A Meeting of the Meh (Taesh and Tardy and other Brown aspirants)

[Chris]

Being an Asha’man was not all it was cracked up to be sometimes. Sure, he had his own rooms (brown), his own uniforms (brown shirts beneath his black Asha’man uniform) and all these cool and secret customs to remember (brown, brown and more bloody brown), but he also had meetings and lessons and sessions which involved a lot more than Murdock had bargained for. There were more intricacies to the Brown Ajah than he had ever realised there would be.

They have the wrong man, he thought as he sat there looking at the books he had been given as studying material. I just want to be left alone to my studies, surely they can appreciate that? But first he had to appease the Council, and apparently that involved helping with the recruitment of new aspirants as if he had not only just been Raised himself. Nope, even the Keeper of the Archives had a duty to his Ajah, no matter the fact that he had a tempestuous and grumpy M’Hael to appease. Blood and ashes, between Jaryd and the Council he wasn’t going to get any time for his own developments.

But it was what it was, and Murdock would have to endure. There was a room in the Brown Ajah quarters for potential Brown aspirants to come and ask questions in a safe, welcome environment. Because the Browns insisted on pandering to the stereotype given to them, this particular room was lined with shelves overflowing with books, and Murdock was expected to have some to talk about when people came in as if all the Browns ever did was sit around reading. Hah! Murdock had no huge interest in learning about anything much outside of his craft. One day they would realise this and leave him alone. Or Gentle him.

So there the man sat, large hands clasped together as he straightened his back and made sure his posture was just so. The brown stole of the Keeper settled over his slim shoulder, weighing him down almost as much as the oaths he had sworn. They itched still. Apparently he was to have an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah to sit with as well, but Murdock had turned up first as the Accepted were still preparing the room for him. Two desks for the Browns, and then a couple of chairs in front of them, with a few Accepted loitering in the rest of the room. They were close to Raising and could also answer most questions. If they made it through the Stairs, they would no doubt join the Brown Ajah.

Now who in the Light was going to be accompanying him today? It had better be someone interesting, or someone silent. Anything in between was intolerable to the man, especially when he hadn’t been out of the Tower in weeks.

[Kenneth]

Taesh entered into the book laded room slowly, having never been in this section of the Tower before. The dark-skinned Dedicated had all but made up his mind on his future Ajah, but still many said that he should at least explore some of the other options available. Taesh considered each of the Ajahs to be like the clans of the Atha'an Miere, so he had to choose the best fit. There was no changing the choice, much like a clan, so he took the advice and decided to get to know a little more about the other Ajahs. Even if it was only to reaffirm that the Grey was the natural choice, it was still work exploring.

After doing a little research on his own the saidin weaving Seafolk Dedicated was able to eliminate some of the Ajahs right out. The battl-ready Green was out, as well as the Red. The White were too devoid of emotion and feeling, the complete opposite of the Atha'an Miere with an almost permanent smile on his face and laughter to his tone. At first he did not find the Brown to appealing; he had visions of spending the rest of his elongated life stuck in the Library of the Tower. A little investigation found that some Browns did come up for light and air, and he did have a desire to learn about different cultures. So he made some inquiries on learning more about the Brown, and was directed to visit a classroom where some members of the Ajah would be available to teach whomever desired about the knowledge seekers of the Tower.

Is every room in these quarters filled with books? Taesh asked himself, looking around. He nodded in greeting to the Accepted as he made his way to one of the desks and sat down. He had never met the Asha'man sitting at a desk facing the rest, but he did recognize the stole of office. Keeper of the Archives he thought to himself. The Dedicated wondered briefly the Brown Ajah had asked the Keeper to fulfill this duty in order to awe aspirants to the Ajah.

[Jenn]

Katrie

"Dax... I'm going to be late... I... Light... Dax!"

That had been answered with a deep rumbling laugh. That had also been an hour and a dress ago. Katrie smoothed her hands over the second change of clothes she had made today, humming softly as her fingertips grazed over translucent silk the same rich shade as her eyes, the sheer beige lace providing striking and much needed contrast. There had been nothing but appreciation in her husband's blue eyes, along with... Mmmnn. She flushed, delighted at the memory, glad yet disappointed that he had allowed her to leave their rooms with her clothing still intact.

