A Peacock's Vanity [Attn: Lillian]

[Isra]

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The horse’s hooves rang clear on the cobbles, down the ribboning path through the city to the stables. Isra paid little attention to the merchants and cityfolk who moved hurriedly out of her way, intent as she was on gaining the White Tower. She had an appointment, was late for it already, and dared not slow the great grey steed beneath her. Black skirts rustled with the movements of her horse, and her grey cloak streamed behind her.

 

Someone hailed her – Katlin she thought – but she continued. She would apologize later. Profusely if necessary, but for now the appointment was uppermost in her mind. This particular informant was elusive at best, and that he had agreed to a face-to-face meeting was a rare event. Aris clattered into the stableyards of the Tower, a young groom running to meet him as Isra threw the reins over his head and slid from the saddle. “Thank you, no,” she said to the man who had come to assist her with the small package she carried.

 

Why she had decided to answer the jeweler’s summons she still did not know. Her sister’s ring had been in his care for the better part of a fortnight; another day would have little mattered. But she had gone down into the city to retrieve the carnelian-set jewelry from him and lost the time. The work had been masterful; at least she could feel pleased about something. The band, a rose-tinted gold, was etched with tiny vining flowers and set with two olive-streaked jaspers alongside the center stone. She’d been more than satisfied with the artisan’s work, had paid him double what it was worth.

 

Focused on achieving her room, she little noticed the novices and Accepted who greeted her and pretended she did not see Josefina coming towards her in the hall of the White Ajah. No time. Laying the package on her dresser, she hurried again from her rooms and made for the library, nearly running. She knew how she must look to the girls along the hallways: frantic. Although her face was schooled to its usual hauteur, her quick pace gave lie to the calmness.

 

The library loomed. Slowing to a walk and entering in the grave manner of an Aes Sedai, Isra scanned the room quickly for her quarry.

 

And did not see him.

 

Taking care not to curse aloud, she sought the main desk by which all visitors had to pass to gain entrance to the great hall of books. “Osline, have you a message for me?” she asked the Brown sister who was standing guard that hour. The petite woman gazed on her for a moment, eyes unfocused as though she were thinking over the morning past, before nodding. “Ah yes, Isra,” she murmured, sorting through a stack of papers before finding the one she sought. “For you.”

 

“My thanks, sister,” the White returned, taking the paper in hand and retreating to a far corner of the library. There were few patrons this morning, for which Isra was glad. Unfolding the slip of parchment, she read it over quickly. And did curse aloud, although whisper-quiet. “Blood and bloody ashes!” The man had waited for half a candlemark before growing agitated and leaving. Apparently she was lucky to have even received a note. The missive indicated it would take a good deal of work on her part to persuade him to her cause again, if indeed it could be done.

 

I’ve no time for this. she thought with some irritation, knowing she had little choice. He was an important informant, one she could not afford to lose.

 

Enlisting help from a sister of her Ajah was not an option; she did not know the new Aes Sedai well enough to trust them, and knew the elder sisters too well. Novices were an untrustworthy bunch, most still wide-eyed and awestruck even by their seventh year in whites.

 

But an Accepted, one whom was intelligent enough not to muss up an already tangled problem and who could keep her head and her secrets – such a girl would be ideal. Isra lifted her eyes from the note, glanced around the library. Gislaine was too morose, would surely scare the man out of the city altogether. Lashmi she did not trust, and the girl with her she did not even recognize despite the dearth of Accepted in the Tower. Her gaze moved across several more women in banded hems before pausing on Lillian.

 

She had heard a very little about the girl: not enough to know whether she could be trusted or not, but enough that she could spare the time for a conversation to determine more. Folding the missive and tucking it into her skirts, the White moved from her corner of the library until she came beside Lillian.

 

“Accepted Lillian. Will you speak with me for a moment?”

 

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[Wayfarer]

Turning about as she heard someone address her by her rank, Lillian looked up when she saw it was a white dress only to avert her eyes downward just as quickly as she saw she had made a mistake. An ageless face as opposed to a young one, a White Sister instead of a Novice, one that she recognised as Isra Sedai. Long honey hair and skin that was as ivory as her Ajah, she was someone that Lillian had never had dealings with but she had learned long ago that it was wise to know every single Aes Sedai even if they didn't know you. All it had taken was one incident where an Aes Sedai had felt slighted due to Lillian being unaware of her identity.

 

Closing the book that she had been reading, Lillian gave one of her flawless curtsies that had been honed with years of practice as she spoke. "Of course, Isra Sedai." Not that there was any choice in the matter, when an Aes Sedai asked something of an Accepted it was an order. Well, unless one wanted to be hauled before the Mistress of Novices and Lillian had no ambitions in that respect.

 

Her face neutral and her eyes unreadable as they were not focused on the Aes Sedai addressing her out of deference, Lillian at least had time to contemplate why she had been approached. She had no dealings with Isra Sedai in the past, so it couldn't be anything of that nature. Perhaps she wished to question Lillian about her mentees, that was always a possibility. There was also the fact she hadn't chosen an Ajah yet, that was an issue that sisters tended to approach her about at one point or another. Though the only sister from the White Ajah she somewhat knew and understood was Aleanda Sedai, and she had been cold, distant and entirely too calculating. Musing would only get her so far and she had no information with which to make a conclusion, she would simply have to wait for Isra Sedai to speak.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Accepted of the White Tower

 

OOC: I contemplated writing out what she was doing beforehand, but I didn't want to overly bulk it and its not important to the story :) Hence why its short.