Carrot Sort (Esmatal)

Hama Valon, the city around the Grey Tower.
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Welcome to Hama Valon! The aptly named 'mountain guard' is the city that has grown up at the gates of the Grey Tower at the western edge of the Two Rivers. Like all cities, there are quiet quarters with pleasant inns, such as Elman's Creek, which used to be the nearest village when the Tower was young, but was absorbed as the new city grew; its Band of Brothers Inn is still a favorite relaxation spot for many of the Tower's denizens. And again, like all cities the world over, there are less pleasant places--narrow, nameless streets that house hells and other houses of ill repute. Most of the city falls somewhere in between, with hawkers crying their wares in the streets, respectable shopkeepers ready to serve you, and petty cutpurses happy to follow you.

Novices, Soldiers, and drin'far'ji must be accompanied by a chaperon when outside Tower walls or they risk being picked up as runaways and duly punished.
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Mim
"The Great Hunt"
Posts: 57
Joined: October 15th, 2014, 4:52 pm
PC: Liolet Belwhyn
SC: Sarkaska Jinlo
Location: State of Insanity

Carrot Sort (Esmatal)

Post by Mim » September 9th, 2019, 6:49 am

It had been several weeks since Liolet had returned reluctantly to the Tower, and she was rather perturbed that nothing had happened yet. Well, nothing of note - certainly, she had been saddled with several choice chores that “were not to be considered punishments,” but felt like them anyway. This was one of them. She hadn’t told Elnora Sedai that she liked riding messages about Hama Valon, though: some cards you kept close to the vest. Sadly, the errand required escort, and Liolet, being no one of any importance, had to wait until one could be made available. A tersely worded message had come to her to be present in the North Courtyard at two hours to High, though, and so, she had cut her studies short, dressed in actual boots under her distinctive Accepted apparel, and donned her blue woolen cloak, even though the skies above the city were clear and untroubled by clouds. You never did know when a class on Cloud Dancing would block out the sun - or end in a two-week gale.

What bar had they roused this lout from? She frowned at the back of a dark head, thought about raising her voice. He glanced her way, though, and she closed her mouth hard enough for her teeth to clink together. There was no reason to feel anything for him, and she didn’t, but she did recognize him, and for some reason, that recognition had risen in her throat - that was all. He was the same man who had herded her group of penitent Farmhands from the ports to the Tower. She didn’t even know his name. She liked, she decided, not knowing his name. It was easier to happen to people when you didn’t know their names.

“Are you the escort for Elnora Sedai’s messenger?” Liolet asked, when the staring match the lout was having with her started to skirt the edge of impertinence. How he could make her feel like she had a runny nose or untied shoes, she had no idea, and she didn’t like it at all. But this was the North Courtyard and this was the appointed hour: if he wasn’t here to do what she wanted, he would be doing it anyway in a moment. And he’d be doing it without even a hint of anyone getting lifted to a saddle. She’d been riding horses since...well. A while was the best way to put it: no one ever believed an Aes Sedai or Accepted about her age, anyway.

Someone had taken pains to bring out her personal horse, she noted: he had grey flecking his muzzle, while she had none in her golden hair. She dug in her pocket for the carrot chunks she’d filched from the kitchens, and he made several disappear - and a curious bay nose descended on the rest. Despite her irritation, Liolet felt a genuine smile stretching her lips: it was always easier to work with animals than people. Animals only ever wanted what they needed, although there were cases of greed even there. She stroked the bay gelding’s nose and let him finish the last of the carrot chunks before she smoothed the bridle back into place.

She ought, she supposed, to warn the lout. It had been kind of him to check the registers for her personal horse, after all. However, she wasn’t feeling charitable.

“Saddle up,” she commanded, “or we’ll be even longer about Elnora Sedai’s chores than I’d like.” Thankfully, she couldn’t be caught in the lie - but was it a lie? She spent her days reviewing the weaves and her afternoons engrossed in scribing - even the ghost of an adventure, such as carrying messages about the city, was preferable to that. Was it the bit of carrot that the Aes Sedai were offering her? An adventure with a pretty Domani man for an afternoon, in exchange for a lifetime of service?

They’d have to try harder. She wasn’t going to bite at this bit of carrot.

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meble kuchenne na wymiar cennik

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