Intro to Saidar Class 4 - Elements

[Tigara]

The last class had gone fairly well. Why was she so nervous? Perhaps it was the fact that the girls were going to be picking at her weaves which could have disastrous effects. She could remember what happened when she did this class. Larindhra was so shocked at her ease at pulling on the earth thread that it had snapped away and coated the class in a fine film of sand. Ever since that day, that Green kept pestering her about Earth Singing. How much proof did she need that she could not do whatever it was that she expected her to. Her class arrived and took their seats and all was well. She took a deep breath and began.

 

"Hello again, girls. Today, we will be learning a bit about the Five Elements, which are Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Spirit, but I’m sure you all knew that.” She took a breath and embraced the Source. She took a couple threads of each elements, one a bronze, one a brilliant red, one a dark blue, one an almost clear thread with a hint of light blue, and the last a milky white, and wove them into a sword like shape, made somewhat like a twisted rope. “See, each element is in this weave. What you are going to do is come up to me one by one, identify each element with its color, and then try to pull individual threads out from it. Yes, it will be difficult, especially with Fire and Earth, unless you happen to be strong in Earth like I am. Step on up, don't be shy."

 

 

OOC: Write yourself coming to work with Jas. Feel free to write her helping you. Role-play your strong and weak points with pulling it apart. Realize this is not a statement of which element you're strongest with but which comes to you easiest right now. Keep in mind that Fire and Earth will probably be most difficult for you.

 

Keep in mind what your physical body is doing. Some Aes Sedai, as it says in the books, find physical moments help them with working in the power so perhaps you actually use your hands or maybe you have to think about something to keep your concentration. Realize nothing you do here has to be a serious or long lasting thing but everyone has their little tricks that help them learn. Maybe you have one too?

 

Give your muscles another work out today as you consider and write what your mind and body do while you work the power. How does the energies react to you? Have fun and be creative!

[Quisalas Selene]

Selenessin didn't think she'd ever been so excited for a class.  It was hard to say, because she was always excited when she was learning new things, but this was exceptionally exciting.  She was going to be handling saidar and manipulating it!  And it didn't hurt that her good friend Jasmyne Accepted was teaching the class, and the last class had gone so smoothly, she was sure that everything would be just perfect!  As she took her seat, she felt a little conspicuous about the lack of notes and books and her writing desk, but she had been told she wouldn't be needing them for this class.  Learning about the elements in specific detail was going to be a hands-on experience, and one that she couldn't wait for.

 

She listened intently to Jasmyne's words, a little relieved and pleased that all the doomsaying about being stilled and burnt out and things exploding everywhere seemed to be absent from this class.  This was the next big step in becoming an Aes Sedai and learning to help people.  She embraced the source and held it lightly, just a small trickle and just enough to heighten her senses.  She would have to draw on more of the One Power once she started actually tugging at those threads, but she'd practiced the pushing and pulling enough that she didn't have to hold onto all of the power she could draw anymore.

 

Shy was one thing Selene had never been accused of and she was out of her seat and bouncing forward to the Accepted before anyone else had a chance to move.  She bobbed into a curtsy and flashed a huge smile at Jasmyne and then studied the threads.  "Red is probably fire."  She moved her hand as though she was gathering something and then pulling on it and with the source held, pulled on the weave.  Sitting at her desk, she'd decided to try the more difficult elements first.  They would only get more difficult to manage as time went on, she'd been told of the slippery feeling the threads of a weave develops, and she tackled the fire with the strength she could pull.  The movement was grudging, and she felt the flickery warmth as it tried to escape her hands.  "Definitely fire."  She worked at it until she got it free, fisting her hands and pressing down with them to try and force it.

