A day in Hell [attn. those involved]

[silhouette]

Being told your presence wasn’t required was not something Rosheen liked to hear. Especially not from Lyanna, and especially not in the careless manner she had informed her of it. It was a kind of ‘go play somewhere else, let us grown-ups talk in peace’- comment that agitated her to no end. That, combined with a bad night’s sleep and a prank played on her by some fool trainee did not make Rosheen a happy person. In fact, it was enough to send her into various states of rage. It was probably a good thing that she had a yard full of training options she could use to convert that rage into something positive. With a scowl on her face she leapt down the stairs, five or six steps at the time. Careless, but necessary. A run would do her good. It really didn’t help that Lyanna’s office was almost at the top of the tower. The more time she had to spend in the massive building the worse her mood got. She could practically feel the eyes on her back, mocking her appearance, her presence in the tower, and just about everything else about her.

 

She was so blind in her rage that she almost missed the voices that reached her from around the corner. Almost. Stopping dead in her tracks, she decided to listen. With a little luck she could discern who the voices belonged to. She prayed to the Light that it was just a pair of servants, bickering. Pressing her back against the wall, she waited for them to speak again. If she had not been mistaken, there was one young male, and one woman. light, let them be servants. It took the pair a while to speak again. She didn’t recognise the voice of the woman, but there was something familiar about the voice of the man. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it. In her attempts to figure it out, she hardly noticed that her rage had dimmed to a minimum. Carefully she constructed the spring, if only to hear them better. With her sharpened senses it didn’t take her long to figure out who the man was. “Malvolio…†she hissed, softly, to keep from being heard.

 

The man, or boy rather, had been a source of agitation for her since the first day he arrived at the yards. He had taunted and disobeyed her at every given opportunity, and there was very little she could do about it. Not while Lyv was his mentor. Rosheen had too much respect for her friend to try to teach the boy some manners without her friends permission. And asking permission for that would be the same as questioning Lyv’s ability to handle her mentee. That was something Rosheen could never do. She thought too highly of the Mistress of Trainees for that. It had increased her dislike of the boy even more. Often it seemed he had singled her out, being perfectly respectful to everyone else. Another source of agitation. If you asked her, the boy should’ve been strangled with his own cord the moment he was born. When she said that to Lyv, the other woman had laughed, and told her that her suspicions were unfounded. After all, she hadn’t exactly been a very nice trainee herself.

 

With the spring, she could also hear exactly what he was saying, and to say it worried her was an understatement. “We really shouldn’t…†the woman had said, sounding hesitant, but not particularly forceful. “Don’t worry, no one will ever find out.†When she heard him say this, she figured he was trying to woo some weak-willed novice or accepted. She saw enough of that around the yards already. Just as she was about to walk around the corner to but the two in their place, she heard something that chilled her to her bones. “They have plenty of these angreal… I’ll just take this one. I have a friend who would be very, very grateful. Grateful enough to help us run away from here.†Rosheen bit her knuckles to keep from cursing out loud. The fool was going to try to sell an angreal! She didn’t really know what they were for, but she had been told several times that she was not supposed to go near them without an Aes Sedai at her side. And this fool of a boy wanted to sell one of them.

 

At this point Rosheen decided to put an end to his foolishness. She’d drag him to Lyv, and she’d have to find an appropriate punishment for him. Maybe she could throw him out of the yards for trying to steal an angreal. That would make Rosheens life a lot easier. She rounded the corner, and saw that Malvolio was trying to feel his way up a dress which was mostly white. Rosheen tried to remember how the dress colours worked again, but then decided it didn’t matter. The woman would have to go to the Mistress of Novices no matter what rank she was. “Hey you!†she shouted at the pair. It was hard not to smirk at the priceless look on Malvolio’s face. A kind of hurt, shocked, surprised, hateful look, directed at none other than her. “You!†he hissed. “Stay right where you are.†She said, walking towards him swiftly and silently. The girl had her hand in front of her mouth. Rosheen could see tears welling up in her eyes. When she turned her attention back to Malvolio he did something she hadn’t expected. He tossed the angreal he had managed to filch at her, and shoved the girl down on the floor. Then he turned and ran, like the coward he was.

 

Rosheen caught the angreal, but it had cost her precious moments. Malvolio was already on his way to the stairs. Rosheen sprinted after him, leaping over the girl and dropping the angreal in her lap in the process. Malvolio might’ve had a good start, but Rosheen had years of running experience on him. She reached him just as he was about to run down the stairs. In an attempt to stop him before they had to fight on the stairs, she lunged herself at his legs. She took a gamble… and lost, as he leapt over her arms, and down the stairs. Rosheen slid further, knocking her head on the edge of the wall. As she shook her head to get rid of the dizziness, she saw him leaping down the stairs, several steps at a time. He was going at a reckless speed, and yet it appeared to happen in slow motion. Rosheen saw him slip over a step halfway down the stairs. With a shout he fell, rolling down the stairs headfirst. With the spring still firmly in her grasp, she heard the sickening crack that accompanied the breaking of bones. As Malvolio lay motionlessly at the bottom of the stairs, she saw just what he had broken. His eyes were pale and dead as they stared at her from the distance. His neck was in an angle no neck could be in. “shite…†she muttered. Calling for help would do him very little good now. After all, it was impossible to heal a dead man.

 

From somewhere behind her she heard a scream arise. The girl in the mostly white dress had finally worked up the courage to come and see what had happened. Rosheen’s head was spinning, as she lifted it, just in time to see an Aes Sedai round the corner to the stairs. She stopped in her tracks next to Malvolio’s body, and dropped parchment she was carrying. Her eyes moved over Malvolio, and then she turned her gaze upwards, to Rosheen. The girl behind her chose that specific moment to screech again. “You killed him!†she shouted. Rosheen struggled to her knees, feeling the beginnings of a concussion. The girl lunged at her, and she weakly defended herself. “Murderer!†she shouted. The last thing she saw before her world went black was the tear streaked face of the girl, and the stern and accusing face of the Aes Sedai.

 

~Rosheen Tahn Sakhr

 

 

 

Blood and bloody ashes

 

The presence of the Tower Guard had been requested, but what for hadn't been made clear. Aran along with a few others had been sent, though the last thing they had expected was to find a trainee dead with his neck snapped like a twig. He had fallen down the stairs, or rather, he was pushed according to the lass that had seen the incident, or tripped or something, the girl was somewhat incoherent. And she was pointing the finger at Rosheen as the one who did the deed.

 

That in itself disturbed Aran quite a bit, he'd spoken with her a couple of times, and she'd helped him take Orion to the Tower for healing when the poor man had been blinded. It didn't feel right, but then again Mia had only been telling him a few moments before that there was bad blood between the two. Yet still, here? In the Tower?

 

Such thoughts were neither here nor there though, it was up to other people to decide such things. They were here to do a job, which was to take away the trainee Malvolio? for burial and Rosheen was to be escorted to the cells until someone could see her. If Aran were to guess, it'd probably be Elia that would speak with her first, seeing as Rosheen was Tower Guard, but like his previous thoughts, it was neither here nor there.

 

"Oi, Rosheen, up you get."

 

Not getting any response as Rosheen simply sat there in silence, Aran shook his head and calling Mia over, the pair of them hoisted Rosheen to her feet and led her away. Rosheen had been disarmed yet hadn't been bound, even if Rosheen had her weapons, Aran doubted she would use them. She wasn't even responsive, as if lost in her own world. Even as they left the Tower with people staring, she still remained completely unaware of what was around her.

 

By the time they reached the yards, it was clear that word of what had happened had spread. People paused in their training as they watched Rosheen being led to the cells, varying degrees of accusation on some of the faces, others simply impassive and reserving their judgement. Putting Rosheen in a cell away from everyone else was the best thing that could be done considering the circumstances, and that was what was done.

 

The cells in the yards were simple, only nine by nine feet, and a stone slab for a bed. Sitting Rosheen there, there was no response from Rosheen as she stared blankly at the wall. Considering the situation for a moment, Aran gave Mia the key to lock the cell up and found himself a space on the wall to lean on. In her state, Aran was worred if she snapped out of it she might try to hurt herself more than anything else. That or need someone to talk to, Aran was interested in what the other side of the story was.

