Fanfic:Carraidhin Fanfiction Volume 3

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Carraidhin Fanfiction Volume 3
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A Dagger for a Finger

Caemlyn was having an unusually hard winter, the little Cairhien girl was trying to find a few blankets to make her bed a little more bearable. She didn’t dare admit that she had made the mistake of leaving Tar Valon, her pride would not allow it, but there she had a bed that would have been warm from a fire. But even then she was not about to share it with anyone else. It was better to leave before the Mistress there found a better use for her to make money then to run errands or rely on the payments of her mother’s home. Although she would not be surprised if the Mistress there would continue to collect money until the news of her leaving was learned.

In and out she darted through the alleyways, navigating around foul scented trash bags and avoiding the rats that ate from them. Food was important in this weather, as much as it was to stay warm but she had her sight set on the one shop that would toss blankets and rugs that were only kissed by moths. Impossible to sell these items she knew that she could bargain for them. At least enough to keep herself and her very small group of gang-mates warm.

She never expected to join a gang when she entered Caemlyn, but she learned quickly that if she wasn’t attached to someone she would be ganged up on by others. Others that were both bigger and not afraid to exert dominance. While she disliked the need to rely on someone else to feel safe, it was all about survival and she knew that anywhere else would be worse. At least in Andor there was the Queen’s Gift to the poor and a chance to at least have some money to save.

“Look! A red mouse!” She heard the call behind her and turned her head to find two boys standing there. One with a dagger and one with a stick big enough to be considered a club. They had the colors of the west end and she knew that gang was trying to expand their territory, and this was hers. She was alone, her gang too small for her to want to take anyone with her, and the odds didn’t look too good. At least not for them, she thought.

She knew ignoring them wouldn’t work and they would just chase her, and telling them to go away would only make them laugh. Two big boys against one small girl. The odds were more in their favor, only she knew they weren’t. She did keep her dagger in her boot but crouched down ready to run or pounce if -when- they tried anything.

“A wild one! This one thing she can take us.”

“What a stupid little mouse!” The larger of the two laughed. She figured they were at least the same age as her but had a healthy enough supply of food for them to have weight on their bones. She was small, hungry, but she had strength too that she kept hidden as best she could. They started to walk towards her, weapons in hand, when she pounced back.

Wasting little time, the girl ran to the side of the alleyway, pulling out her dagger that was impressively sharp, and as she ran towards them the dagger grazed the trash sacks and it spilled out into the alleyway, creating a difficult area for others to move around without tripping or stepping on anything. One of the boys paused in his steps towards her while the larger just looked angrier. It was the larger one that had the club so she put her focus on him. If the smaller one hesitated and the other didn’t then she knew who was the more dangerous one.

Running in, the larger took a swing at her, but the little girl dodged it and ducked under the swing and took a swipe of her dagger at his side. It sliced through his shirt and made contact with his skin. It was a small blade and could only do a little damage but little bit was enough to keep her alive. Her momentum going by him never slowed and she just ran past him and turned to run back at him from the way they had come in. The boys turned around and the smaller was surprised by her and the larger just angy. He roared and raced after her, swinging his club at her every chance he could.

With each swing she would jump out of the way, and for each time he missed she would leap into his left where he was the weakest and leave a small cut as she went. She did not want to kill him, or even maim but the boy wasn’t slowing down. The smaller was calling out to the larger now, a name she didn’t think to remember. Her attention was on the larger as his murderous eyes focused heavily on her. They were growing tired, and she could only keep up her speed before even she tired out. That and there were still blankets to carry back.

“Ahhhhhh!!!” She he ran towards her with the club above his head, she took her dagger and threw herself against him, the club hitting her on the backside, but her dagger bit into his skin as it tried to find bone. But the boy was squishy and she pushed him up with the momentum of his swing and he fell to the other side, gripping the now open wound in his stomach. She looked at him, breathing heavily, covered in blood and the dagger pointed at him. She turned and looked at the younger boy who was shaking. Maybe he was a long younger than he looked? It was hard to tell.

“We… we’ll go.”

She looked at them both with ice in her eyes, the younger helping the larger up.

“Don’t. Come. Back.” She said, emotion void from her voice but the intent of worse held in her eyes. Secretly she hoped the boy would die from the wound but knew he wouldn’t. The west had rumored to have someone that helped heal or patch them up. Pity. Looking at her hands and her dagger, she couldn’t help bet feel annoyed. Clean clothes were unheard of for orphans and runaways, and she had precious few. Now these ones were stained and needed to be burned. Blood never looked good on a runaway.

