From the outset, Eithne knew this would not work. She knew it, and it made her want to grind her teeth, and it was only by the barest slip of self-control that she kept her jaws still from breaking into an outraged scream altogether. She had been acting the part of motherly, forgetful Brown for the past one hundred years, and the Great Lord of the Dark burn her if she slipped now. Kayria Maskanos was one of the rare souls who was naturally resistant to Compulsion, and the moment she was fifty paces from the bloody woman the Compulsion weaves would slip off as if it had never been. I wanted her, burn her! I wanted her! Scream? She wanted to rip the woman apart with her bare hands!

The yellow fringe of Kayria's shawl swayed drunkenly with her motions as the sister stood quivering by the windowside; her cheeks were flushed with crimson, and whether in anger or fear Eithne did not know, but she had to marvel at Kayria's courage. She had not broken, despite the lack of the glow of saidar around her; shielding had been an easy business once she had her back turned to retrieve her tea, and she fought the Compulsion with a will that Eithne had not expected of her. Bits of porcelain figures and glass littered the floor at Eithne's feet. Kayria had fought like a wildcat, snatching and flinging at Eithne whatever was at hand, and though Eithne bled from her forehead by a stray cup she had never expected, the rest of whatever she had thrown had been easily deflected with a clear shield of Air.

Kayria had to be killed, or at least brought to heel. She suspected something of Rensa Italle, it was true; Rensa had been Black to her toes the moment she stepped into the White Tower, and Rensa had been an inch away from stilling and execution until Eithne decided to take a hand. Kayria's Talent for Healing strong, her strength in the One Power high; she would stand well in the Yellow Ajah, and would serve perfectly as a Compelled spy for the Black Ajah. Hasty crude work. Hasty crude decision! She had visited Kayria, an old student of hers, under the guise of catching up with her in recent years, and by the time she felt the shield it was too late to do anything. The Yellow sister had reacted quickly, reaching for saidar to break the shield, but Eithne was already halfway through and it was an easy matter to complete the whole thing. It was another easy matter to slash her with a saidar-wrought knife and then tie her down and Heal her, Compulsion threads weaved thinly amidst the Healing. The weaves had felt oily a hair away from Kayria's skin, oily and hard to grasp, and Kayria merely shook it off. Another slash, more power with the Compulsion, and Kayria had obeyed for a mere heartbeat while fighting it, struggling with a power Eithne had not thought possible of her.

Eithne's mind raced. Kayria knew she was Black Ajah. She had to kill the Sitter. Two Accepted and one sister had seen her along the way; Eithne noted these sort of things down naturally. Murdering them all would point a bloody finger her way. She had to show herself before she killed; she had to have an alibi. Eithne tightened the shield on Kayria, and the Yellow sister's jaws worked against the gag of Air as her face drained of colour. Ropes of Air to bind her to her bed; Eithne arranged Kayria as artfully as she could, so that her shoulders and back were turned to the door and she looked as if she were asleep. She pulled the blankets over the Yellow and fastened them down, as well; it was futile, pointless, the moment anybody but a servant walked in, they would see the weaves, and she had no Talent for Inverting them.

Eithne had no time to pretend it was accidental death. Kayria was far too young; thirty years of the shawl, at most. It had to seem innocuous; not work of the Black Ajah, not of a channeler, but of a simple Darkfriend, or perhaps a fool mistake. She could not be caught. I cannot be caught. She turned to Kayria, and noticed that the Altaran had tears leaking down her cheeks, though defiance and fury and fear and desperation raged in her eyes. A simple slash, another weave of Healing-Compulsion, Compulsion so strong it nearly drained her completely, and Kayria put hands on her head to Heal her of the cut on her forehead, and she replied to the question of where she put the key.

Eithne hurried back out to the study and Unweaved what she could, and then she stepped out into the empty hallway to hunt down one of the Yellow Accepted she had seen on the way up. She bustled the girl into an empty room and closed the door behind her. Another woman passing by would feel channeling, but there was no help now. Shoddy work. Nothing ever comes out of shoddy work. Bloody rushed decisions. Bloody Rensa! That Accepted had flaming well appreciate this! She might not have bothered had she not wanted Rensa in the Blue Ajah so badly, had she wanted the Blue shawl on Rensa's shoulders so desperately. Rensa's potential was so high she nearly equaled the strongest in the Tower, and that strength, and the leadership and power that would come with it, was exactly what Eithne needed -- not to mention that Rensa would be a perfect candidate for the Supreme Council. She had some Talent for Unweaving. Not as strong as Eithne's own, but certainly worth developing.

