Fanfic:Aric's Great Stair

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Aric's Great Stair
Author(s)
  • Eric Robins
Character(s)
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Finding the Master of soldiers standing outside his door with a stern expression on his face had been quite unnerving, and the long and silent trip up through the Tower had been quite nerve-racking for Aric. He tried to maintain an Asha'man's composure, but he didn't think it was working too well. Finally they reached a huge, iron bound, oaken door that opened without any sign of being pushed. As they passed through the blacksmith in Aric couldn't help but admire the fine craftsmanship, but when he saw what lay within the gigantic room all thoughts of metal and woodworking were dashed from his mind. There lay a seven-stepped staircase topped with a pedestal. Patterned in the colors of the seven ajahs, one for each. Joy exploded within him. He was going to be tested!

He forced the jubilation off of his face and assumed what he hoped was serene composure as the Master of soldiers turned to him and said, "Are you ready to be tested?"

Aric gulped slightly and said, "Under the light, I am ready."

The man continued his precise, well practiced speech, "The light atop the pedestal is a ward which contains the Oath Rod. To become an Asha'man of the Grey Tower, you must speak the Three Oaths while holding the Oath Rod and channeling a thread of Spirit into it." Aric's eyes flicked up to the pedestal, within the glowing light he could just make out the rotating form of the oath rod.

Again he continued, "The ward which holds the Rod will only open for one who has passed the Great Stair. You will find yourself tested at each step, and there is no turning back once you have begun. The tests are varied; they will challenge your courage, your wits, and your ability to channel. Hold tight to your resolve, Dedicated, and may the Light watch over you."

The man departed the room, leaving Aric alone with what would decide his future. He walked forward and nervously stepped onto the bottom step. The bright yellow stone block and the two yellow torches on the side remained as the rest of the world faded into blackness.

The Yellow Ajah

The world resolved itself into a sunlit meadow full of flowers; the stone and torches were definitely out of place. "HELP!" Cried a voice, Aric's head snapped up to see a young woman waving frantically at him. The stone beneath his feet turned into a large rectangular patch of bright yellow flowers and the flames dissolved into two clouds of yellow butterflies that swirled up into the sky. The woman hurried closer, "It's my son, he was climbing in a tree and he fell. He's hurt! Please do something."

The woman dashed off and Aric ran after her. Soon they arrived at a large oak tree; beneath it a young boy lay against its roots. One of his legs was jutting at an unnatural angle. Kneeling next to him Aric seized the Power and delved him, that was pretty much the extent of his talent with Healing. The boy's leg was broken of course, and he also had a fractured rib, but that was it. Aric quickly reached up and snapped two relatively straight branches off the tree, he did his best to set the boys keg, and then bound it between the two branches with strips torn from his coat.

He got up and let out a piercing whistle. Soon his horse appeared over a hilltop and galloped toward them, he had let her wander free for a bit knowing he could call her back at a moments notice. When she arrived he vaulted into Mahdi's saddle, pulled the woman up behind him, and gently lifted the boy on flows of Air. A look of understanding and horror came over the woman's face, but he smiled encouragingly at her and asked her where her village was. Hopefully she wouldn't make a fuss. He set Mahdi off at a gallop in the direction the woman indicated. A short time later they came trotting into the outskirts of a small little town, he now held the boy in his arms so as not to scare the townsfolk. He turned around and said, "Where is your Seeker?" At the blank look he continued, "Wisdom, Wise Woman, Reader, herb women." She pointed again and he set Mahdi going.

He took the boy into the house indicated and set him down on the bed. An old woman emerged from a back room demanding to know what was going on. He quickly explained what had happened and the boys condition, and as the woman nodded and approached the boy...the world faded to black.

In the blackness a green stone with two green torches appeared, he remembered the Master of Soldiers words about not turning back and stepped onto it.

