Shield and Knife, Take Two

This is just a recent lesson post from one of the channeling lessons I had Calia take. I thought it was pretty good though so I'm puting it here. If you're thoroughly confused, you probably have good reason. I can only recomend reading the books or doing a web search on them. Either might prove helpful, or at leas enlightening.

Novice Calia Selle

Calia shivered and felt her legs threaten to give out from under her as she released saidar. Never before had she been required to weave all five elements at the same time, and having to do so now had exhausted her, stretching her tiny ability to its limits. Light, but if she could only break whatever block prevented her from drawing more saidar! She wouldn't have to feel this way every time she channeled her weaker elements of Fire and Earth to do more than light a candle. Of course, that would also mean giving in to the marath'damane at the White Tower, and she wasn't willing to do that. She wouldn't allow herself to be kept against her will by the filthy Aes Sedai. She was a woman of the Seanchan Empire, a former sul'dam, and someday an obedient damane. Her block would be broken when she returned to her people and not before. Drawing her full power now would only connect her more firmly to the White Tower, and that couldn't be allowed. She had already spent far too long in novice whites.

"Now that you know the basics of warding, we will move onto shielding." Sloane Sedai - Or just Sloane. In my own mind I must not think of them as my equals, or worse, my betters. - announced once he had drawn the classes attention back from the theatrics of the last part of this lesson. Honestly, Calia thought she had never heard such screeching as that emitted by some of the novices. Light knew that would have never been tolerated from a damane. Worse yet, the Soldiers and Dedicated took it without a sound. What type of bloody institution were the Aes Sedai running anyway, that novices were so weak? Calia would have had her hands full with training just one of these women as a damane, it would be a difficult task for such small force of sul'dam as had made the crossing to train all those the White Tower housed.

"It's the same basic principle," the Aiel man continued, "except that this will be flat, going between another person and the Source, not surrounding yourself, and you will form it first, then slide it between the channeler and the Source instead of building it around them. Watch." With this, Sloane had officially lost had little of Calia's attention he had had. She had learned shielding in a lesson taught years ago by Teli Sedai. Not to mention the fat that the basic concept was something she had known for sixteen years, ever since she was chosen as a sul'dam. There were probably no others in this lesson who knew the shielding weave as well as she did, with the possible exception of Accepted Aranisia. That woman had also been a sul'dam once, but she had turned her back on their people and bound her fate to that of the White Tower. She wasn't the first, but with the information Calia hoped to bring back to their people, Aranisia Samin could be the last good Seanchan lost to the tempting of the Aes Sedai. Light knew that Calia wasn't going to give in; even if she was unable to escape until the day she died.

"Alright, partner up – it doesn't matter who your partner is as long as you're the same gender, and inter-tower mixing is encouraged – and practice the shields. The person being shielded should not be channeling. Accepted and Dedicated, we would like you to also practice shielding someone who is holding the One Power. Girls, be very careful because I can't Heal, and so if there's an accident we'll have to go find another man here who can Heal and is willing. Boys, just because the M'Hael can Heal doesn't mean you can be careless or horse around. Now partner up, you don't have much time!" Calia looked around for someone to partner with for this part of the lesson and cringed when it became apparent that one of only female channelers without a partner wore the blacks of a Soldier. Sure, Sloane had said the inter-tower mixing was encouraged, but Light burn Calia's soul if she had any desire to do so. Still, she could at least hope that the Soldier – a surprisingly young girl with a grim look painted on her features – was less skittish than some of the novices.

"Hello," Calia drawled as the Soldier came to a halt before her, "I suppose that you need a partner too then?" The girl nodded, pale curls of hair falling across her face as she did so. Pushing her own waves of raven hair behind her ears Calia continued in as civil a manner as she considered necessary, which was to say she treated the girl as she would an inferior. "I'm Calia, by the way."

"I don't particularly care what you're name is, novice." The Soldier said with a frown, "Let's just do this and be done with it. I'll shield you first."

