that you are okay, i saw you in the hall..."

[Maryam]

Peeking out the door to her novice... well... box, Maryam noticed Amadine approaching Regalia's door, and studied the girl with some curiosity. She hadn't noticed, she couldn't have noticed Maryam sitting quietly in her quarters relaxing, unfolding herself like a bud. NO! Not the time. Besides, she had to attend Liseri Sedai in ten minutes, and it was best she be about it. Still, she could run and get there in seven.

 

"Madi, what happened? Is Rey well?" Maryam brought out the dusting rag she kept up her sleeve and approached the door only to discover the curse. Lips pursing into disapproval, she shouted back, "Pia Sedai would tan your bottom and good for that kind of language, Rey! You're better'n that, by my reckon!" Turning to Amadine, she flashed a bright smile. "She's fine if she c'n curse, I'll warrant."

[Knytiri]

Knytiri moaned. It wasn't of agony, or ecstasy, but because she was tired. She staggered down the hallway towards her rooms, hoping perhaps Amadine would be in. She had been assigned to the girl's room, and the two had become fairly decent friends. If she was there, perhaps she would be willing to sneak a treat or two back to their rooms for her, so she could get more than three or four hours sleep. She had been plagued with nightmares recently, things that made her toss and turn in her sleep, waking her up more often than not... and piling her work and study load on top of that was near to making her fall over from exhaustion.

 

She came to a stop when she saw Amadine standing in the hallway just ahead though, with a rather confused and taken aback expression on her face. A moment later though, and she appeared to say something to the door. Knytiri sighed and began shuffling forwards again, her feet almost unwilling to even pick up off the ground high enough to carry her forwards at all. She let her eyes drift shut for a mere second, and caught herself on the wall just before she smacked into the ground face first.

 

Shaking her head to clear it, she yawned widely and noticed Amadine, as well as another girl had turned to see who was coming when she had nearly fell. Not wanting to seem rude, yet sure the two had said SOMETHING to one another, she forced a small smile. "Um. Hi. What's this gathering all about?"

[Wayward_fool]

Ray-ray shuffled to the door and opened it, revealing three of her fellow Novices in quiet conversation. She was still too new at the White Tower to know too many of the Novices. And Novices just kept turning up, new ones, on a daily basis. A never ending supply of people who could learn to channel, which made it hard to make too many friends. She could imagine Aes Sedai running around the world, grabbing girls out of their beds in the middle of the night and forcing them to start at candles and screaming in triumph when they confirmed they could channel. Or maybe that could have been a nightmare, she couldn’t quite be sure.

 

On top of that, Novices were always being Raised and turning into cool, snotty Accepted bitc- ummm... not nice people all the time. Which made Ray-ray think that part of the test to turning into an Accepted was how horrible you could be to other people. "Sorry girl, you smiled at me. That’s not Acceptedly behavious. No banded dress for you! FAIL!" At least that’s what she's imagine the Mistress of Novice shouting at her at the end of the test. A final revenge for the pranks and troubles she caused.

 

Sometimes, her nightmares made no sense whatsoever.

 

"Maryam. Amadine. Knytiri." Ray-ray said with a slight nod of her head at each of them, trying not to look like she had just been crying. Her snot covered sleeves, however, did not help. Besides, Ray-ray still was not very sure how to treat other Novices. Especially those who had been in the Tower for a while now. For all she knew, they probably treated her as some sort of gullible newbie to be bullied. Most of them had been nice. These three in front of her especially so. “I’m not sure this is a good time. I just got back from… You Know Who’s office. She should not be named. And my bum… not a happy place right now.”

 

The word ‘bum’ made the two other Novices giggle slightly.

 

Ray-ray wrinkled her nose. “Right.  Anyway,” Ray-ray sighed. “What’s up? Do you want to come in? I’m afraid I haven’t any snacks yet. My roommate’s finished all the fried Creamcakes that the Cook gave me yesterday. Although, I think I might have some left over cheese from home, or… something.” Ray-ray wrinkled her nose again. “Anyway… what’s up?”

