Bed for Sale* (Open to All tower residents)

[Locke]

Terric

After much contemplation, Terric decided, no he did not need a Wetlander bed. He tried sleeping on the thing his first night in the Tower. Too blasted soft. Since then he’d slept on the floor. The thing just took up good sitting space. Maybe he’d see if he could get a nice rug next time he had leave. Until then he would make due with blankets on the floor.
What to do with the thing? He asked himself as he sat cross-legged across the room, staring at the cursed Wetland contraption. He considered getting rid of his chair as well, but where else would he keep his books? Ok so just the bed. He could just drag it into the hall. That seemed like a waste. Why not get something for it?
Ah! He jumped to his feet and headed off to the library. They had large rolls of parchment and colored inks. Over the next thirty minutes Terric worked on his sign. Once it was done he had a piece of parchment with bold red lettering across the top, a body of smaller blue letters, and a picture of a bed and a tiny waving Aielman drawn out in orange.
Terric Returned to the Warder barracks and pinned his new sign to the message board.

Bed for Sale* Standard Drin'far'ji barracks bed for sale* An extra bed for whatever a Wetlander can dream of Only slept in once ** [A picture of a bed and a cartoonish tiny Aielman] (added as an afterthought) *I realize the bed does not truly belong to me so “sale” can be read as lease or trade ** only slept in once by current seller

[Avyra]

Avyra

It was freetime, and Avyra was currently walking around the Warder's Yards. At her introduction to the Tower, Mirin Sedai had asked her to get to know a few Drin, for they might be her bondmates soon. It had been a year and she was a little late to the occasion; she had only met three of the Drin. She made her way around, careful to avoid Ravak Gaidin, if he was out here. She never saw the Master of Training, so she must be doing something right. Like not messing up the Yards. In her defense she had never done such a thing, but she was sure Ravak wouldn't bat an eye at keeping her out. She passed the bulletin board, a new notice catching her eye, and she saw a towering Aielman admiring his work. A bed for sale? Surely that wasn't allowed. "Well, I've never seen this before," she said in her clipped Cairhien accent, walking over. "A Drin selling a bed? I'm not too sure if that's allowed in the rules."

[Locke]

Terric

Terric found a diminutive woman admiring his sign. She was short even for a Wetlander. He thought she might be a Novice. Novices wore plain white dresses, right?

"A Drin selling a bed? I'm not too sure if that's allowed in the rules," she said not hearing his approach.
By the sound of her accent, the tiny Novice was a Treekiller. She looked too young to have been around back then but you could never tell with Aes Sedai. Light, she looked too young to have been born before he became Algai'd'siswai. He decided to give her a chance. Everybody deserved a fair chance, even Treekillers.

“The rules don’t cover it. To my knowledge, the Tower’s rules don’t explicitly bar students of any sort form trading there furniture for some form of compensation.” He stood back and admired his artwork. “So,” he looked down at her and adopted his roguish persona, “are you going to take me up on this offer? I’m sure there’s at least a Soldier who thinks two beds are better than one.”

If anybody else came he might have to turn this into an auction. He would just have to make sure the bed was back in his room by the time he moved out.

[Avyra]

She hadn't heard the Drin approach; his steps were silent. So when he spoke she jumped, and turned to face... well, the lower part of the stranger's ribcage. “The rules don’t cover it. To my knowledge, the Tower’s rules don’t explicitly bar students of any sort form trading there furniture for some form of compensation. So, are you going to take me up on this offer? I’m sure there’s at least a Soldier who thinks two beds are better than one," he replied, carrying the accent of an Aielman, if the height wasn't obvious enough. Avyra frowned, but considered his proposal and nodded. There wasn't a rule that said not to, but then again... "I wouldn't try to pull that excuse if you get caught, from previous experience. Climbing trees isn't written in the rulebook either, but I still managed to get in trouble for it." She paused. "And I'd love to take you up on your offer, but I don't have much to give." She considered him, standing up on her toes a bit. It was obvious now that she was neither a child nor Aes Sedai, but a student, novice, from her dress, in her late teens or early twenties. The Drin before her was huge in comparison, and it almost made her want to step back a bit so she wouldn't have to crane her head. Or invite him to sit. But he was Aiel. She knew her people's usual stigma against the Aiel, but her mother had made sure none of her children believed those stories. Frankly, they did seem very absurd. If they were true, then why were there Aiel in the Tower? Avyra had long sense put two and two together; the Aiel weren't a bad people. Yet, she didn't know how this man felt about Cairhienin, and seeing as he could step on her, she decided it would be wise to err on the side of caution. "My name's Avyra. I don't think I've seen you around yet, even though I do come for visits in the Warder's Yards often. What's your name?" She hesitated, and, unaware of usual Aiel customs, offered her hand in greeting.

[Locke]

He hadn’t meant to frighten the girl. Wetlanders just weren’t aware of the world around them. She hadn’t run screaming yet. Instead she seemed to be giving his offer serious thought. He’d have to carry the bed for her if she bought it. Or maybe she could use the Power somehow. He would have been ashamed to say the bulk of his knowledge about Aes Sedai came from highly fictionalized novels. For all he knew this tiny Cairhienen could turn him into a lizard. But then again, she was a Novice. Torric assumed those were like Wise One apprentices with easier lives.

After a tangent about climbing trees, she paused "And I'd love to take you up on your offer, but I don't have much to give."

