Appropriated Caress

As Sadrok stepped into the Library through the Novice Door on the side of the building, he shifted the satchel containing the books he’d borrowed to his other shoulder, moving deeper into the vaulted chambers. It always amazed him at how high the ceilings were in here, higher than any of the others he’d seen in the entire Tower and certainly far taller than he’d ever seen in Far Madding. It also amazed him with how tall the shelves were with so many books resting on them. He’d been no stranger to libraries;  though the ones he had perused in Far Madding when he was looking for information about the One Power had nothing on this place. Those had mostly been the private collections of nobles or wealthy merchants, and the only reason he’d been able to gain access to them was his family’s connections and wealth.

He sneezed softly as he walked along, some dust tickling inside his nose. He kept a wary eye out, even here, and felt quite comfortable that this was one place he wouldn’t have to suffer the feeling of so many eyes watching him. Working his way back into one of the distant corners of the Library, Sadrok kept a watch out for any of the Browns that ran the Library. There were a surprising number of them here during a Festival;  but then again, perhaps that wasn’t so surprising after all given when he’d learned about the Brown Ajah so far. He definitely had little to no interest in joining their ranks; that much was certain.

He’d been hoping that by the time he’d made it halfway across the library he could have left the books somewhere and just walked back out, but there were too many Aes Sedai here - even if none of them seemed to be paying him any attention. He saw a few of the Sisters leave while he was trying to get around having to put them away himself, but not enough that he felt it was safe to just dump the books and leave. Finally he growled under his breath - quietly enough that he hoped no one would overhear him even in the stuffy silence of the library - and set about finding the different shelves the books belonged on.

It took him quite a while to put away the four books he’d borrowed. The first he was able to find the home of was a book on Water that he’d been going over to help with his lessons in that Element.. It turned out that that was probably his weakest element, and he was having a hard time mastering even the most basic of weaves involving Water. About the only thing he could do easily with that element was separate a thread of it from the others - which in his mind had as much to do with eliminating them as it was with pulling Water out. Thinking about it certainly didn’t help his already poor mood as he grumbled to himself. Shelving books was a task more appropriate to a servant, and yet here he was, once again doing something that by rights should have been beneath him.

The second book took much longer to find where it belonged, he ended up searching half the Library before he’d found another book with the same title. Not even bothering to check that it was in the right section, Sadrok lifted the tome on the history of the nation of Andor back into place. That was one class that he was glad to see the backside of, certainly. He saw the purpose in learning about the histories of the current nations, certainly. But Gwendolyn Sedai was perhaps the most absentminded Brown Sister he had yet to have the misfortune to take a class with; and she had the driest, raspiest voice he’d ever heard to make matters worse. Listening to her drone on in her raspy monotone should have been considered a form of cruel and exquisite torture, not instruction.

Most of the Aes Sedai or Accepted he had to take classes from annoyed him in one way or another, even if he seldom let it show. The Browns collectively were the worst, and seemed to take up the majority of his instructors when it came to topics of history; and most of his classes were about just that. Oh, sure, there had been a Green teaching the class on the history of Shienar, and that class actually hadn’t been so bad. If not for her ageless face, she might even have been attractive. He was certainly glad that the Asha’man he took lessons on Channeling with were seldom paired with Browns to teach the female novices; he didn’t know if he could stand that. Until recently, before he’d broken his Bar, even the lessons on the One Power had seemed designed purely to frustrate him.

Sadrok had been muttering furiously about the indignity of it all when he jumped what, to him, seemed like a mile into the air upon hearing Gwendolyn Sedai behind him. “You keep talking to yourself, people are going to think you’re out of your mind.”

Trying to catch his breath, Sadrok clutched the two books he had yet to re-shelve to his chest with one hand as he bowed to the grey haired Aes Sedai. It took a lot of effort for him to moderate his tone in order to remain respectful. “Thank you, Gwendolyn Sedai. I will try to keep your advice in mind.”

The shocked look on the Aes Sedai’s face would have been humorous on any other’s. “Huh? I wasn’t talking to you... Are you sure you’re feeling well, novice...” She trailed off, apparently unable to remember his name.

“Novice Sadrok Rachin, Aes Sedai.. and yes, of course, I feel fine.” Shelving one of the two books in his hands - he had been about to do so when she’d snuck up on him - he turned back to ask the Aes Sedai if she knew where his last book belonged. As she showed him where to place the book, she finally noticed he was a male. Once again that wide eyed expression of surprise crossed her face, and then she smiled faintly. Sadrok had the feeling that he wasn’t being looked at as a novice anymore, but more like a fine specimen of animal that the Brown intended to make a thorough study of. It was both unnerving and highly irritating; all the more so because it was Sunday.