"Can I help you, Eithne Sedai?" the Yellow Accepted asked, breaking her from her thoughts. Dimly, Eithne put a name to her. Callista, that was it. She was pretty, swanlike, tall and elegant and quite level-headed. A pity to use her. No time. I cannot be caught. Shoddy work. Eithne embraced saidar and binded her ankles and wrists quite calmly, nothing flickering on her face, and stuffed a gag of Air into Callista's mouth as she opened it to scream, eyes widening to the size of plates, puzzlement and amusement at Eithne's Brown tendences -- as she had seen it -- flashing to fear. Another saidar-wrought knife, a slash so deep that Callista's eyes rolled back in her head, and then the deep song of Healing, and Compulsion through that, Compulsion just when she was weakest.

"You will make a cup of tea. Featherweed to soothe headaches, and peach sap to poison and kill. You will bring that tea to Kayria Maskanos's room. You will unlock the door." Eithne produced a key. "Leave the tea on her study table. Then you will go back down to the Infirmary, and swap the labels for peach sap and idlethorn. You will remember nothing about this save that at Kayria's summons, you made the tea according to instruction and brought it to her room, and you saw her drink it to calm her headache." Callista's eyes were glazed as Eithne released her at last. A soft one to shape. She will do as she is told. She tried to suppress her feelings of relief; had Callista been one of those resistant to Compulsion... Eithne closed her eyes and nearly rocked back on her heels in sheer relief alone. She watched Callista hasten out of the room, and then Unweaved what residues she could from the room itself. Shoddy work. But I cannot be caught.

---

Rensa Italle's heart raced as she read the instructions left in the fork of the tree by the Fountain Garden. The setting sun cast black shadows against that note, and that fork was what she checked every three days. Her other places for instructions were the shrubbery behind the Garrison, and the dovecote fourth from the left on the third row. Her current places for instructions. They changed with no rhyme or reason at all, at times. But this was only the second time she had received instructions.

Child,

Please, only you can help our family. You must return. Jazsia is hopelessly ill with yellloweye fever. This is the third time she is ill, from another fever; she does not have much time left. I have heard that you must feed her feathergrass or some such to heal her, but I am certain that your arts can unweave what the Dark One has inflicted on her. She says that the air seems to tighten her chest and her body and I cannot bear seeing her in such pain. We try to feed her whatever Mother brews in the cup, but she can barely press her fingers against it. We have done everything we can; we are so frightened that Mother says we wear gloves so as not to injure her further and leave our mark on her. You can run away, under cover of darkness, but be as careful as you can as don't let anyone see you.

Anything you do will be of the Light, and only the Dark One himself can curse her worse than she already is.

Love,
Sella

She hurried back to her room and traced out the grid she had been taught to memorize when a Black sister found her. She cut out what she had traced and placed it on the rambling, incoherent letter, and she learned what she was to do.

Help... Jazsia... Yellow. Third... from... left. Heal... arts... unweave. Air... tighten... body. Feed... her... cup... press... fingers. Wear... gloves... not... to... leave... mark. Darkness... don't let anyone see you. Only the Dark One himself can curse her worse.

Rensa shuddered when she read that. 'Her', in this case, referred not to Jazsia.

The name was easy enough to figure out. Vowels did not change, consonants the one before. Kayria. She read it again and again to glean whatever she could, and then donned a plain white dress, transforming herself from Rensa Italle, Accepted to the Blue Ajah, to an anonymous novice, and slipped her riding gloves into her pocket. The price of failure was too high to think about. That she knew. Too high a price to pay. The note blistered and burned after she memorized it, the candleflame eating the heavy parchment easily. Rensa waited until night fell heavily onto the White Tower, and then she slipped out of her room, stealing quickly to the quarters of the Yellow Ajah, just another shadow in the night.

((OOC: I don't want Rensa caught, obviously. :P So... anyone want to discover the body?))

Mika wiped the back of her hand over her forehead. I haven’t done anything wrong! Nothing at all! This is just not fair careful not to let her pouting face be shown to any of the Aes Sedai or Accepted, the young girl kept her head bowed to the floor that she was scrubbing once more.
The stench was awful, and just looking at what had been inside that last patients stomach, made her want to give up the meagre contents of her little stomach as well. This merely was her first day as a novice; and Mika still wasn’t quite sure why she had been put in the infirmary to clean the floor. She had done nothing wrong at all and didn’t deserve these chores.

