Fresh Start (Attn: Mistress Of Novices/Chaelca)

[Wildfire Sedai]

As Mei showed the Accepted her letters to the Mistress of Novices with Meaghany Sedai’s seal on it, she reflected on her trip to the White Tower:

 

There was no farewell feast or joyous get together.  I was given four hours to pack my things and then it was time to be off.  Meaghany Sedai oversaw my packing.  When I tried to pack my nice dresses, Meaghany Sedai would take them from me and throw them on the ground, “You will have no use for these at the tower, girl.” She spoke, harshly. “You will be wearing novice white for many a year, I fear. IF you ever become Accepted.” I was so scared.  Even though Meaghany Sedai had healed me when I was younger, I am still afraid of her, she can use the One Power.  Wait, she said, “You would be wearing novice white.” And she was talking to me. So, that means I must be able to use the One Power as well. Well, Well.  And I remember the smile that slipped past my bleakness.  Meaghany Sedai saw it as well.  “Oh, so you just realized what this all means now do you.” She said, holding my mouth shut with the One Power for a second, then letting it go. “Yes, that’s right! I can do it.  You only have the Potential. Now move.” And with that order came an invisible slap on the rear.  I left four hours later, on the dot.

 

Meaghany Sedai did not leave with us.  She had to stay behind to heal my brother and placate the queen.  So, we left by the north road to Tar Valon.  We had an escort of ten soldiers plus the Guard Captain and my two older brothers, Junior and Jezz.  It started off as a lonely journey, as they all knew what I had done to my older brother.  However, my brother’s soon relented, and started to speak to me again about a week into the journey.  The Guard Captain was a hard nut to crack, though.  He never spoke to me except when needed, so it was with great surprise when we reached the steps of the White Tower, he dismounted, took my hands, and said, “Guardsman Captain Trenthor, at your service Mei Kaylor.  If you have need of me, just send word and I will come.” Then he remounted, ordered his men to turn around and galloped out of the gates.  I was shocked to say the least.

 

This went through Mei’s head in a manner of seconds. The Accepted who she showed the letters to, took one look at the seal, gave a sharp nod of her head and said, “follow me, please.” Which she put into action by starting up the steps into the tower. She was halfway up the steps before she realized she wasn’t being followed, “Well come on, then. I haven’t got all day.” She said, tapping her foot on the steps.

 

Mei quickly turned to her older brothers-crying, “I’m sorry” into each of their chests.  “Please tell Krell, I am so sorry.  I will make it up to him some day, I promise.” Then she wiped her face, drank some water from her water skin-as she hadn’t let them take her pony away yet, wiped her face and set a determined pace after the Accepted.

 

As she followed the Accepted through the White Tower, she noticed all the Tapestries and Vases that were in all the corridors.  Finally, they got to one door and the Accepted knocked, “New Applicant, Aes Sedai.  With letters from Meaghany Sedai.” She said.  We heard a muffled, “Come in.”

[Guest]

Valeri closed her book. She had not expected any visitor and felt frustrated at not being able to finish her chapter immediately. Three pages to go ... that applicant has chosen her moment ...

 

"Come in," she repeated.

 

After a few more second, a small Andoran girl made her appearance. The girl seemed lost, it was often the case when one so young was sent in the Tower without an Aes Sedai to guide her.

 

The Mistress of the Novice pushed her chair and glided towards the new comer.

 

"Welcome to the White Tower, I am Valeri Kinaea, the Mistress of the Novices. At all time, you will call me Valeri Sedai. Is that understood?"

 

The girl nodded.

 

"Are you alone?" Valeri inquired. Not waiting for the girl to answer, she walked to the door of her office. As she expected the Accepted who had knocked at her door was still standing in the corridor.

 

"Is she alone?" Valeri asked, nodding towards the inside of her office. The Accepted shivered. She had been punished by Valeri the day before and still remembered the after effects of the punishment. It was probably the reason why she had not dared to enter the room with the applicant she had announced.

 

"I don't know" The Accepted stuttered. "She came with a letter."

 

The Mistress of the Novices grabbed the paper. She quickly read it. "Thank you Accepted. Now, off you go. I am sure you have a class to attend to."

 

Valeri returned to her chair. As she did so, she opened herself to Saidar and wove a thread of Air. She sent it towards her door to close it.

 

"So, Mei, tell me about your journey towards the Tower." Valeri moved in her chair to set herself more comfortably.

