In Search of the Unknown [Bowl of the Winds side-thread]

[claireducky]

Claire pushed back from her paper-strewn desk with a sigh.  The stacks of parchments and even some ancient vellum sheepskins were everywhere; to the uninitiated eye it looked like total chaos.  However the disarray had a method in its madness, and Claire could find any small obscure bit of lore the documents contained at will.

 

None of that helps me, of course.  Not if the information I seek is not here.

 

She turned in her chair and looked for Selene.  The young woman was seated crosslegged on the floor, surrounded by more papers and heavy tomes.  Selene seemed to feel Claire's attention upon her; she looked up from the document she was studying and asked, "Is everything all right, Claire?"

 

The ancient Brown smiled, tiny lines crinkling at the corners of her eyes.  She had a genuine affection for Selene, like that she had for Shaneevae once.

 

Would that I knew where she was.  She isn't a Green, to go haring off after adventure and abandon her duty to us.  Light, keep her safe.

 

"Nothing that wasn't already wrong, Selene.  I've not had any luck finding what we've been looking for.  How about yourself?  Have you found anything promising?"

 

Selene shook her head no, and Claire clicked her tongue in disappointment.  "Well, that's to be expected, I suppose.  The ancient ter'angreal the Tower has records of are a paltry few compared to the actual numbers that once existed.  Documents decay, and all that they contained becomes lost to us forever."

 

She stood and stretched, hands on the small of her back.  The aches and pains of age were becoming hard to ignore of late.  Lowering her hands, she channeled briefly to remove the wrinkles from her amber-colored wool dress.

 

Beckoning for Selene to follow, Claire swept out of the room and into the corridor.  They were in the halls above the great library of the White Tower, where many of the Brown sisters kept apartments so as not to be far from their work.

 

"Would you run down to the library and get that last batch of documents and books we have not yet checked?  Kerida Sedai should have the list handy and can help you find them.  I'd do it myself, but going up and down all those stairs doesn't sound like a good idea for me just now."

 

Selene nodded and turned to leave, but Claire caught her by the sleeve.  "Get a Novice to help you carry them back here if you need; some of those tomes are quite heavy, if I remember correctly.  I will go and speak with Raeyn Sedai, to see if she knows anything that might help us in our search.  I should be back in my study by time you return."

 

She smiled thanks at the young woman, who turned and hurried off down the corridor.  Claire turned in the opposite direction, and steeled herself to speak with the head of her Ajah.

 

OOC:  I'm being purposefully vague about Selene's standing (Accepted or AS), so play it vague as well so we don't interfere with the space-time continuum lol.  You don't *have* to get a Novice PC or even NPC to help you, but I thought if you needed to give a chore or feel like helping a Novice finish a chore requirement, you could.  <3!

[Quisalas Selene]

Selenessin smiled warmly to Claire as she was told to get a novice to do the heavy lifting.  She remembered all too well being a Novice and being sent on errands of just this like.  She nodded her deference to the old Brown and headed towards the library.  If she came across a novice, she probably would ask for her help - there really was a lot of stuff to go through to find this ter'angreal.  Selene wasn't even exactly sure what she was looking for, and she couldn't help but think that her old mentor Melianna would be a valuable resource in this search.  If only she wasn't off on her own search for ter'angreal to understand.

 

From her earliest days in the Tower Selene had been curious about ter'angreal and her mentor being nearly obsessed with them didn't hurt that either.  When Claire had asked for help with this search, Selene had been all too willing to give the woman a hand, hoping that she could find a way to help do something about this Light forsaken heat.  If she must be in the Tower right now, at least she could find a way to help the world from here.

 

"Don't slouch, Lania child."  She spoke the words almost without noticing the novice or the fact that she had corrected the girl's posture.  She had already swept past the girl and was thinking about the library and the search.  The answer must be in here somewhere, Melianna has said that she remembered something on it.  She tried to recall as much as she could about the murmured rambling her old mentor had done about ter'angreal but it was all jumbled up together. 

 

When she got to the library the documents and books had already been gathered together and the kindly brown at the desk gave Selene an approving smile.  Being weak in the OP had made it hard for Selene to get used to the seemingly endless patronization and being expected to defer to everyone.  She'd hoped that had ended with her novice days long ago.  She accepted Claire ordering her to the library with the natureal deference of one with many more years, but having to defer to someone because of her strength with the One Power, something that she was already sensitive about, riled her.  She accepted the Sister's gesture with a subtle tip of her head, always playing to the Tower's rules even when she thought she would be free of their strictures, and took a moment to skin through the loose sheafs of paper.  Movement at her side caught her eye and she looked up to see the last Novice she expected to find in the Library ever again.

