Alilisa scurried through the halls, she was starving! It was well past noon, and as she approached the doors people went out in rushes, already done with their lunch. Alilisa would have had more time to eat if she hadn't been messing around so much.

Alilisa grabbed a tray and began throwing different assortments of meats and fruits on her tray. The lunches had improved drastically since her very first lunch there. That day seemed so long ago, her first steps into the tower, her first lessons. Alilisa was learning fast, and making her mentor proud. She hoped that soon she could be raised to Accepted just as soon as she finished her basic training.

Alilisa scooted into a chair at an empty table, and wondered if anyone would join her, after all she did like company. Talking to someone always made the day pass faster.

Alilisa began to munch down on an apple, and peer around the mess hall, most of the people were leaving, but there were a few that were just as late as she. Alilisa hoped that a fellow novice, or actually anyone would sit by her. She was bored.

Resolute finished his practicing with the blade. Training with the Gaidin was not easy, even for one whom had been a Soldier before well becoming a Soldier so to speak. But, now that he was done for a bit he really should be getting some lunch. Smiling at several Soldeirs whom he had befriended during his time here, Resolute walked down a long hall towards the Mess Hall.

It was refreshing, to not have everyone know who his father had been, and always talking about it measuring up him to his father. Not that he did not want to be like his Father, but there was a point where it became too much.

Now he was free from that kind of pressure. Granted he had to learn to channel, and adapt to this new life, but it wasnt too hard. Already he had decided on a Shen. The Red Shen, it would be the best one for killing Darkfriends, and hindering the Dark One. But to enter he must befriend a Novice. Not that he had anything against women, he just hadn't really met any Novices yet.

Entering the Hall, he moved quickly through the line, gathering food onto his plate. Meat, bread, soup. And a nice glass of water. He was thirsty after all. Scanning the crowded room for a place to sit he spied a Novice sitting off to herself. Walking over he smiled easily. "Hello, do you mind if I sit here?"

Alilisa looked up when she heard someone ask "Hello, do you mind if I sit here?" Alilisa smiled at the soldier who had wondered over, and blushed. "Sure, go right ahead." She said. The soldier appeared to be a bit older then she, but so were alot of the people in the Towers. She didn't believe she had ever seen this soldier before, but she welcomed him none the less. Alilisa wondered about his hair color, it was so blond it was white, and it shone a bit in the light.

"I'm Alilisa." Alilisa decided to introduce herself. "Have you been in the Tower long? I don't believe I've ever seen you around?"

As Alilisa waited for a response she wondered if this man was going to be part of the Red Shen or not. If so perhaps she could become friends with him and he'd agree to be her partner. Alilisa tried not to get too excited, what happened if he wasn't part of the Red Shen, what if he decided he didn't like her after all. Alilisa tried to push down her worries like always and focus on the here and now. There was no sense in worring, all she had to do was take one day at a time.

"I'm Alilisa." Alilisa decided to introduce herself. "Have you been in the Tower long? I don't believe I've ever seen you around?"

Reswolute finished his bite of steak, "I have been here for a little while, my name is Sy- Resolute al'Therin, Soldier of the Black Tower. I do not belive I have seen you before either, although how one so pretty as you could have escaped my attention is beyond me."

Resolute almost blushed he was flirting! He had not done that in a long time. Alreayd he could feel a bond of similarity between them. Two people with similar lives, or pasts drawn together.

Taking another bit of his steak, he smiled, "So Alilisa, have you chosen an Ajah yet?" It never hurt to check mayhao he would find a partner soon, and could begin to get raised. He wanted to be done with his training, to cause desolation and destruction to the Shadow.

Alilisa felt her cheeks turn bright red, pretty? her? Alilisa was not use to men flirting with her, of course she really never gave them time to. When he asked her if she had chosen an ajah yet, Alilisa quickly answered. "Well, I believe I have, I want to join the Red Ajah." Alilisa smiled. "My mentor said I'd make a good addition to the Red Ajah if I work hard enough, I just now need to find a partner."

Alilisa hoped she didn't sound like she was desperatly searching for a partner, she didn't want to scare this soldier off. He seemed really nice. Alilisa took a bit into her apple again, wondering what was in store for her. Could he have asked what ajah she was joining because he needed to find a partner as well? Alilisa's heart skipped a beat, she sure hoped it was true!

"Well, I believe I have, I want to join the Red Ajah." Alilisa smiled. "My mentor said I'd make a good addition to the Red Ajah if I work hard enough, I just now need to find a partner."

Resolute smiled as she blushed slightly. "I too find myself in a similar boat. I have a desire to join the Red Shen, but I have not met many Novices who share my desire."