But she kept her mouth closed. After all, these monsterwomen let her stay with them –not that she was overly thrilled with living in the company of monsters, but at least she got a warm bed and decent food on regular moments-.
Suddenly the doors burst open and a man was carried inside, bleeding heavily. Out of curiosity Mika got up and wandered closer to where the man was put down, and immediately wished she hadn’t done so.
A sword stuck deep in his spleen and the blood surged out as if it was a fountain. The whole scene made her think of that horrid moment when she had Elia’s body pressed against hers but still could see the trollocks gruesomely slaughtering the villagers. Once more she was frozen to the ground untill one of the Aes Sedai grabbed her arm. “Child did you not hear me?” she said in a very strict tone that made Mika immediately bow forward, another lame attempt of one of them ‘curtsey’ things; but was pulled up that same instant. “I said go get Kayria Sedai, so you go immediately, don’t waste your time on curtseying, and wake up the woman if needed” With a painful smack on her bottom from something unseen, Mika sped off towards the White Tower, repeating the womans name in her head. As she heard some muttering about “Bloody woman thinks she can sleep late just because she’s gifted” Kayria... Kayria... Kayria... Kayria... Who is Kayria Sedai anyways? And where am I to find her? She was about to cry again as she ran trough the halls, her oversized dress hiked up to her knees.
At the first Accepted she saw, she stopped, hoping that that woman would know where this Kayria Sedai lived, but the woman sent her off to the Mistress of Novices for running as if she was an Aes Sedai herself, but then again, another novice had already told Mika that Accepted were ‘nearly-Aes Sedai’
In a fast pace, Mika left the woman after another deep curtsey and then went looking for another accepted, or anyone rather; and at least some form of luck was with her when the next accepted she saw, one with hair red as cherries, kindly told her where to find the Yellow sister.

So again she hurried off and not too much later she was at the yellow halls “...and when you get to the yellow halls; you’ll recognise them without doubt, don’t worry about that; you’ll need the third door on the left, those are Kayria Sedai’s quarters.” Third door from the left....

Three soft knocks sounded on the door. Nothing happened and Mika just looked afraid. Then another three knocks, this time a lot louder.
“Kayria Sedai?” She asked meekly, hoping the woman would hear her and be in the room. The she remembered the muttered curse she had heard the Aes Sedai in the infirmary utter.
“Bloody woman thinks she can sleep late just because she’s gifted”
After another set of –even louder- knocks and again no answer, Mika scraped her throat and opened the door to enter the dimly lit room. “Miss Kayria Aes Sedai?” she asked softly, totally unsure as to what to do.
Again nothing happened.
The young girl started walking trough the room; even in the dark it seemed a nice room,, besides the shards of; well something; on the floor. There were two doors, one was open and showed a dark study, so Mika tried the other door.
This door as well led to a dark room where the curtains were closed as well, but she felt relieved as she at least could see a form on the bed. “Kayria Sedai?” she said twice, first softly, but then louder. The woman didn’t wake up.

She went closer to touch the woman, but she felt cold to the touch, and Mika felt shivers running over her spine. She nudged the Aes Sedai a bit, calling her name again. But the woman didn’t react in the slightest way. As Mika turned around the woman, she nearly jumped up at seeing the face of the Sister.
Her eyes still were opened, and her face was that of utmost horror, of a woman who knew she was going to die.
Mika shrieked and backed off; the gaze of the dead woman still upon her. For a moment she just stood against one of the cupboards in the room and then she sped out, bumping into another Aes Sedai.

The young girl could already hear the sister take in a breath to reprimand her, but she started stuttering first, a panicking look on her face, and a hand pointing to the door...
She couldn’t exactly utter anything decent, but the sister’s attention was at least awoken.


((Anyone wanna help me discover the body? Any Aes Sedai will do :) ))

Dalaine had woken up early that morning, well, she'd not exactly woken up as normal. It was a particularly nasty headache that had done it. She suffered from them from time to time, and she'd found over the years that the quickest way to rid herself of it was to visit one of the Yellow Sisters. She'd tried to deal with it herself, but it was gradually getting worse. It almost felt like a horde of Trollocs were stampeding their way through her head. Wincing to herself, she dressed slowly and made her way calmly, but quickly to the Yellow Halls. It wasn't really that early but she hoped to find at least one of them there, she'd rather avoid going into the Infirmary, it was more public there than she'd like.

She nodded politely to several Sisters on her way, but didn't stop to talk overlong with any of them. With a sigh of relief, she found herself standing in front of the doors which lead to the Yellow Halls. She pushed one of them open and glided down the hallway. She stopped in front of Kayria Sedai's door. She'd visited the Yellow Sister a few times before and had found her Healing to be particularly gentle. She raised her hand, poised to knock on the door when all of a sudden a Novice came hurtling out of the door, knocking straight into the Blue Sister.