The Green Ajah

He found himself striding along a long green runner in a castle corridor, the two flames turned into large green vases that appeared in alcoves and disappeared behind them. Aric turned to the elderly lord of San Dafor. He had come here to study a few Power Wrought items that had turned up in their cellars when Trollocs attacked. Lord Aelrin spoke up, "It looks bad," he admitted, scowling. "We've stood off raids before, but never so many Trollocs at once - and the Myrdraal will be pushing them on. We don't have men enough to meet them in the field, and they don't dare pass us by lest we hit them from behind. When the siege begins, what can you do to help us?"

Even as Aric began speaking they emerged onto one of the Castle walls and his words faded as a whistling noise pierced their senses. A huge crash echoed as a gigantic boulder smashed into one of the outer towers. It was immediately followed by another piercing noise, but before that boulder could strike Aric seized the Power and lashed out with flows of Earth. The entire thing disintegrated into a huge cloud of dust.

Aelrin was about to speak, but Aric cut him off. "I can not use the Power as a weapon, even against ShadowSpawn, it is part of my Channeling Bar." At the confused look on the man's face he growled and continued, "Never mind, I need to get to the highest point in the keep so that I can see the boulders, only then can I dissolve them." Aelrin himself motioned for him to follow, and he did.

For several hours he stood on that Tower, destroying any boulders that got near the fortress. He even was able to use Earth to affect the Trolloc arrows, although those were much harder. Eventually he spotted a Myrdrall among the black horde surrounding the castle, and then another. The Trolloc siege engines seemed to have slowed so Aric ran as fast as he could down to the battlements. Once there he strung his Heron Mark bow and knocked an arrow. He managed to find the Myrdraal again and took aim. His arrow streaked down and hit the Myrdraal right in the throat. Two more quickly followed, and soon the thing was thrashing on the ground with what looked like half a fist of Trollocs. Thrice more he repeated the process, locate the Myrdraal and slay, and each time more Trollocs went down.

Soon a flood of Trollocs was running away from the keep, a small band led by a Myrdraal he couldn't locate continued to besiege the gates, but the forces of San Dafor could handle them. Aelrin stepped up to thank him, but as his mouth opened blackness enveloped everything.

A blue step and torches appeared. Aric stepped onto it.

The Blue Ajah

He was sitting on a bright blue bench, and he could see the blue sky through two windows to either side of him. The bench was in an Inn, rowdy and busy, even at this hour. "Can I get you something?" asked a servant-girl: young, weary, and dirty. Aric placed his order, and as she started to move away he saw the ugly purple discoloration of a bruise on her arm. "Are you well?" he asked.

Her eyes darted away towards the burly innkeeper. "It's nothing," she said, and hurried away. The innkeeper scowled at Aric, said something sharp to the girl as she delivered his order. He looked around and saw that she was not the only one; all of the serving girls looked to be in similiar condition, aging before their time. Aric thought about what he could do. If he tried to interfere they could all end up on the streets, but if he didn't, they would continue to be beaten.

An idea struck him, he would have to leave the city, 'Caemlyn' he thought, 'Of course I'm in Caemlyn you knew that already' or at least disguise himself until he found what he was looking for. But that was a small price to pay for making these girl's lives better. Getting up he walked over to the innkeeper and spoke, "You know I don't think the Queen's Guards would take very kindly to you." The man glared at him and puffed himself up, but before he could speak Aric threw back his cloak revealing his Black coat and the pins that adorned the collar. The man paled, he obviously thought Aric was from the Black Tower, whose residents were much more violent than Grey tower Asha'man, and if it helped achieve his goal he wasn't going to disabuse him of that notion. "I have ways of watching you sir, and if you harm anyone ever again...I will know."

With that Aric whirled around and left the Innkeeper transfixed. He didn't blame him, he had tried to strike the fear of the Light into him, and he hoped it had worked. On his way out he took one of the serving girls aside and gave her a ter'angreal that he had been going to give to one of his Eyes and Ears. All she had to do was press it in a certain manner, and it would set off a corresponding ter'angreal back in his office in the Grey Tower. After doing so, and comforting the grateful serving girl, he left the Inn, but as he stepped out the door all he saw was black.

