A striking day it was to be. She discovered in the trainee a soft-spoken boy with upbringing! First off, he appeared equipped with a nice sense of social propriety, and could not seem to bring himself to ignore . . . an invitation. Saline found his willingness refreshing from the exacting forms of appropriate yet aloof behavior she usually encountered in the Yard.

From that wonderful moment matters had developed at an incredible speed, and before long the trainee went away like lightning darting from the group. This sparked a shrug from Saline, rightfully interpreting this behavior as her final pronouncement on the situation. Although, she had to do something she rarely did and raise her voice when she realised he wouldn't have heard her otherwise. "You would do very well to remind Thera Gaidar, Saline would appreciate your presence at the party to-night . . . chaperoned by Thera herself if necessary!"

Turning to Corin, D'Ashan and Ms. Blue-eyes, Saline said, "hmm . . . are we getting ready to leave?"

D'Ashan said, "I think so. I'm trying to decide where we should go to-night."

"If we do get to the tavern dance you were thinking of," Saline reminded, "we'll need to dress fancy. They'll expect us to try and mumble along to bardic songs."

"Yes, I remember Saline. I mainly like it for its space. Hopefully a lot of people will turn up."

All said and done, she wasn't fussed. "Alright then, it's your call."

D'Ashan & Saline

Ooc: Like I said, welcome to the Yard. And we're looking forward to seeing ya at the party/inn thread which Tai'Dashan will be coming up with. :)

I posted a little cameo appearance by Lillian earlier. Might give Kasi a sense that AS are acting strange. :)

Other people can jump in too :P

Hi Sieve. Perivar should gift us with post in the blight, if his creator survives the lightning. :)

Pretty well, thanks Father and how are you? :)

Father! *Lily hugs Stanislav*

Saline nodded as the girl rose from her curtsey.

"You know, you have really nice eyes. Remarkable. Reminds me of the distinctly blue underbellies of fish that Rory's pa used to catch for dinner." Astonishment showed in the girl's face. Just as it was about to be replaced by indignation, Saline spoke again. "But first, what do they call you sweetheart?"

Saline was a self-possessed woman but even she found it hard to begin. Then she remembered the gravedigger's girl N'Daye and that experience nerved her. "All of you are invited to come to the party. If memory serves the bathhouse is very near here for anybody who needs freshening up and their noses powdered."

A Question of Heaven - Iced Earth

Day After Tomorrow - Saybia

Looking up from her book, Saline smiled to see Mina Daryl approach. It was not necessary for Mina to wear her hemmed dress outside the Tower, but Mina's white dress was don as a badge of pride. Mina was one of the oldest Accepted at the Tower and, once you get past her thick accent and even thicker head she was a clever enough companion. "Ready to go?"

"Ya," Mina hoisted the basket of papers.

"Excellent. You know the story, Mina" said Saline, "many in Tar Valon prosper yet there are still destitute people living under bridges, and back in the day Rossa Sedai came up with the Blues Kitchen to help Estel Sedai keep information afloat by trading food for information. Now Lillian Sedai, a White, reckons we'd get better information by listening rather than bribing hungry people in shelters, so we'll just be taking a stroll through the city to-day. Be nice, though. A bit of curtesy can give you a lot."

And so they were off. It had really been too long since Saline's last venture, as Tar Valon changed from the place she remembered. The candleshop that belonged to Rosemary's father was now a dressmaker's, and the empty lot was now a sun-baked alley. But the inn in the midst of the busy thoroughfare remained the same, and it was from there that the commotion arrived.

Saline listened for the tattoo of the patrol’s footfalls but they were faint. Meanwhile two men were going at each other throwing fists and kicks. It was written on their faces that they could feel the pain but it did not seem to stop the punches from knocking each other down. Saline sighed; they were those berserking sorts of fighters whose anger masked the injuries, and would rather expend all energies toward breaking the other in half rather than self-preservation.

She was about to cut in when an old man shouted at the brawlers. Wiping his mouth the old man waded into the fray and took both men head-on.

She recognized the coldness in the old man’s eyes that was associated with the void, and although she was schooled in the Spring herself, the meditative calm and stillness emanating from the old man was clear. Although his motive in breaking up the fight might have stemmed from Samaritan kindness any self-respecting Guard would have come to the Aes Sedai’s side. Less respectable ones, and she had known a few, would have run away from Sisters, but Saline did not expect anybody to get caught up where Aes Sedai have the responsibility to take charge.

A quick twist of air and water and suddenly Saline’s voice boomed throughout the inn. She wasn’t sure whether they stopped out of surprise or fear for the Aes Sedai, but they would have been fools to continue their dispute with Saline around.

“Mina, heal them.” Saline tut-tutted in a normal hearing range as the fighters disentangled rather quickly. "What' this about?"