 

Hearing the lock click as the key was turned, Aran watched Rosheen in silence and without expression. He wasn't here to judge, that he would leave to others.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

 

It kept playing before her minds eye. No matter how she tried to rid herself of the image, every time she closed her eyes she saw the trainee stumble and fall. She tried to envision what the outcome would be if she acted differently. Maybe if she had been a bit faster. Then she would have caught him before he reached the stairs. No matter what option she came up with, the outcome was always the same. She would see his cold and dead eyes stare up at her, accusingly. Then there would be that voice, that horrible, devastated voice calling her a murderer. She had killed before, but that… didn’t make her a murderer… right?

 

She was lost in her mind, barely even aware of the way someone pulled her to her feet. When she almost fell down a flight of stairs herself she was pulled back to reality a bit, just enough to move her feet in a way that kept her from falling. She could feel the stares of people on her when she was led towards… somewhere. She didn’t know or care where. Away from the tower, at least. She almost welcomed the sight of the cell she was being led to. Almost. Cells were for guilty people, and she… wasn’t guilty. She hadn’t killed Malvolio. He stole something, she chased after him, and he fell. That was it. She wasn’t entirely convinced of that herself.

 

She sat down on the stone bed, and pulled up her knees automatically, as if she could protect herself that way. She was aware of someone else being in the cell with her. She turned to look at whoever it was. Aran. She knew him… it was a small comfort. She reached up, and touched the tender spot on her head, where she had knocked it on the wall. “ouch.†She muttered, thinking of the bump that would surely become. Maybe there was something to be said for having a protective layer of hair on your head after all.

 

“So… I guess I’m in trouble.†She stated. That was nothing new of course. She had been forced to explain her actions several times before, but this was different. This was the first time her rash actions and clumsiness had gotten someone killed. “Lyanna is going to be pissed of when she hears about this.†She muttered. And not just Lyanna. Malvolio was Lyv’s mentee. “And Lyv is going to hate me.†She frowned at the door opposite to her. “that’s what you get for trying to stop someone from stealing something.â€

 

~Rosheen

 

 

Aran was relieved to see Rosheen wake from her daze, it meant that she was starting to work the trauma out of her mind. Or at least, she was beginning to cope with what had happened. The fact that she was talking was even better, Aran certainly entertained the thought of satisfying his own curiosity. The Aes Sedai had said nothing of what they had learnt, they had simpled ordered the Guard and that had been all. Perhaps talking about it with a more familiar face might help her get a better grip on herself, she'd need it to be able to answer whoever questioned her. That was what was needed most of all right now, answers.

 

"You could say that, here's where things seem to stand currently. The story of what had happened reached the yards before we even managed to bring you here, and no doubt its become a little wilder with every retelling. The death of a trainee is a serious matter, I'd be more worried about your own hide than what others might think. Its been said that you pushed him down the stairs, some think its because you two had bad blood between you."

 

Scratching an itch on his arm absently, Aran spoke on. "The Aes Sedai didn't tell us much when we picked you up, there was no mention of a theft. So either they didn't believe you, or they're enquiring about it quietly. Considering the reputation you have for being hot tempered, I'm tempted to think they may have gone with the former. Don't suppose you'd care to tell me your side of things? Though no doubt it won't be the last time you have to regale what happened before the day ends. I wouldn't mind hearing it from you if want to speak of it though."

 

Aran was rather neutral in how he spoke, he had no need to judge her. Then again, he was alot more comfortable with murder than most people who had worn the crimson cloak. What happened had happened, his interest lay simply in wishing to understand what had happened, he wasn't the one that would have to make decisions at the end of the day.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

 

Rosheen listened calmly to what Aran had to say. If possible she turned even paler when she heard that people suspected that she had killed Malvolio. It was just so… wrong. They hadn’t even been there. The only one who had seen what went on was a silly Accepted, who probably didn’t get a good view. And she was probably just trying to save her own hide as well. Aran told her that the Aes Sedai who found her probably hadn’t even considered the possibility that she had been telling the truth. Rosheen smiled wryly. “It’s always the same with them… they see something they don’t trust and they squish it, instead of trying to find out if it has some good inside of it.â€

 

She let her head fall back against the wall, only to wince when a sharp pain shot through her head. “I don’t suppose they’re going to send a yellow this way soon.†Strange enough she was bothered by the thought of missing a few days of training because she had a concussion. It was easy to think of such small things. Chances were that she would never train again. She hoped that she would get some sort of trial, at least. When she gave it some more thought she realised that her chances were still slim, even if the trial was fair. She had no proof, meaning it was her word against that of an Accepted. And the Accepted was one of the Tower’s cherished creatures. Rosheen was not.

 

“I was angry.†She started, trying to explain what had happened. “I visited Lyanna for something… unimportant. I don’t even remember what it was. She didn’t have the time to see me. She was pretty firm about that. So I walked down the stairs, feeling angry. I didn’t really pay attention to where I was going.†She rubbed her forehead, trying to get rid of the annoying twinge of pain that still lingered. “I heard voices. Malvolio and some Accepted… should’ve asked her name.†She hoped that the Aes Sedai present had thought to ask her name. Maybe the Accepted would change her mind, and tell everyone that she wasn’t guilty. “Anyway, they were talking about taking an angreal and selling it to someone. Malvolio told the Accepted he wanted to run away with her.â€

 

“I told Malvolio to stop where he was, but he didn’t. He threw the angreal at me, and ran towards the stairs. I followed him, and tried to catch him.†She could still see it happening before her mind’s eye. “I couldn’t reach him in time to stop him properly, and I didn’t want to fight on the stairs, so I dove, trying to catch his feet.†She stared at her hands for a moment before focussing on Aram. “I missed. Knocked my head on the wall, to. Next thing I know is I hear someone stumbling, and he’s at the bottom of the stairs. Dead.†She frowned again. “Stupid…†she muttered. “Of all the things I could have done, I try to knock his legs out from underneath him. I didn’t kill him though. He must’ve slipped somewhere because I didn’t touch him.â€

 

~Rosheen

 

 

Her mentee had missed another class this morning and Lyv was done with him. Malovio needed to have his behind strapped for this, he had missed three classes already this week. She was looking for him and pondered over how to address the matter. Rosheen had once mentioned to her in passing that Malovio was misbehaving, and Lyv had blatantly pushed her friend’s words from her mind, when she could have talked over a solution. Now she had to deal with the matter on her own, she did not want to impose anyone else with it. Sitting on the fence, Lyv stared over the training ground, hoping to catch a glimpse of her mentee. She would surely make him clean out he stables for the rest of the day, maybe for the rest of the week. The thought slightly amused her, but her anger over his disobedience grew. How could she train this boy into a man, someone the Aes Sedai could trust to guard them if he kept slacking off?

 

Elia ran past her and Lyv looked up surprised, maybe something was up. But before she could stop the Commander, the woman had disappeared out of sight and Lyv was left alone once more. She decided to grab some lunch as it would be a waste to wait for Malovio even longer. He could come find her for a change. She kicked some dust with her boot and pictured what she would do to her mentee when she found him. “I’ll kill him if he doesn’t show up before afternoon practice,†she muttered and grabbed a plate of stew and bread. She sat down at a table with some of the other tower guards when two trainees joined next to her. They did not notice her, as they were deep in conversation. Lyv tried not to eaves drop, but then she heard something that surprised her into almost choking on her bread.

 

It was Rosheen, she killed him!, one of them said. The other one shook his head and said, “No, he deserved what he had coming. Malovio was an ass and I can’t believe he was not hurt before this happened.[i/] Then he stopped and said, No, she could never have killed him… Lyv had heard enough, she stepped up and grabbed the boy sitting next to her. “What are you going on about? What is this about Malovio? And Rosheen?†her voice came high up to a pitch as she tried to shake the boy and still ask him questions. The boy could only tell her he had heard rumors and his friend nodded frantically. Lyv let go of him and stalked out of the mess hall, ready to find answers. She started for the staff quarters, maybe Elia or Reikan knew more when she realized her best guess was to try and find Rosheen. If Rosheen was involved, she could tell Lyv what had happened. Maybe she was in the Infirmary with Malovio, thoughts raced through Lyv’s head on what could have happened. Her trainee could have started a fight with Rosheen, that was typically like him she realized.

 

She walked around almost frantically, trying to find out more but it seemed almost as if people were avoiding her. The infirmary was busy, but Malovio was not in there, none of the Yellows could tell her anything more. She walked out again and decided to try and find someone who could tell her something, anything as long as it helped her out of this state of panic and not knowing.

