Lost But Won't Admit It [att: Leala]

[Avyra]

Avyra nodded in reply. Yeah, she wasn't going to let that discourage her. Especially since she had more than ten years to decide, probably. Ten years? That still didn't sit well with her. She was going to miss her family. But maybe they would let her see them occasionally. After all, she could take one of the Warders with her for protection if they were really nervous about her safety. However, what Torianin said next almost made her laugh. Almost. She caught herself l, only giving a small smile. "Channel? I wouldn't call it that. It was an accident, plain and simple. I... I never tried to touch it again." It was the first time her voice actually broke. She was the reason why her father left. Not her mother, who could also channel. It was her fault. She seemed to perk back up at the view of the gardens. They were beautiful, with many flowers and trees. Tall trees. "I wonder how good those are to climb..." she murmured. It did seem relaxing, but those trees looked like they needed more excitement.

[Leala]

Torianin could tell that something had happened the first time she had channeled, but she wasn't going to pry, at least not now. The girl had a lot to get accustomed to here at the Grey Tower, and revisiting a troubled past could be harmful in these crucial first days, especially if she wasn't ready to talk about it. "Well, whatever happened in the past is in the past. This is your chance to make the best of your future," she said reassuringly.

She had to chuckle when Avyra pondered climbing the trees in the Gardens. "Well, if you give it a try, don't get caught." She hoped her tone was joking, and that she didn't come off as condoning secretly climbing trees. "We're all expected to behave a certain way here, especially those in the learning ranks. If we are not seen as behaving respectfully of the Grey Tower, it could mean a trip to the Mistress of Novices' office. She's in charge of guiding novices and Accepted to the shawl, but she's also in charge of doling out punishment, if she deems it necessary."

Their walk about the Grey Tower led them to an expanse of ground with targets placed within it. "This is the Channeling Yard. Here, channelers of all ranks can practice weaves that may not be safe to practice within the Tower."

[Avyra]

Oh. That's no fun. Avyra raised an eyebrow, but turned away from the trees to continue with the tour. Yeah, she was gonna climb one of those later. They were too tall not to want to climb. Besides, up there she could probably see everything and learn her way around here faster! Besides, how could they punish her? Send her home? This wasn't her idea in the first place; going home wouldn't be so bad at this point. Ah well, the trees would have to wait. This was a lot to take in on her first day; the grounds were very big. But, shockingly, there weren't a lot of people. Or at least, not as many as she expected for a place of this size. She liked it, actually. It felt welcoming. A channeling target practice range? Interesting. The range was empty, sadly; she wanted to see some of these dangerous weaves Torianin was talking about. But there would probably be time for that later. "What sort of weaves?" She still had no idea what she wanted to learn, at this point, now that she thought about it. She didn't really know what channeling was capable of. Well, besides hearing about it from those bedtime legends, which she knew were probably false, especially after spending some time in the Grey Tower. "And what else goes on here, day to day, besides channeling? Are there any customs I should know about?"

[Leala]

"Well, those of us in the learning ranks are kept on a strict schedule, but it becomes less strict when one is raised to Accepted or Dedicated. Mirin Sedai will have more specific information on that for you when you see her today," Torianin explained patiently. "What I would suggest at first is to remember to address Aes Sedai and Asha'man by their proper titles, and that they will always be treated with the utmost respect. Aes Sedai will have 'Sedai' at the end of their names, and Asha'man will have 'Asha'man' before theirs." Even though she was explaining important rules to her charge, she tried to keep a friendly tone to her voice. She did not want to give the impression that Avyra was in trouble already.

"Around here day to day, it's very busy. Yellows normally keep up with their gardens or tend to patients in the Infirmary, the Browns maintain the Library, the Greens are normally the ones to use the Channeling Yard, since they concentrate on battle the most. There is also the House of Hope that the Grey Tower keeps in Hama Valon. You'll be able to visit that more freely when you are raised to Accepted. That is a place where those in need may come to find aid, education, or shelter. The Blues go there most often," she said with a smile.

As their path turned again, their destination could be seen. "And this," she said, motioning to the building in the shape of an eight, "is what we call the 'Great Serpent.' The hall that's closest to us is where soldiers stay, and the hall right next to it is where novices stay. That's also where we'll find Mirin Sedai, if she is in her office."

[Avyra]

(Should we get Jenny for the Mistress of Novices in the next few posts?)

Avyra nodded, hoping she wouldn't forget that little bit of information; it sounded important. She hadn't usually needed to show that much respect for others, but here it seemed quite different. She listened more, watching a few passersbys, mostly men who she though were Warders and some servants. It was very, very peaceful here. "Should I go get registered?" She asked, glancing back at Torienin. "If I am staying, I should probably get settled in soon so I can start early tomorrow." She paused. "When will my classes start, and who will be teaching me? The Mistress of Novices, Mirin Sedai?" So far, she had no idea how these classes or the training would work. She didn't even know if she was able to channel again in the first place. But if it was in her once, it must still be there. Hopefully someone could pry it out of her.

[Leala]

(OOC: Sure! I just sent her a PM. )

IC:

Torianin smiled as Avyra asked more questions. She herself had gone from captive to novice in a matter of hours. Her entire world had been turned on its head. She had had questions, too. "Once we find her, she'll write your name in the Novice Book," she explained, "Every novice that has entered our doors has her name in the Novice Book, including mine and Mirin Sedai's. She'll assign a room to you, issue you your novice whites and explain your schedule to you in more detail. All your classes having to do with channeling will be taught by an Aes Sedai or Accepted, or there will be a female instructor to assist. Any other classes that do not involve channeling can be taught by anyone above the status of novice or soldier." Walking toward the entrances, they could see women in stark white dresses and men in black coats milling about, going in and out of their respective halls.

[Avyra]

Ah, so here was where everyone was. The place bustled, people going every which way. So the Novices must be the ones dressed in white, the Soldiers in black. She would probably have to say goodbye to wearing colors for a while, at least when she was in the Tower. That reminded her to ask about possible leaving days to see her family, who would probably be worried about her even if she was as safe as she was. But it was nice, nicer than anywhere she had ever been in. She almost felt like she didn't belong in this fancy interior; her family wasn't poor but they certainly weren't rich enough to afford all this. "What other classes are there, too?" Channeling couldn't be the only thing, no matter how big it was in the Tower. "Or, at least, ones I can take as a Novice?" What if she didn't like channeling? She had way too many fears about this, most unneeded. They would take good care of her, she knew, and she would learn about her powers so she wouldn't hurt anyone.

[Leala]

Torianin sifted through her thoughts as she thought of all the classes open for novices. "As a novice, there are all sorts of classes to take. For channeling, there is Healing, Illusion (I teach a class on that one)," she added with a smile. "There's one on Traveling as well. For classes that do not involve channeling, you can take a class on herb craft, which usually goes along with Healing, law, the Game of Houses..." She always forgot what the word for that was in the Old Tongue. "Once you are raised, you may even be asked to teach a class or two. That was how I started teaching the class on Illusion. The person who normally taught it had been raised to Aes Sedai, and the assisting teacher needed someone to take her place. You may even think about taking a class or two in the Warders' Yard. Sometimes, Aes Sedai need defense other than the One Power."

As Torianin spoke about the classes, she walked to the office of the Mistress of Novices. The large door was closed, as it usually was. She turned to Avyra with a comforting smile on her face. "I can lead you here, but it's tradition for the novice to knock on the door and enter on her own. If she is not there, I'll stay with you until we find her, but if she is there, we'll have to part ways."