Fayth meets Calithe

Calithe Riviel |RAS| is sitting at a table near the back wall, shrouded in the lengths and hood of her black cloak, her body bent over a book which lies open on the table before her. Though there is some mild activity in this area, the woman appears alone.

Fayth throws the hood of her cloak back and shakes out her mop of curls. She takes off her gloves and fits them into the pocket of her cloak before surveying the room around her. She smiles faintly at anyone she passes, and moves to an empty bench, taking a seat.

From her position at the rear of the room, located at a corner table with her back to the tent wall, Calithe glances up when you enter and gives you a glance over. Most of her features are veiled by the presence of the hood that she keeps pulled about her, but a small, neutral and friendly smile is visible on her lips beneath the shadow, should you happen to look at her. (Calithe)

Fayth does in fact take a look, and takes the smile as an inviting one. She slides a bit closer to prevent having to raise her voice, and offers a friendly smile of her own. "Light Illumine. I hope my presence won't disturb you, but I'm waiting for someone, and provided you don't object, would rather not wait by myself."

In the face of such an open and outgoing manner, Calithe hesitates for a second, and that subtle smile becomes a gently coughed half-laugh. "Good day, sister," she replies to you, her words somewhat oddly spaced, and tinted with a very faint and curious accent. "No, I do not object... who do you wait for?" Curiousity leads the Green to blink and tilt her head slightly, and it also draws her eyes away from the book which she now closes. (Calithe)

Fayth grins. "My sister. We're both so busy, that we rarely have time for each other anymore. I made a silly promise that I would always make time for her..." she chuckles, and shakes her head. "...so now we make it a point to see each other at least once a week. Sort of our way of making sure we don't lose touch." She waves her hand dismissively. "Not that I mind, because I don't. I look forward to it. It's just that she is -never- on time." She glances at the flap, then shakes her head again.

Quietly smiling, listening to you, the copper-skinned woman raises one arm to set her elbow on the table. The palm of that hand then moves to support her chin, and she regards you steadily as you speak, her twinkling black eyes just visible at this angle. When you shake your head again, Calithe's soft alto interjects in question, "...this is your blood sister, then?" (Calithe)

"Yep. Younger sister...MUCH younger. Sort of a surprise for my parents." Fayth laughs, a soft, tinkling sound that just sounds right. She crosses her ankles, and unconsciously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "...It's okay if you think it's wierd. I get that a lot. Who wants to spend so much time with their sister? But, hey. I remember what it was like for me when -I- was going through it, and I don't want her to have to do that alone." (Fayth)

Shaking her head softly, Calithe ponders your words with a delicate and thoughtful twist of her lips. "No," she says, "it does not seem strange to me at all." The smile returns then, and it is radiant, transforming her whole demeanor and giving light to her features. "I think it is fortunate for you to have such a younger sister. Would that I had." (Calithe)

Fayth chuckles as her lips turn up into an ironic smile. "Most of the time, I am thankful. There are times, however, when I forget we are sisters. We are so different...it's shocking to think we came from the same people. Trust me, if you ever want to borrow her, I wouldn't object." She winks to demonstrate she's only kidding, her eyes twinkling mischeviously.

A small laugh wanders through Calithe's form, but she shrugs a little and shakes her head, making a slightly dismissive gesture of hand. "No, she is yours, I would not take her," she chuckles softly, quite amused at the idea but perhaps surprised as well. "It is good of you to be there for her," she observes then, as if thinking aloud, her voice halting and contemplative. "Likely it benefits you both." (Calithe)

Her face growing serious for the first and what is likely to be the only time during the encounter, Fayth nods. "More than she knows, I'm sure. I look forward to our meeting probably more than I look forward to eating and drinking. Though, as my warder will tell you nearly every chance he gets, I have a tendency of forgetting to eat and drink, so perhaps that isn't a worthy analogy." She shrugs. "I'm sure you understand. Do you have family of your own?" (Fayth)

From the way her posture subtly straightens and the click of her tongue behind her teeth, it appears you may have struck a delicate chord in the woman sitting next to you. Calithe exhales a slow breath through her nose and shakes her head a few degrees, looking sightlessly to the space on the table in front of her. "No, sister," she replies to you, turning her eyes back to you, "this place is my family now." A thin smile appears on the fullness of her lips and she goes quiet, watching you silently. (Calithe)

Fayth watches carefully, and curses slightly under her breath at the reaction. "I've done it again." She winces slightly, and reaches her hand out to place it on the table just in front of you. "I'm really very sorry. I have a habit of...well...this." She shrugs apologetically. "I'm really so sorry. We can talk about other things, if you'd rather?"

