Watching the girl grab at a branch for balance while a shivering fit took her, Ely was quite certain the stable block was not going to be their destination. Clearly something there was calling to her new charge but it would have to wait. 

Ely unhooked her own water flask from its spot on her belt and uncorked it. "Aydee? No? Wait, I have it. A.D. Good enough. Here," she wrapped one arm around A.D.'s waist to keep her upright and tipped the flask against her mouth so she could drink. "That's right, you drink up. It'll help. The alcohol has dried your mouth out, and being sick won't have helped."

A few minutes later, Ely had them underway. Their halting, stumbling walk meant that progress towards the Infantry barracks was slow. She kept up a flow of gentle chatter as they went, trying to put A.D. at ease, since Ely wasn't even sure the kid was properly aware of what was happening. "No, you don't want to sit there," she diverted A.D. away from a raised bank. "It's not too far to go now so just you put one foot in front of the other... you can do it. I've got you."

By the time she'd wrestled the girl back into well lit areas, Ely was convinced that herding cats might be more productive. Upon spotting a full horse trough outside one building, tackling the problem head on seemed a far  more efficient way to deal with things.

Moments later, A.D. was dumped bodily into that horse trough to sober up. 

Elynde

Being practical

Cool. So to be clear, if we NSW her, she becomes WT/Ajah property and we'll add you as the assigned lead writer.

I need to drop Kath a message anyway so I'll mention it to her. It seems like a sane solution to the whole problem if everyone's happy.

I did wonder about that. Do you want to keep her as a PC or would you be happy enough with us co-opting her to be a NSW IC Head? She'd certainly fit the role given her history. I don't think we'd have to justify the how/why specifically, just make the decision, play it that way going forward and note it in the information post.

You know the way in to my good graces, doncha? lol *hugs*

That's a fib.  Humble people don't get sarcastic with a Red Sister. I think that's the first time I've seen someone try to get away with using sarcastic and respectful in the same sentence. *chuckles* And spammystitched is an unofficial term Lii uses to denote a special connection. As opposed to official terms like bond, band, or adoption. You'll see all kinds of odd relationship terms immortalised in people's signature text. 

You're welcome to read and check us out, Lava. It can be a lot to take in to begin with so no rush to start, just whenever you feel up to it.

Uh-oh lol, here comes trouble!  Welcome Lava!  @Lavandula Lovely to have you with us. I think. *childproofs all the locks* 

So, since Kath isn't replying I decided to have a look and see if we can't make a decision on the issue of the First Selector and establish a timeline.

Asyndara, according to the White Ajah RP you linked, was banished at the time of Lanfir's being chosen as Amyrlin.

When Lanfir was burned out and subsequently went missing, following the Caladesh RP, Sirayn became Amyrlin and by that time Corinne was the First Selector, replacing Sareine, because Sirayn comes to speak with her in the 'Old women and politics' RP. Corinne is still First Selector when Shevara becomes Amyrlin.

It's then mentioned IC'ly that Corinne was removed from office and I can find nothing to support her being reinstated. (The lead up to this replacement is in the 'A sorrowful return' RP linked above which ends with the Sapphire Chamber being readied.)

Quote

Nastasia paused, her tea halfway to her lips when she set it back down. "Estel, go round up the Sisters. I think it is time that we show our First Selector the appropriate side of reason. Elyssa, go see that the Sapphire Chambers are prepared. Summon any that you need." Shaking her head, it was sad to see how far gone the woman was. She waited for the women to leave before she turned to Corinne in a softer voice. "I am sorry for this, but if you are getting so defensive over your position it begs the question if you can handle it when under the pressures of the Hall and just the sisters of your own Ajah. You have done great things for us, but perhaps it is time to allow someone stronger to lead the way."

It looks like she was replaced by Serena Morrigan by December 2009. Serena was replaced by Elyssa by November 2010. I'm going by actual real world RP dates for this chronology. 

I'm assuming the reason Asyndara was pulled back from banishment and reinstated was to do with OOC events that took a lot of the RP'ers of the time out of the equation. So it was essentially a decision from on high to fudge over the banishment issue. Removing her from the position wouldn't appear to impact any IC story lines from what I've read, (and as you already both mentioned), as none of them have been main plotline arcs; they've all been personal character development RP's.

Now that I've caught up/wrapped my head around it...is there any part of that you'd disagree with @Jagen Sedai?

* I'm not sure if Corinne was an NSW or not, she was written by AddiBeth (formerly Estel) in all the RP's I've seen.

* I'm tempted to suggest replacing all of them with a completely new NSW. One with no history of holding any positions or having banishments etc.

