The Grey Tower

Danos walked through the paths that led to the offices and quarters of many of the Aes Sedai. He was on a mission to speak with one in particular, and so he had dressed in his best Ji'alantin greys and polished his boots to a shine.

Walking confidently, he resisted the urge to sink into the Ko'di lest it be misconstrued by the sharp eyes of the Aes Sedai he walked past.

Light, last time I sought this women out was when I bore a letter from Master Ravak, after Avyra had landed us into the attention of Jaryd Ashaman. And now he's the bloody M'hael, thought Danos as he arrived at the office of the Mistress of Novices.

Knocking upon the door, he awaited the call to enter before he walked into the office. As he entered, he kept his face as calm as he could before standing before the Mistress of Novices.

"Forgive the intrusion, but I had come to realize I had questions that I believe you could answer for me Mirin Sedai. I have recently achieved my Ji'alantin greys, and I realize my knowledge of the women who are my peers, and the Ajahs they aspire to is woefully incomplete," Danos said as politely as if he addressed the Mayor's wife.

The nervous young man standing at her door was tall. Far too tall, thought Mirin as she tilted her neck up to look at him. And not bad to look at either. He would probably be one of those who got snatched up by a sister the second he gained the fancloak. Most likely one of the Greens, who often made no secret of their love for good-looking men. Wise, then, for him to come seek the Mistress of Novices and explore the Ajahs.

"Congratulations on your Raising, Danos," she said. "I am pleased that you seem to have gained better judgment since your little adventure with Avyra. Please come in."

She turned and left the door open for him to follow. The walls of her office were dark blue with polished chestnut trim. Shelves of books lined one of the walls, and the overall appearance was neat, but cluttered. She motioned for him sit in one of the two plush chairs, their blue cushions embroidered with silver. She sat in the other and watched at him calmly. Although her face was not unpleasing, there was a coldness about her that some found intimidating. Mirin cared greatly for her appearance, but could not quite achieve the exceptional beauty of Kaia Sedai or the stately grace of the Amyrlin Seat.

"Let's see. I know the most about the Blue Ajah, of course, but in my years of guiding students to find where they best belong, I hope I can offer some insight to the others as well. Would you like some tea?" She rang for a servant, and then continued.

"What do you know of the Ajahs? I would not like to waste time speaking of things you already know."

Danos sighed in relief, letting out the breath he had not realized he had been holding when Mirin Sedai invited him in to her sitting room. As Danos followed her through the door, he debated for an instant on closing it, but assumed she would have requested he do so.

Right away he noticed the décor, the dark blue was a very nice shade and he noted how well it was paired with the dark tones of the chestnut trim. Oddly her room reminded him slight of his Uncle’s shop, it was neat and tidy but there seemed to be the odd trinket or book wherever he looked.

Mirin Sedai motioned for him sit in one of the two plush chairs, their blue cushions embroidered with silver. She sat in the other and watched at him calmly. Danos noted that she was attractive, her dark clothing suited her skin tone and he had rarely seen such dark hair in Jornhill. Her clothing would have shamed the Mayor’s spouse’s best holiday gown, and he found himself smoothing his pants and glad he had changed into his best.

“Thank you Mirin Sedai, I would appreciate tea yes,” replied Danos, hoping there wasn’t a more formal response. After the servant was rung for, and she asked him his current knowledge about the Ajah’s he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before replying. “Well as a Drin’far’ji I of course had many occasions to meet the Sisters in the Infirmary, so I feel I know a decent amount of common knowledge about the Yellow Ajah. In many of my classes, the Green Ajah is often discussed as it pertains to the warfare skills we are learning,” said Danos as he recalled the classes that had been taught by a Green Sister or Asha’man.

“I have heard of the Indigo Ajah as well, that they study objects of the Power, learn what they do, and that the Grey Ajah are the diplomats and lawmakers. That is about the extent of my knowledge, so I am sure there is a lot more to learn,” Danos said simply, folding his hands in his lap to keep from fidgeting.

"That is a good place to begin," said Mirin. "There are three important points that I'd like to start with. First, is that no two sisters of the same Ajah are alike. The stereotypes are there for a reason of course, but it would be prudent to keep in mind that they are simply just generalizations. There are peace-loving Greens and hot-headed Whites; war-like Greys and yes, even unjust Blues. The woman, or man, who you choose to bond with is as important as their Ajah's goals and beliefs.

"Second, people choose their Ajahs because it is what they believe in. Our training is rigorous and our teachers become very close with their students. Even a woman who thinks she is not suited for battle may be guided toward the Green Ajah if that Ajah seems to her teachers to be that which suits her best. Of course, in the end the choice is the student's. But more often than not, they follow the path set before them by their teachers. Therefore, although you cannot completely base someone's motivation on their Ajah, the choice does say something significant about their core beliefs.