Saline Wastrel

Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah

Working on Rupert's bio now.  :)

Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

Perhaps she was alarmed by his height, but as Portia watched the last Asha'man step out and nod to his commanding officers she had an unusually stern expression on her less than amicable face. First there had been that bag, a token from the appreciative Asha’man? She would have liked to satisfy her curiosity but was feeling fairly certain whatever it was would be sealed to the Amyrlin and the Hall, kept secret even from the Red Sisters. Such as the treaty Brent made with the Tower? Only a few Sisters, such as Maegan Sedai and Saya Sedai, had known of it.

If Brent was dead did this group represent all those at the Black Tower or were they usurpers? How exactly did Brent who used to speak for them, die? Again, it was secret.

Portia scowled even when she let go of Saidar.

She did not like secrets. Secrets only brought harm to everybody around who weren’t in on it. No sooner had talk of a runner been mentioned had the messenger, in form of an initiate no less, picked up the gift from the Asha’man and summoned the leaders to a private audience.

No doubt Saya Sedai expected them to help with the escort. It would be a chance to make sense of things that were happening lately, because the White Tower was definitely behaving strangely. Despite Portia’s misgivings about intrigue, she wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Portia Larisen

Red NSW

Adela, Corin, Sandre, Aiolus etc, you're all invited to D'Ashan's raising party in some tavern somewhere. Should be an interesting way to arrive, being taken to a celebration.  ;D

Edit: if you need to bathe first it's understandable.  :P

Dude. There's been little enough cause to party lately. Saline will be there.  ;D

*Grump* Or not. T.D. Ana's around cutting short my sun-time. Hurricane season and all. I'll write posts while it rains. Anybody looking to RP, I'm around. :P

"Tower Guard!"

Grinning as she saw the man's back straighten Saline smoothed it into a smile when Corin turned around and faced her. She had seen the exchange between the pair from a distance, and although she couldn't really hear what was said, she fancied Corin had overstepped himself a touch. Lavinya Sedai kept his days filled, accordingly. Not that Saline cared about any rift between those two, they were other peoples' problem. She also didn't have an issue with helping new arrivals on principle, but she disliked people giving commands when they were being nothing but lazy, if Lavinya Sedai's lament of Corin's procrastination was anything to go by.

Besides, Saline had something to tell Corin.

"I hope your inspection with Captain Mitya was satisfactory, Guardsman. Because you'll be training with them in the upcoming month. Lavinya Sedai wants to keep you sharp while fighting multiple opponents." Her smile widened as she exchanged a look with D'Ashan.

There was much an Aes Sedai could get away with and, she had more leeway than the Tower Guards.

Saline almost wondered if he thought his day couldn't get any worse, because she was about to prove it could. Corin always seemed to be extra wary with her around, as though he were being polite to a possible volcanic eruption. But comfortable or no, she wanted to meet the boy Corin was talking with. "Would you like to join us? This is D'Ashan, freshly minted Tower Guard. We were just about to celebrate his raising."

Ooc: D'Ashan's a newly made Tower Guard. Saline's a Red Sister. We were just taking a walk when we saw Corin talking to you. I was thinking if Edana or Thera wants to join in and meet us somewhere we could make the excuse be an after ceremony celebration. And new beginning thread for you. Hope you don't mind.

The room she and Rory shared was on the fifth floor, which was pleasantly sunny by day and filled with smells of pines during the evening. Saline could usually be found listening to birdsongs on the balcony overlooking the woods, but to-day she stepped into the glades, a place she had avoided since Nerome's raising. Closing her eyes she could still see Rosheen with her mohawk and 'Rome's proud brothers gathered together, long ago. Her losses weren't limited to Rory alone.

"D'Ashan?"

Saline asked anyway. She knew the trainee won't be here until later, she just wanted some time alone to think, get re-acquainted. Her eyes opened only to confirm her loneliness, taking in only the trees and moss-covered boulders. How did the old riddle go? Much of what one saw wasn't there, and there was much one did not see. Saline could never figure that out.

Speaking of, what under the Light was she doing here? Everybody she knew had gone, why was she here? Clutching to the past was such a petty thing to do. All it did was to bring misery to her and those around who tried to help. Saline knew it, but she continued on the same path. What a fool you are, Saline Wastrel. Why couldn't she give Rory up? If only she could let everything go. She could stop pretending there was hope . . .

But how long would she continue on this way? She mused on this conviction for a while until the birdsongs broken off suddenly.

Sensing another channeler nearby she saw Cetaile Sedai approaching and jumped behind a large pillar. Thera Gaidar, the Guard Edana who had upset D'Ashan sometime back, and Cetaile Sedai probably realised she was there, but they give no indication. Saline stepped forward from the dim recesses of the glade at one point so D'Ashan would see she was there, and she fancied there was an extra bounce to his prideful steps as he continued through the ceremony intoning his growing ties to the Tower.

