Tag: Eqwina

Look What we have Here, Girls! (Attn: Eqwina and Jasmyne)

“Why do I always get stuck doing the dirty work?” Raeyn thought to herself as she led her new and biddable pet behind her across the Tower grounds.  It had only taken a brush of her talent on the frightened boy-child to convince him to come along merrily, but she had felt that it would be safer to not take the risk of him running off screaming.  There were some on the Tower grounds itself who wished no end of ill will to Aes Sedai, so…

Putting on an expression somewhere between cross and lost in thought, she praised the Great Lord for the relative lack of people around the Library itself.  Most people preferred to come through the great shaft of the White Tower itself, making it much easier to enter the vast storage hallways below with few or no observers.  Drawing deeper on Saidar, she opened the barn-sized door with a flow of Air and gestured her charge down with her.

He stepped through, and she gestured off him off to the side where she could keep an eye on him.  Carefully, she shut the doors behind her, making sure to keep this unknown in her site.  Tapping her foot, she pursed her lips in thought momentarily before gesturing down the hallway again.  A small ball of light bloomed upon her hands.  “With me,” the Aes Sedai spoke curtly, leaving no room for argument as she started down the hallway.

Down and down they went, until the chill and stale air told the tale of long neglect and few visits.  In these lower halls, Raeyn selected a door at seeming random and once again pointed for the boy to enter.  He nodded uncertainly, stepping through the dusty entrance gingerly.  With a smile, Raeyn shut the door behind them.

Turning her attention to the boy child again, she slammed a gag of Air into his just-opening mouth.  Drawing deeply upon Saidar, the Black Sister then threw a web of Air at the boy, slamming him upwards and against the hard wall.  A sharp exhalation through his nose and the bulge of his eyes told of the pain before his eyes rolled backwards, and his lids dropped shut.

Nodding, she eyed the globe of light thoughtfully before reopening the door.  “He won’t need it down here,” she smiled again, closing the door behind her, “My Sisters will do for him soon enough.” She hurried back upwards as fast as she could while attempting to disguise her passage; Eqwina would be ‘remembering’ her expertise soon, and she needed to be found in one of her normal haunts.

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10 January 2009 (8:30pm GMT)

Night had long since fallen as Raeyn made her way down through the Library, and below. “I do dislike leaving people hanging around, but it was most expedient,” she reasoned to herself as she made her way through the dim and dusty corridors, “But perhaps I should have just finished him myself, orders or no.  I understand  Eqwina wanting to test the mettle of the new girls, but still…” Sighing to herself, she opened the usual door.

Quickly, she loosed the weave she had prepared on the way down upon her captive.  Smiling brightly, she stood back and suggested politely, “You have been ill.  You fell and banged up your head earlier, and we simply have you secured to make sure you don’t do yourself further damage.”

Raeyn increased the strength of the weave as she spoke, doing her best to melt away any concern or worry the young spy had in his head.  When a smile began to form on his face, she slammed a gag of Air into his mouth hard enough to knock him out cold again.  “I’m not in the mood for small talk,” she muttered to herself, waiting for the others to arrive.  Whatever the others thought, she didn’t have all night to wait their fancy.

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14 January 2009 (1:49am GMT)

Suppressing a glare and a growl, Raeyn curtsied as appropriate from Council to Ajah head, and walked around Eqwina and Jasmyne without speaking.  While not a personal fan of killing, per se, she generally agreed with Eqwina’s policies towards making sure that new Sisters were a good fit, and able to follow orders.  Closing the door softly behind her, she made her way back towards the Library with a sudden grin – at least she’d not have to thump down the dust herself this time!

Trial: Healing and Defense

Strolling down the hallway, Raeyn mused on her most recent meeting with her counterpart in the Red Ajah, Zarinen.  Of course, the woman had no idea that Raeyn knew her position as the Highest, but what she didn’t know benefited both of Raeyn’s Ajahs in their business.

Still, it was prudent that a Sister Raeyn had an established history with was running the Reds… even if that woman was somewhat madder than she had been in the past.  Regardless of that fact, it had been a fine conversation, and the Brown Sister felt that both parties were happy with the end result.  So it was with good spirits that Raeyn made her way sedately down the corridors of the Tower.  She was enjoying herself, and very happy to actually have any time to be leisurely!

She was crossing the Tower’s main antechamber when something drew her up short.  Stopping quickly, she allowed her attention to be diverted by a Warder carrying a smaller person deeper into the Tower.  A gasp almost escaped her lips – that was Matalina, her former Warder!

