The novice that took over leading Selene to hr new room wasn't at all talkative or chatty.  In fact, not only was she not very friendly, every time Selene tried to start up conversation the taller girl would give her a frosty stare that seemed to not only not invite conversation, but gave off the impression that if Selene wanted to make it to her room in one person, she might not want to do much talking either.  Selene gave a sigh and plodded along after the girl, sulking in silence.  Things had looked so promising just a moment ago.  Oh well, hopefully Selene's new roommate Carina would be more fun than this wet blanket. 

 

Thankfully, they didn't have very long to go before they got to to the novice quarters.  Selene heard a brief scream followed by words polite little girls should never say coming from one of the rooms and then the novice who was leading her stopped at the very next door.  Selene shot a curious look over her shoulder at the door with all the noise coming from behind it but the other girl, Selene didn't even catch her name, didn't take the hint and politely explain who lived there.

 

"Here, this is your room. Bye."  Selene snapped her attention back to the short-haired girl who led her up here and started to respond.

 

"Hey wait, Mistress Larindhra, er, I mean, Larindhra Sedai said that you would help me find my mentor. I don't even have the faintest idea where to find..." she paused as she turned the note right side up to read the name, "Melianna Accepted is.  I need your help."

 

"Too bad.  Find her yourself." The novice strode past the gaping Selene and before she could even think to go after her, she'd disappeared around a corner.  Selene gave another sigh and opened up the door to her new room.

 

The room was sparsely furnished, it seemed to have room for three girls but there was only one bed that had someone's stuff on it.  Laridnhra Sedai had said something about the other girl being new too, maybe she had just arrived today as well!  Lacking anything to put away, Selene went and sat on her bed and swung her feet back and forth a bit while she tried to decide what to do.

 

It didn't take her long to decide that she had to do something.  After all, Melianna Accepted was hardly going to come find her, according to the way Larindhra Sedai spoke of it, Melianna wouldn't even know she had a new novice to mentor until Selene herself gave the girl the note.  Unwilling and unable to just sit here for however long someone came to find her, Selene took a deep breath and decided to venture out into the Tower on her own, to find for herself her mentor, a bite to eat, and hopefully the library as well.  She would need a book to read so she didn't seem nearly so lost in this new place.  Maybe they had a general manual type thing they let Novices have that would help them with the basics of becoming an Aes Sedai.  Her mind made up, Selene stood up, smoothed down the wrinkles in her bedsheets from where she had sat down, and left the room.  Armed with the note for her mentor in one hand, she went marching out of the novice quarters, a little unnerved at the stark silence of the room beside hers that had been so loud just a few moments before.  She hoped the girls inside hadn't killed each other.

 

It didn't take her too long to fin a very important looking woman, likely another Aes Sedai, who was gliding down the hallway.  Selene took a few breaths to ready herself and then put on her most lost, pathetic, sad, and in need of help expression and stood completely still, staring at the woman.  As the woman came abreast of Selene she only flicked her gaze to meet the girl's briefly and didn't even slow her step.  Very curtly, she spoke. "Curtsy to Sedai, girl.  When we pass you or you pass us.  'Tis only proper respect."  And then the woman was past and continuing up the hallway while Selene could do nothing but gape.  The woman hadn't asked what was wrong or offered to help or even seemed to care! Selene put on a determined expression and headed back towards where she'd met the Mistress of Novices, hoping to find another woman to help her.

 

She was nearly run over by a veritable flock of novices as they ran past her, apparently late to something or another.  Selene called out "Hey, can you... help me?" trailing off sadly as the girls didn't even slow at her original hail.  Everyone must be so busy!  Selene continued walking for what seemed like forever, eventually finding herself at a pair of huge doors.  She studied them a moment and wondered at the fact that she hadn't seen these on the way up to her room, but she hadn't come across the Mistress of Novices office again yet either.  She must have taken a wrong turn.

