An Aer of Nobility (ATTN: MoN)

[Jehaine]

Aeryn glided across the halls of the Tower as an Aes Sedai, behaving much like the noble she was raised to be. Her honey-yellow hair -- indicating at least some degree of Taraboner in her blood though she'd claim it was the other way around -- was tied up in a neat bun and set in place with an adorned bone white hairpin, and with a little bit of imagination one would have no trouble imagining her holding a small fan in her hands had she not tucked it away earlier. The halls were cool enough as it was, the climate not too different from her native Almoth to warrant having trouble geting accustomed to it.

 

She nodded at Irian, who had come along with her, and he knocked on the door. Though it should be mentioned that due to his strength 'knocking' would be open to interpretations, Aeryn didn't give off any signs that anything out of the ordinary was going on, and he opened the door after permision was given, ducking slightly as he stepped into the room, holding the door open for her.

 

Now, it should be mentioned that of all the people Larindhra would have suspected, a six foot six man would most likely be the last, if he even made it on that list at all. To top it off, he bowed as a slim girl a full foot shorter -- and around a hundred pounds lighter -- than he was stepped into the room, after closing the door and announcing her entry in a sonorous bass voice.

 

- "The Lady Aeryn Shainrahien of Almoth seeks an audience with the Mistress of Novices."

 

And with that, he closed the door before sitting down on the floor, crossig his legs as Aeryn sat down on the chair opposite of Larindhra's, the both of them waiting on what would come next.

 

 

Aeryn

Cool and composed

[Elgee]

Larindhra almost jumped a foot off her chair and instinctively embraced the Source. After a moment’s reflection she decided that the likelihood of it being a Trolloc trying to break down her door was rather small. She held on to the Source as she called permission to enter, all the same; whatever it was that had almost hammered down her office door, could potentially do even more damage. Even expecting something large, she still had to shift her eyes at least another half foot to meet those of the … man who entered.

 

She eyed him up and down in wonderment – she had never seen anything this tall, apart from Trollocs and Ogier! Larindhra briefly wondered if he was a Warder, even though the clothes did not quite meet the standards she presumed an Aes Sedai would set. Before she could enquire, he bowed in a girl who’s bearing clearly announced her nobility, which was confirmed a moment later via a sonorous rumble from the young giant. Who promptly folded himself into a neat heap in the corner.

 

Larindhra stared at him for a few seconds longer, then turned her attention to the Lady Aeryn Shainrahien of Almoth.  There had been a slight emphasis on the Almoth, accompanied by a nervous roll of the eye towards the … young lady. Larindhra regarded Aeryn over steepled fingers. “So. You do not like Tarabon, you refuse to acknowledge being part of that country, the young … lad over there seems to defer to you even more than can be explained by your relative stations, which indicates that you have a bit of a temper, and you are here because you want to become an Aes Sedai. Yes?”

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

Mistress of Novices

[Jehaine]

Though there were no physical signs that Aeryn was angered by Larindhra's comment, she gave no sign of them. On the inside though, she was viciously stomping down an equally vicious temper, and had she not focused her attention to ensure her dress had no folds in it as she sat on the chair she didn't doubt the White Tower would be in need of a new Mistress of Novices, after the old one spontaneously combusted from her glare had she been even remotely looking at the woman. Her voice was, surprisingly enough, not carying traces of her anger, and she had only her childhood tutors to thank for that feat.

 

- "My family boasts a line back to the days of ancient Safer. Given that Tarabon isn't nearly as old, then no, i am not from Tarabon. Especially given that Almoth is a territory they fail to hold for more than a decade or two at the time, it is not considred part of Tarabon, but rather an independant territory, an... unofficial country, if you will. It is not an uncommon sight in this day and age, i hear."

 

She had managed to cool herself down again. Calm, relaxed breaths, this woman simply did not know the finer details of what would happen on the other side of the world. The borders of Almoth shifted according to the allegiances of whomever drew the map, how could anyone not actuly living there know for a fact how it was? Yes, that had to be it. No need to worry. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Larindhra's face again, her face as serene as any Aes Sedai.

 

- "Of that territory, i am a Lady, and Irian is the one sent along as my guard for the journey. Now, i do not necessarily want to become an Aes Sedai, nor would i be against it, but the survival rate among what you call wilders is low enough for my family to not take an avoidable risk. I was sent here to be examined for the ability, and if i do not have it Irian will simply be escorting me back without a second thought of neither of us. I assume the same would be true for you as well, Aes Sedai."

 

There was a slight emphasis on 'Aes Sedai', though without an intent to mock. She was aiming to point out with it that she didn't doubt Larindhra had turned away scores of would-be Novices on a near daily basis, and those probably left her mind almost as soon as they'd have left her office. Just as she would be if she would have no ability to channel. She was impartial to the idea anyway, she was here because custom demanded it and that was it.

