Silent Flight (Attn: Bella - Thread Roulette)

[Craig]

Zarayne

A Yellow.

Simple enough, Zarayne thought as she moved back towards the Warder Hall. This was the opposite direction from Lysira and the Dedicated, and also away from the Grey Tower itself. Due to the prevalence of injuries here, there were always Healers around. All I need to do is find one.

There was some issue with that. Firstly, most of the people here were not channellers. Not a surprise in the least, but she wasted time looking into faces that were clearly not ageless nor forever young. She discounted all of the learning ranks, but not all of the Gaidin wore fancloaks, and not all of the Asha'man and Aes Sedai wore their cords or shawls.

After a couple of minutes, Zarayne recognised an Aes Sedai from the Infirmary. She was short (but then, most people here were by comparison) and had a strong accent that the novice had struggled to understand at first. With the slightest of bows, Zarayne interjected herself into the Aes Sedai's conversation with a male Gaidin. "Apologies for interrupting, Aes Sedai, but Lysira Gaidin needs your assistance." The Aiel only paused long enough to know that she had the Yellow's attention and assistance before she raced south towards Lysira and her quarry.

It didn't take Zarayne long to find the short Gaidin. A small crowd of onlookers had formed a semi-circle around the sight of Lysira kneeling atop the Dedicated. Zarayne took a place slightly away from both of them, but separate from the semi-circle, as she watched the Yellow Aes Sedai enter the fray.

"He was going to jump--" was all she got out before Lysira noticed her. Zarayne slipped into silence as she recognised that her voice was needed for other things.

[Bella]

The Dedicated tried to wiggle out from under her, but a knee between the shoulderblades makes for a pretty strong deterrent. She did notice, and appreciate, he wasn't using the One Power on her. She thought that maybe he had a little sense, or perhaps he couldn't do so without the gestures--as it was with many--and being face down in the dirt was an issue.

Either way, she was grateful.

It wasn't too much longer before the tall Novice came running back with a Yellow. She began to talk but then met Lysira's eyes and stopped. It took Lys a minute, but she realized the girl was waiting to translate for her. Well, that was considerate. 'He claims to have discovered how to Fly, Aes Sedai,' Lysira signed.

She wasn't sure if the gestures for "Aes Sedai" would be known, but maybe the girl could guess. She continued.

'He wanted to jump off a building to show us, but between that and his somewhat manic behavior, I had concerns as to his health and prevented his departure while waiting for you.' It was missed by no one that Lysira was still kneeling on him while 'talking' to the Yellow to explain the situation.

The Dedicated started to say something, but gave up before he even really started.

[Craig]

Zarayne

Zarayne interpreted the Gaidin's words for the Aes Sedai's benefit. "...Lysira Gaidin had concerns about his health and prevented his departure whilst waiting for you, Aes Sedai."

The Yellow sister knelt down beside the prone Dedicated without any word. Light shone around her a moment later as the Aes Sedai embraced the Source. Flows of silver and yellow and blue light wound and wove themselves into a endless loop above the man's head. Zarayne took a deep interest in the ring of woven saidar, but the weaving was too fine to make out clearly at this distance. Still, she knew it was a weave for Delving -- Zarayne had seen the like a number of times previously in the Infirmary.

Wisps of Spirit floated from the Dedicated to the Yellow sister. The latter's head rose up to look directly at Lysira. "Yee worr correct in yor judgement. He is unwell." That much seemed apparent from Zarayne's perspective, but she couldn't see the look of thoughtful concern on the Aes Sedai's face. "He hes an illness iv the mind. If aa'd tuh hazard a guess, ah wud sa he wes sufferin from the taint."

The novice looked from the Aes Sedai to Lysira then to the Dedicated. She didn't understand what knowledge was being passed between them, though that had nothing to do with the odd accent.

[Bella]

Lysira had moved off the Dedicated enough to make sure he could breathe and the Aes Sedai had room to work, but not so much that he could get away or cause too much trouble...at least more than he already had and that was wasn't a great deal comparative to some things Lysira had experienced, but it was more than she had bargained for in her day.

She waited patiently as the Yellow worked and then to hear what she had to say. It took the diminutive Gaidin a few moments to fully process what had actually been said, winding it through the obscuring of the accent.

And then it took another moments for her to think about what the woman had said. 'You cannot mean the taint upon Saidin, can you?' she signed, listening for Zarayne's translation. 'This boy would have to be over a hundred and fifty years old, and still a Dedicated...' She knew that channelers without the Oaths just looked perpetually young, but this was ridiculous.

Even Miahala Sedai didn't look as young as he did and she was that age.

[Craig]

Zarayne

The Aes Sedai looked pensive. "He cud be that age. Ma he's neet. Eithor wa, he needs tuh come tuh the infirmary reet awa. This is a poor place tuh treat a patient." Zarayne struggled a bit more with those words, but she understood "infirmary" clearly enough.

Between the two of them, Lysira and the Aes Sedai got the Dedicated back up onto his feet. His earlier chattiness had been converted into a silent sullenness. Maybe this was due to the presence of the crowd, or because he was being held back from performing his flying trick.

