Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

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Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Bree » January 9th, 2015, 1:44 am

The doe eyed novice led Makenna through the halls of the glass tower. She was actually chatty. Explaining that these were the administrative offices and talking a little about the duties of each office as they passed doors. Makenna suspected from the way the girl talked that this chatter was more for the novice's benefit than her own. It had the sound of repetition for the sake of memory.

The girl stopped in front of one door and said, "This is the Mistress of Novices. IF you can learn to channel, she will be the one to get you enrolled and instruct you on how to begin." Makenna smiled indulgently, a rush of memories of a precocious little Maleia talking the same way to her father years ago. I am here for her sake. One way or the other... Makenna watched the girl knock and then opened the door and ushered Makenna through it at the bid to enter.
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Stasia » March 29th, 2015, 1:03 am

"Mistress Makenna Grenaldi, Illyria Sedai. Here to be tested for eligibility to become Aes Sedai." The Mistress of Novices looked up from a sprawling request a Grey sister had made to take an Accepted on a political exploration of the Sun Palace and surrounding Cairhien, eyes bleary from legal terminology and formalities written in sweeping calligraphy, and was met with the novice that was on duty this morning. The child looked as though she'd burst from excitement. Who were you, again? Illyria swam through her memories, trying to connect the face with a name. She had not signed the novice book very long ago.... Zorea. That was her name. Zorea of a small village just outside of Katar, coppery skinned, large-eyed, beautiful and with enthusiasm that knew no bounds. Illyria offered her a small, tired smile.

"Send her in, Zorea." The girl gave a deep curtsey without bothering to wipe the smile from her face, turned curtly, and Mistress Grenadli crossed the threshold of her office. It was not until the Aes Sedai set eyes on the woman that she was reminded of the significance of the fact that the child had referred to her as a Mistress. She was far older than most women who sought testing - though not yet grey, she held herself with confidence, the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes spoke of years of wisdom and mirth - and two things were immediately apparent. One: Mistress Makenna Grenaldi, travel worn, Ebou Dari marriage knife hanging over the bodice of her dress, was a woman on a mission. Her gaze was direct, and though she stood still, she held an air of restlessness.

Two: Mistress Makenna Grenaldi, with muddied yellow petticoats peeking out just below her knees, had the ability to learn to channel. It was much more common than the spark, but in a woman so mature... Given the reach of the Grey Tower, and how often new sisters were sent out on recruiting missions, Illyria was shocked she had not been in the Tower at least a decade ago. Her age would be a stumbling block. A gargantuan one. There was a reason that most of their initiates were adolescents.

"Mistress Grenaldi," she said warmly, carefully standing from her desk so that it would not collide with her very pregnant form, "Welcome to the Grey Tower." Protocol was slightly altered in light of Makenna's age. Women who were truly children were not offered a handshake, but Makenna was - Illyria had the distinct impression that Makenna would not be so easily impressed as the average woman seeking admission.

She took her hand, shook it firmly, and then gestured towards the seat that sat across from her. "May I offer you tea? Or perhaps, something stronger?" Children were never offered alcohol... But Makenna would only be a child if she chose to become one again. Once she had received an answer, she set about preparing their drinks, and pondered the best way to begin.

"Mistress Grenaldi, may I ask what prompted you to seek the opportunity for Tower training?"
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Bree » March 29th, 2015, 2:19 am

Makenna felt her knees nearly buckle when her eyes landed on the roundness of a pregnant belly on an Aes Sedai. She didn't know that women who could channel could carry children. Then she shook herself mentally. Of course they can Makenna... They are women and women have babies. She smiled a small and weary lift of the corners of her mouth. Her husband had always been able to tell if her smile was of true mirth or only a politeness. He said it was the smile that lifted the corners of her eyes that meant she was truly happy.