 

"You are the bank, Saidar is the stream.  Don't force it, Selene, guide it where you want it to go."  Selene blinked and looked up from the weave as Jasmyne spoke and then nodded.  She relaxed her hands and took hold of the bronze-colored one next.  It was all strength and solidity and she nodded.  "Earth.  I thought it would by by color, but I'm sure it is now that I've felt it."  She was equally weak in these two elements, but keeping Jasmyne's words in mind, she twitched her hands and moved them like she was shaping potter's clay, or following the flow of a river across a great distance.  She had ahold of the bronze thread and she tried to guide it, creating a space for it to move into on its own rather than pushing or pulling with force.  It worked, but not very quickly.  When she had it free as well she gave Jasmyne a smile and wiped the sweat off of her brow with the back of her hand.

 

She looked at the last three threads, the blue, the almost clear tinged with blue, and the milky white.  The blue was almost certainly water, so she took up that one next.  "Water." She spoke softly, most of her attention on the task at hand.  Women were good at Air and Water. Men, she shuddered, were good at Earth and Fire. She tried to guide the water as she had done with the Earth and gasped aloud when it didn't come any easier than the Earth had.  She gritted her teeth and focused, concentrating on the thread and trying to ignore her disappointment.  What if she was just horribly weak with the One Power?  No one had told her yet she wouldn't make Aes Sedai, but no one had told her she was strong, either.  Trying to quiet her desperation, she finally worked the thread of water free and lifted her eyes to Jasmyne's.  Tears stood still in her eyes and her breathing was soft and a little shallow.

 

"It was so hard to move." She whispered quietly, afraid to try the next threads lest they prove to be equally difficult.  She tried to quell her panic, but here it was, a moment where she was almost convinced would end it all for her.  Selene's mother said she had gone to the Tower, but hadn't been strong enough to be Aes Sedai.  Kairyn Al'Thorin told Selene she was more powerful, that 'Ene would make it to the shawl, but faced with proof otherwise, Selene had sudden doubt in her mother's words. She never made it past Accepted, what would she really know about your strength?

 

"Th-that one's air, I think."  She reached out her hand, trying to quiet her racing heart, and took hold of it.  The air was lively and cool in what she thought of as her other hands, since she could sense and feel the element like she would with her real hands, and after taking a deep breath she pulled at the thread with all of her force.  There was a loud thunderclap, almost deafening as close as Selene and Jasmyne were standing to it, as the air responded easily and willingly.  She'd moved it so hard and so fast that it'd left a vacuum in the room, and the sonic boom was caused when the rest of the air rushed in to fill that space.

 

Startling back from the weave and Jasmyne, Selene tripped over her own skirts and felt flat on her hind end, hard.  She was still deaf, and it took her several long seconds to realize that she had her hands over her ears.  When she brought them down, she still couldn't hear anything at all and when she tried to speak, there was no sound that she could hear at all.  Jasmyne didn't look much better off, but Selene scrambled to her feet again and realized she had lost the Source at some point.  She embraced it again, but still didn't see the weave anymore.  She could only guess that somewhere in the thunderclap, Jasmyne had released the weave and let it dissipate, or that the force of her pulling on the air had pulled the spirit away as well.

 

She moved to the podium and grabbed a sheet of parchment and the quill standing there and with a shaky hand wrote out "The last one was Spirit." and held it up for Jasmyne to read.  With a bit of a wry smile, she thought about the fact that she had ended up needing to do some writing and laughed softly.  And silently, for she still couldn't hear at all.  She'd have to head to the Infirmary as soon as possible to see if the damage to her ears could be healed.

 

 

Selenessin al'Thorin

Not weak in Air

[Tigara]

Great Lord! What was that? She had nearly fallen over at the shock of that abhorred noise! What had the girl done?  It was a near deva ju! This was just a different element. And the results were exceedingly more painful! Her head ached like she had fallen down a flight of stairs and.....she couldn't hear a bloomin' thing! And apparently she had lost the Source in the shock as well. Fear coursed through her veins and she quickly embraced the Source. She sighed in relief that she hadn't been burnt out in that process.

 

Selene had picked herself up and appeared to be in a similar state of deafness. The novice presented her with a sheet of paper and Jasmyne smiled at her. She wanted to be sure she finished. This girl was very efficient!