[Wildfire Sedai]

She wants me to tell of my journey, but from when? I was sick, we left the farm, or the more recent issues with Krell.  She only read the original letter that I gave to the Accepted.  Maybe I can destroy the second letter- I am sure it has some nasty surprises in store for me- as Meaghany Sedai was not too happy when she wrote that second letter.  Maybe if I bore her with details of the beginning of the “journey” she will dismiss me and let me go to eat because I am hungry.  I am always hungry. Well here goes:

 

“My journey, Valeri Sedai, started when I was thirteen.  My family and I lived on a farm at the outskirts of Caemlyn.  My father’s name is Rondell and my mother’s name is Lyniya and I have five brothers: Rondell “Junior,” twenty-six; Jeziah “Jezz,” twenty-four; Soloqui “Qui,” twenty-one; Kendral “Ken,” nineteen; and Krellin “Krell,” seventeen. We were younger then.” Duh. She obviously knows that. Mei thought.

 

“I was very sick when Meaghany Sedai and Gaidin Danir came to our farm during a fierce winter storm for shelter.  It was so bad that the queen had ordered the city gates shut against the wind and snow.  So, no one could go in or out for the duration of the storm.” She knows that, too. Come on stop acting like she’s an idiot.

 

“So, anyway the Wisdom, Jaxyniah, had been called out to be my mom’s midwife.  I was born very sick.  My mom needed someone to take care of me while she kept house for the six men.  My mom and Jaxyniah were childhood friends.  They both grew up in the same part of Caemlyn.  My mom got married to a farmer and moved outside. Jaxyniah got married to her profession and became a Wisdom with a small chateau in the city. Jaxyniah got lonely so she invited her twin sister, Jennifiah and her family to live with her. When I was born, everything changed.  Jaxyniah talked to Jennifiah her sister, and they agreed that the house would be both of theirs equally.  Jaxyniah because she was the original owner, who bought the house and furnished it till this point. Jennifiah because she was going to be the one who will maintain it and live in it from hence forth-with the provision that Jaxyniah can come back whenever she wants.” 

 

Just saying this was shocking to me.  I had never known any of this until recently, like within the last two weeks, when Junior and Jezz told me.

 

“So it came to pass that, Jaxyniah, came to live with us. She is my best friend.  I miss her, so. Sniffle,” Mei is determined to keep that second letter out of the hands of the Mistress of Novices.  So, instead of wiping her nose-as her handkerchief is in the same side of her jacket as the second letter and she is holding that closed-she snuffles her nose.

 

“Anyway, Junior told me that my dad introduced everybody and that my mom asked Meaghany Sedai to please come and heal me.  I don’t remember too much about it except the healing itself.  I will never forget that. She put her hands beside my head, then the pain, then it was done.  Fast.” Mei shivered.

 

“However, I do remember mom and dad arguing that night. My bedroom is right next to theirs.  They kept their voices down but I can always tell when they are arguing, mom’s voice gets really high pitched and dad just stops talking altogether, well only one word replies.” Mei had been reciting her story looking at the floor. Now she carefully peeked at Valeri Sedai to see what Valeri Sedai’s reaction would be to this little tidbit.  It was not good. She had such a stony look that even a Warder would be proud of.  Mei shifted her feet, coughed and continued…

 

“Well, after the storm blew over, Meaghany Sedai and Gaidin Danil left for Caemlyn and that was the last I’d heard of them, until recently.” Mei took a deep breath to continue with her story, hoping to fill in the time between the two visits. Mei thought: None of this would have happened if my parents had sent me to the tower when they were supposed to.  I would be two years learning how to use the One Power by now.  I would be someone. Or so she thought.  Not Rsome beggar who is looking for help.  It’s either the White Tower or the Queen’s Dungeons for me. “but that comes later in my story, let me fill you in with the other details.  They are very important for you to understand the rest of my story…”

Mei was so concerned about not telling, Valeri Sedai, the real reason for her trip to the White Tower that Mei didn’t realize that she had vocalized her thoughts earlier and Valeri Sedai knew something was up.

 

“Really,” Valeri Sedai said, tapping her foot and giving Mei a sharp look.

 

Mei flushed a deep red.  She wondered if she had vocalized her last thoughts.  If she did, then she knew she was in deep trouble.  She shuffled her feet a little more and struggled to hold the other letter a little better hidden, and then the unthinkable happened: the other letter fell out from under her jacket. Before Mei can react Valeri Sedai picks it up.

 

(ooc please pick up letter read it  and then hand back to me. it will say in letter to have me read it.   )

[Guest]

Valeri listened to the newcomer's tale. She's very precise, she thought. A lot of details... not much emotions. Interesting...

 

When the girl mentioned Meaghany and Danir, the Mistress of the Novices tried to summon their faces in her mind. Blurry shapes appeared. It was often like that with the people she didn't have as Initiates. The Novices and Accepted she had to take care of, she would remember them... probably to the end of her days. It was not the same for the other members of the White Tower.

 

Slowly Mei's story became darker. Valeri heard her sniffle. She will probably grab her handkerchief to wipe her nose and make a little break here. They always do... She commented to herself. But this time, the newcomer didn't. The girl  snuffled her nose and went on, eyes fixed on the floor.

