Finding Acceptance, Part Six: Justice Extends from Causes

[Amarea]

Summary:
Amarea continues her thoughtful consideration of her future, what it means to join an Ajah, and which Ajah or Ajahs might be best suited for her. As she passes through the upper levels of the White Tower, she hears Lys Sedai speaking in the Keeper's chambers and sends a brief letter to her requesting a meeting. The Atha'an Miere sister helps Amarea gain a deeper respect and understanding of the Blue Ajah, what sets it apart from the other Ajahs, and what choices she still needs to make before she can find the sorority that is best for her.

POV: Amarea
Main characters: Amarea, Lys

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conservatory of the Blue Ajah
During daytime, bright light floods in from tall, arched windows set in the
eastern wall, which offer a view of the many spires of Tar Valon as well as
the eastern bank of the Erinin. On clear days, the peaks of the Dragonwall
can be seen, far away to the east. Bookshelves, tables, maps and charts are
all present as the Blue sisters prepare for whatever tasks currently occupy
them or as they plan business away from the Tower. On one wall hang two
large portraits of Ciel Sedai and Adaire Sedai, with white ribbons of
mourning tied into the latticework of the frames.
[ obvious exits: W ]
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A small cup sits here.
A small cup sits here.
A small loaf of crusty bread rests nearby. [2]
A chair made of red oak rests next to the table. [2]
A large desk made of fine, thick wood stands across the room from here.
Lys Sedai is standing here.
A silver-haired Aes Sedai sits here, reading.
A Blue Sister is here, planning her next journey.
Anaiya Sedai of the Blue Ajah stands here.

Amarea curtseys before Lys.

Lys closes the carveddoor.

Lys smiles at Amarea.

Amarea beams a broad smile from ear to ear.

Lys says 'Hello Accepted'

Lys says 'Thank you for the tea, it was thoughtful of you'

Lys looks at Amarea.

Amarea says 'Oh, you are welcome, Aes Sedai. I haven't been able to go to Tremalking myself, but I know there are a few Aes Sedai from the Sea Folk like you and Sarinda Sedai, and I know they often like the tea darker, so I thought you might too.'

Amarea says 'I hope it was to your liking.'

Lys stares out the window at the silver ribbion of the Erinn

Lys says 'There are few of us yes'

Lys says 'Perhaps someday you shall visit'

Amarea says 'Oh, I would like that very much. I've heard the people there are very kind.'

Amarea says 'A kind man helped me out recently by traveling there and recovering a glass tiger statue that I was asked to retrieve for a Gray sister in Illian.'

Lys says 'It is a peaceful place, and a prosperous one for the most part. I think that goes along way to encouraging people to be friendly.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Amarea beams a broad smile from ear to ear.

Lys says 'the Amayar are indeed remarkabley skilled'

Amarea nods excitedly. 'Yes, the man who helped me out said that he brought some colored stones that had washed up on the shore, and the local craftsman was able to work some wonders and make this beautiful statue. Very fine craftsmanship, I thought.'

Lys says 'They produce such wonderous items out of the most mundane things, there is a lesson in that I think'

Amarea nods thoughtfully.

Amarea says 'My ma and da own the Lugard Bakery, and until I came to the White Tower and joined as a novice, I would help ma with the baking every day for years and years. Sometimes it was boring, but I found peace in it, and ma said there was something to be said about doing good honest work with your own two hands.'

Lys smiles wryly.

Lys says 'Sometimes I have felt that way'

Lys says 'But sometimes you are hauling frozen ropes for your very life'

Amarea frowns.

Lys says 'Shivering to your soul as you watch the shore creep closer'

Lys says 'In moments like that it is harder to take the long philosophical view of hard work '

Amarea chuckles politely.

Amarea says 'I can't speak from experience, as the only sailing I've done has been on the riverboats along the heart of the continent. But having to get up and start rolling dough before First Rise sounds is not exactly fun every time.'

Amarea grins playfully.

Lys snickers softly.

Lys says 'I cannot imagine it is.'

