A Proper Response (Fanfic)

[Leala]

Leala awoke peacefully in her new quarters. The day before, she had been raised to Accepted. She took a moment to become accustomed to her new surroundings. There was no roommate. There was only her bed. She had a wash stand, her desk, a small table, and even a small decorative rug. Sighing, she pushed her unruly hair out of her face and got out of bed. She walked to her small wardrobe and pulled out her brand new Accepted's dress. She fingered the striped hem with her left hand, so that she could let the newness sink in. A banded dress and a ring. All in one motion, she was that much closer to earning the shawl. Smiling to herself, she thought of her new responsibilities. There would be fewer chores, more studying, teaching classes, and of course, she was now trusted to channel without supervision. This wasn't encouraged, of course, but knowing when and when not to channel was part of the responsibility of an Accepted.

She readied herself, picked up her notebook and pen, and walked out of the door. It was easy to slide into her mask of serenity. Many novices couldn't quite pull it off, but Leala had never exactly been in touch with her emotions. However, Accepted were expected to comport themselves like an Aes Sedai would. Now, as she walked through the halls, she saw Accepted and Dedicated doing their best to hide their insecurities and trivialities as well, rather than novices and soldiers giving her disdainful looks.

As a novice, Leala had never made it a secret that she wished to please those above her. that was how she was raised. Her mother was the High Seat of her House. This was something that had been ingrained in her since before she was old enough to understand it. Now she felt like she was level with her contemporaries. As she passed through corridors, novices who had spoken with her, jeered at her, only yesterday stopped in their tracks when they saw her pass by in the banded dress. She ignored them.

She knew that her journey as an Accepted would be a long one, but she had some time this morning, as far as she knew, and she would spend it in the Library...not doing laundry, as she had been scheduled to do the previous day. A brief scene flashed in her mind of the novices and soldiers wondering where she was.

Walking into the Library, she was ignored by the Browns, as was normal. A few of the White Ajah also milled around, and a few of her own station as well. She had picked up a book on ciphers the other day, and now she had time to read further. She found the book easily enough, and sat down at an empty table.

Leala had only enough time to open the book to the page that she had written down on her notebook when someone sat across from her. The air around her moved her hair like a slight breeze as the person swept by and into the chair. This was someone with business with her. Lifting her head, she was surprised to see Asha'man Aelyn sitting in front of her. He almost never spent time with novices and Accepted. The surprise did not show on her face.

Aelyn raised an eyebrow behind his spectacles, as if he was unsure how to react to her response. "Ah," he said, in a hushed tone, appropriate for their surroundings. "Just what I would expect from you, child," he said, seeming more proud of himself than he was of her. "Any other newly minted Accepted would likely shoo me away without realizing who I was, thinking perhaps I was a Dedicated, or someone who just wanted to study at this particular table. Not you, though."

"No, not me," Leala admitted. "You stirred the air around me enough that I knew you wished to speak with me."

Aelyn clasped his hands in front of him and leaned toward her a bit. "Yes, yes. I knew the first time that I spoke with you as a novice that you had potential. You solved that riddle within minutes."

"Oh, yes, the one about the twins," she recalled, casually closing her book, but taking a moment to place her notebook inside to mark her place.

He nodded, dropping eye contact with her for a moment, remembering the scene. "Yes, you were rather formidable for a novice..." His eyes shot back to hers. "Now that you've been banded and ringed, however, I expect you'll be wanting to think more seriously about which Ajah you will choose when you become shawled."

"You would expect correctly," she said with a polite nod.

"You expressed interest in the White Ajah when you entered the Grey Tower. Do you still plan to join the White Ajah when you are raised?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"Don't make up your mind so quickly," Aelyn said, the tone of his voice now serious. There was an uncomfortable silence as Leala waited for him to explain himself. She would have asked him to, but such a curt command without a curt exit would have some kind of explanation. "Make no mistake. You are an apt student, and the White Ajah would be glad to have you. But, there are other options in the Grey Tower. For instance, you come from nobility. The Gray Ajah would likely be a good fit for you. You would travel the world, meet monarchs, advise in legal matters. Surely this would be the kind of life you were imagining when the opportunity came for you to enter the Tower."

Leala straightened up. "It's very likely that my ties with Andor would be more harm than good in some circumstances. And I've always felt that the Gray Ajah strives for peace. While I think that Daes Dae'mar is a good tactic to use, I think I would likely come off as too blunt in most cases. I'd rather oversee my lands, or have them overseen when I am not there."

"What about the Green?" Leala's mask of serenity slipped, but only for a moment as an eyebrown dipped down in confusion. "The Greens, while most consider them to be brave, powerful warriors, which they are, they balance that with the serenity of the fully initiated in the Tower. Not to mention, strategy is key in battle. Greens often lead men into battle and direct their movements with the wisdom of one as learned and long-lived as one who has lived in the Grey Tower. Your keen mind would be a boon to them."

