Reluctant Arrivals [Merilaine Candwin's Arrival/intro]

[Guest MoonLily]

OOC:Please, please let me know if I've done this inccorectly, as I'm quite eager to learn how the role-playing moves along in these forums.  This is, as the title suggests, the introductory/arrival post for Merilaine Candwin.

 

IC: It had been mid morning when the small group of girls, three in total, had arrived in Tar Valon with the Aes Sedai who had tested them in Watch Hill for the ability to learn to channel.  The two younger had been quite excited, for they had come to learn to do great things, to become that of legend making... Aes Sedai!  The seventeen year old with the dark hair and eyes of blue however had a much more stiff, wary reaction to the beauty of the city as they passed through.  She had barely uttered a word the entire journey there, lips often compressed and fists carefully tucked within the cloth of her sleeves.  It was not that she was unfriendly by nature or even scared...Light knew she had every right to be that.  In all honesty she had not wanted to go in the first place.

 

She remembered the look on Daerilla's face, the anger and not just a bit of jealousy when it was revealed that Merilaine would be leaving Watch Hill to go with the Aes Sedai.  Merilaine still had the very same headache that had immediately started when the news had been announced; a slight ticking of her right eyelid the only sign aside from her surliness.  In a matter of days she'd seen her dreams of finding a young man, marrying, and having a family of her own go up in a wisp of smoke.  She was from strong, good stock and she would do her best at whatever was thrown in her path though.  She had not complained, nor had she smiled however during the entire trip which had ofcourse started the younger girls to poking fun at her.

 

Shaking her head, she winced as it had aggravated the throbbing in her temple that radiated behind her eye.  Somehow whilst she'd been reminiscing over the past days, the girls had begun going up an enormous amount of stairs.  "I wonder who scrubs these?"  The words causing the two girls to blink and giggle at her in surprise, before the Aes Sedai turned her stare on Meri.  Falling silent again, Merilaine had pushed her shoulders back, straightened her spine and continued the march up the stairs behind the Aes Sedai.

[Wayfarer]

Knock Knock

 

"Come in!"

 

Setting aside her quill with a certain amount of relief, whoever it was that was knocking on her door had given her an excuse to take a break.  Reaching to the drawer on her left and withdrawing a pipe and some tabac as the door opened to reveal Marian and a trio of girls in tow.  Light help her, Darienna wondered whether all Marian did was find people to be trained at the White Tower, there didn't seem to be a single trip the woman made where she didn't bring one prospective hopeful back with her.  Andoran from their looks and their clothes, young too.

 

But there were three of them, that posed a problem.  Darienna had learned over the years that, despite her best efforts, girls that arrived together tended to band together and cede their individual intelligence in favour of doing very silly things.  Even as Marian told her that they'd all been tested true, Darienna nodded as she finished stuffing the tabac in the pipe.  She would begin with the pale skinned one with the black braid and the blue eyes.  "Thank you for bringing these three to me.  Could you take those two to sit on the benches outside?  I'll deal with them one at a time I think."

 

"Of course.  You two, come with me."

 

Watching as Marian led the two out, she waited until the door was closed before putting the pipe in her mouth.  A moment later, the tabac ignited and she began to puff away pleasantly.  Marian was definitely a good sister, without fail she would find ways for Darienna to be able to take a break for at least awhile everytime she visited the office.  After all, even a Mistress of Novices needed a smoke break every now and then.

 

Looking up at the girl, she gestured to one of the two seats on the other side of the table as she spoke.  "Take a seat.  I am Darienna Sedai, the Mistress of Novices.  The Mistress of Novices oversees the education of all students within the White Tower, which shall shortly be yourself.  I will need your name, age, and where you hail from so I can record it in this ledger here."

 

Reaching to her left and dragging the great book across, Darienna began leafing through it to find the page for new entries as she continued.  "While you are at it, I would also like you to tell me a bit about yourself.  Just whatever comes to mind that you would like to share.  Also, are you alright?  You seem a touch discomforted, beyond that of other students I have had in my office for the first time."