 

 

[Maryam]

Rey DID try to put a brave face on it, it was clear, but Light, she stole cookies so often. That was bound to be it. Wincing at the mention of Pia Sedai, Maryam placed her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. Bum? Ridiculous, when "bottom" was the kind of word an Aes Sedai would use. Glancing left and right down the hall, she elbowed her way past into the room. "I'd love some cheese, but if we do stand around much lollygaggin' in the hallway, we'll all get shiny backsides. Now, come in here, love, and give us a blow." Maryam held the dustcloth out to Ray for her to tidy her face, and took the opportunity to glance around the room. "I see you got one of the big rooms, you did. Are you nobly born then?" Fighting down a smile, the girl reflected that her own room was probably slightly larger, if only because whoever had been there before had apparently spent a large portion of time hollowing out a small hole behind the pallet, wherein Maryam had found an old bit of twine, the remnants of a heel of bread, and a beat up old bit of paper with a rather good drawing of a lovely young man. That had gone back into the hole, of course, once Maryam had looked at it. For the twelfth time.

 

"Madi? Nightingale? Are you lot coming in or am I the only one being late to attend my Aes Sedai?"

[Amadine]

Amadine wasn't surprised to see Rey's tear-stained face when the door opened. Rey greeted the three of them standing in her doorway with slightly worried looks on their faces. Knytiri, Amadine's roommate, and Maryam, another novice who had arrived at the tower at roughly the same time as she, had come to see if Rey was well.

 

“I’m not sure this is a good time. I just got back from… You Know Who’s office. She should not be named. And my bum… not a happy place right now.”

 

Amadine stifled a giggle with her fist that the word 'bum'. She couldn't help it, it reminded her of her older brother, Gris, who thought body parts and functions were hilarious.

 

"Madi? Nightingale? Are you lot coming in or am I the only one being late to attend my Aes Sedai?"

 

Amadine smiled at the nickname Maryam had given her the first time they met, thinking that it wasn't as bad 'Dine', that was what Gris had called her enjoying how much she had hated it. Thinking of Gris gave her a sudden pang of homesickness. "I have just come from lessons in the library" Amadine said as Rey welcomed the girls into her small room, and cleared her cloak off the end of the bed so that they could sit.

 

Rey's roommate must have been off somewhere, a lesson or scrubbing pots in the kitchens Amadine supposed. Rey was muttering something about not having much food hidden away in her room.

 

At the mention of food Amadine's belly grumbled loudly and the other girls turned to her and giggled. "Well..." Amadine began "It's baking day in the kitchens, one of the girls in class said they were making honeycakes..."

[Knytiri]

Knytiri bit her lip to stifle a small groan as she was ushered into the room, but she couldn't really think of a polite way to depart without seemeing rude after staggering her way this far. She stifled yet another groan as Amadine mentioned food. "Blood and bloody ashes I'm hungry," she grumbled, more to herself than anything else, then blinked at her own language.

 

Apparently, working long hours and getting little sleep did little to soothe her temperment. Imagine that...

 

It was then she realized that the other girl, one she knew only in passing, had referred to her as.. Nightingale? Perhaps she had meant someone else, Knytiri mused, wondering if she had, or if she had not, and if she had not, where the nickname had come from in the first place.

 

"If you have cheese, Ray-ray, I'd be all over that." She was tempted to add another off-color line, perhaps about fat kids and honeycakes, but her stomach rumbled in time with her next stifled yawn, and she decided against it. "That is, if you don't mind sharing. I can always bribe Amadine into bringing me something later, maybe..."

[Wayward_fool]

Ray-ray's eyes brightened at the word "honeycakes". She barely contained her excitement. Cook's honeycake recipe probably made the best honeycakes in the world. Ray-ray wasn't altogether convinced it didn't come from the Creator Himself.

 

"Nevermind cheese, Knytiri. Honeycakes from the kitchen's what we need right now. Yes, even you, Knytiri. You look absolutely... well... knackered. And honeycakes will perk you right up." Ray-ray gave Knytiri a quick hug and scampered off to one of the chests and opened it up. "I've got something for you. It's nothing exciting, but it could help you some." She pulled out one of the various bottles and opened it. "This is Hunter-root Extract. It helps you keep awake, and THEN sends you off to a most amazing sleeps you'll ever have." She passed two tablets over and bounced slightly. "Alright, Amadine. I don't care if we're technically not allowed to snitch honeycakes from the kitchen, I think I deserve some. Especially after a miserable morning. Besides, there's enough for everyone. I’m sure.” She added after a pause.

