Zaide stepped out of the room he shared with another soldier, Thayous, he did not like the other man, but thankfully they had spoken very little so far. Thayous made his way down through the halls of the Black Tower, often making wrong turns, why did they have to make the bloody place so big, and worse there was no direct path anywhere, it took so long to get anywhere Zaide did not know how they expected him to be on time for anything. Right now though, he had a free moment, and he had no intentions of spending it with that roommate of his. He finally found the gardens and sighed, he had wanted to find the mess hall and get a snack before he had to get back to his hectic life here. The thought made him frown, on the way here, Zaide had known he would hate it here, but so far it was worse than he could have dreamed.

Zaide settled for a walk through the gardens, he was not that hungry anyway. He saw several people walking quickly along the paths, most of them initiates of one section of the Towers or another, scurrying on errands. Some of them obviously Aes Sedai, Asha'man or Gaidin, making their way along calmly. There were a few others like himself, having a few minutes' break before they had to get back to work or studying. Zaide did not speak to any of them though, and they did not speak to him, among so many people a few minutes alone was rare and precious. After a few moments' walking the paths, Zaide found an empty bench that was not too near anyone and sat down.

He sat there wondering what would be the best way to get himself out of this place, maybe he could break some rules and get thrown out, or perhaps he would be able to run away. He was not sure how to do it, but he knew he had to get out of here. He had not been here two days, but already it was clear that the Tower would not work for him. He had to get out, if he could not, he did not know how he would make life in this Tower tolerable. He had tried to tell that Asha'man in Andor, then he tried to tell that Master of Soldiers, but neither had listened. Apparently they did not care whether the people they trained wished to be there, they did not think that one day those men might be Asha'man with them.

Shaya rushed through the plates like a hurricane and when she was done, she threw down her apron and virtually ran out the kitchen before anyone could give her something else to do.
She had a bit of time before the afternoon classes and she bloody well meant to spend them getting some fresh air. She grimaced as she wiped her still wet hands on her dress. She swore before long they would be permanently wrinkled. She was not vain about her hands, but if they got too soft, they would be no good to her no matter what she needed them for. As she came into the gardens, she realised more people had had the same idea. Shaya grimaced, the last thing she needed right now was some Aes Sedai to send her on some trivial errand and ruin her afternoon break.

In her mind she thought of a good place to sit and suddenly remembered one of the benches she had sat on earlier was nicely out of the way. With the shade of the trees behind it, it would be the perfect place to sit. Shaya couldn't wait for the day she could channel enough to leave this blasted place and return to her own life so much stronger. With everything she was taught here, she would rule her little world. Shaya smiled to herself as she thought that Caies would be very surprised to see his apprentice then. She smirked as she looked down on the novice dress, that had not escaped the grime of the pots, despite her attempt to cover up with an apron. She very much doubted Caies would recognise her now in the state she was in. These novice dresses could make even the most beautiful woman in the world look dull and unattractive. Too narrow in the chest, too wide in the hips, they weren't even comfortable! Her hair streamed out behind her as she sped up her step, ducking her head to avoid the look of an Aes Sedai passing.

Just look busy and they'll leave you alone. She took a shortcut through the rosegardens and sighed when she saw the trees appear. A moment later though she stopped in her tracks when she realised her bench was taken. The brown-haired man was obviously lost in his own thoughts and from the scowl on his face, they weren't the happiest of thoughts either. The black coat marked him a Solider, although Shaya could not recall seeing him before. She chewed her lip in indecision, she was loathe to give up her favorite spot and if she went walking round looking for somewhere else to sit, she was bound to get caught up with some Aes Sedai. The Soldier did not look like he particularly wanted any company, but then she only wanted a piece of the bench, if he didn't want to talk, that was just fine with her. She walked up to him and flashed - what she hoped was - a charming smile. You always catch more bees with honey than vinegar.
"Hello there, sorry to disturb you, but would you mind if I sat with you for a while?" As he looked up, Shaya noticed his dark blue eyes. They made a striking contrast with his dark hair and Shaya nearly smiled as she thought this fellow would be turning a few women's heads. He looked slightly younger than herself, even though the black uniform made most of them look much older.

Zaide sat on the bench, wondering just how much longer he would have to put up with this place, and just how he would go about getting away. The bloody Asha'man had not said a single word to him, other than the Master of Soldiers, Zaide had thought they would have an interest in those who would one day be one of them. Or at least, as far as they knew, they did not have any idea, of course, that Zaide had no intentions of staying here, other than that he had told both of the Asha'man he had spoken to that he did not want to be here. He started slightly when he heard a female voice speak to him. He looked up to a young woman with surprisingly green eyes looking at him.