For a moment Zarayne stood still with the rest of the crowd, concluding that the show was over. Not that she had been gawking like some of the others. Then a glance back from the Aes Sedai urged her slippered feet forwards, following after the trio. She was needed. Not for her skill with saidar, nor as a witness for what had occurred, but that didn't matter. She was needed, and she could be of help to someone. Her long legs easily caught up with the Dedicated and his escort, as they walked towards the Tower.

[Bella]

Neither the Aes Sedai nor the Gaidin were particular brutish women, but they did manage to get the Dedicated moving. Even though his mood had clearly shifted, he was not otherwise injured--even after a short life under Lysira's knee--and at least moved under her own power. Lys figured the Aes Sedai could have used a bit of channeling to hurry things along if need be, but it was not called for.

They made it back to the infirmary and saw the man (who may or may not have been as young as Lysira had originally suspected) to a bed, and then the Novice and Gaidin were ushered off in the borderline imperious way Yellow Aes Sedai had. It was, in actuality, entirely imperious because she was Aes Sedai, but downgraded to "borderline" because of being a Yellow-at-work.

Her part finished, Lys turned to see Zarayne and nodded for them to walk into the hallway together.

'I hardly think she needs our help anymore,' she signed with a faint, wry smile curving her mouth. 'This was certainly not how I expected to spend my morning in training, but at least we were able to stop him from killing himself.' Such was their good deed for the day, it would seem. 'Thank you for your help,' she went on. 'It made things much easier. It's not often I meet people who can understand me without my instructing them.'

[Craig]

Zarayne

Dreams of being able to help this man faded as they were bundled out from the Infirmary. Zarayne wanted to assist in some way, much like she had aided her mother when Sinead had treated illnesses in their village. It seemed that would not be happening today, although thankfully she still had Lysira for company.

Zarayne smiled at the mention of saving the man's life. I guess I did help someone today, she thought with a touch of cheer. She should have known better that poultices and tinctures weren't the only way to help people.

'I did not know that wetlanders used hand-talk,' she signed in response. 'Arguably I should not know; this is the language of the Far Dareis Mai, and I was never a Maiden.' A fleeting look of contrition graced the novice's visage, but then she was back to smiles. 'Do you have someone that normally speaks for you? If not, I'd be more than happy to assist if I can.' No poultices and tinctures needed here neither.

[Bella]

The offer somewhat caught Lysira off-guard. She had rarely had anyone volunteer for the job. They had either been friends that she had asked, or they had been assigned to her. She and translators had not had very good luck, but maybe it was the method by which she came by them...? Truth was, she did need someone.

She had never had a channeler aid her either. The Gaidin wondered how that would work out with the Mistress of Novices...

'I usually do,' she began. 'However, my last translator, well, she passed away.' Those details did not need to be passed along, to almost anyone ever again. She suppressed a shudder. 'I didn't even know I spoke anything resembling something of the Aiel until I was here at the Tower. I didn't even know of the Aiel.'

It was hard to know much growing up in isolation and then on the run and in many a forest. 'I just knew it was something my father taught me, and he was a Gaidin. Maybe he knew someone while here.' A small, fond smile curved her mouth at that, but she didn't linger. 'If we can work it out with the Mistress of Novices, I'd be pleased to have your aid.'

[Craig]

Zarayne

Well, that did cut to the crux of some of the motivation behind her offer. She wanted more distance from the unending lessons that came with being a novice, and spending more time around the yards gave her more opportunities to practice her swordsmanship.

Zarayne wondered if that latter comment was meant as a... barb? "Maybe he knew someone while here." Was that an inference towards her parents? Father was a Gaidin, and Mother was Aiel. Her hands flickered subconsciously, when she wanted to express her frustrations without giving them voice. 'I know my mother.' The sharpness and aggression in how she signed made it a challenge, daring someone to contradict her.

It was a long moment before Zarayne realised what she had done. "I'm sorry!" she said with honest remorse. "I didn't mean anything by it, I just..." Her voice faltered, but she was signing without thought again. 'Sorry sorry sorry sorry.'

She snapped her arms to her sides to stop herself from making any more of an embarrassment of herself, and bowed stiffly. "I'm sorry Lysira Gaidin. Please forgive me."

[Bella]

Well, that was a surprise.

Lysira arched a dark brow, wondering about the source of the sharp anger and then watching the devolving into abject apologies. It was a sudden change of tone, from one to another and back again, and Lys was silent (ha) for a moment as she contemplated what was going on with the young woman before her.

She had said nothing about the girl's mother, nor implied anything related to her family. After a moment, she signed, 'I simply meant that I wondered if my father had an friends or companions who were Aiel while he was in the Tower. I lost many years with my family and did not know as much of their time here as I might have liked. I do not know where my father learned the signs, just that he taught me.

'You are forgiven, but try to not presume you know my thoughts when I speak. I prefer to be straightforward and if I have a point to make, I will make it.'