Sighing, Lillian placed her quill back in the inkwell and stacking her things neatly, put them aside. Standing, she located her comb and began touching herself up. It was only a few hours after lunch, but her meeting today was particularly important. Her mentor occasionally organised such meetings, where Lillian met Aes Sedai of various Ajahs, all to learn more about those Ajah and the nature of their role.

 

In this case, she was meeting a sister of the White Ajah, Aleanda Sedai. She had yet to sit down with a sister of the White, so all she knew to expect was what she had gleaned from classes and those around her. That the White Ajah were concerned with philosophy, and from there truth amongst other things. They separated themselves from the Gray because they were more concerned with the truth itself than resolving conflict, and from the brown because their concern was less with knowledge than it was ways of thinking.

 

Setting her brush aside, it didn't take long to freshen up and she was on her way to the White Ajah quarters. Thankful for the fact that no one sought to slow her down with other conversation or directives, a certain relief washed over her when she reached the White Ajah quarter.

 

A few White Sisters observed her as she made her way, following the directions she was given. It was oddly unsettling in a way, Lillian couldn't remember being weighed so openly, studied. Still, she was there first and foremost to see Aleanda Sedai, and the sooner she reached that room, the sooner she'd only have a single set of eyes measuring her.

 

The right door soon located, Lillian took a deep breath as she settled herself. The model of novice subservience as always, her eyes were downcast as she knocked. Four soft knocks, just loud enough to be audible, Lillian waited patiently for Aleanda Seda to answer the door.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Novice of the White Tower

Aleanda walked through her room. She had an appointment with a novice called Lilliana to talk about her Ajah. The White Ajah was Aleanda's home and she had talked about her Ajah many times before as people often had a wrong view of her Ajah, something she didn't like as the view was most of the time a negative view. People thought about the whites as emotionless hard people who only were looking for the truth and that they would give anything to get the truth.

 

Aleanda felt fresh, cool air toucing her neck and blowing through her hair. The wind blew her dress which lay on one of her chairs on the floor. Aleanda picked up the dress and putted it back on the chair again. She liked that chair very much. It was a simple stll beautiful chair. Like her room. Aleanda didn't have much furniture in her room. There wasn't much in the room, as Aleanda liked to space. The bright colours made it look like it was even more spacy. Aleanda was very glad with her room.

 

Aleanda brought away her dress to her bedroom and walked to her desk. She took place behind it and started to organise it. Lea was quite messy and her desk was always full of papers and books and reports. There were so much things to do and as Aleanda wasn't very good to keep her thoughts focused on one thing she was most of the time doing muliple things. Right when she picked up some reports to put them away someone knocked on the door. "In," she said, knowing who knocked. It was time for Aleanda to explain her Ajah once again.

 

(ooc: I hope you liked my reply)

 

Aleanda Antori

Aes Sedai of the White Ajah

Hearing the voice from within call her to enter, Lillian quietly slipped in to find herself in a room full of colour that was far cry to the single colour that dominated in the corridor outside. Yet the most important thing to catch Lillian's attention was Aleanda Sedai. Of close to the same height, their hair was of the same jet black and even their eyes were a similar shade of green, at least in the light. If not for the difference in their skin, Lillian's copper against Aleanda Sedai's alabaster, in a dark room it might be difficult to tell the two apart.

 

But that thought was neither here nor there, shaking her head slightly as if it would rid her of her shaken feeling, Lillian closed the door behind her. Accepting the invitation to be seated when it was given, Lillian took her place at the table while Aleanda Sedai shuffled a few more papers. As she did so, the Aes Sedai asked Lillian to ask her first question.

 

Perhaps this was to measure Lillian's knowledge of the White Ajah, or how much she thought she knew. Or perhaps Lillian was thinking overcritically and the Aes Sedai wished her to initiate the direction of the conversation while Aleanda Sedai put away her last few things. Either way, she had questions that needed to be asked.

