Letters from Home, attn Bella/Gareth

[Alianora]

Liaran din Chelai Morning Star

Liaran rested her head in her hand for a brief moment, grateful for the rest. Her head was throbbing from her intense focus on both hearing the Windfinder's offers and attempting to politely refuse each of them. It was quite the frustrating process for her. The Accepted could tell that Nalani valued their offer, as she had began the bargaining with items such as Sharan silk and ivory, probably the most valuable items in the Deep Ocean's hold. Each of Liaran's refusals, no matter how the Accepted worded them, had gotten a confused look as she explained that the Grey Tower could not possibly accept anything so costly for such a small task. Eventually, the Windfinder had excused herself to look further through her hold, which gave Liaran much needed time to think.

The Accepted raised her head and sat up straight, not wanting the Windfinder to see her looking as tired as she felt. The bargaining process felt every bit as exhausting to her as more physical labor. As long as they continued to discuss physical items that the ship had to offer, Liaran feared they would make no more progress, and that wouldn't do when so many lay ill below the deck. They simply did not have time to waste in coming to an agreement. When the Windfinder returned, Liaran spoke without giving Nalani a chance to present another offer. The other woman looked startled, but said nothing. "As I said earlier, the Grey Tower provides well for all of us, and has no need to take your most valuable items in trade," she reminded the other woman, knowing the Windfinder wouldn't understand. "I don't see that we have anything else to offer," came the response.

"I have something in mind," Liaran told her, "though it is difficult to explain. " The Windfinder shifted, leaning forward in her seat. "As a Windfinder, Weaving the Winds is a simple task for you, isn't it?" The woman gave a short nod, and the Accepted continued. " Tell me, what is most rewarding about performing that task for your ship?" She knew it was an odd question, since she knew the answer as well as Nalani did, but didn't care how strange it made her seem to the WIndfinder if it could bring them more quickly to an agreement. "You know that as well as I do," the other woman said. "In return for my service, I have food, shelter, a share of the goods below...but there is no greater reward than simply knowing that my efforts have brought him safely to port, and will continue to do so, if it pleases the Light."

"I felt the same way, when I was a Windfinder," Liaran commented. She glanced towards the two Yellows, hoping she could explain their goals accurately. "Gareth Asha'man and Thea Sedai feel similarly about Healing people," she explained. "For them, you can offer no greater reward than to allow them to Heal the crew. Just seeing that the crew is well as a result of their work will please them more than any material item you could offer," she said, hoping she'd explained well enough.

The Windfinder tilted her head as if she were thinking, and Liaran held her breath. She did not know what she would do if the woman refused her. After some time, the Windfinder addressed her. "So, your Yellows wish to trade their Healing for nothing more than their own desire to see our crew well?" Liaran nodded. "It is their reason for being." Nalani smiled then, the first sign of any sort of emotion Liaran had seen from the Windfinder. "It is agreed, under the Light," the Windfinder said, kissing her fingertips. Liaran responded with the same words and gesture, and felt the breath rush out of her. She had thought for some time during the discussion that she wouldn't be able to bargain successfully, and was rather surprised that she had done it. The Windfinder then looked at the end of the table where the two Yellows listened. "Do both of you also agree?"

[Bella]

Gareth understood the Accepted's fatigue. He was no merchant, nor did he like the idea of trying to find something to trade for his Healing, because he gave it freely. Aside from his family, it was quite literally his entire reason for being. However, he kept all of his thoughts on the matter to himself and off his face. He would not offend them with a misunderstanding.

However, Liaran was finally able to hit on something they could agree on. As soon as it was explained and the two Sea Folk women turned to the Yellows, Gareth and Thea inclined their heads. "We agree," they said formally. "Now please, show us to your sick."
* * * If he'd been tired before, he was most certainly tired by the time he and Thea were finished. Complex Delving was performed on more than one member of the crew to confirm what ailment they were seeing. Diseases can manifest differently in different people and more information would help them be sure.

Once they were, Gareth knew he had seen it before. It was a food contamination. Rare, but could make for a violent illness. They worked hard to purge each remaining member of the crew, although they were all left weak for the effort. Still, they did it.

[Alianora]

Accepted Liaran

The Accepted dragged behind the two Yellows as their small group followed the Windfinder. The bargaining process had been far too long and tiring, and if Liaran had her way, she would have gladly taken a nap, perhaps right there on the wooden deck. Since that wasn't going to happen, she forced herself to keep her head up and keep up with the others as well as she could. She listened to the Windfinder explaining more of the details of the illness to the two Yellows, and wondered what was expected of her. With the bargain made, Liaran thought her contribution to the trip had ended. By the time they had all reached the hatch that would lead them down from the top deck, the Accepted wasn't sure she should even accompany the others down there. She shot a nervous glance at the other two as Nalani opened the hatch. "Is there anything I can do to assist with the Healing, or would it be best if I remained here?" she asked. She hoped that there would be some useful task she could attend to, though she knew nothing of Healing itself. Perhaps she could gather supplies as she'd done many times before in the Tower's infirmary. The Accepted thought she'd rather do just about anything rather than remain up here, being idle while the Aes Sedai and Asha'man worked.

