Water Weaves ((Attn. Rossa))

[Kaori-chan]

Kieryn smiled at her reflection, sparkling green eyes shining back at her from an ageless Aes Sedai face. Despite her smooth expression and the veil of mystery with which most Aes Sedai clothed themselves as naturally as donning any dress, those green eyes had never lost their mischievous glint. If anything, a century of life had only enhanced it. Her hair fell to her waist in shining red-gold waves that were just as vibrant as the day she had walked into the Tower for the first time.

 

Fair-skinned hands smoothed the luxuriously full, white-slashed skirts of her pale blue dress, ran over the modest touches of darker blue embroidery, and she smiled again. The Blue-fringed Shawl would remain in her quarters today; usually Kieryn preferred the formality of a Shawl when teaching, but classes on Water Weaves could have a disastrous effect on the treasured piece if something went wrong.

 

At last she left her quarters and departed for the classroom. She didn't need to bring anything with her other than a small folder containing her notes; she had taught this class many times before and had ordered everything she needed to be placed there in advance. There was no one in the large room when she first entered, but that wouldn't take long to change. For the first few minutes she remained at the back of the room, greeting the Accepted as they entered, before finally taking her place at the front.

 

"Good morning, ladies," she began when it was time, "and welcome to your class on channeling the element of Water. I am Kieryn Ashadar of the Blue Ajah, and I of course will be your teacher. Before we begin, I would like each of you to stand up in turn and tell me your name and from where you came to the Tower."

 

Kieryn Ashadar

Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah

Makin' the first ever post on the new Classroom!

 

((OoC: Sorry it took so long! Post your introduction and then we'll get started. Feel free to NPC Kieryn's greeting at the beginning of class if you so desire. Have fun!))

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

Had she ever thought life would be less busy as an Accepted? Sometimes Rossa wondered how she ever managed to fit everything into the day, what with chores, lessons and personal studies to take into consideration. Even though she did not have to concentrate anywhere near as much now with control over Saidar, she had lessons in other areas and of course, further study in others. Even now as she walked down the corridor towards her next lesson, Rossa was compiling a list of the things she had to do that day, and it did not seem possible that she would get them all done. In fact, she was rather looking forward to this lesson, and it hurried her steps on towards the classroom.

 

In spite of not seeming to have the time, Rossa realised she was actually early when she entered the teaching room - that was to say the first Accepted to arrive. Her careful eye took in all the details of the large room: the well-prepared table at the front, plenty of room for other students and the Aes Sedai at the rear, not moving to start the lesson until more students arrived. That had been a tactic of her mother's. To stand at the back of the room her daughters were playing in and surreptitiously stand there, watching, until they forgot she was there and became accustomed to her presence. A couple of times her sisters had spoken a word they were not supposed to know, or acted unbecoming of young ladies fit to be presented at the Altaran royal court and mother had flown into action, grabbing them by an ear and confiscating a favourite piece of jewellery of theirs. All of those possessions had gone the way her memories were starting to go now - faded and melting to nothing, yet progression was a forward thing. She would not slip back!

 

Other Accepted starting filing in, occupying the remaining places and the Aes Sedai walked calmly to the front of the room and began to introduce herself, asking for the young women in white banded dresses to introduce themselves in turn. Her own banded skirts swished around her ankles as she rose and faced her teacher, Kieryn Sedai of the Blue Ajah - the Ajah she aspired to herself. Rossa's dark brown hair framed her face in a style she had not changed since she arrived at the White Tower all those years ago. She had grown into her face now and was a woman; mahogany eyes hiding sparking depths of intelligence and fire that glimmered against the pale olive oval of her face.

 

"My name is Rossa Venye, Kieryn Sedai, and I am originally from just outside of Ebou Dar, in Altara."

[Kaori-chan]

After all the Accepted had introduced themselves, Kieryn continued.

 

"For today," she told them as she picked up a white rose off the table, "we will learn two weaves - growing and withering flowers and fruits. First, we will grow the flower. Watch closely."

 

Holding up the flower where everyone would be able to see it, Kieryn embraced the Source and began to channel. "As you can see," she explained, "this weave requires all of the elements except for Air." As she spoke, the flower slowly began to grow - first the leaves, then the stem, and finally the blossom itself. "This," she continued, "will obviously take some practice to use accurately. If you're not careful, you will undoubtedly find yourself in possession of a mutant flower."

 

As the flower was now roughly twice its original size, Kieryn stopped.

 

"Now, then," she told her students as she set her own flower down on the table, "I would like each of you to take one flower from the table here and practice this weave. If you require an angreal or if you need to see the weave again, please come speak to me. Try not to destroy your flowers, but if you do so I do have extras. You may begin."

