Yellow Ajah Accepted Class

[Kathleen]

Desandra stood before the open wardrobe in her room shifting clothes from side to side trying to decide on which dress to wear for the first class of the Yellow Ajah course in the new session. After going through each item twice she decided on a fitted one with pleated skirts and a two-tone golden bodice. She did not want to over do the effect, but this was a course to focus on the yellow ajah and she would be expected to show her pride in what she wore. 

 

She curled her hair and clipped it behind her ears, letting the loose curls fall as they willed from there. When she was quite thoroughly pleased with her appearance she made her way to the class room and straightened the room. She did not need much in the way of displays for the first class so it did not take long to prepare. 

 

She was not there long before the students began to arrive. She stood at the door with a wide welcoming smiling. She knew most of the faces who came through the door, though it wasn't surprising. These girls had been in the tower for decades, and those who had shown interest in her ajah had caught her attention just as much as the girls who had no intention of going yellow until they had been groomed by the sisters of the yellow ajah who knew of the girls' potential. 

 

When all the students had arrived and been seated she began the class. "Good afternoon girls. I am Desandra Sedai, of the Yellow Ajah.  I am so pleased to see so much interest in this class. I wish I could see each of you with a yellow shawl around your shoulders, but I'm afraid this ajah is not for everyone. There are many girls who think they would be wonderful yellows, but when they find out what that truly means they realize they do not have what it takes. On the other hand, there are girls who have no interest in the yellow; that is until they find out what means and that they do have what it takes."

 

She paused for a moment to let that sink into and watched the faces of the Accepted as they tried to determine if they one of the who had what it takes, or one of the ones who did not. "What do you think the Yellow ajah is all about?" Desandre went through the group of hands that rose, letting each girl who wanted to try have a go at explaining the Yellow ajah. She heard a lot of the same -- healing. When everyone said what they had to say Desendra started the lesson.

 

"We are the best healers in all of the White Tower, but that is not all of what we are. Healing is something we do, it is not the reason we do what we do. To understand something you must not only know what it does, but it is arguably more important to understand why it is done. 

 

The Yellow Ajah is focused helping the world and giving second chances to those who would be lost without our assistance. We save lives, without prejudice, so that those who may have been lost have the chance to make their mark in the world can have another chance to do so. You never know if the soldier on the battle field that you heal will be the one to have the final blow at the end of the war to take the win for the light. You never know if the young man who's deadly fever you break will grow up to marry a queen one day and rule a country. You never know if the young woman you save from a burning building will grow into the future amyrilin.

 

There are more ways to help someone than a simple healing weave. That is why I never think of the Yellows mission as being Healers. Our mission is to save those who need saving, no matter what they need to be saved from. That could be from illness, natural disasters, emotional trauma, threats from the shadow. Do not think the Yellows such a narrow thing as the ones use a healing weave. Thinking in this way, what else do you suppose a sister of the Yellow Ajah could devote her time to?"

 

She waited for the girls to reply and gave each one a chance to explain their reasoning. 

 

"Now that you are being to get a clear idea of what the Yellow Ajah does, it is time to get a bit of understanding in what you may be faced with as a yellow to start to see if you may have what it takes. There is much to be proud of in what we do, but as high as the ups can be in doing our duty the downs can more than match that somedays.

 

There are many days when a yellow may feel like a hero. There is great pride, above anything else I have ever felt elsewhere, when helping with something that no one else could. Other ajahs do things that any person could do - fight battles, make and in force laws, research history and the current environment, and everything else they focus on, but the yellows save lives where others cannot. We come in with the Greens as they fight the battles and we give them the extra strength they need when they've exhausted themselves. We go in where the Brown find weakness in the environment and we save it. We go in where the people are struggling due to flawed practice of laws. We have a direct, personal connection with everyone we meet and we get to see the fruits of our labour. Can you think of any other things which could bring pride or joy, which could make someone want to be a yellow?

 

Once again, she opened the floor and let the girls have a discussion. When they seemed to fade out of interest she continued.

 

"For all of these ups there are downs.We are faced with people every day who are dying and we can't save them all, we see people at their worst, we have to deal with not only the patient but the crowds of people, we have the responsibility of being the last hope. We often have to clean up messes of bodily fluids and such. The list does go on and on, but the good things most definitely out weight the bad things. And even the bad things are just reflections of the good we do. We cannot save them all, but we can save more than anyone else. We do clean up blood, but we heal the wound that caused it. 

 

Still, it is often these down sides that find the girls who do not have the stomach for doing what we do. Please think on these things until our next class. I hope to see each one of you back here next class when I will share some of the little known secrets of the traditions of the Yellow Ajah."

 

She dismissed the class, hoping that she had left the class on a positive enough note that the girls would truly think on all she had said and what it all means, but that they would be just as excited to come to the second class as they had been to come to this one.

 

 

Desandre Casban

Sister of the Yellow Ajah

 

OOC: Home work: 

 

Have the Accepted explain their ideas of the Ajah before the class started, and then again at the end of it. How has it changed. This could be done by IC writing a report, or just OOC as instructions to reflect on those points.

[Hallia]

Hallia made her way down the hallway towards her first class as Accepted with a small smile on her face. To think only yesterday she had been a Novice. Most of the afternoon before was spent moving to her new room and exchanging her solid white dresses for the banded ones she now wore. Kira had been made Accepted a couple of weeks before her so she had gotten used to the quiet, but it was still strange to go into her room and not see her former room mate's bed next to hers.

 

Stepping into the classroom, Hallia noticed she was the first one to arrive. Hallia smiled at Desandra Sedai and nearly dropped into a curtsey before she remembered she no longer was required to do so every time she passed an Aes Sedai. She settled for a murmured greeting and took a seat, looking towards the door to see who else would be in the class.

 

When it looked as though everyone who was supposed to be in the class was present, Desandra began the lesson. “What do you think the Yellow Ajah is all about?” Hallia raised her hand along with several others. When called upon, she spoke up “I know the Yellow Ajah focuses on Healing. I think they try to make the world a better place for everyone.” Everyone mentioned Healing in their explanation, for that went without say, but Hallia was curious to know more.

