The Grey Tower

In a corner of the Channeling Yards, Taesh waited, his posture somewhere between patience and anxiousness. He had never attempted to do what he would on that day, and the Asha'man was having some difficulty getting his nerves under control. It was one thing for the Atha'an Miere to teach classes on Persuasion, that came as natural to him as swimming. It was a different thing altogether for him to teach a class on Plantweaving, a Talent he had not yet completely mastered himself.

The idea for the class though had come from on of the Browns, who had become exasperated with the Head Clerks bemoaning of the fact that there were no tomes on the Talent. The Aes Sedai had informed him that while studying the written words of others was good, so was real world application. Taesh had not understood what she meant, until he had received word that the Aes Sedai had spread word that the Atha'an Miere needed to teach others about the Talent. A convenient twist on the truth, as it was her opinion, therefor her own truth, that to progress in the Talent he needed to do jus that.

At first, Taesh had thought he might have dodged a storm, because he had not received word that anyone was actually interested in the class. As the Light would have it though, he dodged a storm only to run directly into a cliff, as it was the M'Hael himself who had sent word that he was interested in learning about the Talent.

So the Head Clerk found himself in a section off corner of the Channeling Yards, surrounded by bags of seeds and pots of soil. He took deep breaths as he waited for the M'Hael, a man he had viewed from a distance in the Hall, but had no true interaction with. He had not been M'Hael when Taesh was Raised, but his bondmate was. Zarius also was of the Green before he became Father of the Tower, and the Green Ajah was the one Ajah Taesh found he understood the least. Standing amidst the tools of his class and Talent, Taesh summoned the Flame and the Void in his mind's eye to calm himself as he waited for his student, and Leader."

Long, thick fingers ran through wavy brown curls, Zeen pulling in a deep breath before he exited his private rooms. He met Murdock’s gaze and nodded briefly, the lanky man answering in kind. Nothing further was exchanged, and the Amadician was happy to return to ignoring and to being ignored. His Keeper of Archives was competent, even if there was something odd about the Brown that the former Green could not quite put his finger on.

He made his way through the Tower, smiling faintly at the curtsies and bows, acknowledging each required obeisance with a slight nod of his head. In truth, his thoughts were occupied with other things. Zeen had heard of the Head Clerk’s discovery of using the Power to aid in the growth of plants and other green growing things; Plantweaving. Such a straightforward and precise name.

He had been surprised when news that the Gray was offering a class reached him. And yet, he could hardly turn down the opportunity. He wanted to see if the Talent was something he could learn as well. He could wreck incredible destruction with his strength in Earth; it was a worthwhile endeavour to perhaps see if he could bring about some small bit of life with it as well.

The way the Talent had been described reminded him, oddly enough, of the weeks he had spent with Vamar, Seryn, and Janden. Ogier stonesingers and stoneshapers, gentle kind giants that had helped teach and guide him when he had volunteered for the monumental task of rebuilding Hama Valon from the ashes after the Seanchan siege. Little stone brother, they had called him. His smile widened. The haunting beauty of their song was no more than a memory, and yet it still had the ability to steal his breath away. Perhaps it was past time he paid a visit to them and their Stedding.

He shook his head slightly as he arrived at the Channeling Yards, tucking his thoughts away for later. Silver-grey eyes glanced around in amusement. It had been a while since he had stepped inside the barrier of protective wards. Zeen made his way to Taesh and bowed a little towards the other man, a genuine smile coming to the Amadician’s face.

“Thank you, Head Clerk, for taking the time to show me this Talent. I know that your duties and responsibilities keep you busy. I am curious to see how well my strength with Earthsinging translates over to Plantweaving, if at all.”

The first thing that Taesh noticed about the M'Hael was how tall he was. The Greys did not sit particularly close to the Father and Mother of the Tower, and so Taesh had never been so close to Zarius. The difference in height between the Atha'an Miere and the Amadacian was immediately noticeable. Once Taesh got over the height, he next noticed the scars, which immediately reminded the Head Clerk of what Ajah that the M'Heal had been Raised from.

The Grey gave a proper bow to the M'Hael and returned the genuine smile in kind.

"It is no trouble at all M'Hael" Taesh replied "I actually believe that teaching others will help me overall. My father always said he didn't become the best Cargomaster of Rossaine until he started teaching others the art of the bargain. I cannot say that I have much knowledge of Earthsinger though, but perhaps the Talents are related."

Taesh didn't dwell too long on Earthsinger. As a Soldier and Dedicated he had sometimes been ridiculed, because his proficiency in the Powers were Air and then Water, considered to be female Powers. Earthsinging required mastery with Earth, something Taesh did not have. Still, Plantweaving required all five of the Powers, and he could come up with many reasons why the two Talents could be very similar.

