Wheel of Time MUD

*Presently*

Aelrena lounges upon a plush couch,one hand grasping a book by the bottom, the other hugging a dusky blue pillow to her chest. Sunlight cascades through the large window, the light illuminating motes of dust floating through the room. Pressed off into one corner of the room, set apart from an array of bookshelves interspersed with some decidedly non-booklike memorabilia, is a trellis of vines which clings to the wall. The occasional swoosh of a page turning accentuates the quiet of the room.

An atmosphere which is irrevocably shattered by the apartment door bursting open, a red-faced liveried servant panting out, “Aelrena Sedai, there’s… there’s need for aid down in the infirmary. Corele Sedai asked me to come find you.” Bending at the waist, the man gives a quick bow, his breath still coming in labored waves as he dashes back into the hall. Closing the book with a single motion, the Aes Sedai places it upon the sturdy wooden coffee table and embraces the source even as the man finishes speaking. Threads of all five elements snapping together as a gateway twists open right next to the couch, revealing a dusty and empty closet. Stepping through the gate, Aelrena immediately darts through the following door, allowing the gate to close behind her as she hurries through the basement sublevel.

***
Adjusting her shawl about her shoulders as she enters the infirmary, Aelrena’s first observation is how everything smells like blood, the metallic smell overpowering almost every other sense. Her second observation is that every other sister present looks haggard, even if the untrained wouldn’t see it. A casual observation would show a group of tranquil women going about their tasks, but their exhaustion is clear in the tiniest hitch of a glide, the way that a smile seems to droop a tiny fraction more than normal. Shaking her head, Aelrena scans the room, her eyes locking briefly with Corele’s. The Yellow gives Aelrena a small, tired smile before gesturing to a bed pressed into the corner, then returns her attention to her own patient.

Making her way to the indicated bed, Aelrena squeezes through the room, her eyes scanning the variety of patients, many of whom sport bandages, slings, and other mundane forms of healing. The sound of wails and crying occasionally breaks out, though most often quickly quieted down by an Accepted whose dress seems to be more dust than cloth.

Drawing close to the bed, Aelrena embraces the source, preparing to delve the ma- No, boy. That long-limbed lankiness doesn’t belong to a man yet fully-grown, she muses silently. Wincing at the sensory information provided by the delving, Aelrena draws more of the One Power, preparing a complex weave of Spirit, Air and Water that she lays across him, deftly drawing it into his body as she takes a closer look at the boy. She pushes back a few stray hairs, which seemingly fell loose from his tail of hair, and then she freezes.

[i]The cold hard floor against her knees caused pain to shoot through the joints, but the frigid metal about her neck threatened much worse if she stood. Elynd- No. Aelrena. She couldn’t forget who she was, even if they tried to take it from her. Aelrena kept her gaze locked upon the floor, even as the drawl of the woman before her carried through the halls. “High Lady Tasirin has done well in seeing this Marath’Damane collared. The Empress, may she live forever, has great hopes for all of the freshly-collared Aes Sedai.” She then pauses, the click of nails upon crystal distinct before she continues drawling, “The Empress, may she live forever, wonders if this damane has given you any trouble during her reeducation, Der’Sul’dam Maralyn.” A small tug on the chain about her neck pulled Aelrena to the side, putting her off balance before she stabilized, eyes still firmly focused upon the floor.

“No-” The suldam’s response cuts off abruptly, Aelrena feeling her surprise as… something happened. Aelrena looked up just in time to see a gateway opening on the very steps of the Crystal Throne, and then another at the base, screams breaking out in the hall as several black-coated men stepped through the gateways, fire billowing from their hands setting banners and guards alike ablaze. Maralyn pulled the Da- no Aes Sedai, to her feet, head darting from one direction to the next as if looking for a target. One man broke away from the group, his attention seemingly focused upon the pair.

His hair was long and dark, pulled back from the face, and his eyes were umber darkness, seeming to hide a multitude of secrets in their depths. A pair of pins flanked the man’s throat, a silver sword and… what is that? A dragon? The One Power suddenly flooded through Aelrena, filling her with overwhelming joy, with pure ecstasy, the Sul’dam at her side tugging at the silver chain. Then it was gone, and the a’dam about her throat was on the floor, clinking audible despite the chaos. Staring, Aelrena’s eyes focused upon the ter’angreal, unblinking for brief moment before the sul’dam beside her was consumed in a pillar of raging fire. The man who had been staring at the pair gave the Aes Sedai a small smile, along with a quick nod before turning away. And then… a silver arch, visible just over his shoulder. [/i]

Familiar. Oh so familiar. Younger, perhaps a less battle-hardened, but nonetheless a face that she could never forget. Aelrena leans closer, placing the back of her hand upon his forehead, shawl brushing along his arm before she pulls back, attention returning to the healing. There would be time for questions later.

