Pursuit of a Prospect

[Kathleen]

When the lesson finally ended and the girls were filing out of the Introduction to Saidar class Seheria sat waiting at her desk for the girls to leave. There were always one or two who wanted to approach but didn't, and Seheria saw a few in this crowd. Less often there were the one or two who did work up the courage to approach the Aes Sedai at the end of the first class. Usually over achievers, those who wished to be noticed, gain special treatment, or just show that are determined to make it and are up for the challenge, and that they need the others to know that.

 

Seheria had been one of them her self. She still was at heart. The strong, determind few who would let it be known that will not be stopped, and they will do what they can to do their best and be the best they can be.

 

One such girl seemed to be approaching as the class ended and Seheria just waited as the girl approached. When she did make it up to her, the girl just stood and stared at her for a moment. Seheria waited to see if the girl would regain herself, but she stood frozen in place, silent.

 

Just as the Yellow was about to address her to try to combat the spell that came over her, they young girl stammered out the most unexpected words, “Does the White Tower have a herb garden? I would like to keep up my skills with herbs, my great Aunt taught me all about them.” The girl turned a deep scarlet and before Seheria could respond the girl dropped into a cursty and all but ran for the door. Perhaps the girl wasn't quite the type she had taken her. But she had tried more than the other's in the class, and that put her a bar above the rest in Seheria's mind. The fact that when the girl finally did spew out words, the ones that came were about herbs was enough to move her even higher up the interest ladder of the Yellow.

She was about to take off after the young thing when one of the other students approached her. It was all Seheria could do not to shove the girl off to the side and go after the awkward novice, but there would be time later, and who knew this other girl, with words and motor skills availabe to her in front of an Aes Sedai, far beyond that of the first girl, may well be worth the attention too.

 

****************************

Seheria took care of a few things that needed doing, but when they were done she set out to find the runaway girl. If she truly was interested in herbs, the yellows would soon find out about it, and if there was interest to be found in this girl, it was Seheria who would discover it, and she who nurtured it if it was there. The girl was in her class first after all, and how poor would that reflect on her if she let her go and missed the potential?

 

She finally did track the girl down she was with a few others and so the Yellow locked eyes with her and called, "Child, a word." When the girl was over with her Seheria continued. "I am sure you meant no disrespect in your hasty exit of our class earlier. However, in future, when you ask a question of a Sister, you would be wise to wait for the reply." Satisfied with warning Seheria continued on before the girl could become a babbling baffoon once more.

 

"The White Tower has several herb gardens, my dear. Of course most of them go to supplying the kitchen. And most are well tended. However if this truly is a great interest of yours, perhaps we can find a way to see that you get tending to them on your chores list. Now, when you say you were taught all about them, what exactly encompasses all?" Seheria waited for the reply. It seemed a simple question, but Aes Sedai rarely speak simply.

 

Seheria Mori

Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah

[Kaylynn]

Kaylynn was standing with a group of Novices that had just finished serving the mid-day meal in the dinning hall. They were all talking about lessons they had had today and what to do on there up coming day off. This was a usually empty corridor of the White Tower and the Novices usually converged around here so as to not meet an Aes Sedai or Accepted on a mission to make a Novices life more miserable than it was already.

 

Kaylynn felt eyes upon her and turned to see who was looking at her. She turned to see Seheria Sedai. She mentally cringed with the memory of how she had left her One Power class earlier today. “Child, a word.” The group of Novices immediately were quiet and had somewhere else to be at the moment. They scurried away with curtsies and “Aes Sedai” murmured all around. Cowards. Kaylynn walked over to Seheria Sedai and curtsied. “Aes Sedai, how may I serve you?” Kaylynn said in a whisper and tried hard not to stare at her slippers.

 

"I am sure you meant no disrespect in your hasty exit of our class earlier. However, in future, when you ask a question of a Sister, you would be wise to wait for the reply."

 

"The White Tower has several herb gardens, my dear. Of course most of them go to supplying the kitchen. And most are well tended. However if this truly is a great interest of yours, perhaps we can find a way to see that you get tending to them on your chores list. Now, when you say you were taught all about them, what exactly encompasses all?"

 

Kaylynn tried to school her facial features and then spoke. “My aunt, Seheria Sedai, was an herbalist in Bandar Edan. She took me at a very young age to her garden and taught me all the different healing properties each herb and plant held. As I grew she taught me how to prepare and mix them properly and what happens when they are not. Such as ...” she paused and looked at Seheria Sedai. She looked to be interested so Kaylynn continued. “Wormwood being good to help calm an over active digestion or can help reduce fever. It can also help to clear stomach/digestive parasites and can help with water retention. Lavender can help cure headaches, anxiety, sleeplessness and colds/fever. Red poppy can help a cough, sleeplessness, sore throat and bleeding. Nettle on the skin can help joint/body pains but in a tea can help with bladder infections.” Kaylynn quieted as she trailed off and paused yet again. There she let her tongue run away with itself again. She had the tendency to babble when she was nervous, something she knew she had to work on.

 

“Do you wish me to continue? Did I answer your question, Aes Sedai?”

