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[Amore]

Rixan felt some pride return as Nephuria spoke, but some shame lingered. It would take time for the feeling to go away – it's inky tentacles could burrow deep and hold on tight. She nodded at the instruction to get some sleep and slipped from the Dream into herself. Consciousness only lasted for a minute before darkness took her. It felt sweet, like an old friend. Her last thought of how she must do better the following night.

The next day felt like a blur – exhausting and busy. Though she was sleep deprived, Rixan did not feel tired until she was sitting once again on the soft cushions in the Wise One's tent. She had cleaned herself off this time, leaving the dust in a sweat tent instead of on Nephuria's cushions. The dust had been earned, however, as the apprentice had spent the day doing every task that her greatmother could think of, and then more. She'd only glimpsed the top of Adai's head during her chores – the other girl seemed just as busy.

Now, though, her eyes felt grainy and her mind sliding toward that sluggishness. She pinched herself on the thigh, feeling a tiny spike of adrenaline. On her side, Adai did the same. The Wise One had her back to them, doing something. Rixan looked over at the other girl, relieved to see that she looked just as tired. We can do this, she mouthed, hoping Adai understood.

Rixan Apprentice Wise One
Keyholder21

[Amore]

Nephuria found her way to her tent as night began to fall. The tent she found warm by coals in braziers placed around the room, tended by two gaishain. She allowed them to bring her tea kettle and cups to her, but began fixing her own spices of chamomile and honey, for its relaxing effects. She sat the kettle in one of the Braziers until it began steaming. Using her algode skirt as a mitten she removed it and poured 3 cups of still smoldering tea, she sat a jar of honey next to the pitcher, and did not have to wait long before the first apprentice showed up.

The two had been given single minded tasks all day, it was to help them concentrate on only one thing at a time, making it easier to change things in the dream, although she was unaware if either girl had matched the two together.

"Be welcome to share my shade and water, Apprentice. We will await the other girls arrival before we begin. In the mean time take this rag," Nephuria handed her a damp cloth. "and clean yourself as best you can; it's hard to be comfortable when the days events still linger on the body."

Nephuria Sul'aron
WO Dreamer

Edited by Amore, 12 August 2011 - 07:07 AM.

[Kathleen]

Adai dragged herself to the Wise One's tent. She hadn't realized how tired she truly was until she finally finished her final task. She could have been done hours earlier if she could have just known what was expected of her today. It had seemed like an endless day of tasks; just when she finished one, another came up. There was no time for a break, and she never knew what would come next.

Her back ached and muscles were tense as she entered the wise one's tent and took her seat next to Rixan. When she sat she couldn't stop herself from letting out a silent yawn. She hadn't had much real sleep after their first lesson, and she knew tonight would be no different. She was looking forward to the first real sleep after her final lesson in the dreamworld, but she would have to earn that glorious luxury. She was here to learn. One more task in the end of her day. But just because it was the last one, and just because she was tired, did not mean that this task any less important than others, or that she wouldn't give it all she had.

Adai tried to still her yawns and wake herself. She saw Rixan pinch herself when the Wise One's back was turned. Following the other apprentice, Adai pinched herself as well. The rush of pain and adrenalin filled her and she smiled at Rixan. That would be enough to keep her alert until the lesson started. Hopefully the information she would learn would be enough to keep her alert throughout the lesson.

Adailinra Desn
WO in the Works!

[Amore]

Nepuria turned her back to the girls, as she lit a few candles from a burning piece of wood. She smiled as the smell of chamomile and Valerian root filled the air from her tiny cook pot sitting in the hot coals. She withdrew from her pack a stick of what appeared to be cane sugar, something she'd traded a few skins for with one of the Stone Dogs.She still wondered where he had come across such a gift, but never questioned it.

Cutting a vanilla bean in half she dropped it into the mixture along with the cane sugar for sweetener. Her smile was genuine as she placed three cups before herself, waiting on the tea to come to a boil. Once the bottle whistled she carefully removed it from the heat with her algode skirt; allowing it to cool for a moment and for the herbs to steep.

