Setting : Coliena Sedai's room, after Coliena resigns as Mistress of Novices

Characters:
Coliena - Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah
Thais - Accepted of the White Tower

Coliena is sitting at her desk, reading through some files. Papers are as usual piled all over the room. The room is half the size of a normal Sedai's room, and with the closet door open anyone can see why. The closet is the other half of the room with a small library and other assorted things in it. She glances over and frowns at the blood stains, then nods, "Of course you may change, Accepted. I can wait a while longer. Need to finish this damage report on a book that was in the Library anyway."

Thais nods and curtsies once more, offering a grateful smile, then turns and slips back out, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Thais walks back inside, looking clean and pressed, and presentable. She curtsies as soon as she steps inside.

Coliena finishes up her report with a small sigh, murmuring almost to herself, "The damage could have been worse, but it is yet another book that can be added to the list of ones we need another copy of." She shakes her head and pushes the report aside and turns in her chair to face the Accepted, "Hopefully we will actually get to start this interview. I do hope no emergancy with a Novice occures this time."

Thais nods and sighs, standing comfortably in the center of the room, "Indeed, Sedai Coliena. I am not relishing the task of informing Mother that a Trainee killed a resident of the city." She shakes ehr head, offering a small smile, "But I am looking forward to this interview."

Coliena raises an eyebrow and shakes her head, "That is never a good task. I have had to tell the Amyrlin many things I wish I had not. If you would like I could try to be there when you tell her? I know I would have liked it if people who actually wanted to make things easier would have been there." She stands up, smoothing her hands on her dress, and leaving a small smear of ink on her skirt as she does, "Should we have it here, to avoid interuptions?"

Thais smiles, the gesture brightening, "I would like that, Sedai Coliena. It would be nice to have someone to support me. Mother still frightens me sometimes." She nods and chuckles softly, "i think here would be perfect."

Coliena nods and looks around the room, trying to find where she put the chairs, which there are a few, but books and papers are all piles on them. She finds one with the smallest pile and moves to pick it up and move it into the closet where she finds a shelf to claim it for the time being. "There. I should have cleaned the room a little, but I didn't really think of it until you came in." She smooths her skirts and pulls her own chair near the one she cleared off, "Have a seat. I'll let you ask the questions first."

Thais smiles and curtsies as you free a chair for her, and after waiting for you to reseat herself, she takes the seat, "I'm not affected by the appearance of the room. I would think it strange if your books where not all in easy reach." At the last she nods, and considers for a moment, "What is the purpose of the Brown Ajah?"

Coliena smiles, "Yes, well having books and papers handy is often helpful. And I am not the most organized. Usually if I move things from where I originally put them I can't find them again." She pauses and makes a mental note to try and remember that the papers that were on that chair are now in the closet, second shelf of the largest one. "And the purpose of the Brown Ajah? Well that is usually the first. Let me see if I can sum it up into a few sentances." Though she knows she won't be able to. She loves to ramble, and is quite good at it. "The Brown Ajah is dedicated the the gathering, storage and presurvation of knowledge. Most focas on books, making sure the Library is growing and trying to continue to make the Library here in the Tower the greatest in all the world. Other sisters dedicate their life to researching a topic. I myself have dedicated most my time with the shawl on researching abilities found in males, like the book I asked you to copy. That is what my years of the shawl have amounted to. Other sisters study artwork, plants and animals, music, ter'angreal. I even know one who is dedicated to studing dilects. She has a thoery that Illianers and Taraboners and other people of a different dialect..." She trails off. "I apologize. I am rambling."

Thais smiles as she listens, leaning forward a bit and paying close attention to each word, not seeming to notice when you do ramble, or even that you ramble at all. Once you pause she tilts her head, thinking of the questions she asked other Sedai, "Don't you ever want to go out and do the things most people read about in books?" She shakes her head, that's not quite right, so she tries again, "Do you ever feel that you miss anything by staying and researching, than by going out an doing things actively?"

