Kirsa saw Veria aproach and sent her a bright smile. She then turned her attention back to Sial. Her maner had switched back to bargaining. She had heard Dre's warning, not that she needed one. She assessed the other girl. Kirsa, in general, prefered to stay on the good side of people. A voice in the back of her head was yelling at her not to continue but something else was knawing at the back of her mind.

Kirsa was naturally a social person and had mostly spent her time with male friends. She could tell a man's thoughts miles away but females were harder for her to assess. Perhaps she should toss it to chance, see how it would play out? That went against what usually Kirsa did. She was the kind of person to listen to common sense and not veer from this, but sometimes common sense needed to be thrown to the wind for something to succeed.

"I am up to anything," Kirsa said sounding ever happy.

She sounded like her friand Amos always had. A flash of pain shot theough mind but her smiling face never wavered. No one would ever know.

Kirsa still felt uneasy about playing the game with Sial, but she was playing it with Melianna. She glanced at the dark girl and wondered if she really wanted to play. She threw a another glance under lashes at Sial. Kirsa hated forcing people to play something they didn't want to, so she turned her caramel gaze back Melianna.

"Do you want to play Melianna?," Kirsa asked, making it sound perfectly acceptable if the other girl didn't.

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions," Jena whispered into Raylin's ear.

"Don't know anything about ogiers," she added turning to face Aslan once more.

Kirsa noticed Sial's flustered and uncertain face and could almost imagind what the other girl had been thinking. Maybe the girl hadn't been trying to trick her? Kirsa wasn't certain but decided it would be alright if she dropped her walls a little.

"No, no, don't be sorry. I am just bored and was wondering if you had any other ideas, but if you wanted we could still play the other game," Kirsa said quickly, sounding surprised, and her eyes opening all the way. She was sincere in that she would be bored and indeed the sincerity shone through, making her voice almost ring with truth.

Kirsa's smile turned into one resembling that of a cat studying a mouse. The look made her caramel like eyes look golden, perhaps a slight feral.

"Well then, what do you want to do? If you don't want to play the game anymore?" she asked, having noticed Sial's uncertainty wether or not Kirsa was being stupid or playing a game with her.

Kirsa's posture turned slightly more inviting than before. Her eyes seemed heavy lidded and her lips were parted slightly. It all gave the effect that she had a secret, and that whoever was watching would probably want to know it.

Jena accepted the wine with a smile and a thank you. It never hurt to be polite was her modo. She listened to his explanation, the whole time her senses were being assulted by the food in his plate. She was hungry, but she had been hungry all her life and ignored the feeling. When he asked if they had eaten yet, Jena instantly took it as if she had eaten at all that day and her smile instantly widened.

"Oh yes, I have. Thank you," Jena said, though her stomache felt hollow inside her. It just felt odd to have three meals a day.

"I don't really know. I guess learn about the power and what not," Kirsa said, feeling trully out of place.

Kirsa was a bit surprised at the other girl's change of tact. It had just begun to get fun. She covered it with a sultry bat of a lash and smiled at the other girl.

"Impatient are we? Well, if you really want to play I guess we could try. Of course, I can't garauntee that I won't mess it up," she said, curling long strands of black hair on her finger

"May the light shine upon you," Jena said, polite as usual.

"It is very nice to meet you Aslan," she said a large smile lighting up her face.

He came from the black tower, which, if rumor was correct, was where men that could channel trained. Men that could channel were supposed to be mad, but the man before her showed no such symptom. Of course, the most dangerouse ones are always that way. She shrugged the feeling of uneassiness away and took the seat he motioned to.

"I am fairly new aswell. I've been here only afew weeks," she said. The light from the hearth caught the glints of gold in her nearly black eyes and caused them to shine in and out like stars, giving her an air of trickery.

Kirsa began to twirl her hair with a finger, looking very pretty but empty headed.

"Sounds complicated. What would a forfeit be?" she asked looking at Sial with a blank expression on her face, that a shocking amount of men found highly attractive.

Kirsa noticed the change in Sial's attitude and reaction and at first put it to being more relaxed in the company of others. This ofcourse stopped when she spotted the look Sial's eye. Her mother had always had it when bargaining. Kirsa had also always been a tad more subtle than the rest of her family. Her whole attitude changed in a blink of an eye, once she noticed this change.

