Talk of an Andoran home

[Aelrena]

Summary: Nevirha and Aelrena share a bottle of wine while the continue a discussion carried in from the Tower grounds. They touch briefly upon some of their pasts, as well as the state of the Tower. (There was more to this conversation, but sadly the first half seems to have been lost. That explains a couple of the references to previous conversations.)

Main characters: Aelrena, Nevirha
Supporting characters: Annoura and various Aes Sedai

Meeting Room of the Gray Ajah
Large, leaded glass windows surround the room on all sides, save the
southern where a large doorway leads out into a antechamber. The room
itself is dominated by a large wooden table around which sits at least
fifty matching chairs, something close to a record for the White Tower. In
the middle of the table are an assortment of unused parchments, quill pens
and stoppered ink jars. A small stand off to one side of the room holds a
large number of glass cups and a large pitcher of chilled water. An
inscription in fine lettering is etched upon the windows.
A large round table built from black oak dominates the center of the room.
Aelrena Solyan, Aes Sedai is standing here.
A silver-haired Aes Sedai sits here, reading.
A Gray Sister walks here, considering her options.
Annoura Larisen is here, weighing your words.

Aelrena nods in agreement.

Nevirha says 'Annoura, we need more chairs.'

Annoura Larisen glances around the room.

Aelrena whispers to Nevirha, 'Certainly.'

Annoura Larisen says 'Yes, it does appear we are short a few for this meeting.'

Annoura Larisen steps out, then returns with an Accepted following close behind.

Annoura Larisen looks over her shoulder at the girl.

Annoura Larisen says 'Child, help us move some of these chairs around the table.'

A dutiful Accepted curtseys gracefully. 'Yes, Aes Sedai.'

A dutiful Accepted grabs a chair and quickly moves across the room.
A dutiful Accepted drops a stout oaken chair.

A dutiful Accepted makes her way towards another and shuffles it into place.
A dutiful Accepted drops a stout oaken chair.

A dutiful Accepted avoids making eye contact as she lifts another chair.
A dutiful Accepted drops a stout oaken chair.

A dutiful Accepted gets a last chair and sets it with the others around a large table.
A dutiful Accepted drops a stout oaken chair.

A dutiful Accepted dips into a final curtsy and leaves with haste.

Nevirha says 'Annoura, summon Vianca.'

Annoura Larisen says 'I will send my scribe to summon her, Nevirha.'

Aelrena settles down into one of the chairs, her eyes on Nevirha.

Nevirha moves towards a beverage cart near the back of the room.

Nevirha pulls out a dust-caked bottle of wine.

A Green Sister has arrived from the east.

Nevirha walks back towards the table and puts the bottle of wine on the table, uncorking it.

Aelrena's lips twitch up slightly at the corners.

An Aes Sedai has arrived from the east.

Aelrena says 'I suspect your scribe might have found her sleeping.'

Nevirha says 'It seems like some of our other sisters have heard of the wine we keep here.'

Aelrena glances between the Aes Sedai arriving in the Meeting Room.

Aelrena says 'I was just about to mention that.'

Aelrena chuckles politely.

Aelrena says 'Do you have enough for all of us, or is this to be a sitter-only wine session?'

Aelrena stifles a laugh behind her hand.

Nevirha procures two glasses of fine Sea Folk porcelain, uncorks the bottle, and pours two generous servings.

Nevirha hands one of the glasses to Aelrena and glides to a chair at the head of the table.

Nevirha says 'The rest of you can pour your own, should you want it.'

Nevirha sit down on a stout oaken chair.

Nevirha takes a sip of the wine.

Aelrena accepts the glass with one hand before leaning back in the chair and taking a small sip.

Aelrena says 'Perhaps you'll allow me to pour the next for you.'

Nevirha says 'And now a novice? There will be none for you, girl.'

Nevirha says 'Be about your chores!'

Aelrena looks at a novice.

Aelrena says 'Go on, child. You've duties to be about which are not within the Gray Ajah Quarters.'

A Green Sister leaves east.

Aelrena shakes her head.

Aelrena says 'So, what was it like, growing up on those estates?'

An Aes Sedai leaves east.

Nevirha furrows her brow.

Nevirha says 'As a young child, it was quite nice.'

Aelrena says 'I've heard tale of the Biandhn estate's beauty.'

Aelrena's lips twitch up slightly at the corners.

Nevirha says 'But being there for the War of Succession...'

Nevirha trails off, sighing heavily.

Aelrena says 'I can imagine it was difficult, is that why you chose the Gray?'

Aelrena cocks her head to the side as she watches the Gray, curiosity clear in her expression.

Nevirha nods, ringlets of hair bouncing about her shoulders.

