Buried in Books and Staring at Shelves (Attn: Mystica) (Ajah Rp)

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi Kailadel adjusted the banded hem of her dress.  It was not too long after her raising, and she still had yet to totally adjust to the newfound freedom that it gave her.  Wilemi was now allowed to choose her own studies ... to a point.  Of course, Wilemi had delved into the workings of the One Power, and was constantly buried in books in the library, trying to find out more.  She had fallen asleep there more than once, and had been sent to the Mistress of Novices for being out of her quarters past midnight.  Pia, the new Mistress of Novices, had padded her bottom and sent her to bed.  But she hadn't been punished that hard because Pia understood that Wilemi was simply very tired.

 

Although Wilemi did have to listen to lectures of overexhausting herself...

 

And she had been banned from the library for three days.

 

So after a few days rest and with the torture of being unable to enter the library, Wilemi had been itching to get back to her studies.  And now once more she had a table to herself, piled with books on it, and even on the large sofa that she was sitting on.  But she had not come to relax, even though she was sitting on a sofa.  Her eyebrows were together, and she was exerting all the powers of concentration on what was written inside there.  But as far as she could tell, there had not been that much research done on weavings of the Power because of the limitations each Aes Sedai had.  Some had ample skill, but was weak in, say, Fire or Spirit.  Other were strong in the required elements of experimentation, but was limited in how complex the weaves were.

 

Because she was not very sure whether she was allowed to borrow books out of the library, Wilemi simply copied down what she felt was the most essential part of the books into her notes about the power, which was what she was doing now.  Basically, she was copying down the different weaves she had found, whatever she could find, then jot down which of the Five Powers that the weave used.  When she got back, she would then look at the description of the weave, and after that start on theorizing what each of the elements was used for in the weave.  So far, she had found that each of the Five Powers seemed to have a purpose about them.

 

Air, besides being used to control wind and weather seemed to be a binding element.  Many of the air weaves that she had researched on, including shields, included air inside.  In fact, Air was the backbone of those sort of weaves.  It seemed that air seemed to come together to form an impenetrable shield.  One of the books mention this theory in passing, but it was never explored in great detail.

 

But Wilemi had her interest aroused by this, and she was exploring it whenever she had some free time.  Of course, one of the benefits of being an Accepted now was that she was trusted to channel, within limits.  Of course, the White Tower strictly forbade of channeling during chores, but she could channel, as long as it helped serve a purpose in her studies.  Wilemi smiled and embrace the source, drawing on just a trickle of what she could hold, but it was enough.

 

The first weave of her test simply required her to channel something of air, be it a coin, or a wall.  But it was advisory to keep it as small as possible so as not to waste strength during the testing itself.  Weaving 100 consecutive weaves was not easy in itself.  But this was a test, to be done under extreme conditions and pressure.  Wilemi wondered how they were going to do that, but she put her mind to other things, like observing the small flat circle she had made.  Tying off the weave, she prodded it, and poked it.  It held firm.  There was a ... coolness about it, and it chilled her as though she dropped into a river in autummn when it was supposedly summer.  Tying off the weave, she let it disappate, then channeled again, this time to create a small shield around herself.  Touching the shield, she felt the same icy chillness.

 

Letting the weave go and the shield vanish, Wilemi bent down and wrote her observations in the large notebook she had bought for these purposes.

[Mystica]

Carina sat in the comfortable chair at the end of one of the corridors in the Library when she felt someone channeling closeby. Odd that, for there was very little need to channel in the Library and the Browns, herself included, were quite against it in this location. Sisters normally wouldn't do it, excepting the section of the Library that was sealed to the shawl, so that meant one of the novices or accepted. That then meant the danger of the child not knowing what she was doing and risking destroying herself or the books, or both. She got up from her chair and replaced her book on it's shelf. As Head of the Browns she could easily send for whatever books she wanted to be brought to her chambers, but she liked the Library. It's atmosphere, the stillness of it. It brought her back to her earlier times in the Tower. Simpler times.

 

Gliding towards the source of the channeling another sister strode up, clearly intending to catch the one channelnig, and Carina merely looked at her. She just looked but the sister pulled up short, looked at the direction the channeling came from then back to Carina. And then, to the Brown's amazement, she just turned and walked back the way she had come from. Carina shook her head, chuckling slightly as she recalled Loraine teaching her to be Aes Sedai in this very spot. Rounding the corner of the next corridor she saw an accepted sitting on one of the benches, the table before her littered with books. The nimbus clearly visible around the girl and weaves of Air surrounding her, forming into a shield. Carina stepped forward just as the girl let go of the Source and started writing in her notebook. A smile spread on the sister's face.

 

"Hello child, I see you are already practicing the hundred weaves. Do you expect to be raised sometime soon?" Carina allowed the amusement to sound through in her voice as she looked down at the girl.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi was concentrating on her notes about Air.  It seemed to be the case that binding Air would be most efficient when it was cool.  That was why a shield or a coin would be cool, even cold to touch.  Wilemi rubbed her finger against the palm of her hand where she had touched the shield.  It was still tingling slightly with cold.  Frowning in thought, Wilem bent her head over her notes and considered this last fact.  Did this mean that hotter things were harder to bind?

 

She needed answers desperately to these questions.

 

But she would have to be raised to get them, most probably.  Aes Sedai, when asked these sort of questions, always told her to be satisfied just that it worked.  Perhaps these sort of questions would not be shrugged off once she became Aes Sedai, where she could work in partnership with other Aes Sedai.

 

Then suddenly, a voice resounded above her.