 

Lyv Tylin

Mistress of Trainees

 

 

The white face of the Accepted who'd been sent with the news to her kept floating up in Elia's mind, and as much as she wanted to be angry, to scream and rage and hit someone (mainly Rosheen), she felt nothing more than shock and disappointment. Calmly Elia had dispatched a group of Guards to the scene, and was expecting to have Rosheen needing to be subdued before she was put in a cell, since she'd finally cracked. The woman had a temper, they'd all known that, but Elia had never thought her capable of being a killer.

 

Not that Elia couldn't relate to wanting to kill Malovio, because she'd threatened to throttle him on more than one occassion. He was a cheeky little bugger, even if some people wrote it off as high spirits, and she didn't think him fit to be a Tower Guard. Not with his present attitude problems. Of course, she'd never have told that to Lyv, and she'd never have gone through with her threats, which had mostly been for an effect which had never materialised. Now she couldn't help but feel guilty for even having spoken the words, knowing that someone had shut his mouth permanently. Swallowing, she tried to put the blame back onto Rosheen, but couldn't stop herself from feeling the guilt, because she knew that in some way, she'd contributed to this happening.

 

And that was where the heart of the problem lay. The Commander had shrugged off the cautions of several of the other guards, thinking that it was simply in jest that they'd called Rosheen a madwoman, and Elia had let her Guards be put in danger every day by leaving the woman in her place. No, it was obvious to her now that they'd been right, but hindsight always was much clearer. With a slight shake of her head, Elia closed her eyes, knowing that it was all her fault. She should have seen it coming, should have gotten help for Rosheen. Light! The woman spent time with the Keeper of the Chronicles, what if she had been planning something worse? Elia felt a great bubble of shame well up as she realised what jeapordy she had put everyone in the Tower in, by not taking anything seriously that other people had told her.

 

And now she'd left some poor fool sitting in a cell with a madwoman and a murderer. Standing up she sprinted out of her office, not even pausing to let Lon know where she was going. From the blatant discussions that were happening in knots in the yard, the rumours were thick and fast evolving, and Elia wanted to get this out of the way before she heard any more. She did regret not being able to speak to Lyv, but she'd send the Mistress of Trainees a note and ask her to come and see her the minute she had finished speaking with Rosheen.

 

The cell was dim and desolate, which seemed fitting at the moment. Elia could hear voices, but she didn't pause to listen to them, motioning instead for the door to be unlocked so that she could enter. One of the Guards at the door gave her the little wooden stool he'd been sitting on, and she thanked him quietly as she took it. With the door open, she could hear the voices stop and she realised who was in there with Rosheen. Aran was another one of the Guards she'd heard rumours about, and she supressed the knot of suspicion that appeared. She knew him and liked him, even if he was a bit coarse at times, and she refused to start thinking in conspiracies.

 

Placing the stool down in front of Rosheen's slab, Elia sat and folded her hands. She could have been angry, she could have been accusatory, she could have been full of righteous fury. All that she felt though, was that a part of this was her fault, and so with great disappointment filling her, Elia spoke softly.

 

"Rosheen, I'd like you to tell me what happened."

 

~Elia

Commander of the Tower Guard

Oh, the angst.

 

 

Aran was about to speak when he heard the lock on the door click and he turned to see that Elia had finally arrived. She'd no doubt seen to Lyv first before coming over, or something similar must have held her up. Watching her place the stool before Rosheen and take a seat, Aran kept his silence and his thoughts to himself, Elia would hardly want to be interrupted. What surprised him was that he hadn't been asked to leave, he had thought that Elia might wish to speak to Rosheen alone. Perhaps she wanted his opinion on what was said afterwards, or more likely, it had simply slipped her mind.

 

As Elia asked her question, Aran found himself reflecting on what Rosheen had said before Elia had arrived. They at least held a similar opinion about Aes Sedai, they were judgemental and quick to come to their conclusions, at least all the ones that Aran had dealt with. Then again, he had tried to limit his dealings with them as much as possible, he certainly felt no love for them and his sense of duty towards them had far different motives than perhaps any other Tower Guard that currently wore the crimson cloak. He was just thankful that Elia had decided not to use her position and its powers to launch an enquiry into him, his last name wasn't recorded anywhere or his history, and he had never been entered in the trainee enrollment book.

 

So Rosheen was angry beforehand because of the Keeper, Lyanna Sedai, that was an open enough admission. But the idea of the trainee Malvolio with some Accepted, managing to evade notice and sneak into the Tower itself, and trying to secure an angreal no less. It was an incredible story, and he could understand why the Aes Sedai were so dismissive of the matter. Yet if she was trying to cover up what she had done, surely she could have come up with a much better story than the one she had told. Or perhaps she wasn't a good liar to begin with, which Aran certainly believed, and had simply invented a story on the spot, something Aran wasn't so certain of.

 

The concussion was genuine enough, or Rosheen was a marvellous actor beyond what he knew, and Aran had known some of the best actors to be found. Still, that didn't answer things one way or another, he found himself divided on the issue within his mind. Perhaps by running over the story again, Rosheen would produce new information. Information that would either reveal her as clearly lying, or perhaps information that would lend more credence to the incredible story she told.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

OOC: Wasn't sure if I was meant to post, but after a couple of days thought you guys might be waiting on me so chucked one up.

 

 

Rosheen had only just finished telling her side of the story to Aran when the door opened to admit the Commander of the Tower Guard. Rosheen cringed, trying to disappear through the wall. Unsuccessfully, of course. She had hoped that she would at least get the chance to ask Aran if he believed her. Or if he was willing to find the Accepted that had been there the entire time. Rosheen was fairly sure that she would need that Accepted, sooner or later. Rosheen practically felt herself shrink even more under Elia’s cool regard. She could practically taste the disappointment in the air. When Elia calmly asked her to tell what had happened, Rosheen found herself at a loss for words. Which was strange, because she had told the full story to Aran, moments ago. “I didn’t do it…†she managed to squeak, before staring at her hands for a while.

 

No matter what Elia decided to believe, Rosheens reputation would be ruined. Not that it had been that good to begin with, but there was still a big difference between being called ‘feisty and strange’ and ‘insane and clumsy’. Which she had been, of course. What Tower Guard knocks their head on a wall when they try to apprehend a thief? Only Rosheen, of course. She looked up at Elia again, hoping to see some kind of faith in her innocence on the other woman’s face. All she found was disappointment and worry. “I really didn’t.†she almost sulked. It wasn’t fair. She had only been doing her job. Poorly, she would admit that, but she was doing it, and just because people were so willing to think the worst of her, she was stuck in a tiny cell.

 

Elia’s silence told her that the Commander of the Guards was waiting for the full story. With a sigh Rosheen told her, starting from the point where she left Lyanna’s chambers, feeling angry, and ending with the way Malvolio had fallen down the stairs. “I dropped the angreal in the Accepted’s lap… she should still have it, if the Aes Sedai haven’t found it yet.†She said, hoping that Elia would at least investigate that part of her story. “Look, I know I was clumsy, and I know I should’ve been more careful, but that doesn’t change a thing. I didn’t kill the brat. He took a chance by leaping down the stairs, he fell, he broke his neck. That’s the end of it. I didn’t push him, shove him, trip him or anything. It was an accident, I swear…†She looked at her hands again. Her words had sounded weak even to her own ears. She just hoped that someone would believe her.

 

~ Rosheen

 

Ooc: I think it was my turn to post Uni came and swallowed me whole

 

The story that she spun was a bit odd. In some ways it sounded like a lie, and in others it was too absurd a claim to not be true. Elia frowned as she listened and mentally noted the details - particularly the Accepted with the angreal. She'd have to speak to the Aes Sedai about that one, but she wasn't sure what to believe and what not to. Still, she'd prefer to look a fool investigating tall tales than feel guilty for denouncing an innocent woman a murderer. Though Rosheen hardly seemed innocent. Elia's mouth twisted as Rosheen finished her tale, sounding weak, and the Commander merely looked the the Guard before standing.

 

"I'll look into that soon enough." She didn't think that Aran was in too much danger from the woman - he could look after himself, even if at times he acted a bit strangely, and she'd leave it up to him to leave the cell or not as he wished. Those on the outside knew he was in there, and Rosheen had been relieved of her blade.

 

Elia didn't look back as she left the cell, deciding to go looking for Lyv before she went to see the Aes Sedai. The Mistress of Trainees deserved to hear about this firsthand, now that the story was known, rather than hearing garbled nonsense from the trainees. With a sigh, feeling like the entire Tower was resting on her shoulders, Elia strode off to find Lyv, hoping that she was in her office, or her rooms. The news would not be easy to give, and Elia planned to take the flame-haired woman to the Yellows if she needed to, but the first part of the task was to find her. Rumours would be running rife by now, and that was the last thing that Lyv needed.

