Sweeping away the Past [open]

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Welcome to the Gardens: one of the most tranquil areas of the Tower Grounds. Birds sing in the trees which line the wide paths between beautiful flower beds and serene lakes. There are benches to sit and listen to the waterfall, and there is neatly trimmed grass to lie on and rest. Novices and Soldiers as well as Warders in Training can be seen, sweeping the stone paths as Accepted and Dedicated study from books and relax under leafy trees.
Jon
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Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Jon » February 18th, 2017, 10:42 pm

White dresses followed Laoise everywhere, making her itch. She already scratched herself in unseemly places because of the wool of her Novice-white dress, but when she thought about how long she would be wearing white, without the slightest ornamentation of color, she wanted to rip the whole thing off and run for the wagons. Run away. Whenever she faced an opponent she could not reason with, she ran away. It was what the Tuatha’an did, not because they were cowards but because it was better to run than to do harm. The Way of the Leaf taught her that, to take whatever came into her path—knowing that it was her time to experience this part of the path.

Of course, she had never mastered the calm approach to surrender that her parents and caravan-members had modeled for her. Instead, she’d run with her family because she loved them. When trouble came, she ran to protect them. Children needed carrying and so she ran. Her running was not acceptance; it was defiance. To run from danger was to deny it power over you. Now, though, she was stuck in the Grey Tower, rooted to the Tower grounds like a tree. No longer could she float on the wind like the leaf. Perhaps, there was an ancient Way of the Tree that would better suit her now than the Leaf. If only an ogier was around, they were likely to know.

Lee thought through all of this as she swept the stones of the garden. In her inability to accept that she could not wear even the most muted shade of color, a color that her friends would’ve called white though the Sisters had called it red (as if they’d ever seen a true red hue before), she had been punished to sweeping away the leaves. Sweep away the leaves, Lee, she grumbled to herself. Just sweep away the leaves like you must sweep away the past. You channeled. You are committed to the Tower until the Tower doesn’t want you any more. Just. Keep. Sweeping. With every pass of the broom, she tried to sweep away her leaves, but she would’ve had better luck moving roots. Yet, the poor lifeless reminders of autumn’s presence moved easily enough as she worked. And the contrast made her bitter.

Just as she was finishing an area of the garden that was shaded by oak in the spring and summer, Lee caught the sound of someone approaching the gardens. She fought down the emotions that she had let creep out onto her face in her solitude. If a Sister saw the look that Lee knew was on her face, it would mean another trip to the Mistress of Novices, at the least. She did not want to be stuck out here again; the reminder of her ineptitude was too much. Putting her shoulders into her sweeping, Lee tried to catch the newcomer from the corner of her eye, praying to the Creator that she would not get in any further trouble.
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Craig » February 19th, 2017, 1:19 am

Elia Darrow, First Seeker
They had each come to the Gardens to get away from something. For the shaggy-haired Gaidin, the beautiful hues of the flowers was a welcomed distraction to the botched mission in Kandor. He had distressing flashbacks of what he had done. There was no denying he was a killer, but he had a code of honour that guided him. It seemed that his code had vanished at the same time as his father's blade had shattered in two.

For the ravishing vision of a woman that walked in step with the Gaidin, she was trying to escape enviability. She was not one for blindly stumbling into situations, but she had laid out no contingencies for the predicament she was currently trapped in. Or trapped with she thought without the slightest hint of levity. Since her unwelcome separation from her bondmate, she found herself taking some audacious risks. It seemed that the Dark One thought she had a levy to pay for her foolishness.

The two individuals had chanced upon one another, and were now being subjected to each other's presence. They were well into the middle of an argument when their voices became discernible.

"...stripped of your hide and fed to the rats! Ravak, how could you!"

"What was I supposed to do Elia, shake her hand? She is my daughter after all."

"As is Kaira," Elia interjected acidly. "That girl's lived through a hell for your indiscretions. And now she's been relegated to the bottom of the pile because of another act of recklessness? Please tell me I don't have any more nieces or nephews ready to spring out of the woodwork."

