This story was written by Novice Elyss, for her mother.
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“What’s taking them so long?”
“They have to have time to vote,” Elyss Koh’inor said without looking up from her book, stroking the cat curled up on her lap as sun from the window fell on her rampant brown curls.
Ashara Koh’inor tugged a strand of her black hair. “I don’t see why.”
Elyss smiled to herself. Patience was not one of her mother’s virtues. It was a nerve-wracking process though. The mother and daughter had come to Tar Valon hoping to be accepted as novices and had been waiting for nearly two weeks in one of the city’s inns for an answer to their applications.
“I have half a mind to send them a message, asking when they’ll tell us.”
“I’m not sure that will improve our chances.” Elyss said. Her mother was completely confident that both of them would be called to the Tower. Elyss knew it shouldn’t be too hard. Her mother had known she was a Wilder for some time, though she had kept it hidden. When an Aes Sedai had visited their town, she had felt Ashara’s ability, and to everyone’s surprise, had felt it in Elyss as well. Elyss had fallen strangely ill a few weeks before, after seeing her younger brother fall out of a tree. Everyone had said it was a miracle he hadn’t broken his neck. Theolyn Sedai had said they were both powerful enough to be called to the Tower, but that didn’t stop Elyss from worrying. What if they were both turned away? Or worse, what if one was called without the other?
“Stop worrying.” Ashara bent over her daughter and gave her a squeeze. “You know I hate it when you worry.”
Elyss gave her mother a squeeze in return. The cat meowed as she got in the middle of the hug.
“I wish they would let me go in as an Accepted.”
“Mother!” Elyss’s eyes went wide with shock.
“What? I could pass the test--I know I could.”
“That’s just not how it’s done.”
“Hmph.” Ashara folded her arms. Elyss smothered another grin, going back to her book.
There was a knock on the door.
The mother and daughter both froze. Elyss dumped the cat onto the floor as she sprung to her feet. What if it was the messenger? What if they had heard Ashara’s Accepted comment?
Ashara opened the door.
There was a messenger, smiling brightly as she came into the room. Her coat had the Flame of Tar Valon on the shoulder.
“Ashara and Elyss Koh’inor?”
Elyss saw her mother nod. She supposed she did too, because the messenger continued.
“Ladies, it is with great honor that I announce your acceptance into the White Tower.”
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Congratulations, you two lovelies. May many, many further adventures await you. <3
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“What’s taking them so long?”
“They have to have time to vote,” Elyss Koh’inor said without looking up from her book, stroking the cat curled up on her lap as sun from the window fell on her rampant brown curls.
Ashara Koh’inor tugged a strand of her black hair. “I don’t see why.”
Elyss smiled to herself. Patience was not one of her mother’s virtues. It was a nerve-wracking process though. The mother and daughter had come to Tar Valon hoping to be accepted as novices and had been waiting for nearly two weeks in one of the city’s inns for an answer to their applications.
“I have half a mind to send them a message, asking when they’ll tell us.”
“I’m not sure that will improve our chances.” Elyss said. Her mother was completely confident that both of them would be called to the Tower. Elyss knew it shouldn’t be too hard. Her mother had known she was a Wilder for some time, though she had kept it hidden. When an Aes Sedai had visited their town, she had felt Ashara’s ability, and to everyone’s surprise, had felt it in Elyss as well. Elyss had fallen strangely ill a few weeks before, after seeing her younger brother fall out of a tree. Everyone had said it was a miracle he hadn’t broken his neck. Theolyn Sedai had said they were both powerful enough to be called to the Tower, but that didn’t stop Elyss from worrying. What if they were both turned away? Or worse, what if one was called without the other?
“Stop worrying.” Ashara bent over her daughter and gave her a squeeze. “You know I hate it when you worry.”
Elyss gave her mother a squeeze in return. The cat meowed as she got in the middle of the hug.
“I wish they would let me go in as an Accepted.”
“Mother!” Elyss’s eyes went wide with shock.
“What? I could pass the test--I know I could.”
“That’s just not how it’s done.”
“Hmph.” Ashara folded her arms. Elyss smothered another grin, going back to her book.
There was a knock on the door.
The mother and daughter both froze. Elyss dumped the cat onto the floor as she sprung to her feet. What if it was the messenger? What if they had heard Ashara’s Accepted comment?
Ashara opened the door.
There was a messenger, smiling brightly as she came into the room. Her coat had the Flame of Tar Valon on the shoulder.
“Ashara and Elyss Koh’inor?”
Elyss saw her mother nod. She supposed she did too, because the messenger continued.
“Ladies, it is with great honor that I announce your acceptance into the White Tower.”
------
Congratulations, you two lovelies. May many, many further adventures await you. <3