Elaile's knees ached and her hands were red and raw as she crawled on all fours along the marble hallway. Her face was mere inches from the floor as she buffed it to a high shine. Last time she had the task of washing and waxing the hallways the Accepted supervising her had found Elaile's work unsatisfactory and set her extra chores for the week.
Elaile blew a stray strand of honey-blonde hair out of her eyes and continued to carefully check the floor. Let the Accepted even try to call that unsatisfactory she thought angrily, sitting up and sinking back on her heels to carefully survey the long stretch of marble hall. Her wash bucket sat nearby, the soapy water grey from use. She had finally gotten the hang of washing floors after her first month in the Grey Tower, but Elaile didn't think she would ever get used to the amount of time waxing the floors took.
She stood with a groan, and tucked the waxing cloth into her pocket. Brushing ineffectually at her white skirts, which were more grey than white after hours on the floor, she noticed a man round the corner into her gleaming hallway. The man was taller than Elaile by more than a head and his dark hair was cropped close but still showed a hint of a curl. The man had a journal in hand and seemed to be scribbling in it as he walked towards her.
Elaile appraised him with a careful eye as he continued up her hall and passed her without even looking up. He wasn't a man she recognized, and she didn't like not being able to put a name to a face. He wore the traditional garb of a Soldier, except for the sandals on his feet. Elaile's face turned beet red in indignation, and her eyes narrowed as she noticed the sandals. The sandals absolutely caked in wet mud as if he had just come from the Gardens. The sandals tracking a dark trail across her gleaming floors.
"No, no, no!" she yelled, but the Solider didn't even look up, so engrossed was he in his writing. Elaile couldn't believe this- hours spent on her hands and knees ruined by this man who didn't even do her the courtesy of noticing!
Without thinking Elaile's temper got the better of her and she embraced the Source. With one weave of Air she plucked the journal out of the Soldier's hands, slamming it shut as she did so, and dropping it in her outstretched hand. With a second weave of Air Elaile lifted the bucket of brackish water and promptly upended it over the lout's head.
The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Corben
Corben was walking down the hallways of the Grey Tower, his nose buried in his journal as he went through the notes he had made.
The rain had made for good practice with Phineas Dedicated, the threads of Air he had used to keep off the rain good practice for his middling element. As was his custom he had sketched the weaves for review, and had been walking to his next chore when suddenly his arms pimpled with goosebumps.
Without warning the leather bound journal was snatched out of his hands, and a bucket of greyish water upended onto his head. The lukewarm water flowed over him in a deluge and he cursed as the water soaked his uniform, the fabric becoming sodden as it hung off his frame.
"What bloody goat kisser drops a bucket," cursed Corben as he threw the bucket of water off his head. He cut the curse off short as he noticed the Novice standing there, and the bucket crashed to the floor loud enough it made Corben wince.
He noticed right away that she was a petite woman, standing several inches than he did. He also noticed her honey blonde hair was in braids, something about the style making him feel like he should know it. She had pretty eyes, and with his artists eyes he noticed she would portrait well.
Flushing when he realized that he had both cursed a wagon drivers curse in front of a woman, and had then stared at her, Corben attempted to straighten his sleeves and assume the appearance of dignity.
"Apologizes Novice, but I believe that was your bucket. Some test of Saidar gone wrong I assume," he said blandly as he ignored the water running down his back as best he could.
The rain had made for good practice with Phineas Dedicated, the threads of Air he had used to keep off the rain good practice for his middling element. As was his custom he had sketched the weaves for review, and had been walking to his next chore when suddenly his arms pimpled with goosebumps.
Without warning the leather bound journal was snatched out of his hands, and a bucket of greyish water upended onto his head. The lukewarm water flowed over him in a deluge and he cursed as the water soaked his uniform, the fabric becoming sodden as it hung off his frame.
"What bloody goat kisser drops a bucket," cursed Corben as he threw the bucket of water off his head. He cut the curse off short as he noticed the Novice standing there, and the bucket crashed to the floor loud enough it made Corben wince.
He noticed right away that she was a petite woman, standing several inches than he did. He also noticed her honey blonde hair was in braids, something about the style making him feel like he should know it. She had pretty eyes, and with his artists eyes he noticed she would portrait well.
