Give me Freedom...At Least For One Day

[keyholder21]

The first bells were just finishing, the echo of the peals still finding its way to novice and Accepted ears, when Miahna lazily opened her eyes. She stared absently at the ceiling, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep. It had been a long time since she’d slept in until after first bell; most of her other free days had been spent studying for this test, or that class. The words ‘free day’ were a very loose term for a woman in novice white. But you had to enjoy the small things while you could, hence the sleeping late.

 

The Five Elements: Earth lay closed on her small table, the red ribbon bookmark marking a random page. I have to remember to return that today, she thought as she flipped over the covers and climbed out of bed. The air was decidedly cool, and Miahna rushed over to her wardrobe to grab a clean white dress. She grinned as she looked at the full wardrobe. Due to her class ending early yesterday Mimi had even been able to finish her laundry, leaving her free day completely free. In all her first year at the Tower that had never been the case. Until today.

 

Plucking the dress on over her head, Miahna finished her morning routine and headed down to the Kitchens to get some breakfast. Her stomach growled in response – upset at her for putting class and the library before eating her meals. She licked her lips in anticipation and quickened her step.

 

It didn’t take her as long as usual to get to the Kitchens, nor to get some food. The halls and the eating area were fairly empty as her fellow novices had other places to be, Accepted too, by the looks of it, and Aes Sedai rarely ate in the presence of the initiates. She nodded to one of the scullions as she gave Mimi a big scoop. It paid to be nice to the servants – they would be just as nice back.

 

She ate rather slowly, enjoying the ability to taste her food rather than shovel it in on her way to a class or a chore. The Aes Sedai certainly weren’t ones to let you have idle hands. Valeri Sedai hadn’t been joking when she’d told Miahna that she would work harder than she ever had before. Mimi relished the mental workouts, but didn’t care much for the physical kind. At least she’d had some experience with chores before she’d arrived. I couldn’t imagine being one of those prissy girls that didn’t have to do anything before. At least they’ve all received a comeuppance or two. She snorted into her milk as she thought of royalty scrubbing the floors.

 

After breakfast, Mimi returned to her room to grab the book and made her way to the library. The vast doors stood open and inviting and revealed stacks upon stacks of books – the greatest library in the entire world. Tables full of white dresses, with or without banded hems, peppered the floor and there were the sounds of many whispers as Miahna checked her book in with the Accepted behind the counter.

 

“About time you’ve returned this.” The Accepted said to her in a haughty tone. Mimi bit back her retort that was twice as snotty and smiled sweetly at the girl instead. By the looks of the Brown Sister making her way to the desk, the Accepted was about to be sent to scrub floors or the like and the Arafellin did not want to join her. Backing up and turning on her heel, Miahna left the library. She was pondering what to do when she noticed another novice who was also ambling along at a slower-than-normal pace. She caught up to the girl and then slowed her step until they were walking side-by-side.

 

“So you’ve the day off too?” She asked, throwing an errand braid back over her shoulder. The bell clanged quietly as it settled against her back.

Edited October 12, 2010 by keyholder21

[Phelix]

It was dark in the Tower, as the sun had yet to rise and the first bells hadn't yet disturbed the rest of most novices, but Gera was still up. The night before, she had been looking in a mirror, truly looking at herself, and noticed small changes. A woman her age naturally developed small wrinkles at the eyes, around the mouth, and across the forehead; and it was only with the help of dye that most women her age avoided having gray hairs mixing in with their natural color.

 

As the old Cairhienin spymaster looked into the mirror, she noticed the wrinkles around her eyes were smaller, fading away. Novices were forbidden to dye their hair, not that Gera had ever done so before coming to the Tower, but when she looked at the few gray strands she'd had in her dark locks, she noticed that at the root they were coming in dark again.

 

The Aes Sedai told the younger novices that they would not have gray hair until they had lived for more than a century, but they never bothered to tell Gera hers would fade away. Did channeling make one young again?

 

She'd slept fitfully, tossing and turning until she finally decided to get out of bed. It was her free day, after all, so she should spend it doing what she did best: gathering information.