 

"Why Azalia, such serendipitous timing.  Do help me carry these books up to the Brown Ajah quarters.  There are entirely too many of them for me to handle on my own."  She turned a winning smile on the younger girl, forgetting for a moment the Aes Sedai serenity and expectation to be obeyed.

 

 

Selenessin

Not Entirely Polished Yet

[Jay Solace]

Azalia Switt wasn't a woman born to be appropriate for libraries.  She'd only gotten her head around the art of reading after she'd first arrived at the White Tower  and, even then,  only with the loving if frustrated help of a concerned Accepted and other Novices.  Now that Azalia had the knowing of books she mostly saw fit to be done with them but here she was, strolling through the expansive Library of the White Tower.  It was really because she'd just recently learned that not every book was a waste of building material or firewood.

 

Azalia casually plucked the piece of straw she'd been chewing from her mouth and used it to tap at spine of each book as she walked past. "Tupelo: A Kind of Tree, Turbulence: A Phenomenon Aerial and Aquatic, The Turf Quality of the Northern Nations... Ah!  Here we are, The Turgid Taraboner."  Azalia returned the bit of straw to her teeth, glanced over each shoulder as nonchalantly as she could, and quickly reached out to snatch up the book her room-mate had so emphatically described to her.

 

"Why Azalia-" The words caused Azalia to start and shove the steamy title back into place with thunk that seemed far too loud for the Novice's taste.  Azalia hastily turned to face the speaker. "-such serendipitous timing.  Do help me carry these books up to the Brown Ajah quarters.  There are entirely too many of them for me to handle on my own."

 

Light help her, she'd almost been caught holding such a perverse collection of words by a senior.   Azalia relaxed visibly when she saw that it was Selene doing the talking.

 

"Will do,  Selene," Azalia said, dropping the proper formalities as she did every chance she got.  It was a habit that earned her a lot of black looks since her arrival but Azalia didn't see Selene as a black look sort of lady.  Azalia swaggered to the indicated pile of literature and hefted the rectangular stack up with ease.   In the chore-laden life of a Novice, Azalia found her pig-farming muscles to be a blessing worth every snide comment her more delicate sister Novices could throw at her. "Just tell me where you want them."

[Quisalas Selene]

Selene's eyebrows lifted slightly at the title of the book and managed to just keep the color out of her cheeks.  She'd never for a moment let any sign of recognition show, it might insinuate that she'd read that novel herself when she was a novice and that just wouldn't do.  She didn't even seem to notice the lack of title, Azalia had never been a particularly formal child and Selene was too used to her quirks from the time they spent together.  She was quite pleased to see Azalia showing an enjoyment of reading, even if it was reading of that nature.  There was never anything wrong with a little recreational enjoyment.  There was entirely too little to enjoy about Novice life as is.

 

She pulled out one of the boxes tucked beneath the library table and carefully laid the loose papers inside, putting the lid on securely.  The sheafs and scrolls inside would likely hold the key to finding the ter'angreal they sought; she couldn't see finding the item in a book since it was so obscure and had so little known about it.  She looked over the books briefly and paused at a discourse of the political parties in Altara but didn't remove it from the stack. "Altara," she mused quietly, mostly to herself.  What could Altara have to do with this?  Whatever books Claire had selected and requested would be the ones Selene brought to her.  She didn't know half as much about this search as the old Brown did and she wasn't about to make presumptions.

 

"Have you got the pile of books securely, Azalia?  Careful with them, many are very old."  Between the two of them they managed the stack that would hopefully hold the key and left the library chatting quietly.  This was where Selene was the worst at distancing herself from other people - she just didn't have the desire to hold herself over the younger members of the Tower.  She talked with Azalia as she would another person, not a subservient.  She would occasionally remember herself, especially if she saw an Aes Sedai that ranked significantly higher than she did herself, and then would pull apart from the girl and adopt a cooler tone.