 

As Desandra continued the lesson, explaining about the focus of the Ajah Hallia couldn't help but listen intently. She felt drawn to the Yellow Ajah partly because of her upbringing and partly because of a genuine desire to help those who were hurt. She had enjoyed spending her formative years helping her mother with healing and gathering herbs, and this seemed an extension of that practice. Of course, finding out her mother was an eyes-and-ears for a Yellow probably helped as well.

 

Hallia thoughtfully waited for her turn when Desandra asked another question of the class. When it was time, she spoke “I think that, besides Healing a person's body, a sister of the Yellow Ajah could focus on healing a person's mind and spirit. A sister could devote her time to counseling those who are troubled in some way, perhaps from going through some terrible ordeal. That would be a worthwhile endeavor.”

 

When everyone else had given their thoughts Desandra continued the lesson, going into an area Hallia had expected but dreaded. When she mentioned not being able to save everyone, Hallia fought back tears. She hated the memory of not being able to help her mother. If she had known how to Heal at the time she could have possibly saved her, but she would make it her goal in life to try hard and never let that happen again to anyone else if she could help it. Blood was no trouble for her; she had assisted Laeral with many injuries so she had become accustomed to the physical side of helping someone.

 

When the class was dismissed Hallia made her way back to her room. Grabbing a parchment she began writing a small report for the class. Today's class on the Yellow Ajah did not change my ideas on the Ajah, it merely enhanced them. To be Yellow is more than just a weave. It is making the world a better place, as I thought, but in so many other ways. It could be a heavy burden and a great responsibility, but as Desandra Sedai said, the good outweighs the bad. My respect for the Ajah has only grown, if that is possible. Knowing more about a sister of the Yellow Ajah's life outside the Tower is also enlightening. Going out and making connections with everyone you meet sounds truly rewarding.

[Kathleen]

Desendra waited at the door to the classroom with a smile on her face. It was just about the only thing in her appearance that was the same as the class before. She had sleeked her hair back into tight bun, wrapped elegantly in golden chains, highlighted with clear beading scattered across the rows. Her pale yellow dress, looking almost a shade of white,  flowed loosely from the skirt to floor while lace rose high up her neck and crawled down along her arms ending just shy of her hands. 

 

All of the girls who had attended the first class returned for the second, but she noted the hesitation in more girls than had been there the class before. She gathered the essays she had asked for as homework and placed them on the desk at the front of the room without the bother of glancing at them. The girls had settled in their chairs by this time and Desandre addressed them.

 

"Who remembers what I said we would discuss this class?" she posed. Hands shot up scattered through the rooms showing eager girls who remembered and heads lowered showing those who forgot. Some held their composure, while others shifted in their seats. Desandre waved her hand in a gesture for the girls to call out the answer if they recalled, and when she heard someone call 'tradions' she nodded and started the lesson.

 

"Traditions," the single word cut off guesses and pulled the lower heads back up to face her. "That is the topic we will focus on today. There are traditions for all who come through this tower. You yourselves have experienced some of these traditions. From the novice white, to the great serpent ring of the Accepted on the finger you all wear yours. There are traditions you know of that are still to come, like the shall that lies across the shoulders of all Aes Sedai. Just as there are Tower wide traditions, each ajah has its own traditions pertaining to its members. Some are known to the general public, members of any ajah, or to anyone living in the tower who puts the clues together, but there are more traditions among the Ajahs which are truly known only to Sisters who earn the right to them by donning their colours."

 

She watched the girls shoot looks to each other around the room, she was sure if it were novices there would have been murmurs and excited chattering at this, but as Accepted they held their silence. "Of course, none of you have earned the right to those deeper traditions in the Yellow ajah just yet. So for today, we will be focusing on the common traditions which we show to all, but do not speak of. If you keep your open and look for the clues, you may be able to find out similar traditions for other ajahs after I show you the Yellows. But before I start laying all of our secrets at your feet, can someone please tell me, why it is that we keep to these traditions in the White Tower?"

 

She let the girls give their answers and when they had stilled she continued. "I could go into detail on the small reasons the many traditions exist and get passed along through time, though I suggest you find a white or a brown if you want to have an in depth discussion on that. I will tell you now the short version of why we do this. We have traditions to further the bond between sisters, even as the generations add new members and older generations may no longer be around. It draws us all together as one ajah, as a reminder that we all face the same things, and we are all there for each other. It reminds us that we are not alone and that when we can no longer do what we set our life to do, there will be someone there to carry our mission on for us. It keeps us all connected to this organization, even as our life's grow on and our feet may take us far from this building. To begin our discussion the Yellow Ajah traditions, I think the best place for us to start is in the Yellow Ajah Halls. So come along girls, lets go for a walk."

 

Desandre led the class through the white tower to the halls she called home. As always the walls were a mash of bright colours mixed in a way that would challenge any tinker band's decorations. When they were there she turned to address them, "Have you ever wondered why these walls are so bright and not as tailored feeling as the rest of the White Tower? We are not all colour blind, as I've heard suggested; we've not all gone mad from fever as others have said. We keep our walls painted so to keep our spirits up, since we deal with such heavy things as I discussed last class, it is easy to get depressed. Seeing the cheerful colours and the silly tapestries does remind us that there is more to life than the seriousness we are surrounded by; it remindes us to embrace the joyful and the fun in the world. It reminds us to relax and not take everything so seriously. Not everything is life and death."

 

She led the girls down the hall to her own personal room, which was decorated just as colourfully with shelves of ecclectic and odd items. "All rooms of my sisters share the same theme as our halls, to ensure this we hold the tradition that when a new sister joins our ajah their room is decorated by the last three sisters to join. This shows them our connection is more than just on the surface and it keeps us all connected. We come to our room and see there are others who care about us, and who know what we are going through. People who are there for us and want to keep us in high spirits."

 

She then took the girls to a large garden with rows upon rows of herb bushes, no two alike. "This is another tradition among the Yellow sisters. Though our focus is on using Saidar to heal, there are times when herbs can be beneficial. Upon joining the ajah it is custom that each new sister plan a herb bush of a plant that is not yet found on tower grounds. This sister is to tend to their herb, and eventually prepare it to be kept in stock in the infirmary." She walked them down the rows stopping before the now large plant she had first planted so many years before. 

