Dark Chocolate: Your Journey Awaits ~Carise~

[ashara]

I shall be waiting for you.

 

Such an ominous end. It made her shiver every time. She had read it over and over, with calm on her face that she did not quite feel as she examined the words desperately for some form of explanation. A loophole that would prove her suspicions wrong, for indeed, that would be safer than if it was correct. The writing was small and elegant, flowing over the parchment with ease. She had never seen her handwriting, but she knew it was her. It had to be. Light, she could picture her saying it. With a smile on her face, eyes saying much more than her words. Yes yes, it was her. But how could she possibly verify the veracity of the letter? Look for writing under her name? It was not hard, but there was little that was done in the White Tower that was not paid heed to. Especially now. Especially after everything.

 

It had been four weeks since madness had been unleashed on the Tower. Recovery had come like the slow, painful breaking of a dam, patching lives back to shape bit by bit. Now however, to an outsider, it would seem like it had through all the past millennia: opulent, daunting and paramount. However, to one who had been in the Tower for the past twenty odd years, some losses were hard to ignore- An Amyrlin and her Keeper gone. Sisters she knew and respected severely wounded and healing still. The disappearance of Nyssa Deschain.

 

It had been many years since Nyssa had last taught or mentored her, but to Vera, that was always the status the Gray Sister would have for her. She had not been the first to guide her, but she had certainly been one of the most important. After all, it was none other than Nyssa who had originally introduced her to the Gray Ajah and the necessity of its existence. To have her vanish into the darkness, without a word or any message. The realization had stung. Torn her even. And not just her, she remembered as she thought back to the day the news had first reached the Gray quarters. One of our Sisters, Nyssa is missing and feared, dead. Those had been Phaedra’s exact words to the Ajah, her tone grave, her face saddened.

 

Vera had not believed it. Not even for a moment. She knew Nyssa. They might never have been what you called close friends, but she had been around the other woman enough to learn more about her than the poised elegance she was always intimate with or the charm and intelligence other people had respected. There was some reason behind this. A plan probably soaked in Daes Dae’mar and danger, but after their trip to Mayene together, this did not daunt her. What did however, was the idea that somehow perhaps, one of Nyssa’s plans had finally unraveled and fallen flat. Once more she glanced through the letter- was there any suggestion of any such fall? Or had that disaster been the fall?

 

There is one other you must bring with you- Carise Doraile of the Red Ajah. You are acquainted with her well, no?

 

It was with sheer relief that Vera had read the words- there would be another who would share the confusion and frustration with her. And not just any other, she thought, smiling for the first time in a long while. It was Carise. Her teacher from Novice times and then during her Acceptedhood, a Sister who had shown her the way better than most. Vera had not forgotten their trip to Far Madding, nor the events that had followed days of riding and conversation. Little as their interaction had been since her Raising, there was no doubt in Vera that she could trust her. Perhaps she would be able to make sense of the letter? Quickly she rose from her little study, leaving the Gray Quarters without so much as a glance towards any others present. Stepping out, she was surprised to find that there were even fewer present on the wide hallways. It was late, but not late enough for the state of emptiness the corridors held. Fretting would do no good either, she told herself.

 

The Red Ajah quarters, with the white red Flame being a siren as to where she had entered, looked utterly beautiful. It had been a while since she had last entered them. Many of the faces were known to her, for after all, practically living in Telcia’s quarters had allowed her to study-if not get acquainted-with several. Vera felt a little pang as she passed through- she could not rid the feeling that she was in fact, unwelcome. It was one of the few changes she regretted since her coming to be a Sister. Taking one more turn in, she arrived outside Carise’s rooms. Knocking softly on the door, Vera waited. A little impatiently.