"What in the Amyrlin's name do you think you're doing?", she began to shout but her head started to throb at the sudden noise and she lowered her voice. "Stand still child, calm down and tell me what's wrong?", she asked her a little more gently. She'd recognised the Novice as her new Mentee, Mika Soljourn. "Mika, I don't believe we've met yet, but I'm your Mentor, Dalaine Telaisien Aes Sedai", she said introducing herself. "I had hoped to meet you a little later on, and not to just bump into you in the corridor like this", a frown crossed her face, but even that small action brought a tendril of pain and she relaxed her expression. She was annoyed more than she was showing at being banged into in such a manner, but her head wouldn't allow her to raise her voice.

She asked again what was wrong, but the young girl seemed distraught for some reason, so Dalaine decided to enter the Yellow's room herself. She entered slowly, channeling Saidar and creating a small ball of light to guide herself through the darkened room. There was nothing in the first room, so she headed towards the bedroom. She channeled more light, as the curtains were darker in this room and headed towards the bed.

"Kayria", she said quietly, "Are you well my dear?". There was no answer forthcoming from the shape on the bed, so she walked closer and pulled the covers back slowly, an apology ready on her lips at the intrusion.

The apology was forgotten instantly though at the sight that befell Dalaine's horrorstruck eyes. Kayria's eyes were wide open and staring, unblinking. Instinctively Dalaine knew she was dead, though she still reached to check for a pulse. With a sense of dread she found none and backed away. She immediately wove Saidar and cast a ward around the room. Dalaine was no Yellow, but she knew from the expression on the dead Sister's face that she'd not simply died in her sleep. Besides, Kayria hadn't been anywhere near that age for such a thing to happen.

Rushing back outside, she put an arm around Mika as a Yellow Accepted walked past, looking at them curiously. Dalaine beckoned her over and gave her strict instructions to fetch the Keeper and the Amyrlin immediately, it was a matter of great urgency and she needed both of them to come to the Yellow Ajah Halls as quickly as possible. As she watched the Accepted hurridly curtsey and run off, she continued to try and comfort Mika, her mind whirling over the possible reasons for Kayria's sudden death, and not liking the immediate suspicion that came to her mind.

Dead... she’s dead... I... no... no.... they can’t... not again. Everyone.... pieces of thoughts randomly appeared and disappeared in Mika’s mind, swirling as if they were caught in a hurricane. Before her the Aes Sedai was talking to her, on a somewhat gentle tone, but naught of it reached the young girls mind; for the face of the dead sister was burned into it.

It was only when the Aes Sedai before her returned that Mika noticed the sister had gone in the room as well. The woman with the ageless face beckoned for another girl that passed by; an accepted; this much Mika could tell by now as she looked at the seven striped hems on her white dress. The Aes Sedai quickly, and more calm than Mika thought she’d ever be, let alone after discovering a corpse, told the accepted to go get the Amyrlin and the Keeper instantly, and without much ado, the other girl ran off, her skirts hiked up to her knees.

Then the Aes Sedai turned towards Mika again after she’d put her arm around her.
Mika’s mind was still as messy as old Toby’s kitchen had always been though, and it was racing trough thoughts and memories. The horrified look on the dead sisters face... the knowledge that she was going to die, that she could not live anymore. She could practically see her mother lying in that bed, her mother who had that same expression, only specked with more pain.
The sheer thought of her mother brought the image of the last time she had seen her mother back. The scene had been utmost gruesome and what they had done with her mother... she had not even been able to think at that moment. Her brother and she had walked up to the marketsquare and then had stumbled upon the scene, and amongst the vile setting, her mother hung, speared up a post, one arm seemingly torn off, a part from one of her legs as well and her skin seemed peeled off as if she had been a tomato, ready to eat. Her body was still leaking a bit of blood from all the terrible things the trollocks had done to her, and she and Elia had done naught but empty their stomack. Just as she did now while remembering.


For a while the Aes Sedai said nothing, after all, nor did Mika, mika was calm. Emptying her stomach but calm. And silent , and shocked.
A thought came to Mika then, as she tried to push back the image of her mother, and that of so many other villagers. she wouldn’t think? But I didn’t? or maybe I did? But I don’t know. Why does it follow me? I don’t want it to follow me. I didn’t do this... please light I really didn’t
“I didn’t do it” she squeezed out of herself, her voice rough and nearly soundless because of the pain in her throat

Another image came to her mind, that of the scary big man who had stumbled upon their little camp while Elia was out in the nearby village. The man who had started saying all those scary weird things to her and had then slowly come to her and grabbed her. She’d managed to break free and stumble away a bit but she had been so terrified and had closed her eyes as her feet were frozen to the ground. She desperately wished him away, and somehow he had gone away. For nothing happened. After a while, as her fear had waned a bit, nothing could be seen of him anymore.

