Scared and Very Much Alone...

[Kirjava Daemora]

Kirjava stepped off of the boat onto the island that was Tar Valon. The Aes Sedai who had accompanied her was still behind finishing up some business. She gazed around, taking in the place that would be her home for the next few years if everything went well. Her gaze fell upon the White Tower - taller than anything that Kirjava had ever seen - and a shiver went down her spine. That was where she was being taken. That was where she'd meet whatever fate that the Wheel had in store for her.

 

As Kirjava and the other two women approached the main enterance to the Tower, she began to feel sick. What if she was sent home? What if this was a huge mistake? Well, there was no going back now, she was trapped. The Sister motioned for her to stand her ground and walked forward to meet the woman who was waiting for them. Kirjava stood in the cold, feeling as alone as ever. She took a staggering breath and silently prayed that everything would turn out alright. It had to. Didn't it?

[Wayfarer]

Watching from her place at the top of the steps that led into the White Tower, Darienna puffed on her pipe patiently as she waited for the new arrival.  Normally she would be busy in her office, or taking a class, or otherwise occupying herself, but she had decided to take a bit of time to simply be.  Sometimes it was simply good to be able to stand outside, let the morning sun cast its gaze upon you and smoke a particularly fine bit of tabac.  It might have gotten some looks from the line of petitioners that ran to one side of the great steps, but all that did was amuse Darienna.  It was difficult to feel self conscious after having lived at least one lifetime, and she had no reason to.  It wasn't as if a pipe was that unusual, even if one didn't as a rule see an Aes Sedai with one.

 

Of course, that wasn't the only reason that she was standing out on the steps of the White Tower.  She'd also been informed that a new prospective Novice was to be delivered in the morning, it was a good excuse to stretch her legs and stand about and have a smoke, so it worked well for her.  It was a nice break from overlooking reports of student performance in different classes, discipline issues and budgeting.  Budgeting was the worst of it as far as she was concerned, people seemed to think that being the Mistress of Novices was just about switching people who had been bad.  If only it were so simple, not that she bothered with switching to begin with, there were many more creative ways to discourage bad behaviour and train good behaviour.

 

Such thoughts passed as she espied Marian Sedai and her charge, lightly tanned and perhaps a touch over average height, the girl's hair had a coppery tone in the sun.  She seemed nice enough from her look, certainly no sourness there, maybe some trepidation or so it seemed as the girl was left at the bottom of the steps.  Waiting for Marian to approach, Darienna's expression was neutral as her sister spoke to her quietly so others couldn't overhear.

 

"It is good to see you.  The girl has been tested, though I cannot gauge what her full potential might be.  Her name is Kirjava Daemora, an Andoran girl I picked up just outside of Caemlyn, no more than eighteen years old."

 

"Eighteen?  Light, you are lucky you found her when you did."

 

"We all are."

 

"True.  I'll take her from here, I will see you over the next couple of days as you settle back in?"

 

"Of course."

 

Nodding to her, Darienna waited for a moment as Marian walked by her and into the Tower before proceeding down the steps.  The girl seemed more nervous for it, but that wasn't unexpected, this was a new thing for her, as it was for every new initiate.  Taking the pipe from her mouth with her left hand, her right reached out and clasped the girl's left arm as Darienna spoke.  "Welcome to the White Tower, Kirjava Daemora.  I am Darienna Sedai, the Mistress of Novices and I oversee the education of all Novices and Accepted within the White Tower, of which you are to become the former."

 

"Come."  Squeezing the girl's arm gently before releasing it, Darienna turned and led the way up the steps for Kirjava to follow as she spoke over her shoulder.  "You must have questions, what would you like to know?"

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Kirjava Daemora]

Kirjava watched from where she was standing as her guide to the White Tower proceeded up the steps. She paused beside another woman, Aes Sedai from the clothes that she was wearing, and the two began talking. What startled Kirjava most about this other woman was the pipe. All that Kirjava knew about Aes Sedai was children's tales and what Marian Sedai had told her, and she hadn't expected to meet an Aes Sedai smoking. Kirjava sighed silently. She really was unprepared for this.

