Fiera sat in her novice box in only her shift and stockings, a book on the Time of Madness dangling precariously from her fingers over the edge of her bed. She should be studying. She had work to do. She even found the subject matter interesting. She was just bored, tired. She wanted to be out in the city, she wanted to be doing something!

Her door swung open without so much as a knock which ment one thing, an Aes Sedai. Swinging quickly off her bed she dropped into a low curtsey not even bothering to find out who it was first. It didn't really matter who it was. Only after murmuring "Aes Sedai." did she look up into the eyes of Kristal Sedai. She racked her brain for whatever she could possibly have done wrong to merit a visit from the Mistress of Novices but came up blank.

"It is time for your testing," she intoned, "Come with me." Fiera scrambled to follow to dazed to ask anything. Just before she left her room she suddenly realized what she was wearing, or more to the point what she was not. "Kristal Sedai... I'm not..." she gestured to her frame. The woman seemed to think about it. "It does not matter. There should be no novices about this late and you won't even be that robed for long."

She stopped seeking for a familiar sight after a mere five minutes. She doubted she could even give someone directions back to her own room. Or even find it for herself.

They wound their way deeper and deeper into the core of the Tower until they finally came to a set of massive stone doors. The door swung open at a light touch from Kristal Sedai and she was led into a vast, vaulted chamber. Within the first thing that drew her attention was the huge ter'angreal. There were three Aes Sedai seated at the joining points of the massive arches each wearing their fringed shawls, White, Green and Yellow. She didn't recognize them by face but perhaps that was a good thing. Then Kristal Sedai was speaking to her, "You have three chances to go through the testing. But if you refuse a third time you shall be put out of the Tower and never allowed back."

"I understand, I do not refuse Kristal Sedai."

"Good, now I shall tell you two things no woman hears until she stands here: Once begun, you must continue. If you do not, you will be expelled from the Tower. Two, there is danger involved in this. Some women have gone in and never come out. When the ter'angreal was allowed to grow quiet they were. Not. There." Here she paused, letting the space draw out and her words sink in. "Do you accept child?"

Fiera found her mind had gone calm, much like it did when she trained or fought. "I accept. Kristal Sedai." She replied calmly.

"Good. Now remove your clothes" Fiera obediently removed her shift, stockings and small clothes and unbound her black curls, which now tumbled softly to her knees.

"Whom do you bring with you, Sister?" asked one of the Aes Sedai in a cold, formal voice.

"One who comes as a candidate for Acceptance, Sister," replied Kristal firmly, confidently.

"Is she ready?"

"She is prepared to leave behind who she was, and, passing through her fears, gain Acceptance."

"Does she know her fears?"

"She has never faced them--but now is ready."

"Then let her face them now," intoned the Aes Sedai.

Then the Mistress turned to her "The first time is for what was. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast

And Fiera stepped into the light.

Fiera spun quickly, searching for the source of the voice, but found no one. She unconsciously stroked at the soft fabric of her dark gray skirts. Skirts? Wasn't I just naked? She shook her head. Don't be ridiculous! Why would you be naked out of doors? Especially going to meet Brohm? She sighed happily at that, and paused on her way to the smithy to pin her skirt up higher to reveal petticoats to midway up her thigh.

She glided through the entry of the old smith, following the sounds of hammer on iron to her fiancŽ. She traced little circles dreamily on the soft choker around her neck as she watched her love pounding at the forge. She waited until he had doused whatever it was he was working on. Startling a man at work in a forge could be might dangerous. "Now, Brohm!" she interjected before he could heat the metal again. You promised we could go to the festival and here it is. Nearly seven and you no where near ready. What's a lady to do?" she swooned melodramatically into his arms.

He gathered her to him and kissed her thoroughly. "Forgive me, love?" he asked softly.

"Always." She replied her gray eyes dreamy. She slapped playfully at his arms. "Now let me go, you brute! You're getting my dress all covered in ash!" she complained jokingly. He laughed and kissed her once more before going to put away his tools and hang up his leather apron.