"And so that brings me to my third point. The choice of Ajah says more about a woman's beliefs than what they like to do. I am a Blue sister, yet I pursue very little in the areas of law and justice. But like my sisters, I believe in wholly devoting myself to a cause. There are many Yellows who do not work in the infirmary, and many Browns who do not spend much time in the Library. But if you meet any Yellow, you will notice that he or she will have an itching desire to solve problems. To fix what is broken. To heal, and not just with the One Power. And a Brown will have a thirst for knowledge. How they satisfy that thirst varies greatly."

As she finished her speech, a servant knocked on the door and entered with a tray of tea. Mirin thanked the servant, poured two cups, and offered one to the Ji'alantin. "Please help yourself to the sugar and cream," she said. "Do you have any questions so far?"

Danos took the offered teacup and stirred a little cream into the tea as he thought about all of the things Mirin Sedai had mentioned.

I guess I thought of the Ajahs as both more and less than they are, Danos thought to himself as he realized that he hadn't thought of the individual differences between Aes Sedai.

"I had never considered that. I suppose over the centuries the stories of the Ajahs has grown. I will have to endeavour to learn more of the individual Sisters even the time comes. That's great advice and I thank you for it Mirin Sedai. I had often thought that the Sisters from certain Ajahs would be in greater need of Warders than others. Now I know that isn't the case," said Danos as a smile passed over his face as he pictured an Accepted who had spoke of ter'angreal and walked the Gardens.

Schooling his face to stillness, Danos sipped his tea to regain his train of thought. "I am also curious, on what the rising students learn of us. How they are taught to see the Gaidin and those who aspire for the fancloak," Danos asked as he looked around the room, seeing if he could gain a sense of the Aes Sedai who oversaw the female students.

Mirin noticed Danos looking around the office. She spent most of her time here, and the area was suitably cluttered. Her desk was crowded with neat stacks of papers, and her bookshelves held a modest collection of books, mostly concerning topics of the history and law of various nations. One shelf differed from the rest, with writings on healing and psychology, including a well-read paperback titled A Handbook on Clinical and Experimental Psychology, edited by Arianne Seladrin Sedai.

A small table held the Novice Book open for display, with its latest entry - Avyra Moeryr - at the very bottom of the page. On the wall, a riding crop hung by a hook, though she rarely used it, preferring weaves of Air. She kept it there mostly as a reminder of her authority. In one corner, there was a gorgeously carved tea cabinet; in another corner, a screen hid whatever was behind it.

"Good question," said Mirin. She took a sip from her own cup. "Unfortunately, I admit that our education may be lacking in that regard. Many of my students are more interested in romantic prospects than in Warders - and there are a fair number who aren't interested at all. What they know is mostly from the history class, specifically the history of the Grey Tower. Our Gaidin and Gaidar have played a large role in the building of the Tower.

"So that, I suppose, is what most of our students know. I hope that they see Warders as their brothers and sisters of the Tower, and as an essential piece to the defense of the Tower in these tumultuous times."

She peered over her cup at him, and a sly smile touched her lips.

"In any case, a young man such as yourself must have caught the attention of some of our young women. I hope you don't mind if I suggest that perhaps the interest is returned? Do you have anyone in mind, thus far?"

Danos noticed the tea cabinet in the corner, and right away the details and exquisite quality of the piece made him itch to go run his hands over the wood. He had noticed of late that he often missed the feeling of creating, and as he thought of the gift he had given Kaia Sedai, a carved relief he wondered if he could find time for another project.

He realized that Mirin Sedai had been speaking, and felt a small flush on his cheeks as he hoped she hadn’t seen his attention wander.

When she spoke of the relative lack of classes or teaching beyond a historical perspective he was a little disappointed.
He felt little surprise when she stated that many of the young women seemed to ponder more of the romantic possibilities, as he knew many of them arrived at the Tower younger than he had. Even my cousin was more interested in giggling and twirling her hair than anything else at that age, thought Danos to himself.

Mirin Sedai peered over her cup at him, and an unseen sly smile touched her lips.

"In any case, a young man such as yourself must have caught the attention of some of our young women. I hope you don't mind if I suggest that perhaps the interest is returned? Do you have anyone in mind, thus far?" she asked, her voice a lovely tone as Danos relaxed a little in the meeting.

He coughed on his tea, dabbing his sleeve against his mouth to prevent the cooling tea from making a mess on the chair or rugs. Immediately his mind went to Elia Darrow, and their encounter in the Garden but he had no intention of mentioning that to the women in charge of her education.

Settling the tea down, and knowing that a nonchalant response would be impossible after reacting in surprise, he merely looked Mirin Sedai in the eye and replied, “There have been a couple of young women yes. In one case a brief kiss after spending the afternoon learning of her culture. She comes from an exotic land, and I had mentioned to her I was impressed by her spirit and the trials she had overcome,” he finished, hoping that a brief moment would not affect Seonin’s chores.

