You two, fetch me some targets (attn Saline & Badriyah)

[Rhys]

Gaiya moved through the halls of the Tower. It was strange that today she was in a good mood. Good meaning she wasn't outright angry at anyone in particular, so her fury had no real outlet. This unfortunately meant that she was restless, fidgety. Gaiya needed to occupy herself, and she knew how she wanted to do it.

 

She glided through the hallways, searching. Searching for any unwitting novices who either didn't see her coming, or were too new to know to avoid the dark eyed borderlander. It was time to put the fear of Gaiya Heeldere into a couple of novices. She moved her way to the library, where there were always novices around, who didn't have any pressing matters to attend to. Sure enough, there were two girls sitting, reading. One she knew by reputation if not by actually speaking to the girl, Badriyah Bloodlover. This would be a good chance to become acquainted with the troubled young girl. The other Gaiya had seen around the Tower, but didn't actually know. This was strange in itself, as Gaiya normally made it her business to know all of the novices, and just how to make them quake in fear. She decided that these two would be excellent candidates for what she had in mind.

 

Gaiya moved towards the two novices, "Well, what do we have here? Two novices who don't have anything better to do than read silly little books about inconsequential fancies. You two are going to help me out with a little practice that I need to get done. Tell me your names as we move to my room. There is something we are going to need for this errand."

 

 

 

OOC: Sorry if this is really bad. :S Its half past three in the morning and I havent slept properly in the past couple of days. I wont tell you what to do, I'm sure you both know exactly. I'll wait for both of you to reply to get to Gaiya's room. Dont worry, the next post will be better.

[Lih-Lyh]

Saline was entering the lair, the bowels of the beast itself. Going in blind, stumbling, so acquiescing, submissive to the call of the ring that the Accepted bore. Gaiya was not just any Accepted. She was the Accepted on the blacklist, the Accepted who gave chores like mucking out the latrine. Already crossed afoul of the ever mischievious Estel, Saline was in no shape to bantor with Gaiya. The secret vine woven of whispers and meaningful glances, exchanged through chinks of connective walls. Messages concealed in hot water bottles tracked her movement to the library, through one of the Novice doors. Novices could not cross any other boundaries, whereas no rules stated that Accepted could pass the boundary to snap up the Novices, traditionally no Accepted entered the library to assign chores, remembering all too well their difficulties in procuring a free block to devote in studies.

 

In this secluded corner, Saline made her niche, her mind on another present. William Al'Haddon would never fail to extract praises from her. The Hundred Tales of Sorrows firmly placed behind a dense text of The Ten Nations, Saline shuddered at the slaughter as the men held Tarwin's Gap. A charming, poignant narration of the Borderland soldiers fighting tenaciously for the freedom of their women and children from the Shadow, snatching their hopes from the every bleakness that threatened. It made her want to be generous. To think well of everybody around her, even. The Taraboner grinned at the other Novices. She started grinning at the banded dress that shuffled its way across their study room, then her grin inverted as the present reverted to her with startling reality.

 

The inverted grin froze. Bending her flaxen head over the book slowly so that the beads in her hair would not tinkle was not enough to protect her. A suit of armour and a seal would not have kept the Accepted from recruiting her for an errand.

 

She was too old to feign resistance. Gathering her bag, Saline hoped nobody would take the table she reserved for the essay Saya Sedai assigned them, though she was really reading for pleasure. Inside she wanted to roar, or bite, or cry in protest. Shooting a parting look at the study, she knew that this would not end well.

 

Despite her trepidations about this errand, she perked up as the lair piqued her interest.

 

- Saline Wastrel, retro Novice

[badriyah]

Badriyah walked carelessly down the corridor that led to the main entrance to the library, bearing a notebook and quill, suppressing excitement at the prospect of what she was about to do. The novice had her facial expressions carefully guarded so that she appeared disinterested to those she cast glances upon as she passed. Unlike some other novices, Badriyah never saw reason to avoid looking at her superiors, no one was about to prosecute her over a look, so she looked as she pleased and often cared not to hide her dislike of them. Let them know. There’s nothing they can do about it anyway, short of allowing me to torture them. the day dream that followed that thought was enough to set her skin tingling in anticipation. If only there was a way to manage it without anyone knowing it was me.

 

 

 

The young woman entered the library and quickened her step almost immediately. She headed toward a shelf near a corner where another novice was reading and pulled out a few books randomly, then piled them up on the floor across from the bookcase. At this point, she could hardly wait, and tossed her notebook and quill down with spite.

 

 

 

Settling down on the floor, back against the wall, facing the looming mass of an old bookcase Badriyah picked up one of the books she had stacked next to her. She hoped the novice sitting near by would not prove to be an impediment to her activities. There were more secluded places in the library, but if someone stumbled upon her hiding suspicion would arise. Better to sit out in the open. No one as busy as these foolish residents of the White Tower would give a second thought to a fresh face studying. It is what nearly every new novice dedicates their time to, thought Badriyah, slyly. She cast shifty glances about her, eyes darting discreetly over at the cozy – looking girl to make sure she had taken no notice of her. Once she was positive she was as invisible as the next novice, she began.