Flushing when he realized that he had both cursed a wagon drivers curse in front of a woman, and had then stared at her, Corben attempted to straighten his sleeves and assume the appearance of dignity.
"Apologizes Novice, but I believe that was your bucket. Some test of Saidar gone wrong I assume," he said blandly as he ignored the water running down his back as best he could.
"Wise men fear...the anger of a gentle man" -Rothfuss
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Elaile's temper disappeared in a flash and she almost laughed outright at the Soldier's reaction.
She had never been called a bloody goat kisser before she thought with humor. Still, he had ruined her perfect floor and she wasn't ready to let him off the hook yet.
Carefully erasing her smile, Elaile adopted a stern expression and put her hands on her hips as the Soldier threw the bucket off his head. It clattered to the floor and spun slowly, finally coming to a stop against a pedestal down the hall.
"Apologizes Novice, but I believe that was your bucket. Some test of Saidar gone wrong I assume," he said blandly.
Elaile lifted one eyebrow and sniffed, giving him the same look she had seen her grandmother give to countless supplicants when they said something displeasing. "I would say not. In fact I would say the test went exceptionally right. I wanted to bring you to your senses, and here we are."
Elaile faltered a little at his assessing look. She had never been stared at quite like that before she thought as he looked into her eyes. She felt herself flushing and tossed her blonde braids over her shoulder, straightening her spine to gain every inch of height. "Where were you raised, Soldier, that you think it is acceptable to track mud all over a spotless floor?" She gestured to the clear line of muddy footprints which led to within a foot of him. The others had been washed away in the flood of soapy water still dripping steadily off his frame.
She had never been called a bloody goat kisser before she thought with humor. Still, he had ruined her perfect floor and she wasn't ready to let him off the hook yet.
Carefully erasing her smile, Elaile adopted a stern expression and put her hands on her hips as the Soldier threw the bucket off his head. It clattered to the floor and spun slowly, finally coming to a stop against a pedestal down the hall.
"Apologizes Novice, but I believe that was your bucket. Some test of Saidar gone wrong I assume," he said blandly.
Elaile lifted one eyebrow and sniffed, giving him the same look she had seen her grandmother give to countless supplicants when they said something displeasing. "I would say not. In fact I would say the test went exceptionally right. I wanted to bring you to your senses, and here we are."
Elaile faltered a little at his assessing look. She had never been stared at quite like that before she thought as he looked into her eyes. She felt herself flushing and tossed her blonde braids over her shoulder, straightening her spine to gain every inch of height. "Where were you raised, Soldier, that you think it is acceptable to track mud all over a spotless floor?" She gestured to the clear line of muddy footprints which led to within a foot of him. The others had been washed away in the flood of soapy water still dripping steadily off his frame.
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Corben
Corben stood there, his jacket sodden and the cooling water running down his back. When he noticed her standing straight and regarding him in a look that made him wonder if she was related to his old nurse, he swallowed his second indignant remark at her answer. Knowing he had little chance of regaining either poise or dignity, he followed her gesture behind him and turned around to see the tracks of mud on an otherwise gleaming floor.
Oh light, no wonder she’s hissing like a granary cat who’s been cornered, Corben thought to himself with a wince. He sighed as he realized his error, and as he stared down at his wet sandals which were still caked in offending mud, he wondered if he could get away with being that far out of uniform.
“Apologies Novice, I was clearly lost in my notes and had not noticed the mud I was tracking in. Judging by your dress, you were here for some time to get the floor as gleaming as it is,” Corben said sincerely. He removed his sandals, holding them in his hands to be scraped off, and grimaced slightly when he realized his feet themselves were caked in enough dirt and grime to leave footprints on the floor.
Wrestling with both his dignity, and his honest desire to not cause her anymore work, he sighed and sat down to soak his feet in the bucket. He was often barefoot now, especially when working in the Channeling Yards and was surprised at how cracked and rough his feet had become. Still the brush and water took the worst of the dirt off, and once he was mud free he stood again. “I will help you clean the floor, if that will not get you in trouble with the Sister who assigned this chore to you. I would not have her arrive and assume this was your fault,” Corben said, his feet bare and chilling on the stone floor while he awaited her answer.
