Topic: DaNel

Valucia Sabet · Date: 2018-01-03 21:11 EST

The thin form ran down the street, leather britches, vest, and shirt with boots and cap. At first glance, the young person was likely mistaken for a boy. She wore boy's clothes, cap, boots, and had her hair cut about shoulder-length; locks feathered out from beneath the cap.

She careened from the main road to shoot through one of the numerous alleyways of RhyDin. A scarf of wool hid the lower half of her face, nose to throat and a meager excuse for a cloak fluttered behind her at the speed she was racing at. A wall closest to her and just before she entered the next tree was met soundly with her back. She tossed a look back down the alley and to the street before her, giving herself a moment to catch her breath. Then off she sped again.

A small, gloved hand was on the little but deadly dagger at her left side but her right one clutched the bag of leather that she had tied three times to make certain the contents didn't go flying out. She was a messenger, a runner of errands and more.

The latter was that she was one of several who were Valucia Sabet's Eyes and Ears in RhyDin. A person simply couldn't be in more than one place at once and for some they could not venture to seedier places without acute notice.

DaNel hurried by lords, paupers, and folks of all walks and races. They were all preoccupied with the moments and matters of their day. She was nothing more than what they assumed was a child running about for whatever reason a child might have.

When she reached the silversmith's shop, she stepped inside for a few moments. From the street, all that could be seen was her back while she spoke with a youth apprenticed there. For the exchange of coins she received something thickly wrapped in a few layers of soft leather. The bag was untied, the item tucked inside and didn't leave until the flap on the bag was secured and bound once more.

She had a few clicks to run yet. DaNel winked and smiled at the young man, yanked the shop door open and was headed in the direction of Bulwark's Cove.

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DaNel
http://valuciasabet.webs.com/photos/Da%20Nel%20%20(Messanger%20to%20Valucia).jpg

Valucia Sabet · Date: 2018-01-03 22:06 EST

DaNel was not a typical messenger. She was more than a Runner. Perhaps she could not be defined so specifically.

She did not burn out her energy with running at break-neck and reckless speeds. When the way before her wasn't entirely open, she darted to and fro through the city crowds on the streets. And when she had the chance to finally stretch her legs in more open areas, she did so at a pace she could keep up for a lengthy time without being too fast or too slow at it.

It was a pace she did not slow until she could see the closest of the keeps of four. Her small gloved fist rested at her dagger. She was about to leave the main road and enter Bulwark's Cove. Though it was considered a gentle and safe place, she knew that few places were truly that. Shadows held problems and hid dangers. The light had its own problems -- a glare of a bright light or the heat of an unforgiving sun, for example -- and its own dangers.

DaNel approached the entrance of The Warders' Hall. It was empty, except for a handful who were seated closest to the large hearth.

The black-haired woman who was speaking with a woman in brown and a man he was so relaxed in his repose that he did not reach for his sheathed sword and gave the girl no more than a mere glance.

Valucia turned to see who it was the Warder and Sister of the Browns sent their gazes to. The one of the Blue Ajah rose from her chair, guiding skirts of blue in her small venture from chair to messenger. "Greetings, DaNel."

"Valucia Sedai." DaNel looked on, passed Valucia's side to the others there for a second then back to her. "Brought what you asked for." The girl's slender hand patted the well-tied bag at her side. "

"Thank you, DaNel." Valucia's right hand curled comfortably over her left wrist while she spoke with the young woman. "What of your friends, I wonder. Do they still have their eyes watching and ears listening?"

"O'yes. O'course they're wondering about a meal tonight." DaNel gave her a knowing look.

"But of course." As easy as breathing, she moved a hand against her skirts and delved into a pocked of her skirts. "What of Skelrisan's word of a spark?"

"That flicker is true. Got word of it today from the cousin of the blacksmith's nephew. He saw it himself. She was at the Beltane theres and tripped. When she did, she didn't quite fall but..settled. Folks saw it and were hasty with trying to say it was bad pork or something wrong with the drink."

"Of course, they did." Valucia's head dipped appreciatively towards DaNel. She was a smart young woman; the very reason she had chosen her to help with coordination her Eyes and Ears in RhyDin some while ago. A leather pouch, cinched tightly, was handed towards DaNel. "For you and the others. You will see to its distribution?"

"Always. Thank you, mum."

Valucia nodded, but it was a distracted and small movement on her part. Will you come by here again -- tomorrow morn, I think is best. I need to speak with you at length. And DaNel?"

The girl, more than halfway through her teen years by Human standards, had started to turn away. She stopped and curiously looked to the Blue.

"What you brought for me?" A dark, fine brow fractionally rose. She was not perturbed and showed as much with a little smile to the girl.

"O'course." DaNel nodded to the Aes Sedai and put her cap back on her own head, then dug about in the pouch after untying it. The item acquired at the silversmith's shop was not unwrapped when she placed it to Valucia's left hand.

"Very well, then. Off with you. Seventh hour in the morn." Valucia watched as the girl hurried off. She reminded her of some of the youths in the streets of Tar Valon and about a half-a-dozen other large cities in the Westlands.

"If you are finished with that child, I would speak with you further, Sister."

Dark, black-pearl gaze shifted with a kind smile towards the Brown. There was still much to discuss and she would not begrudge the curious Sister of hers.

