If You Only Knew [attn: Lavinya] – 950s NE

[Sirayn]

Stamped in pure black wax, the seal bearing no trace of any emblem which might determine the sender’s name or rank, the letter might have seemed sinister if one was inclined to be perturbed by such matters. Its outside was entirely unmarked save for that obsidian seal; both cover and paper being of a rich and expensive make, flawless as few types were in this age, and only the letter contained within held any sign which might remotely catch the observer’s interest … though in truth, it was an intriguing letter indeed. No signature and no obvious sign of the sender: one might be forgiven for assuming that somebody wished their identity to be kept secret.

 

Lavinya Sedai,

 

It is with great interest that I finally write to you, who have held my interest for so long; you do not know me in turn, or at least you cannot match my name to this letter, but perhaps in time you shall. For the moment rest assured only that I am watching you as I watch all those of your potential. It became apparent to me some years ago that you and certain others of your generation bore the promise of greatness … a promise which has not yet been proven, but which perhaps another hand might guide toward its proper place. A certain wit, a certain initiative which many are lacking; a little short on discipline maybe, but so many are, much to the Tower’s loss.

 

Let us be blunt. So many new sisters never rise above insignificance. They grasp only half of what the world might offer them; the, shall we say … more acceptable half. It takes more than that to rise above the crowd. One needs a quality of ruthlessness, cruelty some call it, which I find so lacking in many of your peers; the capacity to see an opportunity and seize it; the determination to look beyond the immediate threat to what a fool might call honour toward one’s long term goals. Dedicated purely to the Tower’s cause, such skills may lead you to previously unimagined heights. Or perhaps not. Perhaps the perils of such a life may prove beyond your mastery. That is not for us to know at so early a stage.

 

A letter is so easily intercepted. I shall not speak too openly of matters which should be kept between us. Nevertheless, let it be made plain that we could be of some use to each other. You possess certain qualities which I might be able to … perfect, shall we say; you also harbour certain ambitions which I am excellently placed to advance, should I have the correct incentives. If I may be frank, I am a master at some skills you should like to know, if you are half what I think you are. And I could make use of a woman like you. Interesting uses.

 

Should you be interested in making further contact, I have left you sufficient clues to divine my identity. If I should find out … and my contacts are spread wide … that you are discussing this with others, I shall consider that my offer is rejected. Consider this your first test. Start with what you know, be discreet, and do not let me down.

 

Good luck.

 

ooc: If any novice or Accepted should want to deliver this letter to its recipient, feel free to post bringing it to Lavinya Sedai ... however please bear in mind that your character would be ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN to mention the sender's name since that would spoil the effect completely. ;) If nobody's up for it, the ball is in your court, Lavinya. :D

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Sirayn Símeone-Damodred

Head of the Green Ajah - 999 NE

White Tower RP Co-ordinator

 

Aramina sighed as she walked towards Lavinya Sedai's quarters. She'd been swamped with her studies lately and because she'd been walking through the Tower with her mind elsewhere an Aes Sedai thought she needed some work to do. Not that she would put it in that manner to the Aes Sedai. Aramina turned the letter over in her hands. Interesting. Nothing on the outside to say who it came from. Dutifully, she walked quickly to find Lavinya Sedai's room and knocked on the door. "I have a letter to deliver to you Aes Sedai." She said as the door opened.

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Aramina Sur Dulciena

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

 

A knock on the door to her chambers roused Lavinya from her thoughts. She frowned, torn between relief at the interruption to the menial task of checking novices essays, to annoyance. She sighed and pushed aside the poorly penned words, before rising and gliding to the door, opening it without a word. She was greeted by a girl in a banded white dress, the child speaking barely before the door open.

 

"I have a letter to deliver to you Aes Sedai." Lavinya managed to look down her nose at the Accepted, even though the girl stood a good few inches taller. She took the letter from her silently, turning it over in her hands. "Who is it from child?" She demanded coldly. The outside of the missive was blank, excepting the simple black seal.

 

"Well girl? Speak." She frowned slightly as the girl quailed, before sighing loudly. "Never mind, I'm sure the sender is written on the inside of the letter. Off with you now." She made a vague shooing gesture, barely taking in the hasty curtsey as she whirled and shut the door behind her.

 

Curiosity roused, Lavinya moved over to a comfortably over-stuffed chair, curling her legs beneath her as she slipped a fingernail beneath the seal to break it, her eyes scanning the page as she read the smooth, flowing text quickly. Somehow unsurprisingly, the note was not signed. Lavinya chewed her lower lip in thought. The letter was certainly nothing she had expected. She had an admirer of sorts? She had already deduced it to be another sister.