This image made her think of those two other times; but those two times something had been left of them. One time it was a left arm and a part of a left leg, and the other time it was a head, cleanly cut off a bit above the chest. Mika had always been too scared of them and had her eyes closed to see what had happened, but they’d just been like that.

“I really didn’t” she managed to say in that same voice as her eyes finally met that of the Aes sedai before her; Mika’s eyes were glossy of the memories, but she wasn’t crying now. “I was just sent to get Kayria sedai and ask her to go to the infirmary to help the dying man.” Her voice had gotten a bit louder, but still was barely louder then a whisper.

She didn’t know how long it’d been, but loud, fast footsteps caught her out of her train of thoughts.

"Fool girl! Watch where you are going!" Nanaia muttered at the accepted who nearly ran her over after turning the corner. It was early yet, and Nanaia was not in the mood for clumsy accepted to ruin it. Every day was always ruined. The accepted muttered something under her breath with a sharp curtsy and started running down the hall before Nanaia caught her arm. Something was not right.

"Girl, what is wrong with you?" she asked. Accepted knew to make sure to curtsy and apologize to Aes Sedai and in a clear voice, else they'd be sent to the Mistress of Novices. But she looked up with a worried little look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Aes Sedai. It's just-Dalaine Sedai sent me to fetch the Amyrlin. Please, I-I- must hurry." Nanaia let the arm go and watched as the accepted ran throught he halls of the tower towards the Amyrlin's office. Whatever has happened, it won't be kept secret long if that girl tells every passerby her business, nanaia thought to herself. Still, no one is sent to fetch an Amyrlin. Something was terribly wrong.

Nanaia adjusted her red fringed shawl and quickened her pace. Her thoughts swirled. Darkfriends. Black Ajah. If had been agents of the Dark One she had few to blame but herself. All her hard work and years of dedication to hunting down darkfriends would come to naught if she could not prevent a single death in the Tower. She headed down the hall and meant to keep her path straight, but she could hear crying in another direction. She made a turn at the hall of the Yellow Ajah.

Before her stood Dalaine Sedai with her arm around a young novice with tear streaks and fear staining her face. Nanaia could see the weaves of a ward in place, third door down the hall on the right. If she was correct, that would be Kayria Sedai's room. Light! Not one of the Yellows. The woman was well on her way to becoming one of the strongest healers in the Tower.

Nanaia stopped in front of them and looked at the door that was warded. Warding it meant oen thing only: a scene of death. She tried to envision the radiant yellow sister, one that she had personally been fond of despite how cold she may act to anyone outside her Ajah, but no image came to mind. She could feel the eyes of the Blue upon her. She turned her head to meet Dalaine's gaze but softened it into a forced smile when she saw the novice looking upon her, before clearing her throat.

"Dalaine Sedai, what has happened here?" she asked in a hushed voice. There were no others in the hall beside the three of them. Whatever the news was, it had not spread and it had not been long since the incident. She looked at the novice and again at Dalaine even as her mind whispered the suspicians of Black Ajah.

"Of course you didn't do it child", murmured Dalaine to the frightened Novice. A thought crossed her mind but she dismissed it almost instantly, there was no way this girl would be able to know enough of Saidar to successfully murder a Sister like that. For an instant she felt sick at her own thoughts, to murder a Sister. She shook her head, there was no other explanation for a sudden death like that.

She was shaken out of her morbid thoughts by footsteps and she looked up to see Nanaia Sedai of the Red Shen stood in front of her.

Dalaine immediately wove a ward to protect against evesdropping. Enough rumours would circulate anyway, but she felt the need for secrecy asked for it. "That which we work against may have occured", was all she said. Nanaia was Red, she would understand the Blue Sister's meaning, and she dare not say more, not in front of the Novice. She left the Ward in place, as she waited for Nanaia's reply. "It's good that you were passing", she added. As the Amyrlin hadn't arrived yet, a member of the Red Shen was the next best thing. They worked tirelessly to rid the world of Darkfriends, there were none better in Dalaine's opinion to rid the Tower of the Black Ajah.

She looked around her, hoping for the Amyrlin to arrive soon. Mika was still trembling, tears running down her face. The young girl needed to be taken away from this place, and Dalaine, as her Mentor would allow no-one else to look after her.

Nanaia bit her lip when Dalaine embraced the source and tried not to do the same. A ward against eavesdropping, that was all she did. But the moment she had embraced, Nanaia could only think of how easily it would have been to be struck by her, unprotected as she was. Light! She hoped Dalaine was not a darkfriend but the Blues were always secretive and hard to pin down. And the fact that she had been one of the first to arrive at the scene cast even more suspicion.