This smile barely lifted her lips and Makenna gratefully sank into the seat she was offered. Accepting the hot tea from this altogether unexpectedly normal woman, Makenna sipped and tried to decide how to proceed. "I am hoping to learn a way to rescue my daughter from the Seanchan. They took her the night they came to occupy my village. They put a collar on her neck and declared that she could channel. They killed her fiance, it was the night before their wedding. It is as if I lost a son and a daughter that night."

Makenna paused and shook herself visibly this time. Blinking to reset her emotions to the appropriate sedate determination, she continued, "I reasoned that if she could channel and I had an uncle who was gentled as a young man and a cousin of mine went to the White Tower years ago and was sent home after she was told her ability with the One Power was minor, but she could channel... Well I thought that I might be able to learn. Well, a friend of mine suggested it actually. But I thought it was worth a try."

Makenna felt completely foolish. She was not accustomed to being this out of her element. She owned her home and her business and had for years. She hadn't been at anyone's mercy since before she was married. That is exactly what she felt now, though. She was at this woman's mercy and she was not pleased about it. The words came gushing out. "It was perfectly horrible. The Seanchan must be the most despicable people. How can any whole culture think it is right and good to chain a person's child? To take that child and treat her like an animal? What kind of twisted and sick minds must they have to live that way? My daughter is being treated like someone's property right now and there is little or nothing I can do about it as I am. For all I know, they are making her sleep outside in the cold or running her around naked like a dog. Whoever is training her could be beating her or worse. I need to know if I have any way to fight back. I need to get my daughter out of there."

Makenna finally managed to stem the tide of words by inhaling sharply and then putting her cup to her lips. She sipped at the tea and lowered her eyes into the cup. The amber liquid was soothing and as she lowered the cup again, she raised her eyes back to the face of the woman in front of her. A strange expression met her on that face and Makenna furrowed her brow slightly, unsure of what she was seeing. She decided to press on, "Aes Sedai, can I learn? Will I be able to channel?"
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Stasia » March 30th, 2015, 4:36 am

Makenna was very to the point.

Illyria was almost unsure what to make of the woman; it was not very often at allthat she dealt with a woman who was not Aes Sedai that was not dressed in Tower livery. Mistress Grenaldi took her tea and sipped it carefully, slate-colored eyes peered over the rim of the cup in dim curiosity. It’s almost as if I’m wares for sale. Silk ribbon, perhaps, that needs to be tested for quality? It was mildly amusing to consider. Makenna could keep that mindset for now. But if she took up novice whites, it would need to be banished, with the rest of her previous life.

Which made the whole situation terribly odd… Until, of course, the explanation was delivered on a dry tongue and with a detached voice.

“I am hoping to learn a way to rescue my daughter from the Seanchan.” The name of her homeland curled oddly on Makenna’s lilting accent: it never sounded quite right coming out of the mouths of Westlanders. However, Illyria gave no visible pause, and the woman continued. “They took her the night they came to occupy my village. They put a collar on her neck and declared that she could channel. They killed her fiance; it was the night before their wedding. It is as if I lost a son and a daughter that night.”

Makenna’s story faltered and nearly died upon her lips as her voice cracked, but Illyria hardly noticed, too busy paying heed to her frantic mind. Her daughter was marath’damane. Of course they took her - to them, she was the single-most dangerous creature to walk the earth. And Makenna, though she did not have the spark but could learn, had not been declared sul’dam? Why had they neglected to test her?

“I reasoned that if she could channel and I had an uncle who was gentled as a young man and a cousin of mine went to the White Tower years ago and was sent home after she was told her ability with the One Power was minor, but she could channel… Well, I thought that I might be able to learn. Well, a friend of mine suggested it actually. But I thought it was worth a try.”

It was good that you came to us, Makenna, perhaps there is hope - but before her brain could knit together and articulate a sentence, the woman was off again, slowly twisting from distance to intimate and wrathful.

“It was perfectly horrible. The Seanchan must be despicable people. How can any whole culture think that it is right and good to chain a person’s child? To take that child and treat her like an animal? What kind of twisted and sick minds must they have to live that way?”

