Characters: Accepted Aelrena, Catisune Sedai, Danelle Sedai
Study of the Brown Ajah
Tall, arched windows in the northern wall open to a balcony, providing a
choice view of the Erinin as it flows south from the Borderlands. Half the
seating in the room is drawn up around the windows, showing that the
occupants appreciate the panorama. The remaining seats are drawn up in
circles of six to eight, allowing Brown Sisters to discuss the furtherance
of knowledge, or new theories in an informal atmosphere. Colorful wall
hangings depicting still lifes decorate the pale white walls.
A large desk made of fine, thick wood stands across the room from here.
Catisune Sedai is standing here.
A young girl in a plain white dress stands here.
A silver-haired Aes Sedai sits here, reading.
A Brown Sister is here, frowning pensively.
Danelle Sedai, sitter for the Brown Ajah stands here deep in thought.
Aelrena darts into the Study of the Brown Ajah, her arms loaded with biographies as she drops into a curtsy.
Aelrena senses Catisune connecting to the True Source.
Catisune tilts her head as a bird might.
Catisune closes the carveddoor.
Aelrena says 'It's a pleasure to see you, Catisune Sedai.'
Catisune gestures at the door with her hand.
The door silently swings shut and lock with a soft *click*.
Catisune says 'As ever, Apprentice.'
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Catisune smiles, and for once the gesture touches her large, watery eyes.
Aelrena heads to her normal perch upon the window sill, placing the heaps of books onto it before nodding to herself, her full attention turned to the Aes Sedai.
Catisune observes her apprentice as one might a batch of apples at the cart, her attention winnowed upon choosing the juiciest.
Catisune says 'I have heard you have been asking some intriguing questions of my sisters.'
Aelrena's expression quirks up, her eyebrows scrunching in apparent consideration.
Catisune continues drily 'Callesa found your line of inquiry regarding Amyrlins to be quite bold.'
Aelrena says 'Is intriguing not relevant to the listener, Catisune Sedai? An ant might find an apple interesting.'
Aelrena appears to be trying not to grin, though her eyebrows twitch at the mention of Callesa Sedai.
Aelrena nods at her.
Aelrena says 'Yes, that's what I had gathered, Catisune Sedai.'
Catisune says 'But I do so love your aphorism.'
Catisune tilts her head to one side, the censorious bun atop her head swaying.
Aelrena looks to the ground, her tone turned to something closer to meek for a moment.
Aelrena says 'I believe she seemed rather unimpressed with what she considered to be my pride for choosing to study Amyrlins.
Catisune rummages in the tawny bag of sewing trinkets resting at her feet. She rifles through and displaces several oddities, including some taxidermy, before she arrives at her cache of writing implements.
Catisune opens one of her many notebooks and observes something. She embraces the source and uses a few delicate flows of air to scrape the fresh ink with blotting sand.
Catisune says 'Yes. The ant and the apple. I like that.'
Catisune says 'But what were you saying of Callesa?'
Catisune tilts her head once more, inquisitive as a bird.
Aelrena takes a deep breath, and glances at the window before back to her mentor.
Aelrena says 'I was merely saying that seemed unimpressed with what she considered to be my pride in choosing to study Amyrlins, Catisune Sedai.'
Catisune says 'If I changed a line of inquest every time Callesa disapproved, I'm not sure I'd ever get anything done.'
Catisune crosses her hands primly in her lap, but her lips twitch.
Aelrena says 'Though I would consider it less of pride, and more a logical following from my studies into the time of Hawkwing for any intiate who understands more than the common farm girl.'
Catisune taps her lip thoughtfully.
Aelrena 's lips quirk slightly, and she lets out a tiny breath.
Catisune says 'Well, tell me of your study of Amyrlins then.'
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Catisune retrieves her embroidery hoop, and she begins working it absently with sure, even stitches.
Aelrena lets out a longer breath this time, then touches the spines of the different biographies laid out beside her.
Catisune's eyes narrow beadily.
Aelrena says 'Well, the study itself resulted from seeing how the actions of Bohnwin Sedai affected the entirety of not just the Tower of course, but the world, and how her descent into selfish action was folly.'
