08/07/2000

Ogier Grove

Trees so big around that it would take nine men holding hands to encircle
them raise their branches to the sky as if in prayer. Sunlight only pierces
the leaf canopy occasionally, coating this entire haven from the city in a
pleasant semi-shadow. Here and there, however, the trees part ways to allow
the sunshine through,a bright spot for those who enjoy the sun on their
back. One cannot view any other part of the city from here, for even the
Tower is blocked from view. Soft moss and patches of grass form natural
reclining spots. Save for the wide wall encompassing the Grove,there is not
a single man-made structure to be seen: no paths,no benches, no fountains.
The lack seems only good and right.Even the wall disappears from view in
just a few steps.

At the very back of the Grove one might view Tar Valon's worst-kept secret.
Near a portion of the wall covered over with stonework --leaves and vines
and other such things, things that the Ogier are well known to be able to
do but generally avoid for their own pleasure -- are a group of three or
four Aes Sedai and no less than twelve Gaidin doing a poor job of
pretending to picnic. The pretense is kept up daily -- a basket here, a
bottle of wine there, a frisbee or a ball that a couple of the Gaidin toss
back and forth. The faces change constantly, but they are always here, even
at night, when they pretend to cuddle and look at stars. The youngest child
knows that there is Something Special about that wall; scholars and old men
say that it must really be a Waygate. In fact, there are times when they
glare so that the normal citizens find other parts of the Grove to visit,
times when, local wisdom says, someone is either coming in,or going out.


Instead of the rooftop, they're meeting out at the Grove this time, hmm?
Neelkan sits under a tree in the area that the note indicated, tapping his
completely metal fan against his hand as he watches the animals in the
grove silently. Or not so silently. The wind ruffling the trees and the
sounds of the animals have a music all their own. He just continues to tap
the fan against the palm of his hand and wait.

Espi had to do quite a bit of talking to the Laundry Sedai to let her go
out from her chores, but she manages to make it sound good. At least she
knows that the AS won't go running to Wynt or to Mother about it. She
sighs, slipping in thru some trees and smiling as she dangles her fan from
her dress. Yes, everything is perfectly normal here. No weapons...see? She
heads quickly into the park, smiling as she sees a familiar form resting
under the trees. Her voice is lowered after she pats the first tree she
comes too. Have to say 'Hi' of course before anything. "Neel...." The voice
is a hushed whisper as she smiles, "Neel..oer here."

........ At the sound of a voice calling his name, Neelkan glances over,
then pushes himself up into a standing position, pivoting as if to hide
behind the tree. Which he sort of does, and then peeks his head around to
look for the source of the voice. Nope. Doesn't see it at first, so he
peeks his head around the other side and... hah! There you are. He twists
again and puts his back to the tree as if you hadn't seen him peeking
around and he's hiding from you. Yes, sometimes it's like he's five years
old and no more then that... but that's probably part of his charm...

Espiria tips her head to one side, blinking. Hey..where did he go? Sh heads
toward the tree where she last saw you, moving slowly and carefully toward
it. Ohboy..please let it be Neel. Please? She bites her lower lip, hand
gripping the fan for a moment as though she actually knew how to use it.
Yeah..right. Well, maybe she can /try/ to look threatening? But then..who's
she trying to kid. Her? Threatening? hardly...

Ooooooh. Neelkan beams as you get closer, trying to resist the urge to
chuckle. He waits until the sound of your footsteps are close to the tree,
then he pivots around it, away from the side you're approaching on, so that
he comes around behind you. The sound of shuffling feet is easily heard, as
he really isn't trying to be too stealthy. Once he's around though he jumps
out and aims to put his arms around you waist, intending to give you a good
scare. He's a little pain sometimes... Really needs to grow up. But before
you can scream too loudly or do anything like kick him and says in a
totally 'Neel' voice, "Glad t' see ya made it, Espi!"