Why does she want this bench? he wondered, there were plenty of other benches in the gardens, he had seen them on his way here. He decided not to press though, if she wanted this bench, it was not for him to say she should not be here. "Sure, if you want," he said, and slid over a bit to make room for her. If she wanted to sit her, she would have to survive with him there. Sure, she had asked if she could sit "with him" but perhaps she had hoped he would move anyway. Whatever she had hoped, Zaide did not care, he had been here first, and if she did not like it she could leave. He did not say anything else to her, he had no change of opionion when it came to wishing to speak to no one during his time here. If he could go all his months- or years if it came to it -without getting to know anyone, it would not bother him at all.

He went back to musing about an escape from the Tower, all but forgetting about the woman in white next to him. He did wonder slightly whether she hadted the White Tower as much as he did the Black. Maybe the Aes Sedai treated their novices better than the Asha'man did the soldiers. Perhaps this novice looked forward to becoming Aes Sedai and learning about the Power. Zaide realized he did not know whether his fellow soldiers felt that way as well, though whatever they thought, Zaide already knew he hated this place. Maybe speaking to the novice would not be such a bad idea, perhaps finding out something about someone else would be helpful for whatever time he did spend in the Tower. He said nothing though, he was too used to being silent to speak up, he was not shy really, he just prefered to watch and not get too close to anyone, there was now knowing who might betray you, and for what price.

Shaya sat down calmly and took her time fussing around with her skirts as she did so. It was obvious the Soldier was observing her from the corner of his eyes, even though he was very subtly about it. Smiling a little smile to herself, she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, simply enjoying the fresh air and the smell of the trees around her. A soft breeze carried over the scent of the rosegarden nearby, which was why that bench in particular was one of her favorite spots. She loved roses, she loved them so much Caies had named her for them. After all these years there were days she could not even remember her real family name. The bench was not particularly big and as the wind lay down, she could feel the heat from his body close to hers.

She opened her eyes and leaned back on her arms, giving herself a chance to have a good look at his profile. There was a scowl on his face and a frown between his eyebrows that almost seemed to dare her to talk to him. Somehow he reminded her of herself. She had walked around with a very similar scowl the first weeks she had been in the Tower. By now she had learned to hide her feelings, she was good at avoiding punishment when she wanted to. From the way he was observing everything, Shaya got the feeling he was memorising it for later. Brushing a strand of hair from her face, she said casually without looking at him. "It doesn't look too bad, does it, for something that's basically a prison." Her eyes went to his face to catch his reaction to his words. Somehow she didn't get the feeling he would be too shocked by her sentiment.

Zaide noted the scent of roses in the air as a wind blew over him, and as it abated he noticed that he could feel the heat from the novice's body next to him. He regarded her out of the corner of his eye, wishing she would not lean back, it made seeing her much more difficult. He was slightly surprised when she spoke, she did not look at him, only remarked on the gardens. He did not respond right away, just thought about what she had said. "No, I guess it's not too bad, for a prison," he said softly after a moment. He turned the word 'prison' over in his mind, he had known the place would be difficult to get away from, but if this novice called it a prison, Zaide must have underestimated it.

He wondered how much the novice actually did hate it here. Did she loath it as much as Zaide was sure he was going to, or more, or maybe time living among the Aes Sedai had taken the edge off her hatred, yet she still called it a prison. It seemed he was not the only one who would rather be most anywhere. Perhaps, if that was the case, the other soldiers would not be so bad, maybe they would agree with him, that the Tower was, as the novice put it, a prison.

He did not say anything else, there was not much else he could say, he had not been in the Tower long enough to have anything to say. He wondered what he would say, once he had been here a few weeks, would he still think it was a 'prison'? This novice did, and there was no doubt she had been here longer than he. Apparently she hated it still, and as much as Zaide did, maybe more, since she most likely had much more experience with the way things worked. Maybe she would be willing to tell him, but Zaide did not want to ask. The novice had spoken to him, and he had responded as politely as he could, but Zaide did not care whether the conversation continued or not.

Shaya smiled as the Soldier repeated her words. He fell silent again after that and it was obvious whatever melancholy had hit him, it would not be lifted with a few casual words. At least she was fairly sure now that his being here was at least part of the reason for his black mood. She leaned back again and let a silence fall between them. A small smile played on her lips as she listened to the birds and the rustling of leaves. Perhaps he was curious to find out why she thought the Tower was a prison and maybe not. She would leave the next move to him either way, she had too much pride to force herself on someone who might just be wanting to be left alone.