The Indigo step and torches appeared before him. Smiling, he stepped onto it.

The Indigo Ajah

Aric found himself in a dark street in what appeared to be a decent sized village. And the village was celebrating something if the two purple lanterns hanging to either side of the street was any indication. He turned to the man sharing the purple lantern lit patch of ground with him and listened as he spoke, "If you are...what you say you are...perhaps you can help us. Something has been happening to my younger brother, ever since he got lost for a bit on that hunting expedition he has been talking about having weird dreams and...his eyes...come on and I'll show you." Ever the curious Indigo Aric followed until they came upon a small house in a part of the town that had no decorations at all. The Dragon's Fang scrawled on the door was probably the reason for that.

The young man showed him into one of the rooms, inside there was a boy of about 14 winters lying on his bed. The boy was writhing about, as if he was having bad dreams. His older brother approached him and gently shook him to wake him up. Both he and Aric leaped back as the boy sat up with a snarl on his face, the boy's eyes had snapped open as well. They were bright gold.

Due to the horrified look on his face and the words, 'I'm sorry' that he was mouthing he must have recognized his brother, who immediately rushed forward and hugged him. Aric took out his notebook and he began to speak as he wrote, "You have been this way since you got lost on a hunting expedition?" They both nodded, "Did you encounter wolves young sir?" a reluctant nod. Aric sighed, "I'm afraid your brother is what we call Wolfkin. It is very rare. He can talk to wolves, and he can enter what we call the Wolf Dream. It is complicated to explain. I have to go soon, but I will return in less than a week for you. In the meantime you must resist the wolves if they try to contact you. In time you will have to live with them, but I must take you to people who can help you. I will do so when I return." Once he was sure they understood Aric left the house, but as he stepped into the night the black sky rushed in and enveloped everything.

Before him appeared the Brown step, remembering once again the Master of Soldiers words he continues.

The Brown Ajah

Aric walked down the dirt pathway towards the ramshackle little hut, he was standing on a particularly muddy portion of the road, and two large dead bushes were on either side of the road. 'There is something that I would like for you to do,' A distinguished Brown Asha'man had told him weeks ago 'we have reports of an extremely elderly woman in the Black Hills, who is said to have great knowledge of the past. Since you will be passing through that area, we ask that you find this woman, and record what she knows. She may have books or papers that could be added to the library, or she may have her knowledge from some sort of oral tradition. Whatever you find, please do your best to preserve this knowledge.'

He arrived in front of the door and knocked softly, the door appeared about to fall off. "Come in," Aric was surprised at the voice. It was soft, yet strong, not what he expected from a supposedly very old woman. He stepped in to find not at all what he expected, books were everywhere, but it was fairly tidy. And in much nicer condition than the outside of the house. .

His biggest surprise however came when the woman got up and turned around. Her snow-white hair did indeed make her look elderly, but her face...it was an Aes Sedai's face.

Not until he found himself on the ground with the now broken door under him did he realize he had stumbled backwards from shock. Scrambling upright he seized the Power and faced her, the tingling on his arms indicated that she had embraced the source. "I will not harm you Aes Sedai." He saw her eyes flick to his shoulder, then the tension drained out of her face and the tingling on his arms vanished. When she spoke she smiled at him like she was an old friend, "I'm sorry if I frightened you, but I thought you were from the Black Tower until I saw your cord." As comprehension dawned on Aric he released the source, the woman continued, "I am from the Grey Tower as well young man. I am a Brown who retired years ago. Fro your shock I presume you didn't know that I was Aes Sedai, which would make sense considering I stopped corresponding with the Tower a long time ago and moved from my original retirement spot to here. Another Brown's Eyes and Ears probably heard of me..." Aric relaxed and told her of why he had shown up. Fortunately she had actually been intending on sending several manuscripts she had found back to the Tower and he had arrived just as she was finishing the last one.

