Nothing good & nothing bad [attn: open]

[Astarte]

The journey from home had been long.

Not simply in the distance traveled but with the increasing awareness of how far she was being separated from everything she'd ever known, including all the people she loved. Neither the Aes Sedai or her Warder had even been able to offer the reassurance that she would be able able to return and see them again. Betrys had stopped asking those sort of personal questions after the third day. She'd needed to have something between her and the pain she was feeling.

So much loss. Would anything here make it go away or at least lessen?

Betrys had serious doubts. Even arriving at the tall building that so completely dominated the surrounding area was bad enough. She already felt completely out of place and she hadn't even formally arrived yet. In fact, she was pretty sure the air in here was colder than what it was past the walls of this place.

However, she knew she couldn't go back.

She'd tried on the second night and had (literally) been dragged back to the camp. Betrys had decided to not repeat that experience again. It was not something she particularly enjoyed and the lecture that had followed had been even less appealing. So, Betrys stood there and waited, feeling more and more uncertain and unsure about the whole thing. She also felt completely trapped. There was no way out, she had to go on even though Betrys felt more afraid than at any other point in her whole life. What was going to happen now?

The medium-sized bag that rested at her feet, was both dusty and patched. It also contained everything she owned in the whole world. Which was not saying a great deal, her family hadn't the wealth or time for frivolity but Betrys had managed to gather the few keepsakes that mattered most to bring with her - it was something she had insisted on.

While she tried to hold still. It was hard when she really didn't know how long she would be here. The Aes Sesdai guide and Warder had left and told her simply to wait. Nothing else.

[Bree]

Makenna scurried down the hall, her eyes skimming over the brief information about the new novice that she had been given by the Mistress of Novices. Illyria Bloody Sedai must still be holding a grudge. Since she had that baby, she has been foisting half of her duties off on me. New brats showing up... Illyria Bloody Sedai is supposed to be the one ... Makenna's unfair and irritable thoughts trailed off as she came around the corner and her eyes landed on the young woman standing in the foyer. Light. She looks so much like... Makenna shook herself and trampled on the thought. She walked over to the young woman, only slightly road rumpled and looking somewhat bored and somewhat as if she were ready to run away.

"Bertrys?" Makenna took the most shameful delight in the small startlement she managed to illicit from the young woman. It was not kind but Makenna had been feeling snarky and prickly for all of the long months that she had been here at the Grey Tower and kind was not one of her priorities. In her own pristine white dress with bands of color along the bottom, Makenna knew she looked imposing to those unaccustomed to the ways of the Tower. Even when one considered the way an Aes Sedai seemed to carry her presence into a room, to those new to the Tower, the stately manner of an Accepted in combination with the uniform appearance so designed to set them apart, had a way of making an indelible impression.

"My name is Makenna. I am an Accepted of the Grey Tower. The Mistress of Novices, Illyria Sedai, has assigned me to conduct you to a room and show you the grounds. Your things will be brought to your room for you and you will be given the opportunity to eat and refresh yourself before you are called to her office. Is there anything in particular you would like to see before I take you to your room? Do you have any questions?" The Altaran woman lifted her chin in a haughty and no nonsense manner at the end of her short speech and watched the expressions play across the face of the young woman before her. She really does look very much like Meleia.

OOC: To give you a little explanation without making you read the whole bio, Makenna's daughter is Meleia and she was collared by the Seanchan. Makenna is prickly mostly in order to keep from letting her softer, hurt feelings from getting the better of her. She comes across so brusque because of it but if you get past the thin surface, she is a mushy ball of tender-hearted motherly affection. You will need to sign the novice book with Illyria but you can probably do that by reference instead of in a whole thread if you want.

[Astarte]

The woman was not exactly what she had been expecting. Although that didn't exactly express very much; given that Betrys was arrived with little in the way of preconceived notions or beliefs about what was going to end up happening once she reached this Tower. In fact, she had actually hoped right up until this very moment that somehow she would end up waking up from all of this and find herself in her own bed once more. That more than anything else was what she had wanted.

It seemed that fate, destiny or whatever else you wished to call it had decided on another alternative.

