Outside of the MoN's Office (attn BB)

[Hayl3y]

Myrrhi was walking fast, her chin high, feeling very happy. She had not had free time for a while and she really wanted to enjoy her afternoon. No classes, no chores, nothing had been scheduled for her and she had tried her best to keep it that way. She had hid herself during breakfast and lunch break and, now, she was moving as fast as she could to the gardens, hoping that she would find a spot where she could channel. Channeling unattended was forbidden of course. But there were no other way for Myrrhi to be the first one of her class. She needed to practice, especially the water weaves.

 

She was close to the Tower exit when an Accepted called after her. "Hey, you! You, come here!". Myrrhi could have ignored the Accepted. As "you" could have been anyone but Myrrhi knew that she was the person the Accepted was calling after. An Accepted would never talk like that to an Aes Sedai, nor even to a Tower Servants for that matter. She would only talk that way to a Novice and Myrrhi was the only Novice around. She breathed in and turned towards the Accepted summoning her most patient smile.

 

"Yes, Accepted?"

"I have some laundry ready to be taken. Could you take care of it for me? Then, I would like you to check up with my friends if they need help...."

"Whaaa.. ?" Myrrhi's smile disappeared as soon as she realized that this would lead her away from the gardens for at least couple of hours.

 

Of course, telling the Accepted that she had already made some plans for the afternoon would have been foolish. The Novices were not supposed to have plans.

 

Instead, Myrrhi used the first idea that came to her mind, thinking it would help her to get away. She raised her eyebrows and replied very haughtily to the woman in front of her that SHE could get HER laundry HERSELF.

 

As expected, the Accepted didn't react very well to that answer. When the Novice added that she was one of the clumsiest person of the Tower and that she would probably drop the banded dresses in the mud, her cheeks became purple.

 

Suddenly, Myrrhi heard someone coughing. It was a tiny cough. Like the one, one would make while clearing her throat. It was not coming from her nor from the Accepted, so the young girl turned, having a bad feeling.

 

Right behind her stood a fully raised Sister. It was easy to see, from her glare and her crossed arms, that she had overheard the conversation.

 

A couple of second later, Myrrhi was walking towards the Mistress of the Novices' Office.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Hayl3y

[The Bard Babe]

Dwyn pointedly did not run from the scene of the crime. There was little more incriminating than legging it from some disturbance or other. Especially if you had a reputation like Dwyn's. And that was clean. Suspect, but clean. While she had been caught or discovered a couple of times, there were far more instances of her managing to avoid capture or blame. Of course, she was a suspect in almost all cases, but the sisters, and often other novices rarely found a way to connect her various misdemeanours back to her. The couple of times she'd been caught, it had usually been with Nyanna, and they had gone out in a blaze of glory. This time, she had no intention of being caught. 

 

Therefore, she did not run from the scene of crime. Instead, she ran to it. With accomplices. She waited around the corner for a gaggle of novices to notice the disturbance, and then ran into them as they came down the other corridor. She grabbed Rasia's arm and fell into step, grinning. "What is it?" she demanded. "Does anyone know what's happening?"

Rasia shook her head, and Alinne grinned back at her, her motormouth streaming out a waterfall of words. Even Dwyn could barely compete with Alinne. "There's some horrid smell coming out of Erysa's room, and they say that it's some kind of cloud or mist, all dark and disgusting, and everyone's heard of it now, and everyone's just leaving their classes to go and see it. Do you think it was because of that horrendous class she gave last week?" She barely breathed through the whole tirade. At least Dwyn knew when to put in appropriate breathing spaces and dramatic pauses. She just nodded eagerly.

"No, someone's tried to poison her!" Rasia hissed under her breath.

"No they haven't," Tess told them, flicking her hair. "Didn't you hear what she did to poor Vyn the other week? She made her clean her entire room, and all her clothes, because she couldn't remember the name of the ninth Amyrlin."