 

Clad in novice white, she was invisible to most people as she paced the halls. In the Library, there was a map of the areas of the Tower a novice should expect to know: the Ajah Quarters, the Hall of the Tower, the Amyrlin's Study, office, and receiving room, the Libraries (both the main Library and the many smaller libraries dedicated to a specific topic or purpose), as well as the working areas like the kitchens, the laundry, and the stables. What wasn't on the map were the lower levels of the Tower, or even all the floors of the wings where the Novices and Accepted lived. The Tower currently held less than half the initiates it could, which was why they let women like Gera join in the first place.

 

She decided to start with what she knew, and began at the lowest levels of the Novice Quarters. All of the novice floors were connected to the main shaft of the Tower, and currently, only the uppermost floors had novices living in them.

 

On the ground floor, Gera found the rooms to be much the same as the rooms on her own floor, even down to the tiny whisper hole drilled between rooms. One room she investigated still had a few of the belongings of its last inhabitant. The long gone novice had left a single fan, in the style of the Saldaean custom, hidden behind her clothes pegboard. Flourishing it, Gera had to smile. She'd learned the rudiments of the language of fans to help gain the interest, and secrets, of a visiting Saldaean merchant more than twenty years before she came to the Tower. The signals and signs were fresh in her memory, and she moved through them silently as if she were at a gala event, waiting for her dance partner.

 

Carrying the fan with her, discreetly tucked into her pouch, Gera moved on to the other floors.

 

Hours later, she found herself strolling along in the main portion of the Tower, near the Library, when she heard the jingle jangle of Arafellin bells. Miahna. "So you've the day off too?"

 

"Yes, Miahna, I've been enjoying the fact that I don't have a class to be in, letting myself soak in the sheer absence of need to be anywhere else." She smiled at the younger novice. "Do you have any plans for the day?"

[keyholder21]

Miahna smiled back at the older woman as they walked down the hall side-by-side. “No, I don’t have anything specific planned. I did have the idea though, to give myself a tour of the Tower and things I might have missed. After all, I’ve been here over a year and have never set foot on some floors – let alone various rooms on the different levels. Who knows what will come in handy in the coming years?”

 

Gera nodded at her, seemingly in agreement and then faced forward again. It appeared as if the older novice had an idea of where to explore. Mimi decided to go wherever Gera took her. She fiddled with a braid absentmindedly as they strolled down the hall. The two women walked along in companionable silence for a time before the Arafellin became antsy with the quiet. Too often she was forced to be quiet. “How have you been Gera?” Miahna asked, genuinely curious. Most of the time she and her fellow novices were too busy to keep up with each other – one of them always leaving as the other was arriving.

 

They both curtsied to a pair of Aes Sedai, yellow by the looks of their dresses, as they passed through an intersection of hallways. The Aes Sedai barely noticed the women, gliding along the floors as they whispered in hushed tones. The pair of novices didn’t make the motion to wipe their brows, but Miahna knew that Gera also had to be feeling relief that their free day had not been marred by chores – last time she had been seen looking idle a Sister hadn’t been afraid to give her a heft punishment.

 

After she was sure that the Aes Sedai weren’t going to turn around and gift she and Gera a sentence to be carried out by the end of the day, Miahna looked down the sides of the hallway. To the right was the largest tapestry she had ever seen. It depicted an Amyrlin of long past, her face stern as she spoke to a large group of Aes Sedai. I suppose that must be the Hall they are all gathered in, Miahna considered as she quickly examined the picture. In any case it wasn’t a room she’d ever seen before.

 

To the left, there were rows and rows of closed doors. The dead silence in the air was palpable – those rooms were warded. Mimi itched to know what was going on behind those doors, but it wasn’t as if anyone was going to tell her; she was a lowly novice. She forced herself to face forward once again and maintain a small modicum of decorum – but that didn’t stop her from tapping Gera and nodding toward the silent hall. She opened her eyes wide as she nodded, as if to ask the older woman what that was all about. If there was ever a novice that would know what was going on, it was Gera. The Cairheinen motioned for them to continue down the hall as if she wanted them to be farther away before she answered Miahna’s unspoken question. Mimi complied.