*A few days later*

The fire crackled merrily in the hearth of the Aes Sedai’s childhood room, the echoes of the past seeming to hover just beyond sight. The old, rickety window creaked when opened, exactly the same as when she left all those years back. Perched upon the sill were several varied herbs, clearly well cared for as they reach toward the sun. Countless scratches marred the wood flooring, some closer to gouges due to their depth. Pushed against one wall stood a small, waist-height bookcase, its shelves packed to the brim with time-wearied tomes, their spines worn and broken from handling. In appearance, everything was the same. But it wasn’t.

No jovial laughter echoed through the small home, no pitter-patter of young feet darting through the kitchen. There were no twins arguing in another room about whose turn it was to bake bread, nor their brother’s quiet grumbles that he was trying to read. Despite the fire’s best efforts, it could not overcome the overpowering feeling of silence. Of absence.

Aelrena let out a long weary sigh, her head falling back against the wall as she wiped the exhaustion from her eyes with the back of her right hand. She stayed that way for a long while, quietly murmuring to herself occasionally, “Three married off, one dead, one missing. All alone.” Looking up at the ceiling, her umber eyes appeared to stare past the stone ceiling, through to the sky above. “Blood and ashes”, she said, her voice much louder this time. A quiet thump from the room outside followed the exclamation, and the door squealed on its hinges as it opened.

In the doorway stood a matronly woman dressed in plain brown woolens with a white apron about her waist, and her face was lined with deep wrinkles around the lips and along the eyes. Solid streaks of gray ran through her thick, brown hair which was currently braided up in a crown about the top of her head. “I see the shawl about your shoulders hasn’t managed to curb your tongue any more than I did before you left.”, she barked, her lips pursed in a remarkably familiar expression.

“Well I should think not. Am I to take that dinner is ready?” responded Aelrena, mouth twisted wryly. The older woman merely nodded, turning to leave before pausing, one hand rested upon the door frame, “It’s… wonderful to have you back, even if it’s only for a short time.” With that, she slipped back out the door, its closing uncharacteristically quiet. The Aes Sedai’s gaze remained fixed on the door for a brief moment, her expression unreadable, before she turned to look at her hands, eyes catching upon the ring of the great serpent biting its own tail.

Beautifully wrought of gold, the ring itself was clearly a work of masterful craftsmanship. However, just beneath one of the eyes was a small scratch, its depths stained blue. Past that, tucked against the Aes Sedai’s leg, and just out of sight from the door was a small stack of unopened letters. Each seemed to have traveled far, with assorted tears and discoloration apparent on their surfaces, in fact, the only thing that remains consistent across each is the cramped, neat handwriting adorning one side, “The Solyan Family, Caemlyn, New City, Thyme and Again.”

Absently, Aelrena’s right thumb ghosted over the ring, causing it to spin ever so slightly as she continued to gaze at her lap. “It’s no wonder he’d run, if he suddenly felt so isolated. Light but you’ve made a mess of this, Reniane.” she murmured, shaking her head before gripping the papers in one hand, and stooping to tuck them into her bag. The clink of ink bottles colliding together sounded as she lifted the bag from the floor, standing and moving toward the room’s singular entrance, her typical glide atypically more of a stride.

Pulling the door open and revealing a homely kitchen with a wide variety of plants arrayed upon the majority of the open surfaces, she announced “I’m afraid I’ll have to skip the meal, I’ve business to be about. You’ll have to give my best to the girls when they arrive. I’ll return in a few days to see whether you have completed Father’s funerary arrangements, and they make sure you’re compensated for it.” The older woman frowned, her eyebrows pulling together, “Now Ael-” The Aes Sedai cooly cut in, interrupting the woman,“None of that now. I’m certain there’ll be plenty of time for it later, once the Little Tree has come home.” Cutting quickly through the center of the room, Aelrena briefly glanced at the table where seven chairs sat, all currently set for visitors, with bread and bowls of stew resting in front of each. “Truly, when time permits.” she said again, not bothering to look at the older woman’s dismayed expression as she stepped out into the bustle and noise of Caemlyn’s streets.

*This takes places 3 weeks before this log https://forums.wotmud.info/viewtopic.php?f=102&t=18567 *

Well, owl be damned.

Fen Edit 1-20-24

Rplizer +1 qps :
Extra meticulous edit +1 qps :1
Length bonus +1-2 qps : 2
Part of a series +1 qps: o

Summary: +1 qps : x

**A few months ago**

Aelrena looked up from the piece of crumpled and stained vellum in her hands, her eyes sliding across the brightly colored bookshelves before landing upon the ornate wall of windowed glass framed in rich mahogany. The clamorous noise of the city could only be faintly heard, despite the partially opened glass door in the center of the wall. After a long moment, the Aes Sedai let out an aggrieved sigh, the sound barely above a whisper but nonetheless loud in the quiet and cluttered study.

A longer, more thorough scan of the study revealed a sort of organized chaos. The towering bookshelves created the illusion of a space teetering on the edge of clutter. Each shelf appeared methodically organized and lined with tomes spanning every conceivable topic. A rich Tairen rug sprawled across the floor, providing an anchor for the sturdy wooden desk with a surprisingly clear surface barring the scattered remnants of a few crumpled letters.

Pushed off to one side stood a table dedicated as a workplace for more intricate projects. Several maps lay sprawled out across it, each corner weighed down with a statue or trinket with no rhyme or reason. Scattered atop them was a seemingly unconnected canvas of documents, only a few disparate scraps of parchment bearing cryptic and nonsensical notes, or half-finished diagrams left to convey any connection. A casual inspection revealed the placement of every item to be haphazard and only briefly considered.

Looking back down, Aelrena frowned slightly as she picked up a pen and put it to her own piece of paper, writing quickly in a tight, even script.

[i]"I’m afraid that I have business that will be taking me out of the Tower for a time, sister. You know which business. If you have need of my return, or there is an urgent sitting of the Hall you may reach me through one of our agreed upon methods.

P.s. I hear that Kandor has a new upcoming poet, if I find there is rain perhaps I’ll see whether I can procure any of their work."

Light shine on you, as ever

Your sister[/i]

The Aes Sedai embraced the source and used a quick weave to dry the ink before folding the paper carefully, aligning the edges of the letter to rip if not unfolded just so. Standing, she retrieved the small bag tucked under the desk, slinging it over one shoulder before moving through the glass door set in the window, and stepping out onto a plant-filled balcony overlooking the city. Stooping briefly, the Brown sister picked up a pitcher of water left beside the railing, quickly moving about the platform to water the assortment of potted plants before replacing the pitcher on the floor and moving toward the opposite adjoining door to her own. Pausing, Aelrena moved to knock upon the glass, her hand hovering in the air for a moment before her lips tightened fractionally and she opened the door. A wave of scent poured out of the opening, the musty smell comprised of old parchment, scented candles and arrayed perfumes overwhelming the senses for a brief moment. A quick step led the woman into a room quite different from the one she had only recently vacated.

The center of the room was dominated by a large, heavy wooden desk, cluttered to the brim with an assortment of curious and peculiar artifacts, alongside an array of mundanity. Every wall was covered in bookshelves, each spanning a different topic, though poetry, the Old Tongue, and the Prophecies of the Dragon appeared to be the most common subjects. Interspersed throughout the room were several monstrous stacks of books, which reached several feet into the air and seemed to loom overhead. Prominently featured in one corner was a large, ornate armchair, the arms and backing covered in an array of eclectic litter, with a stuffed owl resting just over where someone’s shoulder would rest should they sit down. Just to the chair’s right, the room was softly lit by flickering candles and a crackling fireplace, which seemed to cast dancing shadows across the busy, cluttered room.

Aelrena made her way between the several looming stacks, her lips twitching slightly downward as her foot caught against the base of one, causing it to briefly shudder before settling. A soft murmur left her lips as she continued navigating the study, “Blood and ashes, sister. You could at least make it less of a journey.” Brushing a few sheets of papers aside, the Aes Sedai lay her letter upon the desk, her eyes locking with those of the owl briefly before they returned to the balcony door, a tiny sigh escaping her lips.