 

As they wound higher in the Tower and there were fewer people passing by, Selene turned the topic back to the book Azalia had been handling when Selene spotted her.  "It's good to see you showing an interest in books, child.  I'd thought after all the fight you gave me with teaching you literacy that you'd never step foot in the library again.  One does have to wonder how you ended up with an interest in just that kind of book?"  She could hide behind the guise of knowing what was appropriate reading for the intention of scolding novices, but she was fairly sure that there wasn't an Aes Sedai in the Tower who didn't at one time or another dream of lacy veils over bushy mustaches - or some other form of sultry love interest.  Selene herself had favored stories of wild Aiel men stealing young ladies away and making them grow to love the harsh and hard world - and men - of the Waste.

 

Just thinking of the books threatened to warm her cheeks and she turned a critical eye on the former swineherd to shift focus away from her own thoughts.

 

Selenessin

The very image of propriety.

[Jay Solace]

As soon as Selene confirmed that she'd seen the book title, Azalia sighed and thumped her forehead against the mountainous stack of books in her arms. Still,  Azalia was a bawdy lass by nature and she couldn't stay embarrassed long.   "I suppose I couldn't say I put my nose in any other sort of book and claim that Father Switt had raised hisself an honest daughter," Azalia said, affected a chagrined smile. "When the bodices start heaving I start paying attention.  I must be part boy."

 

 

Selene couldn't suppress the laughter that bubbled up at Azalia's forthright honesty.  She would have to curb that inclination to tell the truth so plainly before she made it to the Shawl.  Pillow friends and the tendency of girls to turn to one another for comfort and companionship during the difficult years as an initiate of the Tower was something never spoken of outloud, but widely murmured about in the quiet darkness of night.  Selene herself had never... indulged as such, having been with a room mate where both of them were too shy to approach the other about the concept.  At least that was Selene's excuse, Carina may have just not needed someone to lean on and snuggle with like Selene had ached for.

 

She caught herself blushing outright this time and lowered her lashes to eye the younger girl.  Azalia was taller than she, but still carried herself with more gangliness than grace, in spite of not faltering with carrying the load.  "Part boy?  I should hope I never have to still you for channeling, then."  Her lips quirked into a brief smile and she turned her thoughts away from men who could channel.  There were rumors and gossip on the wind regarding just that subject she didn't care to think about right now.  "I recommend The Affectionate Altaran then, if you like the heaving.  The fashion there keeps them so trussed up that every little breath causes, well... I think you're an imaginative girl."  She laughed again, praying no Aes Sedai caught her in such silliness or she would deserve every menial job and chore they set her on just to prove that she was to defer to them. 

 

 

"Affectionate Altaran," Azalia pursed her lips as she spoke the words and mulled them over in her mind.  "Why, the sounds like it ought to be pert near as nice as The Domani Domination," she said with a laugh.  Azalia's laughter was often described by kind, or at least polite people as 'honest' or 'bouyant' but never 'quiet.'

 

 

She shifted the box in her arms and tugged at one of the girl's coiled ringlets of hair as Azalia laughed.  "You may read all the inappropriate books you wish as long as you also keep up on your studies of Tower law, history, old tongue, and the customs and expectations of each nation.  We can't have you being uncultured as well as uncouth."  There was only affection in her voice and she'd dropped her mask of serenity entirely with the girl.  Azalia always did have a warming affect on Selene.

 

 

Azalia turned her brown eyes towards Selene.  They still shimmered with tears of mirth she couldn't wipe away with her arms so full of books.  The young woman noted the blush on her senior's cheeks and at the touch of Selene's fingertips in her unruly hair, Azalia's dark skin darkened a bit more too.  Azalia, however, was one to burn with passion over embarrassment.  Selene had always been so good about making Azalia feel like an equal rather than a subordinate.  She was also such a slight person with a much soft sort of energy than Azalia's, it was hard not to feel that she owed Selene her best.  Azalia found herself suddenly poignantly pining for the days when Selene had been teaching her to read and ever day had given them an excuse to sit across from each other and talk.  "I may shirk reading but I don't shirk chores,  Mistress Selene.  I do everything my betters ask of me and, you know me,  I always do it with a smile."  Azalia punctuated her statement with an exaggerated swing of her hips that gave the smaller woman an affectionate bump.  She thought the intended effect was only slightly marred when she was forced to pick up her feet and dance a bit to re-balance the stack of books and avoid a spill. 