[Zentopia]

“That will be all, child.”

“Thank you, Aes Sedai.” Fianna gave a full curtsy and held it as the gray-shawled Aes Sedai moved away, off down the hall. She let out the breath she hadn't really known she'd been holding, and resisted the urge to peer curiously after the woman as she left.

 

Of all the things to expect this morning, she hadn't expected a Gray to stop her in the hall and ask her about cultural 'touchstones' of her people. Fianna hadn't understood what she meant until she explained, and then had to keep the surprise off her face while she answered. How strange that the Aes Sedai didn't know the answer to her question – it was a very simple one - or that she felt the need to ask a girl in whites about it.

 

Even after a year, the Tower still confused the Tua'athan quite a bit. And, much to her dismay, she was no nearer to the answer she'd been hunting than when she first came in. Shaking her head, she straightened up and kept wandering down the hall. No way was she going to let things like this ruin her free day.

 

Thankfully, it was going to be a lovely day outside, judging from the rays of sun that were beginning to creep through the windows. Not a cloud was in the sky. The sight cheered Fianna, and her impromptu interview forgotten, she began to sing softly as she roamed the far end of the novice hallway, looking for others that were up.

 

“The roads have gone, yet I have stayed. We seek the north star, the north star, my fellow traveler...” The words of one of her favorite songs from home came to her lips unbidden as she roamed the halls, gazing up at tapestries and examining pieces of art.

 

It wasn't long before the young girl encountered Gera and Miahna, and her face lit up on a smile. “Good morning to you,” she called over, quietly, drifting in their direction. “Do you mind if I join you?”

 

(ooc: Sorry. My muse crashed and burned nastily on this post. I'll do better next time)

[Phelix]

Just as Gera and Miahna were about to head down the corridor of warded doors, Fianna asked to join them. Gera suppressed a sigh. The girl was bubbles and light compressed into a body, it would be difficult to keep unnoticed with all three of them around. Still, it wouldn't do to be rude... overtly.

 

"Yes, please do." Gera spoke at a slightly below normal volume, but not a whisper. There was no surer way to draw attention to yourself than to walk in a pack and whisper. "We were just heading out to explore parts of the Tower. Come this way."

 

Each of the warded doors felt different to Gera, though she resisted the urge to embrace the source to feel them. Still, she could see the threads of the wards, and knew that the layers she could see were nasty enough that the layers she couldn't see would be worse. "As near as I can make out, Miahna, these are the personal store rooms of Aes Sedai. None of the doors are marked, and very few have received visitors recently. Notice the dust on the doorjambs? Follow me!" She walked off a bit faster than an amble, but not a scurry.

 

At the end of the hall, there was a servant's stairwell, and Gera led the other girls down two floors, but stopped short of entering the new hallway.

 

"If you peek around the corner, you'll see another warded door... but this one has an Accepted sitting outside of it. I asked one of the Accepted what kind of chores they did that were unavailable to novices, and before she clammed up, she said that they guard something." Gera smiled, the girl had been angry that she'd let that slip, but unable to think of a reason to punish Gera for her mistake. "I am fairly certain that they are either guarding a ter'angreal storeroom or they are guarding the part of the Tower where Gentled men are allowed to live."

 

Either option would be a coup for Gera to have found. She doubted she would ever need to steal from the ter'angreal storeroom, but knowing where it was, and how it was guarded, definitely reassured her that she could if the need arose. Knowing where Gentled men were kept could be useful... Gera wasn't sure how, but any knowledge that was hidden was worth knowing.

[keyholder21]

Mimi smiled at the younger novice. She felt an affinity for the former Tua'athan, maybe because she reminded her of her family, maybe just because of her personality. It really was hard to be sad around Fianna; she seemed to have an aura of cheerfulness. Cutting her eyes over to Gera, Miahna could tell that the older woman was slightly perturbed at the appearance of the extra novice. I suppose it would be more difficult to explain away a group of three rather than a pairing, Mimi thought to herself. Still, it wouldn’t do to tell the girl no for no reason. She opened her mouth to reply and then promptly closed it when Gera spoke up instead. The Arafellin was pleased when she invited Fianna to join them.

