There was a slight breeze that carried the scent of musky sweat as Aithne stood in awe at the gates of the tower grounds. She gave a start as someone gently tapped her on her shoulder. She had been so amazed by the Tower that she never heard the guard speaking. Meekly, she turned to him and tried to mumble her instructions. He smiled warmly at her and nodded as if he understood her completely.

 

He turned an gestured at a younger guard. "Another one for the Tower, see that she gets there," he gruffly barked out the orders. The boy quickly scurried over to her, but did not offer any smiles or greetings. "This way miss," he said in an almost exaggerated commanding tone.

 

He held out his hand and Aithne just stared at him, baffled. His eyes went to her pack of belongings and she blushed and handed it over to him. She was already feeling very foolish.

 

He led her through a series of well manicured gardens and a pond filled with colorful fish she had never seen before. She could only gaze in awe at the world around here. "I'm going to live here," she thought to herself.

 

Finally he led her up to a door with the intricately carved teardrop symbol of the Aes Sedai. "I cannot lead you any further. I'm not allowed inside the Tower," the boy told her. He offered her up a small bow and quickly scurried off.

 

Gingerly she opened the doors and peered inside. Once again, she gaped in wonder at the beautiful architechture. She also did not know where to go. She walked a few steps and looked around, hoping to find someone who could tell her where this Mistress of Novices was located.

Countless times Faerzyne Grigory had glanced at the sun already, and before the day had ended, countless more times would be added to that. She sighed softly, and inclined her head a little, causing the little bells attached to her braids to tingle softly. Yet even the bells sounded a bit weary, as if they too suffered from a lack of sleep. The Mistress of Novices stifled a yawn, and turned her attention on the book of Novices again. Everything was recorded in there, after all. Everything that mattered at least. Last night another Accepted had ventured into the rings, and passed through them free of everything she had been before she became who she was now. In her fine handwriting Faerzyne made a note of the raising in the book of Novices. Today the girl would choose her Ajah, and her fate would become truly entwined with that of the Tower. Her choice was no secret to Faerzyne, the way very little that happened among the novices and accepted of the White Tower was a secret to her.

 

She closed the big book after she was done. The book looked a little old, but the preservation wards that were set on it worked well. It seemed as though it would never get full. Faerzyne had once paged through it, and found her own name, as well as that of the Mistress of Novices before her. It was interesting to learn how long some of her sisters had been here, and how long they had taken to get themselves raised. Wistfully Faerzyne peered at the sun again, only to find that it hadn’t moved a bit. The day was still young, and she would be tired and aching by the time it was done. Not that the work of the Mistress of Novices ever truly ended. There were wards on the door to the office that told her people were waiting in front of it. The wards would wake her, even if someone tried to sneak in when the night was at it’s darkest.

 

Just as she thought of the wards, a tingling sensation crept over her skin, telling her that someone was about to knock on her door. Soon enough the sound of knocking followed. The sound of a knock often told her a lot about who wished to enter. This was the hesitant knock of someome who came to her with a request. Faerzyne took a moment to school her expression into something a little less depressing than the look of fatigue she had had. “Enter.†She said, her voice calm and low as usual. The door opened as she channelled a thread of air to it. To whomever entered it might seem as magic. The young woman was dressed in clothing that suggested she was not of the Tower. Yet. Things might change soon. “My name is Faerzyne Sedai. I am the Mistress of Novices at the White Tower. How may I help you?â€

 

~Faerzyne Grigory

Mistress of Novices

Aithne stood at the entrance for what seemed like hours (although it had only been a few minutes). She saw liveried servants scurry by from time to time, but they were always in too much of a hurry for her to grab their attention. Well, she wasn't really trying that hard either. She did not want to seem like a nuisance.

 

So she headed off into a corridor that she saw several of the servants go into. Before she knew it, she had made so many turns that she could not remember how to get back to the entrance. She felt tears start to well up in her eyes.

 

She was rubbing her eyes to keep from crying when someone bumped into her. Startled, she looked up to see a plump woman in a simple brown dress scowling at her. "Watch where you are walking, child."

 

Aithne bit her lip in an attempt to not correct the woman, who was obviously an Aes Sedai. She couldn't help but notice ink smudges on the dress and fingers of the lady. "I'm....I'm sorry," she stammered. "I'm lost. Would you please tell me where I can find the Mistress of Novices?"

 

The Aes Sedai harrumphed at her, but turned back the direction she came. "This way, child." Aithne nearly had to run to keep up with the Aes Sedai. In a few short moments she was in front of a door and the woman had already disappeared down another hallway.

 

She stood at the door for several moments, unsure of what to do. Finally she worked up the courage to knock. Several seconds later the door opened on it's own and she could see a handsome woman sitting behind the desk calmly gazing at her.

 

“My name is Faerzyne Sedai. I am the Mistress of Novices at the White Tower. How may I help you?"

 

Aithne was still flustered by the door opening on it's own. She felt completely shellshocked. It took her a few moments to register that the Aes Sedai was expecting an answer.

