The sun was just starting it's climb in the sky, when Shaya slipped out into the gardens. All around her the grass and leaves on the trees glistened with morning dew where the first rays of sun touched them and made them shine like diamonds. Her breath formed little puffs of mist in front of her and Shaya inhaled deeply, enjoying the brisk morning air.
Delicate swirls of fog hovered over the ground, shrouding the towergrounds in a mystical cloak. It was still a good hour or two till the first bell would sound but she had found herself awake and unable to sleep, so she had decided to go practice opening up to Saidar. It frustrated her to no end that she had only been able to acchieve such meager results during her training sessions, even though Lyla Sedai had assured her it would take time to learn. Making her way across the damp grass, she suddenly shivered and pulled her cloak around her more tightly. She had found the perfect spot the other day, just out of sight and protected by a ring of mature oak trees. Sitting under those trees she would hopefully find the peace and calm she needed to open herself up to Saidar. She missed a step as a hare suddenly shot across the path in front of her and muttered a few curses under her breath at the fast dissappearing animal. Fortunately she could already see the trees she was aiming for, so it was not far now. The gardens were actually quite beautiful in this light, she mused as she came to the trees and took off her cloak to sit on it.

The sudden chill on her bare arms made the hairs on it stand up, but it would soon warm up as the sun rose. She rubbed her arms absently and settled herself down on the cloak, making sure her novice shift would not get smudged by the grass. here, under the trees, the ground was relatively dry and she leaned back against the old oak tree with a sigh. Closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths to relax she started picturing a rosebud in her mind's eye. For now she would practice just holding on to the image and have it open it's petals to the sun. She knew she had felt something at least during those first sessions with Lyla, but maybe she had been trying too hard then. Lyla had said that you needed to surrender to Saidar and Shaya wondered what it would feel like to be filled with the power like that. At least picturing the rose seemed to be easier now, as she already knew what she wanted it to look like. Trying to ignore the morning chill on her arms, she pictured the petals opening and reaching out to the sun. She held her breath as she got that tingling sensation all over her body again and reached out with her mind towards the source. As before, it seemed to dance out of reach every time and the more she tried to grab it, the further away it seemed. She kept trying until the frown on her brow was giving her a headache and made herself release the picture with a sigh. Getting angry sure is not going to improve things. She tried to keep her frustration down, but could not help but feel dissappointed with herself.

Elysia woke early this morning, she didn't know why but she just couldn't fall asleep again. The heavy breathing from the bed on the other side of the room told her that her roomie was fast asleep. She tought briefly about lightning a candle so she could do some reading but that didn't seem very fair to Addelyn, in case she woke up from it. She raised quietly and dressed, taking a blanket she had brought from home and, after much begging, had been able to keep and took it with her. She had not been able to see the sunset here in Tar Valon before and this was an exelent opportunity to do so. She went out the door and closed it quietly and then with fast steps she walked down the corridors to the garden. The very last thing she wished right now was to meet an Aes Sedai that would give her some chores as she already was up and dressed.

With a deep breath, both of relief and joy, she took the steps out in the garden and shivered slightly from the cold. She wrapped the rug around her shoulders tightly to keep some warmth. Walking directly from the warm bed out here was perhaps not the best of ideas, but she really enjoyed being outside. After she had walked a little she tought she saw someone sitting under a big oak tree, but she didn't know for sure. She walked slowly over there, a little nervously. It might be an Aes Sedai or an Accepted and then her curiousity might ruin her chance to see the sunset. As she approached slowly she saw it really was a girl sitting there, wearing white clothes. A little closer she saw it was another novice and she walked over to her.

"Greetings" she said quietly, not wishing to startle the other girl. "I am not the only one unable to sleep, I see..." Elysia smiled towards the girl on the ground. Perhaps they could enjoy the sunset togther? "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Shaya opened her eyes as a voice sounded next to her. She was mildly surprised to find another novice out at this hour, she had not thought any of them had the nerve to leave the Tower.
But then she had. Being so much older than the average 14 year old who barely left their mother's apron strings, she was used to not thinking twice about doing things that had some of them stare in shocked disbelief.
She estimated the girl next to her to be about 16 or 17, her wavy blonde hair flowed down her back and stirred gently in the morning breeze. Shaya studied her face and clear blue eyes in silence for a few moments, before she gave a non-commital shrug.

