In the Library (Attn:Faile)

[Treliak]

Mirana entered the library. She had a smile on her face. The last days had been quite hard. Mostly with lessons, but she had also been hit by a stroke of home sickness. Tear...

 

Taking a few steps into the greay library, she looked around for new possible shelves, filled with interesting books, about whatever in the whole world. This library really had it all. She came into a path of books about geography, and found a mass of books only about Tear. So she grabbed two of them, one called Nina Caprimons world adventures: Tear, and the other Stone of Tear.

 

She chose a table, close to the geography shelves. Before she sat down, she remembred she had been sitting by this table before. It was at this particullar table she had first met Zemiocro.

 

She was dissapointed when she opened the book called Stone of Tear, and noticed that the book infact didn't have much to do with Tear at all. It was a man and a woman, living in Cairhien, who had always been talking about getting out to see the world, and particullary the Stone.

 

Mirana yawned, when she heard gentle stepps behind her.

[Guest Faile1987]

Faile

 

Striding through the long, confusing corridors of the White Tower, Faile followed the path layed out in front of her without thinking. In fact the way to the library of the White Tower somehow seemed to be the only thing she could find without any problems in the White Tower even if she had been there for nearly a year by now. The library had been a place where she liked to go very frequently, burying herself in stacks of books and being so engrossed about reading that she often lost track of time completely, sometimes finding herself being the only one left in an entirely empty library late at night.

 

Smiling faintly, she remembered that in the cause of such a night of losing track on time, she had met Danian, a Warder trainee she had instantly fallen in love with evne though she wasn´t yet ready to admit it even to herself. Her smile widened when she remembered the kiss they had shared and how he had held her in his arms that night in the garden. Yet her mood darkened soon again when she remembered them being caught and severely punished. She longed to see him again but knew she couldn´t for now and had to make the best of it, even though it was hard and she sometimes couldn´t think of anything else than holding him again, just for a minute.

 

Fending off those thoughts, Faile forced herself to concentrate on matters at hand, entering the library and looking around until she saw the very person she was sent to look for.

 

Openly recognizable by her seven-banded-dress, Mirana sat at one table, with a stack of books in front of her. Faile dimly caught that they were about something with Tear, but that wasn´t what she was here for. "Good day to you, Mirana", Faile said, bobbing a faint curtsy as befit the Accepted. "My name is Faile al´Rahien. Leona Sedai sent me here to you. She said you needed my help with something?" The last was rather a question than a statement as she really wasn´t too sure what she was supposed to do here in the library now, what an Accepted could need help wtih. Actually Faile had intended to read some facts about male channellers and the taint on the male half of the One Power after Leona Sedai had her take care of a gentled male channellers´s wounds, but apparently this day held something else in store for her.

[Treliak]

"Good day to you, Mirana", a soft voice said behind her. Mira was a little astonished. She didn't recognize the soft voice, but still the girl knew her name. Quickly Mira reminded herself that she was now an Accepted, and some Novices actually looked up to her now. But this girl sounded like she had been looking for Mira.

 

Mira turned around, and spotted the girl in the white dress. She had an indeed pretty face, and her short brown hair had a tone of red in it. The girl made a small curtsy, and Mira almost blushed. She wasn't yet used to other people bowing infront of her. That was something she was used to do herself, infront of other people.

"My name is Faile al´Rahien. Leona Sedai sent me here to you. She said you needed my help with something?" The girl said.

 

Mira was about to tell the Novice that there had been some missunderstanding. She had been talking to the red sister earlier that day, and told her that she was going to the library, but nothing about needing help.

"I don't..." Mira started, but stopped herself. She knew how eager some Novices could be to help. "Yes, that's true. You can start with helping me find some interesting books about Tear." Mira said, trying her best to sound like a full sister. "I'm writing an essay about it." She added.

 

She stood up, and pointed at the shelves where the books about geography were.

[Guest Faile1987]

Faile was rather glad as the Accepted nodded and told her that she had found the right person. In fact the first look Mirana had given her, had been a rather disconcerting one, confirming the feeling she had had in the beginning already: the feeling of having gotten lost again. Light, was she never getting used to the ways and twists of the White Tower, developing some sense of orientation or recognizing people? In fact many of them looked rather alike, yet not that alike, Faile had to admit. Resolving to work on her memory in terms of names and even more concerning memorizing significant parts and ways in the White Tower, Faile nodded in acknowledgement as she was assigned her task and got to work, sorting her way through the rather complex collection of different geography books, trying her best to find useful things for Mira.