Calithe smiles kindly and she shakes off your apology, reflexively moving to cover your pale hand with the olive fingers of her own. "It is nothing," she says to you, firmly, lowering her countenance so that she stares somewhat intensely at you from beyond her dark brows. "I mean it... it is nothing. You could not know. We may talk about whatever you wish... but I am Sedai, as you. I could not lie." Again, she smiles, somewhat sadly, but it is clear that at least she has possession of her sense of serenity, whatever her thoughts on the subject.

Fayth nods knowingly. "Which is precisely why I do not wish to ask questions on a topic you obviously have no desire to talk about. I know I'm Aes Sedai, but that does not mean I wish to make others feel uncomfortable -all- the time!" She chuckles softly at her little joke. "I must say, you have quite a beautiful accent." She raises an eyebrow questioningly.

Calithe squeezes your hand softly as you talk, comfortingly, and then withdraws it as easily as it had come. At your compliment, she clears her throat a little and laughs, perhaps self-consciously. "Thank you," she replies on instinct, with most of that accent kept carefully schooled. "It is not often noticed, to be honest..." With a slight gesture of one hand, she indicates you, your face specifically. "I would say that between the two of us, your green eyes are more lovely than my accent." She smiles then, and gives a quick glance around the room before returning her eyes to you.

Fayth practically beams, and feeling a bit self-conscious herself, adjusts her shawl, her cheeks turning a pale shade of pink. "Well, I have my mother to thank for that, I suppose. I'll tell her you approve, though. She'll probably want to bake you some bread, or send some cookies or something." Grinning, she rolls her eyes. Glancing at the flap once more, she turns back with a question. "I don't believe I've seen you around before, have you only just returned to the tents?"

Laughing softly, her contralto murmuring in a silvery sound of amusement, Calithe edges back slightly on the bench and shakes her head, replying, "No, I was trained here... I have just kept to myself," and here, a shaky chuckle interupts her words, "a great deal. My teachers had a way of making sure I was their personal project." (Calithe)

One eyebrow arching delicately, Fayth tilts her head slightly to the side. "You must be very talented, then, for your teachers to take such a personal interest in you. All that extra training must have benefited you greatly. Although, I think I would have missed my troublemaking days as a novice." She adds, smiling faintly. (Fayth)

Arching an eyebrow at you slightly, Calithe grins, shaking her head beneath her hood a bit. "No... not talented... just a special case I suppose." Self-consciously, the woman shrugs, and reaches up with both hands to adjust the way her cloak hangs about her body. "My trouble-making days are long over, I think." Bashfully, she chuckles, slipping one hand within her hood to rub at the back of her neck a little. (Calithe)

Fayth nods. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I wasn't much of a troublemaker. I was actually pretty horrible at it, if we're being totally honest. Though I tried! I knew that was what was expected of me, and I used to have this nasty habit of always doing what people expected me to do. Luckily, I broke right out of that one." She rolls her eyes and twists a little on the bench to get more comfortable.

Supressing a soft laugh, Calithe nods, inclining her head slowly in amused understanding. "Some of the girls appear more... vivacious... than others do," she observes, in that quiet and mild mannered voice of hers. "But that is good. They are young, and should be tasting life." With this, the copper-skinned Sedai smiles softly, resting her chin on the hand that had previously been at her neck. (Calithe)

Nodding in agreement, Fayth holds out a hand. "I'm Fayth, by the way. So when you go back to your tent and tell others that you were assaulted in the pavillion by a strange woman who told you all about her past and family, even though you had absolutely no desire to hear about any of it...you'll be able to tell them my name, also." She hardly takes a breath before continuing, which somehow seems natural. "That way they have a bit of warning if they ever see me walking toward them." Fayth grins, and that ever present glint in her eye once again twinkles mischeviously. (Fayth)

The accented contralto of your conversational companion chortles a soft, smooth laugh and is accompanied by a vague, dismissive shake of her head. "Most Aes Sedai are tight-lipped and reserved. T'is nice to meet one who breaks the pattern... as I do." Offering you a long-fingered hand, upon which flesh is remarkably soft, save for the very tips of the roughened fingers, she softly intones, "I am Calithe Riviel... Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah." (Calithe)

Fayth laughs and squeezes the hand gently before returning it. "Seriously! Sometimes I think if I didn't have my warder reminding me every day of my flaws, my head would get as large as..." she lowers her voice. "...some of these others around here..." She grins. "Oh, and I'm a yellow. Obviously!" She gestures at the shawl around her shoulders.

