First Steps (Attn MoN)

[Arnaron]

Sorna stood at the bottom the staircase and looked up.  The stairs seemed to go on forever.  She opened her mouth to ask the Aes Sedai how far up they had to go but the sister was already trudging up the stairs.  Deciding that getting lost on the way to the Mistress of the Novices was not the best impression, Sorna hurried up the stairs to rejoin the woman who didn’t even seem to notice that her charge had fallen behind.  Concentrating, at first, on putting one foot in front of the other, her thoughts drifted idly to her brother.  Had he made it to the Warders’ Yard yet?  Were they making him do something that his body naturally rejected, too?  Maybe they were making him knit.  He was never very good at manipulating small objects.  She suddenly imagined a group of burly, armor-clad warriors knitting a quilt and giggled.  The Aes Sedai glanced disapprovingly at Sorna and she tried to stop but that only made things worse.  The harder she tried to stop giggling, the louder she giggled which just made her try to stop harder.  The vicious circle continued far longer than she or, quite clearly, the Aes Sedai had wished.  As she tried to avoid the glances of the people passing by, the corner of her eye noticed the distance they had covered and her giggling stopped as suddenly as it came.

 

She could hardly believe what she saw.  She most certainly did not believe what she felt.  They had climbed dozens of stairs but she felt nothing.  She should have been lying in a crumpled heap, trying to catch her breath but she felt as though she were out for a brief walk around her father’s house.  She had been giggling!  Where she should have gasping and wheezing, she had the excess air needed to giggle.  There had to be some explanation.  The Power.  Somehow, the Aes Sedai must have done something to make climbing the stairs easier.  She turned her head to ask the sister next to her but frowned in confusion instead.  The Aes Sedai was starting to look tired.  Perhaps the Power was being used, just not in the way she had suspected.  These are Aes Sedai, she reminded herself, I should probably get used to things not occurring the way I’d expect.

 

Just as Sorna finished the thought, the sister turned away from the stairs and down a hall.  Once again, Sorna had to hurry to catch up.  The walk down the hall was significantly shorter than the one up the stairs.  It wasn’t long before the Aes Sedai stopped and said, “Wait here.”

 

The Aes Sedai disappeared behind a door without waiting for a response.  Sorna stood across the hall from the door and studied the tapestries hanging from the wall.  She was good but she wasn’t nearly as good as whoever made those.  They were magnificent.  Scenes of great battle and greater women depicted with the most intricate details.  She could almost make out the individual hairs on the horses’ manes and the small, green flecks in a woman’s eyes.  Were those eyes looking at her?  What was the woman thinking, being studied by a prospective novice?  Scorn, most likely.  She was likely wondering what her successors were doing, allowing someone as frail as Sorna to learn to use the One Power.  Aes Sedai are supposed to be strong, not weak and sickly.

 

Sorna violently shook the idea from her head.  A woman in a tapestry can’t have thoughts and feelings of her own.  She had just been projecting her own onto the image.  The Aes Sedai probably just put that tapestry there to intimidate girls who want to join the Tower.  Still, as she waited, her eyes kept sliding back to the same woman in the tapestry.

 

[Wayfarer]

"Do I have to?"

 

"Yes, yes you do."

 

"But why?  Why me?"

 

"Because you're the Mistress of Novices."

 

"But why me?"

 

"That girl outside has her hopes and dreams for the Tower, and you're having a sook because you want to be left alone?"

 

"I have a cold, do you know how irritable a cold makes me?"

 

"Life is truly terrible, oh woe is you, etcetera etcetera, now are you going to see this girl now?  Or after I've smacked you a few times?"

 

"You know, I'm awfully proud of the fact that I have yet to birch someone, but I'm coming close to making an exception."

 

"Promises."

 

"Fine, bring her in, and go get me some tea.  Can't even smoke at the moment, coughing as I am."

 

"Its a disgusting habit."

 

"You're a disgusting habit.  Now get my tea, its in that cupboard."

 

"Wait, you mea-"

 

"I mean that you're getting it because I'm not getting up.  Go on.  Make one for the girl as well while you're at it."

 

"We're going to have words later."

 

"You can, I'll be asleep."

 

"Why don't you just go see a Yellow?"

 

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

 

"White."

 

"Faugh."

 

*    *    *    *    *

 

Watching as the door was closed behind the girl by Lillian, Darienna gestured to the pair of seats at the other side of her desk.  The girl approaching after a moment of hesitation, the impression that Darienna got from the girl for some reason was that of a waif.  Her clothing didn't reflect that, but the way she moved did, as if she were malnourished.  Well, that wasn't precisely it either, but the girl did seem to lack presence, more like she was floating airily rather than the sureness of step, or even just the plain plod that most people possessed.

