Sial stepped back when the three Novices swooped on her like flies toward newly dropped-well that wasnt important. The important thing was that she was now well and truely noticed and well and truely trapped. Buggery.

The blonde one holding a plate of cookies-Dre?-looked geniune enough. She certainly hadnt said anything outright to merit a smack on the nose. In a way, that was worse, because now Sial had no choice but to be polite back. She looked for a way out of the sitation and found no possible way that would not reflect badly on herself. Before she had found a suitable reply, the Domani had joined in, equally polite.

The Cairheinin woman was off-balance. She hadnt expected this. Her experience of other Novices and Accepted being actually friendly was limited to a select few, people like Tirzah and Salandrian. The tattooed one, however, did not join her companions in piping up invitations. Instead she looked uncomfortable and hid her tattoo, as if trying to do so by coincidence. That actually made Sial feel better, knowing she wasnt the only one uncomfortable. She opened her mouth to reply but another woman appeared.

“How about accepting them or not …don’t stand there like a silly bird.” That was whispered from a stupidly tall redheaded Accepted who swept off like a queen. Sial fought the urge to say 'takes one to know one'-she was 19, not 5. Rolling her eyes to herself, she took a cookie from the plate and looked at Dre, Kirsa and Melianna with one dark eyebrow very slightly raised and fighting a smile, though it was a smile at a private joke as opposed to a friendly grin. The Accepted had done her a favour; that sort of snubbing was what she had expected. Now, with someone to dislike, Sial grinned at the three Novices she was now standing with.

"Thanks. Nice to meet you. Whats your names?" Sial winced very slightly at her own accent. No matter how common you were in Cairhein, you still sounded well-spoken to the rest of the world and she hated the thought that someone might take her for a ponsy noble chit. Although whoever did would have to have bad vision; with her long dark hair escaping her plait in shaggy clumps and her Novice sleeves rolled up as far as she could push them Sial looked the very opposite of anything remotely sophisticated.

She noticed another Novice, a sickly looking creature who was none the less taller than her, enter and bob a respecfully submissive curtsy to the Aes Sedai. She then noticed that uppity-redhead-Accepted-girl was doing the same thing, although with less submission and more fawning. She looked at the three younger Novices. "Umm, excuse me a second, I think I should probably..."

Springing to her feet, Sial scurried over to the Aes Sedai with the tea in her usual skippety walk. With a perfectly straight face she made an appaulingly bad attempt at a cursty in the general direction of the Green Sister. "Thankyou for the invitation, Aes Sedai." It wasnt always a good idea to talk to Aes Sedai unless adressed-a certain Ava Sedai had taught Sial that particular lesson-but at the same time it would be rude not to say thankyou. Not that Sial was particularly well mannered but you would have to be a fool to do (or not do) anything that might angry a Sister, even if that Sister was serenely sipping tea. What if the invite was an accident?! With that though, she carefully retreated back to the other Novices. She had been respectful enough, surely.

Sial plonked herself on a chair next to Melianna and Dre. The choice of seat was not accidental, of course, but Sial hadnt really thought through exactly why that was the ideal place to sit. She grinned at them all, too, making her look less of her 19 years than ever. Sial was scruffy as opposed to ugly but her grin would never be called beautiful; she resembled a street urchin who had just swiped a merchants cake. That wasnt entirly far from the truth, either.

If Im going to talk to these lot, assuming they arent sending me up, I suppose I should make a good impression. Not be to bulshy or too boring. Urgh. But they could be friends, maybe. They dont seem so cliquey now.

"Why are you lot here then?" she asked rather casually. Brilliant. Making conversation and getting infomation. Nice one Sial. Just dont muck things up like you usually do.

Sound fun! I'll sign up with Sial then :D

So thats the way it is. Sial was tempted-dearly tempted-to turn heel and go back to her room. Maybe even to go and do more chores. Anything but spend an afternoon lurking in a room with three other giggling Novices and an Aes Sedai. In fact, if it wasnt for the Aes Sedai, shed be gone. Vamoosed. Instead, she lurked. Lurked and weighed up the other Novices.

The one they called Melianna was...odd. She was dark; dark eyes, dark hair, dark skin but not a dark personality from what Sials prying ears could make of it. The Cairheinin 19-year-old judged this Novice to be relatively new too; she was too unusual looking to have passed notice otherwise. Sial was rubbish at guessing nationalities but with this girl, she was pretty sure anyone would be stumped. Braids? And...is that a tattoo? Whoever she is, I bet shes younger than me. That irked. Sial had joined the Tower late in life, meeting the Novice age requirement by mere weeks, but she still felt irrationally irritated with younger Novices, especially those who were better at being Novices than she herself. The one they called Kirsa, unlike Melianna, Sial was certain was younger. And, unlike Melianna, the Cairheinin could have bet her horse that the Novice was a Domani. She was tall (compared to Sials 5'4'' at least) and she had the dark looks and offhanded grace that only a Domani could master.In comparison to her companions, the one they called Dre looked exceptionally pale. Blue eyes, blonde hair, light skin, she was the opposite to her dark skinned, dark haired companions in looks. Age wise, though, Sial put all three in the same bracket.

The Cairheinin fiddled with the end of her dark braid. They were a similar age, they were all sitting together. They were a clique already in the white-dressed womans eyes. Pah. I dont need them. Who wants to chat with a bunch of bleeding kids bleeting? If it wasnt for that Aes Sedai Id be gone. I knew I shouldnt have bloody turned up... Still, Sial was irked. As much as she prided herself on independance, it was always good to have backup. The other three girls had done nothing to her but already she was waiting for sniggered taunts or catty remarks or whispering. Already she was planning her reactions. You didnt meddle in merchant politics without getting at least a slight understanding for the importance of planning and Sial had meddled at home in Maerone at a commendable degree for a woman not even twenty.