The room she had been told to go to wasn't too far from her own; a few turns, a few more hallways, a few curtseying Accepted, and the tall Cairhienin found herself leaning forward as she pushed open the door. She looked around with interest. A Soldier... who was he? Why was he here? White teeth leapt out from coppery skin as her gaze alighted upon a familiar dour face seated behind one of the desks. Limpy! Oh a fellow Brown and the Keeper of the Archives! She had heard that he had been Raised to the same Ajah as she had, but hadn't had a chance to speak with him yet. Until now! Her pleased grin widened. From the corner of her mind, she felt Dax's questioning amusement to which she answered with a bubble of unmitigated glee.

She guessed the second empty desk was for her. And if not, well... Katrie eased the door closed behind her and crossed the room with long, even strides, plopping down into the wide chair. The desk was hers now. She wasn't entirely sure what they were doing here... but that was a minor detail. The room was cozy enough, she supposed, though she didn't understand why there were so many books that lined the walls. That seemed like an awful lot of effort to spend for just herself, Murdock, and this lone Soldier. But there were empty chairs next to the dark-skinned man... perhaps there would be more? More what? She shrugged inwardly and smiled happily.

"Hello!" she greeted the Asha'man and the Soldier across from her. Warm brown eyes swung to Limp - Murdock, she had to remember to call him Murdock in front of the Soldier. "Did you like the plant I left for you? I had to leave it on your Keeper desk... they wouldn't let me wait for you to give it in person. I think it's called a 'cactus'... but it's supposed to be as prickly and as difficult to kill as you are," she said solemnly, her expression somber. "It reminded me of you."

The heavy moment ended quickly, and loose curls bounced around her shoulders as the pretty Aes Sedai's attention went to the Soldier, her eyes lighting up with her curiosity again. Her head tilted to the side. "And who are you?"

[Chris]

The first interested fellow of the day was a dark-skinned but otherwise most unremarkable fellow. Murdock didn't know his name, he hadn't cared to get to know many of his peers when he was a trainee, and he was admittedly a little surprised that anyone would be so keen. Why, he was here before the other Brown had turned up!

Fortunately this private session was soon remedied. In came the Brown sister he would be working with, and Murdock looked up at the door as she made her entrance. Domani attire was not something one expected from the Brown Ajah, who tended to be more interested in the intellectual pursuits. Only when Murdock's dark eyes strayed up from her barely opaque, somewhat scandalous (by his standards) dress to her face. Oh... it was Katrie.

When he learned she had chosen the Brown Ajah, he couldn't help but wonder what in the Light she actually chose to study. From his perspective there was precious little she could offer to the Grey Tower, though Murdock wisely kept such thoughts to himself. Why, she couldn't even turn up to a discussion about their Ajah on time! It was shameful. And by the smile on her face she was not all that sorry. Why was she smiling at him that way? Murdock tried not to scowl, and mostly succeeded, but compared to the smiley Brown who took a seat next to him he did look positively thunderous.

"Katrie," he began, but he wasn't sure how to continue. This was hardly befitting behaviour for an Aes Sedai, especially when they were in the company of trainees. The Keeper put his hands together and focussed on Asha'manly calm, giving her a level look as she mentioned Bradley the cactus. Not by name, but there was only one plant on his desk so it had to be him. "Why did you- it doesn't matter." She felt he had saved her life or some such thing from the Seanchan that time, and if she thought better of him because of it then more fool her. He was just Murdock, a man who did his duty. If Katrie felt she had some special place in his heart because of an action he would have performed on almost anyone else, she was sorely mistaken. But then a woman wouldn't wear that sort of dress unless she thought very highly of herself.

