A new Gray petitions - Ava's Trial (Attn. Grays)

[Guest Celes]

The weather was changing, heavy showers of rain were banging down on the windows of Ava’s new room. She had been shown to the Gray Quarters by Finella Sedai who had told her she would be back later. For now, Ava was alone in her new surroundings, she would be able to call this her home soon now. It was her new home, in the Gray Ajah. The shawl, still heavy on her shoulders would secure that, she was a Gray Sister now and the thought brought as much joy and happiness as it did fear. What was to happen next?

 

Finally, it dawned on Ava that her rebellion against one and the understanding of another had always been lead by her mentor, Freja. Who would guide her now? She felt as if someone had just snapped the ropes that held her by the arms and legs, like in a puppet theater. Only she had never had anyone really command her steps, she had rules to live by, classes to take, lessons to learn and chores to do. That was all over now and Ava took a deep breath, she then strolled down to the bedroom and found a few gray woolen dresses hung there. “Hand me downs, I’m sure,” Ava sighed and wondered when she would be able to have her own clothes made. She had never minded the novice and accepted dresses but had also known that the day she could remove those and step into her new life, her clothing would have to change with it.

 

Ava decided to wash up and change into a dark woolen dress, she bound her short hair together in a bun on the top of her head and sat down on a large chair by the fireplace. She channeled some Fire and Spirit to create the flames in the hearth and smiled, she was allowed to channel now. It had come so easy, as if she had always been allowed to channel freely and had always sat before her own fireplace in her own room, waiting for what was to come next. She rubbed her leg and felt the scar she had gotten from a bad fall from her horse, some years ago. She had fallen off and as she was alone, had not been able to Heal the wound straight away. Having to walk back, holding the horse by its reins she had felt the blood dry and had finally taken some herbs to at least clean the wound. It was not an ugly scar, actually just a thin line from the side of her knee down her caps. But it had made sure she did not venture near horses unless she had no others choice since then.

 

As she was pondering over old memories and what had come to pass these past days, she heard a polite knock. Of course, she was an Aes Seadi now and none would enter without her bidding them to come in. Maybe this was the Ajah Head of the Grays, it was a secret one learnt when initiated by the Ajah, Ava knew. Maybe the Ajah Head come to welcome her. She jumped to her feet and moved towards the door, then considered and stood up straight, using a weave of Air to open the door. It swung open and revealed the smiling face of Finella in the doorstep. She carried what looked like a plate of cookies and Ava had trouble not clasping her jaw shut in surprise. This was the Gray’s Ajah Head? She was not that much older than Ava, surely she could not be. Ava showed Finella in and offered her tea, wondering when the other woman would reveal what she was here for. And maybe, if she was in fact the Head of her new Ajah, but first they drank tea.

 

Ava Dorelle

Petitioning Gray

 

[silhouette]

After a few years, the orge to pull the Gray shawl around her shoulders a little tighter had only faded a little bit. Though no longer an Accepted by far, there were times when Finella felt she was not a full sister yet either. Foolishness, of course, for she and Phaedra had always been welcome within the Ajah, and they had been trusted with important tasks already. Still, they were aware of their youth, which made them vulnerable in the face of elder Aes Sedai. Not amongst their own Ajah, of course. The Gray Ajah was too practical to let things like age get in the way of a perfectly good deal.

 

She had no doubt that their newest initiate would be given the same treatment as she had had upon her initiation. While she shuddered at the thought of her trial, she was more than happy with the way she was treated afterwards. Mentored for the first year by an elder Gray, and given ample opportunity to prove her worth to the Ajah… it had been a good time. With a smile on her face Finella smoothed her hands down her green silk dress once more, before picking up a plate of cookies and wandering over to Ava’s new quarters. Baking cookies had been something she had always found enjoyable, and now that she was Aes Sedai, no one frowned upon her hobbies anymore.

 

As she walked she thought a little on the purpose of the trial. Though a novice was supposed to be washed clean of her old life before she became Accepted, there were always some remnants of an old life that would cling to her. This trial would absolve her of all sins, those committed before she entered the White Tower, and those committed during her novice and Accepted year. Ava Dorelle was already Ava Sedai of the White Tower, but after this trial she would become Ava Dorelle, Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah. With a broad smile on her face Finella knocked on Ava’s door. She would do fine. All sisters did, eventually.

 

The look of shock and surprise on Ava’s face was endearing. Being new to the shawl, she had not yet learnt how to hide her emotions. “Have a cookie, dear.” Finella said, bustling into the quarters and taking a seat in the sparsely decorated living room. Phaedra already accused Finella of having enough coloured things in her room to give a tinker a headache. She could only hope that Ava would soon make these rooms her own, just as she would make the shawl her own.