Apparently Gwendolyn Sedai wanted to conduct a study on the male initiates of the Tower regarding the effects of saidin on the new male channelers. Would they age slowly as the women did? Was saidin completely cleansed of the Dark One’s taint? The infuriating woman had a hundred more questions besides those. Questions she wanted to find the answers to, and she droned on in that raspy monotone voice of hers for over an hour. Sadrok would have just walked away - it was Sunday after all, and he wasn’t in any of her classes anymore- but he stayed out of concern that Gwendolyn Sedai would send him to the Mistress of Novices if he didn’t hear her out politely. At least they’d found the home for the last book he was carrying while she droned on at him.

It seemed to him that most of his day was going to be taken up by this infuriating Brown droning at him about the effects saidar had on women. While he probably would have found some of the information interesting if it had been anyone else presenting it, Gwendolyn Sedai’s voice was quickly giving him a very real headache. As she began to - finally! - wind down, Sadrok held on to hope for a brief moment that he would be free of her and this dreadful part of the Tower grounds before long. Only to have his hopes smashed as the Aes Sedai insisted that, since he apparently had been given the chore of putting their books away today, he could finish with a large stack of them that Gwendolyn had spread out on a table in the center of the library.

Knowing he would more than likely end up in Candance Sedai’s office if he blew this off, Sadrok did manage to put most of the books away. There was a small pile of them remaining in the end that he couldn’t find where to put them, so he stacked them neatly on the table. When he finally finished stacking the books on the table, he took one look at himself and groaned. His once pristine white shirt and breeches had turned decidedly gray in places from all the dust he’d stirred up. No.. this was not turning out a Sunday to remember fondly... Not. At. All.

Grabbing the empty satchel he’d brought the books into the Library with, Sadrok looked around the library to make sure Gwendolyn Sedai was gone before he started for the Novice Door. He was going to have to go back to his rooms, change into a fresh set of his novice whites, and then maybe he’d be able to enjoy the festival finally. This morning had been a complete and total waste, and now it was almost midday.

The empty satchel hanging over his torso, Sadrok started to head for the Novice Door to leave when he rounded a corner of one of the shelves to slam into a much shorter novice. She fell backwards and Sadrok tripped on a book she’d dropped, landing on his hands and knees over her. He was only mildly surprised to see the same crackbrained Novice that had run into him earlier that day sprawled out beneath him. “So.. Decided you had to have another look, huh?”

He pushed himself up onto his knees, then stood, taking a step back from her. He didn’t give her a chance to respond though, he had already been agitated without knowing she was stalking him again. The more he spoke, the paler her face became - but as agravated as he was at having to spend his festival putting books back on their shelves in he Library, he wasn’t in the mood to hide his feelings just now. “I’d almost say you’re as bad as that Najat chit, following me around and spying on me in the Library. Do you girls have no shame?”

“You…you muscle-brained cretin…how dare you? You knocked me over this time…not the other way around! You don’t even have the decency to apologize! Instead you insult me and compare me to that girl of all people! I am no simpering, milk-faced vixen to chase after some arrogant male who seems to think that he’s the Creator’s gift to women! Get it through your head! I AM NOT INTERESTED IN YOU!”

Sadrok didn’t even have the decency to blink during her verbal tirade. He weathered it admirably, though that probably had to do with him assuming the Void to keep his face impassive. When she was done, he reached down to pick up a few of the books she’d knocked off the shelves. He studied her out of the corner of his eyes, as if he was wary of her trying to smack him, but really he was just taking in her petite form. He thought she’d be quite attractive in a few years, when she was a little older.

He muttered under his breath about it the books being servants’ work, aggravated all the more because he’d just put some of these very books back on the shelf in the first place. “And what am I supposed to think with you skulking about everywhere I go, girl? I haven’t been bothered by Rahime once today - and that’s no small miracle in and of itself - yet twice now you’ve managed to plant yourself in my way.”

An angry growl escaped her, though she sounded more like an angry kitten. Small hands clenched into fists as she glared at him while he put away the books she had knocked off the shelf when she didn’t get out of his way fast enough. "You bloody ox of a thimble-brained man! I haven't been following you anywhere.  After our unfortunate encounter this morning, I have been in the library all day, minding my own business.  Until YOU knocked me down!  Ugh...bloody arrogant man...I don't even know who you are.  Why would I even want to stalk you?"  Then she threw up her hands.  "Why am I trying to reason with an idiot?"  Cursing him jsut barely loud enough for him to hear - and in words he found surprising coming out the mouth of a girl her age - she began to walk away...only to catch her foot on the book he'd knocked out of her hands when he'd run into her. "Ow!"