 

Lifting the back of her hand to her mouth as she coughed, Darienna winced as she felt her brain bounce about within her skull.  The cold was surely inspired by the Dark One, it had been a couple of weeks now and it still refused to slink back to whatever hole it had crawled from.  It might have been easy to simply let a Yellow work at it, but she was a believer in getting as little healing as possible.  If those who couldn't channel could soldier on through it, then she could as well, she didn't want to become so overly dependent on power healing that she couldn't function the moment it wasn't available.

 

Normally she would have perhaps stared the girl down for a bit, to weigh her up a little, but Darienna wasn't particularly interested in doing that today.  Instead, she pointed to the warm tea before the girl.  "Help yourself.  Now, since it seems that you can channel, I'll need to enroll you."  Taking up a quill, Darienna dipped it in the inkpot so she could scrawl the necessary details in the open ledger before her as she asked for the information that she required.

 

"Your name, age, and place of birth?"

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Arnaron]

This woman isn't well.

 

Even if the room didn't have the stuffy feel of illness, Sorna would have known by looking the Mistress of Novices' eyes.  Sorna had spent many hours with nothing to do but look at herself in the mirror when she was sick and knew how much information was available in one's eyes.  She delicately lifted the teacup to her mouth as she tried to figure out what was wrong and froze.  The Aes Sedai was looking at her expectantly.  She asked something.  What?

 

"My name is Sorna Ulend.  I'm sixteen and was born and raised in Occar."  The words came out in a rush and finished with an abashed smile, "I'm sorry, Aes Sedai.  So much has happened that my mind isn't where it should be."

 

She took a sip of the tea to loosen her throat.  Her voice had seemed even more strained than normal.  Perhaps it was a side effect of the healing she had gone through or the long climb up the stairs.  "What's your name?"

 

It seemed an appropriate question.  "Mistress of the Novices" was a title that made Sorna believe she'd be seeing the woman frequently and her name would be a good thing to know.  Also, the woman might raise her eyes to answer and Sorna would have the opportunity to match that look with one in her memory.

[Wayfarer]

Writing the details she was supplied with in the Novice Roll, Darienna had to take her time to make sure her intermittent coughs didn't ruin her quillwork.  She'd need to be able to refer to it later, as would those Mistress of Novices that followed her and if there was one thing she was meticulous about, it was the notes that she took.  A little time now would save a lot of time later, even if it took a bit to focus on what she was doing as she listened to Sorna Ulend, that was her name, speak of being a little overwhelmed and asking her a very simple question.

 

Finishing the writing first, Darienna set the quill aside as she looked up at the girl.  The normally serene manner was a touch ruined by a racking cough, but once it was done she was able to speak.  "My name is Darienna Sedai, as the Mistress of Novices I am entrusted with directing the education of all Novices and Accepted within the White Tower.  Every single class that you take in this Tower I will have some familiarity with and will have approved, some I may teach myself, and my purpose is to make sure that you and every other student gets the most well rounded and sophisticated education that we can afford, and the White Tower is willing to spend a lot on its new initiates."

 

Getting to her feet, Darienna gestured for the girl to stand and walked around the table as Sorna complied.  Looking her over as she walked about the girl, Darienna continued.  "I am also in charge of discipline.  Aes Sedai are more than servants, they are also ladies and students are expected to carry themselves with a certain degree of decorum and apply themselves to their studies.  Not many people in the entire world can boast the opportunity to study here, not just how to use the One Power but history and science and many other discourses."

 

"Wait here."  Making her way to the side room, she was barely out of sight when she began to cough again.  It was enough to make her brain ache, but she emerged after a few minutes with several Novice dresses draped over one arm and was headed for the door as she gestured for Sorna to follow.  It aggravated Darienna that she couldn't set her normal pace, but they eventually reached the Gray Quarters and within these halls they soon stopped before a door that was much like the others.

 

"Just knock on the door, Annais Sedai should be in there and will receive you.  Introduce yourself to her and inform her that I have assigned you to her as a mentee, she will take care of you and make sure you're settled in.  I would do so myself, but I need to go and lie down.  Remember, if you ever need any help in the future, you can come and see me."

 

Patting the girl on the shoulder, Darienna began to make her way down the hall as another coughing fit took hold of her.  Stupid flu.

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Arnaron]

Sorna's position in this Tower was becoming more and more evident.  First, she was bustled to see the Mistress of the Novices and given a brief lecture.  Then she was bustled down to another a door, given a few dresses and left.  Sorna didn't even have the chance to see if she could help the woman feel better.  Well fine, she thought, let her stay miserable.

 

The door in front of her didn't seem too special.  It was nicer than the doors in her fathers house but in the end, it was just a door.  Sorna gently knocked on the door and wondered if this Annais Sedai would be as brisk with her as Darienna Sedai was.

 

A moment later, nobody answered and she knocked again louder.  Shifting her stack of dresses to her right arm she wondered what she was supposed to do if her mentor wasn't in this room.