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Guest MoonLily]

Merilaine's nostrils flared just a bit as she drew in a deep breath, trying to get rid of the ache that was a steady pounding in her head, before she had dipped her form down in just a bit of a curtsey gesture.  She remained quiet as the other two girls were led out of the room, her eyes subtly moving to study the Mistress of Novices as the door closed.

 

"Take a seat.  I am Darienna Sedai, the Mistress of Novices.  The Mistress of Novices oversees the education of all students within the White Tower, which shall shortly be yourself.  I will need your name, age, and where you hail from so I can record it in this ledger here." The Mistress of Novices seemed to pause in speaking, leafing through a rather impressive ledger book before speaking again.  

"While you are at it, I would also like you to tell me a bit about yourself.  Just whatever comes to mind that you would like to share.  Also, are you alright?  You seem a touch discomforted, beyond that of other students I have had in my office for the first time."

 

Listening to her words, Merilaine's throat could be seen to move a bit in a large swallow of air.  Perhaps there was a tiny touch of fear beneath the anger that she was holding inside, but the andoran girl would do her best not to let it show.  Moving to take  the chair she'd been told to sit in, she eased her form down slowly.  Fingers had uncurled enough to where she could smooth down the folds of her clothing, her features relaxing just a touch as the headache eased up a bit.

 

"Thank you, Darienna Sedai."  Merilaine and the girls had already been cautioned on the way there that it was always a necessity to add Sedai to the given name of an Aes Sedai who had addressed them.  Clearing her throat just a bit, her alto voice became just a touch louder as she was not a soft voiced girl.  "I am Merilaine Candwin of Watch Hill.  I am seventeen. If I seem uncomfortable, I will tell you in all honesty that I do not want to be here.  I will do my best and give my all, because I do not willingly fail anything.  That does not mean that coming here was my wish or hoped for path.  When I get angry or tense, my head tends to ache, and this has been a most trying time for me. I thank you for your concern, Darienna Sedai."

 

Meri's cheeks flooded with a bit of color, as she thought she may have been a bit too abrupt with how she'd answered her.  She wasn't the lying type, but she could have worded things more gently.  Features then softened just a touch as she shook her head with a rueful smile.  "I maybe shared more than I should."

 

-Merilaine Candwin-

[Wayfarer]

Shaking her head as she filled in the ledger, Darienna was quick to respond to Merilaine's comment that she might have shared too much.  "Merilaine, I'm going to be responsible for you for anywhere between the next fifteen to thirty years, I prefer to find out now that you have headaches rather than you suffering nobly for a couple of years before I find out.  I prefer honesty from my charges so long as its honesty rather than wrongheaded pride under the guise of truth.  One day you might become an Aes Sedai, we have an oath of truth to bind us, but Novices and Accepted are both expected to emulate and embrace the same virtues."

 

Finishing with the ledger, Darienna set her quill aside as she looked up at Merilaine.  She'd only spoken of one of the two topics that the girl had raised, the other being that she didn't want to be in the Tower.  She certainly wouldn't be the first, or the last to come to the Tower with that opinion.  "As for not wanting to be here, there is nothing wrong with that feeling.  You've just had to leave your home and any dreams you had behind you.  The only people I've known to come to the Tower and have no regrets about it are those who were unhappy to begin with, for those who had good lives before, its not nearly so easy."

 

"Having said that."  Darienna got to her feet and gestured for Merilaine to do the same.  Stepping around her table, she studied her to get her measurement as she continued speaking.  "We do not always get a choice in what we want, sometimes our paths are woven for us.  You have a gift that very few women of your generation possess, and it is dangerous in its own right.  If your ability is only small, we will teach you enough that you do not harm yourself or those around you with your gift and you shall be able to return home and resume your life."

 

"But if your ability is great enough to become an Aes Sedai, then you will be capable of many things.  You will be able to heal the sick and wounded far better than any wisdom and within the space of a moment.  You'll be able to command the elements, from simple things like turning tainted water pure or lighting a fire without flint to splitting the sky with lightning.  Stay here."

 

Disappearing into a sideroom, Darienna kept talking as she could be heard shuffling about in there.  "Maybe that isn't what you want, maybe your dreams are more modest and there is nothing wrong with that.  But, for now at least, the first thing we shall do is ensure you don't harm others with your gift that has been unlocked.  Those who don't have control of their powers can manifest them wildly by mistake, if you're in a rage you might accidentally set a house alight, or fling someone a couple of dozen feet away with air, and that is assuming that when you manifest it is that simple."

