Setting: Courtyard: White Tower, Tar Valon
Before you stands a magnificent palace made of delicately sculpted marble, rather than blocks. Gently arching walls and bulging domes rise high into the sky, seemingly just barely touching the clouds with its delicately crafted spires, topping off the breathtaking sight before you. Looking about, one can see a small garden off to the side, with a small winding path down it's center that leads into a maze of bushes where one might get lost if not too careful. All around one can see bare trees and shrubs, as if the winter cold has taken the life from the plants. Snow softly blankets the ground and the benches in the yard, however there is a cleared path so that one may walk about the grounds. The sky seems to brighten as the sun rises from the horizon beyond, bringing the start of a new day. All around you can see residents of the White Tower milling about as Novices and Accepted start to their early morning chores. A broad stairway, made of pristine white marble, enters into the White Tower, marked by a massive pair of doors decorated with delicate carvings of intricate workmanship. A tall, white wall cascades around the yard, its entrances and exits marked by high gates leading to the street, watched by the Tower Guard. Somewhere in the courtyard you can see buildings for the barracks and the stables. You can also see an entrance to the practice yard, marked of by a row of high hedges.

Players:
Analee - Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah
Caraline - Longest Blocked Channeler
Kale - Gaidin, Bonded to Analee
Aedigar - Warder trainee
Terl - Musician
Sionil - Novice of the White Tower

Caraline nods. "Yes, that is what most believe it to be."

Analee nods thoughtfully. "You cannot control your fear? As in, you panic?"

Caraline nods again. "Yes, that's usually what happens."

Analee smiles, nodding. "What I want you to do is not panic. As soon as you start your fear, I want you to breathe deeply and concentrate on not panicking. I want you to fixate on an object and concentrate on that rather than your fear."

Caraline frowns and takes a deep breath. "I'll...I'll try. I don't see how you can fear yet not panic...but I'll try..."

Analee nods. "you can fear and not panic. You must think about what you have to do. I do not want you to think about channeling either. We must do this first. And I want you to listen to me the whole time."

Caraline nods slowly, and closes her eyes briefly, attempting to calm herself. "What must I think about doing?"

Analee asks softly, "What comforts you the most?"

Caraline shrugs, never being the decisive one. She bites her lip, contemplating the question. "I guess just being in my room, without any chores. Talking to fellow novices while sipping on Apple-Blossom tea." She smiles, trying to imagine it.

"imagine drinking tea. Think of the taste, the smell, the color," she says softly. Analee reaches up with the little box she took from the practice room and opens it, shaking it's contents onto Caraline's shoulder. A little spider runs across her shoulder towards her face. "Don't panic. You're okay. Catch the spider and put him back in the box. If you do this, I'll get you some tea."

[Channeling] Analee embraces.

Caraline's eyes seize on the spider immediately. Almost instantaneously, she begins breathing quicker, faster. She tries to ignore it's presence, nothing can help her feeling it crawl slowly up her shoulder - it's tiny, hairy little legs and it's tiny little jaws. She shudders and shakes her head. Pleading, she asks, "Please! I..." She turns to look as it approaches closer. "Oh...I...I can't...I don't want any tea...get it off me!"

Analee speaks softly. "Aw, but he's just a little guy. Pick him up and put him in th ebox. Just don't panic." She holds out the box where you can easily see it. "Stay calm."

Kale walks down the steps into the Courtyard, after pushing through the main doors of the Tower.

Caraline looks up with panicked eyes. "I can't stay calm! How can you ask me to stay calm!" It looks almost as if she'd be hopping up and down if there wasn't any danger of that causing the spider to come nearer...or do something worse like shoot one of it's sticky, silvery threads at her. "GET IT OFF ME!" She looks at Analee who seems to just stand there with her box. What's her obsession with the box? Clawing at her shoulder, she tries to forcefully fling it off of her as quick as possible - hopefully it won't stick to her finger.

"STAY CALM," orders Analee. "He's harmless and won't bite you. Stay calm. You can go drink tea in a moment. But first you have to catch that spider and put him in this box." In her intensity, she almost ignores Kale.

