Miahala Sedai had a way of making her path ahead sound so simple, and Amaranie gave the Aes Sedai a startled glance before quickly looking away. Is that all I need to be? She thought about it, knowing that responsibility was not difficult for her, and hadn't been even when she'd just arrived and was terrified out of her mind. As for maturity, while Amaranie didn't consider herself the best example of that attribute by far, she also knew she was far from the worst. She had never been one to join in on the gossip like some of the other Accepted, nor had she ever wanted to be involved with the jokes and pranks a few of them thought fun. While she still considered her emotional displays to be less than appropriate behavior, they suddenly didn't seem as difficult to overcome as she had feared.
The Accepted sat up straighter in her seat, still gazing out at the office rather than Miahala Sedai. "Thank you, Miahala Sedai," she said softly. "It seems a little less overwhelming, when you put it that way." She fell quiet again then, feeling somewhat reassured, but far from certain about her future. After thinking for a while, Amaranie dared to look at the Aes Sedai. "But...I'm not sure...an Aes Sedai is supposed to serve others, isn't she?" That was the literal meaning of the title, but the Accepted had considerable trouble imagining a future for herself that involved anything of the sort.
She said quietly, "I don't know if that's something I can do. I don't....do well with large groups of people, and I don't think that's going to change. " Though she wasn't about to say so, Amaranie didn't think she wanted to change that much even if she could. "All I really want is to study the One Power, how it works, what can be done with it....." Her voice trailed off, and Amaranie even managed a faint smile as she spoke of what she wanted her future to hold. "I don't want to teach, though, or even to write like some of the Aes Sedai do....I don't know if anyone would be permitted to spend her time studying without also doing one of those." The Accepted flushed again, realizing how selfish her desire sounded when spoken aloud, but that didn't stop her from wanting it.
The Accepted sat up straighter in her seat, still gazing out at the office rather than Miahala Sedai. "Thank you, Miahala Sedai," she said softly. "It seems a little less overwhelming, when you put it that way." She fell quiet again then, feeling somewhat reassured, but far from certain about her future. After thinking for a while, Amaranie dared to look at the Aes Sedai. "But...I'm not sure...an Aes Sedai is supposed to serve others, isn't she?" That was the literal meaning of the title, but the Accepted had considerable trouble imagining a future for herself that involved anything of the sort.
She said quietly, "I don't know if that's something I can do. I don't....do well with large groups of people, and I don't think that's going to change. " Though she wasn't about to say so, Amaranie didn't think she wanted to change that much even if she could. "All I really want is to study the One Power, how it works, what can be done with it....." Her voice trailed off, and Amaranie even managed a faint smile as she spoke of what she wanted her future to hold. "I don't want to teach, though, or even to write like some of the Aes Sedai do....I don't know if anyone would be permitted to spend her time studying without also doing one of those." The Accepted flushed again, realizing how selfish her desire sounded when spoken aloud, but that didn't stop her from wanting it.