He paused as he considered the Seanchan woman, her quiet strength and supposed that she had indeed impressed him as a possible bondmate, “I haven’t spent enough time to know for sure about a bondmate however, Master Darrow was quite insistent that distracting relationships are not handled well,” Danos said after consideration, “I know any true choice will wait for me until I’ve proven myself for a fancloak.”

Mirin laughed. "Ravak Gaidin is quite correct," she said. "And life may lead you to circumstances in which you do not have much of a choice. If you knew for sure, then I would be doing my best to dissuade you from that unfortunate decision.

"Anyhow," she leaned forward to pour herself a new cup of tea, "let us speak a little more about the Ajahs. We have discussed the Blue, the Yellow, and the Brown." She counted on her fingers.

"That leaves us with the Green, Indigo, White, Grey, and Red. If you have a special interest in any of these Ajahs, please let me know. Well, let's start with the Green. As I said before, Ajahs are often defined by a pattern of thinking. Greens are the ones who stand ready to protect and defend the Tower. Some think they are frivolous and overly-concerned with the relations between men and women... but interestingly, I've had it explained to me that Greens merely seek to seize the day and enjoy life as it is, for the Last Battle may come any day.

"Indigos, like Browns, are seekers of knowledge. The difference is that Indigos seek new discoveries in exploring the One Power and its related uses and push the frontier of knowledge, while Browns concern themselves gathering knowledge from the past and present. The White Ajah approaches the world through the lens of truth and logical reason. The Grey Ajah favors harmony and consensus above all else. And finally, the Red Ajah aims to hunt down abusers of Power. There are not many in the Red Ajah, but in general I find them to be... vengeful."

She stopped there and took a sip of her tea. That had been large amount of information, and she did not expect Danos to fully understand the nuances of the Ajah in one conversation. The man would learn as he continued in his training at the Tower.

Danos sipped his tea and nodded politely when Mirin Sedia confirmed that she stood with Master Darrow's insistence on waiting. He wasn't surprised to find the women was curious about his thoughts on some of her charges, but he had a hard time getting a sense of her.

His time at the Grey Tower had shown him how provincial life was in Jornhill, and he found himself thinking of Avram and his notes. He'd be making notes of everything from the tea to the decor in here, Danos thought absently.

When Mirin Sedai mentioned the rest of the Ajahs he sat up straight and chided himself for not paying better attention.

The Green Ajah was fairly straightforward in its goals, but Danos did find it revealing that their live today for tomorrow may be your last attitude was pervasive enough to warrant comment.

The Indigo Ajah to him was one of the most difficult to imagine. He knew the Tower possessed objects of great power, everyone did truly. But the making of those and their care was so far outside a Warders skills that he was unable to imagine much. Sometimes I wonder if poking in old books isn't safer. When you worry about making things so hard, do you see the use the tool could be put too, Danos mused over his tea.

The White and Grey Ajah were little different then the talk he had heard around the common rooms then, and he was surprised to think of the Red Ajah as primarily vengeful.

"A question Mirin Sedai," Danos said as she paused in her explanation to sip her tea. "You said that the Red Ajah members often seem vengeful? Is that due to their pasts, or the demands of their callings? And would the Blue and Red Ajahs not be more aligned, both seem crusaders to me," Danos asked as he digested her information.

Only years of careful control prevented Mirin from choking and spluttering out her tea. Her expression was colder than usual as she looked back up at Danos. Light help her! To outsiders, it may seem as though the eight Ajahs stood together in unison - but for the brothers and sisters, the reality was very different. She reminded herself that Danos was just a child of the Tower and uneducated in Tower politics. Her duty was to maintain the illusion of unity for this young Ji'alantin.

"The Red and Blue are quite different," she said. "Blues seek after causes. Nothing is more important than our purpose. We are of the opinion that it is perfectly acceptable to allow an unjust ruler to stay in power as long as he keeps his people fed and the region stable. Corruption is everywhere, Danos. I say it is better to stay under the hand of a monster you know, rather than to toss the entire land to the winds of chance.

"Reds like to call themselves... hunters. Their purpose is to hunt and destroy those who abuse power. They fight for those who have suffered under abuse. I doubt they would stop and look at the larger picture of their actions. For example, one of the new sisters of the Red speaks of freeing all Seanchan damane. Certainly a noble goal. I cannot deny the appeal of the idea. But where would those poor women go? Who would care for them as they heal?

"Anyways, I digress. Vengeance is, perhaps, a demand of their calling. Despite the costs. And they deliver punishment - execution, really, given their abilities - themselves. Personally, I find that sort of work distasteful." Her lips twisted unpleasantly. "I prefer to let the courts of law deliver justice."

She frowned into her cup for a few moments, and then sighed. "It is difficult to give you an answer without my personal opinions coloring the facts. Please keep that in mind."