 

OOC: I'll PM Lyv and let her know I'm looking for her. Hope that's ok, it looks great so far.

 

~Elia

and all that

 

 

“Lyv, hold on!†Fayth came running out of the Infirmary as Lyv had just walked away from it. The Yellow grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back in, Lyv sighed and hoped against better judgment that the woman would take her to Malovio. Maybe was hurt really bad and the Yellows had not had time to tell her that. She looked behind the curtain Fayth pointed at and found a young woman staring back at her. “Colette, what happened to you?†for a moment Lyv was distracted from her trainee by the woman who’s face looked bruised. “I fell,†she said and turned her eyes to the ground. Lyv walked over to her and said, “Where did you fall?†the girl did not look up and then said, “I had a bet with one of the guys that I dared jump off the roof of the mess hall, but I chickened out and when I tried to step back, I slipped and fell down,†Fayth came up behind her, “I think she deserves a stern talking to, but you are the Mistress of Trainees after all.†Lyv nodded in understanding, “I think the pain and shame of falling down is enough punishment, keep her here for the rest of the day and if you can use her help the next few days, don’t hesitate to ask her,†Colette looked worried and Fayth only nodded. “So, no news from Malovio?†Lyv asked in silent desperation. The Yellow shook her head, “No, I was busy helping this rascal right here,†Lyv left the Infirmary without another word.

 

She started to walk towards her office when Elia came walking up to her. The woman had a pale face, Lyv walked up to her and started, “Elia, have you heard something about Malovio? And what is this about Rosheen?†Her voice was speeding up, her heart was racing and Lyv finally asked, “Elia, what happened?†hoping the woman would be able to help. She did not even look around to see that they were in the middle of the yards and that she was almost throwing a tantrum at the Commander, panic had struck her and she could not stop worrying.

 

Lyv

Awwwwweee...

 

 

Lyv was starting to look a bit panicked and Elia suggested that they go to the Mistress of Trainee's office, which was closer. Lyv kept trying to get her to speak but Elia just kept her mouth shut until they were inside closed doors, and she was glad that they'd managed to get that far without incident.

 

Lyv was obviously extremely worried, and with good reason, but Elia still didn't feel any better about having to tell her that. Especially not with Rosheen's story that Malovio was a theif and a liar who had them all fooled into thinking him just a bit cheeky. Elia tried to get Lyv to sit down but it didn't seem like it was going to happen, so the Commander decided to just say it.

 

"I'm so sorry Lyv. Malovio's dead." She looked down at the floor for a moment before speaking again. "He was in an accident and it looks as though Rosheen was involved. She's told me what has happened but it seems very unlikely - apparently he was running away from her after stealing an angreal, and tripped and fell down the stairs. I'm going to try to find out what happened, and if you feel up to it I'd like for you to help. He was your trainee, you knew him best..." Elia couldn't say anymore, so she simply watched Lyv, holding out her arms in case the woman wanted a hug. Elia hadn't lost anyone close to her in years, and she hadn't had trainees, so she'd never lost one of them. But the Tower was a harsh place to be, no matter what side you were an iniate of. They all pledged their lives to the Tower, yet it seemed so unfair that one so young would have to give his.

 

~Elia

Commander girly

 

"Malovio is dead." Lyv's heart skipped a beat and she felt like her breathing was cut off in her throat. She heard vaguely what Elia was saying after that, but could not focus on what was said exactly. Then she noticed the woman's arms going up and like in a trance she took a step closer to Elia and placed her head on the woman's shoulder, Elia bent towards her and held the woman in a strange and silent hug. She finally pulled herself away, but very slowly as if letting go of Elia meant that the truth would hit her in the face and it did. "He's dead," she said to herself, then looked up and felt the tears stream down her face. "I told him I would kill him if he would misbehave again," she said and looked pleadingly up at Elia. "I can't remember being nice to him in the last few days, he was constantly testing me. Showing up late, pranking other students and even two novices, I had to punish him just last week." She was rambling on about how Malovio was misbehaving and how she had only said she would kill him if he did it again. "He's dead." She concluded and then bent her head. "Can I go and see him?" Elia nodded and put an arm around Lyv's shoulders as they walked back out and towards the Tower. “We put him in a room,†Elia only said and Lyv nodded. She could not put her thoughts in a straight line and was glad that Elia was leading the way.

 

Malovio’s body lay on a wooden bench, half of it covered by a white cloth. “Shall I leave you alone here?†Elia asked but Lyv put her hand on the woman’s arm and said, “No, please.†She then took a step closer, shivering and shuddering as she saw the dried blood on the side of his head. “He fell on his head?†she asked but did not listen to the answer. It did not matter, he was in fact dead and as Lyv moved closer to him, she could feel the cold that came from that notion. Her hand moved over his face, stroked a few hairs from the side of his face that was unharmed and then stroked his cheek. “He was a good man, even if he had his moments, he liked to prank and to have fun in life,†she ran a finger over her cheek and brushed off the tears. “I’m so sorry Malovio,†she said and then stepped away from him. “Can you take me to Rosheen? I want to hear from her why she killed him.†She did not ask, she was insistent, not listening to anything but the words that Elia had spoken earlier. “Malovio is dead†and then another part of what Elia had said emerged from Lyv’s mind Rosheen was involved. “I need to talk to Rosheen, if she killed him, she better tell me why.†Lyv’s determination made her stop crying and together they walked to the cells.

 

Lyv

 

 

"I'll look into that soon enough." That was all Elia had said before walking out the cell. She’d look into it. Not ‘Rosheen, I support you, and I’ll do all I can to get you out of here.’ That would have been nice… Unlikely, but nice. It wasn’t a ‘Rosheen, you’re a liar and a murderer and you’re going to hang for this’ either. She wanted to believe that was a good thing. But it had been clear on Elia’s face. The Commander of the Guard didn’t believe her. While Aran seemed to be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, Elia seemed determined to believe that she was a murderer.

 

No matter how Rosheen tried, she couldn’t see anything positive in that. Elia thought she was a murderer. That hurt, because it meant that she had given Elia reason to believe that she was capable of such a thing. She had always known her reputation wasn’t exactly good, but that it was this bad? No. She had never thought it was. “Great…†she muttered, staring at her hands again. Weren’t they supposed to be bloodstained and all that? Wasn’t that the sign that someone was guilty?

 

She heard the door creak and looked up, only to find the bright green eyes of the Mistress of Trainees staring back at her. She wasn’t sure what she saw in those eyes. Shock. Disbelief. That was good… at least she hoped it was a good thing. She needed someone to believe her. But would her friend believe her? Light, she had talked to Lyv about how Malvolio’s behaviour had bothered her. Nothing that had happened in the past few weeks spoke in her advantage. “I’m sorry, Lyv.†She muttered, before lowering her head again.

 

~Rosheen

 

 

“Sorry? You are sorry?†Lyv heard herself speak and felt her feet move her forward into the cell as the guard opened the door for her. The door shut behind her just as Lyv’s hands reached over Rosheen’s throat. The woman was pushed against the wall behind her and nearly dropped from the bench, had it not been that Lyv’s anger drove her to almost push the woman through the wall. “You killed him!†she yelled and then felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, pulling her back. She did not look up to see who it was that was pulling her back, but held on to Rosheen’s neck as long as she could. The imprints on the woman’s neck showing with what force she had pushed the woman back.

 

Lyv rolled on her back and jumped back to her feet, feeling someone’s hands on her shoulders so that she could not jump on Rosheen for a second time. “Don’t worry, she killed Malovio, but I will not kill her,†then added, “I though you were my friend, now I hear you may have killed him and now you say you’re sorry?†Lyv was confused, tears burned behind her eyes. What was she doing here? Attacking a friend she would die for to protect, all because of a mixture of rumours? Lyv was panting now and staring at Rosheen with a hard glance.

 

Lyv

Insane

 

 

Though she had expected violence, anger and hatred from other people, she was absolutely shocked when Lyv attacked her. Lyv, of all people. Before she could even come close to explaining what had happened she felt Lyv’s hands around her neck. As she was sitting with her back against the wall there was no way she could avoid the hands. Her eyes widened as her friend yelled accusations at her, while effectively cutting of her air. It was over within seconds, but Rosheen still found herself kneeling on the stone floor, coughing and trying to inhale at the same time. When she had regained her breath she turned to look at Lyv. The rage on her friends face was shocking.

