Embrace & Seize: For New Novices!

A knock at the classroom door brought Candance to her feet, her grey skirts falling neatly to the ground, no wrinkles evident. Slowly she crossed the room, carefully checking that all of her greying hair was pulled back into the bun at the back of her head before she opened the door, finding a black clad man awaiting her on the other side.

“Candance Sedai,” he said respectfully, knuckling a fist to his heart.

“Thank you for joining me, Asha’man Roran,” she said formally, pulling open the door to allow him to enter.

“It is my pleasure. I find that I am quite enjoying life in the White Tower, if I am honest. It is drastically different to the Black Tower.”

Candance knew that to be true, having visited the farm once with Melina Sedai, before she was raised to Amyrlin Seat.

“The novices will be here soon, I told them to be here by morning bell, which is only a minute or two away.”

Candance was proved true when, within a few moments, the first novices began to arrive to the lesson. The girls dropped into a curtsey, the boys a bow, directed first at Candace and then at Asha’man Roran. She knew that the novices would be on their best behaviour, for a lesson taught by the Mistress of Novices.

“Welcome,” she began, once they were all present and seated on the cushions she had scattered on the floor of the classroom, “to you first lesson involving the One Power.”

“You all know who I am,” Candance said smoothly, a small smile playing at her lips, “and I know who all of you are.” She wondered how many of them were afraid of her; already there were a few she had had in her office for a penance, even though their time in the White Tower was relatively short. “But introductions are still in order. This–” she gestured towards the Asha’man who stood silently behind her, his face impassive “–is Asha’man Roran. He will be teaching the males of the class. When the class breaks up and he begins to guide you, I would have you introduce yourselves to him.”

Candance did not feel that she needed to add that the novices would treat his word as if he were Aes Sedai – even after a short term in the White Tower, her novices knew how they were to treat Accepted, Aes Sedai and Asha’man.

“You are here to begin to learn how to wield the One Power; one of the most important lessons you will learn is that there are differences between males and females. Females embrace saidar, while I’ve been told the methodology that males use is akin to seizing hold of saidin. A man cannot teach a woman anymore than a woman cannot teach a man, it would be like a fish teaching a bird to swim, or vice versa. For that reason, in all channelling classes you attend there will always be both a male and a female teacher. Tell me child,” she said, directing her question at one of the novices, “how much do you know of the One Power?”

“I…I know some, Candance Sedai.”

“Some is not enough, but this is easily remedied. The True Source is the force that was made by the Creator to turn the Wheel of Time; it is, effectively, the driving force of creation, ensuring that time continues to progress throughout the Ages. It is from the True Source that women and men are able to draw on the One Power.

“The One Power is what provides the force that the True Power needs in order to push the Wheel of Time; broken up into saidar and saidin, which work with each other, but at the same time they work against each other, pulling and pushing at each other, to turn the Wheel. Not everyone has the ability that we have, only a few can learn the touch the True Source and use the One Power.

“There are those, quite rare, who are born with the Spark – an innate gift that will mean that they will eventually touch the One Power, even if they are never taught by another. Most who can touch the One Power, however, need to be taught to do so; if they are not taught then would never naturally touch on the One Power. Those that I mentioned before, born with the Spark, may never realise what they are doing. It may be some odd occurrences that happen – doors slamming themselves in a temper, a baby healed from a fever – but most of the time if they are not taught control over their ability they will die. Some will survive, developing their own rudimentary control over the One Power applied to their daily life, perhaps as a Healer, possessing an amazing skill to cure even from the worst disease.

“Before you can do anything with the One Power, to guide it to a purpose such as lighting a candle, you must learn to first tap into the One Power. It is very important that you learn to do this well, so that you can draw on the One Power regardless of the situation you find yourself in, such as periods of stress or fear. It is for this purpose that we are here today and will continue to meet most days over the continuing week. We could jump through it all quickly, but that would not develop the skill and control you need to have to be successful in the White Tower.

“I have given you only a very brief background, but more knowledge will come to you at the right time as you delve into your gift. That said, however, does anyone have any questions of what I have described to you before we begin? I have a question for you all, too. I know some of this, but I would like to know if you have touched saidar or saidin before. If not, then do not fret, your time will come soon enough.”

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OOC: Welcome, novices, to an embracing/seizing lesson! =) Post at least 400 words for an introduction post, and have your novice ask a question if you want them to, or at least answer Candance’s question! Part 1 will be up on the 8^th!