[Arette]

Water was sloshing over the rims of the tub as Annais perked up to hear if there really had been a knock on her door. She embraced Saidar to enchance her senses and didn't miss the next rap. Light, this was so typical. Right the moment when a woman took a nice little break and settled nicely to her bath or alternatively went to the privy, her peace was invaded like this. "I'm coming!", she yelled and pushed herself up with even more water pouring on the floor. Nothing she couldn't fix with a handy little weave later. She cursed when her foot almost slipped on the wet floor and floated her silky morning robe to her and a towel to wrap around her hair. As she had decided to indulge herself in middle of the day, her maid likely wouldn't be too pleased to have to do her hair again. Maybe she would just settle for a simple bun and a nice hat for the rest of the day. Annie had a store of those funny coloured Ebou Dari straw hats tied with ribbons.

 

She was still hastily tugging the edge of the towel into a semblance of a turban when she reached the door. This would better be urgent. She almost sighed when she saw the young girl behind the door. But instead she managed a smile that widened considerably when Annais realized that the woman wasn't wearing white yet. No, she had her novice dresses on her arm which meant that she was a new recruit. And Darienna sent new novices to an Aes Sedai for only one reason.

 

"Come in, come in. You have been assigned to be my mentee then? What is your name, dear and where are you from? Why don't you tell me about yourself while I boil us tea." She still had some rolls and tea breads left and butter under a Keeping weave, she reminesced as she begun to fill the tea pot and knotted a fire weave to heat the water. "And then if you have any questions, that is what I am here for. Don't hesitate at all to ask."

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Ajah

[Arnaron]

The muffled voice that came through the door sounded a bit annoyed.  The annoyance annoyed Sorna.  She had spent all day rushing to see this Aes Sedai or that and, each time, she had been forced to wait for that very same Aes Sedai.  Furthermore, she was just doing what she was told.  If the woman behind the door wanted to be annoyed with anyone it should be with the Mistress of Novices.  Abruptly she pushed that line of thought away.  You've waited longer for less, calm down.

 

Sorna's natural patience had returned by the time the doorknob started to turn.  Putting on a big smile she opened her mouth to introduce herself but stumbled when she saw a few strands of hair poking out from under the towel tossed around the Aes Sedai's head.  Interrupting a woman's bath is a terrible way to make a first impression and Sorna tried to find the words to apologize but the other woman's smile calmed her down.

 

Carefully, Sorna stepped into the room and was careful to not look directly at the little puddles of water on the floor.  "Yes Aes Sedai," she cleared her throat a little.  Her voice was more strained than usual; most likely from all the excitement and exercise she was getting.  She tried again, "Yes Aes Sedai.  Darienna told me to tell you that I've been assigned as your mentee."  The last word felt odd in her mouth and she hoped her mentor didn't notice.  "My name is Sorna Ulend and I'm from Occar.  It's a trading town to the north, on the way to Arafel.  I came here with my brother because I was very sick and needed an Aes Sedai to Heal me.  The Sister who Healed me decided to test me and discovered that I can learn to channel."

 

She paused to eye the tea pot and hoped the conversation would be done before the tea was.  "My father will be very proud to hear that I've been accepted into the Tower and I think my mother would be, too."  Her eyes were drawn back to the teapot and she wondered how it was being heated.  "When will I be able to do that?"

[Arette]

Sorna was acting carefully like she was stepping on eggshells and they certainly had to do something to the way she was addressing Annais. But at least she answered her questions and didn't sound too intimidated and even dared to voice her own question. Annais tried to appear easily approachable and kept smiling even as the water begun to boil. She put new leaves on the tea sift and waited a bit longer until she poured the steaming water on two mugs. The offerings were neatly on the basket where they had been brought to her and the butter and knife on a small table so it didn't take her long to put up a cozy but simple setting.

 

"Sorna is a beautiful name and I have been through Occar a few times on my way to the Borderlands. It is a nice town. What ailed you, Sorna and are you feeling stronger already? And what was the name of the Sister who helped you?" Likely a Yellow so they would get the credit for finding the girl but there were other Aes Sedai who could Heal too and Annais was curious to find out.

 

"The channeling ability is a gift we have no control over, you can't choose to have it or not have it. But how well you learn to utilize it is entirely up to you and if you study diligently, then your proficiency is earned. You can write to your parents any time you want and if you give your letters to me, I will make sure that they are delivered swiftly by pigeons. They can also come to visit you here in Tar Valon but novices are not allowed to leave the White Tower without permission and Accepted should not leave the city without permission. And permissions to leave are granted for only really pressing reasons and it almost never happens. For example one girl wanted to go see her dying father one last time but the permission was not granted. She ran away to attend the funeral and ended up on a penance Farm for a year for breaking the rules. Sometimes Accepted may be taken to missions with their mentors like happened to me but that is more an exception than a rule. "

 

"This sounds likely really harsh but just being able to channel and learning what we can teach you does not make you an Aes Sedai. It is about being truly dedicated to Serving All and the White Tower. You have to put that cause before everything else, even your family and friends and and hopes of finding love and having a normal family life... everything. When a girl is Raised to the status of Accepted, a ceremony is held where she is washed clean of her past. After that you are no longer Sorna of Occam but Sorna of the White Tower."

