Intro to Saidar (Attn Fiera)

[Jaydena]

Jaydena walked down toward the gardens, she saw people staring at her and she didn't care, she knew it wasn't because of her clothing. Today she wore an actual Andorian dress. Green with a square neck, and tight sleeves down to the wrists. Embroidered roses climbed across the bodice and hem in a torrent of color. Her long auburn hair lay in a cascade of curls down her back and ended at the curve of her backside. A ruby and emerald necklace made to resemble roses and leaves wound it's way around her neck and the matching earring dangled from her ears. No they stared at the mask she wore across her face, it wasn't something you normally saw in your day to day life and most of the people wandering the gardens, were people here visiting or people being healed or recovering from being healed by a yellow. Most of them with an exception of a few were from small farming communities or villages. She shook the thoughts from her head and focused on the coming class with her mentee. Walking into the garden she spotted the girl, her time with her had gone fairly well and she looked forward to this class today. Today she would be teaching the girl how to touch the source for the first time and there was nothing like that reaction on a person's face. She approached Fiera and motioned for her to take a seats on one of the benches. "Hello, my child. I hope you are doing well? Before we get started I have a few rules that you must follow. Do not, I repeat Do Not, touch the Source, or Light forbid, channel, without supervision. I do not care if you have already started channeling in the secrecy of your room. That will stop today. If you are found violating this rule you'll be sent to the Mistress of Novices office for a suitable punishment. And I know that suitable means extremely harsh. So save us both a lot of trouble and just don't do it."

 

"You don't have the discipline to control Saidar or to attempt to channel it safely. The feeling is so immense and addictive that you might be tempted to take in more than you can safely handle. This could result in a myriad of bad consequences, among them hurting or killing others, hurting or killing yourself, or even worse yet, Stilling yourself. However, with an Aes Sedai or Accepted there with you, you can moderate the amount you attempt to handle and ensure that your flows don't lash out of control. This is for your safety, and the safety of your fellow novices. Punishment will be harsh for violators of this rule. Consider it the most important rule you must follow while you stay here at the Tower. Now with that said let us move on hmmm? Control will come, and one day you will be comfortable with using the Power, and it will come when you need it. Someday. But that takes years and years of effort and discipline, which will start in this course and continue even after are raised to an Aes Sedai. Learning never ends. Remember that and you will do well here. Now on to your first lesson."

 

"The first thing you need to do, before anything else, is learn about what it is you are going to be dealing with. The One Power is classified in two ways. Saidar is the female half of the One Power, Saidin the male half. Only two to three percent of all the people in the known world have the ability to touch the One Power. When a person draws from the One Power and controls its flow to produce a desired result this is called channeling." Jade saw the girl nod and she figured she must have picked that information up somewhere. "What is Saidar exactly? Well, many people would give you many different answers to this question. What it seems to be is the very essence of energy in all things, in all life around us. A Sister channeling takes threads of that energy, the One Power, and weaves them to perform various tasks. The five threads of the One Power are Air, Water, Fire, Spirit, and Earth. Those people who have the ability to channel typically have a greater natural ability to deal with one or two of the different threads. Some rare individuals exhibit a great ability with three of the threads. Even during the Age of Legends, according to tomes we have, it was extremely rare to find someone who could handle four of the threads very strongly, let alone all five elements."

 

"In most cases, men were more adept with Fire and Earth, while women were more talented with Air and Water. Both are equally strong in Spirit it seems. Do not let this mislead you. Many girls believe just because men are usually stronger in Fire and Earth that they are stronger over all? This isn't always true. As you will learn in future classes the powers of Spirit, Air, and Water are formidable and should not be discounted. Use of the One Power is addictive. Channeling makes the person feel more alive, such that life without touching either saidin or saidar seems only a pale shade of what life should be. It is for this reason that channeling is dangerous - drawing too much of the One Power can at the least sear the ability to channel out of a person, at the worst it can kill. The feeling is very sweet and powerful that you will experience. You must learn how to remain strong in the face of that temptation. That is why girls who can learn to channel are brought here. Even if they do not desire to rise to the shawl they must learn to control the urges lest they hurt themselves or those around them. There have been many times in the history of the Tower when Aes Sedai have been cut off from the One Power as a punishment. This process, is known as severing." Jaydena pulled a piece of parchment out of the bag she had brought with her and handed the paper to the girl.

 

"My child, these are the names of every Sister who has been Stilled in the History of the Tower and why. Memorize them. You may be asked later, at random, to tell me about them. I expect you will know them inside and out. If you'd like to know more you can find more information on each in the library. I encourage you to research them extensively. Only by keeping in mind our past mistakes can we succeed in not repeating them. Learn from them so you do not have to pay the price they did for foolishness. Tomorrow we will begin our working with Saidar. I would like you to get plenty of sleep tonight, eat well, and be on time to the lesson. This class will be the beginning of your entry into a wonderful and amazing new world and I know you will live up to the challenge. Jade smiled at her and dismissed Fiera, reminding her one last time to take care of herself for the lesson tomorrow.

