Blooming exercises (Attn: Aurora, Rory, Rossa, and Shalon)

[Lih-Lyh]

Knowledge is power; guard it well.

First, there do be Light! Followed by several more exclaimations not suitable for the virgin ears of several passing Novices as through soft honeyed curls the Taraboner's frustration intensified, and she stared at another report of how once again Rory had gotten her flipping self caught by the servants trying to run away in the middle of the night. Running after the Illianer had become routine in some ways, and judging by the whispers and betting that were rampant, the odds did not favour a reprieve from the chase.

 

Almost she was tempted to try a leash. Though Seanchan method made sense now, Saline knew it was simple and wishful thinking. Physical restraints would not help to win over Rory's heart. Determined not to despair, she had procured a staff from the armoury after explaining her predictament to Tower Guard Lyssa. It would be handy for dealing with any runaway attempts, and provide less hassles than another potential whirlpool when Saline lost control. When the older woman had asked if Saline should start Rory's training instead of putting the lessons off so that the Novice would have something to do, Saline's first reaction had been that of incredulous dread: what, are you kidding, teaching the monster to be more troublesome? Then it came to her that the lass would be too exhausted to think about running after her lessons. Besides, the faster she learned to control herself and gained Acceptance the better. She felt less than elated at the prospect of guiding Rory in Saidar, but she would be vigilant. At least she was in better shape, she soothed herself with this as she took up the staff.

 

'Paring a nod for Rory's roommate Badriyah, before she turned to her misbehaving student who definitely did not rise from a curtsey. Her drawn, serious face greeted the other, her thinly pressed lips squeezed a chipped Morning out. Disapproval coloured her words as she took her charge, expressing the gravity of the situation as she brandished the staff, then inquired if the source of her headaches slept well.

 

"I hope your rest was uneventful, Rory -- we start Saidar exercises to-day and you'll be needing all your strength," in obtuse confidence she turned her back on the rascal, though it took all her courage to sweep out the door and expect the Illianer to follow.

 

Rap of the door against her newest friend Mistress Staff sounded its thick corpselike thuds. "Morning to you, Aurora: here is your fellow student Rory. I trust you will do your utmost by her to help explain the lesson and so forth."

 

Slightly cheered up by her staff (surely that was why Rory followed) and her other student who actually was willing to learn, she led the way to a private garden deep into the grounds where they would not be watched, slowing only when B'gosh! another encounter.

 

"Accepted Rossa! Well, this is a wallopping surprise indeed. What are you doing here..." Caught short by the presence of a stranger in immaculate white she flustered, then in recovery at the company "ah, if we are not interrupting your lesson, perhaps we'll join our forces." Drawing the Accepted nearer she was barely audible, muttering as an aside, "Am I pleased to see you, Rossa. Help me keep an eye on Rory." Mistress Staff prodded the rich soil as the Taraboner sat on a flat sunbaked rock.

[Lih-Lyh]

Each singular attempt at extrication had miscarried. Even circumvention was beyond the embrace of her possession. The monolithic edifice and its occupying ensorcellers were black evil, summoned forth by the puissance of The Dark One himself. Contriving to abscond entertained her cognation, but a posteriori proved the barrenness of the tree of that endeavour.

 

Cavorting with a staff was a show of astringent superiority, and Rory’s mind subsumed only cantankerous intent, nefarious contempt and an impassionate jubilee of thorough going ostensible inviolacy that the inchoate, unwilling supplicant yearned for nothing further than to effectuate the utilisation of said stave for harmful and selfish purposes.

 

Such question was nebulous hope, doubtful and uncertain. Phantasmagorias, hallucinations and other esoteric gewgaws awaited any offensive activation of the action potentials creeping sub dermal along the synapses of her being. Her manumission would be past reach in perpetuum with no concern to how far a reach may one day extend. No. It was hopeless. All hopeless, and she would select her next opportunity with more care. Her dress really did look terrible.

 

 

 

OOC: Love you, Wo de.  :P

[Aurora]

The sun up, the sky clear, the tower behind them, and the natural world a wonder if ever there was one, Aurora went willingly along with the said agenda of the day. There was a girl amongst them - one infamous Rory. It was quite beyond her, how she should assist someone so much more unfocused – and educated, not to mention! – than herself, but she accepted the responsibility given her, nonetheless. She wasn’t one to appreciate, resent, or be in any way heedful of others’ moods; she did, of course, better enjoy time spent in the company of the pleasant, but, to her, the company of the crabby was nothing more than the company of none. It was a fine day.

 

The trio met and joined another teacher and student on their way to the lesson. This being Aurora’s first time to meet the pair, she waited to see if the former looked her way to bother to curtsey, and the second her back was turned, expertly skimmed her profile for bulging, hidden pockets and bags. Then she suspiciously eyed the more accessible student.

 

Aurora smiled pleasantly and waved, “Hello,” before moving on without much care in the world. She did wonder, though, in a detached sort of a way, if the way she sometimes made obvious her examination of the possessions about a person’s person ever struck anyone as a… personal interest. She smirked to herself at the thought, and carried on.

 

Once in the garden, Aurora sat down opposite her teachers and reined her attention in for the lesson, with the almost absent curiosity with which she viewed such things.

