Reiyona moves down the hallway toward your room serenely. She comes to the door, her soft footsteps perhaps audible, and pauses a moment before knocking politely on the door. Three raps of her knuckles and she waits, the hall somewhat empty.

Saevyna straightens up quickly, her neck craning so as to afford her a clear line of sight towards the entrance to her chambers. She responds by lowering the lid on a plain oaken chest at the foot of her bed, and gliding across the polished marble floors towards the sound. Extending her arm towards the handle of the door, she pulls it downwards and draws the door inward. She does not look to see who her visitor is before she turns away with the door still open and calls, "Come in."

Reiyona smiles slightly at you, and as you turn away, inviting her in nonetheless, she steps gracefully into the room, casting her deep, jade green eyes about it. Almost unconsciously she turns and pushes the door closed, pressing on it until it clicks closed. Then, she pivots again and watches you calmly. "Light's blessing, Saev. I hope I haven't come at a bad time?" she inquires smoothly.

Carrying on towards the center of the vast chambers, the woman's stately bearing is clearly outlined against the spanning height of a far, narrow window. With an almost absent-mindedness about her manner, she responds with a hurried, "No Sister, not at all." Then, as an afterthought, she turns towards you, her skirts spinning slightly outward from her body due to the speed of the manoveur. Blinking her eyes towards you, she swallows and smiles, before walking towards you with open arms, "Reiyona..." She fails to disguise her relief, "Forgive me, please... make yourself at home in my chambers."

Reiyona regards you for a moment, then realisation shadows her green eyes. "Who did you think I was, Saev?" she asks casually, stepping toward you with her own arms outstretched. As she draws nearer she hugs you for a moment. "Something on your mind?" She pats your back with both hands. "I've just come from the Library, I thought a break would do me some good. Perhaps a break would serve you well also."

Saevyna embraces you with more warmth than usual, but pulls herself away immediately afterwards. With her left hand extended upwards to rest a thoughtful finger against her chin, and her right hand folded across her waist with her left elbow supported in its palm, she positions herself before a massive hearth. The top of the mantle is level with Saevyna's own head, and she is not a short woman, "I... uh..." She heaves a visible sigh, leaving her posture somewhat slumped, "I had not known whom to expect." She frowns, and whispers in a detached breath, "They are always sending someone to spy on me. They would never admit to it, oh no, Light forbid. But I know what they are about..."

Reiyona's calm, jade green eyes run over the mantle behind you and the flanking walls, before returning to you, one eyebrow arched. "Your Ajah?" She adjusts the white-fringed shawl that hangs loosely about her shoulders, clasping the tapered ends in front of her. She remains standing where she is, however. "Logic tells me they surely would not, but my instinct disagrees. So, I wonder what makes you think they spy? And why? For your research, or for other reasons?" Her head cocks slightly to one side, a musing expression flittering across her otherwise smooth features.

The flickering light from the fire burning in the hearth lengthens the shadows cast on Saevyna's face by her own features, and her expression is darkened further by her narrowing eyes. With her gaze focused on a blazing ember, she speaks as though she is in a dream-state, "Yes... Red Sisters. They are always coming into my chambers, never the same one twice. Pretending to ask questions, and probing my mind. But they are more interested in what may be laying around." She pauses to moisten her lips with her tongue, the hand near her chin lowering to rest her thumb and forefinger on opposite collarbones, "Opening drawers and pulling back the drapes. They look through my things... all of them, the same thing." With this, she turns towards you with widened eyes, coloured the tone of faded-blue china, "Rei, I don't know what they are looking for."

Reiyona's eyes widen slightly as you speak, and when you finish she remains silent for a time, then gives the tiniest shake of her head. "Thankfully I do not endure such problems with my own Ajah. It certainly sounds as if they are looking for something, but perhaps they do not know either what it is they seek, hmm? Perhaps they look, simply because they can." She glances down at her sleeve and picks a small pilling of fluff from it, then glances back up at you. "Who have you told about the item you spoke to him of? Perhaps they have heard of that?"

Saevyna's eyes brighten at the mention of her special item, and the barest hint of a smile passes over her distressed lips. She sighs one last time, before letting go of the wearied mood and trading it for an opportunity of contentment, "I've not mentioned my item to any, save yourself. Yet, I hardly think it is something that should interest a flock of Red ajah Sitter-hounds." This time, she betrays a wide grin, exposing her pearly teeth.