 

Ooc: Homework, describe what you character looks like, how she's feeling, is she taking notes when Jade talks. Be descriptive and have fun.

 

 

Jaydena Sedai

[Fiera Taishar]

The day had been indubitably gray from the moment Fiera had deigned to greet the dawn with a rather accusatory yawn--it was, of course, wholly its fault for waking her at an hour she'd rather not be woken--and it was, still, a mass of dark skies stretching into a infinite horizon tinged with the pinks and yellows of a diregardfully cheerful evening. Fiera much preferred the inky expanse of midnight blue that reigned over the heavens of night, so dark that it could be taken as a veil of black that guarded her thoughts and evoked her mind's greatest aspirations and jealously clandestine fears. She had taken enough audacious strolls through its realm to realize it was the time of absolute quiet and darkness from which she drew her most powerful strength, rather than from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind as many others would have imagined. In truth, there was little solace in filthy chores, tedious lessons, snotty giggling girls that she quickly set in place, and all this ridiculous curtsying when she, with her royal Saldaen blood, should be the one to whom these peasants bowed. That considered, one could harly blame her for her consistantly dour moods. Today was no exception. The White Tower reared into a blithe cerulean sky, its lofty torrents seeming to lean into affinity and its zenith looking to kiss the very pinnacle of heaven, if such a place really did exist. No other structure was said to match it in height and craftsmanship; the work of Ogiers, too, it was rumored. It was a decidedly disgusting display, but the girl had vowed to bear it without complaint. Well, at least, without much complaint. The only redeeming detail of this rendezvous was that it occurred outside (circular classrooms became tedious all too quickly) and would involve her touching the source at last. It was not as if she hadn't attempted it many times before, but she could never seem to snatch up the wretched pool of light that illuminated her days, even at their darkest. No matter how much she tried to bend that ray to her will, to mold and wrestle it into something other than an annoying lump of energy, it devoutly refused to budge. Well, today would mark the moment she would conquer the One Power at last! It was about time too.

 

Fiera hastened her step at the thought of conquest, determindedly ignoring the wind that whipped shamelessly through her hair and set her dark tresses whirling about her frowning face and twisting around her elongated neck like the promise of a noose. She had earned this and time would not deny her of such an opportunity. As she hurried through the throng her tilted acid-green eyes swept the grounds in intent survey, carefully scrutinizing swaggering Accepteds and imperious AesSedai alike, filing each carefully in her mind and tucking them away for later evaluation. This process had become second nature after years in the court, and it had never failed her when she tinkered with the unwritten rules of Daes Demar or began gently pushing others to test their limits and the extent of their control over her. It might not do her much good in this prison, but breaking life-long habits was no simple matter. Fiera's mind darted among the benches of the garden until finally they rested on their quarry with the sweeping finality of irons being clapped on the wrists of a particularly elusive plunderer. At spotting the fiery Green, familiar feelings of turmoil settled over Fiera, reverence battling disdain and blind excitement clashing with undefined dread. Her eyes followed the progress of the vines curling up the hem of Jaydena Sedai's gown, finally managing to extricate themselves from the tangle of thorns to flick up to her smooth, ageless face of utter, undisrupted serenity. Fiera contained a snort directed to the woman's interesting garb, recalling her own line of extravagant clothing that was in much better taste than her unfortunate mentor's. It was uncertain when her brain acknowledged the strange crescent mask wrapped snugly about the Green's pretty facade. Fiera cocked a questioning eyebrow in her direction, but forced her attention back into neutral interest right after the act, apprehensive to lose time in grasping the Source due to superfluous explanations she would probably not completely comprehend anyways and be sent to the Mistress of Novices for asking on top of that. Her lessons here had all been learned the hard way, unfortunately.

 

Jaydena smiled and gestured Fiera hospitably to seat herself on a bench. She lowered herself onto the bench cautiously, hesitant to place all her weight on her still-sore seat bones. Sirayan had not be any gentler as Fiera continued to frequent her lonely office; in fact, her swings seemed to grow in forcefulness at Fiera's fifth visit for asking inappropriate questions and defiance. In the end, she choose a passable medium and perched like a rigid bird on the very edge of the bench, concealing a slight wince behind a harsh smile that bared too many teeth to be anything in the near vicinity of genuine. "Good evening, Jaydena Sedai," she managed weakly, still fumbling over the bitter taste of the honorifics in her mouth. "Hello, my child. I hope you are doing well? Before we get started I have a few rules that you must follow. Do not, I repeat Do Not, touch the Source, or Light forbid, channel, without supervision. I do not care if you have already started channeling in the secrecy of your room. That will stop today. If you are found violating this rule you'll be sent to the Mistress of Novices office for a suitable punishment. And I know that suitable means extremely harsh. So save us both a lot of trouble and just don't do it." This harangue was certainly not what Fiera had been expecting. She could not feel anything but irritated by anything that delayed her first touching, but she still stiffened slightly at the general and rather offhand reprimand, pushing all her guilt into a canvas bag and dumping it off the highest peak of her mind. She feigned meekness and observed the manicured grass in convincing bashfulness, mumbling a "Of course, Jaydena Sedai," with a deference she did not feel. She was becoming rather practiced in exuding false emotions--it was all that saved her from having her bottom slippered off all day--and the fact gave Fiera a sense of great satisfaction. Let them think they were taming her. Fiera ignored the quivering in her heart that told her how close to that she had almost come before she figured out a separate and sucessful outlet.