 

Lavinya reread the missive, her mind ticking over the contents. She couldn't help but feel a small surge or satisfaction, at having her talents noticed and appreciated, though the identity of the sender still escaped her. Lavinya would be lying if she said her interest was not piqued. How she hated the thought of living a menial life in the tower, with no more achievements to her name than a few measly students, and several illicit affairs. No, she strove for power, and influence, wanting them above all else. Light, it was the reason she had begun her journey to the White Tower all those years ago.

 

Who would be in a position to advance her ambitions, let alone want to utilise her skills. Lavinya would find out who her pursuer was, and find out just what she had to offer her. She was loathe to track her down and discover this was a malicious prank, though the creator shelter anyone who sought to play such a prank. Lavinya did not consider herself a fool, she was far to arrogant for that, and anyone who tried to paint her as one was an enemy in her eyes. Either way, she would know the author of the note in her hand.

 

Folding the simple parchment carefully, Lavinya glided over to her desk once more, lifting the lid of the small box placed on the centre. She tucked the mystery letter inside, sealing the lid and warding the box for protection. Possibly not necessary, but in this situation Lavinya preferred to err on the side of caution. With a small satisfied not, she turned on her heel and strode from the room. She would find the Accepted and question her more thoroughly as to the identity of the writer. She doubted the girl would know much of any use, but she may be able to give her some clue.

 

Not a simple task, considering Lavinya did not know the name of the Accepted she sought, though she knew she would recognise her on sight. She may have appeared disinterested, but Lavinya made a point to not let even the small details pass her. Eventually she spotted her, striding down the corridors towards the classrooms. Lavinya halted before her, forcing the girl to stop in her tracks or trample her.

 

"I will keep you but a moment girl, do not worry yourself so." she gave a vague wave at the Accepted's worried expression. "I want you to tell me everything you recall about the sister who instructed you to deliver the note to me this morning. Think hard girl, and tell me everything you remember." Lavinya's shrewd gaze never left the child's face, looking for any hint of a lie or evasion in her words.

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Lavinya Morganen - Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah, Mentor to Elyna and Kilivia

Dorian Ayerell - Tower Trainee, Mentee of Yrean

Satine Whyre - Acrobat in Simon Jornin's travelling Circus

 

Aramina's face didn't betray her surprise at being hungted down so quickly by the Aes Sedai. The letter had intrigued her and if the inside of the letter was as anonymous as the outside she had expected something, but not this. "There is not much to tell Aes Sedai." She said dropping into a curtsy before the woman. "I was on my way to class and wasn't paying much attention. I was already late and I the fear of being sent to the Mistress of Novice for it kept me from noticing anything."

 

Not far from the truth, but her mother had always taught her that lies worked best if they were the truth. She had been running late, even if she hadn't noticed it before she'd been asked to eliver the letter and she certainly was in fear of that trip to the Mistress of Novice now!

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Aramina Sur Dulciena

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

 

Lavinya frowned in thought, making her way back towards her quarters after dismissing the Accepted. All she'd been able to tell her was that she was near the Green Ajah quarters when the note was given to her. That did not mean the note necessarily came from a Green, but it increased the liklihood. The biggest clue Lavinya could think of was the wax. Simple black, and there had been no seal. An obvious attempt at anonymity, yet in itself it was not common.

 

Turning these thoughts over in her mind, Lavinya stalked back into her chambers, shutting the door behind her with a thread of air. Unravelling the ward on the box, she lifted out the note, scanning the words on the page once more. She could find no real clues in the text, other than the fact that the sister held a position of considerable influence. The only way Lavinya could think of to trace her was the black wax. Or perhaps the note, if abandoned in a conspicuous location, could lead her back to the original author. She would ward it, of course, a trace. She just couldn't think of any other way to find the author of the mysterious missive.

 

Embracing the source, Lavinya wove tiny threads of fire, melting the wax enough so that she could reseal it, cooling it again with a thread of air. She gave her work a critical eye, gently manipulating the soft wax with air until she was satisfied it looked untouched, before weaving a trace, letting the weave sink into the letter until it was no longer visible to a channeler. Of course, anyone who bothered to check would notice a residue, but Lavinya was counting on the fact that whoever wrote it would be more concerned in hunting and punishing the novice set to deliver it, than studying the note too closely.