 

The door swung open to admit three Aes Sedai and a handful of curious novices. "What was that? I'm sure the Amyrlin Seat herself heard it in her study!" Jasmyne rushed to find a piece of paper and quickly wrote down something. She curtsied and handed it to the Sister in front, a Gray. She, along the Blue and Green, eyed the note and they all donned the glow of saidar around them. The chill and shock of Healing rushed over her and she suddenly became rather hungry. The three sisters went and Healed Selene and the other girls before coming back to Jasmyne. "So, as I said before, what was that, Accepted?" Jasmyne rubbed her ears and meekly replied. "A novice pulled on a thread of Air too hard, Aes Sedai. Nothing that hasn't been fixed already. I shall continue with the lesson and the novices shall be required to pull their strongest threads first." She said the last bit while eying Selene with a mild scold to her tone. The Aes Sedai just eyed the class over and left the room, the cluster of novices following after them.

 

"Well, shall we continue on with our lesson. Who's next?" She would have a hard time getting them to do it at all now that they know what can happen if they mess up.

[Quisalas Selene]

Selene accepted the healing gratefully, closing her eyes tightly and wincing as the deep cold rushed through her.  She had never been so relieved in her whole life as she was when her hearing returned to her.  She reached up and touched her ear lightly, a little startled and surprised when her fingertips came away bloodied.  She looked back to the Aes Sedai who healed her with panic in her eyes, but the woman only smiled.

 

"'Tis from the damage that were done, it do be alright now, Child."  Selene sighed and put a hand to her chest and sagged against one of the desks.  She straightened up when Jasmyne began to explain.

 

Selene flushed guiltily and shuffled her feet, failing to meet Jasmyne's gaze when she was scolded.  She spoke softly. "I was a little panicked when water was so difficult to move.  Did you want me to handle the Spirit thread as well, Jasmyne Accepted?" She continued to talk rather than waiting for an answer, but it was nervousness that caused the breach in etiquette.

 

"I didn't know I would be so strong in Air, how can I tell what my strength with the elements will be before I handle them?  If I had known I wasn't weak in Air I wouldn't have panicked so much." She trailed off, thinking about how it felt to manipulate the thread of air Jasmyne had woven, her eyes sparkling with the possibilities of it even as she paid attention to Jasmyne's answer.

[ehottes84]

Sarena was running late for her elements class, the mistress of the kitchens had kept her late making sure she had done a proper job scrubbing the large cooking pots. She had just enough time to run to her room and put on a clean dress before running full bolt down the corridors to the classroom. As she sat down near Selene she looked back and noticed that she wasnt the last one to class as another flustered novice raced in and took a seat near the rear of the room.

 

Sarena took a deep breathe and realised that Jasmyne Accepted was teaching this class as well as the last. She liked Jasmyne she gave her good suggestions for strenghtening her control over saidar in the previous class. As Jasmyne Accepted explained that they would be dissecting her weave and telling her which threads belonged to which element. Sarena remembered that she was fairly strong in air and spirit, but terrible in earth; she reminded herself that she was like a typical Aes Sedai. Snapping herself back to reality she noticed that Selene was the first to volunteer to do the task. As she watched intently she saw the diferent colours of each weave and part of her was itching to get up there and show everyone what she could do. Selene was almost finished the task when she tugged too hard at the thread of air, that resulted in a deafening bang, sort of like a grounded bolt of lightning. Sarena was thrown back to the ground with a thud. A few moments later she came round and realised that a few Aes Sedai we helping some of the other novices up and offering them healing for their injuries. It was then that Sarena realised that she couldn't hear at all, scrambling up in panic and letting out what seemed to be a soundless sqeall, it attracted a nearby Aes Sedai who came gliding over to her side and placed a firm hand on her head. She shivered when the Aes Sedai healed her, then sat there for a few moments while the experience sank in. After she had collected herself she climbed back into her chair and glanced around the room to see if the other girls were ok.

