Do legends start out like this? (Mentor & Mistress of Novices)

[Miya]

Well, doesn't that just fit my day?  The petite blonde pulled herself up off the curb and attempted to dust herself off to the sound of a concerned voice nearby.  This was the third item in a list of small unceremonious events that had occured since the boat had docked in the port of Tar Valon.

 

Sure, she had been quite taken with the sight of the great White Towers and the bustling city that was so much more full that she could have dreamed it might be... but that didn't stop her from sicking up the moment she stepped off the boat. 

 

Happily, she noted to herself, she didn't get any on her best feast day dress which she'd changed into upon the first sight of the great island city.  Of course... now that she'd seen all the other dresses in the city, she felt a bit less confident about her looks.  Even her mother's best stitching and the expensive fabric that her father had bought for her trip paled beside the fancy gowns she saw some of the women wearing.

 

Oh, but dresses weren't the second thing on her list to break her spirit a bit... no that would be the purse full of coins that she had stolen from her waist while she was being ill.  Some wool-brained southerner had the audacity to take advantage of a lone young woman while she was being ill in the very shadow of the White Tower!  Just as well though ... those coins, which her father asked be made as a donation to the Sisters for their many causes and in thanks for their welcome of his only daughter, were probably for her trip home if needed. 

 

Miya Kiyoshi, channeler or not, had NO intention of leaving Tar Valon empty handed.  NO SIR!  Why she'd take up a sword and train to join her brother on the blight border if needed but, she wouldn't go home to just be some simpering meat-head's goodwife.

 

Of course, it was just as she was thinking that when someone came rushing past and knocked her promptly into the dirty street at the very gates of the White Tower.  Sighing and picking herself up with a bit more outrage than she intended to walk through the gates of her "destiny" with, Miya had to wonder... did every legend start out this way?

 

 

[Miya]

"Can I help you?"  The voice was from a girl in a rainbow trimmed white wool dress.  Miya smiled meekly, unsure who this young woman was other than to guess that she surely wasn't a full Sister as surely they wouldn't dress with all the colors on their dresses.  She'd heard stories about the fiery green ajah who fought in the blight and of the yellows who healed the good men of the Light ... but there would be no point to being called a color if you had all of them painted on you.  Perhaps she was in training here as well!

 

"I'm Miya Kiyoshi, may the Light bless and keep you,"  After her bright greeting she lowered her voice, not wanting to sound as if she was bragging in front of the other people who were standing about.  "I was sent here to receive testing."

 

The girl in the banded dress only took a moment before nodding and penned her name down on a pad.  "This way."  The girl turned so quickly Miya almost didn't catch what she'd instructed.  It was strange, first the girl seemed friendly but now she was almost frozen in her way of looking.  Had she done something to offend the girl in the banded dress?  Perhaps there was some custom for girls in banded dresses that she wasn't informed about?

 

She followed the girl right through the main doors which seemed large enough to take two wagons side by side through.  On each of the massive doors there was a solid shape, a tear drop made of the purest white.  If Miya had a moment later, she told herself, she would have to stop and touch them just to know how they felt under her (now trembling) finger tips.

 

Stepping into the great foyer she crossed colorful floor tiles swirled together, a rainbow just like on the girl's hem, and at their center lay the self-same teardrop shape.  Stepping on the colors and the symbol felt wrong, somehow, but the girl in the banded colors never hesitated.  Miya, however did, long enough to notice the colors drifting down from above her like rain.

 

Painted glass depicted the same rainbow and tear symbol above the door and the warm sun through the colors felt as though the very iconagraphy of this legendary place was giving her a reassuring hug.

 

Maybe, she considered quietly, things aren't going so badly after all. 

 

It was this way all down the halls and the stairways, gaping and staring at every painting and rug like it was an Aes Sedai itself so much so that she almost stepped on what was surely a serving girl dressed in all white mopping the floor on her knees. 

 

She was sure she'd never find the main enterance again when the girl in the banded dress stopped outside of a formidable looking wooden door.  A small sign there had words of some sort on it but sadly she had no clue what it might have said. 

 

"Go inside and sit down, the Mistress of Novices will see you in a moment."

 

Miya nodded and thanked the girl (well the girl's back anyway) then turned the knob on the door.  Stepping inside she found a seat and began to quietly await this Mistress woman.