Oh light, no wonder she’s hissing like a granary cat who’s been cornered, Corben thought to himself with a wince. He sighed as he realized his error, and as he stared down at his wet sandals which were still caked in offending mud, he wondered if he could get away with being that far out of uniform.
“Apologies Novice, I was clearly lost in my notes and had not noticed the mud I was tracking in. Judging by your dress, you were here for some time to get the floor as gleaming as it is,” Corben said sincerely. He removed his sandals, holding them in his hands to be scraped off, and grimaced slightly when he realized his feet themselves were caked in enough dirt and grime to leave footprints on the floor.
Wrestling with both his dignity, and his honest desire to not cause her anymore work, he sighed and sat down to soak his feet in the bucket. He was often barefoot now, especially when working in the Channeling Yards and was surprised at how cracked and rough his feet had become. Still the brush and water took the worst of the dirt off, and once he was mud free he stood again. “I will help you clean the floor, if that will not get you in trouble with the Sister who assigned this chore to you. I would not have her arrive and assume this was your fault,” Corben said, his feet bare and chilling on the stone floor while he awaited her answer.
"Wise men fear...the anger of a gentle man" -Rothfuss
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Elaile's mouth dropped open and her hands fell from her hips as she watched the Soldier carefully wash off his feet so as not to cause her any more work.
“I will help you clean the floor, if that will not get you in trouble with the Sister who assigned this chore to you. I would not have her arrive and assume this was your fault,” Corben said.
His response was so genuinely remorseful that Elaile felt any vestige of anger disappear in a flash. She frowned, the poor man was standing in front of her offering to help with her chores and dripping wet still. His short dark hair was practically plastered to his head, and he stood barefoot on what Elaile knew was very chilly marble.
He must be freezing, she thought, feeling the first twinge of guilt.
Elaile bit her lip and glanced quickly up and down the hallway to check for passerby. Seeing no one, she embraced the Source and used a gentle rotating weave of Air and Fire to surround the Soldier, quickly drying his clothes and hair. It would have been more effective to pull the Water out of his clothes but Elaile was finding that Element much more difficult to harness in her lessons. She released the Source and again glanced down the hallway. She let out a sigh of relief seeing that they were still alone.
She shouldn't be using saidar unsupervised and knew if she was caught she'd earn herself a visit to the Mistress of Novice's office, but she had to fix what she had caused.
"That's kind of you and I would appreciate the help." she shrugged, embarrassed at her own temper "I'm sorry I dropped a bucket on your head. I just hate cleaning these floors. My father always said I had a temper pricklier than a segade plant." She offered a conciliatory smile "My name is Elaile, I hope you won't hold this first impression against me."
“I will help you clean the floor, if that will not get you in trouble with the Sister who assigned this chore to you. I would not have her arrive and assume this was your fault,” Corben said.
His response was so genuinely remorseful that Elaile felt any vestige of anger disappear in a flash. She frowned, the poor man was standing in front of her offering to help with her chores and dripping wet still. His short dark hair was practically plastered to his head, and he stood barefoot on what Elaile knew was very chilly marble.
He must be freezing, she thought, feeling the first twinge of guilt.
Elaile bit her lip and glanced quickly up and down the hallway to check for passerby. Seeing no one, she embraced the Source and used a gentle rotating weave of Air and Fire to surround the Soldier, quickly drying his clothes and hair. It would have been more effective to pull the Water out of his clothes but Elaile was finding that Element much more difficult to harness in her lessons. She released the Source and again glanced down the hallway. She let out a sigh of relief seeing that they were still alone.
She shouldn't be using saidar unsupervised and knew if she was caught she'd earn herself a visit to the Mistress of Novice's office, but she had to fix what she had caused.
"That's kind of you and I would appreciate the help." she shrugged, embarrassed at her own temper "I'm sorry I dropped a bucket on your head. I just hate cleaning these floors. My father always said I had a temper pricklier than a segade plant." She offered a conciliatory smile "My name is Elaile, I hope you won't hold this first impression against me."
