05/18/2000

First part has no Neel, but the second part does!

Mistress of Novices Office, White Tower, Tar Valon

Walls painted a soft heather blue seem cheerful and welcoming. A very
simple desk sits in the middle of the room. Before it and stretched
perpendicular to it is a wide midnight blue couch. There is one lone window
in the room with a large comfortable chair and end table. In the window
sill sits two plants. One is an Aloe plant; the other is a completely
unique plant, with several 5 petal black blossoms edged with silver and
somewhat translucent to give them a star-like apperance. A wardrobe, full
of white dresses, a locked cabinet, and a fireplace complete the innocuous
picture of the office of one of the most feared women in the Tower -- the
Mistress of Novices herself.

On the desk is a large ledger, bound in black leather and lettered in gold.
This is the Novice book, containing the names and training times of every
girl who has entered the Tower since its founding. The much feared switch
lays across the desk over this. A clipboard with a chore roster sits neatly
to the right of the ledger; a lesson planning guide, with another
clipboard, sits to the left. Pinned to the walls are charts, about fifty,
detailing the lesson progress of every girl in the tower. Occasionally
Accepted or Aes Sedai will poke their head in long enough to update one of
these charts.


Peeking her head into the room, Espi smiles a bit, her head tipping to one
side. "Umm...Could I have a word with you, Wyntere Sedai?"

Wyntere looks up from her desk where she is almost hidden behind books that
are neatly stacked. Research? Well, yeah. Gotta do something between all
her visitors. When she hears Espiria's voice, she looks over to the door.
"Come on in, Espiria. How are you? More voices?" She guesses, since well...
she has a good reason to guess that.

Espiria smiles and bit steeping in and closing the door quietly. She heads
over to Wynt, curtseying neatly before she shakes her head. "Umm...I..came
about something else that I..needed to talk to you about." She bites her
lower lip, taking a deep breath before she adds, "It's...about Neelkan."

Wyntere leans back in her nice big chair. Wyntere's nature gets a business
feel about it and she looks at Espi. "No relationships." That's the rule
and you can tell if you break it, you'd be in worse water than you ever
dreamed of. She assumes that's the problem, since you bit your lip to tell
her.

Espiria takes a deep breath as she listens, eyes widening slightly before
she looks back up to you and blinks. "Oh...No, Wyntere Sedai. We are just
friends. No..umm..this is about something he told me." She falls quiet a
moment, trying to find the word. She decides the best way to to tell her
from the begining. "I....went to the infirmary to have a chat with him the
other day. I happened to mention to Denn'ryiel about being tested for
talents. She asked me what was found to be mine. Umm....I told her. Neelkan
was listening and got surious about what the talents were." She lifts a
shoulder pausing, "I started naming some of them off for him, so he could
get an idea of what we meant by talents and he...freaked out." She bites
her lip again, shaking her head. "He...got white as a sheet and was
thinking of leaving right then and there. Like..running away he was so
scared."

Wyntere motions to a nearby chair for Espiria to sit. A frown forms upon
the kind MoNster's face. Her blue eyes glance in the direction of the
infirmary. "Espiria, come on out with it. I talked to Neelkan not too long
ago and he's joining the training program. Why does he wish to leave now?"
Yep, you got this old Sedai all confused. What would scare that spunky kid?

Espiria heads over to a seat, nodding gently before she takes another deep
breath and goes on, "Well...we got him calmed down enough so that he would
talk and after Denn left, he was so scared, Wyntere Sedai. He...Well it
seems he has dreams that come true and he...was so terrified that it meant
he was a channeler. He...just doesn't know what to do now. I mean..I talked
to him about it and got him calmed down, but he...he's said that he's
always been plagued by dreams like that. That's why he hardly ever sleeps.
He's not wanting to close his eyes and see something else. Now, he's found
out they aren't just dreams..and he's not sure 'what' to do anymore. He
never wanted this..He wanted it gone too, until I explained that there's a
good reason for him to have it. The Wheel doesn't just hand things out like
this without some plan in mind...some reason for it. I..told him I would
come and tell you privately, since he's really not wanting everyone in the
Tower to know about this."

Wyntere looks to Espiria and nods. "Does he wish to talk to me about it?"
Hmm.. what does she know of dreams? She'll go talk to Mother about them and
that can help. "I don't think dreams make him a channeler. I can let this
stay a secret. No one needs every Aes Sedai studying them." She then grins
a moment and turns to her desk writing a note on a piece of paper. then
handing the paper to Espi, she smiles. "Go give him that note and tell him
that if he wants to see me that the note should get him out of the
infirmary."

Espiria smiles happily and nods, "I..think he more wnats reassurrances that
he's /not/ a channeler, Wyntere Sedai. I...think he's terrified of what
that would mean." She reaches out for the note, smiling as she takes it and
slips it into her pocket. "I know he trusts you...and I suggested him
talking to you since he /can/ trust you." She chuckles softly, chuckling.
"He will be happy to be able to get out for awhile. Everyone watches him so
closely..." Her eyes lift again, "He..said that was why his hair is
streaked white too, Wyntere Sedai. He..must have had to see horrible things
for that to happen..." She sighs softly, biting her lip again. "I'll take
it to him right away..if that's alright?"

Wyntere grins and nods to Espiria. "Go ahead at take it to him. If he can
channel, I will know." She starts thinking about being around Neelkan.
Hmm... surely not, he's never embraced around her.

Espiria rises quickly and bobs a curtsey before heading out of the door.



Espiria knocks on the door to Wynt's office, glancing behind her to Neel
with a comforting smile.

