Looking for trouble (ATTN Rory)

[Nynaeve]

Nynaeve sat down behind her desk and watched Rory casually. She didn't find anything she didn't expect beforehand. Saline had warned her about the Novice's temperament and stubbornness and the way Rory's jaw was locked in determination spoke all too well for it. Nynaeve recognized the look in Rory's eyes. Defying her without uttering a single word. Waiting for Nynaeve to lecture away, simply to get done with it as quickly as possible.

 

"I don't want to be here." Nynaeve said and leaned back on her chair. "I've had my fair share of impertinent Novices to deal with. Ones I didn't care much for. However, that part of my life no longer exists. I dedicate myself to running the infirmary and do not meddle in discipline. That is another's job and far be it from me to step on anyone's toes."

 

Wetting her throat with some water, Nynaeve went on. "I have urged your mentor to take this matter up with the Mistress of Novices, but as a favor to her, I've decided to try and solve this without the Mistress of Novice's interference. If at any point you feel that you're doing me some sort of favor by being here, you're sorely mistaken. The Mistress of Novices is not a forgiving person. I am quite sure you would prefer my presence over hers. But please, feel free to correct me, if I'm mistaken."

 

Nynaeve got up from her seat and peered out the window. "I have volunteered to assist you as far as I can. If at any point I feel that we're not making progress, I will simply send you away. If I sense the mildest disrespect from your part, you will be sent away AND will receive a personal punishment from me. Added to the one you'll undoubtedly receive from the Mistress of Novices. Also, believe it or not, you are free to abandon our sessions if you desire it so. This is all in your hands."

 

Nynaeve watched the pot of tea that rested on her desk from her morning tea. A cheap pot that could be replaced easily, she mused. Weaving a tiny air thread, Nynaeve used it to push the pot off the desk, making it land on the floor with a loud clank. Nynaeve looked at the broken pieces and the brown liquid that now decorated the floor. Raising her eyes to meet Rory's, Nynaeve smiled. "Clean this mess up."

 

 

 

Nyn

Yellow

[Sam]

Rory was teeming with excitement when she entered the infirmary and stood before the next Aes Sedai in line to “put her in place”. Not only would she disappoint the Aes Sedai in horrible fashion, but she’d do it in the infirmary! Having never been in one she was only fairly certain that it was filled with all sorts of gadgets, contraptions and maybe even magic potions used to heal others. No doubt she could find some additional uses for them. Oh yes!

 

Her heart almost broke when the Aes Sedai spoke and frittered all hope away. She did not want to be here? That was rich, it was her infirmary. But she could leave, Rory would not mind, provided that she got left behind. There was far too much mischief for the young girl to find. And find it she could, as only she could, in that place where the sick people were laid.

 

She had half a mind to stand up and walk out the moment she was given the choice, but curiosity checked the impulse. There was something fascinating about the inner workings of an infirmary, especially one for witches and fighters. Oh, there were bound to be some gory wounds within and Rory was simply dying to get in there already. Perhaps good behaviour, for a time, would not be too great a concession.

 

Rory could not help but laugh and the display of pettiness. So like something she herself would have done in that position! Nor did she mind cleaning up the pieces of the broken tea pot. She did hope, however, that she was not going to be forced to do it with her bare hands. She liked those rather much. Perhaps she was expected to use one power? Well, she wouldn’t do that in front of any Aes Sedai, not when it was so difficult to surrender. She would be delighted to use her novice dress though!

 

And that is exactly what she did

 

[Nynaeve]

Nynaeve smiled, pointing with her finger. "You missed a spot right there." So the foolish girl thought she could phase her by ruining her Novice dress? Nynaeve couldn't care less about Rory's appearance. She could walk around nude, for all she cared. But after a moment's thought Nynaeve decided that a minor change in Rory's appearance to match her emotional maturity wouldn't go amiss. Weaving a few threads of air Nynaeve slashed Rory's dress right in the middle. The upper part remained the same while Nynaeve wove the lower part around Rory's legs like a diaper.

 

"Chilly today, isn't it?", said Nynaeve as she peered out the window. "I do apologize about the state of your dress. Of course it was ruined way before I redecorated it. It's this silly habit of mine. I do not like people pretending to be something they are not. I like to stare into their real face. I do not suffer hypocrisy. And so, if you insist to behave like a child I shall insist on you looking like one."

 

Sitting back down, Nynaeve drummed her fingers on the desk, her eyes fixed on Rory's. "Your mentor. Saline was her name, correct? Have you had problems with her? Has she not extended her help to you when you needed it? Because I can easily report her incompetence in mentoring you and she will be replaced. Possibly punished as well for her failure to report her own failures. Would you like that, Rory? Do you feel that would help you to find your place within the tower?".

 

 

Nyn

Yellow

 

[Sam]

Two spots of colour rose to her cheeks when she saw what Nynaeve Sedai had done. No woman should be so immodestly dressed in front of anyone but their lover. It was indecent—immoral! Her exposed thighs shivered with the sudden change in temperature. Rory was more than embarrassed. She was humiliated. But Rory was not the kind of girl to accept humiliation with dignity and poise. There would be consequences. Not now, while she was nothing short of helpless against saidar … eventually.