Nevirha says 'It is, yes. It became clear that the solution to our problems was not more strife, but rather, more unity.'

Aelrena's lips twitch up slightly at the corners.

Nevirha says 'Unity is what I have worked my whole life towards, though sometimes it seems to only get more challenging.'

Aelrena says 'I was rather obsessed with the concept of Unity as an Accepted, thought the secret to being Aes Sedai was to remember that in a way, all Ajahs are a single Ajah.'

Aelrena chuckles politely.

Nevirha says 'That is a good way to think of it, yes.'

Aelrena nods at Nevirha.

Nevirha says 'We all must be at least a little of all Ajahs to be great Aes Sedai.'

A novice leaves east.

Aelrena says 'I'm finding the longer I wear the shawl, the more I realize those goals we've had all our lives never get easier, only more difficult.'

Nevirha gestures at the doors with her hand.

The door silently swings shut and lock with a soft *click*.

Nevirha says 'That girl finally left.'

Aelrena nods in agreement.

Nevirha looks around. 'At least she took to dusting some of the room.

Aelrena says 'And I suspect Vianca was sleeping, or she'd know better than to miss the summons of a Sitter for the Hall.'

Nevirha says 'Indeed, it is my hope that she is not so foolish.'

Nevirha takes another sip of her wine.

Aelrena nods in agreement.

Aelrena's lips twitch up slightly at the corners.

Aelrena says 'I was close with some of the cooks in the palace's kitchens, when I used to work in the library.'

Nevirha smiles kindly at Aelrena.

Nevirha says 'Queen Morgase did have some legendary cooks.'

Nevirha says 'It was always a treat to be invited to the palace for a feast.'

Aelrena says 'Once a month or so they'd send home a few baked delicacies that they had "accidentally" done something or another to ruin.'

Nevirha says 'Tell me, how did you end up in the palace libraries?'

Aelrena says 'It was always the highlight of my sibling's weeks when I'd come home with those tiny treats.'

Aelrena ponders life, the universe, and everything.

Aelrena says 'I believe, well.'

Aelrena trails off briefly.

Aelrena says 'My father was or, well is I suppose, a member of the Queen's Guard.'

Nevirha nods, then takes another sip of wine.

Aelrena says 'When my mother's shop wasn't bringing in enough income to support the house with him, well... he pulled in what favors he could to get his eldest a job she'd enjoy.'

Aelrena takes another sip of her own wine, briefly swishing the liquid for the taste.

Nevirha 's eyes crinkle at the corners as she smiles.

Nevirha says 'A kind father, yours.'

Aelrena says 'I think he hoped I'd find a noble husband to marry, he couldn't have known...'

Aelrena's expression turns dark for the briefest of instances before she nods to Nevirha.

Aelrena says 'Yes, the kindest.'

Aelrena's lips twitch up slightly at the corners.

Nevirha tilts her head slightly, considering.

Aelrena says 'It used to drive my mother crazy when he'd bring kids in from off the street for dinner.'

Aelrena says 'What of your own parents? Were you close to them before you came to the Tower?'

Nevirha says 'Close? I would not say that.'

Nevirha says 'I don't believe any of the children of noble houses are close to their parents.'

Nevirha says 'To their tutors, perhaps.'

Aelrena frowns.

Nevirha smiles wryly.

Aelrena says 'I suppose not, though it's not a facet of that life I had ever considered.'

Nevirha says 'I was brought up from a young age to become High Lady of House Biandhn.'

Nevirha says 'And though we are not a particularly powerful house, I believe it always galled my mother that I came to the White Tower instead of running our House.'

Aelrena leans back in her chair and crosses her ankles as she takes another sip of her wine.

Aelrena says 'A fool is she then, I would say. You were clearly meant for it.'

Nevirha smiles kindly at Aelrena.

Aelrena gestures to the Aes Sedai with the hand holding the wine.

Nevirha says 'To my mother, House Biandhn might as well have been House Trakand and House Galldrian combined.'

Nevirha says 'I do not believe she understood that we held no real power.'

Nevirha says 'Light, but during the war of succession, she was there, scheming with the major houses.'

Nevirha says 'Lucky for us, she was aligned with Trakand.'

Nevirha says 'But still.'

Nevirha rolls her eyes dramatically.

Nevirha says 'House Biandhn had no say in Queen Morgase rising to power, but to hear my mother tell it, you would think we brought her to the throne carrying her on our backs.'

Nevirha says 'I'm sure she would insist that were it not for Biandhn, Morgase would have never ascended.'

Nevirha lets out a bright laugh..

Aelrena chuckles politely.

Aelrena says 'In my time, I have found that while the smallest actions have unforeseen consequences...'

Nevirha takes a long sip of wine, listening.