 

Gazing around her surroundings once again, Kirjava found herself amazed once more. The beauty that was Tar Valon stunned her to no end. She would enjoy wondering the city if she was allowed outside the Tower itself. She had never believed the stories of the sheer beauty of the city, but here she was, proved wrong. For a moment, she wondered what had happened to her horse, Trak. Her parents had purchased him for her when they found out she'd be leaving, and Kirjava hadn't seen him since she had gotten off the boat. She trusted the Aes Sedai though, and decided that he had probably been stabled.

 

Kirjava was snapped back to reality when the corner of her eye caught movement. Marian Sedai had preceeded into the White Tower and the other Aes Sedai was making her way towards Kirjava. She sucked air between her teeth. This was it. Kirjava was about to meet her fate. Kirjava stood awkwardly for a moment as the Aes Sedai reached her, unsure whether to curtsey or smile or just stand her ground. She was saved the trouble of deciding when the woman clasped her left arm. Kirjava tried her hardest not to tense under that grip, and was unsure how far she had succeeded. As Darienna Sedai introduced herself and welcomed her to the White Tower, Kirjava relaxed a little bit. At least the Mistress of Novices wasn't plain evil.

 

Darienna Sedai released her arm and told her to follow up the steps. It took Kirjava a moment to process the word "Come" and she jumped slightly and began walking quickly after the Mistress of Novices.

"What would you like to know?". Oh, there were plenty of questions that Kirjava could ask, but she stuck to the basics of what she wanted to know.

"What exactly is the One Power? What do we learn here?" Kirjava flinched as her voice came out more high pitched than usual. Kirjava always had a fairly low voice, and hated when it mutated on her. Kirjava ran the words she had just said over in her head. She had forgotten something. "Aes Sedai" She added quickly at the end. She had to remember that!

[Wayfarer]

Chuckling kindly, Darienna slowed slightly to allow Kirjava to walk abreast as they entered the Tower proper.  The basics, they were always good to know, she was surprised that Marian had said little but then, Marian usually had more on her mind.  "You come here to learn how to be an Aes Sedai, the One Power is but one part of your education.  You will also learn court manner, you will study mathematics and science as much as you learn of the old tongue and dozens of other disciplines.  Along the way over the years, your strengths and weaknesses will become apparent, your weaknesses will be remedied and your strengths sharpened until you are ready to take on the shawl and join the Sisterhood, should you have it in you."

 

Taking a deep draw from her pipe as she lapsed into silence, Darienna exhaled contentedly as they reached the first of several flights of stairs that led to her office.  Beginning the ascent, she branched out from the topic of learning to that of the One Power.  "As to the One Power, it is driving force of creation, it keeps the wheel moving so that the wheel continues to spin our existance.  People like us, we can harness that power and use it to achieve many things, both good and bad.  You may learn to harness lightning as a weapon as easily as you may learn how to mend someone's broken bones in but a moment."

 

"The One Power is split in two, saidin is the male half and the other half that we use, saidar, is the feminine aspect of the One Power.  It is then divided into five elements; Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit and Water.  We can summon them in the form of different threads that we can then work into weaves, the same way that one might make a quilt except that instead of a needle, your will shapes the threads.  But you will learn more of that when you learn how to find saidar with you and embrace it."

 

Cresting the last flight of stairs, it wasn't far to her office and it was notable for the two benches that sat either side of the door for those who came to see her to wait.  Opening the door, Darienna ushered the girl in and closed it behind them as she told Kirjava to take one of the two seats before her table.  She didn't need to study the girl, she'd already had that opportunity so she simply asked her to wait while she disappeared in a side room, the sound of her rummaging through drawers clearly audible.

 

It was a minute before Darienna re-emerged with Novice dresses to fit.  Handing them to the girl, Darienna sat on the edge of the table near the girl as she smiled.  "Now, all I need to do is figure out what to do with you.  Each Novice is assigned a mentor, someone to help them settle into the Tower and its life, but I haven't quite put my finger on who to assign to you yet."