On another note, I see in one discussion thread, around July '09, that Nastasia was going to die (be murdered), @Arie? You mentioned that only a letter was going to be left, no body... do you recall any more about this or whether it ever happened IC?

Also, found another Blue bio who is also a Black Sister Diona sur Traemane Tapedera - there was mention of an eventual death for her too? Apparently whether there was a body left depended on the Black Ajah so I presume this was internal BA politics or somesuch? 

Let me know if you need training or if I can help. Celerita (Liitha's char) is also at the Stedding for fun threads or joint classes.

4 hours ago, Cass said:

 

Ah ta! I did see his WK posts, but also that he was busy so have had it in my mind not to bust his chops ? and I kinda forgot to count him since he's not listed as a member in this group >.<  Does he need busting for that? If so, ... *tag* - you're it!

 

Owen's Ranger Leader, right? Can't find him in the training grounds?

I don't bust his chops for anything lol. He paid his dues. Yes, he's Ranger leader, the only IC player character in staff terms. The other heads are NSW's. He's not in the Training Grounds because he has nothing left to train. He's like maxed out all round. If it's possible to do, assume Owen can do it lol.

I'm fine to start the weapon training any time. We've just moved on to the second part of our investigation arc. I'm happy to fit in around Arinth and BB; they're both busy, I can be flexible. Don't want to inundate anyone with too many RP's. See what they think.

And yeayy for being done with Uni!! Well done you. 

BotRH: Elynde - Subdivision: Infantry - Rank: Corporal

Wolfkin: Rhyanon - Subdivision: Rangers - Rank: Ranger

(N.B. Owen will be around too just as soon as I get our next Wolfkin RP started. He did post last month. He's beginning a new job on Monday though so don't expect to see him posting anywhere else; i.e. he's unlikely to sign Roll Calls and such. Just so you know.)

Continues on from Rotting From the Inside Out (Part 1)

“Have you ever been in love?

Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable.

It opens your chest and it opens up your heart

and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.”

– Neil Gaiman

Finding a comfortable position in which to sleep had proven impossible, though that alone was not the cause of Ely's fitful rest. After a few hours of fighting her blankets, she gave up, passing the time until dawn alternately reading, and writing in her journal. She'd been thankful to have the room to herself under the circumstances; the last person she'd shared with having been reassigned to new duties with new quarters. The privacy was a blessing.

As soon as it was light enough to qualify as 'morning', she'd taken herself back to the infirmary. Common sense dictated that it would be as well to get the unpleasantness out of the way, and further her enquiries in one fell swoop. Which was how she found herself perched on the well scrubbed, wooden surface of a heavy treatment table while the CMO checked over her wound with diligent fingers. Air hissed through Ely's clenched teeth every few seconds. The man was being gentle, to give him his due, but the flesh was tender and every touch hurt.

"It'll do," Engerran muttered absently, reaching for fresh cloth to replace her binding. "Stand up so I can wrap properly." He waited until she found her balance and began to pass the cloth around her middle, angling it to take in the upper curve of her hip and then pulling it taught. "It's a minor miracle that you haven't re-opened it. Two of the others who were injured in that attack were back in here before the day was done yesterday."

She barked a short laugh at that. Soldiers of any stripe didn't make good patients but she was tempted to lay odds those men had been Infantry. Sitting around doing nothing would be sending them all up the walls. The medic fastened off his work, peered into her face and spoke knowingly, "Hmmm, sleep proving elusive, is it? Or did you overdo things? Likely both given your pallor. Make sure you have a good meal soon. It'll help."

"Probably both, as you say," Ely allowed, sighing as she pulled her shirt back on. "There was a lot happening."

"Including those young cavalrymen you sent me, no doubt. That was a smart call. The corenroot. How did you come to know the signs?"

"It's a long story, sir, one I prefer not to talk about... if it's all the same to you," she replied as politely as she could. "But there was more than corenroot in there to cause so strong a reaction. Were you able to find out more? Did they both survive?"

"Thanks to your quick thinking, one of them did. The other didn't see the sunrise. I'm still running tests but I suspect they took different things. Your dead man had all the signs of grey fennel. You know about...yes, I see you do. You're an interesting young woman!" Engerran growled at her, looking her over with undisguised, though purely academic, interest. Ely offered no explanation. "Hmmpphh, well... the lad with the nose bleed... I'm certain he'd ingested sheepstongue root too."

"I suspected something along those lines, sir. Did he say where they'd been drinking?" The man nodded and she considered him seriously for a moment before deciding to take him into her confidence. If he'd been involved, he wouldn't be confirming her own educated guesses. "May I speak freely, sir?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Minutes later, Ely exited the building and set off on a twisting, complicated route through the city towards the infantry encampment, ensuring to the best of her ability that nobody was following her. There was no way to know whether any suspicion had attached itself to her or not during yesterday's events. She was taking no chances.