It occoured to her that the simplest escape route was to acknowledge the Aes Sedai, hand over the invite, the scarper, but pride got in the way. Im not going to let them think they intimidate me, them or the Sister. Besides, my curtsy...no, Im better off hovering here. At least until I know more about what this is about. That seemed like a logical descision with minimum bad consequences so the smoky eyed woman stayed put, pushing back her white Novice sleeves out of habit and fighting a scowl. Bloody cliquish little girls. Bloody Aes Sedai. Bloody...party with its stupid...tapestries. Yes. Stupid bloody tapestries and stupid bloody food...oh, Light, Im bloody hungry! Maybe I can get a few of those squishy cookies before I get out of here...

Sial Daemoa

Short, suspicous and slightly starving

Sial Daemoa woke up. Barely. She was not a morning person. In fact, she wasnt a waking up person in general. Six months at the White Tower had not changed her that much. Clawing herself out of her narrow bed, she stood shivering in her room, her shift twisted and her elbow-length dark hair touseled and rough. Its a bloody good job I dont have a roommate-the poor woman would get a shock waking up to me looking like the Dark Ones regurgitated breakfast... She spashed herself with the cold water from a jug on the table and dressed quickly into clean Novice white. By the time she left her room she was clean and tidy, hair neatly tamed into a long plait and her dress crease free. Her bed was made and her tiny fireplace had a little stack of wood ready fro lighting in the grate. She even managed a semblence of awake. That lasted a whole of 10 minutes-better than usual-until she went to scratch her ear with nails black from fiddling with the firegrate and left fingerprints of coaldust on her collarbone, whereapon she was forced to rush back to her room to wash again, gallop around the kitchens on Aes Sedai breakfast waitress duty, then sprint to a history lesson with her mentor, Lillian, without time for breakfast herself.

For Sial, this was a usual, everyday occourance. What wasnt everyday was that when she returned early from her lesson and went to her room, she noticed an envelope half stuffed under her door with a shoeprint on. The shoeprint was her own, she soon realised, and opened the note with curiosity. An invite? To a tea party?! This has to be a bloody joke...since when do Aes Sedai throw tea parties for Novices? Its either someone playing a prank or setting me up...but what if its genuine? The 19 year old cairheinin could quite easily have pondered over the matter for a long time, and perhaps if she had she would have gone to see one or two of the few allies she had amongst the Novices to see if they had an invite too, but she realised the time. "The wheel waits for no woman," she mocked herself out loud as she stuffed the invite into her pocket and headed off to the Green Quarters. I swear, if this is a trick so someone can dump a basket of bleeding eggs on my head or something, Ill bloody well-

Scowling to herself and muttering under her breath, the little darkeyed woman strode along the Tower corridors to the Green Quarters, thinking up the worst, most humiliating scenarios possible that could be about to occour. Not only was she cairheinin with a past history of dabbling in merchants Daes Dae'mar but she also possessed a strong imagination that meant her scenarios ranged from some other uppity Novice trying to improve their social status by setting her up to the Amyrlyn herself inventing this as an elabourate plot to weed out the weak. Sial continued in this vain, getting more and more complicated. That is, she did right up until she reached her destination.

Sial had visited the green quarters before. You didnt go half a year in the Tower without trotting around all the Ajah Quarters at least occasionally. The Green Quarters were never dull. Today, however, someone had gone all out with the cleaning. The hallways positively sparkled. It was the Green Hall that stopped the Novice short, however, and not just because of the magnificent decorating. There was food! Almost as if there genuinely was a tea party...

She hadnt been prepared for this. She hadnt been expecting to find exactly what the invite said. The fact that the invite was blunt truth unnerved her more than if she had found someone with a slingshot shouting 'surprise!' Aes Sedai...blood and ashes, there has to be an ulterior motive...

Sial shuffled as noncholently as she could manage into the Green Ajah Hall, one hand uncoinciously twiddling the end of her now-scruffy plait. Theres a bleeding Aes Sedai with a cup of tea and everything! She fought the inclination to flee. Perhaps that was due to common sence; you couldnt show up in a room with a Sister in and then run like the Forsaken were chasing you. Or perhaps it was due to that intreguing smell of mint and biscuits...

Sial Daemoa

Suspicious Novice

(OOC: Hope you dont mind me joining in!)

It was only her Cairheinin heritage that stopped white-dressed Sial from spluttering. Another letter and to Lillian Sedai?! They've sent me in a bloody circle! But perhaps I can get back to that history-whats the connection between this lot? Apart from that they all like sending me running around with letters?

Sial took one last look at the room for last hints before taking the letter from the Aes Sedai. "Yes, Rossa Sedai." She caught her hand on the way to put the end of her plait between her teeth and stopped it, brushing back wisps of stray dark hair from her face, then remembered to curtsy. The curtsy was, if possible, even worse than the one she had made moments before. Steeplejack daughters were not meant to curtsy, not this one anyway. What use is flouncing your skirts in the real world? The little woman trotted to the door with the new letter in one hand before curstying again. Then she fled from the room and almost sprinted up the corridor.

Sials speed did not last long. It was surprisingly tiring galloping all over the White Tower all at once. Besides, on the way to Arette Sedais, she had fell over and she didnt fancy a repeat of that. Not that she could imagine Lillian patching her scuffy clothes. The thought occoured to her that maybe she looked scruffy despite that, so she stopped at a window and peeked at her reflection.