She heard the massive creaking as the whole building swayed. She saw the hairline stress cracks run up through the walls and begin to spread. She saw the support beam bend and crack. She saw it all in the instant before in all collapsed in, drowning out her screams of denial and warning.

She choked and coughed at the huge clouds of dust that billowed up and out from the massive pile of debris. She struggled forward through sometimes knee-deep build-ups and blockages as she began digging desperately through the waste searching for a sign of life.

Something flickered off to her right. A silvery arch stood glowing, and she knew, without knowing how she knew that she needed to go through that arch. "No!" she screamed at the doorway, "I won't leave him" Be steadfast. Whispered a voice.

Sobbing desperately she threw herself through the arch, crying out, "Forgive me, love! Forgive -

- me?" she stumbled back into the cold chamber.

Cold water surged over her face from the chalice upended over her head "You are washed clean of what sin you may have done, and of those done against you," intoned the Grey shawled Aes Sedai who still held the now empty chalice. "You are washed clean of what crime you may have committed, and of those done against you. You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."

But already her mind was growing quiet again and the thought came to her that this was indeed a battle, if not one of fists and steel.

"Are you prepared to continue?" Fiera nodded silently in response to Kristal Sedai.

"The second arch is for what is. Be steadfast. The way back will come but once."

Fiera shook off the slight doze she'd been slipping into and glared at the two officials sitting across from her in the carriage. This was no mission for a Green! What was she even doing here? But of course she knew the answer. Since the war between Andor and Cairhien all the Grey's were occupied with more important matters than a whining minor Andoran Lord. Even most of the Blues who were skilled in this realm were on more important calls.

So Fiera Elothan of the Green Ajah was sent out, truly as a last resort. She was just now on her way to the manor house of Lord Galin Darsane, a minor noble of a minor house. Hardly worth the effort of appeasing. Hardly, except that he had managed to get his hands on some information that was keeping a very major house under his thumb.

Finally the rickety carriage pulled up a short drive to the "manor" house. She slipped gracefully out of the carriage and started up the stairs to the door. A serving woman made as if to stop her but one good look at her face had her backing off quickly enough. Once in side one quick, barked question to a woman had her headed up the stairs in search of the "Lord's" study.

A few more questions had her at his door, throwing open without even a by your leave. "Lord Galin." She said coldly.

"Fiera Sedai." He replied trying hard to cover his outrage. "I did not think we had set up a meeting for-"

"We had not. But it has been nearly two weeks and the situation is such that I can no longer wait to carry this out at your convenience." She said snapping every word like a whip. "If you thinkÑ" her words cut off as she registered the presence of another woman in the room with the cowl of her hood pulled far up to hide her face. A woman who could channel! Just as the thought registered that this woman must indeed be dangerous, she felt a shield slide firmly into place. But the woman had not embraced the Source. Which was when an unknown man stepped into the room, also hooded. Grinning like a mad man. Saidin, then.

"I don't know what possible good you think kidnapping me is going to do you. I have no power in Andor," she said coolly, still with a hint of a whip crack to it.

"You are but a pawn my dear." Squealed the rat-like little Lord. "The Amyrlin Seat is the real prize!" the woman who could channel struck him at that and as her palm connected with his fleshy cheek Fiera couldn't help but notice the familiar golden glinting. The Black Ajah. She thought angrily.

"Fortune prick me! You do be more of a fool than I did think!" raged the woman in a thick, Illianer accent. "Tell her nothing!"

The man was actually pouting! "She can do no harm now. What difference does it make if she knows we're going to assasi-" she struck him again, full in the mouth.

The man who must have been an Asha'man of the Black Ajah went down gurgling as one of Fiera's throwing knives struck with a sickening thunk in his neck. The woman tried frantically to shield her, but was much weaker than Fiera herself and she quickly sliced through the other woman's link to the source.