 

With the ward complete, there was nothing left for Lavinya to do save plant the letter. Clutching it in her hand, she made her way from the Grey Quarters, following the twisting tiled floors, as they grey turned to white, then to green as she made her way to where the Green sisters habited. The novice had been only near the entrance to the chambers, so Lavinya decided not to take the letter any further. Taking careful note to make sure no one was watching, Lavinya dropped the note, letting it flutter to the ground. Walking on, she could sense the letter where she had dropped it. Now came the waiting game. If this didn't work, she was back to square one.

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Lavinya Morganen - Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah, Mentor to Elyna and Kilivia

Dorian Ayerell - Tower Trainee, Mentee of Yrean

Satine Whyre - Acrobat in Simon Jornin's travelling Circus

 

Arrogance was an occasional danger for the seasoned player of this greatest game; most of all perhaps for one skilled enough and certain enough to play it in the very halls where so many of the world’s last heroes had once walked. It took a particular sort of cunning to set oneself against women who could obliterate one in one’s steps. Yet reckless though it might make her, knowing full well as she did all her failings … the temper, the scathing sarcasm, past mistakes, half a hundred fears and secrets she kept close to her heart … Sirayn Sedai considered herself such a woman. Armoured in iron hard composure she had made herself the spider at the heart of a vast web; a whispered word might make its way to her as silently as a careless brush of hands in the corridors. A daily deluge of information filtered through her quarters by letter and even now half a hundred reports littered her dark desk which she would not like to fall into the wrong hands.

 

All this jealously hoarded intelligence did not protect her, however, from the difficulties inherent in using other people for her work. Some wise man had once said that if one wanted anything doing well one should do it oneself and, staring at the black sealed letter on her desk in some confusion, Sirayn was currently trying to work out how exactly one messed up such a straight forward task. To deliver a letter to a specific sister was scarcely a task she would have thought beyond the grasp of an Accepted … however, seemingly it was too complicated for the simple minds of initiates. Maybe her fearsome hold over those in whites had waned somewhat and they no longer feared her too much to turn in anything but a perfect performance because, truly, she could not imagine any reason why this letter had not been delivered. For it to come back unopened was a deeply puzzling occurrence.

 

Some kind of prank perhaps? She could not recall irritating anyone that much recently despite her best attempts. Total incompetence seemed the only answer. It frustrated her beyond words that her attempt to lure in a fellow sister had been foiled … and she was not the type of person to let such contempt go past easily. Rising swiftly from her chair she crossed the polished floor and opened the door looking out into busy halls. A brief gesture summoned a novice to her side: “Child! Fetch me Accepted Aramina sur Dulciena immediately.â€

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Sirayn Símeone-Damodred

Head of the Green Ajah - 999 NE

White Tower RP Co-ordinator

 

"You'd better go quickly." Aramina curiously eyed the Novice who spoke to her. "She seemed angry."

 

"I am aware of the speed such a request should be answered in." Aramina said coldly. "Perhaps you need a reminder for how you handle your own chores. Go down to the kitchens and see if they need help scrubbing the pots. It will give you time to reflect on how you should properly act."

 

The novice scowled but flittered off quickly with the barest of nods before Aramina could say anything else to her. Aramina's emotions were always kept closely controlled but a summons to Sirayn Sedai concerned her. She had delivered a letter for the Aes Sedai and had then been hunted down and questioned about the letter. She hadn't revealed anything, especially not who it had come from. Why was she feeling that this summons was going to be bad then?

 

The thoughts kept running through her head as she made her way as quickly as possible to the Green Quarters. When she arrived at Sirayn's door, she knocked. "You wished to see me Sirayn Sedai?" She asked.

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Aramina Sur Dulciena

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

 

Every courtesy and a civil greeting offered nevertheless only served to stoke her temper further. How did one learn the protocol offered to sisters so well and yet be so clueless a single letter could not be properly delivered? Now all her plans were thrown off track and she would have to spend time thinking about how to best address this gaping hole in her schemes. Briefly from her own diminutive height she examined the initiate before her; slim and tall, honey brown hair richly curled, blue eyes holding a spark of intelligence. The child was unnatural tall for the Cairhienin origin her accents told though Sirayn had long become accustomed to being the shortest in a hundred leagues. Cairhien ought to have taught her better than to offer insolence to a sister. So many mysteries it puzzled her.

