23 February 2003 (9:31pm)
Raeyn Sedai straightened up from her table at the sound of a knock on her door. Slightly disgrunted at the disturbance, she strode across her chamber, irritably smoothing out her skirts. Upon opening the door, she was somewhat suprised to find Nynaeve, the Mistress of Novices at her door.
“Now, whatever could you want with me, Nynaeve Sedai?” Raeyn queried with a mild smirk playing across her lips, “last time I checked, I hadn’t been a Novice in a century or so.”
Offering the other Sister entrance, Nynaeve declined, and handed her a slip of paper, explaining that she had been selected for mentorship duty, then taking her leave.
Musing to herself, Raeyn glanced over the bit of parchement, “A mentee? Interesting…. I can’t remember the last time I had one of those…..”
An hour or so later found Raeyn within the Novice’s Quarters, knocking briefly before entering.
“Emyli, is it? I am Raeyn Sedai, your assigned mentor.”
Raeyn Sedai
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23 February 2003 (11:14pm)
Emyli sat at the rooms small desk. Her roommates were out as usual. They were never all there except when sleeping. She assumed she would be at that pace soon anyway. The door opened.
“Emyli, is it? I am Raeyn Sedai, your assigned mentor.”
Emyli hopped up and curtsied like her mom showed her how. “Yes Aes Sedai, Emyli Toranin that is my name Aes Sedai.” She blushed, she was aying to much.
Emyli
Novice
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24 February 2003 (6:59am)
Motioning Emyli up and away from her desk, Raeyn Sedai shuffled the girl out into the hallway, “Now, now child, there is no need to be quite that nervous. Come along now, there is much to see of the Tower.”
Starting down the hall, Raeyn immediately began pointing things out to the Novice, “I’m sure that by now you are aware that this floor, and the floors surrounding it, comprise the Novice galleries, with the Accepted galleries below…..”
They walked to through the areas of the Tower where classes were held, to and through the Library, and along the dusty corridors where some of the more dedicated sisters of the Brown Ajah lived. The Amyrlin’s Study, and the antechamber where Arette Sedai, the Keeper of the Chronicles, were passed by quickly in favor of the Tower’s Kitchens, to grab a lunch to take outside to one of the gardens for a bit of sunshine.
As they ate their lunch, Raeyn turned to Emyli, “Now, child, is there any questions that you would like to ask of me that you haven’t yet?”
Raeyn Sedai
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24 February 2003 (5:33pm)
Emyli listened quietly as they strolled through the Tower. By the time they got to eat, she was quite hungry.
“Now, child, is there any questions that you would like to ask of me that you haven’t yet?”
Emyli paused with a chunk of roll in her cheek. She suddenly remembered to finish chewing. “Well Aes Sedai, everyone says I can touch the power, but what if i dont know how?”
Emyli
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24 February 2003 (7:16pm)
“Well Aes Sedai, everyone says I can touch the power, but what if i dont know how?”
Raeyn took a deep breath, and then began her explanation, “Why child, noone really knows how to touch the One Power without some form of guidance, and that is one of the first things that we in the Tower will teach you – how to touch and control Saidar. I will attempt to guide you, if you are ready?”
When Emyli nodded in agreement, Raeyn began, “Now, clear your mind of consiousous thought. Picture a rosebud, you are the rosebud….. “, she continued on, hoping that this would be of aid to the Novice by her side.
Raeyn Sedai
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24 February 2003 (7:59pm)
“Now, clear your mind of consiousous thought. Picture a rosebud, you are the rosebud….. ”
Emyli did as told, picturing a rosebud in her mind, relaxing herslef, imagining it opening. Trying to feel the power that she should be touching, it eluded her. Attempting again. She certainly felt calm, but she felt nothing.
Huffing… “Aes Sedai i can’t feel anything…” Emyli frowned.
Emyli
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24 February 2003 (8:27pm)
Huffing… “Aes Sedai i can’t feel anything…” Emyli frowned.
Smiling the smile of patience, Raeyn touched the girl’s shoulder, “One thing that you must keep in mind when trying to touch and channel Saidar is that to master it, you must surrender to it. Trying to grasp it is like trying to grasp air – it simply isn’t possible. With this in mind, try the exercise again.”