There was an awkward pause. "Actually--

"Oh by the heavens Ravak! You're the model of impropriety, do you know that? You are a father, and you have a responsibility to that girl. You're the only parent she'd got, and now you're all mad for Zarayne? Now I loved Sinead, but Zarayne is not your first priority! She's survived without you for all this time, whereas Kaira needs you. So you'll do whatever it is you need to make it up to your daughter, or I'll make your life a misery. Oh, and stop sleeping with any old floozy whilst you're at it."

There may have been more to the conversation, but Elia stormed off away from her brother without listening or looking back. The man was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, an idiot. Sadly, there was only so much that shouting did for his development, so the Indigo sister sought out a different victim. If she was likely, maybe she would happen upon this new niece of hers. She'd quickly discern whether this Zarayne was a worthy inclusion into the family or not.

Elia placed a hand on her stomach as she stormed off. There were no ornaments in her shoulder-length hair today, but her glass robe angreal was secure in a pouch on her belt. Her dress was the colour of amaranth, slashed with horizontal bars the colour of cream, in the Andoran fashion. The square neckline was brocaded with roses stitched using golden thread. Pinned just to the side, on her left collarbone, was her Oathsworn brooch.

The Shienaran rounded a corner, bringing her face to face with a novice she was unacquainted with. The freckled skin and green eyes was enough to send Elia into a rage. Apparently pretty Zarayne has freckles and eyes. Well good for her!

"Who are you girl?" Elia snapped, "and what are you doing with that hopeless look on your face? Are you not glad that you've been plucked from the rabble, and set up on a pedestal?"
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Jon
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Jon » February 19th, 2017, 6:29 pm

The figure striding towards Lee was a sight to behold in her purple dress, striped with cream. The shade was one that Lee could appreciate, but she would’ve liked to see it combined with a striking bright orange instead of the muted cream. The purple reminded her that she was clothed in stark white, a thought which threatened to stir up the winds inside of her. She’d done her best to pile the discordant emotions and thoughts within her, like the pile of leaves she was sweeping together. The confrontation with the color, however, could undo all of that work and scatter her mental leaves to her eyes, her skin, or even worse her mouth.

Of course, the tone that the newcomer—an obvious Aes Sedai from the way she dressed and the pin on her left collarbone—struck with Laoise put enough fear in the young novice that she had no room for any other emotion. All thoughts of colors and the injustice of wearing white faded away in the wake of these biting words. Going rigid at the sound, Laoise gripped the broom for support as she felt her body begin to tremble. Don’t run, she reminded herself. It’ll only make things worse.

“I am Laoise Arged, Aes Sedai,” Lee replied quietly while bobbing a respectful curtsy. “I am sorry for my face, Aes Sedai,” she added in response to the Sister’s second question. The third question, however, confused the novice who did not understand exactly what this woman was referring to. Was this a general statement about Lee’s prospects for the future now that she was an initiate of the Tower? Or was there something else hidden there? The puzzle of the last question loosened Lee’s shoulders a bit, and her fingers were no longer white from the pressure of her grip on the broom.

“I am thankful for the guidance and wisdom the Sister have given me, Aes Sedai,” he continued trying not to sound as hesitant in her answer as she felt. “I would have died had my caravan not brought me to Hama Valon and the Grey Tower. Well, I would have had a one in four chance of dying, but my mother’s sister died from touching the One Power without training, so I could understand the urgency in my parents’ decision to bring me here right away…”

At this point, Laoise realized that she was rambling. That instead of anger being scattered out her mouth, fear was. Oh, Light! she thought as she caught her wits again and added in explanation to the look the Sister had seen on her face, “I am of the Tuatha’an, Aes Sedai, and I miss my people.” She hung her head at the confession, the rebukes of prior conversations with Aes Sedai and Accepted coming forward in her mind. “I know that I need to let go of my past, Aes Sedai,” she continued. “I will do better.”
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Craig » February 21st, 2017, 1:07 pm

Elia
Well. Elia was quietly impressed. Novices normally bounded out of her path or grovelled with a brief "Sorry, Aes Sedai." This was quite a touch more verbose, and gave Elia pause in the midst of her impending tirade. Her anger was justified, but towards her idiot brother, not this unsuspecting novice.

