Ava Dorelle's Test & Oaths

[Guest Celes]

It was the day Ava had been training for, sweating over and admittedly had very bad nightmares over. She could not fail her test today, she had worked hard and she was ready to become an Aes Sedai. First the test, she had been practicing for so long with other Accepted, failing so many times and knowing by now full well what broke her concentration She had practiced with the other, many asked Ava for she was not afraid to be brutal in her punishment for those who lost their concentration. But today, there was no simple punishment thrown at you from another Accepted, today she had to face the final test and show that she was worthy of wearing the Shawl. Knowing full well what Ajah she aspired to and having spoken with members of this Ajah many times, received training and help with her studies she knew she was ready. She was ready to be one of them and all that stood in her way was her fear, so Ava decided to rise out of bed early and practice one last time, alone in her room.

 

Then it was time and she found the Aes Sedai who would take her down to the room where her Test would begin. She knew that she could do the 101 weaves, she knew she could take painful slashes and feel like she was lifted up and thrown around the room by the Aes Sedai who would test her. She had done all that and more herself to the Accepted she had practiced with. But today was no practice session as she kept repeating to herself, her nails bore down in the palm of her hand and she felt a soft trickle of blood move down her left wrist. Wiping it off swiftly, Ava found herself in a large half light room with seven Aes Sedai and the Mistress of Novices waiting for her.

 

One Aes Sedai from each Ajah was standing in a ring around the room and the Mistress of Novices raised her voice saying "Attend." all the sisters gathered to them and

"You come in ignorance Ava Dorelle, how would you depart?"

Ava was calm and ready and she replied, "In Knowledge of Myself."

"For what reason have you been summoned here?"  the voice sounded again.

Ava let her eyes wander over the Seven Ajahs, represented by Sisters she knew, she had studied under or whom she had done chores for until finally her eyes rested on Freja Peyrodin, her mentor of the Gray, she spoke clear and calm once more.

"To be tried"

"For what reason should you be tried?"

"So that I may learn whether I am worthy."

"For what would you be found worthy?"

Ava tried to hide the smile that she wore over her lips, she was ready for this question and she was ready for any pain she had to endure to prove it,

"To wear the shawl."

 

After this Ava received instruction to remove her clothes, it was cold in the room and she pushed herself forward towards the large ter’angreal she saw and was asked to step in. She glanced at her old mentor who merely stood staring at her and Ava gulped, she would have to enter this ter’angreal, she had not thought it would be like this, but it made sense. Reason calmed her and she realized again that she was ready, she would go through the test and finish her 101 weaves. She was ready.

 

Ava Dorelle

Accepted about to test for the Shawl

 

[Guest Celes]

Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath and then slowly stepping forward, Ava found herself to be falling. Falling down as if she could fly and someone had just clipped her wings. It was a strange sensation and she had to take a moment to tell herself this was the time to start weaving and so she did, completing the weave as the ground suddenly appeared so close. She would hit the ground, there was no stopping her fall and she had failed the test upon her first attempt.

 

A blink and then everything changed, she decided not to mind her surroundings this time but to keep weaving and this time there was no fall. Nothing to keep her from doing the weave which required her full concentration as she had failed this weave a few times during her recent training. It was odd how she could make a big mistake like this so soon in her weaving but she went on, undisturbed as sound bubbled up and high pitched screams filled the air. Her ears were drumming by the sound but she simply kept weaving, moving strands of Saidar to complete her work.

 

She knew she had finished the second weave as her surroundings changed yet again and she was in the middle of a battle field. The ground shook with the thunder of two armies clashing and she stood right on the side of it, looking in. Men were fighting and swords clung together as Ava channeled and weaved, moving the fire, weaving in the Air and thinking about her weave. Not about the man that dropped down at her feet, his throat cut open and his head lolling in an odd angle. Ava could not look, she could not be distracted and try to help him it was all part of the test.

 

As time passed and weaves were completed, Ava was struck by a terrible storm, standing on top of a cliff with the washing sea bellowing below her. She nearly lost her balance trying to weave one of the more simple of the 101 weaves but stood her ground. She was attacked by mosquitoes, hundreds of them flying and stinging as she tried to weave the water that made a colon around her. They were attracted by the water it seemed for the closer she got to finishing the weave, the more of these mosquitoes appeared. She was halfway through and her arms, hands and face stung from the bites. Ava had no choice, she had to keep weaving and she could not stop, not fail and certainly not take a break.