 

~~~

Vera

Gray

 

OOC: I thought they could talk first about it and then set off? We could post the second half of the thread on the East board. How does that sound?

 

*hugs*

[frosted_drop]

Carise Doraile had experienced many homecomings in her time; first to the little yellow-painted house she had called home as a child, on a hill overlooking the salt sea of Ebou Dar, with ivy creeping up its walls and muslin curtains in the window; then to the imposing White Tower of Tar Valon, foremost in magnificence even in the midst of the delicately-crafted buildings and spires of the old city.

 

There was no question in her heart as to which she preferred, but the old ache for that yellow house and the dearly-remembered faces inside of it had been long-forgotten in the many years since the girl Carise had become a woman, and an Aes Sedai after. The worries and cares of the world lay heavily upon those women to whom that title was bestowed, and most by necessity put aside memories of the past and what was or could have been. It was only in the stillness of rare, crystal nights that Carise remembered, and felt wistful.

 

The place she now called home was a constantly revolving tapestry of power and intrigue. As a half-grown girl she had not seen half of those currents – indeed, she had not been aware of their full extent even after the red shawl had been years upon her shoulders, and would probably never be – but they had shaped her nevertheless, enough to know that to hope for another future, another life, would be vain and a betrayal besides. She was Aes Sedai, and for all its unfathomable machinations that made her feel at times a fish out of water, she had come to love the White Tower that still molded and defined her. She belonged to it; the White Tower’s aims were her aims, its responsibilities hers, and its people hers as well.

 

Which was why this homecoming was particularly hard. She had been a half-year in Murandy, and only upon reaching Tar Valon’s nearby towns had learned about the chaos that had befallen the Tower. A channeling Darkfriend in the heart of her home; a brave and self-sacrificing last stand that had cost the lives of the Amyrlin and Keeper of the Chronicles both. Two women at the Tower’s heart, and that it could not bear to lose. It was a tearing ache in Carise’s own soul. She had not thought of Lanfir Leah Marithsen aside from her persona as the Amyrlin for years, but now the memory woman’s strong features and the welcoming words she had given to Carise at her raising recurred uncalled-for in her mind, and she fought back traces of tears.

 

It was with anger and heaviness that the Red sister rode back to the White Tower on her nut-brown gelding, to find the tension in her home risen to a peak. Sisters about their business seemed strangely hushed, novices in white tip-toed, and the Tower’s corridors were sparse even at formerly busy hours of afternoon. It seemed as if the Tower was still mourning for the loss of its heroes. The aftermath of the affair still made its presence very much felt – the former storage room, place of the worst of the destruction, was being rebuilt, and several of her sisters were now no longer seen among the living. Yet the Tower went on, strong and indomitable. There was no doubt in the mind of any of its inhabitants that it would continue to do so, and the determination that came unbidden to certain faces at times were a contrast to the mournful silence of the halls. The White Tower would respect its dead, and move on, surely as the Wheel turned.

 

Thus mired in a strange atmosphere of anticipation and determination, Carise was surprised to see an unfamiliar woman walking in the Red Ajah halls late after dinner hour, as she herself returned from some business in the city. That the other was Aes Sedai was clear to Carise; her graceful steps – swanlike yet brisk – and her regal presence made that fact inescapable even to a careless observer, as Carise was not. It was a greater surprise to see the other stop at Carise’s own door and knock firmly, though with a slight touch of impatience in her posture.

 

Concentrating as she was on the door before her, the Aes Sedai did not notice Carise’s soft approach, and the Red took the time to study the other’s back. Suddenly some past memory came to mind, the advent of which made Carise’s lip curve up in a welcome smile.

 

“Vera Sedai,” she named the woman, who turned at the sound. The last time Carise had seen Vera Cadsanome close up, the other still wore the banded white. The same determined features, now molded into agelessness, met Carise’s smile; the same noble bearing; yet there was a touch of something that the old memory did not provide – a maturing, perhaps, of the eyes, and a little something about the mouth that hinted at steel underneath.

 

There was an ally she had long meant to cultivate, and it seemed as if opportunity was knocking, literally.

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

 

With that she undid the wards on her door and showed her visitor in.

 

Carise Doraile

Red Ajah

 

OOC: *hugs* That sounds great, Mrija. Sorry for the lateness, it's been a really packed Christmas!

[ashara]