“Bloody ashes.”

Composure in the face of a Cabbage

After a few weeks Carra has a reasonable routine that kept her busy most days of the week. She spend most of her mornings teaching the newer Novices and some willing Accepted. She had noted that the more opinionated Accepted were given to other Aes Sedai which Carra did not mind too terribly but there was a certain pecking order that she felt was important. But there were many others that did not.

Lunch she would eat with the few friends she had in the Tower, most of them Brown Ajah, but always on the look out for Amadie who had mysteriously disappeared shortly after her raising without a word or a note. Afternoons Carra would spend time researching the new expanded access in the Library or work on her swordplay in the Yard. If she wasn’t there, Carra could be found in her new home in the basement of the Grey Tower either reading or trying to organize her new space. And it was a very large space. Evenings were spent on casual eating and visiting when invited.

But once a week or so Carra would take a break and visit Hama Valon. The first few times she left her Shawl behind and dressed more simply. It would be a year or so before she had the look of agelessness to her face so it was easier to simply go and not be Aes Sedai for a change. It had been refreshing, and she had managed to find a seamstress willing to work with her needs and particular taste. While women did wear dresses Carra prefered to wear more leathers and closer fitting clothes then the other Aes Sedai, with an over dress that was long and detailed in embroidery to at least still appear to fit in. It was one of the few luxuries that Carra allowed herself. She was not one to like luxuries but then she was also now Aes Sedai with the funds of an Aes Sedai. She may as well dress the damn part.

The first day Carra wore her Shawl, the 8 inch long red tassel catching the wind as she walked easily, she found herself given berth. There were less welcoming faces and the recognition of her face and who she was seemed to run rampant rumors quickly through Hama Valon. Prices for things were doubled if she was even greeted upon when she entered. The clearly was a great hatred of the Red Ajah not just in the Grey Tower but it had also bled into Hama Valon. She was familiar enough with the company around the Red Ajah having lived in Tar Valon, but this outright distain was almost.. surprising. She should have known, but she had hoped.

Carra wanted to be disappointed by the reactions, as if she had had some sort of expectation in Hama Valon that was different from those in the Grey Tower. What she was unamused with was the tossing of food in her direction, the shield of protection around her kept anything from touching her, but it threatened her calm. Such a waste! The support was more surprising than the disdain, but even as she walked to where her Seamstress was she found herself not caring what they thought. She would haggle prices to as low as she expected them to be, and refused to pay more than she should.

The closed sign on the shop caused Carra to stop. “Go back to your White Tower!” Shouted a voice behind her. A green vegetable hit her shield from behind. Emotionless and calm, there was a disapproving ‘calm’ to her as she turned around to see a few had gathered. She was not the only one to have heard the shout. While one had said it the faces around her only told her that they were thinking it.

Reaching down, Carra picked up the cabbage and looked among the crowd. “Who does this belong to?” There was an almost sweetness to the calm of her voice. No one stepped forward.

“This is good food that could feed an orphan for a week, and one of you decided that it had a better use to be thrown at my head. You might question why I am here, but I now question your choice of priorities.” She brushed the dirt off and tucked it under her arm. Saidar filled her as she only grew momentarily with the One Power. The Oaths hurt her but they also aided her. She kept her calm and her tone even and almost sad. Manipulating what she could of her emotions to keep her annoyance out of it. Perhaps it was her time with Illyria and keeping all the Aes Sedai from reading her that had helped her the best.

“I am not from the White Tower, I was raised in the Grey Tower. I do not stand for those that hurt others, for those that abuse their power for more power. I have lived the streets, I have been hunted, and I have been hated. I am hated.” She paused, allowing her illusion to fade and for her to appear as she was. “I was once like you, and I am still like you. I will protect you and the Grey Tower.”

There was a pause and a woman called out, Carra recognized the voice as the Jewelers Wife. “But what of the other Red Ajah?”

Carra did not keep her smile from her lips. “I will hunt them down and have them pay for their actions against Humanity.” Murmur in the crowd grew when the door behind her cracked open and Mistress Asaro greeted her.

“Forgive me, Carra Sedai. I was not it. Please, will you come in?”

The crowd started to disperse and Carra gave the woman a genuine smile.