Elysia had spent all day outside in the heat of the sun. She had to help out in the stables, and then help clean up parts of the tower ground, and the rest of the day she had spent practicing. She couldn’t remember ever being so tired, exhausted and hungry before her in life. She was greatly relieved when Kyle Gaidin had told her to take a break and get some dinner.

She entered the mess hall and grabbed some food. She glanced around the room for a table to sit at. She didn’t like sitting alone and eating, but all the tables looked full, and the people at them were deep in conversation. Not seeing someone else sitting alone, and not wanting to intrude on other peoples discussions, she sat down at a table by herself. Karena loved the idea that she didn’t have to cook anymore. She could just grab food whenever she was hungry and eat. As she ate, she thought about how different the Tower was from her old lifestyle.

(OOC: I hope you don't mind? :unsure: )

Naina entered the Mess Hall and looked around. The tables were full of people and although Naina tried hard searching for a familiar face in the crowd, she didn’t see anyone she knew. The novice frowned and went to take her dinner. Life as a novice wasn’t easy and this day has been full of chores and hard work. Naina has just spent hours washing the floors and now she just felt tired, hungry and angry. Stupid Tower, stupid Aes Sedai. Why did I even come here?
The girl glanced upon the crowd of unknown people looking for a place to sit down and felt completely lonely.

Finally she saw a free table. A girl with blonde hair, who looked like a Recruit, sat at the table eating her dinner. Naina approached the girl and tried to smile despite of her bad mood. “Hello”, she muttered “Do you mind if I sit here?” She looked at the girl and waited for her to answer.

(OOC: of course I don’t mind. I’m glad you joined the thread. :D)

It wasn’t long before a novice walked over to her table. The girl gave a half smile, as though she wasn’t really happy. Karena smiled back and wondered why the girl would be unhappy. “Hello,” the novice quietly muttered, “Do you mind if I sit here.”

“No, I don’t mind. Have a seat,” she said and gestured to a chair. “I’d enjoy the company. It’s so lonely to eat alone.” Karena looked up at the girl and wondered if she would agree or not. This novice, seemed like she would’ve rather eaten alone. “My name’s Karena. I’m a new recruit…just arrived here a few days ago. Have you been at the White Tower long?…Where did live before here?” Karena said trying to make conversation and pull the novice out of the bad mood she seemed to be in.

The girl gave Naina a friendly smile, gestured to a chair beside her and said, “No, I don’t mind. Have a seat. I’d enjoy the company. It’s so lonely to eat alone”. The novice sat down and smiled again, this time more honestly, thankful for the other girl’s kindness. She didn’t want to seem unfriendly and made an effort to forget about her bad mood. Meanwhile the girl continued talking.

“My name’s Karena. I’m a new recruit…just arrived here a few days ago. Have you been at the White Tower long?…Where did live before here?” So she is a recruit and new here, just like me… It was always nice to meet other people who were new to the Tower and to meet this girl was especially interesting, because Naina didn’t know any Recruits yet, just other Novices and some Aes Sedai. She knew that many girls become Recruits, but it still seemed somehow strange to her. Naina didn’t think that she could be one herself.
Finally she answered “My name is Naina. I am a Novice and I am also new to the Tower. Before I lived Caemlyn…my family still lives there. Where are you from?” She drank a bit of water from her cup and added “I have never met a Recruit before…So you want to be Gaidin one day?” Looking at Karena she waited for her to answer.

Never met a recruit before? She must be a very new novice. “Yes, I’m going to be a Gaidin someday. They’re the best fighters in the world, ya know?” Karena said with a smile. “I’m from Ebou Dar, and everyone there, is taught how to fight…but no ones skill even comes close to that of a Gaiden….Mine will though.” She said with pride and confidence. “I’m going to be the best fighter ever from Ebou Dar.” Karena grinned at Naina, not wanting the girl to get the wrong impression and think she’s a stuck up snob or something. She knew it could be considered a very conceited thing to say, but she really wanted to be the best fighter. She had often dreaming about being the best duelist.

“I’ve always wanted to learn how to fight like them, ever since a Warder stayed over at my Mother’s inn. Oh…” she said suddenly remembering Naina had asked her where she was from “..I’m from Ebou Dar by the way. My mother owns an inn there, and an Aes Sedai and a Warder stayed in the inn once. I got to watch him fight. It was…. amazing. Have you had a chance to see the Warder’s fight, yet?” She said, but didn’t wait for an answer and just kept rambling on. “Their movements are so quick and fast. I’m going to be like that one day.” She stopped for a moment to eat some food and then looked back up at Naina, “What brings you to the Tower.” As soon as she said it she realized it was a stupid question. Because she can channel, of course. “ I mean…uhh…” she said trying to cover for sounding stupid. “How did you find out you could channel?”