 

At last, with another smile, the Sister unfurled a tale of the rivary between men and women and began explaining the basics of the One Power, even though the majority of it Fiera had already known. With a sinking feeling, Fiera realized this lesson would not be a practical demonstration and what she should be doing was taking notes. She grimaced inwardly, rubbing her neck in sheepish indignation. How was she to know the wouldn't even be touching the source today! It was all so...so...UNFAIR! She soothed her curling expression and formed the flame and the void, trying to make her soul a part of that emptiness but failing mserably. She could never that that stupid trick right either! Her trainer had always warned her that her control was abysmal. Arranging her features into a resolute passive attentiveness, she resumed her dreamy study of Jaydena Sedai's odd mask, wondering idly what something like that could mean...Perhaps a private penance? She barely absorbed the Green's next words. "In most cases, men were more adept with Fire and Earth, while women were more talented with Air and Water. Both are equally strong in Spirit it seems." Fiera's eyes snapped back into focus, glaring augers into the fading air created from her mentor's words. "But there are exceptions?" she interrupted more sharply than she should of and compensated by adding a submissive, "Jaydena Sedai?" Fiera had been under the impression a channeler could select which elements they could weave more masterfully. Perhaps it was not the most well developed theory, but she had always liked to have control over everything that could even remotely possibly intercept her life. Fire and air had always appealed to her, so she found herself rather put out by the chance those might not be her strongest elements. Besides, despite Jaydena's rationalizations, it still sounded to Fiera like the men had he better part of the deal. How typical that the generally physically stronger species also wielded the more hazardous elements. This must be proof that the Creator was male.

 

Fiera soon found herself drifting between sleep and consciousness, contemplating details that were in no way concerned with what was presently being discussed. She was simply not overly fond of hearing stale information circulating continuously. She had already learned the majority of this from other Novices and outside lessons, so her anxious nerves were far from being relaxed by this suspense and uncalled-for boredom. She kept hoping the woman would begin speaking at a supernatural speed or wrap up her speech already so they could progress to actually channeling arrows of fire and avalanches, but every word her mentor spoke brought Fiera closer to the possibility there would be no contact with the One Power today; that was a possibility she would not be able to safely bear. She could sense the heat at the corner of her vision, the sinuous, trembling, drop of light that beckoned her seductively, called...crooned musically in her ear and begged for her to stroke it...Suddenly, the charming force dissipated as if in dissapointment, and, for the second time, Fiera found herself jerking to awareness. Jaydena had ceased talking and was eyeing her rather speculatively. Fiera struggled to recall what she had heard Jaydena saying, in a sense, but nothing came to mind. Now appearing truely embarrassed--this would entail a whipping for certain--, she croaked, "Yes?" "My child, these are the names of every Sister who has been Stilled in the History of the Tower and why. Memorize them. You may be asked later, at random, to tell me about them. I expect you will know them inside and out. If you'd like to know more you can find more information on each in the library. I encourage you to research them extensively. Only by keeping in mind our past mistakes can we succeed in not repeating them. Learn from them so you do not have to pay the price they did for foolishness. Tomorrow we will begin our working with Saidar. I would like you to get plenty of sleep tonight, eat well, and be on time to the lesson. This class will be the beginning of your entry into a wonderful and amazing new world and I know you will live up to the challenge."

 

Fiera nodded numbly, taking the parchment with wilting fingers. Tomorrow...A whole day of hopeless waiting and a guaranteed sleepless night...Not another day of this terrible waiting! She wanted to scream in frustration and throw the bench she was tenderly balanced over at her mentor's masked head for doing this to her, for failing to notice how very important it was that Fiera interact with Saidar today, but that would just get her eating a fireball before she could proceed to rip Jaydena's lovely cascading curls off her perfectly shaped head. "Yes, certainly, Jaydena Sedai," she simpered with barely intelligible hints of a growl, gaining her feet and curtsying swiftly. "Thank you; you won't be disappointed." She gave one last sickening smile and sulked her way back to her cramped room, bodily shoving past all the little idiots who hindered her disgruntled progress to a session of screaming garbled oaths at her rather deaf wall.

 

[eekk, it's so ramble-y! Sorry it's so disjointed!]

[Jaydena]

ooc- *laughs* No worries, that may be the longest intro post I have ever seen. I apologize for my lateness with this.

