Fanfic:Visiting with an Aes Sedai

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Visiting with an Aes Sedai
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When she requested to have a one on one session with an Aes Sedai. She would have never thought it'd be so soon. Nor did she expect it to be the newest and only member of the Red Ajah. It confused her as to why they brought this particular Ajah back. Or what it meant for the rest of the Grey Tower in the years to come. But still it made her nervous as she approached the door of the Aes Sedai. For as little as she knew of the Grey Tower, she knew even less of Carra Sedai.

Steps from the door, Della took a minute to prepare herself. She pulled the ribbon she kept in her sleeve and tied her dark hair back. It was getting too long, maybe she should have it cut. She smoothed her sleeves out and took a deep breath. She slowly let it out, reminding herself that she would complete any task given to her, regardless of the absurd things she had heard about what happens.

"Here goes nothing," She whispered to herself as she knocked on the door. She continued to take deep breaths, hoping to calm the nerves that began to well up in her stomach. Maybe she should turn around. Perhaps it was too soon for her to meet an Aes Sedai on such a personal level. But than again, she can't. She was not about to waste Carra Sedai's time.


Carra was just shifting around a few large silk colored pillows on a new rug she had purchased and with a nod of approval the Red Aes Sedai was ready for a little informal teaching.

While the classrooms provided an adequate teaching space, Carra also felt that the best way to take away some of the stigma of the Red Ajah was to open her doors a little more and host events, classes or just one on one time in her space. She had her own room that was completely private but the Great Room of the Red Ajah was completely open, albeit still rather sparse.

The knock on the door and a little weave opened the door for the Novice to enter. "Come in, Della. Welcome to the Red Ajah Greatroom. There is a tray of tea, Kaf or water by the kitchen doorway that should still be warm. Help yourself and then come here for a seat." Carra welcomed her warmly, although still her smiles didn't reach her eyes. But she was trying. "Then we can get started with a few weaves. But first, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"


When the door opened by itself Della felt a small tingle. It was a new sensation leaving her a little puzzled. So when Carra Sedai spoke, all she managed to catch was there was something in the kitchen and than for her to tell a little about herself.

She nodded and did her best to curtsey. A movement that made her feel awkward and clumsy and probably looked about the same. She drifted to the kitchen and found some water. Water seemed like the safe option. If she were to spill it, than she wouldn't have a stain.

As she came back into the room. She looked around at the room, it was huge and lived up to its name. Although you could tell the decor was new, it still felt warm. It kinda reminded her of how Carra Sedai's smile seemed.

"I come for a simple life. I was schooled by my grandparents until they passed away. Than I moved in with my mother, but I was already very independent by that time. I knew of the Aes Sedai and the Grey Tower from the stories I heard as already child. But I honestly never thought I would posse the ability to touch the Source" Della said, hoping she covered all the basics. She hoped she didn't sound like she was mumbling.

Before too much time could pass, curiosity got the better of her. "And what about yourself Carra Sedai. Have you always known you would be here at the Grey Tower?"


Carra couldn't help the chuckle that came from her lips, even if it wasn't friendly. "No, I never wanted to be Aes Sedai and fought it until I completed my Stairs. I wanted to learn but the responsibility of the Shawl and what it represented was something that I struggled with."

Carra gave her throat a clearing cough and sipped some tea. "Let us move you. You will be learning some easy tricks you can use with Saidar. These are handy little weaves that will make certain tasks easier. The first weave is used for eavesdropping, and requires spirit and air, like so,” Carra said as she first channeled a thin flow of spirit, and then added air so that it somewhat resembled a braid, with two parts spirit and one of air. “Then you will direct your weave to where you wish to hear.”

Carra extended her flow up instead of out, as there was nothing in this basement but rats and mountain water. Instead, if she wove it up then she could collect information from the center courtyard of the Grey Tower; where many interesting conversations would take place.

“ . . did you hear? There was a Drin that came back from his survival test in a grass skirt! A Grass Skirt!!”

