This Place Smells Like Home

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Leesa
"New Spring"
Posts: 16
Joined: March 18th, 2017, 2:26 am

This Place Smells Like Home

Post by Leesa » April 6th, 2017, 10:57 pm

The stables was as close as she could come to home at the Grey Tower. The scent of hay brought back rushes of childhood memories, her father's voice and her brothers trying to swap morning chores. She took an almost involuntary deep breath, her white novice dress rising slightly as she did. It was neigh impossible for her to be upset or angry in here- time away from the horses was one the few punishments that seemed to have any effect on her when she was very young. So now it was almost instantaneous, that feeling of peace.
The Saldaean was nearly always angry at something these days; frustrated with her lack of progress in lessons. Why couldn't they be out here? With the horses it was...different. She could focus. There were certain things one had to do, a certain way to behave around horses, and she knew those. She belonged here.

Serain walked through the main area of the stable in a way that was almost meditative -not that she was aware of that fact- looking at the horses in the stalls, noting how each was feeling. Maybe that was part of her problem. Paks was training to be a Warder, and she couldn't imagine her doing anything else. Jesi at least seemed alright with her lot. But Serain? The fiery redhead wasn't meant to sit in a room being talked to. She hated sitting around; she didn't think she belonged at the Grey Tower if that was what it meant.
Usually this line of thought would get her irritated, but not here. It was like it all stayed in a little box- she knew the consequences of being overly anxious or hostile around horses.
It was then she looked up to see where her slow, meandering walk had taken her to see a bay stallion watching her with interest. Light, he was larger than most the the horses she'd been around growing up.
"What are you there, big fella? Seventeen hands?" she estimated aloud. "And such a lovely coat. I'll bet you're the one in charge around here, aren't you?" she teased softly.

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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: This Place Smells Like Home

Post by Bella » April 7th, 2017, 11:21 am

It was one of those occasions during the course of the day where Ravak and Mia were not together. He had duties to attend to and she wanted to go to the stables and check on Seren. Not that she had any particular cause to worry about her great steed, but that didn't mean she was going to be neglectful. It was too much in her blood to allow that.

Something about being out of doors and into familiar space was soothing to her. She... Well, she couldn't say she was feeling unwell, because that was no true. In fact, life was pretty good and she was enjoying that. There was still something just a little off. She couldn't help but think back to the events of the ball, and the mission before her--among others--now.

As she walked into the stables, she saw someone standing...in front of her horse. A pang of displeasure went through her, and then she realized how stupid that was and put it away.

"His name is Seren," she said, her voice smooth and just loud enough to be heard. When the young woman turned--a woman dressed in Novices whites, she took notice of--she saw her eyes. That explained it all. A faint smile curved her lips as she moved forward. "It means 'stubborn' on the Old Tongue."

To the girl, the woman approaching would clearly be marked as an Aes Sedai. She was tall for a non-Aiel woman, just a little taller than the girl herself, and carried herself with an undeniable air of authority that made it clear she was more than a stablehand. She wore dark green breeches and a white blouse with her riding boots.

Her eyes and the strength of her nose were unmistakably Saldaean, and her auburn hair was threaded with silver--a sure sign that had been Aes Sedai for a long time. Though she bore no agelessness, which also spoke to her lack of the Three Oaths.

Now she reached the stall door. Seren instantly recognized her and swung his big head in her direction, nudging at her shoulder with it in a none too gentle and all too demanding sort of way. Mia laughed softly. "As you can guess, this one is mine." She brought up the bit of carrot she had "borrowed" from the kitchens and offered it to him. "I am Miahala Sedai, child. And you are?"

Leesa
"New Spring"
Posts: 16
Joined: March 18th, 2017, 2:26 am

Re: This Place Smells Like Home

Post by Leesa » April 18th, 2017, 6:11 pm

At the sound of another voice, the redhead turned and stepped away from the stall to have more room for her curtsy to the Aes Sedai. It was clear to see from her facial features that like Serain, this woman too was from Saldaea. Serain couldn't help her smile. She had yet to meet another Saldaean to her knowledge. It would be such a relief to finally talk to someone who might understand why she thought the way she did, why she loved this place so much and what it meant to here.
"I'm Serain Kaltorin, Miahala Sedai." she replied as she rose, moving aside as Seren noticed his owner and demanded affection.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you," the redhead smiled. "I hope I wasn't in your way. I just...I like it in the stables. My family trained horses and so it reminds me of home."
She suspected she was giving too much information, but she thought the Aes Sedai would understand. Not only was she new to the Grey Tower, but Serain was still missing her family. They were a large and tight-knit group, and while she hadn't cried since her first night here she still felt alone. How odd was it that she felt so isolated while surrounded by people? Even the other Novices she had met she still did not feel close too.

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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: This Place Smells Like Home

Post by Bella » April 21st, 2017, 4:09 pm

The instinct of both the mother and the former Mistress of Novices made it easy for her to listen to whatever the girl needed to say with an expression that was not quite a smile, but verging near enough to it to convey a certain openness and warmth. In a place that brought together so many different people, it was always nice to meet a countryman.

"As do my family," Mia said when the girl finished. "The Sha'hal family has been breeding, raising, and training horses for well over a dozen generations. They work with the cavalry of Saldaea but also to people outside the nation.

"Seren, here," she went on, rubbing the white spot in the center of his forehead, "is one whose line I have overseen back to his great granddam and sire. There is a farm just on the outskirts of Hama Valon that is mine and takes care of the lines of my horses. Many come right back up here to the Tower."

There was no trace of bragging in her words, or even arrogance, but the pride at the beautiful horse beside her was something she did not bother to mask. Otherwise, it was just information imparted from one being to another.

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