 

"Ah, but I like my own voice too much sometimes. Please, in the future you should call me just Annais when we are in private. How much did Darienna explain you of the rules? And how much do you know of the White Tower and Aes Sedai? Those are things that I am supposed to explain to you as your mentor so is there something you would especially like to know now?"

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Sister

[Arnaron]

Sorna watched Annais set the food and mugs on the table but made no move for them or a chair despite the sudden urgings from her stomach.  The woman appeared to be friendly enough.  At least, she had spoken more than a few words to Sorna without trying to get rid of her.  As the Aes Sedai spoke, Sorna attempted to maintain polite eye contact and not look at the unfamiliar surroundings.  A lot of information poured out of Annais' mouth but Sorna failed to see much significance in most of it.

 

"I don't know what was wrong with me, but the town healer couldn't do anything about it.  I was helped by a young appearing Aes Sedai wearing a shawl with a yellow fringe but she didn't give her name.  She just Healed me and tested me.  I didn't even know what she was doing and seemed like more of an afterthought on her part.  She was going to bring me to the Mistress of Novices but someone else needed help so she handed me off to another Aes Sedai who handed me off to Darienna Sedai.  The Mistress of Novices is not well and told me very little; I think she wanted to get back to bed.

 

"All I know of the rules is what you have told me and all I know of the Aes Sedai is what my father has told me.  That you wield great power and influence through the Power and constantly fight the Shadow even when much of the world has forgotten the danger.  Sometimes we would have visitors from up north who would tell us of Aes Sedai fighting in battles along the Blight but I always thought there must be more to the White Tower than that.  My brother, though, thinks we should be finish our training as quickly as possible in order to ride to the Borderlands and fight Trollocs."  She snickered silightly.  "But he's a bit impatient.  Will I be able to visit him?  He's going to become a Warder.  Do they live in the White Tower, too?  Or will he have to come to me?"

 

Sorna's eyes slipped to the food and snapped back Annais as she finished her sentence.  She couldn't let herself be distracted, she just asked a very important.  Her stomach disagreed and voiced it's objection loudly.  Sorna felt her neck start to flush and didn't bother to hope that the Aes Sedai didn't hear.

[Arette]

Sorna listened to what Annais spoke politely and without letting her attention waver but she had a feeling that the girl hadn't quite understood everything. But it was alot to take in and if she wasn't very familiar with the White Tower, it didn't make much sense and connect to the larger whole. She would have to start from the beginning once she just discertained how basics Sorna needed to hear. Bah, young Sisters. You would have thought that they understood the importance of introducing themselves, a general requirement of courtesy but alas no. Maybe it had been the Yellow Sister's first mission but still, she should have known better. It caused a slight twinge of worry to hear that Darienna wasn't well. But surely she would go to the Infirmary if her state was getting worse. Strange that she hadn't went already but she could be stubborn sometimes.

 

She smiled at Sorna's brother's notions. Young men could be impatient and it was a flaw not even the Tower Guard training could always temper out completely. But time and experience were great teachers. And the brother made a good example of elaborating the difference between the Aes Sedai and 'normal' people. Sorna's stomach seemed to be demanding for food and Annais waved away her embarrased blush. "There is no need to be ashamed. Please help yourself, that is why I set the food here. While you sate your stomach, I will try to sate your mind with some information. I shall explain you the rules and tell you more of the White Tower in a moment but first I answer your questions. What is the name of your brother? He certainly has alot to learn yet. The training to become a Tower Guard lasts three years and even though he has received one of the best education currently available for a soldier, he is still far away from being a real master of his trade."

 

"He will be able to go to Borderlands and fight Trollocs much earlier than you, though, if that is where the Tower sees use for him. On average it takes from five to ten years for a White Tower initiate to be raised from novice to Accepted and about as long to become a full Sister. When you reach the Shawl one day, your brother might be a Blademaster by that time if he has practiced hard enough." And if he was still alive, but such a depressing thought needen't do be voiced. "That is another example to illustrate the difference of how time passes for a channeler and the other people. Also, you should learn the difference between a Tower Guard and a Warder. All women and men learning to fight in the White Tower train to become Tower Guards, not Warders. A Tower Guard serves Tower as a whole, not just one individual Sister unlike the Warders. Groups of Tower Guards accompany Sisters on larger missions and they serve as the Tower's army whereas Warders act as bodyguards for single Aes Sedai."

 

"There is an important distinction in the mentality and strategies in whether you train to become a soldier or a bodyguard. Maybe one day when your brother is good enough with his blade, he might meet a Sister who he gets along with well and who might ask him to become her Warder. But one should not automatically presume that they will get Bonded one day just because they learn to fight in the White Tower."