 

Any rebellious child knows how to wall themselves off from censure and punishment, and it was a technique at which Rory excelled. She set her jaw firmly, in that stubborn pose any parent will recognize immediately and listened in silence as the Aes Sedai continued her little rant about “hypocrisy.” Her fists itched with the desire to press against sanctimonious flesh and her heart beat a little faster. She would never make it far enough across the room to connect, she knew, and the punishment would only be worth it if she did.

 

Her place in the tower: as far as the novice was concerned she had no place in the tower and would be leaving and the nearest convenient exit, thanks much. Saline wasn’t a bad sort, not really, and it wasn’t her fault that Rory was being such a b…. Nynaeve Sedai was a bit touched in the head, Rory decided, and she wanted to be out of there as quickly as she possibly could be.

 

A reply was expected, but she refused submit in any way. Rather than answering the question she decided to taunt, “If you do be wanting to see my legs, you only needed to ask!"

 

 

 

 

[Nynaeve]

"If you do be wanting to see my legs, you only needed to ask!". Nynaeve lowered her eyes for a moment and then raised them up again to meet Rory's eyes. "I've seen better." Sitting back, Nynaeve considered Rory for a moment. She avoided answering the question with an impertinent response. If she had a dislike towards her mentor she would have used that window of opportunity to get rid of her. Only she didn't. Which of course pointed out that she tolerated her mentor. That was a good sign.

 

"You like tormenting members of the tower, don't you? Some sort of childish retaliation. Gives you a sense of accomplishment, does it not? Since you cannot leave the tower you find that you have to actively do something so you will not feel like you're being dragged into the lion's den without a fight. I can understand that. But you must understand that you cannot step all over your mentor, or anyone else for that matter, and get away with it."

 

Folding her arms under her breasts, Nynaeve mused for a moment. Suppressing a smile, she went on. "Making people feel helpless is a talent, I'll give you that. It isn't easy, especially when you're using your charms on Accepted and Aes Sedai which supposedly should be resilient women. And yet here you are, in a way, victorious."

 

Fixing her eyes on Rory's, Nynaeve added a tone of seriousness to her voice. "I'm a very simple person, Rory. And I believe a person should lay in the bed he or she made. While you and I are very different you will find that at certain things we are alike. Soon you will have to realize that you are not the only one who can make others feel helpless."

 

Weaving a few threads of spirit, Nynaeve used them to shield Rory from Saidar. Tying it up, Nynaeve let go of weaves. She didn't think for a moment that Rory would use the source against her, even if she wanted to, but she wanted her to understand the meaning of helplessness in its fullest and having the option of touching Saidar, no matter how much she hated the very notion, was still a trickle of hope that Nynaeve desired to remove.

 

Weaving a set of air threads, Nynaeve used them to elevate Rory from the floor. As her mouth opened, Nynaeve gagged her with invisible air threads. "Helpless. Incapacitated. Powerless. Vulnerable." Nynaeve paced in the room, not looking directly at Rory. "What you feel right now is what you make others feel with your absurd behavior. Saline in particular. And what was her crime? trying to help you?"

 

Adding a few air threads in a casual fashion, Nynaeve started spinning Rory around. "You spin Saline about. You despair her. And the more she tries, the more you confuse her." Nynaeve picked up the speed of the spinning. "The funny thing is, she still hangs on to hope. The reason for it escapes me." Stopping the spinning abruptly, Nynaeve looked up at Rory. "Why do you think that is?". Removing the gag, Nynaeve permited Rory to speak.

 

 

 

Nyn

Yellow

[Sam]

Rory laughed. A severe state of giddy bemusement settling on her shoulders. Thatwas fun! If she answered incorrectly there was a strong possibility the Aes Sedai would do it again and wouldn't that be a shame? Not by even two eighths. Rory had initially been fascinated by the idea of the yellow ajah and indeed the infirmary as a whole but now she was finding that her delight was quickly replaced by boredom. At least the old woman in front of her was proving sport. This beat the dust out of someone trying to teach her something any day. Ah. She had forgotten that she was supposed to respond, oh, she'd think of something creative!

 

Rory felt for the woman, she truly did. It was obvious that in her own little way she was trying to understand Rory, or rather, make Rory understand Rory. It wasn't her fault that she'd gotten most of it wrong and that her methods were about as subtle as the tiganza. Rory did not fight to make those around her feel helpless, although she wouldn't complain if that was a healthy side effect. No, she fought as a way to stave off the crushing weight of her own helplessness. She could not imagine being any less in charge of herself than she was now.

 

It took decades, decades to become an Aes Sedai. That meant decades before she could make the long voyage back home to see her parents. They were old, how long would they live? There was the very real possibility that her parents would die before she was able to see them again, if she couldn't get ousted from the tower first. And if her parents died while she was trapped in the intestinal tract of this bizarre organisation she would use those arts they sought to teach her to bring them to their knees.

 

No, the Aes Sedai understood nothing and would prefer to subject Rory to torment than find out the problem. Light help her patients! Well, Rory could tiganza too, when it came down to it and she would answer in a manner befitting her "hostess."

 

In response to the weaving:"Oooooh," long and drawn out,"I get it. I've heard stories about your type. This do be my cue to pretend I'm the naughty novice, then? Or do I be the overly devout girl and you do be my inflexible tutor? I do be telling you one thing, I won't be calling you mistress, no matter how much you ask!"