Chore for Faile - Under the blood red sun

[Leona]

OOC: this takes place before the main time line and before the Dragon's amnesty.

 

IC: Viviana was fuming, she had just the left the ceremonial room where the Hall of the Tower met. Some silly Blue git who calls herself a Sitter had called the Hall for some nonsense meeting. Like she had nothing better to do. As she was walking back to the Red Quarters with big angry steps Viv didn't see the Novice who stood chattering with another girl around the corner. At least not until she actually stepped on the girl's legs and nearly tripped. Her papers were flying through the air, as the two girls looked at her stunned. One of them, most probably the brightest one, Viv thought grimly, regained her senses the quickest. She quickly dropped to her knees and grabbed the papers. After she handed them to the Red Sitter she curtsied, apologised and quickly ran off.

 

The other girl however wasn't so quick... Before she could attempt to leave as well Viviana halted her with a cold stare. "Child," she said, her voice cold as ice, "you seem to have too much time on your hands. Follow me."

 

Viviana

Red Sitter

[Guest Faile1987]

OOC: Ok, sounds interesting ;) Let´s see how this will turn out!

 

IC: Faile´s head seemed to be spinning, full of the words of Saya Sedai who had been lecturing them about the White Tower and the World. The Aes Sedai of the past had been her topic on this day and Faile´s head was still too filled up with all this stuff to be able to really think straight and all she wanted was some rest now before her next class was due.

Walking through the corridors with one of her classmates, she was happy for once, just to stop in some corner with her for a little chat. Talking about Saya Sedai´s mood suddenly seemed much more funny afterward than directly under the severe Red´s eyes, glaring at them.

 

Yet all of a sudden a Sister came down, striding - very nearly rushing actually - through the corridors so quickly, that Faile didn´t see her untill she crashed into her and nearly tripped and would have fallen if she hadn´t struggled to keep her balance.

 

For a moment Faile only stood there, thoroughly stunned at the sudden impact and with her mind still clouded, she didn´t even offer the Sister a proper curtsy, let alone see all the papers laying scattered on the ground.

Her classmate, Rosetta was her name, she thought dimly, helped the Sister to recollect her papers and bobbing a curtsy, headed away, very close to actually running.

 

Faile swallowed suddenly as she turned to go, hoping the Sister wouldn´t take her missing curtsy and attention for a sign of disrespect, yet looking into her face, told Faile enough to know that this was only a mere wish.

 

"Child," she said, her voice cold as ice, "you seem to have too much time on your hands. Follow me."

 

Catching the Sister´s cold stare, Faile immediately knew that she had taken it as a sign of disrespect and with a hurried murmur of "Yes, Aes Sedai", and a quickly dropped curtsy, however useless it seemed to be now, followed her, knowing immediately how vain her hope of a little rest before the next class had become now.

[Leona]

The Red Halls were closeby, so it took them only a few minutes to reach her own quarters. Viviana turned to the Novice behind her, and told her to stay where she was and to wait. Inside the Red Sitter gathered some clean cloth and oinment.

 

Back outside she nodded to the Novice, who was still standing on the same spot. "Good, child. I see you have at least learned some obedience here. Now tell me your name, so I don't have to call you child all the time." The girl told Viviana that her name was Faile, and she curtsied again. A small smile started to show around the Red Sitter's lips, although her eyes were still stern.

 

She handed Faile the small package with the cloth and oinment, "Very well, Faile, my name is Viviana di Corra, Sitter for the Red Ajah. I am sure you have heard all sort of rumours about the Red Ajah and it's purpose." The girl nodded, obviously not sure what to say.

 

Viviana kept on walking, not waiting for the girl to follow, while she spoke. "I sure hope you have a strong stomach, because you are going to help me with something which is an important part of being a Red Sister. Though a part most non-Reds do not see. Today you are gping to see what the Taint does to one of those unfortunate males who can channel, and why it is so important to Gentle them."

 

"The poor man we are about to visit has been channeling for years before we found him, so the Taint has him in its graps already to far. There is not much we can do anymore for him, just offer him our companionship and ease his pain. The Taint in combination with his loss of Saidin has driven him over the edge, so don't get angry or upset from his words." Viviana's voice had become softer and warmer while she spoke. An observant listener would notice the love and care she had for that man in her words and the tone with which she spoke.

 

Finally they reached the rooms where the Gentled man was held. Outside two Red Sister were sitting, they stood when Viviana entered, and nodded their heads in respect. "How is he today, Mirana?" Viv asked.

 

"His conditions seems to detoriate quickly, Sitter. We had to take all the furniture from the room, because he started to throw it to the walls and wanted to wound himself with it." the woman said. Viv nodded and motioned to Faile to follow her inside. In the corner of the room and man was sitting on the floor, hugging his knees, rocking back and forth. His clothes were torn, showing some nasty burns and wounds on his arms and legs.

 

"Hello David, how are you doing today?" the Red Sitter said with a friendly voice. "I've brought a young friend to help me take care of your wounds, why don't you say hello to Faile here."