 

Another weave, a new place to be in, familiar this time as Ava found herself  in her old room. The room she had left that morning thinking this was the end of it, this was the end of her journey. Someone was knocking on the door, rapping and yelling for her to come out as Ava weaved the Spirit threads along with the Air and Earth, she had difficulty here as Earth was a weakness in her skill. She knew the voice, it was her mentor, Freya who was screaming for her to come out. But Ava did not listen, she told herself that Freya was the better woman of the two, she would not need her mentee to rescue her and though tears streamed down her face, she denied them and let the pain be pushed away as she continued to weave.

 

Tears were still washing down Ava’s face as she stood in the center of the city of Tar Valon. Men and women surrounded her and three other Aes Sedai, Blue and White as far as Ava could tell. She did not exactly recognize their faces but something told her that she knew them. That they were her Sisters and that they were under attack from the mob that had surrounded them. Ava took a deep breath and created the ball of fire she had to release before she could move on to the next weave. The Blue Sister on her left was channeling and seemed to want to link with her Sisters, but she needed Ava to complete the circle. Ava shook her head and kept weaving, working on her 101 weaves and not looking as the mob drew closer around the small group. One of the Sisters screamed her name and pleaded for her help, they would surely die, but the ball was finished and Ava only had ten more weaves to complete. She closed her eyes for a brief second and upon opening them, the Sisters and the mob in the city were gone.

 

She was alone, the green of grass and the blue of the air was calming, soothing, it was making her drowsy. She could sleep now, nobody would notice it, she was tired and felt the pain surge through her body. She could sleep now, she could end it all and sleep but Ava continued to weave Spirit, Earth and Fire as she formed the next weave of the Test. The grass was supple and her bare feet were tickled, she could sleep here, rest and her eyes would no longer have to see the pain of others. She would not have to be tested anymore, Ava continued to weave, groaning as her hands moved slow and her arms felt heavy. She finished the weave and was relieved as the scenery changed and she found herself facing a fire that engulfed the wooden cabin she found herself in. This was fear, pain and that was something she could battle, she had trained for suffering the pain, she had trained herself in concentrating to her fullest in pain. She could not concentrate when peace, quiet and calm were offered, she had not practiced that. Was the worst over now?

 

Her final weave, Ava knew this was her final weave and it took all her strength and concentration, she tried not to see her surroundings, she tried not to feel the Trolloc beast that was slashing his claws into her belly. She tried not to see her Sisters falling and her Accepted friends failing to keep the beasts away from them. They’re dresses ripped, their faces torn with pain but Ava had to go on, she could not stop now and she could not let this final test stop her. She knew that this was the last weave but realized that she was not done yet, this was not her last weave. Ava sank down to her knees and cried as she realized that there was yet one more weave to complete. So many times had she practiced, so many times had she done the 101 weaves only to find now that it was just too much. She got up back to her feet and found that she had to run as a herd of wild cats ran towards her, She was near a group of trees and tried to climb the tree, found a branch to hold onto while her mind worked over the last weave. She could not remember, black spots moved before her eyes and fear took over. Ava was sure she failed as she tried to weave, it did not matter what weave it was, she just had to keep moving. The cats bit at her bare feet and she screamed with a passion.

 

The end of her test was marked by the dark room she had started in. The sisters came to her,  a Yellow offered Healing but Ava could not feel it. She could feel the blood trickle down her feet, her head was pounding and her eyes were dry from all the tears they had shed. She was numb and hurting, she could not see anymore as her eyes were swollen and her ears were ringing with the screams of people she had left behind. The weaves had broken her and it took all she had in her to rise to her feet. The Yellow who had offered healing stepped back and her mentor came to pick Ava up from the floor. Her mentor held Ava as they walked out of the room, Ava leaning on Freya’s shoulder and the Gray took her to a small room with white walls and a single bed against the wall. She told Ava that she would be near if needed and would take her down for the part of the ritual the next day. She was ordered to try and sleep now and clear her mind. Ava tried to sleep, but too much had happened and she started to cry again as finally her mind calmed and went from a panic filled painful world into a quiet and dreamless sleep. 

 

Ava

[Guest Celes]

Fatigue washed over her, pain was dulled by Healing but she could feel the pain burnt inside of her. Ava remembered what she had given up and what she had left behind to finish the 101 weaves. She sank down on the bed and pulled on the dress she wore, then laid down and cried, burying her face in the small pillow. She did not know how long she had been crying when first light erupted through the small window. She rose and washed her face clean with the water that stood in a small basin near the window. She had not slept, tired but not able to sleep as she had remembered over and over again what had passed in the ter’angreal that day before.