 

Stepping aside to allow the Accepted access to the table, Kieryn remained at the head of the room in case any of the Accepted needed to ask her anything.

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

This would be such an ideal way to help feed a hungry village. If an ear of corn was grown to such a size, would it yield a similarly large amount of flour when it was milled? Rossa doubted it would work on live animals, such as sheep or pigs, but for crops and other such staples, it would increase the amount of bread a village that had suffered a poor harvest could produce. True, use of the weave would have to be strictly limited or the value of such items would drop through the floor and potentially ruin the economy, but judicious use would definitely decrease the number of those unable to cope. Walking to the table at the front of the room, Rossa chose a pretty pink rose with purple tips and took it back to her desk, examining the flower. It was exactly the same as the rose bush that had grown underneath her window at the manor house just outside the capital in Altara.

 

Embracing Saidar, Rossa attempted to copy the weave she had seen Kieryn Sedai do. She was relieved that she only needed to see a weave being performed once in order to attempt to copy it. It was harder than she thought; far more complicated, skillful and involved than any weaves she had learned so far. The first attempt enlarged the leaves on the stem, until she realised it had to encompass the entire flower rather than concentrating on one area at a time.

 

The second attempt made the stem and flower start to grow, eventually matching the size of the leaves originally. Rossa felt her heart swell with pride. She had managed to take the first step towards something that would well help her cause if, of course, the weave held and the premise was sound. Doubling the amount of grain with a single weave was a large part of her cause of making sure no one went hungry.

 

Looking at the bloom, Rossa concluded it was about a third larger than it had been. Not as impressive as the Aes Sedai's example, but it certainly proved that Rossa knew how to use the weave. She set the flower down on the tabletop and reluctantly released the one power, waiting for the next part of the lesson to begin.

[Winter Mist]

~Kieryn~

 

For the next few minutes Kieryn walked about the room, offering suggestions to those who seemed to be struggling, and answering any questions she was asked. A few of the Accepted were using angreal, while others seemed to be doing fine on their own. Finally, when everyone had demonstrated proficiency with the weave to Kieryn's satisfaction, she returned to her place at the head of the table and picked up her large rose again.

 

"Now that you all know how to grow plants and fruits, you will be learning how to wither them. Watch closely."

 

Embracing Saidar, Kieryn began to channel. This weave was much simpler in nature, requiring only Water and Spirit, and it wasn't long before the flower in her hand began to dry out. "This weave works by removing water from its target," she explained to her students, "the extent of which is controlled by how long the channeler holds the weave. For example," she said as she stopped channeling, "I hold in my hands a dried flower, not a withered one. Pretty, no?" She paused, holding the dried rose up for everyone to see, before continuing.

 

"But there are times when an Aes Sedai will find herself in need of withering plants entirely, rather than merely drying them for preservation. If that is the case -" the glow of the Power surrounded her once more, and she resumed the weave "- simply hold the weave longer, and this will be your result." The flower grew brown and shriveled as she spoke; by the end of her sentence it could have been a year-old weed.

 

"You may be wondering why one would need to know such a weave, no?" she asked. "Plants that have been dried are brushed aside easily enough with Air, while the same path might take hours to clear otherwise - even with a Warder. Or Warders," she added with a raised eyebrow at those Accepted who had appeared scandalized at the mention of only one Warder. Future Greens, no doubt,

 

"But that," she continued, "is but one use of this weave. I'm sure you can all think of more if you put your minds to it. Now, each of you should have a usable flower - or two, or three - with which you can practice this weave. If for whatever reason you desire even more practice, I still have extra flowers at the front. You may begin practicing this weave now."

 

~Rossa~

 

Spirit and Air woven together made the flower shrink as the first weave had made it grow. While Rossa could see the practical applications for making vines or plants wither out of her way, it was not as interesting to her as the growing weave. She wondered if it the weave could age a crop to early ripeness, but Rossa thought it would defeat the point. There was always a down side to every bonus. The Aes Sedai taking the class laid a second flower on the table for Rossa to practice with and picking up the delicate bloom between her fingertips, Rossa embraced the Source and studied it carefully.

 

Everything seemed so much sharper holding Saidar. The petals wound tightly around the bud, the green stem looking so pristine against the wood of the tabletop. Performing the weave as Kieryn Sedai had instructed her to do, Rossa was amazed that it was acting the way it was supposed to. It made her smile. And then her excitement almost made her lose her grip on the Source, but thankfully it didn't. It ... burbled ... a little and made her channel a little erratically, but she did not need another flower to practice on. She would never make a warder do something she could not do herself though, and the thought continued to linger in her mind while she looked around at the other Accepted, trying to perform the weave.

 

OOC - hope you didn't mind me reposting :)