A short and curvy girl started back at her but Sial did not bother noticing the faint freckles on her nose or that her cheeks were rosy from running or that the hint of olivegold tan that had once glowed on her skin was fading, even after mere months, leaving her stereotypically pale. Instead she noticed how shaggy her plait had gotten, not that that was unusual, and that the glowing white that Arette had made her dress was slowly getting smudged and creased. Ah well. Cant be helped. Lillian Sedai wont care anyway. I dont need to be bloody dressed up to read merchant reports!

She picked up a slow jog. Undignified, perhaps, but she wanted to get rid of the letter. The movement became mechanic as her mind wandered. They arent even of the same Ajah. What links them? Its not the same nationality either. In fact, the only bloody link is that they are all Aes Sedai She slid to a halt outside the room she had started in, panting very slighty, and knocked on the door.

Sial Daemoa

Carrier pigeon extrodinairre!

Sial opened and shut her mouth a few times but no words came out. She had time to share a bewildered and distictly alarmed look with Tirzah before the Mistress of Novices started talking, and if the Cairheinin had felt wrongfooted before, now she felt like someone had cut her legs off at the knee without her noticing. How in the name of the Dark One does she know my name?! Ive never had anything t do with..oh, but I suppose the Mistress of Novices has to learn names...but even so! Bloody bleeding woman! And whats with the pipe?

It rankled that she had the nerve to call the plan crude. Sial, personally, thought the plan was rather ingenious. Or it had been until they were caught. Well, maybe. It also rankled that the woman left off before Sial had even had the chance to lie. She had had it all worked out too, and various different scenarios ranging from setting up another Novice to claiming the chickens were in the halls and the clucking had woken her up and then Tirzah had been woken up too and they had chased the birds all over the Tower then finally bribed them in here which was why the corn was everywhere...

Maybe that wasnt so believable, especially with Darienna having heard some of their comments. But even so!

Sial looked rather hopelessly at Tirzah, noticing that her friend looked distinctly chickened in the new light. What do we do now? Do you think we could do a runner before she gets back? Looking down at herself, the 19 year old noted that she looked worse for wear too. She also found herself remembering, now that there was work to do, how tired she was and that it was the dead of night. Sial didnt know quite how to react.

What she did was laugh. It was probably inappropriate and distinctly hysterical but Sial had always been a nervous laugher as opposed to sobbing under stress. She looked at Tirzah and laughered harder. Blood and ashes, we are so dead Tirzah. Better kiss your buttocks goodbye, because when she gets back I doubt either of us will be sitting down for a long time...

Sial Daemoa

Starting to Scheme

Sial was oblivious to Tirzahs block but she couldnt miss the matches. Surely she isnt scared to channel without an Aes Sedai? Ive done it loads of times and not got caught and besides, we'll be in enough bloody trouble as it!Whats the point fussing over little things like splashing the Power around? Its not like shes a coward, is it? Although maybe she thinks we've pushed our luck enough without getting channeling involved... The Novice pushed one sleeve further up her arm as she opened the chicken bags and the birds flapped free in a flurry of feathers. Dumping one still-closed grain bag on the floor by what looked like a desk in the gloom, Sial turned to Tirzah with the other.

"I dunno. Wonder what the others are doing? They cant be doing anything like this though, not unless theyve taken a bloody dairy into the Amyrlyns office or something-Hey, thats an idea! Does the White Tower have cows?" She grinned. She had meant that bit as a joke. Playing a prank on the Mistress of Novices was one thing. Filling the most feared woman in the worlds office with cowpats was a step too far...for tongiht, anyway.

Sial held one bag of corn to her accomplice. "Here! I'll swap you this for a match or two. Where did you get them? If we get caught, at least it wont be for channeling. The best pranks dont need saidar." She sounded amused and more confident than she was. In reality, she was decidedly glad at the matches. She had channeled illegally in her room often enough without being caught but practicing tame tricks like lighting candles in the night alone in her room was a league apart from bouncing lightglobes around an Aes Sedai's office (as anyone who had ever accidently collapsed an Earth weave in the dead of night by mistake could testify). Not only that but the Cairheinins attitude to her control of the Power was pessemistic even now, after weeks and an actual degress of control. As far as she was concerned, any day now someone was going to realise that her ability with saidar matched that of a particularly second rate teapot and say Eqwina Sedai had made a mistake in bringing her here and send her packing. She had not yet even considered what she would do if she ever became Aes Sedai, or even Accepted, so openly channeling was not high on her to-do list.

Taking a lit match from Tirzah, Sial picked up the other corn back and split the rpoe by fraying it with a match. She burned her knuckle in the process. Dropping the burned out match and stamping it under her shoe, she absently put her knuckle in her mouth. You didnt spend years poking around chimneys without getting at least mildly acustomed to burns and bashes so Sial started sprinkling corn without delay.

The disgruntled chickens perked up immediatly at the rattle of corn. Under the faint glow of Tirzahs matches, Sial could make out the feathery shadows flapping and squabbling. She took handfuls of corn and threw it randomly into the gloom, to the delight of the chickens and the disgust of the furnishings. One said furnishing, a chair, got its vengance when she fell over it in the gloom. "Buggery! Who put that here?" She got up, rubbing her shin and looked at Tirzah. In some ways, the matches made the dark seem darker and coloured flecks floated at the corners of her vision as she carried on throwing corn liberally around the room. Sial snorted with surpressed, slightly hysterical laughter. "Imagine waking up to this lot. I hope the Mistress of Novices was raised on a farm. We'll have done her a favour and made her office feel like home."