 

She ushered the girls to the door, and looking around to make sure she didn’t leave anything overly messy, closed the door behind them. “Right. Amadine, Knytiri, Maryam. You know we might not get out of here alive. There’s a chance we could all someday, look back at this and think what fools we were. But today, honeycakes rule our mind. And there is no chance I’m going to miss this. Mostly because my bum hurts too much for me to sit, lie down or even lean on anything comfortably. And I think a little sweetness is good for all of us.” She giggled a little. “Besides, serves Pia Sedai right if she doesn’t get any cake.” Ray-ray giggled somemore. “Let’s go!”

 

[Amadine]

Amadine was surprised at just how fast the word "honeycakes" had brightened Rey's mood! It was like someone had turn up a lantern. Knytiri covered a wide yawn and rubbed her belly absently with her other hand. *She's hungry too* Amadine thought.

 

Knytiri asked for cheese and Amadine giggled when Kny mentioned bribing her to bring some food back from the kitchens for her. But Rey was having none of that! She jumped up from her seat near the end of the bed and started rummaging in a chest which sat against a wall. She turned with a triumphant look upon her face. In the hand she held out to Knytiri were two small tablets and she said something about keeping Kny awake for now and getting a good sleep later. She would have to remember that Rey had those. Rey pressed the tablets into Kny's hand then turned to Amadine.

 

"Alright, Amadine. I don't care if we're technically not allowed to snitch honeycakes from the kitchen, I think I deserve some. Especially after a miserable morning. Besides, there's enough for everyone. I’m sure.”

 

*Oh no!* Amadine thought *What have i done?!* Rey was babbling about honeycakes ruling and her behind hurting. "Let's go! Rey shouted.

 

She jumped up and grabbed Amadine by the hand dragging her into the hallway. Knytiri and Maryam trailed behind them. The four of them started towards the kitchens. Amadine giggled at Rey, the girl was skulking along the walls, sniffing as if she was tracking. Just then she remembered Maryam's class "Maryam, didn't you say you had a lesson just now?

[Wayward_fool]

"Lessons?" Ray-ray's ears perked up at the sound of that word. "Lessons with whom?" She wrinkled her nose and poked Maryam. Who jumped in shock. "Nevermind. Let's take the shortcut." The other three looked bewilderedly at Ray-ray. She rolled her eyes. "Nevermind just follow me. Don't break anything please, I think we could get into much trouble for that."

 

Abruptly she darted to one side and walked up to a closet door. "This is one of the entrances, or rather the only one on this floor anyway. It's just the worker's corridor, so don't worry. It's not a big secret or anything. And it's still being used, so if you see any servants or anything just follow me lead." She grinned and dragged the door open with a stifled groan. The other three looked at her dubiously and she rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. This takes five minutes for us to get to the kitchen. And we won't have to bow to every Light forsaken Aes Sedai and Accepted. Besides, if you want to get caught easily, feel free to march up to the kitchen entrance and barge in. I can assure you it won't be a walk in a stedding.” Ray-ray poked her head into the closet area and fumbled with some of the cleaning equipment inside. Huffing slightly, she managed to clear a space big enough for two people to walk through at a squeeze. At the back was a dark tunnel.

 

“Are you guys coming or what?” She said slightly impatiently as she climbed in. She touched a candle from her pocket to one of the torches and held the lit candle in front of her. “Don’t worry, it’s safe. I told you, the workers use it all the time. Come on.” She waited no longer and disappeared into the dark corridor beyond.

 

[Amadine]

Amadine watched as Rey poked Maryam, "Nevermind just follow me. Don't break anything please, I think we could get into much trouble for that."

 

Rey darted over to what appear to be a closet along the wall of the novice hallway, she was muttering something about corridors and secrets. Light, but that girl talked so fast Amadine found it hard to keep up, but she was so fun. Rey was always up to something, and sometimes dragging the others in before they had a chance to think better of it.

 

Rey opened the door and proceeded to shift some cleaning products out of her way. What was revealed as a dark hallway, the worker's corridor.

 

“Are you guys coming or what? Don’t worry, it’s safe. I told you, the workers use it all the time. Come on.” Rey was getting impatient, she had stepped into the corridor after lighting a candle taken from her pocket.

 

Amadine looked and Kny and Maryam and shrugged. As if to punctuate what she said her belly gave a loud grumble that echoed in the space of the closet. Amadine followed Rey into the darkened corridor followed by the other two girls.

 

If Rey had not had her candle it would have been pitch black in the corridor, but Rey had said it would only take five minutes to get to the kitchens, Amadine hoped so, while not scared of the dark, she was not a fan of enclosed spaces.