One that Betrys neither liked or appreciated. Yet, at the same time she could do very little in order to stop it from happening just the same. Another sensation to hate. This sense of both being trapped as well as almost being mocked at the same time.

The surprised eventually left her face when she realised that she was no longer alone but she hadn't much liked it. Betrys narrowed her eyes slightly, unsure about what exactly she do or say and she sincerely wished that was otherwise. She wanted to know what to do. She really did but Betrys was so far outside her comfort zone that she had left for a whole new land.

Betrys swallowed slowly, far more nervous than she had been before "I-I...what about, I mean...who is taking my things?" there was literally nothing of intrinsic value but standing face to face that cool, calm and oh-so confident woman in her white clothing (made from far finer material than anything she had ever worn) that made it hard to find the right words. She started again "..." stopping and licking her lips as she swallowed again "Why are you showing me the grounds?" Betrys finally managed something that resembled a sensible sentence but if the question mentioned that would be another matter entirely.

"What is she going to do to me?" she asked, the husky note in her voice came from her suppressed tears. The endless seeming fright at being taken from her home and family.

[Bree]

Makenna folded the page in her hands without looking at it. She was watching the young woman, girl really. The fright and the anxiety and the obvious tension were clear. She stepped up, suddenly feeling like the mother that she was, confronted with a lost child. Reaching out, she pulled the girl close under one arm and petted her shoulder reassuringly. "Come now. You must realize that if you are here, it is because the Wheel of Time has spun your thread into the Pattern with an extra glimmer. You can do something that very few in this or any other world are capable of and in this place, we will teach you how to use it." Makenna pulled a soft linen kerchief from her belt pouch and offered it to the girl.

"Now, at the very least, you will learn to make use of what you can do here and then you can go home none the worse for wear. Although, I believe that once you have learned what you can really do, you will not want to quit and return to a simple life. There is so much more that will be at your fingertips." Makenna had been slowly guiding the girl toward a hall. "Come with me and let me show you a little about this place. It won't seem so big and frightening once you can weigh and measure the steps from one place to the next."

Makenna smiled reassuringly and a little of her gruffness returned. "Now, your things will be taken by the Tower staff to your room. You will have a room to yourself unless you want a roommate. I recommend a room to yourself. It is far easier to bend the rules when you don't have a roommate to tattle on you. You do not have to worry about anything going missing. The Aes Sedai and Asha'man are death on thieves. If you are hungry, we can go to the dining hall and find something to eat. If you would like to see the gardens or the library, both are open. If you would like to have a bath before seeing the Mistress of Novices, the baths are luxurious."

With a final pat of Betrys' shoulder she stopped her slow, chivvying walk and turned to face the girl again. "Nothing very horrible will be done to you. In fact, if you will choose a place, the library or the garden, I will show you the most amazing thing you will ever know. I will teach you to touch the One Power."

OOC: As your mentor, I will show you through your One Power Basics. You are going to have to help me by choosing a location. You can see the map of the Tower among all the diagrams here. Makenna is most fond of the Library but the Gardens have some amazing things that might make Betrys calmer. Up to you!

[Astarte]

It was something that she'd heard from the Aes Sedai who'd found her, while not exactly the same words the sentiments were pretty much the same. As she heard them again it caused Betrys to stiffen even as the older woman pulled her in for an embrace; that hadn't been something which had been expected to happen. Although it didn't lessen how good it felt.

Admitting that was a whole other matter.

"But I dinnae want it" she protested. Betrys hadn't been interested in the Wheel taking her to some other path, glimmer or not until the arrival of the Aes Sedai her life had been simple. It was probably not something that many others would have welcomed but she hadn't looked for adventure and excitement. She'd wanted to settle down and marry in time, learn something of the healing her mother knew and pretty much nothing else. Betrys had never had that sort of personal ambition.