Amarea blushes faintly and apologizes, 'I think I may be rambling again. I know you have many things to do, but if you have some time, I had a few questions I wanted to ask you, and some advice I was hoping you might be able to offer me, Lys Sedai.'

Lys says 'I shall certainly answer as best I can Accepted.'

Amarea says 'Well, I will try to ask the questions as best as I can. Truth be told, I'm having a hard time putting them into words, but maybe you can help me with that.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'I will help as I can of course, I'm quite good at putting words in other peoples mouths'

Amarea chuckles politely.

Amarea begins to explain, 'Since I pased through the arches and became an Accepted, I have been struggling in a way to determine with any certainty where my future with the White Tower should lie. I spent most of my time as a novice in disbelief that I could even channel, or desperately trying to find a way to break my wilder block so I could reach my full potential.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'Such immediate concerns often make focusing on the future difficult'

Amarea grimaces abashedly, 'Yes, it did.'

Amarea says 'Once I could choose my own studies, I found myself unsure at first of what even interested me.'

Lys says 'Frankly, I have a little distrust of girls who seem to be born knowing which Ajah they aspire to. Speaks to a lack of introspection. '

Amarea nods in understanding. 'My own issue has not been in finding an Ajah that interests me, but instead in determining which ones do *not* seem like a good fit for me. I've had the pleasure of meeting with Aes Sedai from a number of Ajahs now, and I think I have started to narrow down the list by a few.'

Amarea says 'Not to say that every Ajah would be an ideal fit -- just that I find several of them attractive to me for personal reasons, and I don't know how to narrow my focus more in a meaningful way yet.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'I think you are making a mistake in assuming that Ajah's even represent a perfect fit'

Amarea blushes faintly but nods. 'You mean that maybe I am thinking too hard of finding one that is "just right"?'

Lys shakes her head.

Lys says 'No, I mean....'

Lys puts her chin on her fist for a moment as she considers her words.

Lys says 'Do you know what an Ajah is?'

Lys says 'At its core?'

Amarea pauses the contemplate the question.

Lys glances out the window as a riverboat clears the south harbor.

Amarea says 'Well, some of the history books I read in the library indicate that there used to be more than seven Ajahs, and that some formed and some disbanded over time.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Amarea says 'I am still working on my lessons on the Old Tongue, but I find it fascinating, and I think in the Age of Legends an ajah meant a group of likeminded people, with a specific purpose.'

Lys says 'Precisely'

Lys says 'An Ajah is a group of people'

Lys says 'With all the variation that implies'

Amarea nods thoughtfully.

Lys says 'There are Greenish Blues, and there are Brownish Blues'

Amarea nods in agreement.

Lys says 'There are Whitish Browns'

Amarea offers, 'Erulisse Sedai said that she had a streak of Red in her when I met with her.'

Lys says 'The Ajah, like the people who comprise them, exist on a spectrum'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'She is White and Red in parts I think'

Lys snickers softly.

Amarea grins playfully.

Amarea says 'Yes! She and I had a really fascinating talk about the possibility of worlds beyond ours, and the Wheel of Time itself, and how the Pattern may be formed.'

Lys ponders life, the universe, and everything.

Amarea says 'I had to go read some philosophy books after our talk, to make sure I understand some of her ideas, but it helped me to gain a better sense of the choices that lie before me.'

Lys smiles happily.

Lys says 'The point is that no Ajah will fit anyone perfectly, because all Ajah's contain a continuum of people '

Amarea nods thoughtfully.

Lys says 'It is our goals and ... culture, I suppose you would call it, that matter'

Lys says 'Rather than our skills or inclination'

Amarea counters, 'But the point of having a group affiliation, and such focus on finding a sorority to apprentice with during our training as Accepted, is because there is something that draws Aes Sedai of certain inclinations together more than others, correct?'

Lys nods in agreement.

Amarea says 'I've had the chance to meet with Keshara Sedai, Kitiara Sedai, and now you of the Blue Ajah. And my interactions with all of you, as well as Rafela Sedai and a task I completed for Moiraine Sedai, intrigued me. But despite all of that work and thoughtful discussions, I feel like the Blue Ajah is the group that I still understand least. Perhaps because so many of the sisters in your Ajah have such a...colorful spectrum, as you put it.'

