In Control (Open)

[Lih-Lyh]

Some of us were stymied; others moved on: one by one we all figured out to trust each other, and have faith in our new homes.

 

What in Light was wrong with young women nowadays Saline did not have a bally clue. When Tahira Sedai’s cheeky warder Odesius warned her of Aurora’s ‘witty hands’ she lit on to the sneaky, disreputable behaviour of her student, about whom the Warder suggested there was questionable merit by social norms, perhaps. But to go as far as to mention the lack in character had been overboard even of the Sister, simply because she had been afraid to stretch her neck for a stranger was unthinkably ignominious as far as suffering would go, further than her pride. She had been mortified to be subjugated by such inappropriate awkwardness where women should have known otherwise. Was there nothing more entertaining for the young woman whose name she never found out – she had no desire to, either – than to cruelly torment Ino with her contemptuous laugh? How would the woman respond to Aurora’s illiteracy, whose handwriting still excelled with its precision despite her slow progress at making out the letters into words, then into the arena of speech and meaning? Her students worked just as hard (just as hard!) as the other Novices, working through their problems. They did not need this character building session. It recalled to her mind a certain Badriyah she befriended when they were administered chores by Accepted Gaiya during her sixth year. Oh! That was a horror she cared for repeating even more than she would have liked to redo the testing through her Arches to gain Acceptance, which was -- not at all.

 

And just what about a brawl in a tavern anyway, cripes! The girl’s conduct might have been better tempered, but who kept a rein on their every impulse except brutes without any passion? Had she herself not been dragged bucking her skirts at Aeveryn on that fateful day she meet her roommates? One foot out of Nynaeve Sedai’s study, and the next step into the Novice quarter, before the fight was finally broken up by a smirking Accepted Estel; was it not there in the Mistress of Novice’s study the group of them waited for the foot to drop? Perhaps it was their mentors who no longer had faith in them. Sure they may be upstarts, illiterates and criminals, but they came here to learn, albeit latched on by their hair if the Sisters felt it was necessary. Though it might not be apparent, even sisters were initiates once. Children imitate what adults do, after all. Saline smiled, a diminished version of what it used to be, diffused like the translation of an obscure text. It was not her intention to overstay her visit in the garden, but she was pleased to now have reflected. For some time she mired about in a muddle, but thinking about the past helped clear up her feelings on this matter, and she could actually confront the facts again.

 

Most Mentors she knew would have nabbed an Accepted or Novice passing by to deliver the summons but she decided to go knocking on her student’s door for a personal visit. As she passed the doors she almost changed her mind and fled to her old room, but decided it was not a time for putting off the eventual meeting. One look at the graceful creature opening the door she wondered if Rory could understand her trust in students one day? Twisting her Great Serpent ring almost distractedly, the Accepted waited for a curtsey.

 

Saline

[Lih-Lyh]

Rory opened the door half way to stare. Not out of anger; though her black humour remained as unleavened, nor out of curiousity; though why anyone would bother knocking was mystery to her. The White Tower thus far had not proven itself politely predisposed. Rather, her stare was one of frank appraisal and measurement: could this new visitor make things any worse. Deciding it didn't matter anyway, Rory swung the door open fully, making a slight gesture of invitation. Not pausing, the innkeeper's daughter turned on her heel and continued with what had held her attention before the interruption.

 

She had been issued a novice dress, whatever the bloody ashes that meant, she had not exactly been listening at the time. One look at the white frock to compare it with what she was already wearing, and she choose to pretend she didn't hear the command. The idea of trying to leave was much preferred to that of submitting to inferior fashion. After all, she was dressed in a very nice pair of buckhide leggings, form hugging and flattering, as well as a light tunic fastened by an equally stylish belt. Originally she thought she could tear the white garment with her bare hands, but finding herself lacking the strength, she opted to stand all over it with her boots. Spiteful, yes, but utterly delicious.

 

Rory's collected possessions were all gathered into a neat bundle. How they managed to get here was puzzling, apparently those old crones were very quick to move. It really only made things easier for her. She slung the sack over her shoulder. Her guest looked as if she would interpose herself between Rory and the doorway. She wouldn't be thwarted now, "I no be staying her with your mad Aes Sedai. I be leaving. Bye." Pausing to give Saline more consideration she remarked, "tell them I be hitting you, they may believe that", and continued on her merry way.

[Lih-Lyh]

A staunch believer that novice rooms reflected novice minds; the last couple years in the Tower gave Saline Wastrel a fairly decent idea what the insides of Novice rooms and mind were like when they first arrived. She had seen intimidated shapes huddling in the corners. Her eyes had been witness to adolescence defiance from behind a barricade of desk and bed. The Accepted had found herself targeted by torrents of tears and hormonal outrage the moment she stepped into vicinity, but rail as the initiates might there was no thwarting fate. Little by little she had succeeded in grating away their denial, comforting even the most shell shocked tatters. Of those who were once heirs to other legacies she would ease them into their present realities with utmost sympathy and serenity. She was patient in her determination to teach them, willingly, as always.

 

Despite being mentally prepped for some sort of a scene when she entered, she did not expect the blunt honesty that her latest charge displayed. In smooth upbeat fashion the girl had acknowledged her before turning aside to what held her attention. Saline was secluded as her student continued to stomp on a novice dress. She proceeded in the calm meticulous steps of one destined to paint every immaculate inch with wrinkles.

 

Such an act showed the Taraboner that this girl did not acknowledge her as an authority, and violated Tower property even though she knew the Accepted was there. Saline permitted the Novice to have her fun with the dress, as the girl seemed to thoroughly enjoy trampling it. A slight crease between her brows was the only indication that she was beginning to question the wisdom in waiting for the other to complete all the romping around, when the Novice grew conscious of her, and performed an even more audacious act. She talked at Saline, words thickening with her native accent.

