A Chat in the Gardens (Attn Jenny) COMPLETE

[Garrett]

Velvaen

[subtitle]Longing for the Sun[/subtitle]
The sunlight filtered down through the scarlet branches in the Gardens of the Grey Tower. The autumnal air was crisp as Velvaen took a deep breath and rose, giving her dress a quick once-over to check for grime. Novice standards were overly excessive, sometimes. After all, a little dirt never hurt anyone! Turning, she surveyed her handiwork. The stonework path, which had been choked with layers of fallen leaves only an hour ago, was as clear as a summer sky. Finished, finally! She allowed herself a small smile.

Something I can finish, at least. That thought gave her a frown, and recalled her most recent class. She had spent the whole period grasping at Saidar, discomfort growing like itchweed in a thicket–especially as the other Novices were lighting candles all around faster than a village woman on Winternight. Would she ever get past this blasted block? How would she ever become Accepted if she couldn’t touch the Source?

Velvaen reached down and picked up her broom glumly, then began making her way out of the Gardens. At least I have History, soon. Now, that topic was worthwhile. And rather exciting, she admitted to herself. They talked about everything–from the various titles the nobility used, to what battles were fought during the Trolloc Wars–and, what’s more, all of it took not an ounce of Saidar!

As she made her way down the newly-cleared path, movement in a nearby bed of flowers caught her eye. She hesitated, then moved closer to investigate. A young girl–lacking Novice white–was kneeling among the blossoms, and appeared to be trying to choose between them. She was fair, with hair of light-brown and a spot marking her right cheek. What was a commoner girl doing in the Tower Gardens? Then the girl looked up and met Velvaen’s eyes with her own pair of bluish gray. Velvaen blinked, then raised a hand and gave her a small wave.

[Jenny]

Kaira

The warm heat of summer had just begun to fade. The leaves in the garden rustled with the cool, autumn breeze. Kaira knelt among a flower bed, choosing blossoms to preserve for the season. A few years ago, Uncle Dax had shown her how to press petals between parchment and to stack them under heavy books. She used them to make cards and prints. A few hung in square frames around the cozy apartment that she lived in with her father. The pressed flowers also made wonderful gifts for her teachers at the Mar a'Mael.

Footsteps sounded on the stone path. The nine-year-old girl looked up to see a young woman dressed in novice whites. She leapt to her feet and curtsied, as she had been taught. One hand clutched a fistful of flower stems drooping with previously selected flowers.

"Light shine on you, novice," she said, politely. She tilted her head to the side. "Are you new? I haven't seen you before. My name is Kaira Darrow. Oh, so you recognize it? Yes, Elia Sedai is my aunt. You have beautiful hair. The color is simply stunning. Oh, come look! What do you think - should I pick this one, or that one?"

The words poured out of her mouth with hardly a breath in between. Kaira was far from shy and could be quite a chatterbox. She grinned at the woman, and then knelt to show her two different purple blossoms. The two flowers that she pointed at were the identical species. They looked exactly the same.

[Garrett]

Velvaen

[subtitle]Twin Blossoms[/subtitle]
Velvaen couldn’t help but smile slightly at the little girl’s verbal flood while trodding over to the bed of violet flowers. “Light shine on you too, Kaira, but your hair is much prettier than mine,” she said lightly.

As she looked at the two blossoms, however, that smile became a searching expression. These two flowers were the same! Was this a test, of some sort? The girl was niece to the Mistress of Novices… Then, with a dismissive shake of her head, an idea formed, and Velvaen knelt beside Kaira.

“You’re quite the keen one. You know, lots of people might’ve only seen how alike these are. They’d look, and say ‘they’re the same–just pick one!’, but we–we’ve got the right of it.” Velvaen leaned down and gently plucked one of the blooms from the soil. “Just because two things may look the same from the outside,”–she cupped the flower and raised it up, breathing in its sweet scent–“that doesn’t mean they're interchangeable.” She extended the flower to Kaira, her slight smile returning as she gave it a little spin on its stem.

Velvaen’s thoughts strayed to her twin, and her mood dimmed. I’ll get you back, Corlien. Those Seanchan can’t Bloody have you.

[Jenny]

Kaira

Kaira scoffed. She shook the braided tail of her hair over her shoulder.

"Phaw! My hair is a miserable brown. How boring. My father braids it for me every morning. I like it that way so it doesn't fall into my eyes. I'm not sure why my hair is brown. Daddy has red hair. And people tell me that my mother had hair as black as night. In the same breath, they usually say that I look like her."

She shrugged. "I don't like it when they say that," she confessed. "I wish that people would just forget about her."

Her hand reached out to take the flower, and she added it to the collection in her other hand. Her lips parted in a wide smile. "I like the way you think," she said. "They are not the same at all. When I was younger, I had a friend in school who carried around a blanket. We were four, or five. It was a ragged, old blanket. She took it everywhere! One day, someone took away her blanket and she wouldn't stop crying. The teacher gave her another blanket, but she said that it wasn't the same. The new blanket was the same color, and it was cleaner, but it wasn't hers. And that made all the difference."

She look up at the novice.

"I like you," she said, happily. "What is your name? And where are you from? Your accent is quite peculiar."

[Garrett]

Velvaen

[subtitle]A Sketch in the Soil[/subtitle]
“It’s Velvaen. As for where I’m from, that would be Tremalking.” She glanced about and spotted a sturdy stick caught in a nearby hedge, then walked over to loose it from its tangly prison. Prying at the hedge, she pulled free her prize and rejoined Kaira. She stooped over an empty patch of soil and traced a long, wavy line that bowed out slightly, then sliced down and to the right. She added a tiny U-shape just near the leftmost part of the greater curve. “That,”–she poked the U with her stick–“is Tremalking. Quite a few of the goods the Atha’an Miere trade in–tea and porcelain, mostly–come from there.” Unwittingly, Velvaen adopted a lecturing tone, not unlike the one used by many a Brown sister.

“We are called the Amayar, and we follow a set of beliefs that has survived since the Breaking–they’re called the Water Way. The foremost of those beliefs is an acceptance of what is; another is to do no violence.” She blinked, ending her trance-like prattle. Light, I should spend some time away from the Browns, she thought, feeling slightly disturbed. If only it were that easy…

“Anyway, that’s enough about me–” Velvaen continued, taking an investigative tone. “If you don’t mind me asking, who was your mother? She’s hardly been mentioned to me at all, really.”

[Jenny]

Kaira

Tremalking. She had never heard of such a country! Kaira watched curiously as the novice took a stick and began to draw in the dirt.

"That looks very far away," she said in awe. "How did you come here?"

When Velvaen asked about her mother, Kaira's expression became pained and her voice quieted.

"You must really be new here. There is no use hiding it. My mother's name was Mirin Ronaile," said Kaira. "She was an Aes Sedai, though she was stripped of that title before she died. Come, let me show you the memorial."

Usually when Kaira dragged someone by the hand, she pulled with exuberance and unbridled enthusiasm. Her victim often had to hurry to keep up. But today, her steps were reluctant. She moved slowly along the stone path.

The Tower gardens contained many small clearings. Each was lined with benches for rest and relaxation. The center of some of these clearings contained an object of interest: a water fountain, or a century-old tree, or a sculpture. Kaira stopped at one of these, a life-sized stone carving of a young man and a young woman. They wore solemn expressions. Each held an orb. She pointed at a nearby placard.

In memory of the destruction that shook the Tower grounds on the nineteenth day of Adar. We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.

Under the paragraph was a list of fifty-one names.

"She killed those people," said Kaira. Her tone was flat. "She was a Darkfriend. You won't hear her name during the annual ceremony because the day is meant to be a celebration of life and survival. As it should be. But everyone knows who did it."

Her face twisted in a grimace. "It happened nine years ago. It was also my birthday. I went to the ceremony last year because I was silly and asked Daddy to let me attend for my birthday present. He warned me, but I didn't listen. Everyone kept staring at me. It was horrible. I asked for a much better birthday present this year. He gave me a sword-fighting lesson like he does for the Drin. It was awesome!"

She grinned, though her smile didn't seem quite as warm as before.

"Sometimes I use her to scare other children if they try to pick on me," she said, lightly. She glanced one last time at the statue. Then she shivered and pulled at Velvaen's hand.

"Let's leave this place," she said. "It makes my skin crawl."

[Garrett]

Velvaen

[subtitle]The Price of Peace[/subtitle]
Velvaen followed Kaira back in the direction of their patch of flowers, feeling dazed. Fifty-one people–all murdered by a single Black sister. Of course she knew that the Power was dangerous, but it hadn’t really sank in until now. As she thought of that list of names, she felt a hollowness deep in the pit of her stomach that she hadn’t realized she carried. Is my home is the only peaceful place in this violent world? she thought, horrified. But it’s been taken by the Seanchan. How could harmony survive now that Tremalking had fallen? She felt sick.

No–it would survive. She would return, and the Seanchan would learn just how momentous of a mistake they had made. Her people would endure, even at the cost of her own oaths. If Seanchan blood was the cost of their withdrawal, Velvaen would see that price was paid.

She pulled herself from her dark contemplations. Velvaen could do nothing to help her people without the aid of the Power, and her understanding of it was elementary at best. The only thing she could do now was learn. She glanced at Kaira as she absorbed another of the girl’s many verbal particles.

“Sword-fighting? But, don’t you want to be a Novice?” she questioned.

[Jenny]

Kaira

Kaira giggled. "Why would anyone want to be a novice?" she asked. "It's just lessons and chores from morning to night. The choice won't be up to me, though. Daddy says that the Wheel weaves as it wills. Either I will have the ability, or I won't. Aunt Elia said that she won't be able to tell for a few more years. I think that I would rather not. I want to be a Gaidin just like Daddy and go on lots of adventures!"

Her hand went to her hip and she drew an imaginary sword.

"Hyah!" she cried. "Off with his head!" Then she stopped at the look on Velvaen's face. Too late, she remembered what the novice had said. Do no violence..... what was it called again? The Water Way? Oops.

Kaira tucked her hands behind her back. "Only to fight bad people," she said, earnestly. "Daddy says that he fights to keep everybody safe. I want to do that too."

She lowered her voice conspiratorially.

"If Aunt Elia tries to make me a novice, I might try to run away," she said. "But then Daddy will be worried and sad." She sighed. "Perhaps I will just have to accept it."

Bright grey-blue eyes gazed up with unabashed curiosity at the novice. Her melancholy of the previous moment was forgotten. Kaira's temper shifted as quickly as the wind.

"Why did you come here, Velvaen? Oh, you must have a good story. Tremalking is so very far. Was it a grand adventure, traveling all those miles? Do you think that you will ever go home?"

[Garrett]

Velvaen

[subtitle]Two Protectors[/subtitle]
Velvaen paled at the casual ferocity in the little girl as she swiped at an imaginary foe. How savage! And, what was worse, her reason for doing violence was a simple lust for adventure?

But, how was Kaira’s desire–to fight ‘bad people,’–so different from her own? Wasn’t that just what she wanted to do back on Tremalking? How was Kaira’s wish to protect the people of this land any different than her own desire to save the Amayar?

“I want to fight bad people too, Kaira,” she told the girl in a confiding tone. Velvaen felt distressed exposing her innermost feelings like this, but toward Kaira, she already found a growing measure of trust she hadn’t felt since leaving home. “Even though I’m not supposed to fight anyone–I must. That’s why I came to be a Novice. I was given access to the greatest of weapons, and once I learn how to use it, I’ll go home and restore peace,” she said grimly. “And, honestly, it’s been far from fun. My sister–she was the one who always wanted to see the world. This–this is just something I have to do.”

[Jenny]

Kaira

Kaira stopped and spun to face the novice. She caught Velvaen's hands in hers. The flowers that she clutched in her hand fluttered to the ground. Astonishment and fury warred across her face.

"Restore peace?" she cried. "Restore peace?! What has happened to your home?"

She listened to Velvaen's story with horror. As soon as the novice finished speaking, she flew into a passion. Her eyes nearly glowed with intensity.

"That's horrible! It will be years before you become an Aes Sedai," she said. "But I am not so much younger than you. I want to help you. Let's fight together! If you ever go home, take me with you. Promise me, Velvaen! We will find your sister. We will fight for your people. We will rain vengeance down on the Seanchan!"

"Enough."

The voice was warm and masculine, but the tone held a cold edge that brooked no argument. Kaira flinched and turned. A man had come upon them in silence. He stood at the side of the path, his arms propped on a garden rake. His plain, grey clothes marked him as a Tower servant. Dark eyes searched blankly through the air.

"Kaira, who is it that you are bothering? A novice? You know that you shouldn't be distracting the learning ranks. Especially not with such stupid prattle."

Kaira gasped. "Oh Weland, please don't tell Daddy," she said. Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. Then she realized that she had dropped her flowers. Quickly, she stooped to pick them up.

"Come," said Weland. He held out a hand. The little girl looked at it and grimaced. She curtsied quickly to the novice.

"It was nice to meet you," she said. "I hope that I didn't distract you from your chores for too long. Don't worry about Weland, he won't tell on you. Maybe we can talk again soon. Oh! I can send you this flower once it is pressed and dry. And maybe you can put it -"

"Kaira!"

"I'm coming!" she called. She stuck out her tongue at the servant, winked at Velvaen, and then ran off. With familiar confidence, she took Weland's hand and began leading him down the stone path.