The girl seemed to be very impressed by the Gaidin because she spoke about them with great enthusiasm. “No ones skill even comes close to that of a Gaiden….Mine will though. I’m going to be the best fighter ever from Ebou Dar.” Naina heard the girl saying confidently. The novice grinned. She liked it when someone showed confidence and ambition and after all, she too dreamed about becoming a strong and powerful Aes Sedai one day. Meanwhile the girl told her about her home.
“.I’m from Ebou Dar by the way. My mother owns an inn there, and an Aes Sedai and a Warder stayed in the inn once. I got to watch him fight. It was…. amazing. Have you had a chance to see the Warder’s fight, yet?” she asked. Naina opened her mouth to say “No, not yet”, but the girl simply kept on talking. The novice frowned, but continued listening and eating her dinner.

Finally the recruit stopped talking to eat a bit and then asked Naina. , “What brings you to the Tower?” she stopped and than muttered sounding a bit confused “ I mean…uhh…How did you find out you could channel?” Naina took another sip from her glass and said, “Well…as I was 17 I noticed that I could do some strange things. Small tricks, nothing too big, for example changing the color of my eyes. I could show you, another time” she said gesturing at an Aes Sedai who stood nearby. “I am not allowed to channel without a mentor, you know.” Naina added a bit sadly. She especially didn’t like this rule. Sometimes when she was in her room she would ignore it and simply practice embracing the saidar and making weaves her mentor taught her, but if an Aes Sedai saw her channeling without permission she surely would do chores for another three weeks. And Naina had more than enough of these stupid chores. “And after I discovered this”, she continued “I just thought it must be something like the One Power and came here, to the White Tower to study. I hope I will be raised to an Accepted soon! Life as a novice isn’t very easy” Naina said with a smile. “What about you? How is life as a Recruit? Is your training hard? Do you often miss home?” The novice was somehow interested to know more about this Recruit, but she noticed she is asking to many
Questions at one time, so she stopped and waited for the girl to answer.

Karena listed to Naina tell her story of how she came to the tower, “Well…as I was 17 I noticed that I could do some strange things. Small tricks, nothing too big, for example changing the color of my eyes.” Karena’s eyes grew big and she was just about to ask for a demonstration when the novice said, “I could show you, another time I am not allowed to channel without a mentor, you know.”

She smiled when Naina said life as a novice wasn’t easy. “What about you? How is life as a Recruit? Is your training hard? Do you often miss home?” “Oh,” Karena said with a smile, “It’s wonderful. Well…yes, there’s a lot of hard work. I spend hours and hours training and when I’m not training,” She grimaced slightly, “I have to do chores. The chores are the worst. I have to clean the stables and polish and clean the Gaidin’s weapons. Sometimes I’d much rather be doing the chores you novices have to do. Doing laundry and cooking is so much better than shoveling horse dung.”

“Yeah, I miss home sometimes. Sometimes I wish my brother was here with me learning to become a Gaidin. When I become a Gaidar, I think I’ll go back home and visit my Mom and Brother. How about you…do you miss home? Did you leave behind a lot of family?”

Naina grinned as Karena told her about the chores. Probably the novices’ chores –were- better, although she doubted that cleaning the stables could be so bad. Karena had probably never spent five hours scrubbing the dirty kitchen floors with an Aes Sedai staring at her with this typical arrogant Aes Sedai look.

“Yeah, I miss home sometimes. Sometimes I wish my brother was here with me learning to become a Gaidin. When I become a Gaidar, I think I’ll go back home and visit my Mom and Brother. How about you…do you miss home? Did you leave behind a lot of family?” Karena said and Naina nodded in response. “Yes I understand. Me too I miss home often. I have left my father, my mother and little sister behind, but it is my dream to become Aes Sedai, so I am happy I am here. But tell me why did your brother didn’t come with you?”

Was it true? Was she really happy with being here? Being Aes Sedai –was- here dream, but being novice was a nightmare…sometimes.
Naina smiled again “Oh and you know, life as a recruit sounds interesting to me. I wish you could show me what you are doing during the day once. I could show you the One Power then”.