She smiled at the worn apprentices and made a gesture with her hand. "I do not know how your herb classes progress, but I will tell you this even if it is repetitive. Chamomile is a part of the yellowed flower family,known for it's sweet taste and relaxing properties." she held up a leaf as she spoke, then sat it down to pick up a root. "This is Valerian root, used as a mild sedative when stitching someone up, or to help find sleep." Moving on she picked up the vanilla bean, split long ways. "This is vanilla, it does little more than give a pleasing taste. And lastly" she picked up a foot long cane the had the tip sliced off and was cut down the middle. "Cane sugar, used as a sweetener. Together, boiled down with tea leaves, it makes for a relaxing drink at the end of a long day."

She finished speaking and poured three glasses, handing one each to the girls and taking one for herself. "This should help ease your muscles, for we have a long night ahead of us." She sipped her tea, smiling as it tasted rich and sweet. She leaned back againsta pillow, and studied the women.

"When you are ready, close your eyes, and as we did last time, enter the world of Dreams. Find me here, and we will continue our training." The Wise One's eyes were half open, but suddenly she was alone in the second world. She could see the true world, but was less than halfway present in it.

Edited by Amore, 29 September 2011 - 07:40 PM.

[Kathleen]

Adai's smile lingered as the Wise One turned back to the girls and with fresh eyes she focused on the woman before her as she prepaired the drinks. She took mental note of each ingredient's use and how the woman prepared each one. They would come in handy if she wished to recreate the tea, but she knew 'how to make tea' was most defentely not the lesson here. She tucked it all away, hoping her tired mind would still retain it.

The cup was hot as her hands cupped around it but Adai didn't pull back or flinch. She let the heat soak into her hands, and the sensation reminded her she was still alive. The scent of the vanilla filled her nose and the steam felt relaxing on her cheeks as the liquid poured onto her tongue. It was hot, but the heat was welcome. She could almost feel the drink course through her body. She wanted to savor it, sip at it really, but she knew she couldn't take too long. It was a tool, not just a treat. She knew there was a long night ahead and she needed to be relaxed and asleep before their lesson could really start. The longer she stayed up enjoying her tea the longer she make the Wise One wait. She took her pace after the Wise one and her fellow student, and when she was done she set the cup away.

When she was laying comfortably Adai closed her eyes and tried to block everything out to sleep. The sounds of the room around her existed only for moments, then they were gone. The light of the candles flashing on her eyelids were distracting, but then they too were gone. She steadied her breathing, slowed it at her will and forced all thoughts out of her head. She wasn't sure how long she was laying there before she began to drift but just at the point of slipping fully into sleep she pulled herself up again. But when she opened her eyes she was not quite where she had left from. Though the room looked the same it did not feel the same, and she smiled as she saw the Wise One waiting there for her.

[keyholder21]

Rixan stifled a yawn as she sat in front of Nephuria. The days events had been long and tiring and often fruitless. It was common among the Wise Ones to relegate apprentices to random tasks such as digging a hole only to refill it and dig again. She had never felt as useless as she did filling those holes. And yet, when she'd paused momentarily to grab a drink of water, it had occurred to her that she was tired enough to drop into a dead sleep right at that moment. Could this have something to do with our training?

Nonsense. She told herself, and pushed off the shovel to once again start digging. Hours later, sitting in the Wise One's tent she found her mind flitting back to those thoughts. The Wise One was preparing some sort of drink. Pinching herself again, Rixan focused on the strong back of the woman in front of her as she finished her task. As the Wise One turned around, several herbal smells caught Rixan's nostrils and she almost sighed in relief. Chamomile was one of her favorite herbs of late – helping her get a small amount of sleep after these lessons. A soothing tea was something her greatmother had taught her long ago – during one of the many sleepless nights where she'd called out for a mother she'd never known. She listened carefully to the other ingredients Nephuria described. She'd heard of all of them over the course of her life, though she knew there were many herbs of which she had no knowledge.