 

“Damn it, Lyv!†she half shouted, half croaked. After some effort she managed to crawl back on the narrow cot. “You know me!†she shouted. As if those three words would explain everything. They should. This was the woman who had poisoned her water so that she would be unable to keep her balance on the rooftops. This is the woman she supported when people thought she was a thief. Rosheen had never believed those rumours. She had chosen to stay loyal to her friend. And now Lyv had chosen to believe the rumours over her word. The taste of betrayal was sour in her mouth as she returned Lyv’s glare with equal venom.

 

“You know me, Lyv.†She glared at Aran, and Elia who both stood behind Lyv. “I expected them to think I’d lie, but you should know better. I’m reckless, yet, but I’m not a murderer!†her voice was still raised. Then she lowered her head again, staring at her hands the way she had been doing since they put her in the small cell. “But I suppose this is easier for you all.†Her voice was bitter. They could sentence her if they wanted. If even Lyv chose to think she killed Malvolio… she wouldn’t stand a chance in any kind of trial.

 

~Rosheen

not guilty :p

 

 

 

Rosheen was yelling at her, it mattered little. Lyv had spoken too soon, now that she saw Rosheen , she could not believe that the woman had murdered Malovio. And more, she could not believe she had accused her friend so blindly. Lyv shuffled her feet in the ground a bit and tried to calm herself when Rosheen said something that cut through her like a razor, “But I suppose this is easier for you all.†Lyv nodded, “Yes, I do think it is easier to jump to conclusions on half facts, to burry my grief in anger because a young man lost his life and nobody seems to be able to tell me what happened. All I hear is rumors about Rosheen having thrown him down a flight of stairs, I must go now,†she said as she could feel tears burning behind her eyes.

 

Pushing past Elia and Aran, Lyv held her face firm and said, “I wish you well,†then left and hurried back to her office where she slammed the door. Rosheen was held in a jail cell and Lyv could feel her pain. She had yelled at the woman, tried to choke her in a newfound rage that did not fit her at all. Lyv sighed, here she had accused a friend of murder. Knowing full well that no matter what had happened, she had to listen to the whole story first. She launched herself in the chair behind her desk and buried her head in her arms on her desk. Rosheen would pull through, she was strong and if their friendship was just as strong as she knew her friend was, that would pull through as well. But that did not bring back Malovio and now Lyv allowed herself to feel grief that she had yelled at Malovio and spoken about him in anger the last time she saw him alive. He is dead, Rosheen is not and I yelled at both of them. Lyv waited as time passed, hoping against better judgment that Rosheen would be released and would knock on her door to yell at her, that would be so much better than the silence she had wrapped herself in.

 

Lyv

 

OOC: Sorry to keep you waiting, hun!

 

 

--OOC I am going to assume that we are bonded here already --

 

"No, that was not what I was saying. I really think we should ..."

 

A sudden pain to the back of her head stopped Lyanna's track of thoughts, and the bundle of thoughts that made up Rosheen suddenly turned from angry and distraught - which she had been all morning and Lyanna had tried not to pay any attention to it - to confused and an instant later, even to something that resembled fear.

 

She touched the back of her head gingerly and Lanfir looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What's she up to now?"

 

Lyanna's bond to Rosheen had been a subject of debate between Lanfir and her often, with Lanfir thinking that Rosheen was simply too extravagant to serve the Keeper well as a Warder. Lyanna had often tried to tell her that that was exactly what had drawn her to the woman in the first place, but Lanfir could be stubborn as hell when she wanted to be, and when a debate involved Rosheen well, then she definately wanted to be. The two had never really seen eye to eye, something which secretly amused Lyanna to no end.

 

But now ...

 

"I don't know. It doesn't feel like a training wound or anything like that. It feels more serious. As if something is wrong." Her eyes lost focus as she turned inward, listening to the feelings which lay as a jumbled ball in the back of her head. They turned ever more anxious.

 

As they continued the meeting, Lyanna grew ever more distracted until Lanfir finally sighed and told her they'd peruse the Tower's expenses at another time. "Go see what is going on will you? I have no use for you like this."

 

This had better be good Rosheen, Lyanna thought when she said her goodbyes to her friend and made her way down the many long and winding stairs towards where she felt her Warder was situated. She'd expected her down in the Yards, or maybe somewhere in the Green Quarters with the other Gaidin, and it was difficult to pinpoint an exact location in a building this large. As she walked down, she found the Accepted well in turmoil, with clusters of Accepted hushed in corners, talking amongst themselves, not even noticing if Sisters brushed past them.

 

"Ahem"

 

A flock of banded dresses instantly dispersed itself at her sharp tone, and when the girls saw who the owner of the voice was, they became even more flustered than before. One girls' face even turned bright read and it looked as if she was about to faint on her feet.

 

"I thought the moment an Accepted had a second of free time, she would immerse herself in the vast knowledge of the Library, or study diligently on her Aes Sedai testing. Yet here you are. I am sure the Mistress of Novices would be delighted if I showed her the direction to your little group."

 

That was more than enough to have them all curtseying and running to where ever it was where they were supposed to be without further ado, but still Lyanna was puzzled by the glances some of the children shot her while they scurried away. They seemed distraught. And not by her words alone. Her hand shot out and she grabbed the last Accepted by the arm. The child turned as white as a sheet and almost stumbled to her feet.

 

"What were you discussing child?"

 

"Lyanna Sedai .. you .. I mean, you don't know?" Her voice sounded mouse-like, squeaky and high. The red hair sprang to all sides and frightened hazel eyes looked at her from a freckle-ridden face. Lyanna tried to remember the girl's name. Kara or Karen or something. It eluded her for a moment.

 

"Speak up child" she admonished. "If you ever want to become an Aes Sedai, you will need to learn how to command presence and be confident."

 

"It's your warder Lyanna Sedai." The child bobbed a quick curtsey again. "They say she murdered a Trainee. She's been taken to the cells."

 

It took all of Lyanna's training to remain bland-faced, but she managed. "Thank you child, you may go now," she managed, and watched the girl dash away as if Shai'tan himself was chasing her. She started walking in the other direction, more than a little aware that it was an odd sight: the Keeper all by herself in an otherwise deserted Accepted well. Her hand trailed over the railing which bared the way to the garden down below. She felt every grain of it, every splinter that settled below the palm or her skin, but at the same time didn't notice how it felt. She probed the feelings in her head, the bundle that was Rosheen, but found nothing but a dull ache and something which bordered on anger. But not a murderous glee, not a sign that her Warder had snapped and given away into something that should never be.

 

On her way to the cells, Rosheen's feelings changed once more, and this time very abruptly. Danger - fear - amazement - anger - disappointment - it all was a jumble and nothing stood out clear, except for a grief and a hurt that was so overpowering it had Lyanna almost sag to her knees. At the entrance to the cells, she was almost ran over by Lyv, the Mistress of Training. The flame-haired woman barely seemed to notice her and strode out of the entranceway with her hands wringing and a worried face.

 

The guards let her through with a nod and a bow, and when one of them opened the door with a key from a large keychain clung to his waist, Rosheen came in sight, sitting on a slab of stone with Elia, the Commander of the Tower Guard and another Tower Guard standing in her cell. Rosheen looked pale, and bruises had started to form on her neck and chin. Lyanna's eyes shot at the other two in the room, squinting her eyes in anger. "I trust she is treated well?" she said pointedly, before directing her attention to her Warder again. As much as she wanted to kneel down before the woman and gather her face in her hands, she couldn't. There were too many eyes watching, and before long the whole Tower would know that the Keeper had visited her captive Warder in the cells. And so she remained standing. Luckily she wasn't that terribly tall - it didn't give off the impression that she was towering over Rosheen and for once she was happy at that.

 

"What happened Rosheen? What is this talk about murder?"

 

 

Lyanna

Very NOT happy

 

 

 

Bitterness raged through her as she saw Lyv shrink under her cold gaze. There was a very big part of her that wanted to hurt Lyv. That wanted to burn Lyv down to the ground the way her friend had just done with her. Instead she sat as calmly as she had the entire time. Her eyes lowered again, settling on her hands. “I wish you well.†Lyv’s words echoed through the cell, leaving an even more bitter taste in her mouth. She settled back against the wall, closing herself of from the people still in the cell. She had nothing more to say to them. She had told Aran her side of the story, and she had told Elia the same. There was nothing more she could do.