"And she made her cry in the middle of the hallway, yelling at her where no sisters could see. She's been picking on Vyn for weeks!" Alinne added.

Dwyn shook her head angrily. "I'm never going to be like her. Not when I'm an Accepted, not when I'm a sister."

The other girls nodded quickly as they rounded the final corner.

 

By this point, the scene had well and truly been uncovered. Erysa's door was open, and there was a purple mist lazily curling out of the doorframe. Everything inside, including Erysa, and all of her Accepted whites, had turned bright purple. The crowd of novices who had gathered to view the spectacle were edging away from the mist, holding their hems up off the floor.

 

Dwyn threw a hand out to stop Alinne from running headlong into the mist. Wow. It was more effective than Dwyn had dared to hope for. Erysa's face was simply shocked. For a moment she was speechless, her blonde hair and pale face stained purple, stains creeping over her dress. As Dwyn watched, her face turned from shocked to merely surprised, then to baffled, and then, with stalking steps that took her out of the room, to angry. Downright furious. She was turning bright red-not a pretty colour against all that purple in the background. Immediately, she started sputtering, but couldn't manage to get a word out. None of the novices dared help her, or get any closer. They were all bracing themselves for the explosion.

 

It was worth the wait. Erysa turned bright red, her eyes squeezed to tiny balls of black rage in her furious face, her fists clenched and her chest heaving as she started to bellow. She cursed, she shouted, she threatened, but there was very little she could actually do. She demanded the culprit turn themselves in, but Dwyn certainly wasn't planning on doing that any time soon, so she moved quickly on to telling them all who she was going to inform of the event, on what she was going to do now it had happened, and exactly the kind of revenge she was going to exact on all novices in every one of her classes, of the chores she was going to give them every time she saw them in the corridors, of the kind o hell she was going to unleash on them all.

 

Dwyn wished Vyn could be there to see it, but the girl was being ever so studious and sitting in the library under supervision of brown sisters. Erysa had very good endurance. She kept up the ranting and wailing long after Mainan Sedai, a white of incredible wit and admirable patience, appeared in the hallway. Erysa didn't appear to even notice her. There were mutters among the novices as they began to notice her. A few squeaked and ran off, but most stayed, faces growing stormy at Erysa's words. Dwyn wasn't all that happy about them either, but after a stunt like this, she didn't think Erysa would be getting many chances to implement all these threats. Nor was she likely to try to while her room was still purple. Dwyn was rather proud of herself. Sure, she was inciting a bit of a novice rebellion, and she'd turned an Accepted purple, but she had scored a blow for the oppressed.

 

Eventually, Mainan Sedai's patience wore out. She announced herself to a still oblivious Erysa with enviable nonchalance. "Accepted, your choice of Ajah is not, I believe, one that is traditionally made available."

Erysa froze mid-yell. Her bright red face drained of blood far faster than was healthy, and she turned wide eyes on Mainan. "Aes sedai!" she stuttered.

Mainan barely acknowledged her beyond a raised eyebrow. The effect was instant, and crushing. Erysa slumped, defeated. There was nothing she could do to get out of this. Not only had she been caught in a state that swerved completely out of the realm of acceptable dress code, but she had been screaming and cursing and stamping for all she was worth, exposing her hideous treatment of novices to a full sister. Dwyn grinned. Her work was done. Well done, she allowed herself. She grinned over at Alinne, whose eyes were shining. It was a beautiful moment they were witnessing.

 

"Go and clean yourself up, Erysa." 

Nodding meekly, Erysa didn't even dare glare at them as she went to find a bathroom.

Dwyn tried very hard not to hug Rasia or heckle Erysa's departing, purple figure.

 

Then Mainan Sedai turned to the crowd. Dwyn felt a shot of ice go through her stomach. She had hoped for Erysa's discovery to be made by someone a little less...logical, than Mainan Sedai. She fixed the novices with a hard stare. "I will find out whose doing this was, and if I have to go down to the warder's yard and ask who this substance was distributed to, I will see to it that the novice responsible does not sit comfortably for a week."

