Part 3 Novices at the Tower

[Iris 0]

Strength Measured

 

Moiraine and Siuan walked briskly down a hall swirled with the colors of the seven Ajahs, the color Brown being predominant. They didn't anticipate being late, so there was no need to run as they did to their meeting with Merean Sedai, but somehow the weight of the meeting caused them to maintain a fast pace. As for Moiraine, her heart thundered in her chest, and she wondered if her quickened breathing was due to the fast walk or her jagged nerves or both. She gave a quick glance over at Siuan, whose expression was the embodiment of cool relaxation. She had thought more than once to ask the Tairen girl if she was nervous but then decided not to.

 

Siuan's heart hammered away in her chest as well, keeping a pace even faster than her feet. But what was to come would come, and some times nerves were a normal thing. The Creator had to create this sort of state for a reason. She continued to soothe herself inwardly with logical thought. Before she knew it they arrived at two tall, dark wood doors carved with vines. Inside they were to meet with a sister from the Brown Ajah, Kanika Sedai, who would be officially measuring their strength in the One Power and recording it.

 

“Light, I guess this is it,” Moiraine said in a whispered rush, without thinking. She felt her cheeks redden slightly.

 

Siuan looked at Moiraine and her mouth quirked up in a small smile. “I guess so. Ready to be meat for the silverpike?” Siuan had meant it for a joke. Jokes and witticisms also soothed Siuan's nerves, but Moiraine seemed to seriously consider this aquatic analogy.

 

“The way I see it, everybody has to do it, so it shouldn't be that bad, right?” Moiraine's comment seemed to be caught between a statement of fact and a question.

 

“Right,” Siuan replied, still looking far cooler than Moiraine felt. She shrugged. “Well, let's get it over with then, shall we? No sense putting off the inevitable.”

 

Moiraine nodded and straightened. Siuan was impressed to see the just-flustered Cairhienin girl undertake a regal carriage that negated any hint of nervousness that may have existed. Moiraine knocked.

 

“Come in,” came a voice. It was a high-pitched, almost friendly voice. The two girls entered a large study, mainly lined with shelves of books. Wooden tables and chairs dotted the room, and at one such table sat two sisters. It appeared to be some sort of study that belonged to the Brown Ajah. Moiraine immediately swept a deep curtsy, with Siuan almost clumsily following, telling herself internally she would get the hang of that eventually.

 

“Sit down, girls,” said that same high-pitched voice. Both women seemed short, one with straight, black hair that hung to her shoulders, who gestured to two chairs at the table. She was a thin woman, with almost buggy dark eyes, and was apparently also the owner of the high-pitched voice. To her right sat another woman with short, somewhat tousled, mousy hair, who was rather plump. Both women seemed rather rumpled looking, really. Moiraine noted that the woman with the high-pitched voice also had a Cairhienin accent, not that that really mattered much in the course of this test.

 

Both women studied Siuan and Moiraine silently for a time, the buggy-eyed woman with an excited, almost fond interest, and the mousy-haired woman with the air of a bird studying a worm. Moiraine sat stiffly regal, hands folded in her lap, while Siuan sat almost too casually, but then shifted in her chair.

 

“Oh, yes,” the buggy-eyed woman said suddenly, as if someone had just spoken to her. “I am Kanika Sedai, and this is Verin Sedai. I'll be administering your test today. So let's get started then.” Kanika Sedai embraced Saidar and felt for Siuan's strength. Neither girl was yet able to recognize the nimbus surrounding the other woman or feel the sensation of her channeling, so they were surprised when she began speaking. “Yes, she is very strong, Verin,” she said, looking at Siuan. Siuan's relaxed expression suddenly tightened and she swallowed rather loudly. She cast a quick glance at Verin Sedai, who watched with beady brown eyes, and then looked back to Kanika Sedai, who was practically bouncing with excitement. “Unbelievably strong,” she said in hushed tones. “I cannot think of another in the Tower who is stronger!” she said. “The only one who comes close is Elaida, but even so this girl succeeds her by a measure.” The buggy-eyed woman continued to stare at Siuan, while Verin wrote on a piece of parchment. She had no idea what just happened or how they suddenly ascertained this information. She shifted again in her seat.

 

Verin spoke as if reading Siuan's thoughts. “Kanika Sedai has just measured your strength using the One Power. Because you have only just recently tapped into your ability to channel, you cannot feel her channeling. However, with time you will be able to sense it and you will see a glow surrounding a woman who is channeling.” Siuan gave a nod of understanding and appreciation. It was quite unnerving thinking Kanika Sedai knew such things by just looking at her.