Fiera dove through the open window, thanking the Light that the second floor should barely be classified as a second floor, the ceiling of the first floor was so low. She hit the ground tucked and rolled and took off in flight of the man's unnaturally swollen rank of personal guards. At least she was better suited to this piece of work than a Grey would have been.

Suddenly, directly in her path stood a shining silver arch. The way back... "Burn me, no!" ...but once... Throwing out every vile curse she could think of she stormed back through the glistening arch.

Glaring at everyone in the room but refusing to say anything she waited while the ceremony was gone through with. "You are washed clean of false pride. You are washed clean of false ambition. "You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul," intoned the woman blandly. As the water from the chalice poured over her the strange calm returned to her.

"Are you ready to continue?"

"I am ready." She replied softly

"The third arch is for what will be. The way back will come but once, be steadfast."

And she stepped once more into the glow.

Fiera Elothan, Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah spun quickly in her comfortable chair to face the window. There was no one in her rooms but she was sure she'd heard something. Turning back around with a little shrug she returned to reading her book.

Again! There it was. She glanced up to find her long time friend Jisandra standing in the doorway, which Fiera had earlier thrown open to keep the room cool in the summer heat. "Jisa, dear!" she exclaimed. "It's so very good to see you, come in come in." But Jisa stood solidly by the door.

"Jisa I-" ...but once... "What was that Jisa?"

Her friend smiled sadly, "I didn't say anything, Era." She moved slowly into the room, a smile forced on to her face, held on by sheer will power.

"Jisa, I don't understand." Through the door she spotted the tiny frame of her former protegee and now good friend, Farren, slumped in a chair weeping on the shoulder of another, unknown Sister. "What's wrong with Farren? What's happened?"

Jisandra hushed her softly, "It's all right Era." Forcing the smile a little more she tried for a jovial tone, "Era, why don't you just come with me?"

"Jisa! I'm not going anywhere until some one tells me what in the bloodied name of the Light is going on?"

...once...steadfast...

Fiera's head whipped around in search of the illusive source of noise. When she turned back to her friend she was horrified to see tears rolling down Jisandra's cheeks. Jisandra, who had cried twice, maybe three times at the most in the ten years she'd known her. "Era, sweetling... We know its back."

"No... NO!" the first denial was whispered in shock, the second was a vehement refusal. "Jisa you can't believe it? I'm not mad! I'm not!"

"Era, please? We need to do this. The Power isn't safe in you, not when you're like this." Oh Light! They were going to still her!

"Shut up, shut up. SHUT UP!" she screamed, clamping her hands over her ears, shaking her head in disbelief. Standing slowly, she spun in a full circle, surveying her room. Her happy life. Crumbling.

Her window, it was no longer the window, it was a glowing silvery arch. Be steadfast.

"Era please...?" Jisa was entreating her, two red shawled Sister's had entered her rooms. She backed slowly away. Slowly towards the arch. "Era, please, come here, come away from the window." Jisa's hand was stretched out in an offering of safety.

"I'm sorry, Jisa... tell Farren, I'm sorry..."

"Era please?"

As her heels brushed the edge of the arch she sobbed once and screamed. She screamed her heart sickness, her fear, and her pain. She screamed and she stepped back.

She passed out of the glow, back into the vaulted chamber, but the screams wouldn't stop. With her back still to the room, staring still at the empty arch she screamed. She didn't know how long she screamed but when she stopped, the final chalice had already been upended over her head.

Kristal Sedai was kneeling beside her collapsed form, "Come now, the Mother is here."

She turned and indeed there was the Amyrlin Seat, holding the final, now empty chalice.

She numbly, spun to face the woman, kneeling before the Mother, "You are washed clean of Fiera Elothan of Altara. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul. You are now Fiera Elothan, Accepted of the White Tower." And then she was sliding the Great Serpent Ring onto her finger. Drawing Fiera to her feet and into a light, formal, embrace. "You are sealed to us now."