The Grey Tower

"I think you can do amazing work there, for all channelers."

Mirin's blush deepened. Yes, she had read him correctly. He was a very kind man, and his words were warm and comforting. Sometimes her goals seemed silly within her own head; and secretly she had feared that the members of the Blue Ajah would burst into laughter when she revealed her cause. She felt grateful that Kiellan had taken her seriously.

But his next words caught her off-guard. "My...Talent?" Her grey eyes looked up at him, wide-eyed and too innocent. "I do not have a Talent." The well-practiced lie rolled smoothly off her tongue. "I work with the Yellows in the morning to learn some Healing, but frankly I'm quite mediocre. But if I want to travel when I am an Aes Sedai, then Healing will be useful."

"I've been here for four years," she continued. "I spent a little over three years as a novice and was raised a year ago. How about you? Have you discovered a Talent of your own?"

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OOC: *smiles* Don't worry about it and please take your time. Life always comes first.

The blushes only seemed to complement Mirin's face, and even though the earlier openness and honesty were gone, she coldness that was there at first didn't show either. She was kind, and Kiellan was genuinely starting to like this girl. Her friendliness was rare in the Grey Tower, especially since it seemed to come without ulterior motives.

Her answer about her Talent was strange, however. As far as Kiellan knew, the subject wasn't taboo, but Mirin seemed taken aback by the question. In itself, that wasn't so strange; there were so many taboos in the Grey Tower Kiellan sometimes found it hard to keep track of all of them. But there was something weird about her tone as she answered as well, a little quiver, perhaps, or something else Kiellan couldn't define. It made him slightly wary, although he didn't think Mirin could possibly have anything to hide about her Talents.

He was glad that she quickly changed subjects, as the whole thing had made him a little uneasy. "It took me a little less than three years before they raised me, and that was two months ago." He wasn't sure how to answer her second question. One the one hand, if his Talent was found out by the Aes Sedai and Asha'man they would start asking questions he didn't want to answer, but on the other hand, Mirin had been touchingly honest herself about her choice of the Blue Ajah. It would be unfair to lie to her. "I've found a Talent. It's called Earthsinging. But please, keep that to yourself. It's nothing bad, but an Accepted helped me find it, helped me develop it. The circumstances were... special. I don't want her to get in trouble."

There were fewer than two dozen Accepted at the Tower. Mirin was well acquainted with each woman. She could guess who Kiellan spoke of - after all, the sole Earthsinger among the Accepted was her best friend.

"Let me guess - was the Accepted named Betrys?" She smiled at the surprised expression on his face. "I was roommates with her as a novice," she explained. "We came to the Tower at around the same time, and we both gained the ring within a few days of each other. We are close friends. Getting her in trouble is the last thing I would want."

When Kiellan revealed his Talent, Mirin's eyes shone. "That is quite exciting!" she said. "Talents are rare, and Earthsinging is a fascinating skill." She thought for a moment and then said, "What do you think you would do with it, Kiellan? Do you think you would ever return to the Rahad?"

Kiellan was more than relieved to find out he hadn't betrayed his mysterious helper after all, but that wasn't the greatest surprise. He should've known, of course; there weren't many Accepted, and most of them probably knew each other. Kiellan knew probably half of the Dedicated, and he had only been one of them for a couple of months. Still.

"I... I suppose so, yeah. I didn't know her name, though. The whole thing was so hectic, we didn't exchange pleasantries. But next time you see her, tell her 'thank you' from me." He smiled at Mirin. He liked Mirin, she was good company, but Kiellan had only known her for a little while. He didn't really know her. He had always though that being able to pick the right friends told a lot about someone, however, and Mirin definitely knew that. The Accepted -Betrys- had helped him, even after he had attacked her.

He laughed at Mirin's excitement. It was always nice to see someone else as curious as he felt all the time. "It is, it's been an amazing experience so far. I've only known about it for a little over a month, though." But the simple answer wasn't enough for Mirin. He liked how she asked exactly the right questions. "I've read that good Earth Singers can cause earthquakes and level mountains, change entire landscapes. But really, I'd like to create with it, not destroy. I could build buildings, houses, perhaps entire cities. The Rahad is a cruel place, and its people are violent and harsh, but they're not evil. Perhaps I could help them build newer, better houses, or grow crops and other plants." Kiellan's eyes shone as he thought about his home, about how it could be. He wondered if Mirin thought about Carhien that way. "How about you? Do you want to go home?"

"I miss Cairhien sometimes," Mirin replied. "But I miss my mother the most." She paused for a moment, and then said, "Isn't it strange that now, when I think 'Mother', the face of the Amyrlin comes to mind? And as for my home - well, the Grey Tower is my home now. Perhaps I may return to Cairhien when I'm older, but that seems so far away."

Mirin held out her hand. The golden Great Serpent ring glittered on her finger. She remembered the words of Carraidhin Sedai, who had been the Amyrlin Seat during the ceremony when Mirin had been raised to Accepted. You are sealed to us, now. Involuntarily, she shivered.

She turned to her companion and laid her hand on his arm again. "It has been a pleasure getting to know you, Kiellan," she said. "Unfortunately I need to return to my studies. Perhaps we'll be able to speak more some other day? I may ask you some more questions about Altara, and if you have any questions about Cairhien and its history then please come to me."

Kiellan laughed, but it was a bitter laugh. It was true what Mirin said. He thought of Miahala Sedai as 'Mother' as well, just as he thought of Durent Asha'man as 'Father'. It almost felt like he betrayed his family in doing so, but he couldn't help it. The Tower had brainwashed him.

Kiellan shook the hand that Mirin held out. She was right, they had been talking for quite a while. It was time for him to get back to his studies as well. Their conversation had been pleasant, but he had completely lost track of time. He only had one hour left before he had to teach his next class, time he had meant to spend in the Library.

"It was my pleasure, Mirin. I'd love to speak with you again some time, and I'll tell you all about Altara." With that, he turned around and hurried to the Library. Perhaps he could still manage to do some work.

OOC: Complete. Thanks for writing with me Teddy. Let me know if you ever have a plot that you think Mirin can play a role in! Maybe they'll bump into each other sometime in their adventures.