Resolute shrugged, and took another bite of his meat. "So Alilisa tell me about yourslef, if I may be so bold, how did you grow up? Who was Alilisa growing up?"

Resolute considerd his own story, bleak and saddening as it was. The loss of his father, the life he had led until coming to the Tower. Smiling slightly, it was a crooked smile, he turned back to her.

When Resolute asked Alilisa how she grew up, she got a little nervouse and fell silent for a second. What should she all tell him? Should she wait to see if she could trust him before telling him that her father had been on the run from Myrddraals, and possibly a darkfriend? Alilisa shivered at the thought, she had figured her father had gotten into some shaddy business, but a darkfriend?

Alilisa thought a moment then spoke. "I grew up in Jehanna, my father was a merchant. My mother wasn't around much, she was too busy socializing. My father wasn't home around much either, as he had business to attend to. I was sent to a school to learn the basics such as reading. When I was home alone I liked to read books from my fathers library. I learned to look after myself." Alilisa sighed. "That is about it, one day an Aes Sedai found me and brought me here." ALilisa didn't say anything more, not yet. Resolute would surely not understand her.

Alilisa wondered if he felt she had left something out.

"I grew up in Jehanna, my father was a merchant. My mother wasn't around much, she was too busy socializing. My father wasn't home around much either, as he had business to attend to. I was sent to a school to learn the basics such as reading. When I was home alone I liked to read books from my fathers library. I learned to look after myself." Alilisa sighed. "That is about it, one day an Aes Sedai found me and brought me here."


Resolute nodded companionly he knew what it was like to grow up without one of your parents his mother for him any way. Guessing by her silence, it was his time to share, Resolute sat back and began,

"I was born in Andor, Caemlyn actually. I lived with my Father, my mother died when I was young. He was a er in the Queen's Guards, he died a while back in the Blight."


Resolute didnt like lieing but he didnt feel he was ready to share the fact about his father, how he had really been a General, and he was famous, no he was happy the way he was.

Alilisa listened with interest when Resolute said "I was born in Andor, Caemlyn actually. I lived with my Father, my mother died when I was young. He was a er in the Queen's Guards, he died a while back in the Blight."

Andor, Alilisa had heard many things about the grand city, and someday when she was an Aes Sedai, she'd visit there. Alilisa wondered why Resolute's father died in the blight, but she didn't question. In time perhaps, he would tell her. There were many things Alilisa didn't want to tell Resolute.

Alilisa smiled. "I'm afraid I'll never be raised to accepted, my mentor hasn't been around much so I am not learning at the pace of the other girls. I am so bored of being a novice." Alilisa wondered if infact she would ever be raised, or become one of those girls who was a novice for their whole lives. Alilisa shivered at the thought, that would not be a good thing. If that happened Alilisa would just run away.

"I'm afraid I'll never be raised to accepted, my mentor hasn't been around much so I am not learning at the pace of the other girls. I am so bored of being a novice."

Resolute nodded sympathetically. It was ahrd being the little ones. He himself had not even had his mentor teach him much. He sighed. "I know what you mean it seems to some that we are to be ignored taught when there is time, or when they fell like it. Which seems rare if ever.


Resolute took annother bite. "Do theye ver let us go to partys or feasts? It seems like all work and no play makes jack an Asha'man." He grimaced he would do what it took to become an Asha'man Light help him he would! But still.


"Do Novices ever have any fun?" he asked. He doubted it the White Tower was just as famous for bein strict as the Black Tower was. That never seemed to stop people from thinking they would be special that they would be receiving extra gifts. Resolute snorted having been a soldier before becoming a Solider he knew the truth in that. That there was none everyman pulled his weight, everyman got the group through.

Party, whats that? Alilisa thought. Then she realized she had almost completly forgotten the word, it had been so long since she had some real fun. "There is a ball here, I suppose people could go dancing and such. Alilisa blushed at the thought of her dancing with a boy, and found herself picturing Resolute as her dance partner. She shook the thoughts from her head, she couldn't have a crush on this guy, not when they might be partners someday. Well, that is if he wanted to be her partner, Alilisa found herself thinking more and more about the idea. Resolute then asked her if novices ever had fun. Alilisa found herself grinning. "Sure we do, why just the other day I helped turn some recruits blue." Alilisa found herself snickering now, it was fun before she got into trouble. "Of course, having that kind of fun did land me in hot water with the Mistress of Novices." Alilisa took another bite of food and swallowed. "If your wondering, I'd never try to turn a soldier blue." Alilisa grinned even more now and tried to sniffle her laugh.

She stoped, what was Resolute going to think of her giggling and caring on like this. Alilisa felt her whole face go read, she wanted to duck under the table and hide. It was all she could do to keep her composure. Surely she wasn't acting like a fool, was she?