Lys says 'We group ourselves into Ajah for practical reasons certainly, political ones as well.'

Lys says 'Of all the Ajah the Blue Ajah is the most ambigious'

Lys says 'You are not the first student to find it so'

Amarea blushes and looks relieved at that comment.

Lys says 'We lack a mission that can be simply stated. Though in some ways our mission is the simplest of all.'

Lys says 'The Greens are warriors, the Browns scholars, the Grays mediators'

Lys says 'But the Blues?'

Amarea listens with rapt attention, a curious expression on her face.

Lys holds her palm up in an equivocal gesture.

Lys says 'Some call us the justice Ajah but even this misunderstands us'

Amarea nods. 'Moiraine Sedai, when I found her, noted that she does not deal with administration, and rarely gets involved with justice, but that instead she is passionate about certain causes.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'This speaks to my point'

Amarea says 'Yes, but the cause she is most passionate about is to fight the Shadow, which makes me think of the Green Ajah!'

Amarea chuckles politely.

Lys says 'We don't do justice because we are interested in justice for its own sake'

Lys says 'We do justice because we believe in Causes which we believe to be Just'

Amarea nods, hearing the capitalized words there.

Lys says 'Justice extends from Cause, rather than the other way around'

Lys says 'At least this is my belief'

Amarea says 'Lys Sedai, are there any Causes that are particularly dear to you that drew you to the Blue Ajah when you were in your own training?'

Amarea adds, 'If you don't mind my askin' that is. I know it might be a personal question.'

Lys says 'It is a personal question, but any Aes Sedai worthy of the shawl ought to be able to dissemble away if she doesn't wish to answer '

Amarea smirks.

Amarea nods in agreement.

Lys says 'When I was younger I believed my cause was to destroy the Seanchan Empire'

Amarea grimaces.

Amarea nods in agreement.

Lys says 'Time has convinced me that this is simply a facet of a larger cause of creating a world which can both win the Last Battle and be worth living in afterwards.'

Amarea beams a broad smile from ear to ear.

Lys says 'My cause is therefore, political, martial, and philosophical.'

Amarea says 'I think I see what you mean.'

Lys says 'Straddling three Ajah without even trying'

Amarea grins playfully.

Lys says 'I fear this is not the place to come for easy and concise answers'

Lys flashes brilliantly white teeth.

Amarea waves a hand at the comment and smiles. 'No, Aes Sedai, I don't fear complicated answers or having to work through them. I actually enjoy that part.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'We of the Blue like to say that we do what must be done'

Lys says 'Even when that dosen't fit neatly into one single category'

Amarea says 'But as clear as I can see how that Cause could be such a defining path for you, and how that helps me to understand the Blue Ajah better, it leaves me with more questions of myself. Who am I, what Causes matter to me, and how would I see them realized?'

Amarea nods at Lys.

Amarea isn't in touch with saidar to release anything.

Amarea says 'So far, the Ajahs that I have ruled out for now have had less to do with my values, and more about the traits I lack.'

Amarea frowns.

Lys says 'Knowing what is important to you and why are the most crucial questions you can ask yourself at this stage'

Lys says 'And what Ajah have you ruled out?'

Amarea nods at Lys.

Amarea says 'Well, for starters, I can Heal serious wounds, and I enjoy providing Healing and support, but after several lessons with the Yellow Ajah, I've learned that my Talents lie elsewhere than Healing. So as much as I hope to learn how to be more effective and useful there, and have strived to do so when combat is afoot, the Yellow Ajah is not for me.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Amarea says 'I must admit that I surprised myself when I started running into dangerous situations to fight back the Shadow, because I believe in doing what is right to protect the citizens of the Light and that I have a duty to do so, as someone with the gift of channeling. But when I spoke with Vianca Sedai about how the Green sisters spend most of their time in the Borderlands and the Blight, and how I have such weak affinity for Fire and weaves that are useful in the Blight's heat, I fear the Green Ajah might not be a good fit either.