Valucia Sabet · Date: 2018-01-05 20:31 EST

DaNel arrived at Bulwark's Cove just before the seventh hour of the morning. She was met by the scullery made in the Warders' Hall and shown to Valucia's home in all of its humble stature and ways. Snow fell lightly, bringing a fresh, clean inch or more to the yard and grounds that lay between the house and the rest of the places that stood back from the cliff that overlooked the seas to the north-east.

The brown-haired young woman smiled to the messenger Valucia had employed a while back. The girl was dressed in her accustomed leather breeches, vest, boots, shirt and cloak and atop her head was a cap.

DaNel glanced back at the scullery maid that helped the Aes Sedai with more than kitchen tasks. She suspected that her duties were like her own: more than what any more superficially assume. Without a word said to the Keep's scullery woman, DaNel headed up the steps, gave the door a sound knocking and entered when she heard the muffled bit for her to enter.

She found the rooms immediately within the home at a comfortable temperature compared to outside. The cap was pulled from her head while she looked around the living area where she could see from hearth to kitchen without the hindrance of walls to separate them.

"You are on time. Excellent, DaNel." Valucia could be heard coming down the handful of steps that eased the passage from the second level to the home's first. A more utilitarian dress of brown was worn that day, as if she might see to scrubbing pots or beating the dirt from runs and blankets. At her right side, the metallic and almost melodic sound of tendrils on the chatelaine could be heard. "Have you eaten yet, I wonder." As she asked the question, she looked the young woman over from head to foot to see if she was well. Much was gleaned in the pass of attention over her, then back to her face and gaze.

"O'yes, mum. Hour or so ago." DaNel looked at the Aes Sedai with a small amount of uncertainty. "You haven't asked me to come to talk in a long time."

"I am aware." Valucia smiled upon the girl, patiently and with a knowing look. "Please," She gestured towards the chairs that stood before the lively hearth and waited until DaNel dropped into one chair. The one belonging to the Blue Ajah eased gracefully into the other chair.

"Nothin' wrong?" DaNel leaned in a little and put her hands against the front of the chair's seat, wrapping her gloved fingers over it.

"Not at all, DaNel. In fact, it is because I am most pleased that we are meeting. I have some questions for you. And then a favor to ask of you." Valucia's lips pursed thoughtfully. "Two favors."

"Anythin', mum."

Valucia knew that DaNel spoke fact and truth with her words and not empty promises.

Valucia Sabet · Date: 2018-01-06 12:07 EST

The snow falling outside of the front window came down like fluffy bits of white feathers. Valucia could occasionally see them dropping, floating in front of the panes of glass. As DaNel willingly offered her services to her, Valucia slid her gaze back to the boyish young woman.

"Excellent. You are faithful and trustworthy in all matters and tasks I have given you." Fact was pensively stated, as if to be certain to let the girl know but woman who favored the color of blue passed her hand over the ribbon of that hue that had been used to pull her hair back to the nape of her neck. Thoughts were already ahead of those words. "You saw the woman in brown? The other Aes Sedai?"

DaNel nodded and planted her bony elbows to her leather clad knees, leaning in to listen better. "O'yes, mum."

"That is Ardiahnu Sedai. The man with her is her Warder."

"One o'the knights you spoke of before?" DaNel nodded. She knew what they were by all that the lady had said but it was still just a sliver of knowledge.

"That is corrrect, DaNel. You know the way well to Ptoren?" Slender, fine brows of black lifted so slightly that it might not have happened at all.
"I should say so. Crag o'land off the farthest piece of RhyDin. Nor'West, by skytell."

Valucia enjoyed the way DaNel spoke. She seemed to be from RhyDin by all appearances and she spoke the same language, usually. But every now and then, DaNel seemed to forget herself -- or perhaps it was someone she had been around when she was much younger -- and a word like 'skytell' would surface. It meant when someone looked to the sky to get their bearings for a journey, by land or by sea. "Excellent. A..friend told me about it but did not supply a point of reference of where to start to find it. Though he did mentioned a captain, by name. A Captain Zhaeron."

DaNel wrinkled her nose at the name. "O'kay, he's known. But I'll not be his bunkmate!" She snickered and shook her head. "Needin' me to get Ardiahnu and her Ser there?"

Such a smart girl. Valucia smiled a little more than the normal hint of mirth she might usually allow. "Yes. But with something to help you once you get to Ptoren. A seven year old girl by the name of Jhalen is who my Sister will be searching for. I have nothing more than that." Lithe fingers of her left hand, the one that bore the great serpent ring, delved into a skirt pocket and drew out the metallic, brass sphere that Skelrisan had gifted to her.

"By th'gods...a Bearings Globe!" DaNel ogled that brass bass and its etched surface. She had started to reach out for it, but dropped her hand before she was halfway through the thought. "Tis'right? A Bearings Globe?"

Valucia quizically looked at the girl and lightly smiled from her to the metal sphere in her hand. She turned it over and handed DaNel's way. "Is that what it is called? I would not know. A gift, from that friend I mentioned to you."

"A right one, he must be. Rare. Very, very rare, mum..." DaNel took the pristine and unique form of apparatus. "Less guessin' an'askin', that's for sure!" She laughed aloud, turning it over and over.

"Tap there..." Valucia instructed her on how to open it and laughed when it was almost dropped -- the device popping open the reveal a plethora of very thin rings around an inner globe of black that was currently unlit.

"By th'gods..." The most-trusted of Eyes and Ears to Valucia exhaled it again.

"Now, let me show you what little I know of how to work it." A smiling Aes Sedai was something to behold, especially when it was a purely lighthearted moment.