After having tea with her, and fixing her door as well, Aric set off with the large stack of books in hand. As he turned to wave to the Aes Sedai one last time the familiar void surrounded him.

Out of the blackness appeared the Grey step and torches.

The Grey Ajah

Aric turned from the tiny grey marble balcony with the hideous Gargoyles towards the bickering Andorans and Cairhienin. He was no grey, but he found himself wishing he had knew at least a little of negotiation. When he had passed through this small town on the Erinin the Grey Brother attempting to settle the issues had told him of it and asked him to try, although the fact a Grey was asking an Indigo for help in negotiations was a little discouraging.

The Grey's summation came back to him, "We cannot afford a war between Andor and Cairhien," he had said, "but I've not been able to solve their problem and I've no idea what to do. The heart of the issue is simple: the Andorans are holding six Cairhienin soldiers prisoner. The Andorans claim that the six were engaged in banditry when they were captured, and that they therefore will be tried and punished in accordance with Andoran law. The Cairhienin general claims that such a thing is impossible, and that even if they are guilty they must be tried in a Cairhienin military tribunal. Please, do whatever you can."

As he approached the delegates he cleared his throat loudly, immediately silence fell. Even though Saidin was now clean Asha'man were still feared. "The matter should be simple. We are in Cairhien, which is not Andoran territory." He glared at the Andoran commander to forestall protests. "I don't care if Queen Elayne intends to claim the Sun Throne, the Lord Dragon intends her to have it as well, but until then this is Cairhien, and Andor has no claim on this land. If the banditry was committed against Andorans, then go to Lord Dobraine in Cairhien and ask for his permission to extradite them. I have heard he is a fair man, if you provide proof I'm sure he will grant your request. I think the Lord Dragon himself has instituted laws to deal with this kind of thing, so I don't know why the Ciarhienin here are being so combative considering they are loyal to him. Right General Solaine?" The fat, unctuous, Cairhienin immediately started spouting praises of the Dragon. The Andoran was nodding as if what aric was saying made sense, so as Aric turned away he wasn't surprised when the blackness came.

The blackness was different this time. The light from the White torches seemed to be refracted throughout the void. Ignoring this odd difference Aric stepped forward for the final time.

The White Ajah

Aric turned from the broad, white marble hearth with the large white family crests on the side towards his old friend.

"I do need your advice, old friend." The man before him was tall and lean, still strong despite the white of his hair and the wrinkles on his face. It occurred to him that he know him, that he had known him ever since the Grey Tower sent him to Illian to be his advisor.

"I do have a murderer who claims he should not be hanged. He does claim... that he did hav no choice in the killing, for it did be determined by the Wheel of Time." Donaile drew a breath, and then released it. "Truth be told, I do find myself in a difficult situation. If what he says do be true, then hanging him... It would be like punishing a person who did have a bully put a knife in their hand, grab their wrist, and did use their arm to stab someone. How can you punish someone who did have no choice in what they do? And yet, you do know as well as I that a murderer must be punished for his crime: to do otherwise would destroy all basis for law, justice, and responsibility."

He studied Aric's face as he continued: "The Wheel does weave each of us into the pattern, and the pattern is so set that we can even foretell parts of it, but the law do be built on the idea that people make their own choices and act of their own free will. Tell me old friend, how do I answer this man? How do free will fit into a universe that do be determined in every way by the Wheel of Time?"

Aric thought for a moment before responding, he was no White, but he thought of himself as being logical, if not as much as a White. "This man's argument, it do be self defeating." He had long since assumed an Illianer accent to make his old friend more comfortable. "If it did be the Pattern's will for him to kill the victim, than it did also be the Pattern's will for Illianer law makers to outlaw killing. Therefore the Pattern did dictate the consequence for killing. Also according to his argument, the Pattern does force you to act on the consequences that the Pattern did dictate so even if you did believe in this man's argument, you should feel no guilt as you would do the Pattern's will.