 

"... but that comes later in my story, let me fill you in with the other details. They are very important for you to understand the rest of my story."

 

Hearing those words, Valeri raised an eyebrow.

 

"Oh, really?" the Mistress of the Novices replied, giving Mei a sharp look. It clearly told the girl that Valeri hadn't appreciated that last sentence. Do you think I am stupid, Child? I don't need you to help me understand anything... and if your tales has holes in it, I will surely fill them in.

 

The girl's cheeks turned red.

 

Very good, the Aes Sedai thought. We understand each other.

 

Mei stayed silent for a while. Valeri took advantage of the pause to come closer to the future Initiate. She saw that the girl was feeling way less comfortable to have the Aes Sedai so near. She shuffled her feet and seemed to tighten her fist around something. It became obvious to the Mistress of the Novices as the more she advanced the more Mei pulled back her hands.

 

"Mei?" Valeri asked with such a low voice that it sounded almost as a whisper.

 

The girl jumped, letting go of a letter that fell on the floor. It took her a couple of seconds to realize what had happened and the Mistress of the Novices took advantage of her hesitation to pick up the letter.

 

"Where you trying to hide this?" the Aes Sedai asked toying with the letter.

 

Mei didn't give an answer. Her eyes were once more on the ground and her cheeks red as Ebou Dari red wine.

 

"You will read the content of the letter to me, then you will hand it back. I hope for your sake that you will read every words it contains." Valeri said as she gave back the letter to the girl.

 

[Wildfire Sedai]

Oh no.  The Second Letter.  Maybe She didn’t notice it. Mei thought, until the Mistress of Novices knelt and picked up the letter in front of her.

 

"Were you trying to hide this?" the Aes Sedai asked toying with the letter.

 

Mei was too shocked to give an answer. She eyed the ground while her cheeks flushed red.

 

"You will read the content of the letter to me, then you will hand it back. I hope for your sake that you will read every word it contains." Valeri Sedai said as she gave back the letter to Mei.

 

Mei slowly stretched out her arm, used her hand and took the letter back.  She handled it as if it was a piece of just washed laundry: she squeezed and twisted the letter, until she heard, “ahem.”  from Valeri Sedai.

 

Mei gave another little jump and smoothed the letter back into shape.  Then she broke the seal and started to read:

 

"To: Valeri Sedai, Mistress of Novices,

 

The girl carrying this letter, Mei Kaylor, has committed a terrible crime: She beat her brother almost to death.  As stated in my first letter, Mei has some potential become Aes Sedai.  However, I believe that this anger, no rage, must be somehow driven from her. The how of this I leave up to you.  However, for her crime against her brother she needs to be punished and severely."

 

 Oh no. Mei thought and swallowed loudly. 

 

"The life of a novice is a hard one already, as we all know.  However, let us add to the burden: Every morning she is to get up one hour before dawn and run around the circumference of the Warder’s Yard.  She is not to talk to any of the Warders, if there are any out there that early, for that is forbidden; if she can’t run she is to jog and if she can’t jog she is to walk."  

 

Mei stopped  reading, looked down at her very plump body and shivered.

 

 "She is also to scrub pots and pans after every meal, visit your office every day for a twitching, which is separate from all other twitching that she might also get as a novice. She is not allowed free run of the tower: An Accepted must accompany her wherever she goes and supervise her punishments, except the twitching.  As for how long this should last, I would say at least until she is at a reasonable weight or she becomes Accepted, whichever is first.  The choice is yours Valeri Sedai."

 

At this point Mei was very upset.  She was blubbering and twisting the letter in her hands.  She just could not believe her fate. 

 

However, when she heard a tapping of a foot she straightened the letter and continued.  

 

"Mei does have some good qualities, too.  She is always willing to help others, she’s kind (when she wants to be, which is most of the time), has a quirky sense of humor, etc.  This I got from interviewing family and neighbors.  She had few friends outside of her family and the Wisdom’s family, the same Wisdom I described in my first letter." 

 

 Mei breathed a sigh of relief.  At least there was some positives in the letter.

 

"Unfortunately, this is what got her in trouble with her brother, he caught her kissing the Wisdom’s nephew and started to beat the boy.  This upset Mei and she started to beat her brother, with a broomstick, and wouldn’t stop until her older brothers pulled her off him.  This one has a temper, which needs be controlled and molded to the White Tower’s will."

 

Mei cringed inwardly. I don’t like the sound of this being controlled and molded to the White Tower’s will part.  Who are they to say I need to be controlled and molded? Mei stamped her foot.

 

“Don’t like that part do you.  Well learn to live with it, we all did!” Valeri Sedai exclaimed. “Continue reading because I do not believe you are done yet.”

 

Mei took a deep breath and continued reading.