"it's supposed to be as prickly and as difficult to kill as you are," the woman continued, as if it wasn't bad enough that they were discussing events which were not entirely appropriate whilst they were supposed to be recruiting for the Brown Ajah. The brief flash of Murdock's dark eyes Katrie's way said that the humour was quite lost on him, but no acerbic words left his mouth. Unless her, he could practice professionalism and set an example. You didn't need to be an Aes Sedai or Asha'man for long to know how to conduct yourself in these situations. The only obvious thing to do was not rise to such a discussion when in the company of a trainee, and give her a sufficient piece of his mind later. If he felt like it. By then the man might simply prefer to slink back to his rooms and hide.

"Light shine on you," he said as he turned back to face the man, which was far better than a simple "hello!" as if they were meeting for a cup of tea and biscuits. "You come here today to learn more about the Brown Ajah and what we represent. Do tell us a bit about yourself, and what brought you here." Where Katrie's eyes were filled with curiosity, Murdock was simply going through the motions and his tone said as much.

[Kenneth]

Taesh watched the interaction between the two members of the Brown Ajah with some interest. As far as he could tell the two were as different as sea and shore. The Atha'an Miere took an immediate liking to the Aes Sedai, she seemed to be one who enjoyed the feeling of a smile and laughter. Nothing at all like the Asha'man, who seemed about as fun as a rock. Not a rock that you could throw to see a good splash, but a big rock that wouldn't budge. Taesh noted that the two obviously knew each other, though he could not quite figure out if the connection was friendly or not.

You come here today to learn more about the Brown Ajah and what we represent. Do tell us a bit about yourself, and what brought you here."

Taesh nodded to them both, smiling his seemingly permanent smile as he did. "I am Taesh Durlaen, Dedicated of the Tower, and I suppose formerly of the Star Song. I have come here to learn more about the cause of the members of the Brown Ajah, at the advise of the attendants of the Library. I have spent quite some time there, reading about different peoples and their customs and such, that the Browns thought I may fit well here. I must admit though, I have very little desire to be stuck inside reading books forever. That'd be like spending an entire trip, stuck in the hold of the ship" the Dedicated responded.

He didn't know if he should tell the Asha'man and Aes Sedai that he had his mind set on joining the Grey Ajah when the time came, he wasn't quite sure if that would be considered rude or not. Still, he could at least hear them out, especially if the Ajah sent the Keeper of Archives.

[Jenn]

Katrie

Katrie decided she liked this Taesh. He was smiling and looked to be far less grumpy than Limpy did. Light, but the man was so dour. She shrugged inwardly; if that was how he wanted to be then it was no bother to her. There was certainly nothing she could do to make him less severe. If the spiny odd plant she had gifted him didn't thaw him out she wasn't quite sure what would.

Besides, she couldn't help it of Murdock decided that he was going to keep wearing his grumpiness like an old smelly pair of pants. Her lips pursed slightly. Could pants be grumpy? She glanced sidelong at the thin man. The pretty Aes Sedai wasn't entirely sure, but if anyone's pants could manage to be miserable, it would be Limpy's. Not to mention - I must admit though, I have very little desire to be stuck inside reading books forever.

Warm brown eyes blinked at the Dedicated's words.

"Light!" she exclaimed, a genuine smile of amusement coming to her face. "What makes you think all we do is read books and stay indoors? We're free to come and go as we please - not all Browns enjoy being cooped up like that. I definitely don't. And neither does my husband." Saying that word still brought with it a rush of delighted joy, Katrie's cheeks reddening a little beneath the surface of warm coppery skin as she sought Dax through the bond. A warm rush of gold and joy answered her. Reassured, she brought her attention back to the present moment.

She frowned thoughtfully at the Dedicated, her head tilting to the side. "I read because I want to know things. I have a lot of questions and sometimes the books answer them. When they don't, then I want to go and find out. I also want to go exploring, but I need to learn where places are before I can. For instance, if I've translated correctly, there are these ruins in the Drowned Lands just north of Mayene called 'Haddon Mirk'. I wouldn't have known any of that if not for the Tower's Library. Now I'm curious and I want to go see it. Why's it there? What happened to the people? What sorts of things might I find there?"