Making a motion for the M'hael to follow him, Taesh made his way into the circle of seed and soil that he would use for the lesson.

"I apologize in advance if the lesson sounds patronizing. I expected Soldiers and Novices when I came up with everything, not the Father himself" the Head Clerk said with a laugh as he prepared to begin teaching.

The Amadician found himself relaxing at Taesh’s cordial, unassuming nature. He followed the Atha’an Miere, curious as to what and how this new Talent would be taught to him. This was the first time the former Green had encountered the Gray outside of the Hall and could admit to taking an immediate liking to the man.

“Teaching others with willingness and patience is noble. It is something that I am not particularly good at.” That was said with a little rueful shrug of broad shoulders.

His brows lifted at the sight of soil, Zeen grinning at the explanation and the other man’s laugh. “I take no offense. As much as it pains me to admit, for all intents and purposes, I have about as much knowledge of Plantweaving as the next Novice or Soldier. Which is to say, none.” He paused. “And there is no need to call me ‘Father’. We are not in the Hall, nor being watched by the Hall. My name will suffice.”

Silver-grey eyes studied the different seeds curiously, Zeen leaning in a little closer. “There is another reason I sent word of my interest in this Talent.” His eyes caught against near black as he glanced over, the earlier warmth and humour fading from the scarred face until all that remained was a faint smile.

“It is evident from my Ajah choice and from my elemental strengths that I am well versed in the art of destruction. It is useful, and I do admit to a certain vicious enjoyment when the battle is joined. But I have found that it is also... very tiring at times. Wearying. I suppose... I need to know if I can also help nurture life, instead of merely taking it.” He bowed a little towards Taesh again. “I am ready to find out. What must I do?”

Taesh was taken aback a bit by the answers of the M'Hael. From the very limited interactions that the Atha'an Miere had with Greens, he thought there were all primed for battle at any moment. To hear Zeen say that he wanted to discover if he could nurture life as well was very interesting. Slowly the Head Clerk's opinion of the Battle Ajah was changing. Perhaps all Greens were not like Valadin Asha'man, swords that were over eager to be drawn. Taking a deep breath Taesh switch to his rarely used lecturing tone as he began the lesson.
Lesson One: The Powers Combined Taesh looked around at the seeds and soil, and then to his student with a smile.

"When I first discovered Plantweaving, many years ago in the Garden, I had no idea what I was actually doing. If I did I might not have done it, and not had to suffer the penance for it. What was truly fascinating to me though was the how of the Talent. Before that day you could not have convinced me that Fire would be used in a Talent for controlling plants. It didn't make sense, but as sure as the tide will turn, Fire has it's place in this Talent."

Taesh indicated some of the seeds arrayed before him, then picked up a few in his hands, examining them as he continued to speak. "Think about it, other than a few special kinds of trees and grasses, when do you actually see flowers bloom and such. In the Spring and Summer, when days are longer and warmer. You already know that green and growing things need Water and Earth. Air has it's role to play and so does Spirit. No living thing thrives without Air and Spirit, and the grass you stand on is alive, if in a different way that you are used to."

The Atha'an Miere Grey Asha'man dropped the seeds in his hand and then stepped back to point at a pile of dark oblong shaped seeds.

"So we will begin your first lesson into Plantweaving with properly combining the Powers to supply what these seeds need to grow. This should be rather simple, these seeds are nothing more than the grass that is all around us right now. Watch carefully, and when you feel you have it, attempt to recreate what I do."

Opening himself to saidin and applying his will, Taesh wove the five Power into a fine net. Water and Earth dominated the net, in almost equal measure with Water just edging out Earth. Then the silvery white of Spirit about half as much as the other two Powers. In even smaller measure was Air, the yellow thread barely visible over powered by blue and green. Finally in smallest measure was the red of Fire, and thin thread of the Power crossing through the weave. The net settled on some of the seeds and seemed to be absorbed into them. Quickly those grass seeds burst open, bright green new shoots of grow reaching up as thin roots attempted to penetrate the ground.

The way Taesh explained how the Talent worked made a certain kind of sense. That the majority of plants needed Water and Earth to grow went without saying. Air too. Green, fragrant, and blooming things needed Air, just as humans and animals did. Spirit... Zeen could accept that as well, based on the Gray’s reasoning. He had never been particularly well-versed in that element, and yet it could be worked seamlessly into any number of weaves that he knew, strengthening or subtly changing the effect and the shape of the flows.

