The trip to Tar Valon had gone quickly and smoothly. Along with the Aes Sedai from the inn where Mirandha first spotted them, 3 warders also accompanied them. There were several handmaids as well, but Mirandha was trained to disregard them. The Aes Sedai took turns teaching her each night. They would never test her themselves as that was a job for the Mistress of Novices, they said; whoever that was! However, each night they talked to her about the White Tower, what it is to be a novice, and about the Aes Sedai in general. One of the Blue Sisters even let Mirandha feel the silk fringe on her shawl. She was most fascinated by the serpent biting its own tail on each woman’s finger. She had, of course, known it was the Aes Sedai symbol due to her lessons as a child, but it was another thing to see it on the hands of real live Aes Sedai.

 

The weather stayed fairly clear and sunny during their journey until they reached the Dragonmount. The skies clouded over and rain fell by the bucket load. Mirandha’s cloak hood grew so soggy that she tossed it back and let the rain fall onto her naked head, slicking her long brown hair to her scalp, neck, and back. Despite the rain making her uncomfortable, there was something purifying about it. The rain was washing her clean, and allowing her to start over. The rain was the tears Mirandha would not shed for her brother or the life she was leaving behind. Tears did not fall down Mirandha Bayana’s cheeks. As the party neared the bridge leading to Tar Valon, lightning pierced the sky seeming to nearly miss striking the White Tower. “A bad omen,†one of the Sisters said. Another made a motion with her hand and told her to shush. Mirandha didn’t believe in omens.

 

The streets of Tar Valon grew slick by the time the group made it to the steps of the White Tower. Mirandha hopped off her horse and handed it over to a stable boy. The other Aes Sedai seemed to forget about her as they went off on their own business. Mirandha looked around and spotted a girl in a white dress. Remembering what was said in her lessons on the journey, Mirandha took the girl to be a novice. “Hello,†she began, “My name is Miranda of the House Bayana in Andor. I am to be tested by the Mistress of Novices.†The girl clad in white nodded and bid her to follow. Not wanting to get lost, Mirandha stuck closely by the girl. Neither of them spoke as they walked up the steps and through the halls. The girl pointed to a door and told Mirandha this is where she needed to report to. “Thank you,†Mirandha said before knocking and entering when told to.

 

*ooc: I won't be back until Monday night. If I were smarter, I would have waited until then to post :p sorry!*

I'm back now

Faerzyne comforted the whippet of a novice seated in front of her as best she could. Her position as overseer of the White Tower initiates meant she more often handed out correction and punishments, yet there were times when she also offered a shoulder to cry on, for those in need. It was disconcerting at times, Faerzyne herself had never been one prone to tears or 'female' outbursts of emotion, yet to some of these girls, she was the closest thing they now had to a mother.

 

Offering the sniffling girl a handkerchief from her pocket, Faerzyne patted the girl's back lightly, from where she was kneeling in front of her, bells in her braids faintly tinkling with the motion. "There now child, dry your tears." She said softly, soothingly. The girl nodded, dabbing at her moist cheeks. She had been in the office now for some time, crying with homesickness, though now at least it seemed she was feeling better, her sobs subsiding. Faerzyne could hardly recall the words she had spoken to soothe her, but they seemed to work as the girl mustered a shaky smile.

 

"Thankyou, Aes Sedai." The girl managed as Faerzyne stood, awarding her with a smile as a tingling sensation passed over her, a sure sign that one of her wards had been set off. As if on cue a knock sounded on the door. "Off with you now girl." Said Faerzyne gently, leading her to the door. Opening it, the novice dropped a curtsey and scurried past, leaving a bewildered looking girl in her wake. Not clothed as an initiate, she had the appearance of an outsider, a petitioner perhaps.

 

"My name is Faerzyne Grigory, Mistress of Novices." Toned Faerzyne, waving the girl into the office and closing the door softly behind her. "How can I help you?" Waving to a chair, she moved behind her desk, looking over it curiously at the newcomer.

 

~Faerzyne, MoN

Mirandha stiffened her back and mentally tried to prepare herself to face the Mistress of Novices. Yet she had the feeling her eyes were still as big as saucers. It was a bit overwhelming to go from knowing you would one day be High Lady of House Bayana to knowing you could possibly channel and one day become Aes Sedai. Mirandha's path had certainly taken an interesting turn. Luckily Mirandha was flexible enough to follow where it led. How many girls came to this door bitterly resenting what they were to become? How many became disappointed when they didn't rise to the shawl? Would she even make it that far? For an instant Mirandha saw her future laid out before her, and the butterflies in her stomach grew in size once more.

 

Blue, Gray, Green, Yellow, Brown, White....and Red. She knew the names of the Ajahs and something of their purpose. How could she choose? Before the end of her trip with the four Aes Sedai, Mirandha already ruled out the Red Ajah. She was still trying to repress her feelings about her brother being able to channel, not to mention his horrible demise. Red Ajah? No thank you.

 

Reaching out with a delicate hand, she turned the doorknob and entered into the Mistress of Novices' study. "My name is Faerzyne Grigory, Mistress of Novices," the Aes Sedai said. Mirandha sat down in a chair that was offered to her. She folded her hands in her lap and replied to Faerzyne Sedai's question of what she could do for her. "I have been told to report here as it may be possible that I can channel, Aes Sedai." Mirandha almost forgot to add the title, a sign of how stressed she was. Her mother taught her to always use titles! It was the polite thing to do! The Mistress of Novices gave her a studying look before replying.

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 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 Denae 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.”

 

Faerzyne Grigory

Mistress of Novices

Surprise, dread, fear, curiosity, pain, nostalgia, and excitement filled Mirandha as she was told she could in fact channel. She had no reason to doubt that she would, as the Aes Sedai she had traveled with seemed so sure that she would be able to one day. But it was something else entirely to be told that you absolutely could channel. It seemed somehow unfair to Mirandha that she would be able to channel safely while her brother....well...she didn't want to succumb to thoughts of him right now.

 

She adjusted herself in the uncomfortable seat while the Mistress of Novices peered at her. Mirandha wondered what was to come next.

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?”

 

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 Mirandha‘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. “Welcome to the White Tower.”

 

Faerzyne, MoN