 

The boldness of being asked to cover for the girl as she split-tailed out of the room with her belongings stole her breath. Not that the grammar structure of Illian shocked her, nor the sophistication with which the words were delivered, but rather the contemptuous view the Novice harboured for her: did she really suppose Saline would do nothing to stop her leaving? Perhaps the Novice was boosted by the example that Saline did nothing while she walked on her dress. For a moment, Saline felt the appeal of doing nothing. It was easy to do nothing, and hope one’s problems would go away soon, but from experience she garnered the hard way that the problems never vanish without confrontation. Her knee may creak when she rolls out of bed, but Saline was finding herself quite capable of reacting quickly when the occasion arises. Saline intercepted the Novice’s bag, wrenching it away with violence so that its contents rolled on the floor. A hundred pounds positioned itself in the path toward the door, and stared back from dark glittery slits, as she squeezed herself like a cobra preparing to strike anywhere or anytime.

 

“Mad?” She spoke slowly as if thinking aloud, steadying her breathing. “There are mad Aes Sedai, because they are male, and tainted. Some Sisters here devote their lives to stopping the madness, and protecting the world from its harm. But that is discussion for another day.”

 

“Seeing how you are newly come to the Tower, I do not know if anybody has told you about this rule, but Novices cannot leave without permission from one of your mad Aes Sedai.” Saline pouched her eyes at the Illianer, still in her cobra stance, prepared for anything from the Novice. “While it is nice to be offered a lie to excuse myself from my responsibility, if you want to leave, tell them yourself, though you are unlikely to be granted permission if you persist on soiling your dress.”

 

“If the Sisters are not remiss, you must have been enrolled in the books before being taken to your room” She held the pause before punctuating her next words for emphasis. “This means you’ve given your word. A woman’s word is her person. It is who she is. Will you so easily betray your word, Rory.” It was not a question. Her gaze seemed to say, I know you, and trust that you will not.

 

She did not introduce her as the Illianer’s Mentor. Not yet – for it would not be until the Novice accepted her influence that those words would be given significance. Strange how preparing Aurora’s literacy lessons helped her to find those words; she would take her students on a picnic when the rains are gone, the Accepted decided as she played her role in the waiting game, until the Novice realized – as had many, that there would be no escape from the Tower, not unless one has gained some degree of control over her ability to channel.

 

Saline

[Lih-Lyh]

Strange that she should be the only person about who expresses emotions. Everyone else she had encountered seemed so in control of themselves that slight muscle changes in the face spoke volumes. Rory was inclined to be so cool. Her face was beginning to flush, her eyes mist over as they did at any highly emotional moment, and her mouth tighten. A woman's word is her person, such nonsense. Rory had been given no real choice, and she wasn't going to honour a decision made under duress, she was sure there was a law about that somewhere.

 

Rory was by no means a skilled fighter, but she maded a decent scrapper. Inebriated patroons sometimes had to be taught respect the hard way, and at other times the person deserved it. For a patient person she seemed to get into many brawls. She would certainly not accept the possibility that she was less patient and more impulsive than she believed. That simply wouldn't do, and she was too annoyed to be thoughtful. Fortune prick her! There was no hope of having her beer now, some scullery maid or drunkard would have gobbled it all up in her absence. She was leaving, one way or the other.

 

The scattering of her belonging rankled, but it was not as though she could get much angrier. The attempt could be made to put her bundle back together, but the silly cow had done it on purpose and would no doubt do it again. That filthy light skirt. Well, Rory would show her! Surprise was on her side, and Saline only managed a surprised gasp before being dumped firmly on her hoop-doopy. Somewhat mollified Rory strode past her and out the door. She really had no idea where she was going, but she'd find a way out eventually.

 

Her breath whistled more than a teakettle. When the Novice exploded into action, the image that popped into Saline's mind as she lay on the ground was oddly that of her scimitar…

 

Saline knew this great impatience all too well. When first she started training with Lyssa she wondered what she was learning to fight for. Sure, knowing how to defend without the one power seemed grand and especially useful as she was not interested in bonding a Warder if she gained the shawl, but getting up in the early mornings, sun saluting and doing push ups had not been Saline's idea of edification. In addition to being forced to run laps at unearthly hours after the dawn activities, she had to polish her scimitar ceaselessly, until its shining body passed every minute aspect of what she had begun to call 'the Lyssa inspection'. It certainly caused frustrations, but what infuriated the Taraboner the most was the fact that, after nearly a year of weapons training, she had not gotten to a single sword form. Lyssa always told her, when you're ready.

 

Saline was ready. She had gotten her wind back. The Taraboner got up, only to have cracked the tender side of her head against the ledge of the desk. Ignoring the pain, she stalked out, following the Novice.

 

She quickened her strides to catch up to the girl in the corridor, wishing for the breeches she wore to training where she could jog properly. Being new, the girl did not know her way around. Saline did not yell, opting to handle this herself. There were Aes Sedai teaching classes, and she would be loathe to disturb them. She even managed to scrounge out a smile for a servant dusting so not to alarm him. She would collect the girl, and when she does, they would talk.

 

"Stop, Rory; your legs will not carry you far."

 

Her command was quiet. It was almost regal. But instead of prompt obedience, the girl began to run in easy strides that ate up the ground, almost bearing down onto the servant, who dropped his feathers. Heaving, Saline retrieved it from the ground and apologised quietly to him, conscious of her charge in leggings prancing through the Novice Quarters in style.

 

Placing the servant's ruffled feathers, she curtseyed before hurrying after Rory, hitching up her skirts with both hands. Its hemline seemed a mockery of the supervising she was doing so far.

 

Saline & Rory

 

OOC: I won't be making a habit of writing character names at the bottom, I do it only so that my partner in crime gets recognition.

[Lih-Lyh]

Left. Right. Back. Forward. The direction was not important, only that she moved as quickly as possible and did not stop. My legs be carrying me far enough, trolloc-kisser! The tower seemed to be endless, many corridoors and many rooms, and nothing Rory could recognize. She had once heard that moving always left would eventually guide a person through a maze, but she would bet her last crown that the maze in question wasn't populated by an army of crazy darkhounds.