Trusting Engerran had been a calculated risk but one that had proven invaluable. Not only did she have the next location to check but, having shared her own information along with a brief assessment of the situation, the medic had further justified her decision by mentioning the matter of escalating death and disappearance tolls over the previous weeks. He'd elaborated substantially on the overheard conversation of the previous day too and the figures had chilled Ely's blood.

The man had then agreed, albeit reluctantly, to leave matters in her hands for the time being. It had taken some fast talking but by the end, he'd seen the difficulties intrinsic to approaching anyone else with their combined findings. Compelling as they were, if this was an internal issue such as a leadership coup rather than an external attack, anyone along the chain of command could be involved. Exposing their own knowledge could mean anything from being hailed as saviours to being killed for their trouble. Neither of them wanted to add themselves to the current statistics.

Now, she needed to find out who had taken on Sergeant al'Darin's responsibility for B Company. He'd been her immediate superior after all, and someone must have been assigned his workload. At least temporarily. Whatever was going on, it was dangerous, and that meant she needed Infantry back up. But she couldn't just go straight to her own Company. They'd be willing to pitch in alright, but if she circumvented authority completely and anything went wrong... it wasn't worth thinking about...so a Sergeant it would have to be.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ely's energy was flagging by the time she got to the mass of tents belonging to the Infantry, causing her to halt and catch her breath. She grimaced in disgust. The effort it was going to take to get back on form would be ridiculous. She was just about to continue on her way when three familiar figures made a beeline straight towards her.

"Ely!" the cry issued from Tris as she came running towards the older woman, a delighted smile on her face. Ely in return slung an arm companionably around her shoulder and ruffled her hair. 

"Well, short stuff, are you keeping Saira and Danus busy?" Ely grinned down at the girl. "I swear you've grown in the last few weeks."

"That she is and that she has," Saira's voice responded. "And now she has training. Off with you, kid." Tris grumbled, extracted a promise of a proper visit later, and hugged Ely briefly before racing off in the direction of the training yard. Left alone, the adults swapped news, bringing Ely up-to-date with recent happenings and grilling her on events at the Tracker Lodge. Saira and Danus may have been assigned to a different Company all those months ago, but bonds forged in the fire of basic training still held between them. If not friendship, then a certain kind of respect and camaraderie existed. Without these two, Ely wouldn't have progressed her sword skills so quickly. 

"You have to get better, Ely, and come back to duty," Saira was complaining loudly a few moments later, only a twinkle in her eyes indicating that she was teasing her friend. "Danus is cheating worse than ever without you here to call him on his conniving ways. Folks have actually refused to bet at all until you come back! We need you here with that blunt tongue to keep him straight."

Ely cuffed Danus across the shoulder, "Danus, I stood surety for you after that last fiasco. The Light blind you, if you make a liar out of me I'll kick you round the Citadel until you beg for mercy!"

"Pah! to that. Everyone knows how honest you are, they wouldn't blame you for my failings! By the by, we should all have a drink together soon," Danus said, his tone becoming solemn, "toast our fallen comrades..."

"We will," Ely replied agreeably. "Speaking of the fallen, tell me who's in charge of my Company now and where to find them?"

"A Sergeant Roald," Saira informed her. "You'll find him in that tent right behind you, as it happens."

The trio took their leave of each other soon after, and Ely stretched, in an attempt to ease her shoulder muscles before turning to look at the tent Saira had indicated. There was nothing particularly special about it, except for the people coming and going with official looking paperwork and files. And the sheer size of the thing. Definitely the Company HQ. She took the few steps to the entrance, pushing aside the heavy canvas flap, and found a clerk seated just inside.

"Sergeant Roald?" she queried. The clerk indicated an open doorway opposite his desk, and answered without even looking up, "That room there." Rolling her eyes at the dismissive tone, she strode across the tent into the other partitioned room, crossing the floor to a broad desk, and came to a dead stop...

...face to face with Arinth. A familiar prickle of awareness crawled down her spine while she took in the scene in confusion. What was he doing here? Her gaze landed on the piles of paperwork first. Then she noted the folder in his hand that he'd clearly been reading. And realised how at home he looked. Behind the desk. As if it was his desk.

Truth hit like a punch to the gut, air leaving her lungs in a silent whoosh. He'd never said a word. But he'd had the gall to question her veracity?

Rage came. It burned through her, clearing all before it, blowing all thought of the mission out of her head. Dark eyes blazed like peat fires against the pallor of her complexion as she glared at the man before her. Had she been right after all? Had this been a stupid wager? A game with her as the target? She couldn't breathe. The urge to hit something was powerful. And growing. Her fists curled into tight balls, tension holding her rigid.