[Bella]

"There's plenty for everyone to do," Gareth said with a small smile, gesturing for the Accepted to follow him. It was just like a day in the infirmary, but in a different place...
* * * It took a long time, but eventually, they had Healed all of the sick crewmembers. Two of them it was a near thing, as they had grown close to the edge of death, but they got to them just in time. The task ended up being very draining on both of the channelers, but given how they had pressed their case, they didn't let it show to any of those they had Healed.

And, in truth, such a task was indeed their reason for being.

"Thank you for your help, Accepted," Gareth rumbled quietly as they finally returned to the deck. "Good work was done here."

OOC: I hope you don't mind that I brought this toward a close, but I need to shift some threads.

[Alianora]

Accepted Liaran din Chelai Morning Star

When all three of them had made it down the ladder, Liaran was startled to hear Thea Sedai address her. " Do you know the Healing weave, Liaran?" The Accepted shook her head. "I've meant to try to learn it, but I haven't yet had the time." The Yellow sister nodded. "Why don't you come with me? I might be able to teach you a little as I work." Liaran followed the Aes Sedai to the first door on their right, which proved to be the living quarters of an older couple who both lay in bed, too unwell to leave it. "You will always begin by Delving your patient to learn what illness he or she has," Thea Sedai told her. The Aes Sedai began an intricate weave of Spirit, so full of threads that Liaran did not think she had any chance of replicating it. "It appears that the problem here is food poisoning," the Yellow said after releasing the weave to sink into the man's head. "Now I want you to try with the woman."

Liaran did as she was told, but it took her a long time to pick out each of the many thin threads from the mass of saidar. It seemed as if an entire Age had passed by until she had enough fine threads of Spirit to weave together. Even when she finished, her work hardly resembled the Aes Sedai's. She looked at Thea Sedai nervously, but the Aes Sedai only nodded. "That will do," she said. "You might not learn as much as I did, but it will be enough." The Accepted stepped to the bed and let the weave fall over the old woman's head, learning what ailed her as she did. In addition to the food poisoning, the woman had a few small bruises, which Thea Sedai informed her would also be addressed by the Healing weave.

"Watch closely now," Thea Sedai said, and Liaran did. She had expected the weave to be far more complex, but the combination of Air, Water and Spirit the Yellow was using appeared to be relatively simple. The Aes Sedai formed her weaving into a loop before laying it on the head of the man, then repeated the process for the woman. The two of them thanked her before slipping back into sleep. Thea Sedai turned her attention to Liaran. "See if you can imitate what I just did."

The Accepted embraced saidar and started her weaving with Water, which had always been easy for her. She followed that with an equal amount of Air, its white wrapping around the deep blue of the Water thread. Liaran expected to have trouble with the last threads of Spirit, but to her surprise, the element came to her easily, almost as if it wanted to be part of the weave she was making. The Spirit wound through the threads of Water and Air, giving it a strange glow to Liaran's eyes. She looked at Thea Sedai, who nodded. "Correct on your first try," she said, and opened the door to leave.

They repeated this process in the next two rooms they visited, the Yellow doing the actual Healing and Liaran copying what the Aes Sedai had done, as well as continuing to attempt the Delving weave, though the Accepted felt that she had little success with it. When they entered their fourth room, they found a woman sitting up in a chair, less sick than some of the others they'd seen. "Why don't you do the Healing, Liaran," Thea Sedai told her after Liaran had Delved the patient. The Accepted nodded, and began to pull her threads of Water, Air and Spirit. She intended to weave slowly and carefully, but all of the elements came to her rather quickly. It seemed to take hardly any time before she was adding the last twist of Spirit. Liaran hesistated, looking at Thea Sedai where she hovered over Liaran's shoulder, watching. "That is well done," the Yellow said. "Now you need to Heal her." Liaran coiled the braid around itself and laid it on the woman's head before letting go and watching it sink it. For a second, she thought nothing had happened, but then the woman yawned and smiled at her. "I feel much better now," she said, "but I'm so tired!" Liaran assisted the woman to her bed before they moved on.

The rest of their work went in much the same way. Liaran did a lot of watching Thea Sedai work with the sickest patients, but the Yellow also insisted that she try her new skill on those they met who were not quite so ill. Every time she did, the Accepted noticed that she did not even struggle with Spirit as much as she did at other times, and asked Thea Sedai why that might be as they walked back towards the ladder to leave. The Yellow sister smiled at her. "I think you may have some Talent in Healing, Liaran. If that is so, Spirit won't be difficult for you in Healing weaves, even if it is harder for you usually."

"Thank you for teaching me," Liaran said. She was quite certain that she did not have the Yellow's call to study only Healing, but she had to admit the weave was very useful, something she might study further if she ever found the time.

When they returned to the deck, Gareth Asha'man and Nalani were already there and waiting. "I was glad to help," she said to the Asha'man, then turned to the Windfinder. "The crew of the Deep Ocean is grateful for your assistance," Nalani said. The Windfinder took Liaran's hands, pressing something hard and round into them. The Accepted looked down to see three medallions identical to the two that dangled against her cheek. She smiled as she attached one to her own chain, "We were glad to be able to help you." Liaran told her. "May the Light see you safely to your next port." With that, Liaran handed the other two to the Yellows, and the Grey Tower group left the ship to return home.