...Another one? ANOTHER ONE?! What is wrong with you people?! There are...almost dozens of equally good threads out there! Maybe.

*Sighs* Well, just gimme the thing. *Hefts the award* I guess I can find a spot on my wall for this.

Thanks for the awards, guys. Congrats to my fellows in the Black Tower.

So, Nyneave, how is it possible to do that snazzy siggy rotation thing? Figure I should put this and the Flame one in with my extra-snazzy Soldier Siggy.

Sounds like an issue with clearances or whatever they're called. Sounds like something you might want to talk to Arath about.

So, a cook-off, eh? Interesting. Any other suggestions? If not, all we need is approval from the staff to get this particular party started!

Also, here's a link to the Progress Report Board, minisamus. Feel free to create your own entry. *Sigh* I guess this means I'll have to update mine...

So, I'm relatively sure that most of us Soldiers need at least one more Free Roleplay to finish out that particular requirement. Some of us may need more. So, just seeing if the rest of you guys are interested in another Free Roleplay. If so, please feel free to post ideas here.

Let's get this Div active again!

Nanna tried to keep herself from bouncing on her toes the way she had when she had been impatient as a little girl. Light, what would the woman think if she saw an Accepted like this? Accepted were, after all, expected to behave more like Aes Sedai than Novices, and Aes Sedai most definitely did not bounce! With a noisy sigh and a frown, Nanna took herself in hand the same way she would have any woman, schooling herself to silence and stillness while she waited for Amadine Sedai to show up at the Infirmary.

Suddenly, as if simply by thinking of her Nanna had summoned her, Amadine rounded the corner. She smiled at Nanna, offering a greeting and asking after her health. As the graying woman was opening her mouth to reply though, the Aes Sedai swept past her and busied herself making a pot of tea, leaving Nanna curtsying to the empty air Amadine had recently occupied. Nanna smothered the customary frown that sprung up whenever she felt slighted and followed the other woman into the Infirmary.

"I'm feeling much better, Amadine Sedai. Yes, I slept well and ate well this morning." No need to tell the woman how well. The cooks had been as amazed as she had been when she had put away those honeycakes, not to mention those strings of sausage.

She looked around the Infirmary, finding it strangely empty. Had Amadine had it emptied for their lesson? No, of course not. That kind of thinking was pure foolishness. The Infirmary was there for the whole Tower, and an entire Ajah controlled it, not just one woman. If people had needed tending, then the Yellow Ajah would provide it, no matter who wanted to hold a class in the Infirmary. Well, that was the way it seemed it would be to her. Amadine made her way over to wear Nanna was standing, and the pair sat down at a rather small table, Nanna using a small stool. They sat for a moment, expectantly watching each other. Nanna almost jumped when she realized that the Aes Sedai was waiting for her to pour the tea!

"My apologies, Aes Sedai." Normally, it would have rankled her to have to say that while pouring the tea. She did it gladly this time thought, her normal irritation almost forgotten. This woman was going to teach her Healing, and she wasn't about to let that chance go just because she had to pour some tea.

Nanna nodded, almost impatiently, as Amadine explained about Andilay Root. She had had a few plants in her small garden at home. True, she had grown mostly cooking herbs there, but no woman would be foolish enough to go without at least a basic knowledge of herbs that could be used to help banish the aches and pains that went with living a hard-working life.

"Yes, I've used it a bit myself, Aes Sedai. A late night's work makes for a poor night's sleep. It always helps to have something to keep you going, especially when you have children that won't stop..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that she was speaking as though to a new friend or a distant relative. "Suffice to say that I've used it." She finished.

She took the offered book with a half-hearted promise to give it a thorough reading. On one hand, it would be good to know more about herbs, but on the other, she had never really overcome her impatience with reading. She had gotten the feeling that no matter how hard she practiced, she would never be as good at it as the girls who had grown up doing it.