 

Returning with Novice dresses on her arm, she handed them to the girl as she spoke sympathetically.  "Its a lot to take in now.  All of it will become clear in time as you settle in and engage your studies, but what we do here is for your own good and everyone elses.  Its not particularly fair, but by the time you are done, regardless of how far you go in your studies, you are going to have had an opportunity that very very few can claim, whether noble or common in birth."

 

"Now, what we will do is I will send you on your way to your mentor, who will be responsible for making sure that you settle in and to be there to ask for help.  Not that you can't approach me or others, but she will be assigned specifically to you nevertheless.  Before I do that, are there any questions you would like to ask?"

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[Guest MoonLily]

"As for not wanting to be here, there is nothing wrong with that feeling.  You've just had to leave your home and any dreams you had behind you.  The only people I've known to come to the Tower and have no regrets about it are those who were unhappy to begin with, for those who had good lives before, its not nearly so easy."

 

Merilaine had watched the Mistress of Novices very intently as she wrote and spoke aloud to her, focusing on her words and actions while taking the information in.  To be frank, the girl had been somewhat relieved to know that she was not the first, and not the last most likely, girl to be dragging her heels from the start about coming to the White Tower.  She continued to sit rather primly on the chair, though she was not quite as tense as when she'd come into the room itself.  Her headache was easing into a dull aching throb, which was by far more manageable than it had been since leaving Watch Hill.

 

She listened carefully to Darienna Sedai's words, her already pale skin seeming to blanch white when the mention of possibly hurting friends or family when enraged if she didn't learn control.  That in itself was the final decision maker for Merilaine, she might hold things in now, but if she ever blew her cork she could really hurt someone.  That was something the girl never wanted on her conscience, ever.  She had remained seated when the Mistress of Novices had told her to, though when the white dresses had been handed over to her it had been instinctive to stand up straight and carry them draped over her arm so as to wrinkle as little as possible.

 

"Thank you, Darienna Sedai."  An instinctive response from the receipt of the novice dresses, the overload of information starting to make the girl far more demure than she would have been any other time.  Merilaine's lower lip was tugged on a bit from the inside by her teeth as she continued to listen, her brain working as quick as it could to sort and file the information away.

 

"Its a lot to take in now.  All of it will become clear in time as you settle in and engage your studies, but what we do here is for your own good and everyone elses.  Its not particularly fair, but by the time you are done, regardless of how far you go in your studies, you are going to have had an opportunity that very very few can claim, whether noble or common in birth."

 

"Now, what we will do is I will send you on your way to your mentor, who will be responsible for making sure that you settle in and to be there to ask for help.  Not that you can't approach me or others, but she will be assigned specifically to you nevertheless.  Before I do that, are there any questions you would like to ask?"

 

"I will do my best, because I refuse to fail and risk harm to those I love.  I may be on the stubborn and proud side, but I will bend enough to prevent myself from causing possible harm to them."  The words took on a strong, almost self-defiant tone as a glint entered the blue eyes of the girl, almost as though reflecting her resolve.  "As for questions, I have but one.  There are more stairs here than in all of Watch Hill combined...who scrubs them, Darienna Sedai?  I inadvertently asked earlier and was never answered.  It's just a point of curiosity."

 

It might seem trivial a question, but when one's mind was rushing through so many things at once the small stuff was something one could cling to.  Preparing to go meet someone else, she took a deep breath before waiting patiently.  She had already guessed that the stairs were probably cleaned by novices, as anyone with any sort of seniority would balk at the cleaning of them.  She merely wanted confirmation of her speculations, pushing up her sleeves and working held absolutely no fear for her.  With her brothers and father, she'd been doing such chores with her mother more often than not for the majority of her life.

[Wayfarer]

Darienna couldn't help it, she laughed as the question that she was asked sank in.  It wasn't that it was a bad question, indeed, it was quite a pertinent question all things considered.  It was just that no one that had come before her had ever thought to ask that question on their first meeting.  If Merilaine was asking, it was because she had a suspicion of what the answer would be.  Or perhaps she had seen one of the Novices scrubbing away, after all, the work needed doing and while they could have paid for servants to do so, it was character building to have the Novices do the work.