 

“Now don’t worry, I am not the head of the Gray Ajah, whom we call the First Voice. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? A freshly raised Gray sister, ready to take over the world with a smile and a cookie.” Finella smiled, and bit down on one of the cookies. It was lovely. “But you will meet her soon enough.” She said after having washed down the cookie with some tea. “I am here to answer whatever questions you may have, before you meet your fellow sisters.” She had already seen some of them when she chose the Gray Ajah, of course, but during the trial she would see all the sisters that were present in the Gray Ajah. She would see all their faces, and during her first year as Aes Sedai she would remember their accusing stares. This too would fade. All ill memories would fade as she was shown the secrets of the Ajah, and taught how to be a mediator, a negotiator or a judge.

 

~Finella Dinesh

Gray Sister

 

[Guest Celes]

Ava hesitated before finally biting down on the cookie that Finella handed her, it tasted very good and she ate it all before heading her attentions back onto the Gray. But, she was a Gray too now, they were of the same Ajah and Ava belonged her just as Finella did. She looked around the room, as if seeing it for the very first time and a small smile came to her face. It must be the cookie, she thought and took another one just to hold that happy feeling a while longer. As Finella spoke of meeting other Sisters, Ava became interested. Was there a sort of welcome? Maybe an initiation ritual that was only disclosed to the members of the Ajah?

 

Curiosity filled her, but she did not allow it to reflect on her face. She thought a moment and then allowed some questions to appear on the surface, just questions that any new Raised Sister would ask. She would try to sound only mildly interested, just enough to show curiosity and not allow Finella to understand just how much she felt like belonging to the Gray Ajah. Just how hard she had worked to reach this status and how scared she was that someone would come and take it all away.

 

This First Voice, she wanted to meet the Ajah Head first of all, but how to reach the woman without looking desperate to cling to her shawl. She hoped Freja was actually the Ajah Head, it would make her life so much easier, as Freja would understand Ava and teach her about these secrets, teach her about life in the Tower as an Aes Sedai and a Gray Sister. Now it was time to ask these questions, the only way to gain an answer quickly, would she dare ask what was expected of her? Ava cleared her mind and opened her mouth to voice the question that seemed safest to start with.

 

“What is that I can expect from my Gray Sisters? Is there maybe a meeting ceremony planned for me, or should I go by their doors to meet them?”

 

Ava Dorelle

New Gray Sister

[silhouette]

To someone not trained within the White Tower, Ava displayed about as much emotions as a rock. To Finella, she was like an open book, displaying eagerness, fear, mistrust and hope all at once. The young Aes Sedai would learn, in time. They all did. It was a necessary skill within the White Tower, one that Finella didn’t particularly care for. What she did care for was the skill one acquired in telling the truth without revealing too much. People always said that an Aes Sedai’s truth was rarely the full truth, and Finella would agree. Secrets were necessary to keep the world sane, and to keep those secrets, one needed to know how to bend words.

 

Finella did so with a warm smile on her face. “There’s a small assembly set up for you, in the gray hall. It would be far too much of a chore for you to visit all Gray sisters separately, so we’ve arranged for you to meet them all at once. There you’ll get the opportunity to tell them a little about yourself and your expectations of the Gray Ajah. You will also be presented to the First Voice and the sitters of the Gray Ajah.” Of course Ava already knew who the sitters were, but if Finella was correct, she would jump at the chance to speak with them. Ambition was a tricky thing, after all.

 

“In fact, if you have no further questions, we should go and meet them now.” Enough time had passed for her sisters to set up the hall in the way that was appropriate to the trial. Finella would speak first, to announce that Ava Dorelle was ready for her trial. No one ever was, of course. But that was the way it was meant to be. Ava Dorelle would come before the Gray Ajah, filled with the sins of her past. When the trial was done, all those sins would be forgiven. A fresh start for all those who came to the Ajah. Horrible as the trial could be, Finella found herself embracing the concept. Oh, she had despised her sisters for making her go through such things, but in the end she had felt cleansed of all her wrongdoings in the past. One could never really start over until one’s past was dealt with.

 

She rose from her seat and preceded Ava out of her room. It was best to get this part over with as soon as possible. The doors to the hall were heavy, but she Saidar helped her push them open with ease. “There we go.” She said, stepping into the hall and beckoning for Ava to follow her. She pointed to the chair in the centre of the room. “Take a seat dear.” She said, hoping her voice reached Ava. The young woman now found herself surrounded by every single Gray Sister present in the White Tower. The trial could begin.

