All the girls at the table laughed and Sephann shared a smile with Madienne, knowing how much the other Accepted disliked the woman. In fact she half suspected Madienne was responsible, but had kept that to herself. Her friend would tell her if she was; she wouldn’t be able to keep a wonderful secret like that for long.

“Sephann Paeron,” said a voice behind her.

Without hesitation Sephann rose and curtsied. “Yes, Aes Sedai,” she said formally.

“You are summoned to be tested for the shawl of an Aes Sedai. The Light keep you whole and see you safe.”

In an instant the remaining snickers and smiles vanished and the blood drained from Sephann’s face. Tested? Now? But she wasn’t ready. She’d been practicing, Madienne had helped her and so had Terecy. Truthfully they knew better than anyone how to set her ill at ease, and Lacy had thrown in her own variety of distractions, but she still wasn’t ready. Her control was better, but she faltered sometimes, or grew tired too easily. She was too weak for Aes Sedai, didn’t they know that? Light she’d thought she’d just be an Accepted forever, perhaps eventually put out of the Tower. She was to be tested? Now?

“Yes, Aes Sedai,” she said weakly, and felt Madienne squeeze her hand lightly. Was this to be like the arches? What if she didn’t come back? But she had no choice now, she’d been summoned. Sephann cast a weak, almost terrified glance back at her friend. Even if she passed, what would happen to her friendship with Madienne? There was nothing she could do though, but hope and continue on. She followed the Mistress of Novices out.

Sephann followed the Aes Sedai through the dark corridors of the Tower, past unmarked and unfamiliar doors, into parts of the Tower she’d never known existed. She fought the fear that welled inside her, the questions, the anxiety, trying to let none of it take hold of her. Women had been taking and passing this test for centuries. She would be no different. How many have failed? asked a small voice and she shoved it away. She had defeated the arches, this she could defeat as well. But the weaves terrified her. She may have been everything else required of an Aes Sedai, but she was weak beyond all imagining. Even the some of the strongest angreal couldn’t bring her up to match some of the others. She knew the weaves to perform; so long as she did not become tired she would be okay. They wouldn’t test you if they didn’t think you had a chance. How small of a chance?

The Mistress of Novices stopped in front of a large set of double doors, flows of air pushing them open easily. Within the room stood seven Aes Sedai, each shawled for their seven Ajahs. And at their center, an oval ring, glittering, flickering and changing colour in the light. Another ter’angreal, another test. Light, was it possible for her to lose herself within this one too? What awaited her that required such vicious and brutal training? Why couldn’t she make the fear go away?

“Attend,” the Aes Sedai said. “You come in ignorance, Sephann Paeron. How would you depart?” No compassion, no support, just formality and authority. Would anyone else care when she was gone? Not when, if.

“In knowledge of myself,” she replied formally, skimming the faces of the sisters. Lacy was among them. That could be good and bad. And Terecy too. And Alainn. So many allies, so much to lose. They wouldn’t go easy on her because they knew her. Even Alainn who had so must invested in her, would not budge an inch. If anything the three of them would probably be harder on her than any others.

“For what reason have you been summoned here?”

“To be tried,” she sounded calmer than she felt. That was a good thing, wasn’t it?

“For what reason should you be tried?”

“So that I may learn whether I am worthy.” Light, but she wasn’t ready for this. The room felt cold, they all looked cold. She wasn’t ready.

“For what would you be found worthy?”

“To wear the shawl.” The words found their way from her mouth without permission or thought. She knew what needed to be said and said it. There was no other choice. Just as automatically she began to remove her garments. For a brief moment she wished Madienne was there, to provide some comfort. But no, her friend was above with the other Accepted, wondering what had become of Sephann and when their turn would come.

“Therefore I will instruct you. You will see this sign upon the ground.” She channelled, revealing a six pointed star of fire.

“Remember what must be remembered,” a soft voice said and Sephann felt the distant touch of a weave. There was more. Of course there’s more. Light, she wasn’t ready!

“When you see that sign, you will go to it immediately, at a steady pace, neither hurrying nor hanging back, and only then may you embrace the Power. The weaving required must begin immediately, and you may not leave the sign until it is complete.”

“Remember what must be remembered,” said the voice.

“One hundred times you will weave, in the order you have been given and in perfect composure.

“Remember what must be remembered.”

She felt the weave, whatever it was, settle over her. The Aes Sedai knelt on the floor in their circle and began to channel, causing the oval to spin and the colours to blur beautifully. Fear tickled at Sephan, fear and doubt. You have to be composed, she reminded herself. There was no room for faltering. If she so much as flickered the shawl would be lost. She could feel all the fear and apprehension she wanted, so long as it never showed. She calmed her face, forcing it to composure, fairly sure she was about to find out whey Aes Sedai were so good at controlling their emotions. She pushed the fear away. It had no place here, not now. She would pass… she would. She carefully removed the last, her ring and set it on top. It was hers, would always be hers. They couldn’t take that away from her. She wouldn’t let them.

As the oval turned into a sheet of white, Sephann slowly made her way forward. White, she wondered, a coincidence, or white for the Ajah she had chosen should she succeed. It didn’t matter, nothing did, only the weaves and her composure. It would all be here for her when she finished. And she would succeed. She stepped into whiteness.