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Corben
OOC: Elaile will probably notice two things, one he's still barefoot with no discomfort from the marble.
(Rough feet), and he's doing it all by hand.
Corben stood frozen stiff when suddenly a whirlwind of warm air blew around him. His arms pimpled with goosebumps and he knew the woman in front of him must be channeling.
It had seemed odd to him when he had first learnt that men could sense a woman channeling, but not the other way around. And now he knew the sensation for what it was.
Finally the warm air died down and he was standing in dry, if wrinkled clothing. He wondered at the weaves she could have used to do that effect, and made a note to himself to look into how a man would be able to dry his own gear.
"That's kind of you and I would appreciate the help." she said with a shrug, "My father always said I had a temper pricklier than a segade plant."
She offered a conciliatory smile "My name is Elaile, I hope you won't hold this first impression against me."
Corben stood for a moment dumbfounded at the sudden reversal of the conversation, but he supposed there had been worst first impressions made between two trainees. Forcing himself to give up on the uniform as a lost cause, he did his best to be comfortable and introduced himself, "Corben, of the Ashmar family. And I don't know that I've ever seen a segade plant, but your point is taken. If you can forgive my mud, I can forgive the bucket. After all if I'd walked into my mothers home like that, she'd still be switching me with her broom," he said with a grin.
Gesturing down at his uniform, and the leather bound journal in her hands he finished,"At least you kept my papers dry, the loss of the sketches would be a lot worse than some wrinkly uniform. Especially when you risked extra chores to help me be more comfortable. Lets begin again with its nice to meet you Elaile", said Corben as he settled down to the bucket and grabbed a brush from the floor, upended the bucket and began to do his best to collect the water that had pooled.
It had seemed odd to him when he had first learnt that men could sense a woman channeling, but not the other way around. And now he knew the sensation for what it was.
Finally the warm air died down and he was standing in dry, if wrinkled clothing. He wondered at the weaves she could have used to do that effect, and made a note to himself to look into how a man would be able to dry his own gear.
"That's kind of you and I would appreciate the help." she said with a shrug, "My father always said I had a temper pricklier than a segade plant."
She offered a conciliatory smile "My name is Elaile, I hope you won't hold this first impression against me."
Corben stood for a moment dumbfounded at the sudden reversal of the conversation, but he supposed there had been worst first impressions made between two trainees. Forcing himself to give up on the uniform as a lost cause, he did his best to be comfortable and introduced himself, "Corben, of the Ashmar family. And I don't know that I've ever seen a segade plant, but your point is taken. If you can forgive my mud, I can forgive the bucket. After all if I'd walked into my mothers home like that, she'd still be switching me with her broom," he said with a grin.
Gesturing down at his uniform, and the leather bound journal in her hands he finished,"At least you kept my papers dry, the loss of the sketches would be a lot worse than some wrinkly uniform. Especially when you risked extra chores to help me be more comfortable. Lets begin again with its nice to meet you Elaile", said Corben as he settled down to the bucket and grabbed a brush from the floor, upended the bucket and began to do his best to collect the water that had pooled.
OOC: Elaile will probably notice two things, one he's still barefoot with no discomfort from the marble.
(Rough feet), and he's doing it all by hand.
"Wise men fear...the anger of a gentle man" -Rothfuss
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
"Corben, of the Ashmar family. And I don't know that I've ever seen a segade plant, but your point is taken. If you can forgive my mud, I can forgive the bucket. After all if I'd walked into my mothers home like that, she'd still be switching me with her broom," Corben said with a grin.
Elaile returned his smile. Her mother had never cleaned a floor in her life, but her first nurse would have reacted the same if Elaile had ever ruined a freshly cleaned floor like he had. Even though she had spent the last decade of her life with an army of servants constantly cleaning and fussing over her, Elaile's nurse had taught her early on to be grateful for their work and never take them for granted. After being forced to clean a floor herself, Elaile was even more grateful for the years she had avoided such a task.