The tall Cairhienin spread her hands out in front of her. "You don't have to enjoy reading or studying to join the Brown Ajah, but it helps. I'll be the first to admit that too much time spent with books and inkwells and quills gets dull sometimes, but truly it's not so bad. I think all one needs is a healthy sense of curiosity." She directed a cheerful look between the two men. "If you don't have any questions for me, Taesh, maybe" - don't say Limpy - "Asha'man Murdock can add in what he thinks."

[Chris]

The Dedicated was a smiley sort. There was no “suppose” about being formerly of the Star Song or whatever, a man who came to the Grey Tower and went through the Arches let go of his past. A great job you are doing of that, Murdock. Alright, so he would let the boy have his boat.

In all honesty, Murdock wasn’t really interested in sitting around reading all day either. The fact that a great many Browns did was beside the point, different people did different things with their fields of interest. Why, Murdock’s own studies would be useless if he had no practical application for them. Not to his surprise, Katrie was not fond of too much reading either, and what was it about these bloody people who as soon as they got with someone else, they rubbed it around like a cloth on a dirty window? They were trying to clean it but they forgot their cloth was filthy. Murdock didn’t care what her husband did or didn’t like, and neither would the Dedicated. So professional, bringing her personal life into this discussion. Someone would have to remind her of how an Aes Sedai was supposed to act, because apparently she was too busy enjoying her husband to get that particular message.

“I think,” he said slowly, gravely when Katrie finally stopped talking, “that there are a great many studies and developments which can be traced back to the Brown Aes Sedai and, more recently, Asha’man. There are some things, such as mathematics, which require a lot of reading time and there is no getting around that. As Aikaterine Sedai here says,” too bloody right he was using her full name, someone had to be professional, “enjoying reading is not a requirement but it is the spine of what we do. How the pages are filled is up to you. Exploration and field studies are a very viable option and the Brown Ajah can go where a great many others couldn’t, in the name of research and personal interest.”

The tall man exhaled softly, but he was the face of Asha’manly stoicism. “Think over your studies, Dedicated. If there is anything that has piqued your interest, then it may be worth considering whether that is something the Grey Tower would also be interested in. There could well be Browns already researching such things. An interest and a willingless to learn are what make you a member of the Brown Ajah, rather than a love for hiding away for days at a time reading obscure literature. I am not one for needlessly excessive research and I am sure Aikaterine Sedai here is the same.”

[Kenneth]

Taesh contemplated the words of the Brown Asha'man and Aes Sedai. He had never really interacted with too many members of the knowledge seeking ajah, outside of the Tower Library. That was were most of his information on the ajah had originated from. There was the Brown who discovered my ability the Dedicated thought to himself. He had not seen the man at the Tower yet, but he did remember their initial meeting. What the two Browns said, did seem to have a ring of truth to it. The Brown that he met at the harbor all those years ago, who had negotiated the Atha'an Miere's entrance to the Tower, had traveled near and far to study plants and animals, perhaps Taesh could do the same to study cultures.

"I do enjoy the lectures on the nations" Taesh responded. "Why do we have clans and others have kingdoms? Why do people say what they say and react the way they do? That's a sea I could swim in" Taesh said. The study of cultures and the little rituals that were not imbued with any special power, but were deemed necessary, fascinated the Atha'an Miere. He loved the sea, and sometimes still found himself longing for it's embrace, but the pull of cultural information and immersion was a current that he could not, and did not want to, escape. His time at the Tower had introduced him to some of the cultures of the world, and he was like a dry rag thrown into the ocean, he absorbed it all. He learned of customs, ways of belief, of interaction that whet his appetite for more. His jovial nature allowed him access to even some of the most reclusive people, and very few called it a bother when they found themselves at the receiving end of a barrage of questions. Still, he did not know if the Brown way of study was the path he could be set too. There was a pull of the Grey, the dedication to not just know, but to use that knowledge to create and ensure peace and bonding, that truly set the wind to his sails. Perhaps if he could learn a bit more about what actually called someone to the Brown, he could be more firm in whether the ajah was for him or not.

"May I ask, what steered your sails to the Brown harbor?" Taesh asked, smiling brightly.