 

The trio walked down the hallway with the warded doors. Mimi felt an itch grow between her shoulder blades as Gera explained her idea of what they were. Once the Cairheinin had suggested it, Mimi began to see the wards take place in her head. They weren’t like anything she’d ever seen; wards were dealt with spirit which was too complex for novices. The dark gray threads of Spirit did pulse with a sense of regularity as she looked at each door. It made perfect sense that they would be personal storerooms for Aes Sedai. Why hadn’t I thought of that? She wondered to herself disappointedly. Gera always seemed to be a step or two ahead of her in figuring out puzzles. At least the woman shared her thoughts.

 

Gera told Fianna and Mimi to follow her and then took off at a faster pace. Miahna looked at the other girl in white before they strode together to follow the other woman. Being the taller of the three, Miahna caught up to Gera quickly and slowed their pace until Fianna could reach them. The older woman seemed to be excited about something.

 

She and Fianna followed Gera down two flights of stairs. Stopping suddenly, the Cairheinin flung her hand out to stop Miahna and the Tinker girl from entering the hallway. She dropped her voice and enlightened the other two novices "If you peek around the corner, you'll see another warded door... but this one has an Accepted sitting outside of it. I asked one of the Accepted what kind of chores they did that were unavailable to novices, and before she clammed up, she said that they guard something." Gera smiled at her statement. Mimi had to admit it was very curious indeed. "I am fairly certain that they are either guarding a ter'angreal storeroom or they are guarding the part of the Tower where Gentled men are allowed to live."

 

The Arafellin bit back her gasp at that last, the idea of Gentled men in the Tower. Why would the Sisters force the men to stay guarded? Isn’t Gentling for forever? Questions started filling her head; she also tried to think of a Sister she could ask without getting in trouble. That list was very short. Mimi narrowed her eyes in thought at the older woman. “Thanks for sharing Gera, but how did you find out about this?” As she asked, she could help but keep her eyes peeled for an Aes Sedai or Accepted that may descend to find three women in novice whites gathered together at the bottom of the stairs.

Edited October 13, 2010 by keyholder21

[Phelix]

Gera saw the Accepted galnce their direction, and she pulled the other novices back into the stairwell. Back upstairs, she smiled at Miahna.

 

"I found out about this by exploring the Tower, just like we are today."

 

Gera remembered the first day she'd been able to get out to look around the Tower. She'd been able to wander deep into the basements of the Tower. Several floors below where they were now she'd found doors that looked a better fit for city walls than being in the basement of the White Tower. That wasn't something to share right now, especially considering how Miahna seemed to be taking this scene.

 

"There's something else I found... it's not anything forbidden or locked away. Would you like to see it?"

 

The spot she had in mind was actually quite pleasant. It was a small garden tucked away near the Red Ajah Quarters. That was an Ajah that Gera didn't think she would join. Yes, they were interesting and served a purpose in the World... but they were much more direct than Gera thought was appropriate for an Aes Sedai. Still, they kept a lovely garden, and it was far from where Novices were generally seen. They weren't likely to run into a sister looking for novices to run errands or do chores there.

[keyholder21]

ooc: Not trying to leave you out Chikara! Just had a break at work and was bored. :-D

 

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Miahna looked to Fianna and then followed the Cairheinin woman. She was much more knowledgeable about the Tower than any other novices Mimi knew. It was odd how much the older woman had discovered in her relatively short time here. Just the other day, Miahna had heard a pair of Accepted talking about Gera and her ‘nosy ways.’ Their words, not hers. Much like the other novices, Mimi cared greatly for the older woman. While she may extract information from everyone else, she shared much of it with her fellow white dresses – at least she had lately with Miahna.

