Fanfic:A sword for saidar?
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a sword for saidar?
Well, this was unfortunate.' She thought to herself as she surveyed the room. Two beds, two desks, two windows, two chests at the foot of the beds and two dressers. It was as bare as she expected, and certainly better made furniture than she was accustom to.
Well, it had been a year, give or take, since she slept in a real bed. The forest floor or the gutters of Andor certainly did not count. She gave a bit of a shrug and double checked what personal belongings she was allowed in her chest and then sat at the desk that was designated to her. A stack of books stood ominously there. Reaching for the first, REGIONS AND CUSTOMS. Like all other books she suspected it to be a dry read, if it didn't take her forever to complete a chapter. Carra wasn't a proficient reader, although she could fake it if she needed to. The big words were the problem.
"Maybe.." Maybe, if she sat at her desk and looked serious in her reading she would be left alone. Then again, this is a Tower filled with Aes Sedai and those in training. Herself one of them. Nosey, the lot of them. Her ploy wouldn't work forever especially since it was her first day.
"Ashes.. This is going to take forever!" She bemoaned aloud, and hit her forehead to the desk, cushioned only by the tome.
Concern
"That's good, dear. You can go now." Amairwyn smiled at the novice and waved her down the hallway. Well, that went well, she thought ins satisfaction, packing her books and pens into her bag and leaving the novice common room.
It was rare for Amairwyn to come into the novice quarters- rare for most Aes Sedai, for that matter- but today she had made an exception. She was teaching a new novice how to read, and as the girl was exceptionally shy, had thought she would be less intimidated in the novice hall than in an Ajah Head's office.
Moving down the narrow hallway, she couldn't help a small grimace at the sight of the bare walls and silence. Without a doubt, being a novice was one thing she did not miss.
Nearing a door near the end of the hall, her attention was caught by a muffled moan and thump coming from inside. Frowning, she stopped and stared at the door. She wasn't nosy, and it was most likely a novice bemoaning her chores or heavy schedule, but she would be amiss in her duties as an Ajah Head if she didn't at least check. There was always the chance the room's inhabitant was ill.
Knocking briskly on the door, she called, "Novice? Is everything alright? Open the door, child."
Carra startled from the book for a moment and gave her eyes a rub. She had been trying to get past the larger words used in that particular paragraph for a while. Sounding them out helped a little but it felt silly all the same.
Pushing the chair out from her and quickly paced to the door and opened it. At first giving a bow to the Aes Sedai and hesitated for a moment before switching to a more clumsy curtsy. Bows were easier by far, and she was much more graceful with them. Curtsies were silly, but required.
"Yes Aes Sedai. Everything is..." 'an Aes Sedai never tells a lie. It is good practice to learn this before you speak the Oaths for once taken you will never be able to again.' "...different. I am not used to all these books, and reading, and rules. But I am trying, Aes Sedai. Was there something you needed me for?"
Questions
Amairwyn was pleased to see that the novice appeared alright. Well, I thought so. But, you never know.
The curtsy the novice gave her was rather clumsy, but that hardly bothered her. There were some Aes Sedai who would give a novice a sharp word for a bad curtsy, but she wasn't one of them. Personally, she didn't see why they had to curtsy- bowing worked just as well.
She felt a flash of sympathy at the novice's words. Yes, everything could appear different and strange when you first arrived at the Tower. It had taken her quite some time to adjust- she had even considered running away once or twice.
"It certainly can, novice. But you do adjust." Empty words,she knew, but there wasn't much else she could say.
She eyed the stack of books. "Do you like to read then, novice? And what, by the way, is your name? I am Amairwyn Serenya Sedai."
"Carraidhin Glaise, Aes Sedai. Although, if you please, just Carra." She gave a bow of her head. It felt far more natural anyway.
"If I am honest, no I don't think I like reading. It is hard and I am not very fast at it. Maybe if I was a better reader I would like it more. I don't know." She looked over at the book she was trying to get through. "I've been told I need to know all these things in all these books. So I am reading them because I have to." Carra glanced back a the Aes Sedai, noting the brown fringe on the shawl. "Is that what it means to be Brown Ajah? To love reading?"
An Offer and a Question
Amairwyn nodded at carra's words, frowning. It wasn't that she had a problem with the novice's dislike of reading- though she did find it difficult to understand how someone could dislike reading; she was a Brown after all- it was that she had noticed the book Carra was reading. Regions and Customs. One she'd always enjoyed, but not the best book for someone who wasn't very good at reading.