Caraline is actually jumping up and down now, trying to get it off. "How can I?! I DON'T WANT TO DRINK TEA!! I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR BOX!!" She vigorously claws at it, pushing it from her shoulder and on to the ground where she looks at it with disgust. After spitting on it in a mix of fury and fright, she squishes it with her shoe, grinding its body parts into a fine mush.

Analee frowns at the destruction of the spider. "Calm down, Novice. He was harmless. He wouldn't have bitten you. THough I rather wish you hadn't squished him He didn't do anything to you." She looks over at Kale "Hello Gaidin." SHe looks back to Caraline, fiddling with the box some more. "I told you not to panic."

Caraline turns for a moment, finally realizing Kale's presence. She blinks and blushes slightly wondering how long he had been watching this little performance. She curtsies to him deeply, not forgetting his new place in the Tower now, things are different now. Turning back to Analee Sedai, she explains her panic, "I...I apologize Analee Sedai, it...I..I can't...it's hard for me to not panic with those..._things_." The last word she bites off with a heavy emphasis and clear disgust for the creatures. Shivering merely at the thought, she quickly moves away from the now-smushed corpse of the late spider as if it could resurrect at any time to haunt her again.

Analee nods. "I know. That's why I have several of these little guys. And we're going to keep doing this until you have enough calm to return to me a live spider. They're all harmless. None of them bite." She reaches into the box and a small spider walks along her hand. Calmly, almost cruelly, she brushes the little guy onto Caraline's sleeve. "Now don't panic."

Caraline's brow creases into a frown. "But why? Why do you want a live spider? I certainly don't...what are you doing? No...no..._please_...don't!" She looks at her sleeve as if it was diseased and the spider a deadly, venemous snake or perhaps worse, a Trolloc even. If she could, she'd cut her arm off in an instant. .oO (Oh, how I wish I hadn't followed orders and visited Accepted Mellina today...if only I didn't have this accursed shield on me! At least, I might have set fire to that infernal box of Analee Sedai's!) "I really don't want to do this repeatedly, Analee Sedai. Please, can we not just stop?!"

Analee nods. "We can stop if you hand me that spider back alive. I rather like spriders, see, and would appreciate you not killing these. Just do not panic and return the spider to me." She holds out her hand.

Caraline rolls her eyes. .oO (Light, she's one of those rhyming poets too!) Returning her attention back to the...well, you-know-what, she contemplates ripping it off her. "I don't think I can...I see these and they just...I don't know why, I just know that I really, really don't like them. Even if I could return them to you, I probably would kill them anyway. What do you want to accomplish anyway? I don't see how this stupid exercise helps! Spiders and boxes, spiders and boxes. WHO CARES?!"

Analee watches Caralin watch the spider. "Just reach up with your other hand and lift him off of you and give him to me. Learn to control your fear by not panicking."

Caraline shakes her head. "I won't...I can't! I can't...I don't know how to control this type of fear! It's too...it's just too much!" She glances at the tiny object crawling about, looking for whatever it wants from her - most likely sucking the life out of her. Taking a deep breath, she sets herself up to at least trying what the Aes Sedai asks. .oO (Maybe this'll finally get her to stop this routine. Just imagine how many of the horried things she must have in there!) Narrowing her eyes, her hand reaches for the 'thing' trying to pick it up by anything. She shudders as it wriggles under her fingers and releases immediately. "HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO PICK UP THIS AWFUL DARK-SPAWNED CREATURE?!" Brushing her arm with a violent, fierce woosh she sends the spider flying into some corner of the courtyard. If she could find it, she'd kill it just like the one before.

Analee looks almost amused at Caraline's outburst. "You know, really, thses are harmless little critters." To demonstrate, she allows one to walk across her hand. "And fear can be controled with concentration. You have to think about what you must do to eradicate the fear. Now, hold out your hand."

Kale looks around curiously, looking toward Analee and Caraline.

Caraline shakes her head in absolute refusal. "N..no...I..I can't..." She quickly moves both behind her back, clasping her hands tightly behind her. "Th...they may be 'harmless, little critters' to you bu...but I see them differently. Can't we just have a difference of opinion and leave it at that? This is becoming rather tedious, you know, making me not afraid of spiders...I don't see how this helps me with my block..."

