milliways_bar | (no subject)

As the air parts, she simply appears near her preferred table. Moiraine is carrying an anthology of poetry again this evening, and has a small notebook as well.

The Aes Sedai settles at her table and opens her books, with an idle glance around the bar.

[Summary: Elaine brings tea at Dream's request and is convinced to take a short break, in which she and Moiraine discuss Elaine's family and background, with great canon similarity identified, and then move into feminism and finally discussion of their worlds. Morpheus appears, and Moiraine thanks him for his consideration, and then they are simply cute together for a while. Later, she and Roland discuss Cort's arrival and whether or not Roland should tell him things about the future; at some point later, Peter Pevensie asks her to Heal Caspian (although the healing is rejected in Caspian's thread). Afterwards, she returns to her table and is joined by Bran, who discusses poetry with her-- and is stunned by a plotty revelation. Meg drops by and tells Moiraine that she'll be joining the ranks-of-pseudo-immortal-mortals after her own death, and this is still under discussion, as the thread is slowtimed. Finally, Nita Callahan introduces herself and asks for help with a problem that concerns Asmodean, which immediately gets Moiraine's full attention... (Say it with me, folks: slowtimed.)]

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"I should like that, I think."

Moiraine sips her tea, and there is a flicker of calm amusement in the dark eyes.

"There are similarities between the worlds sometimes, I have found; you remind me, to a degree, of someone else I have known."

Elaine smiles. "I hope she was a pleasant person, then. And yes...I have met several from different times but that seem to have the same events...or even the same people that I knew...but many years beforehand."

"Mirrors of the Wheel, I might call such a thing, in my world."

There is something still amused about her glance.

"She was, and still is, pleasant in her way." A pause. "She is also Aes Sedai, as I am."

Elaine tilts her head to the side enquiringly. "What is an Aes Sedai? Can you tell me?"

"It might be considered a sisterhood, of sorts, made up of those who can channel the One Power, drawn from the True Source, which is the force of creation itself, the same force that turns the Wheel of Time."

Calmly said, in a near-academic tone.

It takes a while for that to translate in Elaine's medieval mind. "You...channel power for the good? To what end? I mean...what do you do with it? I hope I do not offend you with my questions."

"I am not offended, Elaine." She sips her tea. "I have used it for many things, as it happens; I suspect that I have become known for Healing, here."

Elaine nods. "Healing is a great gift. I have knowledge of herbs, and I did help nurse at one time. It was highly gratifying to me to help someone become well again."

"Did you have a particular skill with such, then?"

Her tone is serene, and the inquiry seems casual enough on the surface.

"Mainly with...injuries sustained in battle. I knew the proper herbs to clean wounds, and I nursed a few injured knights after tournaments."

Elaine hated tournaments. They seemed to serve so little purpose.

Moiraine nods.

"I have seen such injuries on more than one occasion; it is not easy work."

A pause.

"Did those you tended recover better than those tended by others, perhaps?"

"Sometimes, yes. I was meticulous in my preparations and I cared for my patients carefully. Others mighn't have been so careful."

Elaine sips her tea. She doesn't think she is anything special.

"I see. Not all have equal skill or take such care, of course, you are correct."

Moiraine smiles serenely at her.

"But it would appear that those you tended were fortunate to have encountered you. The Wheel weaves."

"I was most fortunate to have care of such valiant men," she says softly. She smiles. "Upon occasion, I do get to tend to others in the bar with a poultice or some other thing of medicine to ease pain of bruises...It is a good thing."

"Such things are certainly useful, I would agree."

Dark eyes pin Elaine with a glance, however.

"Although I would also point out that it is not only men who are valiant."

"No, this is most true. Women's valor was not counted as such in my time, unfortunately."

"Unfortunate indeed," she murmurs. "And unwise, I should think."

Elaine nods. She's developed her own opinions on this over the last few months. "They cut off half their strength when they close women off."

Moiraine nods back.

"Among the powers accessible to those who can channel there are five: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Spirit. It has been the case that men have more facility with powers such as Fire and Earth, which some have thought stronger. But there is a saying: is there a fire so strong that water cannot quench it, or wind snuff it out, or a rock so strong that wind cannot weather it, or water wear it away?"

Elaine lets this saying wash over her, and she thinks. And then she smiles. "That is a very true saying, is it not?"

She plans to write this in her journal tonight. She wants to think about it more.

"I may speak no word that is not true, Elaine." Moiraine smiles at her. "It is one of the Oaths by which I am bound."

"Ah. A very good oath, to be sure. I know that I try never to lie, myself. I've never been particularly good at it." Elaine smiles back and sips her tea.