 

A woman in a beautifully tailored but otherwise unadorned cream dress and a brown shawl came sweeping out of the doors, almost buried under a stack of books, and Selene gasped and leaped back out of the way.  A kindly voice murmured from somewhere in the books "Sorry about that, child, didn't mean to startle you, mind holding the door for me? Ah, that's a good girl, thank you." and then she too was gone down the hallway and Selene was left standing alone holding the door open to the most incredible library she'd ever in her life seen.

 

After staring for a good three minutes solid, completely oblivious to the unamused stare of a librarian sitting behind the main desk, Selene squeaked softly and practically dashed into the room.  She ran up to the librarian, her eyes as big as saucers as she stared around them at the sheer number of books and should could barely give sound to breath as she spoke. "Are we allowed to read all of these books?!"  The librarian's demeanor softened and warmed in the obvious amazement and elation of the girl's expression and she smiled so warmly and tenderly that Selene would have wept if she could even tear her eyes away from the books long enough to blink.

 

"Bless you, child, yes.  You may read the books in this library.  There are other libraries in the Tower that you don't have access to yet, as a novice, but the ones in this main library are there for all to partake of."  The librarian smoothed a hand over Selene's loose blonde hair fondly and then showed her the register where she would have to very neatly and carefully pen her name, rank, "In your case Novice, of course" and the title and author of the book she was borrowing.  She also showed her where to return books if a librarian wasn't on duty to take them personally.  Selene, caught up in the moment, hugged the woman as tight as she could, which almost broke the Aes Sedai's composure.  The Brown made a note to herself to keep tabs on this Novice who had an obvious love of books and then asked if there was anything she could help Selene find.

 

Selene's eyelashes fluttered and then opened wide again as she remembered she was supposed to be finding her mentor.  She held up the note like some kind of badge and the words poured out in a rush. "Larindhra Sedai told me to give this note to my mentor, an Accepted named Melianna and she said that the Novice girl who led me to my quarters would help me find her, but the girl didn't help me at all and I've been wandering around looking for someone who would help me but no one would even listen to me long enough to find out what I needed help with and I have no idea how to find her and I'm quite sure I don't even know how to find my way back to my own room at this point, although I don't think I could possibly get lost for too long trying to find my room, but I definitely could trying to find Melianna." She paused for a breath, and noticed the break in the Sedai's composure.  It was something between amusement and surprise and she finished quietly. "Could you help me, Aes Sedai?"

 

The brown smiled and explained to the girl how to find the accepteds' floor and made Selene repeat back the series of turns, landmarks, and everything three full times before she nodded and sent Selene on her way.  Feeling her usual buoyancy restored, Selene bobbed into a curtsy and smiled gratefully as she waved to the librarian and went running off to find her Accepted.

 

Eventually, the girl found her way to the Accepteds' Quarters and after questioning one of the girls in the white dresses banded in color at the hem, she knocked on what she fervently hoped was the right door.  She hadn't managed to find food yet, but she could get to that later.

 

Hmm, ter'angreal. So many kinds. So pretty and useful, and dangerous too! Like those Arches. Those are scary! Melianna momentarily took her mind of ter'angreal to go to her small dresser and she picked up a small ceramic bottle. She opened it and put her index finger into the bottle, and pulled out a dab of a dark brown cream. She began to rub it over her tattoo on her hand, watching it disappear into her skin. She didn't really like to show it off. It attracted too much unwanted attention. She didn't like attention. Attention meant people talking to her, which meant less time for thinking about ter'angreal, which was a bad thing for Melianna.

 

She popped the cork back on her bottle and picked up her comb and began to run it through her dark wavy hair. Light, she missed her braids, but she couldn't wear her bells, and having braids in would just remind her. 42...43...44...45... A knock on the door made her lose count of her strokes. She placed her comb back on the dresser and took a few graceful strides to the door. A very lost looking novice was standing there with a note in hand. "Melianna Accepted?" "Yes, that's me." The girl smiled and handed her the note. It was in Larindhra Sedai's handwriting.

 

Melianna

 

You are to mentor this girl. Her name is Selene. Don't forget.

