Errands

[Wayfarer]

Frowning, her forehead furrowing slightly, Lillian set her book on the table before her.  Reaching for a couple more, she rested them on each of her thighs as she rocked her seat on its back legs slightly.  Leafing through them, she still managed to keep track of Sial who was focusing on a piece of work that Lillian had set for her.  An exercise for her mind as much as it was for knowledge, Lillian had given her a dozen accounts of a single event that had occured five years ago.  A simple ruckus amongst several merchants, not only their stories but that of those who witnessed the debacle were to be found before Sial.

 

Lillian was fairly certain that, if nothing else, the challenge to try and pick which account was the correct one would keep Sial occupied.  Every single account varied from each other in at least one single aspect, often they were more diverse, especially when it came to the words that had been spoken.  It had caused her to puzzle for awhile, so it would have to keep Sial occupied for awhile at least, and perhaps she would learn some les-

 

Frowning as something caught her eye in the book on her left, Lillian flicked a few more pages on her right as she saw a simple correlation, something that stood out because both were in a rare form of agreement with the book infront of her.  Coming to a quick decision on the matter, Lillian closed the books before her and set them aside before taking a quill to a piece of parchment before her.

 

Scribbling furiously, it filled up the better part of the page before Lillian paused.  Thinking, Lillian added a couple more sentences or so then proceeded to fold the paper up so it sealed itself closed.  Taking the power long enough to weave a complicated ward through the letter, Lillian looked up at Sial who was watching her intently now.  No doubt she needed a break from her work anyway, so this would suit just fine.

 

"Sial, I need you to take this letter to Arette Sedai, the Keeper of Chronicles."  Setting the letter before the Novice, Lillian got to her feet and began to pile the set of books of hers on the desk up as she continued.  "We'll run over the details of your study later.  Go on."

 

Watching Sial leave, Lillian frowned more deeply as the door closed behind the young novice.  There was more to be done, as always.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Siemba]

Sial Daemoa was not always the easiest person to get to do things. The cairheinin 19 year old was quick enough to learn and not reluctant to do so, but 'have to' was not something that appealed to her and in such cases she had a tendancy to dig in her heels out of principal if not inclination. So she had to wonder how she had gone so far learning with Lillian Sedai without problems. The main issue in Sials eyes was that Lillian Sedai seemed to unwittingly manage to make things interesting. Sial would have sworn (feverently and borrowing some of her steeplejack uncles' vocabulary into the bargain) that she herself had not given anything away about herself over the past three months. She had dabbled in interfering with the merchant Daes Dae'mar often enough to keep personal infomation close and besides, she had been born a private individual. So how did Lillian Sedai seem to find, just when her temper was starting to fray, ways to interest her in learning again so she forgot any inclination to rebel?

 

Perhaps Aes Sedai play the Game of Houses better than Maerone merchants. Or maybe Lillian Sedai can bleeding well read my mind or something Sial had thought that morning when her mentor had handed her reports. It sounded dull, reports, and had someone just told her that she would be pouring over 5 year old descriptions of one event before she had been handed them, she would have made herself scarce. Gone and hid in the Warders yard, maybe, or in the Kitchens up a chimney for a day. But the accounts were...well, fun. It was almost like being home again, except instead of eavesdropping on infomation and then selling it to who would pay most, Sial was looking through lies to find out who would have least reason to lie. It was almost as good as hearing a story, except these were real people.

 

Sial jotted down a new suspicion on a dog-eared bit of paper. She could read well enough and spell reasonably but her writing was terrible. It wasnt that she didnt know her letters-she did-it was just her interpretation of them that was aweful. Sial had never kept a diary but had she ever felt inclined to do so, she would never have to worry about prying eyes reading it; even she occasionally wondered what in the Light she had written. That didnt matter though-these notes were just for her. The dark haired woman had a feeling she knew whose account to trust now, though, but she just had to-

 

Lillian Sedai suddenly scribbled so franticly that Sials concentration broke. She scowled darkly at the inturruption-she hated it when people inturrupted her reading-but curiosity replaced the irritation. Lillian was not, for the most part, a frantic person. Whys she jumping like someones put a hedgehog in her shift? There was a note...the Lillian embraced the Power. Sial itched to do the same herself, watching carefully. Whats she doing? You dont need Saidar to read

 

"Sial, I need you to take this letter to Arette Sedai, the Keeper of Chronicles" Lillian Sedai said. Sial clenched her teeth but tried to keep the expression off of her face. First off, Lillian must have warded the letter. Sial wasnt sure what irritated her more-the fact that her mentor didnt trust her not to read a private letter or the fact that her mentor possibly knew that she would have read it in case of advantage, regardless of loyalties. Secondly, the letter contained something she didnt know and how she hated not knowing. Especially ferrying infomation that she didnt bloody know herself. And thirdly,  Arette Sedai.

 

It annoyed Sial that someone as important as the Keeper had so little rumour about her. Perhaps part of the problem was that, even after three months, Sial was little more than cordial toward the other Novices. Half of the little upstarts were younger than her and most of them were already in their tight knit little cliques. Sial Daemoa was not about to go trailing after some little 15 year old gang as a tagger on. She would rather be on her own than part of a gang out of charity. Novices, however, were the place to start if you wanted gossip on Aes Sedai and as she didnt talk that intimately with the other Novices, Sial was at a loss when it came to thinking up what she knew about Arette Sedai. Except that she apparently was very strong (which hardly took a genius to guess-how else did someone become Keeper?) and was a good teacher. Neither were bits of infomation that would get Sial very far.

 

Still, Lillian Sedai had asked and, after all, she was Aes Sedai. Sial surpressed a sigh at the loss of her study. Instead, she flicked her plait back over her shoulder away from her hands, brushed stray wisps of brown hair out of her face and took the letter in good grace, then trotted out of the room. She didnt curtsy though. She still couldnt curtsy without looking a fool.

 

"Bloody letter, inturrpting my bloody study, could be prying into merchant fights..." Sial muttered. Under her breath, of course. And after she had closed the door. And put a corridor between her and her mentor. Natrually. She muttered for quite a while as she stomped along but after two more corridors, she was only muttering to keep up apperances and her stomps had reduced to a bouncy gait. She flicked the letter idly and wondered what it could say.

 

Perhaps its a book reccomendation, thought thats not important. Perhaps Lillian Sedai has made a miraculous discovery. Oh, Light! Maybe its a decoy! Shes made a discovery and needed to get rid of me! Oh, buggery, or I didnt solve the merchant thing quick enough-I bet thats it. Shes finally snapped and decided that Im not bleeding Aes Sedai material and shes going to get Arette Sedai to throw me out of the highest window  in the Tower with only that letter as a cushion and see if I bounce when I splatter on the courtyard floor. Even as she thought it, Sial didnt think the latter was too likely, but you never knew with Aes Sedai and she couldnt shake off a feeling of dread. She imagined this was what it was like to be sent to see the Mistress of Novices for a wrong. She dreaded ever meeting the Amyrlin.

 

A shoelace came undone and Sial went face first across the colourful tiles with a yelp. She slid a few feet on the shinyness before stopping thankfully short of a Sea Folk Porcelain vase that was tall enough to hide a child. "Blood and bloody, bleeding, Trollocing ashes!" The words were out of her mouth before it occoured to her to look if anyone was around. Thankfully, the corridor seemed clear. A witness would have added insult to injury-was she injured?