 

Not that that had sat so well with Darienna when she had been one of the ones doing the scrubbing herself, but there was truth to it nevertheless.  Some people needed to learn, others who knew did not need to forget.  No matter what powers they might have as Aes Sedai, they always had to remember that there was a more humble side to it, that they could do even the most basic tasks.  Not that it always worked, indeed, there were some girls who felt that once they were done as Accepted, it meant they were above such things from that point.

 

Some Mistress of Novices in the past might have let that be, but not Darienna.  Besides, it was also useful for spending the energies of their Novices, by the end of the day they were usually too tired to get up to too much mischief.  Idle hands were a dangerous things, and they made sure as best as they could that Novices were never allowed to be idle for long.  Plus it saved money on servants, money that could then be invested elsewhere, like sheafs of paper and ink and everything else that Darienna seemed to get stuck budgeting for.  A pain, but it needed doing after all.

 

"You are the first person who has ever had the gumption to ask me that, Merilaine.  The answer to that would be that Novices, such as yourself, or charged with that task as well as many others.  But, come, we shall arrange for you to meet your mentor."

 

Walking to the door, Darienna opened it to a pleasant surprise, Marian was still there as she watched over the other two girls.  That was nice of her to do so, and probably prudent as well.  As Marian looked to her, Darienna let Merilaine step outside as she spoke.  "Could you escort Merilaine to her new mentor, Zeveria Sedai?  Thank you."

 

"You."  Pointing to the smaller of the two girls still waiting, Darienna crooked a finger.  "In you come."

 

Watching Merilaine leave with Marian while the girl entered her office, Darienna smiled slightly before shutting the door.

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

 

OOC:  All good, Zeveria will post next and take over :)

[Guest nephitess]

IC: Zeveria walked along the halls from the Library. It had been 6 months since her raising to sister but she still haunted the library. Today she was dressed in a light green cotton dress. It was not ornate but very well cut and embroidered with flowers. As she walked she read the history of the old tongue. Recently Veria has received the label of  “The Green librarian”. It was not something that bothered her…it rather amused her. 

 

Walking along the courtyard to the Green Halls she was not paying attention to those around her. Suddenly a voice called her name. It startled her and she stopped in her tracks.

 

“Zeveria Sedai…..”

 

Looking up from her book she saw a Sister she was not familiar with come towards her with a young girl in tow.

 

“Sister…the Mistress of Novices request you be this girls mentor. Light bless you both.”

 

With that the sister turned and left. Veria noticed the Woman dress and shoes had travel dust on them. The sister no doubt wanted to get to her rooms and bath to freshen up. She most likely wanted to report to her Ajah Head as well.

 

Looking at the girl, Veria could see was slightly older than the normal novice.

 

“Well then. As you have heard…my name is Zeveria Sedai. As my other mentees call me Veria you may do so as well. What is your name child?”

 

[Guest MoonLily]

IC:  "May the Light shine on you, always. Thank you Marian Sedai."  Merilaine kept the strong, smooth alto of her voice on the soft side as she bobbed a bit downward in her curtsey, though was sure to keep the hems of the novice dresses off of the floor.  Although she did resent that particular Aes Sedai for bringing her here in the first place, she was trying to give things her best shot.  Deep blue eyes then had looked to the Aes Sedai she had been brought to become the mentee of, subtly taking in the details of her appearance and demeanor.

 

“Well then. As you have heard…my name is Zeveria Sedai. As my other mentees call me Veria you may do so as well. What is your name child?” Zeveria had asked of her once the other Aes Sedai had turned away and left the great libraries.

 

"I am Merilaine Candwin, Ze..... Veria Sedai." She had caught herself from addressing her in the more formal name, using the less formal Veria name as requested.  She had remembered to add the Sedai to her name, which was good, especially since her brain was slowly starting to feel like yesterday morning's mush.  The dull throb now, plus all of the information overloading her was taking it's toll on the Andor woman.  Fortunately she had been reminded to eat, first by the two younger girls and then by Marian Sedai on the journey there or she'd have been in far worse shape upon arrival.