 

She took them back through the halls to the classroom and when they were settled there again she ran through a few more of the tradions of Yellow sisters, such as their tradition of only bonding one warder at a time, and the custom of the sisters of the yellow ajahs members to purchase a yellow dress for a sister's 50th birthday and  piece of gold jewelery for her 100th. 

 

"These are just a few of our more common traditions. If you are to join us you will find that there are even more things we yellows pass down which help our ajah stay strong and have the impact on the world that it does. Keep your eyes open when you are out there, and perhaps you may figure out traditions we keep unsaid."

 

She dismissed the class on that note and turned to the desk to gather the reports from last class. She was looking forward to reading through them and getting a better look into the minds of the girls she was teaching before their next class.

 

Desandre Casban

Sister of the Yellow Ajah

 

Home work:

 

Share your characters reactions to the Traditions, and explain if they think continuing traditions is important, or if it is unnecessary and why.

[Hallia]

Hallia tried to maintain a semblance of dignity as she made her way quickly down the corridors of the Tower. It wouldn't do for an Accepted to be seen scurrying like a brand new Novice, but it also wouldn't do to be late to Desandra's class. Keeping her chin up and her pace brisk she breathed a sigh of relief as she made it in time. Hallia smiled brightly at the Aes Sedai waiting at the door and selected one of the few remaining seats left in the class after handing in her essay.

 

Desandra Sedai began the class soon after Hallia took her seat, beginning with a question regarding today's topic. Hallia quickly raised her hand along with several other girls and grinned along with the Accepted who called out “traditions” quickly, glad to have been right in her own mind. With that settled Desandra resumed speaking about the said topic. Hallia nodded along as her teacher mentioned some traditions well known by most and leaned forward at the mention of traditions known only by Ajah members. Knowing that they would soon learn some new bits of information about the Yellows had piqued Hallia's interest and she felt excited; this would be an interesting class for certain.

 

When Desandra asked the Accepteds to follow, Hallia eagerly rose from her seat and joined the other girls behind the Aes Sedai as she led them through the halls towards the Yellow Ajah quarters. She loved the bright colors of the Ajah walls, having seen them many times on errands throughout the years at the Tower. She didn't know the reason for their walls being so different from the other Ajahs, but she liked the good feeling she got from walking the corridors. Hearing the explanation satisfied her curiosity and brought a smile to her face; it would be hard to stay depressed in such an atmosphere as this.

 

The group continued down the hallway and stopped as Desandra led them into her own personal quarters. The bright theme was carried over into the room and Hallia found herself looking quickly about at all of the neat little knickknacks, still listening to her teacher explain about how the other sisters decorated a new Yellow's rooms. She was touched to hear that they cared for each other so, it was a very kind and warm thing to do.

 

The tour continued out into a large and lovely garden filled with many herbs, several of which Hallia recognized from her childhood. Upon hearing about the tradition of planting a new herb when a new Aes Sedai joined the Ajah, Hallia was enthralled. She had a passion for herbal knowledge and wanted nothing more than to ask about the different plants, but held her tongue for now.

 

Thinking about the plants on the trip back to the classroom occupied Hallia's thoughts until she was back in her chair. As Desandra finished the class with a few more Yellow traditions Hallia was grateful for the knowledge she'd gained today, and made a mental note to herself to keep an eye out for new unspoken traditions as her teacher advised.

 

Later that evening when she was finally back in her own room Hallia settled down to do her evening work. She sat for a moment, tapping her chin as she gathered her thoughts before she began writing. Learning about the traditions of the Yellow Ajah was a pleasant experience. I think continuing traditions is very important. It lends consistency to a group, Ajah, or even the Tower as a whole. They have a way of binding a group together over time, and it's a way of remembering the past and the people or sisters who came before. Traditions also can contain valuable knowledge that has been passed down many generations which could be vital for future generations to be aware of. The Yellow Ajah traditions that we learned about today were lovely. As someone with a passion for herbs, to know that a new sister plants and tends to an herb speaks to me personally.   It was an honor and a privilege to be shown these important traditions.

[Kathleen]

The Yellow left a note on the classroom door instructing the Accepteds to meet her in the garden the girls with bands had all but claimed as their own over the last few years. It was commonly used for study and relaxing on free-days, but today they would be put to work there. She waited with patience for the last of the girls to arrive, only a few minutes late. Though she knew they would have been to the classroom on time, she knew she was also obligated to call them out on it just the same. She wanted it to be  pleasant class so she kept the scolding for leaving an Aes Sedai and a host of Accepted of the White Tower waiting short and didn't add too much anger to her tone. 

 

She changed her tone as she addressed the class, "Welcome back to the Yellow Ajah course. You may take  seat on the grass now if you would like, but do not get too comfortable as we will be moving shortly." She waited as those girls who wanted to shifted around and settled in on the garden floor. "Last class I began to speak of herbs; this class we will explore this topic a little more. I will not go too far into the intricacies of herbology, for two reasons. Firstly, such a study could take a lifetime and still leave more to explore -- if you would like a deeper look into herbs I'm sure  a private lesson with one of my sisters, or myself, could be arranged. The second and more strong reason for not going into deep detail on this subject is that as Aes Sedai our main focus is always on using Saidar.

 

This does not mean that we neglect traditional methods, this does not mean that we so focus on the use of Saidar that we are not skilled without it. We do focus on and use our gift as our main method and our first choice, but this is because of the results we get with it. We are able to heal more illnesses and wounds with it, we are able to heal these things faster and more thoroughly than if we did not have Saidar at our disposal. Would you claw the ground to dig a hole when you have a shovel at your side? Yes, your hands could likely dig the hole, but the shovel would see it done deeper, faster, and more effectively. 

 

There are times when we do need to turn to other options though, and herbs do have their place in our medicine. Tell me girls, when would you think to use herbs in medicine?"