 

Gingerly, Sial got to her feet. She was winded, hair bedraggled and her knee would probably bruise by tomorrow, but otherwise fine. Her Novice clothes were another matter. Dust smudges were strewn down the front of her white dress and there was a thread hanging from the hem. The offending lace had snapped and its pair flopped sadly against her shoe. Sial winced. She wasnt exactly fond of the ensamble-she doubted any Novice really was-but she had a feeling that this was not good. Not good at all. At least the letter was uninjured.

 

How can a flipping floor thats scrubbed by Novices and servents every day be so bloody flithy? Sial tucked the spare lace into the side of her shoe and dusted herself down as best she could. She even unrolled her sleeves from her shoulders in an attempt to look neat, but they were creased after being folded for so long and the gesture didnt help. She wanted to change: she was going to the Keeper, for Lights sake! But there was no time. She hurried to the Keepers office as fast as dignity allowed, galloping along empty corridors in an attempt to get the thing over and done with, but all too soon she was there.

 

Sial looked at the door and clenched her fists and tried to keep a serene expression at the same time. Dont be in! Then I can stick this letter under the door and go back to reading those merchant reports rather than standing here like a tramp in rags. Dont be in, dont be in, dont be in, dont be in She knocked hesitantly on the door.

 

Sial Daemoa

Novice

[Arette]

Work, work, work. It filled the life of Arette Nenatiar and that was how she liked it. Loyalty and dedication were the crowning virtues of the Keeper of the Chronicles and she had both aplenty. No one had been more shocked than she when her mentor Karana Majin had asked her to become her Keeper and she had vowed that she would never let her Amyrlin down. Someone might have said that she took fulfilling her duties too far but keeping herself busy quieted the silly dreams of leaving the Tower and finally adventuring a bit with her Warder. She hadn't done it for centuries so it was folly to have gotten so hung upon the idea now in her later years.

 

She and Karana were a boring pair really when it came to gossip mongering that was all too common among the Aes Sedai no matter how they tried to deny that they weren't like the other women. The best the wagging tongues could come up was that they were pillow friends but no one who knew them believed it. That was one weak area that Arette felt strongly, her lack of social contacts and access to the rumour network. Sure, she did know Brown Sisters who had their ear on the ground in that department but she should be more active herself too. She just wasn't very good at it and people took so much valuable time.

 

Focusing on the monthly book keeping accounts again, she frowned when her train of thought was disrupted by a knock on the door. It could be important so with a sigh she called the person to enter. It was a brown haired novice in a fairly disheveled state. There were dust stains on her creasy novice white dress and her shoe laces gaped open. Arette fixed her with a firm stare. The child gave a curtsy but it looked unpracticed enough that she suspected her to be clumsy. Likely someone who wasn't used to curtsying to anyone but not a noble since young ladies were trained to be more gracious. The clumsiness could explain the appearance too but who ever had sent her here should have taken notice.

 

"Well child, state your name and what brings you here? And what has happened to you? You look old enough that you should know by now how to keep yourself more presentable."

 

Arette Nenatiar

Keeper of the Chronicles

[Siemba]

Sial had tried-and failed-to curtsy. She never did with Lillian Sedai. Her curtsies were too rubbish to bother her mentor with. Lillian Sedai deserved something done properly or not at all, Sial had always felt. The Keeper of the Chronicles, however, that was a different matter. First off, Sial knew nothing about the woman, not really. And then there was that she was the Keeper and Sial just a Novice. Novices could perhaps push their luck with their mentors (perhaps) but with the Keeper? That would be foolishness.

 

"Well child, state your name and what brings you here? And what has happened to you? You look old enough that you should know by now how to keep yourself more presentable." Arette Sedai sounded reasonable enough. For a moment, Sial found herself liking the woman. It had nothing to do with the fact that she had suggested that Sial looked older, of course, none at all. Sial, at 5'4" and with the look of a girl at least three years younger, was always irrationally irritated when people got her age wrong. Of course, older could mean anything. Older could refer to a 15 year old. Sial chose to gloss over that in her mind. It was easier that way. You are in the presence of the Keeper, you bloody fool! Say something! Dont gape like a trout on the bank of a river!

 

"Im Sial-" already, the Novice was stuck in her reply. How did you adress the Keeper? Eaiser to stick with the Sedai doodah... "My name is Sial, Arette Aes Sedai. Lillian Sedai told me to bring you this letter." That sounded alright, didnt it? Respectful enough, surely. That was one bonus with the precise characteristic of a cairheinin accent. Even theifs and beggers could sound at least vaguely proper.

 

The Novice remembered the letter and carefully offered it to the Keeper but her shadowy dark eyes were already taking account of the room and its occupant. The piles of papers interested her after her day of reading about merchants with her mentor. What does a Keeper read? It took a moment for Sial to remember that the other woman had asked another question. She was reluctant to answer in full; she didnt really trust herself to manage to keep both her dignity and her temper in answering. Not to answer, though, would be bad. Not just improper but dangerous. Who knew what a peeved Aes Sedai would do to a steeplejacks daughter who failed to answer her? Sial had been meddling in Daes Dae'mar long enough to doctor her reply to an extent but who knew how much would be obvious?

 

"I was sort of presentable when I first got changed, Aes Sedai" Sial replyed solemnly. "I was neat right up until I left my room." It was entirely true. She never thought she was pretty but generally once she had washed and put on clean clothes and flicked a brush through her long dark hair she looked neat. Ish. What she had failed to mention was that within five minutes of getting changed in the morning, her sleeves would be rolled up, her dress creased and her hair flyaway. She may be able to start the day as neat but it never lasted past breakfast. Neat was not that important when you were a chimney sweep or an errand girl or a tavern kitchen girl or the Readers assistant. She was tempted to say more but she didnt think she could talk about her bloody lace coming undone and falling face first along a bleeding corridor without either swearing, scowling, speaking in a disrespectful tone or ranting like a raving lunatic. She carefuly folded her hands behind her back to avoid fiddling with anything and watched the other woman carefully. Very carefully.

[Arette]

Shaking her head slightly at the child's evasion, Arette opened the letter. Her mouth quirked to a smile as Lillian gave the answer to the latest puzzle she had set for her. They had played a little game with each others since she had become the Keeper. The White Sister was alarmingly sharp at putting pieces together from the slightest snippets of information you let to slip and somehow she had figured out that there was a secret Library. Aes Sedai were unable to lie and dancing around the issue was no help with Lillian. Leaving the younger Sister's curiousity brimming had been most satisfying but she had been in for a nasty surprise when she once found Lillian from the secret library one day. She should have exposed her but that would have meant revealing that she had been the one who gave her the clues. She had changed the access weave that triggered the ward several times but somehow the White always managed to get back in and finally she had given up.

 

If you couldn't beat them, better make them your allies and Lillian's keen mind was definately a good tool. She had given her assignments of real importance that utilized the information of the secret Library and if anyone got wind of that... well, there would be trouble. The last part of the letter made her frown in thought. She stared at the letter until the warded words vanished and she embraced the Source and burned the paper just to be sure.

 

"It seems that there will be more letters for you to deliver, child." She scribbled quickly a note in her elegant handwriting and sealed it with her Great Serpent ring. She placed a ward tuned to the attended receiver on the letter before handing it to Sial. "You are to take this to Vera Cadsanome of the Gray Ajah at greatest haste. And tell Lillian that she owes to me, I am a busy woman after all." There was more fondness than irritation in her voice, though.