Reiyona smiles slightly, the corners of her mouth twitching upward and softening her features. She frees a hand from holding the corners of her shawl and splays it wide, palm upward to the ceiling. "Well, then, perhaps you will have time to show me it?" she asks hopefully. "And rest assured, I have mentioned the item to no one, nor will I if you do not wish me to. So, perhaps it is not that your Ajah is after. Your research is well known throughout your Ajah, isn't it?" She tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear, then gently pinches the lobe before letting it go. "Perhaps they are after some scrap notes, an idea of how you progress, in the hopes to impede your process?"

Saevyna lowers her head, and then raises it again in a nod as you speak, "My research is well known through my Ajah, yet, I fear it is more than that. The Red Ajah bends all its energies to the finding and gentling of male channelers, in order to prevent another breaking of the world. However..." A soft frown detracts from her appearance, "It is only now that I am among these halls that I know of their true nature. In order to gain favour within the Hall by being the largest by far of all the Ajahs, it is merely a harbour for women who have negative feelings towards men. At least, it is a common persona for many of the Sisters I've encountered. Therefore, my work is potentially dangerous." While she speaks, she beckons you to follow her as she approaches a large area surrounded by three tall, narrow windows, dipping outwards in a wide arc. She glances towards you to see if her words have registered, but she delivers her thoughts even as she does so, "The more that is known of the taint, the better the chances are of cleansing it."

Reiyona listens calmly as you speak, nodding gently. When you beckon her to follow, she does so, falling in step behind you with a elegant gait that causes the hem of her woollen dress to swish about her ankles. "Indeed, something many in the Red Ajah may not wish. But I think, Saev, that where there are those who hate men, and have joined perhaps only for that reason, there will certainly be those who have similar values to yourself. There is balance in all things, so it will be within your Ajah, I think. But you must remember, that whilst some may fear your research, others will think it foolish, or a lost cause - they are equally as dangerous."

Saevyna half-turns her head over her shoulder so that she may at least view you from the corner of her eye as she walks, nodding seriously at your comment, "You words are wise, Reiyona. You offer me hope when the storm errodes the sandy banks." Stopping against the arc protruding into the half-ring of windows, she extends her arm and rests it delicately against a pane of glass, her finger tips tracing over it before her hand falls back to her side, "It is there, atop the table." She gestures to her side, where there is a simple wooden table, it's surface scratched and marred by time. On top of it, is a large bell-shaped piece of glass. It's inner surfaces are covered in beaded condensation, yet, beyond that, one can view a clay pot which breeds life to a hazy looking plant.

Reiyona glances at you and smiles slightly again. "You flatter me. I merely speak as I see it, or as my intuition feels it. Sometimes, though, it is hard not to jump at shadows." When you pause and then indicate the table, her eyes stray from you to the bell-shaped piece of glass. She studies it for a moment, pausing near you, cocking her head to one side. "What have we here, Saev, hmm? A new variety of plant?" she glances askance at you, eyebrow arched with curiosity.

For a brief instant, as your eyes fall on the item atop the table, Saevyna's mask of Aes Sedai serenity drops completely. Her lack of composure feeds life into a childish giggle, and thin lines trace out from the corners of her eyes due to her wide smile, "No, no. Oh, Light no!" Her tone is excited and pitched-high, but not terribly loud. While she speaks, her hand falls to the piece of glass, and she removes it with deft ease, exposing what was partially hidden inside. A deep green stalk climbs the length of a hand into the air, leaves tracing it with a precision akin to the rungs on a ladder. In an early stage of blooming, the large bud displays it's deep crimson petals proudly, "It is not the flower that is important, nor is it the oddity, Reiyona. It's a riddle, of sorts."

Reiyona studies the stalk, leaves, and flower bud, then looks up at you as you speak, her brow furrowed slightly. "A riddle? Riddles tend to be intriguing." Her eyes drop to the plant again, running over it. "But I think I will need some prompting as to what the riddle is, and why you are so excited by it, Saev." She looks back up at you and smiles slightly. "Tell me, what is it that you've discovered or found, hmm?"

