05/08/2000 Courtyard, The White Tower, Tar Valon Marble tiles gleam from a straight path which leads from the Gates of the Tower to the wide double doors which announce its entry point. Soft grass and well planned patches of flowers can be found to either side, with the occasional shady tree. Accepted and novices sit on stone benches, some practicing their Power to the dismay of uneasy petitioners passing through. To the side there is a stable, near the fenced entrance to the clearly visible yard where shirtless boys go through sword forms through the day. Guards take the weapons of those wanting to enter, though the Gaidin spread about the courtyard, seemingly about their leisure, look ready to pounce on any men who "forgot" a dagger at the gates. Aes Sedai pass through on various errands, some nodding to acknowledge bows or curtsies. The atmosphere is busy, but calm. Leaning heavily against a tree in the Courtyard, Neelkan hums softly under his breath as he tries to get over this incredably BORED feeling that he's having right now. At least he gets to be outside a lot more now. Slowly a small boy enters the courtyard, a piece of paper clutch in one hand as the other occasionally brushes a loose lock of hair into place. Dirt still clings to him, as if he's just finished a rather long journey...judging from his appearance it wasn't too nice to him either. Bored. Bored. Bored. That is the extent of Neelkan's thoughts, besides the fact that he's -still- humming that song that got stuck in his head a few days ago when he went outside the Tower for the first time in weeks. He glances around, and spots a young dusty little boy and one of his eyebrows quirk slightly. He pushes himself off the tree and starts towards the kid. Ah! A distraction from the boredom. Slowly, ever so slowly the boy moves, eyes as wide as can be and yet focus on the Tower itself as he moves towards it. He seems to be doing his best to /not/ to disturb anything as he moves. Not to mention the rather large element of fear and awe that seem superimposed on his tiny frame. "Hey!" Neelkan says out to the kid, trying to intercept him, "Take m' advice and get outta 'ere while ya can, kid." His eyes dart around to all the -evil- women present in the area. He feels obligated to warn the kid! He didn't have any choice in getting stuck here after all. The kid might! Upon hearing Neelkan the small boy jumps nearly out of his skin looking at Neelkan with those wide eyes,"Can't. Gotta." That's all the boy says... Can't? Gotta? Oh fun. Poor kid! "Why d'ya gotta?" Neelkan asks, just because he's curious! And to postpone the kids horrible fate at the hands of the evil women! "Gotta..." Is the only response from the boy and that barely audible before his voice disappears the letter clutched to his tiny slender chest and the word gotta is repeated. Eh...? This kid is weird! Well, weird-er then most at least. Neelkan moves forward and waves his hand in front of the kid's face, "'lo?? Ya 'wake in 'ere?" Blue eyes suddenly go fierce and the boy says,"I gotta give this to someone in there." He holds out an envelope with the seal of the Tower on it."Momma left it. Gotta give it to someone..." Sigh. Neelkan isn't good with kids. He was the youngest in his family, and in about everything else he was ever involved in, so he has no idea what to do now. He gave his warning... "Maybe ya should.. uh.. just give it t' one of the guards! I'm sure 'ey'll make sure whoe'er needs t' see it, sees it!" "NO! I gotta do it. Was left with me so I gotta do it." Geez Aed is rather uhhh 'stubborn'? Reminds him of himself! "A'right, a'right!" Neelkan says, moving out of the way of the kid and the Tower. "If ya end up wishin' ya would've listened t' me, don't come makin' no apologies 'r nothin'!" He sounds kind of bitter for some reason. Tilting his head to one side Aed regards Neelkan as though he was some rather bizarre freakshow type thing before saying,"WHy are you scared of women?" Kirra walks in from the Practice Yard, apparently having spent the day watching the warders at work. Her eyes narrow in on Neelkan, instinctively. What trouble has the boy started now? "Who said ANYTHIN' 'bout bein' scared!!?!?" Neelkan yells out a little too loudly, "Cause I'm NOT! Ya callin' m' some kinda coward!? Who's 'fraid of a WOMAN!? HAH!" What trouble has he started now? Oh, the usual! "Arin always said that when someone protests really violently they are guilty." Aed says rather frankly. Does he know /anything/ of tact,"So why are you scared of them?" Kirra frowns, walking over behind Neelkan, "Neelkan is afraid of women because he's horribly ashamed of not being as smart or as strong as the weakest girl. He'd do well to remember we do not yell at visitors here." Once again the poor boy jumps turning to face Kirra with eyes wide again and lips tightening slightly as if he's not sure what to do now. Adult. Yup. Gotta behave now. He bows to her his hair falling forward slightly. "I AM NOT SCARED OF WOMEN!!" Neelkan roars even louder, his face red with anger! This is probably gettin' a few looks from those in the Courtyard. Then he suddenly hears what Kirra says and gapes at her. That is so mean! But this actually calms him down a little and he says in a much softer voice, "I am not scared of women. I hate 'em! 