Blood and bloody ashes! The Accepted was gone and the novices were leaving. If Estel found her alone here, she would be sent to the Mistress of Novices for "lying".

"See you around, Miya. Nice to meet you."

She trailed off bewhind and Sial, but went the other way. She took a long route to her rooms tonight.

Melianna

Disappointed Novice.

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,25277.msg646424.html#new

My nifty arches

Melianna lay fast asleep in her bed. She had scrubbed so many pots today, she thought her hands would never un-wrinkle.  A firm knock came from the door, a knock that she was only partly aware of. The knock came again.

“Yes, Laras, all the pots are clean.” She mumbled as she rolled over to face the wall. The knock came once again, followed by a firm voice. “Melianna! Open the door.” That woke her up very fast. It was not Laras. It sounded like Darienna. She quickly threw the sheets off and ran to the door in her shift. She opened the door an attempted a curtsey, but in a shift, it was difficult to do right.

“It is time, child.” She said calmly, ignoring the shift.

“What? It can’t be First Bell yet! I haven’t been asleep for more than an hour.” Melianna said groggily, running the sleep from her eyes.

“No, child. It is time. Dress and follow me.” She said with a touch of impatience in her voice.

It clicked now. She was to be tested now. She hadn’t expected it to be so soon. “Yes, Darienna Sedai. Right away.” She replied politely and quickly threw on her crumpled novice dress that had been worn for pot scrubbing. More than one streak of black grease ran across the front. She would have washed it tomorrow, but if she passed, she would have new ones and her old ones would get washed anyways. No point in dirtying another one.

Meli followed the Mistress of Novices far down into the Tower. She had been in this part before, when she had first met Shaneevae Sedai in her lab, but they were already long past it. They entered a large room with very large stone doors. They looked like they could weigh tons! Three Sisters saw on the cold dark stone floor around a silvery oval, with three different arches around it. She nearly screamed in delight! Her heart rate pulsed faster and faster, her hands shook. She was going to actually use a ter’angreal! Darienna looked at her as if she was scared, which she must think Meli was. Excited was closer. Thrilled was closer still. Exuberant was closest.

She looked closer at the three Sisters around the ter’angreal. She knew two of them. One was Shaneevae Sedai of the Brown Ajah, who taught her about ter’angreal. The other was Suzaku Sedai of the White Ajah, who she briefly met the day she discovered her clan. The other Aes Sedai was a Yellow that she had seen once in passing, but nothing more. Her eyes went to he other side of the room, where there was a table with 3 pitchers of water on it. Behind it was another Aes Sedai, this one of the Green. This one looked older than the others, with eyes looking ready to burst with her wisdom from over the ages.

Darienna speaking broke her out of her studying trance. . "There are two things I must tell you that no woman hears before entering this room," the Mistress of Novices began. "Once you begin, you must continue to the end. Refuse to continue and, no matter your potential, you will be put out of the Tower with enough silver to see you through a year and never be allowed to return. And secondly, to seek, to strive, is to know danger. You will know danger here tonight. Some have entered and never been seen again. When the ter'angreal was allowed to grow quiet they simply were not there. To survive, you must be steadfast. Faltering leads to failure.”

"This is your last chance, child. You may turn back now and you will only have one mark against you. Twice more you will be brought here and only after refusing for a third time will you be put out of the Tower. There is no shame in refusal. Many cannot enter the first time. Now you may speak."

Melianna nodded and said firmly, “I am ready.”

Then suddenly, the Green Sister boomed out with a very commanding voice. "Whom do you bring with you, Sister?"

"One who comes as a candidate for Acceptance, sister," Darienna replied back in a loud, clear voice.

"Is she ready?"

"She is ready to leave behind what she was, and, passing through her fears, gain Acceptance."

"Does she know her fears?"

"She has never faced them, but is now willing."

"Then let her face what she fears."

The Mistress of Novice returned her focus to Melianna. “Please remove your clothes, as you must be clad in the Light for this.” Melianna undressed with no hesitation. She was frankly used to it. Things would happen when you were the only woman on a ship on a two week voyage. Her cloths lay in a heap on the floor, worse than what they had been in her room. Darienna led her over to the arch between the Yellow and Suzaku. "The first time is for what was," she said. "The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."

Melianna did not hesitate. She walked confidently with long strides into the light than now filled her vision, filled her mind.

For what was…

Melianna swung from a rope on her Father’s ship. It was a perfect day for sailing. The sun was shining brightly, the wind was blowing southerly to the sea, and the birds sang as they flew alongside the ship, to give it luck. She swung down to the deck and landed with a thump. She was barely fourteen, her naming day being only a few weeks behind her.  It was then her Father had given her a special set of prized silver bells, that she now wore everywhere she went. She shook her hair around to let them jingle and then let out a merry laugh. She went down under the deck to find her Father, who was most likely in his rooms reading about Birgitte and Gaidal Cain. He had hardly put the book down after he found a copy in Aringill. She skipped across the floor to his rooms at the back of the ship. She opened the gilded doorknob and peeked inside. She was right. He was reading. And he hadn’t noticed her either. She snuck quietly toward his chair, with its back to her. She was a foot away from scaring her Father when the door flew open.

“Cap’n! There’s a storm! A bad one. Come quick.” Yelled the scruffy looking deckhand who often eyed her legs. Her father spun his chair around and slammed the book shut.

“I’m coming.” He responded with concern in his voice. He ran out the door and his footsteps faded as he ran. And he still didn’t notice her! But a storm? It was clear and glass when she was just out there. How could a storm be hitting them now? Of course, things were unpredictable in the Fingers of the Dragon, so you never knew. She ran up the stairs at the front end of the ship. She could tell it was a bad storm just by the feel of the hull.

The wind howled and tore at the sails. Waves beat at the front and sides with the ferocity of lions. Rain and hair fell like hammers on the deck. She had never seen hail that big before. Suddenly, the ship jerked forward, leaning with the tip completely submerged. The ship hit something, something big and hard. The front shot back up and the ship ended up sailing sideways, but lower. The ship was sinking. Sinking while it was pushed downstream. The hull and the stern caught the bank and a rock in the middle of the river and the ship suddenly tipped. It was now horizontal. Melianna fell drastically and was caught by a railing. She heard shouts, screaming and swearing from all around her as sailors fell either into the water or onto the railing as she had. Then she saw her Father, head caught around a rope and in the water. He struggled to get to the ship, to get the deadly noose from around his neck that threatened to kill him. The rope was attached to the ship still and the current was pulling him down.

“Melianna,” her father hoarsly yelled out. Cut the rope, cut the rope!” She noticed she still had her belt knife on her. She reached for it. The way will come but once. What? She unsheathed her knife. Be steadfast. She saw the door, shining on a rail not three steps away, but in the wrong direction. Her Father was the other way. She looked at him, and took a step away, balancing on the rail.

“Melianna, please. Help me” he yelled, gasping for air.

Another step.

“Melianna….” He yelled and was pulled under. He popped back up and screamed again “Melianna!”

She took the last step and fell through the gateway and landed on the stone floor. She was panting, wet on her hands and knees. Icy water sprayed down her head and back. She was even colder now. She stood up and faced the Green, not shedding a tear. She held them back as hard as she could and kept her face calm. Aes Sedai did not cry! The Green pronounced, "You are washed clean of what sin you may have done and of those done against you. You are washed clean of what crime you may have committed, and of those committed against you. You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."

"Do you have any questions, child?" Darienna Sedai asked. Melianna shook her head and resumed her serenity. She may not look affected by reliving that moment that nearly took her Father away, but inside, she wept. The woman guided her to the second archway with a hand pressed lightly to her shoulder. "Then come. The second arch is for what is. The way will come but once. Be steadfast."

She faced the second arch as she had the first two. She entered the arch between Suzaku and Shaneevae with that confident long stride. The light filled her vision and mind once more.

For what is…

Melianna couldn’t see very well. She had so many towels bundled in her arms that they blocked her vision quite well. She strode along the corridor in her novice white, often bumping into servants and other Novices, sometimes missing them. Nothing was out of place today really, until she bumped unto someone. Someone rather unpleasant.

“Ouch! Hey, watch where you’re going, you half-breed.” shouted a woman in front of her. Melianna turned to look sideways. It was Sial. The stocky little Cairheinin was glaring at her with the heat of the sun. “You are such a fool, you savage.” Sial shouted again. The corridor was empty now.

“What do you mean?” Melianna inquired with a touch of sorrow to her voice.

“Oh stop playing the innocent. The whole tower knows you are a half breed. You are only half civilized. Your other half comes from those savages floating on rafts all the time.”

“They are not savages!” Melianna screamed back with more than a hint of sorrow now.

“Yes, they are. And you are one of them. You should have never come here. The White Tower wants the best, and you are the worst. Go home, you freak.” Sial’s words cut her to the bone. She wanted to punch her, but she couldn’t. She was afraid of Sial. She turned to run away, but a glimmer caught her eye. The way will come but once. She turned back, and saw the silver arch right behind Sial. Sial was blocking the way. Be steadfast. She turned and dropped her towels on the stone floor. She stood indignantly with her fists balled up by her side. She glared at the woman. Sial’s eyes widened as Melianna broke into a dead run towards her, but stood her ground and glared back harder than ever. She was in arms reach of Sial now. She extended her arms and pushed the small woman to the side and continued running through the shining door.

Melianna flew out of the door and tumbled on the floor as she landed. Icy water soaked through her long dark hair and ran down her face. "You are washed clean of false pride. You are washed clean of false ambition. You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul." She felt exhausted., but there were still no tears. “I’m ready” she said as she collected herself off of the stone floor. She was lead over to the third arch. "The third time is for what will be. Be steadfast for the way back will come but once." Darienna told her as she faced the last shining door. Shaneevae and the Yellow on either side paid no attention to her, just to the ter’angreal. Confident stride followed confident stride as she entered the last shining doorway. The doorway to determine her Acceptance. No turning back.

For what will be…

The docks were muddy as usual. The smell of salt hung heavily across the entire city. Tear was nice enough, just not this part of it. But Melianna wasn’t here to sight-see. It was only a few months since she had been raised to Aes Sedai, and she left as soon as she could. She had planned on this for a while. Her luck was running with her, for in the docks was a tall Sea Folk Raker. And if what she heard was true, it was from the Western side. That was the Rossaine’s territory. Her clan’s territory. A dark woman stood at the bottom of the gangplank, clad in a very bright yellow blouse with matching baggy trousers. They look very comfortable and cool in the summer heat of Tear. She, herself, was wearing a pale blue dress in the Taraboner cut. She had a dress from every nation and city. The styles were so diverse, and she like to experiment, but Tarabon’s cut caught her eye. But no veil, that would drive her insane. She approached the woman and showed her the tattoo on her hand.

“How is it that you carry the clan markings, but wear the clothes of the shore-bound? I don’t remember ever seeing you before.” The woman in yellow said with a confused look.

‘My name is Melianna Hollmen, but the name I received at birth is Tsunami dur Northwave. I am of the Rossaine clan. I was born with a shore-bound father, so my Mother sent me to him at a young age. I never knew my Mother, but I wish to return to my people, to learn of them and to meet my family.” Melianna explained.

“Dur Northwave? Hmm.” The woman pondered. “Follow me.” The yellow clad woman led her up the gangplank. “Gale! Zephyr! Come down here” the woman shouted up to the riggings. Two smaller women adeptly scaled down the ropes and landed near them. “Yes, Breeze? What do you need?” asked the smaller of the two women. Clad in a light bright green, she looked smaller than most Cairheinin. “Who is this?” asked the larger of the two, clad in a deep purple.

“This…is our sister.” Said the yellow clad woman, apparently named Breeze, with awe and shock in her deep, strong voice.

“What? I have no sisters other than Zepher and yourself.” That must be Gale. “Impossible to have a sister among the shorebound”, Said the purple clad one, Zephyr.

“Not long ago, when Mother decided to live her last years on Tremalking, she told me a story. A story of when she was young and unmarried. She had gotten drunk and taken bed with a shorebound. When she found out she was with child, she scrambled to find that man. She could not have bore the shame of having a half child. Never before had that happened. It would have disgraced the name dur Northwave. So she sent her daughter by River to a place called Arafel, way up the Erinin. Her name was Tsunami.” As she told the story, the others became very emotional. Breeze continued. “Mother soon after found a husband and had us. She had wanted all her children to have names taken after the wind, but she made her firstborn from the water, so show the difference. To prove that she was not from us. Tsunami, the child she ran from. This is that girl, our eldest sister, who grew up shorebound. She has returned to us. She wishes to meet Mother.”

Melianna suddenly had six arms all embracing her as their long lost sister. Tears ran down her face. She had sisters. She had a mother. She would meet her mother! Nothing could ruin this moment. The way will come but once. No, not that!

Zephyr started saying that they would go to Tremalking as soon as the Sailmistress said so and about how much catching up they would need and all the customs Tsunami would have to learn. Be steadfast. The shining doorway was at the top of the gangplank, calling to her. She looked to her new found sisters, then looked o the doorway.

“Umm, one minute please.” She said as she left the embraces of her siblings.

“Where are you going? Stay with us.” Gale said.

“Sorry, I must go, now” Meli said starting for the door. Breeze went to grab her, but she channeled her hand away with a shield of air. She ran. Just in front of the door, she stopped and looked back to her sisters. They looked heartbroken. She built their hopes up so high, and then shattered them into pieces, never to be fixed again. No tears. She walked through the door.

She stepped out of the doorway to see the Amyrlin Seat, with a Sister from each Ajah in a semicircle around her. Kathana Trevaleaer, the Amyrlin Seat, stood with the third chalice in hand. The some of the other Sisters around she had seen or met before. Estel of the Blue, Maegan of the Red, Jaydena of the Green, Miri of the Gray. Raeyn she had seen in passing. The White and Yellow she did not know. She knelt before the Amyrlin as she poured the chilling water over her and spoke. "You are washed clean of Melianna Hollmen of Shol Arbela. You are washed clean of Tsunami dur Northwave of the Rossaine. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean in heart and soul. You are Melianna Tsunami Hollmen, Accepted of the White Tower. You are seal to us now. Welcome, daughter." She passed the chalice to Darienna and was given a ring from Miri. The Great Serpent Ring of the Aes Sedai, a serpent biting its own tail. The Amyrlin slid it onto Melianna’s slender third finger and kissed her cheeks. “Welcome home, daughter.” The rest of the Sisters did the same in turn, including the ones operation the ter’angreal, which she found she had not enjoyed as much as she expected. She made made it. She was accepted. She would be Aes Sedai. She ran her fingers over the ring.

After the rest had left, Melianna hung behind, as did Darienna.

“You are very strong, child. You did not cry once. You either do not know fear, or you are a White in the making.” The Mistress said. Melianna looked at her. She ran and put her arms around the Gray and started to weep uncontrollably. The Gray patted her back and rubbed her shoulders in a very comforting way. Hours passed.

She snickered. Miya's ideas were good, but she Melianna had a very nice idea.

"How about you have to pay up an article of clothing every time you chicken out? I hope you wore lots."

She giggled more.

Melianna

OH!!!!! :D I thought someone had to put the thread up first before I wrote them. ;D My bad.

Well then I'll definitly do it. I'll have my Oaths done sometime in the next day or two. ;D Silly me!

Tigara sat on the bench outside in the courtyard. It was cool, as it so often was in the Blight. The sky was somewhat yellow, but it gave off a nice ambiance. He fiddled with his wooden hand while he waited. A bad habit he had got into. Playing with it too much would cause infection, and it hurt like mad when that happened, but not quite as painful as seeing Trollocs eat people. He would never be able to stomach that....at least not for a long time. Michael was late, he thought he was at least. Maybe Tigara was just early. He lost trace of time around here often, so he often allowed extra time. People around here had little tolerance for tardiness. He slouched back in the hard metal bench and patiently waited for Michael to arrive to teach him to channel. He was eager to learn to make light. That room was so small to be dark all the time. He had countless bruises on his shins from walking straight into the bed in the dark. It was quiet here.

Tigara Kazim

Dreadlord Acolyte

Umm, Jade said that she passed all the reqs and is ready to write my arches, so once they come up, not long at all.

I would, but Melianna isn't quite Accepted yet. Sorry.

Tigara's jaw dropped further and further down to the table as Michael talked. When he was done explaining all of it, the chicken he was chewing lay half chewed on the table in front of him. Most Aes Sedai weren't Darkfriends??!! That blew his mind into miniscule pieces never to be found. Channelers in general weren't also evil, necessarily. That was slightly less shocking, but after the Aes Sedai thing, not much would. The third explanation was not so shocking. Turning to the Shadow to avoid going mad seemed very logical.

At the fourth point, he piped up after picking up his dangling jawbone. "So I guess I came here originally because I thought it to be instincts, but now I suppose it's for survival. I don't think Jagaea would want a crazy and destructive brother."

Speaking of her, Tigara hoped she was alright. They knew she was his sister, and if he was a Darkfriend, they might think her to be one, as well. If only he knew where she was.

Michael then exlained Aurani and what it was all about. So Aginor owned this place. Aginor, the man mothers used to frighten their children into bed, and he was standing in his house. That overwhelming sense of surreality came back. Did the other Forsaken, well, he supposed he should call them the Chosen now, have places like this? Rahvin? Be'lal? Moghedien?

"So do other Chosen have places like this? Does Aginor ever come here? Do servants of the other Chosen have names like Aurani?" He had more questions, but he went slow so they weren't forgotten. He then noticed the lump of half-chewed chicken on the table and tried to flick it off the table with his knife without anyone noticing. It wasn't so successful. He saw others look and start snickering. He just dug his fork into a pile of carrot slices and waited for the man across from him to answer the questions.

Tigara Kazim

Very Confused Dreadlord Acolyte

Pledging himself to the Great Lord. Being free from the taint. It all seemed surreal to him. For years, he was taught to oppose the Great lord, but now a grand turn of events. What fun he would have. He was taught that channeling was of the Dark One, and now he was doing it himself. He still felt grand urges to kill those Tar Valon witches, but they were no better than himself. They were also on his side, so he couldn’t really kill them with good reason now.

“Rasputin tries to make a point of meeting new arrivals to the Fortress where he can so that they know the basic rules.  The strictures are enforced seriously, without them this would not be a safe place for any to come. But, follow me."

“Yes Aurani Michael. What does Aurani mean, anyways?” he asked rather naively. He suspected he would be naïve for a while. They walked down the Halls. Tigara viewed some of the interesting tapestries on the walls, not that he had any clue to what they were.

They hurried past a handful of rooms with closed doors until they stopped in front of a large door. Michael stood in front of it and Tigara assumed he channeled somehow. The door opened and Tigara looked in to see this little cell of a room that was now his. Nothing but a bed, a dresser, and a closet. How meager.

"These will be your quarters, and you will only have light for it when you are able to weave your own.  As for clothing, we will take care of that tomorrow.  Now come, we will get you something to eat, I could use something myself."

Such small quarters. Now he was glad for his soldiering days. He was used to small quarters after a few months of it. And he had to channel all his own light? “Probably the first thing I’ll be taught.” He thought to himself. He followed the man down further to the dining hall. He saw many others eating at the tables, eating human food. They went over to the kitchens and Tigara was relieved to see that the cook was a human. After hearing some gleeman’s stories, he was expecting to have a Trolloc serve him dinner of who knows what out of a giant cauldron. He picked out an assortment of food, some chicken(because he could be sure that it wasn’t human), some potatoes, and extra helpings of assorted veggies. They helped keep his figure slim and it was not anything a Trolloc would eat. The veggies had to be safe.

He followed Michael over to a large collection of clay mugs, they were quite cute and looked well made. He grabbed one and dipped it into a barrel of crystal clear water as the other man did. He found a bench across from Michael and sat down and began cutting into the chicken.

"So, it seems I'm stuck with you.  What can you tell me about yourself?" Michael said as Tigara stuffed a drumstick into his mouth.

“Hmm, well, I grew up in the streets of Tanchico with my sister. My parents and older brother both died while I was young. As we got older, we fled to Amador and I joined the Children of the Light. My sister became a secretary to a Questioner, so we were together.” He stuffed another drumstick into his mouth and resumed talking around the bone. “I was patrolling a town and suddenly got lost and ended up making a light to see. The other patrolmen recognized what I did and attacked and I lost my hand. Now I have a wooden one.”  He lifted his stiff oak right hand up to show him. It had been well painted, so it look somewhat real at a glance, but looking close you could easily tell it was fake. “After I got away, I came here. As for about me, I have some skill in sword, but it’s nothing special. I like cats, but not dogs. I like ladies, and they tend to like me.“ he chuckled then grinned. The suddenly a thought came to mind. “Say, if the Aes Sedai are supposed to pull strings on the thrones of the world, how come the Shadow doesn’t rule the world already?” It was a sincere question, and to him, it was very logical. Aes Sedai were all Darkfriends, so why didn’t the Shadow rule the World?

Tigara Kazim

Dreadlord Acolyte.

Melianna smirked at the Cairheinin woman that snuck in. They had met before at the Green Ajah Tea Party. A very sly person, if she recalled correctly. Of course, all Cairheinin were like that. It seemed like last time they met, she had wanted to play a game as well. She had an agenda alright.

She stopped her dancing and went over to Miya, who was offering to play Truth or Dare. She had played it before with sailors. She amused herself by always picking Truth for long times then randomly putting a Dare in and then they would get all excited. That's the main reason she knew all those baudy songs that any Lugarder would be ashamed to know. It was also the reason she never sang in the Tower.

"I'll play." she said calmly. Hmm, what could she get these girls to do when Estel Sedai showed up. She started grinning so big she thought her face must be in two.

Melianna

Goody-two shoes.

First, do you forsee any situation where your character is going to actually try and take advantage of being part of the Royal Mayener line, or is this just a way for you to make him more interesting?

It was just to give me a history basis and to make him more interesting. In no way will I attempt to take the Throne. :D He actually has a better claim to the Sun Throne, but he won't. He hates heavy responsibility. ;D

Second, if he is part of a family that it that far removed from the Throne, do you really think the surname of Paendrag would still be attached to them?  It seems to me like, if they are that far removed, at some point in that line one of the direct descendants would have been female and so the surname would have changed.  The main reason I mention this is because the Paendrag family of Mayene claims direct descent from Hawkwing, and with the Seanchan coming back to the world, we don't need any descendants of the High King running around.

Lady Nobles tend to keep their last names if their House is more powerful than their husbands. House Paendrag is the ruling House, so any noblewoman marrying out of it would certainly keep the name. Morgase kept Trakand as her name even after marrying into a Cairheinin House. As for the Seanchan, it's not like he's going around flaunting it when they come around. He's smart and would kow the problems involved. The Seanchan also didn't mind Berelain running around, as long as she did not try to claim the whole land that was Artur Hawkwing's Empire. It shouldn't be a problem.

"Very well done, now release it."

The words shocked her. She was supposed to try this hard all to have it released? It seemed odd. She released it slowly until it finally it was all gone.

"Every female channeler when embracing the One Power glows with an unearthly light, and once trained enough you will be able to see this. This is how I know you were still embracing the One Power or not. Now, it takes time to develop a familiarity with the One Power. It is not a matter of demanding or controlling it, but embracing it, and allowing it to guide you as you in turn guide it to what you need or require of it. Now, try again. You will embrace and release the One Power Twenty One times before I am satisfied that you have a good sense of what you are doing."

So that was how they knew! Ever since being caught the first time, she had pondered how they knew. So she was glowing, was she? The thought of glowing amused her, she giggled and the Aes Sedai arched her eyebrow at her. “Odd to giggle at this time” she thought to herself. But now, to work on discipline. She embraced the Source the twenty one times, with almost as many failures as successes. Often the Nightingale appeared in front of the rosebud and threw off her concentration, but later it started changing into something different. She started seeing a small steel-green cube, with small holes on each side and on bigger hole on the top. Now what in the Light was that and why was see seeing it? She had never seen anything like it before in her life. How very odd.

"Not too tired?"

Of course she wasn’t! Well, she was slightly tired, but she wanted to learn, learn as much as humanly possible in this time. She shook her head vigorously, hair spraying across her face. “Not at all, Maegan Sedai.”

"Next is Control. You must be able to control everything you do in life and that includes the Source since from now on it well be a very big part to it. The technique we call Pushing and Pulling is the next thing you must learn. The objective is to touch the Source, and hold it, but hold it as far away from you as you can without releasing it. This will teach you discipline and help you to back off from the Source before you reach a level you can’t control. This will also help you when it comes time to learn linking but that lesson is for another class. Now close your eyes. I want you to picture your rosebud again. Once the light of the sun has hit it and it has opened, just hold yourself there."

She went into the exercise much quicker now. It was getting a little easier, but it still took a lot of concentration. Maegan started to give instructions while she was concentrating. The cloud came along and started covering the sun. The Source was slowly dwindling away from her, but it was still there. She could still feel the sweetness of it, feel the fullness of life, feel its addictive qualities. When Maegan said to make the cloud move away and start to fill up with the Source again, the cloud did not drift. The cloud just plain disappeared. The Source snapped back into her as full as usual, just with some recoil. She wasn’t really aware of it, but something told her that she had winced or spazzed or something of the sort.

“I am glad you chose to push it away when I told you, many girls won't do that when their first told and that will not be tolerated here. Other Aes Sedai know when you are holding the Source for any reason and if you are just holding it to feel the joy of it, which is addictive, that means you are weak of mind. If you cannot struggle against it then you don’t need to learn how to control it because in the end you will Still yourself or worse be burned out. I know you don't want that to happen, so be careful!”

Her cheeks lost color as she recalled that trip to the Mistress of Novice’s office. She certainly had no wish to repeat that trip, even at a half. Melianna would certainly not break that rule any time soon.

"Good, you understand. Now close your eyes and concentrate."

She went through the rest of the practice with relative ease. Well, at least she thought she did, until she noticed that she was breathing rather heavily.

“Let's take a little break."

“Thank you, Aes Sedai. I am feeling slightly tired.” She was much more tired than ‘slightly’ but she didn’t want the Aes Sedai to know. She would have to be hard and strong to be Aes Sedai, which meant she couldn’t show weakness.

"I read your essay, and I have to admit, i do not remember the name of the woman you mentioned. I remember every name that was ever written on the list, but perhaps younger Novices were not recorded quite so diligently. Isala Hollmen, you said? And you still carry the name Hollmen, do you not. History is a fascinating thing. What else did you learn?"

"About Isala? Very little that I didn't put in the essay. And I didn't see anything else in that book about my family. You see, Maegan Sedai, my Father is the last noble House traceable back to Caralain, a very large and powerful noble house back then. I pride myself in that, even if the country no longer exists. Maybe one day, it will be back." She replied in a very meek fashion. Aes Sedai liked meekness.

“Maegan Sedai, have you ever seen a small cube that looks like it’s made out of a steel green material. It has small holes on each side, and the top has a larger hole that looks made of glass. Have you ever seen anything like that?

Melianna

T&U

Melianna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her thoughts travelled to a single white rosebud, visualizing each petal curled up tightly. She pictured herself as the rose, held tight together. Then there was the sun, shedding it's warm rays upon the rosebud. The rosebud opened up slowly, and suddenly the Nightingale was in front of her. Why in the light was that there! She lost concentration.

"I'll try again, Maegan Sedai. I did it before, so I know I can do it." she said firmly. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes again. The rosebud was back, she was the rosebud. The sun was back, glistening in the sky. It was warm. Confortingly warm. She started to open to the sun and to feel it's warmth through her. It was there. She could sense the Source! It began to fill her, but not much. She was limiting herself. She knew how tempting it was to hold too much, and that was dangerous. Her sensed were much sharper with the Source. She could hear the other woman breathing, she could smell the grass beneath their feet.

"I did it, Maegan Sedai! I have the Source!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Melianna

Melianna's Requirements! ;D

1) Arrival/Meet Mentor - Rp where the Novice first meets Mentor/MoN/Roomates or all three. (May be seperate threads)

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,21625.0.html

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,23835.0.html

2) One OP Related RP - Min. 5 Posts. (This can be either Touching the Source or Intro To Saidar. Of which either Mentor, MoN or a designated Teacher may be contacted.)*

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,24471.new.html#new

(Still going)

3) Choice: Pick two of several choices.

- Homesickness - Min 5 posts - Adjusting to life in the Tower, your character reflects on missing home. (How does she deal with the loss of her family?)

- Chore RP - Min 5 posts. - A chore given by either an Accepted or Aes Sedai and must be completed.

- Lesson - Min 5 posts - Where your character learns something new. (Can be a class or something personal)

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,23110.0.html

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,23608.0.html

(still going)

- Recovery - Min 5 posts - Your character must deal with a minor/major set-back or loss and must find a way to deal with it. (Will she approach a fellow N&A, Mentor or anouther Aes Sedai?)

- Prankage! - Min 5 posts - You character has been involved in a prank of some kind! (How will you deal with it. Are you the prank-er or the prank-ee? Will you report this to the MoN?)

- Week in the Life - Min 5 Posts - Through reflection a PC will tell another PC about their average work week. (How do they cope with the grueling schedule? What sort of people do you meet? Chores or classes?)

- Open RP - Min 5 Posts - One RP with an Accepted Or Aes Sedai

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,22329.0.html

- Three Arches

*(If you are a returning member, this may be replaced by an Rp of your choice from option 3.)

*agrees strongly with Shan*

OoC: *poke poke*

Miya mentioned that see was from Arafel after Melianna said she was. Without the braids, it was hard to tell that she, herself, was Arafellan, being honey skinned. She could see the girl's excitement at her heritage. Suddenly, another novice came and snatched them up. The pulling spilled her wine onto her fresh clean white dress.

"Oh no! That will stain so badly!" she screamed in her head.

Appearantly the novice wanted her and Miya to dance with her. She half expected the girl to burst into the sa'sara in her drunken stupor. "Dancing is easy... here, copy me." Miya said as she started with a traditional Arafellan dance. So the girl thought she didn't know how to dance, did she? Melianna recalled an illustration in one of the Sea Folk books she had read during her free day that showed a Sea Folk dance. She began rolling her hips and swaying her arms in a fashion portraying being sea-bound. She did often dance on board her Father's ship.

Miya introduced her to the Saldean and the Saldean wanted to know how long she had been here. "Oh, I suppose it has been several monthes now."

"Hey, did either of you get to bring a horse with you when you came or did you both travel by boat too?"

"No, I got yanked into the Novice book while my father and I were delivering food to the kitchens. I never had the intention of becoming Aes Sedai until I was actually a novice." She still couldn't decide whether she was glad for Miri Sedai, or resentful.

Melianna

OoC: I assuming you are refering to me

IC: Another novice walked over to Melianna, sipping wine and looking slightly lost. A new novice, by the looks of her. She spoke so soft, she could hardly hear, something about getting in trouble. She extended her hand out and said her name was Miya, while asking for Melianna's name.

"My name is Melianna, of Arafel."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and held the stemmed goblet at the base of the cup. She was interested.

"Yes, I do believe that that Accepted will squeal if she gets cought doing this. If she does, I would love to be there to see it." That smile came back to her that said she knew something.

Melianna

Melianna sat in the corner, sipping her spiced wine. The grin on her face said that she knew something that the others did not. Was she going to tell them, not a chance. She just sat back and watched the fun begin, absentmindedly playing with her hair. Novices eating and drinking and mingling. Very cute.

Melianna

Novice

For the Sea Folk thing, I might find some other people to RP with, but if not, ièll just RP the family meeting and the studying alone with people I just use, then sheèll be absent for a while while I rp my other chars.

Once my novice is raised, she will go off to Tremalking to learn about her Sea Folk heritage and to study the female Choekan Dal. Then she will return to the Tower to study ter'angreal.

Tigara stepped through and gapped. The room was so dark, but the red just jumped out at you. Somewhat hard on the eyes, but definitly evil. He looked around and saw Michael looking at him amused. Probably at his own surprise. "He goes here all the time, I bet, and sees people like me act the same way all the time. Why is that amusing?" he thought.

"Greetings, Master Rasputin. When will I start my training, and who will train me? And where exactly are we?

Tigara Kazim

DM Handle:Tigara

Character Name(s):Melianna "Tsunami" Hollmen

Email Address: tigara@look.ca

MSN Messenger:sclub7fanatic@hotmail.com

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