 

Larindhra

 

Melianna closed the note and pondered. Another girl to mentor? Well, at least this one seemed nicer than her other mentee, whom she rarely ever saw. She smiled at the girl. "Well then..." she quickly opened the note again and then closed it. "...Selene. Come in and have a seat. Are there any questions you have about the White Tower?"

 

 

Melianna Hollmen

Easily distracted

Selene moved into the room and flopped unceremoniously onto a stool, nearly upsetting it.  She caught her balance and sat a little more gracefully and balanced, and looked up to Melianna. "Only about a million things, although for starters I would love to know how I am to properly address you.  I've already been scolded twice today for not showing respect to a sister, and now I know I'm supposed to curtsy to everyone and not to call the Mistress of Novices as Mistress Larindhra." She wrinkled up her nose and made a face at that little bit of logic that had escaped her. "And I should hate to show you any disrespect unwittingly."

 

Selene's composure was quickly working its way back into her, Melianna not immediately being rude or annoyed with her had helped a lot to ease her worries about what kind of woman would be her mentor.  She tipped her head as she listened to Melianna's response and then instead of launching into her typical nervous string of questions with hardly a pause for breath, Selene decided to keep it fairly simple and just get to know her mentor. "Can you tell me what a mentor's supposed to do, and what I'm supposed to do as well?  I don't know anything at all about what's expected of me, except that there will be lots of work, lots of classes, and I'm allowed to visit the library when I have the time to."

 

She paused a moment and then added "I'd also like to get some food at some point, but I'm not sure if I can find the dining room.  I already got lost once trying to find you." It already felt like she'd been in the tower for hours and she could hardly even remember the delicious breakfast she'd had that morning, at the Inn.  Tar Valon and the journey with her brother already seemed miles and ages away.  She laid her hand on her slender tummy and tried to look waifish as she gazed up at her mentor and, hopefully, savior.

Was there no hapy medium? Esther would hardly talk to her, while this one hardly pauses for breathe. The girl rattled off a few, the paused for her to answer. "The correct form to address me is Melianna Accepted, but I am not to strict on that, but it would be best to do so around the Aes Sedai." The girl had tilted her head to listen and seemd very interested. Maybe this one would be Brown one day. She seemed to have the strength to make it, however Melianna was a horrible judge of strength. Mainly, she never paid enough attention.

 

"Well, mentor's are mainly for helping you get settled in, showing you around, being a friend, and sometimes they teach you channling or other classes. As to what you are to do, that's rather vague. You are supposed to study your eyes off and learn to channel, so sum it up. And if you are anything like the average novice, you will also get into trouble." She giggled. Some fo the new novices were horrible for that. Deanne and Jerinia especially. Oh, and Jasmyne was still like that, even after being an Accpted for over five years. Some never learn.

 

Suddenly her train of thought was derailed as Selen's stomach growled. "I'd also like to get some food at some point, but I'm not sure if I can find the dining room.  I already got lost once trying to find you."  Melianna just smiled. "Follow me and I'll take you to the dining hall, and you can ask more questions as we eat." Meli stood up and went out of her room, Selene hot on her tail. The dining hall wasn't very far from her quarters, and come to think of it, she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She found herself doing that often as of late. And here it was, after dinner already. But the cooks hadn't put awya all the food yet, so Meli collected a tray of lukewarm bread, warm chicken stew, and some lentils, and found a table. Selene followed and sat across from her.

 

Melianna Hollmen

Browner by the day

Selene looked visibly relieved when Melianna Accepted said that mentors were supposed to be friends, she had hoped to get on well with the older woman, but being told outright that friendship was the expected outcome made her feel relieved that she wouldn't be fighting a losing battle in trying to get to know her mentor.  She also perked up with keen interest, speaking as she followed Melianna out of the room. "You'll be teaching me to channel?  When will I be able to start learning to channel? Can you teach me to make lightning happen and to heal and to turn horrible nasty darkfriends into newts so they can be squashed?" Her eyes lit up with all the possibilities of this.  She'd been told it was a long road to becoming an Aes Sedai, but surely it couldn't take that long to learn how to channel and to learn all the rules and whatever else.