It pleased him that he would be able to use Fire as well.

The Amadician tensed reflexively as he sensed saidin coming from the other man, his pulse quickening for a fraction of a second. The M’Hael forced himself to relax, his attention going to the forming flows he could just begin to see and not to Taesh himself. The Head Clerk meant no harm; there was no threat here; the dark skinned man had been gracious enough to agree to teach him.

Zeen watched as instructed, almost as if mesmerized, as the Gray demonstrated. A fine net, delicate and intricate, comprised of all five elements. Water and Earth made up the bulk of the flows. Spirit came next, a bar of flashing of silver against the blue and green. Then Air. Zeen could just make it out, like the faint glisten of weak sunlight. The barest hint of red crossed beneath, then over, threading through the weave. His eyes followed the line of crimson. Fire, he knew; no matter how much was woven, or how little as this case was, he could pick out the strongest of his elements in practically any capacity.

The net touched upon several of the seeds and melted into them. He tilted his head to the side ever-so-slightly, a smile coming to his face as the seeds twitched and then burst open, small spears of new grass unfurling as the tiny tendrils of roots creeped out. And then it was his turn. He glanced down at the handful of seeds nearest to him.

He seized, studying the lingering residue of the weave. Earth came easily, brilliant, vibrant... the green opalescence through which he could view the ground beneath reminding him of the way much of Hama Valon had looked right after the Seanchan siege. His hold on Water was tenuous at best; it was his weakest element and it kept wriggling and fighting his every attempt to bring it to heel. As the minutes passed, he became more and more aware of Taesh’s dark eyes on him and his lack of progress. Frustration and impatience rippled outside the Void.

“Why must you be so stubborn, little stone brother?”

“Always in such a hurry.”

“You cannot force the stone to your will, as a hammer to a nail. You must guide it instead, shape it, speak to it, as a friend.”

Zeen released the weaves and closed his eyes for a moment, pulling in a slow, steadying breath. How could one speak to stone? The Ogier could. How could one speak to plants? Taesh could, after a fashion. Perhaps Zeen himself could too, in a different fashion. He did not allow himself to think further, the Void keeping whatever feelings of embarrassment and self-consciousness at bay. He wet his lips. It began as the barest hint of sound in the back of his throat, displaced air vibrating and shifting as silver-grey eyes opened again. Earth looped together with Water, the first notes of a wordless tune floating up around the former Green. He used the verdant strands as guideposts, leads, for the slippery blue, and though the weave was not as precise and as neat as Taesh’s, soon the brown-haired man had a net of roughly the same proportions.

He was humming in earnest now, loud enough that he could actually hear himself. The Asha’man did not remember the words that Vamar and the others had used, and probably would butcher the pronunciations even if he did, but he would never forget the melody of their songs. Spirit came again, a bar of flashing silver that took up half as much space as Earth and Water. Air next, winding through the net. And then finally the barest hint of fire, a single line that spanned from top to bottom. Or from side to side, depending on how one wanted to view things.

The M’Hael sang, quietly, just on the very edges of being audible, laying the net of all five Powers onto the seeds, melting into them. The wordless song died as Zeen waited for something to happen. A breath. Two. And then he was looking up at Taesh, a grin of utter delight transforming his face as the seeds began to bloom.

Taesh watched in earnest. This was the first time that he was actually seeing someone else try the Talent that he felt the most comfortable with using. His prowess with Travelling was mediocre at best, and his refusal to Skim limited the ability. There was no information on Scrying that he could find, and the development of the Talent was slow-going at best. The Atha'an Miere had begun to learn what he could of Cloud Dancing, it only seemed right that he should have some knowledge of the Talent that he considered to be apart of his heritage. It was Plantweaving though, that Taesh most enjoyed, knew the most about. To see someone else beginning to learn the Talent excited the Atha'an Miere. That it was the M'Hael himself added no small measure of enthusiasm as well.

The Head Clerk kept his eyes on the weaving, becoming slightly disappointed when he saw Zarius end the weaving. Taesh thought that perhaps the Amadician was giving up, and was going to give some words of encouragement but stopped when Zeen began to weave once again. The Grey did not know what internal conversation his student had given himself, but it seemed this second attempt was going much better than the first. A smile bloomed across the Seafolk channeler's face as the net of the five Powers came together. Just on the edge of his hearing Taesh heard something. It almost sounded like humming, but the Atha'an Miere had no idea where it could be coming from, and it was faint.