[Wayfarer]

As far as meetings went, Darienna had to say that her meeting with Sitters that were concerned about her methods had been amongst the most mind numbingly boring.  Women that were so thoroughly convinced that they knew better when it came to the instruction of Novices and Accepted, and the ones who had bleated the most had been the ones who had little to nothing to do with actually training the future generations.  Perfectly happy to criticise and attempt to undermine her, not nearly so keen to actually put in some hours of work themselves.

 

Having said that, Darienna wouldn't have used them even if they had offered.  Her methods produced results and she was able to achieve relatively decent discipline with little to no use of the birching rod.  Beating someone was terribly uninventive, not to mention a task she had a personal distaste for.  Beating someone didn't teach them better, it simply made them adverse to making the mistake out of fear of another beating.

 

Not that those Sitters would have understood, and they didn't when she attempted to explain her method.  She wouldn't have gone so far as to call them relics, that would have been both crass and vulgar, she would have definitely called them backward and unreasonable though.  In the end she had given them their treatment back, when she'd pointed out that they weren't in a position to actually compel her to change how she ran the curriculum, that was when the fireworks had begun.

 

At that point she'd been amused to simply walk out and let them quarrel and moan about themselves.  Woe to the next person who thought to give her their expert opinion, it had been quite awhile since she had shredded someone because it was generally not a good policy.  Having said that, an example would be a useful thing for letting others know that she wasn't about to let anyone push her around, something that had clearly been forgotten by some of her sisters.

 

Opening the door to her office, Darienna frowned as she saw that there was already someone seated before her table.  Big brown eyes, blond hair with copper bells, the easy guess was that she was Arafellian.  Slowly stepping inside and closing the door behind her, never taking her eyes off the girl, Darienna wasn't precisely pleased by this new turn of events, but she had to be fair.

 

"My name is Darienna Sedai, I am the Mistress of Novices and I would like to learn your name.  But, before I do, you didn't simply let yourself in did you?"

 

Getting a shake of the head, Darienna smiled slightly as she made her way to her seat and said.  "Good, whoever led you here will need a reminder that my office is not a foyer, but that can wait.  I'm assuming you are here to be tested, yes?  Excellent, but first of all I really need something, bear with me for one moment."

 

Making herself comfortable in her seat, Darienna reached to the left drawer where she had left her pipe.  Silly move on her part, if she'd taken it with her she could have blown smoke on the Sitters.  As it was, she also withdrew a bag of tabac and began to sort through it for a nice clump of the stuff as she spoke distractedly.  "While I'm doing this, howabout you tell me your name?  And while you're at it, tell me a funny joke."

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

 

OOC:  My bio is at the link below if you want a physical description or the like :)

 

http://sertorius.wordpress.com/2007/08/13/darienna-ceradin/

[Miya]

Miya was scared to death of the Aes Sedai who entered and seemed so very short with her words; like she knew already everything she might have to say and disapproved already.  However, despite this fear, watching an Aes Sedai grab for a pipe almost caused her to giggle out loud.  Who knew they smoked!?!

 

Then the fish upside her head... a joke?  She had come prepared with tales of her family, stories of home, songs even but NOT a joke.  Light!  Why didn't those two sisters tell her she'd need a joke.

 

Think Miya, think...

 

"Um..."  Her voice trembled ever so slightly.  "OH yes!"  She said far too excitedly, remembering the woman asked for her name first, thusly giving her a few extra seconds to think.  "My name.  I have a name of course, my name is Miya Kiyoshi and I'm from the village of Tifan's Well in the nation of Arafel."  She nodded in self satisfaction only to let her smile fall a bit when she couldn't think of a joke.  She knew this was dire, her whole future might just depend on making the woman laugh.

 

Miya rubbed her hands together a moment and then whispered to herself, "... a joke..."  Suddenly one came to mind.  "Okay here goes, um... The Lord Captain Commander of the Whitecloaks, a Trolloc, and the Amyrlin Seat,"  Light she hoped that telling a joke about the Amyrlin wasn't in bad taste.  Again her voice trembled as she continued.