 

She fairly skipped beside Melianna as they made their way to the dining hall, trying hard to rein in her enthusiasm and failing miserably.  She was exuberant and excited and only her burning desire to hear what the other girl had to say in response kept her from talking non-stop.  She tried to pay attention to which turns Melianna took and to note the placement of the dining hall in relation to the other places she saw along the way.  Selene had a wonderful memory usually, if a bit selective.  If she could just find a book that had a map of the White Tower in that she could study, she knew she'd never get lost.  She could almost swear she'd passed the same tapestry twice during the brief trip to the dining hall with Melianna, but perhaps that was done to make it intentionally easy for novices to get lost.  Or she could have been mistaken about the tapestry; many of them were similar.

 

"Thank you so much for eating dinner with me, Melianna Accepted." Selene spoke as she sat down across from her mentor and took one of the rolls and started to nibble at it as she spoke between bites. "I was hoping I'd be able to get to know you better." She smiled at this and tucked another bit of roll into her mouth, swallowing again before asking questions. "Do you know which Ajah you want to join?  Do you think you'll bond a warder?  Was it hard to become an Accepted?  Do you like books?  Do you like horses?  I have a horse, she's a black filly named Rao.  I'm hoping Liandhra Sedai will let me go visit her, and my brother.  He's training to be a warder.  She said if I did really well with my studies she might let me see them on freedays!" Her litany was cut off as she wolfed down the rest of her roll and took a drink of tea.

"I may be teaching you to channel, but it's not my job in essence. The Aes Sedai teach you. Accepted are really supposed to focus on their studies. And those things are for more advanced channelers, and as far as I know, there is no weave to turn Darkfriends into newts. Perhaps there is a ter'angreal for such things, but that's unlikely." The girl likely doesn't know what all that means, but if it sounds smart, she'll think it is.

 

At dinner, Meli noticed that Selene actually got food in her mouth between questions. It was an amzing feat! Meli tried to answer as best she could, but it was hard to keep up with the girl. "Yes, I have a good idea which Ajah I'll join, but I'm not saying anything at this point. I may bond a Warder if the situation is right, but I don't think I'll go look for one. Yes, it was a lot of hard work to become Accepted. Yes, I love books! Horses I'm not particularily fond of. I prefer ships." The girl paused momentarily to take a bity more food, so Meli took her chance to ask a question. "Selene, where do you come from?"

 

Melianna Hollmen

Selene thought about making suggestions for what Melianna could teach her but she hadn't decided on a tactic to pursue yet.  Maybe she could observe Melianna during one of her courses or classes and get a little peak at some of those advanced weaves and see some of the ter'angreal that could turn Darkfriends into newts. What her mentor did indeed sound quite smart, and Selene was quiet long enough for Melianna to ask her question because of it.

 

"I'm from Andor.  Specifically, my parents have a horse farm that's just northeast of Four Kings, which is a little town west of Caemlyn.  I've never gotten to see the inner city of Caemlyn, though.  I'd always wanted to go and see the Queen's palace and we were going to on our way here, but something happened and then Jasine, he's my brother, said that he didn't want to risk going back into Caemlyn.  Then we rode the rest of the way here to Tar Valon.  It would have been ever so neat to go on a ship up the river." Selene sighed wistfully and then caught that Melianna had said that she prefers ships to horses.

 

"I've never been on a ship larger than a row boat, and that was just to go fishing at the lake with my Da and Jase.  You like ships? Are you one of the Seafolk?" Selene's eyes went wide.  She's thought Melianna was just darkly tanned, or maybe came from one of the southern parts.  She leaned forward, food forgotten for once as she looked over her mentor with new excitement. "Is that why you have that tattoo on your hand?  Do you have ship of your very own?"

