Talina bustled around her office, setting things in place that had been moved around, dusting, and generally straightened up, all with the One Power.  Sometimes the Tower servants complained that she straightened up too much, but they were normally new, and she straightened them up as well.  What an Aes Sedai did with her own quarters and offices were her own business, and no one else's.  When everything was to her liking, she sat down and shuffled through reports on novices.  Most were good.  Some finally broke their block, some were showing better discipline, others were simply showing up to class with a smile on their faces.  There were some negatives in her pile of papers, but she would deal with them soon enough.

For now, there was a knock at her door.

She set the reports down neatly on her desk and opened the door with a small weave of Air.  As she suspected from the shy and short knock, a young woman not yet in novice whites waited for her.  She seemed stiff and nervous, so Talina have her a smile.  "Come in, child, please!" she said with a friendly air.  "You act as if I'm going to bite you.  I can say that I have never done that.  Please, take a seat."  When the girl had seated herself, she continued.  "My name is Talina Sedai, and I am your Mistress of Novices.  We will be working together very closely during your time here, but first we must start at the beginning.  How is it that you've found your way to the White Tower?" she asked.

*tackles*. Merry Christmas, Boopsy!!

Merry Christmas, everyone! <3

Cool beans.  ^^

Can I pretend that Ay'Lira is a fully-initiated sister for this?  xD

Valeri took the girl's information and made her own entry into the Book of Novices.  Closing the book, she replaced it on the shelf and turned to the cabinet next to the bookshelf that was home to the giant tome.  She opened the door and selected a set of novice whites that looked like they would fit the girl.  She set the clothes on the desk in front of Theodora and sat down once more.  "These are your novice whites.  Everything you wear at this point will be nothing but white.  If these do not fit you, you may take them to the Tower seamstresses to have them altered.  You'll find all the clothes you need in here: a shift, a dress, a pair of shoes, a belt, a pouch, stockings...  It is the uniform of a novice.  Every time I see you in these, I want to see them spotless and free of wrinkles."

She paused for a moment before adding something.  "I don't want you to think that I was being especially cruel to you because you are a noble, child.  When anyone enters the White Tower as an initiate, they are stripped of everything: home, family, titles.  You become a novice, wholly and completely.  Some take it better than others.  I just wanted to be sure that you knew the rules and what will be expected of you before you left my office.  Do you have any further questions?"

Sometimes, during this test, these days of initiation, Ay'Lira's only reminders that she was no longer Accepted were the scurrying novices and Accepted, and the tightness she still felt on her skin from the Three Oaths.  It had lessened, but she still felt it.  And some days, like today, she looked at new sisters in their red, yellow, any other colored shawl with envy and frustration.  No.  You are no longer a child.  You have a mission, and you will complete it with a wise head and a light heart.

Ay'Lira followed her mentor to their designated spot.  She did feel a rush of relief when Kathleen offered her an angreal. Truth be told, this one of the Five Powers was likely the reason for her anxiety and frustration today.  She graciously accepted one of the angreal and watched the demonstration of the first weave: the Fireball.

She embraced Saidar, first without the use of the angreal, and began forming the first one.  She tried for a small one first.  The layers of Air and Fire were even enough.  She dropped the weave, and tried a bigger one.  The layers of Fire were harder to weave, but she thought that with practice, she'd be able to form it quickly.  A few more tries at that size, and she felt a little more comfortable.  She knew she'd have to use the angreal for the next size up.  She worked like this, using more power from the angreal to form bigger layers of Fire, and with some advice and suggestions from Kathleen, she was forming Fireballs quicker than she had at first.

When she said she was ready for the next, Kathleen introduced her to Combust.  She was relieved to see that the weave involved Spirit.  Spirit came almost as easily to her as Water did.  However, seeing how complex the weave was, and that the layer of Fire was just as complicated as Spirit, she knew she'd likely need to use the angreal.  Turning, she found a bush a little closer to the pair and drew power from the angreal again.  She slowly wove the layers of Fire and Spirit together and after a few minutes, the bush was lit ablaze.  She sighed.  She turned and found another bush, and tried again, and again, and again.  Kathleen suggested she try a smaller target.  Looking around, Ay'Lira found a rather large leaf hanging low from a branch.  She plucked it and set it on a patch of dirt in the grass.  This weave only took perhaps half a minute.  She plucked a few more to practice until she had it down.  Then, she tried it again on another bush, and finally was able to combust it in under a minute.  She looked around at the scenery.  The space was certainly lacking in bushes now...  But, she was ready.