 

"... find themselves all stuck on the same island.  There they find a magic object and from it comes a wishgranter.  He tells them that they each can have one wish.  The Whitecloak asks that he and all those who hate Aes Sedai could live in a world without them... and boom, he and all the Whitecloaks disappear.  So then the, um, Trolloc he asks that he and all his fellow shadowspawn could all rule over the world they lived in without question and poof... they were gone somewhere to rule.  And they uh... Amyrlin... she... she stood there looking thoughtful."  She paused daring to look up at the Mistress of Novices only a second to see how mad she was and then back down again.

 

"The wishgranter he asks her... 'well, what do you want?'  And the Amyrlin, um she... she says 'well all the Whitecloaks are gone?'  The wishgranter says 'yep'  and then she says 'and the Shadowspawn are gone too?'  The wishgranter says 'yes'  ... and she says 'Well, I guess I'll have some tea then."

 

Miya looked up meekly and smiled as much as she could force herself to.  Did she think the joke was funny?  Did she get it even?  Tensing she waited on pins and needles to see the woman's reaction.

 

[Wayfarer]

Listening in silence as she stuffed her pipe with tabac, Darienna made a mental note of the girl's name and place of origin.  Miya Kiyoshi, an Arafellian who hailed from a village called Tifan's Well.  She would need those details to fill out the Novice Ledger, but for now she was content with observing the girl as she proceeded to tell her joke.  Not that she knew where Miya was going with it, a Lord Captain Commander, a Trolloc and an Amyrlin?

 

A cup of tea?

 

Pause.

 

Even if Darienna had wanted to, she doubted the she could have stiffled the laughter at the quip.  The girl had some spark to tell a joke like that, she would give the girl that much.  In fact, even as she got a hold of herself, she had to admit that her mood was improving already.  A slight smile on her face as she put the pipe in her mouth, she embraced the source only long enough to slip a thin thread of fire into the tabac.

 

A pleasing scent filling her lungs, Darienna's mood was definitely on the mend.  If nothing else, if any of the Sitters came to bother her she could blow smoke in their face now.  It was always amusing to see someone try and pretend the smoke wasn't there.  But, that was a childish thought, and one that was only going to be entertained if someone was silly enough to bother her.

 

But for now, the question of who to assign the girl to, since it was apparent that she could channel.  Who to pick for her?  There were some people that came to mind, but she needed time to think about which one would be the most appropriate.  In the meantime, there were a couple of things that she needed to know, and she did have a book to fill out.

 

Reaching for the ledger that was to her left, she pulled it across the table and began leafing through it so she could make a new entry.  All the while, she reached for a quill with her free hand, dipping it ink as she spoke.  "So, you have a sense of humour, that will stand you in good stead.  Tell me, how old are you?  Also, how did you end up here precisely?  And what was your home like?"

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Miya]

Miya smiled as the woman gave her a compliment.  It was more than those two sisters in Arafel had done for her.  They seemed to think talking to her father like she wasn't there was a way to be appriciated... well, she couldn't do much for that now.  At least here at the Tower they seemed a touch more friendly, after all, smoking... jokes... compliments & now she got to tell a story?!?  Yes, she was sure she would like being here now.

 

Miya visually relaxed and shifted in her chair to be a touch more comfortable.  She drew breath and prepared herself to tell the story of her journey. 

 

"I'm fifteen winters Aes Sedai, born in foaling season of that year.  Papa always likes to say that I came into the world harder and louder than any foal he's helped to turn though."  She let the smile touch her eyes this time.

 

"As to how I ended up here, well... that's a bit of a story.  You see it all started a few weeks ago when Paul Guileti came to me about a gopher.  See, back home I am known for my ability to capture small and annoying animals for folks... gettin' them out of their houses and what have you."

 

"Well, Paul didn't need me to get rid of the gopher so much as he needed one.  See, Paul has been making eyes at Elsbeth Bulsworth for the last two summers and he finally got up the metal to ask her to the feast day dance this year.  Elsbeth said she'd go with him but on the night of the dance she spent all evening with Tommi Burgeuss."  Miya shook her head with the memory of it all.  What a terrible night that had been!

 

"So he wanted to get her back for it and the gopher was gonna be the tool of his retribution, problem was that Paul is about as good with catching gophers as I am at reading... that is to say he can't catch them at all."