 

"Hello child, I see you are already practicing the hundred weaves.  Do you expect to be raised sometime soon?"

 

Wilemi jumped and looked up, to see an Aes Sedai of immense age looking down at her, with an amused edge to her voice.  Wilemi blushed in slight embarrasement at the tone of voice.  But something in her remembered herself, and she stood, removing the note and pen from her lap, and curtsied to the Aes Sedai.  Carina al'Tara of the Brown Ajah, and she was immensely old.  It was rumoured that she was over 200 years old or something.

 

Standing up, she answered the Aes Sedai's questioned.

 

"Not really, Carina Sedai.  I was simply experimenting with some basic weaves of the power, like why such weaves would produce such an effect, and so on.  It just so happened that the weave I used was required in the One Hundred Weaves.  As to being raised soon, I hope that if I am, I will be ready."

[Mystica]

"And what is the reason for this study?" Carina asked, genuinly interested in the girl's motives. It was clear she took this study seriously. "Do you have a goal in mind for them or are you just curious? Release the Source, Wilemi. There will be time for that soon." If the girl was going to experiment with weaves, she won't have her do it in the Library. Something about this one tugged at Carina.

 

"It is good to see you are not occupying your thoughts with your next raising already, child. That will come when it comes and you will be ready, or not, and face what will be. For now, you still have much to learn as you just embark on your time as accepted." Carina was quite pleased to see the girl studying, rather than running off to the Warder's Yard to gawk at the trainees at work. Most young ones did, as soon as they got the ring on their finger. Exploiting their newfound freedom to the fullest. Carina was usually tolerant with it, to a point. But accepteds were supposed to study even harder than novices, not drool over some sweat covered upper body of some boy that may or may not one day become a Guard.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

"And what is the reason for this study?" Carina asked, sounding genuinely interested in what Wilemi was doing. "Do you have a goal in mind for them or are you just curious? Release the Source, Wilemi. There will be time for that soon."

 

Wilemi let go of Saidar with just a tinge of regret, and the everyday world, now seemingly down in comparison, came flooding back to her.  But she had a question to answer, and she answered it to the best of her ability.  She was not one for long speeches, but when she spoke, there was a passion in her voice that she rarely expressed in other situations, such as going down to look at the trainees in the Warders Yard.  Why go down to look at sweaty men when there was a whole library of books to read, and a correspondingly larger amount of time to use in research and experimentation?

 

It was a mystery that she would never seem to solve.

 

"I .. well, Carina Sedai, what I do is basically out of interest and curiousity.  I do not really have any specific goal in mind, other than to find out how the Power works and why it affects things as it does.  Such as the weave of Air I used just now."  Her voice grew in confidence as she spoke about what she researched and what she had found.  "In weaves of pure Air such as to make a coin, or even a shield, the results produced usually are cool, even cold at times, to touch.  So it is that I postulate that somehow, hotter things are harder to bind together, to contain."

 

Stopping, she realized that she had almost started to lecture an Aes Sedai.

 

"I'm .. sorry for sounding so Carina Sedai.  Basically, I'm just interested in such stuff."

[Mystica]

Carina laughed at the girl's exclamation. "I am of the Brown, Wilemi. We are quite used to people getting wrapped up in the topics of their studies. I think I know a better place for you to study this, though. You wouldn't want to accidentally damage part of the Library, would you?" Smiling still Carina told the girl to choose the books she wanted to bring with her and put the rest back on their shelves. While she waited, she mused over what Wilemi had said.

 

"Air is not the only thing used to hold things, child, but it is the most frequently used as it is the easiest to do so. For women, at least. But sometimes a combination of Air and Spirit is needed and sometimes Fire is used to contain things, depending on the situation. These others require a much higher skill and controle than the Air bindings and so they are less used. When you become Aes Sedai, you will gain access to the research done on this by other sisters throughout the Tower's history. These books are not open to accepteds to prevent accidents. Not a few sisters have been stilled or killed while researching this before a big enough knowledge was gained to avoid such dire consequences. I have no intention of seeing you end up either way, child." She smiled again, to take off the sting of her words. "But there is plenty for you to study till that time comes and you will find that you won't be lacking in that department. Though I must stress that you need to balance your study out with other topics as well. It is easy to lose oneself in the research of one specific topic, but an Aes Sedai is versed in a wide variety of topics and we wouldn't have it any other way."

 

She waited for Wilemi to finish up with her books before turning towards the exit of the Library.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

"I am of the Brown, Wilemi. We are quite used to people getting wrapped up in the topics of their studies. I think I know a better place for you to study this, though. You wouldn't want to accidentally damage part of the Library, would you?"

 

Wilemi shifted guiltily.  Although she had not asked specifically, the answers she got from various Aes Seda indicated that channeling was unadvisable, even forbidden in the library.  Fortunately, Wilemi's questions hadn't be too specific, so the answers she recieved in turn wasn't specific in turn.  Thus, she could say without lying that she was not told about Accepted not being allowed to channel in the library.  But she shook her head in response to Carina's question anyway.  Who would want to damage books that were so vital to the education of initiates of the Tower?  There was more knowledge hidden in these rooms than any 10 Aes Sedai could read in their livetimes.

 

But then Carina Sedai told her to gather books and follow her.  Wilemi scurried around, half listening to Carina Sedai while she tried to select the best books she could find, about how Air was not the only combination of weaves that could be used to hold things, but was usually used because it was the easiest and simplest thing to weave.  Spirit and Air?  Fire?  Fire was logical when it came to wielding the forces of Fire, containing it into shields and such.  But Spirit?  Why would Spirit be used?