 

Her emotional state was taking its toll and Rory found herself beginning to tire sooner than normal. She lived an active life, mainly dancing and frollicking, but also including anything that seemed like a good idea at the time. Despite this, her breaths still came hard and she gulped air like a wounded wilder-beast. A wilder-beast that was certain the predators all around would fall upon her at any moment. There has to be a way out!

 

She had passed many doors without seriously considering them. Most were closed, a few were open; others were locked. Veering towards one she threw it open and stuck her head inside. Dozens of eyes greeted her: embarrassing. Rory stuttered a few times, trying to think of something appropriate, surrendered herself to ignorance and ran. Noticing the shape--skirts held high--approaching, Rory thought it best if she did not try another door unless she had to.

 

The pursuer was not deterred, and was no doubt more familiar with the geographically outlay than she herself. What if the she was being herded into a closed-off area, or confined space? Maybe even a tortrue chamber filled with lava and a gigantic vat of green acid? You never knew. For all the talk of righteousness, justice and peace, not one person had taken much notice of her unwillingness to learn whatever it was they believed they had to teach her.

 

An hysterical laugh almost escaped when the idea blazed its way through the synapses of her brain. Yes It could work, they were heavy, after all. A few hobbled steps and her boots were in hand. Perhaps the hunter knew it was about to happen; perhaps not. Irregardless, Rory stopped dead and turned. She would not wait to see if her aim proved true, so instead hurled her boots at the approaching figure before continuing her run. I hate these women.

[Lih-Lyh]

After much wrangling with her own frustrations, she felt like the need kicked her into another gear. Her run invigorated her, and she should really run through the halls more, though technically it was safer not to run for the sake of others and herself. But this, this was different. It was her duty. Contrary to what it would have been elsewhere, she was finding it ridiculously easy to keep track of the only girl in tunic and leggings, and moreover - not in a dress. Saline’s own skirts may impede her advancement slightly, but it permitted her to meld into the gathering of Novices and Accepted here or there, bringing her closer to the Illianer. She ran through the catacombs of the Tower, unseeing of the landmarks so familiar to Saline. To her chagrin, her charge blundered into a classroom in session. She sped up only to catch the scene of a shocked bunch of Novices, and the Aes Sedai who continued her lecture without a gliche in either expression or tone.

 

There were many reasons why the Novice would run away from her caretakers. The same reasons they cried, raged, and hid. Saline understood those. The important thing now was to be in control. She was in control. Here was her element. Having had full handle on the situation, all she had to do next was to persuade the Novice. As if the need reached the girl, the Illianer slowed, hearing the Taraboner coming. Saline grinned and was led onto an intersection she knew well. A few more steps, and then the girl stopped. This made her frown instead. Had the girl turned her ankle? She had almost caught up to the girl who seemed to be dumping out something from her shoe, when she suddenly realized her false confidence had placed her exactly where the girl wanted. When she finally made out what the Novice clutched, she was already in range. The object that came soaring toward her was a pair of boots. She twisted, but it elicited a sharp ooph! as the heel nicked her hipbone. Saline wanted to burn the boots, feeling only the flames of the kitchen would sate her sudden desire to terminate all boots, while the Novice ran.

 

DUPED!

 

Having lived a few years with the Tinkers was how their gentle manner of living harmoniously became known to her. Though Saline did fight, it was more in defense of her person and those she cared for, rather than trying to cope with her innate frustrations with the world. Obviously the girl with whom she now locked in a battle of wills and strength had never heard about the Way of the Leaf, first with the brawl and the pushing, but this was the kicker of them all. The flaming boots, she swore under her breath.

 

She had to pace herself. Now this wild chase was really too much. She pursued Rory without regard for the observers now; let them stare. When she caught sight of the Novice again, she yelled heatedly: “You’re a swindling swindler who, who swindles!”

 

This accusation only made the Novice duck into the library.

 

Saline spied her through the Novice doors; here was no refuge for the girl. Hurling herself at the Illianer, she managed to pin the girl, despite the sinuous wrestling. Discipline should not feel this good, she thought as she forced herself to loosen her hold, letting the whites of her knuckles colour again. Astraddle no longer, the girl was lifted to her feet by a strength Saline did not know she had in reserve. “Stay.” With a firm grip on the girl’s belt, she said sternly, turning nervously before the stares they drew from the gathering in the Tower library. Oh dear, she was mollified. The library was a grave, quaint sanctuary, and she cared not for the disapproving attention from an institution of Brown Sisters. Her tackle could be compared to mercenaries introducing sword training in a caravan. Little did she know, had she not been distracted by the worries of losing face in front of the others, she would not have rue this moment later on. What followed was much, much worse.

 

[Lih-Lyh]

Rory collapsed with an 'oof,' the wind thoroughly knocked out of her as she and Saline fell in a tangle of arms and legs. That had been a surprise. The innkeeper's daughter had not expected the other woman to attempt to physically best her, not in a dress of all things. But she had, and best her she was doing. It may have been a humiliating experience if it wasn't for the surprising fact that Saline actually possessed a great deal of strength. With little todo the accepted managed to pull her wayard charge up onto her feet.

 

The silence in the Library, for that is where she appeared to be, was a lion's roar across the prairie. Bad enough for Rory who knew not these women, but Saline appeared to have been struck a physical blow. The Librarians were focused on that one, not Rory, and Saline seemed equally focused on their attention. Truly alarmed by the strength of the other woman, Rory established that it was not worth attempting to beat her in a fair fight, so she grabbed for the first book she could find while the other's back was turned.

 

The book was titled Causes and Cures for Common Headaches. She would make sure to leave it within easy reach after using it for her attended purpose. Amazing how hard a book became if swung with appropriate force. The cracking sound was impressive and the book collided with the top of Saline's head, who stumbled forward and dropped. Discarding the book as a baseball player would his bat, Rory leapt over the fallen accepted and headed for the door.