Ay'Lira watched as a tiny parade of flames began to bob up and down in front of her.  The way Kathleen explained it, it certainly sounded useful.  But, with as much practice as she had had with Fire that day, and with the angreal, she knew she could do it.  So, she got to work.  Using the small angreal again, the weave for one flame came to life.  It bobbed up and down, marching front of them.  She added another and had it march with its brother.  Another, and another were added.  Having four flames march was very complicated, but Kathleen gave her praise, and she knew she was doing well.  Keeping with the rhythm, like her mentor suggested, she added a few more, and soon there were eight.  Again, it was something she'd have to work at, but eight seemed like a goodly number.

Letting the weaves unravel, she nodded as Kathleen explained she'd be available for help.  "Thank you for your instruction.  I think I might need some supervision soon.  If these are the dangerous ones, I'd like to be able to do them safely and quickly."

Valeri sat coolly and patiently as Theodora demanded all sorts of things that she would not know for years.  Whatever remained of her smile had disappeared, and she gave the girl a cold, emotionless stare.  She waited until the girl had finished with her tirade, and seemed to relent, if a little nervously.  This was usually the hardest lesson for girls who came here from noble backgrounds.  "Child, I will let that go this time, because you have not grown to know how things work around the White Tower," she said coolly and evenly.  "While you are a novice here, you are on the same level as every other woman in a white dress, and if I ever here that you claimed to be on the same level as a sister, before you are one, either directly or indirectly, there will be severe punishment.  While you are a novice, you are a child as far as the One Power is concerned, and that is how you will be treated.  You will follow the rules, and you will complete every chore without complaint, and you will grow to know women from every background here.  If that woman wears novice whites, she is your equal.  If she wears a banded dress or a shawl, you are below her, no matter where she came from to arrive at the White Tower."

"I will not repeat myself on this matter."

With that, Valeri stood up and took down the enormous Book of Novices.  "In this book, the name, age, and place of birth of every novice to come into the White Tower have been written down.  Now," she said as she took her feather and inkwell, "I will need your own name, age, and place of birth."  She opened the book and turned the ancient pages until she found the next blank spot and waited patiently for the girl to give her the information to write down.

I like the idea of darkfriend hunting, or getting Ay'Lira out in the world in any way shape or form.  xD

Also, Kat, new goal.  I'm going to push for Ay'Lira to finish her lessons by the weekend.  *puts on game face*

I promise to finish up the reqs!  xD

"I see," Valeri said, in context to everything Theodora said.  Her original thoughts on the girl seemed to have been proven correct.  "However, what you would like to do will have to wait.  You will be given classes and a new set of novice whites, of course, but I must properly enroll you in the White Tower and explain rules and procedure before I send you off to find your rooms.  Every novice here is beholden to the same set of rules.  You will obey every request given to you by an Aes Sedai or Accepted, Aes Sedai holding precedence over Accepted.  You will be given chores most of the time, to build up discipline.  You will be prompt and courteous to every class you attend.  You will under no circumstances channel the One Power without the direct supervision of a sister or an Accepted.  You will work hard, and only when I see that you have the proper discipline and the proper amount of ability in Saidar will I select you for the test to become Accepted.  On average, young girls such as yourself take about ten years to reach this level."

She paused to take a breath and to allow all this to sink in.  This would likely be a hard lesson for her, but she needed to know that what she wanted was not what the Tower demanded of her.  "Further more, if any sister or Accepted finds you breaking a rule or acting disrespectfully to them, you will be sent to me for punishment.  When you have been enrolled and settled into your room, all the belongings you have brought with you will be sent to me for safe keeping until you reach the shawl.  The road to becoming Aes Sedai is certainly not an easy one, but with the tools we give you during your training, you will reach your goal.  Knowing all this, do you will want to enroll as a novice?"