Time stretched, but finally she pulled herself together long enough to look away, staring fixedly at a random spot on the wall behind him while she snapped to attention and threw off a carefully precise salute. She wanted to spin on her heel, to get out of his vicinity, but found she couldn't take the necessary steps. If she walked out now, she'd be repeating the action she'd berated him over. That hypocrisy wasn't something she could bring herself to enact. 

"Ely..." 

The voice pulled her; held her.

"Sir," the word was toneless. Anyone looking at Ely in that moment would have seen nothing but a respectful, attentive soldier. Nothing until they noticed her piercing glance. The blaze was banked, but there was no mistaking that it burned still.

Quote

THE BAND OF THE RED HAND

 

CURRENT ROLE PLAYS (CLOSED/SOLO)

 

Rotting From the Inside Out - <---------------COMPLETED

Purpose: Arinth and Ely get to know each other / set up for upcoming investigation

Story/hook: The Shadow has Darkfriends poisoning Banders with a view to disrupting the Band's military might. 

General Location: The Citadel

Plan: Investigation will continue over multiple threads (Part 1, Part 2 etc. and will be linked together in first and last posts. May pull other PC's in as the story unfolds. May take the action outwith The Citadel in order to hunt down the perpetrators.

Members/Characters Involved:

Taymist - Elynde

Arinth - Arinth 

*chuckles* You're fine. Easy done. Not the first time.

Any particular reason why not? It's bios with an s... is that maybe the problem?

Ely waited, fingers tightening and releasing around the hilts of her daggers in barely suppressed impatience. The men acknowledged Arinth and then indicated acceptance of her own words. They were naturally curious over this new development and she could imagine the gossip it was going to cause among the staff. Once they had retreated outside, leaving the door ajar behind them, she faced Arinth again, her expression reserved.

"You're angry," she began. "I don't know exactly why... although I could hazard a partial guess. The thing is, I'm not a mind reader, Arinth. I don't want to have to guess what's wrong. I'd rather you choose to communicate. I may have misjudged my actions and choices tonight. I'll grant you that, if only because I acted before sharing my plan with you. Leaving you working with half the story was unfair. Understand that any errors came purely from haste, not from a place of harm. The last few minutes should have demonstrated how different the whole picture could be if you would but hear it."

Ely stopped speaking, her heart contracting as though someone had wrapped a fist around it and squeezed. He looked back at her silently. He was listening, but her words seemed to mean nothing at all. "Maybe I expected too much too soon in asking you to trust me... but is your opinion of me truly so low? Do you trust your own instinct so little?"

Silence continued to reign. Ely finally raised her chin in acceptance. "Know this if nothing else...," she laid a hand lightly on his arm as she moved to pass him, dark eyes raising to search his briefly, in a last search for any sign that this mattered, "...I've been nothing but honest with you."  

Nothing. The hand dropped. She deserved being valued, and he either knew her worth or he didn't. There would be no begging here.

"I'm sure you can see yourself out."

Ely walked up the stairs at an unhurried pace, refusing to show how close she was to falling apart. Her vision blurred, forcing her to slide a hand along the wall for guidance, but she kept going until she reached the top. Outside the office door she paused to press the heels of her hands to her eyes, slowly pushing both the threatening tears, and the emotion away. The dull ache inside made her want to curl up and hide. The Light consume him! How had he reduced her to such a state? Was this how love felt?

"Bloody ashes, it's simple exhaustion! That's all. A long day... and a lot of pain. Tomorrow, all will be well again." She gathered a blanket of calm, wrapping it around herself by sheer force of will, and finally straightened her spine. Trust... the words whispered through her mind, mocking her resolve. You're an idiot.

"Enough, this too will be endured." Survival. That she could do. She had other things to do that took precedence over her bruised feelings. When she eventually stalked into the office, her mask was firmly back in place, if a little paler than normal.

Nowal sat behind his desk, watching her carefully, taking in the stiffness of her movements as she crossed the room to take the wing chair opposite him.

"I'm fine," she muttered, aware of his concern, perusing the contents of the tray before her.

"You're not then," he stated clearly. Her eyes flew to his, signalling a clear warning. He might be the closest thing she had to a father but she wasn't ready for a cross examination. "Fine. I'll drop it. For now." He nodded at the tray. "That's all we have on tap at the moment. Two of the supplies are waiting on a re-stock so the pipes are being cleaned."

Ely nodded. Four ales, eight glasses. She lifted each in turn, considering the colour and sniffing delicately at the contents. Nothing struck her as odd. No strange scent set alarms ringing.

"If you won't talk about yourself, are you at least going to tell me what this is all about?" Nowal asked. His gaze was curious but patient.