 

OOC: Four-thirty AM posting. Rah!

[Lih-Lyh]

When she came to, the sun was in her eye. It struck through the windowpane hatefully. Twisting for a more comfortable position where she had lain prone, she laxed her shoulders. They were wound tightly if if they hit something, its muscles clenched, and clasped in rigor. Did she faint? Wondering fingers reached behind her head to an object, and she brought it close, gazing up at it. The irony struck her more than the cruel sun, and her mouth tightened ominiously after the title registered.

 

Saline nursed her head as she sat up too quickly for her reflex to adjust. At least she was not bleeding. It was coming back to her, the mortefication of having to explain her actions to the librarians, making a spectacle of herself in front of her peers, yes, she still dreaded them, but most vivid in the forefront had been the fickle Illianer who eluded her capture.

 

If Saline had a nervous tic on her cheek, her face would be convulsing unbearably. As things stood, she could barely compose her face into a studious diligence as she stood wobbly, and failed to find the girl. She was surprised that none of the women in the library had bounded the Novice with the power as the girl beat a quick retreat to the doors. They seemed keen on restricting her activities though, as if it was she who threatened to leave the mad Aes Sedai. Well, some around her looked no less furious than she felt, but she was sure it was more out of indignation that she had somehow abused the lass. Vehement purposeful eyes, widened by the sight of an older woman chasing after the younger, closed in on her, Saline the child predator. In all her life she had not been more misunderstood, it seemed. Her eyes rolled, but she did not stay to chat.

 

She could count every crumble on the walls where the paint lumped. Willing her aching legs to carry her faster Saline began her breathing exercises, fighting to keep a clear head despite the dull throb that jarred her paces.

 

Blast Rory. For Saline, nobody existed except for this problematic student. All she needed was for Rory to stop again, or at least slow, and she would channel. At the instant, she was running far too fast only to keep where she was, which was barely enough to the Novice in her sight. Despite the goodly length of time the Novice had as a lead, Saline counted on the distance between them to begin shrinking, so she could either harden the air around the girl, or block up the path in front with a solid shield. However, both required time and she had not covered the gap between the leading figure and herself yet. Poised, eager for Rory to stop at any distraction so she could slam her tricks, she tried to with words, insinuating about a dress fetish in hopes of catching the girl into a lull. Sooner or later the Novice would slip, and Saline would be spurred onto the Illianer by virtue of her abilities before she could reply 'do no be'. No girl could go on running for-ever, and the duration of her run would be even less if she had not learned how to control the One Power yet.

 

OOC: Five a.m. post!

 

[Lih-Lyh]

~Rossa~

 

Her lessons over, time would be best spent in study, or so she thought. Rossa made her way to the library having the rest of the day told off to research a project for Estel Sedai – that soup kitchen idea of hers had taken off far better than she had originally thought it would and Rossa wanted to make a journal so it would be known and credited to her. And when she presented the idea to the Queen of Altara as a way to ensure better relations with commoners and nobles alike in the more lawless districts of Altara … House Venye would be cast in an untouchable light. She smiled and continued her walk to the library where she had a mind to look for recipe books and methods of advanced food preservation using the One Power.

 

She felt at home here now, even though her heart and mind still centred on Ebou Dar. One day she would be acclaimed as Aes Sedai and the high seat of her house - honour and name eradicated by one flame of political activism or Daes Dae’mar to which the eyes of the country had cruelly disdained to acknowledge. She saw, from time to time, novices that rebelled against the iron will of the White Tower and felt a pang of empathy with them. She had been that novice once, until a misplaced gesture had landed her in servitude to the same Aes Sedai she had hated.

 

Rounding the corner, Rossa was completely unprepared for the sight of a girl wearing leggings and a tunic running towards her, her arms up almost as though to shove anyone that stood in her way aside.

 

“Excuse me,” she called, the figure streaking past her with neither care nor curtsy. A servant would be better behaved than this churl! “Excuse me!” Rossa raised her voice for emphasis, and the girl still did not respond. That narrowed down the options as far as Rossa was concerned. The most likely option was that a member of the public was up to some dark deed within the Tower; having escaped whatever escort she had been given. Or, she had accidentally damaged something and did not want to face the wrath of one of the Aes Sedai. Other possibilities occurred to her, but Rossa did not pay them much heed as in any case the girl needed to be apprehended and brought to the relevant authority’s attention. Rossa started striding after the girl, her skirts held above her knees and she began to give chase.

 

OOC - Player 3 has joined!

 

[Lih-Lyh]

As far as nightmares go, Saline could not be called scary under anybody's standards, though the smile sprawling into landscape on her features was quite awful as she herded the other, a baying hound. Despite the smile, she was in some pain: her head and shoulders gave off telltale twinges that somehow stabbed into her eye. Making a mental note to pay more attention to the Yellow Sisters, and perhaps research on human physiology, she slugged along, knowing very well that her constitution was meant for long distances, not spurts of speed. Pushing herself to slow and catch her breath as the Novice veered out of sight, she managed to make the side stitches still at last.

 

She was taken aback by the sight of Rossa as she turned the corner. Trust the girl in leggings to run into one of the few women in Accepted dress who was always brought up in class as the example, the brilliant paragon of she who aspires to Aes Sedai. There was no doubt in anybody's mind in the Tower that Rossa Venye would one day wear the shawl, and be an exalted contribution to the Sisters of her Ajah. Nay, Saline added, not only to her own Ajah, but truly a guidance to the others as well. She called herself a friend of Saline's, after all, and those were rare enough.

 

Peering at the two figures in the chase, the scene suddenly reminded her of her Novice years, and she began to chuckle quietly, her high spirits returning. Hitching her skirts up even higher she widened her strides to catch up to the other Accepted. It felt marvellous to be working together again.