 

Once she'd steadied the books and her step, Azalia flashed a grin that she hoped her elder would find inviting.  Azalia wasn't  good at thinking up excuses, but maybe she could entice Selene into concocting reasons for the two of them to spend more time together. "Think about that if you ever need anyone to help you out like this again." After a pause Azalia found herself adding, "The me doing chores with a smile, not the me tripping.  I'd rather you didn't think of that part."  Azalia flashed the grin again, full force and shook her head a bit to perhaps artfully pull a full ringlets of her hair back across her cheeks.  These sort of things worked on getting the boys' attention.

 

 

Share Posted with Quisalas Selene

[Quisalas Selene]

Selene stumbled a step or two when Azalia's hip made contact with hers but she recovered considerably more gracefully than the Novice.  Long years around horses made someone light on your feet, they weren't especially picky about shoving slightly-built little girls completely out of the way if they were standing on a particularly interesting bit of grass.  And when being shoved around a horse field, it was very highly recommended that you not set your foot down wrong lest you wanted to spend supper washing your boots off instead of eating.  And eating was something Selene was really quite fond of.

 

She fought off the urge to shove back at Azalia, only just remembering the importance of their cargo before her hand made contact with the girl.  Instead of shoving her sideways again, the hand instead held fast to her shoulder to help her steady herself through the comical dance.  Her box was significantly easier to manage one-handed than Azalia's stack of books so she took out her own kerchief to blot at the girl's shining eyes. 

 

"Little minx, if I didn't know you knew better, I'd swear you were sweet on me and trying to butter me up for some nefarious reason.  And since I know you don't mind hard work and you know that I don't have any sweetcakes on hand, I imagine this must be some intricate plot to lower my defenses and extract confidential information about official Tower business out of me."  She raised her chin, with the intent of hiding her expression of amusement from the girl, but raising one's chin only helped to hide expression when the other person didn't stand more than a hand taller than you already.  At her indignant sniff, she peeked one eye open and then her composure broke again and she laughed outright.

 

 

 

Selenessin

Remembers Being a Novice

 

[Jay Solace]

Azalia's mind, awash with nefarious reasons to butter Selene, was forced to change tracks.  No easy task. "Why I want your defenses lowered aside, why am I acting as pack mule?   I've never known a Brown to want for reasons they need a stack of books, but this one does seem heavier than usual."

 

When Selene gave her a guarded look, Azalia wondered if this might be something that a novice shouldn't be told about.  Selene was quick to bring up official Tower business and for the first time it occurred to Azalia that this might not just be a routine chore.  Seeing Selene flash from amusement to the distant mask that was so common to Aes Sedai sent a shiver down Azalia's spine, it wasn't like her friend to pull back so suddenly.

 

"Well," she cleared her throat hoping to ease her friend back into her former good humor, "  I hope they're studying up on a way to help with this burning weather.  First winter hangs around past its welcome, like a lazy uncle come to vist,  and then summer won't take the hint and pack off either.  Its so hot I can't sleep at night.  I never know what to do with myself."  Azalia chuckled and cast a sidelong glance at her companion.  Maybe Azalia was all thumbs when it came to getting a lady's attention but she was usually a fair hand at getting smiles from anyone.  Selene just didn't seem like Selene without a smile on her face.

[Quisalas Selene]

Selene's guarded look flashed to surprise when Azalia brought up the weather and she chided herself for being so easy to read.  Of course the novice would mention the weather, there was no secret about there being something definitely wrong with it and it was widely rumored that there must be something of the Dark One's touch involved.  Selene was entirely unsure of what to say to the girl.  While she liked and enjoyed Azalia's forthright honest, it might not be the best idea to tell secrets to someone who was so infallibly honest.  She cleared her throat and schooled her features and then felt a flash of loathing at the fact that she was never to be allowed to be herself, even when she was alone with a friend.

 

As novices, the girls had all pulled together to stand against the trials and difficulties.  As she had been raised through the tower, Selene felt every guideline and protocol forcing her apart from everyone else.  Was there no way for a woman of the Tower to have both companionship and respected standing?  Was the whole Tower White in thinking that emotions felt or portrayed were only weaknesses to be exploited or repressed?  She was scowling openly now and gave an irritated huff not only at having to wear a mask but at losing it so constantly.