 

Sarena was grateful when Jasmyne Accepted started the class again, she herself looked a little scared to have the rest of the class try the given task after what had just happened. When she asked for the next volunteer Sarena's hand shot up, the Accepted nodded to her to come up and try to disasemble the weave. Sarena opened herself to saidar and then studied the weave for a few moments, when deciding which thread she would attempt first she felt for the bright red coloured thread. After telling Jasmyne Accepted that the thead was fire, she grited her teeth and began trying to ease it from the weave. First it didnt come very easy, but then taking a deep breath she managed to pull it quite firmly and it then just came out. Sarena stepped back in surprise at the sudden ease of it, she looked around the room to make sure nothing came of it. Jasmyne Accepted nodded to her to continue.

 

The next thread she attempted was the milky white thread, after the inital probing she decided that it was the spirit thread. This one she managed to extract without any real  effort, Sarena knew she had a way with spirit. Marena Sedai had showed her a few simple things with spirit.  The Aes Sedai had told her that she would be a good healer if she concerntrated on her studies. Sarena then automatically went on to the dark blue thread, even thought she knew she was fairly strong in this element the thread didnt come away very easily, she laboured away trying to get this thread out but every time thought she had a grasp on it it just slipped away from her. Sweating profusly she decided on tugging the quite firmly, taking a deep breath she then yanked the thread hard. The result of this was a showering herself and Jasmyne Accepted in icy cold water.

 

Gasping through her wet hair, she heard a few novices giggling in the back rows of the classroom. Trying not to get disheartened she moved on to the almost clear thread, knowing this was air. She steeled herself and began trying to untangle it from the other threads. Once she had a good grip it came away easy without even trying. Smiling to herself about her small victory she then realised that she had left her weakest element to last, earth. A slight grimace took her face as she wrestled with the thread it was like trying to catch a wet bar of soap. Finally after a few minutes she got the thread free without causing any interuptions. After handing her finished paper to Jasmyne Accepted she rubbed the dull ache at the back of her neck. The Accepted then dismissed her with a smile and told her to go back to her seat.

 

Sitting down gratfully she then realised just how tired she was, hopefully Loraine Sedai didnt want a private lesson that afternoon otherwise she could go back to her room and catch up on some of the lost sleep.

 

 

Sarena Asnobar

Soaking wet

[Mystica]

Carina greatfully accepted the Healing from the Sister after Selene's deafening exercise, promising a little talk with her roommate this evening in silence. Silly girl, probably would end up making 'her' feel guilty with all her exclamations of sorry and whatnots. Sighing at the inevitability of her roommate's friendliness, Carina closely followed Sarena's attempts and could stop a smile when the novice unleashed a full shower on both her and the Accepted. She didn't mock the girl though, as she was sure they would all undergo some failure in this, but it was a funny sight nonetheless.

 

Gulping visibly, Carina watched Jasmyne close in on her and knew it was her time to perform her exercises. She focussed on the tangled threads and felt a rather strong pull towards the milky white one. The bronze seemed to want to get away from her, though. Or at least, that's how it felt to her. Curious about that unexpected feeling, Carina focussed on the bronze one, which she soon identified as Earth and followed the lines of the thread through the tangled web that made up the swordlike shape. Steeling herself, she reached out and jumped straight out of her chair as the floor under her suddenly rose 2 feet in the air. Blushing a bright red, Carina stood next to Selene, who had jumped up just as quickly and was patting her hand in what was supposed to be a consoling manner. She was so startled that she didn't eve realise the intrusion on her personal space and let her roommate do what she did best and loved the most, try to help her. Jasmyne calmly wove a seperate pattern of threads and laid it on the mini mount that had formed under Carina's desk and chair and instantly the ground became level again. The Accepted invited her back and Carina took a deep breath before settling down again at her desk. After a few more breaths, she opened herself to Saidar and after a smiling nod from Jasmyne concentrated once more on the tangled threads.