[Wayward_fool]

((OOC: I was starting to think you guys din wanna Rp no more. *hangs head*))

 

It was a dark corridor; the candle barely illuminated the route ahead. The other girls seemed a little squeamish, but had they not been along Ray-ray wouldn't have bothered with the candle. She had been on this route many times, many a times after a visit to Pia Sedai's. The Cook was great at comforting crying Novices and more often than not had a spare pickled hog’s ear or spiced cow tongue lying about. Crying did take it out of you, you ended up feeling starved.

 

“Is it much further?” Ray-ray heard someone whisper from behind her. Someone else giggled as a tummy rumbled in response, in the darkness.

 

Ray-ray wrinkled her nose. It reminded her of the first time she went through the little tunnel and had asked one of the maids the same thing. “It’s not much further, really. Once we pass this-“ She turned a quick left and already the tunnel had already lightened considerably. “Alright, we’re almost there. We’ve got to keep quiet now, or they’ll hear us.” And hide the better pastries. Bloody kitchen attendants.  She hated the fact that they seemed to lord over her whenever she came in when the Cook was out. Probably worried I’d steal their jobs.

 

There was a little door in front of them with a bell on its side. A small sign written in Old Tongue hung above the door. The Cook had explained back in the old days the tunnels could lead outside and even during sieges the White Tower had access to food and supplies. Ray-ray thought the Cook was making it all up. The Cook had stories on the White Tower no one else had ever heard of. It was rumoured that she had once been Aes Sedai herself but had either been Stilled or Burnt out for some reason. There were also rumours that she was the Queen of the Underworld and the daughter of Shai’tan, but that was probably started by one of the maids that worked in the kitchen and was to be expected. Ray-ray had often been on the other end of the Cook’s tongue lashing and moments like that made her believe the Cook was one of the Forsaken.

 

She pushed a little knob on the right corner of the door and put a finger to her lips to indicate silence from the others. Silently the door opened.

 

And they were in the kitchen.

 

[Maryam]

It seemed like the last ten minutes had passed Maryam by in a bit of a haze of furious thought. Calculating how much trouble she would get in for being late was an almost hopeless task, but she couldn't help trying. Ultimately deciding that the exercise was fruitless since she already WAS late, she glanced at the girls in front of her, her own belly rumbling. Light, had lunch really been so soon? Lessons took it out of her, but she was STARVING! Muttering about how they didn't feed novices enough, she jumped when a loud growl filled the corridor, then blushed, clutching her own belly in response. Light, the corridors were close.

 

Glancing at Knytiri, she murmured softly, "We're gonna make it, right? I mean, we're not gonna get caught? She DOES know where we're going, right? Right?"

 

As the group clustered around the small doorway, Maryam paused, looking up at the sign in Old Tongue. That was odd. What did it say? She'd have to ask, next class, but what a strange place to mark with such grandeur. Maryam rolled up the sleeve of her left arm, and with her fingernail, carved lightly the word, wincing somewhat at the sting. Perhaps not the best solution, but she had neither paper nor ink, and she certainly wouldn't remember. For some reason words and names eluded her. Still, she hadn't carved deep enough to draw blood, just leave a raised impression. It would serve.

 

With a start, she realized the other girls had stepped into the kitchen. She followed behind them, entering the wonderfully scented room with a suppressed giggle. They'd MADE it!

[Wayward_fool]

((OOC: Alright, here's the plan. We sneak around, trying to find the pastry, find it, steal a few, run off to freedom, only to bang into either a Sedai Lady or the Cook. Depending on whether we want punishment or a stern warning and more pastries. *lol* Either way makes for fun RP. Hopefully we can do something exciting along the way. Anyone got ideas?))

 

Ray-ray shushed the others and crawled under one of the tables. Her breath caught as she spied one of the Kitchen Attendants push open a distant door and exit the kitchen. Brysinda. Ray-ray remembered her. One of those who had been really kind to her when she first came into the White Tower. But Cook had been specific. No snacks between meals for Novices. Apparently one of the Aes Sedai had complained of sleepy Novices after between-class snacks.

 

Ray-ray’s eyes roved the kitchen looking for where the green currant buns and honeycakes were. And couldn't find them. Bother, Cook must have kept them already. Which means... "We're going to have to get into the pantry. Which is the door over there. Problem is, we'll need to actually go IN to the pantry and that's a pretty visible entrance." She pointed to the door in the middle of the kitchen. "It's in there."