Sial Daemoa

Sial hovered between relief and awkwardess. This was Rossa Sedai? She felt a fool for having to ask and revieling, simply by that that she was a relatively new Novice. Or does it? I bet other longterm Novices dont know everyone in the Tower Still, the 19 year old Cairheinin resolved to try to find out the exact name, ajah and location of every Aes Sedai in the tower at some pointeven as she stepped forward to the desk.

'Vera Sedai asked me to bring you this letter' Sial said in her precise accent. She couldnt help her eyes flickering around the room. She was intregued as to what Lillian, Rossa, Vera and Arette possibly could have linking them and every little detail helped. Not that there were many details about Rossas room that shouted a particular link. It was the usual thing. Not as personalised as Veras perhaps, nor as obviously official as Arettes but still the typical Aes Sedai room, with essential and luxuries. The table, for example, was good quality to Sials eye but she doubted it would look right in a palace. An inn, maybe one like the Dancing Bear at home in Maerone, but certainly not a palace. 

The dark haired Novice held out the letter to the Aes Sedai solemnly.

“Trust the bloody Mistress of Novices to leave her office in the splendid dark. I bet she’s tossing in her bed as we speak.” Tirzahs whisper seemed magnified to Sial, in the silent gloom of the office. Perhaps it was the darkness, but how could darkness affect a sound? Even the chickens seemed to find the otherwise silent room oppressive; bundled into sacks as they were, they were now quiet, clucking softly at eachother only occasionally.

Sial had never been to the Mistress of Novices office as far as she could recall. Perhaps the silence and the dark and the impending reality should have sobered her thoughts and made her back out. Tirzah, however, sounded perfectly everyday and, along with the general insane sense of hilarity, backing out was the last thing on the Cairheinins mind. “How do you want to go about this? Simply…leave them where they feel most at home? Do you think one of us should channel a small ball of light to make things easier?”

Sial fought a giggle with some effort and put down the sacks she was carrying. Corn spilled out of one in the darkness and a chicken gave a hopeful cluck from inside one of the tied bags. "You fix the lights, I'll let our feathered friends out to play" she grinned with a silent laugh, and went to free the chickens. It took her several attempts to suceed and not just because of the dark; concentration wasnt easy when you were on the verge of cackling like a fishwife full of ale.

Sial Daemoa

Novice with Chickens

(OOC: Sorry about the lateness of this reply!)

Sial had put the letter behind her back out of habit, as if to hide her purpose, but now she thought twice as she looked at the dark haired woman. She might be Rossa. And if she isnt, whats it to me if some Blue knows Rossa has a letter? Its not like Im planning to bloody read it out... Still, she kept the letter nondesriptly at her side as she hovered in the doorway for a moment, then went over to the Aes Sedai.

"Sorry to inturrupt, Aes Sedai, but Ive been sent to find Rossa Sedai and I dont know where she lives. I wouldnt have knocked but no one else is around to ask." That was suitably diffident, surely? Sial tried not to figit. Wether or not this was Rossa did not matter if the Aes Sedai decided she was too forward and needed punishing. Sial tried to look around the room and keep an eye on the other woman all at once as she stood waiting to see what the other woman said.

Sial Daemoa

Slightly Lost

(OOC: Im really sorry for the delay in replying, Winter Mist! I had an internet access issue :-\)

"Of course, dear," Sial said mockingly with a grin. The two Novices were already on good enough terms to poke fun at eachother without worrying about causing offence but, then, they had been from the start. "The quicker we can put down these bloody chickens the bet-ow! One of these trolloc-kissing little buggers just pecked me!" She shifted the burlap sack containing several fidgiting chickens and readjusted her grip on the sack still full of corn. "Keep your beak to yourself!" She said over her shoulder at the bird filled sack, then turned her attention back to Tirzah. "You'll say nothing of the sort. If we get caught, I'll get walloped regardless of wether you bullied me or not, thought I doubt she'd believe you anyway. In fact, she'd probably think I bullied you into saying you bullied me. But maybe thats too simple...perhaps she'll think I manipulated you into thinking I was bullying you into saying you bullyied me or maybe that you knew a confession would be to simple and so was going for a confession that she wouldnt belive because it was too simple-"

If nothing else, the fact that she could think up such an elabourate network of schemes while dragging sacks of chickens and corn in the dead of night with someone she had just met betrayed Sials origins. "If we get caught, at least it will be for a bloody good prank!" They appraoched the corridor of the Mistress of Novices office-not a moment too soon, Sials aching arms said loudly. She grinned at the other woman and winked. They were too close to be chatting now. Sign language was not noisy though. "After you" she mouthed with a grin, gesturing at the door.

Sial Daemoa

Naughty Novice

Ooh, seafolk! *starts plotting*

Darienna...oh, blood and ashes! She cant be serious! But Tirzah apparently was serious and Sial had no intention of suggesting otherwise. It was becoming more and more obvious that they would be caught. Well, if that was going to be the case whatever they did (after all, even breaking curfew was punishable) why not do it in style?

Sial applauded Tirzahs unexpected chicken wrestling. The other Novice was on the floor, cradling a most surprised bird that was making dwindling noises of protest."That was brilliant! Are you a professional chicken catcher?" She giggled and looked around. Or tried to. It was stupidly dark. Apparently chickens did not have their own candles. She didnt know exactly why that surprised her but, illogically, it did. Bloody idiot, how would a bloody chicken light a candle?