 

"Anyway, so after I caught the thing... a terrible trouble I admit, I sent my younger brother to let him know that I got it.  Now, apparently Paul didn't realize I couldn't read because instead of just telling my little brother where I was suppose to take the gopher, he wrote it down on parchment scraps.  Since neither me nor my brother could read a bit of the scribbles he had on there, and I sure couldn't ask my parents for help, we decided to try to find it on our own.  After all I knew that Elsbeth's mother was a short little fat grumpy woman, and their house was just out in the woods not too far from us.  How hard could that be to find, right?"

 

"Well my brother with our family dog and me with the gopher in a bag, we walked out into the woods and wandered around for a bit.  Eventually we came upon this hut with this fat grumpy looking woman outside in the garden.  We figured we'd found the place, especially since Barkley ... he's our dog... couldn't stop growling."

 

"So I snuck up to the open window and tossed in the gopher.  Well, wouldn't ya know it that's when the all Shadows broke loose!  There was screaming inside and that gopher squeeling and chittering like mad... dishes were falling and being broken... something caught fire I think and then when I figured I couldn't laugh any harder, Barkley got away from my brother and leapt into the window too!"

 

Miya smirked a bit despite the memory of her punishment.  "Oh what a sight that was, two ladies, the fat one and another... ran out the front door like hens fleeing a fox.  Screaming and cussin' and confused as much as a woman can be!  The fat one she threw up her arms and was begging the Light for mercy, seems the gopher had climbed up her skirts, and the other was running from the dog hollaring something about the other's ...ahem... bloody experiments."

 

She couldn't help but laugh at the memory of it all.  It was wonderfully amusing.  "Of course, I didn't think they'd be seriously hurt, Barkley had never bit anyone before and when he bit that poor tall woman I nearly fainted!  It was then something happened that made me stop rolling on the ground with laughter... my dog flew up into the air."

 

Miya looked at the floor and lowered her voice a touch, becoming quite serious.  "Yea... my luck you see, the two women later informed me they were in sabatical from the White Tower in order to do some private research."  She nodded to herself regretfully.

 

"My brother and I got dragged the whole way home by our ears.  I'm still not sure what was worse, my Papa whipping us or listening to them go on and on about what terrible children we'd been.  Why it wasn't until one of them tried to hit Barkley with a stick and I got so mad that my vision blurred and my headache returned, that they even lowered their tones and stopped screaming at me."

 

Looking up to the Mistress of Novices she shrugged, "Go figure.  Maybe they just didn't like seeing a girl in pain?  Well, they took me home and they talked alone with my father for a few hours and by the time they left I found out that I might have some talent to use ... you know, the Power.  The demanded my father send me straight away to the White Tower and just as soon as I got a new dress and my father pulled together some coin for a donation to the Tower, that's just what I did."

 

She sighed with true sadness, "I'm afraid, Aes Sedai, that someone near the docks took my coin while I was getting sick from the boat ride.  It was quite a bit too.  My Papa would be most disappointed.  I hope that my loss of the coin doesn't reflect too badly upon my request to study here?"

[Wayfarer]

Smiling as she listened to the story, Darienna was glad that the girl was making herself more at ease.  A bit of a prankster it seemed, not a bad thing in Darienna's book as long as it didn't go too far.  Aes Sedai needed to have spirit, even if they didn't have a sense of humour they still needed to be able to hold their own.  Not that pranking was the best way to go about it, but it was an avenue after all.  Plus it didn't hurt for Aes Sedai to have learned how to get about quietly on their feet, or to be places where they weren't meant to be without getting caught.

 

That the prank had been misguided and ended up discommoding a pair of Aes Sedai definitely caused Darienna's lips to twitch.  The nip from the dog wasn't a surprise, dogs most certainly did not have a liking for female channelers.  A shame because she had absolutely adored dogs as pets before she'd manifested her ability.  Unflinching loyalty, more than what could be said for the cats that some of the other Aes Sedai kept.  Then again, the cats were a touch more practical in other respects.

 

Manifesting over the dog's welfare was a good sign as to the girl's personality.  An Aes Sedai didn't strictly need empathy in order to function, but it certainly went a long way to ensuring an Aes Sedai retained their humanity, unlike some of the sisters that Darienna would have liked to throttle.  Yes, definitely a good sign for Miya.