 

"But as for meeting your brother... Tower Guard Trainees live in and learn in the Barracks around the Warder's Yard, an area within the White Tower grounds. Trainees are not allowed in the White Tower itself, except in the Library when they study some more academic topics, and Novices in turn are not allowed in the Warder's Yard. But if your free days coincide, he can come to visit you then as a relative. And if not, I can always arrange a meeting with your brother's mentor."

 

"Hmm, lets see. You were right to think that the White Tower does more than just fights Shadowspawn in the Blightborder. Standing against the bulwark against the Shadow for the past three thousand years and making sure that the rest of the world doesn't grow lax either has been one of our main duties over the years. But it is not the only one. Aes Sedai stands for 'Servant of All' in the Old Tongue and there are seven different sisterhoods in the White Tower called the Ajahs which all have a slightly different view on how the world would be best served. All the ways are equally important and necessary but the seven Ajahs lead to certain kind of specialization among the Sisters." Annais certainly wasn't going to get into the discussion now about whether the Ajahs were the best way to govern the White Tower. It would only confuse Sorna further.

 

"The Yellow Ajah you are already familiar with as they are the Healers. Usually only Sisters with a special Talent in Healing with the One Power join but more important is the desire to help people to get better and to prevent sickness and other health issues for good. Green is the Battle Ajah and they do most of the fighting in the Borderlands. Their mission is to stand ready for the Last Battle. The Red Ajah is another one you might have heard of. They keep the world safe from another Breaking caused by the male channelers. They seek and capture all men who have begun to channel and bring them to the White Tower where their ability to channel is taken away forever. It is called Gentling." The thought of being severed from the One Power, forever able to feel it but never touching it again... it would be like life itself was stolen away from you and it was no wonder that so many of the poor Gentled men submitted to bleakness and depression afterwards.

 

"My own Ajah, the Grays are in a way the mirror of the Greens. The Grays try to maintain world peace by negotiations and diplomacy and most Aes Sedai advisors to the rulers are from our Ajah. The Brown and White Ajahs are focused on academic matters. The Browns keep the Tower Library, the largest in the world and preserve and gather knowledge. Many of the wisest scholars and experts in certain particular field can be found among them. The Whites are more interested in logic and philosophical questions such as the moral and the truth. They try to remain objective and not let their emotions to interfere their thoughts. The last Ajah is the Blues who are quite the jack of all trades. The only common factor among the Blue Sisters is Causes. They just don't have a single unified Cause but every Blue chooses her own. It can be something as broad as Justice and last for years, even a lifetime, or it can be more specifc like helping to stabilize the political situation in Murandy."

 

"But that was a quite long monologue already. Do you have any questions? Is there some topic you would be especially interested in?"

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Sister

[Arnaron]

Sorna wasted no time spreading butter onto a piece of bread once she was invited to.  Deciding that her stomach had cut off any claims to dignity for the time being, the amount of butter was a bit more than she normally would have used.  As Annais spoke, Sorna took large bites out of the bread and swallowed quickly.  She quickly had the unpleasant sensation that there food caught in the back of her throat.  Regretting her haste, she reached for the tea that been poured for her and took a large sip to wash the bread the rest of way the down.  She fought back a grimace as she put the cup down and more carefully.

 

As Annais finished, Sorna reached for another roll and realized that there was only one left.  Her hand wavered uncertainly in mid-air.  Eating all the food would be rude but Annais Sedai said she should help herself.  Throwing caution into the wind, she took the last roll under the reasoning that she could always get more bread for Annais if she was unhappy with Sorna's decision.

 

"I'm not sure how I can be expected to serve anyone," Sorna said as she put the last bit of butter on the roll.  Suddenly, she felt the heat rising in her neck and cheeks again as she realized how that must have sounded and quickly added, "Not that I think I'm too good to serve anyone.  I just get sick and injured so often that I'm usually the one being taken care of."

 

It was all very conversational.  She was no longer ashamed of her physical shortcomings.  They were things she had no control over and she had accepted long ago.  Still, the question was reasonable and she hoped that the empty feeling of the Tower meant that the answer was not to send her away.

[Arette]

Sorna certainly wasn't coy with tackling the food which was just good as she looked like she was in need of it. It wold help with her recovery and gaining more streght. Though the speed she ate with couldn't be quite healthy. They weren't going to run out of teabreads and rolls any time soon. But then her stomach had been rumbling. Annais' new mentee finally grabbed the last roll and her comment about being expected to serve made the Gray Sister frown slightly as she tried to comprehend what the young woman had meant with it. Sorna quickly explained herself with a blush and Annais smiled at her calmingly. "If you get sick here, the Yellow Sisters will Heal you. And we will work on strenghtening your body by chores and maybe some special physical training. Better physical condition usually brings more resistance to diseases. What do you mean by getting injured often? Are you a bit clumsy or have you just been unlucky?"

