A Gray Chore or a Case of Sensitive Spying? Nyssa & Vera

[Guest Celes]

A deep sigh, some ruffling of papers and then a rush around the room, Phaedra moved back to her table and all the while held onto three different stacks of papers in one hand. Phaedra tried to be organized, tried to keep her historical documentation away from the eyes and ears reports. She even did her best to keep record of the letters that came in and that needed her reply soon, but it was just too much. She sipped her tea and then called for her chamber maid, Farrah. The woman looked over the stash and said dismissively, “This is not party of my job, you know that, I would make it even worse if I tried.†Phaedra nodded, “Yes, but who do I trust to try and think like me,†Farrah chuckled, she did not often but in this case she did, “You’d like someone to try and think like you? I think the thought is scary even if you never utter it again,†she left the room and soon returned with a fresh pot of tea and some lunch. Phaedra waved her off, “I have no room to eat here, nor time dear,†she said with another sigh and listened to the steady rumblings of her stomach. She had skipped breakfast for a similar reason. And was not dinner last night only some soup and bread during a meeting with Ophelia? It was just too much to keep up with food intakes as well as the work on her desk. Maybe she did need someone to help her out, Phaedra rose from her seat and told Farrah to keep the meal for another hour. “I have to discuss this first,†she said and was out the door before Farrah could stop her and force her to have lunch first. Her troubled stomach decided to rumble some more, but Phaedra continued to ignore it and hurried down the corridor to find Finella.

 

The Gray was nowhere to be found and then Phaedra remembered her friend had told her she would take a group of novices into the city this afternoon. She was good with that sort of thing, so unlike Phaedra who did not like the childish ignorance, it made for grave mistakes and silly outbursts only cost time she did not have. Phaedra returned to her quarters and found Nyssa coming out of the Gray Hall with a young student, an Accepted Phaedra had heard of recently. Vera, the girl’s name had come up in a meeting with the Sitters. Phaedra nodded at Nyssa, “Sitter,†she said and then turned to the Accepted, “Child, please leave us for a moment,†then took Nyssa by the arm and gently led her along towards her room. “Could you help me out with the organization of my archives this afternoon Sister,†she said in a calm but demanding voice. Nyssa made an apologetic gesture, she was probably swamped with work herself and Phaedra let go of her arm. No point in pressing the woman, she would help if she could and was not afraid to dig into a large project like this. But then who could help with these archives, who could save Phaedra from drowning in papers and reports and who could be trusted at that. Phaedra’s dark eyes glazed away as she found herself skipping another meal, and another night of rest. This work could not wait, she had to finish, alone it seemed to be. “I need help with this,†she finally uttered to Nyssa, maybe this would make Nyssa reconsider?

 

Phaedra Eskarne

Sitter for the Gray

First Voice

 

OOC: This is a Gray chore for Vera, Nyssa can lead the way into it. :) (as discussed earlier)

[ashara]

“Well, the gossips would’ve wondered at any rate.â€

 

Laughing softly, Vera continued beside Nyssa, their slow paced walk more suited to being called a “strollâ€. They had spent the latter half of the morn together, after the Gray Sister had summoned her, stating clearly that she intended for Vera to….think And thought she had, while sitting with the amused woman, biting her lip as she often did while pensive. She wondered a little numbly if in the Sister’s case, she was just another Accepted who could possibly be recruited into joining the Grays. She was fond of Nyssa at any rate. They had become…friends, of a sort. A rather peculiar sort. And that too, it was changing her as a person. Or maybe she had been changing even before meeting Nyssa. Whatever it was, it was working out rather well, even if Nyssa may easily be the most horridly influential person who she had ever met. She had even told her so once, while feeling more bold than usual.

 

The thing with Aes Sedai was, you had to always maintain a guard. You had to remember that no matter how witty the next line you were itching to say, you had to consider it first to see if it was suitable. And then consider it again. They were not Accepted and you were definitely not Aes Sedai. She had been told that so many times- either as a warning, or a reminder, or a gentle nudge. It had offended her at first, but she soon realized that her friends were simply trying to help and so she had taken the help. Now, whenever she was chanced upon conversation with Sisters, it was with that ‘edge’ of timidity that ensured that she wasn’t stepping out of line. It was hard though, not to want to seem witty around people like Nyssa.

