Anxious Galina paced up and down in her small room. Her initial state of shock at her own actions had waned, while talking to Lilith. But now the woman had gone to the library to finish an assignment. In fact Galina still had her own tasks to worry about, but in face of her actions, those seemed like the least of her challenges.
At first she had been confident. But then Lilith had told her some stories of women who tried to progress faster than the Aes Sedai thought suitable. Most of them where severely punished, others died at the hands of their own hubris. At least the first option seemed quite likely at the moment.
The woman stopped herself in the middle of her pacing, ripping off that train of thought. Worrying would accomplish nothing. She had to prepare. For punishment and for success. Her mind raced to find the optimal way. Word had to get out, if something was to happen to her. So she sat down at her desk and started penning a letter to her mother in Cairhien and one to Asmodeos. That ratchet man was the reason for her conundrum in the first place. But she gave her best to keep that out of her words. It would probably give him satisfaction to know about her struggles.
Those two letters, she brought to Liliths room, so the Accepted could send them, when Galina was incapacitated, and the case of her being tested occurred.
Then she sat down on the bed once more and embraced Saidar. And once again began to create the weaves required for the test.
This time she did her best to not get distracted by memories of the Dragonlands. Still once in a while images of herself standing in the circle with Asmodeos flashed in front of her inner eye, straining her concentration.
This flaming man... how could he enthrall her in such a way? Judging by all she had seen and experienced, he was way worse than Cassius. And she had rejected him as a Master, on grounds of being morally questionable.
But she had been another person back then, a child that thought everyone who did not serve the shadow openly, was a good and hones person.
She had learned the hard way, that even among those who seemed to serve the light, danger lurked.
Danger, that she had to overcome, but only if she got stronger, more powerful.
Now there was this mage, that had her have a taste of the power she longed for so dearly. The power enabling her, to fend off anyone who tried to toy with her, make her do his bidding. And he was possibly one of the worst beings she ever had encountered...
The door of the room slammed open. Galina lost the strand of Air she was just weaving and her net of Saidar collapsed, producing a thunderclap.
Lilith stood in the door, face pale and worried, hands pressed on her ears. Galina had jumped up at the intrusion and now heard a loud ringing in her ears, the aftermath of the sound her failed weave had produce. „What in the Light‘s name?“ her own voice seemed far away and dull through her battered eardrums. „Galina!“ Lilith panted. „I saw Erelle at the door of the quarters. Wearing her shawl.“ Dumbfounded, Galina sat back down on the bed. It seemed like her wish would be fulfilled.
Galina sat as straight as possible on her bed, as Erelle filled out the doorframe. Lilith stood beside the door an bobbed a quick courtesy. The grey sister did in fact wear her shawl and her face was solemn.
„Galina Damodred, you are summoned to be tested for the shawl of an Aes Sedai. The Light keep you whole and see you safe.“
Slowly, her face a mask of serenity, Galina got up from her bed, ringing ears forgotten. Meanwhile her heart was fluttering like a little bird, trying to burst out of her chest. One last time, she looked at Lilith, who seemed almost as nervous as she herself was. Then she followed Erelle trough the door onto the balcony of her floor in the quarters.
Other Accepted watched in silence as they passed by. Some with an expression of awe, others with envy. The few among them who where smart, watched with worry.
The Test could kill a woman. Just like the the Test for Accepted could. Galina had nearly given in to it’s mirage, as she went through the third Arch.
If the Test for the shawl was anything like the first test, there was a good chance, she could be lead astray.
The second thoughts seemed to crush her now, but she did not break her outward calme. Only as they left the quarters and no one could see her, she allowed herself to swallow hard.
Like at her first Test, she was lead into the Tower‘s basement. Their steps echoed in the large empty hallway, illumined by lamp light, as the Mistress of Novices brought her to a grand doorway.
With the help of the power, it swung open and revealed a round hall, walls made out of shining white marble.
In the middle stood an oval-shaped Ter’angreal, it’s color seemed to shift in the lamp light. Around the artifact stood seven sisters, one from each Ajah. All with their shawls draped around their shoulders. Galina recognized only two of them, Leane Sharif of the Green Ajah, who had overseen her training, before things happened and Antonia Yosipa Radimiri of the Red Ajah. After her return, the woman had pressed her the hardest about what she had been through and on the people she had met. As Galinas gaze lingered on the blonde woman she met it with a steelblue stare for an instant. For just a glimpse, she seemed to make out approval in the Domani‘s eyes.
„You come in ignorance, Galina Damodred.“ Erelles Voice sounded through the room, as the yellow and the blue sister closed the circle behind them and the door swung close.
„How would you depart?“
„In knowledge of myself.“ Galina recited the ancient text.
„For what reason have you been summoned here?“
„To be tried.“
„For what reason should you be tried?“
„So that I may learn whether I am worthy.“
„For what would you be found worthy?“
„To wear the shawl.“
With the exchange ended, Galina started to unlace her banded dress. She folded it and laid it in front of her on the marble floor. The shift came off next, then her shoes and stockings. Cold crept up from the stone beneath her bare feet, as she took off her Great Serpent Ring. The last thing she removed with great reluctance, was the eyepatch covering up her infested wound.
Erelle embraced the power and wove a quick weave. A sixpointed star appeared in front of her in the marble.
Antonia had stepped up to her, also holding Saidar. She too wove a weave and placed it on to Galina. „Remember What must be remembered.“
Then Erelle explained: „During the Test you will encounter this symbol. The first time you see it, you will walk to it without haste and without falling behind, then weave the weave required.“
The Red sister repeated the weave and her words. „Remember, what must be remembered.“
„The second time you see it, you will go to it at once. Again without haste or falling behind. A failure to do so, will mean your failure in the test. If you loose your serenity or break your calme, you will also not pass“
A third time Antonia wove and spoke the words.
„If you fail, you will be sent away from the Tower, not allowed to ever return and expected to lead a quiet life.“
At that Galina suppressed the urge to chuckle. If she did not pass the Test, she still had a place to go to. A sudden realization , that made her relax a bit. Potentia wound always have a place for her. But if certainly would be not quiet life.
„Remember what must be remembered.“
A fourth and last time, the red sisters weave settled into Galina.
She then turned to face the artifact. Whatever happened in there, if she failed or passed, even if she died, it was the will of the Wheel, the will of the Black Dragon.
With that notion giving her confidence, she walked towards the oval.
Antonia had returned to her place in the circle. Galina could see and feel the Power being woven by the sisters, channeled into the Ter‘angreal. The center now turned into a bright white, that seemed to suck in light from the room.
Curiously, for the first time, the Accepted could see what Andalee had meant with stating that Light was closer to total stagnation than darkness. A reluctance came up to approach the light any further, but she crushed it with determination.
She would take this Test and not even the Light could stop her now.