Why wasn't she assigned something a bit more simpler? Well, I suppose whoever gave her the books couldn't have known she isn't a fast reader.. Not for the first time, she wondered why they didn't ask new learning ranks about their reading levels.
"I am not surprised you don't enjoy it, novice, if you are assigned books like that." She nodded at the stack. "Regions and Customs is a good read, but it can be painfully slow if you're not a proficient reader."
She gazed thoughtfully at Carra. "If you're interested, I could help you improve your reading. You will find yourself studying progressively harder books as you go, so it would be a very good idea to work on it now. You don't want to fall behind- practical information is as important as channeling." Of course, the last was a matter of opinion, she knew- not all channelers would agree with her on that.
She smiled at the question about the Brown. "You generally do need to enjoy reading to be a Brown, yes, but that isn't all it means to be a Brown. You also need to have a curious mind, a willingness to learn, and a love of research. We study everything you can think of." Including some topics they likely shouldn't, but she wasn't going to tell a novice that.
"Tell me, novice, what interests you? What would you study if you were a Brown?" Amairwyn had always found that was a good question to use to get to know the learning ranks, whether or not they were interested in the Brown Ajah.
large ideas for a simple mind
"I.. would appreciate the help." Carra responded carefully. If there was one thing that being on the streets taught her is to never turn down help when it was needed. She looked back at the stack of books. Each for a different class, be it history, culture or whatever else was on her list and likely each as dry as the next.
"I don't know what interests me, Amairwyn Sedai." Testing out the name, hoping she pronounced it right. "I was an orphan'd child of a whole and spent most of my life on the streets. I did not want to be Aes Sedai, but sometimes that choice is not ours to make. Now I don't know what I want. Or what I like."
Carra gave a bit of a nonchalant shrug. "What of you, Amairwyn Sedai? If you don't mind me asking, what was it that you wanted to study most?"
Interests
Amairwyn was pleased that Carra had accepted her help. There were many who might have turned down her offer, but it was never a good idea to refuse help when it was offered.
She felt a twinge of sympathy at Carra's statement that she was an orphan. Amairwyn's family was well and whole, but there were many orphans in the Borderlands, given the proximity to the Blight. The difference was that many Borderlander orphans were taken in by families rather than left to roam the streets.
"Aes Sedai wasn't particularly what I imagined for my life either, novice. My family was pleased to learn I could channel- I'm from Shienar, where Aes Sedai are welcome and respected- but it was still a shock to me." Though now she found it difficult to imagine not being an Aes Sedai.
Amairwyn couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Carra's question. It was a bold question for a novice to ask, and there were some Aes Sedai who would have had her scrubbing the floor for it. However, being a Brown, Amairwyn believed questions should be encouraged.
"I study the Blight, Carra. But not just the Blight. I also study battle tactics and strategy, as well as basic first aid and medicines." Amairwyn had finally managed to reconcile her sudden Green tendencies with the fact she was a Brown.
"You will figure out eventually what interests you novice." She paused for a moment. "Are there any of the Ajahs that appeal to you at the moment?" That, too, was always a good question for new novices and soldiers. Most had at least a few opinions about the Ajahs.
fear and shame
It was curious, Carra found, for the Brown to have such a diverse interest. In the way she was curious Carra was also confused by it. Wasn't battling and things of the nature more of the Green Ajah? And herbs and healing, didn't the Yellow Ajah keep that to themselves. "I thought Ajah's were more closely guarded about their secrets, and kept what they did well to their own ranks." Not realizing she spoke aloud she flushed brightly and gave a bow instinctually. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to... I.. I grew up in Tar Valon. There were rumors and... well, I always assumed." She felt rather stupid for saying as much. Of course there were more layers to each Ajah then what they stood for. It seemed so obvious now.
"I guess I don't know anything about the Ajah's as I first thought. I never thought I would suit any of them, but maybe I just don't know enough about the Ajah's or myself to know where I would want to go." Or if they wanted her.
Now there was a novelty. "I don't think I have any skills that any of them would want me in their ranks anyway."
Ajahs
Amairwyn wasn't surprised by Carra's comments about the Ajahs. Many people thought that, and she had thought the same thing as a novice.
She waved away the apology. "It's quite alright, Carra. You're not entirely wrong- it is true the Ajahs do have their own specializations, and they do indeed guard their secrets closely." She paused. "However, there is more overlap between the Ajahs than a lot of people suspect." At least at the Grey Tower. She couldn't speak about the White Tower, never having been there.
