Bed for Sale* (Open to All tower residents)

[Locke]

Terric

"But... do I know about fearing something you don't understand." Terric tensed slightly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "My mother was a novice at the White Tower, a channeler. She left to be with my father, who fears Aes Sedai. She never told him." Wait. "And when I showed the Talent, he was livid. He hated us. He wanted both my mother and I dead, and probably wanted my brothers and sister dead too just so that there's no possibility of them being channelers." She sighed. We just met why is she telling me this? "I thought... I thought he might actually hurt us. But he left, without even looking back," she finished in a small voice.

Where had this come from? His thoughts raced in a panic and he was at a loss for words. He had never been good at these sorts of things. People liked to confide in him. It helped him as a Red Shield, but sometimes it was just unnerving. Ok, Terric, don’t be a fool. Say something comforting. That’s what she wants right? Maybe she just wanted somebody to listen to her story. No judgment just somebody who would listen. She seemed incredibly tiny in his arms.

He squeezed her in an attempt to be comforting. Wetlanders like hugs right? Those displays were extremely personal for Aiel but Terric would do his best to adjust to his surroundings. It was like putting green in your cadin’sor when you are in the Wetlands.

“What happened next?” He used the soothing voice he used with the families of murder victims. Eyes frantically searching for an escape route, he noticed, the cafeteria was just one more floor down.

[Avyra]

Avyra could feel Terric tense, and she knew she must have done something wrong. Maybe he didn't want to hear it, or it made him uncomfortable. But she had already began so she finished out her story, looking back at him whenever she was done. Carefully, gently, he gave her a squeeze, like some sort of awkward hug. But it felt nice, so she didn't pull away. She was suddenly aware of how tiny she was; just one of his arms was as thick as her waist; his hand could make a fist the size of her head. "What happened next?" His rumbling voice was soothing but his eyes were frantic. She shrugged her small shoulders. "I left, too, to come here. So I wouldn't hurt anyone." She paused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." She paused, then found a change of subject. "What else can you tell me about the Aiel? How do you survive in the desert like that, with almost no water?"

[Locke]

Terric

“I can’t really imagine you hurting somebody,” he said softly. “No, that wasn’t a comment on your size.” He carried her down the final set of steps and gently put her down.

Terric was sure she’d changed the subject for his benefit. He gave her a genuine smile and decided to go with it, “So Wetlander’s aren’t totally ignorant. Yes water is one of the three most important things to an Aiel. We’ve brushed on the first, Ji’e’toh. Then there’s water. We fight wars over water, we make pledges by water. Water is symbolic and it’s necessary, but you Wetlanders like to splash around in it. How do we survive? We conserve. We lay claim to even the smallest spring we find, sometimes we even build permanent settlements near water. Also plants. There are some plants whose insides can be drunk like water. Back home, it is completely natural and justified, to fight another Clan if their herders encroach upon a water supply. We don’t just need water for our people but our flocks as well. I’d have to take you to the Three-fold Land for you to truly understand.”

Even with this bounty of water around him, he missed his home. The people here were soft. It wasn’t their fault. It was the land. The land provided for them. In the Three-fold Land, the Aiel had to fight for every breath.

He led the way through the cafeteria doors. “Do you think they’ll let us have extra sweet buns?”

[Avyra]

They had arrived, and he finally put her down, she having to look back up at him. He began to answer her question, explaining how the water was their lifeline and that their goal was to conserve every drop, and even fight other clans for it. Fighting for water made sense. It made a lot of sense, actually. She knew that, if she was in the same position, she would, too, fight for the water around her to survive in such conditions. But she really couldn't imagine it. She wasn't Aiel; she had never been to the Wastes, or the Three Fold Land. She really didn't know what it was like to struggle for water. "Do you think they'll let us have extra sweet buns?" She laughed. "I bet if you tell them that you didn't have sweet buns in the Wast- Three Fold Land- they might actually give you a few more." It seemed like a good plan. There was already a bit of a line, but Avyra didn't mind waiting. She was never a hungry person. Nor had she ever eaten in the Warder's Mess Hall, and she didn't want to be seen by Ravak Gaidin in here. So she took to standing beside Terric, his towering form hiding her easily. She would have been hidden anyway; she wasn't as tall as most of the Gaidin and Giadar's chests. "I also hear you don't use horses?"

[Locke]

Terric

Terric wasn’t sure if he’d take her advice. That would technically be a lie. Maybe if he said it in a certain way. It was there fault if they believed him, but no. He didn’t want to incurtoh over sweet buns.

"I also hear you don't use horses?" the little Novice asked. She was incredibly curious about his home.
“You heard correctly. We don’t.” He suspected she wanted more but it was simple, an Aiel’s legs worked just fine.

As the line edged along, he scanned faces. Terric hadn’t made any friends among the Drin’far’ji yet, or among anybody at the tower. He wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for but it was habit. Some habits kept you alive. Avyra seemed to be hiding in his shadow. He tried to remember, was she not allowed in here by rule or by custom? Sometimes both could be equally important. He hoped the cafeteria staff would give her food.