Carra let the weave go, "Now you try. Remember to direct the weave as best you can, you might have to stretch a little or be patient as we are a little blind here, but its still good practice.”


Della couldn't help but notice the slight sting in Carra Sedai's tone. She began to wonder what had happened in Carra Sedai's life before the Grey Tower. Whatever it was, Della was sure that she would find out eventually. But for now, she was content to watch Carra Sedai embrace and weave Saidar.

As she watched, a part of her envied how effortless Carra Sedai made it seem. She knew she'd have to continue to work with Saidar for a long time before she was able to have the finesse the Aes Sedai had.

No matter. Della embraced Saidar herself and began to feel the weaves as she was taught. Seeing as the colours still blurred together. She was so caught up in what she was watching, she didn't even realize what she was hearing. A grass skirt? Who? She couldn't help but smile. She would have to catch up on gossip later in the kitchens.

She began with a thread of air and focused on making it wavy. As it wiggled in front of her, she let two threads of spirit weave themselves into place. It didn't look quite right. She glanced up at Carra Sedai's, but it was difficult to tell what she thought. Della let the weave go and began again. This time she sent all the three threads to a spot where she wanted them to go, and began to twist them this way and that way before pushing the weave further.

Nothing was all Della could hear. Maybe she sent it to a wrong spot? But before she could move the weave, she heard footsteps. As the footsteps got closer she could hear a female voice mumbling.

"...why don't they get their own tea? can't they wash their own clothes? how is doing all these chores suppose to teach us to sit on our a..."

Della quickly dropped the weave. She didn't want to know what else the female voice thought. She smiled a shy smile and hoped that Carra Sedai didn't think she thought the same way.


Carra gave a nod approval at the girls weave. It was clumsy at best but she was able to complete it and that was enough. "It will come with practice, Della. Do not worry." She picked up her tea a moment for a sip as she thought back on the weaves she was taught in this same class. Only they were not in a classroom setting.

"The next weave I will teach you is Voice Amplification, also known as Voice of Power. To begin channel a mix of air and fire, which you will form into a funnel shape. Then place the weave in front of your mouth and speak normally into it.”

Carra demonstrated the weave and placed the funnel in front of her mouth.

“The size of the funnel will determine how loud your voice will be.”

Carra then moved the threads while still in the weave, adding more or less to fire and air which then changes the pitch, tone and style of her voice as she spoke. "This is one of the more flexible weaves, and you can change it to suite your needs." Carra released Saidar, "Try the amplification and then trying changing it up after you are comfortable with it. Feel free to use a little creativity."


Although Della understood that it took time and practice, it helped to hear Carra Sedai affirm it yet again. She often felt like weaving should improve as much embracing Saidar had. But the weaving seemed to be yet another milestone

Della listened to Carra Sedai intently. Although she may not be allowed to use these weaves alone, until she became Accepted. It was still a beautiful feeling to feel and see the weaves taking place. What if the weaving came more natural as she was able to see the colors? she tried to focus on separating the colors. It actually helped to see them move as Carra Sedai modified the funnel.

Della nodded and began to channel fire and air. At first she kept them apart, and sorta spirled into a funnel. Almost like a tornado. it looked close enough to what Carra Sedai had showed her.

"I think this weave is easier than the last" stated Della. She was slightly startled when her voice came out much louder than normal.

Slowly, she began to pinch certain parts of the weave together.

"How does this sound?" Della asked, than asked "Would you say it sounds squeaky?"

She giggled, she knew she sounded like a squirrel. A squirrel drowning. She added a bit more fire and than wrapped it around a weave of air. And then pushed another weave of air further out.

"Or does this sound please your ears?" asked Della. Shock registered on her face as she realized she sounded like a man. She let the weave go and grinned.

"Are all the weaves you will be teaching me as amusing as this?" She asked, hoping that Carra didn't take it as Della making light of the class.