 

[Lih-Lyh]

Fortune prick me! And then there were two. What Rory had done to this other woman, the light only knew, but now she was equally intent on the hunt. It was like a scene from a nightmare, the lone female running through a vast unknown network of tunnels without end, with two shadowspawn just that little way behind, always to be heard if not seen. Where was that light damned exit?

 

A dress fetish? Hah! The absurdity of the comment almost caused her to slow, she felt dangerous close to laughter: so much for the stern instructor type. She couldn’t leave the comment unchecked, it simply wasn’t in her blood to back down, at least not when it came to competitive maligning. A great sport, especially over a couple of pints of the finest ale available, or the nearest thing to it.

 

In a winded and breathless voice she called back: “I do be noticing you be back there a long time. Perhaps you be liking the view a bit too much!” Rory gave an exaggerated hair flick, and hoped it would be noticed. There could be no turning back to make sure, that’s how people lost. This was one race she could not afford to lose. In a few days she would be back home with her ma and pa and all three would be laughing about this. She was determined.

 

Now they were even, but even didn’t cut it, and she had just thought of something remarkably witty to say, “You be holding your dress high for a long time now. Maybe it be very light, or maybe you just very used to lifting it!” Yes. That had been immeasurably satisfying. Some good verbal sparring might keep her hunters busy while she finally worked her way around to exiting the building. If indeed the building had an exit. She was fairly certain it did, after all, she had entered somehow.

 

OOC: Eight AM Post! Welcome aboard Claire. I edited to make it larger and not quite so small.

[Lih-Lyh]

~Rossa~

 

She ran, hearing the girl’s insult ringing back down the corridor, and then the sound of another pair of feet joined hers. A large red mark on the side of her head, Saline fell into step beside her. Rossa felt her fellow Accepted increase in determination at the comment, and it made Rossa smile. This was like being among her sisters, how it had been before the fire, when there had been arguments over ribbons and who would be named at Court when announcing their arrival. In spite of herself, she laughed, and a quip came to mind unbidden.

 

"At least I'm not running around showing all and sundry what is on offer. Your garb might be practical for a man, but on you it serves to emphasise that you, in fact, need to run a bit more often!"

 

The saucy remark was off her tongue before she could bite it back. It was unlike her to be so flippant without realising who might be watching. Saline looked at her, a little shocked behind the extremely fixated expression. Rossa was surprised at herself, to be sure, but the situation was so incredibly similar to how her life had been before she had arrived here that she had forgotten where she was.

 

“Saline, who is this? You look as though you know her … what is going on?” As it was difficult to explain the situation while running, as civilised conversation can hardly be held with one’s skirts above the knee, Rossa shook her head. “Never mind. I take it that she isn’t some civilian that has dropped a precious vase. Whatever the case is,” Rossa wasn’t entirely sure she could do much more in the way of talking. “Whatever the case is, we should split up and try and catch her that way. She’s causing quite the stir in those breeches!”

 

[Lih-Lyh]

Her breath weezed in and out: steps falter, fortefied only by the other's presence. Many faults she been branded with, and among those were irrationality, cowardice, and all the vices of being a trained parrot. In her pre-Tower life she had been burnt from the family book as a disappointment by the Lord father she had always viewed as her authority; that was before she decided to elope with her Tinker. While those insults rankled, there was an element of truth, so she accepted the slander meekly, and made allowances for what she chose to do. Yet she was not sure how to react to this. It was a new type of sledging that had nothing to do with what you do, but the bantor of wits that was healthy. She examined her feelings in a mind-boggled haze, because she appreciated the exchange, though it was all fabrications, or at least false premises. Nobody had ever accused Saline of being a lightskirt before.

 

Rossa was asking her questions. Shaking her head she dragged up what was said. "Oh, yes, quite the sensation. She's a sweet student of mine, Rory is." Weak smile.

 

Splitting up was not a bad idea as far as strategies went. They had flushed out the pheasants on her wilderness trip in similar fashion. Telling Rossa she would block off the correct path out, she dashed for path, going to the left, kicking her skirts as if she was prey. It took her only a few minutes to do what she wanted, despite hands shaking and fumbling, agitated because of the anticipation.

 

Sure enough, on the stairwell she turned abruptly to find two figures chasing her. Squaring narrow shoulders, she drew herself up.

 

"Well, now I know why Rossa preferred chasing after you, since the view in front is rather ... flat." Wondering idly why she called this out as the girl's expression looked like she would do Saline a serious injury this time, she was quite surprised to feel a huge grin on her face as she delivered the question she had been labouring over as she ran. "Why," she turned to one side, slow enough that she kept her eye on the girl, but with enough force that the drab skirts swished some more, she thrust her chest out: permiscuous in her mockery of flirtation. "Jealous?"

 

An incredible statement from Saline. Body language works. What next?

 

[Lih-Lyh]

The Novice, if she had a right to the term, became terribly frustrated when she saw how she had been trapped. The option was there to rush down the stairs and see how far she made it before she tripped and broke something, and it was almost tempting, but her father would not be pleased if she returned broken in multiple places. The breathless state she found herself in compounded that frustration until she was in a state universally known as, "a rage." She did not want to be where she was, but very much wanted to go home. She had almost moved in the direction of the stairs when the first of the two women encountered taunted her, and then followed that up with a lewd gesture. That about did it. She was dead.

 

As remarked on various occasions, Rory possessed a reasonable tolerance for irritation and annoyance. Also, as previously remarked upon, this particular day had been long and that threshold had been lowered significantly; the buffer between calm and collected disapproval and childish quests for vengeance, very slight. Rory was also terribly frightened, and in truth wanted to cry. The acknowledgement of her own weakness merely enraged her further.

 

Her cheeks flushed, and the hair on the nape of her neck stood up. Adrenaline lent her new strength, and her sighted misted over until her universe constituted Saline, vengeance, and a loud buzzing noise in her ears. Her hands had, by their own pro-activity, curled themselves into very tight fists, all she had to do was give them a target, and she did so with glee. The sound her bony knuckles made when brought into contact with Saline's fragile face could only be termed musical. There would have been an encore performance if her fist did not suddenly feel as though every bone inside it was broken.