 

It also helped her decide exactly who she was going to assign as Miya's mentor as well.

 

Filling out the ledger with the new entry, Darienna spoke easily even with the pipe in her mouth.  "You didn't lose the money, it was stolen from you and probably by someone who knew what they were doing.  Your father's gesture was kind, but not necessary.  In fact, how much were you carrying with you?"

 

The answer was not what Darienna had expected.  Looking up sharply, Darienna shook her head as she turned back to the ledger and filled out the last part of the entry before setting the quill aside.  "That was far too much.  I'll have the sum and extra sent back to your father.  It isn't right to take both you and his money, if it were still here to be given."

 

Standing, Darienna gestured for the girl to do the same.  Frowning for a moment as she looked the girl up and down, Darienna then stepped about the table so she could look at the girl from her side.  Nodding to herself, Darienna turned and went to one of the side rooms as she called over her shoulder.  "I'll just be a moment."

 

Emerging a minute or so later from the side room with a pair of white dresses that would mark the girl as a Novice, Darienna handed them over to her with a smile.  "Now, come with me, we're going to go and find your mentor.  She will be responsible for helping you settle in, though if you ever have a question or wish to talk, you may always come and see me.  Alright?"

 

Miya's assent was enough for Darienna and she went and opened the door for the girl before closing it behind them.  Where they were going, well, knowing the mentor's timetable, she would be outside of the Tower proper but she would at least be on the grounds.  She'd hopefully be in her usual haunt, or otherwise Darienna was going to have to make an active effort to find the woman.

 

An effort that was required, but it was only ten or so minutes amongst the gardens when a dull boom followed by crackling signalled that they were on the right track.  Leading the way, Darienna only took another minute to find the small garden where her quarry was to be found, playing with fire and anything else she could summon up as she smited pillars of stone that she had shaped herself.

 

Rory Sedai of the Green Ajah, a relatively new sister and a handful during her earlier years.  A small part of her would have wanted to wait until a truly troublesome novice came to be assigned to the woman, so Rory could appreciate how much trouble she'd been, but that was only a whisper of a thought.  This pairing was much better, for both the mentor and their new student who seemed a little unsure of what to make of things as she surveyed the smoldering ruins of some of the earthen pillars.

 

"Rory!"

 

The almost wanton channeling ceasing as the woman turned around and grinned at who had called her, Darienna approached with a smile of her own and with a new novice in tow.  "I have something, or rather, someone, for you to meet."

 

Gesturing to the girl, Darienna continued.  "This is Miya Kiyoshi, as of today she is your responsibility to ensure that she settles in well and that she takes to her studies well.  In particular, she hasn't had instruction in how to read or write, I expect that you will make that a top priority ontop of her lessons in how to embrace and hold saidar."

 

The look on Rory's face was priceless as far as Darienna was concerned, definitely worth coming down herself to present Miya.  The weave that began to form infront of her face just made her grin as she embraced the source and banished it before speaking once more.  "I have full confidence in your ability to help Miya, and I will also be assisting where I have time.  I know you haven't taken on a student before, but you will do well and we can talk about it more later.  For now, she needs to be settled in and shown about the Tower.  She will be sharing a room with Novice Sial, Lillian's student."

 

Making to turn away, Darienna turned back and added.  "While I remember, you will also be sharing your duties with Zalena when she returns to the Tower.  Between the pair of you, I am certain that Miya here will blossom."

 

Looking to Miya, Darienna laid a hand on the girl's shoulder as she spoke.  "Listen to what Rory Sedai has to say, she will take good care of you.  Enjoy your first day, settle in and acquaint yourself as best you can with your surroundings, your lessons will start tomorrow."

 

That being said, Darienna focused her attention upon both of them as she spoke once more.  "I will leave the pair of you to get to know one another better.  Light shine upon you both."

 

At that, Darienna turned and left the pair to it.

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Sam]

When Rory glared, and she did, she made sure that Darienna was far enough away not to notice; then she snorted and finally looked at her new student. “That be that then, I expect. My name do be Rory, you needn’t bother with the ‘sedai’ unless we do be in public. Other sisters do be expecting that kind of thing and too much change be frying their noggins—your hair do be looking very nice, by the way.”

