A Busy Day In The Tower
By Arealin T'iaren

I woke up in a bad mood. I couldn't remember why, then my memories slowly came back to me. I got into another fight with Soraya yesterday. Well, it's not my fault that she is so stuck-up and arrogant. That's right, she is the arrogant one, not me! But try telling that to the Mistress of the Novices. At least she could have sent me to baby-sit Sarenia, but no, it's another three weeks of pot scrubbing for me. I sighed and got out of bed, there was no time for feeling sorry for myself. It was going to be a busy day in the tower, as usual.

As I walked towards my classroom I met Corella, my best friend. She smiled at me, she is so pretty when she smiles, luckily she smiles often.

- Sara had another temper tantrum I have to clean up.

- Lucky.

And we hurried on; there was no time to chat.

The class started as usual, imagining a flower. I imagined a forget-me-not. I opened up to the light; I let it pass through me. And as the light passed it turned from invisible, to blue like my petals.

- Arealin, - came the voice of Beonin Sedai. I opened my eyes and looked up at her.

- You did it again, - she said.

- Did what? - I asked in amazement, but she wasn't listening.

- Go to the Violets' quarters, - she said after a moment of deep thinking, - find Carnelia Sedai, tell her what happened.

- Yes, Aes Sedai.

I was thinking as I walked towards the Violet's quarters; did I do something wrong, was something not right with my flower, and why send me to a Violet in the middle of the lesson. I went up the stairs and stopped, in front of me was a long hallway with lots of doors. This was the first time I was in the Violets' quarters. How was I supposed to find Carnelia Sedai? I certainly didn't want to check in every door. I was in luck. Carnelia Sedai was walking towards me. I curtsied and told her why I was send here.

- Changed the light to blue, you say? Show me.

I closed my eyes and imagined the flower again. Everything was the same as before. I opened my eyes. Carnelia Sedai was looking at me with interest.

- How interesting, a human Ter'angreal, - she muttered, - follow me.

She led me into the angreal storeroom. From one of the shelves she took a little tornado made of black stone, and handed it to me.

- It is a simple Ter'angreal, used to pick up objects. Useful if the object is too large for your abilities. Channel a little air through it, towards that chair.

I channeled air thought the tornado and the chair went up in the air. I held it there for some time, then I let go. And turned to Carnelia Sedai.

- What did you feel?

- When I channeled air into the Ter'angreal I felt it change my channeling to use it as a lifting force. Is that wrong.

- It is not wrong, child, it's just that no Aes Sedai can feel what does a Ter'angreal do to her weave.

- But there is a talent for that, right?

- No, you are the first to ever do that, - she looked at me, and smiled, - you should not be afraid of it, child, you should be proud.

I spend the next hour demonstrating my flower lesson to Carnelia Sedai. Finally she let me go.

- Come back tomorrow, right after your lesson. Take the third door to the left, I will be waiting.

- Yes, Carnelia Sedai, - I curtsied and hurried to my room. I desperately needed to calm down and think everything through. In half an hour I decided that Carnelia Sedai is right, I shouldn't be afraid of my ability, I should be proud. Of course if my "talent" really had something to do with Ter'angreal then the Violets would want to study me, when I wanted to be Green. I comforted myself with a thought that a Ter'angreal is useful to any Aes Sedai, so maybe my ability will be useful to the Greens also.

I left my room and soon was spotted by a Brown sister who took me to the library. The next three hours I spent running back and forth bringing books to the Brown sister, putting them back on the shelves and then bringing them back. Finally I was released. Walking from the library I met Corella and Leona. We went outside to watch the training of the warders. The fun lasted and hour, then we were spotted by Vaneda Sedai, who hated to see a novice doing nothing, and sent us to the kitchen. There we spent another hour peeling potatoes. The rest of the day I was running errands for what seemed every Aes Sedai in the Tower. For the day's grand finale I was reminded of my punishment, and sent to my rendezvous with dirty pots.

By the time I got to my room I could barely keep my eyes open. I really needed to rest. The Tower is a busy organization, and tomorrow would be another busy day, and then another. But, hey, who's complaining?