She was amused by the girls creativity, and her practicality. Whether the novice knew this or not but how she chose to use her weaves would show the Tower more about her than any conversation. "Very well done." She smiled, "It might be easy because they are elements that come easier to you then the others. I find Air and Spirit the easiest to weave while Earth and Fire are equally challenging. As for the fun.." Carra gave a shrug. She didn't find many of the weaves 'fun' but more of a 'tool' and Carra was bound by the Oaths to not lie.

"How about we try changing the temperature and see if your affiliation with the elements is true." Carra began channeling strands of air and fire carefully, creating something like a small box on the floor. “You will channel air and fire together but be very careful how much of each you put in. You can adjust the amounts you put in depending on how warm or cool you want to make the room. But if you put in too much air you might freeze and if you put too much fire you could burn yourself.”

Carra repeated the weave she added a warning.

“Never tie this weave off, especially if you go to sleep. You could wake up in a furnace.”


Della nodded. She supposed it wouldn't be as amusing for Carra Sedai as it was for her. After all Carra Sedai had probably performed these weaves many times. But still, Della was enchanted by the weaves. Many uses could arise. Some were probably not the intended use.

As she watched Carra bend and weave the flows of air and fire into a box. She could faintly feel their difference. As well as the difference in the air. Carra Sedai's warning made sense. She could understand the temptation of wanting to keep a room a certain way.

She imagined a box and began to fill in the sides and bottom with equal amounts of air and fire. She tried to pay attention to how the room felt. It felt a little warm from Carra Sedai's weave. With a gently nudge she pushed in a thread and wrapped it around a thread of fire.

Almost instantly the room cooled off. Perhaps a little too cool. She slowly pulled the weave of air away from the thread of fire and allowed it flow into the pattern. She than pushed another strand of fire in the opposite side of the box. Hoping to balance out the temperature.

She waited til she felt the change before she continued. This time, she chose to use air in a different way. She place a thin weave across the top. Connecting the two sides. As the room cooled, she slowly wove a small amount of fire around the air across the top. The room began to warm slightly. She continued to wrap the strand of air with fire until the room was comfortably warm. She allowed the room to stay that way momentarily before letting the weave go.

"With weaves like this, are we suppose to just let them go? Or is there a way to pull them apart?" Della asked. Noticing for the first time she felt a lingering effect.


She gave a firm shake of her head, "You let them go. For weaves you have tied off you cut them and then lit it fall apart on its own. Unweaving, what we call when you pull a weave apart, is only done by those of exceptional skill that have it as a talent. About 95% of those in this Tower are unable to Unweave. Even trying can leave disasterous results from burning Saidin and Saidar from you as you try to control what you are taking apart to the weave collapsing and causing an unknown effect. This is why we have a Channeling Yard and the rooms where Novices and Soldier's first learn to weave are protected with very special weaves. Explosions have caused many fatalities of those that have tried to Unweave their Weave without the Talent. You must not try it, at least not until you are skilled enough to have someone that can instruct you to help you try."

Carra reduced the disapproval from her tone, knowing that while the girl would take the warning to heart she shouldn't spent the entire lesson in a scolding tone. "Since you seem to have manages this weave with some success, lets try an illusion." Carra set her now empty tea cup in front of her. "Using Air and Fire, I'm going to 'Bend Light' to make the tea cup disappear." The weave looked more like a dome then anything else. "Don't worry to much about the shape of the weave but at how the elements are woven together. The larger your weave the larger of a shape you can make. Think of it like parchment covering a gift. The size of the parchment is the same but you can bend and fold it in many different ways."

And when Carra finished her weave the tea cup was completely gone. Carra reached in and picked up the cup and pulled it out from the dome to make it invisible. "You can either put the weave over a space like this, or on an actual object. It depends on what you wish to use the weave for. Now, try it with your cup of water."


Although the tone in Carra Sedai's voice was anything but pleased. She understood the warning and its intentions. She wanted to ask if she could try it. But given the warning, she thought it better just to focus on moving on with the lesson.