"If a war were to break out near my lands, I would come to their aid, or if a Green were to seek me out for advice in strategy, I would gladly help, but I feel my place is in honing my mind, rather than honing the battlefield for victory. The Greens had crossed my mind but I think it crosses everyone's mind at first."

"I must admit, they did cross mine for a time," Aelyn said with a shrug. "But, this is your first morning as an Accepted, and here we sit in the Library, the first thing in the morning. The Browns practically live in the Library." A Brown Asha'man rolled his eyes as he walked past, thinking that no one would see. "Knowledge is a very important part of history. The lack and amount of knowledge that one has can change it.”

Leala took a moment to glance around, to make sure no Browns were within earshot. She liked coming to the Library and didn’t want her next words to make any future visits awkward. Once she determined the coast to be clear, she said, “That’s all well and good, but the great power of knowledge is what one chooses to do with it.

She thought she detected a curl at one corner of his mouth, but he moved on.

“Well, the Yellows hold quite a bit of respect in the community. Their main…” He stopped, squinting as she simply shook her head. “Not a healer, eh?

“I’m afraid not,” she said. “I respect what they do, but I do not possess the talent that they do.”

“Ah. The Blues are often compared to the Grays and the Greens. They move in great strides in the political field and also have the passion of the Greens, but in a chosen mission. You are obviously very focused. That focus could be honed to help the world in a wonderful way, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I agree, however, my focus is a fluid thing. I do not have the focus and the passion that would be required of a Blue sister. If my missions and causes changed every time I saw something new to fight for, it would only make the world a more chaotic place, and it would make my Ajah brothers and sisters rather disdainful of me, I would assume.”

Aelyn leaned back in his chair, nodded idly. “The Reds have made a comeback in the Grey Tower, and they’re forging a path different from their White Tower counterparts. You could be part of the forging of a brand new society within the Tower. What’s more, you could learn more about the One Power than most everyone else in the Tower, by following their research.”

“That may be so, but I feel most within my own element when researching and honing my skills with the way that the world works as a whole, finding better solutions to my problems and the problems of others. Besides which, this way of seeing things is how I have come to understand the One Power.”

"I must also admit that I haven't been keeping up with your progress. Have you been found to have an unusual ability?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Not as of yet."

"Well," Aelyn said, giving his next words some thought. “Suppose you did, and you had no idea how to hone this ability. With the Indigo Ajah, you can become a master of whatever ability you eventually find. You may even find that you have others, and would be able to research other abilities that others have found throughout the years.”

“You make a good point,” Leala said calmly, realizing that he had reached the end of his list. “But, if I chose the White Ajah, I would still be able to master this ability, if I discover one, but under my own understanding and supervision. The Ajahs are not mutually exclusive. If I need assistance, I can find it in an Indigo, while still continuing my work within the White. The same can be said for all other examples you gave me. I can provide a different perspective to the Grays in their ever-growing webs of Daes Dae’mar. I can assist the Greens in their strategies with my logic that they have missed. I take the knowledge that the Browns have so studiously collected and make something worth my while at every opportunity. While I do not consider myself worthy of the Yellows, I can still help to maintain order if an emergency occurs and others are panicked. With my fluid focus, I would be able to help multiple Blues in their endeavors. The aspect of research with the Reds is just one aspect, but it is a fascinating one, however, I still feel their research would be only part of what I would wish to pursue. The same is true for the Indigos. I see Whites interacting with many of the Ajahs. Logic exists in everyone, but they may not realize it as they go through their daily tasks and make their daily decisions. The White Ajah, as I see it every day, embodies that whisper of sense that perhaps not everyone can hear in their darkest times. That is what I’ve striven to become since I was old enough to understand.”

At this point, Aelyn sat with his back completely pressed against the back of his chair. His mask of serenity was perfectly in place, but his posture told Leala that he had been impressed.

“I’ve had a few years to think about this during chores,” Leala said dryly.

“Yes, well,” Aelyn began as he took out a small stack of papers with a thin book on top. “There is a class on philosophy this afternoon that I have been volunteered to teach, unless I could find a proper replacement.” He placed the materials on the desk in front of her. “You are a proper replacement, if ever I have seen one.” He stood up, taking off his glasses, whose lenses cleaned themselves as he stared at them. He tucked his spectacles onto the front of his coat as he said, “I expect a report and a review tonight after dinner. I’ll be in my quarters.”

Leala watched as Asha’man Aelyn walked away, politely nodding to a Brown sister as he exited the Library. Feeling a mix of excitement from his endorsement and annoyance from the sudden depositing of a class in her lap, Leala opened the book and the notes.