The news that they were going to talk about herbs the whole lesson made Nanna deflate a bit. After all, she had been looking forward to Healing with the Power, not talking about the benefits of tinctures over teas. Still, at least she was learning from a Yellow, who knew more about Healing than any other Ajah. Maybe this would lead to what she wanted. She would just have to grit her teeth and be patient.

Baran nodded slowly as the Storm Leader, Skechid, he had said his name was, explained about the Power. The older man spoke about emptying yourself of emotion, of creating a Void by way of a Flame. Baran's first few attempts showed that it was easier said than done. For one thing, his mind kept wanting to wander, to think of other things than the Flame and Void. For another, when he finally did manage to keep his concentration he was unable to throw all of himself into the Flame. Fear, for one, was a rather difficult thing to manage. Fear of dying, fear of going mad from the first touch of Saidin, fear of becoming something other than what he was.

Then the man next to him burst into flame, screaming. It wasn't the death that bothered him. He had been in cave-ins before, had seen men crushed, screaming, by ton after ton of falling, merciless rock. That he had survived had been a miracle. He hoped it had been. Had he already Channeled? Was he mad already? Baran shook his head, closing his eyes and concentrating again. He pushed the thoughts away, the emotion that threatened to drive him mad faster than The One Power ever could. He was not selective this time. He didn't separate and examine the thoughts and emotions he was feeding into the Flame. He just threw the whole confusing pile away, allowing it to be consumed, leaving him blessedly empty.

The Void snapped into a sort of crystalline lens, then. Everything seemed clearer without the trouble of emotions cluttering his mind. They were still there, of course, but quieter, muted, as though they were coming to him through an invisible wall. He stood for a moment, reveling in the feeling. The sunlight from behind him felt warm, though it seemed to pass through his body and into his flesh. Wait, the sunlight? It was winter, and the sun hadn't felt nearly as warm as this. It had to be the power. Panic battered the walls of the Void, threatening to shatter the wall separating him from himself, yet connecting him with everything. What had Skechid said to do? Seize it. Hesitantly, Baran did so.

The Power filled him, trying to freeze his bones while it boiled his blood. The Taint was immediately apparent, he could feel it seeping into him, but it was like a dribble of swamp water in a thirsty man's cup. Saidin tried to scour him from the face of the earth, and he struggled to prevent it. It seemed a losing battle at first, but as he fought against it, the battle seemed to wake something in him. The same stubborn streak that had seen him through years toiling in the dark refused to let him die even in the face of one half of the Power that turned the Wheel of Time. He wrestled with the power, and in the struggle found himself. He was alive.

For a moment, Baran mastered the Power, and used the moment to force it away. He bent over, gasping in shock of what he had just felt. How long had he been touching the Power? Moments? Hours? He couldn't say. The only thing he was sure of was the Taint. He could still feel the last bits as they settled into the depths of his soul. Light, the vile stuff was inside him! He felt a vague urge to try to cut himself open to try and clean it away, but it was easily resisted. Instead, he followed his body's natural impulse.

He fell to his knees and vomited onto the ground in front of him, purging the morning's breakfast of raw mutton and bread. Eventually he was empty, but his body kept trying to push the Taint out of him, forcing pure bile out of him and onto the mess he was leaving in the grass.

When he was done, he wiped his mouth and stood, his face reddening. To show that kind of weakness in public was beyond humiliating. It would take years to reverse the damage he had just done to his reputation. Still, he had Seized Saidin and survived. That had to count for something.

Baran tramped out to the training fields with the rest of the Trainees, thankful for the thicker wool of his coat. The winter was proving to be colder than anything he could remember, despite the relative closeness of his home in Cairhien. He stamped his feet in his boots every few steps, trying to make sure that he would avoid losing a few toes to the cold, rather than the Taint. He had heard this was going to be the first Channeling class. Hopefully it would be. He was getting tired of eating cold food and raw meat. It would be good to get something warm on his stomach. That, and raw meat tasted terrible! He would rather his food be burned beyond recognition than raw.

