Who Says only Reds can Gentle?

[Chloro]

In this installment of the Nori saga, Nori meets Chloro Sedai, they discuss her progress, the Ajahs, and correct some commonly misconceived notions. From Red to Gray and back again.

Point of View: Chloro
Participants: Chloro, Nori
Cameo: Annoura

Meeting Room of the Gray Ajah
Large, leaded glass windows surround the room on all sides, save the
southern where a large doorway leads out into a antechamber. The room
itself is dominated by a large wooden table around which sits at least
fifty matching chairs, something close to a record for the White Tower. In
the middle of the table are an assortment of unused parchments, quill pens
and stoppered ink jars. A small stand off to one side of the room holds a
large number of glass cups and a large pitcher of chilled water. An
inscription in fine lettering is etched upon the windows.
[ obvious exits: E ]
Zone: White Tower Upper Floors
Door east: door
A chair made of red oak rests next to the table. [4]
A large round table built from black oak dominates the center of the room.
A silver-haired Aes Sedai sits here, reading.
A Gray Sister walks here, considering her options.
Annoura Larisen is here, weighing your words.

Chloro says 'Annoura Summon Nori please'

Annoura Larisen says 'I will send my scribe to summon her, Chloro.'

Someone knocks on the carveddoor from the other side.

Nori has arrived from the east.

Chloro gestures at the doors with her hand.

Nori says 'I recieved message from the scribe, Chloro Sedai.'

The door silently swings shut and lock with a soft *click*.

Nori greets you with polite and tidy curtsey.

Nori allows her eyes to adjust to the light filtering in from the leaded glass windows of the large meeting room.

Chloro turns her head from the window, spring was truly here, and with it much needed life seemed to be welling up in the Tower. Turning, she headed to the large round table motioning for the novice to do the same. "Ah yes Nori, I believe it is?"

Nori says 'Yes, Aes Sedai it's Nori. I'm from Emonds Field.'

Nori makes her way carefully through the beautiful furniture gathered in the room to the large meeting table to greet her Aes Sedai.

Nori eyes a chair nervously but, waits for further instruction.

Chloro nods and pulls a large leather-bound white folder off a stack as she sits in her high-backed chair. "I have heard some things from my sisters and would like to see if they are true for myself. Tell me child, how did you come to be here in the tower?"

Nori says 'I met a Blue Ajah almost two years ago on the green of the winespring, in Emonds Field.'

Nori says 'She was accompanied by a warder, traveling through the area on diplomacy but, I channeled in front of her accidentally.'

Nori says 'A rather long discussion ensued and she convinced me my purpose was here, in the White Tower.'

Nori nods slowly, feeling as if she gathered most of the story as best as possible.

Chloro nods listening to the girl waiting and speaking once she thinks the child is done. "That is along the lines of most girls that come to us, either way, I am glad you made it safely to Tower. Please have a seat. "Motions to the chairs around the table.

Nori takes a seat in a beautifully crafted leather armchair with exquisite gray stitching seated just at the other end of the large table.

Nori says 'Thank you Chloro Sedai.'

Chloro says 'Now, let us begin with a few things. How long have you been a novitiate to us?'

Nori straightens her dress as she adjusts herself and takes a very mature and lady-like posture as she prepares to answer further questions, a slightly twinkle of excitement in her eyes.

Nori says 'Roughly two years’ time I do believe, Aes Sedai.'

Chloro says 'What do you think was the most important lesson you have learned in this time?'

Nori says 'That the White Tower requires a lot of dedication. Not only to simple things like tasks, studies, daily chores, but to learning the ins and outs of what it means to be a Wearied Novice, the three oaths, and maintaining all of my responsibilities throughout the process.'

Chloro nods for a moment and taps her finger on the folder twice. "What have you personally learned from this in the two years you have studied here?"

Nori says 'My definition of ready and done might be different than someone else's. I believe in hard work though coming from a farming community in the deep southwest, so I continue on. I believe in my purpose here and what my work represents, even if challenges present themselves along the way. '

Nori waits quietly in patience, pondering if honesty is truly the best policy in this circumstance.