“Now, clear your mind of consiousous thought. Picture a rosebud, you are the rosebud….. ”
Raeyn
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24 February 2003 (8:59pm)
Emyli nodded and tried again. The rosbud opened in her mind. Her eyes closed, peacefullnes overcame her. The flower opened more.
Faintly, barely, a feeling came to Emyli, like a sun just about to tip the horizin, or sleep about to overcome you, a precipice. Emyli strained, reaching for it, almost moving her hands towards the ever present light. It fell away. “Ggrrrr”
“I can’t Aes Sedai!”
Emyli
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24 February 2003 (9:23pm)
“Never say can’t, child! You are very close, but remember! You cannot force it at all… let it come to you, surrender to it, and then only may you master and use Saidar.”
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she gestured to the girl to do the same, “Calm is the best way to approach the Source. Be calm, be clear. Now, from the beginning again!
Picture a rosebud in your mind. You are the rosebud…..”
Raeyn
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24 February 2003 (9:49pm)
Emyli relaxed again. The rosbud came, with it the relaxation, and the sun just below the horizon. She reached, reached, nothing. The a thaught floated across her head
*You cannot force it at all… let it come to you, surrender to it*
Shes breatehd and relaxed. the..light, or whatever, Emyli couldn;t explain if she was asked to, tipped above the precipice. It was like a light, or a feeling or somthing undescribably, except she wanted more. It faintly touched her, and she gasped. She even shook. It enveloped her, made her feel, hear. She opened her eyes. She wanted to see the world with this new feeling.
She looked at Raeyn Sedai and it fell from her. The beuty and splendor was gone! “I…I” her eyes welled. “I had it…”
Emyli blinked, whiping her eyes. She had to be tough, she would be able to get it again. “Aes Sedai, it felt so…good.” the last word was nearly a whisper. Her life had changed. She could never again be the simple tinker that she was…
Emyli
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24 February 2003 (10:15pm)
“So you found Saidar this day, Emyli. This is good. Some girls have a harder time of it, but it seems to go alot on personality.” Raeyn smiled down at the novice… she could still remember the joy of finding the One Power.
Returning from her trip down memory lane, she turned back to Emyli, “If you wish to, you are more than welcome to practice a little more. You will be going through the same thing in some of your classes, but it’s always nice to have a head start. And besides, it is a nice day, and you won’t be able to see too much of them for awhile to come. Novice training is rigourous, and will more than likely keep you busy until you fall onto your bed each night, too weary to understand how you will make it through the next day, or the next. But you will, if you will it.”
Handing the girl another sandwich, Raeyn indulged in another one as well, to give Emyli the time to decide what to do with the rest of the day.
Emyli
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24 February 2003 (10:57pm)
“I will practice more Aes Seai thank you.” Thinking. This was new, this was AMAZING! The beuty of it. “Aes Sedai, is it normal to want to hold onto it?”
“Yes Emyli, but you must be strong and not give into every urge, that can be dangerous, and the point of much of your training.”
“Yes Aes Sedai.” Emyli smiled and her mentor. “Thank you.” Munching on the sandwhich, she that of what she had felt, and where it may take her life. Suddenly her loss of her family wasn’t quite so bad. But she still missed her mother, and her sisters, and her dog Rogue. “Aes Sedai, i would like to take a walk today, then retire to my room, where I can continue to practice.” Emyli smiled a wide eyed smile.
Emyli
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24 February 2003 (11:07pm)
“A walk, then? Let’s!” Raeyn replied, genuinely happy to be outside for once… she spent too much time in her chambers working.
Along the way they made idle conversation of this and that, mainly admonishments from Raeyn Sedai not to try to do anything with the One Power at this point, but to merely practice opening up to it, and holding it. Before she knew it, time had passed, and it was time to return Emyli to her room.
“Remember child, don’t try anything without an Accepted or an Aes Sedai to guide you! Saidar is no child’s toy, and you can hurt yourself or someone else.. you could even burn yourself out, and never be able to feel Saidar again… you would be an empty shell. Anyways, get what rest you can before you are put to work on chores and classes, and I’m sure we shall meet again.”
On that note, Raeyn turned from the door and headed back to her chambers.
Raeyn