They finally got there, slowly forming themselves into a ragged circle, shivering against the cold. The storm leader - at least that's what he hoped the lightning on the man's sleeves meant - in charge of the class chose to appear then, addressing them in a quiet voice that somehow managed to boom out across the yard, audible to anyone even close to the place. Probably something to do with the Power. He gave an impressive display with the Power and lectured them about it's more dangerous qualities. Baran nodded, resisting the urge to make it shorter, more curt. Even though he was as impatient as some of the more vocal recruits, he wasn't about to let it show. He would leave that to the Andormen and the rest of the recruits, who groaned at the mention of another run. Baran allowed himself a soft sigh at the prospect. The last one had hardly been enjoyable. Still, he was one of the first to start jogging towards the edge of the training yard. He would be burned if he was going to run extra laps!

The first few laps weren't as bad as he had expected. Baran hoped at first that all the running he had done had helped him build up enough stamina to make all thirty laps as easy as the first. No such luck, though. By the twentieth lap, he had started to drop away from the front of the pack, struggling to keep a steady pace. He was barely ahead of the last few recruits by the time the thirtieth lap came around.

He came to a stumbling stop back in the center of the yard. He leaned back and planted his hands on his hips, looking up at the gray sky as he exhaled, his breath coming in great, burning clouds of steam. He looked at the other recruits, most of whom were resting, trying to regain their strength. He recognized the one recruit he had met earlier, the boy Nandiel. Better to avoid him. No need to provide a distraction for anyone during the class. They would all need their concentration for what they would be doing. After all, the man had said Saidin was a dangerous tool.

*Is shoved inside, a sack tied over his head*

Wait, what? The hell is all this?

*The sack is ripped away*

Oh...

...

...

...

Great. Now I'll be expected to actually DO something around the Tower. *Sighs and pines for his days of carefree laziness.*

Kidding aside, thanks gang!

Let the cry ring out, NEWB TEAM, ASSEMBLE!!

*Attempts to prod the thread back on topic.* Talking about a possible Saidin learning thread here, guys...

Hmm, righto, then.

Here's how I would imagine the lesson would go down, then.

1. Soldiers gather near the Dedicate/Asha'man running the lesson in one of the training fields.

2. Soldiers are instructed in the fine art of Seizing Saidin, as well as learning to handle the stomach-turning effects of the Taint. (I can see a handful of Soldiers hurling all over the nice, clean, grass. lol)

3. Soldiers learn to recognize the difference between the Elements.

4. Asha'man/Dedicated declares the class over, possibly moves on to a Weapons Training Class. (In another thread of course.)

5. People consume biscuits and tea.

What do the rest of you think?

Nanna sniffed the offered cup suspiciously. Chamomile? She sniffed again, deciding that it was indeed Chamomile. She took a few quick sips of the still-hot liquid, then set the rest back down on the saucer that had come with the cup. Still a little too warm to drink. Better to let the rest cool off while she spoke with Amadine. The thought brought her back to the conversation at hand.

She nodded thoughtfully to what Amadine was saying, though she was still unsure of the meaning of a lot of the technical terms the other woman was using. Plaque? What was that? From the way Amadine used it, Nanna could understand that it was something bad, something that blocked up those things she had said before...arteries? Yes, arteries. When the Aes Sedai said something about this plaque stuff clotting, it made a lot more sense to her.

"Oh, like the way blood clots on an open wound?" She had seen more than enough scabs on skinned knees and gashed foreheads to understand the way blood formed a protective seal around small cuts and scrapes. It was the same way she had always understood, almost on an instinctive level, that larger wounds needed to be bandaged, too keep the blood inside. It was also the same reason she had always scoffed at people who had spoken of the beneficial powers of leeches. The thought of the small, slimy creatures turned her stomach. She shuddered, her face growing pale.

The news that she had almost died was disquieting, certainly, but she had already known that, expected it, even. She was getting to be of an age where many people died. The idea brought a brief, worried though of her husband. It was gone in a moment, thanks to the realization that she couldn't do anything even if she was still at home.