 

 

Aeryn

Shrugs at being Aes Sedai

[Elgee]

Larindhra watched as Aeryn grappled with her temper – and won. Her respect for the girl rose a tiny notch. A very tiny one. If she was to keep her bottom relatively intact, she would have to learn, very quickly, that a novice did not possess any kind of temper. Of course, that depended on whether or not she could learn to Channel. Seated as closely as they were, Larindhra could clearly feel that the girl had not been born with the spark.

 

But that begged the question of how to interest the girl in remaining in the Tower, if it turned out she could learn. It was clear she did not know of the distinction between being born with the spark, and learning to channel. There did not seem to be any pressing need to inform the child of that distinction. Larindhra just smiled vaguely at Aeryn’s assumption that she turned away girls on a daily basis. The Tower might not go out of its way to hunt down girls who could learn, but neither did the Tower give up on any girl. Not unless it was perfectly clear from the start that they were either totally unsuitable or so weak that they would be put out of the Tower in a short while anyway.

 

No use hitching the cart before the horse – let’s see if she can learn, first. Fishing the gem out of her drawer, Larindhra allowed it to hover in the space between them. To Aeryn it would seem as if the gem had simply floated into the air, but Larindhra could, of course, clearly see the flow of Air that had lifted it and held it there. Eyeing the girl blandly, Larindhra’s voice was as close to disinterested as she could make it. “If you are one of the extremely few women who have the potential to one day become Aes Sedai, you will of course be able to do this very soon,” she said airily, waving a hand casually at the gem. “But let us see if there is any reason for you to remain here, child. I want you to clear your mind and relax. Focus only on the gem. Look deeply into it and just relax. That’s it … just relax.”

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

Mistress of Novices

 

[Jehaine]

Aeryn calmly took a sip from her tea as Larindhra explained the purpose of the test to her. As the gem appeared to hover there she quirked an eyebrow at it, trying to spot the string holding it up before giving up and doing as she was told. There had been a gleeman once that had made things float just like that, and she assumed this to be the same type of trick. Regardless, she supposed the Aes Sedai would have her reasons for it, it would certainly be able to capture the attention of the more easily distracted would-be Novices anyway, and there was no reason to not treat her the same way, having only met five minutes ago.

 

She watched the gem, following it with her eyes as she tried to relax. There was some pent up anger still, so she simply tried to feed it into the blue stone itself in order to have nothing remain but a feeling of relaxation. It was a nice little trick, glaring at inanimate objects to not end up tearing someone a new one just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it would prove to be useful still if this test was an indication. With her emotions in the gem, she felt herself become less tensed up, her mind clear of all the decorum and protocol she had kept at the ready in the conversation. Though she was still a Lady, her manner could be seen as a little less formal now.

 

 

Aeryn

Okay, relaxed. Now what?

[Elgee]

Larindhra was surprised by how quickly the girl was able to relax. Obviously, she had a good command over her own mind and emotions, for someone so young. She really hoped … yes! She could feel the tiny surge in Aeryn just before the gem flashed.  Now, how to handle this? She lowered the gem into her hand and stashed it away in her drawer whilst thinking of the best strategy to follow. Aes Sedai knew how to spin the truth like a top, but she disliked misleading someone, especially on something as important and life changing as this.

 

“You saw the flash in the gem, Aeryn. What that means is that you are one of a rare handful of people who have the potential to become an Aes Sedai.” True, though she did not have to, if she did not want to. “Of course, you could go back to … Almoth right now. Back to being just another minor noble. You probably won’t live very long.” The girl was sure to get herself killed in some petty rivalry, but let her think Larindhra was referring to her channeling ability. “Or, you could stay here, train your ability, become someone more powerful than any Queen, or say, Panarch …” She paused just long enough for that to sink in. “Once your training is complete,” what Aes Sedai’s training was ever complete? “You could go back.”

 

She tapped her quill idly on the blank page in the Novice book. “So what is it to be, child?” The emphasis on the last word was deliberate. Aeryn seemed to have a fine brain – the advantages inherent in one day becoming someone who would dare call a noble child, were sure to occur to her quite soon. Hopefully soon enough.

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

Mistress of Novices

 

[Jehaine]

Aeryn had a distinct feeling she was being manipulated, but she had truthfully been expecting that much from the rumors she had heard. Whitecloaks frequented the border areas as well, and (regrettably) were no uncommon sight in the Inn in her home village. Still, she knew they could not lie, and Larindhra had said just now that she could channel. Though she made an effort to hide it, she felt a tickling feeling of satisfaction creep up. Of course she was able to do it, she was a noble.