Calithe merely smiles, and when you reference your shawl, she nods. "You may see me among your sisters, then, once in a while," she says quietly, perhaps even a little shyly. "It keeps me busy, if nothing else..." Shrugging slender shoulders beneath the covering of her outer cloak, she trails off, letting her eyes wander casually away from you to travel the rest of the room. (Calithe)

"Oh, that's fantastic! We can always use help in there. There are always boys in there that have been 'trained' a bit too harshly. And that doesn't even count the illnesses and such. We have novices and accepted to help us out, but it's always pleasant to have another Sister helping out." Fayth claps her hands together in a very childlike fashion. "I look forward to seeing you in there!" (Fayth)

Whether pleased by your welcome or amused at your exhuberance is hard to tell, but Calithe smiles good naturedly, nodding in acceptance. "I admit to having limitted experience... but... it is more favorable than simply practicing battle weaves all day long." Rolling her eyes briefly skyward, and exaggerating the gesture a little bit, she affects a soft laugh as she pokes mild fun at her own Ajah. (Calithe)

Fayth snickers softly. "If nothing else, it will add a little variety in your day, right?" She turns her head to the flap and tilts her head to the side suddenly, as if a very important thought had just occured to her. Her eyes glaze over for just a moment, before she shakes her head and turns her attention back to her companion. "That girl. I swear she couldn't be on time if her life depended on it."

"Perhaps you should look for her...?" Calithe offers inquisitively, glancing about the room as if double checking that the girl had not already arrived. Her lips twist thoughtfully at their corners and she shrugs a little, letting go of a slow exahle. "Not that I am attempting to be rid of you," she says then, with a slight smile, "I just do not wish you to worry for your sister." (Calithe)

Shaking her head, Fayth sighs. "Chances are very good that she's been held up by chores. That, or she's discovered something in a book that she just can't put down, and has completely forgotten our meeting. I don't like to search her out, because I don't want others to think I'm playing favorites. Especially if the reason she's being held up is the former." She shrugs. "I'll wait a few minutes more, then probably return to my tent. She knows where to find me, if she needs to." (Fayth)

Calithe nods as she listens to you, but then the movement stops, and she tilts her head to the side slightly. "She is in training here?" the woman asks, curiousity easy to read in her voice, even if her features are somewhat obscured. "Intriguing..." She trails off, considering this to herself, and taps her fingers idly at the line of her jaw.

Fayth nods, and her eyes light up at the prospect of being able to talk about her sister. "She'll soon be testing for accepted. She's brilliant. She's already got it in her head how everything's going to be, and she learns so quickly! Much more quickly than I ever did. Of course, she doesn't spend as much time working on her..um..social skills as I did, but still. I'm so proud of her."

A small, quiet sound of contemplative mirth escapes the throat of the woman beside you. "Siblings can be as different as is imaginable... but that she can channel too is amazing." Unseen, Calithe arches a brow as she thinks to herself, and her eyes narrow faintly. "I wonder if the talent is not hereditary." (Calithe)

Fayth frowns, and tilts her head a bit, apparently deep in thought. She unconsciously traces patterns idly in the wood of the table as she thinks. "That's certainly something to ponder...I'll definitely have to add it to my list." Her brows furrow momentarily as she apparently makes a mental note.

Widening her eyes faintly, Calithe laughs, disbelief rich in the sound. "Surely I am not the first to make such an observation...?" she asks you, clearly surprised at the prospect. (Calithe)

Fayth snickers. "I have never had another Sister suggest such a thing, and I myself have never really thought about it before. So, yes, to my knowledge, you are the first to make such an observation." She grins, chuckling softly. "I have been keeping a sort of journal of things that I want to research. Random questions that I am asked by novices, or certain things that come up in a random conversation. Then, whenever I have a thought, I jot it down in there so I don't forget. This is the first time anyone's mentioned to me that my sister and I may have developed our gift due to hereditary. Though, now that I think about it, I can't imagine why it hasn't come up before."

Blinking beneath the shadow of her cloak's hood, Calithe draws back slightly, as if considering for the first time that she had stumbled upon something. Her brows knit, though, and she shakes her head, musing softly, "Surely the Browns must have theories." With a slight nod, she concludes, "Aes Sedai tell secrets seldom, even to each other, and I suspect Browns among some of the most selective." (Calithe)

Fayth once again nods in agreement. "No doubt this is something they've been considering for a very long time, now. Though, I still think it to be quite observant of you to suggest such a thing. As I said before, you are the first." She smiles encouragingly. "...and I do still plan on jotting that thought down in my journal."