Illyria blinked rapidly, but Makenna did not take notice - she was too absorbed in her white-knuckled grasp of the arm of her chair. She had not had to think of Seanchan in a very long time. In the silence, the lapse of contact and culture, she had almost… Almost forgotten how different things were. It had been decades since she had seen Seanchan coastline, decades since she’d worn the red-panelled dresses, lived and breathed a society that drowned its practitioners in honor and Old Tongue, where syllables rolled instead of ricocheted - and everything was so very different. She knew first-hand of the perception of outsiders looking in, having lived in both pairs of shoes, but it did not make this any easier. These were things she had sworn to uphold, once. Things she had believed with all of her being - she would have bet her soul that the a’dam was the only thing keeping her, her family, and everyone else on the continent safe.

And here, channelers had as much power as rulers of nations. Things were almost too different to fully comprehend, and certainly far too complicated to explain in the course of a single conversation.

“My daughter is being treated like someone’s property right now and there is little or nothing I can do about it as I am. For all I know, they are making her sleep outside in the cold or running her around naked like a dog. Whoever is training her could be beating her or worse.I need to know if I have anyway to fight back. I need to get my daughter out of there.”

Makenna finally paused, seeming to find herself again. Illyria was grateful for the opportunity to gather herself; was that anger that drifted beneath silken sheets of serenity? She could not be sure. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to contemplate anger, and now was definitely not the time to give it further consideration. Thankfully, the woman’s voice dragged her onward into the present. “Aes Sedai, can I learn? Will I be able to channel?”

Illyria sighed heavily, and the fingertips of her left hand brushed her temple. Makenna could learn. The more complicated question - would she want to learn after she knew what it entailed? There was a pause, heavy with contemplation. She could nearly feel anticipation leap off of the woman across from her desk in sparks.

“Yes, Makenna,” she answered slowly, “You can learn to channel. But... I am afraid that this is a much more complex situation than simply whether or not you may enter the Tower as a Novice.” She swore she could feel the woman coil and prepare to launch into more questions, and so she held her index finger up to give her pause.

“Seanchan are not as… Barbaric… as you seem to think.” It felt hypocritical, sitting across from the woman with her own child safe from the world, trying to explain to her that her daughter was not in as great danger as she believed her to be, but Illyria knew that it had purpose, and ignored the pang of guilt. “I promise you, your daughter is in no mortal danger.” The Three Oaths let her speak freely. The familiar sensation of her tongue trying to tug towards the roof of her mouth was entirely absent - she had no need to skirt around half-truths in this situation.


“The collar you spoke of? It is called the a’dam. The women who held the leashes, by means of a bracelet, are sul’dam, and are very highly regarded - one step removed from the Blood, or nobility. The collared woman, in grey? Damane. Your daughter was taken because she can channel, as all damane can. She has something called the spark. Her ability would have manifested whether she wanted it to or not. You, though you can learn, do not have the spark, and can ignore your ability without any consequence for all of your life.

“Channeling is… Considered to be extremely dangerous, in Seanchan. Uncontrollably dangerous, like a raging wildfire. And so those who can channel are collared, for the safety of everyone. Sul’dam are revered for keeping everyone safe. However… It is not quite like chaining someone up and enslaving them - not in Seanchan.” She tried to clarify quickly. She knew that Makenna would be taken aback if she attempted to justify their actions, which was not something she wished to do. She merely wanted to explain. “All citizens are raised with the understanding that this is for the best. If you can channel, you are taken from your family, struck from the censuses, and erased from history. It is as if you were never born, even to those might have known you. But… Everyone believes it is for the best.

Damane are extremely valuable. The spark is rare, and so, damane are rare. Most women who can channel have different Talents, or tasks that they excel with, which makes life easier for everyone in much the same way a village needs a Healer and a Mason or a warrior. Damane are very well treated, and never, never killed.” Here, she grimaced, unsure if she should divulge the truth of the matter to the concerned mother. ]Perhaps not yet.