 

"Fa...Faerzyne Sedai...I...I am...Aithne...and I was sent here...to...to be a novice?" She ended the sentence in a question. Everything the Aes Sedai in Caemlyn told her had escaped her memory. All except for one thing. Aithne gave a hasty curtsey and started to blush.

Faerzyne gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk. They were uncomfortable, but that was for a purpose. After all, those who spent too much time in them would deserve the discomfort. Those who did not were merely reminded of the fact that they should not misbehave, in order to avoid the discomfort that came with the chairs. The young woman, who had identified herself as Aithne sat down. Faerzyne folded her hands in front of her on the desk, and studied the girl intently for a moment. Not that she could judge if the girl would be worth anything just yet, but at least she would be able to see how nervous the girl was. Those who were most nervous often were the ones who wanted it most.

 

“Tell me, child…†She started, deliberately using the word child. She would become accustomed to it before she was raised to Aes Sedai, and Faerzyne saw no point in shielding the girl from what would be her reality during the next twenty years of her life, if she turned out to be worthy of staying. “Have you been tested?†The girl shook her head, indicating that she had not been tested, or perhaps that she didn’t even know what the test entailed. Faerzyne smiled reassuringly at the young woman, and opened one of the drawers of her desk. There was only one item in the drawer. A gray, clear gem that she had received from the former Mistress of Novices.

 

Slowly she rose from her seat, and walked to the other side of the desk. Though she was by no means the tallest Aes Sedai within the White Tower, she imagined that she must come across as being a giantess to the young woman sitting in the uncomfortable chair. She knelt in front of her, trying to relax the young woman a little. The test would be hard enough as it was without Aithne being terrified of her. “Clear your mind completely, and focus on the stone.†She said. The girl did, staring at the stone intently. Time passed, and Faerzyne worried that her arm would cramp up before the girl showed any sign of potential. Just as she thought there would be nothing, s light flickered within the stone. Faerzyne smiled, and rose again. As she walked back to her side of the desk, she imagined she felt the surprise in the eyes of the girl as they settled on her back.

 

“Congratulations, dear. You can learn to channel.â€

Aithne took a seat as directed and immdiately started to squirm. She could not seem to find a comfortable position. She wiped the palms of her hands on her skirt. She felt as if something momentous was about to happen and it made her frightened.

 

“Have you been tested?â€

 

'Tested...,' Aithne thought to herself. She remembered something happening in an alley of Caemlyn and her using the word 'test'. But Aithne was unsure, so she shook her head. Faerzyne pulled a gemout of her desk and held it in front of Aithne.

 

“Clear your mind completely, and focus on the stone.â€

 

No, this was nothing like in Caemlyn. She was beginning to wonder why the Aes Sedai told her she could channel. Aithne concentrated on it as instructed. She cleared her mind and tried to picture only the stone. After several long seconds passed, she became very nervous and aware of her surroundings. She started to think about Caemlyn and her new confusion as to what had transpired there. She lost her concentration and stole a quick glance at the woman in front of her. She was staring intently at the stone and her brows started to furrow.

 

She realized she was already messing up. Scolding herself she cleared her mind and focused back on the stone. After a few seconds it gave off a faint light. Her eyes widened at the thought that she had done this.

 

“Congratulations, dear. You can learn to channel.â€

 

Aithne could only beam at those words. She looked expectantly up at the Mistress of Novices and eagerly awaited what was to come next. She started to squirm again as the Aes Sedai just stared at her thoughtfully but remained quiet. Several moments passed and Aithne started to wring her hands in nervousness.

 

"Am I supposed to leave now?" It came out as barely a whisper.

"Am I supposed to leave now?" The soft words brought a faint smile to Faerzyne's lips. Indeed, there was no way the Tower was going to let her out of it's grasp now. Her fate was now here, her path determined, at least until her testing for Accepted, should she prove capable of progressing that far.

 

Now that the girl had already been tested, it was time to make her stay at the White tower a fact. Strange enough, the testing didn’t mean that the girl looked any more secure than she had before about her stay at the White Tower. Even though she had to know, somewhere deep down inside of herself that she would be accepted within the White Tower. That she would learn to channel, to the best of her abilities. Still the girl shifted in her seat, as if she couldn’t quite believe that she would be asked to stay. Faerzyne decided to relieve her from the tension that was building. She opened the book of Novices which was still in front of her. She picked up her pen, and prepared to write. “Let’s see about making your stay here a bit more permanent then, shall we?â€

 

She didn’t have to look at the young woman to see that there was a change in the tension that had kept her in it’s thrall. “Can you tell me your full name again?†As the girl replied, she wrote it down in the book. Another life sealed to the Tower, for better and for worse. “And your place of birth and raising?†again she wrote, making Aithne‘s stay more certain with every letter, every curved or straight line. “And finally your age.†She finished with a dot behind the age, which felt as heavy and important as any signature from any high lord or lady. A quick weave of air dried the ink, before she looked up at the newest novice with a smile. “Welcome to the White Tower.â€

(( OOC: Sorry for the delay. Weekends for me = no time for net stuff. ))

 

“Let’s see about making your stay here a bit more permanent then, shall we?â€

 

Aithne felt herself relax. She had started to worry that she would have to return to her family. She did not want to go back to that life. It did not feel as if it was meant for her.