 

"What is the purpose of the White Ajah? That is, Aleanda Sedai, what do you feel the purpose of the White Ajah to be. What role it has." In the question lay an unspoken statement from Lillian. That even though she had been taught of the White Ajah, she was genuinely here to learn more rather than simply obeying the whim of her mentor.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Novice of the White Tower

When Lillian walked into the room, Aleanda saw that the she and the novice looked like each other. Lea was looking at someone with the same hair colour the same height and the same eye colours. Aleanda noticed that the shapes of their head were somewhat diffrent as well as the colour of their skin. But as unimportant as such things are Aleanda offered Lillian a chair and wanted to get to the point of their meeting. Something that was important.

 

Aleanda watched the novice take place in a chair and took place in the chair opposite of the girl. Aleanda had asked her to start the conversation as she was the one who wanted to get to know more about the White Tower. It was also a test if this Novice did look into the White Tower before coming to her. If it was still a stupid girl, or if she was developping already. At least it was good that she was showing interest in the Ajahs already, as few Novices did so.

 

When Lillian had asked Lea to tell about her view on the purpose of the White Ajah, Aleanda knew what she had to say. "The White Tower is the seeker of the truth and the reason. We think before we do. We're thinkers, reasoners and philosophers. We look at the past and at the present and pull conclusions. We can go on for hours and hours discussing, because on something there is no concrete evidence and people differ in opinion." Aleanda looked at the novice and saw her listening intensely. Lea went on in her cold voice "We are helping to provide the White Tower the right information. To give reasons. To find out the truth."

 

Aleanda knew that this girl had realised that many think diffrent about the role of the White Ajah. Many think it's useless, but Aleanda believed the very contrary of that statement. The White Ajah was one of the most important Ajahs of the Tower. Of course, without the other Ajahs there would be no tower either. But still she knew that the White Ajah was important and that her view on this Ajah was the right one. The one she wanted to share with everyone, to extinguish all prejudices about the White Ajah.

 

Aleanda Antori

Aes Sedai of the White Ajah

Aleanda Sedai's answer disappointed Lillian though she took quite a care not to show it. It was a mixture of the description she learnt in class and some of the less flattering descriptions she had heard from elsewhere. Certainly, the Aes Sedai's tone matched the stories. Not that it was proof of every sister, but it did lend itself to the ideas many Novices and Accepted had of the White Ajah; cold logic, little feeling, even more distance than to be found from most sisters.

 

All in all, it seemed a little daunting. With the reputation of coldness and distance also came that of... judgement. Everyone, let alone Aes Sedai, weighed and judged those they came in contact with and plenty that they did not. White sisters were to be particularly... unsettling in this respect, or so it was said, for their manner revealed that they studied those they dealt with. Lillian had no wish for any negative conclusions to be made about herself, yet the course that would allay such a thing seemed difficult to find.

 

"What sort of things in particular do the White Ajah seek the truth of?" Lillian hoped that the sister would take the lead for a time, and give her more to work with, more to question than she had been offered so far. Otherwise it could prove to be a rather painful meeting, not the first, but not something to be enjoyed either. It was hard to talk to someone who gave you little to talk about. Unless it was a way to try and draw her out, silence was just as effective as more vocal persuasion when it came to trying to learn more about someone.

 

Apart from the fact that Lillian had no wish to offer of herself so easily, the act of doing so would also reveal a certain lack of control. Of course, not doing so said that she did have control, so either way Aleanda Sedai learnt something of her. Not trying to fill silences would limit how much was learnt though, and speak better of her own self discipline.

 

Except if it wasn't a test at all, and Aleanda Sedai was rather standoffish and unfriendly to begin with. In which case no matter what she did she would be judged badly for infringing on the Aes Sedai's time, even if it had been Halvie Sedai that had arranged the meeting. All of that was conjecture though, and nothing conclusive without a response from Aleanda Sedai.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Novice of the White Tower

Aleanda looked at the girl and how she reacted on what she had said. A little dissapointment could be read from the girl's face. Aleanda had answered what she had wanted to answer on the question she was asked. If this novice wasn't happy with the answer, then so be it. The second question was more difficult. Not every Aes Sedai of the White Ajah agreed with eachother on this question. Before answering the question Aleanda stood up and asked Lillian if she would like to play a game of stones. Without waiting on an answer Aleanda walked to search for the game. She hadn't played it in her room for quite a while. She always played stones while talking with her fellow sisters in the White Hall, not in her room but she was sure it had to be there.