Lys says 'Long ago there was an Aes Sedai of the Green named Chala'

Amarea 's eyes light up with curiosity.

Lys says 'She fought a long war against the Seanchan after they landed in Toman Head'

Lys says 'She was a famous Green in her day, though she rarely fought trollocs'

Amarea stands up a little taller, smiling. 'Really? Maybe I am being too quick to take the Green Ajah off my list, then.'

Amarea says 'I have unusually strong affinity in Earth, and what I am increasingly certain might be a Talent for Earth Singing. But making earthquakes is dangerous when fighting with allies.'

Lys says 'I suspect you didn't come here for me to make your decision harder'

Amarea grins playfully.

Lys says 'But I never promised I wouldn't'

Lys winks suggestively at Amarea.

Amarea chuckles politely.

Amarea says 'I came here because the Ajahs that so far resonate with me the most are the Brown, White, Blue, and Gray. And of those, I feel like the Blue is the hardest for me to evaluate.'

Lys says 'All Ajahs have their attraction to me'

Lys says 'I like the feeling of saving a comrade by Healing them'

Lys says 'I like the rush of leading men and women into battle'

Amarea smiles at Lys.

Lys says 'But in both of those cases the real satisfaction is doing it to serve a greater cause'

Lys says 'The Blues also have some advantages in sorority'

Lys says 'As one of the most diverse Ajahs, you will find the most diverse allies here'

Amarea nods thoughtfully.

Lys says 'Women who understand that a singular cause is sometimes the most important thing'

Amarea says 'Beggin' your pardon, Aes Sedai, but that brings me to another question.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Amarea says 'I think you have helped clarify what drew you to the Blue Ajah. But what other Ajahs were you interested in before, and what helped you to rule them out?'

Lys says 'The Brown was attractive to me'

Lys hesitates a moment before continuing.

Lys says 'When I was with my people I was reknowned as a navigator'

Amarea nods thoughtfully.

Lys says 'My salt name - White Star refers to this '

Amarea's eyes light up with curiosity.

Amarea says 'Oh? How so?'

Amarea says 'I have heard of this idea, of a 'salt name' -- It is like an honorific name given by your people?'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'We have a clan name, our family in your terms and then a salt name, which we earn through our deeds'

Lys says 'When I was thirteen our raker grounded on a sandbar in rough weather'

Lys says 'We went out in boats to drag him free before the storm could pound him to kindling'

Amarea's face pales as her eyes widen.

Amarea says 'Light, that sounds dangerous.'

Lys says 'But the storm came up faster than we expected, we pulled him free but it was cut the lines or be dragged under '

Lys says 'By the time the storm blew out we were many miles out to sea, far from land or friendly sails'

Lys says 'Even though I was young, I was the only one aboard who could navigate'

Lys says 'And I brought our boat home by using the stars'

Lys stares southward toward the sea for a long moment before sippping her tea.

Amarea listens attentively, leaning forward.

Lys says 'All this to say, that I loved navigation, cartography, knowing where sand bars and reefs were to be found, what sediments to be expected where.'

Lys says 'For a time I considered that the Brown Ajah was the place for someone interested in knowledge and mathematics'

Lys says 'But as time went on, I came to realize that those things were part of who I had been, not I was now, or who wanted to become'

Amarea smiles softly, nodding in understanding. 'I think I see what you mean, Aes Sedai.'

Lys says 'And of course I considered the Greens for the Warders'

Amarea grins playfully.

Lys says 'As many of us do'

Amarea sighs dreamily.

Lys's dark eyes sparkle.

Amarea says 'I have to admit, not being able to have a warder makes the Red Ajah seem awfully lonely.'

Lys says 'I think you can be lonely in any Ajah'

Lys smiles sardonically.

Lys says 'I myself do not have a warder, at least not as yet'

Amarea says 'But I met with Evaine Sedai today, and the main reason I don't think it'the Red Ajah is right for me is because at the end of the day, I would rather study the taint, and men who could channel, in hopes of one day reunifying us all with the same Power to fight back the Shadow and to shepherd a new Age of Legends. She said that is a valuable dream to have, but that it can't interfere with their very important and needed mission.'

