The Grey Tower

Another correct answer! Mirin nearly leapt out of her chair to dance for joy. She began to feel more confident; perhaps she could find a way to excel in this lesson after all.

Once again, Leala presented another problem. Mirin listened carefully. Her first instinct was to send the child back and forth; but the rivalry between the villages removed that option. Mirin considered the mother's arguments and the father's pleas, and quickly arrived at her decision.

"I would offer the child one last chance to choose," she said. "If the child refuses once again, then I would make the decision for her. And I would send her with her mother. The mother's inn offers a stable livelihood for the child and ensures an heir to the business. If an accident should befall the mother, then the child would still be able to support herself. On the other hand, the father does not offer a similar guarantee. He wants to have the child for, in my opinion, selfish reasons. The child should not be used as an emotional crutch, or be responsible for her parent's happiness. Thus, the mother would be my choice."

She thought that her reasoning was sound, and that her decision was fair and just. She waited for the reply, hoping that Leala would see the problem in the same way.

Leala smiled and nodded as Mirin explained her reasoning behind her ruling. There was no mention in the case about giving the child another chance to choose, but it would still be logical to do so. "That is correct as well," she said. It was time to move to the last test. Bringing out her small bag in which she carried her supplies, she checked to make sure that everything was in order. The bag was mostly white, but it was lined with a pastel lavender color and had some lavender stitching in the shape of flowers and small birds. Inside the bag, everything was as it should be, and she added the papers she had been working on at the beginning. She set her bag back down, next to her on the floor.

She brought her hands back up and clasped them in front of her in a neutral position. "As you've found out through this class, details are essential in coming to logical conclusions. As an Aes Sedai, it is essential that you use these details to come to conclusions and decisions in dealing with diplomats or regular people. It gives the illusion that you know almost anything about a person, but it is really just observation. You can find out the most personal things about others by just observing their behaviors and habits. Diplomats will often place tests in front of you as well. Things like this are often classified as Daes Dae'mar, the Game of Houses, which I'm sure you've experienced more than once already through interactions with Aes Sedai and Asha'man, and even Accepted and Dedicated on some level. For this last test, I have dropped a few hints throughout our meeting, perhaps not many, about this last question. But hints and ordinary things about a person can help us find out something about them that they would not tell us directly.

"So, using what you have seen, heard, and inferred from your interactions with me, tell me what my favorite color is." As Leala waited, she listened for any reaction from Aelyn. There was no comment. She took that to mean that he either was too distracted with his own work, or he silently approved of her question.

Mirin felt an inkling of understanding. Observe the details, she thought. The details were key. She resolved to become more observant. And so, she watched carefully as Leala brought out a small bag embroidered with lavender flowers and birds. She observed the stitching with the discerning eye of a seamstress' daughter. It was fine work, she thought. She wondered where, and how, the Accepted had managed to purchase the bag.

She perked up when Leala mentioned Daes Dae'mar. Mirin had been briefly involved in the commoner's version of the Game of Houses as a girl in Cairhien. She was familiar with political maneuvering and subtleties of people-watching; but she had never thought of it as pure observation. And so, she was quite surprised when she immediately knew the answer to the last question.

"Your favorite color is lavender," she said, confidently. Her lips curved into a delighted smile.

"Yes," Leala said with a nod. "Something so simple yet personal can be used to your advantage in the future. Had we been dignitaries our current setting, you could use that knowledge to assuage me in some way, it could be used to present a gift, or I could have even used it as a subtle test. It's always best to keep our senses and our minds open for new opportunities, to seek the truth," she explained.

"And, that may seem like a subtle way to recruit for the White Ajah, but it's not," Aelyn said from the sidelines. "The truth is essential to..." He trailed off as his mind latched on to something in his books and he dove back in.

"What Asha'man Aelyn is trying to say," Leala began, "is that once one swears the Three Oaths, seeking the truth will be essential to anyone representing the Grey Tower. We must always be aware of our surroundings and the people that occupy them. And, that is our lesson for today. Do you have any questions? If not, I have another class to teach rather soon, and I have some preparations to make."

The Three Oaths... Before coming to the Tower, Mirin hadn't known that Aes Sedai were constrained by such rules. Especially the Oath against lying. She had heard the stories, of course, that Aes Sedai could not lie, but the stories also said that the truth that an Aes Sedai told you was not necessarily the truth you wanted to hear. Now that she was actually training to be an Aes Sedai - well, the rule seemed a lot more confining.

Yes, seeking the truth was important, yet Mirin could not see herself ever joining the White. Still, logic and deduction were important when discerning the truth from lies.

"No more questions," said Mirin. She curtsied. "Thank you, Accepted Leala, for the lesson." Her thoughts turned to her chores for the day. As she left, she began to wonder... would there ever be a way around the Oaths?

Then, she shook her head. The Oaths were just part of the price to pay for the power and prestige that came with becoming an Aes Sedai. A price that she would reluctantly pay - but which she would pay, nonetheless. She went down to the kitchens, pushed up her sleeves, and immersed her arms in the soapy water.

OOC: Thread is now complete. Thanks Leala!