 

The Stone of Tear….a rather interesting topic, yet also a bit dry for Faile´s taste. She had always been more a person for adventurous stories full of excitement and splendor. Still this was something different and somehow she felt a pleasant feeling of enjoyment settling down on her as she sorted through the anchient leatherbound volumes, feeling fragile pages of yellowish parchment that had once been white and smooth, but somehow seemed to only have gained interest and appeal as it turned older, somehow making Faile feel like digging out a long hidden treasure, maybe finding things that no one had read before her or that had been forgotten again. Maybe they would manage some new approach to the topic, discovering something unheard before.

 

Somehow a feeling of excitement rushed through her as she was turning the pages, feeling how she got more and more absorbed in her work, succumbing to the spell these old books seemed to have cast on her, dragging her into their secret contents as her eager fingers went over creaking pages.

 

Unaware of time passing by and occupants of the library changing, Faile just sat next to the blonde-haired Accepted, unaware of anything around her, until she suddenly looked up abruptly, noticing that she hadn´t asked a rather important question. Well, one which interested her at least. “Who are you writing that essay for, Mirana? Is it for a lesson? White Tower and the World perhaps?†Genuine curiosity apparent in Faile´s tone, she didn´t make any effort to hide it. After all she was always interested in how Sisters and Accepted were preparing for the rather long lessons they used to give, full of content and facts. Somehow the idea of helping to prepare one of these seemed rather appealing despite all the dryness of the topic.

[Treliak]

Mira watched as the novice grabbed a few books, before sitting down next to her. Mira was suprised by how ambitious the younger girl was, and tried to remember if she had been that enthusiastic when she had recieved a task from someone when Mira helself had been a novice.

 

When Faile turned the page after reading the first one, the novice looked up at her, and Mira quickly turned her face down to her own book. As tired as Mira was, she could'n manage to stay awake while reading. Mirana almost jumped again when Faile asked, “Who are you writing that essay for, Mirana?"

 

Mira looked out the window, and noticed that it was late afternoon. How long had she been asleep?

Is it for a lesson? White Tower and the World perhaps?†Faile asked.

 

Since she wasn't really writing an essay, she had to come up with some lie. For one second, she felt bad for lying to the novice, but she pushed the emotion away, and once again tried to sound like a Sister.

"I'm afraid that's none of your concern, Faile." She had been indeed close to calling Faile child, but that would have sounded a little too ridiculous.

 

When she turned her face down towards her book again, she could almost feel that another question would come from Faile.

[Guest Faile1987]

"I'm afraid that's none of your concern, Faile." the words coming to her ears were plain and calmly spoken, almost carrying the air of the regality which usually only the words of full Aes Sedai contained. Cool blue eyes matching the curious look of her dark brown ones, the Accepted´s body language even more so than her answer made it perfectly clear that she would show Faile where her limits as a Novice lay and asking questions concerning the plans and intentions of an Accepted certainly didn´t lay in between those rather strict limits.

 

Supressing sudden anger looming inside her at the realization of just how much like a child dhe had just been treated, Faile concentrated hard, going through one of the exercises she had been shown as a rather new initiate of the White Tower to keep up her calm and meek appearance as befitted a Child of the White Tower that she knew she still was. Still she wouldn´t let herself be humiliated by this blonde girl that couldn´t be that much older than herself. A spark gleaming in those dark brown eyes hinting that it might easily cindle a fire that lay beneath only waiting to overcome her, Faile drew herself up to put the last book remaining for her inquiries back to its rightful plance in the long shelf, before she looked at Mirana again, faintly wondering what kind of person was hiding behind this cool unrevealing shell she seemed to have chosen to give herself.

 

"I know it´s not for us Novices to question the business of Accepted let alone Aes Sedai", Faile spoke in a voice as smooth as soft light silk, a voice she had learned to use during the time she had spent at the White Tower now. A voice that could be sweet as honey in one moment but cutting deeper than the sharpest knife in another. Right now, touble was the least she wanted though. She was none to poke people about things they obviously didn´t want to give away, yet the behaviour of the Accepted had cindled her curiosity.

 

"But nonetheless we have been taught to show interest in the business of the White Tower", she added almost casually, "and now I´m wondering why I suddenly am not supposed to ask those questions anymore...Be that as it may though, I guess I won´t be able to find much more about this particular topic anymore, unless you have some other source for me to inquire..." Faile sat down on the small chair opposite Mirana with a small sigh of exhaustion, only now fully realizing how late the day had grown already. "Anyway, how long have you been in the White Tower and do you already know which Ajah you want to choose?", she suddenly asked amiably and eager to change the topic to enter more shallow waters. A conflict resulting in yet another visit to Faerzyne Sedai´s office was the last thing she needed after all.

[Treliak]

"I know it´s not for us Novices to question the business of Accepted let alone Aes Sedai," Faile said with a smooth voice. A little too smooth, Mira thought. How could this novice remain so cool, after being rebuked by an Accepted? Mira knew she never had been able to stay so calm after something like that. "But nonetheless we have been taught to show interest in the business of the White Tower", the girl continued. Anger started to bubble up slightly inside Mira. "and now I´m wondering why I suddenly am not supposed to ask those questions anymore...Be that as it may though, I guess I won´t be able to find much more about this particular topic anymore, unless you have some other source for me to inquire..."