 

She paused to listen to the girls' ideas on when and why an Aes Sedai would use herbs. "Those are all very possible. There could be times when showing your gift would mean danger for you--places like Amadicia for instance. There are places where you physically cannot channel, in steddings and the like. You may find a patient ignorant of our gifts, who refuses to allow you to heal him with Saidar. There are times when you my exhaust yourselves past the point where you can continue to channel. They are most commonly used as for follow up though. We can offer herbs to patients after we've healed them, but who wish to have some way of helping themselves after we've left. These are the main times when we turn to a secondary choice to continue our mission. Because these times do exist, we do not allow ourselves to go completely un-knowledgeable in the methods of common medicine women.

 

Though, how much a Sister learn of these secondary options is completely up to her. As I said before, our focus truly is on the use of the better tool. Why spend time learning techniques for digging holes with your fingernails when it could be much better spent learning better techniques with shovels and machines? 

 

That said, today's lesson is on herbs. We will discuss herbs. Come, we will study." Desandre led the girls back to the Yellow's herb room and showed them many different herbs. She asked the girls if they could name the herb, give some properties of it,  examples of what it could be used for. She showed them how to tell signs of if a plant may be poisonous and then tested them out again by having the split up around the room and stand by a plant which may have poisonous qualities.

 

When they were done she led them back down to the garden they had been in where they found a collection of spades and newly sprouted plants which had been delivered while they were gone. Desandre took up a spade and found the small empty bed she had prepared for the class. Then she showed the girls step by step how to plant a seed, and then repeated the teaching process to show them how to transplant a sprouted plant. 

 

"Now it's your turn. Take up a spade and choose which ever plant you would like from these options, then you may transplant it here as I instructed. When you are done, clean up and you may leave until our next class. Please meet me at the infirmary, where you will get a taste of what it is like to have patients to care for."

 

Desandre stayed in the garden supervising the girls as they worked with their plants and gave help to the girls who asked.

 

Desandre Casban

Aes Sedai of the Yellow  Ajah

 

Home Work: 

RP out the events of the day; responses to the info about when, how, and why Yellows use herbs, how to determine poisonous herbs; and picking and transplanting your plant.

[Hallia]

Feeling refreshed from her latest free day the day before, Hallia arrived to her classroom early only to discover an empty class and a note. Hallia was familiar with the garden Desandre Sedai mentioned for she herself had spent some time there only yesterday. Curious about the topic for today's class Hallia exited the classroom and quickly made her way to the garden.

 

Hallia entered the garden, looking around to spot her teacher and any Accepteds that might have arrived before her. She was pleased to note that she wasn't late, and stood waiting with the two other Accepteds who were already there. The rest of the class trickled in, with those who ended up being being too late receiving a light scolding from Desandre Sedai. When given the option Hallia chose to stand, not wanting to get any grass stains on her clean dress. Upon hearing the topic for today, it was all Hallia could do not to bounce on her heels. She loved herbs; they reminded her of her mother and brought many happy memories to mind. She would also make a point to seek out those private classes Desandre mentioned, as any further knowledge on the subject would be welcome.

 

Warming to the subject, Hallia paid close attention as the Aes Sedai continued, nodding in agreement when Desandra mentioned that Saidar normally is the first go-to in healing. How she wished she had known how to Heal all those years ago. Shaking her head Hallia refocused her attention on the lesson, raising her hand when the class was asked a question. “If you didn't want someone to know you were channeling?” received a nod from Desandra, and Hallia smiled but continued to listen to other reasons brought up by the other girls. She hadn't thought of many of them or the reasons listed by Desandra, especially someone refusing to allow themselves to be healed. Why would you not? Shrugging to herself, she kept that question inside to be asked later.

 

At Desandre's instruction the class made their way into the herb room and listened about many different herbs and their uses, and also which were poisonous. Most of those from the Borderlands were familiar to Hallia but several from other regions were new to her, so when asked to stand by a poisonous herb she went straight to the tarchrot plant. She knew it to be poisonous, though not in small quantities. After that the class made their way back to the garden to discover seedlings and spades laid out on the ground. Hallia selected a plant and settled into her task, quickly and efficiently transplanting the little herb. Grow strong, Hallia thought with a smile as she stood and looked down at the plant.

[Sherper]

OCC: In response to of thread, made by Kathleen

 

 

Fate is a cruel Mistress…
- Old Shienaran saying

 

Her footsteps rang loud as she made her way down the staircase. The walls were dark and no lamps were hung from either side of where the tunnel began – or ended. Yet despite the lack of illumination, Ellisha found she had no trouble seeing the carved steps directly beneath her. She couldn’t remember when she had begun her journey – or why, for she had been travelling for longer than she could recall.
   What was her final destination? What lies at the bottom of the stairs?
It would appear, only fate would tell. Her foot took her forward; loud and repetitive, like twin drums in an empty orchestral hall. She crossed the steps one after the other, never stopping to take breathe or turn her head to look from where she had come.  There was nothing left behind her, this she knew. All there was left to do – was walk.

 

She found levelled stone as the staircase came to an abrupt end, and stepped into an expansive chamber that stretched as far as the eye could see. She looked questioningly around at her surroundings, again, unaided by lamp or torch yet completely capable of seeing everything through the darkness. Her brows furrowed as her mind tried to figure out what had made her come to such a place.
   The room was large, and completely void of any objects – the wall, smooth and free of any imperfections. No sound came from the empty walls or the silenced cobbles beneath her say for the beating of her own heart.  The place felt like it had been long deserted – yet somehow, Ellisha knew if she bent down and ran her fingers along the floor, she would find not a speck of dust or sign of wear.
   She walked towards the centre of the empty chamber, eyes and ears keen on detecting any sign of movement. Her senses told her to stay on the alert, and Ellisha had always trusted to her senses. She didn’t like the feel of this place – not one bit.

 

“You’ve come again, I see.” A voice, sudden and crisp, said directly behind her. There had been no footsteps, nor any rustling of clothing to give the approacher away.
   How could anyone be so silent? Ellisha thought, her moment of incredulity rooting her frozen to the spot. Inaction lasted for only a brief second though; Ellisha spun on the balls of her feet, steel dagger appearing from the sleave of her dress as she orientated herself to face the source of the voice. She turned, and found herself staring at a woman who was but two metres away from her, just barely out of arm’s reach. The newcomer raised an eyebrow – amused, as she studied the dagger Ellisha pointed towards her.  
   “I almost forgot,” the woman said in an air of casual indifference. “Violence was still your first call of action at this point.”