The thought suddenly struck her as funny as she realised that she would have been doing just that if this was one of Caies' "missions". She had played all sorts of roles to please and lure the men he wanted taken off-guard, so he would find it easier to part them with their money. She could convincingly play anything from a shy noble's daughter to a forward travelling bard, wise in the way of men, all depending on what the occassion called for. She was usually a quick judge of character when it came to figuering out what they wanted. But now she had no roles to play, no mask to put on. She was merely a novice amongst the many in the Tower, struggling to make her way through till she could safely leave the blasted place. Perhaps it was a good thing not to get too familiar with too many people, that way there was no chance of regretting having to leave.

Zaide noticed that the novice did not say anything else, little as Zaide liked to talk, he was a bit disappointed, he had hoped to find out more about the Tower from her. He sat silently, concidering speaking to her, but he had never really initiated conversation before, and did not know what to say. Maybe another offhand remark, like what she had said. After several moments' thought, he finally decided that just straight out asking her about the Tower would probably be best. But what to ask, he had so many questions, where to start, maybe something about her own experiences so far. "How long have you been here?" he asked finally, suddenly. He hoped she would not laugh at him, he was really not in the mood to be laughed at just now.

He wondered again whether she had been here long, apparently long enough to decide that this bench was the best, and that the Tower was a prison. Zaide did not think that that would take long to decide though, just long enough to attempt a few escapes, or hear about others' attempts. Surely there were enough that hated the Tower that it would not take long to hear about it, Zaide no longer thought that he might be the only one who hated the Tower, and that he and Shaya were alone never crossed his mind. He wondered who the others might be, but only for a moment, he knew he would never actually meet any of them, it was incredibly strange he was even speaking to the novice next to him, he knew he would not be willing to speak to someone else only because they hated the Tower too.

Shaya merely raised an amused eyebrow as he spoke up after a while. The words came out reluctantly, as if he was forcing himself to speak them.
If the first weeks in the Towers were as confusing and frustrating to him as they had been for her, she could well imagine where he was coming from. She wondered if he was thinking about escape yet or had perhaps even attempted it. Shaya had certainly thought about it enough. The only thing that had kept her from actually trying those first days, was the fact that the Blue sister that had dragged her to the Tower would not leave her out her sight even for just a few seconds.

"I'm not quite sure, but it has been at least 3 moons now that I have been here." Saying it out loud actually made it sound so much longer and Shaya nearly sighed.
"Not saying that you are planning anything, but just be aware that new people are watched very carefully even if you might not see them watching." She had heard that the Black Tower was even more unpleasant in their treatment of runaways than the White.
She suddenly smiled at him and held out her hand. Now that he had actually made the effort of speaking to her, they might as well exchange the common courtesies. "Anyway, my name is Shaya Blackrose, meek and obedient novice of the White Tower, " She added a wink to those last added words and waited for him to accept her hand.

Zaide waited for her to reply, and when she did he was a bit surprised, he was not sure whether he had expected more than three months, or less, and no matter what she said would have surprised him she thought. He blinked when she said he might be planning to get out, how could she know? All women could read minds, he decided, that Aes Sedai had done it on the trip here, though she claimed that she could not. Zaide knew he was not that transparent, and having his thoughts known was disconcerting. He had been concidering escaping, but this novice did not seem to think it would be a good idea, perhaps she had tried it herself. If she was right, if he was being watched- a thought he hated -maybe he should rethink leaving, at least for now, until he was less watched.

He was, again, surprised when she extended her hand and gave her name, this was a woman full of surprises. He could not keep from grinning slightly as she added a remark about meek and obedient with a wink that said the opposite. He took her hand and shook it firmly, "I'm Zaide al'Karne," he said simply, he had nothing witty to add as she had. Zaide wondered if Shaya had learned a lot about the Power in the time she had been here, little as Zaide wanted to learn about it there was something exciting about it, he hoped that Asha'man, Mishael, would begin soon. As well, he remembered that both the Asha'man he had met had said that he would channel anyway, and likely hurt himself and those around them, training was necessary, so the sooner he got started, and got control, the sooner he could leave this bloody place.

And go where? He had no desire to go back to Andor, at least nowhere near Caemlyn, which he was sure was the only interesting part of the country. Again he concidered Ebou Dar or Arad Doman, they were exotic, and no one would know him there, as long as he did not run into any Asha'man he was sure he could live in either place with enough comfort. Zaide had never really worked anywhere but on a farm, but farm work was difficult and demanding, he was sure he would be accepted somewhere. Zaide shook himself mentally, he was already planning his life after the Tower, and even he knew he would not be able to leave for at least a few months. Thinking about his future life, he knew, would only make his time here all the worse.