Donaile smiled, and then faded away with the world. Aric found himself once again in the void. The lights he had seen from the Grey Stair were still there, brighter and stronger. They began to merge and grow even larger. Then they swallowed him.

Finish

Aric found himself at the edge of the platform, returned to the room where his journey began . The Great Stair lay behind him now, and a strange feeling filled him, a sense of cleanliness and rebirth and serenity. Ahead of him was a smooth marble pedestal, the smooth length of the Oath Rod floating in a ball of light above it. In the shadows beyond it, nearly obscured by its glow, he saw the M'hael, Daimenin Asha'man, standing beside the Master of Soldiers and the Heads of the Seven Ajahs. He did not know how they came there - the only door was the one you entered through - but it did not matter. The Master of Soldiers stepped forward and began to speak.

"You began your journey alone," he intoned, "but you finish it in the company of Aes Sedai and Asha'man of the Grey Tower. To join their ranks, you must speak the Three Oaths, binding yourself as we all are bound, for the good of the Grey Tower and of the world. Grasp the Rod, channel Spirit, and join our ranks." Aric moved slowly forward, and extended a hand to the Oath Rod. The ball of light flared and came apart, and he felt the wards disperse as his hand closed around the pearly opalescence of the ter'angreal. With the light gone, he could see the faces of the Aes Sedai and Asha'man more clearly. They stood in a half-circle before him, ready to witness his oaths; and they had left a space open in the center, through which he could see the oaths themselves, carved into a plaque on the wall beyond them:

Under the Light, I swear as a member of the Grey Tower to speak no word that is untrue.

Under the Light, I swear as a member of the Grey Tower to make no weapon with which one man may kill another.

Under the Light I swear as a member of the Grey Tower never to use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last defence of my own life, that of my Warder, or that of another brother or sister of the Grey Tower.

Asha'man and Aes Sedai alike watched him patiently, serene and undisturbed. Embracing saidin, he channeled a flow of Spirit into the Oath Rod and carefully said the Three Oaths.

"Under the Light, I, Aric Cosamaru, swear as a member of the Grey Tower to speak no word that is untrue."

"Under the Light, I, Aric Cosamaru, swear as a member of the Grey Tower to make no weapon with which one man may kill another."

"Under the Light I, Aric Cosamaru, swear as a member of the Grey Tower to never to use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last defence of my own life, that of my Warder, or that of another brother or sister of the Grey Tower."

He felt the oaths settle into him, mind and body and spirit, sinking deep into his bones. For a long, strange moment his skin felt tight upon him; then, slowly, it relaxed. He released Saidin and put the Oath Rod carefully - almost reverently - back upon its pedestal.

The Master of Soldiers and the M'hael moved forward then, leaving the Ajah Heads still standing in a half-circle. "Congratulations, Asha'man," said the M'hael, Daimenin Asha'man, regarded you with bright, emerald-green eyes. His words were solemn, but there was the characteristic warmth to his expression. "Well done."

The Master of Soldiers nodded his agreement. "Indeed," he said. His voice took on a ritual tone as he continued, "You find yourself raised to the rank of Asha'man this night, a guardian of the Grey Tower and of this world. One task remains to you yet: you must gain the acceptance of your chosen Ajah, and so take your place among us." Aric nodded, knowing that however difficult it may be, it was nothing beside the tasks he had just completed.

He approached the Ajah heads. His Ajah had chosen you as much as he had chosen it, but the formalities had to be observed. He knelt in front of Lembirt Antii, First Seeker of the Indigo, and said simply, "I wish to join the Indigo Ajah."

The First Seeker coolly inclined his head, and bent slightly to affix the Indigo cord to Aric's shoulder. "Rise, brother," he said simply. The other Ajah heads moved to surround him along with the M'Hael and Master of Soldiers and spoke the ritual words in unison, "The Grey Tower welcomes you."

Aric almost started crying, but that would have been un-Asha'man like, so he just smiled. He had done it.