Fanfic:Elia Darrow's Arches
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Opening
Elia followed the Mistress of Novices anxiously, small beads of perspiration breaking out on her face. They were somewhere deep beneath the Grey Tower. The walls were smooth, unadorned rock. It could have been the work of Ogier or of the One Power. Two huge doors sat sealed at the end of this corridor, only lit by lamps from one wall. Shadows played against the opposing wall. The Shienaran shivered despite herself. She was having an increasingly clearer idea about what this place was, and why she was here. The reality of her situation was baring down on her like all of the duty in Shienar, threatening to crush her if she let herself think about it too much.
Mirin Sedai pushed one of the doors open with ease, and let the novice step through first. Elia did so with trepidation. Beyond was a large domed chamber. The centrepiece of the chamber was a huge object, a ring encircling three free-standing arching beams of silver. The bottom of each arch connected to both the ring and the adjacent archway, so they were all of a piece. Instinctively she recognised it as a ter'angreal, but on a scale she had never imagined. There was an Aes Sedai at each of the connections between arches and ring. Four more stood by a table, upon which sat three chalices. Those were not ter'angreal, but still were clearly significant.
The door closed behind her. An eighth Aes Sedai stood by the closed portal, whilst the Mistress of Novices moved forward to join her halfway between door and arches.
"I will tell you two things which no woman hears until they stand where you do now. Once you begin, you must go on till the end. Refuse at any time thereafter, and you will be put out of the Tower as if you had refused to begin for the third time. Second. To seek, to strive, is to know danger." Well practised words, serious in tone, yet there was something sympathetic behind Mirin's eyes. "Some women have entered, and never come out again. Even when the ter’angreal was allowed to grow quiet, they were not there. And they were never seen again. If you will survive, you must be steadfast. Falter, fail, and..." Elia heard the inferred meaning behind the silence.
Mirin Sedai was not finished. "This is your last chance. Refuse now and it only counts as the first refusal. You may still try twice more. If you accept now, there is no turning back. It is no shame to refuse. Many Aes Sedai could not face the Arches the first time. Choose."
Elia took in the room silently. Nine Aes Sedai, one from each Ajah, plus the Mistress of Novices. All of them here for her. To bear witness.
"I accept."
Mirin's slight nod was perfunctory. "Then ready yourself."
Elia removed her slippers, bare feet touching surprisingly warm ground. Her dress came off with some difficulty, braided hair pulling in resistance. She folded it neatly beside her slippers, then slipped out of her shift, laying that on top of the dress. The air may not have been cold, but she couldn't pretend this was a Shienaran bath house. Mirin stepped beside her, and the two walked in tandem towards the dominating ter'angreal.
"Whom do you bring with you, Sister?" One of the Aes Sedai intoned. Not one of the ones focused on the ter'angreal.
Elia and Mirin continued on in a measured pace. "One who comes as a candidate for Acceptance, Sister."
"Is she ready?"
"She is ready to leave behind what she was, and passing through her fears, gain Acceptance."
"Does she know her fears?"
"She has never faced them, but now is willing."
"Then let her face what she fears," the Aes Sedai stated finally, and stepped aside.
Mirin stopped before the nearest archway, and fixed Elia with a stare. "The first time is for what was. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
The Sister
Elia blinked in momentary confusion at the bright sunlight that streamed in through her bedroom window. Without much thought, she channelled, precise gusts pulling the winter drapes shut. She pulled the thick duvet up until it nestled under her chin, and let the warmth of the bed sooth her anxious mind. Why am I anxious? I'm just in bed. She almost fell back asleep when her bedroom door opened abruptly, and the deadly slender form of her Warder stalked in with sword drawn. She let out a startled gasp even as he was sheathing the weapon. "Peace Ravak, what are you doing!"
The other red-haired Shienaran was taken aback. It didn't show on her brother's face, but she could feel it through the bond they shared. "You were..." he started, but both her face and her emotions told him that whatever he was going to say was pointless. "I'll see myself out."