 

She answered Faerzyne's questions as politely as possible. She was becoming more comfortable around this woman. She had the feeling that she had to deal with a lot of young girls and perfected the art of being in charge but motherly. With every question, Aithne liked the woman more.

 

“Welcome to the White Tower.â€

 

Aithne beamed back. Her nervousness began to slip away.

 

"Excuse me..." she paused. She wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to address the Aes Sedai. "Faerzyne Sedai?" She carefully studied her face to gauge her reaction.

 

"What am I to do now? I'm afraid I'm very lost and very confused."

"Excuse me...Faerzyne Sedai?" The Gray nodded once aknowledging the honourific. "What am I to do now? I'm afraid I'm very lost and very confused." Faerzyne favoured the girl with a smile as she closed the novice book, replacing it in the drawer set aside to hold it. She didn't answer straight away, instead she penned a quick summons to Aithne's mentor, rising and passing it to a passing novice in the corridor for a hasty delivery. With a smile she walked over to one of the many cabinets. She pulled two novice dresses from the cabinet, and handed them to the girl. “These are yours to wear during the years you are a novice. You must tend to them well, mend them when they’re torn, wash them when they’re dirty. For the next years, you will not be allowed to wear anything apart from these dresses.â€

 

"Have no fear child. You may even begin to think that you have no been found." She smiled an amused smile as she settled behind her desk again, and began telling the young woman in front of her a little about the rules novices lived by. She went from the curfew to the restriction on venturing into Tar Valon, to the repercussions that would follow if she chose to venture into the yards without a good reason. “But you look like a sensible young woman, so I’m sure I won’t see too much of you here.†A knock on her door told her that the mentor of the girl had arrived. “Enter.†The mentor revealed herself to Faerzyne and Aithne. “I trust that you’ll tell her all she needs to know.†Faerzyne said. Her tone was dismissive. She glanced at the sun, and notice that it had shifted slightly. A while had passed since the young woman had entered her office. A while, but there was still a lot of time left. As the new mentor and mentee pair left her office she sighed, wondering if this day would end any time soon.

Opening the door, Estel nodded to Faerzyne and again when the Sister commented that she would teach the girl what she needed to know. The young Blue really didn't care if the woman took her greeting as cold. Estel didn't care about anything anymore.

 

Her mentee recieved nothing except a jerk of the head to inform he that she was supposed to follow. Without checking to make sure the girl actually did what was expected, she strode off quickly. She wanted to get this over and done with. Not that she had anything to do afterwards but sulk in her room, but she avoided others as much as possible.

 

They walked in silence to the Novice Quarters. When Estel opened one of the plain white doors, she waited for the girl, who had indeed followed her and had actually managed to keep up to the quick pace her long legs had set, to enter first before closing the door behind them.

 

"This will be your new room from now until you are raised to Accepted. You are never under any circumstances to embrace Saidar without the supervision of an Accepeted or Aes Sedai. It is mandatory that you treat every Accepted and Sister within the Tower with respect and you are to curtsy to every Aes Sedai you pass. You are not to speak to a Sister if not spoken to and remember that until you wear the ring and shawl, you are only a child. And you are not to visit the Warder's Yards either." -better if you never met any men to confuse your thoughts and destroy your life, Child.

 

Throughout the entire speech, Estel's voice had been cold and emotionless devoid of the life she had been so full of during her own Noviciate and Acceptedhood.

 

Before she had barely glanced at the young girl she had been told to teach the wonders of Saidarbut now she studied her. Vainly trying to soften her tone, she put on a strained smile. "Welcome to the White Tower. I am your mentor, Estel-" she deliberatly left off the honourific as that was what Carise had done for her as well and she didn't think she deserved the title anymore "- and I will try and help you through your first little while here. But to do that, I must know your name."

The transition from the Mistress of Novices to the Aes Sedai who was to be her mentor left Aithne flustered. With barely a word Faerzyne dismissed her and Aithne was alone with a woman who was frighteningly silent. She jerked her head and Aithne scrambled to gather her things and follow.

 

The woman's long legs and quick stride caused Aithne to nearly run to keep up. Several times she almost dropped her dresses or her pack, but always managed to recover in time. Along the way they passed several other girls in white who hastily curtsied at the Aes Sedai and would smile or wink at Aithne when the woman's back was to them. By the time they reached a door, she was breathing quite heavily. The Aes Sedai motioned her into the small room.

 

Aithne listened attentively to her instructions. She felt her heart sink at the tone of the woman's voice. She had started to feel comfortable with the Mistress of Novices, but this new woman made her anxious.

 

But to do that, I must know your name.

 

"I am Aithne," she said with a small curtsey and a smile she hoped would ease the tension. She paused, not quite sure what to say. "Pleased to meet you, Estel. I look forward to what I may learn from you."