 

Kaylynn then lifted her head and tried to meet the Seheria Sedai's gaze straight on. Her knees felt weak but she would not let them buckle. What she would not do for some Lavender tea right about now. Kaylynn took a deep breath, her tail that she was stressed, and tried again to school her facial features as she waited for Seheria Sedai to answer.

 

Kaylynn Tasil Saeed

Novice of the White Tower

Edited April 3, 2012 by Kaylynn
small font and colour coding removed - don't use it, please

[Kathleen]

The yellow watched the girls posture come and go with her confidence as she recalled the lessons of her aunt. The girl did seem to have a good amount of information, and was keeping it straight even under the unexpected exam.

 

"That is a fair bit of knowledge, child. Your aunt must be a very good teacher to have you recall that on the spot." Seheria was impressed with the girl, if she could gain some confidence a memory under stress like that could be of good use to her. "Though, that sort of information will not help you much around these parts. Is it the plants you have an interest in, or the effects you can achieve through them?" It was a little more blunt, but Seheria never was one to beat around the bush, and the answer would mean the difference between the Yellow keeping a higher interest in her, or leaving her to find a Brown.

 

Oh, she knew the healing properties of the plants, and had studied them exclusively for a long while. She even went so far as to teach local girls how to use them if she found a village without a woman to care for the sick. But her interest in herbs wasn't finding out which could do what, why they did as they did. Her interest had simply been in that they could do what they did and being able to manipulate them to her advantage. They were a tool to be used by those who did not have better tools, or strictly for times when you could not use the tools you have. She was surprised to noticed that she was hopeful the girl would give the reply she was looking for. It had been a long while since Seheria had taken any interest in a novice past the classroom.

 

Seheria Sedai

Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah

 

OOC - sorry its short, i was going to add in more, but it would be off topic and we probably should have your response first.

[Kaylynn]

"That is a fair bit of knowledge, child. Your aunt must be a very good teacher to have you recall that on the spot. Though, that sort of information will not help you much around these parts. Is it the plants you have an interest in, or the effects you can achieve through them?"

 

Kaylynn looked at Seheria Sedai and saw straight away what the sister was hinting at. Being a merchant's daughter had taught her a few things but the lord's daughter part of her wanted to know what she was planning. Was the Sister playing Da'es daemar? Some said the White Tower invented Da'es daemar and were masters at the game.

 

“It is most certainly what they can do that interest me, not what they are!” She realized who she was talking to and blushed, “Aes Sedai,” she said quietly. “I enjoy using them as a tool in which to heal. To help people … Do you understand what I mean, Seheria Sedai?” Kaylynn realized the thought of her father's manor somehow strengthened her confidence. Maybe just a little to much though.

 

“Seheria Sedai, if you do not mind me asking, why are you asking me these questions? I know I asked about the herb gardens before but ...” Kaylynn hesitated. “Why these 'different' questions?” Kaylynn bit her tongue, she had said to much. She had been to forward, she believed. She cursed herself for thinking on the past and building her confidences. She was no longer at her father's manor house or at her aunt's store telling a young mother that 'the price was the price and that was that!'

 

Kaylynn shivered at the thought of what chores might be given for acting as an Acceted while still being a Novice. She looked at Seheria Sedai's face and the Sister seemed to be in her own thoughts.

 

Kaylynn Tasil Saeed

Novice of the White Tower

 

OOC – Sorry for the babbling but I didn't have much but the one question to write about. I hope it is okay.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Kaylynn

[Kathleen]

Seheria watched the girl with disapproval as she shifted from a number of emotions. There was pride in having noticed the subtext in the Yellow's words. There was humility in realizing she spoke out of place and then remembering her station. There was then skepticism in the Aes Sedai's inquiry. Each thought clearly displayed in the way the girl held herself. It was all Seheria could do to keep a straight face herself, and to not lecture the girl on her terrible habits, but the fact that the girl was quick enough to pick up on the hidden intent made her even more desirable, and therefore made up for the girl's Novice-esq actions. So many novices would have missed her blantant prodding, but this one saw it the moment the words hit her ears. This was enough to stop the Yellow from nit picking the poor girl on her Novice actions; she was just a new novice after all.

 

When she finally seemed composed again the girl gave one last attempt to play at the game she knew Seheria was. “Seheria Sedai, if you do not mind me asking, why are you asking me these questions? I know I asked about the herb gardens before but ...” Seheria raised an eyebrow in question and gave a slight smirk as the girl hesitated. “Why these 'different' questions?” she finally spat out.

 

"The reason an Aes Sedai asks what she does is not yours to question, child. You are but a Novice. You needn't know the 'why' of a Sister's actions." The girl looked so dejected already that Seheria decided to answer her question anyway. "How am I to help you find your true potential if I do not know what you hope to get in the end? How can I give you the food you desire if I do not know you are hungry?"

 

Seheria gave the girl a moment to answer, but no answer came. "I did, in fact, understand your answer to my question, child. Perhaps more than you meant me to." Seheria winked. "I'll send for you when I get your presence arranged in the gardens. If I do not see you before it, I shall see you at our next lesson on Saidar." With that Seheria took a step away. There was only so much time she could stand in the hallway with the Novice before her Sister's began to question her on it. She kept her eyes on the girl long enough for her to demonstrate a proper curtsy and then she went to the gardens to line up Kaylynn's turn at the chore.

 

Seheria Sedai

Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah