A Graceful Entrance [Attn: Avyra]

[Jenny]

Mirin walked up the stairs from the level of the classrooms up to the administrative offices. She had just finished teaching her class on Persuasion and if she had not forced herself to walk at a stately pace as befitted an Aes Sedai, she might have picked up her skirts to skip along the halls. Her students were coming along rather well. Mirin was one of the few in the Tower who sincerely enjoyed teaching, and it usually brightened her mood. Perhaps it was why she had been appointed to be Mistress of Novices.

She turned a corner and stopped in surprise. There were two girls, one dressed in novice white, standing before her office door. She recognized the novice of course. There was only one girl in the Tower with that height, or rather, lack of height. The other girl was a stranger.

There had been a time many years ago when she had mastered how to walk silently on the tiled floors of the Tower. A useful skill for a young novice who had liked to sneak about and pull silly pranks. Those days were long gone, but she settled into that same silent walk. Her slippered feet made no noise as she approached.

The corner of her lip twitched upward as she overheard Avyra's words. The Aes Sedai stood behind the two girls and placed her hands on her hips. She made her face smooth and calm, although her grey eyes glimmered with amusement. With the removal of the Oaths, she appeared to be a woman in her early twenties.

Her voice was stern, but kind. "I do not hate climbing trees, Avyra. Neither do I hate stealing dogs. Those seem to be strangely specific activites and unworthy of hatred, I'd say. However, there is a time and a place for everything and your timing was rather poor. Well, it seems that this time you have brought a friend instead of trouble. I think I rather appreciate the variety."

She turned her attention to the newcomer.

"Light illumine you, child. I serve as the Mistress of Novices. You may call me Mirin Sedai. Are you looking for me? What is your name?"

[Corellis]

Elaile had just been about to answer Avyra's request not to be mentioned at all when a smooth voice, calm with the confidence of authority came from behind them.

"I do not hate climbing trees, Avyra. Neither do I hate stealing dogs. Those seem to be strangely specific activites and unworthy of hatred, I'd say. However, there is a time and a place for everything and your timing was rather poor. Well, it seems that this time you have brought a friend instead of trouble. I think I rather appreciate the variety."

Elaile's mouth snapped shut and she turned as gracefully as possible to stand before the Mistress of Novices. Her cheeks burned from the shame of being caught out discussing the woman and she sank smoothly into a curtsy, spreading her soft green silk skirts wide and keeping her head carefully bowed, her small honey-blonde braids falling forward and partially obscuring her face. Holding the curtsy was easy after years of training in the Panarch's Palace, and Elaile pasted a demure expression on her face before lifting her head to answer.

Her expression faltered slightly in surprise as she looked up at the raven haired woman before her. Striking grey eyes stared calmly at her from a youthful face, one Elaile couldn't help but notice looked surprisingly young for an Aes Sedai of such high rank. The other woman's height and coloring clearly proclaimed her as Cairhienin and Elaile felt a spark of interest flare within. She had been carefully studying Daes Dae'Mar from the sidelines of her grandmother's throne and was sure that one who had risen so high must be talented at the Great Game indeed. She made a mental note to try to learn more from Mirin Sedai as she studied here at the Tower.

"Hello Mirin Sedai, I am Elaile Daishar." She paused slightly, "I have come to begin my training and sign my name to the Novice book." She idly wondered if this was how her mother's first meeting with the Mistress of Novices had gone all those years ago.

[Avyra]

Avyra jumped slightly when she heard the voice of Mirin Sedai. "Oh! Hello Mirin Sedai." She turned, a smile on her face. "Ah, we were just talking about you! All good things, all good things." She paused, studying the Mistress of Novices for a moment. "Oh hey! You look younger, Mirin Sedai. Not like that's a bad thing, mind you." Avyra hoped that she hadn't overstepped her boundaries, and closed her mouth as Elaile explained why she was here. She then looked to the new almost Novice. "I'll leave you here, for now. Come find me after you're done here; I can show you around some more before my next class. We won't get to everything, mind you. There's so much to see." She paused. "And we can discuss flute lessons. I would be delighted to teach you." Once she finished, she gave a polite curtsy to Mirin. "It is good to see you, Mirin Sedai. I hope you have a good day."

(Avyra's bit is done for a few posts, but I'll be following the thread still so if you want to rp the rest of the tour, I'll jump back in when Mirin's bit is complete.)

[Jenny]

Mirin produced a key from her belt pouch and unlocked her office door. "Welcome Elaile Daishar. Please go into my office and take a seat. Would you like some tea? No? Alright, I'll be with you in just a moment. Avyra, a short word please. No, you're not in trouble."

She smiled at the Cairhienin novice. "First, it is good to see you too," she said. "I just wanted to remind you to curtsy at the front and the end of a conversation. Well, go on now."

She rubbed at her temple as she watched as Avyra walk off down the hall. That one still needed... polishing. With an amused shake of her head, she went into her own office after Elaile.

The office was large and spacious, with dark blue wall panels and three tall windows in the back looking over the Tower gardens. Shelves covered another wall, filled with a collection of her favorite books. In the middle, facing her work desk, sat two comfortable chairs that were nearly, but not quite, side-by-side. Mirin sat behind her desk and smoothed her skirts over her knees.

"Elaile, welcome to the Grey Tower. How were your travels? Please, tell me about yourself..."

((OOC: For the sake of length, time, and my sanity, I'd prefer to skip the whole MoN interview. Corellis, if you'd like to do it or have any questions, please let me know. Otherwise, please refer to this thread and I think we can assume that she has been told to move in with Ci'tanni in the room on the third floor, fourth door from the right. Please feel free to continue on with your novice shenanigans, start another thread, or end it here. Enjoy!))

[Corellis]

Elaile followed Mirin Sedai's instructions and waited for her in the paneled office of the Mistress of Novices. While the Aes Sedai spoke privately with Avyra, Elaile took the chance to glance around. The room was beautiful and she took it all in from her seat in a chair that was much too large for Elaile's slight frame. She took her saddlebags from her lap and deposited them beside the chair, straightening her spine and smoothing her skirts. She didn't want to look a mess at her first meeting with the Mistress of Novices. Her grandmother had taught her early on that first impressions were easily botched and enormously important to a relationship. Her mother hadn't explained much about the process of becoming a Novice, but from what she had said Elaile was sure that she wanted her relationship with Mirin Sedai to be as good as possible. She folded her hands in her lap and waited patiently for the Aes Sedai to return.

(OOC: Completely fine to skip the MoN interview! I have a few Talent questions that I'm going to be PM'ing you about but otherwise nothing pressing!

Avyra: Let's start another thread for the flute lessons ok? I'll be back from semi-shara on 5/17 so I'll start one then if ok with you!)

[Avyra]

(Sure! Start it when you feel is good!)