Herbs Aren't the Only Thing We Nurture in the Herb Garden (ATTEN: Kaylynn)

[Kathleen]

Seheria sat at her mirror brushing out her dirty blond hair with short, quick strokes. She had no need to fuss over her looks today. She would be locked away out of sight for most of the day. It had taken some convincing, not much in truth, but she had managed to clear out the herb garden for the past week. She had told the others there was a novice in need of a lesson, and she meant to have the girl work it off in there alone. Even unattended for a week there would not be much to do, but the herbs would all need mild tending, and watering at the least. The kitchens supply would need refreshing and that would take some preparation. She was sure the girl would be up to the task, she had asked after the job herself, after all.

 

There was a lesson to be learned in this task for sure, but the true lesson was one Seheria would be learning: was this girl worth her time and attention, and if so just what kind of guidance would the girl need. She had shown some potential, but today's lesson should reveal just which kind of potential the girl had.

 

Seheria set her brush down on the vanity and smoothed out the few fly away hairs she had. She reached for a piece of paper and wrote out a quick summons:

 

Kaylynn,

 

Join me in the herb garden as soon as you can you finish your current task. If you still do not know its location, ask the Accepted who delivered this summons to point the way. I have cleared your day of the rest of your duties, as you will need the day to service the garden.

 

Seheria Sedai

Sister of the Yellow Ajah

 

She scowled at the paper as she wrote the word 'Sister' and couldn't help but reflect that by now she should have been signing her letters with 'Sitter' at the very least. Some day she would have a new signature, one that demanded the respect she deserved. She was already on the path to it, she just needed to be patient for a little while longer. Just a little more work put into it and she would reap benefits beyond her belief. It would come, it was not a matter of question anymore. She was willing to put in the work, and soon she would have much to show for it.

 

She sealed the letter and used that physical closer to push the thoughts from her mind. As if it were a signal in a well timed event, a knock came to her door just as the seal set. "Come," she called in an offhanded manner. The door opened and the Accepted she had summoned came hesitantly into her rooms. With little small talk Seheria gave the girl her message and sent her to locate Kaylynn. She didn't tell her where to find the novice, but if the girl was ever to reach Aes Sedai she should be able to find such things out on her own. She wouldn't have someone to lead her to her goal in the real world, so she should hone her skills at finding needles in haystacks while her world was as small as the White Tower alone.

 

When the message was well on its way Seheria gathered a few books on herbs, planning to reward the girl with them if her work was worth the reward. She then made her way through the halls of the Tower to the kitchen. She spoke a moment with the mistress of the kitchen and took an inventory of which herbs were needed. She asked the woman to remove some of the more difficult to handle and prepare herbs, which hadn't quiet run out, from the cupboards and informed her that a novice would be coming down at some point in the day to take stock and replenish the herb supplies. When she was done with that she headed to the herb garden to wait to for Kaylynn.

 

~Seheria Sedai

Sister of the Yellow Ajah