 

"Now, you can't go quite as you are, child. Come here." As Sial obeyed, Arette channeled and quickly removed the dust stains and ironed the wrinkles off her sleeves. She had the child stand on a chair as she could hardly be expected to bend to mend her shoelaces. When the novice look pristine again, she gave her an annoyed glance.

 

"This is a one time only event. If I ever see you in such state again, you and the Mistress of Novices will have a nice little chat. You were spared only because I need the letter sent." She muttered under her breath about Lillian and her having a word too. "Shoo now, child. The Wheel waits on no woman." She picked up her papers again and dismissed the novice from her mind.

 

Arette Nenatiar

Likes her novices clean and tidy

[Siemba]

Sial had watched the Keeper open the note but it was her reaction that was most interesting. The Novice was young but not stupid. Wards and letter burning? There had to have been something important in that note, either to the Tower or to Arette Sedai and Lillian Sedai. The 'more letters' was interesting too. It suggested that more Aes Sedai would be involved. Sial didnt know what exactly they were involved in but if she delivered another letter, she would have three names. Perhaps this will be more interesting than I thought. Light, who'd have thought that playing carrier-pigeon could be as useful as eavesdropping in a marketplace?

 

The cairheinin had been quite well behaved as far as propriety went and she was pleased with herself. She was more pleased, however, that the older woman hadnt equired further into her appearence. The sudden laundering of her novice whites, now that had shocked her. She still wasnt entirely used to spontanious channelling and the nature of the chanelling alarmed her because it was so practical. No story ever accused Aes Sedai of practicality but a Weave that could wash, mend and iron all at once was frankly genius. Sial itched to learn that one. Why do they need servants and Novices to wash their clothes if they can do that? I could buy one outfit and break it in and Id bloody well never need another one!

 

Sial felt a little silly standing on a chair and considerably embarassed that she was essentially being dressed by the Keeper but, thankfully, she had never been measured for a dress (she had got her clothes from hawkers and carts premade) and so the image of a noblewoman at a dressmakers never entered her head all the while Arette Sedai was fixing her shoes. If it had, her face would probably have caught fire. As it was she could feel her cheeks heating. When Arette was finished, the Novice dress looked better than it probably had new. Even the Novices hair seemed neater alongside such an improved appearence of her clothes. Sial resisted the urge to roll her sleeves up.

 

"This is a one time only event. If I ever see you in such state again, you and the Mistress of Novices will have a nice little chat. You were spared only because I need the letter sent. Shoo now, child. The Wheel waits on no woman." The Keeper sounded annoyed but not murderous. Sial couldnt believe her own luck. She jumped off the chair with probably more enthusiasm than was proper and curtsyed as best as she could manage. It turned out looking like she was trying to use her skirts to fly while bowing but that couldnt be helped. "Yes Arette Sedai, thankyou Arette Sedai!" With the letter in one hand and a final nod of her head to Arette, Sial scarpered.

 

Closing the door to the Keepers office, Sial hopped in victory. She was alive and unscarthed! Arette wasnt a bad old stick, really. That or Sial was too beneath her notice for her to concern herself with. Either way, she had survived meeting the Keeper without getting beaten or thrown out of the Tower or giving away excessive personal infomation or swearing. That was enough to class as a victory in Sials book. She swished her newly whitened skirt and trotted off along the corridor before she remembered the letter in her hand. Who is Vera Cadsanome? She had better be in the bleeding Gray Ajah quarters; I wont recognise her if I pass her. Anyway, Ill chuck her this letter, run back and hope Lillian Sedai hasnt noticed how long Ive been gone and then get back to those merchants... No matter how fun the merchant reports were, however, this was real life and Sial was intregued as to what Lillian and Arette were so fussed about. She pondered that as she headed down the Tower.

 

The Gray Ajah quarters were refreshingly neautral in apperance with noting that Sial could see that would particularly offend anyone, unless someone happened to find neutrility offensive. Servants drifted and the occasional Warder strode past the young dark eyes woman as she entered with her letter. The Warders interested Sial more than she cared to admit. She had never thought men a particularly big part of her life-the boys of Maerone certainly never got far with her-but after three months of essentially female company, she was missing males. Not in the husbandy sense; love was a fairytale as far as Sial could see, made up to use against children like Trollocs and channeling men. It was the company she missed. Having grown up with a brother and a mass of uncles, she missed the joking and teasing and even the random rib-cracking bearhugs.

 

None of the Warders in the Gray Ajah looked particularly huggy, rib breaking or otherwise. Sial carefully avoided them, concentrating on the grey tiles floors. She stopped at a rather bossy looking maid with a broom to ask directions to Vera Sedais room.

 

"Over there," the maid replyed sniffily despite her Illianer accent, "Though how you expect me to be knowing, I dont know, though I do be knowing but thats neither here nor there. Get along with you! I be busy!" She continued sweeping the floor. Sial scowled but did not say anything in retort to the womans snippy tone. Servants, women servants especialy, knew were Novices stood in the Aes Sedai heirarchy and did not have to show the respect they would do to a full sister. "Thankyou for your help," Sial replyed with a coldness that could put midwinter to shame.

 

She strode rather ungraciously in the direction that the servant had indicated and stopped outside the door. There she rather carefully checked her appearence. Just because Arette Sedai had let her get away with looking like she had been wrestling pigs didnt mean other Aes Sedai would be so lenient and Sial didnt want to push her luck after such a close call previously. She pulled down her sleeves that she had uncoinciously managed to roll up somewhere between the Gray Quarters and the Keepers office and flicked stray wisps of brown hair behind her ears. Then she stood on toptoe, letter in one hand, and knocked on Vera Cadsanomes door.

[ashara]

Vera Cadsanome’s door was no daunting oak, but rather wood of a lighter hue, a light brown that stood out nicely beside the other neatly allocated quarters of the Gray. As a fire danced outside, flickers of these flames teased the surface of her door, a sight she had often enjoyed watching when outside her own rooms. Presently though, Vera sat sunk into a chair with her frame slightly bent over an old sketchbook. The pages still had the crispness to them that they’d possessed decades ago when she had spent hours pouring over it, scribbling and doodling yes, but mostly leaping to make pencil meet paper, scratch against the surface and finish with something worthy.  As she thumbed through, sometimes lingering over one or two drawings in particular as memories were relived, she felt an odd pang. The pang was something bittersweet, both content and nostalgic at once, submerging her so deeply in thought that it was Mierie, and not she who answered the door. Bless the woman for dusting early.

 

It was the haughty tone that drew her away, irritation tugging at her for some errand carrier to have come a-visiting at such a point of time. Carefully putting away her book, she waited as the girl swept past Mierie, who had now turned to look at Vera with a mix of mild confusion and indignation. Vera smiled. This would not be the first Novice to enter her quarters so. The Novice was slightly…slightly…odd though. There was no other way to put it, with her appearance dangling so riskily between scruffy and presentable, face wearing suspicion and impatience better than Vera’s had when she had been in the white herself. Her face was not familiar to Vera, and the current lack of polish gleamed out in Vera’s eyes better than any placard that might’ve said, “Good day and well met! I’m new.” A wave of sympathy caught her, as was usual to the Gray, but any generosity would come later. Motioning for the Novice to come forward, she spoke. “Now then, who may you be? And how may I help you?”