 

Lesson 2: Embracing the Source

 

Jaydena headed to the gardens once more and saw that today she was the first to arrive. She sat for several mintues starring at the roses as she waited for her mentee to show up. Before long the novice showed up, with her dress covered in soot. Jade chuckled and spoke, "Cleaning fireplaces out eh? Don't let the Mistress of Novices see your dress in that condition, clean it as soon as possible." Jade stood, nodding to her mentee she examined the roses and added touches of the power when they needed them. It had been a hard morning, she had reported to Sira and she hated doing anything of the sort, they would never get along in the true sense of the word and it broke her heart. She turned back around once she was calm and spoke, "The first thing you must learn, before anything else, is how to embrace the Source in preparation for channeling it. You must surrender yourself utterly to its power and place yourself within it. Only by surrendering can you embrace it. You may think that is is easy but believe me it's not. However, we do have a novice exercise that often helps make it easier. Realize you may not immediately succeed at this. You may not succeed the second, third, forth, and tenth time. Sometimes its just that hard. Do not let this frustrate or embarrass you. Some of the Tower's most powerful channelers once sat as you did trying desperately to take hold of Saidar and they too thought it would never come, but it did. So please take a deep breath and I want you to close your eyes."

 

"Now, clear your mind of all thoughts but a single flowering bud. Picture it as clearly as if you were holding it in your hand. Once you have the image firmly in your mind, begin to picture the sun on the bud, warming it. The bud begins to open to the sun, yearning for its warmth and light. You can use any flower, any that is special to you or any you see around you. I use a rosebud and have done so since I was a Novice. Know that this will not come the first time, you will have to practice again and again. Don’t expect that just because you watch how easily I do it that you can. I have been channeling longer than you have been alive and let’s not push ourselves to heights we can’t reach" She watched her closely and offered advice when it was needed, finally the girl was able to channel and Jade chuckled at her excitement. "Now, I want you to sit here for the next hour and work on this exercise, imagining the flower bud and the sun until it comes just a bit easier." After the designated hour she motioned for her to stop and then began to speak. "Your final assignment for today's lesson is to go to the library and find information on at least one novice or accepted that has burnt themselves out. This paper will be handed in at the beginning of the next lesson tomorrow." Jaydena gave her a smile and then continued, "Remember that you can come to me anytime of day if you need to talk to me about anything, you are doing well so far my child and I am proud of you." With that she motioned for the novice to leave, and she left quickly. She smiled and she thought back to the first time she had embraced the source, with a green who was now long gone. Turning away she examined the roses around her, the rose was her favorite flower. So lovely yet so fierce, there was no other flower exactly like it. Soft as velvet petals yet right beneath lurked those thorns, ready to hurt and draw blood. Sometimes she felt like those roses, so ready to draw blood if touched.

 

OOC:

Alright two choices, either you can write a very in-depth description of your characters thoughts, emotions, and physical feelings while channeling the OP for the first time OR you can write a scene where your character goes to the library to research being burn out. Write about your character's feelings, fears, maybe even their own over confidences about the subject. The paper is not necessarily what you will need to write but rather a scene concerning your character, research and reactions to her own findings. Be creative and remember exercise those RP muscles. After all, in this sort of online rp everyone is the hero of their own story. Its your job to make conflicts for your character both internal and external. As an aside for you is to consider how internal conflicts can be more challenging for your character than the external ones. Who knows, that may be in the final.

 

Jaydena Sedai

[Fiera Taishar]

OoC: Sorry about that again :oops: I always planned to have Fiera suck at touching the OP, so would that sort of count as an internal conflict, or do you mean something more like self-doubt or fear? She's not really as secure as she appears, and that's why she's so sour and mulish about everything. She thinks she has to struggle for her accomplishments for them to count, and the new environment (WT) increases her discomfort. She not nearly as dour as she acts; it's more like the mask she wears here to disguise her uncertainty and fear of failure, and I suppose to protect her giant ego too. Is that internal conflict-esque? My goal was to make her more or less of an idiot at first, really. I'll get a post up after this =]

[Jaydena]

ooc- No worries, your rp was great, and either of those would count as an internal conflict, go with what fits best for her. :lol:

[Fiera Taishar]

The day had been an interesting one so far, for Fiera had done much to boost her spirits for what was to come this evening. She had managed to cajole some sniveling little brats to “help” her get some highly undesirable chores completed and spent her rightfully earned spare time running through the list of the tragically stilled that was surgically implanted in her brain. Memorizing it has taken no more than a minute and she was now illustrating the names with a flourish of emphasis here and a subtle solemn decrescendo there to give her words more dramatic effect. After all, delivery was an incredibly important component of swaying another in your favor. Her aim was to impress Jaydena enough that the woman would allow her to proceed through the lesson plans much faster than the rest of those inept Novices; she was surprised the Aes Sedai had not already settled on this the moment she realized Fiera’s undeniable aptitude for all things. And the poor Green had seemed reasonably intelligent, too.