 

“Oh let’s not. We’ll be caught!” One of the Novices behind squeaked in fright.

 

“No, we must. We’re here and my stomach demands some green currant buns. Also, if we’re going to our next lesson, we’re going to it with a full stomach. Or at least a partially filled one. We just need someone to watch the door outside. And the rest of us grab the buns and keep them in the fold of our skirts, and then we can run back in this tunnel, head for our rooms… AND PARTY!” Ray-ray randomly poked one of the other Novices, who squealed in surprise. “And shhh, danger zone her.”

 

She crawled forward and waited for the others.

 

 

 

[Knytiri]

OOC: sorry. RL drama was distracting me... it wasn't fun. Don't ask. =P

 

IC: Knytiri shrugged as they made their way through the small tunnel. She could tell Amadine was slightly nervous, though putting on a brave face, and Maryam seemed next to panic as she asked if they were ever going to make it. Knytiri stiffled a giggle... back in Mayene, she had oftentimes hid in the attic of her father's inn, a small dark space, with just enough light slanting through the rafters to give her light to read by, or curled up at the end of a long, thin aisle of bookcases with two or three books to browse through. This, in comparison, was nothing.

 

They came out into the kitchen at last, and Knytiri smiled to herself. She was still tired, and stiftled a yawn in her elbow. She had pocketed the pills Ray-Ray had given her, vowing not to take them until she had asked a few of the other Novices about them first. Not that she didn't trust Ray-Ray.. just that she didn't want to end up in Ray-Ray's bunk without her shift.

 

Unknowingly, anyway.

 

"We're going to have to get into the pantry. Which is the door over there. Problem is, we'll need to actually go IN to the pantry and that's a pretty visible entrance." She pointed to the door in the middle of the kitchen. "It's in there."

 

“Oh let’s not. We’ll be caught!” Knytiri's eyes widened in surprise.. it had almost sounded like Amadine had spoken, and she was about to turn to giggle at her expense, but Ray-Ray forged ahead.

 

“No, we must. We’re here and my stomach demands some green currant buns. Also, if we’re going to our next lesson, we’re going to it with a full stomach. Or at least a partially filled one. We just need someone to watch the door outside. And the rest of us grab the buns and keep them in the fold of our skirts, and then we can run back in this tunnel, head for our rooms… AND PARTY!” Knytiri smiled, then jumped with a squeal as Ray-Ray poked her side, hitting her just in her most ticklish spot, causing her to blush brightly and cover her mouth with both hands as Ray-Ray added: “And shhh, danger zone her.”

 

Then she was off, crawling forwards, and Knytiri trailed behind, still red-cheeked, but smiling under her hand asthey got closer to the pantry door... there weren't many people actually looking in their direction, which was a definite aid in this crucial moment of the raid. Deciding she had had enough following, Knytiri suddenly sprinted across the rest of the distance, sliding to a stop across the smooth floor on her slippers, and ducked into the pantry at once, leaving the others standing behind, stunned.

 

"Well come on, then!" she called in a bare whisper over to them, and turned to face the inside, gasping. The pantry.. was huge. This was gonna take a minute or two or twenty to find any pastry worth having..

[Lavinya]

She'd missed the main lunch for Aes Sedai in the dining hall, yet again. Lavinya was irritated but there was little to be done about it. The dim witted Accepted she had been tutoring in politics had needed extra time to grasp the simplest concepts, and Lavinya would be damned rather than let someone escape her class with no further education. Too hungry to skip the meal entirely, and not trusting the competency of servants to bring her something adequate, the fiery haired and natured Gray decided to make her way to the kitchens and have mistress Larass prepare something.

 

Lavinya's vibrant curls bounced against her back as she glided down hallways, barely acknowledging passing sisters and completely ignoring the hasty curtseys offered by initiates caught in her path. Her reputation was fearsome enough, without adding her current scowl into the deal. Lavinya heard one novice actually squawk as she passed and was momentarily amused. Really, she wasn't all that bad. Was it a crime to expect some measure of intelligence and respect from the snot-nosed brats? Hmm, hopefully Mistress Larass had some of her berry glazed pork and steamed greens. And a green currant bun. Lavinya was particularly fond of those. Ignoring the growing hunger in her belly, Lavinya continued her pace towards the kitchens, heels clicking ominously on the ornate tile work.