 

She promised herself that she would get answers, half listening as she was to Carina Sedai speaking, she heard the last bit as she gathered up the remainder of the books she wanted.

 

"...Though I must stress that you need to balance your study out with other topics as well. It is easy to lose oneself in the research of one specific topic, but an Aes Sedai is versed in a wide variety of topics and we wouldn't have it any other way."

 

Wilemi nodded, for that was all she could to while preventing herself from falling over or from books from spilling from her arms, how ever many they could hold.  "I understand Aes Sedai."  she said, as Carina Sedai started to lead her out of the library she loved.  What she said made sense.  Aes Sedai needed to know more than just the One Power.  To affect the world, to make it better, one needed to know about the world itself.

 

But she could not help asking one small-scale question, as books started to spill out of her hands, and paper to slide off her arms.

 

"Where are we going, Carina Sedai?"

[Mystica]

"We're going to my private study room, child." Carina replied without looking back to the struggling accepted, balancing a ridiculous amount of books in her armd. She hadn't stopped her from bringing so many. Wilemi may learn, having to carry the load all the way up to the twenty-second floor, that sometimes one needed to make priorities in the things one wanted to take with them. For that same reason, she didn't offer any help or made one of the servants help.

 

They climbed in silence, walking at a steady pace, Wilemi's breathing growing louder and more difficult with each set of stairs they topped. Carina' hoped she wouldn't have to Heal her for that would undo part of the lesson, though she doubted the child would understand untill a later time that it had been a lesson. Novices gawked at the pair passing by and not a few sisters made as to give remarks but each was stopped by the look on Carina's face and they watched them move on in silence. They entered the Brown quarters and she led the way to her rooms, removing the ward against intrusion before opening the door and stepping inside.

 

"Put the books on the table by the windos and then go find a novice and send for some icewater and tea, Wilemi" She said pleasantly to the girl as she moved into the adjacent room. "then return here and wait for me here. I won't be long" She went into her bedroom to refresh her face and comb out her hair and change into a more comfortable outfit. She still wore the gown she put on to attend the Amyrlin, but much preferred the divided skirts she normally wore. A smile split her face thinking of the panting the girl had done by the time they reached her rooms. 'Yes,' she thought. 'Not something she'll soon forget.'

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi started to pant a little as they walked up several stairs and past corridors.  She regretted somewhat in bringing so many books.  She just couldn't keep her balance properly in trying to get the books to stay in her arms.  Wilemi also wasn't used to much physical strain, and she was weak in body, thin and frail, and her frame trembled as she struggled to keep herself upright at the seemingly ever increasing weight of the pile of books.  Her thin arms would not hold for much longer as they walked at a steady pace to Carina's private study room.

 

Carina Sedai.  She did not seem to care that Wilemi was struggling along, she did not even look back at Wilemi.  Wilemi was surprised and not a little hurt at the seeming indifference that Carina Sedai took to her plight, not even calling on some of the gawking novices to help Wilemi along the way with some of her books.  That was unfair, but Wilemi had long since been taught to put up with seemingly unfairness ever since she had came to the Tower.

 

And it was also said that Aes Sedai always had a purpose to what they did.  But Wilemi, struggling as she was to keep herself upright among all the books, had no time to consider this fact, and it was with great relief that Carina finally stopped at a door, embracing Saidar and removing a complicated weave that Wilemi suspected would prevent entry to anyone save Carina.

 

So Wilemi and Carina moved inside, and Wilemi immediately took inher surroundings.  Carina's rooms seemed larger than many of the Sister's apartments that Wilemi had been to.  Books were arranged neatly around the place, and upon whatever closer inspection Wilemi could manage, she saw that the books were arranged in neat piles according to their topic.  Windows let in clear light, with glass covers that could swing shut whenever there was rain, to protect whatever was inside.  Carina's rooms were not plain, but neither were they as flamboyant as that of some of the rooms that she had been to, especially in the Green Ajah Quarters.

 

Here, one side of Carina's rooms was covered with a large map of the known world, which included some of the Seafolk Islands.  A rug made of thick wool covered most of the floor with a cool brown sheen, and the designs on the chairs were elegant and simple, carved to be sturdy and look fine at the same time.

 

"Put the books on the table by the windos and then go find a novice and send for some icewater and tea, Wilemi.  Then return here and wait for me here. I won't be long"

 

Wilemi gave an almost audible sigh of relief as she put the books on the table, relieving herself of the stress on her arms.  Working the soreness out of them, she opened the door and looked around.  There were several Novices nearby, running errands for one Aes Sedai or the other.  Wilemi stretched out her hand and stopped one in midstride.  Wilemi smiled down at her as the girl took in her banded hem and curtsied.  "What do you require of me, Accepted?"  The girl asked, her eyes looking down on the ground.

 

Wilemi smiled gently down at her.  "Carina Sedai requests that you bring some iced water and some tea as well.  Run along child.  Come back to this very room."

 

"Yes Accepted."

 

Wilemi nodded and let the Novice go, who ran straight down to the Kitchens to fetch the requested drinks.  Meanwhile however, Wilemi moved back inside and sat on one of the armchairs, upright, considering Carina's earlier actions.  There had to be a purpose behind Carina's actions, about how she seemingly didn't care about how Wilemi was suffering.  Aes Sedai always had an ulterior motive.  Her brain fizzed and whirred as she considered this problem.  It must have something to do with the books she carried.  Wilemi noticed that Carina had given the stack of books in her arms a faintly disapproving look before she had swept off.