Saevyna smiles amusedly, her features still animated, but held in more control now, "The bud is unfolding... and when it does, it will display petals the colour of the deepest crimson. Now, here..." She draws her hand nearer the plant and appears to guard the stalk with a spread palm, but instead, she tucks her finger beneath a leaf and raises it, exposing a small cocoon. It is coloured white, but when the light touches it, it's surface seems to reflect most all colours, "Inside of this, the early stages of a Tairen stalk-worm are enfolded. As it grows and develops, it will break through this shell transformed. It will then, in turn, feed off of the sweet nectar of the blossom, rather than the foliage of the plant." She raises an eyebrow now, as if she has made herself clear.

Reiyona watches as you reveal the cocoon, and after a moment's silence, during which she studies the bud, the cocoon, and then you, she says calmly: "Surely the blossom has some defense against such feeding, Saev? I know nothing about stalk-worms and these blossoms, but if I were the blossom, I know I would have some defense." She arches a brow at you. "Or does the stalk-worm have a way of getting around that defense, a way of nullifying it?"

Saevyna tilts her neck to the side, eyeing you with curiously pursed lips, "The flower, a Maiden's Kiss in Tear, is relatively protected from the stalk-worm. It's leaves are coarse, and covered in fine hairs, so feeding is tedious at best. The worm is often persuaded to find another source of nutrition. But..." She glances out the window, her blue eyes scanning the horizon in a single sweep before falling back upon the potted-plant, "When the worm goes into its stasis, it transforms itself in a matter of days. When it breaks free, it has grown wings and altered into a very different specimen. As it happens, the nectar that this plant produces is the best source of energy for stalk-shifters -- as the insect is called after it's transformation."

Reiyona watches you as you relate the details of the flower and the animal that will soon feed off it, and she nods slowly. "In it's natural environment, however, does the Maiden's Kiss have symbiotic protectors, however? Other plants or animals that prey on the stalk-shifter in order to assist the longevity of the flower?" She settles her hands in front of her, one finger idly toying with one tapered end of her white-fringed shawl.

Saevyna's features draw a blank for a bare instant, followed by the soft-colouring of her cheeks, "Stalk-shifters are the favourite food of swallows, which thrive in abundance in Tear. As do Maiden's Kisses." Chuckling softly, she moves to place the glass piece back atop the plant, "The birds sweep downwards and snatch the creatures between their beaks while in mid-flight." The colour all but drains from her cheeks at the next, "Stalk-shifters would never know what was occuring until the bird was already upon them." Then, with eyes appearing even more blue by contrast, she blinks towards you, "What is to be done to protect one's self from a bird which is much larger, and much faster?" She words the rhetoric carefully, and then settles her gaze on you.

Letting her eyes linger on the now covered plant, Reiyona remains silent at your rhetorical question for a moment. She raises her shoulders, then drops them back to their normal position, the motion unsettling her white-fringed shawl. Looking up at you and meeting your gaze, she says calmly: "Find a food source that can protect against swallows, I would think. Or find a way to know where all swallows are - a difficult and arduous task, to be sure. Or, perhaps the stalk-shifer to find a symbiotic relationship with its own protector."

Saevyna inhales a deep breath, the light now faint outside as the sun sets behind the horizon, it's only sign of passing is its fiery-red trail, "A nearly impossible task as well, one might add. To be a stalk-shifter is to be eaten." Smirking, although with a look of dejection in her eyes, she raises her hand to tuck a straying piece of hair behind her ear. Her gaze then falls past you, and she walks in that general direction, speaking as she folds her hands in the small of her back, "A puzzle yet to be solved." She is silent for a few more steps, before once again pausing near the hearth. In a more amiable tone, she asks hopefully, "Were your hours in the library successful, Rei?"

Reiyona nods slightly at your comment on stalk-shifters being meant for eating, though there is no resigned agreement in her expression - in actuality, her expression is suddenly impassive. As you walk past her, however, her eyes linger on the glass covering the plant, and she turns slightly, watching your back. "Successful? That depends on how you define success. A hair closer to my goal I account as success, but there are some in my Ajah, perhaps even outside of it, that seem more inclined to believe it as failure. Still, I am wearing down the Brown who has so far tried to impede me from accessing some texts. She does not have my patience." Her smile is cool.

Saevyna pauses at the foot of her bed, in front of the oaken chest resting between the feathered matress and herself. Considering you with an expression devoid of emotion, she holds the back of her skirts as she lowers herself to sit atop the chest's lid. With a warm smile, she states as though there is no doubt, "Success, then. Soon, always soon. You will have what it is that you require." Then, her gaze shifts towards the door of her room at the sound of approaching footsteps, her mouth clamped shut, but her features smooth as the sounds travel away in passing, "Forgive me, Reiyona. I am not myself this evening..." She gives her head a shake, and inquires, "Would you be seated?"