 

Fiera had been in an especially foul mood towards the start of the day, hissing oaths more vitriolic than usual at the obscenely bright, slanting rays of sunlight that filtered upon her pillow as the day broke in its vivid glory. The girl had been up all night trying to snatch up the translucent pool glimmering at the edge of her vision, but, as was the typical result of her efforts, the more she tried to bend it to her will, the more it resisted and slipped lithely through the eager fingers of her mind. She gave up only when her room began to blur and darkness crept across the fuzzy chamber, smothering her with sleep. She had woken feeling uncomfortably bleary and wanting nothing more than to drop her heavy-as a-sack-of-bricks head back onto her pillow and never wake up again. However, that was obviously not a viable option. She later smoothed the wrinkles of her day when she snapped up a pair of newlings and quite forcefully convinced them of the existence of a Novice hierarchy headed only by her, and it would be in their best interest to take heed and follow her every command. Eventually, a kinder soul would clarify their blunder, but for the moment, they were cleaning the chamber pots so she wasn’t all that fussed.

 

After that, things became more bearable and Fiera was able to focus her efforts to retaining every shred of her lessons, something that would of proved rather difficult with the image of unclean chamber pots swimming menacingly in her head. The only thing that had put her off other than unsightly chores was how she had reacted when a passing Aes Sedai had asked tartly that shouldn’t she be on the other side of that door—Fiera had been contemplating whether she was too early for class outside the chamber. Fiera had then jumped and stumbled over her words, flopping into a curtsy before almost falling through the doorway in her haste to put the wooden structure between her and the dark woman. She had been the one who had taken Fiera’s punishment into her own hands, and the woman had a surprisingly good arm! Every time Fiera thought about the incident, her body became suffused with intolerable shame and anger towards the Aes Sedai and herself. This was her, who wanted to dice up trollocs and clash blades with a warder, running scared from another mortal being (albeit they could channel)! What was she turning into, a conniving Carheinin? She would be reaching for the Brown if she continued this irrational display of incredible cowardice. If the fact that her visits to the Mistress of Novices were slowing to an oozing trickle was any indication of that, she might as well attach her head to a history book now!

 

And so, contemplating the true meaning of bravery, Fiera trotted absentmindedly down the steps leading to the delicately blooming splendor of the White Tower gardens. The cheerful scene aroused her senses and also brought her to them. I’m such a dolt she thought furiously, wiping away all traces of thoughts tangential to the lesson she had been waiting for so keenly. Touching the Source was all that mattered now. I wonder if I’ll be the fastest person to ever touch it, she mused seriously, unable to smother the triumphant smile that tugged at her lips at the thought. Of course she would! When had she ever been outdone by anybody to date? What a silly thought. She laughed at herself lightly, now fretting over if fire would truly be her strongest element like she wanted it to. In Saldea, she had often been compared to a flame, untenable, untamable, fiery, and inflammable; now she was more like a chunk of ice: immobile, fat, sulking, and untouchable. How she hated who she had become here. Her humor and wit had evaporated so quickly at the Tower, she often wondered if she had ever had it at all, or was her prior life just an illusion…?

 

Her mood was suddenly beginning to darken, and, Fiera, realizing the direction it was headed in, assumed the flame and the void to drain herself of all rash emotion unnecessary for this particular encounter. Remember what is important she chastised herself savagely, allowing her sharply emerald eyes to return to their post of scanning the courtyard for her green-masked mentor, chivvying them away from trying to peer inward into her soul like they had been futilely attempting. After a few moments of survey, she located the amiable Green perched on a bench as before, staring serenely into the distance as if she owned not a care in the world, floating carelessly in an ocean of crimson roses. Despite the fact that she despised roses--lilies were so much better), Fiera felt herself smiling against her will, but she brutally smashed down the admiration that was welling in her chest with utmost disdain and arrogance; she had no real reason for venerating this woman…simply her channeling her green fringed shawl was not enough. With scrupulously measured strides, she strode up to the Aes Sedai and curtsied lightly, bending her spine with more the forbearing tolerance of a queen acknowledging a disciple than a Novice greeting a Sister. She smiled.

 

“Good evening, Jaydena Seadi. I hope I find you well.” Her manner this time was much more urbane and refined, and she had no problem of biting off or confusing her words in unfounded rage. In the midst of her new contained enthusiasm, a perilous thought struck her in a burst of inspiration. “If you don’t mind my asking,” she began cautiously, “what is the reason you wear a mask?” She paused. “I have failed to see any other Sister sporting a similar article.” Fiera beamed innocuously, trying to make herself seem as diminutive as possible; given her height, it wasn’t an arduous task.