“However, training will be… Uncomfortable for your daughter. Assimilation will be key, which she will eventually learn. Once she is found, you may find her to be very different. But it is not anything that cannot be fixed; we have several ex-damane among our numbers here at the Tower. It is a struggle to return to normalcy. But it is not hopeless.”

“However, becoming Aes Sedai may not be the wisest course of action. It will lend you influence and power, that will be no small help in your journey, but… Despite the rumors of Aes Sedai being all-powerful, there are three Oaths that Aes Sedai are required to take. One of them is that you may not use the One Power as a weapon unless your life is in danger, or the life of another Aes Sedai is in danger, or the life of your Warder is in danger. Those are the only three instances where you may break this oath. In all other cases, you will physically be unable to access the Source. You will not be able to hunt these people down and extract revenge, Makenna.” Especially now that she knows that damane are in no physical danger...

“But, should you chose to stay and train here, there are resources. I have a small, private network of eyes-and-ears that specifically tracks Seanchan movements along the coastline.” It had been a long time since she had properly attended to them, but since they received their monthly stipend and her signature and seal as a Tower official whenever they found themselves in too much trouble, she assumed that they would not be too troubled by fresh orders towards Ebou Dar. “I can use this network to find your daughter, and we will work from that point forward. In the mean time, you can advance your skill in both the One Power and with weaponry if you chose it.”

It was a very open ended suggestion. Illyria would let Makenna make of it what she wished.



“I will also tell you that becoming a novice is a difficult process, even for women who young. The Grey Tower does not often take on students who are older than twenty, because the adjustment is difficult - and that's putting it mildly. Makenna Grenaldi as you know her will not survive Tower training - you will be Aes Sedai, or you will be put out if you are judged unworthy in the course of your training, but you will be changed.”

“Are you, as the woman you are, someone you are willing to give up?”
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Bree » March 30th, 2015, 4:20 pm

Makenna did not hesitate. She stood in one smooth motion and stepped forward to set down her cup on the desk before her. All of the memories of her children, her husband, name days, the days they were born, the night Meleia told her she was engaged, the night they took her; they all flooded her mind and the tears filled her eyes. Refusing to blink for fear of spilling those tears over the edges of her eyelids, Makenna raised her chin slightly and in a strong if somewhat quavering voice, she answered.

"The woman I am, standing here before you today is suffering the loss of her child. She is living with a chasm of pain that no mother should be required to endure. If I can sacrifice this woman and replace her with one that is whole and filled with the joy of hope, I will do it without delay. Tell me what is required and I will complete each task without complaint or question. As long as it does not require me to harm my remaining child, you will find no better student."

Makenna's declarative speech wound down to a close and she felt the strength of her convictions ebb. Her knees wobbled and her hands began to tremble. The tears that she refused to acknowledge had spilled out and down her cheeks as she spoke and the bitter salt taste spread slowly over her tongue as one found its way to the corner of her mouth. The taste made her throat tighten and her stomach lurch.

"Forgive me, Aes Sedai," Makenna drew shallow breaths trying to control the sobs that threatened her. "More simply, yes, I am willing to make that sacrifice." The tears flooded her eyes and blurred her vision. They fell and stained her cheeks and the neck of her dress. Her clenched fists held her skirts tightly and then her mind seized on something else the Aes Sedai had said.

The tears stopped so suddenly that it was as if a faucet had been turned off. "You have a way to find out where she is? You can help me locate her, check on her, make sure that she is safe? What do you want me to do? When can we begin?"

Makenna found herself leaning over the top of the desk. She was not quite so far bent over that she felt foolish when she realized it but the tea cup was almost in jeopardy of being spilled. She straightened herself and cleared her throat. "Any information and hope for my child is welcome. I am very grateful for your kindness in offering to try."

Makenna lowered her gaze and stepped back again. Taking her seat once more, situating herself on the edge of the seat, she thought about the Oath the Aes Sedai had mentioned. If it was only required of the women who completed their training... If she could use the One Power as a weapon in defense of her own life... There would be a way. Getting access to that power; that was the important step now.