"It's nice to meet you also Corben." She tied up her skirts in a half-hearted attempt to keep them from getting any dirtier than they already were. "I would never have ruined your journal. Or any book for that matter." Her fingers itched to flip it open and look at the sketches he mentioned, but instead she carefully set the leather-bound sheaf on a pedestal where it would stay dry. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you sketch in there?" she asked as she gracefully knelt next to him. As Corben started to brush at the footprints, she followed closely behind buffing the floors again to a high shine.
Crawling along behind the Soldier on her hands and knees Elaile noticed that he had not put his sandals back on after he had scraped them clean. His feet were callused and he seemed completely at ease barefoot as he continued to scrub at the muddy floors. The chill of the marble floor was sinking through the thick white wool of her skirts and Elaile was shocked that Corben seemed impervious to the cold. "Did you want your sandals back?" She asked, gesturing to where they lay forgotten by a doorway "You must be freezing....." a thought struck her, and she couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice "Or have you already learned the trick to ignoring heat and cold? Could you teach me?" She looked at him eagerly. She found the Novice quarters extremely cold most nights and would love to learn the Aes Sedai's trick to ignoring the temperature. If this Soldier had mastered it she intended to learn it too.
Elaile returned his smile. Her mother had never cleaned a floor in her life, but her first nurse would have reacted the same if Elaile had ever ruined a freshly cleaned floor like he had. Even though she had spent the last decade of her life with an army of servants constantly cleaning and fussing over her, Elaile's nurse had taught her early on to be grateful for their work and never take them for granted. After being forced to clean a floor herself, Elaile was even more grateful for the years she had avoided such a task.
"It's nice to meet you also Corben." She tied up her skirts in a half-hearted attempt to keep them from getting any dirtier than they already were. "I would never have ruined your journal. Or any book for that matter." Her fingers itched to flip it open and look at the sketches he mentioned, but instead she carefully set the leather-bound sheaf on a pedestal where it would stay dry. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you sketch in there?" she asked as she gracefully knelt next to him. As Corben started to brush at the footprints, she followed closely behind buffing the floors again to a high shine.
Crawling along behind the Soldier on her hands and knees Elaile noticed that he had not put his sandals back on after he had scraped them clean. His feet were callused and he seemed completely at ease barefoot as he continued to scrub at the muddy floors. The chill of the marble floor was sinking through the thick white wool of her skirts and Elaile was shocked that Corben seemed impervious to the cold. "Did you want your sandals back?" She asked, gesturing to where they lay forgotten by a doorway "You must be freezing....." a thought struck her, and she couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice "Or have you already learned the trick to ignoring heat and cold? Could you teach me?" She looked at him eagerly. She found the Novice quarters extremely cold most nights and would love to learn the Aes Sedai's trick to ignoring the temperature. If this Soldier had mastered it she intended to learn it too.
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Corben
Corben was scrubbing the muddy footprints off the tiles of the floor, trying his best to clean them both quickly and well. With the thick mud from the Gardens it was slow going, and he breathed deeply to settle into the task.
Corben could see the Novice placing his leather bound journal on a pedestal to keep it out of the slowly spreading grime and water.
She then joined him on the floor and continued to clean up the tiles. "I would never destroy a journal or book," she said as she soaked the thick bristled brush in the water.
"If you don't mind me asking, what do you sketch in there?" She asked, and as Corben turned he noticed that she even scrubbed tiles with grace and bearing.
Ducking his head so as not to be caught in a stare,
Corben was glad for the chance to converse, and help pass the time. "Oh I sketch a little bit of everything, but since coming to the Grey Tower I've been taking the chance to sketch the buildings. I've never seen such details as the ones the builders managed here. I've been meaning to ask if it's Ogier work," Corben said excitedly as he thought of some of the work he had seen here.
"The scale is unlike anything we had in northern Ghealdan, and so I sketch for ideas and as practice," he finished with a gesture around the hallway. Even in a simple hallway the wealth and detail were apparent.
After a while of comfortable silence, as the two put their attention to working on the mud and floor, Elaile began to ask if he wanted his sandals back , when suddenly she was asking if he had mastered the trick of ignoring the heat and cold.