 

"But don't worry. Your studies will go well and you will be taken care of here in the Tower. You just need to follow the rules and you will do fine. As Darienna didn't explain much to you, I will do that now."

 

"Firstly there is the proper conduct. You need to show respect to the Accepted and the Aes Sedai as they are more advanced in their education you and deserve respect for their greater experience only. You should address all Sisters with the honorary title, like for example you should call me Annais Sedai while we are in public. Most sisters expect you to curtsy when you enter and leave their company, imagine that you are in company of a noble of a higher rank than you and behave accordingly. That is also a good guideline to how you should act at all times. Learning to control yourself from the start is good because you need to have mastered that skill by the time you reach the shawl." Annais grinned mischievously. "Of course once you are an Aes Sedai, the rules change slightly and you can get away with breaking them slightly. But break them too much and too often and you will loose the respect of your Sisters. But as a novice, it is better to play it safe and be at your best behaviour."

 

"You are supposed to wear all the time the novice dresses and keep them clean and presentable no matter what kind of chores you are doing. Are you familiar with physical work? Did you have to do it back at home or did servants do everything for you? If you don't know how yet, you will learn as novices spend hours every day working in the kitchen and cleaning in the hallways and where ever Sisters might assign you. I already told you about the limits, that novices are not allowed to leave the White Tower without permission and enter the Warder's Yard. Also there is such thing as a curfew, you need to be in your room with lights off when the bells ring the hour of Full. The Mistress of Novices does rounds in the rooms from time to time and if you are found missing from your bed or chatting with your room mate or your neighbours through the whispering holes in the walls, you will receive a penance."

 

"A title that you should accustom yourself to is 'child'. Many Aes Sedai try to learn the names of the novices but as many believe that novices are like children who have so much to learn about the world and they call you such. Alot of a time novices are treated as children to be protected, guided and disciplined. Accepted are seen as young women old enough to be allowed some independence and Aes Sedai are full grown women who can be trusted to know their way about."

 

"One of the ways the Tower teaches and educates you is the chores. It is a common belief among the Aes Sedai that hard work builds character. Novices have an intensive schedule designed to strengthen your minds and bodies and develop them into Aes Sedai. You are woken up well before dawn to do chores until breakfast, then you train from breakfast until High, do more chores from High until dinner and train again from dinner to Trine. Those requiring extra training, the very fast or the very slow, will study from supper to Full - the curfew time. Otherwise you do more chores at this time. The gap from Trine until supper may be ‘free’ time when you can relax or study privately."

 

"Humbleness is also a virtue we try to teach you. Novices live a humble life of simplicity, hard work and discipline. Your rooms are small and stark, the furnishings bare and plain. You eat communally, with little choice in menu and rarely get luxuries like honey and the wearing of jewellery is strongly discouraged. All you can wear is the white garb that we provide. Of course many novices mutter darkly about how the Aes Sedai themselves do not follow these rules and live like the worst decadent nobles, dressing to silk and diamonds and being catered by servants. But the simple clothing, food and living are not the goals itself, reaching the right kind of mentality is. And it means that you are not above the people but their servant. Rags or silks, you should always remember that."

 

"Then for channeling which is a very important part of what makes you possibly egligible for the Shawl one day. Learning to channel is part of your lessons and when you can embrace Saidar and do something with it, it is imperative that you will not even take hold of the One Power. without an Accepted or Aes Sedai supervising. You might now wonder why you would even want to do that, but believe me, holding Saidar feels so blissful and fills you with so much life that you want to do it all the time. I have worn the shawl for a long time and I still feel the sting of disappointment when I stop channeling. You must fight that temptation or you will harm yourself. The most severe thing that can happen to you is that you Burn out and loose your ability to channel entirely. So be very careful, Sorna. We do not want anything to happen to you. It is better to crawl and walk when it comes to learning Saidar than to run headalong to unknown territory. It is due to the addictive nature of channelling and the danger of channelling while untrained why novices are not allowed to do chores with the Power."

 

"How all this discipline is maintained is that if you are caught of any misconduct, you are sent to the Mistress of Novices who will set you straight. Darienna does prefer a bit more unconventional methods instead of the traditional physical punishment but they are no less effective. Things that can lead you to her office are being disobedient or disrespectful to a sister, being unpunctual or noisy or swearing or mention your former rank if you happen to be a noble. You will never be punished for learning slowly, but you will be if you experiment with the Power or if do your chores poorly."

 

"Another big no no is men. Male specimen are not allowed in the novices’ quarters as we do not want our girls to get knocked up and diverted from their studies and dedication to the White Tower. Also sneaking to meet some boy is not accepted and you will surely be caught."