No matter what the whitecloaks had always said about channelers, no matter if they were shadowy figures, they were powerful. Rulers listened to them. They held sway with armies and could command nations. A single Aes Sedai advising a single King could launch an army. Makenna drew a deep breath. This was the right path. This is where she needed to be.

She drew a kerchief from her sleeve and irritably dried her face. "Please forgive the emotional outburst. I am quite fatigued from the journey. I have no other excuse but that I have had a single-minded motivation since beginning this journey. I am anxious to begin training. Where do I start?"
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Stasia » April 3rd, 2015, 2:52 am

It was not pity that Illyria felt as the woman’s resolve momentarily broke, but fear.

What would she do, Light forbid, if placed in a similar situation? If her child, her flesh and blood, born of the union with her Warder and husband, was ever taken from her and placed in danger? The very thought was enough to make her stomach roil in waves of queasiness that had nothing to do with her condition. The babe stirred in her belly, exerting an uncomfortable amount of pressure on her bladder – it was painful and incessant – but she knew that she would not have exchanged it for anything, if this was the price to be paid to hold the child in her arms. She had been fearful of motherhood, a few short months ago. The fear lingered, quietly buzzing in the back of her mind, surfacing at inopportune times and usually resulting in tears. Most things do, these days, she admitted to herself, just as she felt hot tears prick at her eyes as well. It was pathetic. Her child was perfectly well.

“Forgive me, Aes Sedai,” Makenna said, trying to gather herself, “More simply, yes, I am willing to make that sacrifice.” Illyria offered her a spare handkerchief, as she kept extras tucked up her sleeves, and willed herself to control. Novice exercises for calm and serenity came more in handy now than they had in years – and they presented a considerable challenge.

"You have a way to find out where she is?” The seamstress posed her question fiercely, again driven and composed. “You can help me locate her, check on her, make sure that she is safe? What do you want me to do? When can we begin?"

“You need not do anything, Makenna. I will make arrangements and inform you of any information that is passed on. It will take time to find your daughter, but I swear to you, I will do my best.” It was not often that the Mistress of Novices swore anything to her pupils, except perhaps that she would not allow their antics to bring her to her knees, and she hoped that Makenna saw the promise for what it was – valid, sincere, and a rare privilege and honor. It was not every day that Illyria was able to use her status as an Aes Sedai to affect much change on the world. Her positions had as many setbacks as it did benefits.

"Any information and hope for my child is welcome. I am very grateful for your kindness in offering to try."Illyria nodded, acknowledging Makenna’s gratitude, and let the woman continue with her questions.

"Please forgive the emotional outburst. I am quite fatigued from the journey. I have no other excuse but that I have had a single-minded motivation since beginning this journey. I am anxious to begin training. Where do I start?"

“There is nothing to forgive, Makenna. I’ve seen Novices cry over much, much sillier things. Should you ever come to me in tears over an illicit entanglement with a solider, or warder trainee, that will be the time for apologies.” She smiled thinly. “I would suggest that you rest before we begin, but I understand that you would like to start as soon as possible. You will be given quarters after we have finished here, and allowed to rest for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow, your training will begin in earnest.”

She pushed away her teacup, and reached for the spreadsheets that listed off general courses, then handed it to unofficial charge. “You will be tested for aptitude in several subjects: history, arithmetic, philosophy, geography, herbcraft, and others. There will occasionally be opportunities for elective courses – sign ups can be found posted outside my office, and seats are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may also take up weapon training at your own discretion; you will still be expected to keep up with your compulsory classes and your chores.” A second sheet detailing her daily duties was also passed.

“After you have been with us for a time – perhaps a few weeks, perhaps a few months, depending upon when you are deemed ready – you will begin your training with the One Power. That will be more taxing than I think you expect, but if you work hard, you will be rewarded. Given time and practice, eventually, you may be promoted to the next rank, Accepted. Once there, your training will be more rigorous and demanding, and should you continue to meet expectations, you may raise to Aes Sedai… But that is a long, long ways off. Focus on the moment; too many novices spend too much time day-dreaming about a future Warder and not enough time improving themselves.”