Just a touch bashful, perhaps, Calithe presses her lips together and smiles softly, contentedly. "I am pleased I could help," she says, dropping her eyes to the book that rests on the table in front of her. There is a quill nearby, so doubtless the woman was at some point writing, but at this particular moment, it is with only a fidgity gesture that her fingers brush at the book's pages. Upon a slight clearing of her throat, the Green asks in a quiet voice, "Do you write other than to record your journal...?" (Calithe)

"Unfortunately, no." Fayth looks with disappointment at the book before continuing. "Unless you count letters to my family, the only writing I ever do is of a studious nature. What about you? Do you write for pleasure?" (Fayth)

In the manner of one who had just been asked something of a loaded question, Calithe's already consistant posture straightens a fraction more and her head comes up as she inhales deeply through her nose. She smiles, though, almost as an afterthought but a radiant one, and says in the same emotion which inspired the smile, "Yes... I do." She chuckles then, at herself, at the satisfaction that comes through on those words, and her brows twitch in contemplation. Since explinations are in order, she remarks softly, "It was not always the case... but... particularly upon having been given the shawl... I find that no one imposes requirements upon me and, now, I can write for all the pleasure that I like." During the small monologue, the woman's concentration slips and her accent returns in patches, seeming consequence for the fluidic way in which she speaks her thought. (Calithe)

Perhaps smiling in recognition of the feeling of pleasure, or perhaps unable to help the smile after noticing the change in the woman as she speaks of something she quite obviously feels passionately about, Fayth's smile grows. "That's truly wonderful. Honestly, you seem to be such a talented individual. What sort of things do you write? Do you work on poetry, or stories, or...?" She leans in, and rests her chin on her hands, obviously intrigued. (Fayth)

Having attracted such attention to herself by her honest reaction, Calithe's features smile with a slight bit of nervousness, but she shrugs it off and replies in a casual tone, "I write music. Words to go with it sometimes, and sometimes not... For the most part, it is merely a matter of writing down what floats through my head." A tiny laugh escapes her then, and she raises both her hands, palms up, in a vague mime of a shrug. "It is nothing extraordinary, I suppose. It is just nice... -so- nice... to be able to write what and when and how I like." (Calithe)

Fayth shakes her head. "I do not think you give yourself enough credit. I find it to be extraordinary, and I'm quite sure I would not be the only person to feel that way. I do not know many people with that particular talent...and I believe that it's one of those things that you can't really learn. Sure, you can take lessons, but it never sounds just right unless you have that spark. That extra something that makes it easier for you." She stops suddenly, perhaps realizing that she'd been rambling, and her cheeks flush slightly. "It's just a thought, really. I think it's amazing."

Laughing shakily, Calithe replies in a soothing and grateful voice, "You would have to hear me play, some time, to judge for certain but... thank you." Rolling her shoulders slightly and, now, in a more relaxed gesture, reaching her laced hands forward in a slight stretch, the woman appears to relax, although her back remains as straight as a board. "I have, in the past," she relates to you, "been aquainted with a bit of a harsh task mistress... what I find amazing is not that I can do it, it is that I still -want- to do it, even having been -made- to do it for so long." A slight smile prevails on her lips, now, as either the past memories are not so terrible or the present happiness overshadows them. (Calithe)

Fayth sighs. "For a very long time, I feared I would feel that way about all this." She gestures around her, and for a brief moment, her face becomes serious, but she shakes it off with what appears to be very little effort before continuing. "I would absolutely love to hear you play. I enjoy music very much, and would be hard pressed to turn that offer down."

"Perhaps another time," the Green murmurs, graciously, if a little hesitantly, "when you are not awaiting your sister." Calithe smiles at you, then glances toward the door, but upon seeing no one familiar, her eyes eventually find their way back to yours. (Calithe)

Fayth glances at the candles, noting how far they've burned, and sighs. "Well, my dear, I suppose I've talked your ear off long enough." She offers one of her beaming smiles before standing, and holds out a hand. "I really have greatly enjoyed your company, and I hope you don't find me to be too overwhelming. Please, don't be a stranger. I always welcome company, and look forward to speaking with you again. And I can't wait to hear you play!"

Calithe bows her head slowly, and rather more deeply than is customary for Aes Sedai. "'T would be a priviledge," she says to you, in response to your request to hear her play, and a calm but nevertheless winning smile greets your enthusiastic farewell. The olive fingers of the Green take yours in a sure grip that is slow and somehow soft while yet retaining its strength. "Light illumine, sister... we will speak again."

Squeezing the hand gently, Fayth nods. "I look forward to it." She gathers her cloak around her and steps out of the tent, offering a quick farewell wave before the flap closes behind her. (Fayth)