 

"The aim of all this harshness is to ensure that no Aes Sedai lacks the required skill, dedication, persistence, strength and endurance, or endangers other Aes Sedai with any weakness. It will simply not do for a Sister to collapse in middle of a mission. Sadly certain strenght in the One Power is also required to be able to perform well as an Aes Sedai. Not all girls have the potential for this and unfortunately we are forced to send them away. It is horrible waste but the Tower needs to keep some standards or our prestige in the world will lower."

 

"Once a novice is considered to have advanced sufficiently far in her studies and she is deemed to be strong enough in Saidar, she is asked to take the test for Accepted. This involves facing her greatest fears in a ter’angreal of three Arches. The Arches test solely the strenght of your mind and dedication to the Tower. Refuse to take a test, and you're sent away." She felt a stab of sorrow for the women lost into the Arches. Another horrible waste and something she felt that the Tower didn't have the moral right to demand from its initiates. Endangering young women to court death like that was irresponsible but there was no efficient option really so the tradition was unlikely to change.

 

"A novice cannot decide to leave the Tower of her own accord. You are learning in the White Tower as much for your own security as that for the others until you learn to control Saidar enough to do no one harm. And there are so little channelers in the world that every woman is needed to make their very best to become an Aes Sedai. Setting foot on one of Tar Valon’s bridges constitutes an attempt to run away. When you are caught - and believe me, you will be - the punishment includes a public birching, a very very nasty thing. And any freedom that you might normally have as a novice is reduced to none. So don't try to run away. You are just kicking your own ankle by doing that." She could barely suppress a wince at the memory of the birch falling on her back all those years ago. And not just once but she had tried to leave four times. But no slip of a girl could outwit and outpatience the White Tower and the earlier her mentee would understand it, the more pain she would be spared from.

 

"And really, the life in the White Tower is not that bad if you just let yourself to adjust and try to make friends. Friends make all the difference in the world. And despite sounding so harsh and lecturing to you about the rules, remember that you can always come and talk to me about anything. I am one of the kinder Aes Sedai and the only reason why I stress the rules to you is so that you would be spared from making mistakes and being punished for it. Understood?"

 

Annais drew a deep breath. "Now, that was a quite long monologue and I am sure that your head is swimming. I can repeat what I said if such is needed because it is essential that you learn these rules by heart. I will do you disservice as a mentor if I let you to leave my quarters untutored about these matters as you will end up in trouble. Usually the teachers are patient with you as Darienna is in charge of the schedule and she weeds them out but not all Aes Sedai are as lenient. You need to learn to learn quickly and remember what you are told from the first time."

 

"What do you remember from what I just told you? Which five rules do you consider the most important and why? And to make this an actual discussion and dialogue, why don't you ask some questions about me and I will reply to you honestly."

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Sister

[Arnaron]

So much information.  Sorna suddenly felt very tired as she attempted to organize everything that had just been said to her.  "The most important things?"  Was this a test?  "I'd say that being polite is the most important although I must say I'm surprised that there needs to be a rule enforcing such things.  The no channeling rule is important, too, since I don't want to hurt anyone by accident."

 

She paused to think a bit.  "You twice mentioned that novices are not supposed to leave the Tower without permission so that, too, must be an important rule.  Likewise, the penalty for running away suggests that it is very important."

 

Another one.  The one about men?  No, that had to be more about having girls focus on their learning than anything else.  "I suppose the last would be the collection of rules that essentially say, 'work hard.'  I hope I'm up to the task."

 

Another moment passed as Sorna tried to think up some questions.  She knew Annais essentially offered to answer anything but everyone had things they didn't like to talk about.  She didn't want to sound too frivolous, either.  "If Aes Sedai are 'servants of all' why do so many spend so much time in the White Tower?"  A personal question disguised as a general one.  Sorna was fairly pleased with herself about it.  Better to follow it with a less challenging question, though.

 

"Why did you decide to become Aes Sedai?  Or was the decision made for you?"

[Arette]

Annais only now noticed how Sorna had sagged a bit during her long and likely dull monologue. She blamed herself for her inattention. It had been alot at once but at least she had stayed focused and listened to it all. She nodded with approval at the summary of most important rules Sorna gave. "You put it well into a nutshell. Why do you think that politeness is enforced so hard? Any theories? And as for why I mentioned the novices leaving without permission twice..." Annais grimaced "The reason might be that I tried to run away myself as a novice and I can assure that it is an unpleasent experience to be brought back to the flock. I don't want anyone else to go through it because it is such a waste of energy. You only cause yourself needless suffering. Many people think that they can control things and events by fighting them but we all can learn a lesson from how Saidar is embraced. To control Saidar, you need to surrender completely. Don't push it, don't fight it, but let yourself to flow with it. This works especially with things you just can't avoid and the White Tower definately counts as such."

 

She chuckled. "Now you could of course ask how you can tell apart things that you can't change and things you really should change but no one knows the answer to that question reliably. Some wisdom comes with years... and by working hard as you said. I am sure that you will meet the high expectations well."