[Siemba]

Sial knew nothing about Vera Cadsanome-or at least she hadnt. On entering the Aes Sedai's room, however, she automatically tried to change that. It was habit but even if it wasnt, she wouldnt have been able to miss certain things. The personal touches. Even those who were out of the Tower for years at a time couldnt help but pick up a few personal items, have there rooms just so, and Vera Sedai was no exception. That chair for example. It said something about its owner. The whole room did if you knew what to look for. Sial just had to work out exactly what it was she was trying to see.

 

It was easier to examine the Aes Sedai herself than spend precious moments of nosiness trying to guess what the room might mean. Vera Sedai was not ugly and Sial guessed that, had it not been for the ageless look that unnerved some, men might find her attractive. Her eyes were certainly pretty, grey like her Ajah, but in Sials experience there were few people in the world who didnt have pretty eyes. Eyes were too alive to be unattractive. After 3 months in the Tower, she knew it was considered rude to think of an Aes Sedais age...but she couldnt help wondering. The Aes Sedai was smiling. That was a relief, at any rate.

 

Sial stood still. Carefully. She didnt want to stand like some uppity little noble chit but she couldnt bring herself to creep and crawl more than necessary. She would chirp honourifics and bob (bad) curtsies like a good little Novice until the cows came home but she wasnt going to go over the top. She may sweep floors and scrub pots and run letters around but she still had got some pride. "My name is Sial, Vera Aes Sedai," she said in her precise Cairheinin voice. She curtsied and made a pigs ear of it too. Rather hurriedly, she skipped straight ahead to the letter. "Arette Sedai told me to bring you this letter." She held up the letter, trying to look-what? What was a Novice meant to look like? Dress or not, she was still the chimney-sweeping, merchant-stirring, kitchen-breaking, Reader-annoying young woman she had been 3 months ago. 19 or not, she still looked like a 16 year old street urchin. Whats the point in trying? Any day now Ill screw up and they'll say that Eqwina Sedai made a mistake and send me packing. Grr. Bloody...Tower.

[ashara]

A Cairhienin then. The thick accent still brought back memories of home, even today, after many journeys back. Vera traced a spark of something familiar about her, in the name and her face, and the wandering eyes that were devouring her room as if they would bring her every detail of Vera’s life, should she squeeze them just right. And they would, Vera acknowledged. She had hemmed her quarters in things most personal to her, in subtle shimmers of faces framed in paintings hung on the wall, or books scattered with images rather than words, just like the one she had held tightly a few minutes ago. The flowers that scented the room admirably were picked from a garden she had built herself, along with then four Novices who were now Sisters worth knowing, or Accepted, ripe for picking. It was one of the reasons-these slight decorations that would catch a practiced eye quick enough- she did not invite many into her quarters except for those who were important to her, or rather, close to her heart. Novices were acceptable though. Novices could see and spend themselves on the puzzles as much as they liked, and she would help them if they truly wanted and if it would help them as initiates themselves.

 

“A letter from Arette Sedai? Hand it over, please.” Accepting it gratefully, she opened it. The Keeper of the Chronicles was no acquaintance of hers, and the fact that she had sent her a letter made the message much more important than any other Sial might’ve graced her rooms with. She rose and went towards a window, rays of light shedding clues over the parchment as she opened it. The letter was not long, but its matter was something that opened up all sorts of wheels in her head. She frowned for a few minutes, but as she continued to read, her face softened back to its initial peace. “Thank you for this letter, Sial, you’ve been a speedy messenger. I need you to do the same for me, though.” It was not a question, but Vera hoped that she had shown Sial that it was more out of necessity that she needed a letter dispatched immediately, rather than the Novice thinking all Aes Sedai were out to get her. Quickly settling down beside her desk, she dipped her quill in ink and began to write. Today, her message was for one Blue Sister, a one of a kind Aes Sedai who Vera had faith in to help them.

 

When done, she beckoned Sial. “This letter is for Rossa Venye, of the Blue Ajah. Please make sure that she is given this quickly Sial, it is important.” Smiling, she handed it over. “Thank you, I am grateful for your help. Now go, please. If you need any help in the future yourself, be sure to visit. I will do what I can.”

 

~Vera

[Siemba]

Sial was still looking around the room when the Aes Sedai finished her reading.  “Thank you for this letter, Sial, you’ve been a speedy messenger. I need you to do the same for me, though.” That bought the Novice back to the present with a bump. Another letter? Why cant these women meet up and talk face to face like the rest of the bloody world? Still, it could have been worse. At least Vera Sedai seemed pleasent enough without being lenient. And letter running, irritating though it was, was easier than scrubbing pots, even if it didnt have the entertainment value that reading about Merchant Daes Dae'mar did.

 

So Sial waited with as much patience as she could muster and practiced keeping her expression neautral. And looked around the room some more while the Aes Sedai finished writing.  “This letter is for Rossa Venye, of the Blue Ajah. Please make sure that she is given this quickly Sial, it is important. Thank you, I am grateful for your help. Now go, please. If you need any help in the future yourself, be sure to visit. I will do what I can.”

 

The Aes Sedai wasnt a bad old stick, really, Sial decided as she took yet another letter into her fist. In fact, Aes Sedai in general were perhaps not as evil as some stories made out. Lillian Sedai gave her a fun chore, Arette Sedai had cleaned her dress and not sent her for a beating and now Vera Sedai was politely thanking her and offering help. "Yes, Vera Sedai. Thankyou." She curtsied again, again suceeding in no grace whatsoever, and trotted out of the room with letter in hand.

 

The Blue Quarters. Righteo. Thats...this way, isnt it? The Cairheinin did not slow her trot. Vera had said quickly, so quickly it would be. Besides, the quicker she got there, the quicker she would be done and she could go back to studying. Then again...

 

Thats Lillian, Arette and Vera and now Rossa, whoever that is...what have those lot got in common? She pondered as she walked. Well, skipped was closer to accurate. This was a real life puzzle and she liked this sort of thing. She arrived at the Blue Quarters and scurried inside. Whoever Rossa was, she would be bound to find her room eventually...

 

The corridors were empty. Sial hesitantly knocked on the first door she came to, her free hand fiddling with her end of her dark plait. If its Rossa, Ive found her. If its not, I can ask for directions...surely there is no harm in asking...

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

A knock at the door heralded the end to the piece of paper she was studying intently.  Rossa tugged her shawl around her shoulders, the oceanic fringe bobbing across her back in a tidal wave below the dark mass of her hair.  She wore it loose today; something ordinarily she did not do, but Rossa was feeling a tight headache.  It was not worthy of going to the Yellow Ajah about something so trivial, so her hair was unbound around her shoulders, like full night descending on the sea. 

 

The report in front of her was not an easy read in the first place.  Being of the Blue Ajah, it was connected to her Cause and it was, she admitted, in a very dry area.  Around her study cookbooks lined the shelves and in one corner, the stack of canvasses, some starting as mere sketches, the others full portraits of sisters and landscape scenes she had seen.  The cookbooks were part of her ongoing attempt to find better ways to preserve food, and to spread education about food use and hygiene, thereby increasing the health of the populace.  Some people had too much food and squandered it; some had too few and starved.  The imbalance was unfair, and it was Rossa Sedai’s Cause to try and balance it out.

 

“Come in,” she called, putting the paper down on the desk in front of her.  As neat as she tried to be, there were small stacks of files to read on this and that, and things relating to her Cause.  The plain oaken surface was more suited to a farmhouse table than anything in the White Tower.  From noble beginnings, reduced to abject poverty before she arrived in Tar Valon and then regaining some measure of status, she had never forgotten that it was any rank at all was a privilege.

 

The door creaked open, and a figure in white, a novice, stood there.  Rossa raised her eyes to study the girl, noting the hesitancy, and beckoned her forward to come into her study.  “Welcome, child.  How can I help you?”

[Siemba]

Sial had put the letter behind her back out of habit, as if to hide her purpose, but now she thought twice as she looked at the dark haired woman. She might be Rossa. And if she isnt, whats it to me if some Blue knows Rossa has a letter? Its not like Im planning to bloody read it out... Still, she kept the letter nondesriptly at her side as she hovered in the doorway for a moment, then went over to the Aes Sedai.

 

"Sorry to inturrupt, Aes Sedai, but Ive been sent to find Rossa Sedai and I dont know where she lives. I wouldnt have knocked but no one else is around to ask." That was suitably diffident, surely? Sial tried not to figit. Wether or not this was Rossa did not matter if the Aes Sedai decided she was too forward and needed punishing. Sial tried to look around the room and keep an eye on the other woman all at once as she stood waiting to see what the other woman said.

 

Sial Daemoa

Slightly Lost

 

(OOC: Im really sorry for the delay in replying, Winter Mist! I had an internet access issue :-\)

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

She glanced up again and smiled.  The novice looked back at her confidently, and Rossa had to admire that.  As a novice, she herself had been outgoing but had hidden it behind a mask of politics and vengeance – very few people had actually known her as a person.  Daes Dae’mar had been graven into her bones before she had entered the White Tower and donned the white dress of an initiate.

 

It was her policy to always be polite to people when she did not know their intent.  Clearing the papers to the other side of her desk, Rossa remembered where she had set each individual pile and what they contained.  She had her mother to thank for that.  As the middle daughter of a high-ranking noblewoman, the best Rossa could have hoped for was a politically acceptable marriage and a kind husband.  Her future had become something different from that rather mature belief of a twelve-year-old girl.  She shook her head minutely, and smiled again at the novice.  “I am Rossa Sedai, child.  Now then, how may I help you?” 

 

[Siemba]

Sial hovered between relief and awkwardess. This was Rossa Sedai? She felt a fool for having to ask and revieling, simply by that that she was a relatively new Novice. Or does it? I bet other longterm Novices dont know everyone in the Tower Still, the 19 year old Cairheinin resolved to try to find out the exact name, ajah and location of every Aes Sedai in the tower at some pointeven as she stepped forward to the desk.

 

'Vera Sedai asked me to bring you this letter' Sial said in her precise accent. She couldnt help her eyes flickering around the room. She was intregued as to what Lillian, Rossa, Vera and Arette possibly could have linking them and every little detail helped. Not that there were many details about Rossas room that shouted a particular link. It was the usual thing. Not as personalised as Veras perhaps, nor as obviously official as Arettes but still the typical Aes Sedai room, with essential and luxuries. The table, for example, was good quality to Sials eye but she doubted it would look right in a palace. An inn, maybe one like the Dancing Bear at home in Maerone, but certainly not a palace. 

 

The dark haired Novice held out the letter to the Aes Sedai solemnly.

[Winter Mist]

 

~Rossa~

 

Extending her hand, Rossa took the letter from the novice, who dropped a curtsey and waited respectfully for her next orders.  She reached up to tuck a strand of her night-dark hair behind her ear where it always slipped forward errantly, escaping clip or thong.  Dark eyes scanned the contents of the letter.  Her hand reached forward now, underneath her desk to a drawer that was opened, and a small boiled sweet pulled out.  With an absent look at the novice before returning her attention to the letter, Rossa unwrapped the tiny candy and popped it into her mouth.  She sighed.  She loved the honey ones.

 

She was fully aware that the novice was waiting for an instruction.  Rossa let the sweet dissolve for as long as she could, but when she got to a certain part of the letter, she crunched it sharply, snapping the honeyed sweet between her teeth.  She never could keep a sweet for long without doing that.  Smiling back at the dark-haired girl, Rossa resealed the letter and handed it to her.

 

“Take this letter to Lillian Sedai, child, of the White Ajah.”  Rossa folded her hands on the desk in front of her, itching to take another sweet but instead, after a moment, she took one of the papers about the fish levels in the oceans around Tear.

 

[Siemba]

It was only her Cairheinin heritage that stopped white-dressed Sial from spluttering. Another letter and to Lillian Sedai?! They've sent me in a bloody circle! But perhaps I can get back to that history-whats the connection between this lot? Apart from that they all like sending me running around with letters?

 

Sial took one last look at the room for last hints before taking the letter from the Aes Sedai. "Yes, Rossa Sedai." She caught her hand on the way to put the end of her plait between her teeth and stopped it, brushing back wisps of stray dark hair from her face, then remembered to curtsy. The curtsy was, if possible, even worse than the one she had made moments before. Steeplejack daughters were not meant to curtsy, not this one anyway. What use is flouncing your skirts in the real world? The little woman trotted to the door with the new letter in one hand before curstying again. Then she fled from the room and almost sprinted up the corridor.

 

Sials speed did not last long. It was surprisingly tiring galloping all over the White Tower all at once. Besides, on the way to Arette Sedais, she had fell over and she didnt fancy a repeat of that. Not that she could imagine Lillian patching her scuffy clothes. The thought occoured to her that maybe she looked scruffy despite that, so she stopped at a window and peeked at her reflection.

 

A short and curvy girl started back at her but Sial did not bother noticing the faint freckles on her nose or that her cheeks were rosy from running or that the hint of olivegold tan that had once glowed on her skin was fading, even after mere months, leaving her stereotypically pale. Instead she noticed how shaggy her plait had gotten, not that that was unusual, and that the glowing white that Arette had made her dress was slowly getting smudged and creased. Ah well. Cant be helped. Lillian Sedai wont care anyway. I dont need to be bloody dressed up to read merchant reports!

 

She picked up a slow jog. Undignified, perhaps, but she wanted to get rid of the letter. The movement became mechanic as her mind wandered. They arent even of the same Ajah. What links them? Its not the same nationality either. In fact, the only bloody link is that they are all Aes Sedai She slid to a halt outside the room she had started in, panting very slighty, and knocked on the door.

 

Sial Daemoa

Carrier pigeon extrodinairre!

[Wayfarer]

"Come in!"

 

Smiling at Sial as she entered and closed the door behind her gently, Lillian gestured to the seat that Sial had been sitting at previously.  There was a cup of tea sitting there for her, Lillian had thought to have one waiting for her mentee when she returned.  After all, she had been gone for awhile, and it was this little acts of thoughtfulness that counted.  Especially as Sial had a letter to give her, one that she took as it was offered and opened up.  Her face neutral as she read the letter, she scrunched it up once she was finished and threw it in the bin.

 

Sighing, Lillian could see without looking that Sial was working, yet at the same time observing her.  She'd become curious as to what had been going on, why she had needed to run a message so quickly that had taken her on a circuitous route about the Tower before bringing her back here to Lillian's quarters.  It would be interesting to find out what Sial felt and thought about everything that had happened so far.  After all, the exercise that Lillian had set her had been one designed to test her ability to deduce things from a limited array of facts.  To not ask her what she was thinking now would be a waste.

