Fanfic:Carraidhin Fanfiction Volume 2

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Carraidhin Fanfiction Volume 2
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It was just a Taste of...

"Are you alright, dear?"

Carra looked up at the cook who had not been beside her a second earlier. Carra could not help but frown although it was not directed at her. Looking in front of her the plate with her dinner had been upturned and spilled on the table and a little on her dress. Instead of jumping up to clean it up Carra was far more concerned over what had just happened.

"What.."

"You spoke.. in an unearthly voice. It was… it was not you speaking." Mistress Laras had a hand on Carra's shoulder and Carra did not push it away. Laras was one of the few that volunteered to come down and cook for her in the kitchens here instead of forcing Carra to collect her meals from the upper floors. It was rare and unique but it also meant that she wasn't entirely alone here and had a second set of eyes, and ‘‘ears. "Stay, I will get you some water." And she moved away to the kitchens behind her to do so.

Carra frowned, closing her eyes and tried to retrace just a moment of what she was doing before, but one minute she had a mouthful of food halfway to her mouth and the next it was no where near her mouth. Where did her fork go?

Mistress Laras returned with a cup and Carra accepted it graciously and thankful. "Thank you, Mistress Laras." She said, knowing the cook would accept no less of a title. Formality was engraven on the woman's bones as the Oaths were engraven on her own. "What.. Do you know what I said?"

The other woman's eyes fell to the ground, shameful and sad. "No, Carraidhin Sedai. I did not. I had not thought to listen and at first thought it was another in the room." Carra remembered then that Laras liked to hum as she worked. Of course she wouldn't have heard much. Carra drank more of the water slowly as she tried to pull her mind back to what could have been but found it blank.

"Nothing? Even a little word, something?" Carra implored carefully.

Laras shook her head. "I'm sorry, Carraidhin Sedai. Was it important?"

"There is no way to know this time. Let us hope it is a warning that will come again another time." Carra spoke with a hopeful tone even if she did not feel it. What this meant was something deeper and darker than she wanted to think about, or know. Her so-called Foretelling talent was growing stronger and stronger. Words of prophecy and events were becoming part of fate and it was finding its way into this world through her.

And she could not control it. It was one thing she despised about the ‘‘gift the most.

"Can I get you anything else, Carraidhin Sedai? More water? Some Ale? perhaps a new plate?" There was guilt in Laras voice, and it made Carra wince inwardly.

"Please, do not feel guilt for my gift, Mistress Laras. And some fire whiskey would be much appreciated." Carra paused and pulled the napkin from the table to pick up the worst in her lap so she didn't scatter it on the floor when she stood. "I will go change. Can you have it for me by the fire?"

"Yes, Carraidhin Sedai."

Don't Bother Knocking

Carra stepped through the gateway and was greeted on the other side by an Aes Sedai, although she wore no shawl. She didn't wear one when she was away from the White Tower any more than Carra would not wear one away from the Grey. It was a strange for the two women to meet under the circumstances but the two Red Aes Sedai had been meeting for a long while and allies of a common order were rare and ruthlessly protected.

"You really should allow me to teach you how to Travel." Maegan said, as Saidar was released and the glow around her faded. "I am strong, but travelling isn't easy for me."

"I appreciate the offer but until the Hall has allowed be to travel on my own or circumstances change then it is better that I don't. They will know by the Oaths I have sworn that I have not followed their rules." Carra gave a shrug as she joined the other Red in the secluded garden. The air was hot and dry, as was typical for summer temperatures, and she half wondered where she was but chose not to ask. Given that the other woman was also Cairhien Carra could guess but no answer would be one that she would like.

Maegan gave a shrug and lead Carra to a shaded area of the garden. It was a large square block that was surrounded by buildings taller than she could see out. There were few ways out and even fewer ways into this little sanctuary so Carra was at least at ease here. The Red had many secrets but there were a few things that Carra was certain that the Indigo Ajah would love to get their hands on. But for now Carra needed the other woman's expertise. Her skills and her weaves.

After all for a time Maegan had served as the Head of the White Tower Red Ajah. If anyone could help her from keeping failing at her momentous tasks it would be Maegan's generosity. As to why, Carra never could get a complete answer from the woman, much to Maegan's inability to get any information about Carra's past. Carra was quite certain that Maegan tried and failed.