Analee orders, "Hold out your hand immediately, Novice. If you can learn to control panicking, I'll have something to work with to break your block. But I can't have you going crazy with the Power. So hold out your hand NOW." She does not sound like she means to be trifled with.

Kale moves toward Analee and Caraline, wondering what it is that they are doing.

Caraline frowns deeply. She eyes the ground-up spider on the ground by the grass for a moment before returning her attention to Analee Sedai. .oO (Why do they always have to resort to threats of punishment? Or at least insinuated ones?) She sighs and holds out one hand timidly. "Isn't there any other way of going about this? Perhaps you're looking at it from the wrong direction. Maybe we shouldn't be using spiders, maybe...maybe it might be something else. Most others haven't been able to get this to work, maybe this isn't right?" She'd do anything to get out of the situation.

Kale steps back, "Spiders?"

Kale flushes and looks around.

Analee brushes the spider onto Caraline's hand gently and pulls her hand back. "Now don't panic, and give him back to me." She holds out her other hand, but does not move to take the spider. "Just don't panic." She glances at Kale for a moment. "I am trying to teach Caraline not to panic wildly so that I might break her block," she explains.

Kale stares at the spider and steps back again. "Good luck...I'm gonna...stand over...here." Kale steps off a few paces.

Caraline makes a face, she looks as though she's going to start crying at any moment. She shakes her hand up and down over Analee's. She urges Analee Sedai, "Here, take it!" Almost as if on cue, the spider tumbles from Cara's hand to fall...wait, what's that? Oh ICK! The little thing has stuck one of it's threads to cling on to the poor novice. It writhes and twists while quickly climbing back up to her hand. "EEW!" She shrieks, "GET. IT. OFF. NOW!" .oO (Oh, right, it's Analee Sedai. Like she'd do anything to help.) Brushing the spider away with her hand it flies off to stick to Analee's blue shawl. Cara blinks before giving a half-sickened smile of triumph. That is, before she realizes that the spider is dead and half of its body is crushed between her fingers still twisting with its final moments of life. Wild screaming can be heard from the courtyard. Even those mourning in Cairhien wonder what could cause such a noise.

Kale says "She handled that well." Kale smiles slightly, not to comfortable around them himself."

Analee looks blandly at the spider guts on her shawl and calmly hands Caraline a handkerchief. "Here you are. Clean him up. You're doing better. THink you could do it without the shield?" She smiles slightly, looking both stubborn and amused.

Aedigar enters the Courtyard of the White Tower through the Osendrelle Gates, watched by the hawkeyes of the Tower Guard.

Aedigar bows respectfully to all those he must as he makes his way towards the barracks.

Caraline ferociously rips the handkerchief from Analee's hand, literally. It tears in two. Does the novice notice? No, she's busy wiping her hands, cleansing them from the poison she was just exposed to. Looking up she asks Analee Sedai incredulously, "I'm doing better? You call that doing better?! As for the shield, sure go ahead, take it off." She spares Kale a stern glance as a warning for him to refrain from the 'witty' comments before remembering his re-bondage. She blushes slightly, regretting her last action.

Analee looks over to Kale. "I'm going to remove Caraline's shield now. She may channel dangerously, and I want you to be on your guard." She looks back at Caraline, unconcerned about the hankerchief. "We're going to do the same thing again, and you're not going to channel fire or anything else at that spider. You're going to attempt to hand him back to me, relatively safe and sound."

Aedigar stops in his tracks and stares at what he just saw. He starts to walk again, a bit slower though, watching the scene out of the corner of his eye. He knows better to get involved in business such as this.

Terl enters the Tower Courtyard through the Alindrelle Gates.

[Channeling] Analee removes Caraline's shield, keeping hold of Saidar in case she needs to be shielded again quickly.

Terl smiles at those in the courtyard, but looks nervous.

Aedigar enters the barracks as Terl enters the courtyard. He seems to be eager to be out of the courtyard because of what he just heard.