 

“Honoured sisters.” Finella began, her voice amplified with saidar to make her heard all through the Hall. “I present to you Ava Dorelle, Aes Sedai and petitioner to the Gray Ajah. She is ready for her trial. I ask of you that you judge her fairly and justly, so that she may learn from your example.” It was a short introduction. Those who needed to already knew more about Ava Dorelle than the woman herself remembered, and those who didn’t know her yet would know her at the end of the trial. Finella stepped away from the pedestal, taking her place on the bench with her sisters. Her part in this trial was over for now.

 

~Finella Dinesh

Gray Sister

Youngest

 

Ooc: if she had any more questions you can have her ask them on the way to the hall. I figured I’d get this moving a bit further, in case I don’t have more time to post this week.

 

[Guest Celes]

Finella showed Ava to the Gray Hall and with seeming ease opened the doors, that looked quite heavy and Ava was quiet in her solemn thoughts. She had the feeling that Finella had only told her what she wanted her new Sister to know and not what Ava had exactly asked her. It was a talent she had yet to acquire herself and she followed Finalla, seemingly without any hesitance. In fact she seemed happy to follow her Gray Sister to the Hall to meet the Ajah Head and learn about the Ajah’s secrets. But inwardly, Ava was shivering as she knew something was up – all the flags where there.

 

“I see, the Gray Hall,” she said as her eyes adjusted to the dimmed lights. Then Finella’s voice rose and took all breath from Ava’s throat. She had to stop herself from coughing and doubling over, this was not happening to her! The day had started difficult, she had finally taken the Oaths and had overcome all that lay behind her. She had gone through the test and remembered all the weaves and now she was Gray, she had to be excepted for who she was. Ava’s eyes shot around and she realized that the entire Ajah must be here, to witness this ‘trial’ that Ava was to be subjected to.

 

She moved forward as Finella indicated and tried to remain calm, but her hand trembled lightly as she clutched the ring, she would not touch her Shawl, she was not an initiate who would try to clutch the Shawl that showed her rank of Aes Sedai. She was a Gray.

 

***

 

Phaedra and Finella had spoken about who would talk to Ava before her Trial and she was actually glad when Finella had offered. Seeing as they were raised close together it would have been Phaedra who led Ava to the Trial, but her friend had offered. Seeing as this part of the ritual was more about comforting the youngest Gray than anything else, it would be ok. Marce had called the meeting that would place them all in the Hall and had assigned the task of Advocate to speak against their new Gray, Ziya would take up that task. Then they had all settled into the formation that Phaedra remembered from her own Trial ritual. Finella had not been there to comfort her friend before, somehow Marce had known the two were too close a friends for the task and Phaedra could respect that decision. She smiled briefly at Finalla who sat down next to her and then the Trial began.

 

Marce Dalfour rose and walked up to Ava, silently without a single word uttered she took the Shawl from Ava’s shoulders who shivered as if bare. Phaedra did not feel sorry, she had undergone this same exact treatment as had all women in the Hall around her. They had all had their Shawl taken off to earn it back later, when the Trial was complete. It was tradition that one stood as herself rather than as the Gray Aes Sedai. Ava would do fine, she knew but there was a light shred of doubt in the back of her mind. A tinge of a thought that told her that if Ava did complete the task set before her, this would not be the end of it. She would not accept this Trial as Phaedra had, as part of a ritual, she might even take offense. But so far she looked accepting and understanding. As far as Phaedra could tell, who was by now facing Ava from the side. Marce returned to her seat and folded the Gray Shawl on her lap. The trial would commence.

 

***

 

Ava noticed how Marce rose and felt a hint of fright go through her, she thought the woman might come to comfort her, to tell her that this all was not necessary, that Ava did not need to go through a trial. She would learn about defending an innocent for sure, but Marce came close up to her and said nothing. Ava could feel the woman’s breath on her skin as she came so close and then felt horrid. She gasped as Marce took the Shawl from her shoulders and Ava had to force herself not to grab at it, she realized from the looks the other Grays gave her that this was all part of it. Ava felt naked, bare and ugly somehow without the Shawl that identified her as Aes Sedai. Then Ziya rose, she knew the woman from a lesson and had hoped that the woman would just remain seated. No good could come from a Trial where she faced Ziya, the woman had eyes that could pierce through your skin, right down to your soul. Ava was afraid of what those eyes would dug up, what would come out this Trial – what if she failed and was not the innocent they looked for? She tried to remain calm as shivers ran down her spine and her left hand kept shaking lightly against her skirts. What would happen next?

 

Ava Dorelle

New Initiate of the Gray Ajah

 

Phaedra Eskarne

Gray Ajah

 

OOC: I figured Ziya would probably not be a Sitter here just yet, but you can decide that, I left it open for now! :)

 

[Guest Celes]

OOC: Bump! Ziya? :D