Aelrena says 'And It is often that people have unrealistic expectations of the consequences of their own actions.'

Nevirha says 'Probably the best way to describe my mother.'

Aelrena takes another sip of wine.

Aelrena gestures to the wine, "May I?"

Nevirha says 'Of course, Sister.'

Nevirha senses Aelrena connecting to the True Source.

Aelrena channels a thin stream of air to lift the wine, pouring wine into her own glass before looking to the gray, "And your own?"

Nevirha holds out her glass.

Aelrena makes a small gesture as the weave of air carries the wine over to Nevirha, giving her another generous pour before settling back onto the table.

Nevirha swirls the glass and breathes in deeply before taking a sip.

Aelrena arches an eyebrow.

Nevirha says 'Something wrong, Sister?'

Aelrena says 'What do you regret most from your time as an initiate?'

Aelrena looks thoughtful as she asks the question, her umber gaze locked upon the other sister.

Nevirha coughs, choking a bit on the sip of wine she had just taken.

Nevirha says 'Light, Sister, but my time as an initiate was ages ago.'

Nevirha says 'I daresay I cannot really remember much from that time at all.'

Nevirha says 'Is there any reason you ask?'

Aelrena stifles a laugh behind her hand.

Aelrena says 'Our conversation on the empty halls earlier made me thoughtful is all.'

Aelrena takes another sip of wine.

Nevirha takes a sip of wine, a pensive look on her face.

Aelrena says 'I think perhaps I should have been more social with the other girls myself, though most of them still have yet to see a shawl. I was merely... focused upon my goal.'

Nevirha says 'Things in the Tower were quite different when I wore the whites.'

Aelrena nods at Nevirha.

Nevirha says 'We were allowed to leave the grounds back then, and so I feel like not so many of us rushed through our time.'

Nevirha says 'The girls are so anxious to leave now that many get put through the arches who have no real aspirations.'

Aelrena shakes her head.

Nevirha says 'More time in the whites could only help, but I understand their conundrum. There is not much to do in the Tower...besides chores...'

Aelrena stifles a laugh behind her hand.

Aelrena says 'Who could ever imagine having to do more chores?'

Aelrena smirks.

Nevirha says 'The way the Tower looks these days, I daresay a fair many could stand to do more chores.'

Aelrena stifles a laugh behind her hand.

Aelrena raises her glass of wine, "To more chores!"

Nevirha raises the glass, a conspiratorial look on her face.

Aelrena takes a sip of her wine, another laugh escaping the corner of her lips.

Aelrena shakes her head.

Nevirha sips her wine, smiling broadly.

Aelrena grows quiet as if considering, her eyes on a polished knot within the table surface.

Aelrena says 'Nothing can prepare you for the weight of a shawl.'

Aelrena says 'I don't think I realized just how much I would come to value moments just like this.'

Aelrena's lips twitch up slightly at the corners.

Aelrena says 'I thought it would be every day off saving the world, saving the pattern, preserving lives.'

Nevirha says 'Moments of respite are quite welcome. It seems like everything happens at a breakneck pace these days.'

Aelrena says 'Some things indeed. Though, with the constant talk the sisters have of Tarmon Gai'don, I am rather thankful that, at least, is not moving at a breakneck pace. '

Nevirha says 'Light willing, the Last Battle does not come in my lifetime. Though I suppose there would be much use for the Gray Ajah then.'

Nevirha says 'Or better yet, no use for us because we have fulfilled our mission of uniting the nations for the Last Battle already.'

Aelrena says 'More than a few sisters have seem convinced of late'

Aelrena says 'Though, the only thing I remain convinced of is the fact that our preparations should never cease.'

Aelrena chuckles politely.

Aelrena says 'Light send that it is so, sister.'

Nevirha says 'Light, but I am getting tired, Sister.'

Nevirha says 'I believe I should seek my chambers.'

Aelrena's lips twitch up slightly at the corners.

Nevirha says 'This truly was lovely, particularly talking of home.'

Aelrena says 'Of course, thank you again for your time today.'

Nevirha says 'It's been long since I've truly thought about it.'

Nevirha smiles kindly at Aelrena

Nevirha stands up.

Nevirha stops following Aelrena.

Aelrena says 'I enjoyed it as well, it was nice to take a moment to ourselves.'

Nevirha walks towards the door, holding it open for the Brown sister.

Aelrena stands from the chair, smoothing her skirts as she does.

Nevirha gestures with her hand.

The door smoothly swings open.

Aelrena nods in agreement.

Aelrena says 'Light be with you Lady Nevirha Biandhn, Aes Sedai, Sitter of the Gray Ajah.'

Aelrena gives a teasing grin as she glides from the room.



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[Gesin]

Awarded 3 qps plus 2 for appropriate edits.