 

Perhaps Carina frowned upon bringing so many things out of the library.  But that wasn't it.  There were many more books here in this room than she had brought out of the library.  Surely that wasn't the reason?  Perhaps she wanted Wilemi to learn to be more selective in what to take.  Looking around, she saw that the books were all distinctly related to each other, but each book covered a different aspect of the topic she was studying.

 

Perhaps Carina wanted Wilemi to learn how to priortize what she needed to study first.  She had said before that Wilemi had to balance your study out with other topics as well.  Perhaps that meant that she would also have to make priorities in determining what to study.

 

Maybe.  But with Aes Sedai, much was perhaps and perchance.

[Mystica]

As she came back to the study room Carina noticed the girl sitting on one of the chairs and went to join her.

 

"Are you ok, child? Do you need Healing?" She kept her voice free of emotion though she did smile inwardly as the girl replied she'd be fine once she caught her breath. She was quite fraile and while novices were given quite a rigorous physical schedule, to keep the body healthy as much as to keep their minds occupied, Wilemi still seemed as though she'd never done a day's work in her life. Still, she wouldn't be wearing those bands on her dress if she hadn't been able to cope with what novice life brought her and so Carina suspected the girl to be tougher than she looked.

 

A knock on the door interrupted her line of thought and she bade whoever was out there to enter. A timid looking novice came in, carrying a tray with a pitcher of water and a pot of tea. She almost dropped the tray, curtsying and once again Carina had to stop herself from tsking at the foolishness of making these girls curtsey at every turn and corner.

 

"Thank you child, you can put that on the table over there." She dismissed the girl once she had done so and stood to poor the Accepted a glass of ice water and herself a cup of tea. She waited till Wilemi finished her glass, which she gulped down in one go, and then returned to the matter at hand.

 

"Right, tell me what you have been studying about the weaves so far." She said, sipping her tea.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

"Are you fine child?"  came a voice from the nearby door.  Wilemi jumped up hurridly and looked up at Carina Sedai, who came over from her private room to sit on the chair next to her.  Wilemi smiled slightly as Carina continued.  "Do you need Healing?"  There was no emotion in her voice.  But Wilemi knew that all Aes Sedai were supposed to keep composure at all times, so she dismissed the idea that Carina was not worried about her.  Wilemi's Accepted Dress was still wrinkled slightly from sweat, though she had mostly aired herself out with a gentle breeze in the room.  She had not woven Saidar to create the Wind.  It was already blowing around the room, rustling the books nearby, the pages flipping slightly, paper moving on the tables, and they would have soared merrily around the classroom had there not been paper weights on the tables holding them at their places.

 

"Yes Carina Sedai.  I am fine and I do not need Healing."  Wilemi said, with just a hint of a smile on her face as she looked at Carina's nearly totally grey hair.  Carina must have been very old, but it was considered rude to speak of the age of an Aes Sedai.  Nearly anathema, though Wilemi did not know why - it just wa.

 

A knock on the door brought her back to the real world, as the novice whom she had summoned entered the room, carrying iced water and a pot of tea.  She looked nervous to be in the room of an Aes sedai, even if she was from the Brown Ajah and thus very otherworldly.  She wasn't very gracefull, probably she was a rather new in the Tower.  Most novices learnt quite soon how to curtsy with some measure of grace - they had to curtsy once every few minutes as an Aes Sedai came around the corner, or an Accepted did.  Wilemi herself had learnt fast how to curtsy, and could do it with grace as she had learnt just how to do so.  But the novice nearly fell and upturned the tray curtsying.  Wilemi did not laugh.  She did not want to embarress the novice further, as, red cheeked, she put the tray where Carina directed her to, on the table nearby.

 

Then Carina poured a glass of ice water for Wilemi and some tea for herself.  Wilemi accepted the ice water gratefully, downing the glass at one go, and poured another one for herself before settling down comfortably in the chair that she was sitting on.  Then, after Carina started sipping her tea, Wilemi was given a question.  "Right, tell me what you have been studying about the weaves so far."  Hot steam rose from the cup as Carina surveyed Wilemi over the mug, sipping contented, and waiting for Wilemi's answer.

 

"Well, Carina Sedai, for now I have been studying about the weaves of Air because Air seems to be my strongest element.  I have been studying the effects of these weaves, and why the weaves or elements would create these effects.  So for example in a weave of Air, you can create an object such as a coin," she demonstrated the very simple weave, as a coin appeared in the table between them.  "Or something like a wall," the weave changed and shifted, and the coin suddenly became a vertical plane between them.  "Putting your hand to the wall, or even the coin, you will feel it to be inpenetrable.  Not something usually associated with air.  So why does the weave cause the air to behave as such?  Why does the wall usually feel cool to the touch?  That is what I am studying, and I hope that from these studies, I will be able to create new weaves that might be less complicated, or useful."

[Mystica]

Carina listened carefully to the explanation of the girl concerning her studies and couldn't help but become interested. Wilemi spoke of this topic with such enthusiasm and honest interest that it was a joy to listen to.

 

"The different elements draw their characteristics from the element they represent." She said in reply to the girl. "Air, in and on itself, is always cool. It is only with the added element of the sun or a fire that air becomes warm or even hot. So, in extension the Air weave, in and on itself, will also be cool in nature. The same as the element Fire will be warm and sometimes even hot. Now, Air of course isn't just simply Air. It always contains an element of Water in it, all be it very small amounts. This adds to the coolness of the Air as Water too is a cold element. Again, for Water to be warmed it needs a heat source. That heat source does not always need to be fire or the sun. Friction can also create heat, which rangers use to make fire with a tinder stone and a stick. None of the Elements, however exist solely in and on themselves, they need each other. Air without water is no Air. Water without Air can not be, for there will always be an amount of air in every drop of water, no matter how small. Fire, of course, would die out without Air. The difference lies in the dominant part of each element and the combination one makes with them. There are infinite possible combinations to make with all the elements."