“No, no.. it’s Cari now, not Matalina,” she thought to herself as she waited a moment before following.  She continued to walk at a sedate pace, and allowed herself to assume a mask of deep thought in order to prevent others from stopping her to speak.  While she GREATLY disliked that stereotype against her Ajah and its Sisters, she had to admit to herself that it was a useful tool on occasion.

It wasn’t too long before she realized where the Warder, “Kyn or something, I think; one of the Green’s Warders, was carrying the prostrate form.  Nodding to herself, she drifted into an adjacent corridor and picked up her pace.

Normally, she avoided the Yellow Ajah like the plague, but she had a great need to go into their nest this day.  In her head, Raeyn shot a small prayer of thanks to the Great Lord that she had been around the Yellow quarters a fair amount lately to talk with her fellow Black, Eqwina, about matters in the Hall of the Tower.  And because of that, no one looked twice when she knocked on Eqwina’s door and dashed in as soon as the First Weaver opened the door.

“Eqwina,” she started, pausing for a second to open herself to Saidar and weave a ward against eavesdropping, “We appear to have a problem.”  Striding towards an available chair, Raeyn plopped down. She had heard the stories about all the murders in and around the Warders Yard recently, and seeing her friend being carried into the Tower had told her almost immediately who was the responsible party.

Taking a deep breath, Raeyn explained everything she could about the ongoing matters.  Her former Warder’s insanity, the multiple personalities, the trail of murders around the Yards.  “You’ll probably be getting called down to the Infirmary soon to check on her, I would think,” Raeyn said in conclusion, “And we can expect there to be a trial of sorts.  I think that we might have to use our pull to be a part of that trial, and see if we can get her freed.”

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20 October 2008

Raeyn nodded and rose from her seat, “You can always claim to know that I have an interest in murders and murderers or something; I’m sure you can think something up to make it seem most reasonable to get me down to investigate your charge.”

Heading for the door, she turned back to the Yellow Sister, “At least, I can only guess you’ll be heading down to the infirmary soon?”  A curt nod in reply, which Raeyn returned a touch more politely, “Excellent.  I think that, perhaps, we should meet again to discuss where to go from here.  If you would like, perhaps we can meet in one of the more isolated gardens for a chat later?  I’ll leave that up to you; you know how to get a note to me if you need to.”  She was, of course, referring to the secret hiding places the Black Sisters used around the Tower to drop notes to each other; she had no doubts that Eqwina would make use of such for this, which was technically work of their true Ajah.

Dropping the ward, Raeyn dipped herself in a curtsy before departing; she might not like this woman that much, but she was the one the Chosen had placed over her.  And in matters of the Heart, the proper courtesies must be observed.

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06 November 2008

After leaving Eqwina’s chambers, Raeyn wasn’t that sure what to do with herself.  “If I go down to the Library, I’ll end up getting cornered by someone or another for hours.  If I go back to my chambers, I’ll probably end up getting distracted by some bit of Ajah work or another,” she mused with a frown as she strode down the corridor, ”And I don’t even know how long Eqwina will be with Matalina, erm.. Cari.  It could be minutes, it could be hours, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

Down another spiraling ramp, down another hallway, and suddenly her nose decided her, ”Oh yes, almost lunchtime.  I can stop for a bite, and then check the normal spot.  If the message isn’t there by then, I can go gamble on not getting cornered in the Library!” Pleased with her decision, she assumed a thoughtful mask and found herself a corner table to enjoy her repast in.

~*~*~

With her appetite sated, Raeyn made her way up and across towards her rarely-used chambers in the Tower proper.  The corridor was clear before her, and a quick glance back showed it clear behind.  Smiling, she approached the tapestry of  Queen Esmerelde of Shiota reading a treatise on the War of Power as written by scholars in the courts of Coremanda.  Checking the hallway again quickly, she reached behind it, and found a note waiting.  “Good,” she thought to herself, turning the corner to enter the Tower-bound Brown quarters properly, ”At least I didn’t have to wait that long after all.”

She smiled, and entered her sparsely-used Tower chambers.   Once inside, she quickly opened the note and scanned the contents.  Nodding to herself, she crossed to the fireplace and opened herself up to Saidar.  Channeling a fine flow of Fire, she quickly set the note alight before laying it inside the fireplace, where it quickly burnt to nothing.  Nodding again, she began the trek to where Eqwina indicated they should meet.

~*~*~

Raeyn found Eqwina sitting alongside a fountain in one of the more secluded Tower gardens.  Curtsying slightly, Raeyn eyed the notepad questioningly as she made herself comfortable alongside her fellow Black Sister.  “I take it your findings were much as I said, then?”

