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. Exiting the practice yard, a certain red haired trainee who just recently escaped from Dark capture (or was freed, depending on which story one heard) wanders into the Courtyard and heads towards the Tower itself. Neelkan looks a little tired, but isn't in his usual bad mood at the moment. At least not yet... Still eyeing the Aes Sedai, Savren does seem to be uncomfortable, caught up between Wyntere and Christa and Vanessa. He eyes the bench across the way with longing also, perhaps cooking up how exactly to make an excuse to get over there. The Grey laughs under her breath a bit. Christabel has no clue. "If you say so, /Sister/." Wyntere hits the title hard. Christabel is /not/ the Amrylin and never will be. "You are right though. What is going on is not to be discussed here. I'll ask the Keeper about it later. If you know things, she does not. I suggest you tell her of things. And no, you can't know all going on, for there are things that I know that you do not. As far as lending assistance, I believe I shall. I can make sure Mother doesn't fall too behind in this illness. She will not stay ill for long." The Mother will return to office. So don't even /think/ you'll get her Seat. That's the thoughts behind Wyntere's eyes right now. At least some still support Kaomi. Yannick stands up from the bench, obviously a bit unsettled. He looks at Savren "I feel a bit of practice might do me good and I'd appreciate to have a skilled opponent to spar against." he offers indirectly. Christabel smiles softly.. "Light willing she does not Wyntere..." and that last is said with such a contrast in sound from her previous statements that it cannot help but be noticed. As if no one in the world wished the Amyrlin a speedy recovery more than Christa. She sighs softly and shakes her head a bit, turning to Vanessa, not wanting to cause a scene here, or anywhere for that matter. She is tired.. or she would not have let things get as far as they have. Vanessa watches the interation between the Green and the Grey, watching the interation. The Red remain silent for a few seconds after Christabel's last words, letting her eyes settle on Wyntere for a few seconds and then returing to Christabel. Hmmm? Is that Wyn's voice? Neelkan stops in his stride towards the Tower and glances towards Wyntere and the... other Aes Sedai. Oi. One is Christabel. Ick. The other he doesn't think he knows. But the dress and knife kind of make him a little wary. Not scared, but... definatly wary. Despite the presense of those two women, he rolls his shoulders a little and starts towards them. He needed to ask Wyn something anyway. He drops into a half bow, to take in all of them, though he didn't bow to a single other Sedai or Gaidin in the Courtyard... And it's not deep enough either. But it's the most he's going to offer probably. "G'day, Sedai." To the /other two/, then he offers a smile to the Mistress of Novices and says, "'n t' ya too." Good thing he came at the end of the conversation probably... Christabel lets Neelkan speak to Wyntere unmolested... she doesn't have the patience for him today... and concentrates instead on the Red. "Might I ask what aspect your duties for the Red have taken? I am in need of some advice from one of your Ajah.." "Mother will recover, Christabel." There is confidence in Wyntere's voice even if she's nervous that may not be the case. Then seeing Neelkan walk up, Wyntere gives him a nod. "Peace favor you, Neelkan. I trust you are doing well?" Wyntere's eyes soften a bit for the trainee as she glances to him. "How has your return been?" The Gray acutally likes this trainee alot. Vanessa's eyes fall apon Neelkan and his lack of proper respect...and although her smile remains in place, the sudden coolness in her eyes is clear to see. It is probably for the better than Christabel is speaking, and that the Red considers her more important than the child. Returning her gaze to Christa, she says, "A service? Of what sort...?" You paged Neelkan with 'and with wyntere looking at you, you could see worry in her eyes and frustration. She looks tired as if she didn't sleep well the night before.'