 

A picture of ice, Sirayn indicated for the child to enter her quarters, sharp grey gaze tracking the progress of white skirts across her floor. “You may recall that earlier today I instructed you to deliver a letter anonymously to one Lavinya Sedai. I can see that delivering a letter without making mention of any name might push any intellect to its limits,†a touch of bitter irony on the words, cutting enough, “but may I ask how it came about that this letter was not delivered at all?†Plucking the offending article from her desk Sirayn held it up to indicate that it was still freshly sealed and untouched. “Fear not that a fraction of blame might rest on your shoulders. Crossing through the halls can be an arduous journey indeed. Did you, perhaps, get lost on the way to the requisite quarters? Did you find the corridors somewhat more dangerous than I anticipated? Perhaps there are letter thieves who run about snatching missives and directing them somewhere else.â€

 

Her sarcasm was getting out of hand. Controlling the urge to rip another piece off the child so temptingly in her grasp, instead Sirayn laid the letter gently down on her desk; resolving to properly question an initiate before giving them a task in future to remove those whose intellect was actually on holiday in sunny Tear. “Take your time and spin me an amusing story,†gentle tones now, carrying the threat of much greater wrath than her previous scorn, “I appear to have more time on my hands than I originally planned thanks to a certain errand not being performed and I will be more than pleased to spend it addressing this small difficulty.â€

_________________

Sirayn Símeone-Damodred

Head of the Green Ajah - 999 NE

White Tower RP Co-ordinator

 

It was the most embarrasing, annoying, and outrageous thing that had happened to Aramina. She was no fool though and showing anger in front of an Aes Sedai was sure to lead to only one thing, humiliation. Instead, as she listened to Sirayn Sedai demean her, Aramina kept her composure. She was not the match of a full Sister with years of experience, but Aramina was Cairheinian and she knew how to control her behavior to keep from giving away her emotions.

 

“You may recall that earlier today I instructed you to deliver a letter anonymously to one Lavinya Sedai. I can see that delivering a letter without making mention of any name might push any intellect to its limits, but may I ask how it came about that this letter was not delivered at all?â€

 

Sirayn grabbed something off her desk and Aramina was surprised to see the letter she had delivered earlier that day. Seal in tact. She frowned slightly as the Aes Sedai continued.

 

“Fear not that a fraction of blame might rest on your shoulders. Crossing through the halls can be an arduous journey indeed. Did you, perhaps, get lost on the way to the requisite quarters? Did you find the corridors somewhat more dangerous than I anticipated? Perhaps there are letter thieves who run about snatching missives and directing them somewhere else.â€

 

Aramina was outraged at the Aes Sedai's accusations but before she could find the words to speak, Sirayn was speaking again Her tone was almost caressing but it was far more threatening to Aramina's ears.

 

“Take your time and spin me an amusing story, I appear to have more time on my hands than I originally planned thanks to a certain errand not being performed and I will be more than pleased to spend it addressing this small difficulty.â€

 

Aramina took a deep breath before speaking. She had always kept her temper on a short leash and this was the worst time for her to lose it. She had no doubt that Sirayn Sedai would find a way to make her life miserable if she couldn't convince her, in a properly reverant tone, that she had done as she was told.

 

"I don't understand how this letter is here Sirayn Sedai. I took the letter and delivered it as you asked of me. In fact, as I was walking to my next class Lavinya Sedai stopped me and questioned me about the letter. I told her only that I had been running late and feared a trip to the Mistress of Novice so I hadn't paid attention to who gave the letter to me. I can't say if she opened the letter or not, but I did deliver it as you asked."

 

Her tone had been respectful and her body still, not giving away any tell tale signs of her anger. Perhaps Sirayn Sedai was allowed to take her anger out on an Accepted, but it would put Aramina in the kitchens for weeks, she was sure, if even a hint of hers leaked out.

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Aramina Sur Dulciena

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

 

ooc: Is this okay Aramina? Think it might be time for Lavinya to come visit me if that's okay with everyone. :D

 

Few had the daring to so much as question her these days; a narrow grey gaze contemplated the serene child before her. Perhaps the stamp of a foreign court lay in that schooled composure. Cairhienin played subtle games, bitter history had taught her better than to miscalculate the effects of such a culture, and it would be just her luck if her careless search had picked out the one initiate who might have the learning and refinement to meet a sister on her own grounds. No matter. Somewhat battered from various trials though she might be Sirayn counted herself a match for any initiate and capable of dispensing a little discipline.

 

Dark brows drew further together as the child ran smoothly through her tale. Stopped in the corridors? A likely story. If she had been in the other woman’s place she would not have resorted to so public a place for any questioning she might want to exact … nor would Aramina sur Dulciena have judged herself able to repeat it afterward. But then again the Gray Ajah worked by a different set of rules and perhaps they derived some sort of thrill from being covertly observed by everyone passing through. Even if that corridor meeting had come to pass as the child claimed, how did the letter come to be in her own possession again, and why had it not even been opened? The seal bore no mark to distinguish it from anonymity and the outside was also unmarked. By all rights it ought to have intrigued a player of Daes Dae’mar … unless Lavinya imagined herself so unassailable that she need not even acknowledge the contact of a similar spider in this great web. Could this be some kind of hidden warning?