 

"Sial."  Turning her gaze directly to the girl as Sial stopped what she was doing and returned the look, Lillian's face remained smooth as she was silent for a moment.  It was interesting to observe the reaction, but now was the time to ask her questions.  "So, what have you deduced after all this?  Don't worry about the merchant papers just yet, I'm curious as to what you extrapolated from the task I gave you to carry my message and what resulted.  Don't worry about holding back, I want to know what you thought and why."

 

Leaning forward as she rested her elbows on the table, Lillian folded her fingers together and rested her chin upon them, waiting for Sial's answer.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Siemba]

Sial had been working-well sortof, her mind was on two puzzles now as well as on her tea (really, Lillian was not bad at all when it came to dealing with mentees)-when her mentor spoke up. "So, what have you deduced after all this?  Don't worry about the merchant papers just yet, I'm curious as to what you extrapolated from the task I gave you to carry my message and what resulted.  Don't worry about holding back, I want to know what you thought and why."That was unexpected. Perhaps Lillian did know her more than she thought she did. Even a sheep will wonder why its walking in circles eventually. Maybe she just thinks I'll talk. Well, theres nothing to tell.

 

"I havent really deduced anything..." As she said those words, though, Sial realised that it wasnt quite true. She may not have known the exact details but she could say what she had seen. Dont hold back? Perhaps it is a scheme, one to see how much I know, then she can feed me to lions if I know too much. But...it might be a test? And then she might feed me to the lions if I fail! Exactly where Lillian Sedai would get Novice-eating lions did not cross Sials mind but she decided it would be easier to say anything she thought might be significant. Besides, even if this was just a way for her mentor to spy on other Aes Sedai uning her-after all, it didnt take that long to deliver just 1 letter and Lillian had received a letter from Rossa-well, if Lillian wanted to spy, why should Sial stop her?

 

"I suppose you all could have been trying to distract me or something. You did seal your letters, all of you. But it would be silly if I was the reason for what four full Sisters do, so thats not likely." The Novice uncoinciously frowned and went to chew her plait before she caught herself and carefully sat on her hands, then nibbled her lip instead. When she spoke, it was in a tone of someone still thinking. "You gave me a letter to seal with the Power which I took to the Keeper, who read it and gave me a letter to take to Vera Sedai which I did and Vera Sedai read it and gave me a letter to take to Rossa Sedai who read it and gave me that same letter resealed for you." Sial had at some point put her elbow on the table and was now looking at a knot in the wood with a frown. "And obviously at least some of those letters were important, because when you wrote yours you were scribbling like a-" like you had itching berries down your neck- "like it was very important and Arette Sedai..."

 

Sial paused for a moment and winced very slightly. "On my way to the Keepers, I may have had a bit of an accident,which wasnt my blood-um, wasnt my fault, but she said it would have been enough to send me to the Mistress of Novices. But she didnt, so she obviously thought her letter was too urgent to send me to get thwacked and wait for someone else. Vera Sedai was very laid back about her letter, but she used me too rather than getting someone else" even after I bickered with her bloody maid to find her room "and Rossa thought things through before sending me with the same letter. So they were important letters. And they are likely to be connected because not only did I end up back here with a letter but each Aes Sedai wrote a letter the instant they finished reading the one they recieved."

 

The Cairheinin woman was starting to get into her stride now. "You are white, Arette Sedai is Keeper but was Brown I believe, Vera Sedai is Gray and Rossa Sedai is Blue but you all must be linked-linked to you at least-because you sent a letter to Arette Sedai and received one from Rossa Sedai but that was the same letter Vera Sedai sent her so she is linked in too." Sial tapped her nails on the table, still looking at that knot in the wood. "Apart from all being Aes Sedai and all sending me on letter errends you dont appear to have much in common...except...you all have dark hair. But its not the same shade and I cant really see you all sending urgent letters on haircare. You all were sitting at desks but none of them were of similar designs. You could have all been Novices together I suppose, but I dont think thats it and old Novice friend infomation wouldnt be important and you wouldnt have found it in those books you are reading-"

 

Sial broke off and looked up. "You were reading those books. Arette Sedai was reading something, some sort of bound book. Vera Sedai was reading too but she put her book away when I went over to her desk and Rossa Sedai was reading papers but her room is full of books." So what? They are all sharing reading recommendations? Sial Daemoa, you are a monumental moron. Coal or Sooty alone have twice the brains you do and they are horses.

 

Sial slouched back in her chair. "I dont know, Lillian Sedai. I suppose I havent deduced much at all. Except that Aes Sedai could probably do with saidar stuff that would take me all afternoon." She fiddled with her plait end again, eyes back on the knot in the table. The table had no answers. It was most irritating. She wondered what Lillian would say. Laugh, probably.

 

Or feed her to those lions.

 

Sial Daemoa

Potential Lion Fodder

[Wayfarer]

Smiling as Sial finished, Lillian mulled over what her mentee had told her.  She'd tried to link every single sister that had been involved together, and she'd noticed certain things that may have linked them but she had made several assumptions that had then denied her the chance to perceive what had actually occurred.  It was a simple fallacy that Sial had fallen victim to, and it was to be expected because she hadn't had the training to be able to discern what may or may not have occurred.  That was the idea of the exercise that she had set Sial to begin with, to introduce her to the fallacy and thereby allow her to be more aware of it, an awareness that she would bring by explaining at least some of what had happened, the rest would be for Sial to discover for herself.

 

"You're doing very well Sial, but now I want to draw your attention to some very simple things you did that led you off the track.  The first assumption was that because you dealt with four sisters, that all four of us must be linked.  What I sent to Arette Sedai may not have been what ended up with either Vera Sedai or Rossa Sedai.  The first key in solving a problem is identifying all the possible elements, but the second is discriminating between what 'must' be part of the problem and what 'might' be part of the problem."  That was the first of several points that would help her refine how she approached a problem.

 

"You've also made the assumption that the message I asked you to take to Arette Sedai is important.  You've decided this based on the fact that I warded the letter, that it has gone to the Keeper of Chronicles, my reaction when I found something in what I was reading and other factors.  Its a fair assessment, but you've also made the assumption that everything that you saw was true, or correct.  For example, I may or may not have played up the contents of the letters by writing nearly as much as I did, or by scrunching up the letter you brought back to me and throwing it away.  What you see and determine can easily be coloured by things that are deliberately presented to you in order to undermine your judgement.  Some elements may be true, others may be misleading."

 

"There is also the issue of intention and agenda."  Leaning back in her seat, Lillian smiled as she continued.  "You've assumed that there was only a single agenda held within the contents of the letter, and that has coloured your thinking and attempts to reason what has been done.  Its blinded you to the possibility of multiple intentions for the sending of the original letter, and of any subsequent letters.  A multiplicity of ideas can serve to screen what the primary intent by leading you along a different assumption."

 

Reaching for a drawer at her desk, Lillian opened it up and withdrew a single Andoran crown, other sisters liked their Tar Valon coin but she preferred to coin that merchants liked and could spend anywhere.  "That may be a bit heavy to take on board, so I'm going to teach you a very simple fallacy that many people fall victim to.  Grab your quill, I'm going to flip this coin twenty times and I'll tell you whether it is heads or tails each time.  Make a mark for heads or tails each time."

 

Flipping the coin repeatedly, the first few were tails, yet every subsequent one after that was heads, four tails to sixteen heads.  Finishing, Lillian placed the coin on the table as she looked at Sial.  "Four tails, sixteen heads, you would think that tails must come up to break this ridiculous run of heads?  This is a very common idea, that a run must end because the longer it goes on, the more likely that it will finish."