Her posture changed from solely being in a relaxed friendly manner to that which she had been taught and perfected to bargain and mostly to distract. This meant her posture turned more elegant than seemed possible and her lips turned into a hinting, inviting smile. The way she sat, subtly hinted that there might be more than was offered if the trader answered what she wanted correctly. Ebou Dari women were known for being the best merchants and Kirsa had always been naturally talented and with practice and the teaching added in, it made her trully a something to fear on the floor of bargaining.

This change would be unrecognizable until you were caught in the web of misconception, and unable to escape, unless you had known her for many years, and few indeed knew her well enough to recognise it. Those that did mostly consited of her family. Her taffy eyes stayed wide and innocent making her seem more like a child and easily fooled than ever before.

"Fit in? Obviously you havn't seen me wander the hallways in confusion for the past week or two. If it weren't for Dre over there I would still be wandering the depths of the tower," she said at Sials comment. She batted her eyes slowly and seemingly naturally.

She didn't believe for a moment that the dropping of the plate had been accidental, and used the time while Sial was under the table to move all her hair over her left shoulder toshow her neck more clearly. Through all this Kirsa felt lightly reviled at herself, but habit is hard to break.

"Five facts or a forfeit? I don't believe I know it. What is it?" she asked though she knew the game perfectly. It had always been Amil's choice to forfeit. A more playful smile tauched her lips and caused her eyes to glow at the memory.

"Me? I'm the same as Melianna, been here just a week or two," Kirsa said with a nod and shot a bright smile Melianna's way.

Kirsa waved at Veria and then was about to tell the other girl her name, but found the girl had left to curtsy to the Aes Sadei. When she returned and took a seat, Kirsa joined them at the table taking the seat next to Dre.

"I'm Kirsa and I came because I found the invitation and decided to see what was here" she said with a large smile

"How about you?" she asked her head tilting to the left, allowing her hair to fall over her shoulder in a cascade of silky black.

Kirsa smiled at Dre as she spoke. There was a pause afterwards as Kirsa thought on what to say.

"I'm fifteen and from Arad Doman. My mother is a merchant and I was supposed to follow in her foot steps until an Aes Sadei saw that I could channel," Kirsa said her smile not touching her eyes.

At Dres introduction Kirsa smiled and nodded at the other girl.

"Nice to meet you Melianna, as Dre said I'm Kirsa," she said motioning to Dre as she spoke the other girl's name.

She moved to take her seat and spotted two other girls. How rude of her not to have noticed them, her mother would have punished her for that. She felt like blushing but instead nodded to Dre's suggestion to the other girl to join them. Kirsa, who hadn't quite sat yet, instantly glided over to the girl.

"Come on, join us. The more the merrier," Kirsa said motioning for the other girl to join them. Her smile was large and friendly, completely inviting.

Kirsa woke to find her roommate Dre already gone. She quickly got up and arranged the room, even though she was stumbling around mostly. It took forever for the fifteen year old to completely wake up. Once she did, she changed into a clean Novice dress and spotted a note. She went over and saw that it was an invitation to a tea party. She had never heard of such a thing but it would have been rude not to show up. She quickly twirled her black hair behind her head and stuck two decorated sticks through it to keep the bun up. She looked at herself in the mirror missing the paints form home and sighed. Her mother would have killed her for going anywhere with out paints. This cheered the Ebou Dari girl up massivly.

This left her in a happy mood for the rest of the day. She rushed back to the room and put down her long, silky black hair for the tea party and double checked how she looked. She looked fantastic as usual. She glided over to the Green's area, having to stop several times to ask directions. She hated not knowing where everything was.

She entered and curtsied to the green sister there perfectly and rose to spot several other girls were there, including Dre. Kirsa smiled and walked over to the other girls.

"Hi Dre. Is this seat taken?" she asked with her usual caressing voice.

Jena walked over to Raylin and easily waked into the other woman’s arms. After they kissed, she wore a small easy smile that lit up her eyes.

"I love the dress. It fits you beautifully," she said her smile just growing wider at the compliment.

She glanced over her shoulder at the man Raylin had been looking at earlier.

"He looks lonely over there. Do you want to go over and see if he wants any company?" Jena asked motioning at the man with one hand.

Her head was slightly tilted to the left as she looked up at Raylin with a questioning gaze.