 

All the reasons why a young sister of such promise might return a letter unopened occupied her thoughts. If there had been some small means by which Lavinya might determine her identity without opening the seal she might have imagined it to be a threat of sorts … a shot across her bows … showing an unexpected abundance of skill where she had not looked for such before. She couldn’t think of any possible way in which that had happened. Brash though it might be Sirayn considered herself seasoned in these matters and if she could not work out any means by which the younger woman might have divined her identity, likely such a means did not exist. Even if that were true, why send the letter back? Maybe it was an overt refusal of her approach. Maybe it meant some other sign for which there was not enough information to make a judgement.

 

Her pensive silence had whiled on long enough. Sternly she surveyed the not very penitent Accepted before her. Did she accept the child’s story? It seemed so full of holes and credited to the Gray Sister, an absent third party in this discussion, a skill which she had not yet outwardly displayed. Briefly she considered mentioning, if reluctantly, that there was a distant possibility that she might have been a trifle careless in her accusations, but such an admission of defeat burned her. She owed neither apologies nor explanations to anyone. “Fortunate for you I suspect that there is some outside chance that you may be speaking a word of truth. Or possibly not. I shall make my own investigations … and if I should find that you are playing some game with me, child, I shall be back again and our next discussion shall be less friendly than this. Dismissed.â€

 

Aramina sur Dulciena: a name to remember.

_________________

Sirayn Símeone-Damodred

Head of the Green Ajah - 999 NE

White Tower RP Co-ordinator

 

Aramina watched as her words sunk in with Sirayn. She could see the wheels turning in the Aes Sedai's mind and as the silence between them grew, Aramina feared something far worse than the kitchens if her story wasn't believed.

 

“Fortunate for you I suspect that there is some outside chance that you may be speaking a word of truth. Or possibly not. I shall make my own investigations … and if I should find that you are playing some game with me, child, I shall be back again and our next discussion shall be less friendly than this. Dismissed.â€

 

Aramina didn't let a sigh escape her lips, though she wanted to. Her rigid composure remained the same. "Thanks you Aes Sedai." She said with a very proper curtsy. She left the Aes Sedai's quarters and walked away from the Green Quarters. She put off the thought of going to the library to complete her studies today and instead went straight back to her rooms. As her own door closed behind her, Aramina allowed herself to take a deep breath before she turned and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and found the same face she knew Sirayn had seen. Had such a skilled layer seen what was happening behind her own fascade, or had she been so caught up in the events that she hadn't paid attention to her? Or perhaps Aramina's calm fascade had worked. Not that she had lied in the slightest, not even by misleading or ommission, but the way Sirayn had reacted to her made her wonder. Perhaps Sirayn was someone to watch closer. As an Accepted she tried to emulate the Aes Sedai. As a player in the game though, she sought to learn by watching those more skilled than she.

 

A smile broker her fascade and a laugh escaped Aramina. Somedays, life made her glad she had made her way to the White Tower.

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Aramina Sur Dulciena

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

 

Lavinya noticed when Aramina left Sirayn's quarters. She had been sure before that the rooms beyond that door housed her warded letter, but now she was certain. No doubt the Accepted had received quite the tongue lashing. Did the girl admit that she had indeed deliver the letter? Or did she simply clam up under the formidable glare of her elder. It was of little consequence to Lavinya now, no doubt the girl had found some trouble, but that was the least of her concerns. What concerned her was why Sirayn had sent her such a letter, under the cloak of anonymity.

 

Curiousity piqued, Lavinya knew she had to confront the Green directly, or be forever tormented by her own imaginings. The letter had made reference to advancing her ambitions. How the woman knew about them, she was unsure, but her mind was aroused at the concept nonetheless. Since her arrival at the tower, indeed, even long before, Lavinya knew she was destined for greatness. She knew she belonged in a position of power and authority. Discovering she could channel was the first step in that direction, but since then, nothing had proceeded as she had planned it to in her girlish fantasies. It was harder than she had expected, convincing others of her rightful greatness. Why Sirayn could use her, she did not know, indeed she would raise the question when the time came, but for now she was too centred on what she could gain from such a venture.

 

As irritating as the thought of a test was, Lavinya believed she had passed it with flying colours. She had only received the note that morning, and already knew the identity of the author. Pride in her own acheivements swelled within her for a moment, before she quashed it once more. She was nothing, if not arrogant, yet even she was not so foolish as to relish in her own accomplishments for too long. Especially when a sister such as Sirayn was playing what appeared to be a deep game.