 

"Of the top of your head, tell me five things about yourself, you have thirty seconds."

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Kirjava Daemora]

Kirjava listened carefully as Darienna Sedai told her about lessons, and the One Power. There were things that she recognised from talking to Marian, saidin and saidar, the One Power being the driving force of creation, Sisterhood, the shawl, Healing and the five elements. They were all things that she had known, but not been able to form into a flowing explaination. Kirjava made sure that every word that meant something was imprinted firmly into her mind. She couldn't afford to let anything slip now. She'd come too far.

 

As they reached the door to what Kirjava guessed was the Mistress of Novice's study, Kirjava found herself whisked into the room and sat in a chair facing a table while Darienna Sedai disappeared into the ajoining room. Kirjava could hear her rummaging through drawers and wondered what she was doing, but she re-appeared soon enough with a set of dresses. The dresses were handed to her and Kirjava studied them quickly. Plain white. She noticed that she would probably never wear colours for a long time. Looking up again, the Mistress of Novices began talking once again.

 

"Of the top of your head, tell me five things about yourself, you have thirty seconds."

Kirjava looked startled as this was flung at her out of the blue. She searched the realm of her mind quickly, sweeping away information that would never work.

"I-I love to read" Kirjava stammered, unsure if this was what Darienna Sedai was really looking for. She scrabbled desperately for another piece of information to throw out.

"I love the countryside. It's beautiful and the tranquility amazes me" She come out with. Not surprising from a farmer's daughter.

"The One Power amazes me and I wish to learn all that I may about it" Was the next fact that she had managed to find. Well, that one had been true since a channeler had healed her brother of almost certain death. Two more facts. And how long?

"I want to learn. Anything, just learn" That was something Kirjava had always done. She loved to learn. Now one more. She was momentarily tempted to say "Men are useless" But decided against it.

"I-I..." She trailed off. She couldn't think of anything else. She looked up at the Mistress of Novices, fingering the ring on her pinky nervously.

[Wayfarer]

Smiling as she listened to the answers that Kirjava gave as much as at the startled look she had received, she made note of what was said.  Though she had to admit, she almost laughed at the second fact.  It wasn't that it was a bad thing to say, it was more the earnest nature in which it had been proclaimed that really got Darienna.  An endearing thing, and it helped her make her decision about who she was going to have mentor the girl.  It wasn't a certain thing in Darienna's mind, but there was the potential and if it didn't work out, she could simply assign a new mentor.  Disruptive for the student if it came to that, but she doubted it would.

 

There was no fifth fact, Darienna wasn't surprised as some people weren't so good at thinking on the spot when they were sideblinded with unexpected questions.  Some people needed a bit of guidance was all, and from the way that the girl was worrying the ring on her pinky finger, she knew exactly what to ask about.  "Its alright, four facts is good.  Perhaps for your fifth, you would tell me about the ring you are wearing?  I don't think I have seen one with that device upon it before."

 

"And after you've told me about your ring, perhaps you have other questions for me?  Then once those are answered, I shall escort you to your mentor.  She will be there for you so you have someone to turn to, though she is by no means the only one you may turn to.  My door is always open to those who wish to talk, and you will find others who will also listen to you if you wish to speak to them.  The mentor in particular is responsible for you though, to make sure you settle in well and adjust as best as possible."

 

"But first."  Darienna's smile grew a touch broader.  "Tell me about that ring."

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Kirjava Daemora]

Kirjava nodded when Darienna Sedai asked about her ring. She had wondered whether she should have mentioned it as a fact, but she had decided against it. Now she seemed she was prooved wrong. She thought over how to phrase her story without sounding silly. "The ring was my Grandmother's" She began. "She was given it by her Father when she was about 10 and she never took it off in years except to polish it" Kirjava paused to think over how she would continue. "When I had jsut turned 14 she got very ill and eventually passed on. My Mother told me that she had explicitly told her to give me the ring. So I've worn it ever since then" She explained.