Chloro says 'I could not agree more with that statement. There was a time long ago that I was the daughter of a blacksmith, pumping bellows and serving as a field nurse in Kandor. We all come to the Tower from different walks in life and are all put on equal footing in novice whites.'

Nori says 'I believe in that fully the Novice Whites are one of the great common denominators of all who come through the White Tower. All Aes Sedai started as a Novice at some point.'

Chloro says 'Tell me Nori, as you have been with us long, which Accepted have you learned from or spoken with in the last thirty days?'

Nori allows a tiny smile to creep across her jowls, the overwhelming feeling that the woman across the room had shared that experience just as she was in the present.

Nori says 'I spoke with Marisue recently, although she was very busy.'

Chloro says 'That is one, who else?'

Nori says 'I had also spoken with several others, but their dedication to their other tasks took priority. Bena Accepted was another, but just briefly.'

Nori says 'I have not been able to afford other time with Accepteds recently, admittedly. It's been difficult to come by with early arrival of spring and everyone with their own busy schedules.'

Nori says 'I have made an effort though on my end, Aes Sedai.'

Chloro says 'You are a farm girl no more child, developing bonds of friendship and knowledge will aid you more than most things within these halls. You have a river close to Emonds field, I believe it is called the Wine Spring, the political currents and ties within this tower can be just as dangerous as the deepest parts of it. Navigating them alone with no friends as rudders would be a foolish venture.'

Nori looks onward, soaking in the analogies and concepts of White Tower politics and pondering her current situation.

Chloro says 'We will save my recommendations for you till the end of the lesson. We have gone over how you came to be here. Why are you here still?'

Nori says 'I made a promise to my parents, and I intend to come good on that promise. There was much debate before leaving my home and I promised that if I left, I would not return until I had shawled.'

Chloro looks at the girl then looks to the window for a moment before looking back to the child. "There is no guarantee for any novice that a shawl will grace her shoulders in the long run. What drives your heart to still strive for it know this. Remove all else from your past, parents, pets, friends, town council. What drives you child, and you alone."

Nori says 'I lost my family in a shipwreck as a child, I have much to live for. I could have been swallowed up into the gallows on the Sea of Storms yet, I am here. I do not believe I met the Aes Sedai who led me here was purely by coincidence either, I believe it was put in motion by the creator that I deliver on this task.'

Chloro says 'That is very pretty child, but it does not entirely answer my question. What drives you towards the shawl, what perceived notion do you have of what you could do once the shawl is yours?'

Nori says 'if nothing else, just to see how far a second chance at life can take me. There were rumors that the hull of ship washed ashore in a thousand pieces. Most of the crew was never found again, sea folk. People are accustomed to bad storms and high seas. Somehow, I survived them all, and someone found me in a remote part of the beach. I can take what the White tower instills in me to protect others as was done for me, to spur on life and opportunity as I have benefitted from, to be a pillar of hope in dark times’.

Nori says 'Aes Sedai.'

Nori feels a rush of blood coursing through her veins, her heart pumping radiantly as she suppresses the flashbacks of a stormy evening somewhere in the southwest on a long stretch of sandy beaches.

Nori feels a sense of calm wash over her, something she had practiced in her studies to regain control of her emotions even as they tugged at her very heart strings, all the memories and the hardships endured to get to this point, and to continue forward.

Chloro looks to the girl, her gray eyes piercing as if looking into the child's very soul "You do not conceal yourself well enough child, you have given vague answers, and the answer you just gave could be done by anyone without Tower training. Now if you would kindly put the drivel aside and tell me flatly why you wish to become Aes Sedai. You may speak freely, what makes you passionate enough to endure the struggles of the tower? What is your purpose for training?

Nori pauses for thought.