So matter of fact, so immovable. She was giving Dwyn very little wiggle room. Somehow, Mainan knew where Dwyn had found the purple mist. If she went down to the warder's yard, someone would eventually, reluctantly, give Dwyn up. She didn't want to put anyone in that position. Terril was a lovely lad, and he would try to keep her secret for too long.

 

How Mainan knew where the purple mist came from, she had no idea, but her cover was blown and she knew it. Ah well. This one had been more to stop a tyrant than it had been about her own entertainment anyway. She take a sore bum for the novices this one time. And maybe a few more along the line.

"If they step forward now, given the circumstances, I may be tempted to leniency."

Dwyn winked at Alinne, who was staring around the room with wide eyes. The poor girl was probably wracking her brain just in case she'd actually been the one to do it. Coughing politely with her hands behind her back, Dwyn stepped forward. "It would appear I have been rumbled," she said. There were some gasps and some laughs from the assembled novices. While she certainly wasn't going to be painful later, it did feel good being able to take the credit for Erysa's defaming.

 

Mainan's eyes found her. She didn't even get a raised eyebrow. "You're responsible for the purple mist?"

Dwyn nodded. "I am, yes."

"I take it you decided to exact revenge of Erysa for some of her less than mature choices?"

"Indeed I did."

"So you decided to fight fire with fire and turn her and her room purple?" Mainan asked drily.

"It would appear so, yes."

Shaking her head, Mainan gestured down the hall. "You know where to go, Taereth. Tell her you played a prank on an Accepted."
"Yes, Aes Sedai," Dwyn said with a curtsy. She didn't really mind. It was what she had expected, and this was still a victory in her books.

"I think Erysa can tell her what sort of state her room is in when she goes for her own visit. No need to include that in your report."

Dwyn beamed at that, and she felt the silent cheer that rippled through the novices. "Of course, Aes Sedai." Now that was a victory. No need to push it with the bad jokes forming in her head. Turning to leave, Dwyn began to walk down the hallway. There was an audible cheer that time, and Dwyn obliged it with a brief, if theatrical, bow, turning back to deliver it before continuing on her merry way. Mainan very nearly smirked. "Oh, and by the way, Ceridwyn,"

Dwyn froze.

"I was merely guessing that you got the mist from the warder's yard."

Silently cursing, Dwyn nodded.

"You may leave now."

"Thank you, Mainan Sedai."

 

Dwyn couldn't help grinning as she left. She had to be one of the only people to arrive at the Mistress of Novice's office with a smile on her face. It certainly wasn't there when she was leaving. Rubbing her behind shamelessly, with her list of extra chores lodged firmly in her head, Dwyn winced as she closed the door behind her. There was another novice waiting outside, one she hadn't officially met before, but she was fairly sure they had a few classes together. She was of an age with Dwyn, with choppy brown hair, and a worried expression. Immediately, Dwyn was in a good mood again. If she was honest, even her recent episode hadn't killed her mood. She grinned at the other girl. "Myrrhi, right?" she asked, holding out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Ceridwyn Taereth, but feel free to call me Dwyn-everyone else does."  Dwyn pointed her thumb back to the door. "I thought I'd managed to get away with exacting some revenge on a vicious Accepted today, but I got outfoxed by Mainan Sedai. Turns out the Mistress of Novices doesn't take too kindly to pranks against our seniors. As if I didn't know that already. What are you in for?"

[Guest]

Myrrhi stopped muttering to herself about how life was unfair when she saw another Novice approaching. The girl was Saldean, she was small and had long black curls. Myrrhi had seen her before, in class, but had never tried to talk to ther. Indeed, she didn't like to talk to the other Novices. The only exception was Thayetta her roommate, and that was only because Thayetta was just like her when it came to social skills. Quickly, she brushed her dress with her hands and straightened her back. The newcomer was one of the cheery ones in the class, and that was enough for the Andoran Novice to feel suspicious. It was usually the outgoing ones who where making fun of her and of her will to learn.