 

A baleful eye meet hers, but Saline stood in the warpath, unworried. She lounged in her devilmaycare stance, confident in her knowledge that the Novice would not be able to see the glow enveloping her. When the Novice came close enough, she would slam a weave on, and the particular one the Taraboner had in mind would have tied the Novice securely into a cocoon before turning her upside down. A tad dramatic, but she found it to her liking. There was no need to tie the weave off, since the Novice would not be able to shield her, or slice at her threads.

 

As if to contradict her thinking, she lost her hold on Saidar. It was as if the eye had tried to warn Saline before, but she had not paid her body heed. Wrecked in the throbbing agony, she propped herself against a marble railing, its coolness against her feverish flesh. Saline's eye was not a happy camper. It watered, and the skin around pouched, swelling and impairing her vision further. She needed to get a pack from the Yard, or better yet, a healing in the Infirmary. Her eye would help her remember the physical distraction next time.

 

Still leaning against the stairs, Saline felt she was one of the villains in gleemen stories who were always getting bested by the good guys. It was a disturbing idea, so she pushed it to the backburner. Seeing as the Novice was still in sight, she tried directing her flows at the girl, all the while her strength ebbed. Fire had always been the element in which she proved strongest in, but she felt comfortable with water and air that she spun them to create barrier, a green-blue whirlwind in the corridors in front of the Novice. Now there was nowhere to run except back up, and Rossa was coming their way.

 

Rory & Saline

 

OOC: Rossa the capture is all yours.

[Lih-Lyh]

You’d think one would be able to walk down one’s own hallway without being in danger of drowning. Or at least that was the impression Estel was under up until the point she encountered a massive whirlpool in her path. For a moment she stared at it as if daring it to stay firmly blocking her path. At the point when she decided this would not work, that and she found the discharged spray was beginning to annoy her, the irritated Blue Sister opened herself up to saidar and set herself to searching through the mist for a culprit.

 

Thanks to holding the Power herself, she was able to see a half-obscured, glowing silhouette. A number of options were available for dealing with this situation. For one, she could have just called out across the hissing water for the culprit to stop. For another, she could have Shielded the culprit and let the weave dissipate on its own. However, Estel had never been one to let someone who annoyed her off easily. A vindictive smile pervaded her face as she savagely cut the other’s flows with Spirit.

 

She got an enormous amount of satisfaction from watching the Accepted recoil in pain and surprise. Her irritation flared to anger when she saw who it was: Saline. Vindication was replaced by self-righteous fury as Estel advanced on the small group through the still dissipating mists.

 

“What in the bloody name of the Light is this about Westrel? A whirlpool in the middle of the Blue Ajah’s quarters? You must have horse dung for brains if you flaming thought you could get away with this! If you ever have the tiniest bloody hope of making it to the Shawl, girl, you’d better flaming shape up and read over the code most idiot Novices know in their first week!”

 

[Lih-Lyh]

Rory pulled back in surprise as the swirling mass of … whatever that was sprang into life. Water; air; a combination of the two: the source of it was beyond her comprehension. She did know that its appearance would only enflame her situation further, and perhaps that inflammation was the very reason for it. If she never saw another one of these bizarre women until her next life, it would be all too soon.

 

She had been dragged in front of an equally monstruous woman, perforce, had been given a list of laws and bylaws and by-bylaws, and then the little laws that made up those; lectured, handed a wad of folded cloth and taken away to her “quarters.” She was angry, frustrated, scared, in pain and now she was bloody wet and her expensive wardrobe was ruined. The next blow would be in the other eye.

 

The whirl . . . thing vanished, replaced by a plainly unhappy women clad with the same dress-code as the nasty grey wearing one, save her colour seemed to be blue. Had she been paying attention to what she had been told she may have understood a little more, but she had been too busy being upset about it all: understandably so.

 

The blue one began to unleash a rather scathing censure, not directed at her finally, and Rory took that as her cue to slip by unnoticed. The women did seem very occupied. Slow and steady was her plan, but her wet bare feet jumped the gun and took off with great haste. She tripped, fell towards the blue woman and grabbed onto her dress to stop herself from falling. The loudmouthed woman was not nearly as substantial as she looked, and rather than Rory’s fall being impeded, she merely brought company. The pair tumbled down the stairwell, united by purpose, cursing artistically.

 

 

OOC: I bet no one expected that!  :D

[Lih-Lyh]

~Rossa~

 

Obviously she had made a wrong guess somewhere, imagining the errant girl would be aiming to leave via one of the side doors whereas Saline would have been directly on her heels and known exactly where she’d gone. The last thing Rossa had expected was for them to go through the Blue Ajah quarters that had been the source of so many days of hard toil as a result of that drawing … well, drawings. And now she stared in horror as more water than Rossa had seen in an enclosed space massed around their intended captive. Saline must really be determined to end this one way or the other. I was just going to grab hold of her; perhaps Saline and I could have held her fast together. Saline is her mentor, after all.

 

The unthinkable happened. So much for Rossa considering herself prepared for anything. This Rory, obviously a new novice, had thrown herself at Estel Sedai and they tumbled down the stairs. How horrific! She shot a look at Saline and ran forward to where she could see better and wove Air into a soft cushioning pad on the floor at the base of the stairs. Whatever injuries they had sustained on the way down, at least the landing would be cushioned. The Light burn the consequences! Two people might be badly injured here unnecessarily!

 

Both parties safely on the ground, Rossa allowed the weave to dissipate and went over to Estel Sedai to make sure she was well. As she saw the girl struggling to get to her feet, Rossa grabbed her and held her on the floor. Rossa hadn’t done anything like this since her mother had given her rudimentary training in how to fend off attacks in knife duels where her opponent would be too close. She’d had training in knife and whip duelling, just in case she was ever needed to defend her honour in public. Rossa simply sat on Rory’s stomach and held her arms to the floor.

