Hearts of Flame --- &RPaward

...for in character discussions, contributions and Wheel of Time themed stories.
Fleur
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:47 pm

Hearts of Flame --- &RPaward

Post by Fleur » Tue Aug 25, 2020 4:19 pm

Ely edit 29 Jul 2021:

1-6 qps, depending on length and quality.

Potential +1 qp: if part of a series: x

Total: 1 qps and Catisune +1 for making it a series

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Note: I started writing this for the Brown Ajah quest about 5 points of a library book, and it turned into a snippet of life in the Tower for young Fleur. References are from actual RP interactions. Catisune let me write her in, and is posting a sequel. Any other Accepted/Novices who find this forbidden book - would love to read your reactions to it!

Fleur tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, stifled a baby sneeze into her elbow, and carefully pushed the cart full of dusty books down a wide hallway. It was quiet, almost too quiet. Every now and then, the languorous silence was jostled by the intermittent creak of a chair, the soft rustle of a page, or the occasional muted cough. Fleur glanced wistfully at bright-eyed Catisune, poring over what looked like a mountain of books. It would have taken Fleur a year to read even one of those horribly detailed tomes. Catisune, with her wild, red hair and ink-stained fingers, looked as content as a Kandori cat dabbing at its proverbial plate of eel.

Fleur turned the cart into a long oval room lined with tall bookcases, and picked up yet another book with a sigh. "Radun" she read haltingly. That was the book Alison Sedai and Catisune had been discussing so animatedly. Feeling like an imposter, she shelved it quickly. A dash of red, she thought, would have suited Alison Sedai's severe white dress very much.

Fleur turned the cart into another room. She chuckled suddenly as she remembered Catisune's unusually militant expression when she had petulantly told her she did not NEED to learn to write. The argument had been brief. Now Fleur could form letters, and so what if it took forever to draw them. Even Fleur thought they looked pretty.

Lost in thought, she did not notice as a book slid out of her grasp and fell on the floor with a soft "thunk". Mortified, Fleur knelt to retrieve it. It was then that a small, badly dog-eared, well-thumbed, volume wedged behind the lowermost stacks caught her eye. Fleur's eyes grew wide, as she read the ornately cursive title slowly:

...Hearts of Flame...

Fleur's own heartbeat quickened as she found herself reaching for it. From the way it had been stashed, she could tell it was a book to be read in secret only. Giving in to a sudden impulse, she hurriedly stowed the book in her dress. She looked around. The library was just as it always was. Fleur went back to her work. This time, the hour did not take so long to pass.

Later that night, after the giggling and murmuring had subsided, the complaints dissipated, and the soft sighs and gentle snores of the sleeping Accepted filled the room, Fleur quietly retrieved the book from where she had tucked it, under the mattress. By now the rose petal exercise was second nature to her. Surrendering to saidar, Fleur channeled the smallest trickle of fire to make a light ball no greater than the palm of her hand. With a shiver of excitement and wonder she did not try to question, Fleur began to read haltingly.

The next thing she knew, Verne was shaking her awake. "Fleur! It is almost time for Asandra Sedai's class and you are still in bed!" Fleur's eyes opened instantly. With a soft shriek, she leapt out of bed and ran to her things, hurriedly trying to catch up with everyone else. She did not notice the curious way Catisune was watching her. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she somehow managed to make it to class, her hair a little less neat than usual.

At lunch time, she found her mind straying to the story she had fallen asleep reading - that of Birgitte Silverbow and Gaidal Cain. She was still at the part where they did not get along. But, thought Fleur dreamily, of course they would. She smiled to herself as she picked at her plate of vegetables and tangy sauce. She could not wait for the night to come, when she could read what happened next.

Catisune
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:18 pm

Re: Hearts of Flame

Post by Catisune » Tue Aug 25, 2020 4:35 pm

Catisune rubbed the sleep from her eyes, bleary as a fishmonger at dusk from another night spent reading later than she should. She'd begun to envy the Brown Sisters and their erratic, nocturnal schedules. She supposed, though, as she marked her place in the book which had tempted her most recent candle-lit binge, that few sisters of the Brown would admit to studying this particular volume--

Hearts of Flame--

A sordid collection of saccharine romances and tall tales, to be sure, but when she'd seen Fleur devouring it as a beggar might some feast-day charity offering, Catisune knew she must also read it. After all, she'd been helping Fleur perfect her letters, and any tool that might assist her fellow Accepted in learning faster would be invaluable to Catisune.

Yes. That was the only reason she'd read.

Catisune observed herself in the washstand mirror before leaving for the day, the bags under her eyes heavier than the ones she'd brought with her to the White Tower. She ran her fingers through the wisps of auburn hair that kept escaping the severe bun she favored. More elaborate hairstyles would not befit a scholar such as herself, but Fleur said she had beautiful hair. She peeked through the door of Fleur's chamber and returned the book she'd borrowed into the sleeping girl's hands. Fleur looked almost beatific with her own halo of chestnut hair arranged artfully on her pillow. Catisune retreated to the hallway with a few glances spared for Kennira and the other Accepted scurrying about.

Aes Sedai did not scurry. Nor did they read tawdry romances . . . . And yet. Catisune could not help leafing through her memory to thoughts of Romanda Cassin. The Yellow Sister could make a stone bleed for patience, and her eyes took your measure and found you wanting the moment they crossed you. Catisune had learned to step quickly when attending Romanda Sedai. In fact, she had paid little mind a few months prior to the myriad books she'd arranged alphabetically by author, internally by subject, within the plain chest stowed beneath the Aes Sedai's bed--that is, until she'd discovered Romanda glowering over her.

"How did you open this chest, child?" Romanda asked.

"It did be open already, Aes Sedai. Shall I finish arranging these books for you? They will be easier to reference if--"

"That is quite enough, Catisune. You are dismissed," Romanda said as she snatched a copy of Hearts of Flame from the Accepted's hands.

Catisune had not thought much of Romanda's ire at the time--after all, Accepted who thought overmuch of any Sister's ire found themselves appropriately humbled before the Mistress of Novices--but she had not been invited to attend the Yellow since.

Yes, Catisune thought to herself, Aes Sedai did not scurry. But as for what they read . . .

Alvana
Posts: 175
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2019 8:06 pm
Location: MO (USA)

Re: Hearts of Flame

Post by Alvana » Wed Aug 26, 2020 12:22 am

This collaboration has most certainly piqued my curiosity. Do go on... :D

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