 

After her falsely cheerful introduction, Fiera listened intently to Jaydena’s instructions, channeling all her efforts to opening herself open to the Source at last. However, there was one issue with the entire channeling affair: She couldn’t do it. She did everything her mentor said in that troublingly patient voice, but there was no rose blooming in the fertilizer of her body…and to be honest, she preferred lilies anyway! A shrill scream of frustration trilled in the cavernous hull of her throat, but it never touched the crisp evening air. She did everything she could think of: wrestling with the pool of light, pounding it, pushing it, trying to bore a hole into it, howling at it…but it was all fruitless. Fiera looked to her mentor in broken hope, her eyes blinking askance and assistance, but Jaydena’s words offered no reprieve or solution. In a moment of utter despair, cold fury flooded into her. She was supposed to be the best, the record-holder, the channeling model of centuries; yet here she was struggling to accomplish the very first baby-steps of being anything. What kind of twisted half-world was this? Where had her supremacy wandered? The wrath blossomed under the waters of uncontrolled vehemence. And, all of a sudden, everything clicked. Warmth leaked into her being, neither liquid nor gas, elevating her spirits above the wings of her pet osprey, freeing her, drawing her in to seek more…She could not stop; she was like a child drunk on especially strong spiced wine, enthralled by the effects of her first sip and eager to drain more. She could not be happier. Without warning, the feeling whipped away from her. It was as if it had never happened, her labored breathing the only indication of the event that had taken place.

 

Fiera trained her eyes to Jaydena’s, grinning stupidly with glee. “I did it!” She squealed. “Did you see—it just happened…” She stopped. Why has she lost the Power, though? It was as if it was whisked away the moment her frustration and anger had vanished. She frowned petulantly, slightly confused. “But was it supposed to just…fade? It was like someone ripped it away from me, like I was only in control as long as I was livid, but not in control even then…I felt like—lashing out.”

 

I had been an interesting lesson, to say the least, but, as Fiera left, she went with more a feeling of apprehension and perplexed dread than anything she had thought she would feel when she imagined her first touching.

 

(Sorry this took so long! The ending is pretty hasty, too, because this was definitely on the long side!)

[Jaydena]

ooc- No worries, it was excellent!

 

Lesson Three: Pushing and Pulling the Source

 

Jaydena walked into the garden a little late because she had been in one of the more secluded gardens preparing for the lesson. She knew that the novices hardly ever had free time to see the gardens because of all the other classes and chores they had to do every day. She stepped closer to her mentee and gaining the girls attention she began to speak. "Good Morning, my child. I hope you are ready to work hard today. First I would like you to give me your essay from yesterday." She waited until the Fiera had given her the essay she had written, before she began to speak once more. "I'm taking you to another one of the gardens today. This one is far less used so that we won't risk you hurting someone with the power." She led the way down the paths and several minutes later they arrived in a secluded glade. Jade motioned for her to take a seat on one of the benches that surrounded the glade, then she began the lesson.

 

"Today we move on to control. You must be able to control everything you do in life and that includes the Source since from now on it well be a very big part to it. The technique we call Pushing and Pulling is the next thing you must learn. The objective is to touch the Source, and hold it, but hold it as far away from you as you can without releasing it. This will teach you the discipline you will need and help you to back off from the Source before you reach a level you can't control. This will also help you when it comes time to learn the technique called linking but that lesson is for another more advanced class."

 

Jade saw the look on her students face as the words sunk in. Giving her a reassuring smile she continued, "Now close your eyes. I want you to picture your flower bud again from yesterday. Once the light of the sun has hit it and it has opened, just hold yourself there." Jaydena watched closely as the glow of Saidar winked into being around her. "Now, I want you to picture a cloud slowly covering the sun. As the light from the sun is diminished on the flower, so should your hold on the Source. Push it away from you, while still maintaining contact. The sun still provides heat behind the cloud, let the Source just barely flow into you. To pull it back into you fully again, imagine the cloud drifting away from the sun, and the full light and heat back on the flower bud. Be careful not do that too quickly, for snapping it back toward you can hurt."

 

She smiled at Fiera's upturned face and instructed her to open her eyes. "Other Aes Sedai will know when you are holding the Source for any reason and if you are just holding it to feel the joy of it, which is addictive, that means you are weak of mind. If you cannot struggle against it then you don't need to learn how to control it because in the end you will still yourself or worse be burned out." Gazing carefully at their faces she spoke again, "Good, I believe you understand what I have told you. Now close your eyes again and try some more."

 

"For the next part of the class, in order to weave you must know what the elements are. I'm sure you know what they are but just in case you've forgotten, they are Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Spirit. I'm going to show you which threads are which. Watch closely." Jaydena embraced the source and began to pull the elements out one by one. Blue, Green, Silver, Brown, and Red began twisting as her fingers wove all five threads together into a thick thread that resembled a sword. Each color separate but part of the group. Turning to Fiera she spoke in a no nosense voice, "I want you to pick out each of these and tell me what colors belong to what elements." When the girl had answered correctly she moved on. "Good I see you have been studying. Now I want you, to work with me one on one. I want you to pull out the different threads from the single mass I've made here. You will of course have problems doing this at first, especially once you start at Fire and Earth, unless you are strong in one of those elements as I am, but if you work hard you it will get easier." Jade took a seat on the bench and waited for her mentee to begin working on the threads...