 

“Now you, Moiraine,” Kanika Sedai said, turning with Verin to survey Moiraine now. Having Siuan go first and then hearing this bit of background information about channeling made it easier for Moiraine to maintain her regal demeanor. She looked back at the two women with a dark-eyed stare that was as calm as she could muster, but she still felt her heart trying to leap to her throat. Moiraine startled slightly when Kanika Sedai spoke, or rather exclaimed, “Verin, it is remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!” Of course Verin already knew what Kanika was about to say, as Verin was channeling to measure the girls as well, but Kanika spoke as if Verin were merely recording. “She is just as strong, and I would even say even perfectly matched to Siuan in the Power!” Her buggy eyes really bugged out of her head, and Verin's stare was penetrating. Moiraine felt all too aware of herself under those stares and suddenly realized she was jiggling her leg repeatedly, which she stopped. Kanika Sedai continued. “Yes, I would say they are the strongest in the Tower in a thousand years! And they are both the same age and entered in the Novice book on the same day, from what Merean tells me. It is unbelievably ironic!”

 

Verin tilted her head, her eyes moving from Moiraine to Siuan and then down to her parchment, pen moving again. “I don't believe in ironies,” she said, almost to herself. Kanika Sedai seemed too enamored to hear anything accept the thoughts that were rushing through her own head, and by the enraptured look on her face, they were rushing at a breakneck pace. Moiraine felt taken aback herself. She was that strong, and she and Siuan were perfectly matched? This had to be as remarkable as Kanika Sedai said it was, because no Aes Sedai appeared this outwardly excited. Verin continued scribbling on her parchment while Kanika stared at the two girls.

 

“I think that will be all, Kanika?” Verin said without looking up.

 

Kanika looked as if she snapped out of some silent reverie. “Yes, yes. That will be all then girls,” she said, still staring at pair. Siuan and Moiraine rose and curtsied quickly, making for the door as fast as they could without appearing to rush. Moiraine pulled the door closed behind them and breathed a sigh of relief. Siuan stood with her hand on her hip and ran her fingers through her hair, looking as if she had just relaxed for the first time.

[Iris 0]

“That was not what I expected,” Moiraine said, looking at Siuan.

 

“I agree,” Siuan said. The two began walking back down the hall. “It wasn't really a test. We didn't have to do anything or know anything.”

 

“It was a relief, really,” Moiraine said. There was a pause, then Siuan voiced what Moiraine was thinking.

 

“Light, Moiraine, is it really true, what they said? I mean, I know Aes Sedai can't lie, but it seems outrageous, doesn't it?”

 

“It does.” I don't believe in ironies, Verin Sedai had said. Truth be told, Moiraine didn't either. “What do you think it will be like, for us to be so strong?”

 

Siuan shook her head. “I have no idea. It's strange to think you can be so strong in something you don't yet understand.”

 

Perfectly stated. Moiraine's thoughts turned. No doubt she was more familiar than Siuan with political undercurrents, and the White Tower was not a far cry from her native Cairhien. This strength would not be something of mere personal significance. “I wonder what it will mean to the Tower, for us to be so strong,” she said in a dark, thoughtful tone.

 

Siuan snorted. “Well, I'd bloody say I think they'd like it as much as catching two kingfish in late winter.”

 

Moiraine smiled. “And what does that translate into, for those of us who aren't familiar with kingfish?”

 

Siuan colored but wore a wry smile in response to Moiraine's. “I mean that the White Tower will probably love it.”

 

Moiraine's voice was grim. “I think they will too, but being powerful always comes with its prices, and one price is that you are guaranteed to make as many enemies as admirers.”

 

“That's a bloody dark thought,” Siuan said. She almost felt like looking over her shoulder.

 

Moiraine shrugged and spoke casually. “It's just the way it is. But it doesn't have to inhibit success, as long as you know your enemies as well as you know your admirers.”

 

Siuan gave a sideways glance at Moiraine. She wished she had the advantage of having such knowledge, but in reality she really did know more about fish than politics. A lot more. Siuan's face slackened. Yet another thing I have to catch up on, she thought bitterly. They may have been equal in the Power, but Siuan reflected that because of her educational shortcomings, she was bound to look like a bumbling fool when compared to Moiraine. Novice classes started tomorrow, and Siuan was suddenly aware of a tight knot that sat in her stomach.

 

“I'll catch up with you later,” Siuan said to Moiraine. Moiraine stopped and looked at Siuan, and Siuan noticed that she looked concerned. “Don't be worried,” she said with a forced smile. “I just need to talk to Merean Sedai about something. I might as well go now, since we're already out of the Novice wing.”

 

Moiraine nodded. “Maybe I'll see you at dinner then.”

 

“Sure,” Siuan said. “Dinner. See you.” And she turned around and walked back the way they had just came, leaving Moiraine wondering what under the Light that was all about.

[Olivia 26]

Yay for Verin

[Iris 0]

just wanted to say thanks for your comments, Olivia