A New Arrival (attn: MoN)

[NeverTame]

The walk from the South Harbor to the Tower grounds and into the White Tower itself was an exercise in discipline; Aislin had considered herself a relatively well-educated and widely travelled woman for her age, but this city defied everything she had taught herself along the years of travelling with her father. She felt like a complete country bumpkin, trying to look at everything at once, eyes wide with wonder. It took every ounce of discipline in her body to not stop and stare; Amelia Sedai would not appreciate such silliness. So Aislin trailed after the Aes Sedai, trying to emulate her stance and expression to the best of her abilities. She managed the former, to some extent, but as for the latter, it simply was not possible to remain so indifferent to the grandeur around her.

 

The White Tower was no less impressive on the inside; wide corridors and high ceilings, majestic flights of stairs, tapestries and carvings and chandeliers. Aes Sedai in colourful silks glided by, some of them wearing their shawls but most without, some with one or more Warders trailing after them. Younger women in white were clearly trying to copy the Aes Sedai’s composure, but not quite succeeding. Ordinary women in all kinds of dresses, clearly from many different countries. Aislin was irrationally glad that she had opted for the dark grey travelling dress for the arrival in the city rather than anything prettier; she wasn’t here to impress anyone with her wardrobe, and looking at the heaps of jewellery on some of the women she passed, impressing anyone at all would obviously have been an impossibility.

 

Besides, soon enough she would be wearing white — just like that poor girl who nearly tripped over her feet in her haste to curtsy as Amelia Sedai passed her. Aislin grimaced slightly. Surely she would never act as clumsy as that.

 

Then they reached a door and Amelia Sedai came to a halt. “This is the Mistress of Novices’ study,” she said in her crisp voice. “You will wait here until she has time to see you. She will instruct you in getting started with your new life here in the White Tower.”

 

“Yes, Amelia Sedai,” Aislin replied, trying to sound calm and confident. She was fairly sure she succeeded. “Thank you, Amelia Sedai.” A heartbeat later she remembered that she was probably supposed to curtsy, and she did so, a faint blush of embarrassment colouring her cheeks.

 

The Aes Sedai gave her an appraising look. “Goodbye, child. I wish you the best and hope to see you earn the shawl one day.” Her mouth twitched slightly in what might have been a smile. “Even if I doubt you will be choosing the Green. Oh well. Good luck.”

 

“Thank you—” Aislin began, but the Aes Sedai was already gliding away. “—Amelia Sedai,” she finished anyway, with another curtsy, just for the sake of practice. Amelia Sedai ‘doubted’ Aislin would choose the Green? She didn’t know much about Ajahs, but if the Green Ajah were all like the stern yet temperamental woman Aislin had travelled with, she found herself inclined to agree with the Aes Sedai. Of course, it all depended on what the other options were. It would not do to jump into conclusions without knowing the facts first.

 

Well, she suspected she would have plenty of time to learn and to decide, if the training took half as long as Amelia Sedai had told her…

 

 

 

- Aislin Dalanar, Novice

[Leala]

Valeri stacked the papers at her desk neatly and filed them all away in their appropriate places.  When that was done, she stood up and smoothed her skirts, spending a long moment cleaning up her tray of tea.  She had had a long morning and had slowly sipped all the tea away.  Walking to the door to her office and opened it.  When she did, she saw a young girl in a dark gray riding dress, waiting for her.  "Good day, child," she said evenly, even though she was a little startled to see her there.  Most girls knocked, or were instructed to knock.  "Please, come in," she said, moving out of the way, motioning the girl to come into her office.  "Take a seat."  She began to move to find a servant, but before she could, a conscientious Accepted took her tray on her way to wherever she was headed.

 

"Welcome to the White Tower," she said, "My name is Valeri Sedai.  I am the Mistress of Novices, and during your time here, I will be your mentor, disciplinarian, shoulder to cry on, and possibly many other things."  As she spoke, she sat down at her desk and faced the girl.  She gave her a smile.  "But I'll expand on that during our conversation.  First, please introduce yourself and tell me how it is you came to the White Tower today."