"Notebooks, Manuscripts, and Bustiers - A Day In The Life of the Brown Ajah"

 by Emillith Sedai

Emillith had had a rough day. She had spent all day amongst the furthest recesses of the library. A section that very few of even the Browns new about. In fact, she would be surprised if any beyond the Amyrlin, the Keeper, the Head of the Browns and herself, being Mistress of the Library, knew of it.  Someone had to keep the secret histories and ancient lore safe, clean and copied every so often. It would not do for a novice to copy this material, let alone a bookbinder from the city. No, these histories needed to be preserved and kept secret. 

At about midday Emillith realized she needed energy to keep going. So she ran out to get a pot of tea, and snagged more parchment and ink. Making sure that all was well within the Library, she scurried back to the maze of corridors and doorways that was the catacombs of the library. If one did not know where they were going they could easily get lost. Which was partially the point. There were also a few mirrors that acted to further confuse those that dared come where they were not allowed. Every few years there was a brave and over confident novice…

Adjusting her pile of notebooks, Emillith had to shift. It was cutting into her bodice. Hurrying into the nearest open room, Emillith set down all the notebooks with her lists and adjusted her bustier. These really were a problem. After adjusting herself, Em opened one of her notebooks and flipped to a page, adding an item to one of the lists.

Today was the day for spring cleaning. Well, not really. IT was more like this month was spring cleaning.  One moth in every year Emillith took the time to take stock of the conditions of these rooms. Dust them; recopy any texts close to dust and the like. It would not take a month if she actually enlisted help, yet Em was stubborn, and took great care for the knowledge here.  Enlisting help also made it out that Em was not capable of doing the work herself, and may have had the shawl for well over 50 years, but she was still a spring chick. At least in her own mind. 

Turning a few more turns Em found the room she was looking for.  Fumbling with the huge ring of keys at her waist and her armload of notebooks, Em found the correct key. Unlocking each door was a chore. Not only was it locked with the master key, but also with another key, depending on which part of the catacombs one was in. This section was the special Brown Histories. Em had also taken to making a stash for the current sisters. That was done about once a generation. The other ajahs did it as well, only they handed it over to the current Mistress of the Library to be cataloged. Thinking of the green section she was attacking tomorrow did not please her. There was a scent coming from under that door that implied their infamous mint teas were moldering. Shuddering Em continued with the locks. Once the two physical locks were undone, Emillith had to flip through her notebooks. She so rarely used these weaves, and they were not originally hers, so she had trouble remembering them. Looking hard, she found the spot where she had inverted the weaves from last year and began the process of finally finishing unlocking the door.  It was a long tradition that as the mantle of MoL passed so did the knowledge of these catacombs and their numerous locks and wards. Each door had a different weave. They were all so complex and similar that it was near impossible to keep them straight. Only a brown would keep this many notes, and keep them hidden in safe places until needed.

Channeling a little bit of fire, air and spirit, the room lit up. The sconces upon the walls were dusty, but would sparkle once that dust was removed. Never had they seen a real fire. Only the One Power. At least that made cleaning easier. Less scrubbing. It was more like organizing manuscripts and various other articles. Speaking of article, Em looked about the room. Yes, very much as she had left it a year ago. This room was her favorite. Not just because it was the room leading to the various rooms for the Brown Ajah, her ajah, but also because it was the most diverse.

Oh the Greens had all their weapons and lists of warders and such not. And that tea. The yellows had drying herbs, lists on various ways over the ages to heal a stab wound or what not. The whites had those puzzles….  The grays had lists of treaties, and a few trunks of maps and such. The Blues had their closets stuffed with wards for listening and disguise and the like. Now the Reds had some fun toys, from restraints used in past years that have since been outdated in which to hold a male channeler, but also they needed the largest of rooms for their furniture. Of all things the Reds stored old but in good condition in those rooms. Why they were not in the storage cellars or given to the populace Em had no idea. There were reasons for everything, and she was not privileged, not interested enough to know. IT wasn’t that she wasn’t interested. More like she knew knowing some things came with a price. Em just wasn’t ready to pay too many prices at this point in her career.

That sentiment also went along with the one section Em, nor anyone, but the Amyrlin herself went into. It was especially for Amyrlin's. What ever they feel is worthy of being kept for the generations, from histories kept from even the secret histories to other things not worth thinking about. There were rumors that the current Amyrlin keeps a huge stash of pudding there now.

Opening the first closet, Em started cataloging the maps. There were maps here that dated back to right after the Breaking. All the changes in political boundaries, notes of trade routes, and many other things belonged in here. The next closet held notebooks with lists like the ones Em had set upon the table. Lists from former Mistresses of the Libraries.

Going from closet to, room to room, examining maps and manuscripts, plays and popular novels no longer the fashion, from histories to journals of sisters to more notebooks of studies conducted. Those studies fascinated Emillith. They studies inventions, some long forgotten, to angreal to people. That was once called the study of psychology. However, now none knew of it anymore.

The final room was Em’s favorite. It has been whispered about in corners of the Tower, yet none except for her own Brown sisters knew it was true. IT was the Brown lingerie room. Her second favorite was the recipe room. Now that was special in its own way. But lingerie was a secret Brown passion. In the aspirant handbook was even a section on how to make your own brown sequenced thongs. With the One Power to boot! Each head of the ajah, from the very first had a special set for occasions. Of course things were WELL cleaned before storage. That was one thing the Browns prided themselves in, and their warders, the few that did bond to a human as opposed to the wondrous books, enjoyed. The Browns had the best and sexiest lingerie. From silks to satin and gossamer, from print to lace to sequence and sparkles, they had all the colors of the rainbow, but only the brown ones were reserved here.  They were the Brown lingerie of the spiffy Brown Ajah after all.

There was a special section for bustiers… Opening her notebook, Emillith checked off a few items. Yes indeed.  Here were bustiers from each member of the ajah from the formation of the tower. Much more, um, acceptable than panties. A few sisters had not yet decided upon which bustier they would place within the archive. Some here had never been worn, but worked on for many years with a love and dedication most other ajahs would never understand. That was a key thing about the Browns. Dedication and observation to details.

Having finished cataloging and making sure no damages had occurred. Emillith let the weaves for the lights dissipate, not untying them. Relocking and warding, Emillith decided to call it a night. Once exiting the catacombs, a quick look at a window told her that it was beyond time to have been finished. Em hoped she could still get some supper, and hurried off to find food before crashing into bed.