Reiyona nods slightly. "Yes, success. And time, there is always time." Her smile is slight, but genuine, and as you glance at the sound of approaching footsteps, she arches a brow, her smile fading to be replaced by an expression of mild concern. "So it seems. I wonder if there is something you can do to impede your ajah, without seeming to." At your invitation to seat, she moves over to you and lowers herself elegantly to sit by you. "A few well-placed comments regarding privacy if they look where they should not. Even the Amyrlin can be refused entry to a Sister's own chambers, though that would cause more than a stir, it would be acceptable."

Saevyna ponders on your words for a time, as is evidenced by her furrowed brow. Her next words come in confusion, directed to you without a doubt, but spoken into the air between yourself and the hearth opposite the trunk, "But what if they think I really do have something to hide? I've hoped that by letting them search they will find nothing, and leave me to my own work. I seem to be achieving little progress in that regard, though..." Her chest jerks as though she is ready to heave yet another sigh, but instead, her arm instinctively pulls towards her mouth to cover it. The room rings with the sounds of her hollow, hacked cough -- but it is surpressed almost immediately, her hand lingering for a moment just in case.

Reiyona reaches a hand to your back and rubs it gently, before returning it to her lap where her other hand is settled. "A logical step, but also one that invites caution. You need to balance such openness with firmness. You must be the one to decide when and how they search, even if they are unaware, but what they must always be aware of is that you -allow- them to search. If they believe they search because they choose, then you will be perceived as weaker willed, and I do not think that is something you necessarily wish to perpetuate." She offers a slight smile. "It is a difficult balance to strike, I know, but if we don't strike it early, it will be all the more difficult to strike later on."

Saevyna's eyes have reddened from her recent cough, the edges bordering with a faint trace of extra moisture, "Only too true, it would serve me well to paint a picture of a willow tree and hang it above my mantle." She laughs briefly at the thought, and beams you a smile, "What if they find what they are looking for? Surely they will not be troubled to search for it any longer?" The height of her tone used to imply a question shows that she is not so sure of her words. With her palms spread open, she plays absently at her skirts.

Reiyona nods slowly. "But if you do not know what they are looking for, how do you propose to have them find it? You could perhaps find out, but you would need to find a Red sister sympathetic to you, but whom could also provide you with that information. Besides, that is a tricky game to play, Saev. If they find what they seek, and they seek for the reason of locking you into a position you do not wish to be locked into, then what?" She lets out a long breath, staring at the floor for a moment.

Saevyna considers this, and as a result, remains quiet for sometime. The hearth burns brightly, accounting for much of the light within the room, infact, all of it. The room has actually fallen quite dark since the setting of the sun, and it only seems to dawn on Saevyna now, "But you youself mentioned that perhaps they did not know what they were looking for, no? What could be something that would perk their interest, but end up being relatively harmless? Aes Sedai can speak no word that is not true, so they can do nothing but believe me when I state the reason for the item they have found. Humility should serve as a lesson... wait." While she had been speaking, she had risen from her perch on the trunk and started towards the fireplace, "I've got an idea, Reiyona."

Reiyona watches you and nods slightly as you speak. "True, they may simply be looking for anything they could use against you, for whatever purposes. I don't imagine it would be an unheard of thing to do when a new sister is raised to the Ajah. But what are you thinking?" She cocks her head to one side, a thoughtfully curious expression flittering briefly across her otherwise impassive features. "What is that gleam in your eye, Saev?"

Saevyna crosses her arms beneath her breasts, and taps the fingers of her left hand against her elbow, strumming them repetitively in a definite cadence, "What is my favourite past-time, Reiyona? And what, more than anything else, do Reds generally share a dislike for?"

Reiyona's expression immediately takes on a hint of amusement, the corners of her lips twitching. "Drawing and painting is your favourite past time, though perhaps one or two others would come a close second hmm?" Her smile broadens for a moment. "And Reds, usually, dislike men, though I think you're not one of those. So I get the impression that perhaps you're planning something delectable."