A pleasant voice, rich in warmth. Startled as she was, Vera turned around with a smile blooming on her lips. “Welcome back to the Tower, Carise Sedai.” She could feel the Altaran’s deep brown eyes assessing her, her manner of doing so subtle and delicate. Nonetheless Vera found herself drawing herself up ever so slightly, still holding her smile as she looked upon Carise. She wanted Carise to approve of her, to nod inwardly as she took in the little changes that pronounced her Aes Sedai. It dawned on her that she was not the only one who had changed. There was a certain air of belonging settled around Carise’s shoulders, which in her mind could only mean one thing- it is good to be home again.

 

Skirts rustling as she entered the Red Sister’s rooms, she took a few moments to appreciate her surroundings. It lacked the usual froth and layers of extravagance of most Aes Sedai quarters in the Tower, making Vera warm to it instantly. It was only when she heard Carise’s question that she felt her spirits sink again. Where to begin? Hesitantly she glanced at the letter she was clutching. Unbidden possibilities flew in and out; A Sister thought dead is alive, and possibly well. Nyssa has written to me. I come to speak of a Sister of the Gray, one you knew of I believe. Openings both ridiculous and sensible came to her, but Vera rejected them all, finding herself stuck. She did not know much of Nyssa’s relationships outside their Ajah, and could only assume that Nyssa and Carise had known each other well before she had become acquainted with Nyssa. Forcing her thoughts down to achieve some level of focus, she spoke on impulse, all rehearsed lines waved away. “Carise Sedai, You were acquainted with Nyssa Deschain weren’t you?”

 

Waiting politely until the nod came, she moved a little closer to Carise, her eyes the only giveaway that the matter was troubling her. “You might have heard then that after the…fall, Nyssa has gone missing?” Pausing, she eyed her questioningly, wondering how much the returned Sister knew of all that had befallen the Tower. “I have word from her. A letter actually.” Vera could feel the words itching to slip out, the questions that were whirling around her in an increasingly dizzying spin. All etiquette that she had originally deigned was slipping away, leaving only an anxious woman, struggling between what she had known and what was before her. “Carise. I’m not sure what to make of it. You should read it yourself.”

 

~Vera

Carise's student ;)

[frosted_drop]

Coloured light shattered in the small dangling crystal centrepiece and danced about the carpet as Carise flung open the window to welcome the spring breeze. Vera looked about the room behind her before answering, and Carise suppressed a smile. The open curiosity of the young still held Vera no matter her new-found maturity. Infinitely preferable to the shrewdness of too many who scrutinised through the corners of their eyes as they smiled their false smiles. She gestured Vera to a white wooden chair and poured fruit tea from a jug on her sideboard as the other stated her intentions.

 

Nyssa Deschain. Now that was a name to bring back distant memories. A young girl in white in a shaded hallway with a bottle of wine; a young woman with youthful pride in her eyes and the gray shawl about her shoulders; an Aes Sedai weaving saidar and words with equal deftness. In all her recollections of Nyssa lay an aura of something unintelligible; if Carise had wanted to put it into words she would probably have fit it to “promise”. But it was not merely “promise”. It was something that equally brought to mind the first flower, herald of spring, and the dark sky before a winter storm. In later years, others had seen the potential in Nyssa and made her a rival or potential ally. But Carise would always have a soft spot for Nyssa Deschain because she remembered that young girl in the shaded hallway.

 

Thus it was with some measure of trepidation that she sat across from Vera and handed the other her cup of tea, eyes darting straight to the creased letter the Gray had put on the table between them. Still she was reluctant to take and read the missive. She had taught scores of novices in her time, but Nyssa and Vera had been among the only ones who had found the way that opened to her heart. It was, she reflected, somewhat strange that Vera should be the one to pass her this present news; the last time she had spoken with Nyssa, the two had discussed the novice Vera, one whom Nyssa had taken under her wing and who might be a suitable companion for Carise on her journey to Far Madding. And now Vera, a woman grown, would show her the way to Nyssa; it was almost as if they had come full circle.

 

The uncertainty in Vera’s demeanor was made understandable after she studied the short note, sipping the sweet tea as she thought. Addressed to Vera, there was not much to it; a place and time, a direction to bring Carise, and a clear expectation of their arrival. Nothing to indicate even the nature of the Gray’s adventure, and an absence of any sort of code used generally by the Tower’s inhabitants. Nor, by Vera’s silence, any of the known Gray Ajah codes.

 

Could it be a plea for help nonetheless? The Light knew that plots and machinations were thick enough in the Tower that Nyssa might have wanted to conceal her purpose from other sisters. Why else the enigmatic message, sent at a time when letter by pigeon was the fastest yet most uncertain mode of delivery? Why this sudden message after a long period of silence shrouded in secrecy, when the Tower thought she was dead and gone?

 