"That which we work against may have occured...It's good that you were passing"

She nodded to the Blue sister and let her eyes go over the novice once more. Light, the girl was young, even for a novice, and few trecked to the White Tower at her age. At her youth and obvious distress, Nanaia quickly ruled out any suspician of her being a darkfriend, but Dalaine was something else. Nanaia had questions, and she hoped Dalaine had answers.

"How?" she asked, and hoped that Dalaine would get her meaning. They had found the body minutes before, that was obvious, but she needed to know how the woman had died. Not long ago, Nanaia had found a woman that seemed to have died in her sleep with a smile on her face as if intense pleasure had killed her, and she never caught that perpetrator and it still rankled hard. The manner of death, though, would tell her a great deal. Death in one's sleep could be done by darkfriend and Black Ajah alike, but torture and long suffering could only be done by channelers, and it would be a simple matter of reading residues to discover if it was black Ajah or Black Shen. She had to start tracking down who had been the last to see her, why, when, how did she died, and a myriad of other questions that needed to be answered as soon as possible. Nanaia hoped the Amyrlin would get the message to come soon.

She couldn't possibly think I'm a Darkfriend could she?, Dalaine wondered to herself in shock, but then again Nanaia was of the Red Shen, she was probably suspicious of everyone, but still for her to have reacted, even slightly, the way she had when the Blue Sister had embraced the source shocked her. Is this how it's going to be from now on, Sister suspecting Sister, her stomach quailed at the thought and in that instant her headache flared back into life. She raised a hand to her head and rubbed at her temple in a vain attempt to relieve it.

Nanaia's question on the other hand didn't surprise her, though she helped Mika towards a seat not far from where the Sisters were stood, but far enough away that she would not hear anything that was said through the Ward.

"I'm not entirely sure", she admitted, "I entered her rooms expecting her to be asleep, and that Mika was just over-reacting. She wasn't though, I lifted the sheet from her face and......", her voice trailed off as she remembered the expression on the dead Sister's face, she took a deep breath to calm herself before she continued, "Her face, Light, the expression on her face I fear will never leave me. She looked terrified, her eyes wide open.....staring", Dalaine's voice had become a whisper by then, "She did not die in her sleep, that much I'm certain of".

"Of course you didn't do it child" The words, spoken by the Aes Sedai now reached her and seemed to mesmerise her; Aes Sedai could speak no lies, so the sister was right; she had to be right, and Mika could not have killed the woman.

The womans calm demeanour slowly started rubbing off on Mika and the way she talked to another sister made her do naught but stay still while trying to stop her sobs.
They spoke very calm and composed, as if they were talking about the weather, and maybe they were, because none of them mentioned the dead woman in the room.

Suddenly the Sister with the blue fringed shawl led her away to sit on a bench a bit further, still in their sight but out of their sound reach because Mika could hear no word of what they said what so ever.

Alone on her bench, Mika tried to keep herself from pulling up her legs and start crying again. She kept telling herself that she hadn’t done anything wrong, but she knew for a fact that she again would be sent to the Mistress of Novices and then to the Mistress of Kitchens for punishment, she always was sent to themeven if she didn’t know she had done something wrong.
And this time she had; for apart from this whole mess, she hadn’t gotten Kayria Sedai to go help the other sister in the infirmary and now what would happen to the dying man? And it was all her fault... and they’d punish her even more.

She started wincing and tears sprung back into her eyes. I might not have been responsible for the Aes Sedai’s death... but the man.... I should have done something else... what’ll they do? They’ll be so angry with me, they’ll not just punish me... oh light... mommy...
Suddenly she was shaken out of her scared thoughts by the sound of hurried footsteps in the hall; she looked up only to let her face turn into a terror filled one. There a bit further in the hall came striding, even though it still seemed like floating, in the Amyrlin Seat as well. Her pace was quick and she deliberately hurried towards the women.
By now Mika had already forgotten that Dalaine Sedai had actually send someone to ask for the Amyrlins presence, and she could only think that the woman had come down to personally punish her.

Terror filled her and the last thing she saw before she pulled up her legs and held her arms before her eyes as she wished that they wouldn’t notice her anymore, was that the heads of everyone in the hall now turned towards her surprised.


What Mika did not know was that because of her deep fear she had let the One Power flow into her to help her, to hide her. However unlike the Trollocks at Deven ride; these women could see the threads of Saidar she’d unknowingly woven into Folded Light, a weave that had made her seemingly dissapear.