"You might as well, I don't think I'll make any progress today" It was actually surprising that the girl wanted to keep her company, Shaya had gotten used to most the novices avoiding her by now.
Gossip travelled fast in the Tower and even though no one even came close to knowing the truth about her past, most knew that she was no stranger to the darker side of life.
She almost gave a wry smile as she thought that the exaggerated tales that were spread about her, had probably nearly turned her into a killer of some kind by now. In a way it was a good thing, for it meant she did not have to answer any questions about her past, to most of which she would have to lie anyway. The novice had the fair look she had come to know off the women in Andor and she watched as the girl made herself comfortable next to her.
"So, what bring you out at this hour then? Are you not afraid to get caught and be send to the Mistress of Novice's office?," she said with a wink. Holding out her hand on impulse she added: "My name is Shaya by the way, I don't think we've met before. At least I can't remember if I've seen you in any of my classes, but they are so big, I probably wouldn't have noticed." The sun was casting it's first rays over the horizon now, bathing the landscape in red and pink tones. She looked up and turned her face to watch it, already feeling some warmth on her skin.

"You might as well, I don't think I'll make any progress today" the other novice said and Elysia sat down in the damp gras beneath the tree. It was not as wet as the gras around but it was wet enough to make her behinds rather cold. After adjusting her skirts a little so she sat comfortably she looked at the novice again.

"So, what bring you out at this hour then? Are you not afraid to get caught and be send to the Mistress of Novice's office? My name is Shaya by the way, I don't think we've met before. At least I can't remember if I've seen you in any of my classes, but they are so big, I probably wouldn't have noticed."

Elysia smiled in return and took her hand, "My name is Elysia and no, I do not recognize you. But I am rather new here so I have not been able to get to know very many." She tought about the first thing she had said for a while but decided to answer her question first. "I would not enjoy any Aes Sedai to find me here, no. But I am no baby you can look in her room either. If I wish to watch the sunset before I do my chores, I see it as my right to do so, whatever they say." She sounded determined and smiled to the other girl again and added "Besides... Any punishment is worth a nice sunset. Then, atleast, you have something nice to think about while enduring them. What were the progress you spoke of, if I may ask?"

Elysia turned towards the approaching sun and watched it with almost sparkling eyes. She could remember how she used to scare the water out of her parents for climbing up on the roof at their house and enjoy both dusk and dawn from there. Her mother was always yelling at her for acting like a boy but her father only yelled at her for doing it while her mother saw. The memory of her parents left a sad smile on Elysia's face, she really did miss them a lot.

Shaya decided she liked Elysia, the girl showed some spirit and backbone where most could not get past cowering for every Aes Sedai they saw.
"What were the progress you spoke of, if I may ask?" Shaya shrugged and answered: "Have you started your channeling lessons yet? Usually they wait for a while so the new novices can settle in and get used to the routine." She fell silent as she watched the sun climb above the horizon and it looked like the whole world was suddenly filled with gold and red.
"I'm trying to practice "surrendering" myself to Saidar, but everytime I reach out to it, it just slips away from me. I guess I will just have to keep trying till I get it right." Turning to Elysia she said:

"Have you channeled before? I really wonder what it's like to be filled with the power like that. It must be a truly magnificent feeling." Hopefully she would be able to pick up her lessons with Lyla Sedai soon, she was so eager to learn as fast as she could and sometimes she just felt they were holding her back on purpose, but then even if they were, what could she do about it? No one told an Aes Sedai to hurry up without regretting it, especially not a novice.
"So where are you from Elysia?"

"Have you started your channeling lessons yet? Usually they wait for a while so the new novices can settle in and get used to the routine."

Elysia smiles at the other novice and nodded. "Yes, I have started them. I am being mentored by The Amyrlin herself. I almost wet my panties when I saw her." Elysia giggled and watched as the sun rose a little higher in the sky. The colors a sunset gave everything was amazing and she could not do anything but smile and enjoy the view.

"I'm trying to practice "surrendering" myself to Saidar, but everytime I reach out to it, it just slips away from me. I guess I will just have to keep trying till I get it right. Have you channeled before? I really wonder what it's like to be filled with the power like that. It must be a truly magnificent feeling."

Elysia turned to Shaya and laughed silently. "Not to be lecturing you or anything, but I would not say that doing so outside is the best place to do it. You know, you are not allowed to do anything concerning the power on your own." She lowers her voice a little. "There are almost never anyone down in the basements of the tower, so there you can practice fairly safe. I can trie to help you, if you wish. It is not that hard when you get it the first time." Elysia turns to the sun again and suddenly looks to be remembering not very pleasant memories. "Yes... I have channeled before I got to the tower... I didn't know that I were doing it before after, but.. Well. It is a wonderful feeling, indeed. Dangerously wonderful." Elysia fell silent and watched the sunset with almost blank eyes. There was nothing she loved more than sunsets. And beautiful flowers, of course.

"So where are you from Elysia?"

Elysia smiled and had a dreaming look on her face again. "I am from Andor, from Caemlyn. You know, the sunsets there are quite amazing aswell. My mother used to yell at me for climbing up on the roofs to watch them, she was always worried about me." She turned to Shaya and looked curious. "And you? Where are you from? What did you do before you got to the tower?"