Other questions came reluctantly but surely to Carise’s mind. Why Vera and her? Addressed to Vera but with a note concerning a certain Red. Could it be a plot on the part of either, or both? Both of the Gray, testament to their skills in politics and manipulation. Could this be a part of a web too fine for Carise’s eyes that threatened at any moment to pull her into its inescapable heart? It tore at her heart to ask such questions of those who had once been dear to her; her most promising students.

 

But with them in mind she guarded her expressions, and it was with clear eyes that she looked at up at Vera Cadsanome of the Gray. “It makes as much sense to me as it does to you, I’m afraid. You are certain that it comes from Nyssa’s hand.” That last was made as a statement, but Vera nodded nonetheless. Her other student’s hand, last seen so many years ago, left no impression on Carise, but Vera would know. “It takes the form of no code I know of,” at this Vera shook her head at the unspoken question, “so it seems we must take the words as they are written.”

 

In the slight pause after her words, Carise took a sip of her tea and studied Vera again. “Vera, you would be best placed to untangle this, perhaps. Nyssa Deschain was once a student of mine, much as you were. She had certain,” here Carise smiled with memory, “unique propensities. None which made her motives easy to understand. As here. But I have not spoken to her in some time, not as you have.” Her glance at Vera was questioning.

 

Carise Doraile

Of the Red Ajah

Stumped ;)

 

OOC: Not sure how we are to get Maegan involved in this after the last post in the Tear thread. Please PM me if we don’t meet online ok? Thanks lots. Happy new year too!! :)

 

*edit* : replaced the Brown with Gray ;)

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

If either of you need to get a hold of me for plotting idea's, PMs or email (arie.designs@gmail.com or arie_designs@hotmail.com) or skype PM (arie_ronshor) i'm sure we can some up with something.

[ashara]

Knots tight inside her, Vera watched Carise like a hawk. Every expression, careful glance towards the letter and her own face taken in and put away for another day. Carise was someone she cared about, possibly even to a sacrificial state, but she hadn’t talked to her old teacher since a few months before her Raising, after which the Red Sister had disappeared into Murandy…or so she had been told. What if she was not the same woman Vera had known? What if things had changed? Panic gripped her as she sat silent and smooth faced, eyes intent on Carise as she read the letter. Daes Dae’mar had taught her some things in the past, but keeping things at bay on the inside was far harder than any other obstacle she had encountered.

 

It was only when she heard Carise’s words that relief flooded in and washed away the disturbing thoughts that had grown black inside her mind. Things were the same. Carise, was the same. Matters were dark and suspicious, but this one fact allowed her a small savouring of joy. Nodding, Vera paused for a few moments before replying. She had been down this track herself, but little she knew could throw light on Nyssa’s disappearance. “I know there isn’t much logic in trusting one’s gut instinct, but I believe that the letter holds true. Whether it is a carefully coded plea of help or something even worse, I can’t tell.” Taking a sip of tea, she continued more openly. “Carise, Nyssa was like a mentor to me. It…it’s not like her to disappear. Admittedly, male chanellers and the Shadow do not usually come about the Tower and wreak havoc either. I just can’t believe she’s dead. In trouble, possibly. Also-”

 

Again she found herself hesitant. People knew that she was close to Nyssa, the word protégé, follower and several other words of both higher and lower degree had been used. “There is too much in that letter that hints to things that only Nyssa knew. Not anything specifically related to the Gray Ajah, but rather, about my years in training. Things Nyssa herself gave to me as tasks, that few but her know of. I think this disappearance was planned. What I am worried about though is if it was a successful disappearance or not. Could someone have forced her to write this, do you think?”

 

Carise raised an eyebrow as Vera spoke, looking down at the crumpled page in her hand as if words would suddenly jump from the page to enlighten her befuddled senses. She had not detected any reminiscences of the past in that letter as Vera seemed to be hinting about; still, it was likely not delicate to pry into private matters.

 

The very fact that there were nuances tailored to Vera that she could not see could explain certain things: most importantly, perhaps, that Nyssa while writing had put time and thought into the matter, using no such crude tools as codes that would reveal her purposes to a select few. This way it was only Vera who would uncover her true identity.

 

But, in that case, how did Carise come into the picture? She sipped at her tea to give herself time for thought. Even as she did so the feeling of Vera’s eyes on her grew uncomfortable; the girl’s powers of observation had evidently grown with her maturity. Shaking off the thought, she gazed back at the letter in hand.

 

Nyssa had always been a meticulous thinker; Carise had no doubt that, as the Gray wrote, she had envisioned their current scenario – Vera in possession of the truth of her identity, and Carise perhaps still unconvinced. Why were there no traces of confirmation for Carise’s eyes? For she was sure that there weren’t; even now knowing of Nyssa’s hints to her protégé Carise could not detect any tailored for herself. If she had wanted to make certain of Carise’s arrival, why the lack? If she had not, why extend the invitation in the at all? It was not characteristic of Nyssa not to have thought things through.

 