Sapphira sat at her desk, going over a few reports, nearly done for the day, thank the Light. Suddenly the door opened, and Sapphira looked up, frowning, she was used to at least the courtesy of a knock, and this did not make her happy. She opened her mouth to reprimand the woman- an Accepted! An Accepted had not bothered to knock! But the look on the girl's face stopped her, as did her outburst, before she stood from her curtsy she was speaking. "Mother, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was sent to find you, there is word of something truly terrible in the Yellow halls. I do not know what, the sister who sent me did not tell me, only that you needed to go to the Yellow halls quickly." Sapphira frowned, and stood, "Thank you Daughter, I will go, you may return to...whatever you were doing," she fumbled a bit, but the girl's flustered demeanor, and this unknown terrible news was a bit disconcerting. She settled her stole on her shoulders, and set her face into an expression that warded off anyone who might want to speak to her. She stepped out of her office, and said nothing to Lyla, the woman had stopped the Accepted, and was now calming the girl down. Sapphira made her way through the Tower halls, and into the Yellows. She did not know where she was going, but it did not take her long to learn. She felt someone let saidar fill them, and felt a few threads being woven, when she looked around, she saw no one, but she did see the threads. It was woven into an illusion, which the phantom channeler was no doubt hiding behind.

Sapphira stepped over, through the weaves, and saw a novice sitting there. "Child," she said sternly, "who has given you permission to channel?" The girl looked frightened, no doubt for the same reason the Accepted had, only this was the look of someone who knew the source of her fear. "Come with me," she said, "and do let go of saidar before I am forced to punish you." She stepped out of the weaves, and saw two Aes Sedai standing not far away. She stepped over to them, standing just outside of the Ward one of them had erected, she may have had the right to step in on their conversation, but just now she chose not to. Whatever they were saying, the fact that Nanaia was Red made sure that it was not a Black plot. Sapphira turned to the novice behind her, she had taken for granted that the girl would follow her, now was as good a time as any to begin gathering information. "What happened here, child? Tell me whatever you know," she said, sternly but calmly, there was no reason to frighten the girl any more. Sapphira thought she recognized this girl from her Ajah class, she was a shy child, new to the Tower, and unsure of just what to do and when. Undoubtably, though, she would know something, or she would not still be here, certainly Dalaine and Nanaia had kept her here for a reason. She trusted their judgement, both were smart women, experienced Aes Sedai, and trustworthy from what Sapphira knew about them. Whatever had happened, she had no doubts they could handle it, but also no doubts she wanted to be informed of whatever was happening.

(OOC: Sorry it's short, I dunno what's wrong with me today. :()

"Her face, Light, the expression on her face I fear will never leave me. She looked terrified, her eyes wide open.....staring", Dalaine's voice had become a whisper by then, "She did not die in her sleep, that much I'm certain of"

Nanaia swallowed in her coarse dry throat. Dalaine told her enough. It was obvious that this was the work of darkfriends, and Nanaia thanked the Light she had arrived. If the Blue sister knew anything more, she would have already told her. But she was calm, and did not rise to anger and terror. She would be logical, act like a White in this way, and make sure that whatever happened, word of this would not leak out. Whoever did this....her hand shook into a fist with anger despite the calmness of her face.

"The novice found her, Dalaine Sedai?" she asked. The girl was young, and naive, and terrified for her life. She could not imagine that she was Black Ajah, not with her lack of training. Though even the most innocent looking could be assassins, and who would expect a child of such youth? I am grasping at straws and know nothing yet. The girl was not at fault, though Nanaia would have her watched after this. She was probably more in need of a good person to talk to to overcome this tragic event.

She was about to speak again when she realized someone had embraced saidar near her, and looked to the novice. The girl was channeling a weave of illusion, with a complexity that no novice her age could weave. Wilder. The thought jumped at her. No one could channel with that much fear and terror unless she was a wilder. Or a darkfriend. She cursed herself and looked bcak to Dalaine Sedai who about to speak, when she saw the Amyrlin Seat walk by them and into the child's illusion. Nanaia swallowed, and felt a sense of relief. The Amyrlin was raised from the Red. At least Nanaia needn't fear her.

Her knees hiked up to her chin, and her arms folded for her face, mika could only hear the footsteps, footsteps who did not falter to move closer and then seemed to stop before her. Somehow Mika knew that this time she was being seen… it wasn’t like any other time now… but still the voice caught her by surprise.

"Child," the Amyrlin said sternly, "who has given you permission to channel?" Mika opened her eyes and looked up at the woman, fear still reigning her "Come with me, and do let go of saidar before I am forced to punish you." The woman stepped away and left the young girl baffled, immediately brushing away her deep fear by those few words. channel? Saidar? I’m not even doing anything. the surprise left her to feel empty, as if something slipped away from her and blinking she got up and followed the amyrlin as the weaves she’d made faded away as Saidar had from her the moment surprise had won over her fear.