She pulled herself together. She was Elia Sedai, First Seeker of the Indigo Ajah and Oathsworn Aes Sedai of the Grey Tower, not a savage mutt looking to sink her teeth into the nearest piece of meat. Anyways, there were far more meatier meals elsewhere if she desired that.

"See that you do." She paused for a moment. "Or not. A Tuatha'an you say? You must feel quite adrift here." For once, the Shienaran's feelings behind her words were earnest. "Don't feel discouraged. You may be a novice of the Grey Tower now, but you can also be true to yourself." The former Mistress of Novices gave Laoise a motherly smile. Her emotions had been all over the place as of late, and now she was settling into tenderness.

"You have a gift, child, a wonderful gift. In time, we'll teach you to master it. But that need not scrub away your identity." This went against the Shienaran's usual preference of having thralls to command, but Elia gave in to her better nature for once. "You follow the Way of the Leaf, yes? It is not incompatible with being an Aes Sedai. Come, put down that broom and let me show you."

The Indigo led Laoise down a short path, and stopped not far from where they had begun. There was a large patch of freshly tilled soil surrounding a two-year-old tree sapling. It came up to Elia's waist in height.

"How old do you think this is?" Elia asked. She smiled at the novice's answer. "A Plantweaver planted the seed of this tree last week, as I recall. Just ten days, and with the One Power, look what can be achieved." Elia's attention shifted to Laoise. "There are many different ways to use the One Power, many of them non-violent in nature nor result. You can hold onto your culture and be an Aes Sedai."
OOC: Let me know if you need some impetus to work off of, saying this post doesn't really provide anything obvious.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

Jon
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Jon » February 25th, 2017, 5:19 pm

Lee wasn’t sure what had given her leave to think that she could rumble forward, words falling freely from her mouth, especially when the Aes Sedai whom she had encountered had appeared nothing short of a storm cloud. Perhaps, like leaves falling from a tree in a storm, the Sister’s emotion had shaken out some of Lee’s own thoughts and feelings. She had never thought to tell someone about her struggles with being away from her caravan. The Mistress of Novices had explained to Lee that novices often became homesick in their first few months at the Grey Tower, but Lee didn’t think this was plain homesickness. There was something deeper at work inside her that she couldn’t quite pin down—a worrisome beetle gnawing through her confidence.

As the Aes Sedai shifted tone and began talking about the Way of the Leaf, Lee followed behind her, nodding as she spoke. Setting the broom aside, Lee’s shoulders tightened again as they walked, and her hands fidgeted with her white dress now that they no longer had something to occupy their nervousness. Could the Sister really know much about the Way of the Leaf? Of course, Aes Sedai knew much about many things, but the Way was something one could know but not know—never having followed its path for themselves.

When they stopped at a tree, the Sister asked Lee for the sapling’s age. “I would say something near to two years old, Aes Sedai,” Lee answered, receiving a smile in response. Then, as the Sister explained how old the sapling truly was, Lee’s mouth fell open, her eyes going wider with every word. This was Saidar. This was the One Power. The stories she had heard spoke of Aes Sedai as being violent beings, using their Power to shape the world as they saw fit, and the Way was about acceptance and nonviolence. The wind carried the leaf from the tree. “I see Aes Sedai,” Lee said, her voice thick with the thought of the Sister’s teaching. The contradictions within her pushed to be voiced, but Lee kept them down. Instead, she stated, “I am not sure that I want to continue on the Way.”