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11 November 2008 (6:07pm GMT)

”Patronizing child!” Raeyn thought furiously as Eqwina reached over and patted her on the head, “As if I were some pet of hers!  But then, we cannot pick our Sisters…”

Taking a slow, calming breath, she kept her face smooth and fixed in a mildly curious expression.  Long years as a Sister gave her better facial control than almost anyone else in the Tower, and she used it to her advantage as often as possible.  Why, she sometimes felt as if the emotion she portrayed, most times, were exactly what she wanted whomever she was speaking with to read.  Not that anyone in the Tower was quite that adept, no matter what they thought of themselves, but it never hurt to have a little confidence in oneself.

As for Eqwina, it was well ‘known’ in the Tower that they were friends.  Of course, this was the furthest thing from the truth; they both mutually disliked each other, and were quite content with that on a personal level; there was too much bad blood between the Ajahs they headed openly for it to be otherwise.  Still, the pretension to friendship had served them well in the past, and seemed that it would serve well in the near future too…

Tapping her chin briefly as in thought, Raeyn replied slowly, “Yes… I have read a fair number of texts pertaining to the subject at hand.  I think, however, it would be best if I pretend ignorance of the ongoing… troubles… until such time that you are approached by whomever the Yard has appointed to organize the trial.  I think it obvious that they will come to you for evidence, as the Yellow currently presiding over M… the prisoner.”  Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she rose, “At that time, you could, perhaps, ‘recall’ a conversation you have had with me in the past,” she paused to smile, “And recommend me as a resource for defense of the aforementioned.  That is, if that suits you?”

At the Baraka Manor (attn: Raeyn and Eqwina)

Staring at the mirror, Raeyn sighed resignedly yet again.  “Why, of all people..” she started, cutting off in a tight-lipped glare at her reflected image.  Fine dark-golden silk slashed with dark brown velvet in the skirts sheathed the Brown Sister; it was one of the few dresses she owned in the style of Andor, but one she relied upon when dressing to impress.  Her normal wardrobe was fairly boring; plain if well-made velvets and silks with little to no adornment in the style of her native Saldaea made up the bulk of her clothing.

Still, having to dress up was the least of Raeyn’s irks this evening, nor her reason for delaying the meeting planned for the evening.  She was quite looking forward to meeting this Master Baraka, truth be told.  No one outside herself and the most senior members of the Ajah’s Council were aware of the size of the Brown Ajah’s network of Eyes and Ears, but they worked assiduously to expland said network whenever possible.  And having a well-off merchant actually based in Tar Valon was too good an opportunity to turn down.

No, it was knowing who her companion on this visit would be for the evening that had the Brown Sister procrastinating.  There were very few in the Tower who stood above her, very few, and tonight would be spent the only one of those who mattered.  Eqwina was an extremely diminutive woman with a fierceness about her that had nothing to do with their darker affiliations, and caused Raeyn to have a grudging respect for the other woman in spite of her ‘cover’ Ajah.

Regardless of that though, the aged Sister was never really comfortable having to bow her head to anyone… and it really had been quite the shock to return to the Tower and find out how many hand bungled in and out of the job.  This woman who was Head of the Yellows though… perhaps she stood a chance of doing a good job in service to their master.

Shaking herself, Raeyn patted down a hair and strode to the rack near the door.  She decided to make due without her shawl, but took down a finely-woven dark brown raincloak.  Settling it about her shoulders, she went downstairs to meet her Sister.

~*~*~*~*~

Unsurpisingly, she found Eqwina waiting for her in a carriage downstairs.  The rain was picking up as she settled herself in across from the other woman.  “My apologies for the delay, Eqwina,” Raeyn shot a quick smile to the other woman as she leaned back.  Eqwina nodded and murmured a greeting before resuming her brown study of the interior of the carriage.  ”Just as well,” Raeyn thought to herself, ”Much too rainy and much too short a trip to really worry about watching the city go by.”

In short order, the two Sisters found themselves pulling up to a stately manor.  Nodding a her in polite greeting to the waiting footman, she allowed him to take her cloak and guide herself and the other Sister to his waiting master, Ahdam Baraka.

”Greetings, and welcome to my humble home.  It is ever a pleasure to host such noble persons as those of the White Tower.  Will you please have a seat?” the young master spoke warmly, bowing as appropriate.

Raeyn eyed Eqwina as they sat; she would follow the other Sister’s lead… for now.