Scowling, Calia nodded wordlessly. How dare a marath'damane - let alone a woman considered to be of 'equal' rank as her – presume to issue commands to her? She would see every one of these fools collared someday. If it wouldn't have gone against protocol she would have collared them herself, but seeing as she would likely be a damane it wouldn't have been allowed. Still, Calia would relish the day these Towers fell to the Ever Victorious Army. Until then she would allow the Aes Sedai to think she was giving in, Light knew that she had received, and still did receive, enough punishment for her unwillingness to conform to their standards. Right now she would watch the Soldier who stood across from her weave the shield. Still, she was mildly surprised when she felt the weave of Spirit fall over her and cut her off from access to saidar. As much as she hated to admit it, Calia was growing accustomed to the Source being with in her reach so attempting to embrace only to run headlong into and invisible wall between her and the sweetness of the Power was uncomfortable, to put it mildly.

Still scowling, Calia glared daggers at the Soldier who was still holding the weave until she finally dropped it. What had she been trying to prove by holding it so long when she already knew that Calia couldn't reach saidar? Once she saw the glowing halo of saidar disappear from around the young Soldier, Calia embraced the Source herself, and resisting smiling as what little she could draw flooded her. Light send that the girl didn't try anything foolish while Calia wove. Drawing on strands of Spirit, Calia laid out the net-like weave carefully and blunted the edges, leaving them soft and fuzzy so as not to sever the Soldier. Briefly, knowing the whole time it was something the Aes Sedai would discourage and doing it simply because she knew that one fact, Calia allowed herself to check the strength of the Soldier, realizing in an instant that the girl far surpassed her. Then she laid the completed shield over the girl, knowing that if she had been holding the Power she would have stood no chance of cutting her off. For that matter, Calia realized as she felt the gentle probing against the weave that if the Soldier had thrown her full power into it she would have shattered the pitiful thing that was her shield. Irritation at that fact tugged at Calia's mind until firmly put down. What did she care that she could barely channel enough to make it through novice lessons? She didn't, and that was that.

As Sloane and Ronan drew the group back into a loose group, Calia allowed the Power to flow out of her with reluctance. She might not like what she was, but just holding the Source was exhilarating. "Now we will move on to slicing weaves, a very useful weave whether you're in the White Tower or Black." Raising an eyebrow skeptically Calia had to wonder if Sloane had known about that lesson of Teli's. She had taught this weave as well, so Calia was able to again let her attention wander as Aes Sedai and Asha'man explained the weave. Or rather, as Sloane explained the weave; Ronan seemed to feel that was beneath her. "Back into your pairs to practice." Sloane announced once the demonstration was finished, "Accepted and Dedicated, when you pair up, we'd like you to gather in groups of four; one female pair and one male pair. Once you've sliced the weaves you can see, you will move on to those you cannot. Any questions, just put your hand up, we'll be right there."

Looking to the pale haired Soldier again Calia frowned and resisted an urge yell at the girl. She was just so full of herself, thinking she was better simply because Calia was a novice. She didn't even have the sense to fear a Seanchan, and a sul'dam at that! As the glow enveloped the Soldier, Calia allowed herself to open to the Power despite how tired she was quickly becoming. Weaves on such a large scale were rather taxing for her. Waiting silently to see what the Soldier would weave, Calia drew out strands of Spirit knowing she would need them. As she saw the shield begin to form, she wove a knife shaped blade, blunting one edge and honing the other to razor sharpness. She supposed it was easier for her because she had done this before in a lesson, so when the shield came at her she was ready. Her blade cut into to, eventually snapping the flows with a good deal more effort that she had thought would be necessary. Still, Calia smirked in satisfaction as she witnessed the flows recoil back into the Soldier. Served her right for the way she acted.

Weaving her own shield, Calia waited until she saw the Soldier had finished her blade before attempting to settle the weave over her. The Soldier's Spirit blade cut through Calia's shield like a hot knife through butter, proving just how much above her in strength this girl stood. The flows of Spirit recoiled sharply, physically forcing Calia backward to maintain her balance. The former sul'dam had to wonder – and not for the first time, though she'd never admit it – what it was like to have such strength in the Power. However, in that moment something else did happen for the first time. A seed of envy bloomed in Calia before she had a chance to crush it.