 

What came later on though was... less flattering. The pause before she had mentioned Almoth as her home country was just a hint too long for comfort, but nothing the woman wouldn't be getting used to over time. The Mistress of Novices stated the option for her to back down now and go home, which she guessed would be part of the rules to mention to every applicant, but even though she figured she was being prodded into joining the 'child' still struck a spark within her. Though she felt her blood start to boil, she clenched her jaw for a few seconds before feeling ready to continue. Not now, dammit!

 

- "Perhaps. We shall have to see what there is to learn, i suppose."

 

From the tone of her voice, which still sounded somewhat tense despite her attempts, it was clear that the 'we' didn't just include herself and Irian. Sure, she didn't expect to be called by her proper title, but child? What was this woman thinking?!? Oh, she'd become an Aes Sedai all right. And she'd make sure this Mistress of Novices would no longer be able to call her a child, nay, she'd rise to such heights that she'd be calling her a child! The mental image flooding into her head of Larindhra kneeling in front of her to kiss her boots was very satisfying, and brought a small grin to her face which she modified to a polite smile. Always keep face and thoughts separate, after all...

 

 

Aeryn

Wishing a slow and painful death... the Noble way

[Elgee]

Larindhra hid her feelings of satisfaction, permitting only a vague smile to briefly visit her face. She knew exactly what Aeryn was feeling; in fact, she had banked on it. The Mistress of Novices did whatever she had to do, in order to turn, sometimes reluctant, young girls into Aes Sedai. That did not always inspire great love of her in her young charges. Light, she had not loved her own Mistress of Novices! She had resented the woman with a passion, especially for keeping her cooped up in the Tower when all she wanted to do was ride free, the wind in her face and her horse her only companion. It had all been worth it, though. Ironically, they had even become friends. Once she had been raised.

 

A genuine smile crossed her face as she entered Aeryn’s details into the novice book. Who knew? Maybe one day they would also become friends. But that was for then – for now, the child needed a new set of clothes to start her on her new life. But what to do with the hulking figure in the corner? Larindhra never threw anything away that could be used, and this young man looked like he could make something more of himself than being a tavern tough. She pondered the question as she searched through the racks in her little storeroom. She handed a set to Aeryn with an absentminded murmur to change into it once they were private, then stuck her head out the door to startle the novice attending her into wakefulness.

 

“Take this young lad down to the Master at Arms, Letty. I’m sure he’ll find something there to occupy him.” She smothered protests by the simple method of completely ignoring them. Her mind was occupied with picking out a Mentor for this fine young lady. One of her fellow Reds would do quite nicely. Zarinen sometimes had her head in the clouds as much as any Brown, but the girl … Larindhra tsked at herself … the woman was nobly born herself, if of a minor branch. Still, she hoped that fact might impress Aeryn enough to keep a civil tongue in her head. Zarinen might seem … distracted, at times, but she was a Red. A few novices had found out that it was best not to take a chance with her – she had a very good arm with a slipper.

 

Aeryn had by this time changed her clothing, so Larindhra motioned for her to follow. She instructed the child on a few basic rules as she led the way to the novice quarters, enough for her not to be sent straight back to the office they had just left, by the first Accepted or Aes Sedai the girl encountered. Once there, she showed Aeryn into the room she would probably occupy for the next six or seven years, if not longer. “Once you have freshened up and had something to eat, find the Lady Zarinen Rafaliva, Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah. She will be your Mentor. One of the other novices will be able to show you the way. Good day, child.” With a final nod, she strode off to the Red Ajah. Zarinen would need to be primed in how to handle this child.

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

Mistress of Novices

 

 

[Jehaine]

Aeryn gave the details Larindhra had requested to write them in the Novice Book. As she was handed the white dress similar to one of those she had seen on several of the girls in the Tower already, she heard Irian rotest behind her at being sent away. Larindhra was ignoring them, and she turned around to raise an eyebrow at him, shutting him up instantly. He knew how to spot her mood when he needed to. Really now, she was going to change into another dress, did he expect to stay in the same room?

 

With Irian properly herded out of the room, changing into her new dress took little effort. There was a minor problem with her looking for the buttons, but other than that the fit could be considered decent for a guess. Larindhra had experience with it, it seemed.

 

It was a small consolation to her that her Mentor was aparently a Lady as well, making her feel a bit more comfortable with the idea of treating her as if she was above her. While that was something she could get used to once she managed to put it in the perspective of a student - teacher relationship, being called a 'child' was not. She silently hoped it wasn't a habit in the Tower, or she'd never be able to keep her temper in for long...

 

 

Aeryn

Not a child! *pouts*