Catisune nods 'Of course.'
Aelrena says 'So I've been cross-referencing both biographies that Gesin Sedai directed me to within the Third Depository, along with the general histories of the first to get as unbiased and accurate an assesment of the different Amyrlins as possible.'
Catisune says 'I look forward to seeing how you digest all of this.'
Aelrena says 'From that, I've been gathering the information about what traits are looked for in Amyrlin, what classifications are being used for their strength, either end of said spectrum, though of course, with less consideration to strength in the One Power. But ultimately trying to determine what it is that makes an Amyrlin, well, an Amyrlin.'
Catisune smiles again, the briefest twitch of her lips, but as good as a grin for those who know her and the foibles of Aes Sedai.
Aelrena shifts from leaning on her right foot to leaning gently against the window sill, her movement pushing the largest of the tomes slightly askew, the edges of it's cover now hovering over the floor, upon which she lays her left hand to steady herself
Catisune says 'And what of your other tasks?'
Aelrena says 'Which specifically, Catisune Sedai? If you mean the tasks given to me by the different Ajahs to prove myself worthy of the Shawl, or at least begin to, I've completed them all excepting the last for the Red.'
Catisune nods, her bun swaying dangerously 'Yes. Those.'
Catisune says 'I am glad you near your conclusion.'
Catisune says 'I am excited to see how you wrap it all up!'
Catisune winks or blinks her large, watery eye.
Catisune says 'Soon, we must discuss the test.'
Catisune says 'Have you gone to see the Accepted in the Blue wing?'
Catisune says 'I . . . think it's the Blue wing.'
Aelrena smiles, the corners of her lips turning up, now nearing the corners of her umber eyes.
Catisune looks down to her embroidery hoop, closing one eye.
Aelrena nods slowly, "I have Catisune Sedai, though not as recently as I would wish."
Aelrena's lips quirk, "Something that can be remedied right after our meeting as well."
Catisune says 'The Wheel weaves, as ever, and we are the threads.'
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Aelrena says 'Something I believe I'm beginning to understand more than I once did.'
Aelrena stifles a laugh behind her hand.
Catisune shows Aelrena her embroidery hoop. It looks to be a portrait of Bonwhin in disgrace, angry red threads.
Aelrena takes a deep breath, her eyes scanning across the embroidery.
Aelrena emote: Aelrena takes a deep breath, her eyes scanning around the embroidery.
Aelrena says 'History can be an enigma, Catisune Sedai.'
Catisune returns the hoop to its home within her tawny bag of sewing trinkets as she returns to her seat in one of the plush chairs near the Ajah study windows.
Catisune says 'The present too.'
Catisune says 'But how we interpret the Pattern informs who we are as Aes Sedai.'
Aelrena lets out a long sigh, "I'll admit my studies have me wishing that I could peel back the
skeins of the Wheel, just to... truly see what happened, rather than relying on the words of
historians who had their own goals."
Catisune says 'No history is free of bias.'
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Catisune says 'Understand that as you study Bonwhin.'
Aelrena says 'Even one told by an Aes Sedai.'
Catisune says 'Even or especially, dear?'
Aelrena 's lips turn up slightly at the corners.
Aelrena says 'Perhaps both?'
Catisune says 'Definitely at least one of those two answers.'
Aelrena chuckles politely.
Catisune says 'Do you seek my advice on any other matters?'
Aelrena says 'I will keep it in mind. It's hard to see what the Hall of the Tower saw in her to name her Amyrlin in the first place, but I suppose, that's not something that I would see easily to begin
with.'
Aelrena ponders life, the universe, and everything.
Aelrena looks back down to the floor, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed slightly.
Catisune looks on as a statue might, perfectly expressionless.
Aelrena says 'I can't think of anything at the moment, Catisune Sedai. I believe the heading for my ship is clear, the harbor mouth illuminated by the lighthouse.'
Catisune says 'An apt metaphor, dear.'
Aelrena appears to be trying hard not to grin, as she looks up, her eyes darting to her mentor's face.