 

The trio passed by many a hallway before landing at a tiny garden near the Red Quarters. Mimi smiled with glee at the tufts of green grass and colorful flower beds. As much as she wanted to explore the Tower, it was…uplifting to see foliage, to be outside. They spent so much time scurrying about inside that the simple pleasure of sunlight was tossed to the wayside. Miahna realized, as she gazed at the small garden that she severely missed working outside, feeling the wind on her ankles, the sun on her fingers. For most of her life she’d spent at least half the day outside, washing the linens, hanging them to dry, weeding the flowers, picking spices and vegetables from the garden. The list went on and on. Now, she was lucky if she made it outside once a month.

 

“It’s lovely,” she breathed to Gera. Minding her pristine white dress, she sat down next to a bed of beautiful scarlet roses. “I’ve never seen this place before. In fact, I’ve never been in this hallway before!” Inhaling deeply, she patted the ground next to her, looking up at Fianna. “Take a seat love.” As she waited for the Tinker novice to sit and get comfortable, Miahna started telling Gera about the awful novice that had just moved into their hall. “She pounded on the wall all night long…”

[Zentopia]

(ooc: Okay. Back up to speed, sorry for the delay!)

 

“I'm coming, no worries, but where are we?” Fianna had been silent for most of the journey, simply drinking in the scenery and trying to commit it to memory. It'd do her no good in the future if she couldn't find her way around this part of the Tower, should she ever come this way again. And, to be honest, for a while there she'd been struck by a bit of shyness.

 

While Mimi was nice, Fianna wasn't sure what to make of the older woman. There'd been a time a while back where she'd subscribed to the rampant rumor that Gera was an Aes Sedai in disguise amongst the novices for some reason. Not wanting to see the end of Valeri Sedai's switch, the Tua'athan had avoided her for the most part. Now, having heard whispers about the older novice's adventures in the Mistress's offices herself, Fianna wasn't so sure. The way Gera led them through hallway after hallway as if she'd been down them before was not helping her suspicions, though.

 

...However, seeing parts of the Tower she'd never been in was fun...

 

As they moved further from the stone and glass of the Tower and discovered the small garden, Fianna felt...rejuvenated. A look over at Mimi confirmed that they were of one mind in this, and they shared a smile. Oh, they were still in the Tower, of course, but just being surrounded by things of the outdoors cheered her, even if they'd been arranged by mortal hands.

 

Suddenly she felt compelled to....oh yes. “We can do pretty much anything on an off-day, yes?” she asked the other two novices, impish grin growing. It wasn't really a question, though, since while she was asking, she was reaching for the strap on her shoes. Two seconds later, they were off, and were quickly followed by her stockings. Any looks of surprise or shock went completely unnoticed by the young girl.

 

Task done, the Tua'athan's bare feet sank into the lush grass, the soft blades cool between her toes. With a sigh of happiness, Fianna tilted her face upwards towards the sun, drinking in the morning heat. “Ahhhh. This is more like it.” A giggle bubbled to the surface, and in spite of herself, she twirled on one foot, white dress ballooning out with the movement before she sat down with a plump. Light, she hadn't felt the urge to do that since she was nine, but she felt so free compared to the drudgery of the last few days.

[keyholder21]

Miahna laughed as the former Tinker took off her shoes and stockings, placing her bare feet in the grass. Fianna sighed with happiness and the Arafellin couldn’t help but agree – the idea was wonderful. She followed suit, stripping off her shoes. Next, she placed her stockings in them gently and plopped her feet into the grass too. Gera looked at them both as if they were woolheaded.

 

Fianna giggled next to them, and she twirled her dress out before sitting. Her young face was flushed with happiness. Mimi wrapped her arms around the girl’s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. The lovely girl reminded Miahna of Tessa – about what she could have been when she grew up.

 

Continuing her story of the belligerent new novice, Mimi had both of the other novices laughing as she explained about the Mistress of Novices gliding into the hall in a fury and the girl dressing down Valeri Sedai in the middle of the novice chambers. Many of the other tower initiates had peeked out of their doors, afraid to share any of the blame with the new girl, but also afraid to miss any of the excitement. “Have you two met her yet? She still thinks that this is a mistake and that she’s on the same level as Aes Sedai. She must have quite a stubborn streak, I’m actually surprised that she hasn’t been broken yet.”