 

Rory was not thrilled with the prospect of being responsible for anyone who was not Rory, especially after her own paragon behaviour as a novice and later an accepted. Zalena’s involvement would remove a lot of the pressure from her small shoulders. They weren’t made for this sort of weight. In the mean time Rory had a few uses for her new ward.

 

“Come along, then. I do be instructed to show you around and that do be exactly what I am going to do . . . starting with an alehouse.” She led, pointing out anything of interest along the way; admittedly there wasn’t a lot that Rory found interesting. The bells in Miya’s hair made pleasant, musical notes as they walked. Light, what was she going to do with a novice?

 

When at last they reached the alehouse, one of Rory’s favourites, she could not have been more pleased. Not only did those bells make little bell sounds when Miya walked, but they also did when she looked: up, down, left, right, back, forth. It was a nightmare! She was ready to cut them off herself, or the head to save time.   

 

Rory sat Miya down at a table and ordered two foamy mugs of ale, which she cooled herself. At first determined to drink in silence, she reneged when the tinkling bells continued. She sat her mug down softly, “How about you do be telling me a little bit about yourself. What do you be leaving behind to come here, and do hoping to make it to the shawl?” If she couldn’t drink in silence, she could keep enough of the girl’s attention to silence those damn bells.

 

 

[Miya]

That was it.  Apparently she was going to train here and then, in a whirlwind it seemed, she was with another woman who had the thickest most strange accent that had EVER assulted her ears.  Light, who talks like that!?!

 

Now, if the smoking Aes Sedai hadn't been strange enough for her, the next one almost floored her.  This one, the Light take her, apparently liked to drink!  Her mother would be pitching a fit to see her daughter in a place like this... with Aes Sedai or not!  Of course, this made Miya smile.  What made her smile larger still was watching as the Aes Sedai ordered TWO, not one, ales.  Of course there had to be only one answer for this mystery then...

 

"You must be of the Green Ajah, aren't you?!?" Miya chirped brightly, pulling an ale to herself.  She'd never had ale but one certainly couldn't argue with an Aes Sedai or be impolite.  Drinking from it carefully, she took just a sip of the bitter tasting substance and then pulled back wiping the foam off her upper lip across her sleeve.

 

"I've heard some amazing stories about all the Aes Sedai of the Green Shawl... my Papa says he even knows one or two who pass through the capitol from time to time when he's there."

 

"Um... so, as for what I'm leaving behind, not much.  Don't get me wrong I'll miss Papa, Mama, and my younger brother while I'm away but I'll study hard and do my best to get home just as soon as I can.  I'm sure there will be a lot I can do there if I'm good enough with..."   she lowered her voice trying to be polite, "... the Power."

 

Sipping at the drink again, Miya decided it was definately an aquired taste that she'd have to try to adapt to quickly so not to be insulting.  This time the drink she took was a bit larger, more like the Aes Sedai was doing.

 

"I grew up on a farm, in the small village of Tiffan's Well of Arafel.  Not much to see up that way really.  I have a few friends there but mostly I spent my days with Mama.  Papa thought it best that I learn the important stuff at home before I set my mind to boys, as he puts it.  Wouldn't ya know it, just when a boy finally asked me to Harvest Festival... I manage to get discovered by Aes Sedai.  Which, I guess is just as well considering the boy wasn't too easy on the eyes and probably didn't know the working end of a horse from the hilt of a blade."  She giggled hoping the Aes Sedai found men's stupidity as funny as she did.  Light but this drink was growing on her!

 

Taking another drink she went on with a small burp, "Excuse me Aes Se... um..."   Lowering her voice, "Rory." 

 

With a gentle blush in her cheeks, "As for the Shawl, oh I suppose it would be wonderful really.  When compared to a future of marrying some wool-brained dolt and having a baker's dozen of kids to care for... kicking some Shadow butt sounds pretty nice.  Heck, that's what my brother intends to do.  He wants to fight up along the border once he has the coin for proper training.  Maybe I might join him, if he grows out of being such a childish ninny."

 

Light it's warm in here.

 

"I understand there are different jobs Aes Sedai do.  I've heard about Greens who fight Shadowspawn on the border and yellows who heal men but I keep seeing all these other colors around the Tower and town... I take it there are other things you can do as an Aes Sedai?"