 

So, with a slight straightening of her spine and a firming of her resolve, Lavinya set about assuaging her curiosity. Approaching the door from which the novice had left, she lifted a hand and knocked three times, before stepping back and waiting for a response. It came soon after, Sirayn herself opening the door. Lavinya raised a brow, almost certain she was witnessing the closest thing to surprise that ever passed those features. "I realise you probably weren't expecting me so soon, Sirayn Sedai, but I was hoping I may come in." Her eyes flicked past into the simply furnished room, her eyes resting on the letter adressed to her, which sat on the desk. "I believe you have something belonging to me, which we should discuss." She brought her brown gaze back to Sirayn, waiting for her to make her move in this intriguing game.

_________________

Lavinya Morganen - Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah, Mentor to Elyna and Kilivia

Dorian Ayerell - Tower Trainee, Mentee of Yrean

Satine Whyre - Acrobat in Simon Jornin's travelling Circus

[Sirayn]

Dark brows drew together in a frown and she fixed the door through which Aramina sur Dulciena had recently departed with a forbidding look. The polished wood told her no secrets, nor did the silence offer up any whisper of what had truly gone on here, beneath the layers and lying which any fool might have picked up on. These days it took a brave child to match her in her own halls and there was a distant possibility that that was just what had come to pass here; a chance meeting its only surface significance, yet deeper down, a hundred more meanings waited for those with the wit to seek them out. She rather suspected that a challenge had been laid down this day: recognition between two sides in a greater game: a circumspect message that in banded hems waited a skilled young player whom she would do well to observe closely.

 

Or possibly not. Her concentration shattered to hear a light tap at her door. Half suspicious, half distracted by other plots that might need to be laid to take one Cairhienin Accepted into account, Sirayn crossed her quiet quarters and opened the door; her cool grey gaze fell upon someone not unknown to her … slim and near as short as she was, flawless Domani features and fiery red curls. The young target of her overtures: Lavinya Sedai. She matched the fractional lift of a brow with one of her own, subtle cues conveyed by look and bearing, transmitting through half a hundred deliberate signals that she recognised the other woman and any danger she posed; and had assumed a control so complete that their discussion had better remain civil.

 

The first words from those perfect lips bore out her suspicion that it would be pointless to dissemble any more. She had to work out how under the Light Lavinya had pulled this trick … and fast; she did not care for being left in the dark; it was a perilous situation to be in. “Sister. Do come in.†Coolly she stepped back and gestured for Lavinya to enter, all composure, covering over frantic thought. The letter had gone out, that much she knew, and the Accepted claimed that it had gone to its target; only it had made its way back here intact and Lavinya seemed to know its contents, or had done so when she had that discussion with Aramina sur Dulciena in the hallways if that had ever happened, or figured she could feign it well enough to discuss it with her. Mysteries: she liked them best when she herself still called all the shots.

 

Not having the slightest clue what was going on nevertheless Sirayn did not intend to make any inquiries; that would only make her confusion all the more obvious. She had the brief and unfortunate suspicion that she had poked the proverbial dragon and gotten herself a bit more trouble than she had bargained for … but she had not feared to take on an opponent since the Dreadlords of her past acquaintance and the Grey Ajah’s youngsters, while possibly better educated, were certainly not half as formidable. “Take a seat. Some tea?†Smoothly she moved about her quarters readying something to drink, these days she did not accept anything from other people’s hands where discretion permitted, and placed a cup at Lavinya’s elbow. The interlude gave her time to gather her thoughts.

 

Not long ago she had sought out one Serena Morrigan, Blue Ajah and nearly a contemporary of hers in comparative terms, and that meeting had gone far better than she had expected: possibly better than she had deserved. She still recalled how the Saldaean had knelt at her feet, so bold and so determined, and sworn over her loyalty and her cause forever. In new circumstances, with a new and more suspicious acquaintance, she could not expect it to so go easily … but nevertheless she knew exactly what goal to aim for. Sipping her tea she watched Lavinya Sedai for a time, considering, and when she finally spoke her tones remained cool and business like. “I imagine you already know why I wrote to you earlier this morning. You have talents; I have a use for them. You have ambition; I have ways of seeing that come to pass. Do you wish to hear more?â€

[Lavinya]

Lavinya had no doubt in her mind that Sirayn had been thrown off guard by her sudden appearance, though the only sign Lavinya could detect of anything akin to surprise was a slight lifting of the elder sister's brow, something which in itself could be conveying a thousand different meanings.