Espiria talk about putting the heart in the throat. Espi was just about to
let one rip from her lungs too, before she heard you speak. She scowls,
chuckling nervously before she goes limp against your chest. "You...you
scared the life/ out of me Neel!" She shivers, taking a few quick breaths
of air since she was holding the whole time. It's obvious that you scared
her badly.

Awwwww. "Sorry." Neelkan keeps his arms around you and holds you against
him, his right hand still holding a metal fan in his clutches. He brings
the left hand up to rub your opposite arm lightly in a semi-comforting
motion. "I shouldn't've done 'at. I just couldn't help it. Don't worry
though, just me." He presses his face into your /green/ hair a moment, then
pulls up and asks, "So 're ya a'right now? I don't need t' carry ya back t'
the Tower 'r nothin'?" He didn't mean to scare her that badly... Though he
/did/ mean to scare her. Just not the life out of her.

Espiria chuckles nervously again, hand going to her face. "I'll...be fine,
Neel. I..I just wasn't expecting. I mean..I..well I have cause to be
paranoid." She sighs softly, glancing up to you for a momwnt as she smiles.
"I never had brother around me when I was growing up...ones that liked to
do things like that. Scare their sisters that is..." She shakes her head,
"Sometimes...I miss what it would have been like and others...well I'm just
glad for the times I wish for it." She giggles, raising her hand to brush
the green hair from her face.

Neelkan makes a soft sound in his throat at the talk of brothers and
sisters. Hrmpt. But he doesn't let it last as he pulls away fully to let
you stand on your own, offering a small smirk, "I guess I did used t' do
things like 'is t' m' sisters, but 'ey'd usually hit m' f'r it." One would
even throw things at him a lot. "Anyway, sorry I spooked ya. Yer right, ya
got reason t' be worried 'bout things like 'at."

Espiria sighs softly, taking a deeper breath now that her nerves calm. She
chuckles softly, shaking her head. "Well...if I don't take chances how will
I ever know what I can do? I mean...life is an learning experience after
all and if I don't..umm..take chances I'll never learn what I need to till
it's way too late." She takes the fan from her belt, holding it up for you
to see. "I've been working on the moves you showed me and how to hold it."

"'at's great!" Neelkan says with a grin, looking down at the fan with
entrance, and mostly the way that she's holding it in front of him. Even
then you show some of what he is trying to teach, "Sorry, I haven't been
able t' teach ya more in 'is short time." He holds up his fan, which is
completely metal and flicks it slightly so it unfolds like the tail of a
peacock. The fan is definatly one of the reasons he got his name. The
'feathers' of the fan are rectangular and silverish in color. The metal is
thin as most knife places, and also the edges look like they're sharp. It's
about the size of a dagger, with a handle that doesn't unfold.

Espiria jumps a bit, eyes widening at the way the fan is held and more
importantly looks before she nods. "I wish I could have had that done to
mine, but..if I did then I'd have to say why and I'd really rather keep it
to myself. That way at least...if I need the protection I'll have it." She
sighs, leaning on the tree for a moment, "Can you teach me a bit more,
Neel? I have some time before I'm looked for."

Thain walks into the grove, using his axe like a walking stick than a
deadly weapon. His thoughts are elsewhere, as well are his eyes, the Ogier
nearly tripping on a root as he goes further to the back of the Grove.
Steadying himself on the tree he chuckles and says something in his own
language to the tree with a big grin. He doesn't notice Espi, or Neel for
the moment, his intrest in the tree too great.

"'ey, no worries. 'is is m' own style after all. The fan I started with was
'lot closer t' lookin' like the one ya got." Neelkan moves his fan forward
to lightly tap hers, then folds it closed again by twisting the handle
slightly. "Yers e'en has a few advantages mine doesn't. I can't trap a
blade with 'is one without breakin' it completely. Ya on the other hand,
can. So mine has some advantages, yers has others. Kinda like with swords.
'ey can come with one edge 'r two 'n some're longer 'n thicker... each
one's got it's own little qui----" That's as far as he gets when he nearly
sees the giant known as an Ogier nearly trip. His eyes widen a little and
he stares, then he gives his head a good shake and responds to Espi's
request, "I can teach ya a bit more, ye'h..."

Espiria chuckles softly and nods, watching the ease that Neel moves with
the fan and scowling that it doesn't seem to come too easily for her. She
shakes her head a bit, taking a moment to shake out her own fan to see what
it can do. "So..what is first?" She hasn't seen Thain either, though she
did hear the stumble noise just not mentioned it as yet.

Thain quietly chuckles as he pats the tree's bark and turns to spot Espi
and Neel. Smiling, he walks his way over, his boots making no sound as he
comes up behind Espi. He tilts his head curiously as he watches these fans.
Scratching his head and twitching his ears, he decides to wait a few more
moments before saying anything to either of them, taking the moments to
watch Neel.

Clearing his throat a little, Neelkan peers around Espi a moment to watch
the Ogier, as if trying to disconsern him from his imagination. He's only
seen an Ogier once before, so he's making sure his mind isn't playing
tricks on him before he's going to say anything. Espi draws his attention
back and he nods his head, moving his fan over into his left hand and
reaching forward to fix her hold on the fan grudgedly before saying, "'ere.
Ya a'most had it right. Let's start with a simple attack. Fightin' with a
folded fan, 'specially one with an edge right 'ere..." he points at the
outter metal rib of the fan, which was sharpered, "is 'lot like fightin'
with a knife. Same hold, 'n ya can stab 'n slash with it. Though f'r
yers... either'll mean ya need t' replace the lace." That's the only bad
thing about having a /real/ fan with just a metal ribbing as a weapon. He
looks -up- at the Ogier as he gets close and just............... um...

Espiria blinks, watching Neel for a moment before she runs her fingers thru
her green hair. Hmm... "Umm..Is something wrong Neel?" She tips her eyes
behind her, feeling the weight of someone staring and promptly eeeps! very
loudly and falls on her butt. She starts laughing and crying at the same
time, feeling her nerves worm to a frazzle most likely from what's been
happening lately. She puts her head in her hands, shivering and inwardly
angry with herself for being so scared.

Thain furrows his brows as Espi falls with an eeep. Kneeling quickly, he
scratches his head and says with a worried voice," I am most sorry Espi,
did I scare you? I did not mean to." He face looks very concerned, his ears
twitching wildly.

Still staring up at the Ogier, it takes Neelkan a moment to realize that
Espi just fell on her butt. He blinks and kneels down beside her, putting a
hand on her shoulder gently. "Ya a'right?" Course she's not alright, she
just got the life scared out of her. He looks back up at the Ogier and
just... stares again. Forgive him if the Ogier has grabbed his tongue...
(Though luckily not literally...)

Espiria catches her breath, hand going shakily to her forehead. "I...I'm
sorry, Thain. I...I didn't mean to react as I did, it's just...I'm really
jumpy these days." She sigh and glances over to Neel with a weak smile,
"I'm fine Neel..really. Just.umm..trying to get my heart to slow down a
bit." She chuckles, "It's like it wants to run out of my chest or
something." She giggles softly, glancing back to Thain. "I..I was already
scared once tonight. It..just made me even jumpier.."

Thain sets his axe down beside him and scratches his head." I am quite
sorry Espi. I did not know that you had been scared this eve, before at
least." He sighs shaking his head before looking at Espi's head and
furrowing his brows even more, if that was possible. Blinking he asks,
curiously," Espi....what happened to your hair?" He glances at Neel and
grins a minute to the fellow before turning back to Espi to hear her
response.