So if it was not the result of Nyssa’s uncharacteristic confusion, there must be some meaning hidden there. An over-reliance on Carise’s trust towards Vera or herself? Or a plot by Vera? After all, the only evidence Carise had – the letter itself, confirmation of Nyssa’s handwriting and her identity – was produced solely by Vera, with no way of corroboration. She had been caught in a neat trap; reason against instinct. To trust Vera or not? The oaths could be bent, even by one as inexperienced as she.

 

Carise’s brow furrowed as she looked up at Vera again. She decided to test the waters. “I think it unlikely that Nyssa was forced to write. It is unlike her to give such an unclear call for help were that the case, especially in light of her private hints to you. If she could do that, why not more?” Pausing, she weighed her next words carefully; they would throw Vera off-guard, and she must be ready to make use of the aftermath. Looking into Vera’s eyes, she continued. “It is more to my thinking that Nyssa has, in her fashion, involved herself in a plot that is threatening to unravel before her. A plot, perhaps, that you are privy to but not revealing.”

 

Just as her own eyes had been fixed on Carise, assessing and concluding, Vera felt Carise’s brown on her now. Eyes widening before she hastily grasped control again, Vera struggled to give back a suitable riposte. Was this how it was to be then? All Aes Sedai, once friends and guiders would turn to questioning and suspicion? It was human nature not to trust, but to trust and then have it broken down by rank and distance…suddenly Vera remembered why she had hated Daes Dae’mar so much. She remembered the day when she had told Nyssa her feelings on the ‘Game’ and had blushed when the other had smiled. Some things have to be the way they are, she had said. “I believe the hints were placed to confirm that this letter was hers. However, these are dealing of the past- there are none that suggest to the future.” Indeed, Mayene was very much the past. A wakeup call, Vera remembered it as. “I think though that you are right in your doubt. What if Nyssa’s plans did not go well this time?”

 

A question Carise had already raised but Vera found herself stopping there again. Risk. There was too much risk. She was loyal to Nyssa, and what she felt herself thinking of as the solution was dangerous. And yet, if there was danger to follow anyway, it was best to go prepared. “I think we should follow her instructions. Perhaps though, we should go with some measure of protection? Not Tower Guards, the One Power is far better than any sword. You and I are of moderate strength in the One Power, but if there is danger ahead, wouldn’t it be better if we had more than just moderate strength?” Pausing Vera looked towards Carise, wondering if she’d caught on. With a hint that blatant, there was no way she wouldn't have, but still she wished that there could be some other way. So much for trust.

Vera Cadsanome

Carise Doraile

 

Suspicious

[frosted_drop]

Vera’s response was rather neutral in its commentary, but Carise could pick out the little hints, concealed but not well enough, that spoke of her distress. The same distress, probably, that Carise had felt for the first time all those years ago in the Crimson Chamber when Rayne Leseduire had spoken those piercing words as Inquisitor. Only that had seemed a much bitterer betrayal. But somewhere along the way distrust had lost its status as a crime in her book and become a much-needed tool.

 

She took a sip of the fruit tea and brought her thoughts back to the present. Vera’s answer displayed all the characteristics typical of her Ajah; skirting the issue, hinting yet admitting nothing. Buried in that, though, was a shot at compromise. A compromise which could prove as controversial as making the decision whether or not to heed Nyssa’s instructions, if they were indeed hers.

 

But even as Carise debated the point with herself, she realised that never since Vera brought the news to her door had she truly hesitated about going to Nyssa. Somehow the girl in that hallway had tied a thread to her; invisible yet unbreakable. She had only been trying to convince herself. And perhaps Nyssa knew that too; perhaps she had even tied that thread consciously, so many years ago. Carise sighed, and met Vera’s questioning look. She smiled to take the sting off whatever Vera might still be feeling.

 

“It all boils down to what Nyssa’s done, doesn’t it? Why would she send for us, in such an uncertain way? The means of sending, now – its secrecy points to a desire for no one else but us to discover her purposes.” She paused, considering Vera with dark eyes. “Still,” she continued, thoughtfully, “it might still be better to have some protection with us. Nyssa must have considered this too, I suppose, but there is no dealing with the possibility in her letter.” Missing conveniently with many other little details, she thought.

 