 

Carina took a sip from her tea and asked the girl how many of the hundred weaves for her testing she's already studied.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi listened with avid interest as Carina explained some of what she knew about this topic.  But she was surprised at some of what Carina said.  There was no water without air?  Fire was totally used for heating?  Not all of it made sense.  How could there be no such thing as water without air?  Surely among all the bodies of water in the world, especially in the great Aryth ocean, that there was water without air?  But then, Wilemi reflected, if there was water without air, fish wouldn't be able to survive, especially in such a wide expanse of water.  And of course, different combinations of elements and thus their powers, would create an infinite number of possible combinations, with different results.

 

As Wilemi took a sip of her tea while digesting this information, Carina asked her how many of the hundred weaves she had learnt.  "Well, Carina Sedai,"  Wilemi said, "I was only raised to the banded hem a few weeks back.  I have since learnt the first few weaves, up to about the tenth weave or so."  

 

"Go ahead child."  Carina said smiling at her over the teacup.  "Demonstrate to me how well you have learnt them so far."  Wilemi nodded and embraced Saidar and channeled the first weave, a simple weave of Air, that she wove into a coin.  Then, Wilemi let go of the weaving, and channeled the second weave, a weave that was far more complicated.  But Wilemi had practised, and the weave fell into place after a minute or so.  The flows were woven so fast that it was almost a blur.

 

And the third followed, and the fourth, and the fifth.  Wilemi was using all five powers with equal ease and dexterity.  She might not be strong in the elements of Water and Earth, but she was now able to weave them as fast and as dexteriously as she did the other three.  She had forced herself that far, at least.  Spirit, Earth and Air she channeled at one go, followed by Water and Air, then Fire, then Spirit, Water and Earth, then all five at once.  She drew on just enough of Saidar to make the weavings work.  The fifth weave fell into place, and there was a slight pop, nothing more.  That one had ben particularly tricky.  And the next was no better.

 

This next one was a tricky combination of Spirit, Air, Water and Earth.  Two balls of light, and two balls of fire appeared, of different colours, and she made them dance around each other just so.  Weaving four flows at once required a strenuous amount of concentration, and her face now was starting to frown, just a little, eyes narrowing slightly in concentration.  Then, when that dance was completed.  Without pause, Wilemi channeled the next fours weaves.  They were complicated, but not so tedious.  Spirit and Earth, then Water and Air, then Earth, Air and Fire, then Fire and Water, then all the powers except for Spirit.  The threads came together, each flow positioned at precisely the right spot, sweeping down from the sky in coloured blurs.  The tenth weaving fell into place, with four threads sticking out, and she pulled at two, and the weaving took shape and vanished.

 

Wilemi nodded.  "That is all that I have learnt as of yet, Carina Sedai."

[Mystica]

OOC: you contradict yourself somewhat in your post, hon. First you say you are up to somewhere around the 20th weave, but then you finish after the 10th weave saying that's all you know.

 

Carina observed the girl demonstrate the weaves. She knew the techniques and was not without skill, that much was certain. She would one day become more powerful than herself in the One Power. But there was more, so much more, to being Aes Sedai than strength in the One Power. As the girl finished her last weave and said she knew no more, Carina smiled.

 

"Very good, Wilemi" She said. "Now watch closely, as I demonstrate the next ten weaves. Keep in mind that you will need to be able to do all hundred weaves, in perfect order, maintaining perfect serenity under extreme duress. Observe"

 

Carina channeled an intricate flow of Water and Earth that looked simple but had a nasty surprise if even the slightest bit of it was off. The flows melded into what looked like a sollid wall and dissapated. Immediately after a light appeared, of pure Spirit that took the shape of a horse, reared and vanished. The next weave was made out of Air and Fire, woven just so, to create a flame conceiled inside a casing of Air, yet with tiny openings in the casing that allowed tiny flame rods to puncture through in a steady flame that did not flicker. She let go of the weave after it formed and continued on to the next. Ten weaves she showed the girl, each one more difficult than the previous one, each one with an increasingly nasty side effect if not done properly. As she finished up the tenth weave, she repeated all of them once more.

 

"Now let's see how much of that you remember." She told the girl. "Remember, it is better to err on the side of caution when it comes to the One Power. Especially at this stage in your training. Don't get too self assured for you will not like the results of a failed weave of these ten. And these are nothing compared to what comes after." She motioned her hand for Wilemi to start on the weaves.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi studied the weaves that Carina showed her carefully, noting each and every detail.  It was an advantage to her that she was usually observant.  In the learning of her first 10 weaves, she had not made many mistakes, and only needed to repeat the weaves twice a few times.  However, those weaves were simpler than what she was being shown now.  Saidar made a light halo around Carina's head, slightly dimmer than Wilemi had noticed before, but still sufficient for the test.  Wilemi had seen weaker Aes Sedai in her time in the Tower.  But she ignored that fact and concentrated on the weavings of Power.

 

They shifted dexteriously, flows of Power melding, shifting and fading in and out of existance.  Wilemi's eyes narrowed at the 15th weave.  It was a particularly complicated weave, the most complex one she had seen so far, as of yet.  Wilemi bent all her powers of concentration on the weaves, taking them, burning them into her mind, the multicoloured lights and senses of the power burning into her eyes.  Now another weave was being shown, not as complicated, but with as little results, save for a slight appearance of mist.