Lys nods in agreement.

Lys says 'A noble goal to be sure. I believe many of the wonders of the Age of Legends were created by the unity of Sadin and Saidar.'

Amarea says 'All my life, I always felt that my life was so...ordinary. And I used to be content with that. But I came to Tar Valon on a bit of a whim, really, or maybe there was a part inside me even then longing to do something greater than to make bread. I was shocked when I learned that I could channel, and moreso that I had already been doing it without realizing. Especially when I learned about how many wilders die before they can find someone to teach them.'

Lys says 'And if we believe we can frustrate the Dark One in one way, as we must, why not another.'

Amarea nods at Lys.

Lys nods guardedly.

Lys says 'The fate of such wilders is to be regretted. The Blues are also an Ajah that believe in recruiting, both to save the poor girls, and to increase our own strength'

Amarea nods thoughtfully.

Lys says 'I often wish we could test every girl, as the Seanchan do'

Lys says 'I can well imagine that it was so during the Age of Legends'

Lys says 'Boys and Girls nervously awaiting testing with their parents looking on proudly.'

Amarea says 'I don't know if I have found a single unifying cause, yet, that would lead me straight to the Blue Ajah. But there are a number of ideas you've raised tonight that resonate with me, and that is one of them. Finding everyone with the gift so they can be safe, and so the White Tower can grow.'

Lys smiles at Amarea.

Lys says 'I hope that I have been of some help, as you can see we are a complicated group'

Amarea shifts uncomfortably at the mention of the Seanchan, smoothing her dress. 'I don't know much about the Seanchan, really, just rumors and gossip I heard being exchanged in Lugard. They settled in parts of Tarabon and in Falme, and at least in the latter, I've heard disturbing news that people...like them and their laws. That they establish order.'

Lys says 'But this complication is a strength'

Lys says 'For many people who have lived in anarchy '

Lys says 'Stability can be a powerful draw'

Amarea says 'I don't know if I have a question there, just an observation about some news I've heard that is hard to wrap my mind around.'

Lys says 'Tyrants of all kinds have their adherents'

Amarea nods at Lys.

Lys says 'This is an argument against anarchy, not an argument for tyranny'

Lys says 'When I told an Aes Sedai of my cause when I was an Accepted'

Lys says 'She asked me if a world unified under the Seanchan might not be better equipped to fight the Last Battle'

Lys says 'But I do not believe that we can win freedom via slavery'

Lys says 'Only by committing ourselves fully, completely, and freely can we hope to prevail '

Amarea nods slowly, although she still looks troubled at the subject. 'The question crossed my mind, when I heard Rafela Sedai's lesson on Artur Hawkwing. She noted that his empire and system of justice was more successful and better than most. And if the Seanchan are right, that they really are descendants of Hawkwing and have been informed by his teachings and views...I don't know.'

Lys says 'When we went down to the sea in those boats'

Lys says 'We knew we might perish'

Amarea nods at Lys.

Lys says 'Our sailsmistress asked for volunteers '

Lys says 'Because she knew that free men and women would pull long after the muscles and sinews of slaves had given out'

Amarea nods thoughtfully.

Lys says 'So I believe is the case with us'

Lys says 'There will come a time when slaves would fail'

Lys says 'But free men and women will stand for something more than blind obedience '

Lys smiles happily.

Lys says 'I can see I have given you much to think about'

Lys says 'I must be about other matters Accepted, I wish you well in your deliberations'

Lys opens the carveddoor.

Lys leaves west. <<

Amarea says quietly to herself, 'But that assumes the people in those cities actually feel like slaves, doesn't it? What if men and women of Falme, and Tarabon, begin to believe in the Seanchan's mission?'

Amarea frowns at that idea, then gathers her things and exits the conservatory, a storm of thoughts flashing through her mind.

[Chloro]

Rplizer +1 qps :
Extra meticulous edit +1 qps : +
Length bonus +1-2 qps : +
Summary: +1 qps : +

Amarea 3
Lys 2