In the little light that there was, Sials slowly adjusting dark eyes picked out a shadow in the corner. For a moment she froze, but after realising that it was not a living shadow, she picked her way over to it and gave it a poke. Burlap. A pile of burlap sacks full of something. She kicked one experimentally and a noise like dried peas rattling came from the sack as it slumped heavily to the floor. She frowned, not that you could tell in the dark, and hissed to the other woman."Tirzah! Oi! Over here! I think we might have something..."

Squatting, the Cairheinin fumbled for her belt pouch, or more specifically for the little folding knife that it carried. It was sharp-ish-and she flicked it open with a thumbnail before jabbing the sack and catching the slow trickle of contents that dribbled out into her palm.

Corn. Lots and lots of dried corn kernels.

Sials devious little mind was way ahead of her voice. Use the corn to keep chickens occupied, tackle them into sacks, take them to Dariennas study with some corn, schuck corn everywhere, let the chooks free! She giggled and stood up, sprinkling her handful into a mass of shocked chickens. "Look, we can give our new feathered friends a little party!" Her giggle was a bit more wicked than was probably proper.

Sial

Aqquaintence to a chicken catcher ;D

Sial was still looking around the room when the Aes Sedai finished her reading.  “Thank you for this letter, Sial, you’ve been a speedy messenger. I need you to do the same for me, though.” That bought the Novice back to the present with a bump. Another letter? Why cant these women meet up and talk face to face like the rest of the bloody world? Still, it could have been worse. At least Vera Sedai seemed pleasent enough without being lenient. And letter running, irritating though it was, was easier than scrubbing pots, even if it didnt have the entertainment value that reading about Merchant Daes Dae'mar did.

So Sial waited with as much patience as she could muster and practiced keeping her expression neautral. And looked around the room some more while the Aes Sedai finished writing.  “This letter is for Rossa Venye, of the Blue Ajah. Please make sure that she is given this quickly Sial, it is important. Thank you, I am grateful for your help. Now go, please. If you need any help in the future yourself, be sure to visit. I will do what I can.”

The Aes Sedai wasnt a bad old stick, really, Sial decided as she took yet another letter into her fist. In fact, Aes Sedai in general were perhaps not as evil as some stories made out. Lillian Sedai gave her a fun chore, Arette Sedai had cleaned her dress and not sent her for a beating and now Vera Sedai was politely thanking her and offering help. "Yes, Vera Sedai. Thankyou." She curtsied again, again suceeding in no grace whatsoever, and trotted out of the room with letter in hand.

The Blue Quarters. Righteo. Thats...this way, isnt it? The Cairheinin did not slow her trot. Vera had said quickly, so quickly it would be. Besides, the quicker she got there, the quicker she would be done and she could go back to studying. Then again...

Thats Lillian, Arette and Vera and now Rossa, whoever that is...what have those lot got in common? She pondered as she walked. Well, skipped was closer to accurate. This was a real life puzzle and she liked this sort of thing. She arrived at the Blue Quarters and scurried inside. Whoever Rossa was, she would be bound to find her room eventually...

The corridors were empty. Sial hesitantly knocked on the first door she came to, her free hand fiddling with her end of her dark plait. If its Rossa, Ive found her. If its not, I can ask for directions...surely there is no harm in asking...

Sial followed Salandrian without a pause. Running looked suspicious, but then, there was a very good reason why they looked suspicious. Besides, Salandrian had very neatly explained why they were running. The other woman was obviously not daft. Any second now, the Mistress of the Kitchens would smell a rat (or possibly a soapy pig) and quick witted or not, there would be no getting out of that.

So Sial galloped. It was impressive, really, that she did not slip over again but they had managed to mop up some soap at least. "Nice one," she muttered at Salandrian with a grin as they fled. "Lets just hope the old goat doesnt bloody think to talk to Estel Sedai!"

Sial had grinned rather wickedly at the shadow that was, from the clucking, the chicken shed and let her friend lead her in. She was more caught up in this than she had intended to be but if you were going to get in trouble, why not do it in style? It wasnt just that though. It was nice to be doing something that wasnt technically legal with an ally. It reminded her of swiping apples with her brother and their urchin friends as a child. Except instead of apples, it was live chickens, and instead of urchins, it was her tomboyish new friend.

"I think you might be right. Its ideal!" she whispered to Tirzah, trying not to giggle. "Now how are we going to get the buggering chickens to...to...wherever we are letting them loose? Did that woman-Saline?-did her story involve shutting up chickens without wringing their necks?" She shifted her shoes on the straw. It was decidedly squishy and distinctly fragrent. Maybe a source of another prank...but there was no way she would be hefting chicken dung into the White Tower. Not tonight, anyway. Not when the chickens could make some more once they let them loose. "Tirzah? Where shall we let our poor feathered prisoners free? It probably should be a room somewhere, theres sometimes cats in the corridors and they wont like that." She giggled very quietly. "Can you think of anyone who might like waking up to fresh eggs?"

She crouched very slightly, reaching toward a chicken. "Here, chook, chook, chook..."

Sial Daemoa

Cleaning the floor had been a good scheme, in Sials opinion. It had been a good scheme, that was, until the Mistress of the Kitchens had made an apperance. In fairness, Sial was impressed at how quickly Salandrian had answered; quick enough to be prompt without sounding overguilty. She herself had been busy attempting to think up a good lie, so her new aqquaintances quick truth-telling was a relief.

A relief, that was, until Salandrian had begun to elabourate. There was no way Sial could have stopped the words coming out of the other Novices mouth, though she pinched her in an attempt to signal that the boar was not to be mentioned. Not that it was a bad lie.  It was a good lie, with enough truth to not be exactly a lie and enough to make any expressions more believable. Oh, Salandrian! Why oh why did you have to mention the bloody boar?