 

10 weaves Carina showed her, and 10 weaves she memorized, burning them into her memory, storing them for a later date, to be practised, maybe in front of Carina herself right now.  "Now let's see how much of that you remember."  Carina told her.  "Remember, it is better to err on the side of caution when it comes to the One Power.  Especially at this stage in your training.  Don't get too self assured for you will not like the results of a failed weave of these ten.  And these are nothing compared to what comes after."

 

Wilemi swallowed and nodded.

 

Embracing the source, Wilemi started to channel the first weave.  It was a weave of Water and Earth, her lesser elements.  Wilemi frowned slightly, and wove them.  The strands were fine, but distinctly visible, wove with dexterity and skill.  Wilemi's eyes narrowed.  She could NOT be slightly off.  One would not be able to tell what happened when the weaves collapsed into something else, or were woven wrongly.  The weaves finally fell into place, and a wall appeared, solid looking, then disappeared.

 

Spinning the next weave of Spirit with something representing ease, she made a horse rear in front of her eyes.  But the third weave, though being simply of Air and Fire, was immensely complicated.  Wilemi's concentration was fixed simply on that weave, and she frowned visibly now.  The weaves curled around each other, spinning and seemingly dancing in the air.  Wiping the sweat out of her eyes, Wilemi blinked and wove as precisely as she could, which was to say that she wove everything without a fault.  As of yet anyway.  Wilemi sat back on her chair, and took a sip of tea, while she held her weaving for the moment.

 

"Do not take too long child, otherwise the weave WILL collapse."  Carina said, softly.  Wilemi nodded, and looked back at the weave, which was indeed starting to fray at the edges.  Raising an eyebrow at it as though it had just said something particularly rude, she continued to weave, faster than before, refreshed by the cup of tea.  The net of air fell into place, and fire burned in it, clear and unwavering, whilst small holes allowed the flame to poke through in needles.  Long sharp needles, due to her strength in Fire, and it was only her strength in Air that kept the flame from bursting out of the weaving.  And she still was nowhere near using her full capabilities in Fire.

 

And on the weaves continued.  Wilemi's weaves spun into being as she recalled them all from memory, perfectly.  But the weavings themselves were complex, and even with her good memory, she still had to force the weavings to be absolutely precise.  Air and Water, then Spirit.  She channeled thin strands, just enough to be useful in the test.  Why tire herself out even more when there would most assuredly be more to learn?  Fire and Water, then Earth, Spirit and Water again, then Water, Spirit and Air, then all the Powers EXCEPT Spirit, then ALL of them at one go.  She grimaced inwardly at the snarled tangle the whole thing was in, but continued weaving as she had been shown, never giving up, although she was beginning to feel the strain of holding so many threads at one go.

 

And so it progressed, the 15th, the 16th, up to the 20th.  The last one was particularly nasty, even more so than the ball of flame in a cocoon of air.  Especially since is was a combination of ALL five powers most of the time.  This one she went more slowly and carefully, but the weave seemed to fall into place fast enough anyway.  It was a shifting tapestry of colours that she wove without pause, slowly changing as the composition of the weave altered with time.  And she finished, perfectly, and a swirling light appeared in air, comprised of many colours, before vanishing once again.

 

Wilemi slumped forward in her chair, tired out by weaving the 100 weaves.  Taking another cup of tea, she drank it down and felt slightly revived.

[Mystica]

Carina tsk'd at the Accepted as she drank her tea in the middle of a weaving. 'What do they teach these kids these days?' She thought vexedly to herself. Keeping her face unreadable, she kept watching at the girl's work and didn't interrupt till she was finished.

 

"That was quite nice for a first attempt, child. I think that will be enough for today on these weaves. Take the tray of tea to the kitchen and get on with your other studies. You are not to attempt any of these weaves again untill tomorrow. Then you will practice these untill you can perform them without any difficulty before moving on to the next twenty in the list."

 

The Brown rose from her seat, clearly indicating that the lesson was over and Wilemi was dismissed. Her mind already on Ajah business, Carina paid no heed to the girl's expression at the abrupt ending of their session for there were a hundred things still waiting for her attention and the day only had a few hours of light left to it.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

When Wilemi sat back on her chair, she mopped her brow and sat back on her chair, waiting for Carina's verdict anxiously.  She really hoped that she could impress someone from the Brown Ajah, for that was the Ajah that she was aspiring to.  She knew that she wanted to be a Brown Aes Sedai.  Knowledge fascinated her, not for the benefits that having great knowledge gave, but the fact that knowing something gave her a sense of achievement.

 

However, it seemed that Carina was lessed than impressed by her weaving ability.  She sipped her tea, expression unreadable, before finally speaking.  "That was quite nice for a first attempt, child. I think that will be enough for today on these weaves. Take the tray of tea to the kitchen and get on with your other studies. You are not to attempt any of these weaves again until tomorrow. Then you will practice these until you can perform them without any difficulty before moving on to the next twenty in the list."

 

Wilemi blinked as Carina stood up abruptly, not seeming to care that the expression on Wilemi's face had fallen, even as she swept past to whatever duties were awaiting her.  Her back to Wilemi, who sighed and curtsied, before stooping to take the tray to the kitches of the white Tower.  Her golden hair swept past her face as she shut the door leading to Carina's quarters, and made the long way down to the kitchens, carrying the tray with a heavy heart that the day did not lighten as it progressed.

 

It was a few hours later that Wilemi realized that she had left her books behind at Carina's room.  But there was nothing to be done.  She could not enter an Aes Sedai's room without express permission.  She went to bed, feeling slightly uneasy.