That statement, simple enough, would have had her mother crying, her father growing red, and her siblings banished from the conversation so that her parents could teach her some sense. The caravan’s Seeker would’ve been called, an intervention against unbelief help in the family’s wagon to keep Lee on the path, but they would not have forced her to stay. Perhaps, then, that was the vital piece she was missing. The Way of the Leaf did not forbid talking, reasoning, or even pleading with another person; it just forbade using force to make one’s will a reality. How would she then channel the One Power and still hold to the Way, if when channeling she was using Saidar to make her will real.

All of these thoughts bubbled within Lee, showing in her face as she felt the momentary calm of realization followed by the thunderous clouds of contradiction. “Are not Aes Sedai meant to use the Power to fight the Dark One in any way possible?” she asked the Sister without even realizing the words were coming out of her mouth. It was a stab at the truth of what was bothering her, but Lee didn’t know if she would be able to divulge it all to this Sister, whose name she did not know.
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Craig » February 27th, 2017, 12:08 pm

Elia
Faint shock crossed Elia's face for a moment, but only for a moment. She had borne witness to Aiel holding firm to je'i'toh beyond all else, and seen men's backs breaking before they would give way on their code of masculinity. Laoise's admission flew in the face of all that. Elia knew of no Tuatha'an personally, but she assumed the Way of the Leaf was as intrinsic to them as the One Power was to her, or bells were to an Arafellin.

Elia was about to comment when Laoise spoke again. "Are not Aes Sedai meant to use the Power to fight the Dark One in any way possible?" Quite an ordinary question, but laden with additional meaning after the novice's previous statement.

"Not necessarily in any way," Elia cautioned, "but in general principal, you are correct. The One Power is a gift from the Creator, and we use it in different ways to keep the Shadow at bay." Her lecturing tone was naturally coming through. "The Green Ajah's philosophies most closely aligned with the view you just expressed. They use the One Power to combat the Dark One and his forces, and to protect these lands from hostile invaders. It is the viewpoint of some that all of us will need to stand united for the Last Battle if we are to prevail. Thus, the Grey Ajah seeks to form unity throughout the nations and kingdoms. But you are unlikely to see a Grey sister rushing up north to venture into the Blight."

Elia reached out and gently touched the tree. "Those are just two different ways of using the Power and the influence of the Grey Tower in order to fend off the Shadow. I walk yet another path, but I also do my bit to curtail the evil I find." She smiled in slight amusement, turning back towards the novice. "So yes, you can use the Power to fight the Dark One, but you needn't abandon your beliefs to do so."
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Jon
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Jon » March 6th, 2017, 4:26 am

Lee listened to the Aes Sedai as she talked about the various paths that she could take with the One Power. It was true that the only impression Lee had of Aes Sedai was what was apparently closer to the ideals of the Green Ajah. Even though Laoise had traveled through many nations with her family, she had never realized how sheltered a life she really had lived. The Tuatha’an knew little more about Aes Sedai than perhaps anyone who lived outside of either Hama Valon or Tar Valon. All Lee had to go off of were the the stories of Aes Sedai fighting the forces of the Dark One with their balls of fire and their lightning called from a clear sky. “So a Sister does not need to use the Power to fight,” Lee replied, her brows furrowed as she worked through the logical conclusions to the Aes Sedai’s comments.

“But what if Tarmon Gai’don comes?” she asked, a new thought having plagued her brain. “Surely, every Sister who has the requisite Talents will be expected to help in the fighting in some way.” Stories Lee knew from Tinker lore told of caravans of her people carrying innocents away from battles fought against trollocs and half-men, but her parents had never really considered these members of the People heroic. Her perception of what fell within the Way of the Leaf and what didn’t felt so distorted. Confusion was the only true emotion she could pin down in her mind as she thought through all of the implications of her being gifted with the spark. She would’ve touched saidar even had she not wanted to. This was part of how the Creator had made her, but why would he do something that felt so opposed to everything she believed?