She was about to ask about the way the body normally disposed of waste, but Amadine suddenly asked her a question about wanting to learn to Heal. Nanna frowned for a moment. What kind of question was that? Of course she wanted to learn to Heal! She could keep people from dying if she could do that, she could make short work of the broken limbs and dangerous wounds that little children always seemed to manage to acquire. She nodded, her irritation making the nod more emphatic than it really needed to be.

Nanna tried not to think about how the thought of learning to Heal made her as impatient as a small child as she bolted down the rest of her tea and rushed from the room, back to her room in the Accepted's Quarters. She tried even more not to think about it when she arrived back at the Infirmary the next day, half an hour earlier than she normally would have woken.

I vote we figure out a reason to crash Arath's Saidin 101 class at the White Tower.

Just kidding, Arath. We wouldn't want to get jumped all over by crazed Aes Sedai.

Nanna was able to control her features as Amadine patted her arm and told her, essentially, that it would all be all right. It was interesting to hear that something had been wrong with her heart, though the words the Aes Sedai used to explain were unfamiliar to her. Still, as humiliating as it was to be called a child, it was even more humiliating to be treated like one!

Instead of speaking immediately, Nanna took another bite of the apple in her hand. No Aes Sedai she had met would brook much attitude from someone of lower rank, and anything that came out of her mouth would show her irritation. She chewed slowly, trying to concentrate on the taste to take her mind off the way Amadine was treating her. Nanna's stomach growled as she savored the flavor of the fruit, reminding her of it's emptiness. She was tempted to eat faster, but didn't want to run the risk of being treated even more like a child by the Aes Sedai watching her every move.

"Anything is better than mint, Amadine Sedai." Nanna finally said, managing something approaching a respectful tone. She yawned, surprising herself. She had just been sleeping! How could she already be growing tired? Her heart had been healed, and she was eating, so what reason could her body possibly have for sleeping? She opened her mouth to ask the question, but changed her mind before any sound came out. No need for Amadine to tell her to sleep so soon after waking.

"Amadine Sedai, what is an artery? And for that matter, how is it that it can be blocked? I thought Healing could only speed the body's natural healing process, so how was it that you were able to clear a blockage with it?" She had more questions, questions she had been waiting for an opportunity to ask a Yellow Sister when she had time, but her interrogation was interrupted by another yawn.

She opened her mouth again to ask more questions, changing her mind again as the rest of the apple caught her eye. She took another bite of the tasty red fruit and looked up at Amadine expectantly, chewing somewhat noisily.

I think Corlock and I are the only Soldiers at the moment. Getting any more Soldiers would be...difficult. Unless we all made even more Soldiers. Or maybe we could entice some WT folks to make some Soldiers.

So, how do you feel about a duo, Tai?

Word. Friggin' retro. Black Tower forever!

Just seeing if any of you Asha'man feel like running a Saidin 100 or 101 class for us lower level guys. So...any takers?

Nanna sipped at her wine for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of the sun as it warmed her graying hair. Three Novices at their leisure, and her with enough food to make a small feast for one person, or a simple meal for five. She could tell them to be on their way, send them scurrying off to do whatever tasks they were most likely shirking. If she were still a Novice and in a similar situation, she would probably expect that kind of treatment. She likely would have, too, if not for the youngest of them. Barely out of girlhood and already studying at the Tower? Poor thing. Hopefully she wouldn't be ready for her arches for years. Still, no reason she couldn't put the fear of the Light into them. She put on her most cantankerous face.

"You know, when I was a Novice, we didn't have time to lay about in gardens, telling stories. We barely had time to eat and sleep with all the work they had us doing, and we certainly didn't hide from any work that needed doing." Slowly, she let her face relax, softening into something approaching warm.

"I've always thought that sort of life too much for anyone, much less young women leaving home for the first time." Nanna twisted the basket around, offering it's contents up for eating. A few slices of bread and cheese were all she really needed, but she had brought a handful of wizened-looking apples as well. The wine sat in it's bottle in the corner of the basket.