IC: Jena walked back from the stables, her hair in a dissaray and her clothing hanging off her as usual. She really needed to gain wait every one told her. Was it her fault that her ribs stuck out? No, this place was the only one she had good regular meals on a daily basis. Her money from the racing had usually gone to help her brother out. She got to the barracks to realize, to her shock, just how late and how dirty she was. Gamble had gotten a bit of a nervouse break down when a new groom decided to move hime to a different stall to clean the one he had been in. No one had bothered to tell the poor boy that Jena would move and clean his stall later. SHe had ended up having to calm the horse down, who would never really have hurt the boy, just given a great show, and convince the boy that Gamble was not a killer horse. In all, this did not leave her in a happy mood. She decided that she would enjoy herself tonight if it killed her.

She reached into her bags and took out the only dress she had. Her brother had given it to her when she had won her first big horse race. She put on the Ebu Dari dress and stared at therself. She had worn it once on her brother's birthday, but it had been big then, so that she could grow into it. It now fit her like it should. The forest green dress was tight on her body, and the long thin neck line thrust down to show cleavage. Her skirt was sewn up to show the bright yellow petticoats. She had heard that the Ebou Dari dressed to shame Gleemen and true enough, her dress was quite bright, but it enhanced her beauty instead of detract from it. The green and yellow brought out the green and gold glints in her eyes perfectly.

She took a comb to her dark brown hair and arranged it so that it looked nice, not a mop of curls under her hat, but instead natural loose ringlets that framed her face. She considered taking the hat off, but then reslanted it and liked the effect. Her brother had always said that the day she didn't wear her hat would be the day the world died. On her belt still rested her large curved knife but she would never go any where with out the weapon on her.

She walked to the tavern and entered, her eyes taking in everything. It always felt so peaceful compared to Ebou Dar but she spotted Raylin looking at a man. Jena looked at the man and then back at Raylin wondering if they should join him later. The dress looked fantastic on Raylin and drew Jena's eyes aswell as those of several men around the inn. She wandered over with a smile to Raylin. Her hand resting easily on the knife as it always did in crowded places. Her eyes still scanning the room for danger and exits from old habit. She never felt comfortable with people looking at her and at the moment eyes were following her. To see who was the upstart walking over to the pretty woman Jena thought to herself nervously. She really hated the indoors.

OOC: Sorry for taking so long. Like I have said in other places, I had a horribly busy weekend. :-[

IC: Kirsa stood outside the door, nervous butterflies fluttering in her belly. It was not that she wasn't excited; it was that she was scared as well. She didn't know what to expect, and she hated it. She liked her mentor, but the other girls had giggled and told her she would probably introduce to the source today. Yeah, she was excited; she just had heard enough stories, even though her mother sold to the Aes Sadei, to frighten her. She had also heard of those that had been burnt out and almost shivered at their fates. They had been fools and deserved their fate, the more logical side of herself told her, the one she listened to most.

She took a deep breath and knock on the door. She heard Veria's voice through the door, and with one last sigh entered with her usual grace. She glided over to Veria and curtsied gracefully, perfect to the dot. She took a seat at Veria's motion and gazed at her mentor calmly, not an ounce of her earlier worry could be seen in her eyes.

"What I have done these past days? Well, for the most part I have been losing my self more times than I can count. Though I must admit it has come in handy in the long run. For example, I found the library by getting lost several days before, and having to help an Accepted shelve several books. That knowledge has helped allot over the past several days. My room mate and I are getting along very well, and from what I have seen on the other novices, they all seen very kind," she said really not knowing what to say, but saying it all with a teasing smile.

She quickly handed over the paper when asked to. When Veria turned back to her with a serious smile, Kirsa turned her expression into an attentive one. She listened with a streak of fear as Veria told her of those burnt out and handed her the paper. Her expression stayed attentive as Veria told her that she would learn how to open herself to the source. She felt a thrill of excitement that she quickly killed at the memory of those that had burnt themselves out.

She made herself close her eyes and relax. She pictured a small red flower she had seen once at home. She opened her mind to what Veria was telling her. She felt the heat on her back the urge to turn to them. The day had been just like that when Amil had shown her the flower under their favorite tree. Her mind wandered happily into this train of thought until she remembered what he had done last. Her mind completely flinched away from the thought, causing her to loose her concentration over and over again. She became frustrated and barred the memory every once in a while, allowing her petals to open almost completely, but then the darkness of memory would come and close her off. She fought hard and was able to control her memory far enough to open completely and nothing could touch her there.