NO!!! My...boar! You two! roared the Mistress of the Kitchens. Sial suddenly felt very vunrable kneeling on a slippery floor with a rag in her hands. She had no doubt that the woman could smack the both of them around the kitchen. That would be...bad. Though the rag did come in handy for warding off the saliva that flew from the plump womans mouth: it was unpleasently like being caught in the rain.

The cairheinin woman thought quickly. Very quickly. The Mistress had not started yelling because she had tasted the stray soap suds. At least their real crime, accidental though it was, was hidden. On the other hand, if the fat woman flipped out over glaze dripping off the pig, what would she do when she realised that the whole thing tasted of Essence Da Soap? They were in trouble now-they would be in hot water if the truth came out, and possibly not only methaphrically; the Mistress of the Kicthens had several pots big enough to stew a few stray Novices. Sial wasnt sure she would put it past her, either.

Sial stood up, stopping short of dragging Saladrian to her feet too, and curtsied. Poorly. She really couldnt get the hang of curtsying, but that was the least of her worries. Salandrian had been doing well with the story (until she drew attention to the boar) so there was no reason not to carry her story on. Then escape. Quickly.

"Yes, we were mopping up glaze from the floor-probably dropped by Judei, shes clumsy like that-" Oh, Light, there better not be a Novice called Judei or shes going to bloody hurt me "-but we were actually going to a Saidar lesson in the um, library now as we have finished our kitchen chore, right Salandrian?" Sial spoke briskly, carefully backing away from the Mistress of the Kitchens. If their story didnt work, at least it was a distraction. Maybe they would have longer to run. She looked at her new friend, though she doubted that Saladrian wouldnt have caught on, and inclined her head a tiny fraction toward the exit while attempting to curtsy again.

“I should add that I wouldn't be too cross if a little cake didn't make it all the way up here, if you understand what I mean... off with you, now!”

Sial was a little bemused as she passed the stack of books to Raeyn Sedai. She knew what the woman meant all right, but what was she playing at? The Novice had been bought up in a country where hints and insinuation were as good as straight out bluntness but such a hint from a Sister? The woman had as good as told her to steal cake. Not that she probably wouldnt have anyway but this puzzled her considerably.

Nethertheless, whatever the Brown was playing at, Sial was not about to drop a cake oppertunity. Aes Sedai could not, after all, lie, so Raeyn at least would not get her in trouble for being a cake theif...or would she? Aes Sedai told the truth but not always the truth you thought you heard and the woman had not said 'Sial, sweetie, have some cake and you will not get in trouble', just that she wouldnt be too cross...maybe 'not too cross' would get her in trouble out of some sort of Brownish lesson? Of course, assuming there was no politics behind it (a foriegn and strange suggestion) then the Aes Sedai must just be kindly and, assuming that unlikly possibility was the case, Sial was grateful for the option of cake.

Glad to get away from the bizzare Brown and a disgruntled Lavender-dress (Eva, Ava, whatever her name was) the Cairheinin bounded down the corridor with her usual skippy walk toward the kitchens. There was no point in bothering a cook, she decided. It was easier and quicker to take what she needed, something that she did. Despite her distinct resentment to Ava and her suspicion of Raeyns motives, the dark haired woman took special care over the tray. There was a hot pot of water, as she didnt want the tea to stew, and several different options for leaves on a saucer. In a moment of cheekiness, she even added the tealeaves that allowed preganancy to be avoided. Ha. I wonder if that will offend them. There was a dish of sugar and some honey in a tiny bowl. Looking around the kitchen, Sials sooty dark eyes latched onto cakes. Many cakes. May as well take a bit of everything...who knows what bloody Aes Sedai expe-ooh! Is that a cookie? Better add some of them for good measure... Once she was finsihed, the Novice had succeeded in loading the tray with enough selection to put a bakery to shame.

Stuffing a few biscuits and a slice of what appeared to be cherry cake into her belt pouch, Sial picked up the tray. Then put it down very quickly. Blood and ashes, whod have thought cake could weight such a trollocing lot?! She picked it up again, more warily this time, and walked very carefully to Raeyns dwelling. She was quite pleased with herself for making it such a long way without upsetting the water or dropping anything, although her shoulders did complain at the weight. The problem came when she reached the door. How in the Light do I knock? If I put the tray down, I'll spill stuff but I cant knock with my hands full...

With the hooliganistic balance of someone who climbed, Sial balanced on one leg and used the other to drum against the door. It made a satisfying knock and she managed to keep the tray straight. “Come in, child!" Raeyn Sedai called. Sial opened the door with an elbow and walked carefully over to the table that the smiling Brown indicated. What is she beaming about? I wouldnt be smiling if I was stuck on my own with Lavender-dress looking that irked. Browns really are nutty.  I should have bought her the almond cake.

Setting down the tray, Sial bobbed a very bad curtsy to both Sisters. She just couldnt seem to get the hang of this flouncing arounf with your skirts lark. Which was when she noticed the black smudges on either side of her Novice whites...

As noncholently and possible, she shifted her dark eyed gaze to her hands. Her fingertips were smudged with ink from writing earlier with the quill. Which meant-

Oh, Light, no! She looked out of the corner of her eye to the teatray. Everything was perfect. Everything, that was, apart from the rim of ink around the edge of the teacups. Had Sial been watching events featuring another Novice, she would have laughed at the potential for a prank and perhaps suggested handing the inkiest teacup to Lavender-dress. As the Novice was her, however, she wanted to scream and the best suggestion she could think of for herself was to run, far away, and live in the woods for the next Age or so.

