Nightmares
Disclaimer: Non รจ miniera. Italian!
A/N: Here comes the part where I distort the story! Yay! So Lan and Moiraine don't leave the group travelling to Tar Valon, as they do in the original story. Savvy?
Nynaeve:
The trip to Tar Valon passed pretty uneventfully after that one incident, and Nynaeve made a point of staying as far away as possible from Lan. She had seemed friendly enough during their last conversation, but in truth she was still hurting.
When they arrived in Tar Valon they were greeted by a large group of assorted Aes Sedai (yes, more) and escorted into a large open room.
Egwene and Nynaeve stood off to one side, and presently a collection of women came over to see to them. Nynaeve recognised one as Sheraim, the Mistress of Novices.
"Egwene al'Vere?"
"Yes?" Egwene asked, nervously. Sheraim gave her a kindly look.
"You can go with Gerheim (A/N: Made her up randomly as I am too lazy to go and look up the names of the people who actually were there. ;P) here, and she will show you everything." Egwene smiled and followed the other woman.
"Nynaeve al'Meara?" Nynaeve bristled. There are some people who would rather fall on their swords than address me with the level of familiarity that you just did. She thought angrily, but made herself act composed.
"What?" So maybe not completely composed. The women looked at her sharply, and Moiraine, who had just joined them, gave them a look as if to say 'I told you so'.
"I will warn you now, girl," Sheraim said to Nynaeve, eyes narrowed, "That this kind of insolence is not tolerated at the White Tower. I will let it go now, but if it ever happens again, you will regret it." Nynaeve paid no attention to her words. She had received the same speech on the first day of her training to become a spy, and what punishments came out of her 'insolence' were really nothing she couldn't handle. She doubted that Sheraim could come up with anything worse than Twynig could.
"I'm sure I will," Nynaeve said, almost casually.
"You should heed my warning, girl."
"Oh I will, old woman." One of the novices gasped, shocked, and a few of the Aes Sedai did too.
"What did you call me?"
"Oh dear, is your hearing deteriorating. No matter, I heard that is to be expected in old age."
"What?" If looks could kill, Nynaeve would be dead and buried by now.
"Well it's true, isn't it? I mean you're what, fifty? Sixty? I think so. About the same age as Moiraine here." More scandalized gasps as Nynaeve indifferently insulted two of the highest-ranking Aes Sedai in the Tower.
Sheraim narrowed her eyes further.
"Petalei (A/N: Invented her too!), after you've shown Mistress al'Meara to her quarters in the Accepted's area, wont you take her to the kitchen and tell Lamos (A/N: I think that's right. The Mistress of the Kitchens at the White Tower. I may be wrong) to find some pots for her to scrub." The Accepted who she had ordered to do this grinned maliciously, and beckoned to Nynaeve to follow. At Sheraim's words, Nynaeve grinned, and choked back laughter. Sheraim blinked in confusion.
Nynaeve silently thanked the head of the kitchens at the palace for letting her and around as a girl. She particularly thanked her for the lessons in 'How to clean pots in less than half the time it would usually take.' Sheraim was in for a rude awakening if she thought that all that it would take to stop her was a little bit of scrubbing.
Lan:
Four hours later, Moiraine had decided to accompany Sheraim to see how Nynaeve was coming along. Moiraine would never admit it, but Lan knew she just wanted to see Nynaeve on her knees scrubbing at the insides of pots.
They were accompanied by a collection of other Aes Sedai who had heard about the feisty Mistress al'Meara and wanted to see her. When they reached the kitchens, Lan could see the satisfied smirks on the faces of Sheraim and Moiraine. Then they opened the door.
They were greeted by the sight of Nynaeve and Lamos sitting at a table, feet up, talking and laughing as if they were old friends. The Aes Sedais' faces turned purple.
"I thought I told you to give her all the pots to scrub!" Sheraim took her wrath out at Lamos.
"I did." Lamos replied. "She finished them about two hours ago. She has a wonderful method of cleaning them! They look better than new! She showed me how, and then baked a wonderful pie. She's an excellent cook, did you know? She's better than anyone else I've ever come across. We've been exchanging recipes."