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Aelrena says 'I think I have what I need, Catisune Sedai. Now it's merely the matter of sailing the ship.'
Catisune says 'You are a sailor now?'
Aelrena stifles a laugh behind her hand.
Catisune says 'I thought you were from Andor.'
Aelrena says 'Hardly, in fact I couldn't tell you which side is port or Starboard.'
Catisune says 'Aren't you from Andor?'
Aelrena says 'But it sounded poetic, and it gives an expectation to others which lends to more than they might see. '
Catisune tilts her head to one side.
Aelrena says 'I am, Catisune Sedai. Caemlyn proper, specifically.'
Catisune says 'Sometimes I cannot remember where I am from.'
Aelrena frowns slightly, her eyes narrowing in turn.
Catisune says 'But Illian is a long way from the White Tower.'
Aelrena says 'Have you worn the shawl so long, Catisune Sedai? '
Catisune says 'And the accent only comes out when I'm drunk.'
Catisune says 'Danelle, more wine?'
Aelrena chuckles politely.
Danelle Sedai says 'It's a good day for a stiff drink.'
Aelrena says 'I could also see that some is sent up for you from the kitchen as well, when we finish here Catisune Sedai'
Catisune says 'It is gauche to talk about these things, you'll find, but I have worn the shawl for
78 years. It feels like a lifetime.'
Catisune says 'Perhaps it was.'
Catisune blinks.
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Aelrena says 'I understand Catisune Sedai. I'll not share it nor ask another who didn't volunteer such information.'
Catisune smiles as a bird might, thinly.
Catisune says 'I should like you to finish your quest for the Red soon.'
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Catisune says 'Then we shall talk about votes.'
Catisune says 'Have you been making friends?'
Aelrena says 'I will do so Catisune Sedai, I've been trying to hunt down Chianna, and that has gone… poorly.'
Aelrena chuckles politely.
while also creating relations.
Aelrena says 'Friends might be a strong term, but I've been attempting to create a positive image of myself, while also creating relations.'
Aelrena nods at her.
Catisune says 'Which sisters think favorably of you?'
Aelrena ponders life, the universe, and everything.
Aelrena says 'Improving relations I suppose might have been better to say. Relations already existed since we are all a part of the Tower.'
Aelrena freezes for a moment, her eyes darting to Catisune's.
Aelrena 's words are slow, seemingly considered carefully, "I wouldn't deign to speak on behalf of an Aes Sedai's thoughts on me, Catisune Sedai."
Catisune says 'Do not be coy, dear. Danelle, plug your ears!'
Catisune says 'I am glad to hear it then.'Aelrena nods in agreement.
Catisune says REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED
Aelrena says 'REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED
Catisune says REDACTED 'REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED'
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Aelrena says 'REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED'
Aelrena chuckles politely.
Catisune says 'REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED'
Catisune taps her lip thoughtfully.
Aelrena says 'REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED'
Aelrena says 'REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED '
Aelrena nods in agreement.
Aelrena says 'REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED'
Aelrena 's lips turn up slightly at the corners.
Aelrena dips her head to the Aes Sedai.
Aelrena says 'I've been doing my best to make you proud, Catisune Sedai'
Catisune says 'Do not let me be sentimental, but I am pleased to report you have done so, dear.''
Aelrena's face doesn't change, but something in her eyes shows both joy and a touch of triumph.
Catisune says 'Thank you for attending me, dear.'
Aelrena says 'It was my pleasure, Catisune Sedai.'
Catisune says 'If there's not anything else, you should send up wine.'
Danelle Sedai says 'I already started on a glass of wine. My warder needs to relax.'
Aelrena sets about the task of stacking the biographies back into her arms, the stack creating a
teetering mass that reaches well over her head.
Aelrena says 'Yes, Catisune Sedai, I will go do so now. Thank you for your time.'
Aelrena senses Catisune connecting to the True Source.
Aelrena's lips turn up slightly at the corners.
Catisune gestures with her hand.
The door smoothly swings open.
Aelrena drops into a curtsy, the stack shifting dangerously, though failing to fall as she rises back to her full, though unimpressive height.