[Sam]

Asking a question without waiting for the answer reminded her of someone she knew, and she grinned against her better judgement. Well, well, well. Rory listened with amusement as the spiel continued; her smile infectious and warm as heat lamp. She was not going to like this girl, she wasn’t. There was absolutely no way! Tough words, but her foe was too mighty and her resistance was slipping. Fortune prick me!

 

Kicking some shadow butt toppled her, who couldn’t enjoy hearing something like that? It was a perfect reflection for how Rory saw it, with small adjustment that Rory was now more aware of little words like, ‘repercussions’, ‘consequences’, ‘and that light cursed fool head of . . .’ hers. Impulse was great, enthusiasm priceless. Miya not really knowing the full implications of her words was not really a problem for Rory, who wasn’t about to ruin that spirit.

 

“Hah! I do be Rory Sedai of the Green Ajah sure enough,” she pointed to the green sash she wore around her waist. Conspicuous against the brown of her leggings, “but what that do be having in common with my thirst I no be knowing. Just wait until you be meeting Lillian Sedai of the White Ajah. One of the worst hangovers I ever do be having was a night cradled in the arms of one of her wine bottles. I do be sticking to ale now, thanks much.”

 

She thought for a moment, phrasing her next words to get the girl’s interest without illuminating on the full danger of the situation. “I do be travelling to the borderlands now and again, almost every year. (It) do be a nasty habit Lillian inspired, I do be travelling with her, as fact, and it do be even more thrilling than you do be thinking. If you do be making it to the shawl, and I no do be doubting you got the stuff, no doubt you be able to come along. We be living a long time, you and I, the time it takes to reach the shawl only do be seeming long until you get there.

 

“Kicking shadow butt be what we be all about. There be nothing finer than a cool glass of ale and a fallen enemy in the morning, at noon, in the evening—Creator’s bed—there just no be a thing finer. Typical Ajah chest thumping aside, now. As a sister you do be doing most anything you be wanting so no do be limiting yourself by Ajah choice; they do be a good guide but a rough one.  Some of the meanest beatings I ever do be witnessing came at the hands of a yellow sister, the healing Ajah.  And if you do be wanting to see a battling spirit try arguing with a one of the browns.  You do be finding that they all be overlapping and you be free enough in all of them.”

 

Rory could have told her of the different Ajah and their professions, but she knew there would be enough recruitment pressure to come as Miya progressed and refused to divide separately what was part of a single whole. Another sister or an Accepted would be more than happy to point the pros and cons of each, no doubt. Rory refused, indefinitely.

 

“I am glad you do be looking forward to your learning, it certainly do be making things easier. I don’t suppose you do be hungry?”

 

 

 

OOC: Bah, James got all pouty so I chucked in the green dialogue.

[Miya]

ooc:  Merry Christmas James & Sam!

 

ic:

 

Wow, this was everything she dreamed it would be!  Rory Sedai was gonna be the best mentor ever!  Miya was all but bouncing out of her chair now.  "LIGHT WOULD I EVER!  I haven't eatten since yesterday on the ship.  And while this ale is growing on me I'm not sure that it wouldn't go down easier on my stomach if I didn't have something to help ease it's travel a bit."

 

Taking another drink she considered carefully whether or not she should ask her next question.  It might have been taken as rude but, they were getting on quite well so maybe it would be okay.  "I hope you don't think me rude for asking, it's just that I've never heard an accent like yours before... where did you come from before you were a novice?  Was it one of the southern lands or were you one of those exotic women who live without the rule of men on boats like I heard about in the gleeman's stories?"

 

 

[Sam]

“Oh ho. I do be answering that just as soon as we be finding some place to eat. The first rule of alehouses: no do be eaten where you be drinking. They do be offering food, sure enough, but only so that you do be drinking more. I always do be wondering if they no do be slightly resentful than ale no be enough for anyone. I do be understanding that as it do be fantastic. I do be knowing just the place. Come along!”

 

Rory Sedai (yes, yes I do enjoy saying that), dropped a few coins on the table and headed for the door. She may have left a little more than necessary for whomever was quick enough to claim it; . . . wasn’t as though she had anywhere else to spend it. Some of her sisters never had enough money, others like her always had too much; she considered it something to use once and a while and to weight her pockets.