"No I wish I had Elaile, it would make all the time I spend outside in the sun a lot more comfortable. Especially in an Ashaman's black coat. For me, I grew up in the mountains and often spent long hours with my uncle or father in our alum mines. Inspecting and the like, so between the mountain air and the mines I've grown accustomed to ignoring cold," Corben said as he sat and realized the marble was indeed cool.
"I spend most of my time barefoot, so my sandals are okay to dry there. I prefer to not wear them wet, they can chafe I find," Corben finished with a shrug as he continued to wash the floor.
"Do you often have to wash the floors here?" Corben asked the Novice, curious.
Corben could see the Novice placing his leather bound journal on a pedestal to keep it out of the slowly spreading grime and water.
She then joined him on the floor and continued to clean up the tiles. "I would never destroy a journal or book," she said as she soaked the thick bristled brush in the water.
"If you don't mind me asking, what do you sketch in there?" She asked, and as Corben turned he noticed that she even scrubbed tiles with grace and bearing.
Ducking his head so as not to be caught in a stare,
Corben was glad for the chance to converse, and help pass the time. "Oh I sketch a little bit of everything, but since coming to the Grey Tower I've been taking the chance to sketch the buildings. I've never seen such details as the ones the builders managed here. I've been meaning to ask if it's Ogier work," Corben said excitedly as he thought of some of the work he had seen here.
"The scale is unlike anything we had in northern Ghealdan, and so I sketch for ideas and as practice," he finished with a gesture around the hallway. Even in a simple hallway the wealth and detail were apparent.
After a while of comfortable silence, as the two put their attention to working on the mud and floor, Elaile began to ask if he wanted his sandals back , when suddenly she was asking if he had mastered the trick of ignoring the heat and cold.
"No I wish I had Elaile, it would make all the time I spend outside in the sun a lot more comfortable. Especially in an Ashaman's black coat. For me, I grew up in the mountains and often spent long hours with my uncle or father in our alum mines. Inspecting and the like, so between the mountain air and the mines I've grown accustomed to ignoring cold," Corben said as he sat and realized the marble was indeed cool.
"I spend most of my time barefoot, so my sandals are okay to dry there. I prefer to not wear them wet, they can chafe I find," Corben finished with a shrug as he continued to wash the floor.
"Do you often have to wash the floors here?" Corben asked the Novice, curious.
"Wise men fear...the anger of a gentle man" -Rothfuss
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
"Oh I sketch a little bit of everything, but since coming to the Grey Tower I've been taking the chance to sketch the buildings. I've never seen such details as the ones the builders managed here. I've been meaning to ask if it's Ogier work," Corben said. "The scale is unlike anything we had in northern Ghealdan, and so I sketch for ideas and as practice," he finished with a gesture around the hallway.
Elaile brushed a stray braid out of her eyes and sat back on her heels, looking around at the hallway speculatively. "I guess I never noticed.." she mused softly. Growing up in a palace she was used to being surrounded by grand architecture and fine furnishings, but listening to Corben, Elaile felt a moment of wonder that she had been so oblivious to the beauty of the Grey Tower. Although she had been in the Grey Tower for months, she found herself looking at the halls now with fresh eyes. Until Corben mentioned it, she had never noticed the small and beautiful details present in every corner here. She flicked a glance at the handsome young Soldier, and found herself smiling at him. She had been so angry at his obliviousness earlier but maybe she was the oblivious one here.
As they continued to work, Elaile found herself falling into a steady rhythm of soaping, scrubbing and polishing the floor side by side with Corben. She was disappointed when he explained that he hadn't figured out the trick to ignoring the cold, but rather was just used to being barefoot.
She was studying him from under her lashes, intrigued by this man who was kind enough to help her after she had so rudely assaulted him with a bucket.
"Do you often have to wash the floors here?" Corben asked turning and catching her looking at him. Elaile quickly glanced away and brushed at an imaginary speck of dust on her already dirty skirts.
"Unfortunately." she grimaced and cast a glance up the hallway to make sure they were still alone. "I seem to have gotten on the wrong side of a rather surly Accepted." A smile tugged at the corners of her lips "I suppose it's because the first time she told me to clean the floors I suggested she was better suited to the task. Now she assigns me this dreadful chore every chance she gets."