 

"Yet look at this coin."  Lillian gestured to it.  "Half the chance says it will go heads, the other half tails, it can equally go either way each time you flip the coin.  If each individual flip of the coin remains the same, then how can it become more likely for another side to come up?  The answer is that it doesn't.  I could flip heads one hundred times, and I would be no more likely to flip a tails on the hundred and first flip, the chance remains the same, half and half.  Yet people will believe that the coin is much more likely to go the other way because they want to believe it, without analysing the crucial aspect of the coin and how it remains the same."

 

"That is what we call the Gambler's fallacy.  The lesson to be learned from it, apart from being careful about why you choose to gamble, is that each individual occurrence may remain seperate and unaffected by the overall scheme or results.  What are your thoughts?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Siemba]

Sial thought, chewing her lip. "I think I understand, sortof. You flip a coin and it can go either way, unless you cheat, and each coin flip is unrelated. It might be the same coin and the same coin flipper but that doesnt make the coin flips related so you cant assume they are. You might be able to predict what the coin flip would do but theres no reason it will do it. And then the coin might land on its edge and even your predictions would be thrown out. Or the coin flipper might swap it for a double-headed coin when you arent looking. So this fallacy doodah is thinking events are related just because of certain common factors rather than concrete proof." She frowned. "So I suppose it could be applied to this. I mean, obviously you and Arette Sedai are linked, or she wouldnt have sent you a letter, and you and Rossa Sedai too or she wouldnt have forwarded you a letter but the links may be completely unrelated. Or they might be related, but without further proof, thinking that is a gamble."

 

The intention and agenda thing, the Novice had a reasonable grasp of. It was one of the things she had picked up from her childhood. However, Sials approach to other peoples agendas tended to be aimed toward herself; what others could or would or might do to her if she did something else. This made her think, and the more she thought, the more it seemed a good idea to put this into practice. She made up her mind to spend the rest of the day thinking of possible agendas for everyone she saw.

 

"You are linked with Vera Sedai too through the forwarded letter...but there is no proof that Vera Sedai intended the letter to reach you. It might be a plot. Perhaps Rossa Sedai is trying to interfer or perhaps you have an allience or perhaps you knew nothing of the fact that the letter you were going to recieve was forwarded. Unless I could find out the letter contents, its hard to proove one way or the other. I dont know why Rossa Sedai might have forwarded you the letter, not for definate, and I know little of Rossa Sedai as it is so I cannot make a particularly accurate assumption."

 

She scowled suddenly. "But you could think over one problem forever then! If you dont know exactly what people are thinking and how they have come to think that way, then there are loads of possible reasons. This one has hundreds and there is only four people involved! How can any history be right unless you personally know it to be true?" She glared at her merchant papers. She had a horrible feeling that what seemed to be a straightforward merchant-meddling task was going to be a full blown project. After all, she didnt have any accounts of the merchants involved as people, just of the event. "Bloody causes and consequences..." she muttered under her breath.

[Wayfarer]

Lillian's smile widened slightly as she listened to Sial vocalise her thoughts and the way she attempted to interpret the situation with the advice that Lillian gave her.  She had given her mentee the answer in a way, but the girl had failed to pick up on it and instead she had blinded herself with more doubts and possibilities.  It wasn't unexpected, Sial's imagination could run away with her and that was one of the reasons that Lillian had posed her the problem, the best way to teach was to create a situation for the student to discover the answer for themselves.  But Sial wasn't going to get it on her own just yet, she needed to be able to grasp the basic nature of the principles involved before she would come to an answer.

 

"A multiplicity of ideas can serve to screen what the primary intent by leading you along a different assumption."  Repeating the words that she had spoken earlier, Lillian leaned forward and took the golden crown from the desk and replaced it within the drawer.  How best to phrase things so as to better guide Sial, but not so much that it was simply given away.  Resting her elbows on the table, Lillian folded her slender fingers together and rested her chin on them as she studied Sial rather openly, trying to determine the best course of action.

 

"You are projecting your imagination onto the problem.  Alliances?  Interference?  You're making assumptions without facts and that is what is making it so confusing for you.  Deal with what you know, extrapolate where it is expedient, but do not then make it harder for yourself by allowing your mind to cloud the issue.  And no"  Lillian had caught the look on Sial's face "don't let my words drag you down, use them instead to approach the problem...  Let me pose it another way."

 

"There are many things that you can't know, like the relationships between me and the other Aes Sedai involved, therefore it isn't going to be your best line of inquiry.  Intention and motivation, if you can't answer the question of what the message contained and how it could link some or all of us, then look at another aspect of the problem that you can then use to build upon.  For example, why did I pick you to take the message?  Was it simply a matter of convenience because you were in the room at the time?  Why would I give you a communique to take to Arette Sedai?  What is the relationship between us?  What were you doing before I gave you the message to take?"

 

Lillian could almost hear the cogs and wheels turning in Sial's mind, like one of those experiments from the Academy of the Rose.  A new way to look at the problem, a new perspective could yield a different answer, and hopefully would.  She was confident in Sial's abilities regardless though, Sial wasn't stupid, she merely needed to learn how approach problems at different angles rather than allowing herself to be stumped.  "Remember, do not let your imagination draw you away.  Sometimes the correct answers are the simplest ones, it is our expectation of more that can blind us as much as the variety of possibilities."

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Siemba]

Sial's eyes widened slightly. If Lillian Sedai was suggesting what her words suggested to Sial that she seemed to be suggesting... "You never...this...it...you bloody wouldnt! Thats so sneaky! It...not...no, never!" She was spluttering, she knew, and swearing. Not the best of ideas. Swearing never went down well. She took a second to gulp, then tried again.

 

"That would be so complicated-you-it-not-merchants..." No, that didnt make much sense either. The little Cairheinin woman shut her mouth to prevent further verbal diahoerrea and sat on her fists to stop herself fiddling. Taking a deep breath and schooling her features with surprising success to a semblence of calm, she looked her mentor in the eye.

 

"Lillian Sedai...this letter...is it possible that its contents dont mean much at all and this was just a lesson in seeing patterns?"

 

Sial Daemoa

Gobsmacked Novice

[Wayfarer]

The reaction from Sial transformed Lillian's smile into a grin, Sial was on the right track now.  That and it was good to see the girl confounded, she was a little too sure of herself sometimes and that led to her falling for tricks like these.  You could only trust your perception so much, a healthy dose of doubt was a handy asset because it meant you never entirely committed to what you saw and thought to be true.  Well, almost, there were some things you had to commit to and take for granted in order to function, and in order to hold the trust of others.  But when observing someone and what they were doing, you always had to at least contemplate that what you observed was meant to be observed.

 

"Its possible."  Leaning back in her seat, Lillian continued.  "The lesson isn't so much about patterns though.  One thing that you should always be careful of is whether you're observing something for true, or whether you are being presented something to mislead you.  Especially if the person knows that you observe what is around you, you can be very easily manipulated if you are not careful.  For example, I know that you try and take as much note of everything around you as possible, I also know that you rarely question it because you think that people don't notice that aspect of you."

 

"You can be used quite easily at that point.  If I thought that you talked a lot to Novice A and Novice A liked wine for example, I might let slip something about a few bottles so you would then inform Novice A of it.  I set the bait and then catch her later trying to secure those same bottles, all because I knew of that link.  Its in this way that people can be used, if you choose to use them in that matter.  Having the capacity to do something and having the willingness, thankfully, can be two different things but don't rely on it either."