 

"And that was a very good question, Sorna. The White Tower has become quite isolated from the world, a fact that worries many Sisters. At least those who actually go out in the world, like me, and have to deal with the consequences of it. There are all kind of fears, false ideas and suspicions toward the Aes Sedai even though most people have never even seen one. It has been a slow process over few milleniums but by now the Tower has a very inwardly turned culture that affects how many Sisters see their duty of Serving All. The Tower expects that the people come to us for Healing, testing and advice instead of us going to where they and their every day troubles are. You will hear of this topic many times over the years. And again no one has any one clear solution for how to change it. And there are also many who don't even want to change it for various reasons. One of their reasonings is that if the Tower holds itself aloof, it retains certain mystery and dignity and people will respect us more. I myself believe that people would truly respect us more and fear us less if we were more available. That is the philosophy by which I Serve but every Sister has their own."

 

"My channeling ability pretty much determined that I would need to become to train to the White Tower. But I fought it because of the circumstances of my recruitment. My father was killed by a Warder and I blamed the Tower for the death of the rest of my family too." Annais spoke steadily but she was reluctant to share the full story yet. "That is why I tried to run away, because I didn't want to have anything to do with the Tower. But with time I realised that the Tower does alot of good work in the world and that I could and should be part of it. Otherwise I would waste my Creator given ability to channel. I was lucky enough to get to travel with my mentor as an Accepted and it really showed me what a difference Aes Sedai can make."

 

"I am traveling alot myself so I might be gone sometimes for months or even more. I will make sure that you will be taught by other good instructors and that you will have someone else to talk to then. Also pidgeons fly between the Tower and all parts of the world so we can correspond." Annais smiled "But don't worry, I am not going anywhere any time soon. Not until you get well adjusted to the life here."

 

"Any other questions?"

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Sister

[Arnaron]

Sorna's heard her jaw creak as she held back a yawn.  She didn't want to seem bored; especially since she was talking to an Aes Sedai who seemed to be answering her questions honestly.  The truth an Aes Sedai tells is not always the truth you think it is. She felt a touch of heat in her cheeks at the thought and silently reprimanded herself for it.  She was a Borderlander.  She may not have been raised in Kandor or Sheinar but she knew Aes Sedai were to be respected and their counsel trusted.  She was not some superstitious Southlander.  Still, the prejudices of her neighbors quietly gnawed at her.

 

"Why is politeness enforced so hard?" Sorna shrugged, "Everyone has to be polite, not just Aes Sedai.  Rudeness makes people have bad feelings towards each other and if the feelings are widespread enough, everything falls apart."  Raised by a Sheinaran and dependent upon the kindness and sympathy of others, the thought of not being polite had never crossed her mind.

 

"I was wondering some things...about the Power.  Things I had read when I was bed-ridden and could do nothing but read."  Sorna paused as she considered how to proceed.  "The Taint on the male half the Power causes men to go mad.  But what the books don't say is that if there is a male half, then there must be a female half and that's how women channel.  If they are both halves, then they must be part of a whole that they make up together."  Sorna paused to take a deep breath and blink sleepily.  She hoped that her fatigue wasn't confusing her words.  "Is it possible for the Taint to spread throughout the entirety of the One Power?  Or into the Wheel it turns?"  Were those superstitions talking or were those rational questions.  As the minutes passed more and more of what little energy she had was being turned toward digesting the bread she had just eaten.  Another yawn came so quickly that she was unable to even try to hide it.

[Arette]

Politeness certainly became engraved to your bones in the White Tower until it was an instinct and even in aggravating situations, Aes Sedai should always keep their cool and be civil and show good example. So the rule served a purpose. Sorna's yawn gave Annais a start and she realized that she had been a very inconsiderate hostess and mentor. She had seen to Sorna get fed but she hadn't thought that the young woman had traveled all day and was likely exhausted after her trip. But she would reply her question first.

 

"You are quite correct that there are two halves of the One Power, Saidar and Saidin. But they really are quite separate entities even though they work together to keep the Wheel of Time running. It is like you and your brother doing team work and him getting sick from exposure. That doesn't mean that you get infected too, as there are diseases in the world that spread only in special contact." Was it a bad thing that she thought immediately sexually transmitting diseases. "Only Saidin got exposed to the touch of the Dark One because only male channelers participated in the strike to Shayol Ghul and the sealing of the Dark One. It has been speculated that if the female channelers had been there too, Saidar would be Tainted too. I think that it is a very likely turn of events and therefore it was lucky for the whole world that Latra Posae Decume, an influential female channeler in the Age of Legends, opposed Lews Therin Telamon's plan. He was the original Dragon."

 

"But now we'll shelve the rest of the questions for tomorrow and I will show you your room. I recommend that you get good rest today as your first day as a novice will start in earnest tomorrow soon after the first light. Come on then."

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Sister

 

OOC: I think that this pretty much concludes this thread unless you want to write the description of Sorna arriving to her room. I will PM you about your next plans for Sorna :)