 

A subtle, self administered pinch to her thigh through the dusty fabric of her skirts caused the girl to stand a bit straighter, her vision sharpening on Zeveria.  After answering her question however, Meri went back to being as quiet as she'd been the entire journey to Tar Valon, merely waiting to do what she was told for now.  She wasn't always such an easy girl to direct, she was from Watch Hill and the Two Rivers people of Andor were all known for being stubborn after all.  She had consciously made the decision to listen, learn, and do her best so that she would get to go home faster.  After all, she was quite convinced that she'd just need to learn the basics, there was no real way that her so-called "gift" to channel would require more.

 

OOC: I would normally try to post longer than this, but my kids need me and I need a touch more caffeine.  I look forward to your response and further RP with you! =)

[Guest nephitess]

IC:

 

"I am Merilaine Candwin, Ze..... Veria Sedai."

 

With a nod Veria looked the child up and down. Was definatly a little older and nervous. She looked extremely uncomfortable.

 

"Well Marilaine. Welcome to the tower..." Veria held her book with a finger to keep the page.."I will show you to your room. follow me."

 

Veria turned and lead the child towards the Novice gallery. as they walked along the hallways and past the large fountians. The beauty of the tower was lost on Veria afer all these years...oh sure she still admired it...but she was not in awe as she once was. AS they walked Veria talked...

 

"I hope your time here will be a good one. It will be hard work and discipline will be expected. Please don't let the massiveness of the tower overwelm you...you'll get used to it in now time. If you ever need anything please let me know and i'll do my best to help you. Thats why I am here." with a smile for the girl Veria led her around a corner...

 

"Here we are..." a wave of her hand indicated the novice gallery "This is the novice gallery. you will be given a room here. sometimes you will be given a roommate, if your luck you'll have a room to yourself."

 

After looking into a few rooms they found one that was empty. It was small as all novice rooms where.

 

"This will be your room for your time as a novice. you will be expected to keep it clean. I will send an other novice to take you to the next meal time. right now settle in ans rest a bit. I will send you a note in a few days and we will meet again."

 

OOC: Fun Fun!! ok let me know if you need anything...if you want a roommate...explore the novice board and see if there is anyone looking for one. I will post a OP lesson thread in the classroom board for you and will PM you with the link. Also i think we should do a "get to know you thread" what do you think?

[Guest MoonLily]

"I will show you to your room.  Follow me."

 

It was almost a relief to hear those words escape the Aes Sedai's lips, and she gathered the novice dresses neatly in her arms, hugging them more to her chest as she followed her from the Libraries.  Blue eyes would slant to take in the varying sights of the Tower as they made their way to the Novice Gallery, though she would have to view them all over again for them to make any impact on her impressions.  Her growing exhaustion was apparently more than evident, and she just wanted to sit and let her mind go blank for a bit.

 

A faint smile was mustered for the other girls in white glimpsed when the Aes Sedai had peeked into already occupied rooms, before the emptied one had been found.  The offer of assistance should she need it had the Andor woman-child nodding wearily, though another smile was given as she warmed up a bit to her mentor.  Not much more was said, and a quiet murmur of agreement and acknowledgement was the response to the statements about required tidiness.

 

She waited for Veria to depart the tiny room, before her focus drifted first to the tiny shelf above the study desk, over to the bed and walls.  Although her focus longed to be on the bed with her body in it, she forced herself to put away all but one of the white dresses.  Soon she had stripped down to her small clothes, finding a bit of water and necessities to wash off most of the dirt with before she dressed anew in the novice whites.  She then lowered herself to sit, just for a moment she'd assured herself....

 

The novice who would come to take her to meal would find her slumped over onto her side on the bed, well and truly asleep, dark smudges under her eyes, and the faint snore of the truly exhausted.  To think though, she had not even started the truly tiring parts of the ordeal!

 

 

OOC:  That would be lovely, I look forward to further RPs with you.  I'll be on the lookout for the OP thread/PMs.  I'm not entirely sure what a get to know you thread would entail, but I'm game for it!

[Guest nephitess]

OOC: you good hun! check you PM box Sweety. ;)