So again she paid attention to the feels of the weave more than the visual. It felt very similar to the basic wards she had learned previously. It may be the same concept, and just a different name and way of doing it.

As the cup disappeared, Della grinned like a child who seen the cookie jar being filled. Yet again, her mind raced to the mischievous deeds that could be performed. She didn't know what had come over her. Maybe it was just the fact that she knew at the end of this road; childlike wonder would be a thing of the past

She looked down at her water and set it down on the table next to her. She looked at it and began to send weaves of Air and Fire towards the cup. She hesitated for a minute, weaves posed to flow. She decided that she could do it, and that she will. She sent the weave, interlacing them until they appeared to be a rough dome.

She tightened the weave and frowned as the cup disappeared. Normally, she would have been happy with how easy it had been done. But it made her suspicious, had she really done it right?

"Is that right? I know the cup has disappeared, but it was too easy." She said without looking up from the cup.


Carra looked over the weave. It wasn't masterwork and she could see weaknesses in it, but the girl had made the cup disappear and she would only get better with practice. "You completed the weave correctly, or the cup would not have vanished." She thought on the girls comment about it being too easily and instead of delving further decided to write a note to the Indigo Ajah to see if they could test the girl for Talents; if she had any. This way they would have the discovery and Carra would have gained some favor for sharing instead of hoarding a secret. Something Carra found silly in the Tower politics.

Tower Politics, however, had nothing on Cairhien Politics.

"How about we try two more weaves for the day." Carra pulled out a few slightly rusted, dull knives from beside her pillow that she sat upon and put them in front of Della. Carra picked up one of them to use as an example. "This next trick is Polish. This weave will remove rust from metal." Carra began weaving the strands of earth into a circle. She directed the weave over the dagger and soon the rust was gone and the dagger had a polished look to it. "This weave can also pull rust from other objects but takes more skill in Earth. This may also be difficult if you are weak in Earth, so have patience and take your time."


So the weave was right, which was good. Della nodded and watched as Carra Sedai pulled out the knives. At first she was confused. Why knives? As Carra Sedai explained the weave, she began to understand. She wondered if she would be allowed to use the weave for chores. If she could manage it, of course.

This was one of the first times Della wpuld be working with Earth. Hopefully, it worked the same as Fire. As she understood that Earth and Fire were male powers. And Fire seemed to flow easily enough. At this moment it time, it never occurred to her that Fire may be her strongest power.

Della instinctively drew on Saidar and pulled on Earth. Only it seemed to resist. The more she pulled the harder it became. She took a breath and tried to let it flow. Earth let up only enough for a trickle. Frowning, Della tried to gain a thicker tread. Very slowly it seemed to grow.

By the time it seemed to be of a decent size, sweat had began to form on Della's forehead. Trying to pull on Earth was proving to be a challenge for her. She don't know what or why, but the weave of Earth slipped from her grasp and fell apart. She stared at the spot where she had just had the weave half done. She yawned and began to pull on Earth again. It seemed even more resilient.

Frustrated and without thinking, Della lashed out with flows of Air. The dagger went flying. Where it head or landed, was a mystery to Della. As she quickly released Saidar and stood there in shock.


It took a steady hand to practice weaves, and an even quicker reflexes if working with something as dangerous as knives. She could see the girl struggling with the Earth and it was interesting after she had shown such deft with Fire. The lashing out of Air told Carra that the girl's instincts were important but she was not so happy with the knife went flying by her face. It was the first time in all her lessons Carra was caught surprised.

"Don't... lash out with the One Power." Carra said with calm, although her heart was beating fast. Adrenaline was a funny thing, and she knew then that she could use an adventure outside of this Tower before her reflexes grew too faded for her. "If you can not make a weave work you will find more success in calm than anger. It is one of the Tests you will receive to become Aes Sedai."

Picking up the remainder of the knives, "Well, until you are able to gain a little more control of Earth I think that weave can wait. Was there anything you would like to learn? There are some things I could teach you but some that I can not. Not yet."