 

Ooc: All right for today's lesson:

Write yourself coming to work with Jaydena. Feel free to write Jade helping you. Role-play your strong and weak points with pulling it apart. Realize this is not a statement of which element you're strongest with but which comes to you easiest right now. Keep in mind that Fire and Earth will probably be most difficult for you. Keep in mind what your physical body is doing. Some Aes Sedai, as it says in the books, find physical moments help them with working in the power so perhaps you actually use your hands or maybe you have to think about something to keep your concentration. Realize nothing you do here has to be a serious or long lasting thing but everyone has their little tricks that help them learn. Maybe you have one too??? Give your muscles another work out today as you consider and write what your mind and body do while you work the power. How does the energies react to you? Have fun and be creative!

 

Jaydena Sedai

[Fiera Taishar]

Crack! Fiera swept a loose tendril of hair from her eye and surreptitiously mopped a beaded brow with the back of her hand. “Light!” she hissed between clenched teeth, diving to catch the crumpling chair before it toppled to the ground with an almighty crash that would surely summon every Aes Sedai in the vicinity like wolves to an audibly dying rabbit. The chair slumped in Fiera’s arms and the girl laid it gently against the musty floorboards—she would mend it somehow later—and cocked her head with bated breath to listen to any warning sounds coming from close-by that might originate from someone who had just reasoned out her less than pure intentions. Hearing nothing but the quiet breathing of the slumbering Tower, Fiera released her breath and visibly relaxed. The Novice straightened and apprehensively surveyed the damage. The chair leg was snapped cleanly in half; how she had done that, Fiera had not a clue. It had just happened while she stood there with the Power swirling mutinously within her, her mouth slightly ajar and her body motionless with mingled exhilaration, anger, and fear; her mind had been whirring at the speed of light, and, boom, it happened, all on its own accord.

 

Perhaps that was why the Sister enforced a rule as obviously foolish as not allowing Novices to practice their channeling in the privacy of their own rooms, so they would not end up burning the Tower down or demolishing every piece of furniture within its pristine walls. Mmmm…maybe. But that did not mean Fiera was obliged to acquiesce. On the contrary, se was going to do everything in her power to ensure there was an empty room awaiting her at the end of every day in which she could continue her epic battle with Saidar. For now, however, her time for fiddling with the Power had expired—Saidar had fled when the accursed chair had decided to buckle—and Fiera knew she would have to work herself into an enraged lather before the Power would swell into her once more. Right now she had a lesson with Jaydena, and that was something she was disinclined to squander in exchange for a few hours of frustration and perhaps a couple seconds of breaking miscellaneous items, if she managed even that. For some unforeseeable reason, she seemed to be having a little more trouble conquering Saidar than most people—it was difficult admitting that to herself, the prime reason that she hadn’t yet—, but surely working with the Green would set things right and unearth the explosive force waiting to be unleashed within herself.

 

Fiera ran a brush through her hair distractedly, studying the dim reflection in her mirror. A pair of acid green eyes stared back in defiance, denouncing this new wench as ever being a part of them. She had changed, that much was incontrovertible, but whether for better or for worse was still questionable. Fiera thought it was the latter. Nothing good could come out of trying to make deference one’s sole policy; it only made the spineless feel better about living with themselves. It was probably the silence that jerked Fiera out of her little reverie, but as soon as she resurfaced her body sprung into familiar action. She scrubbed her face with a damp cloth and ruffled her pale skirts ceremoniously, pulling on her unadorned shoes with vigor and finally rustling through the door. She strode in her usual brisk manner, spine rigid, chin elevated, nose tilted to the air like an arrogant doe testing the air with enviable confidence. She stepped lightly wit the air of a woman who knew who she was and wanted others to know it as well. Fiera swept inexorably through the hush of the corridors unperturbed, stiffening and gazing straight ahead when passing an Accepted—she received much of the same in turn—and dropping condescending gazes on the Novices who tottered by. Fiera had not come here to socialize or make friends, after all, but…perhaps just a couple might be appropriate, only as her eyes-and-ears and some such, of course.

 

Soon, the doors opened up to the gardens, splendid colors peering down at her from every angle, the arbors sighing a cool mist upon those fortunate enough to have the opportunity to lounge beneath them, the placid butterflies perching lightly on ornately carved benches depicting endless blooms laughing up to skies that were always blue…It was, as always, a refreshing and spectacular sight to behold. Fiera found herself smiling again, and this time she didn’t fight it. There really wasn’t a crime in being happy and blissfully carefree. She spied a striking fire-hued lily bobbing its remarkable head in her direction. Casting a wary eye at those around her, she kneeled close to the flower once she realized no one was aware of her existence and plucked it from the foliage. Pleased at her accomplishment, she tucked it into her hair where it gleamed scornfully like the finest of spessartite garnets caught in a field of black. The girl scurried on, keeping surveillance for Jaydena Sedai. She approached the bench at where they were supposed to meet, but frowned worriedly when there was no sign of the fiery Green. Had she gotten the time wrong, or perhaps the date? The meeting might have been for tomorrow, or she could have already missed it! Fiera fretted on and on, growing more annoyed and embarrassed by the minute, when, finally, Jaydena appeared, not seeming at all harried. Fiera relaxed.