 

When she had found the board and the stones she walked back to the chairs and placed the board on the table. Taking one colour in each hand. Without showing which colour was in which hand, Aleanda showed her fists to Lillian and asked her to choose a fist. She got white. Leaving black for Aleanda. The White Aes Sedai was glad she could have black, she liked playing with the black stones. "You know how to play the game?" The novice nodded and the game began.

 

"While playing I'll answer your question. You asked about what things the White Ajah seeks the truth about. Well I can tell you that that, of course, differs from Aes Sedai to Aes Sedai. We aren't all the same and we have diffrent interests. If we operate individually we have our own things we prefer to look into." Aleanda placed a black stone on the board knowing she would loose it, but with that move she would be able, if Lillian wasn't that good in stones, to take back more white stones. "But the White Ajah in general seeks the truth in things that have to do with the White Tower and it's policies. The Ajahs and those who offend the rules of the Tower. But also, something we do alot, is talking about question of an even higher philosophical grade. The reason we live, the use of good and evil, the way we've been created. Anything you can come up with. If you think about the deeper meaning of life, or any other philosophical questions you can ask them, and we could discuss them." Aleanda knew Lillian would be able to see how she liked to talk about philosophilcal things. It was the reason Aleanda had chosen the White Ajah. "It's your turn." Aleanda said after placing a black stone on the board.

 

Aleanda Antori

Aes Sedai of the White Ajah

Keeping her eyes down as Aleanda Sedai asked if she wished to play stones, Lillian had little chance to agree or disagree as the Aes Sedai was already moving to set up the game. As the Aes Sedai set up the game, Lillian was already debating how she should play the game. Her years in the Panarch's court had given her plenty of experience with the game, and she had played it over the years as there were only so many pastimes allowed to Novices and those were limited further by how much time Novices had to themselves.

 

That amount of experience had taught her a very simple truth about stones. If one played long enough and knew what to look for, a person could learn about their opponent. The more experience with the game, the more one could learn. Of course, that applied both ways, so perhaps she would learn something of Aleanda Sedai. It didn't change the fact that she was uncomfortable with the idea of someone being able to delve too deeply into her. Of course, there was the option of deliberately playing badly, but if it were too obvious then that could cause issue in itself, too risky.

 

Finding herself playing white, Lillian had to admit that she prefered it at times to black. Black played with initiative, its goal was to never cede its first move advantage and stay a step ahead. White in turn was more reactionary, playing to force a mistake by Black in order to take the initative. White's advantage was being able to watch the opponent and try and match one's moves to them. By the time the initiative was taken, Black could be compromised to the point it could never recover.

 

An odd thought struck her even as she listened to Aleanda Sedai. It was oddly like the conflict between the Light and the Dark. The Shadow in both the last age and the current one always held the initiative to begin with, the one that had begun the conflict. The light always reacted, forcing a mistake in their opponent be it overstretching like the Trolloc Wars, or leaving a critical point undefended like Shayol Ghul. The Light's victory depended on forcing the mistake and exploiting it, and while conflicts were never finished in a single battle, they were often decided. One battle, one move.

 

Aleanda Sedai's answer proved informative, but likewise revealed little that classes had not already done. As she mulled it over, Aleanda Sedai placed her first stone on the board, taking the centre to giver herself full range of movement, a standard move. Weighing up the option of forcing Aleanda Sedai to chase or to begin a conflict immediately, Lillian decided to go with the latter.