 

“Sister. Do come in.â€Inclining her head, she swept into the room in a flurry of delicate silver silks, accepting the chair proffered to her. Tea was placed at her elbow before she could decline, and Lavinya found herself musing as to whether Sirayn sought to cover her curiosity through bustle. Assuming, of course, she had not discovered the delicate weave used on the simple letter. "Thankyou." Laviny murmured, holding the cup between her palms as though to warm them, though she did not drink as of yet. Instead her dark eyes were focused on the Green sister, studying her for any hint at what she thought. While she was all outward composure and Aes Sedai calm, Lavinya did not doubt that inside her mind was ticking over like the machinations inside a clock.

 

The silence dragged on, something no doubt expected to ruffle Lavinya, to cause her some unease, instead of the faint smugness she was feeling at having bested a respected player of the Game of Houses. Or perhaps Sirayn Sedai used the time to increase Lavinya's curiosity until she could stand it no longer and demanded answers to the questions raised upon reading the missive which now sat untouched on the desk. Whatever the reasoning, Lavinya was quite comfortable, finally taking a sip of the hot tea, for all the world as though she sat in an elaborate Domani drawing room, not the outer chamber of the Green's residence.

 

Silence was a ploy Lavinya used often, finding many people unable to hide their inner thoughts for the duration, revealing much to her calculating mind. Sirayn, however, proved different, seemingly as happy to sit unspeaking as she. When she finally spoke, Lavinya did not miss the cold tones to her voice - indeed whatever was going on inside the forbidable looking woman was being held by an iron grip of will. “I imagine you already know why I wrote to you earlier this morning. You have talents; I have a use for them. You have ambition; I have ways of seeing that come to pass. Do you wish to hear more?†The words spilling from the calm features of the Green were indeed a lot more straight forward than Lavinya had expected, and she straightened her shoulders, placing the cup on the table once more.

 

"I would be unable to tell you that your letter did not arouse much curiosity in me sister, else I would not have paid you this visit." Lavinya spoke nonchalantly, forefinger and thumb plucking a hint of lint from her bodice, though only a fool would believe she was not completely intent on her companion. "Since you have been straightforward, I shall pay you the same courtesy." She nodded slightly, choosing her words in her mind before continuing. "You say you have use for my talents, and it appears in return you shall boost me in my ambitions. I wish to know just how you plan to use those assets which I posses, and exactly what you will venture to gain from this association."

 

Dark eyes gazed intently at grey ones, the words exuded smooth yet veiled steel. Lavinya may be considered many things, but she did not take herself for a fool; nor did she consider Sirayn Sedai to be one possessed of only half her share of wits. Yet if she believed Lavinya would blindly step into whatever plans this woman held, for only the light knew what reasons, she was indeed fooling herself.

 

She clasped her hands lightly in her lap, refusing to reveal just how much she waited to hear out the woman. While her ambitious nature was not exactly hidden, Lavinya wondered whether Sirayn knew she had struck a chord with her. Promises of power and appreciation of her talents were certainly ways to capture her attention. She was eager to know more, oh yes, but burn her if she would appear eager. She had come this far on her own, and no doubts she could continue in such a manner. But would a hand from Green, a respected sister, be a hinderance or a help? Once more her brow was raised in question, as she waited for a response.

[Sirayn]

Despite the rather tumultous nature of their association to date, and her instinctive and ill tempered response to any painted Domani lightskirt, something within her thrilled to see intelligence and subtlety about her at last. Honestly she had given up long ago on thinking that all Aes Sedai would have some grasp of politics and necessity; these days such schemers were to be sought out like jewels and kept close ... although not too close. It was dangerous to assume that one's enemies were ignorant, true, but equally it could be awkward to imagine in some measure of competence where none existed. Here, however, was an opponent of the proper wit and cunning, and some nameless instinct recognised a fellow hunter.

 

Curiosity and courtesy indeed, she suspected the other woman did not have even a passing acquaintance with that last, but Sirayn remained serenely composed while the other spoke. Doubts and suspicion did not faze her. Each time this occurred was another instance to test her hard won skills in exertion against another player of Daes Dae'mar; to see how far a quick tongue and quicker wits would get her; giving her the opportunity to assess once again what lay ahead of them, how far ambition could be realised, the goals which could be achieved. None of this she voiced of course. Such ongoing processes were only hers to contemplate.