 

[Shalon Casbin]

Shalon's backside was beginning to become sore from sitting on the hard floor for the better part of the past two hours. Accepted Rossa sat before her, Shalon could feel the slightest tingling on her skin, a feeling she was learning meant a woman nearby was channeling. For the past two hours Shalon had tried to envision herself as the bank containing the stream, guiding and containing the river as her body must guide and contain saidar. She had learned enough to know that saidar was a force, one that must be surrendered to before it would allow you to use it in any real way. Surrender. Shalon wanted to scream in anger, or perhaps box someone's ears. How did one make themselves surrender to this great power, a power that could kill them if they drew to much, this power that could overwhelm you, burn you out. How surrender to something you perceive as a possible threat to your personal wellbeing? She closed her eyes again.

 

Bringing the river and bank into her vision she was surprised as Rossa made her stop and close her eyes anew. She listened with her eyes closed, creating a picture as the Accepted spoke the words. She was a flower, a beautiful lily, orange and fresh, the flower looked real to her, small beads of dew formed on the outside of the closed bud. She admired the lovely flower, saw her own beauty reflected in it. In a very odd way she felt as if she were the flower. She could feel the sun on her back, the warmth of it coercing her to open her petals to drink in the gloriousness of its touch. The sun was a light just out of sight, casting illumination all around her. She felt herself open to it, felt the power of it flood her being. Every hair on her body seemed to feel and test the air with new enthusiasm, like a child first seeing the world around it.

 

Colors were amplified and she felt an overwhelming sence of joy and contentment. She could feel the Power inside her. She opened her eyes and smiled at the Accepted. She had done it! She found the Power. It lasted seconds, and was gone. Her smile went with it. She was about to start a list of vile curses she had heard from some of the men in the Ra'had, when an Aes Sedai and two girls in white approached. Standing quickly Shalon bowed along with Accepted Rosssa. She stood mute as the Aes Sedai spoke with her teacher, and looked at the other two girls in white.

 

Shalon knew she was different from most women who she had met here. Her skin was as dark as that of the Sea Folk, but not from long days on open seas with the sun on your back, her skin was a natural warm dark chocolate color, and her light hair made stark contrast of her ebony skin. The beaded braids she wore now clicked faintly as she looked one of the girls up and down. She had seen her do the same and thought it rude, so returned the favor. To her surprise, the girl waved a friendly hello, Shalon returned it with an unsure smile.

 

It had been such a nice day, what was she to get into now? She wasn't sure she wanted a lesson with these other girls, what if they could do it and she could not? She would look like a fool. Slowly anxiety began to replace any animosity she had toward the new arrivals.

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

Her mentee sat before her.  Rossa had seen a variety of races in her time at the White Tower, but only one she had seldom seen few from was that of the Atha’an Miere, the Sea Folk.  Shalon was a conscientious girl and seemed devoted to learning all that Rossa could tell her, and now she was teaching her how to open herself to the One Power.  The warm radiance of Saidar flowed over Rossa’s skin like the sun of a warm afternoon in summer; every sense heightened, everything sharper and clearer.  It was always a battle to let it go, which was probably one of the reasons Rossa did not touch the Source as often as most of the other Accepted.  The desire to touch it was strong and if she let her willpower go just once, she might not be able to control that desire the next time around.  Teaching, however, was fine.

 

Sat out in the garden, Rossa and her student enjoyed the solitude for a while until she felt certain the novice was calm and relaxed.  Then, she began to explain some things about Saidar and touched upon the things that could and could not be done with it.

 

“Clear your mind,” she began, closing her own eyes and folding her hands in her lap, “and close your eyes.”  After a moment, Rossa opened her own to make sure the girl had closed her eyes, and then began to talk once again.  “You have been tested to see if you can wield the One Power, and now you must learn how to surrender to it.  Saidin and Saidar, the opposing male and female parts of the One Power respectively, have very different attributes.  Women cannot wield Saidin, just as men cannot wield Saidar.    To use Saidar you have to surrender to it.  You have to guide it as it fills you, rather than wrestling to make it do as you choose.”  She kept her tone even and calm, reassuring the girl so that she did not feel the need to panic.  Looking at her face, she seemed more determined than panicking. 

 

“Imagine you are the bud of a flower, opening to the warm rays of the sun.  Feel the sun on your petals, the soil at your roots, the very life flowing through your stem as the sunlight catches you.”  The soothing words continued until a faint sheen of sweat appeared on the Sea Folk girl’s forehead, but she had managed it.  It was faint, but it was there.  Rossa smiled.

 

“Good.”  Rossa told the girl to open her eyes and then went on to explain about the other different methods of attaining the level of calm necessary to reach Saidar.    The river, guided by the banks – a metaphor for Saidar being guided and yet subtly controlled by the woman was Rossa’s personal favourite.  She had touched the Source the first time thanks to imagining herself as a rose, but whenever she needed to perform these novice exercises it was the river one that worked best.

 

The moment was somewhat spoiled by the arrival of others.  Rossa raised her head to acknowledge those that had arrived and watched the interaction between the novices.  Shalon seemed uncertain of the newcomers, but Rossa smiled a welcome at Saline.  The other Accepted looked a trifle harried, but otherwise in control of things.  “Welcome,” she said to them “find a place to sit down and things can begin again.  Peacefully.”  She added.