Elaile shrugged, "I suppose I deserve it. What about you, have you stayed on the good side of the Dedicated so far? I don't know much about alum mines, but it sounds like you were in a respected position with your family in Ghealdan. Are you glad you came to the Tower?" she realized she was peppering him with questions, and shut her mouth quickly.
Elaile brushed a stray braid out of her eyes and sat back on her heels, looking around at the hallway speculatively. "I guess I never noticed.." she mused softly. Growing up in a palace she was used to being surrounded by grand architecture and fine furnishings, but listening to Corben, Elaile felt a moment of wonder that she had been so oblivious to the beauty of the Grey Tower. Although she had been in the Grey Tower for months, she found herself looking at the halls now with fresh eyes. Until Corben mentioned it, she had never noticed the small and beautiful details present in every corner here. She flicked a glance at the handsome young Soldier, and found herself smiling at him. She had been so angry at his obliviousness earlier but maybe she was the oblivious one here.
As they continued to work, Elaile found herself falling into a steady rhythm of soaping, scrubbing and polishing the floor side by side with Corben. She was disappointed when he explained that he hadn't figured out the trick to ignoring the cold, but rather was just used to being barefoot.
She was studying him from under her lashes, intrigued by this man who was kind enough to help her after she had so rudely assaulted him with a bucket.
"Do you often have to wash the floors here?" Corben asked turning and catching her looking at him. Elaile quickly glanced away and brushed at an imaginary speck of dust on her already dirty skirts.
"Unfortunately." she grimaced and cast a glance up the hallway to make sure they were still alone. "I seem to have gotten on the wrong side of a rather surly Accepted." A smile tugged at the corners of her lips "I suppose it's because the first time she told me to clean the floors I suggested she was better suited to the task. Now she assigns me this dreadful chore every chance she gets."
Elaile shrugged, "I suppose I deserve it. What about you, have you stayed on the good side of the Dedicated so far? I don't know much about alum mines, but it sounds like you were in a respected position with your family in Ghealdan. Are you glad you came to the Tower?" she realized she was peppering him with questions, and shut her mouth quickly.
Re: The Best of First Impressions (ATTN: Corben)
Corben
As they continued to work, Corben found himself enjoying the steady rhythm of soaping, scrubbing and polishing the floors with Elaile. After he had told her about the sketching of the walls and tower, he found himself considering her out of the corner of his eyes. She was definitely beautiful, and judging from the bucket he had ended up with on his head she had a fair amount of spirit, something he had always found attractive in the few women he had met. As a merchant family, they were often invited to mingle with other families and even minor nobility, when the general chaos of Ghealdan allowed such gatherings to be possible.
I wonder if she would consent to a sketch, Corben thought to himself, before he coughed gently and began scrubbing the floor with vigor. Light that would be as forward as a cart driver at a feast he thought to himself as he worked on the floors. Sometimes he wondered if the Novices seemed more mysterious and fetching because they were essentially forbidden from spending much time with them.
"Unfortunately." she grimaced and cast a glance up the hallway to make sure they were still alone. "I seem to have gotten on the wrong side of a rather surly Accepted." A smile tugged at the corners of her lips "I suppose it's because the first time she told me to clean the floors I suggested she was better suited to the task. Now she assigns me this dreadful chore every chance she gets."
Corben laughed out loud, his voice startling loud in the quiet calm of the hallway. Chuckling he lowered his voice and shook his head ruefully, “Oh I suppose that would do it. I haven’t had interactions with the Accepted but if they are like the Dedicated I am surprised your cot hasn’t been moved here.”
Corben listened politely as she continued her stream of questions, his mind cataloguing them for responses as he gave her his full attention. His mother had stressed the importance that all who met a merchant felt heard and understood, or you wouldn’t be in business long and so he had cultivated a patience and reserve in conversations.
When she finished, he tapped his brush on the floor a few times as he considered her questions. “To your first question, I have been fortunate enough that so far the Dedicated have not taken any particular notice to me. Phineas Dedicated was my first teacher when I arrived, and he has worked with me on many aspects of the One Power, so I would dare to say we have some small rapport. The rest see me as fairly middling in power, other than with Earth, and I have had a few be annoyed that they must teach me outside. But for chores, I have been fortunate enough to do a lot of clerking and records. Apparently there has been several changes in leadership at the Grey Tower, which has led to a large pile of forms and records to update and fix,” Corben said as he realized that to many that would seem like an excruciating chore, but for him he was used to long hours with quill and paper.
