Two satchels lay out upon the huge ebony carved bed while three lay stuffed full by the door. The three at the door held all of the items she would need from her laboratory while the ones on the bed would hold personal items and any other manuals needed from the office in her quarters. If she weren’t careful she’d need an extra packhorse to carry it all.

 

Shaneevae never traveled lightly when heading for the Blight.  She’d tried that during her first few trips and had always regretted it. To complete her work it was practically a requirement to set up a full laboratory for experiments and one just could not do that with fewer than three bags.  The Brown Sister would take more if she could get away with it.

 

Fretting, she ran her hands through her hair and wracked her mind trying to recall the next item on the list she’d made, which was now misplaced somewhere in the disorder of her rooms. Shaneevae paused and surveyed the scene of mass destruction. “It looks like a bloody horde of trollocs ransacked this place. Ooh!” She said as she remembered something from her list and headed in the direction of her office. 

 

Halfway there, she stopped abruptly as the elusive item had just gone poof. Putting her finger to her lips, she turned her head and mentally retraced the path she’d just taken. The thought had fallen out through her ears somewhere along the way and she’d be damned if she could remember it now. A knock upon the door interrupted her torment and she lifted her skirts picking her way over the ramshackle mess.  Opening the door, she smiled and clapped her hands in giddiness, “What goody have you brought for me this time?”

 

Shaneevae

Smiling as the door opened to reveal a surprised Shaneevae, Lillian stepped forward and hugged the woman.  It had been some months since she had seen her sister, and it would be awhile before she saw the woman again.  After all, it was only a visit, she wasn't back at the Tower to stay by any stretch of the imagination.  But, she'd have to make the most of her time for today and tonight, on the morrow she would have to be on her way again.  It certainly wasn't as if there was a shortage of things to be done, maybe someday she would get a chance to rest but that day was far in the future.

 

Parting from her sister, she reached into the saddlebags that were slung over her left shoulder and withdrew from the leather a pair of large of hefty envelopes that Shaneevae quickly took as Lillian spoke.  "Don't bother about opening them just yet, you'll have plenty of time to look over them later.  How have you been Eve?  I've only seen Darienna since I've been back, since I had those envelopes I thought I'd catch up with you next.  I only have a bit of time here, tomorrow I leave again, no rest for the wicked and such."

 

It was then that Lillian noticed the satchels that sat by the door.  Frowning, Lillian looked back up at Shaneevae.  "Well, it looks that I am perhaps not the only one who is going somewhere.  You wouldn't happen to be traveling north by any chance?  I'm going that way tomorrow, we could travel together if that was the case.  I don't suppose you have any tea do you?  If not we could go to my quarters, I'm pretty sure there should be some there."

 

Poking the woman in the ribs, the smile was still on Lillian's face as she said.  "Well?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

Thoroughly engrossed in the envelopes Lillian had given her, Shaneevae fingered a turned up crease at the flap.  Don’t look, she says. Don’t look.  That was like telling a fish not to swim, a bird not to fly, a Yellow not to heal, a Brown not to think……..needless to say this request was near to impossible for her. It was torment of the foulest design.  IT WAS AGAINST NATURE!  Hers anyway.

 

The poke in the ribs startled her, “Hmmm?” she murmured noncommittally, still focused upon Lillian’s gift.  “Did you say something, Lil dear?”

 

Tea.

 

“Ah, tea.  Yes. How thoughtless of me.  Please do come in.” Shaneevae rambled off as she picked her away across the debris-strewn floor.  “Do be careful, dear, and watch….yes that….tricky little bugger.”  Skirts hiked almost above her knees, she high stepped her way across the room to the relatively clutter free sitting area.  “Yes, alright then,” she said plopping down into one of the overstuffed chairs turned invitingly toward the fireplace. “Sit Lillian. Sit.”  She waved indicating the matching chair to her right.

 

“As you can see I had intended on having tea,” Shaneevae said gesturing towards the now cold porcelain teakettle.  “But I was distracted by……why this mess of course.” She said rolling her eyes in the direction of her disaster. 

 

“Just allow me to reheat this and we’ll be all set.” Completing such, she offered her old friend the first cup and within a few minutes both sat comfortably nursing the black tea she’d gotten in the Tear.

 

Replacing her cup and saucer on the table, the Brown sister wondered if there was anything else Lilian had asked her, but for the life of her she could not remember. “Lil, you know better than to hand me a prize and tell me not to look. It’s like giving a dog a bone and then telling him not to worry it.” Smiling, she reached across the divide and patted the White on the arm and added a heavy wink, “Now start from the beginning. At the exact, precise moment you handed me the envelopes.”

 

 

Shaneevae

 

I'm not scatterbrained.  I'm just easily distracted.

 

Realising that Shaneevae hadn't heard a word she'd said, Lillian resigned herself to having to repeat herself even as she followed the woman across the cluttered floor, every step a careful one to make sure she didn't trip or damage something.  How a room was even allowed to get to this point, well, she could empathise and understand, but if it had been her own her fingers would have been twitching violently to restore order.  As it was, there was a lingering urge to scoop different things up as she went, but she managed to repress that particular desire for the moment.

 

Taking her seat and watching as her sister began reheating the tea, Lillian was tempted to cheat to speed it along but she wasn't the host so that wasn't for her to decide.  Besides, it was nice to simply sit down a little and be for a little bit, she might not have done a full day's travel today, but she'd done enough that she was definitely finding it a little difficult to focus.  Especially with the warmth the fireplace was giving off, but a quick nip on the inside of her cheek got her awake.