. Christabel smiles.. "Advice." She walks to a bench a little ways away... and sits down, motioning for Vanessa to join her. She rubs her eyes with two fingers of one hand before errecting another evesdropping ward around the two of them. It is getting more and more obvious how tired she is." Vanessa takes a seat next Christabel, folding her hands in her lab, a slightly curious look on her face. "Advice...of course, I will offer what I can..." The curious look intensifies as she feels the ward going up, waiting patiently for the Green to begin speaking. Christabel begins speaking silently with Vanessa... Reaching up to run a still bruised and scrapped up hand through his fluffy white streaked red hair, Neelkan grins at Wyntere, ignoring the other two fairly well. They were there at all? "M' return's been good so far. I'm still a lil sore, but..." He shakes his head, lowering his hand down again, "'re ya a'right?" he adds in question, actually looking concerned. For a woman? Oh feh. Vanessa raises an eyebrow at whatever Christabel said, pausing for a few seconds before murmering back. After she speaks, she leans forward a little, resting her chin in her hand, and then says something more. Since when did Wyntere become a woman in your eyes, Neelkan? Thought she just was Wyntere. Seeing the scrapped up hand, Wyntere reaches for it to get a closer look. "Neel, have you not seen a Yellow yet? They could take care of this for you." the then Gray gets serious tones, "I'm fine, Neel." Wyntere'll always be a woman. But that really doesn't matter right now. Neelkan frowns, mood dropping down about ten points and he shakes his head, waving his hands around, "'ey're fine. Just a few scraps. No need t' have the Yellows waste energy on 'em. I've gotten worse climbin' trees. 'ey've been cleaned though. 'at should b' 'nough." Then he reaches out and grabs Wyn's arm lightly and says flatly, "Yer not a'right. If ya wanna talk 'bout anythin'..." he trails off and shrugs. Motioning to the tower, Wyntere tilts her head. "Shall we step inside?" She asks neelkan. Then looks to the scraps again. "yeah, you're right. Those will heal just find without the Yellows help. I'm really glad you were able to return to us." Wyntere's voice is soft and she truly means that. "Ye'h. I was plannin' t' get somethin' t' drink actually." Neelkan's frown returns at the mention of coming back and he mutters something under his breath. Something that sounds like a few curses and a wish that he'd been able to get someone else back too. The young man is going to be blaming himself for not getting Verbena out for a long time, no matter what anyone says. He does nod and start off towards the Tower, letting his arm drop. Wyntere glances off to a certain tree and not seeing anyone under it, she looks back to Neelkan. Following behind him, the Gray placing an arm around his shoulders. She knows there is nothing that can be said to relieve him of that, so she's just there. "We can manage going to the dining hall. That sounds good. I should eat before heading back to the students." ENTRY HALL Neelkan, for a change, doesn't shrug off the arm over his shoulders at all, but he does winch a little if too much pressure is put on the right side of is shoulders... he's not going to say anything about it at all. "I could use a lil' t' eat m'self actually." He says once inside. DINING HALL Finding a table off away from most, Wyntere motions for a novice to get two plates of food, hot tea and whatever Neelkan wants. After both are seated, the Gray looks to Neelkan. "I'm worried about Mother." That's it. Simply and in a nut shell. Hot tea is fine for Neelkan. With lots of lemon. He has a sour tooth. Heh. He gets himself settles into the seat, then frowns at what Wyn has to say. "Kaomi? What happened 'xactly?" She looked fine when he last saw her. But he's heard a little of the rumors going around, but he doesn't understand them... and even dismissed most of them for the most part. Wyntere shrugs to Neelkan. "I don't know, Neelkan. But all I have to say is she better wake up soon. I'm not sure we have another Aes Sedai that could do as good a job she does as Mother." Wyntere really cares about Kaomi and you can tell. "But don't let that get out to my sisters, understood? You can keep secrets right? Some of them might not like me saying they wouldn't do a good job as Amrylin. SOme have their eyes set for the Seat." "I may not know much 'bout Aes Sedai 'r what the Amyrlin Seat means 'xactly, but Kaomi's doin' a fine job far as I can see, 'n it's wrong t' steal someone's position 'en 'ey disabled f'r any reason." Neelkan shakes his head a little, sounding for a moment like the young man who was named second in command of a group of bandits. Defending his leader, no matter what, was one of the things that got him up there. "'n ye'h. I wouldn't go tellin' other Sedai anyway." Feh. Almost all the others are still on his 'Evil Woman' scroll. This Gray is almost second in command (if there were such thing here). She defends Kaomi as if the woman shared her own blood. Not that they are related, just that the Mother means alot to her and the two of them have been through alot together. Wyntere nods to Neelkan. "Well, she's a strong woman. Have you seen Juliana around lately? I know she hasn't disappeared because she's been going to classes." "I don't e'en think I know a Juliana, Wyn. 