Aedigar pulls open the door to the Barracks and leaves the Courtyard.

Caraline nods, listening to Analee Sedai's instructions carefully. .oO (Light, has the woman even read my file that the Mistress keeps? Well, she'll learn...) Ignoring all those entering the Courtyard, all she concentrates on is what is going on between her and Analee Sedai. "I can't guarantee anything."

Terl gawks at the White Tower a bit, and wonders how he ended up here.

Analee says sternly, "Well, you're going to try. Hold out your hand again." The spider waits, running along Analee's hand. She stares intently at the Novice.

Caraline holds out her hand, like she's told, but hesitantly...cautiously, afraid of what she might do. She closes her eyes, as if trying to shut off the nerves in her hand, trying to ignore the spider - trying to cease it from existing.

Analee brushes the spider onto Caraline's hand. "Now don't panic, and don't channel." She reaches out again. "here, give him back to me. Do it gently and he won't make a mess." She watches the girl carefully.

Sionil walks down the steps into the Courtyard, after pushing through the main doors of the Tower.

Sionil pulls her cloak close to her body as she exits the tower, coming down the stairs gives a curtsey to Analee and Kale

Terl suddenly remembers who stays in the tower, and starts edging out of the courtyard even more nervously then when he entered.

Terl passes through the Osendrelle Gates under the watchful eyes of the Tower Guards.

Analee has just brushed a spider onto Caraline's hand.

Caraline opens her eyes and tries not to look at the spider. She feels it though, feels it crawling over her skin slowly, randomly. Holding back the urge to embrace the Source, she walks slowly over to Analee Sedai. Beads of sweat slowly appear as a result of the mere intensity in concentration to keep from doing anything.

Sionil standing at the bottom of the steps watches quietly, her cloak pulled close to herself trying to keep warm.

Analee holds out her hand to receive her spider back. "Just give him back gently, here." She smiles comfortingly. "Don't panic and you'll be fine." She glances at Kale, who does not seem to have her affinity for spiders before turning her gaze back to Caraline. "Don't panic and don't channel."

Sionil wrinkles her nose seeing the spider. Terl enters the Courtyard of the White Tower through the Osendrelle Gates, watched by the hawkeyes of the Tower Guard.

Terl gives up on not constantly walking through the courtyard, and decides to just stand there and watch.

Sionil seeing the man, walks over to him and asks "May I help you sir?"

Terl smiles, "No, I'm just enjoying getting terribly lost."

Sionil says "Where do you wish to go?"

Terl shrugs, "I don't know... this is the first city I've been in and I've just been wandering about." and grins.

Sionil nods with a slight smile, "You might want to try the inn then."

Terl nods, "I have a room in the inn a bit south of here... I believe that it was the Burning Spear."

Terl smiles at the girl he speaks with, "Are there any gleeman in the city tonight? I am always interested in speaking with them."

Sionil says "I don't know, sir. You should look in the inns and taverns."

Terl nods, "I will, thank you."

Sionil gives a simple nod.

Caraline frowns, she shakes her hand slowly to try to get it off, all she can do though is cause it to run quickly from her hand up her sleeve. Losing it all, she screams as the thing crawls under her novice whites. "Analee Sedai! Help!! Someone please! GET IT AWAY!" Completely losing concentration she goes haywire.

[Channeling] Caraline seizes the source quickly, the strong glow envelops her as if it had been held back by a dam and that dam had suddenly been released. The moment it has completely covered her being, a thick cables of air shoots out from her body towards an area of snow then towards the door of the White Tower.

Snow begins to cluster around the entrance of the White Tower, it gradually grows larger until a small barrier appears in front of the doors.

[Channeling] Analee rapidly shields Caraline again.

Sionil having been walking up the stairs towards the doors has had her back to the pair, when the large gust of snow and air shoots towards the doorway it hits her in the back pushing her forward and down to the hard stone of the steps, putting out her hands instinctively she tries to stop her fall.

Analee frowns at Caraline. "Calm down. I told you not to channel. The spider is harmless. THis exercise is over." She checks the shield again.