 

“Estel Sedai,” Rossa called over to the Blue Sister, who had risen unsteadily and was rearranging her dress. “Are you alright?”

 

[Lih-Lyh]

Suddenly, the waterworks she brought into creation stopped. On the other bank stood a woman who had been the cause of many headaches, and Saline swayed under the pains that now assualted her, wrecking her mind. It was as if Estel Sedai spread bitterness, a residue she did not realise she had until it released throughout, deadening her body with waves of displeasure. The vehemence of her sensibilities blackened her now limited sight as she stared, puffy-eyed at the Blue, trying not to give the Aes Sedai satisfaction in seeing her cry. Raising her head higher to keep the tears at bay, she blinked at the wall above Estel Sedai's head savagely, she had been picked on before as an example in class, and well, she had better get used to it.

 

Then Estel Sedai's head went away, leaving only the waterlogged wall. Admittingly the effects of the weave was getting a tad out of control, as she was always told to keep it small, and more to the point, outside. Yes she deserved this lecture, as she had the others. Lowering her head to display meekness, she submitted to the silence. Finally it occurred to her: why did Estel stop puncturing her lectures with curses? Following Rossa's gaze, her anger was replaced with the utmost horror as her Mentee tumbled Estel Sedai, the combination of their momentum swept down the stairwell.

 

Rossa reacted, turning the air quickly to pad the stairs on the way down. It turned out to be very good thinking. Better yet, as soon as the pair landed, she took on the infamously violent Rory, and Saline need not have hastened to assist for she found the Altaran noble sitting her student calmly as though she was a ledge, a wide ledge at that.

 

Dumbfounded at the other Accepted succeeding where she had failed repeatedly, she realised a moment of stunned anger. She should not feel this fury against Rossa. Rossa had captured the errant Novice and cushioned Estel Sedai. Rossa, the Accepted with a bright future, would have never been misunderstood by an irrate Estel Sedai, who was looming in front with a terrible rip in the dress on one shoulder.

 

Shooting a look at Rossa so there would be no interference from that quarter, she straightened somewhat painfully from her curtsey.

 

"I will accept any penance you feel fitting, Estel Sedai." The Taraboner spoke flatly at the shawled woman in a brusque manner that might have bordered on rude, resenting the unfairness of how any explanations would fall on unhearing ears, and then turned those mismatched eyes onto Rory's prone shape before she let herself be too piteous, "Provided that my student Rory is not injured severely, I should like that she shares the work, where I can keep an eye on her."

 

Doubting she was going to have a problem being granted with her request (and ultimatum), Saline permitted herself to be bested by a flippant Novice and an Aes Sedai who was even more troublesome... Had Saline really supposed the Sister had a different view of her now that she had contributed to the Blue Ajah class? It seemed that she would always be cast in the role of rulebreaker, after this. Doubtless such an event would have its effects on her chances of being raised to the shawl.

 

Turning to the Illianer, she snapped, "Rory, curtsey for Estel Sedai." Her words sounded harsher than she intended.

 

[Lih-Lyh]

Estel paid little to no mind to Rossa and the odd girl she took for a Tower Trainee. While Saline was one case, the Blue had given Rossa more sense than to waste her spotless reputation for what seemed a doomed prank. Even Estel in her banded-dress truant glory had not attempted something this stupid! As for the stranger, she earned less than a passing glance as all righteous fury was targeted at Saline.

 

That was, the Trainee earned only brief notice until her body collided with Estel’s own. The object of the world’s cruelty, at least that was how she saw it, had less than a moment’s surprise before her back collided with something hard and sharp. Next it was her forehead and stomach; which succeeded in successfully, her mind paused mid-air to contemplate that interesting alliteration, knocking the wind out of her.

 

She made it down a few more steps until one particular one caught her in the back of the head, very efficiently knocking her unconscious. Her last though before this was of how much she really, really wanted to kill Saline at that point and she even attempted to scream it at the Accepted standing, wincing as she and Rory tumbled their way down the stairs. Unfortunately, it is next to impossible to scream anything cohesive while falling down a flight of very hard marble stairs and so all she managed was a shriek which was abruptly cut off by the stair mentioned above.

 

Estel

[Lih-Lyh]

One moment she was looming as though she leaned over a parapet, the next she went out. In that minute Saline reflected on the absurdity of her actions in response to stress. It would have been truly scandelous had the Novice curtseyed in those tights, for once she was glad to be ignored by Rory. But Estel Sedai should have pounced on naming a penance if she knew the Sister, and the hush was more telling, and in many ways more foreboding than a nasty chore assigned for the span of her natural life. Stifling her pride she had been able to repeat her request when - Eeeeeeeee-eh! - the Blue's eyes rolled as she crumpled.

 

Now would be the time to close her eyes and hope everything unreal, and the nightmare adverted by the light in her room. Saline opened them again. The Aes Sedai's chest rose and fell with regularity. Well, good that she didn't die. She had heard about how people randomly fell down the stairs landing on broken necks and ribs, so was immensely relieved to find the other alive, if not in particularly hearty health.

 

"You know any healing weaves?" She would not trust to her own paltry skills. "Never mind, this woman needs the infirmary. The girl too, if she cannot stand." Saline surrendered herself to the flows. "Help me, Rossa." Feeling empty as she pleaded, then wove the strands of Air, thick bands that laced tightly into the unconscious Sister. Estel Sedai floated in front of them, her face an eery shade of Blue.

 

"Can you walk, girl?" They had to take care of the Aes Sedai Rory knocked out. "Stay close." Then after deliberation, "no, get help." The girl was in no condition to run, and besides, she could always go after the girl if Rory could not be trusted. She would be in real grief if Estel Sedai did not recover, and despite failed attempts at currying favour or whatnot, the Accepted did not want her Aes Sedai to die.