"I usually have 'at effect on women." Neelkan answers with a slightly
playful wink at the talk of her heart trying to run out of her chest. He's
kidding. Really. But then he straightens up again and turns those
blue-green eyes back on the Ogier. "..." Those wide blue-green eyes. "..."
Finally he clears his throat and offers a wave, that ends up being a wave
with his fan, "'ey 'ere, Thain." It is the same Ogier he met before at
least.

Espiria sighs softly, grinnign at both of you before she notes Neel's lack
of words. "I'm fine.really." She giggles, taking a deep breath as she looks
around the grove. "I..remember this place." She widens her eyes then and
glances over to Neel. Utoh...please..not now? But...it's not that she's
scared of letting Thain know what's going on. It's more of a thing..can she
say something and it not go all over the place? Get back to Mother and
Wynt..and her head end up on a platter for it?

Espiria sighs softly, grinnign at both of you before she notes Neel's lack
of words. "I'm fine.really." She giggles, taking a deep breath as she looks
around the grove. "I..remember this place." She widens her eyes then and
glances over to Neel. Utoh...please..not now? But...it's not that she's
scared of letting Thain know what's going on. It's more of a thing..can she
say something and it not go all over the place? Get back to Mother and
Wynt..and her head end up on a platter for it?

Thain blinks, although he looks as though he doesn't quite believe that. He
nods, sighing to himself and looking around. Taking a seat by falling back
onto his rump, he raises his eyebrows at the fans, not pursueing the issue
of hair. He knows not to press things too much, at the least. His ears
twitch a little bit before pointing at the fan in Neel's hand and asking,"
Well, could you tell me what that is at least?"

At that look, Neelkan bites his lip a little and tries to distract Espi by
waving his metal fan in her face before explaining to Thain, though during
the entire explaination he never once looks at the Ogier (that would make
him tongue tied, so he opts not to), "It's a fan. A metal one. I fight with
it. Made m' own personal style. All the people where I come from duel with
knives, 'n I didn't like it, so I stole one of m' ma's fans one day 'n
spent some money t' have a metal one made. 'is is 'bout the tenth one I've
had made since. The metal smiths always look at m' funny." This is when he
looks at the Ogier again, offering a small grin. Think /fan/ Espi. Think
/fan/. That doesn't seem to trigger any memories... So far.

Espiria blinks at the fan waving in front of her face, shivering slightly
as she looks over to Thain again. He...asked me a question didn't he? Her
hand goes up to her hair, smiling softly. "I'm sorry...I forgot to answer
your question about my hair. My day must have been way too long.." She
chuckles, reaching out a hand to pat Neel arm in thanks, "It seems that
/someone/ decided to play a practicle joke on the Accepted of the Tower. We
woke up this morning..and our hair was green." She frowns slightly, "And
evidently they thought that to pick on the Aes Sedai would be funny too,
because all of them woke up today to find that they have no normal dresses
of their own. They /all/ now have novice dresses to wear." She shrugs,
glancing out into the grove again before she shivers. What /is/ doing that?
Could it be because she was so scared? Or is the grove itself that brings
out the memories. There's got to be some kind of trigger.

Thain blinks at the fan and nods." I have never seen such a device, that is
true. Although I have heard that men prefer to make weapons to thier own
tastes, like the Ogier." Smiling, he begins to sing a soft little tune in
Ogier as he begins to carve another little something. His ears twitch,
aware of his surroundings and speech though.

Nodding to the Ogier, Neelkan peels his eyes away and looks at Espi. He
frowns at the sight of her and puts the fan in a secure position at his
waist before putting a hand on her shoulder, "'ey, Espi? If... 're ya
a'right?" Blood 'n ashes. He hadn't meant to scare her that bad! That has
to be it. It's his fault. He's a bad friend... He looks at the Ogier, eyes
widening again at the carving and the singing... he... he shouldn't
watch... but that's kinda cool... His grip on Espi's shoulder lessens til
it drops and he just watches the Ogier for a bit. Fascinated childish side
of him showing it's ugly head...