 

Unconcerned by the weapon directed at her, the woman strode around to Ellisha’s side, her hands clasped behind her back in a leisurely fashion. She wore a dark blue cloak, pinned near the bottom of her neck with a silver medallion that had a carving Ellisha did not recognise. Her dress – also blue, was trimmed to the sides, with lines of white that ran all the way down from her blouse to the full length skirt she wore. The silky smooth fabric whispered as the woman walked, brushing softly against the floor tile as she circumnavigated around Ellisha.

   “I was wondering when you’d be coming back,” the woman continued, her figure as regal as any queen and her gaze fixated upon Ellisha. Silvery white hair peaked out from underneath her sky blue cloak, misty, tendril-like shadows of their former, youthful colours.
   “Your sense of curiosity always did get the better of you in the end.”
Ellisha shook her head to clear it. Who was this woman? And why did she look so… familiar? Those raised eyebrows, the way her lips curled in a half smile, and those eyes.
Where had she seen those eyes before?

 

“Who the hell are you? And what do you want with me?” Ellisha growled, never allowing her weapon arm to relax as she turned along with the circling woman.
   “Incurably blunt and boyishly stubborn,” the woman chided, shaking her head slowly as she did so.  Ellisha thought she saw a flash of amusement cross those hawk-like eyes, as if…
   “What the question really should be…” the mysterious woman continued, coming to a stop in the original place of her appearance. “Is what I can do for you?”

 

Ellisha blinked, not quite understanding the meaning of the woman’s words.
“What you can do for me? How should I bloody know?”
The woman did not react – but yet, Ellisha thought she saw again that momentary flash of amusement appear in those eyes again.  
   “Tongue as coarse as a salted sailor, that has certain landed you in more trouble than you could ever hope to count. What I can do for you, Child,” the woman said, her hands appearing from beside her folded cloak, “is to stop you from making the same mistakes twice.” Ellisha’s eyes darted a look at the hands. No ring, she observed. Not an Aes Sedai then.
   “What mistakes?”
   “Mistakes which you will come to regret very much…”
She studied the woman’s features and was surprised to find she couldn’t place an age on the figure, despite the evident maturity of the woman’s hair colours.
“Are you an Aes Sedai?” Ellisha found herself asking, even before the words were properly formed in her mind.  The woman paused upon hearing this question, and for the first time, Ellisha thought she detected signs of hesitation. As if the woman was taken aback by the abrupt comment.
Finally, after a period of time where only silence prevailed, the woman began to speak again.
   “Aes Sedai? No. You’d be wrong to call me that.”

 

Ellisha’s frown deepened. She saw that the face was smooth, and the obvious sign of agelessness meant the woman must have been a channeller of some-sort.
She claims not to be Aes Sedai, yet Aes Sedai cannot lie. So if she was telling the truth, then she must not be one.
“Alright,” Ellisha said, deciding to press on to other questions. “What’s your name then?”
“You may call me Mistress Dale.”
   An Aes Sedai answer, if ever I heard one.
“You talk of mistakes. What mistakes have I made which I will come to regret?”

 

“Not mistakes you have made, Ellisha Falwein. Mistakes you will make.” Mistress Dale stepped forward, hand gently brushing aside the dagger held in the hands by a stunned Ellisha. The woman was fast – faster than her years should have allowed. Ellisha’s grip on the dagger vanished, and she was left holding thin air.

   “A terrible storm is coming, Child,” the woman said, her voice suddenly taking on a serious tone as she came right next to Ellisha. “And we are part of that storm.” She carefully untied the medallion from around her neck then pressed the tiny silver disk into Ellisha’s now open palm. “Remember to smile, Ellisha. People are counting on you.”  She squeezed her hand shut then stepped back, turning then walking towards the set of stairs that lead up and away from the chamber.
   Ellisha looked down at the tiny medallion, examining the carvings inscribed upon the metal disk.
   “Wait!” she cried out, holding up one hand. “Who are you?”  
The woman paused as she reached the bottom of the stairwell then turned once again, to stare at Ellisha.
“You may call me Mistress Dale. Do better this time, Ellisha.”

 

She gasped as she sat bolt upright in her bed. Her shift felt damp, soaked through from the sweat that poured from the sides of her back. Ellisha was in her room, the first rays of sunlight only just creeping in from her apartment window, indicating it was only early morning. She sat breathing for a long time, cushions and blankets a rumpled mess around the foot of her bed.
   Clutching the side of her head, she pressed against it to stop it from spinning. The nightmare had come for the third night in a row.

 

***

“Whoa, someone looks hung over from last night,” Aril giggled as she saw Ellisha stalked down the corridor towards where her afternoon class was scheduled. Her head still throbbed painfully and Ellisha found she was in no mood to even tidying up her own hair this morning; which was probably why she was getting more odd looks than usual.
   “Not in mood for your crap today, Aril.” Ellisha murmured as she walked down the marble white corridors towards the doorway to her class. Aril followed her into the already packed room full of other acolytes, all the while shooting her smug grins, much to the annoyance of the older Accepted.  

 

“Good afternoon girls. I am Desandra Sedai…” the Aes Sedai at the front of the room began to speak as Ellisha and a few of the other later comers had taken up the remaining unoccupied seats. Ellisha covered her mouth and yawned, using the opportunity to unpack her writing material from the satchel she had worn to class. “There are many girls who think they would be wonderful Yellows, but when they find out what that truly means they realise they do not have what it takes.”
   Ellisha crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair to listen. In truth, she only attended these lectures to fill out her mandatory academic hours. The Yellow’s class was counting for double points this week, so Ellisha had grabbed on to the opportunity.

 

“What do you think the Yellow Ajah is all about?” the Aes Sedai continued, asking the question to the class, which was followed by an immediate flurry of hands.
   “Healing!”
   “Helping people!”
   “Making the world better!”
The flurry of hands was of course followed by the flurry of answers; mostly from a few overly excited girls who obviously wanted to show off how much they already knew of the Ajah. Ellisha yawned yet again, and found herself scribbling doodles on a scrap piece of parchment she had found, sitting at the bottom of her pile.