“You’ve asked a lot about my home, but I don’t know much about yours.” He had heard stories about the Cairhienin from some of the older Algai’d’siswai who crossed the wall for the Treekiller’s King. He wondered how many were true. From what he’d seen when he passed through the land and now talking to Avyra, they were indeed short. He’d been sure that was just a nasty rumor.

[Avyra]

"You heard correctly. We don't." Okay, then. She raised an eyebrow, watching him look around a bit suspiciously. It seemed to be a habit of his, and she wondered where it came from, but she didn't have time to ask. “You’ve asked a lot about my home, but I don’t know much about yours.” She... didn't know what to tell him. "Well, I'm not sure what would be interesting." She paused. "Well, for starters, we are very short. But I'm incredibly short for one. Usually we're about four or five inches taller." She paused. "My people are pretty... reserved. I fall on the more wilder side of the spectrum." She paused again, thinking. "However, we are affectionate around friends and family. Hugs, that sort of stuff. But my people can be ruthless. I am glad I did not grow up in a noble background, for the nobility is cruel and unforgiving." They were near the front, and the cook gave her an odd look. She pointed to Terric and the cook nodded, serving them both a rather large portion each, a size pre-portioned for the trainees spending their days in the Yards. The Novices did not get this much to eat, and Avyra knew she wouldn't be able to eat it all.

[Locke]

Terric

"Well, I'm not sure what would be interesting," she obviously had rarely had to think about this. "Well, for starters, we are very short. But I'm incredibly short for one. Usually we're about four or five inches taller." She paused. "My people are pretty... reserved. I fall on the more wilder side of the spectrum." She paused again, thinking. "However, we are affectionate around friends and family. Hugs, that sort of stuff. But my people can be ruthless. I am glad I did not grow up in a noble background, for the nobility is cruel and unforgiving."

He nodded as he received his tray. He turned to the cook, “May I have an extra sweet bun?” He gave a decent facsimile of his old mentor’s rakish grin.

The women just raised an eyebrow, “One dessert per Drin, you know the rules.”

Terric shrugged and turned back to Avyra, “If you weren’t a Wetlander noble, what did you do before?” His eyes scanned the cafeteria for a place to sit. One of the long tables towards the back had open bench space. He thought it could fit the two of them. He detested Wetlander benches but this wasn’t his land. He would have to do things their way. To a point. He’d still rather not sleep in a bed.

[Avyra]

He paused to ask for an extra sweet bun, but they declined, giving him a look of soft disappointment. She knew it might not work. They found a table with a bench, the bench space too small the comfortably seat two average sized people but it was perfect for the tiny Cairhienin and her towering companion. They were just a little squished together, that was all, but she didn't mind. What really bothered her was the fact that the table was too tall for her to eat comfortably; when sitting normally it was at her shoulders. Once they were seated, she passed him her sweet bun and considered his next question. "I didn't really have a set job; my family were jewelers. Well, are. We were in good shape financially; we weren't poor but we weren't rolling in money. I never really did any of the jeweling aspects. I worked, mainly, with running the shop and doing inventory, money, that sort of stuff. It wasn't glamorous, that was for sure. But it wasn't bad either." She paused. "What did you used to do?" She paused again. "And how does an Aiel end up at the Grey Tower?"

[Locke]

Terric

Their seats placed their back to the wall, allowing them to watch the entrances. Terric had noticed that many Warders were quite uncomfortable when they could had to sit facing away from the door. Warders, he was coming to see, had more sense than any other Wetlander he’d met.

He listened to her story. "I didn't really have a set job; my family were jewelers. Well, are. We were in good shape financially; we weren't poor but we weren't rolling in money. I never really did any of the jeweling aspects. I worked, mainly, with running the shop and doing inventory, money, that sort of stuff. It wasn't glamorous, that was for sure. But it wasn't bad either."

“There is much honor in the work of a craftsman,” he said before attacking his food. The high calorie food was not particularly tasty but it was filling.

His eating companion had more questions. “What did you used to do? And how does an Aiel end up at the Grey Tower?"

He swallowed a mouth full of food before answering, “Both of your questions have the same answer. I am Aethan Dor.” He went back to eating. He glanced down and over noticing that she wasn’t eating much. Really Terric? Wondering why she isn’t eating. You’re starting to sound like your Greatmother.

[Avyra]

While he started to wolf down his meal like he didn't know where the next was coming from, Avyra merely picked at her plate. Well, not exactly picked, she just ate slowly, and in small bites. She knew from experience the large plate would be more than enough to fill her twice over, but she knew she couldn't store the food in her room. So, usually, she would just offer the rest of her meal to anyone who wanted it. “Both of your questions have the same answer. I am Aethan Dor.” She had no clue what that meant, and she gave him a confused look. "Aethan Dor?" She had never heard the term before. He stared at her and her plate, and she tried to figure out what was going through his head. "If you want some of this go ahead; I certainly won't eat it all."