Nori says 'I am passionate about learning and growing as a person. I believe that since coming here two years ago I have endured and continued my growth as an individual. My path is towards that of the Red Ajah. I am to make this more well known in the future to Sarinda Sedai as I have taken a liking to studies about male channelers and how the White Tower handles them, Aes Sedai.'

Chloro nods and lifts a quill writing upon a sheet within the folder. "It took a moment, but we finally got there. What about the handling of male channelers interest's you, what makes your pulse run about it so to speak."

Nori breaks into a smile, obviously excited about the topic.

Nori says 'I pour over old leather-bound books recalling sightings of Male Channelers in townships, villages, and large cities. I love reading about the various strategies the Red Ajah used to control and handle them, returning them to the White Tower.'

Nori says 'the involvement from the entire White Tower, they all have a part in bringing in a Male Channeler. The Blues decide what their fate will be from a justice standpoint. The White Ajah contemplating the philosophy behind what drives them, maddened or sane in their present state when they should so arrive.'

Chloro says 'A noble cause, can you tell me child. From these books what is the position of the white tower on male channelers? We have a 3-point rule regarding them.'

Nori says 'I don't believe I've covered these three points that I can recall, Chloro Sedai. The books I have read up to this point outline many of findings, statistics, and research but I don't recall three points in particular.'

Nori lowers her head, feeling a gap in her knowledge weighing on her heart.

Nori says 'as I continue to grow and mature within the White Tower, my hope is that I will apprentice under one of the Red Ajah and continue to expand upon topics such as these.'

Chloro says 'Later if your chores allow time, Yurian Stonebow was a special interest of mine as an Accepted. This male channeler proclaimed himself the Dragon reborn. In the Eight years he plagued the world, he cut down three Aes Sedai and captured three more. Our rules are simple, talk first, shield second, gentle last of all. Many men who can channel are just as shocked by the revelation as you are.'

Nori allows her eyes to light up with excitement once again, casting out any feelings of doubt she had weighing on her.

Nori says 'that does track with everything I have read Aes Sedai. I will surely commit that to future studies, rest assured. I want to make a good impression one day when I am to approach Sarinda or the other Red Ajah.'

Nori beams across the large table, her smile carrying her through.

Chloro says 'Child in the coming days and years, one thing should be in mind. Your choice in Ajah may change, I myself did not see Gray when I became a novice. Like many I saw Blue and Yellow, in time we all change. Every sister is capable of doing what all others are in the outside world. An Ajah is a collection of women you call home as an Aes Sedai. Remember that, I know just as many blues that hunt channeling men as I do Reds. '

Nori appears intrigued, the concept of other ajahs mostly an afterthought as long as she could remember.

Nori says 'admittedly, I had not given much thought to that. Forgive me, for I must have a one tracked mind with the Red Ajah in mind but, you are right. Times do change and I'm only sure that there is potential for me elsewhere in the future. Only time will tell I suppose.'

Chloro says 'Many Greens, Whites, Yellows, Grays, and Browns have aided in hunting them as well. '

Nori says 'Sarinda Sedai has mentioned that it is quite a collaborative effort when these madmen are involved.'

Nori says 'I guess I could fancy myself as a Blue, or perhaps even a Green in some light. Right now, I've just been so focused on my duties as a Wearied Novice and what it means to do well in that role.'

Chloro chuckles for a moment. "As an example, I am a very skilled healer with the one power, and functioned as a field nurse before coming here. By a normal man’s standards I should have chosen yellow. Yet I chose Gray. Tell me child, what is the main purpose of the Gray Ajah?"

Nori says 'I believe the Gray Ajah are known as the great mediators of the world, advisors in politics and serving as ambassadors led by the Head Clerk of the Gray Ajah.'

Chloro says 'That is some of what we do, but what is our purpose?'

Nori says 'to put an end to strife as we know it, Aes Sedai?'

Chloro says 'All Aes Sedai seek that.'

Chloro says 'The Gray Ajah is comprised of woman who seek peace and unity between the nations. While the Greens will ride into battle on the front lines, who will be at their backs?'

