Setting: Mistress of Novices Office, a short time after Morillin was captured, before the trial.

Characters:
Coliena - Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah, Newly appointed Mistress of Novices
Ellorin - Accepted of the White Tower

Ellorin moves to take the seat, and as she gets closer, the tangle of emotions in her eyes becomes clearer - fear, apprehension, exhaustion, sadness. And held-back tears.

Coliena reaches into her desk, embracing the source briefly - weaving a flow of fire to warm the cookies and honeycakes a little - then pulls out a tray full of them. She holds it forward, "Have one. It should help you relax. I won't bite."

Ellorin reaches out to take a cookie. "Um. Thank you, Aes Sedai," she says, with a tiny smile.

Coliena smiles briefly, "Just Coliena Sedai is fine." She pushes the papers aside a little and leaves the tray within arms reach. She motions over to a pitcher of tea, "Would you like something to drink to while you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

Ellorin nods. "Um. Yes, please. Thank you A - Coliena Sedai." She crosses her ankles and folds her hands neatly in her lap.

Coliena pores the tea personally, then asks softly, "Would you like some sugar in yours? Or lemon maybe? Honey? Myself, I always prefer a lot of sugar and a little bit of lemon." She poared her own cup while she asked.

Ellorin says "Um. Honey, please."

Coliena puts some honey in the tea, a generious amount, and then holds the cup forward, "Now, would you like to tell me a little bit about yourself, then I will answer any questions you might have. I like to get to know who I am talking to before I talk to them."

Ellorin reaches out for the cup. "Thank you," she says, and takes a tiny experimental sip. "Um...I - I suppose there's not much to tell. Um. I'm from a little village in the western hills of Cairhien...I - I came here when I was 14..." She looks up questioningly at Coliena, checking to see if this is the right thing to say.

Coliena just nods her head and smiles, taking a sip on her own tea before adding, "Continue. How has life here in the Tower been?"

Ellorin thinks for a moment. "Um...I think working on my project."

Coliena nods slightly, "And which one is that again? There are so many Accepted projects and I've only had a day to go over them all. Perhaps you can help me?"

Ellorin says "Oh! Um. I'm sorry. I've been looking at how books react to weather - mostly rain damage."

Coliena raises an eyebrow, "Really? Interesting. Quite interesting. So you enjoy studing books I take it? And the weather?" Prospective Brown. Perpare to be tackled.

Ellorin nods. "Yes - Jaice Sedai tested me and found out that I have a Talent in weather. And I've always liked reading, and...well, almost anything to do with books. So the Keeper suggested that I should do a project combining them." Her initial shyness disappears as she talks, her enthusiasm for the subject becoming clear. There is still a hint of apprehension in her eyes, but mostly she seems to be relaxing.

Coliena takes a sip on her tea, "Quite interesting. Have you manages to get any findings yet, or is it too soon?" She seems quite willing to talk about books all day long.

Ellorin says "Actually, I've gotten some very good results - I still have to make a couple more rainstorms, but the books I left out on the roof have been very helpful."

Coliena shifts slightly, "I certainly do hope they were not library books? Bad copies likely? Or a book by a Red." She chuckles, "Those are aalways so dull."

Ellorin shakes her head. "N-no, Coliena Sedai," she says, her voice skipping a little at the mention of Reds. "Um. I made them myself."

Coliena nods slightly and puts down her cup, looking at the Accepted for a moment, face comforting, "Would you like to talk a little bit about what .. happened earlier? Share your feelings? It helps to get it out."

Ellorin shakes her head. "I - I dont' know," she falters. "Um...I didnt' even see it...I was in my room..."

Coliena nods, "I understand, but you obviously are uncomfortable about it. What have you heard?"

Ellorin swallows, and looks down. "That Morillin Sedai...um...Morillin," she repeats uncomfortably, "was...was in the

Coliena nods and takes a sip on her tea before saying, "Ellorin, Morillin was a missguided child who abused the powers that she had. She is under control now, and will be punished."

Ellorin nods. "B-but she was an Aes Sedai..." she says, struggling to understand.

Coliena nods slowly, "Yes, power can be misused at high stations, but she was caught before she could so more damage then she has already done. She could have done a lot worse."

Ellorin nods. "I - um - Coliena Sedai, is everyone else all right? Did they hurt anyone? Are - are there any more?" Her words rush out of her, and she looks up at Coliena with complete trust. Innocent bystander that happened to be in the Courtyard.

Coliena smiles a much as she can as she says steady, "Others were hurt, and a few were killed, yes. And two others were caught with Morillin. There are no evidence of others. Three is enough to do what they are suspected and accused of doing. You will likely have to know all three names well, because shortly they will be added to the list of channelers who have been stilled by the White Tower."