She wasn't sure how true that statement was, either of them but Betrys nodded slowly "I suppose ya ken what ya doing an all..." she admitted carefully, the hesitation obvious enough as she remained unsure of what sort of welcome was going to be received once all was said and done. This woman was after all still very much a stranger "umm; I cannae...that is...I'd prefer ta see the garden" Betrys hadn't really been exposed to books and learning and she honestly couldn't imagine every preferring a library as a place to visit, no matter how fine it might end up being "Th-they are? I...death, umm...what else is death?" she definitely wanted to avoid that sort of thing.

OOC: YAY! Mentorship! I look forward to it, I think Betrys might prefer to swallow glass but she'll get over it soon enough I'm sure.

[Bree]

Let the Magic Begin

Makenna had a way of holding her face; one eyebrow lifted and the other drawn down slightly, chin titled up and to the left. Rory Asha'man and her children and her dear departed husband had all watched her enough to come to recognize that look on her face. It was the look she got when something new caught her attention. Listening to this girl talk and trying to puzzle out exactly what she was saying was eliciting that look now. Makenna had never heard an accent like that. She had heard Illianer and Tairen and Saldaean and even the cursed Seanchan since coming to the Tower. This, however, was new. The registration paper had said the girl was from Andor but she didn't sound like she was from Caemlyn or anywhere near here in the Two Rivers. Makenna was intrigued she wanted the girl to talk more so she could try to tease out some of the sounds of the vowels that would eventually be the telling note of her accent. The broad and heavy consonants and the peculiar words would be easy to exchange for blander and more common speech, but the vowels would always be the lingering hint if she ever tried to mask her origins.

Makenna stopped a passing novice and said, "Will you please ask the kitchens to send a little cheese and fruit and tea to the rhododendrons in the garden? Thank you, Nanse." The novice curtsied and darted for the nearest ramp into the stairs up to the next floor where she could make the request of the kitchens. Turning back to Betrys, she took her arm like an old friend, wrapping it in hers and patting the girl's wrist. I need to get her to talk more. "I chose the rhododendrons because there is a small table and chairs there with a little gravel and sand walkway that the attendants like to decorate and shape into patterns. While sitting there in the breeze of the afternoon, we can see the beginning of the serpentine lake which is a waterfall that comes out of nowhere." She did not look to see if the girl gave her the look of incredulity that she herself had offered at that assertion when first she had heard it. She just kept putting one foot in front of the other, following the curving path of the hall. They had to walk all the way to the far side of the Tower from the entrance hall through which Betrys had arrived.

Finally having made enough progress down the hall that the foyer was a bright opening at the end of the hall behind them, Makenna motioned to the door they were approaching. "The gardens here have every sort of flower and tree that will be coaxed into growing in this place. Even a few that will not. I think the original founders of the Grey Tower wanted to ask Ogier to come create a Grove here but they never did. I do not know why. I particularly enjoy the rhododendrons, though. They have a sweet smell and so many vibrant colors." Makenna channeled and sent the double doors they were approaching swinging slowly open. She pulled a thin thread of Air and wove it in a broad, expanding corkscrew spiral toward them from the gardens on the other side of the doors. The breeze was refreshing and brought with it the scent of honey and pollen from the flowers and bees busily working them.

The day was mild and the afternoon was bright with scattered clouds flitting across the sun causing a dappled pattern of shadows to chase themselves across the manicured lawns and bushy flowering shrubs. The trees, tall spires of green swaying in the wind or shorter, bushy and flowering like the shrubs, drooping heavily with their colorful treasures. The bees flew high over the walking paths to dip down to either side for the flowers, some Aes Sedai or Ahs'man of the past having warded those walkways for the safety of both the bees and the people. Makenna's first sight of the gardens of the Tower had been overwhelming. Such peace and beauty in the midst of the chaos and calamity happening outside these walls. She hoped Betrys found them to her liking and hung back a step to let the girl get a good look.

OOC: Let me know if anything is unclear. Makenna is going to take her the long way round in the Gardens so the snacks are there when they get to their spot. I will try to provide links to pics where I can for visual aids like I did for the Rhododendrons. Once we get Betrys through her first touch of the One Power, I would like to begin a new thread in the OPB forum just for the actual formal lesson. What do you think?