 

Selenessin

Now thinking about braiding her hair like Melianna

Had Melianna been pale enough, she would have been blushing. Yes, she was proud of her heritage, but she was embarrassed that she really didn't know much about it. She spoke sort of softly. "I'm sort of one of the Sea Folk. My mother was one, but my father was from Arafel. I grew up in Arafel and was given the tatoo when I was born. No, I do not have my own ship. My father did, but I haven't seen him in years." She paused to think. She missed being on the ship. It was so calm and soothing. She quickly recognized her mistake of stopping to think because she was attacked by another barrage of questions from the talkative young Novice.

 

Meli

"Oh, imagine the daring romance they must have had! He, a captain of his own ship. She, a beautiful seafolk maiden." Selene dropped her chin onto her hands, propped up on her elbows, and got this faraway look in her eyes. "She was probably told not to associate with the ruffian shorebound, but he was just so dashing and exciting, a taste of a life she knew nothing about.  Maybe she wanted to run away with your dad and spend her life forever on his ship, sailing up and down the river even as she longed for the salty air of the open ocean."  She straightened up and gave a knowing smile.  "I bet he even offered to live on her ship, trading being a captain for what was surely a life of little more than being a slave, just to be with him, but her parents would allow it.  But she managed to smuggle her most precious thing, with a little bit of her in the child's every look and eventual movement, to the man she loved before her parents whisked her off to Tremalking."

 

Selene sighed wistfully, it made a beautiful story.  Maybe it was a story she and Melianna could write down someday, a romance as captivating as Birgitte and Gaidal Cain.  She would have to write it quickly, though, because she was quite sure that the Aes Sedai oath against lying also included not being able to write fiction.  More's the pity on that one, there must be so many intelligent and creative minds in the Tower.  That was actually not a bad question to start with.

 

"Can you tell me more about the oaths, Melianna?  I know Aes Sedai can't hurt people who aren't Darkfriends, and they can't lie, or make weapons.  Does that include something like carving your own spear?  It could be used by one man to kill another, but it isn't made with the Power, so I didn't know if that counted.  Would she be able to make a spear to use to hunt or something, as long as when she made it she intended to never let anyone else have it?  Would she be able to make a weapon with the one Power if it was for her to use against Shadowspawn, even if it could possibly fall into the hands of a person who would want to use it against another man?  It's all so vague!  But I guess that's why I'm here in Novice whites, learning what it means to be an Aes Sedai.  What does it mean to you?"  She knew Melianna wasn't an Aes Sedai yet, of course, but the girl must have put so much thought into it in the time she had been here.  Selenessin had been here for barely a day and already it was almost all she could think about.

Meli nearly burst into laughter as Selene went into some far off dramatic detail of how her parents had her. It would have made a good story, she had to admit, but it was so far off from what she had been told. According to her father, they had been up all night arguing over the price of silks and had drunk too much wine. One thing led to another, then a year later, Meli had been plopped on his doorstep. She just giggled while she prepared to answer the next questions, which were surprisingly about something totally unrelated.

 

"Well, the Three Oaths are rather vague. The first Oath is that no Aes Sedai can lie, but over time they have mastered the art of misleading people by what they say. The second Oath is that no Aes Sedai can make a weapon for one man to kill another. I'm not sure about it, but there must be some sort of loop-hole for that one." Perhaps if it was made so only a woman or an Ogier could wield it. She would have to wait until she was Aes Sedai herself. "The last Oath doesn't have much wiggle room either. You can only use the One Power as a weapon against people you are Darkfriends, Shadowspawn, or someone who is threatening yourself, your Warder, or another Sister." That one really didn't have any loop-holes. Unless you convinced yourself that the random lady down the street was a Darkfriend.

 

Time to tackle the toughie. "What does being an Aes Sedai mean to me? Well, part of it would depend on which Ajah you plan to join. But in general, being an Aes Sedai is being a Servant of All. That's what Aes Sedai means. Whatever you do, it must be for the benefit of all, whether they know it or not." She paused again. Another bad idea....

 

 

Melianna