"I suspect Banders are being poisoned," she stated flatly.

His face became serious and he leaned forward intently, "That's quite an assertion, Ely. How sure are you? And why?"

"Why? Someone's trying to take the Band out of the equation, or at a minimum they want to make us a less effective force. And yes, I'm sure," she filled him in quickly, outlining all the small details at her disposal. "It all sounds sketchy taken individually, but put it all together and something is very wrong."

Nowal nodded thoughtfully, steepling short, stubby fingers under his chin while he digested the news.

Ely took a napkin from the tray in her left hand and dipped her right forefinger into the first glass before touching it to the tip of her tongue and wiping the remaining liquid onto the napkin. She repeated the exercise with all eight glasses.

"There's nothing wrong with any of these, Nowal," she commented at last, taking a substantial swallow of her favourite Ebou Dari ale. And another. Better. "Whatever was going on with those cavalry guys earlier, it wasn't caused by our ales. Let's keep it that way. I want the stock room and all entrances locked unless they absolutely have to be open. Deliveries need to be checked by one of us personally before anything goes through our system."

Nowal nodded a sharp agreement. "I'll take care of it, Ely. Do you think we need extra staff?"

"No. Let's not risk strangers around here. Unless.. see if Jak or Rab can recommend someone. Preferably someone they know very well. But no new faces." Ely dragged a hand through her hair, and sighed, trying to decide on her next steps. "I'll have to speak with the men who were taken to the infirmary, presuming they survived."

"Not tonight though, girl," Nowal's tone brooked no argument. "You're fresh out of the infirmary yourself! Look at the state of you. You're going to keel over unless I miss my mark...which I don't! Get off back to the barracks and sleep. The rest will still be there to deal with in the mornin'."

Ely gave in gracefully, the ghost of a smile curving her lips. The exhaustion was strong enough to prevent her arguing. "You're right, of course. I'll be back as soon as I have news."

Story Continues In:- Drinking is Bad For Your Health (Part Deux)

Hey Cal!  @Caldazar al'Aemon Welcome to the RP. Make yourself at home, have a look around, and just shout if you have questions or any of us can help. 

It's an amazing amount of work, and as you say, clearly a lot still to do. It's nice having these things to look back on and anyone who's suffered through thread and board losses will totally appreciate it. 

Ely froze, her limbs leaden, staring at the empty space before her in disbelief. Her earlier joy in the day's developments dissipated in those few short seconds as the echo of Arinth's parting words hung in the air; a pointed accusation that cut all the deeper for its cold delivery.

How exactly was she supposed to describe him? They weren't strangers, nor yet lovers. One brief kiss didn't stretch that far, no matter its impact. Even if it had, she wouldn't advertise something so private. A single day in each other's company and he expected... what precisely? That it gave him some kind of ownership over her or her actions? Annoyance stirred. They had agreed to spend time together, accepted their strong feelings were mutual. Or so she'd thought. But... how did she begin to label that for the convenience of others? She wasn't the type to spill her innermost thoughts; to put her heart on display wasn't a thing she'd even contemplated when introducing him to Nowal. She couldn't help but wonder, if the tables were reversed, what words he would have found to introduce her.

He believes he has cause for anger but it stems from a lack of understanding. Her conscience pricked a little even so. He could have asked me to explain but instead he suspected the worst... and walked out! Annoyance fanned into anger, simmering in the background. You said it yourself. It's been one day. Did you expect him to know you on so short an acquaintance?  The voice in her head scoffed at the very idea. That was the crux of the matter. Because she felt like she knew him. Trusted him. And it scared her on so many levels. But it seemed her trust wasn't reciprocated. If he can hurt you with one sentence, how will you feel when he walks out and doesn't come back? Is your pride worth that loss? Anger fled in the face of the stark answer to that.

I've never run after any man and I'm not starting now! The irony of the thought was not lost on Ely given her feet had already carried her across the room to the doorway, gaining speed as she hit the stairwell in time to see Arinth turn the corner at the bottom. You never wanted any man enough to run after him before. The sardonic accusation blossomed clear in her mind, panic flaring at the intrinsic truth it held, at how the lack of his presence made her feel... and the possibility it might be permanent. Long legs flew down the stairs, taking them in reckless jumps, two and three at a time, with no consideration for her injuries, completely oblivious to the jolts of pain searing across her back with each landing. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, one hand caught the door frame instinctively, leather clad feet sliding around the corner.

The bar was empty of patrons, the evening's events clearly taking a toll on business, despite her best efforts. Only the bouncers and one other man remained, blocking the entrance to the establishment. She didn't have time to worry over it all now though as Arinth strode towards that very door.