 

It had after all, been primarily because of Nyssa Deschain that Vera was currently lost in such a disarray of feelings and opinions concerning her Ajah. And like Lise had solemnly told her, “Ajahs do be the most important part Vera-girl.†Truth was though, like she had told her then, she did not know.

 

So instead, she would talk and laugh a little and be warm around the Sisters she had grown to care for, no matter which Ajah they were of. She had decided that she wouldn’t judge, that she wouldn’t dismiss and that most importantly- they were all the same, but different. She would infact do…just what she was doing now.

 

It was between the quiet laughter and mockingly intelligent conversation she was having with Nyssa that they were interrupted, the authority that came with the words, ““Child, please leave us for a moment,†having an impact quite unlike any before. Curtseying deeply, she glided to the left, without a second thought or a pause. After all, she could always study their movements from afar.

 

It was the same…but different.

 

~Vera

Gray Aspie

 

OOC: As you can tell, I was reasonably unsure about what I should do with my first post, so I let her wallow in her thoughts and confusion and insecurity instead. ;) Let me know if I should edit!

 

Thanks for doing this!

[silhouette]

A single glance at Phaedra told Nyssa all she truly needed to know, despite the words uttered and the gestures made. She had spent the morning trying to teach a promising Accepted a bit about the Game of Houses, and as always, that attuned her senses to the moods of others. Phaedra looked as though her nerves were frayed somehow. It was the look Nyssa had come to associate with busy times and hard decisions. Though the other woman looked as calm and regal as always. Only those who knew her well would see the tension in her. Finella would no doubt be able to read Phaedra like a book. Nyssa smiled faintly at that thought. It bothered her. So many things she knew, and so many things she saw, and yet her own Ajah Head could still keep things hidden from her. It bothered her that she didn’t know what the woman was working on now.

 

Her hands were folded as she listened and nodded, declining respectfully when Phaedra asked her to help out. Not that she didn’t want to have a chance to ruffle through the woman’s papers, but she did have matters to attend to. She glanced over at Vera, an idea forming in her head. It would be a lovely test for the young woman, and a chance to get to know a Gray sister of a different kind. Nyssa fully intended to snare Vera for the Gray Ajah. The girl had talents she didn’t even know about yet, and she would hate to see them wasted on hunting male channellers or healing. She turned to Phaedra. “With your permission, I think this Accepted can help you out.†She said, glancing over at Vera again. She could see Phaedra following her look until the elder woman’s gaze rested on the Accepted. Though Vera might not know it yet, she was being weighed and measured at that very instant. A curt nod informed her that Vera would indeed do nicely. It was soon agreed between the two Aes Sedai that Nyssa would send Vera to Phaedra’s chambers as soon as their lesson was complete.

 

Nyssa glided over to where Vera was standing. “I have another chore for you.†She said, before smiling faintly. “and perhaps a lesson.†She put her hand on Vera’s shoulder, slowly guiding her over to Phaedra’s chambers. “Phaedra Sedai is in need of some assistance. It will mostly involve ordering her paperwork and little things like that. Things an Aes Sedai doesn’t get around to. I would like you to help her out, while learning as much about what she’s doing as you can. Phaedra has been a Judge in the high court of Cairhien for years, and I think you can learn much from her. She’s quite a different Gray from myself. It should be interesting, to say the least.†She smiled warmly at the Accepted. Now it was time to explain the more sensitive part of her ‘lesson’. “When Phaedra no longer requires your assistance, I would like you to come visit me, and tell me what you’ve learned. See it is a part of your lessons in Daes Dae’mar.†With that said she left the girl standing in front of Phaedra’s door.

 

Ooc: Your post was fine :D sorry for the delay in posting. Now go forth and spy on Phaedra. ;)

[Guest Celes]

Phaedra trusted Nyssa, the other Gray had proposed that the Accepted help her out and Phaedra trusted in that decision. She had taken a few moments to look the girl over, she had only heard about her and not yet met with the Accepted herself yet. There was a reason for this option being brought up at this time, it was likely that Nyssa saw a potential in this woman for the Gray Ajah. Something Finella loved to do and something Phaedra trusted the old Sitter to do as her task in the Ajah. Phaedra's task lied with Ophelia, a young Sitter who was still learning about the Hall politics and with the teaching and tutoring Phaedra improved with every session in the Hall. However, this and her own work left little time to wonder about Sisters to be. It was a choice one made in this Ajah, a path one chose and that could not be easily strayed from. It required some experience, calm and patience to seek out new Sisters and Phaedra thought that the talents hidden in Ophelia required her personal attention. Could Nyssa be doing something similar with this young woman? She turned towards her door and placed a weave around it, so she would hear them arrive, giving her a few moments to calm herself before the actual knock came that would announce her helping hand.