 

She almost missed the sound of the door being opened again. Another spectator. She didn’t care, or rather she would not have cared if a very special voice didn’t force her to lift her head. "I trust she is treated well?" Her eyes widened significantly as she saw the Keeper of the Chronicles standing right in front of her. For the first time since the accident Rosheen allowed herself to feel the little knot of emotions in the back of her head that belonged to the Aes Sedai she had bonded not too long ago. Her own feelings were too overpowering. It hard to make out the distinctive emotions. Rosheen had hoped that she would at least feel something like belief in her innocence. She found none.

 

"What happened Rosheen? What is this talk about murder?" For a while she could do nothing but stupidly stare at the woman who held her bond. She didn’t know. She hadn’t heard the full story yet, and she couldn’t make it up from the things she had felt. Rosheen didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing. “I didn’t do it.†She whispered pathetically. How many times would she have to repeat that little sentence before someone said ‘Rosheen, you’re right, you didn’t, it was all a terrible mistake.’ With her luck they would come to that conclusion right after they strung her up in the highest tree at the grove.

 

As she started telling Lyanna about her encounter with Malvolio her words became rushed. She was out of breath when she finished with the part where she had blacked out, not knowing where the Accepted went. “…And they won’t even look for her.†She blurted out, her voice panicky and breathless. “They’re all just assuming I did it, without even bothering to find that Accepted. By now she’s probably sold that bloody angreal. She could be out of Tar Valon already.†It was a ridiculous thought, and a small part of Rosheen realised that. She was unable to think clearly though, not with Lyanna’s eyes on her. “Why won’t they look for her?†she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

 

~Rosheen

 

 

"Why won't they look for her?"

 

Good question. Simple answer.

 

"Because your story is too vague. An Accepted and a Tower Trainee with a stolen angreal. You overhear them. The Trainee miraculously ends up dead. The Accepted witnesses, and a Sister witnesses - or so they say. Yet, you don't know which Sister or which Accepted." Lyanna sighed. Talk about a needle in a haystack. "Do you have any idea how many Sisters are present in the Tower right now?"

 

She glanced at Elia. "I am sure the Tower rather believes a mere Warder murdered a Trainee than that they have to accept that one of the Accepted - of whom we have precious few - would be a thief. And an angreal thief at that. Still, it is plausible, since we use Accepted to guard the angreal storagerooms. If only I knew what kind of angreal we are talking about. If I knew that, I'd be able to pinpoint the storageroom, and from there on the Accepted that was supposed to guard it last night."

 

She thought on. "Then again, the angreal could have been given to the child by an overzealous Brown and then forgotten." Or, Rosheen is lying and she really did kill that Trainee because he was bugging her. The thought almost made her cringe. She would have noticed if the woman was insincere would't she? Would she not? Then again, how long did they really know eachother? The bond was so bloody fresh!

 

"That gives us a lot of possibilities. Of course we shouldn't overlook the fact that indeed, Rosheen and Malvolio didn't particularly like eachother. That in itself is in my opinion not enough to base a trial on though. We need that Accepted, and if possible the Sister as well and establish what it is exactly they saw. I'd say, quite a lot to look into in a short amount of time. And I do want to keep this brief because having my Warder in this cell for a long time is certainly not an option."

 

She watched Elia expectedly, wondering what the other woman would come up with.

 

~Lyanna

 

 

 

The fact that the Keeper had entered and started questioning her - her! - on what was going to be done about this galled Elia no end. She was doing her best in a situation that was more than difficult to handle, with a story of innocence that was so vague it was difficult to know where to start looking, and the cold anger that threatened to bubble up was quickly supressed. Lyanna was Aes Sedai, after all, but Elia was the Commander of the Guard and not about to be told how to do her job.

 

"It is not normally protocol to allow an accused out of their cell to give them time to falsify an alibi, which is why Rosheen has been staying in here with Aran since the incident, Aes Sedai. I had every intention of coming to the Tower to instigate a search as soon as I'd gotten a few more details about the Accepted in question - a hair colour, an eye colour, something to start the search. I am not saying that I believe Rosheen guilty, but there are things that must be done before she can be let out, and unless some witness is found, I do not have any option but to keep her here." She knew that she was sounding toff nosed being so careful about her words, but there were ways that things were done, and Elia was not about to change that even for the Keeper of the Chronicles.

 

"Perhaps you can assist us in the search, Lyanna Sedai, since you will know the Accepted more thoroughly than either Aran or I, and they will no doubt answer your questions more quickly. Which will of course allow Rosheen to be proven innocent more quickly." She'd had to put up with insolence from Accepted before, trying to act as though they were Aes Sedai, but the ability to channel did not intimidate Elia any more. She'd learned soon enough that people who could channel had the same problems, desires, needs and wants as any normal person, so her image of the Tower had adapted to fit her perspective.

 

OOC: Ugh, would have been so much easier if we'd stuck with the plan of Rosh still being Tower Guard - as a Warder she's under Reikan's jurisdiction and not mine. *sighs* That's awkward. But yeah... let me know if anything needs changing.

 

~Elia

 

ooc: To make this even more comlicated; Lyanna and Rosheen never bonded. Sorry :P

[silhouette]

Rosheen’s silence continued as Lyanna and Elia continued arguing about the best way to go about finding the accepted. At least they were talking about the Accepted now. They were finally getting to the point. Rosheen leant her head against the wall again, sore all over her body by now, and let herself drift off a bit. The voices of the two women faded a bit, to an almost pleasant hum in the background. Rosheen allowed her head to roll to the side a bit. When she opened her eyes again she found herself staring at the wall. It seemed to be the perfect place for her to project her memories on. She could see Malvolio again as he fell, and the face of the Aes Sedai as she looked up at Rosheen. “There was no way she could have seen if I pushed him or not.†She muttered, feeling the same cold eyes on her skin again. Only now they belonged to Lyanna, and they weren’t cold, only worried.

 

“I think she was a White Sister. White shawl at least. Blonde. I blacked out before I could get a good look at her.†She snorted at the thought. “And since when would anyone want to look at an Aes Sedai. If you so much as breathe in their direction they get all defensive. And Light knows what they can do with their powers.†She shook her head again, trying to remember more. “The girl had a banded dress. That’s how I knew she was an Accepted. Because you told me, Lyanna… remember, back when… back then, when I didn’t understand. You told me about the white, and the banded hemline, and the shawls. She definitely had a banded hemline.â€

 

She fell silent again for a moment, and while she could feel the eyes of the people in her cell on her, she didn’t feel like returning their looks. “Light, my head hurts… I’m just trying to remember her face.†The face of the accepted, staring at her, hazel eyes accusing and so full of hate. “Hazel eyes.†She muttered. “Hazel eyes and… her nose.†Rosheen put her finger on her own nose and pushed slightly, flattening it a bit. “Was like this… flat, as if someone punched her on it and it never settled right.†She fell silent again, trying to remember more. “She had… Curls… brown curls. Not very pretty, they didn’t look like she tended to them well enough.†She heard Lyanna gasp slightly. Finally she turned her head, to see a look of shock on the Aes Sedai’s face. Not that she didn’t return to her usual calm façade soon enough. “Milena. I saw her just now, in the Accepted hall. They were loitering around, and I didn’t think to stop her, even if she was the first Accepted to flee the scene†Lyanna spoke.

[Kaylan]

They'd finally gotten something to work with, but before Elia could go and inform the Guards to begin the search, Lyanna gasped and quickly spoke. The Commander nodded, mute, and stood. "Very well, I'll send the Guards to ask the Mistress of Novices for help, and to search Milena's room. If there is anything there that will verify Rosheen's story, they will find it. And if she has moved it... Perhaps the Mistress of Novices will be able to find it." Elia could well remember the Mistress of Novice's office from her testing, and it looked like a forbidding place for a young woman who had been misbehaving. Not to mention the Mistress of Novices herself.

 

Elia nodded to them all, leaving them all where they were to knock on the door and leave the cell, and she spoke quietly to the Guards outside, telling them about the story and to stay and keep an eye and an ear out for anything that might prove suspicious. She still did not want to believe Rosheen guilty, but there was nothing to say that this Milena was simply an Accepted that the Tower Guard had seen months back, and was trying to use as an excuse. No use in making judgements until they'd at least found the girl, though, and she continued walking until she found a pair of Guards that she knew she could trust with the assignment.

 

"I need you to go to the Mistress of Novices..." as she outlined what they were to do, the Guards nodded, showing their understanding of the assignment. One was to go with the Mistress of Novice's to find the Accepted for questioning, the other to search her room - if the girl wasn't there anyway, which could make things much more simple. The Commander pushed back her dark hair and watched as they set off, preparing herself for a long wait and not wanting to return to the cell. I failed in my duty... How could I let this happen?