"Wait!" Ely's voice was low but her tone compelling. "Arinth...please...just wait!"

He didn't turn but he did stop, and she let the breath go that she hadn't even realised she was holding. The relief was short lived. Jak took a menacing step forward, a dark scowl pulling his brows down.

"Yer upset, El. This cove be botherin' ye, lass?" the big man's fists clenched in illustration of his thoughts about that possibility, and she watched ruefully as Arinth's hands contracted in response.

"No!" the command cracked, whip-like, through the room. She took the remaining steps in a rush, slipping around Arinth to interpose herself between the men. "Stand down, Jak. This is a matter...," she stumbled over her words for the second time that evening, "...a very personal matter. Don't interfere. And while we're talking of upsetting me," her tone took on an edge, "You overstepped this evening. That was an impossible situation to put me in when you knew I was trying to avoid a scene!"

"Ach, ah know it, El. I did be gettin' carried away with yon game ye were playin'! Sorry an' all," Jak hung his head a little, looking shamefaced, which was so incongruous that Ely would normally have been hard pressed not to laugh. As it was, she had more immediate problems on her mind.

"Well, it's done now... and it's not likely I'll pull that trick again. Gar, Rab, come here," she requested, addressing the other men. Gar moved up beside Jak, a half head shorter and looking only slightly less like a brick wall. The bigger man slung an arm around him. Rab halted a half step behind his friends.

"Arinth, I'd like to introduce you to Jak...and to Garen," she paused, turning and fixing a hard stare on the man who was quickly turning her world upside down. If his voice had been cold earlier, hers was like ice now, "Gar is Jak's... friend." She almost spat the word, quirking an eyebrow to doubly emphasise her meaning and watched as, even in his current mood, understanding registered. "And this is Rab. You've already met his wife, Janya. They're all employees...and friends. I own half of this place." Half turning her head, she spoke over shoulder, "Jak... Rab...this is Arinth. He has free run of The Rascal ... should he choose to avail himself of it. Now, if you could all give us a moment..."

Yes, retro board. 

Discord is a chat service. Dragonmount has various official chat channels on there. The link is in a post on this board. If you want to join, use the same name so we know who you are. 

That's no problem, make yourself at home.

I remember archiving for you as a novice on the community side lol. I see a couple of my bondings in there. Very cool. 

Thanks, lovely. That's super.  

I'll sort out your SBA score in a bit, Seaine.

The struggling form was too much for Ely to hold on to in her weakened state, and the female slid out of her grip, stumbling away to throw up in the nearest bush. She sighed, attempting to keep a grip on her irritation. It would be wasted on anyone this drunk.

The figure collapsed back onto the ground, wrapping arms around its knees, and shivering uncontrollably. A sorry sight. Ely was about to try speaking to the person again when the cloud cover parted sufficiently to let the moon light the scene. 

Light! She's just a child. Her brow furrowed in concern and she turned back, hunting the ground until she found the empty bottle her hand had outlined earlier. She raised it gingerly to her nose, sniffing cautiously. Scotch! In the Creator's name, who was irresponsible enough to give a youngster such strong alcohol?  The answer was probably nobody. The more likely scenario was that the girl had helped herself. Now the question was... why? Curiousity or some deeper issue? Whatever the reason, she was going to be paying for the imprudent indulgence soon enough... if she wasn't already.

Ely let the bottle drop, and returned to the girl, crouching before her. Reaching out with gentle fingers she brushed hair out of the urchin's face.

"Hey, I'm Ely," she began softly, "I expect you're not feeling too great about now. Let's get you somewhere more comfortable, alright? Do you have a name?"

Elynde

Mothering Mode Engaged

N.B. Seaine has my permission for the spark inborn given Elara has not yet channeled and therefore has no block / is not a Wilder. ~Tay~ @Cass

- OP Scores to be assigned.

DM Handle: Seaine's eyebrows

Character Name: Elara Adnan

Returning Character: No

Total PSW Character Count: 1

RP Section: Tar Valon

RP Group: White Tower

Character Rank: Novice

Traditional or Salidar Novice: Traditional

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Place of Birth/Raising: Ebou Dar

Physical Description: Average height and build. Thick black wavy hair sitting just above her shoulders. Almost-black eyes. Thick black eyebrows and lashes. Olive complexion. Pretty. Scar across right forearm.

Strengths/Weaknesses: Fierce and bold, typical for an Ebou Dari woman, though she does have a gentle side she keeps well hidden from most. Very polite. Brave. Fussy and particular, tends to like things just so. Likes fashion and fine clothes, enjoys embroidery. Struggling to figure out how she fits into the world outside Ebou Dar, with her very Ebou Dari sense of honour.