[Grimmlocke]

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.

[keyholder21]

ooc: Anybody else can jump in here of course, I was just moving things along. Grimm, up to you if you want to keep things awkward or put the lil novices at ease ;).

 

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The test to become Accepted was one of the best, and worst, kept secrets in the White Tower. Every novice knew that there was something called the Arches involved – they’d heard it whispered around enough, but as to the actual ceremony, nobody had any idea. At least not solid fact on what happened once you were deemed ready and called by the Mistress of Novices. Every time Miahna had seen someone get stolen away, the woman had blanched and looked as if she were walking to a death sentence. Perhaps part of her was.

 

They were discussing what the test could be when Mimi saw a multi-colored flicker out of the corner of her eye. She whipped her head around to find an older Accepted standing in front of the garden with a basket in her hands. She stared at them for a moment, a frown appearing over her features and the Arafellin felt herself gulp. So much for enjoying a free day for the first time she thought, doing her best not to glance worriedly at the other women in the garden with her. By that time, Fianna and Gera had noticed something was wrong and turned their heads to see the woman with the basket.

 

To Miahna’s surprise, the Accepted removed the frown from her features and stepped into the garden. Putting her basket down firmly, the woman gave the trio of white clad girls an appraising glance. Miahna moved over slightly to make more room for the woman. She didn’t look necessarily happy, but she did open her basket to pull out some cheese and bread. A picnic! What a wonderful idea!

 

"A nice day to be out and about, isn't it?" She asked, and filled a small cup with wine.

 

An awkward silence filled the garden. “Yes, Accepted, it is.” Miahna said, speaking up finally. She wasn’t sure how to address an Accepted from whom she wasn’t taking orders or a class. “Other than your picnic, what is it that you have planned for the rest of the day?” There. That should be a safe question…right? she thought, wondering if she, Gera, and Fianna should get up and leave. For now they stayed, watching the Accepted eat her bread and cheese and awaiting her response.

[Zentopia]

Fianna just stared at Miahna, eyes wide with disbelief as the Arafellin continued her tale. “And she's able to sit down after that? I do hope any chairs she uses for the next month are well padded!” Truly, the young girl couldn't comprehend going against Valeri Sedai. It just had never occurred to her. One didn't argue with the caravan leader when she called for the family to get the horses and up stakes; when he said it was time to go, the only thing asked was 'where?' and maybe not even that. To argue with an Aes Sedai – any Aes Sedai was inviting trouble.

 

“So what did Valeri Sedai do, do you know?” The Tuatha'an shook her head, wondering how she'd missed this. The punishment must have been epic.

 

A light wind blew through the garden, ruffling hair and bringing the light scent of early-blooming flowers with it. She breathed in happily. Nothing like being outside....

 

"A nice day to be out and about, isn't it?"

 

Startled, Fianna turned, and for an instant she thought, staring up at Nanna, Oh, Light, there goes our holiday. But then, a moment later, she took in the banded dress.

 

Wait, an Accepted? With that face? How...?

 

Thankfully, the confusion didn't show on her face all that much, but she'd thought no one that old could ever be a student at the Tower. Then again, she was sitting next to Gera, who was perhaps old enough to be her mother. Or one of her younger aunts. Light, she was never saying any of this aloud. EVER.

 

“Uhm....hi? Ah...yes, it is,” she stammered, indicating the rest of the group. “Are you on freeday as well?”

[Grimmlocke]

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."

[keyholder21]

Ooc: I was waiting for Phelix, actually, to see if he wanted to post something with Gera, but I haven’t seen him around for awhile, so I guess I will move this along for those of your that need this credit!

 

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Miahna felt herself stiffen as the Accepted started talking about her days as a novice and that she didn’t have time to laze around. I don’t know about these other two, but I’m certainly not lazy! I worked my flaming tail off on all my chores in order to enjoy today. I haven’t had a time to enjoy myself since I got the bloody Tower years ago! She opened her mouth, but then closed it. The tirade continued inside her head, but if her time at the Tower had taught her anything, it was that speaking your mind was often considered rude. She would not let this day be ruined by the older woman in front of her.