When this finally happened, joy finally suffused Kirsa, as much from the release from bad memory that it gave her as the feeling of happiness the source itself gave her. It was wonderful. She felt free for once in the past weeks. She let go of it reluctantly, but the memory didn’t bother her again, to her great relief. Caution once again took hold of her as she opened herself to the source once more. It took her a long moment of concentration before she could touch the source once more, but Veria seemed pleased.

She followed Veria’s instruction. She imagined herself as the flower once more and tried to draw a cloud over. At first it was a struggle, and then instead of a cloud she imagined the memory coming to haunt her. It worked beautifully. It was harder to push back though. She tried, imagining as if she fought it off. Finally it worked. She tried it several more times until it became smooth. She released the source reluctantly, feeling open to attack from memory, but Veria didn’t seem to realize just what it was from. Kirsa once again remembered those burnt out and nearly shivered, she was more tired than she thought for coming as close to going against habit to allow it to become that near a chance of expressing emotions she did not wish to appear.

She felt relief and yes a bit of disappointment when Veria sent her away for rest. She had always liked learning and the lesson had provided her with relief from thought in areas she did not wish to ponder. She knew she would have to someday. But that day would not be today she thought to herself as she curtsied to Veria perfectly and exited from the Accepted’s room with her usual gliding walk. No one would have guessed just how tired she was from how she carried herself.

When she reached her room Kirsa felt like collapsing in bed and crying from the memory that had surfaced during the lesson. She didn’t allow her self that luxury though. She could control her emotion. She knew it and there for could conquer it. She set herself to tidying the room before collapsing in the bed at last in pure exhaustion.

OOC: Sorry for taking a while to reply. I had a very busy weekend. :-[

"The flowers are very beautiful," she said gazing at them.

She then chose the cushion facing the door. She picked up the rose and twirled it in her fingers never drawing a drop of blood. Her eyes turned to the doors as Veria went to answer it.

Kirsa followed Dre in her usual graceful, flowing stride. They got lost but found Veria's room the second time. Kirsa could only be grateful they hadn't got lost more times, knowing she would have. When they entered the room, Kirsa gazed around, absorbing everything in the room. Her eyes rested curiously on the two roses, wondering why they were there. She then faced Veria with a large smile to show her thanks at having someone to show her around. Kirsa was some one that learned through practice, not being shown once and it was down.

"I dunno if I was born with it. I was just told I could channel," Kirsa replied with a shrug.

She stared wide eyed as Dre told her about the other Amerylin. It sounded weird to Kirsa, but then again she had never been one to belive in such silly things as true love. She found it kind of silly how the woman could have given up such a high post for anyone. Well, Kirsa might have done it for a friend, but not completely. She might have left it for a day of two if it was really seriouse. All that hard work wasted. It made Kirsa feel sick.

When the other girl told her that she had to go do chores so they had better hurry up. Kirsa nodded and stood up smiling at the girl when she turned back to look at her. She then followed the girl out of the door and into the hall way.

Kirsa nodded at Dre's explantion. Personally she agreed with the Aes Sadei, but it would be frustrating to learn everything you can do. Then not being allowed to do it, or atlast, not being allowed to try and do it. That's when she spotted the scar. It was a surprise but she didn't even blink. Training had broken such things into her all too hard. You could see it but it didn't ruin the other girl's looks.

"Me? I'm from Bandar Eban in Arad Doman. I came here when an Aes Sadei saw me and told my parents they had to take me to the White Tower because I could channel. They didn't like it at all," Kirsa replied, deciding that asking why Dre didn't fit in might be poking at a touchy subject, and flashed a quick smile instead.

Kirsa followed Dre and became slightly worried as the other girl told her everything about Novice life, but soon relaxed when the other girl told her that they were easier on you the first couple days. Kirsa was someone that learned from repetition, but once she learned she always remembered. They entered the room, it was less grand than what she was used to but she could live with it. She smiled at the other girl.

"It's fantastic. I will never notice the lumpyness. I used to sleep on the floor because it was more confortable there," she said giving the other girl a wink.

"So when did you arrive here?" she asked as she took a seat on the empty matress.

Kirsa smiled happily at the friendliness of her new roommate. She noticed how the girl hid her face behind her hair and couldn't see why. She could see a pretty face where Dre didn't hide it behind hair. Kirsa decided she would have to show Dre that she would look nicer with her hair pulled back. She then smiled pleadingly at the Accepted to allow Dre to show her room to Kirsa. She would be living there for a while, so she might as well get accustomed to it as soon as possible.