Then, there was the question of what she’d done with the Power in that one moment she’d reached for it. Had she been violent? Was that why her parents could not even look at her as they took her to Hama Valon? Shame sourced in her ignorance soaked deep into her, feeding the roots of who she was with poison, rotting her from the inside out. Soon enough, she would only be a hollow trunk—ready to collapse at the strongest wind.
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Craig » March 7th, 2017, 3:57 pm

Elia
"When Tarmon Gai'don comes," Elia corrected, "then we will all have a role to play." The Shienaran had spent little time thinking about the possibility of that happening within her lifetime, nor even the side she would be on, but now she mused out loud. "The Greens fight, the Greys negotiate. But then you have the Yellows. When Tarmon Gai'don is upon us, there will be injuries. Skilled Healers will not have the luxury to divide their attention between fighting the battle and keeping those in the battle alive."

Elia smiled. This conversation was tapping into that motherly side of her that had enjoyed being Mistress of Novices. "If you wish to fight, you can and certainly will be taught how, but it is not a mandatory part of your training, child. Maybe you would find the study of Objects of Power more fascinating, mm? Or you can find yourself a cause that does not require the use of violence."

The Shienaran tilted her head thoughtfully. Was there an undercurrent here she was missing or purposefully avoiding? Maybe Laoise wants to learn how to fight. Frowning slightly, she softened her voice. "Are you actually wishing to learn how to use the Power as a weapon, or are you just scared that you'll have to?"
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

Jon
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Jon » March 18th, 2017, 5:53 pm

The Aes Sedai’s last question struck Laoise, leaving her rattling like a bell. Surely, the chime of her hollow self would be heard through the entire Tower. She had no idea who she was anymore, and she didn’t know how to answer the Sister’s question. The thought was not one she had pondered often, choosing instead to live in fear of the Power. Did she want to learn to fight with the Power? Could she abandon her people like that, abandon their beliefs? The Way of the Leaf was for all people; certainly, it could be for Aes Sedai too. She felt the resonance within herself—the aftereffects of the question’s striking her—fade as her mind settled on an answer.

“I am afraid of the Power, Aes Sedai,” she said. “I have access to a weapon so great, and this is the first weapon that I have ever been allowed to touch, let alone use.” That was the issue: she had no exposure to weapons of any kind. “I know that Saidar is more than a weapon, but it can be a weapon, and that would be enough for my parents to forbid my touching it.” Another key issue that rested within Laoise came to light as she spoke. Parental approval mattered to her; in fact, she had lived most of her life wanting her parents’ approval for every decision—big or small. Now, she was alone, and she didn’t need their approval. Her mind kept trying to give it to her though, basing its decisions on the caricature of her parents that she had in her mind.

She needed to be honest with herself, too. She needed to own up to what had happened. She needed to tell this Aes Sedai what really troubled her. “I am afraid,” she explained, “because I think I have used the Power for violence already, and I have no idea if I really did.” She began to weep at the confession, silent salty streaks slipping down her cheeks. She kept her eyes on the ground, not wanting the Aes Sedai to see the fullness of Lee’s shame.
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Re: Sweeping away the Past [open]

Post by Craig » March 20th, 2017, 11:05 pm

Elia
The undercurrents of a traumatic history were lain bare, but the First Seeker opted to approach from a different path. There was a part of her that simply wanted to comfort the girl, but it was in the time of openness when a new reality could be forged.

"Saidar can be used as a weapon, but it is not a weapon per se." She smiled slyly. "Consider just now, you were sweeping the path with a broom, were you not? But if you removed the broom's head, what is it? Simply a pole. And a pole can be used as a weapon, can it not?" Elia waved a hand dismissively. "See, it's too simplistic to say saidar can be a weapon, thus it is a weapon, thus it must be used as a weapon. It is simply not true."

Only then did Elia move to console the novice. She placed a hand on each of the Tuatha'an's shoulders. "Be still, child. There is no need to fear the One Power. It is only what you make of it."
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