 

The thing Mira was most angry about, wasn't that Faile spoke almost as if they were equals. It was that even if Faile was a novice, she spoke like as if she was a full Sister. Before Mira could say something herself, the girl continued, with the same smooth voice.

"Anyway, how long have you been in the White Tower and do you already know which Ajah you want to choose?"

 

Mira waited a few seconds, to be sure that the girl was done.

 

"First of all," Mira drew a deep breath. "This is not the business of the White Tower, this is the business of me and I only." She stopped a minute to reconsider her choice of words. "And, yes, you have done a good job, you are free of this work now. And what was it more? A, yes. As a matter of fact, I have not yet decided my Ajah."

[Guest Faile1987]

Looking at Mirana, Faile couldn't help the feeling arise inside her of the woman in the banded dress coming close, very close, to bursting of indignation regarding her behaviour. Preventing herself from biting her lip, Faile forced herself to keep her head up, preventing herself from casting her eyes down like it would befit the usual meekness expected from any Novice, no matter how long she had been in the White Tower.

 

And yet she felt herself being unable to just comply to Mirana's harsh, scolding tone with utter obedience and without any kind of retort. Even thought they were educated by being told to bend their own will to the word of any authority around them, Faile still couldn't forget what she herself had been told when she used to be little. Think for yourself. Those who bend too low might never get up again.

 

Those had been words her mother used to say even if she had gotten herself into trouble again, for just that behaviour. But that was just like Faile, she guessed. It was nearly second nature to her to speak and voice her opinion no matter if she was asked for it or not, no matter which consequences she would have to bear with for that.

 

Right now though, she felt hot anger boil up inside herself, almost being close to the verge of it overwhelming and taking her entirely. If not for the simple mind-concentrating exercises she had been taught one of the first things when she came to the White Tower, Faile knew she wouldn't have been able to pull herself together.

 

Gritting her teeth, frantically trying not to look as though her gaze could burn people to death, a blonde Accepted being first in line there, Faile decided to ignore the urge to stay at the library and doing some of her own research as she would have liked to, and putting the book she had just opened, a large anchient-looking volume entitled "Saidin - the good, the bad and the ugly" back into its rightful place before dropping a pointed curtsy, looking at Mirana.

 

"I would prefer to withdraw now", she said in her most courteous voice. "If I may." She suddenly just wanted to get away from the other woman, get out of here before her own stubbornness and lightness of tongue would get her headfirst into trouble again. May that one choose whatever Ajah she wanted, but Faile almost felt that she would be glad if it was any but her own one when she was about to choose. Well, not almost maybe but certainly. She just wanted to get out of this blonde and blue-eyed presence right now. Nothing else.

[Treliak]

"I would prefer to withdraw now." Faile said with that unbelievebly calm tone. "If I may." She added, but not as a question. Still, Mira considered it as a small victory over the girl, in her mind, that she had added that. After all, if Faile showed disrespect, Mira could drag her up to the Mistress of Novices, and that was something Faile indeed wouldn't like.

 

"Fine, you are dissmissed." Mira said, and waited untill the girl had left the library, before she herself started to put her books back in the cases.

[Guest Faile1987]

Dismissed. Faile hated that word, nearly as much as she hated the tone she was told off, reminding her of some kind of soldier only waiting for his orders to go or stay as he was told. Never-thinking and order-abiding. No, that would be no life for her and secretly she already craved to be one of the full Sisters, a blue shawl draped around her shoulders, matching an equally blue dress as she would never wear anything white again in her life. Yes, that was what she wanted. Wanted the most. Yet Faile knew that she only would get a chance to do that if she did as she was told now. She just couldn't risk being sent away, cast out of the Tower, her childhood dream forever destroyed.

 

No, apart from that she just wouldn't do Mirana the favour to give her any reason to send her to Faerzyne Sedai's study to receive her "rightful punishment for her apparent disrespect" as she already could hear Mirana call it. No, she had better go before she went too far.

 

Bobbing a small curtsy, she made herself smile at Mirana almost thankfully, a smile that didn't touch her eyes which still wanted to shoot burning fire balls at the Accepted, yet she kept her mouth shut about anything but "Have a nice evening", something that was the only thing she was able to force herself to saying before she disappeared with ruffling skirts in the semi-darkness of the corridor hoping she wouldn't see that particular Accepted again that soon.

 

OOC: "The beginning of a long and wonderful friendshuip" I'd say, hm? ;)

[Treliak]

OOC: Indeed long and wonderful Interesting if they'll both end up blue.