'ey're mean. 'ey don't play fair. 'n 'ey just go 'round insultin' me! The few 'at I do LIKE 'r only 'cause 'ey happen t' be NICE to me!" Unlike THIS woman! Kirra smiles at the little boy, a genuine smile. Then, she looks back at Neelkan, "Didn't your mother ever teach you you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar? You make it impossible for anyone to be nice to you when you constantly insult an their gender Eyes flicker back and forth and Aed seems on the verge of saying something and then decides to in a very soft voice,"Perhaps he hates them cause he's scared of them?" Tlting his head slightly,"Why would you want to catch flies to begin with?" "Well why don't -ya- try the same!" Grrrrr. Grrrrrr. Grrrrrrrrrr. Neelkan's face is all flushed with anger again. His fists are also clinched slightly. Then the kid says that again, "I am not scared of them!" He growls yet again. Kirra grins at the young one. "Why, flies are wonderful fishing bait, you know." She looks back at Neelkan, rapidly growing bored with his outbursts. "Yes, so you repeatedly say. Why don't you shut up and act like a man then, instead of a child?" "Why are you being so mean to him?" Aed asks Kirra, looking at her only now,"Just cause he's rude doesn't mean you should be mean to him." How old is he again? Ouch. That one hurt. Neelkan visably flinches. "M'be cause if I did, 'en ya women would ne'er listen t' a word I say..." this is said in a soft whisper and he takes a step away. The red flush has drained a little from his face. Kirra nods, "Well, I've tried niceness, but he doesn't respond. And he needs to remember where he is. This isn't a tavern or a street corner. This is the White Tower and it will be respected." Kirra turns to Neelkan, "You have it backwards, child. No one here will listen to the whiny prattlings of a boy. If you want our respect, be a man, act like one. Do you think we pick our Gaiden based on their ability to insult us?" "Oh. Ummm... Do you know where I can find someone who would know who this should goto?" Aed extends the small piece of better with the tear drop of the White Tower embended in brown wax. Kirra looks at the object and extends a hand. "I can take it. Where did you get this, child?" SHe looks the boy over and mmmms slightly. "I don't wanna be one..." Neelkan mutters softly. Then he suddenly turns away and walks back over to the tree he was sitting at again. "Uhhh...Mom left it for me under my pillow when I got back...Not sure what it says...It was sealed and the only time I ever saw it before ma said not to ever open something with that symbol on it...She had something with that on it in her room too." Aed's voice is slow and rather reluctant. He looks down at the gound tracing a circle with his foot. Kirra nods, sitting down to look the boy in the eye. "Who was your mother, child?" After a long pose,"Da called her Aria...." Aed says finally not really looking her in the eye,"Am I in trouble?" Kirra smiles and shakes her head. "Of course not, child. What's your name? And where is your mother?" Neelkan just sits down against the tree and kneels his head down so his hair covers his face. He is not sulking! He's just thinking! Really. Grrr. "I'm Aed....I don't know...It was hidden under my pillow with my 'treasures'....She wasn't there...No one was." Aed's eyes begin to brim as he speaks, his already thin voice wavering as he does so. Kirra smiles encouragingly and holds a hand out to the boy. "Well, Aed, you're welcomed here. You look like you've come a long way. Are you hungry?" As if on cue his stomach rumbles slightly,"Ummm Yes ma'am...." Aed looks a little embarassed at his stomach having growled. Kirra smiles, "Well, what would you like? Our cooks are quite good here. And we can get you some new cloths, if you like." She looks at Neelkan and bites back a sigh. Servant of the All, Kirra. Not Servant of the Not Annoying. Bah. "New clothes? But ummm... I haven't done anything to earn them..." Aed blinks slightly at Kirra. Neelkan is still sulking under the tree. (Am not!) Kirra shakes her head. " You were very brave, coming all this way on your own. That certainly merits some reward." She looks at Neelkan, "We could find something for you, as well, Neelkan." "Why? I only did it cause the note was supposed to get here..." The boy looks honestly confused why he's being treated so nice. Kirra nods, "Well, it couldn't have been easy. So, the least we can do is feed you." And feed him lots. Entirely too skinny. Tsktsk. Huh!? Neelkan looks up suddenly, blinking. Are his eyes wet..? No!! Are not! Neelkan turns around to use the tree to push himself up, also rubbing his hand in front of his face a little. "I could use somethin' t' eat... 