Ellorin shivers, and looks down. "Oh," is all she says, her voice quiet.

Coliena nods, "There is nothing to worry about. Morillin was misguised, and she wished for more power than she could have on her own, and those are dangerous aspects of character. My view on this, is that if you wish to be more powerful then the ability you were born with, then you have to find something else that you can do better. For me it is to write, and research, which is why I joined the Brown Ajah." See? She can work in why she joined the Brown anywhere.

Ellorin glances up a little at the last part. "Really?" she asks, a bit of hopeful interest in her voice.

Coliena nods, leaning foward a little, "Yes, really. You see, I wasn't - and still am not - strong in the One Power. And I wasn't as pretty as a lot of the other sisters, and it took me over seventeen years to get through my training. So I had to find other ways to be able to tell myself at night that I was doing something good, something useful. And that something was studing, researching, chronicleing. I studied all sorts of things and I loved it. I studied things no one has ever studied before, and that made me feel special, useful. Maybe it can do the same for you?"

Ellorin nods slowly, a wondering look coming over her face. "Yes," she says softly at the end. "I - I hope so."

Coliena smiles and pushes the tray forward, "Another cookie?"

Ellorin quickly reaches out to take one. "Yes. Thank you," she says, her voice still soft. She smiles up at Coliena.

Coliena smiles back before taking a honey cake into her hand, "So, do you have any questions you'd like to ask?"

Ellorin takes a moment to come back to the reality of thinking about questions, from where she is lost somewhere far away. She considers something for a moment,then asks, "Did you ever think about any other Ajahs?"

Coliena nods, "Of course. Everyone does at one time or another. But you see, I was odd. I didn't /fit/ with any of them. I liked men too much to bed Red, I hated politics too much to be Blue or Gray. I couldn't Heal, so Yellow was out. I had little control over emotions, so I never would have fit in as a White. I considered Green for a long time, but everytime I though about what they stood for, the Battle Ajah and all, I just couldn't see myself holding up that ideal. I mean, could you imagine me in battle? I sure can not, even though, as Aes Sedai, I've already been in two."

Ellorin nods. "I - I know I could never be Green," she says quietly, looking down again.

Coliena muses softly, "Two in... a long while. To me at least." She nibbles on her honey cake a moment before saying, "I'm sure you are bursting with questions, so ask away. I am an open book."

Ellorin smiles a little. "Um...what do you do?" Hastily, she corrects herself, "I mean - what kind of research are you working on? What do most Browns do?"

Coliena looks thoughtful, "Well, I've studied many things. I've studied ter'angreal - for a while I was nearly an expert on the matter. I've also studied ablities - not the one power - in males. Quite intersting, all of them. And of course there was my study of Karaul, and my recient study on weapons forged by the power, and heron mark blades. I've also studied history. Many Browns pick one subject though. But not all study. Some stay in the Library and perserve the books, but myself, I prefer to get the knowledge I write about first hand, and you can't get first hand knowledge in the Library. How have you enjoyed your time in the Tower training, if I may be so bold?"

Ellorin smiles in earnest for the first time. "Oh, it's been _wonderful_!"

Coliena smiles more as well, "That is wonderful. If I may ask, what has been your most enjoyable experience in the Tower?"

Ellorin asks hopefully, "Do you get to travel?"

Coliena nods, offering a smile, "Of course I get to travel. A lot more Browns then people think do leave the Tower for one reason or another. I'm here right now because this is where what I am researching is. If what I wanted to research was in... Tanchico, I would ask the Amyrlin if I could go there."

Ellorin breathes, "Ohhhh," and when she smiles back, there is a hint of excitement in it. "That would be wonderful..."

Coliena nods, returning the smile, "Though of course the first few years as Aes Sedai you likely won't get as far as Tanchico. But then again Jelanna Sedai is newly raised, she she's outside the Tower, so I guess it all depends on your motovation and the needs of the Tower at that time."

Ellorin just nods, smiling dreamily.

Coliena smiles, "So I assume you want to travel?"

Ellorin nods, and says shyly, as if confiding in someone, "I would like to, if I can."

Coliena nods and smiles, "Do you know what you would be interesting in studing already, or are you still juggling ideas? Like myself, I've been juggling ideas as deftly as a gleeman for the last 20 years. Though I have seemed to dedicate the most effort to my recent book."

Ellorin smiles back, shaking her head. "I can't possibly decide...I start studying one thing and then something else catches my attention so I have to go look things up about _that_..."

Coliena chuckles and nods, "Reminds me a lot of myself. But do me a favor and never try to write three books at once on totally different subjects. One book at a time."