Rixan sipped the tea, sighing as the hot liquid flowed down her throat and into her stomach. She felt warmth radiating from her middle, spreading languidly up and out to her extremities. She leaned back against the pillow, her eyes already half-lidded. "When you are ready, close your eyes, and as we did last time, enter the world of Dreams. Find me here, and we will continue our training." Nephuria stated, closing her eyes. The air in the room stilled some, acknowledging that while her body was here, her presence of mind was the in the Dreamworld. Setting her cup on the floor next to her, Rixan shot a glance at Adai and then closed her eyes, letting the peacefulness of the tent and the warmth of the tea overcome her.

She flickered into the Dreamworld and nearly scowled to find that she was the last to arrive. Instead, she curved her mouth up into a small smile, glancing at Adai. Nephuria smiled and nodded to both of them, beginning to take a step before a strange look crept across her face and she vanished. Worried, Rixan looked over at the Adai – the other apprentice had the same look of horror that she did. What do you think happened? She sent to the other girl, should we follow her out of the Dream? Not waiting for her response – there was comfort in merely asking the question “aloud” - Rixan locked her jaw and forced herself back to her body.

She awoke to an empty tent. Adai was slowly coming to next to her. The fire roared in the middle, crackling loudly as if to ask where the Wise One went. Knitting her brows, Rixan looked around for a moment before she cursed and pushed her weary body to its feet. “You can stay here if you wish, but I'm going to find out what happened to her.” She almost barked this at Adai, feeling shameful for a moment, but knowing that she did not owe her toh when the other woman merely nodded. Perhaps she felt as if the situation needed a clear leader, as Rixan did.

Throwing back the tent flap, the apprentice saw commotion in the camp. Maidens and men of various societies were packing up their belongings; Wise Ones in algode blouses and wide skirts were talking animatedly, pointing to the northwest. Rixan noticed that one such was Nephuria. She started toward the group, trying to figure out what she was going to say, when the other woman broke off and started running alongside a group of Maidens. Her wide necklace slapped against the top of her chest, just above the laces of her shirt, but she ignored it. Her feet matched pace with the women next to her until they were small enough to miss in the near dark.

Rixan stared around the camp for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. She nearly asked herself what her greatmother would do, but she stopped. It was enough that she was treading the same path, she needed shame herself more by trying to make decisions exactly as Maldena. Standing there in the midst of controlled chaos drew the attention of the Wise Ones from which Nephuria had departed. One spoke briefly to the group before jogging over to the confused apprentice. Motioning toward the tent, she held the flap back for Rixan to enter first. She followed.

The Wise One settled on the other side of the fire and appraised Adai and Rixan with cool ice blue eyes. “Nephuria expressed a need for you to continue training in the Dreamworld. We are lucky that I arrived today, else your training would have need to wait. She explained to me rather hurriedly some of the things you've learned.” She stared at each of them for a few long moments before she continued, “you will find I am not as patient a teacher as Nephuria, so ...keep up.” Then, while she was staring at them, awareness of her presence left. Her body still sat up, her eyes open but glassed over. Rixan's mouth settled into an 'o', and she shared a glance with Adai. How was she supposed to sleep now? The events of the night, and the new Wise Ones mannerisms – she hadn't even introduced herself to the pair of them – had made her heart start beating wildly. It was still thumping loudly as her eyes moved back over to the body across from them.

“Well, we'd better figure out how to follow.” Rixan said, annoyed at the lack of instruction. She reached down to pick up her cup and found to her dismay that it had tipped over when she'd stood previously. Bloody goatash, she thought to herself, further annoyed. Chewing on her lip, the apprentice mulled over how to follow, her anger receding to the challenge the Wise One had presented. How is it that we get there normally? Through dreams...through our subconscious...closing her eyes, Rixan forced herself to surrender to her subconscious, drowning out all the rest of the noise. When her green eyes snapped open, she found herself staring at the stern woman across the fire. Adai popped into focus next to her and Rixan thought she saw the ghost of a smile on the elder Wise One's lips.

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OOC: Okay Kat, I've finally revived this :).  It's your turn next.  I didn't name her as I wasn't sure if it would be the new NSW or if we were just going to keep her fairly anonymous since we're only using her in this thread.  I got us to enter at will, now if you'll proceed to have her instruct us to target dreams and get us started on that, we'll be rolling!