Thinking quickly, Sial made a plan. She had a feeling Ava would shoot her down for speaking out of turn but better a reprind than a punishment for a horrible, horrible accident. "Ava Sedai, Raeyn Sedai, would you like me to pour the tea?" She curtsied again, eyes on the floor. She didnt trust herself to catch either Aes Sedais eye.

Sial Daemoa

Unfortunatly untidy Novice

This is utter madness...

So thought Sial Daemoa as she and her new aqquaintance Tirzah swept out of the Blue Quarters. She had been mildly surprised that the other woman knew Rorys Accepted friend, the one that had added to their plan before skidaddling, but hadnt had a chance to question it as everyone had begun to leave. It was never a good idea to openly question someone you didnt know very well, from Sials experience, but then her experience with other people was based on home. This was not Maerone and Tirzah was definatly not Cairheinin.

Cairheinin or not, it was nice to have the other woman there. Sial was too independant to get lonely often but she had felt the nagging for company under her suspicion for the other Novices. Up until now. She had an ally! She could have skipped. Not just because Tirzah seemed so geniune but because it was a bit like having her uncles around. Sial knew that was a bizzare comparison for someone she had only just met but it was the closest thing she could think of that covered Tirzahs general air of bold good-naturedness.

The dark haired Novice let her short-maned friend lead the way. She had no idea where the sheds the Accepted had spoken of were. She didnt know where exactly they could free these chickens either but she had thought of the chooks-location could be Tirzahs choice. Something she decided to voice once they had seperated from the main stream of pranksters.

"Tirzah? Do you have a location in mind for operation chicken?" She didnt realise that she had taken on the other girls military phrasings, but even if she had, she probably would have said the same. Forplanned or not, they were part of this scheme now and the scheme was as good as a war on serenity.

Sial was more than slightly surprised that her new companion knew who the Aes Sedai was. Estel Sedai? That sounds familiar too. Same way that Rory sounds familiar. Perhaps they are related or someone else was talking about them. Hwatever the case, she filed the Aes Sedais name-and her involvement in the scheme-in the back of her mind just in case. She filed what Tirzah had said too. So she was new, was she? That was interesting. But then, it depended what you classed 'new' as.

"Would you mind working with me tonight? No? Great, I think we’ll get on beautifully. Just beautifully. Where to first, partner in crime? I've something in mind, but you look like the kind of person who'd be pretty good with them idea type things yourself.”

Tirzah sounded, to Sial, like someone who had been rejected too many times. It reminded her of when one of her uncles was chasing a local kitchen maid who wasnt interested, a few years back. He had swept her along in conversation rather than giving her a chance to tell him to get lost. The Cairheinin Novice was no kitchenmaid (not anymore anyway; she had been rubbish at that) but it was the same speedy type of conversation. Perhaps Tirzah doesnt know anyone here either, not the Novices anyway, if shes new.

"An alliance it is then," Sial said with a slight chuckle in her voice.

She pushed a stray clump of shiny dark hair that had escaped its plait back from her face. Tirzahs complimetn had not gone unnoticed either. You didnt spend time with merchants and not notice these things. I need to think of something really...good... An idea hit her. She had, after all, been out tonight to steal a live chicken from the kitchens as a pet anyway. She had just got sidetracked. Why not go the whole hog?

"How does letting some stolen chickens free somewhere strike you?" she asked, quite quietly. No point in announcing your plans to the whole bloody room.

Sial came close to joining the other Novice on the floor again but instead managed to help the other woman up with at least a shred of decourum. She was mildly surprised at how well the other woman was holding up, actually. If she had fallen on her backside, she probably would have died in embaressment. Still, she suspiciously suspected that had it been her on her behind someone would be laughing at her.

Perhaps she was too suspicious for her own good.

Sial was then bombarded by words.  "Well, shall we clean this mess up?" What's your name? I am Salandrian Faerhind of Ebou Dar." Sial blinked. She was rather taken aback. She had heard of people who told pefect strangers personal infomation as a matter of daily course, had even overheard some, but it was a bit different when someone you didnt know told you their full name and origin in the dame sentance within seconds of meeting you. Perhaps her bewilderment communicated itself, as Salandrian continued,  "Sorry. I usually ask to many questions. What is your name?"

"Im Sial," the Novice of that name replied in her precice accent. "And I agree-lets clean up quick! Though you might be a bit beyond quick. Perhaps you should stand near the oven or something and dry off a bit. Or by the spitroast, though I dont advise it..." she lowered her voice. "Not unless you want to be accosiated with the soap all over it. Lets clean up and get to the other side of the kitchen before someone eats it and realises."

The kitchens were always chaotic but usually it was organised chaos. Today, it was none of the sort.

Sial froze in her half crouch, goblet in one had and gaping at the amount of water that she had managed to spill. Perhaps she froze for a moment too long, as from nowhere a cake of hard yellow soap whacked her in the back of the head. "Blood and ashes!" she squawked, going to clutch the back of her head with both hands and suceeding in walloping herself in the back of the head with the goblet in the process. I bet some Trolloc-kisser did it on purpose. She spun around, glaring and expecting to see other Novices giggling.

Instead, she heard a shout. "Sorry!" A ridiculously tall and very willowy girl of about her own age, in Novice White, bombed across the kitchen. Toward the puddle. Sial had no time to react before the other woman had gone, as her uncles would so eloquently put it, ass over ear. Sial could only stare in considerable horror. Less than three seconds ago, she had been all revved up to start a fight because of the soap. Now she had a horrible feeling that that debt was repaid and then some. The woman was sitting in the soapy water and was more than slightly soaked. Not to mention she had somehow skidded the puddle over a further distance and a few...well, a lot...of bubbles had been kicked up. That roasted pig was going to have a happy soapy flavour. She wound the end of her long dark plait around her finger in concern for her own hide. Oh well. It can wash out the mouths of a couple of Aes Sedai. To think they have the cheek to call me down for swearing when half of them curse like Tairen pirates with hangovers.