Although it shouldn't have surprised her, she couldn't help but wonder how Carra Sedai remained so calm. She also wondered how old the Aes Sedai was, and how long it took for her to be so calm. It both puzzled and amazed her.

"I'm truly sorry. I should be more careful with my temper. It's known to flare once in a while" Della said when she finally managed to wipe the dumb look off her face. For a split second she wondered why the Aes Sedai didn't kick her out. But than, why would she? A novice with a temper was just as dangerous as a wilder she once heard.

She thought for a moment. Than it occurred to her. If she was going to get any better at this, and be trusted to ever teach a class. She would have learn how to get her temper under control. Or at least be able to keep it from effecting her weaves.

"Do you think you could teach me steps to take to become more calm with channeling? To use less emotions and detaching the feeling of the weave after its been used" requested Della. She had noticed she often felt the weaves long after they were gone. As if the air was heavier in the spots the one power had touched.


There was true emotion in Carra's face as Della made her request, and she could not help but be impressed by the wisdom in the girls request. It was rare for anyone to admit weakness, although certainly more common in Novices than anyone else in the Grey Tower, but rarer still to recognize it and ask for help. Carra had to think on it for a time, reflecting carefully on herself before giving an answer.

"I will tell you something that I have told no other in the Tower. I do not speak of my life before I came to Hama Valon because many things I did would be.. controversial at a best. My life was not a kind life, and I spent a lot of time on the streets if I was not being beaten or abused, or manipulated and used. I do not know if I could teach you what I have become from my past. I would not know where to start or even how to keep it from being unpleasant." Carra admitted, sitting calmly on her pillow with a steady voice that seemed void. There was a touch of warmth to it, enough to show that the Novice she was not as hard as she was. Della had touched Carra's heart in an odd way, and few had ever impressed her.

"There are others that could help you. There are members of the White Ajah that would happily teach you how to separate your emotions. The Warders Yard can teach you of the Void which will help you separate your emotions from your actions. Your experience here in the Tower will also teach you this, over time that is." Carra could not help but look a little sadly at the girl. She would not wish her steel heart on anyone, let alone someone that burned so beautifully with fire.


When she was younger, he grandmother would always just glance at her. Than do some small thing to see if Della was really staring at her or not. And if she was, she would find water or something minor flying at her with her grandmother's words 'it's rude to stare Della'. But at that very moment she could not help but stare at Carra Sedai.

The woman had let Della see behind the Aes Sedai mask. She was not sure how she should respond. It was an honor and responsibility, she didn't know what would be an appropriate response. Should she offer an empathic response? Let a silent look speak volumes? She looked at Carra Sedai, and for the first time that day she felt she had what it took to become an Aes Sedai.

"Thank you Carra Sedai" was all Della could think to say. It wasn't just for the lessons but for the honesty and humbleness. It gave her a new respect for all Aes Sedai. She always knew people experienced hardship, you just would never think an Aes Sedai would be one of them.

"So, when it comes to Earth. Stay calm and let it come as it wishes? Think I will struggle with water as well?" She asked after doing a quick run down of the five powers.


Carra took the girls change of the conversation for what it was, and was grateful that the girl didn't pry. She wouldn't get any answers and it would cut this lesson very short very fast but since the girl was wise enough to ask the right questions she also was wise enough when not to ask at all. Something that will carry her far.

"There is only one way to find out." Carra gave her a smile that almost touched her eyes. "Wait here." Standing up from her cushion taking her tea cup with her, she ignored the wrinkles of the her over dress and walked to the kitchen. She picked up a few small cups, a cup of water and refilled her tea. These were cups that she did not mind being broken. Returning Carra took her seat and set the one cup in front of her and filled two of them with water, leaving some water in the third.