 

 

(OOC: Oh, you will be caught. By Lavinya. Muahaha. Don't worry, just making my presence known, get into as much trouble as you like and I'll jump in to apprehend you. How stern I am depends on just how snot nosed you girls are ;D)

[Amadine]

Amadine watched as Kny sprinted across the kitchen, *LIGHT but that girl is gonna be the death of me!* she thought.

 

Amadine was on her hands and knees making her way across the kitchen floor behind Ray-ray. Closer, closer, closer they crawled with Kny smirking at them from inside the pantry the whole time. Amadine could hear the muffled laughs of the kitchen girls coming from another area of the kitchens, she hoped that those girls would stay right where they were!

 

Ray-ray and Amadine made it safely to the pantry and were quickly followed by Maryam. Once inside the pantry Ray-ray began directing the girls where to look for her favourite green currant buns, Amadine was more interested in the honeycakes she knew had been baked earlier that morning.

 

The pantry was huge! With high shelves lining every wall and more shelves made aisles in the room. Amadine busied herself looking down an aisle on the far side. She lifted the lids of barrels and looking under towels on trays on the shelves. She found spice pots and dried fruits, flour and sugar barrels, casks of vinegar and boxes of vegetables.

 

Ama wondered how the other girls were faring in their searches but decided to look a while longer. She belly growled loudly again and she grabbed a small handful raisins and popped a few in her mouth as she continued to look. SHe could hear movements in the darkened pantry, movements that she hoped were the other girls and not someone coming to catch them.

 

Just then Amadine heard a low voice call "Over here!" and she went to investigate what had been found.

[Wayward_fool]

((OOC: Lol. Oh boy. I'm already stripping my shift off and bending over!))

 

Berry glazed pork with deep fried rose petals on the side. Wine infused chicken buns with egg custard topping. Spiced hog's feet with blueberry dip and a side of dried seaweed. Fried bread with fish gills and plum sauce. Light, why isn’t this served to us? Ray-ray’s tummy rumbled, and her mouth watered dangerously. But she did not dare touch those in case they were for the Amyrlin or someone important. Burn Cook for being so biased. She never made any of these for me!

 

The Novices walked from shelf to shelf, exploring the various dishes under the metal covers. Most of it was ignored, but a few more portable ones went into pockets. And occasionally, into mouths.

 

"Are you sure it'll be alright?" Ray-ray rolled her eyes at the terrified Novice behind her, who had asked the question.

 

"Yes, it will be. We've got someone outside looking out for the attendants. And the Aes Sedai have just had their lunch, so they'll probably be hiding somewhere "performing tasks" with their warders." Ray-ray clenched her fist at the thought. No. Focus on food now. That can come later. She mentally shook herself. "Besides, they're supposed to feed us well. And the state I am in is NOT well." Her tummy rumbled again, and she hurriedly stuff another chocolate cream-covered fish tart into her mouth.

 

Suddenly her nose picked up a familiar scent. "Over here!” She called out to the others who had been searching at the other side of the pantry. “I see the green currant buns."

 

She grabbed the hand of the Novice behind her and half dragged her captive to the shelf towards the end of the pantry. In front of them a large platter held a steaming pile of the most delicious buns Ray-ray had ever seen. Warm, nicely-browned and covered in moist, plump green currants, Ray-ray silently thanked the Creator for the gift that was the Cook. Her hands grabbed and began to pass them along to the other Novices behind her. One, she tore into pieces and stuffed into her mouth before passing the others to the other ravenous girls.

 

[Knytiri]

Knytiri lifted the lid of the first dish she saw, and sniffed appreciatively before putting it back down. Food was not her expertise; she had no idea what it had been, but it had smelled faintly of berries. Watching the other Novices picking through the dishes and finding a few they rather liked and sampling them, she smiled to herself and lifted the lid again, pulled out a small piece, and bit into it.

 

And immediately spat whatever it had been back out onto the floor, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Apparently, smell was not a direct relative of taste. Grimacing, she put the half-eaten piece back on the shelf, glanced around self-conciously, and then shrugged, and moved on.

 

She found a plate of the honeycakes Amadine had mentioned and turned to her, "Over here!" she whispered, loudly. Amadine turned, saw Knytiri raise the plate of honeycakes, and came over. In seconds the plate was empty, their pockets filled with carefully wrapped cakes, with another in each hand. Knytiri took a big bite out of hers, savoring the honey-sweetness, and wandered over to where Ray-Ray was still poking through plates. She was about to ask her how long they intended to be in there when Ray-Ray reached back and grabbed ehr hand, dragging her along. Thankfully, Knytiri thought, she had just finished the honeycake that had been in said hand.