 

Only a part of her paid attention to what the Aes Sedai was saying as the lesson continued forward. She knew the Sister might set them homework later on, but Ellisha wasn’t too concerned about that possibility. She could always steal notes from Aril later in the day; the younger Accepted always took notes when she went to class.
   The Yellows never really showed any interest in her, or she them. She might have been strong in both elements of air and water; primary ingredients to all the healing weaves, but the idea of being stuck staring at dead people all day simply didn’t appeal to her.
   “For all these ups, there are downs.”

 

With the passing of the second hour, the Yellow Sister finally decided to wrap up the class – much to the relief of the long past bored Ellisha, and issued the dismissal.  Ellisha hastily scribbled the homework down next to the mountain of doodles that was the fruit of her one-and-a-half hours’ labour, and strode through the doorway outside.
   Aril caught up to her two corridors down, still clutching a bundle of notes which she had took and was stuffing down the opening of her satchel.

 

“How was the lesson?” Ellisha drawled as the Accepted levelled up beside her.
   “It was really interesting; the Yellow’s view of themselves are actually quite fascinating. But hey.” The Accepted narrowed her eyes. “Why you asking me? You were in the lesson with me!”
“I didn’t bother paying any attention.” Ellisha replied, still not looking at her friend. “The Yellows are all a bunch of stuck-up conservatives with all too high opinions of themselves anyway.” Aril opened her mouth to object, but seeing the smile slowly appearing around Ellisha’s face, decided to let out a huff instead. Ellisha knew Aril already had a mind to becoming a Yellow, which was part of the reason she always found the opportunity to tease her about it.
   “On a completely unrelated topic...” she continued, as innocently as she could manage. “You wouldn’t mind if I borrowed your notes for a few hours, would you?”

 

~Ellisha Falwein
Accepted of the White Tower

Edited March 27, 2014 by Sherper

[Kathleen]

Desandra waited in the classroom for the girls to file in and find a seat. She smiled at each of them equally as they passed her. When they had settled she held herself with further authority than she usually portrayed.

 

"Today we take this class a step further. We will move from theory to practice. I should not need to say what I am about to, but in case it proves necessary, I would sooner say something needless than bring about unspeakable embarrassment on the White Tower for staying silent.

 

Today you will be faced with real people, with real illness and injuries. Remember, you are Accepted of the White Tower. Do not bumble around like foolish children. You are representing the White Tower, and not all patients will be those who live in these walls. 

 

Remember also that you are not Aes Sedai, and not of the Yellow Ajah. This means you will not be channeling to heal anyone, for any reason. What you will be doing is talking with patients to determine possible injuries and assess their mental state. You will then inform a Yellow Sister of your theory, and give your thoughts on the course of action the Sister should take. She will then form her own opinion of what is needed, based on her assessment of the patient to be sure the most accurate cures are given, and she will give you instruction on ways you can assist her in the process she chooses.

 

There may be patients recovering from healing already administered; you are welcome to look in on them to assess their mental state and the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the treatment they have recieved. You will then come up your own theory of what should be done -- be it rest here further, discharge them to rest at their home, or administer more treatment. Again, you will not do a thing to act on your theories until you have discussed it with  Yellow Sister. 

 

These are real people and any action you may take will stay with them forever. You will not jeopardize their lives on a silly whim  to attempt to show off. If you do step out of line, you will see a punishment equal to the crimes of intentionally endangering a life and bring the highest shame to the name of the White Tower, never mind disobeying a direct order from an  Aes Sedai. Keep that in mind if you so much as get the notion to pull a splinter from a finger with without consulting one of my sisters, or myself. 

 

Now you will get your first taste of what it really takes to handle being an Aes Sedai of the Yellow. You will see real injuries, possibly even open wounds, guts and gore. You will see real fear and pain in the eyes of the patients and real gratitude when they are better. If you do not have the stomach for it and you wish not to face the men and women who need our help, you may go back to your rooms and write an essay on why it is you are not attending. They had better be very convincing though if you wish to keep some level of respect and dignity in my mind. The rest of you, compose yourselves and follow me to the infirmary."

 

With that, Desandre led the girls who would follow to the Yellow's infirmary. She paused breifly at the door to let the girls prepare themselves to see the patients and to give herself time to send out one more pleading thought that they don't do anything to embarrass her in front of her sisters.

 

Desandra Casban
Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah

 

Homework:

 

 RP out your charater's day in the infirmary and their experience with the patient - what was the issue, what did they suggest, were they right or wrong, how did they feel about it all?

[Hallia]

Hallia glided down the halls with what was becoming practiced ease. She had been Accepted for a while, and the grace possessed by Aes Sedai was starting to come naturally. She had also learned well to never be late to a class so when she arrived at the classroom she found herself one of the first to arrive. With a smile back at Desandra Sedai Hallia took her seat, eager to learn more about the Ajah she was certain would one day be hers.

 

When the class began, the Aes Sedai explained what they would be doing and Hallia nodded along; she would never attempt to do anything to embarrass herself or the Tower. After listening to their instructions for the day Hallia was quick to stand, courteously not looking at the few girls who stayed behind rather than go to the infirmary. While it seemed silly to her for someone to take the class if they couldn't stomach seeing injuries, Hallia was not a cruel person and felt genuine sympathy for them.

 

The group of Accepted followed Desandre to the infirmary, stepping inside once they were ready. Hallia wasn't very worried about seeing injuries of any sort; after all, she had assisted her mother with many an injury back in Kandor. The large open area was bustling with Aes Sedai, Warders, and a mix of servants and townsfolk from various locations by the look of their clothing. Some were seated in an area set aside along one wall which Hallia assumed was for people waiting to be seen, and some were in cots and looked to be recovering from being Healed.

 

The girls separated and approached various people from both groups, some shyly waiting to be acknowledged and some jumping in to a conversation with no hesitation. Hallia found herself somewhere in between. There didn't seem to be too many people waiting to be Healed, but Hallia saw a woman and child seated who had not yet been approached by any other Accepted. Stepping over, she smiled and nodded to the woman “Your daughter is lovely! How old is she?” As with most parents, the woman smiled at the compliment and regarded her daughter with a look of love, but also a tinge of worry. “She's five years old, and the poor dear's feeling quite under the weather.” Smiling, Hallia nodded and took the empty seat next to the pair. “And what's your name, little miss?”