 

She closed her eyes and halted them, near to the entrance to the Brown Ajah quarters.  When she opened them again, she gave Azalia an apologetic smile.  "I'm not upset with you, child.  It is about the weather, but it's not my place to tell you more than that.  We're doing what we can to try and fix it and these books should help." In a quieter tone, mostly to herself, she murmured "They must help."  She did clear her expression and give the girl a more genuine smile before backing to the doors and hipping one open and holding it there for Azalia to go through first.  "Come now, Claire Sedai is surely back in her study by now and will be wondering where I've gotten off to with her books.  Perhaps she will tell you more about the search if you show an interest in reading these dusty old things.  When she told me to fetch a Novice to help me with them, I'm sure she had no idea I'd spend the whole time flirting and nattering on like we were pillow friends cuddled together under the blankets on a stormy night."

 

The smile she gave Azalia was brief but suggestive and she had to fight down the giggle that wanted to come up as they stepped into the tomb-like quiet of what Selene had affectionately come to refer to as the Halls of Knowledge.

 

 

 

Selenessin

No One Saw A Thing

[Jay Solace]

Azalia's flirtatious grin settled into an earnest smile at Selene's words. Azalia had been afraid that she'd been doing something wrong the whole time but now she was fairly certain there'd been no misunderstanding of her intentions on Selene's part. 

 

She took the proffered doorway into a long empty hallway.  It would be harsh to say the environment was derelict but it certainly was disheveled.  There were patches of worn carpet, boards that needed new nails, and eaves and trim that needed a new coat of white-wash (or painting she supposed; it wasn't as if the White Tower needed to pinch pennies.)

 

"Browns," she said with a soft shake of her head.  Azalia actually had a healthy dose of both respect and affection for the Brown Ajah.  But they needed so much care-taking.  More than the  amorous, martial Greens, adventurous Blues, or high falootin' Greys and Reds it was always the Whites and Browns that vied for the position of the most masculine Ajah in Azalia's mind.  The Browns were so helpless but adept at trivia, whereas the Whites could spend so much time thinking so hard only to say something either stupid or obvious at the end of it all.  If that didn't sum up men for Azalia she didn't know what would.

 

Azalia turned her mind from the sad state of the hallway and tagged along after Selene.  Azalia might be a strong cuss but even she would be glad to be rid of all of this dead-weight.  When Selene indicated which door Azalia was to go through, Azalia took one moment to pause in the hallway, heavy load or not.  "It's been fun seeing you again, Selene.  Please come find me during the next stormy night." Azalia Switt winked at her superior then settled into a serious demeanor to face the Brown Ajah she knew would be on the other side of the door.

[Quisalas Selene]

Selenessin gave the Brown a warm smile as she entered the room after Azalia.  "I found a fine strong young novice in the Library who looked just the thing to carry some books.  I dare say she was frittering away her time when she could have been doing chores, but since she was choosing to spend her time reading, we should forgive her."  She set the box of documents, scrolls, odd papers and half-finished manuscripts down on a spare bit of floor and then moved a stack of books so Azalia could set her stack of books in their place.  She made careful note not to change the order the books she moved were in, Browns had their own way or organization that it seemed only they half-understood, but at least they had that half.

 

"I've also told Azalia that we're working on finding a solution to this weather, but wasn't sure if I should say more."  She bit her inner lip as soon as she said it, she shouldn't be showing indecision in front of a Novice while also in front of someone with the clout to be thoroughly upset at her breach in etiquette.  Hurrying on, she hoped to head off any disapproval from the Brown by chatting.  It was a tactic Selene was beginning to think she'd never grow out of.  "There's quite a lot to go through, so we best get to it.  Put the books right here, Azalia, and then you're free to go."

 

Once Azalia had set down the books and made her proper curtsies and greetings to Claire Sedai, Selene led her over to the door to the office.  "I hope I will catch you again in the library, Azalia.  We can discuss your preferred reading material in more detail then."  She gave her a cheeky little grin that Claire couldn't see with her facing the doorway and then sent off the girl.  Light, she would never make a proper Aes Sedai if she didn't control her giddiness better.

 

 

 

[claireducky]

Claire was sitting back in her rooms when Selenessin returned with a Novice in tow.  The Brown's meeting with the Head of her Ajah had not gone well, and she was feeling shaken.  Luckily, she managed to keep her feelings separate from her face as Selene launched into a cheerful explanation.

