03/04/2001

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.


Kaomi is walking through the courtyard with a bemused expression on her
china doll's features, because the area is covered, ankle-deep, in rose
petals. She keeps lifting her foot, watching rose petals flitter off of it,
and putting it back down again.

Feeling the presense of his love (shush) nearby, Neelkan moves out of the
Practice yard to see exactly where she is. When she comes in sight he
smiles widely and starts to move over, "Kaomi?" While the use of her name
wouldn't have been uncommon before the weave, the tone in his voice is
certainly unique to this love weave thing.

Kaomi turns around and gives Neelkan a soft smile. "Hello Neelkan." A soft
gentle greeting. Softer than she even gives her real love -- this weave is
turning everyone's brains into mush. But...not for long. She picks up a
handful of the petals and lets them fall, looking not best pleased to find
them there. "Tell me, would you be interested in being Master Gaidin? Jedan
won't leave Keay's bedside, hardly."

Oddly enough, Neelkan kind of likes his mind being mush. Even if Denn hurt
him a lot with her words the other day, he still feels a lot better about
things then he normally does. No less confused, but better. At the question
though, he blinks, looking (and feeling) confused. "Master Gaidin? Uh.. I
dunno. I mean... d'ya really think I'd d' good at it?" He was always under
the impression he was horrible student, or perhaps he wanted to believe he
was.

"Of course you would be," Kaomi says firmly. She's the Amyrlin Seat. She
says so. The man she loves can do anything. So there. In truth she never
paid attention to what kind of a student he is. "Didn't you defend me at
the battle for the Fort?"

Neelkan grins lightly, "Ye'h." He takes her word for it, because her words
right now mean more to him then anything. It's odd. Something can be said
by everyone in the world with the exact same tone and passion behind them,
and right now the words would only reach him if Kaomi said them. Love's
weird that way. "I'd love t', Kaomi. Be Master Gaidin, I mean." He reaches
a hand forward as if wanting to touch her face, but he stops himself.

"Then you shall be." She'd like to return the gesture...but she doesn't.
Not in public. Kaomi's training is too good. "Walk with me." She begins
rustling around the courtyard, kicking up cloying rosepetals wherever she
goes.

"Someone certainly filled 'is place, didn't 'ey." Neelkan muses softly,
kicking up the petals a little as he walks beside her. Though, he thinks
they would look very nice if they were somewhere else and it were just him
and Kaomi. Of course, some part of him knows this is wrong, but... he
doesn't want to think about it.

Kaomi nods solemnly. "They did. Foolishness, really. The gardeners are
tearing their hair out." She points to the bare roses, the source of the
rose petals. "This isn't something I should be thinking about," she says,
in sudden frustration. "According to those who came back from Coremanda
there could be a madman on the loose with a deadly plague weapon, but in
the midst of all these...marriages and bondings...its impossible to get
anything done quickly."

"I think 'ey'd look better on the flowers." Neelkan says with a small
shrug. Either on the flowers, or... somewhere that isn't strun over the
Courtuard. He watches her for a few moments, especially at the bit about
marriages and bondings. They're bonding is one of these distractions no
doubt. "I'm sure e'erythin'll be fine soon."

Kaomi doesn't even notice the potential readings of those statements, she's
lost in thought and thinking outloud. She touches Neelkan's arm lightly but
that is all. One of the realities of being bonded to the Amyrlin -- you
can't stroll hand in hand like so many other couples.

Neelkan doesn't seen too bothered, though at the touch his emotions spike
for a moment and he looks away. It's difficult for him to restrain himself.
She may be trained in that, but he's horrible at it. It's taking all his
being not to grab her up and do something that would no doubt start a bunch
of rumors that neither of them would like.