Vera’s proposition of an Aes Sedai stronger in the Power was not one she agreed with; strength, she had come to learn, was only one factor among many. Skill in the power was one, skill at the Great Game was another. And the factor she was most unwilling to concede was status, even if she, bound by custom, did not clearly put the idea even to herself. Strength in the power brought with it status among sisters, and in this adventure the last Carise wanted was someone interfering with her plans. But this was not something she could admit to Vera. A compromise had to be made.

 

It was not long before a name came to mind, and when it did Carise wondered why she had not immediately come onto it.

 

“Maegan Ryanne.”

 

She pronounced the name, testing it, and watched as Vera raised an eyebrow. There was one that could possible fit both their criteria. Among the strongest in the Power present in the Tower, and one whom Carise had known even as she began her initiate. Hopefully that latter would translate into amenable as well. But the trump card had to be her Ajah; should her darkest suspicions about the two Grays prove to be correct, Carise wanted to walk into the adder’s hole with one of her Ajah sisters at her back.

 

The name hung between them, and for a moment the air was still.

 

Carise Doraile

Worrier ;)

[ashara]

Silence stretched over the room once more. Truth to be told, she should’ve expected it. She had become too confident in the past few years, a little too cocky in her silk dress and ageless face. Still, it was not like what she herself had planned had been something impractical. When Vera had carefully probed Carise to one of the open doors they could take, she had contentedly assumed that immediately after that, she would suggest the name of one Sister she thought best. Now the tables were turned, and there seemed little but black and white facts of the matter to look upon. Rather indiscreetly, she plucked a thread off her shawl. Maegan Ryanne. She did not know this woman well, yet an image presented itself to her immediately, and Vera took it acrimoniously. A petite woman, with glossy brown curls and an intelligent face. Cairhienin, talented and one of the Tower’s prized channellers. The name hovered about them, refusing to slip away, such was the skill Carise Doraile had said it with. Had this been game play, then Carise had just played her ace and won. Vera tasted her loss, and felt a wave of resentment. She had been backed into a corner, and there was no way to move, but forward.

 

Eyes roving, she was struck by how different the chambers suddenly seemed. To Vera at least, it felt like the walls had darkened slightly, the breeze that had been flowing through the window gone. Quite like the room shaped itself according to the person, here the power struggle seemed to have coloured their surroundings accordingly. Head tiled to the left as usual, she studied Carise for a while. It had been twenty years since Carise and Vera had last been in a classroom together, and it was today that it was proved yet again that her elders seemed to know a little more than she. There was only one change. Had this been twenty years ago, Vera would’ve blushed in her embarrassment. Now all she could do was return the winning card with a steady gaze. It made a rather unusual mental struggle.

 

“Maegan Ryanne.” She said in response, nodding slowly. “While I would’ve rather had asked one who I knew better, I am assuming you know her well…?” Waiting until she got the necessary nod, she continued in a slightly lighter tone. “She is a good choice, yes. Far stronger than the average channeler, so we’ve a rather good team between the three of us.” Not to mention the fact that she was one of the Red Ajah’s treasured Sisters, with intelligence and skill in her that others could envy with ease. “I think we should approach her right now…while the time is still reasonably decent. What do you say?” A nod again, with a smile this time. “Let us go.” Rising, she waited until Carise was ready herself before they both left for Maegan’s quarters. Two turns, three doors past, Carise stopped. Dark wood greeted her, ominous and stern. Knocking softly on the door, Vera felt the disappointment surge in her again before repressing it. So be it.

 

Vera Cadsanome

Sore Loser

[frosted_drop]

As they left her quarters, Carise turned to replace her wards, sharing a secret smile with the dark wood as she did so. Vera’s reaction to being neatly out-maneuvered was somewhat amusing even in Carise’s anxiety about their shared enterprise. A slight petulance lurking under the surface to be admitted to no one. Carise was content to let the Gray take the initiative as they approached the door of Meagan Ryanne.

 

The moment they turned the corner, doubts started to assail her, but Carise quashed them impatiently. The tide was up and there was no course but to set sail, and quickly. Nyssa would have expected no less; perhaps could not wait for less.

 

Instead she turned her thoughts to contemplating the woman walking stately beside her. Looking askance at Vera, she noted the Gray’s brisk confidence. Who was it that Vera would have suggested had Carise not been quicker? A strong channeler, she had mentioned; of the Grays, would it have been Deyalyn Mhan’din? Dawn Raelene? Those two of Carise’s generation had now made names for themselves among her sisters. Or perhaps younger Grays of Vera’s own age, or sisters of other Ajahs. She had never noticed Vera’s compatriots – perhaps it was time to take notice of the younger Aes Sedai as she had not in years.

 

She had scarce time for thought before they reached the familiar door; Vera knocked, politely. Some moments later Maegan appeared at the door, dark curls framing an inquisitive expression as she took in the two unexpected visitors.

 