 

Placing a White colour next to the Black, Lillian spoke as she kept her eyes downcast. "But why seek truth? And what truth? Or whose truth? There are so many questions that could be asked, where does a White Sister begin?" As she finished, Lillian wondered what Aleanda Sedai would make of her movement and words. Headstrong? Inquisitive? Impertinent? Cautious? Introverted thought or extroverted expression? It was too early in the game to know much. A question was asked by Lillian's move though, would Aleanda Sedai spread her forces and options? Or would she stand and fight around the first two counters? The lesson would begin.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Novice of the White Tower

Aleanda looked carefully where Lillian placed her stones. Aleanda never cared to win with games, as long as she could analyze the game, and with that get to know more about the other player. It was the only reason she played games, she didn't care about it. For here there was no joy in playing games, while she could do more important things.

 

"In my eyes, asking why seek the truth is a foolish question. But then again you're still a naief child, unknowing of what happens in the world and what's important an what not. Truth is the very foundation of every reason, of every act, of every opinion. Or at least what people think is true. What you believe it truth makes you create your opinion." Aleanda took her time to place a stone while overthinking how she could make it seem easier for the novice. "If you believe that what I'm telling you here right now is just rubbish, it's the truth for you. You think that what I say makes no sence, and you create your opinion. The White Ajah is stupid and useless. This is only an example child." A little smile appeared on Aleanda's face, hoping it would comfort the novice more or less. Breaking the icy cold face, even if it was only that short, used to comfort people a little.

 

Placing the next stone took Lillian longer than placing the earlier stones. Aleanda now only smiled inside. She had made the Novice think about what she said. She hoped it would stick in the Novice's head for a long time. Perhaps if she would be a little philosophical she might become a good White Sister one day. Aleanda hoped she could tell after this conversation if the girl could be guided to her Ajah. How much Aleanda'd like to know, only time could tell and that was why she moved on to the Novice her next question.

 

"What truth, or whose?" Aleanda thought about the right answer while placing another stone and taking three white stones from the board. "Of whatever the truth has to be seeked. Which, I believe, means everything. Of course that is a discussion as well. Before you make a decision it's good to know the truth behind things. The reasons, the truth behind the reasons. So you can make your own right opinion, so you can make the right decision." Aleanda would never be satisfied until she knew the real truth behind everything that mattered in her life. There had been for a long time a matter in her head which she was almost sure about that she wouln't be able to find the truth until it was too late. Choices were to be made, without knowing if it would be the right decision. Though Aleanda, while she got to know more and more, almost knew she would make the right decision.

 

"And as an answer to your question on where to start, that's just something intuitive. Then again there are more ways to Tar Valon and there are more ways to find out the real truth. There are more ways to start finding out that truth. My Sisters might start somewhere else than I would, but in the end we can reach the same point and be successive while we travelled a diffrent road. Some might do it by decieving, others by going straight onto their target and others might take their time to find it out."

 

Aleanda was still a step ahead of Lillian. Though if it would go on like this Aleanda'd lose this game. She wouldn't be bothered at all to be the number one topic in the Novice Quarters. At least she now knew that this Lillian had a good mind. Lea looked up at the Novice "Are you still with me?"

 

Aleanda Antori

Aes Sedai of the White Ajah

"Yes Aleanda Sedai."

 

Lillian understood the reasoning behind Aleanda Sedai's words, and continued to mull over them during the next few moves where she managed to take a small cluster prisoner, leading to the focus of the game shifting to another section of the board, unclaimed territory. Truth was a great deal intuitive, but without reason an intuition could easily deceive the person it served. Which is why one needed logic and reason to balance it, which was what Aleanda said in a roundabout way.

 

That and there was always more than one truth. While she personally agreed, it did open up another question in regards to the White Ajah, but there was the matter of how to phrase it. The thought required to phrase her question cost her a cluster of her own, though like herself, Aleanda Sedai had elected to keep the cluster prisoner rather than finish it off. Finishing the cluster off was a wasted move when it could be done later, and in stones one never tried to give an opponent a free move.