'anks." He's always hungry after the whole 'being healed' thing. Kirra nods, tossing Neelkan a slight grin. "The more you eat, the healthier you are. And the healthier you are, the fewer of my sisters have to heal you." "Ok....Just can I do something to earn the clothes here?" Aed asks them last in a very soft voice. Kirra nods to the boy. "Of course. I'm sure we can find you some work to do around here. Do have an experience with horses?" "I haven't had t' be healed that much..." Neelkan grumbles softly as he heads back over. Aed shakes his head,"Nope. We didn't have many of em and Arin said I was too little. So he just taught me to amuse everyone." Kirra ohs, looking at Aed, "You amuse people? What do you do? We can use a good laugh or two around here." Neelkan grumbles softly, "I'll have to agree with the woman on 'at one! I don't think 'ey'd know a joke if it slapped 'em in the face though..." Aed blinks,"Oh...I ummm sing... It helped my ma and da and older brothers relax after working all day." Kirra ahs and nods. "We don't have many singers around here, Aed. I'm sure there will be plenty about who can appreciate a good song." This is where Neelkan chuckles softly, "A singer, eh?" Why is he so amused by that? And even more by Kirra's response. "'r if there -are- singers maybe 'ey just don't wanna sing f'r -ya-..." Kirra smiles sweetly at Neelkan, "Well, perhaps they don't. I'm not going to force someone to sing if they don't want to." "Why don't you just be nice?" Aed directs that at Neelkan looking disapprovingly at the older bigger guy. Neelkan just shrugs, "Fine, fine. I'll be nice!" Ye'h right. He'll try though... "I was just tryin' to point out the fact I can sing, too." Kirra ohs? "Can you then? What do you sing?" "Can you? Wanna show? I learned from Arin but he wasn't too good. least he says he wasn't..." Aed's voice is soft."Can we get food now though?" He asks the last quite shyly. "Songs." Duh! Neelkan shrugs for a moment, then adds, "I usually just sang whate'er m' sis...uh... I felt like singin'! 'n food sounds like a great idea!" Forget the near slip on mentioning his family, thanks! Kirra nods, "Yes, we can." SHe grins, "You and Neelkan can sing for your supper, I think." "Ok...I've never umm... sang with Neelkan before but I'll try..." Aed's voice is rather unsure about that. Neelkan doesn't seem to like him very much.... Kirra patpats Aed's shoulder. "Don't worry. No one here's going to make you do anything you don't want to." WHAT!? Neelkan blinks, "I... but.. I... arg." Sigh. Dug his own grave now! "Why don't we least sing seperate, though. I don't know any songs I could sing with 'nother guy..." "You sang love songs with your sister?" Aed asks as if this was something rather usual. "I ne'er sang with m'sisters! 'ey couldn't hold a note!" Neelkan grumbles softly, yelling at the kid despite himself. "I just don't sing with -people-, kay!? 'n who said anythin' 'bout love songs!" Even if that -is- most of the songs he knows... but he is not ever going to admit that. Must think of a good battle-like song quickly! This time Aed actually seems to shrink into Kirra as if actually scared by the outburst. Kirra crosses her arms and looks at Neelkan. "You're yelling again. I had thought perhaps you'd curbed your temper. And you yourself mentioned a sister, so don't yell at Aed about it." "I just meant I sang whate'er m' sisters wanted m' t' sing." Neelkan says with a grumble and a sigh, looking away from both of them. "Oh." Is all Aed says,"Let's eat now?" Kirra nods to the boy. "Of course." She moves toward the tower, letting Neelkan follow when he stops pouting. Dining Hall, White Tower, Tar Valon One may see, here, a huge buffet table full of every type of food imaginable, from nearly every part of the known world. Occasionally empty plates are removed and replaced, for there is no common eating time for any but the students. Most eat when they remember to, or find the time. Other tables are present. Some have broad cloths thrown over them, in the color of the Ajah that normally sits there. Others are left plain, indicating a table at which anyone may sit. Bobbing lights, produced by the One Power, emit a soft glow, replacing the need for candles and lamp oil, whose supplies are growing short each day and which are getting quite expensive. Occasionally as some fade an Accepted will walk in and replace them. The floor, white, is kept meticulously clean and scrubbed. No sooner does some morsel find its accidental way to the ground than someone is along to sweep it up and throw it away. Kirra leads you in, smiling. "Help yourself, Aed. Take as much as you want." Neelkan follows behind a few moments after them. And he was NOT sulking! Or that's what he'll say. He fiddles with the sash around his waist absently as he looks around. He's actually never