Picking up her feet Saline followed the quartet with a prayer on her lips to ward evil from everybody she cared for.

The morning was so brilliantly fine; the populace popping to and fro in so active a manner that everybody appeared cheery, and a casual observer of Tar Valon might have said it was a happy day. Yet Saline as she ducked out of the sun-bathed streets into the three-floored building that was the mercenary’s headquarters felt a sense of foreboding. She would not have gone so far as to claim there was something wrong but, it was a vague form of discomfort that accompanied her as she made her way upstairs.

Thus musing she reached the reception area and it was there that Saline, coming to the conclusion that a chat with ever-cheerful Captain Mitya was in order, sat down and waited. After a brief moment, her gaze, straying over the room, encountered a handsomely framed picture, and she went across to take a look at it.

“Bear garden,” Saline read the inscription after a few minutes of inspection, “this certainly is eye-catching. Like it or hate it, you cannot ignore it. ” And upon hearing footsteps behind her, Saline asked the Captain of the Red Guard, “how say you, Mitya?”

“Great sky above! . . . I think my brain just bled out.”

“Tchah, what utter jackrat droppings! Don’t you have an opinion of your own?”

Captain Mitya waved her away with the large gesture of a blood and iron man concentrating. “I’m not here for social hour. I’m here to protect you.”

“Hah, I’ll see you at the city gate then.”

Saline stole softly from the table. She felt that her presence, though it had once been required, was required no longer. Looking back, she could see Captain Mitya smiling at something one of his Guards quipped.

Back at the Yard, Lavinya Sedai was all poise and grace in a breathtaking dress. She looked every part her role as a Domani creature readied to be sold at the highest bid.

Approaching the Grey Sister in several strides of her boots—worn for practicality—Saline found herself bracing her muscles and holding her breath as she had done in Kandor, at the end of war, when awaiting the first wave of refugees.

“Absolutely, a fine day indeed, I’ll go get your luggage ready Mistress. In the meantime if you will step inside your carriage? And would the young man whom I now observe is your brother assist you? I would, but I am merely a weak scullion.”

Saline smiled; standing behind them, observing Lavinya Sedai’s every gesture, was the Tower Guard.

In proper garb, the Tower Guard was an altered man. His face still looked as though hewn from the living rock, but into his eyes had crept an expression which in another might almost have been called sentimental. Incredible as it seemed to Saline, the Tower Guard’s eyes were dreamy. There was even in them a suggestion of joy.

“You’re looking dapper, Mr. Corin . . .?” She waited for the surname. Surely both Lavinya Sedai and the Tower Guard had come up with one.

Posted, I'm on vacation but I will keep an eye on this thread.

When the formalities were done, Saline stepped forward, turned the painting around and exhibited it. On it was a young woman with wind-swept dark hair and a mischevious smile.

Saline had moved back to give Lillian an uninterrupted view of the work of art, and the other had started as if some unkindly disposed person had bitten her.

"The very image of her, won't you say?" asked Saline enthusiastically.

Lillian did not speak for a moment. It may have been sudden joy that kept her silent. Or, on the other hand, it may not. She stood looking through the vision with wide eyes and parted lips.

"Well done on Rossa's part, eh?" said Saline rather loudly.

"Y—yes," said Lillian, looking very pale. She turned and walked away quickly.

"One moment, Lillian! I'm not quite sure it'll do for Rory's birthday present" Saline said as she faced the portrait once again. Then she saw Claire Sedai, an old man, and . . . Taei Mirel. Hitching up the painting of Rory she knew that the guilt and pain Lillian carried was still too much to confront. "Great, now she'll be impossible."

Saline was not a woman who readily allowed herself to become worried, especially about people who were not in her own immediate circle of friends, but in the course of the month she was bound to admit that she was not altogether easy in her mind about Lillian's condition. She was absolutely all for spreading sweetness and light back to the Aes Sedai, but how was this to be achieved?

At breakfast the next morning Saline decided she would hunt up Thera Gaidar for a talk. If anybody knew a way out of this slump physically it would be she. Over Saline's trip to the North the Mistress of Trainees dealt with things which any reasonable person would decline to be found dead in a ditch with. And at home Thera was not only a mother but also trained these students.

Saline could see as she wandered in the Yard she had stumbled upon an open session. But she did not falter from her designated path, dressed as she always did in white pants and a matching shirt. Her scimitar and daggers were on her, but she was sure she saw extra lathes in the weapons rack. She placed the scimitar carefully against the wall in order to leave more scope for greeting Thera.

"Allo, there! Mind if I jump in?"

I'm in Florida for two weeks on break, will catch up when I get back :)

Princess I'm sure it was, according to him ;)

*snipes* Save any hitting/self-harming for mafia and chickens :D