 

A brisk walk and the pair was sitting behind another table waiting for a lot of food. You may wonder what the name of this place is but I shan’t tell you. Frankly, it is not my job to be creative and make-up Tar Valon landmarks and inns and such, for that is surely someone else’s responsibility. However, if you choose to content yourself with the knowledge that they serve bloody fantastic food here, which is the important thing, well done!

 

She, Rory, was not hungry; this would not stop her supplying food to her new charge, who clearly was.  That would be easier in some ways: she could speak while Miya listened, she wouldn’t be interrupted nearly as often by excited responses and it would be conducive to Rory’s over-all health and well-being.

 

“Now, I do be coming from one of those Southern lands. You be correct there. Illian; now I do be calling Tar Valon and The White Tower my home as do my sisters.  When I be younger I lived, and worked, in an inn. No surprises there.  I know my way about the taps good as any. The call of home no do be as strong as it once was. The taverns and inns and alehouses of Tar Valon be just as fine in their entertainment and better in their fare . . . nice to travel there once and awhile, still.

 

“Your meal do be well?”

[Miya]

With cheeks filled to the brim with delicious food, making her look something like a chipmunk hoarding for winter, Miya nodded.  "MYes MAes Se... MErr... MRory."   Swallowing Miya broke into a full face grin and blushed brightly at her sudden slip in manners.

 

Giggling she muttered an appology.  "This is the first time in days though that I've eatten food that had more food in it than salt.  I somehow doubt I'll enjoy traveling too much if I have to eat like that every time I do it."

 

Taking a drink from the milk that had been brought with her dinner she savored the flavors of dinner and the warm filling sensation that was growing in her belly as Rory went on for a bit.  The Green Sister definately seemed nice enough.  But something nagged at her, something about the woman's face... Miya had spent the whole meal trying to guess how old she was and nothing was coming to mind.  It was frightening really. 

 

"ahem..."  She interupted.  "I'm sorry but, I guess I didn't catch what the Mistress of Novices must have said about how long exactly it takes to become an Aes Sedai.  Maybe you could fill me in?  I saw a lot of girls in these white dresses and most of them looked older than me and a few girls wore dresses like this but with rainbows on the sleeves and hem... and I'd say they were older still.  Are we talking about a few years... or .." She swallowed as trepidation rose in her eyes.

 

"...Longer?"

[Sam]

Aha! “It do be the face, right? It always do be the face. You be getting used to it eventually. Took me the longest time myself. The short answer to your question do be ‘longer’. How much longer do be depending on you. Me? I be making life difficult for as many people as I could and it do be taking me . . . a while. I be realising once I was lucky enough to wear the banded hem—I be getting to that in a moment—that I be needed to knuckle down. Heh . . . well, Darienna do be teaching me that, anyway. I think I do be taking somewhere about fifteen years?”

 

 

“Now, now, no need for that face! Most everything you be learning you be learning while a Novice, they be the ones in the plain white dresses. Once you do be passing that stage to Accepted you be setting your own areas of study and specialisation, doing most anything you be wanting so long as it no do be cross-graining The Tower’s policies. You be able to write home to your parents and family, and if you no do be able to write others like I be able to do it for you until you be learning. You will also have people like me about who be pestering you a lot of the time so you no be bored.”

 

 

“It do be a long time, but the share amount of things you do be learning take time and you no do be sorry at the end of it. I be finding it hard at the start to be separated from my parents, Creator knows, but if I do be realising a thing or two in the beginning it no be nearly as hard. There do be reason that you be separated from your family, though they do be hard enough to swallow until you be old enough to understand.”

 

 

“Enough Tower talk, we do be here to share a nice meal and you be having an exciting few days. When you be finished we be walking back to The Tower and I be finding some place to put you for the night.” Rory made sporadic conversation while the girl (hah, I’ve never been able to say that before. For once I’m not the ‘girl’; it’s you, you! Girl. Girl. Girl!) ate her meal, so as not to create any awkward silences. When the girl was finished, she and Rory returned to The Tower grounds and . . . did stuff. Namely finding a place for Miya to sleep as that was oh so important to young people.

 

 

OOC: I now pronounce this thread completed because yes.