 

"I found a fine strong young novice in the Library who looked just the thing to carry some books.  I dare say she was frittering away her time when she could have been doing chores, but since she was choosing to spend her time reading, we should forgive her."

 

The Novice and Selene set their burdens down on the floor as Selene continued to speak. "I've also told Azalia that we're working on finding a solution to this weather, but wasn't sure if I should say more."  Claire smiled a bit at that; Selenessin was a chatty one and seemed to disarm all those around her with the skill.  "There's quite a lot to go through, so we best get to it.  Put the books right here, Azalia, and then you're free to go."

 

Claire nodded warmly at the Novice, who made some squeaky reply and curtsied quickly.  Selene took the girl by the arm and guided her out the door.   "I hope I will catch you again in the library, Azalia.  We can discuss your preferred reading material in more detail then."

 

The Novice gone, Selene closed the door and turned back to face Claire.  "Well, where should we start?"

 

The Brown rose from her chair, bones creaking as they usually did of late.  She scanned the contents of the new documents they had brought up, and picked a few out for herself.  Seating herself again, she waved a hand at the nearest box.  "I'd start anywhere in that box, Selene.  As you know, I'm not quite sure exactly what it is I'm looking for, other than I think it was a ter'angreal and that for some reason I associate it with the Atha'an Miere. Let me know if you think you've found something, no matter how small.  Any straw to grasp is better than none."

 

OOC: sorry kind of boring, it's almost 1 am and I'm trying to catch up with all my RPs.  Whenever you feel like finding the reference is fine; the book that the listing for the Bowl is in I've described as being quite large and ponderous in another RP so keep to that if you can.  :)

[Quisalas Selene]

"Atha'an Miere... Atha'an Miere."  Selene murmured quietly to herself as she looked through the box of documents.  The papers were already warded for keeping but she ended up spending the most time handling the flimsy aged parchments than actually reading them because she felt she had to be so careful.  Growing up, Selene had devoured the few books she could get her hands on, and taking care of things so that they would last through multiple readings was something as ingrained in her as the talkative nature Claire had been musing on.

 

She had no idea that Claire was shaken by her meeting with Raeyn and Selene's own meeting with Azalia had run every thought from her head before she sat down again in Claire's study.  She hadn't even given a thought to where Claire had gone while she was in the library since she'd left to fetch the books.  And now her mind was solely on the task at hand.  "Claire?  There's something here about the Atha'an Miere and a ter'angreal..." She stood up, already pretty sure that this would amount to nothing, and handed the curled scroll to the Aes Sedai.  "But this doesn't seem to be anything at all about weather, and it has a note at the bottom that it was last in possession of the Tower only 45 years ago."

 

She watched as Claire skimmed the parchment and was sure that if there was anything to this, the woman would know.  It didn't take long for the Brown to shake her head minutely and confirm that this ter'angreal had nothing to do with their current search and Selene dropped it back into the box with the other papers she had already dismissed as being fruitless.

 

This was not an easy task, but she'd known that when she agreed to help Claire.  By the time she'd gone over every one of the parchments she'd been so hopeful would hold the key, she was hungry and tired.  Never one to miss a meal if possible, Selene thought fondly of the fresh fruits and breaks and most of all honeycakes that would be down in the cafeteria and with a sigh dismissed the whole idea.  There was work to be done.

 

She pulled the next book off the pile and started looking through it carefully.  The books seemed to be nothing more than a life's notations of a Brown who had spent her time in practically every city in the world, or their part of the world, and noticed and wrote down everything.  She was most of the way through it and could tell her attention was beginning to wander when she turned a page, and then immediately turned back to the previous page.  "Atha'an Miere."  She murmured aloud, the first she'd spoken in well over an hour.  "Ter'angreal!  Claire, I think this may be it!"  She scooped the book up to her chest and gracelessly scrambled to her feet and hurried over to the desk.

 

She set the book down on top of the one Claire had been looking through and pointed.  "Is this it?  There's not much to go on, but back here..." she flipped back two pages, "she was just talking about the skill of the Atha'an Miere with their ships and how rarely they lost them to storms and how well they caught the winds and then there's some rambling," she gave an apologetic smile for saying a Brown, however many years ago, might have been rambling.

 

"Does it say where the ter'angreal was?"  She probably should have finished reading the paragraph before she leaped up and gave the book to Claire, but Selenessin was never especially well known for not being hasty.