 

The usual pleasantries were exchanged, but this time Jaydena escorted Fiera to a secluded garden in which they could practice undisturbed. Fiera’s heart threatened to pound out of her chest. This could only mean they were moving on to the real stuff. Jaydena asked her to assume the flower bud and Fiera bit back a groan. It seemed that the most difficult part of channeling for Fiera was simply wrapping her mind around the Source; after that, she could do whatever was asked of her. The Saldean tried and tried and tried until sweat congregated upon her tensed brow, but the Power eluded her with ferocity; spots of color bloomed on her cheeks as irritation began to creep in and take over. I will never get this stupid thing right! To Shayol Ghul with all of this! The Power rushed in her. Fiera grinned enthusiastically, reverently feeling the invincible power bubbling within her like a furnace of heat and energy, alighting her senses so that she felt as if she was observing the world through a magnifying glass of color and clarity, her heart floating up to her throat in an attempt to soar into the sky of brilliant blue that suddenly seemed so close to the earth. Fiera struggled to refocus and tuned her newly acute hearing to the words tumbling from Jayden’s patient mouth. Fiera could laugh. This concept came easy to her; she rode all her life and knew what it felt like to physically give up contact on the reins despite the desire to keep one’s animal collected, then to gently take back up that contact when the terrain would allow it. She applied this to her mind, and with a little bit of fumbling, she performed the transitions smoothly.

 

The next part was trickier. Fiera recited the elements from memory: “Red is fire, brown is earth, silver is spirit, blue is water, and green is air.” She nodded decisively. When Jaydena smiled her approval, Fiera beamed with pleasure and found it quite difficult to keep from squirming in her seat. Finally, the time came for Fiera to display her keen expertise in the elements hands-on and the girl scrubbed a hand across her forehead before leaning forward to observe the mass in apparent glee. Which one to choose first? It seemed the element had chosen her as her hand wavered towards the fiercely glowing thread of solid, burnished red. She suddenly caught herself and blushed like a flame inwardly. She could not pick it out with her hand! Fiera smiled nervously and reached out with the Power. Her hand strayed to the red strand once more, but this time her mind was reinforcing her efforts towards it. She fiddled with the sting, wiggling it about and testing where it held strongest, finally drawing it towards herself with growing caution when she realized the thread was actually sliding out of the tangled, congealed mess of elements. She retracted her hand deliberately and the strand dislodged completely. Fiera squealed—it had been easy!—her excitement and tilted her head for Jaydena’s approval, moving back to the mass when Jaydena nodded encouragingly.

 

Next, she concentrated on the green tendril of air. They were hard to locate, but she felt what they were once she brushed over them. She fussed with it as she had with the red, feeling around it and pushing and pulling it in an effort to work it free. Her hands darted and jerked in a resolute dance, pulling and straining the thread towards themselves with promising allure, beckoning it forth and out of its melded state of dazzling light. Finally the strand pulled free and hung limply, the sword of light also not looking so much like one anymore. Fiera went directly to the next this time, wasting no time to consult Jaydena, so sure was her confidence with this affair. The brown strand of earth called to her. Fiera found this one to be trickier than the former two. It was not difficult exactly, but more like it was simply worked in better and thus harder to tug out. Fiera retained her calm and fondled the string deftly, her fingers gathered over the strand in an open claw of command, calling, summoning, yanking. That thread, too, fell away in surrender, only whetting the girl’s appetite to manipulate and dominate more. The fluttering strand of spirit toppled with no more coaxing than the earth thread, reflecting the calm light of the warm afternoon within the garden's cloister. Her sights settled on the lone strand of water. Her smile turned malicious. Fiera hauled at the strand, but it only trickled through the eager fingers of her mind. She snorted to disguise her consternation and continued to fiddle forcefully with string, grunting in her hopeless efforts and trying to ignore the rivulets of sweat snaking down her hot cheeks. Every time she grasped the string, it only slipped slickly out of her grip and sucked back evasively, taunting her frostily with its shimmering luminescence. It’s beauty masqueraded a frankly pernicious nature. A long while passed with profuse sweating and squirming, when finally the thread yielded and dropped unconscious, nearly taking Fiera down into darkness with it.

 

“There,” she gasped in exhaustion, “I got the last one…” She shot Jaydena Sedai a doleful glance and masked her shame with flaccid anger. “Is that all? Well then, that wasn’t so difficult.” She resumed her self-possessed stance as if it had never slipped from her façade. At least this day had been somewhat eventful. She felt not unlike Hawkwing of the legends, glorious in her existance and wholly prepared to conquer the world.