"I wasn't expecting company, though. I only brought one cup."

She turned her gaze on the older of the two girls, the one who had spoken to her first. "As a matter of fact, the only plans I have for today is to eat this food and then maybe go into town for a little while, as long as a Sister doesn't grab me for extra work."

She looked at the youngest girl next, her smile growing a little more. Moura had looked to be about that age when she had sent her off to the Tower. "Yes, this is my free day as well, child." Finally she got a good look at the third Novice. Light, it was about time she ran into another woman in white that wasn't a Sister! "You're more than welcome to the food as well, if you're hungry."

Nanna leaned back a little and took bite of her bread and cheese, then sipped at her wine again. "And please, call me Nanna while we're in the garden. I would rather not have my picnic spoiled by you three looking nervous because you're afraid the Accepted will cut your freedom short."

Nanna frowned when she saw the Yellow Sister bending over her. Not at the woman standing above her, but at the foolish feeling of comfort that the woman made well up inside her. She was a woman, not some half-grown girl, clinging to her mother's skirts! She sighed, trying to calm herself. It never did anyone in recovery after being ill any good to get excited. Instead, she simply tried to calm herself. At least it was one of the Aes Sedai she could put a name to. It would have been even worse to be in the care of someone she couldn't even thank properly.

She had heard Amadine's name mentioned while attending a lecture on the Yellow Ajah. She had actually seen the woman while half-carrying a vomiting girl to the Infirmary. She obviously hadn't had time for Nanna then, she was still a Novice at the time, but she looked and sounded like an intelligent woman who knew enough about her job to do it well.

She took the tea with what she hoped was an appropriately thankful-looking grin. "I was just going to mention how empty I felt." She sipped the tea, doing her best to mask a grimace of distaste. Mint. Why did it seem every woman who enjoyed a cup of tea enjoyed it even more when there was mint involved? Amadine helped her drink, which just made it harder for Nanna to control the anger that threatened to well up in her again. Whatever had happened to her, she wasn't an invalid! She could feed herself without any help from a bloody nursemaid! The thought made her glance guiltily at Amadine. An Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah was no mere nurse, after all.

The woman helped her sit up in her bed, something for which Nanna was immensely grateful. It was good to be able to look around the room she was staying in, and the food that arrived a few moments later was much easier to eat while sitting up. She tore into the bread and cheese with wild abandon, slowing only after the loaf was decimated and she was half-way through devouring an apple.

"Nanna, you shouldn't eat so quickly."

Nanna looked down at the half-eaten fruit in her hand. She hadn't been fully aware of how fast she had been eating. She looked over at Amadine again, her confusion obvious on her face. "I'm sorry, Aes Sedai. I hadn't realized how hungry I was." She took another bite of the apple and chewed it slowly, thoughtfully. Light, it was so good! She couldn't remember an apple tasting as sweet as the one she was eating now.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but realized her mouth was still full. She took a moment to swallow before continuing. "Amadine Sedai, what happened to me? Could it spread to the other Accepted?" Her hand rose, unbidden, to cover her breast, feeling for a heartbeat.

OOC: Ack, almost forgot I'd committed to posting in this thread.

Nanna hustled down the hallways of the White Tower, adjusting her newly-earned Accepted's dress with one hand as she went. A small basket was clutched in the other hand, and the neck of a small bottle of wine peeked out from basket's corner. Her hair, for once not in it's normally severe bun, fluttered as she walked. She had heard tell of a small garden near the Red Quarters that wasn't often used. She had been waiting for days for the opportunity to visit it, and had made arrangements with the cooks to make a little extra food for herself. It had been so long since she had a picnic. True, she hadn't felt like going on one for some time, but the constant work she had to do made her want to do something with her free time.

She rounded yet another corner, barely noticing the Novices curtsying as she passed. A small part of her felt a bit on the smug side, but for the most part she remembered that she still had a long way to go before she reached Aes Sedai, remembered that she would still have to bow and scrape to other women for a little longer. What would she have to do to earn the Shawl? They said you had to memorize one-hundred weaves and perform them in sequence to pass the test, but there had to be more to it than that. She shuddered at the recent memory of her Arches and kept walking.