 

Taking the cup of tea and saucer she was offered, Lillian was glad for the first sip, it helped revive her substantially.  It was Shaneevae who caused her to stir with her question about what was said.  Thats right, Shaneevae looked like she was going somewhere.  "I said that I'm leaving the Tower tomorrow and it looks like you are as well.  If you're going north, I'd be more than happy to travel with you.  If you're going north that is, so I suppose my question is 'where are you going?'"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

Two fat cats stretching and arching before settling into a long rest was how they appeared as they sat in front of the fire and nursed their respective cups of tea. Shaneevae had always felt at ease with Lil except when they debated. The woman would beat a dead horse to get you to concede to her point of view if it were necessary. Typically it wasn’t necessary as her White sister had a finely honed mind and knew how to wield it, but on the rare occasion Shaneevae had admitted defeat simply from being worn down.

 

I said that I'm leaving the Tower tomorrow and it looks like you are as well.  If you're going north, I'd be more than happy to travel with you.  If you're going north that is, so I suppose my question is 'where are you going?’

 

Eyes sweeping the expansive disaster that was her room, Shaneevae blew a sigh of air through her nose, her lips thin in assessment as she realized the amount of packing she had left to do.

 

“North.”

 

Averting her gaze from the catastrophic atrocity, “I’d be pleased have you as my traveling companion, Lil.” She said congenially patting her friend’s hand. “But if you trap me into a debate, I swear by all this good and Light worthy I’ll throw you in a trolloc cookpot myself.”  With those last words spoken, Shaneevae turned a toothsome grin on Lillian and batted her eyelashes furiously to convey innocence.  “And then I’ll bring your skull back and use it as a paperweight or maybe even gift it to Annie to use as an ashtray.”

 

Shaneevae el'Edware

Sister of the Brown Ajah

 

Laughing, Lillian shook her head.  Shaneevae would have been far safer if she hadn't said anything at all.  Now she was guaranteed to be dragged into arguments now.  Well, not dragged, no one could actually be forced to argue.  That was something they chose to do themselves, or rather, to themselves, depending on the circumstances.  Regardless, the trip north was going to be rather enjoyable for Lillian with another way to pass the time.

 

"Thats a bit macabre, don't you think?"  Still smiling, Lillian reached over and patted Shaneevae's hand in turn.  "You do realise that it wouldn't be me trapping you in a debate.  The only prisons that exist are the ones that we create, after all.  Or would it really be me artfully drawing you into a discussion that you couldn't back out of?...  I'm not sure, I guess we'll have to debate it tomorrow."

 

The look on Shaneevae's face simply made Lillian grin as she sipped her tea.  It was definitely going to be a fun trip up north.  After all, stereotypically there wasn't that much difference between the Brown and the White, except their reasons for inquiry.  "Have no fear, our trip north will certainly be delightful and pass quickly with each other for company.  But, why are you going that way?  I don't suppose you're going there simply to aid on the Blightborder?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

I'm not sure, I guess we'll have to debate it tomorrow.

 

Flabbergasted, she dropped her mouth open and rolled her eyes heavenward.  What had she gotten herself into?  Trapped with Lilian for days on end. However would she survive the intellectual onslaught?  Just thinking about it exhausted her. Well….she was getting good at blocking people out.  She could feign interest with the best of them.

 

But, why are you going that way?  I don't suppose you're going there simply to aid on the Blightborder?

 

Sitting up, she leaned forward and refilled her tea weaving a small stream of Fire into the liquid and taking a timid sip. Having gotten it too hot, she blew gently across the surfaces making little ripples.

 

“I like to think that all of my work goes to the aid of the Blightborder. I hope that one day my research will come upon something monumental and turn the forces of the Shadow back, but if it doesn’t I’ll still enjoy dissecting trollocs.”

 

The Brown sister grinned at Lillian and turned the same question around, “Why are you heading that direction Lil?  Aiding the Blightborder?”

 

"Me?"

 

Smiling, Lillian finished her tea before setting it aside.  She had reasons other than the defence of the Borderlands to spur her on her travel this year.  Indeed, she was leaving far earlier than she normally would specifically so she would have the time necessary to complete the task she had set for herself.  After all, it wouldn't only be of benefit for her, if there were any answers to be had to the question that she had posed, they would benefit all.

 

"I will offer my services on the Blightborder as I do most years, but there is more to it this year.  I've interviewed a number of the Malkieri refugees since the war of nine hundred and fifty five New Era, I'm no closer to understanding what happened and why it did than anyone else.  So, I plan to venture into the land of Towers and Lakes where the Golden Crane once flew and finding some answers if there are any left to be found.  Even though the Blight is already overrunning the area, the larger settlements and the capital in particular would have been far slower to succumb.  Perhaps there is enough there that still remains for some answers and extrapolations to be made."

 

"So."  Lillian rubbed her hands together as she continued.  "I would travel with you as far as the Borderlands, but then we would have to part ways as you pursue your task and I pursue mine.  I will try and catch up with you after my task is done if time permits, but by then I think the season will have truly begun and I'll have to be wherever I'm required.  But, we will have some time together at least."

 

"So, perhaps early in the morning tomorrow?  First light?  Meet you in Luagde and we'll make our way north from there?  Or are you taking the road from Jualdhe to Maradon?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah