CRYSTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

*comes out of no where and snuggle tackles*

Any of you still out there? Am I the only one? Any interested in starting a Civilian?

*hears the echo* Anyone?

Aliena didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse that she was to be given private lessons, but she knew it had to be because she could never pay attention in her classes. All of the novices whispering and giggling, the ANCIENT Aes Sedai that droned on and on, and the beautiful outside calling to her... pay attention was the last of her concerns. She had just barely passed her class on Etiquette that she recently completed, and really needed a class that would get her back into good standings with the Mistress of Novices. She had not been called to the office yet, but she knew that a visit was imminent should she fail another class.

Sliding down the Red Ajah Hallway, Aliena kept her head on the floor and prepared to curtsy any moment that someone walked by. While she had ventured the Brown Ajah Hallway to return a book to a generous sister, and she had also been down the Yellow Hallway to receive a poultice on an errand, she had yet to venture down these hallways. A few of the other novices were envious that she got to take private lessons and visit the Red Ajah, but Ali just hoped to make it out of there alive without thoroughly embarrassing herself.

Finding the right doorway after asking a stern looking sister, she knocked gently and waited to be told to enter. "Come!" Opening the door smoothly, Aliena stepped inside and curtseyed as soon as the door was shut, before looking up to take in the room. It was amazing. Ali had been mesmerized the first time she had seen her room, thinking it was a palace. Upon seeing other rooms like various offices and the library, she thought that only the truly blessed could live in such finery. This was so beautiful, she was scared to step in the wrong place for fear of disrupting the beauty. “Sit, Child.”

Aliena did as she was told, and sat down in a beautiful chair made of rich red fabric with gold trim. It was comfortable as well! She felt as though she had died and gone to heaven. Placing the journal that she had brought along for the lesson into her lap, she laid her hands on top, and smiled softly at the Aes Sedai. “Today’s lesson will cover the entirety of Aes Sedai history. It is an overview lesson, so we shall not go into the fine details, but will rather discuss the broader points. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. After we are done, I could schedule a more in depth lesson with you to cover any specifc era you would like. Alternatively, I could recommend you to another sister, perhaps a Brown, who can give you a more detailed lesson.”

Aliena nodded, and watched as Elin Sedai rose from her chair, and then weaved thin threads of Fire to heat the kettle. Ali was rather used to seeing most Aes Sedai filled with the power, but when she saw the beautiful red threads, it made her so envious. She was scared she would never even be able to warm a kettle, at the rate that her strength in Fire was slowly progressing. The room was soon filled with a fragrance of tea, and Ali smiled accepting a cup. It was rare indeed to take tea with an Aes Sedai, and Ali knew immediately that Elin Sedai could quickly become one of her favorites.

“Before we begin, do you have any questions of particular interest?”

Taking a small sip of her tea, Ali shook her head. "No, Aes Sedai. I am here to listen and learn whatever you think is most important for me to know." Taking the tea cup and resting it on the edge of the desk beside her, Ali pulled out her ink jar and lifted the lid. Setting that on the edge of the desk as well, she opened up her journal and pulled out a pen, ready to begin taking notes as soon as Elin Sedai began.

As Arath finished coming up the stairs, he shrugged. It didn't look as though he noticed her dress... She looked away from him so he wouldn't see her wince, and knew it was a stupid idea to hope that he would think her perhaps pretty. They had known each other far too long for her to expect him to notice she tried to clean herself up just because he was going to be spending a day around her. "Depends on how long you can stand me. Covai basically told me to come back when I wanted to. Don't think I want to push that limit, but ... we have at least a day." As long as they needed? May the Light bless Covai, he was such a good man to them both. She thanked the Creator that they would be given some time for him to be with her, and she immediately felt safer.

"So ... I don't suppose you've ever been to Mayene before?"

Raising an eyebrow, Michelle walked back into her room and went to pick up one of the books on her desk. She didn't know Geography and the countries as well as she should, and knew that over the past few days of reading, she had come across that name. Opening up one of the books, she saw it on a map, down in the south east. "Mayene?" she asked. "Do you mean down by the Sea of Storms? Like the country with acres of water?" She felt herself starting to get excited. The most water in one place she had ever seen was rivers which, while impressive, wasn't fields of water. "Are we going to see water?"

Arath gave her a grin, saying. "You know ... staying out of trouble. Mostly." Michelle had to laugh softly at that, knowing that she would probably rather not know what he had been up to. Their friendship would probably have to stick to a 'don't ask questions' basis, and she was fine with that. It just felt good to run into a familiar face. "I had an ... interesting situation I had to deal with, and you'd moved by the time I was able to get back to your inn. I can't imagine why, but the innkeeper wouldn't tell me where you'd gone."

Oh, that old woman was just trying to protect her. She hoped that Arath hadn't looked for too long, but given that he had gone back to the old inn looking for her, it made Michelle question whether or not this was a chance meeting. Going back to her don't ask policy, she simply smiled and was silently happy that they had found each other again, regardless of the circumstances.

Arath looked into her basket, and she showed him the fresh bread and the cheese. Perhaps he was hungry? There was more than enough for them to share her small meal. "You look busy now, but I think I promised to show you around the city. If you haven't already figured it out in the last few days that is ..." Of course Michelle had figured it out. The city was simple. There was the Inner City, with the beautiful walls, that housed the royalty and the more impressive places and sites. Then there was the rest of the city, which surrounded the Inner City. Michelle lived and worked in the northern area of the New City, which had the nicer establishments and better reputation. She tried to keep as close as possible to her apartment and work, knowing that the further away she ventured, the less respectable it was. She couldn't tell him that, of course.

"Caemlyn is such a large place, Arath. I find that if I venture too far from home, I am completely lost! Why don't you show me some of the beautiful sites of the city, and then we can share my lunch?"

Rushing to class like normal, Aliena slid to a halt as she made it into the classroom at just the right time. Slipping into her desk in the back row, she noticed a basked sitting on the front desk. All of the other girls were too busy giggling to notice anything, but Ali was already trying to figure out what was inside. She didn't have to wait long. “Good morning girls,” said Accepted Amadine, and Ali was already about to tune out. Oh goodie, another class of boredom...

“Today we are going to learn more about the nature of Saidar and what we can do with it.” Alright... that didn't sound SO bad. Just as long as it wasn't a class that sounded more like a warning about being an Aes Sedai than explaining what a blessing and how lucky they were all. Ali had to be honest with herself – it wasn't a right to be able to touch the One Power, it was a gift, but no one acted like it was! Most either considered it a curse, or else something they deserved.

“Saidar is made up of five elements, Water, Air, Fire, Earth and Spirit. Women are generally stronger in Water and Air, while men are reportedly generally stronger when working with Earth and Fire. The ability in Spirit is equal. Each element appears a different colour when pulled into a thread. Usually the colours are green for Water, blue for Air, brown for Earth, red for Fire and silver or white for Spirit. Some channellers see slightly different colours and now we will find out the combinations for you. Take up your pens and write down the colour you see for each element.”

Ali picked up her pen then glanced at the Accepted. Something was different about her. She looked more poised, and had the Aes Sedai glow... wait, there was a glow? It was like a burst of sunshine around her, but even... glowier... if that made any sense. “You just saw a glow around me didn’t you? From now on; you will see that glow around any woman who is holding Saidar. Don’t worry if you cannot see the glow yet, it will come soon enough.” Well, that would certainly turn out to be useful.

“First is Water.” [/color] Aliena watched as what looked like a thick piece of thread, a green with a heavy blue tint. Next came a blue as blue as the sky for Air, followed by a brown that had a hint of red for Earth, a hot red for Fire, and finally, a white with silver flecks for Air. It was beautiful, almost like poetry. There was no way, not with all the resources in the world, that she could replicate the beautiful colors she just saw. It was mesmerizing, and she wanted to create beautiful art with the threads.

The Accepted then pulled a bowl and a hankerchief from inside of the basket, and filled the bowl with water from a bottle. Ali watched her soak the hankerchief, and then hold it up, dripping wet. “Now I will use a weave of Water alone to dry out the handkerchief, watch carefully the way threads are combined.”

Slowly, Ali watched two blueish-green threads dance before her eyes, and intertwine, working their way through the hankerchief. Water began to run from the fabric, and within a few seconds, it was completely dry. “Now you will try.”

Looking down at her bowl filled with water, Ali didn't even know where to begin. How did she grasp the water? Filling herself with Saidar, Ali concentrated on the water in the bowls. Dipping her hankerchief into the water, Ali concentrated hard, imagining a thread of water before her. It took a few brief moments, but suddenly, the water was draining from the hankerchief. It was so easy! She never even knew it was possible! The water quickly refilled the bowl, and Ali thought she would faint.

Repeating the process, she tried to slow down and speed up the removal of the water, and had no struggle at all. She knew that females were supposed to have an easier time with Water and Air, but was it supposed to be this easy? She saw other girls struggling, but this almost felt as though she was doing it for years. She wanted to play more with the water thread, but knew she would have to wait until another time.

“This time I will use Air to lift the handkerchief from the table.” A beautiful thin wisp of sky blue danced in the air, and lifted the hankerchief. It floated there, and then began to whip back and forth as the Air commanded. “Now it’s your turn.”

Looking down at her hankerchief, Ali concentrated hard and pulled at the air around her, trying to form a thread. And nothing happened. Trying again, she then realized that this wouldnot be as easy as the water. No matter, if she had to work a little harder at Air, then he would do so. She shouldn't expect everything to be as easy as what must be her stronget element. Accepted Amadine had said that women were strongest in Water and Air, and it was clear that Air, she would just have to work at. No problem!

Trying again, Ali concentrated, feeling herself filled with the power. The thread formed slowly at first, but as soon as she caught it, the thread formed itself and picked up the hankerchief. Making it dance took a little while as well, but she got it and watched with delight at the power within her.

“Now remember, there is no channelling by any of you unless you are supervised by a Sister or an Accepted. If you feel you need some help you may approach me and if I have time between my own studies I will help you. Next week we will be working with Earth and Fire, but for today your lesson is done. Class dismissed.”

As Arath held her, Michelle warmed against him, smiling inwardly. There was nothing quite like the safety of his arms. She had never been all that close to anyone, and Arath had been the person she had hugged most in her life, but they often felt very tense, until recently. These hugs were a safety net, and a comfort. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him holding her the other day, and now, feeling his strength around her again, she felt safe. Safer than she had been for the past few days.

Arath pulled back from her, and she inwardly sighed. She could have spent the whole day feeling that safe, and now, she just felt cold and alone. She felt the cold of the metal against her neck, and knew that was why she could never put the ring on. She could never let him know how afraid she was, and how safe she felt around him. "I'll make you a deal. You, are going to sit down and eat that."

Michelle turned back at the plate, and turned back to him, sighing. That was more than even Arath would eat in a normal day, how was she supposed to choke it down when she hadn't been eating much recently?! "All of it." Sighing, she nodded, knowing there was no fighting with him.

"While you're busy with that, I'll go speak with Covai and inform him that I need a day off. However, if there's anything at all left on that plate..." He gave her a smile, and it felt as though her whole morning was brightened. There hadn't been a whole lot of smiling in the past few days, and she returned a small smile.

"A whole day off with me? Just you and me?" He agreed to a day of just the two of them, and then left to go talk to Covai. She watched him walk down the stairs, and then quickly shut her door and locked it. Once she heard him leave the house, she returned to her night table, and began to eat. It tasted so good, especcially compared to Arath's cooking, and her stomach felt stuffed by the time she was done. She had scarfed it all down in a matter of minutes, and now she just had to wait for Arath.

Given that it would take him a few minutes to come back from Covai's, she slipped out of her night dress and robe. Glancing into her wardrobe, she pulled out a simple blue dress that she had had back in Caemlyn. It had been her one nice dress, and she hadn't worn it often, although it was rather simple. A Caemlyn cut, she hoped to look somewhat nice that day, instead of looking as depressed as she felt. Glancing in her mirror, she saw that her eyes were red and puffy, and she attempted to wash them with the cold water that was in the wash basin. Her hair she brushed back quickly, and then sat to await for his return. She noticed in the mirror the ring around her neck, and she fingered it again for a moment, thinking about putting it on.

Hearing the door to the house open up again, Michelle went to her door, and unlocked it and peeked out. She saw Arath coming up the stairs, and opened the door all the way, and gave him a small smile. He was actually going to spend the whole day with her... It was what she needed more than anything. Looking down at her dress, she gave him another smile as he came closer. "So? Are you going to spend the day with me?"

Knock Knock Knock "Michelle, will you please come out? I promise no one else is here." Knock Knock Knock "Come on, your food is getting cold!"

Michelle buried her face into her pillow again, wishing that Arath would just leave her alone. She didn't want to eat. She just wanted sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. It had been 5 days since the attack in the woods, and she was still not leaving the house. She wouldn't even leave her room if Arath wasn't there, and if someone else was in the house, she just laid there and cried. She didn't want to be vulnerable again, and the only safe place was at Arath's side and in her room... she hoped.

Knock Knock Knock

She jumped out of the bed and went to open it, a startled Arath on the other side holding a plate. It smelled like a wonderful breakfast from Covai's inn, and she felt her stomach rumble. Although she wouldn't admit it, she was absolutely starving, and needed a good meal. Arath had attempted something, and she was certain her kitchen was destroyed, so she had been eating very little, save what he brought from the inn.

She took the plate, and stared at him for a moment. His eyes were at her chest, staring at the chain around her neck. He had made it for her the day after the attack, a simple silver chain to match the ring that she wouldn't wear. She noticed that his matching ring was still on his finger, and she almost went to play with the ring at her neck. It had become a habit, and she couldn't stop thinking about how it had felt, feeling him through the bond of the ring. She had only tried it on the one time, and had no plans of doing it again anytime soon, but she couldn't stop thinking about it.

What if she was wearing it while they shared a laugh? Or perhaps when she gave him a warm smile? What if she was wearing the ring when he visited a city, and happened to see a beautiful woman? What if she was wearing it and he was injured while practicing? The what ifs were a mile long, and she wasn't ready to handle his emotions if they didn't match hers... Especially when she had no idea what her emotions were to begin with.

"Thank you," she whispered, and took a step into the hallway and looked back and forth. Tai's door looked to be closed, and she heard no noise from it, meaning he wasn't home. Taking a few steps back into her room, she set the plate down on her bedside table and laid back down in the bed and curled up under her blanket. Arath took two steps inside, and she shifted in the bed to be sitting up slightly, and they looked at each other for a second.

Arath looked ready to go into the training yard, and she had to hold back tears. All he had seemed to do since the attack was work and work and work. She had spent the past few days sewing and reading books from his collection. It made the days drag even longer, and she wished he could just spend the day with her. He should spend the day with her. The Farm wouldn't crumble without him for a day, or even just a morning, and they could Travel back quickly should anything happen. She didn't know quite how she felt about Traveling again, as she didn't want to feel the One Power around herself, but Traveling was somehow different.

Arath looked as though he was going to leave and head to work, but Michelle couldn't spend another day locked up in the room. Jumping up from the bed, she rushed to him, and as he turned around to face her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, burying her face against his chest. "Please, don't go Arath. I am going insane inside this house. Spend the day with me, please."

Michelle felt Arath leaving the room, and she relaxed, glad to finally have peace. She just wanted to sleep for days, and cry until everything was better... if it ever got better. But Arath didn't leave the room, and she felt him grab her hand. She pulled against him, telling him to leave her alone, but he grabbed it anyways and forced a cool piece of metal into her hand. It felt like a ring. She looked up and saw that it was indeed a ring, that looked almost white. Why was he giving her a ring? Oh Light, was he proposing?!

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I'd never do anything without your permission though. I have another option for you though. You don't have to accept it, but at least this way there isn't any channeling." Oh Gods, what was going on. Why was she holding a ring? Why was he wearing a ring just like the one in her hand. She jerked her hand away, still holding the ring, but didn't slide it onto her finger.

"This will have some of the same effects. Not quite as effective, but it would be your choice. You could take it off whenever you wished ... or you can just ignore it entirely. It's up to you." Michelle looked down at the ring in her hand for a moment, and closed her grip around it. So he wasn't proposing. Thank the Light... she thought. Why had she assumed that was the purpose of the ring?

"Get out," she whispered, and laid back down on the bed, the ring held tightly in her hand. She heard him leave the room, and then began to study the ring. She was scared to death - Arath had said that through the bond, they would feel each other. What did that mean? Was it a trick perhaps? Was this the power at work? There was only one way to find out, and she slid the ring onto her finger.

It was insane. Unbelievable. She could tell where he was. It wasn't like a map in her head that pointed at a location, or a tug at her to follow him, but she just... sensed where he was. And she could tell, something was bothering him. She slid the ring off her finger after about 10 seconds. She couldn't handle it right then. She needed sleep. And she fell asleep, the ring held tightly in her grasp.

You are doing a class, which in my eyes, is awesome! Thank you!

It used to be a VERY long time ago, there was a huge list of classes that were written with NPCs. They got lost somewhere along the way, and Amadine was wonderful and posted a list of class ideas, so that's where I got my ideas for this list from.

So I recently had my big return to DM, and I am trying to find all of my old characters and write them again... Anyone still about around here? I found my old bio, and I didn't get to write her much, sooo yeah! Hi?

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/6667-approved-wk-bio-skylar-ccd-by-fl-soulsuckers-rarrr/

LOL Myrenna, I just copied all the classes I wanted her to take, and thank you for the Geography class!

"You're safe in the house. I have protections placed on it that let me know instantly if anyone channels at the house, or if anyone other than you, Tai, or Aria comes in or out. I'd be here within seconds." Michelle gave him a half smile, glad to at least know that the house was safe... but did that mean she would never leave again? Would she spent her life looking out the window and forever scared to take a step outside without Arath up in arms?

"There ... is another thing I could do, though I don't know if it's a good idea ... especially right now. Do you know anything of bonding?"

She looked at him with an odd look, wondering what bonding had to do with keeping her safe. "Like ... a sibling bond? Or what?"

"No ... I mean ... Like the link between an Aes Sedai and her Warder." What in the light was he talking about? Of course Aes Sedai had a.... well he could call them a warder if he wanted, a man that protected the woman, but what did it have to do with bonding? They would have to bond over the campfire eventually if they traveled together! "It's a thing of the Power. A link between two people so that they can ... feel each other. They can always find each other, and know if the other is safe, or in danger. If you want ... I can do that. Create a link between ... us."

Michelle tightened her grip on his hand for a second, and felt herself go white. Dropping his hand, she sat up and stared at him in shock. "You would... you would use the One Power on me? After... what's happened?" She wasn't going to think about him... she wasn't going to think about the man... the image of his dead body on the ground brought an involuntary tear to her eye, and she looked away from him, trying to hide it.

"No." she said quietly. "NO!" she yelled at him, repeating herself. "You will never use the One Power against me Arath Faringal. Now get out!" she yelled, and buried her face into the pillow on his bed. It smelled like him, which made her cry even harder, and she prayed he would just leave her alone. How could he ever even suggest to use the One Power on her?

Yayyyyyy, well the list is actually separated for me, because the first half (Survival and up) is what I want to take as an Accepted and the second half (Old Tongue and Down) is what I want to take as a Novice. Given that I am still a Novice, I will gladly take Old Tongue, Etiquette, or History of Aes Sedai! Whichever is your choice! Thank you!

Is there any Accepted or Aes Sedai that would be willing to teach Intermediate and/or Advanced Saidar? I am also looking for a class for each of the 5 elements.

And, on the subject of classes, I am looking to have my Novice taking these classes:

Advanced Saidar

Air Weaves

Earth Weaves

Fire Weaves

Spirit Weaves

Water Weaves

Borderlands

Healing Herbs

Philosophy

Survival

Old Tongue

Story Telling

Costumes & Customs

Intermediate Saidar

Dance

Etiquette

Intro to Saidar

History of Aes Sedai

Geography

Arath did as she asked, and came to sit in the chair beside the bed. He stared at her, and she stared back. She wished she was still in his arms, but she did feel safe at least knowing that he was beside her. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her... he had promised. "I can stay for a while. But I'll need to go ... take care of something soon. But I'll wait with you until you fall asleep."

Michelle nodded, knowing he was a busy man. He had other people to worry about and care for than just her. It didn't hurt her feelings that other things were important, but she did wish that he would just spend the rest of the day with her and protect her. How could she have spent two weeks on the Farm and just carried on as if nothing was wrong. She was in danger the whole time....

Seeing Arath's hand resting on his knee, Michelle reached out and grabbed it, and held it tightly. He stiffened for a second, but Michelle wouldn't let go. She let her eyes closed and laid there on her side, simply holding his hand. She didn't want him to leave, but knew she had no right to ask him to say. "Arath, what about next time?" she whispered. "What about the next one that goes crazy? What about if..." she couldn't bring up the idea of him going crazy. She needed him, and they were just starting to open up to each other again for her to lose him. "... if someone attacks the house while you are gone?"

As Aliena slid into her desk chair, she noticed that she was one of the last to slip into the room. Accepted Amadine was just finishing up writing a long list of names upon the board. Ali quickly tuned out and began to stare out the window again. She could just barely make out the trees in the distance, and she ached to run barefoot over a nice green patch of grass. She needed to feel the sun shining down on her skin, and to smell the beautiful flowers around her. Channeling Saidar would allow her that feeling again, but of course, there were rules...

A gasp across the room brought Ali back to the real world, and she began processing to try and remember what she hadn't really heard. Something about burning herself out. Oh lovely, the Accepted was scaring the children again. “They burned the ability to embrace Saidar right out of themselves. In most cases they drew too deeply on the One Power, or they tried to walk alone, channelling without supervision, trying to advance too quickly.” Oh goodie, this was going to be about horror stories. She wanted to channel again, not hear warnings about channeling. Why teach them to do something they weren't allowed to do? Ach, these Aes Sedai and Accepted were so weird.

“Maighen Trehoid was a Novice here in the Tower when I first arrived. She had completed her initial Saidar training and thought she knew better than the Aes Sedai who had taught her. She attempted to draw on Saidar on her own, in her room, in the Novice Quarters. She drew far too much Saidar, so much that she was unable to control it; she was unable to let it go. An Accepted who was passing by heard Maighen’s scream and then found her unconscious on the floor in her room. Catha Sedai of the Yellow Ajah was unable to Heal her, nor to awaken her. And a week later when Maighen finally awoke, she could no longer channel, she could not even sense Saidar. She left the Tower and went back to her Mother in Whitebridge.”

That made even Ali shudder a little bit. There was no way she would ever go back to her mother. No way she was going to leave this tower and give up the power. She wasn't stupid enough to push her luck. The Wheel had turned fortunately for her in that she got to come here, and she was taking no chances at being sent away.

"The rest of today’s lesson is about control. Not only of yourself, but also of Saidar. For an Aes Sedai, control will be a vital part of everything you do. As the One Power becomes a larger part of your life, it is essential that you learn control how to it. The most widely used technique for controlling the Source is called ‘Pushing and Pulling’. The objective is to embrace and hold the Source, but hold it as far away from you as you can without releasing it. This discipline will help you to back off from the Source before you reach a level you cannot control. This will also help you when it comes time to learn linking in your Accepted studies."

"I want you all to close your eyes and imagine you are the rosebud. Feel the warmth of the sun on the petals, feel it fill you and just hold yourself there." As Amadine watched the glow of Saidar sprang up around each of the Novices, to begin with it flickered, and then solidified as each girl held firm to the Source. “Now imagine that a cloud is passing between you and then sun, and as it does push the Source away from you, maintain you contact with Saidar but feel how it is distant. Now as the cloud moves away, pull Saidar back to you fully and feel the warmth again. Now remember this is a gradual movement, if you pull the One Power back to yourself too quickly it will hurt.”

Aliena, who thought the rosebud idea was still a stupid one, breathed calmly in and out before closing her eyes. She rested her arms across the top of her desk, and tried to ignore the sounds of rustling about the room and mumurs of girls talking to themselves. She cleared her head, and thought only of a rosebud. She imagined it, curled up tight, and then, opening up slowly. She suddenly felt the light of Saidar as the power became hers, and she almost lost it at the sudden change in her feelings. Grasping onto it for a few moments, she took a few deep breaths in and out.

Licking her lips slightly, Ali concentrated on the way that the sunlight reflected on the petals. She felt the warmth and the brightness, and then attempted to tone it down. It was a sharp twist, and she almost lost the power, and then jerked back to hold onto it, and she felt the air knocked out of her. Loosing hold completely, she had to grip onto her desk for a moment, before trying again. She would have to slow it down a whole lot more if she was going to get pushing and pulling.

Closing her eyes again, she grasped the power. It was becoming easier and easier each time to fill herself with Saidar, and she then tried to let some of it out. For half a second, it felt as though the life was draining out of her, an then it happened... it was slowly glowing dimmer, and then becoming brighter. Back and forth. She tried to let it out as much as possible, and almost lost it, before pulling in more and more, until it almost scared her. She let it back out and held it at a normal place, and tried to open her eyes. Everything looked clearer, and the sky outside was a bluer blue. She picked up her pen, and began to draw as she held the power, and she almost dropped her pen in shock. Even that seemed clearer... her pen strokes more defined. It was just too amazing.

“You have done well today. I shall see you again next week, do not forget your essays. Class dismissed.”

Ali slid from her chair after letting go of the power, and rushed out of the class room, dieing to hold the power again. Perhaps she should go ask the Yellow Sisters if they would watch her holding the power while she sketched some of the flowers for them, or even if the Brown sisters would watch while she copied over images. It was too great of an experience to resist.

Seeing Arath leaning up against a wall, Michelle had to smile. Well, what was he doing here? It wasn't the most expensive market in Caemlyn, but it certainly also wasn't the cheapest. He looked rather good in his brown shirt which, she noted, was new. He had said before that he only had one shirt... had he bought it because of her? He took look a little dirty, but she knew he was probably much more comfortable now than he had been, say, a week ago when all of his clothing was held together by dirt.

Realizing she had stopped when she saw him, Michelle continued to walk, and allowed herself to be carried slightly towards the wall. He looked up as she came closer, and she gave him a warm smile. Stepping out of the road and up against the same wall that Arath leaned against, she daintily touched his shirt. She had to keep from laughing at the fact that it was the same color as dirt, and she knew that she had to have had some influence over his color choice. It wasn't bad, though, and she was happy to know that she had made a positive change in someone's life.

"Fancy seeing you here. How have you been, Arath?"

Six years in this blasted tower already... There were girls who had arrived after Aliena, and they were already Accepted! And some of the girls who she had been a Novice with were already Aes Sedai! This class would be no different, as Auriane had been her neighbor as Novices. Only a few months ago, they were giggling over hot chocolate, and now, Auriane was her teacher. What a twisted turn of fate this was...

Floating down the hallway, Ali took her time, no longer worried about constantly rushing back and forth, unless of course there was an Aes Sedai nearby. Perhaps it did take her much longer to get anywhere, but she saw no point in rushing about as though Lanfear herself was on her tail. Ali tsked herself for even thinking such a thought, and continued to calmly walk down the hallway, keeping her eyes open for any Aes Sedai, or Light forbid, the Mistress of Novices. Her feet ached too badly from a night of scrubbing pots for her to rush anywhere.

Seeing Auriane running towards her, Ali quickly stepped into the classroom and took the only empty chair. Auriane, or Accept Auriane, as she should get used to, swept into the room, and calmed it quickly. Ali felt pride for her old friend in how quickly she recovered, and she couldn't help but to home that she would have that sort of presence when she became Accepted... if she became Accepted.

Sitting back in her desk, Ali had to chastise herself for going to pick up her pen. She couldn't afford to spend another class, drawing away, while the world continued on without her. She had already taken geography two years before, and failed miserably, and she wasn't doing THAT again! Eventually, the Accepted began to speak, and Ali attempted to give her attention.

“Good afternoon, girls. I trust you all had a good morning and are ready to learn. I appreciate that you all come from very diverse backgrounds. In the Tower, it is not surprising for a farmhand to stand above a princess. In this lesson, we will begin from the very beginning, and over the next weeks we will build up from there. Welcome to Geography.”

Auriane began to walk down the aisle of Novices, towards Ali, and Ali's fingers burned to pick up a pen. Clenching her fingers into her hand, she tried to pay attention. Light, she loved to learn, but how could she ever find classes so boring and dull?! “Simple geography is the study of both the physical land and its inhabitants. Of course, the subjects we will study can be studied in much more depth and really should not necessarily be grouped together when studied properly. However, this is an introductory class, so, as I have already stated, we are studying merely the basics. I hope you are listening intently.”

Ali finally allowed her fingers o pick up her pen, and sprawled across the top of her parchment GEOGRAPHY. Underneath, she scribbled out what geography was, and then prayed that her fingers would be content with that usage of the pen. She tried to not think about flowers and beautiful scenery, but it was hard to concentrate, especcially given she had taken this class before.

“My name is Auriane Feidwyn and I was raised on a farm in the Black Hills. Some of you will know exactly what that means, others of you may not even know where it is. The Black Hills are a wilderness, mostly uninhabited and not contained by any monarch’s borders. In the White Tower, I have gained in twelve years what some of you learned as children.”

Ali loved that she and Auriane shared that... not being raised in conventional manners and not knowing as much about the world as most five year olds. It was why she had wanted to take this class with her. "As you can see, the Black Hills are very close to Tar Valon, yet it is an incredibly simple area. We will learn in this class why such contrasts occur even in the closest proximities.”

“Now, I want each of you to come up to the front of the class and point to your birthplace. I want you to tell the class why this area is unique, in your opinion and explain its significant traits, economically, politically and geographically. If any of you wish to give feedback on the speaker, do not hesitate to raise your hand.”

And so, the girls began. Ali listened to each girl talk about her homeland, and she forced her fingers to write, and draw, what the girl described. Some sounded like they lived in the same location, but were on opposite ends of the world. Others sounded completely opposite, but were only a day's ride apart. When it finally came to Aliena's turn, she walked slowly to the front, and pointed just in between Caemlyn and Four Kings.

“Hello, my name is Aliena Halinor. I am originally from Carysford. It is a rather small village, and our economy is based mainly upon the trade routes from both the Caemlyn Road and from the River Cary, which is the center location of our village. We are underneath Caemlyn, of course, and given that we have a river nearby, the land around Carysford is rich farming soil.”

Seeing a nod from Auriane, she returned to her seat, and listened to the rest of the girls. Once they were all finished, Auriane returned to the front of the room, and Ali finally allowed her fingers to draw one small flower. “Now, for our next class, I want you to write at least two sentences covering the main points each girl has told you about her homeland. That includes mine. If you have been listening and taking notes, this will be an easy task. If not, it will teach you to do so next time. Diligence is paramount in the White Tower.”

Ali looked up in shock. Thank the Light she was paying attention! She packed up all of her papers quickly, knowing that given her luck, she would lose them all before she even made it home. This homework assignment would be simple! “You are dismissed.” Excited, Ali hurried to her room, and began the assignment. She still had half an hour before her next class, and she wanted to get the assignment done as soon as possible.

It had only been 5 days, but Michelle's feet were begining to ache, and her hands stiff. While she had hoped to come to Caemlyn and find A job, she hadn't expected to find two. Both of the kitchens that had offered her to show her stuffed had liked her work, and so, in the mornings she was baking breads, and in the afternoon, she was decorating cakes and cookies and all sorts of desserts. She was enjoying all of the work, and loved the pay, but her feet had been throbbing the past two days after not being able to get off of them, and her hands were sore from having to constantly be steady and working various doughs. Even one job would have been exhausting, but this was almost too much for her to bare.

Thankfully, in all of that time of working, she had also found a place to live. The owner of the cake shop had a daughter that rented out rooms to young ladies of standing that had come to Caemlyn to study. There were numerous rules, and Michelle wasn't exactly of noble blood, but the owner had made an exception, given her jobs and the fact that she had the money. It was a tad pricey, but Michelle was glad to have the added security. She was even lucky enough to have a room with a small balcony, and the building itself had quite a library and sitting room.

Her first day off since arriving in Caemlyn, Michelle stopped by the bakery she worked at to pick up a small loaf of bread. She knew there had been a few left over from the previous day, and then made her next stop in the market. Selecting a beautiful cheese, which she added to her basket, she then found a fruit vendor, and picked out a few apples. Smiling, she made her way back to her appartment, ready to spend the day off of her feet and enjoying her small feast. That was, until, she ran into someone she hadn't seen in a few days...

"I know ... I'm sorry." Arath held her tightly, and Michelle closed her eyes and burried her face against his chest. She just stayed there, finally starting to feel safe. Arath was strong enough to snap her in two, but all he was doing was holding her. "I came as soon as I could find you. I didn't know where you were." She had been screaming for all her worth. How could he not know where she was?

"You know I'd never hurt you." Michelle nodded as he hugged her tighter, and she relaxed against him, trying to stop thinking about what had just happened. She was too tired from struggling to keep crying and being upset, and at that point, she just wanted to fall asleep forever. Staying in Arath's arms, however, was a close second. How could she have been so foolish as to think that he would actually hurt her. "You know that, right?" Even if he was a channeling man...

Shifting herself to be closer in his arms, she rested her head on his shoulder and just layed there against him. She felt safer there, as though he could protect her better when she was in his arms. There would be no more sword practicing... it was clear they were pointless. She wouldn't be venturing to Covai's Inn anymore. She wouldn't be going for walks about the farm, or even just going outside to try and start a garden. She would never leave this house again unless she absolutely had to, and even then, she would be attached to Arath.

After a few minutes of laying there in silence, Michelle sat up and tried to wipe the dried tears from her eyes. She knew they had to be horribly red and puffy, and her entire head was throbbing. At this point, all she wanted was to sleep. Struggling to get up from where she had sat, Arath had dropped his arms and she looked down at him for a moment, before whispering, "Thank you."

Walking over to his bed, too tired and upset to move any more, she kicked off her boots and laid down on his bed. Pulling the blanket over herself, she curled into the fetal position. Michelle could hear Arath standing up, and she feared him leaving. "Please, don't go."

Arath kept calling through the door, asking her to open, but Michelle would have none of it. She wouldn't open the door just to be used and hurt like the man in the clearing had tried. For years, she had not trusted men, and after Arath left, she avoided them at all cost. She should have never trusted men to begin with, and she certainly wasn't going to ruin herself now by trusting him again. She had to leave this place. That was her only option.

"Michelle, please. Let me in. I'm not going to hurt you." His words sounded so genuine, as though he really cared. But, he had left her and hurt her before. He would do it again. "GO AWAY!!!" she yelled back, and thumped her closed fist on the door to make sure he understood she wanted to be alone. Crying harder, she wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face into her knees. She realized for the first time that her shirt was ripped slightly from where the man had grabbed her, and she just cried harder. She would never ever let another man touch her.

Looking up, she saw that Arath had traveled into the room, and she shriked again. How could he use the Power in front of her after she just had it used against her? He truly did want to hurt her. Michelle kicked at him, and he then fell beside her and pulled her against him. She felt suffocated and so helpless and defenseless. She just wanted to run and hide in the back of her closet for days, but Arath wouldn't let go of her. She tried pushing him away, punching him, scratching, anything that would get him off of her, but he wouldn't let go. He kept whispering into her ear and she tried to block him out. His words would only be lies.

Eventually giving up, she collapsed in a heap against him, too tired to fight anymore. If he was going to hurt her, she had no fight left to give. A few more tears fell down her cheeks as she laid her head against his chest, and her eyes began to feel as though they were out of tears. Sobbing softly, she whispered, "He tried to.. to take advantage of me. How could he do that, Arath? And how could you let him? Where were you? I called for you, and you... you weren't there!"

"I certainly wouldn't mind having my clothes back on ..." Laughing, Michelle tossed him his clothes, and stared at him, eyebrows raised. Arath figured out quickly that she wasn't giving him any privacy, as she was interested in seeing the scar again. He got dressed quickly and she got a peak of it. How had he gotten such a scar? That would be a question for another day.

"I ... guess I'll see you around then. I have some things I need to do tomorrow, but after that ... I can show you the city. I guess I know where you're staying, so I can come find you. I'm a little harder to track down ... hopefully." Michelle returned the smile, and then pulled him into a hug. He stiffened against her completely, and she had to hide her smile as she pulled away from him.

"I am so glad I got to meet you Arath. Any time you are nearby, please, come visit me. I truly am not that hard to find."

"Nah ... I'm not much for horses. I've never really left the city much, but I'm fine with that. I just don't think I'd be much of a tour guide. I'll show you what I can though." Michelle thought about the possibility of them maybe leaving the city together then. It wasn't healthy to stay in a city for so long without getting a breath of fresh air every once in a while. "What kind of things would you want to see? There's a little bit of everything in this city."

Michelle thought about it for a moment, but knew that she just wanted to see a bit of everything. "Well, I guess we can go wherever you would like to go. I have never really seen a city before, even though I lived in Lugard. There were far too many thieves for me to go too far away from home." She thought about her words and had to stiffle a small laugh at how things had turned out.

Jumping up from the bed, she felt his clothes to see they were almost dry. "Your clothing is almost dry. If you are in a rush to get out of here, you can leave..."

Michelle held tight to Arath as he gently rocked her back and forth, and she tried to stop her crying. After a while, he just held her, and she just held on tight, not wanting to open her eyes or speak. She felt him stand up with her still in his arms, and then felt the empty feeling of going through a gateway. She suddenly felt like she was on a soft surface and let go of Arath, looking around to see that she was in her room. "Hey ... it's okay now. I told you I wouldn't let anyone hurt you." Michelle nodded, remembering his promise to protect her, and held tight onto his hand as he knelt beside her. She couldn't think about what had just happened. That man... he was going to take advantage of her.

"I know..." she whispered, trying to not cry out again. "I just didn't think you were coming." The fat tears began to roll down her cheeks again, and then she realized where she was. She was in a room, on a bed, with Arath, and he could channel. Staring at him for a second, she dropped his hand and rolled over the bed to the other side, screaming for all her worth. She couldn't stay here with a channeler, and she wouldn't let anyone touch her ever again. She rushed out of the room, down the stairs, and straight into his bedroom, locking the door behind her. Sinking down against it, she cried.

After a few moments, she could hear Arath outside of the door, knocking gently and calling her name. She tried to stop crying long enough to tell him to go away, but she could only cry harder. How could she trust Arath when someone like him had channeled against her? Arath had held her in bonds before... what if he decided one day to take her against her will? The ideas only made her cry harder as she tried to tell herself that Arath would never hurt her. But, how could she really trust him? He was, after all, a male channeler.

"Go away," she yelled out hoarsely. "I don't need your pity or protection. You male channelers are all the same, and I won't let you touch me!"