08/10/2000

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.


Espiria heads over to Christa, smiling as she slips into a seat across from
her. "Hello, Christabel Sedai. How are you? I haven't seen much of you
lately.."

Salamas comes walking into the dinning hall from the kitchen, a plate and a
glass in his hands. He sits down at the first table he sees, not even
taking the time to look around to see who else is in the room. Must be
hungry.

Wyntere heads inside the dining hall and moves towards the kitchens to get
a tray of food. Dinner rolls, fruit, peaches with sugar in milk. (just for
Neelkan) and a steming cup of hot tea...black. Coming from the kitchen she
looks aorund for a place to sit. hmm.. there's Espiria; but she's with
Christabel. Is that a wise place for this Gray to head. Shrugging, she
heads over to the table.

Christabel looks down at the half eaten sandwich and pushes it away
slightly... "I've been busy Espiria... The world continues to turn and we
can only try to keep pace." She pauses and looks at her half full glass of
milk.. or is it half empty? She almost seems to ponder that for a momment
before looking up at the approuching Wyntere Sedai. If she has any
objections to the Sedai sitting with her, she certainly doesn't show them.
"Good evening Wyntere." she says politly.

Wandering into the Dining Hall, Neelkan ignores everyone for the time being
and just picks through the table set out with food on it. He doesn't seem
to be overly hungry as he just plucks a few things, mostly slices of bread
and cheese, onto his plate. He passes the area where he can pick out fresh
drinks and he ignores any substance that even slightly appears to be
whiteish. It is not there! Nope. He did not see it. He picked out some kind
of cider in fact. With his snack and his drink, he starts to search for
someplace to sit.

Moving over to the table, Wyntere gives a soft smile. "Good Evening,
Christabel. Mind if I join you?" For once, things seem calm for the Aes
Sedai and she looks well rested. Well, she napped all afternoon, what can
you expect? She still wears her loud colored clothes, and thou life isn't
the greatest, it's not getting the best of her.

Christabel shakes her head and motions to a seat across from her. "Please
do. I have been wanting to talk to you anyways." She smiles slightly and
places the glass of milk on top of the plate with the half eaten sandwich.
Better for her hands not to have anything around them right now.

Salamas looks up ocasionally to watch the goings on.. particularly the
meeting of the two most powerful Sedai save the AMyrlin herself. That can
only be interesting.

Setting her food down, Wyntere sets her place by putting her cup up in the
upper right hand corner. "Talk away then. I don't mind listening while I
eat. Much better to have a nice conversation over dinner." Wyntere gives a
small smile, though her eyes are clear of emotion. She picks up a roll and
tears it, before taking a bite as she gets ready to listen.

Two most powerful Sedai? Neelkan's on good terms with one of the most
powerful Sedai and the Amyrlin, and on really, really, really bad terms
with the other? Who knew... He wanders down the lines of tables, looking to
see if any of his few friends (the people he can tollerate) are around, but
it appears that the only one around is... Wyntere. And she's sitting
with... Christabel... And near the Green is a... half full glass of milk...
He coughs softly for a moment, almost as if something suddenly got lodged
in his throat and swirves away so he isn't looking anywhere near that glass
of milk. Yes. The Green Aes Sedai couldn't really scare him. But her glass
of milk can? Sad... so very sad...

Christabel nods slightly, placing her hands firmly on the table. They have
been fidgeting far too much lately.. most likely a result of her nerves
being so wracked but it is no excuse. "I only wished to apologize for any
words or actions I may have said or done that offended or hurt you. We have
very different views on most things I think... but I know that we both work
towards the same ends. The fact that Mother trusts us both so much is
evidence enough of that."

"Apology accepted." Now wasn't that easy? Yes, the Gray has a forgiving
spirit. "Was that all or was there more you wished to talk about? And
you're right. The Mother trusts us both very much. She's a special lady
that has my full backing." And what she disagrees with, will never be said.
And it's really nothing so far. Wyntere takes up her spoon to eat a mouth
full of those cut peaches from the bowl. She is sitting across the table
from Christabel.

Neelkan is standing a little distance from the table where the Mistress of
Novices and the General are having their... discussion. He's half turned
away from them, looking off at nothing as if trying to recover from
something that startled him...? He's holding a plate with some bread and
cheese mostly, and a cup of cider. And maybe it's that glass of half-full
/milk/ that has him turned away making sure he can still breathe... He
finally recovers and moves to sit down at a table nearby that's pretty much
devoid of people. And devoid of people with /milk/.

Salamas is sitting off by himself... observing the two Sedai.. though
Neelkan is earning a bit of attention now as well.

Denn'ryiel's head peers out of the kitchen doors into the Dining Hall, and
scans the room looking for someone or something. Her gaze lingers on
Neelkan and Wyntere, and she gives each smiles, but they don't appear to be
who she is looking for. Finally she sighs, giving up and disappears. She
reemerges with a cup of tea and begins to walk towards one of the
fireplaces.

Christabel pauses.. looking at Wyntere carefully... "As she has mine.
Something that I would think would be apparent." Whether that was aimed at
Wyntere or the rumours floating around is hard to say... She then stands,
and seems to colect herself. "That was all. Enjoy your dinner Wyntere
Sedai." Yup... The Mistress of novices certainly isn't winning points with
Christa. Seems the rift only seems to get widder the more they talk to each
other. And with that she turns to go.

Sitting at the table nearly by himself, Neelkan finally starts to nibble
lightly on a piece of cheese. Odd that he dislikes milk, but has nothing
against cheese... But then again, the reason he ... fears milk is a little
tough to explain. It's just something he does. Milk makes him suffocate.
Literally. And it doesn't have to be near his mouth at all. It just has to
be /mentioned/. He doesn't see Denn'ryiel, because he's too busy trying not
to look at anything milk-like right now. No milk near where Christa was.
None near Wyn. None over across the room. Nope.

Wyntere watches Christa leave and then turns back to her meal. Yep, she
needs a good meal in her stomach. Quietness falls over the table. That
green is /so/ hard to talk to. Well, Wyntere thought they were gonna patch
things up, but seems the general has other ideas. Oh well. Too many other
things to worry about. And so she sips her tea and eats her dinner.

Denn'ryiel decides at the last moment to turn away from the fireplace. A
good warm hearth is nice, but the company of others is even better. She
starts walking over towards where Neelkan is sitting. "Is this seat taken?"
she asks, gesturing with her free hand towards the seat directly across
from Neelkan.

Neelkan starts slightly at the sound of Denn's voice, glancing over
quickly. He looks a little... wild-eyed for some odd reason. But he quickly
covers it up with a smirk and shakes his head, "Nah. I don't think many're
brave 'nough t' sit with me." He grins and motions for her to sit down, "Go
'head 'n sit."

Denn'ryiel looks a little embarrassed, but hides it well as she sits down.
"Maybe it's just because you haven't had a bath in awhile," she says in a
teasing manner. "Sorry, that was a little harsh," she then says, though a
remnant of a smile still shows on her face.

"'ey, I happened t' have taken a bath just a lil' while 'go, thanks."
Neelkan responds to the jest with a grin and a wink. Then he bites off a
little cheese before asking, "So how're ya t'day? Ya look better." She's at
least teasing and looking embarassed again. That's better.

Yes, Wyntere would be doing better, but the poor Aes Sedai just feels
chewed up and spit out again. maybe that's a good think. Maybe not. Why is
all the fireplaces burning? Could they not have left one for her to start?
Well.. then, you're suppose to be calm when you channel. But after a
100yrs... who cares about that? Wyntere just looks at her food. Yep, just
eat dinner, Wyntere. Taking a bite of the fruit, wyntere sighs. Good
Wyntere. Eating meals is good.

Denn'ryiel frowns slightly into her teacup at Neelkan's compliment. "I'm...
alright, I guess," she says, looking a little more embarrassed, if
anything. "Nothing to complain about yet, except maybe for Espiria
vanishing. She was supposed to meet me here."