 

Dimly she realized that Ray-Ray had said something as well, but she had been too focused on licking her fingers clean, her eyes trying to droop close now that she had something--anything--in her stomach. Instead she found herself passing something else that she had no idea what it was back to the others.

 

"Um, Ray-Ray... what exactly are these things?" knytiri asked, eyeing one that she had been handed with a doubtful eye. It reminded her of the purply-blue pastry she had tried first. The bad one.

[Maryam]

Didn't they know how this worked?

 

Maryam had spent many a year in a lady's household, and had learned the art of knicking food without getting caught. With a glance at the other girls, she lifted her skirt and began filling the pouch thus made with sticky buns, rolls, and a couple nice brown potatoes. Her head whipped suddenly up at the mention of "Green Currant Buns", and she rushed over to Ray.

 

"Fill me up, and let's go!" Maryam waited with some small impatience for the other girls to fill up her now drooping dress with the currant buns, looking around all the while at the various items on display. Fish? No, they'd smell up the quarters. The honey jar? Definitely. There was flour and meal, which was right out, but... "OOO! Nightie, grab that leg of lamb! Madi, the jar, the honey! And do fetch some of the cooking wine. It will na be good, but it do be real! This definitely do be the cleanest pantry I've ever seen. See if you can get some of them clean sheets for laying out tarts. We can use those, by my reckon."

 

Shifting from one foot to the other, Maryam watched the door, edging toward the hatch wherein they had entered. This was going to end badly, if they didn't hurry. Maybe she could hide behind the other girls? "Liseri Sedai will have my ears for bein' so late, Light's own truth. Let's at least make out good!"

[Wayward_fool]

((OOC: Don't quite pop up screaming at us yet, Lavy. I was thinking we could do a little chase in the kitchen. Us, maneuvering under the tables trying desperately to avoid the 2 kitchen attendants who'd come in to get your food. One of them goes to the pantry whilst the other LOCKS THE CLOSET DOOR. Which means we have no choice but to go out through the Dining Hall. THEN you can catch us. The rest of you, let’s RP a lil chasing and avoiding kitchen attendants under the tables and maybe have a few near misses. Feel free to use Borominda, she’s an NSW Novice with us.))

 

Ray-ray glanced at the other Novices. Things were moving quickly enough. Already Maryam and Knytiri had their dresses laden with buns and… Is that lamb? Ray-ray eyed Maryam. She definitely had been at this before. So much for her lesson plan then.

 

Ray-ray’s eyes drifted worriedly to the pantry door. Time had passed pretty quickly and she had sort of lost track of that. The pantry being enclosed and hardly lit by the lone window seemed like a place where people entered and never left. Still, the Novice they had left on guard had not made any noise yet. But of course things like that never happened according to how you-

 

“Guys!” Ray-ray barely had time to finish the thought when an urgent whisper sounded from the entrance. “Someone’s coming!” The voice went into a squeak. Not a good sign.

 

“Let’s go.” Ray-ray once again grabbed Knytiri who in turn grabbed Maryam whilst the rest of the girls just followed them as they scampered to the pantry door. Ray-ray peered out. Noone. Her accomplice on the outside was huddled under one of the tables, practically white with fright. “Peace, Borominda, there is no one yet.” Ray-ray said in a calming whisper. Borominda nodded curtly, her eyes betraying her worry. But footsteps sounded suddenly, and Ray-ray dragged everyone under one of the tables. She eyed the closet entrance in the distance and tried to plan a route there. “Alright, here’s the plan. We need to-“

 

The door squeaked open suddenly, and the Novices froze. Ray-ray prayer silently that it wasn’t the Cook. She had not been spanked recently by the Cook, but memories reminded her that the Cook had a strong arm. And Ray-ray’s bum was still slightly sore from morning.

 

“And I thought she would NEVER stop giggling.” Ray-ray recognized the voice who spoke. Urumella Nimset. One of the other kitchen attendants.

 

“I know! I thought I was going to die when she overturned the tureen. Absolutely die!” And Endith Swansell. The name came to Ray-ray’s mind as quickly as the image of the two giggling girls hiding behind the stairwell near the store mooning over one of the Warders.

 

Two kitchen attendants. What were they to do now?

