Death Becomes Her (Murder Mystery Phase 1)

Fishing around on her table, Raeyn Sedai, the ever so dignified Head of the Brown Ajah, growled at the fact she couldn’t find something as simple as a hairbrush.

“It’s even worse knowing that you have one… somewhere!!” she muttered to herself, carelessly moving stacks of paper around to peer at the layer of dust on the tabletop.

Sighing, she strode to her overstuff armchair, and flopped back inelegantly. Her woolen nightgown flapped about her ankles as she jumped right back up with an exclamation of surprise, peering into the seat. “Some things are right under our noses… or other body parts!” she exclaimed to herself, scooping up the brush before sitting back down. Pulling the ribbon out of her long hair, she shook it down to stream across her breasts into her lap. She stroked idly, reflecting on a day spent fussing at unruly Novices in the library, “Was I as foolish as the lot of them when I was that age? Surely not…”

Her thoughts were interrupted as a gaping yawn attempted to escape from Raeyn. She hurriedly covered her mouth, grinning ruefully, “I’ve been pushing myself too hard lately… I should take some time to relax tomorrow!” She snuggled back into her chair a bit more, continuing her idle strokes with the brush. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep, brush dangling from her outstretched hand.

And that is how she was to be found on the tomorrow that wouldn’t come for her.

Raeyn Sedai
Head of the Brown Ajah
Bonded to Matalina Gaidin

——————————————————————————————
Meagan rubbed her eyes as a yawn escaped her lips. Earily morning never bother her too much, but after spending a late night practicing her 100 weaves in the dark, it was enough to make her wish she could have slept late. But the time waits for no woman, and she was off to the library to search out more books on weaves like any good dedicated Accepted.

Her sandled feet moved silently over the stone steps of the Legendary Library of the WhIte Tower. A Library she would have given her life to see, to study in. She walked carefully up the steps, although she knew each step by heart. She had to know, for her lack of sight demanded it. Her cost to study in this library was her inability to actually see the library the the books within. Maegan yawned again, pulling open the door that lead into the entrance, filling her nose with the smell of paper, ink and a slight insence smell that one of the sisters must have burnt to help with the smell of the dust. Domani inscense, if she guessed correctly.

“Morning, Maegan. You look worse for wear. Up practicing again?” The sweet brown that sat at the desk smiled at her, although Meagan couldn’t see the smile, she heard it in the woman’s voice. Maegan touched her hair, as it showed it usual disarray, despite the bath of this morning. Her thick hair never wished to do anything but tangle amnd make her look like a dis-shevled old woman. A perfect image for a brown.

“Morning to you too, Elrenie Sedai. Up earily cataloging again? I thought you had a weave for everthing that it should already be perfect.” Maegan smiled at the woman, handing her a book that she had borrowed the night before.

The woman chuckled in her low alto voice. “We all have our passions.”

“Indeed.” Maegan said with a grin, and continued her way into the library. She slowly picked her way to the stacks, avoiding chairs and table legs. Reaching the shelving that was dedicated to weaves, usually moderate to complex ones that all Aes Sedai should know, she started to run her fingers along the shelf that was within reach. Her fingers traced the bindings, spelling out the contents of the book. It was a time consuming method, but she was in no rush. She had all day, and if it took her years to achieve the Shawl, it was on her terms, and with her knowledge.

“Water weaves for the kitchen……Camp Fires and other use….Weather and how it… ” She skipped over the ones she had already read though -thanks to a novices help, who she had sworn never to repeat these weave until she also reached the banded accepted dress.- and frowned as her fingers came across a empty space in the shelf. A book was missing, and it was the next on her ‘reading list’. Picking up the hem of her skirt, she went back to the front desk and inquired about the missing book. Elrenie Sedai had left for a tea break, and another Aes Sedai she had not been aquainted with yet told her that a Raeyn Sedai had borrowed it to help one of her own students. Or as far as her knowlegde could percieve of the book.

After receiving directions to Raeyn Sedai’s room, Maegan let out a soft prayer that the woman would not be upset for being waken this earily in the morning. Maegan halted in her steps and looked out the window. Judging by the light that now filtered into the room, it was getting close to mid-day. Light! where had the day gone!

With soft footsepts, despite the time of day, she dared not wake anyone that wished to sleep late, and prayed that Raeyn Sedai was in her room, and not asleep. She counted the doors on her right…..15… 16….21…22…

Meagan was surprised to find room 23 slighly ajar as she attempted to knock. The door creeked open on its hinges at a high enough pitch to cause Maegan to shutter. Her hearing must be getting finer-tuned without her sight. She made a mental note to talk to a Yellow about this. She did not bother to touch the doorknow, but slowly pushed open the door, trying not to let the creeking door bother her.