Deep breath. Neelkan looks a little nervous, despite himself, the entire
trip up to the Mistress of Novices Office but as soon as his Novice friend
lifts her hand to knock he settles his expression and waits for whatever
horrible fate is in store for him. He glances over at Espi very quickly and
adds in softly, "Uh, ya wouldn't mind stayin' durin' 'is if she lets ya...
would ya?" He'd honestly feel a little safer having a friend that isn't old
around. (No offense, Wyn!)

Espiria smiles brightly, "I wouldn't mind at all, Neel. If it makes you
feel better about seeing her." She whispers this quietly, eyes darting to
the door for just a moment. "She's only here to help, Neel and I know
she'll try to help you all she can. She's..just that way." She smiles a
warm and comforting smile to Neel as she waits to hear if she can come in.

Wyntere moves to the door and opens it, steeping out of the way
immediately. "Peace favor you both. That was quick, Espiria. Neelkan." SHe
nods a kind smile to them both and watches Neelkan closely. Can he channel?
SHe'd have to get him to embrace for her to know.

Espiria heads inside, glancing at Neel as she motions for him to follow
her. Her eyes glance over to Wynt smiling, "Neel wanted to see you as soon
as he heard." She moves to one side, allowing room for Neel to head inside
as well.

Reaching up to scratch at his hair almost immediately, Neelkan steps inside
and offers a half-smirk, "Hey Wyn!" Nothing is wrong here... Or that's what
he's trying to put off in his expression and attitude. Realizing he's
scratching at his hair, he lowers his hand down and moves further inside
the office, looking around. "'n.. ye'h. Plus it's nice t' get outta the
bloody infirmary once 'n a while! Can't wait t' get m' own room."

Wyntere tilts her head to Espiria. No curtsey? "Espiria, I need to talk to
you after this." Yep, that sounds like she's in trouble. Wyntere then turns
to Neelkan and offers a kind smile. "Neelkan, Espiria told me that you
think you can channel because of dreams you have?" She'll cut straight to
the point.

Espiria smiles and tips her head in confusion for just a moment, blinking
as she bobs a curtsey to Wynt, "Certainly, Wyntere Sedai." She moves
further out of the way then, feeling much like the third wheel in this
discussion, but wanting to stay if Wynt doesn't say otherwise. She gently
places her hands to her sides, glancing at Neel in encouragement.

He notices the tone in Wyn's voice and frowns slightly, having no idea what
Epsi could have done, but that is all forgotten a moment later. Erk.
Neelkan flinches slightly at the rather straight forward question. Worthy
of something he would ask, and his eyes dart away to look at the strange
plant that he's never seen before in the office. "Eh... well... 'ey... I
dunno." He really doesn't know. He just hopes not. He really, really hopes
not. He sometimes thought he might go insane from the dreams, but he never
actually thought it would -literally- happen. "I've.. uh.." he looks
towards Espiria and seems to draw from her encouragment for a moment before
facing Wyn again, "I've had 'em since I was lil'. Don't really remember how
long 'xactly, though."

Wyntere smiles and looks much more relaxed now. "Neelkan, if you've had
these dreams since you were little, then you are probably a dreamer. Being
a dreamer does not mean that you can channel. I can't be for sure right
now, but I'm 75 percent positive that you cannot channel." She moves closer
and places a kind hand on his shoulder. "I just need to be around you a
little more. If you did channel, I would know." Wyntere can sense it, one
of her many talents.

Espiria listens quietly, smiling now that the good news has been given. Or
at least the good news for now. She glances over to Neel, nodding to him.
See? She told him it would be alright. Wynt will make him feel better about
himself, just like she's helped Espi.

Whew. Just watch as half the tension just drains away from his stance and
eyes. But only half. Neelkan won't feel completely better until it's one
hundred percent sure. "Great! I mean, eh... it's good. 'n uh..." He doesn't
say this part outloud, but his expression might show it. He's hoping that
now that someone knows, and now that -he- knows... maybe he can learn how
to make it go away when he wants a good night's sleep.

Wyntere grins to Neelkan. "When was the last time you slept? Why don't you
try to get a room in the barracks, I think you are well enough to move out
of the infirmary. I'll talk to the yellows for you. And please don't worry.
I doubt you are a channeler. If you have dreamed or anything here, then I'm
more than positive that you cannot channel. I'll keep my eyes out for you."
Wyntere looks to Espiria, but speaks to Neelkan. "If you'll excuse us
please?" Her tone is a little on the serious side, but she isn't mad.

"Great!" Neelkan says again with just as much spunk as before. His own
room... He can't wait. He pauses in his turn and looks towards Epsi,
frowning slight and hoping his friend isn't in too much trouble... then
nods and moves to head outside, closing the door behind him. Doesn't even
say goodbye. How rude. He's going to wait outside though, for his friend.

Espiria smiles at Neel, turning her gaze to Wynt before lowering her eyes.
What...has she done this time? She runs thru everything that she did since
arriving, puzzling it over and over and without success. What did I do? She
remains silent, waiting for Neel to leave. Well, she knows that she'll find
out soon enough.

Wyntere lets Neelkan step outside. She looks over to Espiria. "Espiria,"
her voice is soft, but still serious. "you are suppose to curtsey everytime
you see an Aes Sedai. You were a little slow about that when you entered."
She lets you know right out why you are in trouble. And again, you can tell
she isn't going to be too harsh, though you probably won't get out without
getting punished for it.

Espiria blinks and widens her eyes. She won't mention the fact she was in a
doorway blocking Neel and moved out of the way before curtseying. Wynt
doesn't want excuses. She nods quietly, gulping back her sadness though.
"I..I'm sorry, Wyntere Sedai." Really, she was just trying to be polite to
Neel and not block him from entering. She closes her eyes for a moment,
taking a deep breath. OH..never mind. She stands there waiting to hear her
punishment as she softly states, "I...won't let it happen again, Wyntere
Sedai."