She stopped when she came to the garden. A small group of Novices were sitting there, enjoying their day. Novices! It seemed like every day she had been a Novice there had been some Aes Sedai breathing down her neck! How had these girls managed to escape? It was enough to make Nanna frown in disapproval. She was of half a mind to give them something to do, but then she realized that they would probably be just as able to tell and Aes Sedai that an Accepted was having a picnic.

Instead, Nanna walked over to the garden and sat her basket down. She looked over the Novices with a critical eye and slowly lowered herself onto the ground, careful of the grass, lest she stain her new dress. She removed a block of cheese and a freshly baked loaf of bread from the basket and began to cut them into pieces with a small knife she removed from her belt.

"A nice day to be out and about, isn't it?" She asked, sliding a small cup from the basket and filling it from her wine bottle.

Baran left Jholan and their new acquaintance, Nandiel, at the table. He followed the Asha'man out the door, among the first out the door. Behind him, Jholan squawked and almost fell out of his chair. "Hey, you can't leave me here! What about the food? What are we supposed to do with it?"

Baran peeked back through the doorway and shrugged apologetically. Jholan rolled his eyes and stood as well. "Well, I guess we've got to see what we he's got to say." Then he too went outside, stopping beside Baran while they listened to what the Asha'man was saying. Baran nodded slowly at the directions, doing his best to memorize the locations of the rest of the Tower. Jholan, however, was confused.

"You know, when they said we were going to the Black Tower, I had expected an actual Tower." He mumbled from Baran's side. "Maybe even a black one. That would have been a nice touch." He shifted his feet, plainly impatient to get on with whatever it was the Asha'man had in store for them.

Baran was surprised by the number of recruits who had brought things with them. Some even carried heavy bags with them as they walked off towards the Soldier's Barracks. Baran, for his part, had come with nothing besides the clothes on his back, and he had left those in Tear after he had been given his new uniform. He grimaced at the cold seeping into his feet from the frozen slush on the ground. No boots, however well made, were completely impervious to the elements.

They soon found themselves lined up behind other recruits. When his turn came, Baran stepped up. The Attack Leader asked his name, age, and place of birth.

"Baran Dholwin, 18, of Stone Downs, Cairhien, sir."

********

Running was not his strong suite. Why couldn't they have had them carry around rocks, or push and pull things around? He could do that!

Baran grimaced and gulped down another gasping breath. He could almost hear his father telling him that complaints were for the weak. A man persevered. A man took each step, no matter how much it hurt. He exhaled again, his breath turning into a cloud in front of him. At least it was cold outside. It would have been much, much worse if they were still in the middle of that almost endless summer.

With that in mind, he cast another jealous glance at Jholan, loping easily along far ahead. The man had so much energy it seemed unnatural. He wasn't about to let Jholan make a fool of him. Baran gritted his teeth and pounded onward, hoping they were at least close to wherever it was the Asha'man was going to let them stop.

Congrats, Key! Have fun running around in your snazzy new dresses!

Nanna's return to consciousness was a slow one. She was distantly aware of being warm, of smells not unlike what she remembered in her kitchen after collecting herbs from her garden. She heard people moving around, muted voices speaking close enough for her to hear them, if not make out what they were saying. She wondered what had happened to her. Her thoughts were fuzzed as though she had been drinking all night. Strangely though, she didn't have the headache that came with that much ale. She stirred, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

Her eyes finally fluttered open, squinting against the light that filled the room she was in. She looked down at the blankets covering her body. Well, that explained the warmth. She tried to sit up, but was surprised to find herself as weak as a newborn kitten. She flopped back down into the bed after only getting a few inches away from it. Her stomach grumbled, letting her know that it needed to be filled.