Character History: Eldest of five children, daughter of a successful Ebou Dari banker and his wife (a forceful woman originally from the Rahad). Typical (for Ebou Dar) upper-class upbringing. Fought her first duel at 13, has fought two in total. Both duels were fought over disparaging remarks made about her mother. Never wanted anything more for herself than to sew for a living and to accept a marriage knife from a worthy man, but was born with the spark and discovered by a Green sister, sent to Tar Valon not long after (is not a wilder).

The morning was already stiflingly humid by the time Roselle Nuran reached Zerinde Kostama’s shop, though of course, the tall Mayener woman was affected by it not at all. Not a drop of sweat beaded on her lip, nor a wisp of hair clung to her brow. She was Aes Sedai, and Aes Sedai were not bothered by mere trivialities such as the humid heat of an Ebou Dari summer.

Smoothing her skirts and patting hair back into place that did not need patting back into place, the Aes Sedai entered the seamstress’s shop. Her bright blue eyes swept the room, alighting on a pretty young girl stocking shelves with bolts of pale silk. She appeared no different to any of the other young women in the room busying themselves with their work, but the Aes Sedai could tell immediately that she was indeed different. Her eyes continued on however, until they landed upon a seemingly-older woman rushing forward with a smile upon her face.

“Roselle!” The other woman, Zerinde, clasped Roselle’s hands and squeezed affectionately. “What a lovely surprise! I was just thinking of you not the day before yesterday. Davisa!” A short brown-haired woman fussing with a pile of lace nearby hurried over. “Bring some refreshments, please. We are graced with the presence of Roselle Nuran Aes Sedai!” As the young woman in question dropped a startled curtsey and scurried off, the seamstress glanced over Roselle’s shoulder towards the street. “Is Ardelam on his way? Oh but where are my manners, please, come sit down.”

She showed the Aes Sedai to a pair of chairs set beneath a round window, a small table between them, and waited for Roselle to sit before taking a seat herself. Roselle noticed the remaining young women, including the one who stood out to her, stealing quick glances at her while trying their hardest to appear as if they weren’t. Too polite to watch me openly.

“He is around the corner, cousin, at Nariene’s Honor. With Jaril.” Roselle’s blue eyes gleamed as she spoke the man’s name. “Yes, I have bonded another since last we spoke. Jaril is Arafellin, young and sweet and brave. He will be a fine Warder with a little more seasoning, and the Light knows Ardelam is up to the task. But let us talk of—” The Aes Sedai cut off as the young woman called Davisa returned with tea and little spicy cakes, continuing once the girl had moved out of earshot. “But let us talk of that later. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, and it seems I have been brought here today for a specific purpose.” She took a sip of tea, inclining her head to the young woman stacking the shelves with silk. “That one there, the pretty one with all that black hair. She has the ability, cousin. She will need to go to Tar Valon for training, otherwise I am afraid she may not live to see twenty.”

Zerinde’s blue eyes widened and she blinked slowly, turning to glance at the girl in question. When she turned back, her brow was furrowed. “You mean Elara? Elara Adnan is by far my best apprentice, cousin. She has such a tidy hand with her stitches, and an eye for colour. And she enjoys it. Her embroidery work is fine enough that I have just begun allowing her to assist me, though she can be fussy with it at times and would rather unpick the lot and start again than present me with something she wasn’t completely happy with. She does seem to have a stronger sense of honour than most girls this side of the Eldar, but her mother is from the Rahad after all. And she is polite to a fault, though they all are, really.”

Reaching for a small cake, Zerinde nibbled absently. It was a measure of her trust in her cousin, and the many years she had lived among the painfully polite Ebou Dari people, that she did not even think to question how Roselle knew, or even if she was sure. Roselle said it, so Zerinde believed it. “So she can channel, you say. And she will die if she isn’t trained? Is she to leave immediately? It will take me a little time to find a new girl, at least a decent girl. I cannot say I’ll be happy to let her go,” she added, “but if her life is in danger, I would be a poor mistress to think only of how this affects me.”

Roselle shook her head slightly. “She cannot channel, cousin. Not yet. The ability was born in her, but that simply means that she will channel eventually; she has no choice in it. Left by herself to fumble through, only one in every four women who has the spark inborn survives channelling unaided.” It was a horrible truth, and the Aes Sedai sent silent thanks that she had been able to save this one from such a fate. “And she need not leave for the Tower immediately. We are not in Tear, to bundle the girl off before the setting of the sun.” While Roselle’s face remained calm, Zerinde’s mouth twisted in enough distaste for the both of them. There was no love lost between Mayene and Tear. “Most importantly however, she is not yet close to her first touching. But it would not be prudent for her to dally. Her life is at risk until she reaches the safety of the Shining Walls, and the Shining Walls are far from Ebou Dar.”