"I got your message that you needed to learn some Warding weaves. Were there any in particular?"

"I know all the ones that are taught at an Accepted level, plus how to create a Fire Trap."

"What are your strongest elements?"

"Air and Spirit. Next is Water. I find Fire and Earth equally challenging."

Maegan gave a thoughtful nod. "Then some of these wards will be difficult for you, but as most warding taught an an Aes Sedai level still rely mostly on Air and Spirit it should only be relatively difficult. You are strong, stronger than most, but you are not the the strongest by far."

Carra should have felt a bristle or even a offense at the subject of her strength, but she was far more practical. They were taught to ignore each others strength while training, and only once when Carra was raised did Illyria tell her differently. Still, Carra was in a league of her own and did not answer to things the same was as other Aes Sedai do. She will not be able to survive long in the bubble of ignorance most have her in, but Carra had taken to embracing her "Head of Ajah" title which gave her a certain amount of expected respect even though many saw it a farce.

"I want to learn what I can." Carra said with a firm nod.

"Let us begin."

Maegan left no precursor and switched from mentor and friend to teach and scholar. While most would think that Maegan was Aes Sedai first her heart was that of a Scholar. Carra couldn't begin to guess what would happen should she come to the Grey Tower. Would she stay in the Red Ajah, or would she seek out the Indigo Ajah for her talents with Ter'Angreal or the Brown Ajah. Carra almost hoped she never would, it would make things… complicated.

They started with the basic Barrier to Sight, a weave Carra was already familiar with and used frequently. Maegan took her time looking over the weave and suggested improvements, tightening up the weaving and adding more air to compensate for her weakness in the fire. Carra did as she suggested and found the effects to be a lot stronger for her to hold. The stronger her hold on the weave the hard it would be for other weaves to penetrate it.

"Good." Maegan said, and then moved on without much else. Carra knew that the woman didn't waste praise but she didn't waste time to boost ego. Frankly the one thing she appreciated in the Red was her honesty and lack of flowery speech.

"We can continue with these ward, and remember to keep the weaves tighter. They take a little more work but your Wards will be vastly more superior for it. To create a ward against people, or against Shadowspawn, we use the same elements as Barrier to Sight, but we weave them like this." Maegan was a well of Saidar, stronger than Carra but not by a lot, and she deftly pulled her threads together to create her weaves. Carra was a skilled enough channeler, practicing her craft every day, but Maegan had centuries on her. If not for the woman's Agelessness Carra would assume she was unbound by the oaths for all her skill.

They continued through the two weaves, Maegan taught her how to change her existing weave into the other which would not only save her time but allow her to understand the base pattern and weave them faster. Over and over again Maegan had Carra unweave and reweave the wards until she was satisfied with Carra's skill and speed.

When Maegan introduced her to warding against the One Power, which required all the elements, Carra found herself awed by the technical aspect of the threads and how they wove together. Carra was not easily impressed or pulled emotionally but working with Saidar the way Maegan did gave channeling a certain amount of art instead of just a process to create a result. Part of Carra worried about having befriend such a woman, lest she become what Carra swore to herself to protect the world against, but for all she knew about the woman Carra could find no fault.

It bother her as everyone had faults, including herself.

"The last weave is something that isn't taught often, or without having some secret skill." Maegan began. "With every barrier, there is a counter to it. A Ward Bore will break into any Ward that had been set up as protection or as a barrier. It does not work on things like a Fire Trap as it will only set it off and ruin what it is protecting. A Ward Bore is what you use to break into a Ward against the People, or against the One Power. Or even against dreams."

The five elements that Maegan wove together looked a lot like a cyclone only it was directed in a specific direction. Carra, with all the practice she had that day, threw up a quick Barrier against People to see how the Ward Bore worked. It was fascinating how it worked but disconcerting how quickly it broke through her ward. Was it because the ward was weak, or quickly put into place, of just the skill of the other Aes Sedai. Repeating the weave a few times, attempting a few times to break into Maegan's wards in return the day ended shortly after.

"Come, let me take you home before I grow too tired to Travel." And with that the other Red pulled out a small Angreal, one that only gave a small little boost to Spirit. Carra wondered why a Red with talents like her required it for Traveling.

"Thank you." Carra said, leaving the why and for what unspoken. Carra wasn't one to waste words any more than Maegan.