The Aes Sedai stared in astonishment. No one could win over Lamos. Nynaeve gave them a triumphant smirk, and gathered her things.
"Now, unless you have anything else for me to scrub, I'll be gone." Sheraim glared.
"First rise, tomorrow morning. Be at my office. I will find something for you to do." Nynaeve gave a low, sweeping curtsey.
"As you say, Aes Sedai. I am yours to command."
However, there was a glint of victory in her eyes as she swayed past them, humming softly as she walked.
xxx
Over the space of the next few weeks, the Aes Sedai came to realise that nothing would stop Nynaeve. They made her copy whole documents down, and it took her hardly any time, and yet it was all written in exquisitely precise handwriting, and looked as if it should have taken hours. They made her organise things, and she would come up with a better, more logical system. It was impossible to punish her.
The time in which she wasn't in class or being punished, she spent exclusively in the large library, and it wasn't unusual to see her sitting in one of the many plush chairs at all hours of the night, engaged in an enthusiastic argument with one of the Brown Sisters about some long forgotten war, or artifact from the Age of Legends.
It was Myrelle Sedai, possibly, who came up with the perfect solution to their problem. For every misdeed, they would ban her from the library for a certain amount of time. For the next one, they would take away all of her books. It worked surprisingly well.
Nynaeve:
Dearest Ruan,
Do you know what my favourite phrase is? The calm before the storm. Isn't it marvellous? It is exactly what the Aes Sedai are experiencing now.
They really think that I cannot get my books back once they have taken them! It's really a simple matter, requiring only a minimal amount of sneaking. But I've decided to let them think that it is working. Save up for something really big. Perhaps I shall insult the Amyrlin Seat? Don't worry, I'm only joking. I may be reckless, but I'm not stupid. I do miss you, all of you, and can't wait to see you again. I really do hate Z. for sending me away for so long like this, but there is nothing I can do.
Please take care of my poor cat, and tell everyone that I miss them dreadfully.
Love Nynaeve.
Dearest Nynaeve,
Well aren't we a naughty girl? The people of Edmond's Field would be shocked to know that behind the guise of their prim and proper Wisdom lies the rebellious spirit of Nynaeve al'Meara.
A word of advice though, Nynaeve. Be careful. As much as I hate to admit it, you are better than me, but that still doesn't make you immortal. Try not to offend the Aes Sedai too much. I don't want you getting hurt by an annoyed Warder.
Your cat is just fine, and everyone else sends their love. You should see Anona yourself, fairly soon, as she was leaving for Tar Valon as your letter arrived.
Love from Ruan.
Ruan-
Ha ha. You positively slaughter me with your wit. Be a good boy and don't interfere. I'm going to be fine.
-Nynaeve.
Nynaeve-
If you say so. You know best after all, your highness. Just for the sake of my mental health, stay out of trouble. Please?
-Ruan.
Ruan-
Fine, but I'm only doing this because you're one of my best friends. I will however give the Aes Sedai a little shock. Nothing on the scale of what I was planning before, bur a shock all the same.
-Nynaeve.
Ruan:
Oh dear. This was not good. Ruan knew what Nynaeve's definition of 'A little shock' was, and it was not good. Well Anona was headed to Tar Valon anyway. Maybe she could control Nynaeve. Light knows, he couldn't.
Nynaeve:
Anona was coming to Tar Valon? Well that was interesting. But she didn't need to worry. Anona was her sister, and would keep secrets for her. It would be nice to see her again.
With a sharp twang of pain, Nynaeve realised how much she had missed her family. When all this was over, she would go home, find her brothers' children, and hug them and cuddle them until she felt better. She missed them all so much. Oh well. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long.
xxx
Far away, in a large house, a tall man sat at a desk, his thoughts preoccupied with a certain dark haired Wisdom. He rocked back and forth, mumbling her name.
"Nynaeve. Nynaeve." She looked so much like her mother. The same eyes. Dark pools. So beautiful. He had almost had her! Almost. And then she had slipped away. His lip curled. He would have her again. He would.
Ooh, goody! I love evil, obsessed characters, don't you:) He is "Shady-character-from-somewhere-in-Nynaeve's-past-who-is-now-the-official-'bad-guy'". Long name, I know, but it'll do for now. ;P.