 “Yes of course,” Zerinde nodded, frowning slightly. “Of course.” She glanced back at the young woman once more, as if seeing the girl in a new light. Elara had been watching them, but at Zerinde’s look, her dark eyes glazed over and she made a show of peering at the door, as if she had been looking outside at someone who was about to come in, and not at the two women sitting sipping tea. Then she very obviously did not look their way as she went back to her bolts of silk.

Roselle smiled into her teacup as Zerinde turned back. “Well, the Wheel weaves,” the seamstress said, a note of finality in her voice. “As I said before, I cannot say I’m happy, but better this than the alternative. So, my dear cousin, shall we finish our tea and cakes before we tell the poor girl her life is about to change? There is something about having multiple Warders I have often wondered…….”

*

“Is that… I think that’s…… Oh Light I can see it!”

Elara Adnan gripped the ship’s railing tightly and leaned forward, squinting hard into the wind that streamed past her. Loose strands of ebony hair danced around her face, large golden hoops bobbed in her ears, and her skirts and petticoats billowed around her legs, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes were transfixed. Upriver, far upriver, almost obscured by haze and distance, almost not there at all, sparkled the very peak of the White Tower itself. My new home. Light, my new home!

A laugh escaped her lips, and she let go of the railing, dropping back to the deck lightly. Finally, after many long weeks of travel, the end was in sight! It would be a relief to be back on solid ground again, back to a routine, back to normalcy. Or the new norm, rather. For Elara Adnan had left Ebou Dar as a seamstress’s apprentice, but would arrive in Tar Valon ready to be written into the novice book of the White Tower.

“Aye, the White Tower,” came a gravelly response. “You are almost home, young mistress.” Elara turned to the grizzled man standing impassively at her side. Masic was her father’s oldest and most trusted friend, having worked at her father’s banking house as a footman since before she was even born. He had been her chaperone from the beginning of the long journey, as the Black Albatross had skirted the coast from Ebou Dar to Tear, and then onto The Three Geese and its long climb up the Erinin.

“Almost,” she echoed, a wry grin on her sun-darkened face. “And without your guidance, I wouldn’t have made it past Illian. Who would have thought people could be so strange outside of Ebou Dar?” She made a face, turning her back on the ever-approaching Tower and leaning against the railing. Her fingers danced over the long curved duelling knife thrust through her belt. “The world is full of rude men who know nothing of manners or honour.”

Masic snorted. “And that is a fine opinion for Elara Adnan, seamstress’s apprentice from Ebou Dar, to have. But you will soon be Elara Adnan, novice of the White Tower. Maybe even one day Elara Adnan Aes Sedai. May I lean back, young mistress?” She nodded her assent for him to speak his mind without fear of her taking offense, and he continued gently. “You will end up deader than a cheating husband if you allow yourself to take offense at everything you would have taken offense at back home. Most people in the world are not Ebou Dari, lass, and if they aren’t Ebou Dari, they don’t share the same code of honour. So where is the honour in fighting them?”

It was Elara’s turn to snort at that. “So, you’re basically telling me that I cannot be me. As well tell a fish to jump, or a cat to bark. ‘Don’t take offense at things’, pah.” She sighed, scuffing a toe on the deck, and her tone softened. “How would I even do that Masic, even if I wanted to?”

The older man raised a scarred hand. “That’s not for me to say, young one. You are fierce, and brave, and proud. All fine traits in an Ebou Dari woman, and I know how proud your father is of you. But we are approaching Tar Valon, not Ebou Dar. Things are very different outside of Ebou Dar. And you were made for bigger things.”

Elara nodded slowly, tears filming her almost-black eyes at the man’s words. With a sniff she turned her head, not wanting him to see her weakness. But the wind betrayed her, gently teasing the tears out of the corners of her eyes, and she angrily scrubbed them away. Everything is so different. Everything, and everyone I've met. Roselle Sedai said this would be harder than anything I had ever done. I thought she was talking about the novice training. But now I think she meant everything from the moment I left Ebou Dar.

“Thank you Masic,” she said, when she could trust her voice wouldn’t shake. “The world might be full of dishonourable men, but I would never count you among them.” He inclined his head towards her graciously, and she grinned. “Will you kindly escort me below decks? I am going below to pack my things." She glanced upriver again, squinting hard at that shining white gleam in the distance, and shivered all over. "The White Tower is waiting for me.”

Don't worry, we're all geeky nerds here. Python fans are doubly welcome in my book!  How are you enjoying the series so far? Oh and do you have a preference on what we call you? Is Cal ok? Due warning, most names get shortened in the first 2 minutes unless someone really objects.