 

How Sial would take that, well, Lillian would discover that in time.  But now, perhaps now that this was done, Sial would be able to take this knowledge and idea to the task of the merchants before her.  "So, knowing now that sometimes that the answers can be simple rather than complex, and that what is before you can sometimes be false...  Think about these testimonies that you have before you.  Don't you find it strange that you cannot build any strong correlation between at least two of them?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Siemba]

"Its possible." Lillian-Lillian Sedai-was smiling now, almost grinning even. Sial didnt see what was so funny. She clenched her teeth, though it was more in irritation to herself than irritation toward her mentor. Lillian seemed to get away with a lot without causing offense. No, Sial was not irritated so much with Lillian as with herself. Somewhere in the day (and at some point she intended to work out exactly where) she had tripped herself up, metaphorically as well as actually.

 

"The lesson isn't so much about patterns though." Lillian continued quite casually. The Novice wondered if the woman actually practiced saying significant things as if they had no real importance. If she wasnt so blatently Domani, Sial would have thought her Cairheinin. "One thing that you should always be careful of is whether you're observing something for true, or whether you are being presented something to mislead you.  Especially if the person knows that you observe what is around you, you can be very easily manipulated if you are not careful.  For example, I know that you try and take as much note of everything around you as possible, I also know that you rarely question it because you think that people don't notice that aspect of you."

 

Speechless would have described Sial at that moment. She was glad that she hadnt been foolish enough to start talking again because that would have had her gaping like a trout. As it was, her still expression had a tinge of horror around her eyes. How in the Light does the bloody woman know that? How? Is she just guessing? Its a bloody good guess! Or...maybe shes trying to find out if thats what I think...oh, buggery, this isnt good...

 

"You can be used quite easily at that point.  If I thought that you talked a lot to Novice A and Novice A liked wine for example, I might let slip something about a few bottles so you would then inform Novice A of it.  I set the bait and then catch her later trying to secure those same bottles, all because I knew of that link.  Its in this way that people can be used, if you choose to use them in that matter.  Having the capacity to do something and having the willingness, thankfully, can be two different things but don't rely on it either."

 

That was interesting. Very interesting. The little dark haired woman decided in her mind that that particular statement was one of great significance. Wether or not it was-or if Sial genuinely believed it was even-was not important. Just thinking in her mind that Lillian had given something away, even if she hadnt, helped the Novice regain herself slightly. At least, she felt less as though someone had tied her laces together mid-running now.

 

"So, knowing now that sometimes that the answers can be simple rather than complex, and that what is before you can sometimes be false...  Think about these testimonies that you have before you.  Don't you find it strange that you cannot build any strong correlation between at least two of them?"

 

Ah ha! So it is to do with the merchant task too! The deviousness...I wonder if she plotted this in advance or if shes making it up as she goes along? Putting her thoughts aside for a moment, Sial smiled rather ruefully. Scraps of paper with her scruffy handwriting on it littered the table where she had been working, all with links, both likely and not, written in almost illegible scribble. She knew that one of those notes even held the suggestion that the merchants were lying or adjusting their talk for the Aes Sedai; a historical skill, though Sial didnt think of it like that. She had already considered the possible corruption of the merchants and their words but not once had she considered that the sources themselves could be corrupt, or that the infomation she had been given was not complete. Not once did she think of the motives of the one actually handing her the sources. Now it seemed glaringly obvious but the Cairheinin knew that that poihnt would have never crossed her mind prior to this discussion.

 

"Yes, it is strange....But I dont know the motives of the person giving me these sources, do I? Ive just been assuming that the person who took down these reports and the people whove seen them since and the person who gave them to me have the intention of keeping the infomation pure but Ive got no proof of that...I dont even know these are genuine. For all I know, some Accepted wrote them last week for a joke. Or there could be a lot more infomation...if that were the case, you could have picked the most different ones to give to me on purpose. Or whoever bought them to you in the first place could have taken some out to annoy you. So..."

 

She looked at her pile of notes and scowled. Then remembered her company and straightened her face and sighed instead. "I havent really got anywhere with those reports but that might have been the intention of someone. But it might not have been."

 

Blood and ashes, how can things so simple be so bleeding complicated at the same time?

 

Sial Daemoa

Not so sure of herself now!

[Wayfarer]

Success.

 

Lillian smiled, Sial hadn't gotten the correct answer for the merchants, but Lillian hadn't held that expectation of her.  What she had expected was for Sial to understand that there were more questions that could be asked than she had been, and because of her limited range of questions, she had been guided into a frustrating brick wall rather than able to better discern at least the general intent and direction of the exercise.  Once she had understood that, Sial had come to understand the core of the lesson, and that made the planning of it worthwhile.  The Novice would be better able to use the lesson, especially as she grew older and the need to understand it grew in turn.

 

"You are correct, insofar that it was my intention for you not to be able to discern the truth of the merchant's incident.  The lesson was not to discover that, but to discover that the very nature of the task was flawed.  There are many things that you can be asked to do, to think about, but you have to keep in mind that the task and the question that you can be given can shape the way you approach it.  You can naturally exclude things, like the possibility that the very premise that you are given can be flawed, be it deliberate or unwitting on the part of the person who directs you."

 

Smiling, Lillian rose from her seat as she continued.  "I will satisfy your curiosity in regards to the incident, or rather, why it is so confusing.  When the incident occurred, it was quickly resolved by the participants, but they were required to submit a report nevertheless so the incident could be judged and the guilty parties punished.  So, all of them submitted completely different reports, some of them can't even get the exact time of day right.  Because there were no strong correlations between any two reports, no one could be singled out and punished."

 

"Just a moment."  Walking to a side door in the room, Lillian opened it and closed it behind her, appearing a little over a minute later with a strange object in hand.  A pair of horseshoes connected by chains and around the pair of chains was a ring of iron to match the rest of the puzzle.  Closing the door behind her with one hand as she held up the puzzle, Lillian smiled at Sial as she spoke.

 

"Something a bit different to test your mind now, or rather, throughout the day and tomorrow.  Your next class begins in little over ten minutes, but I think this will keep you occupied between classes and tonight.  Observe, the ring cannot be removed."  Pulling on the ring, it wasn't wide enough to get around either horseshoe, in fact it was a fairly snug fit around the chains with only a little bit of room to be had between them.

 

"But, if you wait just a second."  Lilling turned around so her body was between Sial and the puzzle.  Fidgeting for a moment, she turned around again and the horseshoes were as they were in one hand save for the fact that the ring was no longer on it.  Indeed, the ring was in her other hand.  Turning away again, it only took a moment and Lillian held up the puzzle once more, the ring replaced on the chain where it was previously.

 

"There is a trick to it, but you'll have to discover it.  You could cheat by asking others, or researching it, but it would be disappointing if you had to resort to that.  The idea is to test the agility of your mind, get it working in a different yet similar way."  Walking over to the desk, Lillian placed the puzzle before Sial before returning to her seat, allowing the Novice to look it over.

 

"Take the puzzle with you along with the rest of your things, and don't be worried if you don't get it at first.  It took me awhile as well, now go to class and keep out of trouble, I'll see you at dinner."  Looking down at some of the papers before her, Lillian looked back up suddenly with a warm smile.  "You did well, and don't be late for class either because you're working on that puzzle, it won't run away on you."

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah