02/28/2001

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.


Denn'ryiel sits at her normal table, amid the unnormalness that is the Hall
and the rest of the Tower these days. She's back to wearing gray again, and
has a bowl of soup before her.

And in walks a rather easy going fellow. Or at least, he's been pretty easy
going the last couple of days. Love can do that to a guy. Even with the
death threat that came with the love. Neelkan walks in, wearing rather
bright and oddly /nice/ clothing and goes to pick out a few small things to
eat. And he's actually /humming/. What has the world come to...? He notices
the gray wearing white sister and grins a little more, picking up a drink
and immediately heading over, "'ey Denn! Mind if I join ya?"

Denn'ryiel automaticly reacts to Neelkan's voice with a smile, but when she
turns her head and spots the trainee that look vanishes quicker than
bandages in the Practice Yard. Her mouth begins to open to an aghast
expression before Denn regains her control. With a decidedly neutral look,
eyes downcast at her soup, she nods her head. "Feel free," she answers.
Maybe he's come to apologize.

Apologize? Unfortunately, no. Neelkan does feel bad about it, but right now
his mind is so muddled with this strange emotion and the feel of someone
else's presense in the back of his mind. He settles into the seat across
from her, turning the chair around so he can rest his arms on the back and
rest his chin there. He certainly doesn't look like a gaidin, does he? He
leaves his food alone for now and just grins at her, "So where were ya,
anyway? When I got back from Aelgar ya weren't in 'ere." At least he isn't
rambling about how wonderful love is, right?

Nope. Instead he chooses the subject Denn would be upset about if all this
silliness hadn't happened. "I went with Espiria and the others to rescue
Keay," she answers quietly, evenly. Tick... Tick... Tick... She pauses to
sip her soup. "Enjoy yourself in Aelgar?" she asks, with a hint of
curiousity.

Espi? For some reason Neelkan doesn't look as concerned or worried or
bothered by the mention of the Yellow Sedai. Guess this love thing made him
get over a few things (so perhaps at least one good thing will come out of
it!). "Really? I'm glad yer a'right. 'n blood 'n ashes, no. I did not have
a fun time in Aelgar. I had t' play a Royal bodyguard. Can ya imagine, /me/
protectin' Royalty!?" And protecting the Amyrlin is any different? Seems so
to him. Because the Amyrlin is Kaomi.

Denn'ryiel's spoon makes a very loud CLINK as her hand spasms for a moment.
Still, she's somehow managing to not kill Neelkan. Bonus points. "I can
imagine it," she says. "I thought you were up to it, I just didn't know it
was something you wanted to pursue." She forces herself to take another
spoonful. "I thought you went off to Aelgar with a Novice though."

What's going on here? Neelkan is just dense sometimes, and in his own
happiness he hasn't yet realized how much this might hurt someone else
involved. He pauses at the words, looking a little confused, then he shrugs
and says, "I dunno. It wasn't 'xactly on the top of m' list. 'n it wasn't
like 'at. I didn't run off with 'er, really. She wanted t' run 'way from
the Tower 'n asked m' t' help 'er. What was I supposed t' d'? Tell on 'er
'n watch 'em force 'er t' stay 'r leave? She needed a break, 'n so did I so
I tagged 'long t' protect 'er." Espi and Varcel bonded just a few days
before he helped the novice run off.

Denn'ryiel nods her head (still keeping her eyes on her soup) as he
answers, having guessed at something like that. She is not an irate person,
which is why her anger begins to dissipate, and incidently why this is not
a good thing. Anger can be a pretty potent shield. She finally looks up at
Neelkan with her reddened eyes. "I would have apprieciated a note, or
something, to tell me why or that everything was under control. Kyleigh had
time to write Wyntere." She breaks eye contact and pushes her bowl aside.
"I had thought you were just inconsiderate this once, that you didn't mean
any harm. I guess I know the real reason now." She washes her hands and her
mouth with a damp cloth and stands up. "I guess saying I never want to see
you again is overused, but there you have it. The next time you want to see
how far you can twist someone's heart for your own amusement I suggest you
go to (OOC: whatever Ebou Dar is these days) where they have daggers to
handle that sort of thing."

For a moment, Neelkan's mouth works wordlessly. Wait a second! What did he
miss here!? He immediately stands up and says, "Wait! Denn, I don't know
what yer talkin' 'bout! The only reason I didn't write is I only had a few
hours notice 'fore we left, 'n I didn't want t' risk ya gettin' yer hands
on it early 'n stoppin' m'. 'is wasn't f'r m'. It was f'r 'er! I don't
understand what's wrong with 'at..." And he looks really confused and a
little hurt that she's accusing him of something he doesn't understand. "I
wasn't tryin' t' hurt ya! I don't wanna hurt anyone..." It seems to hit him
now and he frowns a moment. This isn't about Kyleigh at all... "This is
'bout Kaomi, isn't it?"

Denn'ryiel folds up the towel in her hands and wrings it slightly. Her eyes
are downcast again, but emotion has broken onto her face once more and
tears are running again. This mildly surprises Denn'ryiel. She thought she
had cried them all out awhile ago. "Royalty indeed," she answers, as her
voice begins shaking. "The most powerful woman in the world; I guess I
should understand." She tosses the towel back on to the table. "I'm not
going to say I hope you two are happy together." Her voice has some renewed
strength in it at this. "She deserves far better, and you..." She turns,
sobbing before she can complete that.

"..." For once, Neelkan is left completely speechless. He doesn't care
about Kaomi's power, he never did. Power means nothing to him. All he knows
right now is that he wants to be with her and protect her... and... And
he's making Denn cry. For a few seconds, he really looks like the boy he
really is. And he's got no idea what he's supposed to do. He's never
understood women, and even being in love and bonded hasn't helped. Finally
he says softly, "I'm sorry." and starts to move towards the doors. He
doesn't know what he's supposed to do, but his presense is obviously
hurting her...

Denn'ryiel was heading for the doors herself, and mistakes your intentions
as you move in that direction. "Don't," she says, shimmying away. "And
you're not sorry. You came in here whistling without a thought in my
direction." A juncture seems to be reached here and now. "Don't worry about
having to think about me any more. I've decided to join the army."

That stops Neelkan. His fists clench at his sides and he lowers his head,
hair falling in front of his eyes and covering them as he says in a soft
voice (soft for him at least). "I never meant t' hurt ya, Denn. I can't
change the way I feel though. I like ya. I've a'ways liked ya. But it's
just not the same. I honestly don't know what happened!" He pauses, then
takes a breath and turns around, saying in the exact same tone, "If ya got
other reasons, 'n join, but don't 'cause of m'." He looks really sad for a
moment, then adds even softer, "Yer right though. I don't deserve 'er...
But she loves m'." And it's something he's never felt before. Others might
have loved him, the White here might have, he doesn't know, but when the
bond slid into place it was impossible not to, and it blinded him in more
ways then one. "'n I am sorry, whether ya believe m' 'r not..."

Denn'ryiel looks back at Neelkan, and this time can't come up with any
snappy comeback. But neither can she completely take his words to heart;
the wound is too deep. With fresh tears, she retreats from the room