'n I've only done a few things since I got back anyway. Barely had 'nough time t' eat." Neelkan says with a shrug, trying to think over exactly how he can help with this at all. But he can't think of any, so instead he goes back to the subject of 'Mother'. "Ya don't know what's wrong with Kaomi at all? Is 'ere anythin' I can help with? Anythin' at all." He likes the Amyrlin. The food arrives on the table and Wyntere sorta looks like she isn't hungry. She sips her tea. "No, Neelkan. I haven't heard what is wrong with her. ut I have this feeling that I might be to blame. Like I gave her bad advise and that's why she ended up like this." And so Wyntere feels guilty. She knows more about this than she can tell. "She's one of the women that isn't on your evil list, isn't she?" Wyntere knows you don't care for women. "I like Kaomi, ye'h.." Neelkan answers with a small frown, fingering at his food a little, then shoving a bite into and down his throat, after chewing it of course. In fact it's more like he chomps it then chews. Once it's down he goes back to fingering and says, "'n Don't blame yerself. She'd tell ya the same thing I'll bet." "I wish she could tell me that." Wyntere sighs. "I wish she could tell me anything right now." That was the one Wyntere ran to when she was upset and frustrated. "She is always the Mountains in my Hurricanes." Wyntere uses a fork and picks at her food. She needs to eat. She has alot of work to do. Neelkan frowns, watching her across the table from him and he stops picking at his food and says plainly, "'ey, Wyn? I may not be no Amyrlin Seat, 'n I don't think I'm much of a mountain either..." Too unstable. This guy's more of a lightning storm or fire, maybe a mountain though, with volcanic potential and frequent earthquakes. "But I'll be 'ere f'r ya if ya need m' a'right? All ya gotta do is ask." Wyntere looks up and smiles kindly to Neelkan. "There are some things I can't talk to you about that deal with the tower. But it does help to have to sit with me to eat." Wyntere means that. It just helps knowing there is another friend she has. If only he were a Gaidin already. "I need to find Juliana. I have alot to tell her. If you see, let her know please?" And with kaomi's accident, this sounds allthe more urgent. "She's a novice here. And be nice to her like you are to me. She deserves it." And you can see Wyntere's care for that novice. Just like she cares for espiria. "Oh.. thank you for coming to see Espiria last night too. I think she felt better after seeing you." Some things that can't be told. That makes Neelkan's shoulders slump a little. Blood 'n ashes. But he doesn't say anything about it at all, just looking frustrated is all. And he knows he can't get whatever it is bothering her out of her. Not like he's done with... others. "I told ya, I dunno 'er, but if I happen to meet 'er, I'll send 'er yer way." And then Espi is mentioned and he forgets all about his food and most everything else unfortunately and just grins a little, "I'm glad. I.. I'd heard she was upset 'en she found out we were taken. I would've stayed longer, but..." But he was about to drop. And the Mistress wouldn't have wanted to carry /him/ to his room. Oh, Wyntere would have carried you to your room. "She was very upset when she found out you were missing. I wasn't too happy either. In fact, she was your heroine." Wyntere grins at that. She's really just depressed that kaomi is.. as she is. "I know 'at. 'n I'm thankful f'r 'er. 'at's the reason I went up t' see 'er in yer room." Neelkan shrugs, going back to picking at his food from where he sits off to the far side of the Dining hall with the Mistress. It wasn't the /only/ reason... but it was the one he used once he got up there. Wyntere chuckles and grins to Neelkan. She doesn't care what excuse the lad had for coming to visit. "Neelkan, I need to go check on my students and I want to swing by the infirmary." maybe she can wake her friend up. "But mind if I come find you next time I need cheering up? I thank you for your help." And she means that. You can see she feels better. The things that bother her are mostly the worry for kaomi and the other... well, even that has to remain inside the Aes Sedai. Nodding, Neelkan doesn't stand up this time to help the Aes Sedai out of her chair, but he does sit up and stop fingering his food. "Feel free t' come question m' any time ya need t'." He smirks and nods his head. And he means it. Though he wishes he could have been of more help. He feels he could if he only knew what was going on... But then that's what he thought at another time as well. And he ended up being more lost for what to do when he /did/ find out what was happening. Lost... and even more worried then before. Wyntere gets up to take her untouched plate with her. "I'll find you if I need anything, neelkan. Don't fret. You helped me. I promise." And you can tell she means it. I would say, you know Aes Sedai don't lie. but here... they do. She gives him a grin and then pats his shoulder gently. "Come find me later. maybe by then, I'd have found Juliana and you can meet her."