 

There was a slight lump in Kirjava's throat that she used to get when talking about her Grandmother, but she had stopped that two years ago. She couldn't decide why she was feeling upset now. It wasn't her Grandmother unless she was crying for something she thought she had got over years ago. It sudden;y struck her. It was the thoughts of her family. She had mentioned her Mother, and that was leading to thoughts about her Father, her brother. She wouldn't see them until she left the White Tower, which might not be for a while. She hastily tried to swallow the lump, she wouldn't let Darienna Sedai see her cry yet.

 

Questions now. There had to be something else she could pull out of her brain to ask. There was one thing that was annoying Kirjava though.

"Darienna Sedai. Are Novices permitted to wear jewellery?" She asked. It wasn't just her ring, Kirjava had a necklace that she loved, though she wasn't wearing it at that moment. There were lots of questions to ask now.

"Do we share rooms? Will I get lost easily here? How many Novices are there?" She added after the jewellery question. They had to be the questions to occur most in Kirjava's mind at the moment.

[Wayfarer]

Listening carefully, Darienna knew that her answer to the initial question probably wouldn't sit well with the girl.  But, things were different from when the eldest of the Aes Sedai still living had been students themselves.  Back in that time, everything that a new Novice brought with her, down to the last stitch of clothing, was taken from her and was thrown upon a fire.  The new Novice was then left to watch as everything from their previous life was consumed by flame and reduced to ashes.  It had its purpose, but it had been a practice that had died out and one that Darienna had no intenion of renewing once more.

 

"Jewelry may not be worn by Novices.  Furthermore, it is not wise to keep things of great value in your room.  Novice rooms are shared, and they also lack locks.  Thieves are a very rare thing, but it has happened on the rare occasion.  For those who have such valuable items, I can hold such items to make sure they are not lost or stolen.  You will not be able to wear them until you are an Accepted.  But, it is your choice."

 

"But you needn't make it right now.  You can approach me at anytime to do so."  No need to rush the girl, so long as she did not wear her jewelry it was not a problem.  Accepted were different, but then they were not children, they were daughters.  They had earned the right to simple things such as that.  "As for sharing rooms, Novices live in rooms where up to three may sleep.  Our halls are not so full of Novices as they once were, but it is not unusual to share quarters with at least one other."

 

"As for getting lost, definitely.  Your mentor who I shall take you to now shall show you the basics of the Tower and with time this Tower shall become familiar to you.  As to your room, I haven't decided what room you shall stay in yet, but I will have figured out where to allocate you before dinner and word will be sent to your mentor."

 

"But, come, it is time to meet your mentor."

 

Leading Kirjava from her office, they made their way through the Halls of the Tower as they went in search of the girl's mentor, the one who would ensure she was settled in.

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Trainees

 

OOC:  Your mentor will post next. :)  She might be a few days, so in the meantime if you want to get started on any of the req RP's that are listed below, just pm me what you're up for doing or if you just want to do a random RP. :)

 

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,25630.0.html

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Folding the piece of paper carefully along the creases with her perfectly manicured hands and placed it into a small pouch that was hidden among the folds of her dark blue silk dress. Smoothing the folds Diona Tapedera nodded to the Novice that then promptly left the room. The door closed carefully with a light click to indicate her departure. Diona did not bother with catching the girls name. She scowled a little with only a small curve to her lip to indicate any emotional change. Not prone to any emotional outbursts of any kind. Actually she was not prone to any emotional display, the small twitch to her lips was little to nothing. It did not matter.

 

There was a knock on her door, a harder rap than Diona would prefer but who was she to argue. Standing up, Diona adjusted that already perfectly set blue shawl on her shoulders and then left her immaculate room. Not always a place for everything but everything was in it's place. As it should be.

 

Very little was on her mind as she walked towards the door to find the Mistress of Novices and a girl completely unrecognized in a the novice White. A new Charge, if Diona guessed correctly. Inclining her head a greeting she opened up the door to allow both to enter. Novices were important to the development and building of the Tower. Regardless of the Ajah Diona supported, it was the young minds that were in need of molding.

