To What Do I Owe The Pleasure..... (Attn: Nyssa)

[TaeaDawn]

To what do I owe the pleasure..... there were some words that you wish you could take back immediately. Alright, maybe not the words, but certainly the tone. The tone had changed what he thought was supposed to be a rather easy day's workout to a day of grueling conditioning. Ginae hadn't been pleased to hear his words and Ursana had been took sleepy that morning to realize who was banging on his door, or that he was supposed to have been at practice an hour before then but was, until she began said banging, still in bed.

 

That was the way his day had begun. Not only was Ginae his mentor now, but she was the Mistress of Trainees and therefore he coudln't even go to her for harsh treatment. He was worse off than a lionfish caught in an Aes Sedai's air net. He sighed as he continued running laps. At least that part wasn't bad. Ursana had been walking and running beside his family's caravan since he was mobile so the pace he kept on the runnin track was even and relaxed, something he was familiar with and used to. Why Ginae thought he needed to continue was beyond him. And the rest of the exercises? Balance work and more strengthening. It was days like this that made him remember he had just joined into this whole thing to spend time with his sister. Days like this made him wonder why he was still here.

 

Rosheen alone wasn't enough to keep him doing this. There was more to it and he knew it. He stayed because it was starting to mean something to him, the work and the recognition for it. Some days he wondered if it was enough though. With a sigh, he pushed all thoughts out of mind. He ran with a focused mind until his laps were completed, then continued walking, taking a drink from his canteen as he walked his muscles out from their long work.

 

 

[silhouette]

Little clouds of dust were kicked up by Nyssa’s silent footsteps. Years of wandering around the tower by night had trained her to walk without sound, and by now not even her dress made even the slightest swish. She ignored the dust even though it stuck to the delicate green silk, staining the hem of her dress. A few well practised weaves would get rid of the dirt soon enough. Instead her eyes were focussed on her destination. The track. The yards. A bored trainee with a desire to do anything but run laps and train. These young trainees had turned out to be the perfect messengers and spies. They all wanted some adventure and intrigue, yet fear of being punished and awe at being recruited by an Aes Sedai kept them silent about the mission they had been sent on and the name of the person who had sent them.

 

A few other Aes Sedai were found in the yards at this time of day. Most had other duties to attend to now. A few sisters watched people sparring, their faces eager. Perhaps one of them would snatch up a bondmate now. A few young sisters were working on their forms as well. Mostly Green sisters, even though many Blue sisters also saw the need to be fit. Nyssa did not. She had saidar to keep her safe, and without the three oaths she was so much safer than her ‘sisters’.

 

After studying the trainees for a while her eyes settled on a relatively tall young man. He looked a little disgruntled, as if he didn’t understand why he was putting himself through all the misery that was training. A faint smile curved her lips. Perfect. As he walked by she called to him. “Boy.†A little thread of air made sure that her voice, no more than a whisper, reached his ears, and his ears only. None of the Aes Sedai present looked up. It was not uncommon for Aes Sedai to channel in the Yards, and it was not uncommon for an Aes Sedai to take an interest in a trainee either. “I have a task for you.†She said, smiling warmly at the young man.

 

~Nyssa Deschain

Gray sister

Black sister, member of the Supreme Council

[TaeaDawn]

“Boy.â€

 

Ursana nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around at the voice that was a bare whisper.

 

“I have a task for you.â€

 

A warm smile for him and he shook his head, looking at the woman who stood before him. Aes Sedai by the agelessness, even if her bearing hadn't given her away. Ursana had avoided any Sister as much as he could since his time being healed, but he remembered his manners. "A task Aes Sedai?" He asked, hoping he was giving the right tone. He thought about the laps he had been doing and the rest of his days workout. Surely an Aes Sedai's task had to be something better than what he was stuck doing. If not, he could always claim duty. The way some fools spouted the word out here surely someone would believe he actually meant it.

 

"I was in the middle of a work out Aes Sedai, what might you need from a lowly trainee such as myself?" His tone was self-deprecating not mocking, though his words were an odd choice. He wanted to know what she had for him without agreeing in the first place. He'd prefer not to get filleted today if he could help it.

 

[silhouette]

There was a hint of doubt in the boys voice when he asked her what the task was. Perhaps this boy was not one of the mindless trainees she had set out to find here. Not that it mattered much, in fact his task would be easier if he could use that doubt and mistrust, and focus it on something… positive. She smiled again, knowing full well that no one ever really expected a smile from an Aes Sedai, let alone one given so freely, and appearing so genuinely. An Aes Sedai who smiled like that couldn’t have anything bad in mind, or could she? Nyssa remembered smiling that way when she lied for the first time after being freed from the three oaths. Such a relief, to once again be able to break the truth, instead of having to bend it constantly.

 

“Worry not, Dear boy, I’m quite sure you will be back on time to return to your training. This should take no more than an hour.†He was only a little shorter than she was, yet when she placed her hand on his shoulder, gently guiding him towards one of the gates, she seemed to tower over him like a mother over a child. “A fellow sister of mine is going to meet with someone today. I don’t really trust the person she’s meeting with, but she was quite adamantly set against accepting a guard. Something about frightening her contact away.†Nyssa shook her head, seemingly confused by that sentiment. In truth she was merely still vexed about the way Finella had refused to tell her the truth about her contact. Nyssa wanted to know who was a part of the Sitters Eyes and Ears, and with the help of this boy she would find out.

 

“What I want you to do is to follow her to the place where she is to meet with her contact, and keep an eye on her. At the first sight of trouble you are to call the guards. Don’t step in yourself, I do not know how dangerous her contact is. When the meeting is done, come back to me, and tell me all about the contact, what he or she looked like, and any details about this person you have managed to… find out.†To say ‘overhear’ would imply that she wanted him to spy, and that might go against his nature. Tower Guards and warders often had strange notions about honour. By disguising the mission as a need to protect her sister, she hoped to avoid such sentiments. “I would ask a fully trained Tower Guard, but I fear she would recognise such a person, and cease her mission. I don’t want to hamper her in her work, I just want to make sure she is safe.â€

[TaeaDawn]

This protecting a sister seemed an awful lot like spying to Ursana. If he was just making sure her Sister was safe, why was he supposed to report back to her when it was all over? The question was, did he dare say no to an Aes Sedai? And was it worth the hassel of trying to? An hour, she said. An hour to watch an Aes Sedai, relax a bit with no stupid exercises to complete just because he'd been confused when he woke up this morning. It didn't sound that bad, and honestly, she really did have to be concerned about the other Sister's safety since she couldn't lie. Maybe there was more to it, but then that was the ways of the Aes Sedai. Instead of fighting it, he decided it was probably best to just go with it.

 

"I'd be more than willing to help you out Aes Sedai." He said with a slight bow. "Ursana Tahn Sakhr at your service. Now, where can I find the unknowing Aes Sedai you would like me to protect?"