been to the Dining Hall, believe it or not. Baby blue eyes flicker to Kirra,"What do you suggest?" Aed asks softly. Kirra smiles, "Well, I like the sweetbreads. Oh, and the cheese." Aed nods slightly and gets a plate and begins putting on any items that Kirra suggests. He doesn't really know what he likes so he'll try just about anything. Neelkan finally moves over towards the Aes Sedai and the boy. "Cheese sounds good actually." He reaches forward to snag a piece. Kirra points out a few more things to the boy, taking a few things for herself. She's not eating much though. "Now then, we need somwhere to sit." Neelkan grabs up a plate and starts piling food on it. Enough for -two- people here. Maybe even three! And he leans towards sweet and spicey foods. With some cheese thrown in. He says nothing to the Aes Sedai or the boy as he does this. The pile is rather high on the plate and the boy seems to be using a bit of energy just holding the rather large amount of food up. Kirra Looks at Neelkan and hmmms, then motions to a table. "Sit?" Sounds good to him! Neelkan moves and has a seat, then pauses, "I'm only doin' 'is cause I was goin' t' anyway!" Not cause she told him to! Sits down near Kirra and begins devouring the food at a rather fast rate. Kirra mmms and takes a small bite of her cheese, watching the both of you. Some of the others give her strange looks. Seems like she doesn't come here often herself. Just like the boy, Neelkan downs his food at a rather quick rate, nearly seeming to inhale it. But since he came here, he's always eaten like this. Part of the healing. It's starting to get better though. After eating about three fourths of the plate before him, Aed stops and realises that's he's been inhaling the food and blushes and says softly,"Ooops. Sorry...guess I was kinda hungry. Should I sing now?" Kirra grins, "No, child. Finish your food. Are you thirsty? We have juice, if you'd like." Neelkan doesn't stop when the boy does, he just keeps eating. He does glance up and slow a little though as the boy speaks. Aed nods slightly,"Juice would be nice." He goes back to eating doing so slowly and with a bit more care about his manners. Swallowing what happens to be in his mouth at the moment, Neelkan speaks up, "I wouldn't mind somethin' t' drink either..." Not forgetting about him, are ya, Aes Sedai? Kirra nods, motioning to a passing Novice. The poor girl fairly jumps, running to get the drinks and bring them back. After thanking the Novice, and addressing her too as ma'am(well he doesn't know any other title for someone older than him), takes a sip before going back to eating. His eyes do seem to take on a bright sparkle they hadn't had before in the courtyard. Neelkan doesn't say anything at all to the novice, he just looks at his drink and instantly brings it to his mouth to gulp it down. Just cider! So he likes it. After swallowing Aed says,"SHouldn't you have said thank you to that lady?" He's not used to be waited on to begin with but not saying thank you is not gonna happen with him. "I didn't ask 'er f'r the drink..." Neelkan says, motioning a thumb at the Aes Sedai, "She did. ... 'n thanks." He adds a belatented thanks for the woman asking for the drink for him. "So? She still brought it for you. That's enough a chore to be thanked for. You should also thank ummm..." Aed suddenly realises he doesn't know Kirra's name. He turns to Kirra and asks,"What's your name miss?" Kirra smiles, "Kirra Sedai, Aed. And yes, it would have been thoughtful to think the Novice." "What's yer full name?" Neelkan asks, cause the Sedai is always tagged on the end of the women's names around here unless they're not Sedai and he's kind of wondering why they don't say their full name, "'n ya don't gotta lecture m' on m' manners..." or lack there of. "yer not m' ma." Kirra mmms, "No, I'm not your mother, Neelkan. If I were, you'd have much better manners. And my name is Kirra Sedai. It used to be Kirra al'Jaali, but it is not any longer." "Oh." Well Neelkan knows how that is. "M'name used t' be different too! But now I'm just Neelkan." He goes back to munching now. Upon hearing the Kirra is sedai Aed's eyes go wide,"Shouldn't I be serving you Kirra Sedai, not the other way around?" Kirra shakes her head, smiling. "No, child. You're fine. And I'm only showing you the curtesy the Tower is known for." "B-b-b-but.... Momma always said we serve the Aes Sedai...Never figured out what she meant though." Aed's voice is rather ummm excited not to mention how wide his eyes are. Neelkan is just going to eat again, his blue-green eyes flicking between the Aes Sedai and the boy every so often. Kirra smiles, "It's all right, Aed. Eat, drink, be happy. You need to rest from your trip." "I guess I am not much use right now...Umm..." With that Aed takes another bite and looks down at his now rather empty plate. Oops guess he ate a bit faster than he planned. Oh well. He takes another sip from his glass.