The eyes and ears in Illian, and a strange girl

[zemiorco]

Aeveryn had worn the shawl for a year now. She thought she was slowly settling into her role and she thought she was no longer eying every other Aes Sedai the way an accepted would. Still, being summoned by Estel Sedai did leave her feel nervous. It irritated her that she felt that way. She knew the reason for her anxiety. She was still suffering from the lack of self-esteem. Even facing Estel she felt inferior. Well, not quite as inferior as she had felt the first days. But still some.

 

She had started to no longer wear her shawl in the tower all the time. She did not wear it today. She felt wrapping that around her shoulder was a sign of weakness. She could do without now, unless of course there was a reason to display it.

 

She made herself knock at Estel‘s door loudly. A few moments later the woman inside called her in. Again she did not hesitate. She tried to look as certain as she could. She tried to be the Aes Sedai she had been for over a year. Maybe the face worked all right now, but she did not feel it. What would the other sister have for her? Something she had done wrong? She still felt as if she made mistakes every day.

 

„Hello Estel. I heard you were requiring me?“

 

[Guest Estel]

The urgent… urge to bash her head repeatedly against the desk was nearly overpowering.  Melian was practically taking advantage of her!  True, this was much better than copying out those bloody journals but this… she hadn’t slept since yesterday afternoon and that was because she had practically passed out.  Piles of papers absolutely covered her desk and everything around it was littered with either ashes or torn a crumpled bits here and there.  Another stack of papers- reports compiling the trash covering the ground- was spread haphazardly on her side of the bed.  In her defence, it had been relatively neat until Orion kicked it over at some point last night.  Her poor Warder had slept fitfully what with her having to keep a lamp going all night and had eventually just retired to his room in the yards.  She sent apologies through the Bond as another wave of exhaustion and irritation rode over her.  He was helping trainees today.  Poor Orion.

 

The reason for this mess- Illian and Tear.  The two damned countries had been warring on and off since well before she had been born nearly half a century early and didn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.  Their newest excuse- Illian was apparently harbouring a male channeller who the Tairens claimed was being trained to help with an invasion Tear proper.  The Stone had never fallen, nor would it until the Dragon Reborn was… well… reborn.  Supid Tairens.  Stupider Illianers if this was true.

 

But that was the question wasn’t it?

 

A knock sounded on the door right on cue.  Estel made a noise between something of a grunt and whine acknowledging Aeveryn should enter.  She did.  Light praise primeval speech.  Light also praise sign language.  Estel jerked her head towards the cold teapot sitting on a nearby bed table and then towards the cups hanging in the china hutch.  Last of all, Light praise age deference because Aeveryn did all of it without complaint.

 

Her parched throat finally lubricated once more, Estel began to explain.  Well… maybe not explain.  “How much do you know about Illian, male channellers, Tear and the fact that both countries seem intent on destroying each other and who gives the contents of your chamber pot for the suffering poor?”