"Lets try three weaves. They are the same but only use a different strand of Saidar. The first, we will use fire." Carra embraced Saidar and a thread of Fire started to spin in her own cup, warming the tea. "Use only the bared of Saidar you can as you do not need much. Too much and you can burn yourself and me. The faster the fire spins the hotter the water also gets. Start the weave and gently settle it into the tea until it is warm to the touch."


When Carra Sedai returned to the room with the cups and water. Della leaned forward with interest. She was highly curious about what would happen. She wondered often it was possible to move water. Would Carra be teaching her this as well? Only time would be able to tell. As Carra Sedai began to explain the lesson, she reached out with her senses. She felt that the strand of fire was very thin indeed. She hoped that she had gained enough skill in this lesson to be able to control the amount easily. Though she had to admit, she was beginning to feel tired.

Saidar came easily to her, she no longer had to fight with it as she when she had first come to the Grey Tower. This to her was a good sign. It meant that it may be easier for her to channel the faint strand. She stared at the cup in front of her for a moment. The objective was to warm the water, not the cup. She pondered for a moment before she let the thinnest strand of fire she could manage flow into the cup. She guided it around the cup. It was a little slow at first.

"Come on." whispered Della. As she did, the flow began to chase its tail. She nudged it into the tea. It moved faster, it was almost as if she was stirring the fire around the cup. She let a small smile play on her lips, pleased that the flow was doing as it was asked. She placed her hand on the outside of the cup, feeling for the temperature to reflect the sensation that now filled her mind. The warmth of the tea slowly began apparent, and she let the flow go.

"Is that warm enough?" Della asked as she leaned back and awaited to see if she had warmed the tea enough


"Is it warm enough?"

The girl seemed nervous. Carra gave a kind teacher-like smile, "I don't know. You tell me." The girl seemed to hesitate before she reached out to touch the cup.

"You did well with the one element, let's try the other two. One at a time, please."


Della nodded. It was warm enough. She had to realize that she didn't need affirmation every time she did something. But I she supposed that it was because the Aes Sedai did have have some power over her, seeing as she was still a Novice. Either way, Della was proud of herself. However, small the victory, it was still a victory. She smiled inwardly, at least she hoped it was inwardly.

She thought about what the next element she would like would be. She felt she was good with Fire, Air and Spirit, just based on the ease in which they came. Well in comparison to her attempt with Earth. All that was left to see was if she had any skill with Water. She didn't know exactly what to do with Water. But she decided to touch it to the water and find out.

She focused once more on the water in the cup. She examined its state and level, sill and unmoving and about 3/4 of the way full. After ensuring she knew the environment of the cup, she focused on pulling on Water. It seemed to resist her. Admittedly she never really worked with Water before, but why did it not pull as easy? It was a female element, wasn't it? Shouldn't it come as easily as Air? She gently nudged it yet again. It came but a faint trickle.

Cursing under her breath, she tried to pull more. It felt like someone had rubbed butter on her grasp. Any time she gained anything greater, it slipped away. Still she pulled. She reminded herself to breathe and just let it come. Don't force. But a part of her was getting to be furious.

The trickle turned into a very thin flow, she realized that's as much as she could get going. Sighing she directed it into the cup. The water rippled slightly. She looked up to Carra Sedai and shrugged.


Carra smiled, and gave a nod. "Well that was a relatively successful experiment, I would say." She checked each cup carefully with her hands, noting the warmth and the coolness of the two cups touched with fire and air. Not too hot and not too cold. "You have a natural control to your weaves, this is good. It must have been hard but you are clearly apt at this." Picking up the cups, Carra stood and offered the girl a hand up.

"You have done very well today. Go, get yourself some food and some rest. Think on what you found easier and what you have found harder. What came harder to you will take the most work to control. Keep this in mind with all your lessons, as no man or woman was made Aes Sedai in a day." Carra shooed the girl out, with just a little more praise before Carra returned back to her chair and sat down. It as not just the Novice that had a long day, but today was one of very few days that Carra felt good for the work that she had done. Teaching was something she was beginning to love.