She stood in her bedroom, clad only in her shift. The window was open, a cool breeze caressing her exposed skin. The silk curtains blew softly in the wind, one of them grazing her hand. The room was as elegant and rich as it had always been, with fine coverings on the floor and walls, porcelain and fine stained wood, gold trim and simply elegant patterns. This room was destroyed, she thought distantly. But it couldn’t have been. It was here.

There was a rough knock at the door and it opened without her call. Amana stormed in, looking angry and viciously beautiful in her red gown. “Still a bed?” the girl hissed. “I ought to have you whipped like the servant you act like! A waste of space and energy the two of you are. I hardly know why we tolerate you any more.” Beyond her, in the hall she’d entered from Sephann saw it, a six pointed star on the ground. She began to walk.

Amana railed at her, even hit her once or twice. Sephann ignored her and continued to walk. She stepped within the bounds of the star and saidar came to her easily, allowing her to weave a simple boundary of air. She tied it off and looked around. Another star was marked above a door way further down the hall. She walked, leaving her long dead sister behind her, screaming in a most unladylike way.

She stepped through the doorway into whiteness. And again. And again.

Chaos surrounded her. She walked amidst the ruins of a village, screams of terror ringing in her ears. Fires burned all around, buildings crumbled, children sobbed and Trollocs ran rampant through the streets. She walked forward, amidst the horde, towards the star she’d spotted not long ago. People pulled at her clothes, begged her for help. Trollocs swarmed her, but she avoided them without breaking stride or composure. She moved to her spot, embracing the source and channelling as always, then moving on to the next. The star marked the burning ruins of a building this time and she entered it without hesitation.

Whiteness once more. And again. And again.

Ninety-nine times she’d sought out the star and channelled. Through storms and pain, past prisons and friends a like. As before she’d walked away from all she’d cared about, impartial and distant, always her goal in mind. She’d faced the Black Ajah both as enemy and ally, she’d faced her parents, her worst fears, even her own certain death. Once more and it was done. She need only channel once more.

She stepped out of the whiteness into an empty room, shadowed and lit only by a few torches. There was a single door. She walked towards it with purpose in her step. Once more. The door opened easily and she saw the star in the center of the room. The essence of calm, she strode towards it.

“Sephann,” a voice said softly, weakly.

She did not break her stride, but she saw him out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t move; he just stood there, watching her. His head and body didn’t move, his eyes merely following her every move. It touched her like a deadly chill and she tried to ignore it. It was the second time Ronan had appeared to her. The first had been scandalous to say the least and far more inappropriate than her even earlier encounter with Christian. She could still remember Ronan though, his skin, his hands, things she’d never allowed herself even in her wildest dreams. She’d worked past it, pushed him aside, kisses and all. This time, however, he made no effort to interfere, he just watched her.

Sephann moved to the star and began to channel, sending a small burst of colourful lights into the air. Then she turned, seeking out the final star, the one that would show her the way out, the way home. It burned bright against the door behind him. Sephann began to walk.

“Sephann,” he said again, his voice sounding rasped and distant.

As she walked towards him, she looked at him, looked directly at him and only then did she see it. There was no colour in his skin, life fading from his eyes, only a thin line across his throat. A single thread of air was all it took to strangle someone, to deprive them of breath; a single thread slowly tightening, cutting into the flesh it obstructed. It would take nothing to remove it, little more than a thought. It was a thought she couldn’t spare. She had to continue. She couldn’t falter, couldn’t fail; not even for him.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, calmly, without the slightest tremor in her voice to match those in her soul. She stepped beyond him, smoothly, without hesitation and through the final doorway.

Sephann stepped from whiteness into a dimly lit room, a ter’angreal at her back, seven Sisters surrounding her and the Mistress of Novices before her. The woman clapped her hands loudly. “It is done,” she said. “Let no one ever speak of what has passed here. It is for us to share in silence with she who experienced it. It is done.” And again she clapped. “Sephann Paeron, you will spend tonight in prayer and contemplation of the burdens you will take up on the morrow, when you don the shawl of an Aes Sedai. It is done.” A third clap and she left.

The Aes Sedai came forward one at a time. Sephann was offered Healing for her various scratches, and some kind words. She stood in amazement at her own success nodding dumbly to the women who passed her. Lacy smiled softly and whispered so only she could hear. “I did tell you once that he was an excellent lover,” and Sephann felt the heat creep into her cheeks. For the first time Sephann realised that unlike the arches her visions had not been her own this time. But that… she had never thought of Ronan that way, not without prodding.

Certainly her mind wouldn’t have, unless… She watched Lacy go. Had the sisters been conjuring the images themselves? Terecy had known about her crush on Christian and a million other secrets that were now shared. Light, Lacy knew about it now, too.

She felt a gentle touch on her arm as one of the sisters led her out. And back to the main level. Sephann followed, half in a daze, her mind reeling with all the secrets that had been revealed. Had those encounters with the Black Ajah been Alainn testing her? And who had conjured that last test? Certainly not Lacy, with the way she’d made Sephann blush with a few words. Who else knew about Ronan?

Once released from the Aes Sedai her feet took her back to the main hall, where she and her friends had been talking. She was hungry too; perhaps some food would be good as well. She stepped through the doors and saw that the table was empty except for one. Madienne remained. Sephann smiled softly, crossing the space between them. Tomorrow things would be different, there would be a gap between them again, one bigger than that of an Accepted and a Novice. But they had over come that, and in time would overcome this as well. For tonight, though, they were still both Accepted and friends.