 

"Welcome Darienna Sedai." Her soft musical voice pleasant. "If you would like to come in I have just ordered tea to be brought up, but I could acquire an extra cup or tea or two." Her eyes glanced momentarily to the Novice. "Of course if you are busy, I shall not keep you waiting."

 

Diona waited patiently without any need to be else where. Everything in its time. There was no need to rush what would happen in its own time.

 

Wheel Weaves as it flaming wills, after all.

 

"Thank you for the offer, but I only have time to leave this new Novice, Kirjava, in your care. I will send word before the day's end of what room she has been allocated. But, thank you once again, Light shine on you."

 

"And you." Diona said with her signature smile on her lips. Barely touching her eyes. Looking to the girl, she paused for a moment in thought. Motioning for the girl to come in, Diona softly closed the door, the click was barely audible.

 

"Come in Kirjava and take a seat. Tea will be here soon. I am Diona Tapedera Sedai. Diona is you wish, but only when we are alone." Diona took a seat in her richly decorated suite. Couches of the softest blue silk, bordered in gold. "Come, tell me of yourself. Do you needlepoint? Knit?"

 

 

 

Diona Tapedera

Blue Sitter

 

Ooc: Welcome! :)

This is Diona's Bio - http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,25512.0.html

Diona is a new type of character for me, :P More evil, so to speak, LOL! My contact info is all in my profile and i'm always open to emails, chats and PM's if you need anything! ^_^

[Kirjava Daemora]

As Kirjava followed Darienna Sedai through the halls of the Tower, she kept her eyes open. She didn't feel quite so nervous anymore, but she'd be living here, and the thoughts of getting lost in a place as big as the White Tower didn't appeal to her. She tried to keep track of every turn, something that would remind her of where she was if she ended up back here, but she had quickly lost track and had to quicken her pace to keep up with the Mistress of Novices.

 

The approached a door and stopped, and Kirjava stood silently as another Aes Sedai came to the door and spoke with Darienna Sedai. As they said their goodbyes, Kirjava watched as the only Aes Sedai that she knew in the Tower walked away, and then walked quickly into the room as the other Aes Sedai motioned her inside.

 

Kirjava took a seat when she was offered, sitting awkwardly on the edge of a couch. So Diona Sedai was her mentor. Kirjava would live with it whether she liked it or not, but she'd rather like it.

"I can knit" She said unceratinly as Diona asked her. She wondered if "Tell me of yourself" was indicating that she should say more. She stayed silent just in case and glanced around the room. Somehow, she could tell that her room would be several times smaller, and would probably house another girl as well. The blue shawl on Diona's shoulders indicated that she was of the Blue Ajah. She had been told that much on her journey to the Tower. She hadn't been told much about what the Ajahs meant, however, so she didn't have much of an idea if her personality would be different than that of Sisters of other Ajahs.

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Diona nodded approvingly as the girl confirmed one of Diona's simple requirements. A craft for sorts was always beneficial to any future Aes Sedai. It gave cause to have time set aside for oneself and center the mind, to reflect upon choices either large or small. It required disciplined and a creative mind to achieve greater projects. Also, it put others at ease as their concentration is split between more than one task. More information was revealed when the mind was half occupied by other things. Weaving a touch of air, a back of brightly colours yarns and knitting sticks sticking out of the bag floated in front of the girl. Landing neatly at her feet.

 

"Help yourself to any that you wish. Come take a seat here," Diona indicated a chair across from her, "and we shall talk and get to know one another. Do not be shy, you have nothing to fear from me." Her voice was soft and soothing, musical in it's higher pitch. Diona was always of soft voice. "You can talk, can you not? There are novices that are mute in the Tower. Probably will never gain the shawl, but I am sure you can speak just fine, right Kirjava? Where are you from? What was your family like? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" The pain over her own brothers death never bothered her anymore. After so many years at least that was one of few things that faded.

 

 

Diona Tapedera

Blue Sitter