[Astarte]

She had no clue as the look, a five minute relationship was certainly not sufficient time to enable a complete understanding of another let alone a woman like Makenna or indeed any Aes Sedai. Even if Betrys had been a master of understanding another person it would still take a little longer than that to build any sort of capable ability to read the another person after a first encounter like this one.

Incredulous was a good and solid word for her current appearance. Betrys was not un-used to close personal contact, it was one of the reasons the idea of a room to herself had been such a strange and unexpected surprise. She'd never dreamed of having anything like that before and in all honesty she couldn't imagine why there would be any sort of need for such isolation. The whole idea frightened her, almost as much as the highly familiar way in which the older woman made herself comfortable about her person - this whole thing was just beyond passingly strange and that said a great deal given her recent experiences.

As for the accent. Betrys might have commented if she'd been asked. While her parents had lived in that same village (as she had expected to do) her grandmother had come from elsewhere, the sole remaining legacy had been the burr of an accent that remaining in her children and children's children to this day. It would doubtless fade in the next generation as they arrived into the world but that meant very little in the grand scheme of things aside from making them a touch more interesting than most of the typical members of her original home.

"I dinnae...wha' are rhododendendons?" the question hung in the air as she hung onto something that might at least have some kind of sane answer, even if her use of the word was poor at best and albeit one she'd probably never understand (at least for the moment) "Who else be coming tae join us?" Betrys spoke the addition as the words regarding refreshments sunk in properly. She was used to simple fare and little of that depending on how successful the growing season has been in the previous season. Betrys didn't resist as she was taken along in the direction - she had stated her preference after all.

Betrys frowned as the breeze passed her by - there had been something in the barest moments before but she dismissed it, trying instead to focus on what the older woman was saying "Ya...Ogier? Here?" she swallowed feeling nervous and pulled away to create some space as she rubbed her hands over her arms in response to something that was affecting her sensibilities about the whole matter of this conversation and then her senses were swept away by the gardens. She stopped, her mouth opening as she gaped in surprise at these new and very unexpected surroundings "It's bonnie..." the whisper filled very much with her own awe about this whole discovery of so much growing things, so much color and from what Betrys could see none of it was obviously given over to growing food or at least not in her current line of sight. She had no doubt it must exist given that the Tower clearly had a significant population.

OOC: I think it sounds very much like a solid plan.

[Bree]

Twinkling Stars in the Afternoon

Makenna grinned. The obvious pleasure in the girl's expression was good. She had found a thing, even if it was a small one, that she could enjoy about where she was. Letting her walk at her own pace and taking the lead on the path, Makenna strode out and to the left with a simple, "Come along,". She walked in a slow and stately way past the rose garden that followed the wall and then down the stairs of the terraces that led into the rhododendrons. Following the curve of the path and through the lattice arches into the azalea tea garden. It opened out into a small and private area with a low table and two chairs where a tea had been laid for them.

Makenna swept across feeling the delight in her own spleen at the sight of the berries and tea cakes and slices of melon. She checked the tea pot and inhaled deeply of the hibiscus and lemon tea. "Oh this is very nice." She let Betrys amble and look around as she took a seat and began to pour the tea. She did not add honey to either cup but left the pot near Betrys' cup so she could add her own if she wished. Makenna sat back in the shade of the blooming wisteria trellis and sipped her tea. After a moment she said, "Come on and sit down now. They will be expecting you in the Mistress of Novice's office soon enough. You can add honey to the tea if you like. I sometimes do and sometimes don't depending on my mood. I hope you like it."

Makenna's earlier gruffness was falling away in the peace of the gardens. She looked out over the azaleas and the high hedge of bottle brush that backed it and watched the sparkle of the water appearing from the air and falling unimpeded in a glistening column. That bit of artful use of the Power was something she intended to figure out. No one could see the Weaves that had been used to make it. They had to be hidden in some way. Makenna had read of a way to invert Weaves but no one so far had been willing or able to teach her. She would figure it out.

Turning her attention back to Betrys, she tried once more to make the girl see reason and overcome her reticence. "You may not want to be here but you are. You have only one logical and reasonable course of action if you want to leave." She paused to make sure the girl was listening. "Learn quickly."