This causes Neelkan to cough slightly. Why would just the mention of
Espiria cause that? He looks around quickly before letting his eyes fall
back on her, then asks, "Espi? Why-- Why would the two of ya be meetin'
'ere?" He takes a drink from his cider.

Vanishing??? What? At that moment Wyntere turns around and grabs her teacup
with her. She walks a direct line to Denn'ryiel. "What did you just say?"
Alright, the mistress had one girl die a few days ago and now a vanishing!!
Light forbid this to be true!! Wyntere's tones are has gentle as always,
but can you blame her? She's been under alot of stress only to have a Green
that was rude to her leave a few moments before. She was perfectly willing
to set aside differences. But no... the other had to walk out. So, yes..
Wyntere's a tad bit touchy.

Denn'ryiel's face takes a curious tilt at the question, and she takes
another sip of tea before answering. "We were talking about... some things.
I was going to..." She cuts off when Wyntere heads over to her. "I'm sure
she's fine, Wyntere," she says, blushing under the attention. "Laurisa
Sedai grabbed her as we were going up to her room, and she said she would
meet me back here. I haven't seen her down here yet, is all. I'm sure she's
just been detained, or forgot." Denn believes most likely the former, from
her tone.

Relief spreads across the Mistress's face. "So she's still here. That's
good. I thought you meant vanish as in ran away, got kidnapped, disappeared
completely. Light! Don't scare me like that." Wyntere sips her tea calming
down a little. This is too much lately for the Gray to take. Too bad it's
about to get worse. But Wyntere doesn't seem to angry, just more..
distracted and frustrated at things.

There's /another/ start as Wyntere seems to take what Denn said badly, and
Neelkan glances over quickly towards the Sedai. He just nods lightly to
what his friend said and then looks back at her... Talking about...? Going
too...? It's obvious from his expression that he wants to ask more. He
tries to play it casual though. "I'm sure she was detained. Espi seems t'
be pretty popular."

Denn'ryiel blinks, and looks a bit ashamed now. Her teacup is back on the
table. "I'm sorry Wyntere... I didn't meant to imply anything. If Espiria
were missing, I assure you I would be more worried than I am right now."
Espiria did save her, afterall. Along with Neelkan and Verbena of course.
Denn just went along for the ride, it seems. That thought brings a sigh to
the girl's lips.

Wyntere grins with a forceful smile. Sorry.. great! here's another apology.
the last one she responded to had the Green running. Sigh... Wyntere, just
go to bed and sleep for days. "Apology Accepted. I'm just a little edgy
right now. It's more my fault for what I heard." Wyntere glances between
the two. "I'll let you both eat in peace. You don't want an old grump
around." Yes, that's what she is right now.

Neelkan grumps lightly at his friend, then reaches across the table to poke
her hand lightly, "Quit it. No mopin' 'round on m' watch. Ya 'ear?" The
ashamed look, plus the sigh... all adds up to more moping, and he doesn't
like watching his friends mope. "So what were ya'n Espi talkin' 'bout?"
Then he glances over at Wyn and frowns lightly. He doesn't want his 'old'
friend to be grumpy either... but how can he possibly help with that?

Denn'ryiel nods to Neelkan, and tries to wear a smile. She then turns to
Wyntere and says, "If I see any old grumps around, I'll ask them to leave,
Wyntere. You're more than welcome to stay." She then returns her attention
to Neelkan for a moment. "Espiria and I were confronted in the courtyard by
a Yellow Sedai that had some... unusual things to say. We were just going
to talk about what we were told in her room, when Laurisa interrupted."

Turning around, Wyntere gives a soft smile again. Well, Denn'ryiel sure is
kind. Moving over to her table, she picks up her tray of food. Um.. she
leaves the bowl with the peaches and milk and makes her way back over.
"Alright, I'll join you, since you don't think I'm old." She tries to
lighten herself up, but it's hard. She really needs a good place to tear
things apart. The Green just makes her mad.

Oh. Ok... Tower stuff. As long as they weren't talking about him, Neelkan
can relax. And he does. "Oh, a'right!" He says in a cheerful voice, smiling
across at his friend. Some might ponder why he is releaved... "'n why'd we
think yer old Wyn?" Yes, even though he knows good and well that Denn is
old enough to be his mother, and the rest of his friends in the Tower are
probably old enough to be his grandmother... he doesn't care. They look
young, so to him, they are. He was tempted to check with Espi and make sure
she wasn't thirty or something...

Denn'ryiel grins upon seeing Neelkan's more cheerful mood, and turns
towards Wyntere to see what her answer will be to Neelkan's question. Her
eye still glances occaisionally to the door when someone enters, no doubt
looking for the Accepted.

"Cause I am old?" Is Wyntere's responce, but the question does get a bigger
smile. Maybe she needs to keep this guy around more often. She reaches for
another roll and then offers some to both Denn and Neel. "Here, have a roll
both of you. They are the best in the city."

"Feh. Ya don't look old, so yer not old." Yes... Neelkan has the reasoning
of a child... And even if they were to point out white hair or white
streaks, he'd just point to his own and say he's had them since he was ten.
Big deal. He politely takes the roll though, and takes a bite out of it,
nodding, "Not bad." he says in a slightly muffled voice, due to munching.

Denn'ryiel looks around for some butter, before contenting herself to bite
into the roll plain. "It is pretty good... who made this?" she asks, more
out of polite banter than actual curiousity.

Wyntere chuckles and thinks a moment. "I think the cook named MaPeg. She is
really kind and knows her breads. And she can spin stories like you
wouldn't believe. Keep you laughing until bedtime." There. Wyntere looks a
bit brighter now. Then she looks to Neel. "And thank you for the
compliment."

Tossing a wink towards his 'old' friend, Neelkan replies plainly,
"Anytime." Then munches a little bit more on his roll. Yes, Denn was right.
It is a very good roll. And the talk of stories suddenly reminds him. He'd
forgotten! He swallows the current mouthful and looks at Wyn, "I f'rgot
'bout the task ya asked m' t' do, Wyn. Sorry..." He actually looks a little
sheepish.

"That's alright, Neel. If it's taxing to you, I'll think of something else.
And don't worry. It won't be a pointless one either." Wyntere had forgotten
too. She leans back and rests against the back of the chair. Wow.. it feels
likes it's been a long day and she slept most of it.

Denn'ryiel looks back and forth between Neelkan and Wyntere, wondering what
the 'task' was. She then shrugs, figuring that it's probably just another
mystery for the ages. She turns her attention back to her tea and what
remains of her roll. <repose for Wyntere>

Giving a small nod, Neelkan says, "Nah, I got a story picked out, I just...
don't really know if I'm gonna be any good at tellin' it. I've ne'er been
much f'r tellin' stories..." Well, not long ones with characters. Lies he
can do, if he needs to... but long stories? He's not all that comfortable
with. He shrugs and glances over at Denn.

Finishing off the fruit, Wyntere stands up and stretches. well... thank
you, Ms. Green. Wyntere looks to Neelkan first. "We'll see how you do at
the story telling. You might surprise yourself." Taking a deep breath,
Wyntere glances to Denn. "Would you follow me please? The Mother wishes to
speak with us. And I must stop off by my office first. We don't want to be
late, and time never seems to wait."

Denn'ryiel blinks. She almost mouths the word Us. That doesn't keep her
from hesitating though. She sets what is left of her roll on the table and
stands up. "Thanks for letting me sit with you, Neelkan," she offers,
before turning to Wyntere.

Mother? Oh. Kaomi. Sorry, Neelkan still can't do titles like that yet. He
waves slightly at the women as it appears they are going to be leaving him.
He doesn't mind, really. "Anytime, Denn. Tell 'er I said 'ey." He says with
a grin, then starts to finish up that roll he was given.

"I'll tell her for you, Neelkan. If I remember. But she'll be glad to know
you think of her and I'm sure she would say hello back." The Gray glances
to Denn. "Let's go." With that she turns to walk up to the office. Probably
just as nervous as Denn is.