 

Myrrhi haughtily put her chin up and sighed, trying to show that she didn't want to talk. She even turned her head towards the wall, trying to ignore the world around her. It didn't work. The other Novice came right in front of her with a bright smile.

 

"Myrrhi, right? I am Ceridwyn Taereth, but feel free to call me Dwyn, everyone else does."

 

Myrrhi's eyes opened like saucers. The girl actually sounded nice...She added, "I thought I'd managed to get away with exacting some revenge on a vicious Accepted today, but I got outfoxed by Mainan Sedai. Turns out the Mistress of Novices doesn't take too kindly to pranks against our seniors. As if I didn't know that already. What are you in for?"

 

That was too much for Myrrhi to handle. That girl wanted to talk to her? That seemed so strange. And, she was still holding out her hand for Myrrhi to shake. Again the Andoran girl didn't know how to react. She bit her lower lip and shook Dwyn's hand.

"Yes, I am Myrrhi", she went on.

 

Then, came the tough part, either she'd decide to trust Dwyn and to tell her the truth, either she'd decide to make up a lie. For one who was not accustomed to improvise, making up a lie was quite hard. Myrrhi had never tried to prank anyone. She had not even tried to spy on the warders like some of the others had done. She was clearly NOT interested in those things. But those would have been the nicer lies. Giggling nervously, she scratched her head and begged for her brain to work. She was clumsy, but would she say she was here for a "accident"  - such as dropping one of the Sisters favourite angreals - Dwyn would probably take her for a fool.

 

After a couple of seconds of deep reflexion, Myrrhi had to admit that the truth looked to be the best path.

"I was mean to an Accepted..., I don't know her name. She wanted me to take care of her laundry and I refused."

 

This didn't sound too bad after all, she thought breathing out and checking her companion's reaction. Dwyn didn't seem impressed but she didn't seem disappointed either. The Andoran girl was saved from adding anything to her reply by the sound coming from the Mistress of the Novices. It had suddenly changed as the conversation she had heard before had turned into cries of pain. It made Myrrhi shiver.

 

"On what Accepted did you take revenge?" asked Myrrhi trying to focus on something else than what she was hearing.

 

When the other Novice aswered Erysa, Myrrhi let out a happy giggle. The Accepted had been quite a severe teacher. She had clearly deserved what had happened to her.

[The Bard Babe]

Dwyn cackled a little at that. It seemed today was not the best day to be an Accepted in the Tower. Likely they thought the novices were actually planning to rise up and take over through complicating laundry tasks.

"She should throw her laundry in with Erysa's when she does it. Though I'm not sure that that would help as much as hinder by this point. I, however, will be having nothing to do with said laundry." She looked over the other girl-Myrrhi. Her compatriot. Anyone who was up for an altercation with the Accepted was Dwyn's friend today. "You, on the other hand, probably will."

 

Myrrhi seemed somewhat distracted. Her eyes kept flicking to the door behind her. Ah. She wincing at the sound coming from the Mistress of Novice's office. Dwyn had tuned that out. It was far easier to ignore when it wasn't impacting on your own rear end. Letting the cries draw her attention again bade her bottom twinge. She winced at a particularly high squeal from the other side of the door. "You'll probably just be getting a whole heap of extra laundry to do, don't worry. You been in there before?"