 

"What happens when White Sisters disagree on the truth? Not just on topics which only have importance to individual sisters, but... dangerous topics, or unpopular opinions. Say one sister was to say that... the White Tower's foundation was unjustifiably violent when it forced all other Aes Sedai to come to heel, or that those sisters had no right to compulse the others. Or that the Ajahs are divisive and should be anulled. Are some subjects taboo? Or simply some answers? Or is anything in the realm of question?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Novice of the White Tower

Lillian was a good player of the game of stones, Aleanda had noticed that. It was an interesting game and Aleanda thought she would be the one that would loose. She liked the game, though Aleanda didn't play it that often, and she had never really been very well skilled in the game. Many of her sisters were better in it than she. It was interesting to see where the white stones were placed.

 

Aleanda saw it took Lillian some time to understand and accept the answer Aleanda had given on her last questions. She saw how Lillian placed another couple of stones on the board before she spoke again. It was a clever girl, with a good mind.

 

With a cold stare Aleanda heard another question from Lillian. Aleanda was displeased by what was asked. A novice, a child was not allowed to say such things. Though, if she had putten it in other words it was a clever question.

 

"If you will apologize for what you just have said I will not send you to the Mistress of Novices, child. It is unacceptable that you take such words in your mouth. You very well know what I talk about." While Aleanda's tone changed a little she did not raise her voice. Nor did the look on her face change. Though it was very clear she didn't accept such words.

 

"As an answer to your question I can say that, off course, some there are sisters who disagree with each other. As I said before there is only one truth. When people disagree, one of them is wrong, the other isn't. Many subjects are subjective. And opinions are not necessarily true." Aleanda paused for a second, placing another stone on the board before going on. "When I say I like your hair, and I like black hair, it would be untrue to say your hair is nice. Another example. If I would say and my opinion would be, I'm not saying it is, that the Ajahs are devisive then that is my opinion." Aleanda went on. "In the end there is only one truth, and either I, or those who say I'm talking rubbish, is right."

 

Aleanda noticed a frown on Lillian's face. She wondered what it meant. "As you perfectly know, Lillian, and don't try to fool me, there are always subject no one talks about. Many things are taboo. Subjects and answers. Some things you just don't talk about. And you would do wise, to not talk about those subjects either," Aleanda said. "You will learn."

 

Aleanda Antori

Aes Sedai of the White Ajah

Lillian's silence was complete beyond the clink of different stones she moved as they spoke. It seemed then that taboo applied to the White Ajah the same as any other. Her venture had sparked a response that she should have perhaps expected, but one had to ask to be sure nevertheless. While Aleanda Sedai had specified at first for the question to have come from her, she had then concluded that there were some subjects that no one spoke of. It was a disappointing thing, but then Lillian did not make rules, she simply had to obey them.

 

But, first of all, ensuring that she wasn't sent to the Mistress of Novices was the first priority. "Forgive me Aleanda Sedai, I know I am not meant to speak of such things. But..." A pause was always good, and the fact that Aleanda Sedai didn't interrupt meant that Lillian had her leave to proceed. "...if our truths are all opinion, then we must test them in order to see whether they are correct or incorrect. Not only the answer in itself, but the manner in which we came to the truth."

 

"But then there is the added factor of time. If time changes the circumstances in which we came to the truth, then do we not have to then examine the truth repeatedly in order to make sure that what was true before is true now? For example, the day is sunny, but if clouds come within a few hours then time has forced me to change my truth. Even if the day was sunny, it is now cloudy."

 

"Which is the sole reason I posed the question about taboo subjects. I was not sure if the White Ajah was free of the same restriction in order to continually test and reconfirm truths on subjects that are not spoken of." Destroying a sizeable cluster, the game was steadily sliding Lillian's way. Maybe her questions had unsettled Aleanda Sedai.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Novice of the White Tower

Aleanda tapped with her finger on her lips while the thought about her next move, and the answer to Lillians question. She had a point, though it was foolish somehow. Thinking about two things were never Aleanda's strong side. She could think about philosophical things, like she and Lillian were discussing now, for hours. Though she then tends to forget about the other thing. In this case the game of Stones. Though she wasn't doing bad, the game was still going toward Lillian. Due to her questions.