"It's nice to meet you Zaide, although I'm sure we'd both wish we had met at a dance somewhere and were having a good time, instead of sitting here dressed in black and white." She smiled in response to the shadow of a smile that had appeared on his lips and thought to herself she would certainly have enjoyed dancing with a handsome man like that even if he was slightly younger. She had already noticed he was not really the talkative type and she had to supress a grin when the thought entered her mind that there might be other, more pleasant, things he preferred to do with his lips. She wondered if he had left a family behind and maybe a loved one.

"I bet someone's missing you back home right now, huh?" The question was an invitation to tell her about his background, although she doubted he would take it. "I guess I was lucky in a way that I don't have anyone that depends on me or will miss me." She shrugged, indicating that she at least did not have a family back home. Sometimes she could almost understand how the younger girls would cry themselves to sleep over missing their families, but since she had never had a proper family, she had no problems with the idea of never seeing them again.
Shaya realised she would soon have to return to her classes, there was very little time available to a novice to sit around and idly chat, even if the company had such dark blue eyes.

Zaide smiled slightly at Shaya's remark about prefering to meet elsewhere, it was very true, Zaide would have prefered to meet the woman next to him anywhere before here, though Zaide thought it would be that with most of the others he would meet as well. Zaide almost laughed when Shaya suggested that someone was missing him back home. He was not sure whether she meant a young woman, or simply a family and perhaps friends. Either way, the question was still almost laughable. "No, there's no one back home sad over losing me, I don't even think my parents were upset when I left without a word," he said sarcastically. He certainly did not miss his parents, he had never liked life on that farm, and his parents had never been close to him, certainly not close enough to miss. Much as he hated the Tower, truth be told, it was not a whole lot worse than that farm, just less familiar. He had never sat brooding about that life before, but only because he had had no time to, often as he worked he had thought about getting away from that farm, just as he did now. What a bloody coincidence, I go from miserable to more miserable, at least back home I had a chance of escape, and when I finally did, look where it got me, he thought, it was truly ironic.

He sat for a few moments thinking, since he arrived here he had never wished to go back home, it had been an unconcious thing, though every time he thought of going home he shied away from the possibility quickly. He had finally escaped from the farm in Andor, and the place he had escaped to was even worse- even if not by much. Shaya as much as announced that she had no family or friends where she came from, wherever that was. He wondered what it would be like to have no one, Zaide's parents were not much, but at least they had been around, and not abandoned him more years ago than he could remember. Zaide realized there must be many of those in the Tower, surely such a well known and famous place would be the destination of many who had nowhere else to go. Surely that would hurt the reputation of the Towers, to be the trash heap of the world, even if those pieces of trash became Aes Sedai, Asha'man and Gaidin, and even if not all were the lowest of society- even below the farmers. People sometimes threw away the most precious of gems- nobles and royals in the Towers. Zaide did not have a problem with that, rank did not matter to him, even in Andor, Zaide had not liked rank, people lording over him had never been something he enjoyed. The Towers, in his opinion, might have been better off without those few gems. Of course, the rest of the world would not see it that way, just because someone "lost" their rank upon coming to the Towers, how could that make no difference to the rank-obsessed masses that were the rest of the world?

Shaya nodded as he remarked that no one would miss him.
Apparantly he had not left his parents on good terms. Shaya sometimes wondered if she was better off never really having known her parents, for a lot of people she met seemed to have some kind of grievance with theirs. Ofcourse a place like the Tower where people usually came because they could channel, was bound to cause conflicts with a "normal" family way of living.
She sometimes wondered where her father was now and what he was doing and if he ever thought about her, but it was curiosity, not regret that drove these thoughts.

The afternoon bell sounded in the distance from the Tower and Shaya rose smoothly, quickly checking if her dress bore no marks from the bench. She could have cared less herself, but she was getting tired of forever being send back to her rooms to change. The Aes Sedai seemed to derive a near sadistic pleasure from telling novices off for not wearing an immaculate dress, as if it mattered if they were scrubbing floors or other chores, she thought with a smirk.
"Well Zaide, I'm afraid I need to return for my afternoon classes now. It was nice meeting you, thank you for letting me share your spot for a few moments." She smiled as she thought he looked a lot younger without the deep scowl on his face she had first seen when she walked up to him.
"It's probably for the best anyway, the Towers strongly discourage soldiers and novices socialising like this. They are probably afraid if we get together we'll come up with too many rebellious thoughts." She gave him a wink at that and made ready to return to the Tower.