Can I volunteer Ay'Lira for this?  :)

Leala led the girl to the pair of wooden doors, the office of the Mistress of Novices.  She turned to the girl and saw the anxiety written plainly on her face.  Most of Leala's Ajah sisters eschewed any kind of emotion for logic.  Leala's take on that was that emotion should be calculated into the logic when dealing without people, otherwise, things did not end well.  "There is no reason to be frightened or anxious, child.  Every sister had to start somewhere.  When the Tower is done training you, you will either be a sister, skilled and confident in her art, or if you fall short, you'll still be able to control the One Power with confidence and skill out in the world.  Today, however, you take on a new life.  All you must do is knock on that door."  

She hesitated a bit before continuing.  She felt for a moment that she was adding a bit too much commitment to just one novice, but someone needed to show the girl that not all sisters were cold, faceless entities.  "If you ever have any questions or concerns, you make seek me out.  I am Leala Sedai of the White Ajah.  I look forward to seeing you around the Tower.  Now, I'll have to bid you a good day.  I have a bit of unpacking to do."  She gave the novice a polite smile and went on her way.

"Horrified" wasn't quite the word Valeri would have used to describe what she felt after what had been described to her, but it came close.  However, she let none of it show on her face.  To think an entire group of novices who had been here for years would bully someone to such an extent as to break bones.  It was not unprecedented, but it made her feel extremely disappointed in them.  She still had to deal with the two sitting in front of her, though.  She wrote down the names given to her.  She would need to see them as soon as possible.

"Three of them are unconscious in the garden, you say."  It made her wonder what exactly had gotten the Yellow so excited that she hadn't even bothered to see to them.  She would get the Yellow's name soon enough.  "I will deal with all of them immediately.  As for the two of you...I agree that Aril would deserve no punishment.  I've known her, in her short time here, not to be the sort to cause trouble.  And, Ellisha, while I understand that you were standing up for someone in need, there will need to be some sort of punishment for you.  However, the others are the ones that I am most worried about seeing to at this moment.  There punishment will need to be swift and severe.  That kind of behavior is simply intolerable at the White Tower."

She stood up and took the two novices in for a moment.  They seemed to have forged some kind of bond of friendship.  Then, she remembered that they both had single rooms.  Some novices preferred it that way, but others, like these two it seemed, benefitted from the friendship.  "Ellisha, I will give you your punishment tomorrow.  Come to my office after breakfast.  Before I let the two of you go, however, it comes to my attention that you both have rooms by yourselves.  I know it's been difficult for either of you to make friends, but it seems you've made friends with each other tonight.  Would either of you object to being roommates?"

Her Arches can be found here:  http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/86484-memories-of-the-future-arches-of-ellisha-falwein/

Congratulations!  Welcome to the Ring!  :)

You may start your Arches when you're ready!  :)

Valeri flipped through the pages of reports on a certain novice named Nerina from Tarabon.  When she had first come to the Tower, years ago, it seemed she would get in trouble every other day.  She was either bullying other novices, flirting with Warders in training, or even the Warders themselves.  Whatever it was, she had gotten herself a thick stack of reports within the first few weeks of being in the White Tower.  It wasn't until she had found out that she had a knack for Healing that she began to turn around.  She would get into trouble every now and then, of course, but it slowly ebbed away, until all the reports she had were commendations from Aes Sedai and Accepted.  The last report of a negative nature she had gotten was years ago.  She'd likely be calling this one to the Three Arches soon.

She filed the reports away and stood up to walk to her bedroom to get some well deserved rest.  Before she took two steps, however, she heard a knock on her door.  She stifled a yawn and disciplined her face into the Aes Sedai mask of serenity.  A knock on the door of the Mistress of Novices' office at this late hour was never good news.

The Mistress of Novices opened her door with a flow of Air and before her stood two of her charges.  Ellisha, despite her small stature, stood tall, her green eyes showing a flash of pride and determination, but she sensed a bit of anxiety as well.  She stood a little askew, and her dress seemed to be worse for wear.  Beside her was a much newer novice, a girl named Aril.  Valeri sensed a good bit of fear in her, but she met her eyes well enough.  From the way she was leaning on the other novice, Valeri knew that Aril was not the target of Ellisha's anger.

"Ellisha and Aril," she said, "please have a seat and tell me your purpose in visiting me so late tonight."  Valeri spread her arms, indicating the pair of chairs in front of her desk.  

Leala dismounted when she entered the stables, allowing the grooms to take the horse, and the servants to take her bags back to her quarters.  The Tower Guards who had escorted her back to the Tower had insisted on guarding her to the stables.  They always did.  They parted as she walked between them, though.  She thanked each one in turn, and heard a young girl's voice from outside, addressing the guards.  Leala exited the stables and saw a wet, miserable thing seated atop a horse.  She had very little experience with novices and Accepted since taking the shawl, but she could at least take this girl to the Mistress of Novices.  

Turning to one of the Tower Guards, she asked them to fetch the grooms to take the girl's horse and luggage.  She then approached the young woman, letting her snow white cloak spread in front of her, not bothering about the wet and the cold.  Aes Sedai always kept a mask of serenity and did not allow the temperature to affect them.  "Child, dismount and come with me," she said.  "I will take you to the Mistress of Novices.  That is where you need to go, in order to enroll in the White Tower.  I'm afraid becoming Aes Sedai will take quite a long time, but you seem to have shown some determination in getting here.  That should aid you in the future.  That being said, follow me."  With that, and without checking to see if she was following, Leala made her way toward the Tower's main entrance.

Valeri was in the middle of responding to a missive from a sister about a certain novice when there was a knock on the door.  Valeri used a flow of Air and the door opened to reveal a girl in very stately attire.  She knew right away that this girl, if she was coming to enroll as a novice, would likely be a different kind of problem than the girl she was writing about now.  She would be treated like any other novice, and she probably would not enjoy it.  But, she had taught other girls like her what it was to be novice, then Accepted, and then Aes Sedai.  She would be no different.

"Come in, child, please take a seat," she said after giving her a glance from what she was writing.  After the girl seated herself, Valeri closed the door with the same flow of Air and continued to write, giving the sister advice and promising discipline to come for the girl if her accusations proved true.  She wrote on as if the girl was not there, making her wait.  

After a long moment, Valeri finished the letter and signed it, folded it, then sealed it.  She set it aside, neatly placed atop others like it.  Only then did she turn to the girl.  "Welcome to the White Tower, child.  My name is Valeri Sedai.  I am the Mistress of Novices, and during your time in training, I will be your mentor, teacher, shoulder to cry on, councilor, what have you.  Please, tell me how it is that you came to the Tower today."  She gave the girl a smile, like she would have for any other prospective novice.  It was unlikely, but she may have misjudged the girl.  She would get the greeting any other girl in her position would get.

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

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

That is a good question.  Those, and the test for the shawl threads are usually pretty long.

Welcome to the White Tower, NT!!  Just letting you know that I'm not ignoring your post there, I just didn't see it until today.  It's been a long week.

No worries about needing to do finals.  I just finished that this week!  I'll get a post up for you probably by Monday, but respond when you can.  No rush.  :)

I know the top part still says "October" report, but I had already pasted it in, and I didn't want to lose the report...again...for backspacing.  :/

October Report for Novices and Accepted

1) Total:

19 Members

19 characters 



New:

0 Members

0 characters 

Active:

11 Members

11 characters

1. Elaevia - Saelia Triana (Novice) - Last Active August 2013

2. Hallia – Hallia Shessair (Novice) - Last Active August 2013

3. jozan - Liana Alore (Accepted) - Last Active September 2013

4. Kenny - Venca Konora (Novice) – Last Active November 2013

5. Leala Gymorraine – Aureli Yenda (Accepted) - Last Active November 2013

6. Panchi - Pankhuri Xena (Novice) - Last Active October 2013

7. Saphira Silvermoon - Nateera Raychon (Novice) - Not yet active

8. Sherper - Ellisha Falwein (Novice) - Last Active November 2013

9. Tonnalea - Ariani Cairawyn (Novice) - Last Active August 2013

10. WolfbrotherKronos – Kira Tuvunenia (Accepted) - Last Active November 2013

11. Yahna - Venka Barashti (Novice) - Not yet active

Inactive:

5 Members

5 characters

Kastyana Amharadar (Novice) - (Silver Neccho) - Last RPed January 2013

Maurelle - Erlene Hortencia (Novice) - Last Active July 2013

Nyanna al’Meara – Nyanna al’Dynn (Novice) - Last Active March 2013

Taymist - Kiyisalle Chevra (Accepted) - Last Active May 2013

The Bard Babe – Ceridwyn Taereth (Novice) - Last Active May 2013

MiA:

3 Members

3 characters

Duriya Olandrian (Novice) - (Tamerya) - Last RPed July 6, 2012

Kaylynn Tasil Saeed (Novice) - (Kaylynn) - Last RPed April 22, 2012


Sora Mantolias (Novice) - (Otpelk Cainam) - Last RPed July 30, 2011

2) RP's done by Novices and Accepted characters during November

1.  Alia Mariadoon (Kathleen), Kira Tuvunenia (WolfbrotherKronos), Aureli Yenda (Leala Gymorraine), Liana Alore (jozan)

Blue Ajah Class

http://www.dragonmou...onos-and-leala/

Kira, Aureli, and Liana take a class together on what the Blue Ajah stands for.  

2.  Ariani Cairawyn (Tonnalea)

Another Door Opens

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/85956-another-door-opens-the-arches-of-ariani-cairawyn/

Ariani enters the Three Arches

3.  Kira Tuvunenia (WolfbrotherKronos)

Earning the Shawl

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/86177-earning-the-shawl/

Kira passes her test and takes the Three Oaths to become a Blue sister!

4.  Aureli Yenda (Leala Gymorraine)

A Night in Contemplation

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/86188-a-night-in-contemplation-aurelis-testing-and-oaths/

Aureli passes her test and swears the Three Oaths to become a Red sister!

5.  Kira Tuvunenia (WolfbrotherKronos), Ariani Cairawyn (Tonnalea)

A Time for Reading

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/83391-a-time-for-reading-attn-tonnalea/

Ariani takes a class on reading with Accepted Kira.

6 - 8.  Venca Konora (Kenny), Ellisha Fallwein (Sherper)

Introduction to Saidar Lesson One - Three

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/77126-introduction-to-saidar-lesson-one/

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/77640-introduction-to-saidar-lesson-two/

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/79855-introduction-to-saidar-lesson-three/

Venca and Ellisha join the class!

3) Problems, ideas, etc

Problems:

Mmmmm....can't think of any right now.

Ideas:

News OOC:  I think Sherper has a big rp in the works.  I’m really excited to see how it goes!  Once he gets to 4 posts on that rp, he can move forward with his character’s Arches!  Also, I passed my first grad class in four years. 

News IC:  Aureli and Kira are now shawl-wearing sisters!!!!  Ariani is also in the middle of her Arches!!!!!

November Report for the White Ajah

1) Total: 6 Members, 5 characters (that would be Active + Inactive]

New: 0 Members (0 Characters)
 

Active: 2 Members, 1 Characters

Leala Gymorraine - Leala Gymorraine OOC: November 2013 IC: April 2013

Nyanna al’Meara – Thanelle Kelgwar (NSW). OOC: September 2013 IC: January 2012.

Inactive: 1 Members (1 Characters)

poetstorm - Lissandra Trelaine. OOC: Feb 2013 IC:  September 2012



MiA: 3 Members (3 Characters)



Liitha - Sherrhiana Thymus (September 2010)



perine - Carelia Noradien (May 2010)



Taei - Tayva ni Ayvery t'Reyon (October 2010)




2) RP's done by Ajah characters

None.

3) Problems, ideas, etc
 

I still have plans to move forward, but November was not the month to do that.  I had NaNoWriMo, finals, and…it was just a busy month.  I plan on getting the Ajah moving soon, though!

Kat, I'm getting this report together RIGHT NOW, but I'm just letting you know that the formatting is going to be wonky, because, for whatever reason, my computer keeps going to the previous page whenever I tell it to backspace.  :/  It does weird things when I play on Photoshop.

Woo!  I has access now!  :D