 

After another couple of stones Aleanda started speaking again. "You are right, I can't deny that, though you have to realise that what you suggest, reconsidering truths and walking a path for a second time, a third time and so on, is being done, for easy issues like your example, all the time. For some other more heavy and difficult issues the real truth hasn't been discovered yet. If we look outside now, you can see the sun is setting. That's the truth."

 

Aleanda stood up and walked to her mantelpiece and took a little cat made out of wood. She had received it once from someone who wanted to thank her for the help Lea had given. She walked back and placed the cat on the table next to the stones board. "What animal is that?" Aleanda asked. Lillian gave the right answer with a questionable look in her eyes. "That's right. Though it's only right because we assume it's a cat. We call that creature cat. But we never have discussion about why we call these animals cats. It's just something we assume as right."

 

Aleanda could still see Lillian wondering why Aleanda had brought this up, why she had asked her that question and what she was telling her now. Aleanda went on. "We've been talking quite some time about the truth now. But like the example with the cat," Aleanda pointed to the cat. "Many things are subjective. We assume they're right, though it's still subjective. If you would have answered this creature," Aleanda picked it up and watched it closely before bringing it back to the mantelpiece while saying: "Is a dog, I'd laugh and say you've a long way to go before reaching the banded dress. I could also have started a discussing about whether this is a cat of a dog. We could have asked each and every Aes Sedai in the Tower and they would all have agreed with me. Just because we call this creature a cat. But why can't it be a dog? If you and I would call this creature dog instead of cat why would we be wrong? Do you understand that truth is just subjective. I, personally, and everyone else who seeks the truth, is seeking for something that is generally taken for real. Everyone calls the creature a cat, so it is a cat."

 

"It isn't always as simple," Aleanda continued "But I tried to make this clear. I personally would talk about everything, no taboo at all, but not everyone agrees with me so be careful with what you call taboo and what not." Aleanda saw Lillian wanted to go in on this already so Aleanda continued quickly with a slightly louder voice. "I never expected you to understand this in one time, but I still hope it has made your mind start working. Anything else, more about the White Ajah you wanted to talk about? Because all in all that is why you came to me." Aleanda, with her icy cold stare, eyed the stones in front of her. She was going to loose!

 

Aleanda Antori

Aes Sedai of the White

Studying the board, the situation was not looking good for Aleanda Sedai. Not only had Lillian taken a greater part of the board, but Lillian had more free spaces to place her counters when they had sealed off their lines and could no longer get at each other. It was simply a waiting game now, twenty free spaces to Aleanda Sedai's fifteen. Victory by attrition in fourteen moves time when Lillian would be able to destroy Aleanda's large cluster and wipe her remaining pieces from the board. Lillian would resign, herself, but perhaps Aleanda Sedai was also using the game to study her reactions. Was she quick to celebrate or demure in victory? There would be little reaction on her part, let Aleanda Sedai make of that what she willed.

 

Of course, there was the other side of things, their conversation. One that had turned to cats that weren't dogs yet could be dogs if one decided to make them so. It was the root of the Aes Sedai ability to step around the truth, belief. Since truth depended on what the individual believed, an Aes Sedai could deceive themselves so they could speak words that weren't truth as easily as they could tell half truths of uncomfortable things they could not lie to themselves about. On the otherhand, there was a problem with that, deceiving oneself was almost as crippling onself.

 

Also, Aleanda Sedai would like to talk about everything without taboo, but not everyone agreed? Sisters as a whole or the White Sisters? Lillian had a feeling that that wouldn't be the wisest question to ask of Aleanda Sedai. Certainly not when she had skirted danger earlier with the taboo question. She had no intention of being sent to the Mistress of Novices. What else was there left to ask? "What specific functions do the White Ajah perform for the Tower? In the way that the Green Ajah goes north to help keep the Borderlands intact, or that the Gray Ajah's sisters act as ambassadors or advisors."

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Novice of the White Tower

Aleanda explained that the White Sisters made good teachers and interrogators, the two not being all that dissimilar. Lillian nodded and won the stones game then asked permission to leave, which was granted. Thus ends our tale.