 

---

 

The next day passed in a blur, seemingly speeding up in a haze of studying and lessons, before the afternoon arrived.  Wilemi this time did not bother going to the library, but instead made her way directly to Carina's rooms in the Brown Ajah Quarters.  She smoothed the banded hem of her skirts as she walked, her dress swirling around in the slight breeze wafting down the hall.  Today, for the lesson, which would require difficult weaving, Wilemi had decided to tie her hair up for the lesson in to a bob.

 

Her blue eyes drifted warily around the Brown Ajah Quarters as she knocked on Carina's door tentatively.

[Mystica]

Carina enjoyed a rare quiet afternoon, for once not having to deal with any Ajah business, and spent her time catching up on some reading on the beasts of the Dark. There wasn't much known about these things, but she was sure all knowledge of them would be sourly needed in times to come. Her peace and quiet was soon interrupted though, as a knock on the door interfered with her ponderings over the nature of the Darkhounds.

 

"Come", she called, closing the book with a sigh.

 

Surprisingly, the Accepted Wilemi entered the room and bobbed a curtsey. She hadn't expected to see the girl back so soon, after having told her that she was to practice those weaves before they would move on to the next. Carina hoped the child hadn't taken up the idea that half a day of practice constituted as sufficient practice. Sometimes Accepteds thought they were ready long before they actually were just because they managed to perform a weave a few times in a row. But maybe the girl had some other business, so Carina kept her features smooth and her voice level.

 

"Yes, Wilemi. What is it, child?"

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi stood at the doorframe, pausing for a slight while.  Had Carina mentioned that she would like to see how Wilemi had progressed?  Wilemi thought she had.  But interpreting Aes Sedai words were tricky.  However, Wilemi was here, and she would do the best she could under the circumstances.  She moved into the room and closed the door.  With her hands folded meekly at her waist, she lowered her eyes and said.  "Carina Sedai.  I thought that you had asked me to practise the weaves under your supervision, so that you could determine how ready I am to progress on.  And I also came to retrieve some books that I accidentally left in your rooms the previous day."

 

Her eyes flickered around the room and settled on the small pile of books that she had left in her rooms.  Then flickered back to Carina Sedai as she waited to see how she would respond.  The silence stretched, and Wilemi shifted her feet nervously, waiting for Carina Sedai.  Sweat started to form on her forehead in small beads as her gazed flickered from Carina to the floor.

[Mystica]

Carina observed the girl for a while. Was she deliberately missinterpreting her instructions or was it just an innocent hickup? She decided to let it slide for now and give her the benefit of the doubt. Dealing with Browns had made her patient with distracted minds, after all.

 

"Your books are there on the table, child. You can take them with you. As for your practice, I'm confident that you can do that without Aes Sedai supervision or you wouldn't have gained the Ring. Unless a sister specifically tells you to not practice something without another sister present, you can practice the weaves you have learned at will."

 

She caught up on the girl's nervousness and wondered if there was more to this visit than just the books and the practice. Often Accepteds newly raised were finding it hard to adapt to their newfound freedom to ask questions without being addressed by a sister first. Novices learned that the hard way, more often than not. Not to speak unless spoken to, not to ask questions unless given permission to. It took time for Accepteds to move away from that ingrained habit and most, if not all, found it quite nerve wrecking. So Carina didn't dismiss the girl but waited patiently, her expression soft and inviting, in case the girl had more to say.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

For how long Wilemi stood there, she did not know.  Besides coming for the books and practice, she desperately wanted to ask Carina Sedai some questions.  About the Brown Ajah.  She wanted to know more.  But she had been learnt not to ask about things as a Novice, and just accept them as how they were.  It was a habit deeply ingrained into her now, that she, a meek and shy person, did not break often.  She had learnt to keep to herself, in her own world and studies.  But Carina was looking at her, her expression now soft and kind, waiting, understanding.  Perhaps she would not take it too offensively if she asked some questions?  Should she try?  She looked up again and saw Carina's face, waiting patiently.

 

That decided it.  If she had to ask, she had to ask before Carina lost patience and chased her out.

 

"Carina Sedai..."  she said, stammering slightly, her voice slightly trembling.  But she got a grip on herself and made her voice more steady.  "Pardon me if I offend, but I also would like, now to ask some questions about the Brown Ajah.  I ... would like to be part of the Brown Ajah if ... when I become Aes Sedai.  Forgive me for being so bold, but I would like to know more about the purpose of the Brown Ajah and the contributions the Brown Ajah has made to the world at large."

 

She stopped here and shifted her feet slightly.  Wilemi raised her head and met Carina's eyes across the room, hoping desperately that she had not offended the Aes Sedai with her words.  Sweat started to run down Wilemi's face once more despite the ventilated and cool rooms that the White Tower normally provided for Sister like Carina.

[Mystica]

'Is that it?' Carina asked herself incredulously. She broke out in a smile, motioning for Wilemi to take a seat in the chair opposit to her and sat back, folding her hands on her lap.

 

"I was wondering how long it would take you to muster up the courage to ask, Wilemi", she said with a laugh in her voice. And then her voice took on a lecturing tone. It was a thing most Browns adopted at some point or another, given as they were always the ones to instruct people in knowledge of some form or another. Grays tended to do it too, on matters of diplomacy and law, but Browns were most known for it.