She opened a heavy drawer, and pulled out the ancient book that recorded the name and nation of origin of every novice to ever enter the Tower. Some thirty years back, her own name had been recorded – but she was sure that her signature resided in one of the tomes that had been taken to the Library for record keeping; this ledger was only five years old.

“I will give you a warning that I do not offer to most novices, Makenna. You will be addressed as “child” by everyone, from here on out, and perhaps by “Novice” if someone is especially fond of you. You will clean, cook, work harder than you ever have in your life, sob into your pillow, and wish you’d never met me.” Illyria doubted that she would ever see Makenna over her knee, but she had the very distinct impression that the Three Arches, should Makenna ever reach them, would be especially horrific. “The degradation is purposeful. Tower training is specifically designed to strip you of who you are, to push you to your limit, break those limits, and then rebuild you as an Aes Sedai. It is a narrow path that few women successfully walk. I can do little more than wish you luck.”

She thumbed through the book until she arrived somewhere towards three-quarters of the way through, where the next blank slot was ready and waiting for Makenna’s signature. A sharpened quill and inkpot was pushed towards her end of the desk, and Illyria waited in silence.
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Bree » April 3rd, 2015, 3:40 pm

Illicit behaviors, hard work, being called "child". Makenna imagined that she rolled her eyes but dared not actually do so. I have raised children and taken commissions for work from the most privileged and arrogant families. I do not believe being treated as a child to be protected and nurtured will be uncomfortable. I have had to spend many hours under the employ of women and men that I did not like or respect. What could possibly push me harder than that?

Aloud Makenna said, "Thank you Aes Sedai." She signed the book where indicated and went back to looking over the lists of classes and duties. "I was never very good in the kitchen. While I am learning things, I might as well learn to cook and scrub. Is there any way I can request kitchen and laundry duties?"

Makenna looked over the list of classes while awaiting the answer. There was a class on the political histories of the nations of Artur Hawkwings Empire. That sounded very boring. But it was a prerequisite for the class on bloodlines of noble houses. She kept reading. There was a class on battle tactics and one on weaponry. She was quite interested in those. Am I interested in them because I think I will ever manage to lead an army against the Seanchan? She sighed at herself at the thought of herself in battle armor and trying to command a military force in battle.

The classes of arithmetic and geometry seemed easy and she felt that she likely already had a better grasp of those as a seamstress than most women her age. The lists included several weaponry options and she began to despair that she would not be comfortable trying to learn any of them. That made her angry with herself and she resolved to try them all until something felt right.

Going back to the list of chores and responsibilities, she realized that she was only being required to keep her own living areas tidy and only enough other responsibilities to help a community this size stay organized and functioning. "Will I be allowed to volunteer for extra duties if I have time?" She had library and nursery and infirmary duties in mind when she asked the question. Noting that there was a childcare facility in the infirmary, she wondered if she would feel better or worse if she were to give time and attention to other people's children.

She lowered the lists to her lap and met the gaze of the Aes Sedai.
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Stasia » April 13th, 2015, 11:41 am

“You’re more than welcome to request kitchen duties. Few girls do. I’ll add it to your rotations. And, If you find that you have free time,” she said lightly, “You’re more than welcome to volunteer it.” Novices did not usually ask for more work, but it was an excellent sign that Makenna was eager to progress and assist: there were few things that irritated her more than a lazy pupil. “Try and settle in for the first few weeks. If, after that time, you would still like to put your time to use here, come and speak to me and I will make the necessary arrangements.”

She took a sip of the rich Ebou Dari tea – it was not often that Southern blends were served here, and it was strong enough to leave a bitter taste in spite of the honey. Still not so bad as Riven’s kaf She was not entirely sure how he stomached it; after so many years of consuming it, it ought to have burnt away his taste buds.