Saevyna's mouth curls into an open smile, the dancing light of the fire reflecting in her blue iris', "Yes, painting and drawing. And men." She moistens her lips with her tongue, and continues, "Say that a certain Red was seen spending much of her time in the company of men, a pair of them. Not only that, but they would retire to her chambers for long hours, and sometimes not depart until late in the evening?" Her eyebrow quirks in amusement as she continues, but her face reveals no other outward emotions.

Reiyona turns slightly, eyeing you with calm, jade green eyes that in the light of the fire seem much more deeply coloured. "I would say that you had best be careful to play that game." She raises a hand and motions to the now covered plant with one elegant finger. "There is no telling what swallows may use such an innocent, or perhaps not so innocent," she grins slightly, "situation to their advantage."

Saevyna turns her head briefly in the direction of the plant as you gesture towards it, but she responds amusedly, "Yes, but it gets better Rei. One evening, in particular, there will be sounds of heavy breathing and grunting emitting from my room. Then, the two men are sure to leave sweating and breathing heavily, and spotted by a scrutinizing eye." Her eyes become even more animated as she goes on, then relates, "It is at this point in time, that the swallows will prey on food. Yet, it is mere bait which is sure to induce a belly-ache."

Reiyona chuckles, a sound deep in her throat, her head falling forward slightly with her amusement. After a moment, all that it takes for calm to once more descend, she lifts her gaze to you. "That is a plan not without merit, Saev, but it will only work in your favour if you are asked about it directly after suitable gossipping. If you never are, however, you must defend yourself, and that may only weaken your position. It is a game with two very sharp edges."

Saevyna purses her lips thoughtfully, and nods her head after a moment. "That is true enough. What is needed is some sort of suspense, of course. Many of the sisters of my ajah I have met are tight-lipped about things publically, but private matters are another concern. Gossip spreads like wildfire in high winds." She smirks, and then sweeps her expression of emotion, "I will have to think on it some more, but it sounds like a profitable seed to be planted."

Reiyona nods slightly. "If you can orchestrate it as you intend, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. The problem, however, is knowing where those swallows are." She indicates the covered plant once more, her finger outstretched as her hand rises then falls back to her lap. "And whether they intend to eat, or do something else." She raises her shoulders, then lets them fall back to their normal position, ignoring for now the fact the movement unsettled the white-fringed shawl about her shoulders. "Think on it, indeed. If you need my assistance, perhaps I can help."

Saevyna is silent for the length of time that it takes her to inhale and both exhale the same breath, "Yes, and it would be wise to plan for the worst situation. That way, any surprises will be but pleasant ones, which will be easier to deal with." Coming back towards you, she eases herself at your side by the trunk, "First, then, I must find out who it is that finds me so interesting."

Reiyona nods her agreement. "Do you have any idea who it might be that sees you as a possible threat? If you can work that out, you can then work out why. That may be just as useful, perhaps more so. If you know the root of their fear, you may well be able to use it against them." She reaches her hands up to her shoulders and adjusts her white-fringed shawl, drawing it around her and taking a tapered end in each hand, settling them in her lap.

Saevyna shakes her head negatively, resulting in the faint trace of lavender in the air, "No, I haven't any idea as to whom it is that I may be threatening." Shrugging her shoulders, she throws her hands up in the air and falls backwards, her upper body landing against her bed. After she lands, she draws her hands to her face where she rubs her eyes, "But you are most correct, I think that is what needs to be done next."

Reiyona grins slightly as you fall back against the bed. "Then you have a goal for the first step of your journey, Saev. If you need any assistance from me, it will be forthcoming." She then rises elegantly from where she sits on the bed and presses her hands into the small of her back, leaning back slightly. "I think I may take a walk in the gardens to get some fresh air, before I head back to the Library, though. So signal I my imminent departure."

Saevyna pulls her hands off of her eyes, and sits up, smiling towards her companion and confident, "Light embrace you, Sister. I hope to see you soon, I will try to lend you some help with your..." She smirks and rolls her tongue about her mouth, "Acquisition of texts, if you will."

Reiyona smiles slightly at you and nods. "Light's blessing upon you, also, sister. And no doubt we will see each other soon enough. As for my acquisition of texts, that will all be handled in time. Patience in all things." She inclines her head to you, then turns and begins to head toward the main door of the room.

Saevyna watches you with a bemused smile as you depart from her chambers, before giggling and shaking her head as she falls back against her bed once more.