His attention shifted back to the lesson, as the seeds that the M'hael had been focusing on shivered and then burst into growth. The grin of triumph that spread across Zeen's face took Taesh by surprise for a brief moment. Taesh had heard of many of the residents of the Tower harboring feelings for the M'Hael and that smile helped him to understand why. Still, he was almost as excited as the neophyte Plantweaver with his successful first attempt, and he made it known.

"Great! That's only the beginning Zarius, but without that weave, well there really isn't much you can do. Like having a perfectly good ship with no sails, you're going no where fast" he said. "If you are ready, I will move on to the next part of the lesson."

Taesh did not want to rush the process, but he was excited now and ready to pass on what knowledge and ability that he could.

He did not exactly flush at the praise; it was not necessary, but Zeen acknowledged it with a bow of his head, a faint hint of red moving across his cheekbones and jaw.

“Thank you.” He looked at the grass seeds that had bloomed for him... that he had made bloom, and could not help the way his smile widened.

It is only the beginning, the Amadician reminded himself, but that did nothing to quell the rush of ensuing satisfaction. Such a small thing, to feel such inordinate joy over. There was a small curious... pang, the Earthsinger wishing abruptly that the three gentle Ogier were still here at the Tower so that they could see for themselves what he had just done. It was not much, true, but it was also... everything. Proof, right there in front of him, right there in front of the Head Clerk as well, that the former Green could do more than simply destroy.

Zeen squared his shoulders, the silver in his eyes markedly more pronounced than usual. He held himself still even though he wanted nothing more than to throw back his head and laugh. “I understand your meaning, Taesh. I am eager to learn. Please, continue on with the next part of the lesson when you are ready to do so.”

Nodding, Taesh continued with his lecture and lesson into Plantweaving.

"Now that you know the weave that is the foundation of this Talent, we will move into what I consider to be the most difficult aspect of the Talent. I know that normally you would have to display some mastery of the basics before moving on to more difficult lessons, but not so here. Without properly learning this next lesson, you will be all but inept at Plantweaving."

The Atha'an Miere channeler focused his attention on a different group of seeds. He needed a plant a little more complex than grass to help give visual guide to the lecture, so he choose simple sunflowers.

"When you properly create the weave and lay it on whatever plant you are working with, for the most part the plant knows what to do. Supply the Powers, and the plant will grow. Getting it to do what the channeler wants it to do though requires a bit more. First and foremost, you must be able to focus on all parts of the plant. Watch."

Taesh deflty wove and placed the weave on the sunflower seeds. As before the weave seemed to be absorbed into the seeds, and they began to sprout. After a few seconds, the unfurling shoots began to slow down. "You see, eventually the sprouts will slow down, so we supply more, by using Spirit we direct the other Powers to control the growth of the flowers."

Again the Head Clerk wove, but this time a thread of Spirit remained to connect him to the Power grown sunflowers. With that connection he willed the plants to continue to grow, the seedlings growing to about waste high, the bright petals of the flower beginning to unfurl.

"Here is the difficulty however. Plants, like us, are made of up different parts. The main three being the roots, stems and leaves or flowers. To properly grow, all must be in sync, and so you as the channeler must make sure you are taking into account all of the plant. Focus too much on the roots, and you will have a sturdy base but a weak stem."

To display this Taesh focused on one of the flowers, strengthening the roots but nothing else. Quickly the stem of the flower began to weaken, until the flower itself became to heavy for the weak verdant column, and the plant leaned heavily until the stem snapped.

"Place too much power into the stem, and the roots can't keep up. Thin shallow roots and large sturdy stems do not work well together."

Again Taesh displayed the consequence, this time the entire plant tilted, but instead of snapping the base of the plant began to lift. The shallow roots were not able to anchor the sunflower, and the entire thing fell to the side like a toppled tower, roots exposed to the air.

"Finally, too much given to the flower or leaves saps the rest of the plant. With no strong stem to hold them, or roots to anchor and supply them, they will fall off, leaving you with a bare plant that won't be long in wilting itself."

This time, the flower of the plant that Taesh focused on grew, the petals at first bright and vibrant as it grew in size. Until it simply fell off a stem that was not much thicker than a man's smallest finger; no where near large enough to support such a large flower.

"Of course, the One Power can supplant almost anything, but it can be quite draining to do things out of order. I can think of times when perhaps weak roots or such might be needed, perhaps for some trickery or such, but mostly you will want to focus on all three parts together. As you will now. These flowers can grow to be quite tall and large. You will attempt now to do just that, grow me a flower as tall as I am. One that will not wilt away the moment you cease to weave. The only way to do that is to focus on all of the parts of the plant together, keeping them proportioned to each other as you control the growth."