 

Viviana

Red Sitter

 

OOC: I hope you like it. It is not something every Novice can experience. Have fun with David, he is obviously insane, so one moment he can tell you how sweet you are, while the other he starts screaming and yelling at you. Calling you all kind of names. Viv will make sure that he won't hurt you though.

[Guest Faile1987]

OOC: Hey, this is awesome! Really the perfect thing I needed for Faile (since I want her to have a kind of special relationship to the Black Tower anyway :D, seems like providence...)

 

IC: Standing outside the Quarters of the Red Ajah, Faile stirred uneasily waiting for whatever that Red Sister was having in store for her. Anyway she certainly was about to spend another afternoon scrubbing floors or doing some cleaning work the Aes Sedai were making her do so often. Light, she really wondered when she would be able to start and end a day without being tired enough to fall over in an instant, the White Tower was really putting a lot of effort into shaping a girl´s character by making her work hard and enduring as it seemed to Faile.

 

When the Red Sister returned though, the expression on her face had eased a bit and Faile was already hoping that maybe her punishment wouldn´t be that bad after all, when the woman handed her a clean white cloth and an ointmen. which looked very like the one which was used to clean wounds. Whatever was she to do with that? But before she could ask about what she was to do now, the Red Sister was already leading her on through the corridors of the Tower, only speaking after a while.

 

"Very well, Faile, my name is Viviana di Corra, Sitter for the Red Ajah. I am sure you have heard all sort of rumours about the Red Ajah and it's purpose."

 

Eyeing the Red Sister insecurely, Faile didn´t know what to say. Of course she had heard about the Reds being notorious for hunting down male channellers to bring them to the White Tower to gentle them. But somehow she knew that what rumours were saying about her Ajah definitely was not what Viviane would want to hear now, and what did male channellers and gentling have to do with her punishment anyway. Well, she was soon to know.

 

As she was led on through the narrow corridors increasing wonder and curiousity was filling Faile. Despite herself she felt that this chore would be something special, though she didn´t have the slightest clue what it might turn out to be.

 

I sure hope you have a strong stomach, because you are going to help me with something which is an important part of being a Red Sister. Though a part most non-Reds do not see. Today you are gping to see what the Taint does to one of those unfortunate males who can channel, and why it is so important to Gentle them."

 

"The poor man we are about to visit has been channeling for years before we found him, so the Taint has him in its graps already to far. There is not much we can do anymore for him, just offer him our companionship and ease his pain. The Taint in combination with his loss of Saidin has driven him over the edge, so don't get angry or upset from his words."

 

Faile´s eyes suddenly widened in shock on hearing what the Red Sister obviously was needing her for. But Light,how could she help her with one of those mad male channellers? The mere notion of meeting one of the tainted ones, spoilt and maddened by the Dark One´s revenge frightened her almost out of her wits. She had read so much about the time of madness and the Breaking of the world that she really didn´t need to actually meet one of those men in persona. Light, how she wanted to get out of this, but there was no time, they were standing already in front of a room and Viviane was just talking to one of the Red Sisters standing guard in front of the door, telling her:

 

His conditions seems to detoriate quickly, Sitter. We had to take all the furniture from the room, because he started to throw it to the walls and wanted to wound himself with it."

 

This was going from bad to worse as it seemed to Faile. Now being afraid of what she would have to face in there would be a terrible understatement of her emotions. She was horrified and wanted to run away more than anything else, but before she could the chance to turn around on her heeels and run off, she was already shoved into the room with Viviane Sedai and that was when she saw him.

 

Well, to tell the truth at first what she was seeing wasn´t clearly distinguishable as a human being, only a shape clothed all in torn black coats sitting crumpled on the ground. Only after a moment Faile noticed that he was moving, rocking to and fro as if in agony or trance or both.

The appearance of the man did shock her deeply, but instead of being afraid of him any longer, all Faile was feeling when watching him seemingly being so far away from this place, was pure pity itself. After all the poor man wasn´t to blame for the curse he had been born with and now he was doomed to die anyway. Looking at those hollow, empty eases, reflecting nothing but resignation and indifference to anything, Faile felt a sudden urge to comfort the man despite knowing he could channel and all. But still she knew she had to step warily around him and thus she merely stood there, watching him with pity and heard Viviane speak softly to him:

 

"Hello David, how are you doing today?" the Red Sitter said with a friendly voice. "I've brought a young friend to help me take care of your wounds, why don't you say hello to Faile here."

 

Swallowing hardly, Faile stepped forward cautiously, careful not to let the man out of her eyes. "Hello David", she said quietly, trying to make her voice calm and friendly as she didn´t want to frighten or aggravate him. Looking at the cloth and ointment in her hands, her gaze wandering to David´s bleeding wounds and burns, Faile nodded silently, not needing to be told what she was to do. Sharing a quick glance of understanding with Viviane, Faile moved to David slowly as not to make him start and dropped to her knees beside him, dipping the white cloth into the ointment she was holding in her other hand, but when putting the bottle down on the ground, she remained hesitant to actually touch the former male channeler. One could never know how he would react on that and Faile considered it more wise to give him some warning about what she was about to do. "Now", she said in as soothing a tone as she could manage without letting her nervousness show too much. "Will you hold still and let me help you?" Strangely the image of her trying to put a saddle on a wild horse´s back occured to her mind as she carefully moved towards David. Now she could only hope that this horse wouldn´t bolt and crush her under whirling hooves.