 

"The Brown Ajah, as you know, is focussed on knowledge. Most people, including Aes Sedai from other Ajahs, tend to think of us as distracted, not in touch with the world and only interested in books. That is a rather simplified way of looking at the Brown Ajah, I'm afraid, but our manner of operating does feed that perception. What isn't true, however, is the assumption that the Browns are only interested in the past, when in fact every Brown is focussed on the future. Every Brown sister hopes to leave something behind for those that come after her. To arm the world with knowledge, insight and understanding. Learning from the events of the past to better understand and respond to the events of the future. That is our contribution to the world. For without knowledge, understanding and insight, any action taken or not taken is but a random act with no meaning which can go in any direction."

 

She pauzed and channeled over the teapot and two cups, filling them both as they floated towards her and deposited them on the side table in front of her. One of the cups floated to her hands and she took a sip, waiting to see if there were more questions. She always loved talking about her Ajah, for so few Accepteds showed a true interest in the Browns. Unfairly dismissing it as one of the 'lesser' Ajahs. As though there was such a thing!

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi sighed in relief as Carina's face broke into a smile at her words.  She let a grin break out over her face as she sat in the chair opposite Carina Sedai and listened to her speak.  Carina Sedai was laughing slightly, though not at her, apparently, before switching over to the lecture tone typical of Brown Ajah sisters.  Wilemi suppressed a smile, she had encountered Brown Sisters who were so used to talking so that they did not know how else to speak.  She listened carefully as Carina outlined the purpose of the Brown Ajah to her, and nodded her head in awe and understanding.

 

"What isn't true, however, is the assumption that the Browns are only interested in the past, when in fact every Brown is focused on the future. Every Brown sister hopes to leave something behind for those that come after her. To arm the world with knowledge, insight and understanding. Learning from the events of the past to better understand and respond to the events of the future. That is our contribution to the world. For without knowledge, understanding and insight, any action taken or not taken is but a random act with no meaning which can go in any direction."

 

Wilemi nodded her head, in respect and awe at the magnitude of the task.  She could now understand the reason behind the otherworldly auras of the Brown Ajah Sisters, as though they were living in another world.  They truly were, for they were not living in this world, at this age, but imagining another age in the future where every single contribution they had made, no matter how large or small, had helped the world become another Age of Legends.  How that must feel!  To know that their works and their efforts would never go to waste, but always be there, waiting to be used.

 

She took a cup from the table and sipped it.  It was hot and steaming, and it cleared her mind as she considered her next question.

 

"Carina Sedai," she asked.  "What do we do with the knowledge that we have gathered?  Do we do more research upon it and see what can be derived from this knowledge?  Or do we just gather knowledge and let it collect dust?"

[Mystica]

"Good question, Wilemi. Straight to the heart of the matter. The answer, however, is not so straight forward I'm afraid. It much depends on the Sister that collects the knowledge. Each of us wants to leave something behind for the future, but not all knowledge is usable 'right now'. Sometimes many years go by before the knowledge gathered is needed. What the Browns guard is not just a room of books and scrolls, but they also keep the knowledge of the knowledge alive."

 

She laughed softly at the confused look from the girl.

 

"You have seen the size of the library, right?" she waited for the nod before continuing, "well, someone has to keep track of what is in all those books and scrolls. Let's say that suddenly a crisis arises in which thorough knowledge is required on how to handle a specific situation. Only, that situation hasn't occurred in over 2000 years. Would you start reading through all the history books in the White Tower Library on the off chance that you might stumble upon what you need? How much time would that take? Could you gain the knowledge required in time to address the crisis at hand or would it be too late by the time you gained what you needed? The Browns guard the knowledge, which means more than just sitting in the Library and gathering dust and ink spots on their dresses. It means that they make a point of knowing what knowledge is available, where and in what books or scrolls. As the Grays know all there is to know about Law, so do the Browns keep track of what each book and scroll holds. We may not be as knowledgable in the many details of each law from every country as a Gray, but the Grays will come to us asking us where to find a book on the Law of a specific country."

 

Taking a sip from her tea, Carina went silent for a bit, letting the girl take it all in. Perhaps she might have other questions or need more explanation on the subject.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Wilemi listened intently to Carina's words, a bit confused at first at what she was saying, before Carina explained.  Keeping knowledge of the knowledge alive?  If the knowledge was there, wouldn't there be knowledge that the knowledge was there in the first place?  How could such knowledge die?  Wilemi's eyes were distant as she considered this, missing the smile and laugh that Carina shot at her in response to her apparent confusion.  Wilemi gazed into the ceiling, drinking in what she had heard, before jumping and coming back to herself as she realized that Carina had been asking her a question.

 

Scanning her memory, she found the question (about the size of the library) and nodded her head in response.  Carina continued on as Wilemi absorbed her explanation.  She now saw what Carina meant.  Carina did not mean that people forgot that the knowledge was there, but the fact that people forgot where the knowledge was, what the knowledge was, and could thus be very important in a crisis, be it political or in strategic warfare.  She had always viewed the Brown Ajah sisters as scholars who were to be respected for their wisdom.  But the Brown Ajah now seemed to her to be so much more, and inspired her to be much more than just a scholar of books.

 

She would need a task in life besides research, and she felt now that this would be a task that she could, and would hold to, for the remainder of her life, however long or short it was.

 

But Carina still had not answered her first question to her satisfaction.  In fact, Carina had hardly brushed it, in Wilemi's opinion.  Temporary forgetfullness?  Or a deliberate avoidance of the question?  Wilemi decided to put the question in a more straightforward manner.

 

"Carina Sedai,"  she asked, her voice questioning.  "I would like to know if Brown Ajah sisters make new discoveries from the knowledge that they have gained.  Do they do experiments based on what they know, to find something new and useful?  Do they, for example, modify old weaves to serve a new purpose?"