 

~Elia Darnel

Commander of the Guard (in this timeline)

[Wayfarer]

Watching Elia leave, Aran grinned at Mia. "You know, I was thi-"

 

"No, don't even."

 

"Trust me?"

 

"... What do you want to do?"

 

"Oh, just see if I can find this Milly woman."

 

"You don't think the Commander will do that?"

 

"I think I can do it quicker, that and get answers faster. You know we Cairhienin, great game and all that."

 

"You're an idiot, but go on."

 

Chuckling, Aran made for the White Tower at the quickest pace he could without drawing attention to himself. The fact he wasn't weighed down in his formal gear helped. That was, until he made his way behind the Tower to the Accepted quarters. Men weren't customarily allowed there, not that it bothered Aran. What did bother him was that at first, getting answers out of the Accepted who didn't feel he should be there.

 

"I'm here on Tower business, I'm here to see an Accepted by the name of Milena over the events of today, where is her room?"

 

"If you were on Tower business, you would know. I don't see a red cloak on your shoulders."

 

"I don't see breasts on you but I'm pretty sure you're a woman. Now do I need to speak to the Mistress of Novices after I find Milena to let her know that a certain accepted lacking a bust and anything resembling good manners obstructed an investigation?"

 

The combination of insult, hypocricy and threat proved to be enough to get the Accepted to splutter out an answer. Before she could launch into a tirade, Aran laughed and patted her on the cheek. "Thanks, and don't worry, you've got perfectly fine breasts."

 

Leaving the Accepted in the Hall with her mouth working silently, Aran went down a couple of corridors until he found the one he was after. Unfortunately, at the other end, were a pair of Tower Guard. Waving to them with a grin on his face, he met the pair halfway down the hall.

 

"You're here for Milena as well I take it?"

 

"Elia sent you as well?"

 

"I'm after Milena, yes. The Accepted weren't proving too helpful about where Milena is, so I'm guessing she isn't here. I plan on asking about here a bit more, you two should head to the Tower and ask about. We'll cover more ground that way."

 

"Sounds good, be sure to let us know if you come across anything."

 

"Will do."

 

Watching the two depart, Aran waited until they disappeared around the corner before heading to the door he'd been directed to. Not bothering to knock, he shoved it open then grinned at the startled face that looked to him. Not only did she fit the description, she also had a figurine in her hands.

 

Stepping inside and closing the door behind him, he didn't bother answering her initial question of who he was as he went and took a seat. Putting his feet up on her bed, he smirked. "Thats an interesting item for an Accepted to have, don't suppose you'd care to tell me about it?"

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

[silhouette]

If she had to choose, Milena would definitely say that today had been the worst day of her life so far. And her life hadn’t been all that charming to begin with. Some of the girls who came to the White Tower actually wanted to be there. Some of them. Milena wasn’t one of those silly cows. She’d been whisked away from her home, and on her knees scrubbing floors while female tyrants loomed over her before she even knew what was going on. Of course there was the one power, which sung in her veins like honey. But she wasn’t allowed to channel that on her own. Yet it had been that thing, that sweet, sweet thing that had helped her through her novice years. When she was raised to accepted, after those horrible Arches, she was sure that life would get better.

 

It didn’t. The first weeks had been horrid. Aes Sedai watched her every move, and it was as though they’d planned to scourge every trace of weakness out of her within those weeks. Night after night she’d thrown herself on her bed, sobbing and hoping for the world to end. That had been when she met Malvolio. He had brightened her days, telling her how he risked punishments to see her. Soon enough, he started talking about taking her away from the White Tower. That had been what she had wanted to hear ever since she arrived. When Malvolio came up with a plan, she was eager to get it over and done with, so she could continue her life away from those horrid Aes Sedai.

 

Of course that was when things went wrong. They’d taken an angreal because Malvolio told her they’d be able to sell it, and then some insane woman had chased Malvolio down the hall and killed him. Well, not actively killed him, but she was sure that the woman was responsible in some way. She’d taken Malvolio from her, and ruined Milena’s chance to escape. She huffed, sitting down on her bed with her hands wrapped tightly around the angreal, as if she wanted to throttle it. The only good thing that came out of this was that that awful woman would get blamed for murdering her beloved Malvolio.

 

Milena was just about ready to cry again when the door to her room flew open, admitting a rather short but intimidating looking man. She jumped up, letting out a rather undignified squeak. As the man sat down on her chair, with his feet on her bed, she muttered things like ‘What? Why? How? Who?’, unable to string words together in a coherent sentence. She balled her fists at her sides, her hand still around the angreal. Taking a deep breath, she got ready to scold the short man when he pointed at the little figurine and casually asked her how she’d gotten it. She let out another one of those squeaks, blushing before she could control her emotions even slightly, before muttering something that sounded a lot like ‘none of your business’, followed by something like ‘get out!’

[Wayfarer]

Aran laughed "Now now, there's no need for that. Did you hear a pair of Tower Guard out in the corridor just a moment before? They were sent by the Commander of the Tower Guard to bring you to her to be interrogated. That was, until I sent them away. Think of me as a guardian of sorts, sent here to help you."

 

Milena spluttered some more before calming down a bit. She shifted slightly, casually clasping her hands behind her back as though there had never been an Angreal. “how…†she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to resist the urge to use words like vile, wretched, mean and evil. “… kind of you.â€

 

She glared at the little man again, puffing out her chest a little to make sure she looked as big and intimidating as she could. “It’s still none of your business though. Maybe I was just given this angreal to study with. How would you know, you’re just some… some…†she waved her hand at him, as if that should mean something. “You’re just some silly man who doesn’t know anything!†the sentence ended with a half screech, and for a moment she stared at the door, quite certain that more people would barge in to drag her out of her room and to the Mistress of Novices any moment now.

 

Aran just laughed as he stretched back, making himself comfortable. "For someone so sure of yourself, you're awfully defensive, not to mention a little worried about someone hearing you. Then of course, you just put the angreal out of my sight, and you're not really all that convincing."

 

Laughing as he began to deliberately rub the soles of his boots on her sheets, he grinned at her while his gaze fell a little short of her eyes. "All that said you've got some nice breasts. Is all of that yours or you got some cloth stuffed under there?"

 

Milena’s eyes widened far enough for them to almost roll out of their sockets. “How dare you!†she screeched again, the door forgotten. The angreal dropped to the ground behind her as she clutched her hands into fists, which she shook at the evil little man. “How dare you look at my breasts like that!†Then her eyes travelled to her previously white sheets, now dirtied by the man’s boots. She moved towards him, intent on slapping him in the face. Before her hand was even halfway towards his face she found her wrist caught in a grip that was surprisingly strong.

 

Seconds later she found herself pushed back on the bed. She opened her mouth to call for help, but in a sudden moment of clarity she saw how it would look with the angreal discarded on the floor. She tried to get up from her bed to pick up the angreal, only to find herself shoved back again. She looked down to find a footprint right in the middle of her stomach. Her lower lip quivered slightly as she set it in a very determined pout. “I’m not telling you anything.†She hissed, wiping at the smudge on her dress.

 

Aran chuckled as he used his foot to drag the angreal towards himself. "I don't really need you to at this point, your actions speak for you. You see, I'm one of the Tower Guard and one of my specialties is ferreting out information. The Tower Guard who tried to apprehend your little lover tells a very interesting story, one which involves an angreal that looks quite similar to the one here."

 

Looking down at the angreal for effect which now sat underneath his heel, Aran grinned as he looked up at her. "Now Milena, we're going to talk, and you're going to stop sticking your breasts out to impress me. As impressive as they are, I've seen better. Better backside too, yours is as flabby as your attempts to deceive me."

 

“Apprehended?!†her voice got just a bit higher as she half screamed at the little man. “She killed him! That brute woman killed him, and you’re just sitting there, blabbering about some stupid angreal! I don’t care about the angreal! She killed my poor Malvolio!†she let out a loud wail before throwing herself face down in her pillows and sobbing loudly.

 

Tossing his head back as he rolled his eyes, Aran got to his feet, picking up the angreal from the ground as he did so. Tapping the angreal against his free hand in thought, Aran grinned to himself and walked over to the woman's chest of drawers. Sliding the top draw and finding it full of small clothes, he began studying them one at a time before tossing them over his shoulder at the Accepted.