 

"So anyway, I believe I have left you with enough information.  If you have any questions you can ask the girl.  I had a – talk – with her before she left so she should be most amiable to your questions.  Oh, and I do believe she will try and hide this letter from you.  If she does please give her, her first twitching for me.  Now I leave her in your most capable hands.

 

Yours in the Light,

Meaghany Sedai"  

 

“and that’s it, Valeri Sedai.” Mei sobbed. “I promise.  I am sorry for trying to hide it from you, please don’t hurt me.” Mei begged as she handed over the letter to Valeri Sedai.

 

Mei was shaking and sobbing where she stood.  She was also very hungry, but she daren't tell Valeri Sedai that.  Not after that letter.

[Guest]

"To: Valeri Sedai, Mistress of Novices,

 

The girl carrying this letter, Mei Kaylor, has committed a terrible crime: She beat her brother almost to death. 

 

As she heard those words, Valeri shivered innerly. How could that little girl, right in front of her, be able of such an act. She couldn't imagine that little mouse beat any one... especially a sibling.

 

As stated in my first letter, Mei has some potential become Aes Sedai.  However, I believe that this anger, no rage, must be somehow driven from her. The how of this I leave up to you.  However, for her crime against her brother she needs to be punished and severely."

 

It took Valeri some time to understand what Mei was saying. She had the potential to become an Aes Sedai. The Mistress of the Novices had felt that the girl had the ability to channel from the moment she had seen her. Her anger, her rage was something complete different, though. Valeri had felt nothing about it... The more she thought about it, the more she felt the need to scratch herself. Wouldn't make this make of little one a target of choice for the Black Ajah?

 

"The life of a novice is a hard one already, as we all know.  However, let us add to the burden: Every morning she is to get up one hour before dawn and run around the circumference of the Warder’s Yard.  She is not to talk to any of the Warders, if there are any out there that early, for that is forbidden; if she can’t run she is to jog and if she can’t jog she is to walk."  

 

Exercise? And that is supposed to get rid of her anger? Valeri wanted to laugh. The image of Myrrhi Morrigen passed through her mind. That silly Accepted had spent time in the Warder's yard as a Novice, and now she was off learning how to ride with one of those ... Gaidins.... Still, she let the child go on with her reading.

 

 "She is also to scrub pots and pans after every meal, visit your office every day for a twitching, which is separate from all other twitching that she might also get as a novice. She is not allowed free run of the tower: An Accepted must accompany her wherever she goes and supervise her punishments, except the twitching.  As for how long this should last, I would say at least until she is at a reasonable weight or she becomes Accepted, whichever is first.  The choice is yours Valeri Sedai."

 

Fine, one more responsibility on my back...

 

Valeri waited for a while. Mei had become silent. She was not enjoying reading that letter, that was clear, but the Mistress of the Novices wanted to hear the complete message. She waited for a few seconds then started to tap on the floor with her foot. She cleared her throat as a sign of impatience. The child noticed it and resumed her reading.

 

"Mei does have some good qualities, too.  She is always willing to help others, she’s kind (when she wants to be, which is most of the time), has a quirky sense of humor, etc.  This I got from interviewing family and neighbors.  She had few friends outside of her family and the Wisdom’s family, the same Wisdom I described in my first letter." 

 

At last, something positive...., Valeri noted.

 

"Unfortunately, this is what got her in trouble with her brother, he caught her kissing the Wisdom’s nephew and started to beat the boy.  This upset Mei and she started to beat her brother, with a broomstick, and wouldn’t stop until her older brothers pulled her off him.  This one has a temper, which needs be controlled and molded to the White Tower’s will."

 

Mei started to tremble out of rage.

 

“Don’t like that part do you.  Well learn to live with it, we all did!” Valeri Sedai exclaimed. “Continue reading because I do not believe you are done yet.”

 

Mei took a deep breath and continued reading.

 

"So anyway, I believe I have left you with enough information.  If you have any questions you can ask the girl.  I had a – talk – with her before she left so she should be most amiable to your questions.  Oh, and I do believe she will try and hide this letter from you.  If she does please give her, her first twitching for me.  Now I leave her in your most capable hands.

 

Yours in the Light,

Meaghany Sedai"  

 

“and that’s it, Valeri Sedai.” Mei sobbed. “I promise.  I am sorry for trying to hide it from you, please don’t hurt me.” Mei begged as she handed over the letter to Valeri Sedai.

 

The Mistress of the Novices grabbed the piece of paper and folded it carefully before tucking it in one of her drawers.

 

"I don't have the time to mold you," Valeri said. "You will behave like an Initiate has to, or you will burn yourself out with the One Power and lose your mind. It is as easy as that. I don't care about what happened with that boy you liked nor with your brother. But, If I see you raising your hand against anyone, you'll pay for it... so dearly that you'd wish you were never born. Have I made myself clear?"