Embracing the Source once again, Makenna Wove a hair fine thread each of Water, Fire and Air and incorporated them into a pattern of hatchwork with thick and braided cords of Spirit. Stretching and waving that Weave around, she produced tiny flashing lights, like fireflies of blue and red and green. There was a faint chiming tinkle with each flash and a small puffing breeze so gentle it was barely there. It was beautiful and one of Makenna's favorite tricks. She imagined the effect could be made larger and occasionally wondered if this was like the Seanchan Sky Lights. She spread the lights over and above the table just above the height of where her head would be if she stood. Leaning back in her seat, she tied off the flows and sipped her tea. The pattern would not change now but it would continue to wink and blink and chime.

"Have a little tea and some refreshment. Then we will try to touch the Source."

[Astarte]

It was all more than she had expected to find here, nothing from the outside would have suggested this was the case as Betrys would have more readily believed and expected fields of wheat and such - not this. She had heard about such places but they had been mentioned in stories that involved princesses and far-off places nothing like her own situation.

"Who...this is for all of us?" she questioned, not quite believing it was the case. Not really. It seemed like a dream, or like she was lost in some kind of story that needed to be told around the circle of friends not actually lived and experienced "I's not had honey - not in tea, wha's it like?" she asked softly, her attention turning back towards the older woman and walked towards the table with it's ample display of items for the two of them (apparently at least) to enjoy. Betrys was still expecting someone else to join them, all of this was far too much for just two people? Or were they so wealthy it could offered like this? She just didn't know and it frustrated her no end.

At the moment the frustration was being channeled into her quiet shyness "Thank ya..." she added and sat down reaching out to lift the cup up, holding it carefully in her hands to avoid being burned by the heat of the item and then slowly took a sip.

Betrys blinked.

She hadn't expected that statement from this woman, she hadn't actually expected anything if she was being strictly honest with herself about these strangers she was forced to be with "I...how will I manage that?" Betrys asked, deciding to put the ball in her court as it were and then halting as...that something happened again. She still didn't know exactly how to deal with that suggestion, it was almost unpleasant but at the same time she longed for it - or part of her did.

"Wha's all that, ya doing?" she asked softly "How's ya do that?" her eyes widening at the light show.

[Bree]

Catch a Falling Star

Makenna sipped her tea and nodded. "This is just a small repast. A little tea and a little snack, it really isn't as much as it probably looks like. The staff here is very good at making everything look very appetizing. I think they enjoy challenging themselves." She sipped her tea again. Seeing the enraptured gaze from Betrys at the twinkling stars she smiled broadly. "Do you like them? I can teach you how to do this. But just now...," Makenna sat forward and replaced her tea cup on its saucer. Holding out her empty hand, she guided one of the twinkling lights into her palm. It was completely immaterial and the sensation of fluttering bubbles on her skin was a result of the flows touching her.

She held up her hand and tied off the flows to this single twinkle star so that she could move it around. She offered it up to Betrys and said, "You can take it from me. You can hold it. All you have to do is imagine you are reaching out your hand. When you touch it, it will move to you. You do not have to reach out your hand first but you may if that helps you envision reaching for it with your mind."

Makenna watched the girl watching the Star. It was pulsing rhythmically now and slower than the others. It was designed to calm and relax the watcher and it was a helpful tool to teaching a new novice to relax and reach out to embrace the Source. Of course she would not actually embrace the Source this time, but if she could reach it, with just the lightest touch. The pulse of the Star would flash and Makenna would be able to push the Star into the hand of the other woman. Makenna, already holding the Power, reached out to that part of Betrys that would open itself to the Source and gave it a nudge. Like beginning to link, as if she were going to reach through the other woman to touch Saidar, this process would help Betrys to focus that place in her mind to reach out.

"That's it. Now just... reach."

OOC: So just show her feeling the Source and touching it. The Star twinkling and her reaction. This is not the rosebud exercise. It is more akin to the practice Moiraine and Egwene did at the camp in the brambles. Just sensing the Source, brushing it.