"Browns study everything, like I said, including medicine and warfare. We don't confine ourselves to one topic." It was true however, that it was unusual for the Brown to concentrate on warfare or healing. Amairwyn was hardly the only one who did, but it wasn't that common.
"It's not unusual for novices to not know what Ajah might suit them. My advice would be for you to speak with someone with each Ajah, to see which one suits you the most. Though if you have any questions right now, I can attempt to answer then."
She raised an eyebrow at Carra's comments about her lack of skill. "Everyone has something they're skilled in, novice. Tell me, what did you do before you came to the Tower? Was there anything specific you were good at?"
a spark of talent
"Not really." She thought aloud. "I was good at hiding, following people unseen. Sort of like a Tairen Thief Catcher. I lived on the streets too so I learned to pick pockets so I could buy food to survive."
As Carra spoke, her tone was rather matter of fact. She didn't feel shame for what she did and felt no reason to. "I learned to survive and I became good at it. If I have any talent it would be in hiding or perhaps finding things that most can not find. I don't think those are particularly useful to any Ajah."
More Than a Spark
Amairwyn would be lying if she said she wasn't shocked by Carra's revelation that she had been a pickpocket. However, she had lived long enough to know that some people had to survive anyway they could.
Granted, thievery wasn't quite what she'd had in mind when she'd mentioned skills. "Just remember, novice, not to continue that particular skill here. It will get you in trouble. A lot of trouble."
Finding things most can not . Not an useless talent at all. "You would be surprised, novice. A talent at being able to find things other cannot could be quite useful. For example, it could be helpful to a Brown in their research, a Green or Blue in seeking out justice or darkfriends, a Grey in settling disputes, and an Indigo in studying objects of the Power."
She nodded. "You merely have to figure out how it could be useful to you here." As long as she didn't fall back into her pickpocketing ways. Amairwyn had known several learning ranks who had been former pickpockets who had done just that.
She eyed Carra. "While I'm here, do you have any questions concerning the Tower? I know how easy it is to get lost or into trouble when you're new here."
need rules over desire
Carra blinked at her for a moment in surprise. "Of course not, Aes Sedai. I have been given much more then I could dream of to think of pick pocketing. There is no need." Thievery would be silly when she already eats more than she had this past year.
Listening carefully to the Aes Sedai, she never had thought of finding things to be that useful of a skill. "I never thought of it that way." Likely because she never had reason to. "Perhaps I will learn how to be better at it in one of those ways." Although the seeking out justice part felt odd to her. As a former thief justice seemed a little skewed since she lived on the other side of the law out of necessity.
"I don't really get lost easily, Amairwyn Sedai. But I do have a question. I don't know if I will choose the Green Ajah, I don't know what Ajah I would go, but is it possible to learn how to use a sword? Or do I have to only be Green Ajah, like at the White Tower?"
Matters of Swords
Amairwyn nodded, pleased with Carra's assurance she wouldn't pickpocket. That was good enough for her, unless she did something to prove otherwise.
She smiled at the girl's question. Once, she would have grimaced at it, but she had changed in the past few years. "Of course not, novice. Any Ajah can learn to use a sword. I personally prefer bow or polearms, but you can certainly learn to use a sword if you want. We're a bit looser, I understand, than the White Tower in certain things. Not only Greens use weaponry here."
Amairwyn had never been to the White Tower, and given some of the things she had heard, she wasn't certain she wanted to go.
"However, the best way to find someone to teach you sword would be to go to the Warder Yards. You're more likely to find a teacher there than in the Ajahs."
It was the first genuine smile that Carra had given. Carra would smile easily but rarely did it reach her eyes. Now it seems that she was being given more and more reason to stay even if she was unsure if she wanted to be tied to the Grey Tower, or any Tower.
"Thank you, Aes Sedai. I will have to do that when I am given the free time to do so. A novice's schedule is a little more restrictive than I am used to." She tried not to scowl. "I don't have any more questions, but where can I find you to help me read better?" Carra was not about to assume that the Aes Sedai would come to her. She was starting to get a sense the Aes Sedai were far more important to run around at the need of a simple Novice. Then again, this Aes Sedai was different and despite herself she was starting to like her.
Amairwyn was pleased to see that the novice was smiling now. She never liked to see the learning ranks downtrodden.
"I have an office above the library, novice. The Browns in the library can direct you to it when you're ready to begin. Just have them send me a note first- I'm not always available or in my office."
Amairwyn was enjoying this conversation, but she realized she really did need to go now. She had meetings to attend, and other students to see to.
"I will see you soon, hopefully, novice. Have a good day."