 

[Amadine]

Amadine grabbed a jar of honey and a bottle of cooking wine as directed by Maryam and followed the other girls hurriedly to the pantry door. Borominda was already hiding under the table when voices from outside the door began to get clearer *Oh Light!!! There's someone coming we are going to be caught!*

 

Ray-ray grabbed her arm and dragged her down under one of the large wooden tables that made 3 rows accross the length of the food preparation room. Ama peeked out from under the edge of the tablecloth, which thankfully dropped almost all the way to the floor, just as the door squeaked open. Two sets of sturdy black shoes appeared as to of the kitchen help entered the room.

 

Amadine turned to her comrades and motioned that there were 2 people out there. The kitchen lasses were laughing and gossiping about someone overturning a tureen. The walked around the edge of the room

 

Amadine turned to look at her companions and just then a voice said "Here now, who done gone and left this here door open? Ah tis no nevermind anyways" and with that there was the sound of a large click, and a key turning in the lock and being withdrawn.

 

*Oh great! Amadine thought *Now we are locked in here, we're going to have to get by these kitchen lasses and go out through the dining room and Light knows who is out there!*

 

Amadine looked around again at each girl. Only Borominda looked truly worried, the others, Maryam, Kny and Ray-ray loved a challenge and if anything was a challenge this was it. Borominda hastily wiped her eyes and whispered "I can't believe i let you all talk me into this!" Amadine rolled her eyes, the girl had been all for the food raid to begin with.

 

Amadine lifted the edge of the tablecloth and surveyed the room. The 2 kitchen lasses were on the far side of the room, there was a row of tables in between them and her. Amadine slowly crawled out from under the table silently. Keeping her head down so she could see the lass' feet she advanced to the next table and ducked under the cloth again, then she turned and motioned to the other girls.

[Knytiri]

Biting her lip to keep from outright laughter, Kny hopped under the table, moving carefully, so as to avoid squishing any of the precious honeycakes that were still tucked away in her dress. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, a small voice was screaming about the amount of scrubbing she would now have to do to make this dress anything even remotely clean again.

 

She slipped forward, following Amadine, following her crawling form along down the length of one table. She could hear the others coming after her, and again had to bite her lip. Who would have guessed that she would end up in quite this situation? It was amazing, refreshing, and so... light-hearted. She hadn't laughed, or smiled much, for that matter, since coming to the Tower, instead dedicating herself to reading everything put in front of her and trying to learn as quickly as she could--this, this was such a change, that she wanted to jump out and run, laughing and cavorting through the entire kitchen.

 

She somehow doubted that the other girls would appreciate that much. Especially Ray-Ray, who already had a sore bum. And for some reason, obtaining a sore bum did not sound like the ideal end to this excursion--though the likely one. Especially at this point in time.

 

They ducked out from the table they were under, hurrying in a crawling, shambling jog, scrambling on all fours, to duck under the next table in line. Kny sat down, unable to bite back another giggle that clawed its way out of her throat. "This is fun," she whispered to Amadine and Ray-Ray, one of which smiled, and the other giving her a luck as if she was entirely loony.

[Amadine]

"This is fun"

 

Ama scowled at Kny's idea of fun and the girl snickered back at her. Borowinda was still under the table where Ama, Ray and Kny had come from. The girl was scared senseless and whimpering. She could not or would not move. She sat under that far table just waiting to be caught.

 

The kitchen girls were busying themselves preparing a tray of food, they gossiped and giggled and Amadine made a break for the next table. Again ducking under the tablecloth she motioned for the others to follow her.

 

She watched as the kitchen girls headed towards the pantry... maybe they would get away after all! All of a sudden one of the kitchen lasses headed down towards the back of the room, towards the table where Borowinda was still hiding. *Oh no* Amadine thought *That fool girl is going to give us away! I am going to regret this in the morning.*

 

The kitchen lass stopped right where Boro was hiding and the fool girl let out a loud squeak. The lasses reached down and lifted the cloth revealing Boro in her hiding place. "Oh what's this here then?" she exclaimed "What are you doing in this room? And hiding under a table no less, up to no good, i'd wager"

 

"They... they... the others... they made me do it!"

 

Amadine groaned inwardly, caught and caught out, maybe she could sneak out through the dining room while the other girl had the kitchen lasses distracted. Ama crawled out from under the table and towards the door that led to the dining hall and freedom, and stopped. There appeared in front of her a pair of shapely legs and feet clad in slippers, she looked up... straight into the face of an Aes Sedai. A sister of the Grey Ajah, Lavinya Sedai.