“Raeyn Sedai? Are you here?” She peaked into the room, her heart starting to beat faster. The room was dark. No light from a window or a candle could be seen. Maybe she wasn’t in here, or still asleep. But why was the door open? Maegan tried her best to still her beating heart, but the sense of something tickled at her nose. “May I come in?”

After recieve no answer, she made the logical choice of going in, if just to see if the book was available. She stepped slowely, careful not to knock anythign over, or step on anything that might hurt her feet, she did not bother to embrace the One Power, her only chance to be able to see anything. At first, nothing seemed wrong. Ther room held a darker feel, like a brown long dedicated to her work and study. Harsh lights were never friendly to one that read a lot, and the rooms feel reflected that. But something wasn’t completly right either. The room had a very unsettleing feeling. Most rooms of the browns held insence, or a warm smell of the one that lived there. The sent of warm skin, or the fregrance of hair. But there was nothing in this room, and it unnerved her. Far more then the creeking door.

With her limited vision she scanned the room. The bed was flat, the table and tea setting was also empty. And then her eyes fell to what looked like a overly large armchair not far from the bed, yet opposite the window. In the chair was a figure. She could not make out the figure, it was like a ghost in a room full of things that blured and shone. But it was there. Slowly walking towards the figure, she tired her best to make out the figure. There was nothing tryly stick out, infact she was surprised she saw the figure at all, as like everything else, the figure reflected the dark tones of the room.

“Raeyn Sedai?”

Maegan was desperate as she walked forward, her hear in her through and her hair on end. A voice in the back of her head told her to run. To get anouther Aes Sedai. To get A yellow, or anouther brown. But her curiosity kept her moving forward. She needed to know. reachign out with her hand, she smoothed back the hair, obvously recenltly brushed, unless the woman had not moved all night, but with a shock, she pulled her hand back to her chest, as if electrified by the figure.

The Skin.. It was not right. It was far from the feeling of any normal skin that would usually be warm to the touch, and was indeed cold. Too cold. It was clammy and clung to her fingers, ans the feeling of dread washed over her. Taking a step back, she stepped ona hair brush, the Power of Saidar ripped through her body as the figure came to light.

The rolled eyes stared up at her as the body sat limp in the chair, the moth slighly open and the skin white to an almost greyish tone.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out as she looked down to her feet,. A jeweled, yet simple hair brush layed at her feet. And realization of what she already knew struck her hard in the chest, and the room grew dim, and her touch with the One Power faded.

Raeyn Sedai was Dead.

Maegan Ryanne
Accepted
———————————————————————————————
//flashback//

She tossed in her sleep, the hairbrush still in hand to flail at dream assailants. Occasionally, the brush was thrust forward, as if being wielded like one of the fluted rod ter’angrael or sa’angrael. Troubled dreams for a troubled time…

No one could say for sure what caused her to wake from her slumber. The door creaked open quietly as a true assailant snuck in; stealthfully they moved across the cluttered chamber. Perhaps it was the sense of another with the ability to wield the Power…

She jerked awake, opening her soul to Saidar… only to find herself blocked from the Source! The moonlight glinted through the window off flashes of metal all over the room, to include her assailant.

“What… what do you want?” she queried angrily, “Is this about the other day?”

The person in front of her said nothing, though the moonlight flashed off white teeth as the head bent nearer. Raeyn eyed her hairbrush sideways, and attempted to club the mysterious person’s head. The blow landed, but not strongly enough for her to escape. Flows or Air bound her to the chair. Her breath fled her body and all turned to red, but not before she felt the binds leave and a voice whispered, “Good bye, Raeyn Sedai… may your next life have meaning to it.”

Darkness covered all, and her form went cold.

Raeyn Sedai
Head of the Brown Ajah
Bonded to Matalina Gaidin
———————————————————————————————
Maegan stood there for hours. Ot is seemed like hours. Her vision none existant as she shared the presence of the room with a figure that will haunt her.

::”Death is a mysterious thing. One day she was smiling, and looking at us with Happiness, and the next she no longer moves. We will never understand it, but it happens, just as, one day, you and i will one day die.” Maegan didn’t look to her farther as he spoke. She only watched without understanding, why they were placing her mothing into the ground while she was asleep. Everyone was weeping. Everyone…but her. And she didn’t understand.

She slowly backed out of the room, not touching anything. Feeling heat flow up to her cheeks and making her dizzy, she left the door open and leaned her body against the oposing wall, allowing the coolness of it seep ingot her skin and drain out the heat the rose from her body. Her fear. Her shock.

And then she screamed.

Maegan Ryanne
White Tower Accepted

———————————————————————————————
The rest of this RP never happened. 🙁