 

Saline

[Lih-Lyh]

Reports, essays, extended responses and opinion pieces, all of them blurred into a single haze of writing for Lillian. At least, they had until the wee hours of the morning before she had decided to get some sleep. The day begun anew now, she could now at least offload her latest work and maybe have a few hours where she could pretend she was done before she was given more work. A happy pretense, maybe she could use it to work on some stones or her vielle, but more likely than not she'd use it to laze about. Now that was something she didn't get to do much these days.

 

A shriek was what woke Lillian from her trance and stopped her dead in her tracks. Ending as abruptly as it began, it took Lillian half a moment to figure out where the sound came from before she hiked up her skirt and ran in its direction. Ever since Malvolio had died in the Tower due to an accident, it had left people a little on edge, even if it had been some months ago.

 

The comparison to Malvolio was a little too apt for Lillian's liking as she rounded the corner and saw Estel and another in a heap. Freezing in shock, it wasn't until Saline and Rossa had descended the stairs, the former levitating Estel, that Lillian snapped out of her shock. Running down the hall towards them, the loud thump of her shoes on the floor quickly got their attention.

 

"Put her down!" Half skidding to a stop and dropping her papers, Lillian fell to her knees beside Estel as Saline lowered her back to the ground. "What happened?" Listening to Saline's hurried explanation as she embraced saidar, it didn't take Lillian long to discover what was wrong. Cutting over the back nine of Saline's story, Lillian asked the pair to link with her and there was no hesitation on Saline or Rossa's part thankfully enough.

 

Healing was not her specialty by any means, but after some of the situations she'd found herself in over the years she'd certainly paid attention to it. Estel wasn't in danger of becoming a fatality, but it wouldn't have been a wise idea to move her either. The fall certainly hadn't been kind on her spine or her head, and laying her hands on Estel's face, Lillian was a conduit for the power as it sought to undo the damage that the fall had wrought on Estel. The Blue Sister arching back and clenching her fingers and toes from the cold, a sharp exhale escaped Estel even as Lillian guided her weave where it was needed.

 

Releasing the power when she was done, Lillian was glad she had gotten some sleep, she wasn't spent but she could certainly feel the effort the channeling had required. Leaning over Estel, she began to tap the Aes Sedai's cheek lightly. "Estel Sedai? Estel Sedai?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

[Lih-Lyh]

When Estel came-to, she was feeling particularly tired, obviously she had just been Healed. However, exhaustion took a back seat to the immense furious, homicidal desires that took control of her mind. “I’m going to kill you Westrel…” Luckily for Saline and thanks to Lillian, whom Estel hadn’t noticed quite at this point, the Blue was too weak to move any of her limbs quite yet and so Saline’s health was in relative safety for the time being.

 

The rest weren’t to be spared the rough side of Estel’s tongue. “I’ll be taking care of Saline and her… protégé, Rossa you can go explain this all to your mentor.” Saying that, a wicked smile spread across her murderous face. No doubt Rossa would be in about as much agony as these two trying to explain her part in this disaster to Sirayn. Sirayn… Suddenly she saw a major flaw in her logic. There was no way Estel wanted Sirayn to find out about her not being diligent enough to avoid being knocked unconscious be a mere Novice. Trying to keep a blush of embarrassment from her cheeks the Blue stumbled an “Erm… on second thought… just go tell the Mistress of Novices.”

 

Rolling her head, she finally noticed Lillian and gave a start. “Oh, Lillian! When did you get here?” Embarrassed by the rather odd situation, Estel did blush before recovering. “Umm… could you help me back to my room? Westrel!” she snapped. “You and your minion give Lillian a hand!”

 

Estel

[Lih-Lyh]

The reaction of Estel as she began to come to was not what Lillian had been expecting. It wasn't that she wasn't aware of the dislike that Estel had for Rossa and Saline, she was anything but unaware of it. What concerned her was that it sounded like she hadn't taken care of Estel's concussion, she didn't seem to be entirely aware of what was around her. Eventually Estel did notice her, but by then Lillian had made a decision as to what to do. Going down a flight of stairs using her head and back hadn't done Estel any favours, and until she had fully come to her senses she really shouldn't be making any decisions that she would regret later. Estel could rage at her later for feeling that Lillian had undermined her but that was the lesser of two evils as far as she was concerned.

 

"No. Wait a moment." Cupping Estel's face in both hands, she used her thumbs to lift Estel's eyelids so she could get a better look at Estel's eyes. Estel looked focus, but to save face that wasn't what she needed to say. Besides, she wasn't a Yellow Sister, she couldn't be completely certain and it was a good idea to be careful. "Just stay there for a moment Estel Sedai, we took care of the worst of it but you might still have a concussion. I need to check the girl."

 

Standing, Lillian quickly took the few steps required to get to the girl's side, Rory was what Saline had called her, and knelt beside her. Conscious, moving but definitely a little groggy. She'd definitely been the luckier out of the two, if falling down a flight of stairs could be considered lucky. Either way she'd managed to think of a way to defuse things for at least the moment. "She's hurt but not badly. Both of you will need to take her, lest she try to do a runner again. Hopefully she'll be past that for at least the moment."

 

It was at that point the girl's gaze fixed on her, but Lillian was already standing and squatting down next to Estel. "Saline and Rossa will have to take care of the other girl, if she decides to cause more havoc then the pair of them can keep her contained. I can get you back to your quarters without help, or at least somewhere out of the way where you can recover. That was a bad fall, the Wheel was certainly not kind to you today. Now, give me your arm, thats it."

 

Helping Estel sit upright, Lillian slipped her arm around Estel's back so her shoulder and hand supported Estel. Her time spent training in the Yards certainly paid off in this moment as she lifted Estel up as slowly as she could to try and minimise the jolting. Looking at Rossa and Saline, she inclined her head towards Rory before turning away and leading Estel somewhere that others couldn't stumble across her in her weakened condition and ask questions.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

OOC: Hey Alyss, I'm thinking we might want to continue on a seperate thread? That'll free Rossa and Saline to deal with Rory, and we can jump back in later if there is a spot.