Nori says 'the Blue Ajah, Aes Sedai?'

Chloro says 'No child, when the last battle comes, the Greens and their warders will ride forth in a first wave, to buy the rest of the Ajahs time. The Gray ajah will ride North with every southern leader and army bringing them into the battle to fight for the light. We will even be riding into battle with those rulers to attempt to bring them back out safely. That is our purpose, to bring the rest of the world to the last battle at a chance of winning over the dark.'

Nori looks on in interest, soaking in all the lore as the beautiful light rests calmly on her faces it filters in through the large windows of the meeting room.

Nori says 'so in turn, you manage and mediate between all nations so that you can unite them when that day comes, Aes Sedai?'

Chloro says 'Indeed.'

Chloro says 'Perhaps this is a reminder for me to teach a class again, we cannot expect you children to learn if we do not offer lessons.'

Nori charts a mental note, something worth pondering and reading up on long after the day has turned to night and this meeting adjourned.

Nori says 'I would be very interested in attending, for what it's worth Aes Sedai.'

Chloro says 'Now we will move to final remarks. You may ask questions if you wish before I begin.'

Nori says 'at this time I have gathered many thoughts, and I think I have many new topics to commit to future studies. I will abstain at this time, but I am looking forward to any advice or suggestions you have for my path here at the White Tower.'

Nori smiles at you from across the table, clearly enthralled with the lore and wisdom imparted by one of the Gray Ajah.

Nori takes a moment to bask in the moment, taking in all the beautiful tiny rays of light that filter in on this beautiful spring afternoon and the valuable information she had been gifted with to this point.

Nori can't help but feel optimistic about the future under these circumstances.

Chloro nods, taking a somewhat deep breath her face a serene mask of calm. "After speaking with you and reviewing the notes. I also agree with my sisters that you are not completely ready to advance. Though I do not think they instilled in you as to why.

Chloro says 'To become Accepted is to face the fears in the deepest, darkest recesses of your mind and allow them to pass through you over coming them. You are not ready to face that yet until you truly know yourself. You are close but not completely there. I will not put a girl to the arches unless I view her ready, to do so is as good as a death sentence. Not all novices emerge from it, some have been lost to us. '

Nori recalls her last encounter with the arches, searching frantically from her dream like state for the way out.

Chloro says 'On this topic, to become Aes Sedai, is to be shattered into a thousand pieces and remade into a more complete version of yourself. There is a saying "You will either bend to the will of the tower, or you will break." Which of those happens is your choice, and yours alone.'

Nori contemplates the words of the wise Gray and continues listening intently, her undivided attention focused on Chloro Sedai.

Nori whispers the words softly under her breath, reciting them to herself briefly "bend to the will, or you. will. break.."

Nori nods at you.

Chloro says 'We shall meet again in a week’s time; in that time I expect you to meet with 1-2 Accepted and discuss with them what it means to be Accepted. Do not be afraid to ask for this, for that is where most girls fail.'

Nori says 'I will be selfish in this endeavor, seeking out Accepteds as advised Chloro Sedai.'

Nori stands from her well cushioned and comfortable leather chair, an heir of positivity about her.

Nori says 'thank you for meeting with me today and I deeply cherish your advice. In a week's time I will seek you out if that is alright, Aes Sedai?'

Chloro says 'That is good, now, I believe mistress Laras should be nearly coming to blows with her wooden spoon for keeping you so long. You are dismissed for now Nori, however, I will be watching. I will call on you when I see you are ready.'

Nori says 'thank you again Aes Sedai.'

Chloro gestures with her hand.

The door smoothly swings open.

Chloro says 'Light illumine you, Novice.'

Nori curtseys a tidy curtsey before whisking towards the large doors of the meeting room.

Nori says 'and you as well, Chloro Sedai.'

Nori leaves east. >>

[Catisune]

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Awards:
Chloro - 4
Nori - 2

See any silver-haired Aes Sedai to receive your merits.