 

It was a time to consider, a time to reconcile with one’s past and to realize what lay ahead. Ava was done considering, she hated what she had to do to become Aes Sedai and loved it at the same time. It was pain she had to endure and love she felt for her work, the duality of it all would be her ending one day but her mentor had taught her well. She had taught her mentee from very early on about self preservation, about endurance and pain. Freja Peyrodin was her mentor and her strength. She hoped Freja would be present at the Oaths Ceremony, but knew that there might a chance only Marce would be present.

 

The door opened and a Sister in a Yellow dress stood before her, ready to take her along to her Oaths. Why a Yellow was chosen, Ava had no idea of for she did not need more Healing. This pain she would carry with her until she had felt through every shred of it, this pain was in her mind rather than in her body and as she followed the Yellow down the corridors she knew what everyone could know who understood this Accepted. That she had always been ready for this moment, that endurance and embracing her fate was part of becoming Aes Sedai and the Ajah she would serve was chosen for her long before she had realized it herself. She knew where she belonged and this final test would be like a pebble in her great streaming river.

 

The circle stood ready and Ava faced each of them as they awaited this new Aes Sedai, who would be taking her Oaths to join them like so many before her. The Amyrlin Seat was there, waiting for Ava and then her voice sounded and Ava stood ready.

 

“Who comes here?”

“Ava Dorelle,” she replied and her gaze moved over Marce’s face. Was it so clear now, had it no always been so clear?

 

“For what reason do you come?”

”To swear the three oaths and thereby claim the shawl of an Aes Sedai.”

 

“By what right do you claim this burden?”

“By right of having made the passage, submitting myself to the will of the White Tower.”

 

Ava waited calmly, she was ready and had faced all her fear, all her pain and this final step she would take with her head held high. The warm, deep voice sounded once more and Ava listened and inwardly she smiled as the pain subsided.

 

“Then enter, if you dare, and bind yourself to the White Tower.”

 

Ava walked through the oval angreal, stepping closer to the Amyrlin and feeling the Mother’s gaze on her. She felt somehow warm and wondered if she had conjured this feeling or if it was something the Amyrlin radiated over this young Aes Sedai, to give her strength. Ava concentrated on the Oath Rod and watched as the Amyrlin took the Oath Rod form the pillow the Keeper held and felt it placed into her own hands. She took it and cleared her mind, speaking the words she knew belonged to her now. For this was her moment, her victory and her pain. 

 

“Under the light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth, I vow that I will speak no word that is not true.”

 

”Under the light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth, I vow that I will make no weapon for one man to kill another.”

 

“Under the light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth, I vow that I will never use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme of defending my life, or that of my warder, or another sister.”

 

She had spoken the Oaths and had all the while had a firm grasp on the Oath Rod, it was done. A strange feeling of completion rested in her heart now and she knew that it was finally time to chose her Ajah. Ava was a firm believer that he Ajah chose it’s new Sisters and that the choice was not at all hers to make. As she handed the Oath Rod back to the Amyrlin, she listend as Mother spoke,

 

"It is half done, and the White Tower graven on your bones. Rise now Aes Sedai and choose your Ajah and all will be done that may be done under the Light."

 

Ava bowed down into a deep curtsy as the Amyrlin spoke and closed her eyes for a brief moment. She knew who she would face and whose steps she would follow for the years to come. The Gray Ajah was represented by Marce, Finella and Phaedra. She recognized these faces and told herself it was ok that her mentor was not there. She would see Freja later and these faces belonged to her future Sisters. Women she would learn to look up to and whom she could learn from. Ava took a step towards Marce Dalfour and spoke the words she had spoken all night after her Testing. She had felt the pain and conquered it with the knowledge of this decision.

 

“I choose the Gray Ajah,” she said as the other Sisters started to stride calmly towards the door. The Grays merely nodded and walked towards here, Marce carrying the Gray Shawl and donning it around her shoulders. Ava could feel the weight on her shoulders as if something made of stone was hung around her neck. She curtsied and was helped up by Finella who smiled at her and told her to follow her out. The Shawl was hers, she would be a Gray from this day forward and followed by Phaedra and Marce, Ava walked out of the room and left behind her past, her pain and her fears. She was Gray and she felt warm and welcome.

 

Ava Dorelle

Newly Raised Aes Sedai

Petitioning the Gray Ajah