 

The girl at first buried her head in her mother's side, shyly not saying anything before peeking up and smiling a toothy grin. “Sarah.“ Gazing down at the little girl, Hallia took note of her flushed cheeks and slightly glazed eyes before looking back up to the woman. Poor baby, she's got a fever that's for sure. “Has she taken anything already? May I ask how long she's had a fever for? Oh, forgive me, my name is Hallia, it's so nice to meet you and your daughter.” The woman caressed the little girl's hair, looking back up at Hallia. She introduced herself as Nissa and went on to tell that Sarah had developed the fever the night before, an achy body and headache accompanying it. Hallia watched the woman's face and saw the look of worry fade, noting that the conversation had distracted the woman momentarily.

 

Standing, Hallia smiled again at the pair “I'll go speak with one of the Aes Sedai now, we'll get Sarah feeling better in no time.” Nissa murmured thanks as Hallia stepped away and headed towards one of the nearby Aes Sedai. She approached one woman in particular with her back turned and waited patiently for her to finish with her current patient. As she turned, the Aes Sedai let a smile grace her face as she spoke softly “Well well, Healing the masses already are we?” Hallia smiled and curtsied respectfully to the woman. “Carella Sedai, I hope to one day! I'm here with Desandre Sedai and the rest of my class. I've been speaking to that woman over there with the little girl, and I wanted to report my findings?” Carella nodded “I expected as much. Report at will, child.”

 

Hallia repressed a grin and continued, “I suspect a pretty nasty cold on the part of the child, Sarah. She's got a fever and a headache. If it were merely herbs treating her, I'd suggest a tea mix of feverbane, willowbark, and silverleaf.” The Aes Sedai nodded along “I think that would do the trick, but I'll see her next and get her feeling better.” Smiling brightly, Hallia curtsied again to Carella Sedai and nodded. “Thank you very much, I-” Hallia noticed most of the class was gathering again by the door near Desandra Sedai. “I think I'd better go with the rest of my class. Thank you again!”

 

Carella Sedai waved her away with a smile and approached Nissa and Sarah. Hallia rejoined the group of Accepted as they exited the infirmary. It didn't appear from the sound of it that anything horrendous had occurred, so Hallia considered it a good day.

[Sherper]

OCC: In response to of thread, made by Kathleen

 

It was the sound of loud banging that woke Ellisha up from her slumber, head leaning against the writing desk as the early rays of sunlight filtered through her window. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the small ornamental clock that sat beside her dressing drawer. Eight- thirty. Letting out a long yawn, she slowly stretched her back muscles and wrist. It was during the process of this stretch that a part of her mind finally processed the information that lay before her. She snapped her eyes wide open and stared again at the clock with an expression of incredulity.
   “Oh, for f –  ” The sound of banging came once again, this time accompanied by the squeaky, yet urgent voice of Aril from the other end.
“Ellisha, Ellisha! We have to go, we’r –”
The Accepted was pushed backwards as the door to the apartment was thrown violently open, followed by a wild haired Ellisha as she attempted the task of dressing, packing and running, all in the same movement. The two of them rushed down the corridor, jumping entire flights of steps in an effort to minimise travel time.
   It was on account of the creator’s mercy that the two Accepted found themselves entering the classroom being only slightly behind the rest of the class. Yet as the rest of the students were handing in their essays to Desandre Sedai, Ellisha remembered she was yet to finish hers.
   “Mother’s milk in a cup,” she muttered a curse, which was received by raised eyebrows and abashed looks from the other Accepteds. Scrambling to find a way out of her predicament, Ellisha rummaged around the satchel she carried and produced a piece of paper which looked similar in length to the homework she was supposed to have finished. She’d do the actual thing during the lesson if she had to, and pretend the two essays had been accidently mixed up.
     Taking a seat as far away from the Yellow Aes Sedai as possible, she sat down and produced her quill, ink and paper, as their teacher began the lesson. “Who remembers what I said we would discuss this class?” Ellisha sat with her back straight, and occasionally gave the Yellow blank looks – just to keep up the impression that she was still listening.
     The personal impressions of an Accepted concerning the Yellow Ajah, she quickly scribbled at the top of the blank piece of paper. There, she mused, already killed ten words before I even started, now I just need another five hundred. “Traditions,” she heard the Yellow say at the front of the room after some of the Accepted gave hesitant replies to one of her former questions.
Traditions, Ellisha wrote on her essay. The Yellow Ajah are a group of people dedicated to upholding their long traditions and stubbornly pointless ways – She quickly scribbled out that last part as she realised what she was beginning to write. Come on, woman. Concentrate.
     The lesson continued and Ellisha struggled to squeeze the words out one at a time. My initial impressions of the Ajah were that they were healers, with a strict set of rules. She paused, lost yet again on how she was to proceed. At around this point, had she still been in her room, she would have probably put down the essay and gone done something more entertaining. Which upon reflection, was most likely what had ended her up in this predicament in the first place. She sighed, then continued writing.
     “I could go into detail on the small reasons the many traditions exist and passed along through time, though I suggest you find a White or Brown if you want to have an in depth discussion on that.”
Ellisha certainly wouldn’t mind having a chat with a Brown at that moment, not a White, mind; those particular women creeped her out, what with their airy logic and hard pointed stares.
She wrote down what came to her mind, and stuck to it. So what if the Yellow found my answers to be unorthodox? She could send me to the Mistress of Novices, and as if I cared. It wasn’t like she was missing out on an appointment with that woman anyway. She was already due to meet the Mistress of Novices that very afternoon.
     At the end of the lesson, I didn’t feel much has changed about my opinion on the Ajah. They are still, in my mind, healers, and though it is admittedly a definition which leave much out on what a Yellow does with most of her time, it would still be that of their primary function. She was making progress for once, and as she scribbled to finish her middle paragraphs, she heard words coming from the front of the room that nearly made her enter cardiac arrest.
     “I think the best place for us to start is in the Yellow Ajah Halls. So come along girls, let’s go for a walk.” Oh flame and bull. As the other Accepteds made to rise, Ellisha brushed off with a conclusion that may as well have been copied from the encyclopaedia of generic answers.
The Yellow took her students out through the Tower hallways, and as she did so, Ellisha popped her hastily completed essay near the bottom of the stack. Hopefully, she prayed, the Yellow would be too tired to care much about her essay once she’s had to mark twenty other essays before it.  
     They walked through familiar pathways, until the little group, headed by the tall Yellow, found themselves walking among the section of the Tower quartered for the woman’s own Ajah. Ellisha raised an eyebrow at the gaily coloured wall and floor tiles, and nodded at the comment that the Yellows were either colour blind, or mad with fever. Either, and or both, would probably explain it in her estimations.
     The group continued down the halls, crossing the Sister’s own personal chamber, which was brightly coloured like the rest of the floor, then proceeded to what appeared to be a vegetable garden. All the while the Yellow rambled on about traditions and the like, talking about how the Ajah had a wide array of them for the purpose of solidifying a community. Again, she wasn’t particularly interested in the Yellows, or their silly traditions. To her, it seemed more hassle than what they were worth in the end.
      She smiled as finally, the woman dismissed them and told them to run off for the rest of the day. The yellow had not set them any homework, which was perfectly fine in Ellisha’s books. She only hoped the Aes Sedai wouldn’t look too closely at the scribbled over lines in her essay. She found she was often a bit too liberal with her opinions on her first draft. Upon finding Aril, who wore a pleased smile on her face as the two made their way back to the Accepted Quarters, Ellisha gave thought on what Ajah she would eventually choose upon gaining the shawl. Probably Blue, she decided. I like Blue. The colour suited her, and that was probably a good enough starting point for now.