“Sister,” Carise said warmly, with a smile. “This is Vera Cadsanome of the Gray. She has brought some tidings we would like to speak to you about.”

 

Carise Doraile

Red sister

 

OOC: Mae, you're up! *pm's*

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Pulling the power around her fingertips, she danced them into a ring that twirled like a golden wedding band, and using spirit she encircled that to keep the flames of the fire to nothing, and with Air and water, she wove what look like a glass ball around the ring of fire, the Air as that of a light cover, and the water to reflect the fire within so that it shone with unity instead of something spinning in a glass dome.

 

 

 

She watched with an almost lax boredom at the lamp. Carrying a weave that had been tied off, a ball of light that she had once first learned to make as a novice, even it's simple beauty demanded attention from Maegan's ever busy schedule. Although she was far from ever tiring a moment of silence, pure and unhindered, were rare and welcomed in her study that was just to the side of her main quarters. A room of rich browns, gold and hints of red it caused ease to her always strained eyes and a sanctuary. A light granted sanctuary that came at a time that she needed desperately.

 

The resounding echo of a knock broke through her drifting thoughts as she sat straighter in her chair. In walked two sisters, both of which were highly unexpected. Had she been so deeply in thought that she missed her sensors? Frowning inwardly she called for them to enter.

 

“Sister,” Carise said warmly, with a smile. “This is Vera Cadsanome of the Gray. She has brought some tidings we would like to speak to you about.”

 

Maegan bowed her head and motioned for both sisters to take a seat in the soft chairs across from her large mahogany desk that had various items scattered on it. "Welcome Sister, both of you. I know of you, Vera Sedai, and welcome." She made a quick stack of her papers in front of her and pushed them to the side and out her way. "What tidings are these?"

 

 

 

Maegan Ryanne

Red Ajah

[ashara]

It felt good somehow that she wasn’t the only woman who was getting startled left right and center. Aes Sedai showed nothing, but in all those years of showing nothing but serenity, there were little signs one could pick up on from signs other than their faces and eyes. For instance, Maegan Sedai was hurriedly brushing away stacks of notes and papers, leaving a smooth mahogany desk that Vera took in with mental approval as she sat herself down into a chair. Light, but it felt really good actually. A small pang of guilt caught her for a moment before it was driven away firmly. Instead Vera admired how meticulously the Red put away her papers. For though they seemed scattered and in a mess, the Sister seemed to know the mess. A past Brown Aspirant? Vera pondered. She could see it quite well actually, especially judging from the room. Here was a strong believer of Knowledge as power. Here was a woman who liked the Library for more than just the sun dappled corners.

 

"What tidings are these?"

 

Hesitant, Vera glanced at Carise. Surely it would be better if she began instead, and Vera followed through? The Reds would always be close to her heart, but being Raised to another Ajah had shown her the painful difference between being ‘one of them’ and being close and so Vera readied herself to fade into quiet. Only then, like a sharp arrow that just missed one’s face, came the Gray shawl, and Nyssa’s face. Her Ajah. Her Sister, and thus her business. “Sister, I apologise for the late call, but these tidings are…worth the hour, I believe.” Ignoring the urge to shift slightly in her seat as habit often called her to do, she continued. “This has to do with Nyssa Deschain. Do you know her, Sister?”

 

As the nod came, Vera felt her insides contract. Here came the tricky bit- the bit she realised she should’ve discussed with Carise the moment they had knocked on the doors. Were they going to tell Maegan about the letter? She doubted the other Red would make any more sense of it than Carise, but she hated passing around Nyssa’s letter like some awry experiment for all to observe and appraise. “I had word from her recently. Written on paper, instructing me to come to Tear, where she is awaiting my arrival. She also asked me to bring another- Carise Sedai here, in truth.” As she finished her eyes moved towards the Ebou Dari woman once again, and Vera moved on.

 

“I believe that this is my Sister’s writing, but simply put, I have my suspicions as to the nature of this message, as does Carise.” Oh Light, here it was! “Perhaps you should see for yourself,” she said feeling a fresh wave of resentment while handing over the now creased letter. Nyssa would not be proud of her right now. In fact, Vera wasn’t so sure about who would. Eyes darting to Carise as Maegan’s eyes rested on the letter, Vera silently requested for her to continue. She for one certainly wasn’t going to carry on that last line!

 

~Vera

Eh, Bitter

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

I shall be waiting for you.

There is one other you must bring with you- Carise Doraile of the Red Ajah. You are acquainted with her well, no?

 

All formality and business Maegan took the letter and scanned it carefully, reading it over and over again as the other two women stayed very silent. It was a sudden shift fo her day and she could already feel something pull ar her that forced her to read the note once again as she went into deep thought.

 