Coliena raises an eyebrow, "Who ever said I didn't? Thais, I went out personally and found people I could research those abilities with. I had to talk many of them into allowing me to question them. I've done things before. Being a Brown isn't just reading. And researching can be quite interesting. Researching wolfbrothers was quite an adventure." She feels free to speak about that since that was the section you copied. "I got to go out into the forest and even -meet- a wolf once. It was quite an adventure. There are other Browns, not many, but some, who research and write books on battle stragedy. I am obviously not one of them. I avoid battles whenever possible, though that doesn't mean I haven't been in a few. I remember Tolemac quite well. I was lucky I got away from there before the Whitecloaks showed up and started arresting people." She frowns, then says, "There is one sister who used to believe that knowledge gained from just a book someone else read was not pure. She believed that in order to last, knowledge had to be gained in a more tangiable way. Some Browns still believe like she did and go out and research the things themselves. Though I must admit when I had to sit down and do the actual writing of the book it did get rather boring."

Thais nods and smiles, apparently liking this answer. She may spend almost her entire day in the library, but she doesn't always look as if she enjoys it. She considers your words carefully, trying to fit them to what she knows about the Brown Ajah, then thinks of ehr next question, "Why would you recommend the Brown Ajah to another Sister's Ajah? And would you recommend it to someone who might not even like books?"

Coliena pauses and looks thoughtful, then nods, "Of course. Books are not the only way to relay history and knowledge. Gleemen are often considered some of the strongest relayers of knowledge because they travel so much and as long as people can hear and sit still a minute can learn from them by the songs they sing and the stories they tell. Many of what the children and youth of the world first learn comes from the stories of gleemen. There's also artwork, which was used often in the past, and sculpture. And of course there's other kinds of things that we need to know about." She ponders, "Like new Talents. Most new Talents, and old Talents for matter are studied by the Brown Ajah. Of course the person -might- need to find someone else to actually write the book, if they wished to pass the knowledge to others through that form." She looks thoughtful, staring into space for a long time.

Thais nods and sits back in her chair, looking down at her hands, a frown on her face as she considers the answer, "I suppose it's because the Brown Ajah is so associated with books, and stuffy old libraries, that noone considers that a Sister would travel with a gleeman to learn things, or be an artist." She hrms softly, then sits back up, folding her hands on her lap, "Do you have any questions for me, Sedai Coliena?"

Coliena blinks, pulled from her thoughts, then smiles, "Most people think that only because that's what most the Brown sisters do. My father was a peddler so I was used to moving around so I still have a hard time staying in one place. Which is why I go on walks often." She ponders a question, then gets one, "Yes, there is one thing that I always ask. If there were one thing you could dedicate your life to studing and learning about, what would that be?"

Thais frowns, not having expected this question, and she pauses for a long moment, trying to decide on what she should say, then deciding to just speak her mind. "I think that if I had to chose one thing that I could dedicate my life to studying, it would be how to remove the taint from Saidin."

Coliena leans back slowly, embracing the source and weaving a quick ward against easedropping around the room, then nods, "Very noble cause. I would not recommend mentioning it to certain people though. Not everyone would see it as such a noble cause as I do. Not everyone is blessed with the views I was given." She stands up after a moment and paces, motioning a hand to remain seated as she thinks, "Few women have persued that goal, and usually the Reds smash down anyone who even considers it. I do not think every Aes Sedai in the Tower working together could do what you wish to try, but that is just me. There is always a possibility. I would recommend though if you do persue that line of study that you disguise it under another topic. Say you could study saidin offically. Many sisters have done that. Mostly Reds and Browns, though a few Greens study it so that they may counter the Dreadlords in the last battle." She trails off and taps her chin, pausing in her pace.

Thais remains seated, not holding the source, and being unable to see the ward being woven. She nods at the words though, and seems relieved that you didn't march her down to the Amyrlin's office the moment she closed her mouth. "I haven't mentioned it to anyone, except you, and Karaul. And that was just so I could find out more about what it felt like, and how it affected him when he channeled." She shakes her head, her voice questioning, "Why do more people not wish to study it, Sedai Coliena? Wouldn't it make sense for people to study how to cure Saidin? it would stop men from going crazy, it would destroy the need to gentle someone, and it might even help us become as strong as we were when there were Male Sedai."