 

Milena sobbed and sobbed, hoping to get some sympathy from the little man. The Light knew she hadn’t had enough of that in her life. Soon enough her fake tears turned into real ones as she moped about the bad turns her life had taken. That all stopped when she fell something landing on her head.

 

She reached out and grabbed the thing, which was made of fine material. For a moment she stared at it, putting one and one together. Her smallclothes. Out of her chest and on her head. Out of her chest. On her head. She leapt up, turning to see the man rummaging through her chest of drawers. She turned bright red as she lunged at him, quite ready to scratch his eyes out. “Keep your filthy hands off my things!†she shouted, trying to reach past him to close the chest.

 

The moment he'd been waiting for arriving, Aran reached out and snagging her arm, jerked it and twisted it behind her back. Using this newfound leverage, it became a rather easy feat to get her to walk to the chair he'd been sitting in before untwisting her arm and propelling her into the seat. The sheer pain and shame at being manhandled so easily was enough to make her quiet, long enough for him to talk at least as he stood over her.

 

"Lets be blunt, your little friend from what I know was a poisonous little prick. Even for those who looked out for him he had nothing but spite, and as I've been told it, he used you as a shield to let him get away with the angreal. He used you, used your loneliness and your desire for something better to get him a small fortune."

 

Barking a short laugh, Aran sneered. "Do you really think he would have taken him with you? He would have had the entire Tower's eyes and ears looking for the pair of you, and if he'd been found with that angreal he would have gotten more than a switching."

 

"And if you think I'm the only person who can put two and two together, you're sorely mistaken. What were you planning on doing from this point? Good luck with replacing the angreal where it was meant to be, because the Keeper has been made aware of the fact there may be such an item missing and will have already sent sisters to double check the stores."

 

Leveling a finger at her, Aran continued illustrating her situation. "You'd be under much heavier watch regardless because of your traumatic experience. Besides which, this hasn't been open shut, the Commander of the Tower Guard as I said has sent people looking for you to bring you to be interrogated."

 

Dropping his accusing finger, Aran leaned forward as he continued. "You do know that the Keeper will most likely be present, as the Tower Guard you've implicated is quite a good friend of hers? Please, explain to me how you were planning on dealing with all of this."

 

Milena whimpered as she was forced into the chair, and kept whimpering as the wicked man talked to her about how Malvolio used her, and how she was in trouble now. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she was forced to listen to him, and forced to see what she had been denying all along. “He told me he loved me.†She whispered, staring down at her hands which were folded in her lap.

 

“He said he’d take me with him.†She sniffed loudly, seemingly unaware of the man in front of her. “It’s not fair.†She sulked. “Why does it always have to be me? Why couldn’t he pick someone else?†she shuddered, thinking of the switching she’d surely get for this. Perhaps even worse… they could put her in the cess pits for weeks. She turned even paler than usual at that thought. “I don’t know.†She whimpered at his last question. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.â€

 

Kneeling down next to her, Aran lifted her chin up with a finger to force her eyes to meet his. "There's a way to avoid the worst of it, a way to make things right. That opportunity only comes once. I'm giving you this opportunity because when all is said and done, you didn't mean for any of this to happen, Malvolio used you the way he used everyone. You still have the chance to fix things and save yourself. The question is, are you prepared to listen?"

 

Save yourself. Finally the man said something she wanted to hear. She most definitely wanted to save herself. She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her dress, staining it with tears and other things. She sniffed some more, her mouth still set in a quite dramatic pout. It was obvious that she wasn’t going to get away with blaming that strange Tower Guard anymore. Damn her luck for the woman being well liked by some. Who would have thought that, with the way she looked. It confirmed her previous thoughts, everyone in the White Tower was absolutely barking mad. “I’ll listen.†She muttered, her voice smaller than she intended.

 

Aran smiled and patted her arm encouragingly. "This" he held up the angreal "is your only path to salvation. I'm going to give it back to you, and you are going to go to the Mistress of Novices and tell her the truth. All of it. That includes the fact that the Tower Guard you accused did not, in fact, kill Malvolio. Though the more you think about how he manipulated you, the more you might wish she had."

 

"You will get punished, make no mistake about that. At this stage, there is no way you can get out of it. If you do it this way, throw yourself at their mercy and show yourself to be a victim of Malvolio rather than his conspirator, you'll save yourself the worst of it. If the Aes Sedai discover you lied to them, which they will eventually, and they don't learn that from you, they won't just send you to the farm. They might even go so far as to strap you in the chair to make an example of you. Fancy being bound against ever channeling?"

 

Milena shook her head, trembling at the thought of never being allowed or able to channel again. It was the one thing that had kept her going over the years. When she had taken the angreal, she had hoped that Malvolio would let her use it for a bit, just to be able to draw more of the One Power than she usually could. He had laughed at her and called her silly when she suggested it.

 

Come to think of it, he said she was silly quite often. She shivered again. “I’ll tell them.†She whispered. She rose from the chair, holding her hand out to the angreal. “I’ll tell them, I promise. I’ll tell them right now.†The farm didn’t sound all that bad, now that she thought of it. Maybe she could escape from there. Surely the security there would be less severe than at the White Tower.

 

Smiling at her warmly, Aran stood and handed her the angreal. "You're doing the right thing, and if that is no consolation, you're doing yourself a favour." Turning away, he paused, then looked back to her. "A piece of advice. The story you tell them will sound better without me in it. Better that the motivation to come forward was all your own, if you know what I mean."

 

Making his way to the door, Aran opened it only to look back to her again with his usual grin. "Oh, and what I said before about you, your backside is fine. Good luck with the Mistress of Novices, and don't dally long. The other Tower Guard are looking for you, perhaps some of the Aes Sedai as well by now."

 

Closing the door behind him as he left, Aran hummed a little tune to himself. It had been awhile since he'd had to play a person so, and if he were a Gleeman he was a Court Bard. It was good to know that he hadn't lost his touch after all the time he had spent at the yards. It was even for a good cause, so he could feel even better about it all.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Milena

Accepted

[silhouette]

When the search for the Accepted Rosheen described started, she was left alone for the first time since the incident. She had been watched every single moment before that, and even now she could see the shadow of her guard move in front of the door. Pacing. Probably wondering why he or she was assigned to this boring job. So a Tower Guard lost her mind and killed a trainee. Why should the guard care? Rosheen chuckled at that, not because it was particularly funny, but because it was better than sitting there, moping, while Aran, Elia and Lyanna searched for the Accepted. What if she was gone? She repressed that thought as swiftly as it had risen. The Accepted was still there. Too scared to leave, probably, or maybe even planning on a little revenge on Rosheen. She really didn’t care, as long as that silly bint was still in the White Tower.

 

Time passed. Rosheen could see that it was getting dark outside. Someone brought food, but she left it untouched. She’d see about eating after she was out of the cell. If she’d get out of the cell. Her guard changed, the light footsteps turning into heavier ones. This guard decided that pacing was a good way to pass the time. Step, step, step. Turn. Step, step, step. Turn. Rosheen closed her eyes, drifting off a the sound of footsteps. When she heard the sound of a key turning in the lock she opened her eyes again, and stretched slightly. The bench she was sitting on was far from comfortable, but that made sense. Wouldn’t want to coddle the prisoners too much.

 

Elia appeared, looking a little flustered. Rosheen barely heard her words. Apparently someone found the Accepted, and coaxed her into giving herself in. The Accepted had told them all about her plans. Malvolio’s plans. Had said that maybe, in a way, Malvolio’s death was an accident, because he was still standing when Rosheen jumped, and he’d fallen because he was running down the stairs too fast. Maybe. Enough to get her off the hook though, for now. She would probably be watched for a while, but she could live with that. Anything, just to get out of there.

 

The Commander of the Guard stepped aside, leaving room for Rosheen to walk out of the room. Several people were standing outside of the cell. Aran. Mia. Elia. The guard. No Lyv. She had hoped Lyv would be there. Or Lyanna… but she knew she would talk to Lyanna later on. She touched her throat, wincing at the tender feeling of her skin. “Thanks.†She said, glancing at Aran, Elia and Mia. “I’ll be in my room when you need me.†With that said Rosheen walked out of the building, and towards the barracks. She could feel several pairs of eyes on her, but she ignored them. She could deal with those later. Right now her shoulders felt tense, her arms felt heavy, and she had the headache that would surpass all headaches. Those were all things she could deal with now. The other aftermath of this day in hell would probably give her more trouble in the end. But for now she was free, and that was more than she had dared to hope for earlier that day.