 

Vera did not wait long to come and help out and Phaedra only had time to peruse one stack of papers which she would hand to the girl. She greeted Vera and noticed how Farrah appeared from the other room, already walking towards the tray with the pot and cups for tea. Good, that was one less thing to worry about as her personal servant would make the sure the Accepted did not die of thirst. Phaedra sometimes thought about her unwillingness to be a good host and how without Farrah she would not live this age herself as she often forgot to eat or drink when drowned in work. Phaedra quickly went over the stack of papers, explaining to Vera that these were reports from Cairhien, “I had apprentices in Cairhien when I worked at Court there, they were law students and graduates whose talents I could nourish and whose skills I could use, they are now barristers, clerks and one of them is even a Judge himself.†She mused on this thought, then placed the stack in Vera’s hands. “Vera, please go through these and write down the title on this sheet, so I know what I have and what I have yet to read. You can put a number code on the front of each,†here she pointed at the right corner, “so we can put them away and know that we can still find them,†she waited for Vera to take a seat and then handed her a quill and some sheets of parchment.

 

Farrah was already behind them, placing a cup of tea next to the two women, who sat at the same table, working on the same papers and who were still so different. An Ajah Head, a Sitter in the Hall of the White Tower on the one hand and a future Sister, an Accepted in the prime of her studies on the other hand. Phaedra looked her over and found that Vera worked diligently, reading over the paragraph of a piece that Seymour LaTour had written, a clerk at court with whom Phaedra had a correspondence on a particular case that was soon to be held in court. A young woman who was said to have born a son by a channeling man, but who had disappeared with her child only days after the birth. The midwife and the girl’s parents would be heard in an informal trial hearing to see if they knew where the girl was. Phaedra had heard through Seymour about this case and knew the Tower would soon find an interest in the case, as it could have large consequences. That was, after the trial hearing was completed as one of the lawyers was working for the Blue Ajah as Phaedra had found out recently, quite by accident in a conversation with the man's apprentice who happened to be working for the Grays. Phaedra knew that two Blues were preparing for a trip to Cairhien to find out more about this disappearance and she wanted to know as much as he could before the Blues made the news public in the Hall, at which time Phaedra would be asked to explain herself. No-one was stupid enough to believe that the Gray Sitter did not have information on this already. It was key that she knew enough to divert the topic to her findings, rather than the time that had passed since her first correspondence on the matter. The Blues could not get the upper hand in Phaedra's home ground, not on a case at court and surely not one in Cairhien.

 

Vera would not read Phaedra’s letters, but she could probably find the story out soon enough if she read through enough of the letters. But what Accepted would care about such matters, the personal correspondence on legal matters was nothing but a boring and dusty task for this girl who probably dreamt of walking out in the early spring sunlight and smelling the soft flowers or drawing them on that same piece of parchment she was writing down numbers and short notes on now. Phaedra’s eyes gazed back over the report she had received that morning from Seymour, it held the last information on the trial which would be on that following morning. Phaedra suddenly looked up and asked Vera to find her something, “There should be letter in there in which Sir Seymour Latour comments on the midwife’s history, please find it for me,†of course the Accepted would take her time to go through all the papers and then read through fragments of it as so far she had only read the titles. Phaedra tapped her pencil and took a moment to sip on the tea that had now gone almost cold with time passing, surprisingly enough Vera only took a few moments to find the paper. Sheer luck on her part, plus a good clerk needed to scan the documents for reference words. Phaedra nodded and read through the letter, finding that it was older than she thought and wondering how Vera had found it so quickly. Phaedra sighed as she found what she needed and rubbed her temples, this case was sensitive and she should not worry about her clerk, there was enough to worry about on the table in front of her.

 

OOC: Opening up some spying for you, so go ahead and see what you can do with that. You can make some details up for yourself to fit the story on the case in Cairhien.