Caraline still is screaming and shouting as the spider crawls about inside of her dress. She drops and rolls on the snow, trying anything to kill it or crush it.

Sionil turns over and sits on the steps, starting to brush the snow off herself she winces in pain once as she moves her right hand over herself.

Analee looks to Sionil with concern. "Are you alright?" She goes over to her and bends down. "What's wrong?

Sionil looks up, "I don't think so Analee Sedai. Something hit me from behind, I think I did something to my wrist, it feels like it's broken or something."

Caraline screams repeatedly, her shouts piercing the cold night air. "GET IT OFF OF ME, GET IT OUT! HELP!" She scratches at herself, a few even drawing blood. Tears flow openly down her cheeks as she rolls about, her lips blue, her body shivering cold in the courtyard. Cara looks about anywhere for help, she looks for anyone to help her rid herself of the spider.

[Channeling] Analee channels a healing probe which she inserts in Sionil's wrist.

Analee ignores Caraline to look at Sionil. "I think it's broken," she says. "I'm not capable of Healing such an injury. Go up to th infirmary."

Sionil trying not to move her right wrists looks down to Caraline winces in pain when slight movements do cause pain to her. Looking up to Analee. "Yes Analee Sedai. I'm sorry."

Analee shakes her head. "Not your fault. GO get that taken care of, though."

Caraline seems to be huddled up in a ball, teeth chattering, eyes large. Her screams have abruptly stopped, she has retained a fetal position and remains disturbingly quiet.

Sionil uses her left hand to help lift herself up, holding the right wrist walks towards the tower doors.

Having taken the brunt of the air starts to kick away at the snow that was pushed against the doorway. Analee turns back to Caraline. "Get up. You're shielded. Get out of the snow. This exercise is over."

Sionil uses her left hand to open up the doorway

Caraline does not respond. She remains there, lying still as if deaf.

Sionil walks up the steps and goes through the main doors of the Tower.

Analee walks over to Caraline. "I said, get up."

Caraline's eyes slowly close. Sweet sleep, soft sweet sleep.

Analee shakes the girl. "I said to get up."

Caraline moves under Analee's touch freely. She's stone cold and unconscious.

Analee looks to Kale. "She's unconscious. Please take her to the infirmary."

Kale nods and moves to carefully lift Caraline.

Kale scoops Caraline up easily and leans back, adjusting her carefully so as not to hurt her further or disturb her.

Kale walks up the steps and goes through the main doors of the Tower.

Analee watches her Warder mutely.

Analee walks up the steps and goes through the main doors of the Tower.

[Cut to the Infirmary: White Tower, Tar Valon]

Kale lowers Caraline onto the first empty bed he finds, careful to do so gently.

Analee watches silently. A Yellow sister comes over to attend to Caraline.

Analee looks at Kale as he sets down Caraline. "The Yellows will care for her, Gaidin. Come."

Kale shakes his head. "I cannot, Analee. Cara is my friend. She helped me...after Olista."

Kale says "I'll go when I know she's been seen to."

Analee frowns. "She's unconcious. Look, the Yellows are taking care of her now."

A Yellow Sister, Lydia Sedai, approaches the two. "Where exactly did you find her? She's in shock."

Kale glances at Analee. "Don't let my concern over a friend keep you, if you have better things to worry over, Aes Sedai."

Analee scowls. "She rolled in the snow afraid of a little spider. WHy she is in such a state I do not know." She glances at Kale.

Lydia Sedai frowns but refrains from asking any questions on how Cara got into such a state. "She is a wilder, correct?"

Kale shrugs, "I'm not fond of them myself." Kale leans against the head of the bed, adopting a stubborn look.

Analee nods. "She channeled Air before getting thus."

Lydia nods. "I see. Thank you. We will attempt treatment as soon as possible though we cannot guage how serious her condition is yet."

Analee nods. "Thank you." She looks to Kale. "Kale, I require your prescence."

Kale says "I'm right here, Aes Sedai."

Analee opens the door and steps out into the hallway.

Kale growls as a will not his own forces him to leave the room but his actions strongly suggesting that he's not fond of being compelled.

Kale opens the door and steps out into the hallway.