"I do not see anything hidden in this note. Although, after being thought dead or lost to us it makes this an interesting mystery." She looked to Vera. "She mentored you, correct? Logically that would be her main reason of contacting you as mentors tend to put a certain amount of trust in those they guide." She smiled at Vera in a soft understanding look that did not quite reach her eyes as most of Maegan's smiles did.

 

"There is no reason to be nervous, Vera Sedai. I would have questioned such a letter from my own mentor under the same circumstances." She spoke truthfully and honestly. Leaning forward she passed Vera the letter and leaned back in her chair while watching both sisters carefully. "Be that as it may I suspect that you did not knock on my door for me to decifer a simple note."

 

She watched the two carefully as she left her statement hanging. She felt no need to actually question them any more then their intentions. If they needed her help it would be on their own accord. But to what purpose..?

 

 

 

Maegan Ryanne

[frosted_drop]

Despite the gravity of their situation, Carise’s earlier amusement rose almost absurdly to the surface even as she strove to keep the calm set of her face. Vera’s flickering glances were becoming more frequent and there was almost reluctance in her gestures as she handed the missive to Maegan. Her petulance was somehow most endearing, but Vera herself had brought them to this point – it was not Carise who had suggested stringing along a third party; petulance would not help. Forcing herself to take a leaf from Maegan’s professionalism, Carise spoke briskly.

 

“You see no hidden message in that missive, but Vera has noticed slight nuances pointing to her shared knowledge with Nyssa.” Her voice was neutral; analytical. “Nyssa was once a student of mine, but I can pick out no hints – without the clues she left to Vera I would be reluctant to even consider that the writer was indeed Nyssa. Even if we assume this, the question still arises as to why she wrote this letter, meant only for the both of us, with the probable knowledge that every other person in the Tower thinks her dead.”

 

There was no need to point out the implications of this to her fellow Red – Maegan was sharp enough to know the need for secrecy and the possibility of danger arising from following Nyssa’s instructions. Doubt rose again in Carise about whether it was wise to bring Nyssa’s private missive to an outsider, but she quashed it uneasily. In any case, in their favor was the fact that Maegan, to their knowledge, had no close relations with the Gray. It followed that she was unlikely to be embroiled in any common schemes, and not likely to be unfavorably prejudiced against their position.

 

Maegan’s face was a mask of concentration, and Carise left her some moments to think, in which Vera fidgeted, just slightly, and cast more glances at both of the others. Carise smiled reassuringly at her before addressing Maegan again.

 

“In view of these and other uncertainties,” she went on, breaking the silence of the room, “Vera Sedai has suggested that we take another sister with us, and I suggested that your skills might be useful.” At this, Maegan looked up sharply and they shared an knowing glance; it was clear that the other had picked up her doubts about the Grays’ possible connivance. There were other words that she had a mind to say to Maegan, to caution her, but mindful of Vera’s presence, she sat back and looked expectantly at the other Red.

 

Carise Doraile

Of the Red Ajah

 

OOC: Back again! :)

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Maegan regarded the two carefully as she leaned back in her soft leather chair. The Grays has a certain soft spot for her, and although she was not at all familiar woth Vera Sedai and any of her connections, as she was outside of her own sphere of connections, anouther Ally in the Grays could serve her well in the grand scheme of things. After all, few knew of Maegan's own mentor that was also Gray, an Ajah she had also looked at closely to aspire as an Accepted. Watching them both carefully, Maegan did not miss the amusement in Carise's eyes. Good.

 

Carefully she listened, and carefully Maegan thought on the option and task that was ahead of them. Moreover, surprised that Carise had suggested herself as their sword of skill, Maegan contemplaited. It was clear that she would be going. How could she turn down such a new-found secret. Maegan measured and weighed the possibilities and countered each with a small measure of mistrust.

 

She would not be a fool in this venture and regarded them both cautiously as she unfurled her hands into her lap and took a small visible breath as they waited on her answer. "It is already woven.." She whispered in part to herself, and then cleared her throat. "I will ride with you." The tension eased in the room, however a darker veil seemed to surround them as the probablilty of walking int a trap still surrounded their feet like puddles on a rainy day. "I suggest we move quickly than."

 

Standing from her chair Maegan moved easily around the large desk and moved toward the door, allowing the Gray to leave first. Whispering in an lower voice to Carise. "Was there anything else, Sister?"

 

 

 

Maegan Ryanne

Red Ajah

 

(quick post to keep this going... )