“Once you begin your training with the One Power, you are welcome to reevaluate your volunteering schedule. As I said – it will be intensive. Not only will you learn basics, you will be tested for aptitude for a variety of Talents, which are essentially skillsets. You may find that you have a knack for controlling the weather, for healing injuries, or for creating objects of the One Power. The training in talents as a novice will be limited, but, if you advance to the next rank, you’ll find that you have more opportunities to learn and hone your skill.”

She doubted that Makenna would stay with them beyond the time it took to find her daughter, which could prove to a conflict of interest. If she did have a valuable skill of any sort, Illyria would have a very difficult time persuading the Hall that she had been in the right to let her leave Tower grounds. Novices were told that they had the option to leave once they had trained enough so that they weren’t a danger to anyone around them… But there was a very fine line between no longer posing a threat and becoming a liability. After all, Aes Sedai had an image to uphold. There was always the Kin, which were based out of Ebou Dar… Would it be betrayal to the Tower to let Makenna leave, should she choose it? Would it be any less right to force her to stay, should she achieve her goal…? It was a delicate situation. It would do little good to lose her head to speculation now, but only a fool did not consider possibilities. She would make a note somewhere after Makenna had left for the evening. She still needed to burn her clothing and take her personal items for safekeeping until Makenna either left, was put out, or raised Aes Sedai. The ritual had remained the same for as long as there had been a Grey Tower.

“Do you have any more questions?”
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Bree » April 13th, 2015, 4:29 pm

Makenna bit her tongue. She did not intend for her training to wait more than a few days to begin. She would not suffer her child to be a prisoner any longer than was necessary. It would not however do her any good to display impatience to the Aes Sedai at this time. As for volunteering extra time, she offered a weak smile. The reasons were two fold.

Firstly, spending time working and being useful would keep her from fretting and working herself up in thoughts of Meleia in captivity. The busy nature of chores and service were always useful for keeping control of thoughts. Secondly, making oneself useful and ingratiating to one's superiors was a good way to pick up tips and training that one might miss otherwise. Makenna found a motivation and focus in her thoughts and decisions that was almost frightening in its intensity.

Casting through her mind quickly and not finding any poseable questions at hand, she said, "No, Aes Sedai. Thank you but I do not have any questions that I can ask at the moment. What is the next step?"
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Stasia
"A Crown of Swords"
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Re: Makenna's Choice (Illyria)

Post by Stasia » April 18th, 2015, 1:54 am

"Strip." The word was enunciated almost forcefully; this was a custom that was strictly enforced, down to the last word. "Your clothing, child. All of it." Makenna complied not too slowly nor too quickly. Once every last garment had been removed and carefully folded, down to her stained silk stockings, Illyria gathered the pile and dumped it into her large fireplace. With threads of Fire and Air that took too long to form, she set Makenna's things alight. Flames licked somberly at the cheerful bodice and colored petticoats, as if they offered a silent apology to the naked woman who stood behind her.

Some novices were shy of their own skin. Others were perfectly content without covering - Illyria could not say which type Makenna was, as she was preoccupied by her linen closet. She dug through carefully labeled sizes, she pulled out three white wool dresses, along with three shifts - they would fit Makenna awkwardly, but Illyria somehow doubted that these dresses would go without alteration. Novices weren't meant to tamper with their uniform, but there were too many girls in white who were getting themselves into real trouble to watch for clever needles.

The Mistress of Novices turned and handed the clothing to her newest charge, along with a worn pair of white slippers, and a few white ribbons that had been retrieved from her desk drawer. "This is your uniform - the only thing that you'll be permitted to wear during your time as a novice." Sometimes feast-days gave leniency to the children, but those days were few and far between.

"Your personal items will be kept under lock and key until you become Aes Sedai or are put from the Tower. Should you desert your training and the Tower, they will remain with me." She gathered Makenna's boots and the satchel she'd traveled with, and pointedly made eye contact with the child: Ebou Dari women loathed to part with their knives.
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