 

No-one wanted to go into that office. Even if it was to have a bit of a cry, it was never a fun time. Dwyn shook her head. She'd been in and out of that office so many times she may as well have moved in next door. Not too often for punishments, though she did her fair share of time in the kitchen because of her less than subtle nature. No, her time with the Mistress of Novices had been spent mostly discussing the incident with the cupboard. There had been talk after talk with Kathleen Sedai, and then talk after talk with person after person. They didn't seem to mind how much it embarrassed to have people know of her fear. They were treating it like they would a block. Trying to break her of it. Break her of that fear. It was nearly working. She was down to one candle of a night at this point. It was still terrifying, but she could get to sleep without a cold sweat and hyperventilation, and she called that an improvement.

 

She was determined to rid herself of this fear, at the very least to rid herself of the sisters' attention on the matter. Valeri Sedai had kindly avoided the topic during their most recent discussion, except to remind Dwyn that she had a meeting about it later. What fun.

 

Shaking the thought out of her head, she waited for Myrrhi's answer.

[Guest]

"Many times" replied Myrrhi, with a shake of her head. She sighed. "I have tried to ... practice ... on my own", she added. Dwyn nodded, knowing very well what it meant.

 

The Andoran Novice opened her mouth, ready to give more information about the punishments she had been through, when the door of MoN's office opened. Another Novice rushed out of the room, crying. She ran away so fast that Myrrhi didn't have the time to recognize who she was. There were so many other blond girls of average size in the Tower... Myrrhi had a last look for Dwyn then advanced slowly towards the office entrance.She knew that the Mistress of the Novices didn't like to walk to the door to ask her next visitor to come in.

 

"Good luck," whispered Dwyn.

 

Myrrhi entered the small room. Well it seemed to her to be a small room compared to the places she had had to clean in the Red Ajah Quarters. In the middle of it, stood Valeri Sedai. A stern Saldean woman with her hair gathered in a tight bun.

 

"Myrrhi, here again?", she asked.

 

"Y-yes," stuttered the young girl.

 

"To what do I owe the pleasure the see you today?" The Mistress of the Novices grabbed a seal opener and started playing with it. It seemed that she had never parted with her Saldeans origin nor her love for blades. It scared the Novices and Myrrhi in particular today. The poor girl had just read a complete study which depicted the best ways to injure an enemy in a melee fight with blades.

 

"I refused to take care of an Accepted laundry, Valeri Sedai!"

 

The Mistress of the Novices looked thoughtful. "This is very interesting," she said with a smile. "And was that all you did?" Valeri's eyes were so piercing, like the ones of a falcon. It was hard to lie to her or to omit a part of a story.

 

"I may have told her that I was clumsy and that I had a tendency to drop my things in the mud." Myrrhi bit her lower lip at the confession.

 

"Who was that Accepted, Myrrhi?"

 

"I have no idea, Valeri Sedai. It is a Sister of the White Ajah who sent me here. Andreia Sedai, it was... I think. Maybe you could ask her?"

 

The Mistress of the Novices shook her head.

 

"I don't understand why this Accepted can't take care of her own laundry. And I will inquire about the matter, but I know that a Novice shouldn't refuse a chore. Come here, Myrrhi Dear."

 

The girl closed her eyes and made one step forward.

 

***

 

Myrrhi pulled down the lower part of her dress.

 

"The strapping was only the first part of the punishment, Myrrhi. Now, I m sending you to the Accepted Quarters. You will ask around to all the Accepted you meet whether you can take care of their laundry and you will do what is needed. ALL that is needed. Is that clear?"

 

"Yes, Valeri Sedai."

 

"Now, get out!"

 

***

 

Myrrhi went out of the office and tried to meet Dwyn's eyes. The other girl was focused on the office entrance. She decided not to disturb her concentration but still whispered her a good luck just before she disappeared. Dwyn's talk had inspired her. Her talk about pranks and having revenge had sounded foolish at the time, but not anymore. She decided to wait for the other Novice. Her whole afternoon had been ruined, completely ruined because of that Accepted but also because of the Mistress of the Novices. Maybe the other Novice would have ideas about what to do to Valeri Sedai in return of her unjust treatment?

 

Myrrhi nursed her red buttock and tried to be patient.