Coliena shakes her head, "I would like to blame the Red Ajah, but the truth is when the Tower was formed the remaining Aes Sedai, who were actually students of Aes Sedai from th Age of Legends. It is doubtful that any Aes Sedai survived the whole of the Breaking. But anyway, these Aes Sedai that formed the Tower were sick with the memories of seeing men go insane and kill their families. Their minds were full of the madness they saw. Their eyes were filled with the visions of men who's bodies rottened around them. I am sure at first many Sisters tried to cure their Brothers. Who would not want to try and save their Brother? If the Aes Sedai in that time could do nothing, or if they believed they could do nothing, then what possibly could we do? It is made well clear they were more powerful, they had knowledge far beyond what we now posess." She pauses and shrugs, "But times are changing. Old powers awakening. Wolfbrothers are turning up all over. People who can see the Pattern. Dreamers are even reappearing. An Aes Sedai has learned how to make ter'angreal. If all that has been acomplished in such a short span of years, perhaps there is much more left to discover. And perhaps you can lead the way to discovering a cure. Rayche Sedai of the Red Ajah will likely help you. She's been searching for a cure almost since before she came to the Tower. You might wish to have a word or two with her about this. She was one of the Aes Sedai that requested to study Karaul before he was gentled."

Thais nods and sighs, not really knowing what else she can say, and her hands find the folds of her skirts, twisting the material between her fingers, "I just wish...I wish the Tower wasn't so set in its ways, sometimes. There's so much we could learn from Saidin. I mean...The One Power isn't just Saidar...it's Saidin too. How can we really be whole if the other half of the Power we use is tainted and defiled? I just don't...how can they not see that we're not whole without Saidin?" She frowns shaking her head, "I don't think I'll ever be able to answer that question, or ever find a cure for Saidin, but maybe what I study wil help just a little bit." She shakes her head, "Now I'm rambling...maybe I should just be quiet and let you ask your questions."

Coliena shakes her head, "No, it is quite alright. I have bored you with my own rambling I am sure. I believe I can suffer through some of yours. But really, I think you should speak with Rayche Sedai. She could use a partener to help her with her study, and she is quite a nice woman." She does ponder over your ramble though, "I must agree with you in some of that. The Tower is too set in it's ways. But many people fear change. And of course I can not blame them in most cases. Change is never easy..." She trails off and looks towards the closet, frowning in thought.

Thais nods and smiles, her hands smoothing the fabric that she just wrinkled, looking and likely feeling relieved at your words and happy to have someone who understands and accepts her opinions. She pauses for a moment, then smiles, "No, it isn't...I can still remember myself fighting with Micana Sedai because i did not want to not go back home." She shakes her head, "I don't have any more questions, Sedai Coliena, do you have any others for me?"

Coliena glances over, and nods, "Yes. One last question." She taps her chin a moment before asking softly, "What Ajahs are you struggling to pick between? I won't hazard a guess from this talk, I was never good at guessing. So I will just ask outright or I shall be bothered about it for sometime."

Thais nods and straightens in her chair, if that were possible, and smiles, her expression showing the conflict she's been fighting these past few months, as the decision has finally reached a point where she is truly considering it, "It is between four, actually, Sedai Coliena. The Blue, The Brown, The Green, and the Red."

Coliena smiles briefly at the mention of her own Ajah - something she wouldn't be able to stop if she tried - and nods, "I am sure any of those four Ajahs would be honored to have you amoung their ranks. You seem openminded and strong in character, which is quite a good quality for any Aes Sedai." She dusts her hands on her skirts and says, "Well if that is all you may leave and do what you need to do. When you go to the Amyrlin just stop by and check if I am here, if not then I apologize. I will try to be around though." If she can remember.

Thais smiles as she stands and curtsies, "Thank you Sedai Coliena. It was kind of you to take a moment to speak with you, and I will go to see Mother soon, and I will come to find you if you are here." She curties again as she makes ehr way to the door, openning it, "Light Guide, Sedai Coliena."