“The alum mines are not much different than any other mine I suppose, we take what we can from the ground in a large pit, and use tunnels through the earth and stone to get at the rest. It’s dirty, often gruelling work and the men who do it spend long hours away from the wives and children. For me I was only there to supervise, tour buyers through our mine and arrange for the shipping. Much of my time was spent with my travel desk, writing my uncles books and missives. I enjoyed the work, and it was pleasant to spend so much time with family. But since coming here, it’s hard to describe the life present in holding the One Power. At times I feel like I was living with an eye patch and a veil over my good eye. I miss my family occasionally, but everytime I go into the library I find a treatise or essay on such amazing topics that I know one could never learn them all. So I do enjoy it here,” Corben finished, clearing his throat and smoothing his sleeves as he realized he had been speaking for some time.
“How about you Elaile, was your arrival here sudden or did you know of the spark before arriving? Other than the constant floor washing, I hope your time here has been treating you well,” Corben said with interest.
I wonder if she would consent to a sketch, Corben thought to himself, before he coughed gently and began scrubbing the floor with vigor. Light that would be as forward as a cart driver at a feast he thought to himself as he worked on the floors. Sometimes he wondered if the Novices seemed more mysterious and fetching because they were essentially forbidden from spending much time with them.
"Unfortunately." she grimaced and cast a glance up the hallway to make sure they were still alone. "I seem to have gotten on the wrong side of a rather surly Accepted." A smile tugged at the corners of her lips "I suppose it's because the first time she told me to clean the floors I suggested she was better suited to the task. Now she assigns me this dreadful chore every chance she gets."
Corben laughed out loud, his voice startling loud in the quiet calm of the hallway. Chuckling he lowered his voice and shook his head ruefully, “Oh I suppose that would do it. I haven’t had interactions with the Accepted but if they are like the Dedicated I am surprised your cot hasn’t been moved here.”
Corben listened politely as she continued her stream of questions, his mind cataloguing them for responses as he gave her his full attention. His mother had stressed the importance that all who met a merchant felt heard and understood, or you wouldn’t be in business long and so he had cultivated a patience and reserve in conversations.
When she finished, he tapped his brush on the floor a few times as he considered her questions. “To your first question, I have been fortunate enough that so far the Dedicated have not taken any particular notice to me. Phineas Dedicated was my first teacher when I arrived, and he has worked with me on many aspects of the One Power, so I would dare to say we have some small rapport. The rest see me as fairly middling in power, other than with Earth, and I have had a few be annoyed that they must teach me outside. But for chores, I have been fortunate enough to do a lot of clerking and records. Apparently there has been several changes in leadership at the Grey Tower, which has led to a large pile of forms and records to update and fix,” Corben said as he realized that to many that would seem like an excruciating chore, but for him he was used to long hours with quill and paper.
“The alum mines are not much different than any other mine I suppose, we take what we can from the ground in a large pit, and use tunnels through the earth and stone to get at the rest. It’s dirty, often gruelling work and the men who do it spend long hours away from the wives and children. For me I was only there to supervise, tour buyers through our mine and arrange for the shipping. Much of my time was spent with my travel desk, writing my uncles books and missives. I enjoyed the work, and it was pleasant to spend so much time with family. But since coming here, it’s hard to describe the life present in holding the One Power. At times I feel like I was living with an eye patch and a veil over my good eye. I miss my family occasionally, but everytime I go into the library I find a treatise or essay on such amazing topics that I know one could never learn them all. So I do enjoy it here,” Corben finished, clearing his throat and smoothing his sleeves as he realized he had been speaking for some time.
“How about you Elaile, was your arrival here sudden or did you know of the spark before arriving? Other than the constant floor washing, I hope your time here has been treating you well,” Corben said with interest.
"Wise men fear...the anger of a gentle man" -Rothfuss
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