 

OOC: Sorry that I didn´t post before, but school was kicking me and I wanted to take some time with that one here, I hope it´s what you expected

[Leona]

OOC: great post hun :) and sorry for the wait, I've had a very busy week.

 

IC: David's condition had become a lot worse then it had been when Viviana and Leona had visited him the day before. The fact that her protoge Leona had caught the man made Viviana feel extra responsible for him. She and the young Red took alternate turns with viviting this still rather young man.

 

The look in his eyes showed no recognation when she spoke, nor did Faile's words spark any action. As the girl kneeled next to David, Viv embraced the Source. David had never harmed anyone yet, but one could never be too sure. The ointment she knew would feel cool against his burning flesh, wounds invested with the evil touch of the Dark One, wounds not even the most skilled Aes Sedai of the Yellow could Heal.

 

Suddenly the Red Sitter saw something change in David's posture, and she deepened her connection with Saidar, drawing more until it nearly hurt. Faile didn't seem to notice, and she kept on dipping the cloth in the oinment and taking care of his wounds. As the former male channeler looked up she saw that his eyes were clear, and sane.

 

"Thank you," he said, his voice soft and filled with pain. Viv sighed, not many thanked the Red Ajah for their intervenience. But David did, in his sane moments he remembered the people he killed when Saidin and the Taint were still filling his blood and veins. Then the clear moment was gone again, and with a slurred voice, like a drunk, he spoke to Faile.

 

"You are a pretty one, you. Do you like to dance?" Stumbling David got up, as he tried to straighten himself his knees made way and he fell with his arms around Faile's neck. What he said to the young Novice was not something Viviana heard, but according to the girl's blush it wasn't something proper.

 

The Red Sitter had quickly walked to the pair, the One Power still filling her.

"Easy, David, come on, let her go. You are too heavy for this poor girl. You can lean on me." she said.

 

"I was a good dancer, you know." David said, as he sunk back on the floor and started to cry softly.

 

Viviana

[Guest Faile1987]

Cautiously Faile dipped the clean linnen cloth in the ointment Vivianna had given to her and as she knelt beside David, she carefully started her work, careful not to hurt him any further and careful not to scare him or make him bolt as well.

 

As she looked at the investing wounds and nasty burns all over his body, Faile´s stomach seemed wanting to empty itself on the spot and hadn´t she been as afraid and pitiful about the poor man as she was, she knew that probably she wouldn´t have been able to hold back any more. Light! What can the taint on Saidin do to these poor creatures!, she thought sadly and then again she remembered what she had been taught in class about the Red Ajah and what fate was awaiting men who were gentled. Being severed from the Source forever...who wants to go on living like that? No she really couldn´t even fathom the pain Davik must be living in. Loosing the ability to channel forever just seemed so unimaginable to her that she was shuddering when she even thought of it.

 

But now David´s eyes rose and seemed to look at her directly. Dark eyes, filled with pain and sorrow, yet they seemed to be sane and clear as he thanked her. Thank you, he said softly and the misery in his voice made Faile want to cry and she had to quickly look to her cloth and ointment to hide tears welling up in her eyes. Light, why do they have to suffer like that? There must be another way!, she thought bleakly. It was almost more than she could bear to see a human being suffer like that and her unable to really do anything but temporarily soothe his physical pain. About the pain in his soul there was nothing she could do.

 

But suddenly something in David changed and Faile only noticed it when it was already too late.

 

"You are a pretty one, you. Do you like to dance?" David´s formerly soft voice suddenly sounded slurring like he was drunk and getting to his feet stumblingly, his knees immediately buckled again and before Faile could do anything to fend him off, he fell against her with his arms around her neck. Drawing her closer to him so she could nearly smell the puss and dried blood of his wounds, he muttered something to her that made her blush unlike ever before. Her heart racing in a panic and unable to move as she remained stiff and horror-stricken, Faile heard Vivianna speak up to the man soothingly.

 

Easy, David, come on, let her go. You are too heavy for this poor girl. You can lean on me."

 

Faile thanked the Light briefly as he let go and collapsed to the floor moaning softly I was a good dancer you know, and buried his face in his hands, body shaking as he cried.

 

Her heartbeat slowing down again, Faile struggled to regain her composure, but still her knees were shaky as her voice as she spoke up to Vivianna Sedai, asking: "Vivianna Sedai, what...how did he become like that? Isn´t there anything we can do for him to help him? He..." He looks like dead even now, was what she had actually wanted to say, but in fact she bit her lip and stopped her quick tongue from getting her in any trouble now. She wanted answers and not to hurt or provoke neither Vivianna nor David.

 

OOC: Np and that´s a really cool chore anyway :D