Light, woman! Only awake a few minutes and you're already hungry? The thought made her smile, reminding her of Sam. She turned her head from side to side, trying to see enough to understand where she was. It was a fairly simple room, with unremarkable furnishings aside from an astoundingly soft bed. She thought she had seen the like the last time she had been passing by the Infirmary. Was that where she was? She remembered a sharp pain in her chest, and falling in the hallway. That girl must have been smart enough to fetch one of the Yellows, then. She had been Healed, then.

She licked her lips, suddenly thirsty. She knew it was an irrational fear, especially considering her interest in the Yellow Ajah, but being healed by the Power still struck her as somewhat disturbing. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful, of course. It was more just an old childhood fear, one stubborn enough to hang on throughout her entire adult life.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Nanna called, starting to struggle to sit up again. There were things to be done, after all, and she was not about to be caught laying about this soon after being raised to the Accepted. What kind of example would that be to the Novices?

Nanna Tarquin tossed and turned in her sleep, mumbling incoherently as she suffered the depredations of some imaginary assailant. One particularly violent toss rolled her out of her bed. She fell to the floor, waking almost immediately. She blinked blearily, trying to understand how she had ended up on the floor in the middle of the night. She looked around. Must have been one of the girls, they loved playing tricks on the Old Novice. Then she remembered, she was an Accepted now. She had her own room, and much nicer things filled it. A decent bed, one she kept to herself, was one such perk. She stood and prepared to get back into it.

Suddenly, she felt an invisible hand take hold of her chest. She gasped at the sudden pain and fell forward, leaning against one of the beds posts for support. She placed her free hand against her breast and rubbed at the skin, trying to relax whatever muscle was causing her such pain. Then she realized what was happening. It was her heart. She stumbled for the door, the invisible hand that had taken hold of her chest starting to tighten it's grip. She wrestled the door open and stepped out into the hall.

"Help!"

Nanna was surprised at how soft her voice sounded, how distant. She shouted for help again, though it came out as more a whisper than anything else. She tried to take another step, but her foot didn't move forward to support her fast enough. She fell to her knees, trying to blink away the slow dimming of her vision, and failing. Terror raced through her at the thought of what was happening. Not of dying, she was far to old to be afraid of it anymore, but dying like this, on the ground, killed by her own body without even knowing why, not really.

One of the other Accepteds must have heard her, or heard her fall, because she poked her head out to see what was the matter. Nanna stretched out a hand and mouthed her plea for help before falling forward onto the ground. She was dimly aware of someone tugging at her to turn her over onto her back. As her consciousness started to fade, she was even more dimly aware of movement.

*Strides in dressed like the posterboy for apathetic depression (Dirty sweatpants and teashirt, long, unwashed hair, and a day-or-two 'o clock shadow).*

So, I heard there would be food? I brought beer...oh. This is one of THOSE parties. *Belches and wanders over to the tea pots* So...ya got any Earl Gray over there? Just call me Captain...*Looks around* Oh, maybe not the best audience for dirty jokes. Certain people might like them too much.

Also, Nanna *coughcoughACCEPTEDcough* is going to go Yellow as well. She's got the power levels to do pretty much any Healing required (And make giant tornadoes), so I figured I might as well have her go out for the extra AoL Healing Talent the WT has lying around. Maybe have her going around and studying burnt out men and women from both Towers, have her take a more scientific approach to learning the Talent, rather than having her just know it instinctively, like in the books. Although I've heard Nyneave already knows it, so maybe we could entice her back to the RP side...but figuring it out for herself would be so much cooler.

Aw, shucks, ya'll. *Toes the ground.*

Seriously though, thanks for the congrats.

Also, Phelix, Chikara. Newbie solidarity. *Offers fist bumps*

Still trying to figure out how we're going to reconcile the time travel issues between Nanna and the Traditionals, by the way. Should be hilarious. You guys have no idea how hard it was for me not to have Nanna talking about how "Talina was the Mistress of Novices, and who was this Valeri person anyway? She'd better not let Talina find her impersonating the Mistress of Novices!"