Completely engulfed in her thoughts,Mika had completely forgotten who she’d been following untill the woman turned to her and got her tojump at least two feet before dropping into another one of her clumsy curtsies. "What happened here, child? Tell me whatever you know," Saphira said, sternly but calmly; and in a way her calm tone, combined with Mika’s confused mind made the novice sound calm… or rather not hysterical anymore.

“Misstress Niva Sedai send me Mother, to get Kayria Sedai to help the dying man, so I did, but then the Accepted told me to go to Cayana sedai for running… but… ehm…” she looked around a bit panickaly “I didn’t yet” she confessed, feeling her cheeks grow red “I… I wanted to get Kayria sedai first… but now… I knocked and she didn’t answer so I went in because Niva sedai told me to… and… ehm…” Mika started looking around, glancing at the door as if the woman with the scary face could walk out any moment.
She stmbled over her tongue for a bit but then went on, “and now she can’t come to help the man… and Niva Sedai will be so mad” her lips started trembling again as she wonderred what she should do.

Sapphira had only half of her attention on the novice, until the girl began to speak. She sounded terrified, even more than she looked, but her voice was more even than Sapphira would have expected. Her words, though, gave away the extent of her fear, he spoke in broken sentences, that Sapphira could make only some sense of. There was a dying man, and this novice had been sent to find Kayria, for Healing. When the novice got here, no one answered, she went in and found...whatever it was that was in that room. Dalaine and Nanaia must have come later, and then the Accepted was sent to Sapphira when word of something happening spread. Sapphira nodded calmly, and chose her words carefully, to both calm the novice, and get more direct information from her. "Child, what is in there? Why can't Kayria help the dying man?" Sapphira was quite certain of what it must be, but she wanted to be certain before she began taking steps to find whoever had done it. Before the novice answered, Sapphira met Nanaia's eyes, and raised her eyebrows slightly in question. Hopefully that would be enough for Nanaia to end her conversation with Dalaine and fill her in on what was going on. Sapphira wondered why a Blue and a Red were the first to find this, where were all the Yellows who lived here? Why were they not present, and pressing for information? Sapphira was quite glad they were not here yet, though, other Ajahs would be more calm, and this eliminated the need to inform the Reds.

Why would the Black need Kyria dead, and why now? That dying man...whatever happened to him, this probably has something to do with it. Sapphira did not think the novice would know much about this dying man, other than that he was dying- and perhaps of what if she had seen him. Hoping for more than that from her would be to lie to herself, Sapphira knew. She turned all her attention back to the child anyway, whatever she could say, it seemed she had been the first to see whatever was in there, and so would have her own specific view of it. Dalaine and Nanaia must have known something before going in, and so their veiws would be slightly different, but certainly just as important. Perhaps more, if either had noticed anything in the room. Sapphira would search it herself, of course, but the thoughts of two sisters would be precious. Sapphira wondered what could have frightened the novice so much- guilt? She could already channel, she had proven that, the Light only knew what else she could do, or who she worked for. Sapphira hated being so suspicious, but if the child was found here first, she could not be discounted. Even so, she did not think it likely, she seemed truly afraid, and she was a bit younger than most novices, and so more easily frightened than most. No, Sapphira did not think it was her, but she would not discard the possibility so quickly, she had learned better than that over the years.

Mika finished her "Child, what is in there? Why can't Kayria help the dying man?" The amyrlin spoke in a soft yet firm voice; something soothing could be found in it; and Mike found it quite lulling.

As the Watcher of the Seals turned away her gaze for a moment, Mika tried her best to calm down herself. She was still thoroughly scared, but managed to get it down a bit; after all, it had not been the first time she saw Death.
When the woman before her returned her gaze on her she was a lot calmer already and managed to formulate a somewhat decent answer.

She told the former red sister of how she’d walked inside in the darkness, of the shards on the floor and then of the face she’d seem; of how she’d stumbled onto a cabin and had then ran out, bumping into Dalaine Sedai.

The amyrlin nodded at the end of her story and only then Mika noticed that one of the other sisters had gotten near as well. And immediately Mika seemed to bee unwanted around and with a kind –yet swift- gesture the Amyrlin dismissed her and told her she did not have to go to Cayana sedai for punishment since it had been a sisters command that had made her run.

With a deep curtsey Mika left back for the infirmary, carefully repeating in her mind the words the amyrlin had told her to tell Niva Sedai.


((sorry it's kinda short, I'm low on inspiration))