 

 

 

Badriyah bent her knees up to shield her torso from view and set the book open in her lap. Behind it she sharpened her nails using a nail file; then after tucking the file into the bodice of her dress, she started scratching the skin off her palm. Badriyah stared at the little wound with a twisted fascination. She licked her lips, completely absorbed in what she was doing. Light, the pain was good! More, she needed more. She fidgeted anxiously casting her glance around the room again, vaguely aware that the novice nearby was smiling, vaguely aware of the color –banded skirt approaching her close vicinity.

 

 

 

At this point Badriyah couldn’t get herself to care, I need the blood, more pain. I’ll scratch only a little deeper. Only a little. Not enough to leave a scar. Her nail pierced the wound again, then suddenly a shadow was thrown across her and she glanced up to recognize the face of an Accepted other novices often spoke about, one Gaiya Heeldere, notorious for her love of tormenting new initiates. Badriyah’s superior was yammering something about idle novices and a chore. Not now! but the other novice had already risen and was facing the Accepted, hopelessly accepting the situation. As quickly as she realized what was going on, she held her palm to her mouth, feigning a yawn as she licked the blood away, then rose to follow the Accepted with thoughts of completing whatever task was in store for them as quickly and haphazardly as possible so that she could return to her little dark paradise.

 

 

Badriyah

[Rhys]

It was an icy journey to the Accepted's quarters. Gaiya didn't care. The fact that she now knew these two Novices had things they desperately wanted to get back to made Gaiya smile. She didn't care if the two girls saw her, everyone had heard of Gaiya, and everyone knew that she enjoyed the cruelty she dealt out to the newer girls when she could.

 

Soon enough, they reached Gaiya's room, in the Accepted's quarters. Gaiya turned to the young girls, "You two wait here, I have to get something out of my room." The Accepted turned towards the door, and moved into her room, leaving the two to ponder on what the Saldaean had in store for them.

 

OOC: I know... it isn't any better. I'm hungover this time. I'll try to be ready for the next post.

 

Rhys

[badriyah]

Badriyah followed Gaiya, striding behind her, though apart as though she were not with her and the other novice. The psychopathic novice watched the Accepted’s feet stepping proudly before her and wondered at how hard it would be to make the other woman’s heels bleed. She suppressed a rising rage that threatened to grip her, a hungry anger. Whatever she was going to be forced to endure by this woman, she must maintain her calm, she must not attack her. Gaiya’s attitude tempted Badriyah to take a strike at her. The young novice felt a thrill at the thought of committing violence against her superior. Perhaps if Gaiya detains me longer than I can bare I will allow myself succumb to this, so long as the other girl is not close by. That flaming Accepted is more foolish than she knows.

 

As they arrived at Gaiya’s chamber and she disappeared behind the door, a novice passed by and addressed the other girl by the name Saline. Badriyah was not one for introductions, but she thought that it would be useful were the other girl to know her name if they would be doing a chore together. She turned a cold, silver – eyed stare at Saline and said without feeling, “Badriyah.”

[Lih-Lyh]

Silence, beads chattered no more. Stare flat, head up, defiance in her very backbone; in the silence she remembered the out-of-the-herd pose that was the symbol of her quite unhappy youth. No more - it took all her control not to crouch, or run away, futile endeavours she would have resorted to when she was younger, and more foolish. Not that she had any other options than to do what she did not like, assuring herself it was discipline, not simply the horrible cowardice she possessed in all its ample notority. Perhaps the Creator had given her twice the dosage in the stead of virtues and a decent amount of gumption. Yes, that sounded near the mark. Adverting her eyes from the retreating back of the Accepted, she turned to see the other Novice's gaze bore into hers. Intense, unsettling look, rather unnatural deepenings probe angrily under lower fringes of the long lashes unmasking the sensibilities, eliciting that uneasy sensation of, of... of cool Andoran wine laced with the ever nondescript, paralysing root from crimsonthorn. No proof, none. A transfer of objects transmuted the other's once heated eyes, hardening stones, yet the inprint of the fiery blaze neither mellowed nor addressed Saline, who feared it though the Novice, Badriyah, directed it at another.

 

The present look did not feel like hostility, more bordering on contempt, such that she felt so, so small in her insignificence. Pressing her lips prevented crying out, Saline selected her next move uneasily; it would hardly do to attract the dreaded woman's attention, Light knows what tortures they'd be in for if any incident should capitulate in delay. On with the introductions. Let it be quick, oh merciful One.

 

"Saline."

 

A pale arm flopped into the air for a shake. Will the other go for it, or not, she would not assume. It would provide distractions enough for Gaiya to return, then this Badriyah would be the Accepted's responsibility. Praying that such a tempered gesture would not provide excuse for a fight, Saline tried not to shirk when she realised abruptly how she might actually appreciate the Accepted's presence, after all.

 

Silence reigned, again.