 

~ Ellisha Falwein
Accepted of the White Tower

[Kathleen]

Desendra sat straight backed in the chair behind the oak desk at the front of the room as the girls filed into the next lesson. On the board on the wall she had written previously:

 

WHO

 

WHAT

 

WHERE

 

WHEN 

 

WHY

 

HOW

 

She didn't let the girls wait long when they arrived. There was no need to hold up the class because of a few scragglers; until they were Aes Sedai the world would not wait for them before it began its  plans. Now, they would run on her schedule and if they missed out, well that would be too bad for them. Besides all the girls she had any real interest in had arrived on time. She rose from the desk, signalling the girls silence before she spoke:

 

"These five questions will come up in every event you experience for all of your lives. Sometimes you will answer them without realizing you have do so; other times, you will need to stop and think deeply to answer them before you can make a movement. These five questions are your keys to knowledge and understanding of any situation.

 

In the last weeks we have discussed the answers to many of these questions. So, lets review shall we.

 

WHO. Tell me, who have we been talking about in this class?"

 

She paused, but there was no reply. "Well, who? I am not asking myself the question." she assured. 

 

The girls looked between themselves, no one quite prepared to answer, until one girl ventured a soft reply of "um, The Yellow Ajah, Seheria Sedai?"

 

"Finally a reply; there is a pulse somewhere in here..good. Sadly, it was not the answer I was looking for. The Ajah itself is not a who, it is a what. Who have we been talking about?"

 

With a little less hesitance answers of "The Yellow Sisters" and "Aes Sedai who are in the Yellow Ajah" were offered.

 

"Well, you've discovered what a who is...that is a start. The is answer is each of you. You are the WHO." she said as she approached the board and wrote YOU beside WHO. "We have discussed what you think of this Ajah and whether, after the knowledge I have given you in these weeks, if you aspire to join the ranks of the select few who will become this Ajah in the future.

 

Now we move to WHAT. So, what have we discussed in this course?" 

 

"The Yellow Ajah?" the girl attempted again. Seherai softly scoffed and clearly looked around the room for another answer.

 

Another girl ventured, "We have discussed what this Ajah was formed from, what this Ajah strives to be in the future, what it takes to work day in and day out as a Sister of this Ajah."

 

The Yellow sister corrected the class "We have discussed what it means to be a Yellow Sister, and what will be expected of you should you reach our ranks. We have discussed what you can bring to our halls and to our reputation." 

 

Back at the board she added beside WHAT the words 'YOU MUST BRING'.

 

WHEN? Any thoughts on the answer to when?" she asked, skipping the word WHERE.

 

A few glances between classmate passed through the room, proving that not all the girls had missed it, but none dared to say anything about it. Instead, a few tried to answer.

 

"Well, we've spent weeks discussing it, so the When is surely these last weeks." 

 

"No!" another girl interrupted, certain she understood the nature of the answers desired. "Clearly, the When is speaking of the past. From the roots and traditions of the Yellow ajah, to speaking of  the different practices they've used along the way to get to where this ajah is today."

 

"The When we have explored in this course is the future." She wrote YOUR FUTURE beside the word WHEN on the board. "Again, if you are the who, then the point is to focus on you. When you are ready to chose your place in this world are the traditions, practices, goals, and aspirations of the Yellow Ajah in line with your own personal desires? When you are ready to choose, will you know what you need to know to join us? When you are ready to choose will you have the skills you need make it?"

 

There are questions we have already answered between our class discussions, essays, and our hands on practice in the village, infirmary, and gardens, but there are questions still that we need to explore in the coming class if we are to get a complete understanding.

 

You may break off into pairs, or work solo, if you prefer. I would like answers to the remaining questions on the board. Please answer with yourselves  and your experience in this course and your thoughts on this ajah at the core of the question.

 

She posed gave the girls time to assemeble themselves and left the board at the from the of the room reading:

 

 

WHO - YOU

 

WHAT - YOU MUST BRING

 

WHERE

 

WHEN - YOUR FUTURE

 

WHY

 

HOW

 

 

If you were to join our Ajah, WHY would you choose the Yellow? How would you choose to serve the ajah? and Where would you serve?

 

If you do not think you will make it to the Yellow shall, please answer these questions from the point of view of someone who would. Remember, this is the Yellow Ajah class, and as much as you are the who, this lesson is still about the Yellow Ajah.

 

She paused to give the girls time to answer the question returning to her seat behind the oak desk and began flipping through the notes for the remainder of the class.

 

 

~ Desandra Sedai

Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah

 

OOC: Answer the questions asked aboved. There is more to this class, but I need your replies first.