Sial winced at the other woman. "Sorry..." She offered her a hand to help her up, then slipped herself on the expanded puddle. She managed to catch herself (and the long suffering porcelain goblet) at the last moment on the corner of her washing up table and stood bowlegged. Staggering to her feet and still clutching the table for support with the gobleted hand, she offered her spare hand to the other woman. "Do you want a hand?"

Sial had felt a momentary surge of satisfaction as she had spun her tale. Still can do it! Any positiveness soon evapourated. Lavander-dress not only looked like she had just discovered that she had stepped in cow dung, she wasnt even slightly grateful. Sial was accustomed to Aes Sedai looking down on her as a Novice (it never occoured to her that her height might have something to do with that as well) but to be told off for doing as she was told?! That bloody Brown as good as bleeding told me to speak up! Im not Lavander-dress's personal bleeding maid! I ought to bleeding well burn her bloody papers...

It took a certain amount of effort for Sial to keep her features acceptable. She was so used to scowling in this situation that it was a struggle not to. As it was, she couldnt stop herself completely, but better to look faintly pained than to glare at a Sister. She gathered up the books first, into a rough and decidedly heavy stack, then carefully sandwiched the papers in 'Cairheinin relations with the North' so that she couldnt crease them unless she tore up the book first. Tearing up the book was starting to look decidedly appealing but it was a bad idea and even thinking of such damage to something as expensive and precious as a book made her wince. Balancing the inkpot and quills on top, Sial waddled after the Sisters with the pile teetering. She was quite pleased with herself for not dropping it but it made her muscles ache. It wasnt that she was weak; books just weighed a lot and were awkward. The 19 year old clenched her teeth to stop herself cursing and instead cheered herself up by thinking of as many insults for the Sister as she could manage.

The Aes Sedai paused, then Lavander-dress rummaged through the pile Sial was holding as if she honestly expected the Novice to have set fire to them somehow between Raeyn Sedais door and the Library. “I will call for you, no need to barge in and bring me what I do not need,” the woman said. Sial nodded. She could hardly attempt to curtsy with her hands full. "Yes, Aes Sedai."

Sial jumped and swore as reflex at the voice of the Aes Sedai, her quieter conversation with the other Novice momentarily disrupted. What the hell is a full Sister doing here? I bet bloody Rorys sold us all out! Bet shes been hired to dig out the troublemakers so they can be punished in advance... Caught between the urge to run and the general need to defy, Sial froze.

It didnt last long though. No Cariheinin took things on face value and Sial was Cairheinin to her fingertips, despite the tinge of olive to her pale complexion. What kind of bloody Aes Sedai is telling us to keep our voices down...and what in the name of the Dark One is she wearing? It was a bizzare situation and the young woman wished more than ever that the knew the whole picture. The Aes Sedai was wearing a perfectly respectable Aes Sedaish dress but her hair looked like...Sial tried not to think about it. She blushed too often as it was. What kind of an Aes Sedai tells you off, contradicts herself then cackles? The womans been on the wine, I bet.

Whatever the woman looked like or acted like or spoke like, she still was Aes Sedai so Sial did not answer back. Still, she wasnt going to start curtsying until she knew exactly where she stood in this situation. Instead, she looked at the other Novice, her perhaps-sortof-ally, with a cocked eyebrow and quizzical halfgrin.

Sial peered over at the Accepted (why did the name Rory sound familiar?) and looked calculating for a moment-just a moment-then her face broke into a grin. It was hardly a civilised smile. She had more than once been told that she grinned like an urchin stealing an apple. That was probably true enough and, in all fairness, was not to far from the reality of her past. "My name is Sial," she replied to Rorys question, " and if you reckon that no one here will snitch even under the switch, thats good enough for me."

Someone stepped in front of her. Sial looked up to see another woman in Novice white. Woman being used very broadly. Sial herself was curvy enough to perhaps lay a claim to the name, despite looking a good few years younger than she was and being a scruffy creature besides, but beside the other woman, who seemed about as old as Sial looked, she felt very girly indeed. It wasnt that the other Novice was uglier or scruffier than Sial; she was just completely different in apperance. Taller, for one thing, though that was nothing new, but willowy rather than curvy and generally darker. Not to mention the fact that her black hair was short. In fact, if she hadnt been wearing a Novice dress, Sial would have had to look twice to decide if she was actually female or a pretty boy.

“Evening! I don’t know you, but you look good enough to stick around with. How’s the weather on your end?” Northern accent, definately. Why didnt I look more at that bleeding map my uncle nicked? Not that a bloody map would help with accents...bloody idiot, Sial, thats what you are... Sial did not think of herself as short, so the joke both metaphorically and literally almost flew over her head. She worked it out, though she didnt take offense. Light, it was hardly as if she had swarms of people queing up to talk to her! Besides, whatever Rory said, this could be risky business. It wasnt the time to make enemies, not when you had just annouced your name to a room...Bloody, bloody idiot! Why didnt you give your life history too?

"The weather is lousy," Sial replied, then in an unusual show of poking fun at herself, she added in a serious voice but with glittering eyes, "too much shade, but at least I dont get smacked about in the wind."

She yawned. " I would say good evening but Im not sure if its bleeding evening or sodding morning anymore. Im Sial. Who are you?"