 

However, instead of handing out an assignment to the three novices, the Accepted relaxed her features and actually spoke out in favor of taking a little time to breathe. She seemed almost friendly, offering some of her food to the trio of white clad women sitting a foot or so away from her. Miahna nodded her thanks, but didn’t reach for any of the food. She was still full from breakfast. Besides, sitting here in the garden was bad enough, but she felt that if an Aes Sedai walked by and saw her eating on top of that, that her punishment would be worse.

 

The woman answered Mimi’s question before turning her gaze to Fianna. Much as the Arafellin felt uplifted by the former Tinker’s presence, the older woman seemed to soften a bit more just looking at the girl. She smiled widely and answered Fianna’s question with a gentle tone.

 

Leaning back a little, the Accepted took a bite of her food, sipped her wine and eyed the novices. "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." Sighing quietly, Miahna felt the tension leave her shoulders for the first time since she’d spied the banded hem.

 

“Nanna, earlier you mentioned that you might go into town. I wasn’t aware that one could do that as an Accepted. Have you been out often since gaining the ring?”

Edited October 24, 2010 by keyholder21

[Phelix]

OOC: I'm sorry I dropped this thread, oh four months ago now. I'm back, and Ama said she'd like me to complete it for Gera's reqs. So, Gera was there for the whole conversation... just silent. Because she likes watching people... yes... that's why. :shifty eyes:

 

IC: Gera sat with the other girls, thinking through their conversation. It seemed so trivial to her. Picnics and punishments. Of course, part of her thrilled at the thought of new knowledge to ferret out... despite the restrictions placed on her by the Blue Sitter, Gera had still managed to gather a few dribs of information. It was frustrating to have to work within the strictures of the hierarchy imposed on her by these women. Clearly, they should recognize she was different than these girls. Some of the younger novices shouldn't even be out of their mothers' sight yet, let alone here at the Tower learning how to manipulate the Power and thrones. They especially shouldn't be in the same classes as Gera. Some, like the Accepted who deemed to share her luncheon, were an entirely different set of stones to play with.

 

The Accepted, while not from the same world as Gera, was definitely closer than the sweet, young girls could be. Nanna knew what it meant to struggle, to fight to build something. While her life's work was obviously not a nation spanning network of spies, it had been significant, and she had been good at it. Here at the Tower, the two older women were more alike than anyone outside would have thought. Here, they were both unlearning a life-time's worth of habits and self-reliance. The Tower, rather the sisters who taught them, said it did not want them to lose that self-reliance; they said that Tarmon Gaidon was coming quickly, and they would need to know how to lead from within themselves... but at the same time, forcing them to give up their gifts, their skills, and to take up a life of practical servanthood didn't do much for their self.

 

Gera refused to have it beat out of her. Yes, she had set aside her games and manipulations after her first attempt at a web was dismantled. She had checked. None of her informants worked where they had when Gera found them, but all still worked for the Tower. Given enough time, once she claimed her blue fringed shawl, Gera could pick those loose threads back up again. Some would be taken by someone else, probably the Blue Ajah, but others would retain some loyalty to Gera herself. Most, to be honest, simply weren't worth the extra pay to a large organization like the Ajah. To Gera, however, they were the seeds of something mighty. As far as she could tell, no sister kept a web within the Tower, nor did any Ajah.

 

These lovely, and dangerous, thoughts filled her mind as she took a piece of bread smeared with cheese. Humble fare, but she had been brought to a humble place in life. She liked the girls she was with, to be sure, but a part of her (a rather large part) resented everything she had given up. Her banker in the city kept most of her funds, but she'd handed complete control of the web over to her son. He would not accept her coming home. She was stuck with her choice, and stuck with these girls. Hopefully, soon if the Light willed, these girls would grow into the women that could make thrones bow.

 

Sipping wine from the bottle, she smiled pleasantly at the others. They really weren't bad company.