It struck him, he didn’t really know what he expected for payment either. He had considered Wetlander coins to spend in Hama Valon, but he wasn’t sure if Novices were allowed to have coins.

He reached down, way down if he was being honest, and took the tiny Novice’s hand. “I see you Avyra. I am Terric.” He let go of the hand quickly and glanced around. He took a step back so she wouldn’t have to crane as far. “Truly I just want to get rid of this cursed Wetland bed. I understand you don’t have much to offer in the way of payment. Three weeks dessert ration and the bed is yours.”

[Avyra]

He took her hand in his larger one, briefly returning her greeting. "I see you Avyra. I am Terric.” He paused and took a step back, one she was grateful for. Or rather, her neck was grateful for. “Truly I just want to get rid of this cursed Wetland bed. I understand you don’t have much to offer in the way of payment. Three weeks dessert ration and the bed is yours.” She gave him a smile, but still shook her head. "I'm not sure if Seonin would enjoy me bringing in a third bed in our room. Its already small enough, and I don't think another bed would fit, truthfully." She paused. "And... I see you too, Terric?" It seemed to be a greeting, and one meant to be returned. She felt a bit awkward returning it, and glanced at the ground. "Ah, forgive me. I know nothing of Aiel culture." She paused, looking back up, her green eyes lighting up a tad. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to learn. Please, tell me if I do anything wrong; I don't mean any offense I cause you... or might have caused you." This was her first time really talking with an Aielman. In fact, the Tower was the first place she had met many different people, not just Aiel. She was always learning, and she loved it. "So why do you want to get rid of your bed?"

[Locke]

Terric

“You have no Toh,” he was quick to assure her. Maybe Treekillers could learn after all. He might have to stop calling her that. Even in his head. “It appears that I will have to find another buyer for my bed.”
He began walking down the hall. “Oh and you asked why do I want to get rid of my bed? Well I don’t need it. It’s only fair that somebody gets use from it.” He called back over his shoulder as he walked, “If you wish to learn more about my people, walk with me. I’m headed to the cafeteria, you should come too. My Roof Mistress would have had a fit if you showed up at Red Rock looking so scrawny.”
Thankfully his back was to her. She couldn’t see his wince. Wetlander women were supposed to be extremely sensitive. He just called one scrawny. He braced himself for the inevitable tears. One day Terric; one day you won’t make a fool of yourself. He stopped himself before he could berate himself further. He turned to face the tiny Novice, dreading her response. He kept his face blank and steeled himself to just walk away. Maybe it was wrong of him, but who could help what Wetlanders found insulting.

[Avyra]

“You have no Toh." What was Toh? She'd have to ask him later, but he was walking away now. Odd. He then turned back for a moment. “Oh and you asked why do I want to get rid of my bed? Well I don’t need it. It’s only fair that somebody gets use from it. If you wish to learn more about my people, walk with me. I’m headed to the cafeteria, you should come too." She was happy to join him, and started off after him. "My Roof Mistress would have had a fit if you showed up at Red Rock looking so scrawny.” She paused. Scrawny? She looked hurt, only for a moment, but it still stung. Yeah, she was aware how small she was. No need to actually bring it up. He looked back, once, then kept walking. She huffed, then jogged after him. "Who are you calling scrawny, you big oaf?!" She fell into step beside him, having to walk very quickly to keep up with his long stride. "I'll have you know I weigh just the right amount for a woman my build, and if you're referring to my height... well... I've tried to fix that. Doesn't work too well."

[Locke]

Terric

"Who are you calling scrawny, you big oaf?!" She hurried to catch up with him, short legs pumping. "I'll have you know I weigh just the right amount for a woman my build, and if you're referring to my height... well... I've tried to fix that. Doesn't work too well."
There was no avoiding it, he had managed to insult her. She wasn’t crying that was a plus. He’d have to stop judging Wetlanders by their novels. He had yet to see a woman swoon.
Wait she’d tried to fix her height? “Um, what do you mean, ‘you tried to fix your height?’” He eyed her skeptically. She really was a strange kid. He was having to reassess his initial assumptions about her age. She was probably close to the same age he had been when he first became an Aethan Dor. Some Wise Ones looked much younger than their actual age.
As they walked he felt her eyes boring into him. He stepped over placing himself slightly out of knife range. It wouldn’t protect him from the Power, but it was better than nothing. Avyra was putting on a strong face, but he knew he’d said something hurtful without meaning, all while she was trying to be understanding of his people. She didn’t have Toh towards him but he certainly did towards her. His old mentor wouldn’t have gotten into a situation like this.

[Avyra]

“Um, what do you mean, ‘you tried to fix your height?’” Avyra looked at him. "Oh, well, I tried to get heeled shoes. Didn't work. Even if I had the balance to walk in them, the tallest heels I got still only put me at the shoulders of most." She paused. "So I decided that I was tiny. And that if anyone said anything, I'd kick their knees. "In any case, you probably shouldn't make comments about a woman's appearance to anyone here. Trust me, possible reactions are very hard to gage. Even I have trouble knowing what someone might do around here. Its kinda annoying, but I make the best of it." She paused, changing the subject. "Is it true that you all use spears, not swords?" It was a common feature in Aiel stories, unlike most of the other "facts" which tended to contradict themselves. She paused, having to jog to keep pace with him. "Also, quick lesson in walking with a person less than half your size." She paused. "If you're gonna walk fast, you might as well carry them unless you want them to run to catch up, or slow down. Have mercy on my little legs."