 

Much much, mùch more carefull this time, she focussed on the blue one, which she identified as Water. She could clearly make out the thread through the web of threads and as she reached for it, the thread easily followed her guidance and came loose without incident. Letting out a sigh of relief, Carina took heart at this and moved on immediately to the white blue-ish thread. With Selene's accident still ringing in her mind, Carina went on very carefully yet again. Still she couldn't controle the shaking of her hands as she guided the thread away from the web and suddenly the whole room was filled with chimes and bells. Not as deafening as Selene's and actually quite musical in nature, but still very loud. 'I'm sorry' she whispered to no one in particular and sweat poored down her face now.

 

The next one gave her pauze, for she honestly did not desire to set fire to anything, least of all a person. Maybe a different approach for this one, she thought to herself. Laying both her hands relaxed on the top of her table, she focussed on the thread solely with her mind. Calm, secure, serene and confident. Focussing on the thread, while reciting those words in her mind, Carina's eyes half closed and she felt as if she sank into a trance. The red of the thread started to blur, and she started to notice a crimson line at the heart of the thread. The core of the Fire weave, it shot through her. Without moving her hands, she focussed on the crimson, inviting it to come free yet at the same time trying to put some command in the invitation too. She worked soledly for many minutes like that, before she felt the heat of the thread coming towards her and the crimson line slowely rose from the tangled web. Ever so slowely it rose untill Carina felt like she was going to collapse from the effort. Then suddenly the Fire thread was free. Without burning down the classroom or the Tower. Sighing audibly, she slumped in her seat, completely worn out.

 

'One more, Carina' she heard the Accepted's voice in front of her and there was a measure of encouragement in the tone of it. Sitting back up, she whiped the sweat from her brow with her white sleeve and blinked away the drowsiness from her eyes. Focussing once more on the web, the only thread left for her was the milky white one. The Spirit thread. It still felt as if it would break free and jump at her at any moment. But not in a threatening way. Somehow it felt so familiar, this one. Almost as if it were part of her. Cautiously she let her mind open up to the thread and blinked. The thread had instantly come free of the web and was lacing itself around her, though not settling down on her. It draped itself around her as a scarf and hovered there for a while, before it dissapated. Looking up at Jasmyne, Carina's eyes were like saucers. The confusion and lack of understanding clearly written on her face.

[Tigara]

"No child, I think you've worked enough of the Power today." She said offhandedly to the eager little novice. Sarena's hand went up and Jasmyne motioned her up. She came and surprisingly pulled the Fire weave out first. She grimaced, but it came out fairly easy with no side affects. That was a good thing! Fire was the worst to mess up on. She pulled out a few more until she got to Water. Sarena pulled on it and Jasmyne saw what was happening, but was to slow to react properly. The two were soaked in freezing cold water. It's one of those days.she thought as she wiped water out of her eyes. "Continue." she said while still clearing water off of her face. Earth came after a struggle, but thankfully a safe struggle.

 

Other novices came and did the activity, then Jasmyne went over to Carina who didn't appear to really be with us. It turned out she was and she began right away. She went right away and Jasmyne wondered if she had the strength she herself did. No sooner had she thought that, Carina launched herself out of her seat and her seat was suddenly on a platform of stone. Jas rolled her eyes and began to make a separate weave to put the floor back. Definitely one of those days. carina continued and worked on air. Suddenly loud bells filled the classroom and Jas felt like moaning. These girl were going to burn themselves out at this rate. She continued and got to the Fire weave and almost appeared to zone out. She got it, but in the oddest way. Didn't matter to her. Then there was Spirit. Carina grabbed for it and suddenly it was a shawl. Jasmyne blinked many times and Carina looked equally surprised. She dissipated the weave and went to the front. "Well, that's everyone. You have all done very well, incidents ignored. Class dismissed."

 

Jasmyne Ceres

Relieved

 

OOC: Done! Class closed!