 

Tapping the porcelain cup lightly with her fingertips she assumed a look of feigned consideration. "Unfortunately, sister ... as I dare say you might have discovered for yourself ... the Tower is a difficult and unfeeling cause to work for." Resignation, a light cover on her tone, painted on as with many of the ways of artifice and cunning that surrounded her. "Aes Sedai dedicate their lives to it and often times it gives back nothing at all. A tragedy, yes, but also the burden of Aes Sedai." One slender shoulder lifted in an elegant shrug taking care not to send the slightest waver across the surface of her tea. "Nothing we give is enough to alter the course lying ahead of the Tower. Such is life when one wears the shawl.

 

"But what frustrates us, on occasion, is that it sometimes seeks to thwart the very enterprises that protect it. Sometimes the cause we all hold so dear is guarded by so many layers of consultation and discussion, of votes and policy, that it becomes impossible to do our job properly. Back before my time there was a golden age in which Aes Sedai could do as they deemed fit; in which no man nor woman would question them; and their judgement was beyond doubt, for if they had not been suitable to make those choices, they would not be raised Aes Sedai. But these days, perhaps ... trailed about by doubt and darkness ... people suspect one another. They introduce so many laws and so many rules to protect themselves that it stops the very guards they rely on from protecting them. Stifling? Perhaps destructive.â€

 

Silence lingered cool while for long moments Sirayn sipped her tea and contemplated the other woman idly over its surface. Her little speech carried a great deal of meaning and subtlety which she was wary to detail even in her thoughts; fearing that perhaps some slight cue or sign might betray her and she would never know. “So, our goal? To protect the Tower and its interests, discreetly sometimes … at other times, if necessary, with an iron fist. Not to be held back by small minded fools who doubt our intellect. To do all this, of course, from a position of power.†Her mouth curled into a somewhat cold smile. “Such ventures come with a measure of danger; which is why I do not speak of it to the young, the green, the reckless; or to those so indoctrinated in certain ideals and beliefs that they do not see the greater good. I speak only to you … and others like you.

 

“Measures of danger … measures of gain. I assume you have heard something about me already; since I cannot, at the moment, be entirely open with you, you will have to take me at my word when I say that I am in a rather privileged position at present. A position from which I can make life somewhat challenging for those who irritate me but, equally, I can bring certain advantages to those whom I favour. Advantages which the ordinary sister would have to work long and hard for. Think of my offer as a fast track through the dull, the commonplace and the tedious to the work you once dreamed of; the danger and the excitement, and possible reward, of life as truly Aes Sedai. Or, if you so choose -- if you doubt your will and my own -- you can leave now and hear no more of it.â€

[Lavinya]

Few would notice the hidden meanings in the Green's seemingly casual speech, but Lavinya was well aware that the woman hinted at more than the obviousness of what she spoke. There were serious undercurrents at play, subtle glimpses into the true nature of this proposition. If Lavinya didn't know better she would almost have thought Sirayn Simeone was one of the rumoured Black Ajah, claiming a position which she could not reveal; but dismissed the notion out of hand. Sirayn was not so dim-witted that she would hint at such a thing if she were a darkfriend; Lavinya was intelligent enough to know the idea was ludicrous.

 

Deciding it would be prudent to keep such thoughts to herself, Lavinya silently sipped her tea, using the time to think through what Sirayn had said. Advantages, without the tedious years given to slowly earning rank and age. How she could promise these things Lavinya was not quite sure, but she was willing to learn more. At the very least the information could prove useful in the future; a potential bargaining chip should circumstances change.

 

Lavinya set the delicate porcelain cup down once more, her eyes searching the face of the older sister for evidence of a trap. The woman's face was serene and smooth, betraying nothing in a manner that only many years of practice could perfect. Lavinya could not walk away without knowing more, she had cast the dice. Now it was time to see if she was wagering more than she could afford; if the prize was legitimate and not merely fools' gold.

 

"One thing I am not in the habit of doing, sister, is doubting myself." Lavinya folded her hands neatly in her lap as she regarded the woman that would promise the world. "You propose much that interests me, and I believe I would be a fool to walk away without hearing what it was you wish of me. If you will kindly enlighten me as to your plans so that I may better assess the price I am to pay for your...advantages, I would be well pleased. My greatest desire is to serve the Tower, much as you yourself I am certain; but I have no wish to waste my talents when I could be putting them to good use." So long as serving the tower serves my own purposes.

 

Lavinya waited, suddenly certain that what she was going to hear would not only be enticing, but also something that pushed the boundaries of the age old traditions of the tower that were practically law,if not indeed set in stone. She cared not a whit. So long as her own selfish ambitions were satisfied, she would do what was needed, morals be damned. And if all was as Sirayn would have her believe, she would at last be on the fast track to the power and position she rightly deserved.

 

Lavinya Morganen