When the door clicked shut, Elia channelled again, sealing the door with a wall of Air. Tying the weave, she reluctantly slid out of the bed. She was awake now, thanks to that intrusion. She made herself say "I most certainly was not anxious" to the closed door. No, she hadn't been. That split second of bewilderment had just been her waking up later than intended and catching the sun too high in the sky. Her toes curled as they found the thick sheepskin rug that bridged the floor between her bed and her armoire. She took her time to cross the room; it was so incredibly fluffy underfoot. Ravak's amusement trickled through the bond.
Some time later, Elia Sedai opened her door into her apartment's main room. She wore a plain grey dress in the Two Rivers fashion. It was simple, but it was warm and comfortable, and kept everything covered. Some of her fellow sisters wore the most outrageous dresses of sheer silk. Domani were the worst, and it truly pricked her conscience when she could feel Ravak's eyes wandering. At least now his eyes were on something suitable. He sat on a ladder-backed chair in front of the cold fireplace, reading a small wooden-bound book. Blue-grey eyes flashed towards her briefly, clearly appraising her attire. Whatever his thoughts, he kept them well masked.
She gave him no more mind as she moved into the room. Seven years after earning the shawl, Elia had the ageless look that all Aes Sedai were endowed with. Even if her looks were ageless, she was still beautiful, whether seen as a daughter or a mother. It was still amusing, if not entirely appropriate, seeing women her age acting like she was their mother, being all obsequious. It was more amusing when those same women tried to mother Ravak in return. A mere three minutes marked the difference of age between them, but he was still the baby of the family for all that.
"What's so amusing?" Ravak asked, as if the bond imparted more information beyond her emotions.
"I'm thinking of our encounter in Baerlon. What was that tavern called? The Golden Cups?"
"The Golden Cup is in Tear. If you're thinking of that awful innkeeper in the Stag and Lion..." Thus began a long tirade on what had been an unforgettable night and day - and not in a pleasurable way - under Mistress Fisher's roof. Elia let the words roll over her. This distraction was all that she needed to keep him entertained whilst she readied herself. Her shawl was over the back of another chair, and she thought for this journey, it would be appropriate to wear. She glided back into her room, and sat before her dressing table. She made her hair into a simple braid, then pinned it back into a bun. A few loose strands were tucked behind her ears. She finalised her look with a couple of small decorative combs, each topped by a crystal rose.
Returning back to the main room, she found Ravak suited and booted, waiting attentively in what appeared to be a casual pose. Despite the privacy of their apartment - well really it was just her apartment - he was always on edge, always wary. It was suitable state of being for a Warder, but as her little brother, it sometimes came across as cute. That thought once more brought a smile to her face, even as Ravak's visage darkened in anger. Mentally she shrugged at his reaction. Instead, she glided towards the apartment's doors. "Shall we?" Not really a suggestion, not from an Aes Sedai to a Warder. Aes Sedai led; Warders served.
The hallways of the Green Ajah may be structurally identical to the hallways of the other Ajahs, but the tapestries that hung along the white-walled corridors were of battle scenes. Most depicting the struggles of men versus Trollocs, with the gaunt white faces of Myrddraal and the winged forms of Draghkar occasionally in view. Wooden carvings of different weapons, exotic and commonplace, bridged the gaps in between. Elia followed the green runners along the hallways, nodding and smiling to her fellow sisters as she passed them, their Warders sharing knowing looks with Ravak.
Eventually they wound their way out of the Tower, faces set in a determined manner. Be steadfast. The thought flickered through Elia's head, and it sounded off, somehow. "Be steadfast," she voiced aloud. It was Cairhienin, crisp and clipped.
"Mm?" She felt as much as heard Ravak's interest.
"I... don't know. Something I must have remembered from... somewhere? Do you recognise the accent. Be steadfast." She repeated the last two words again in that Cairhienin accent. Her talent for mimicry was not well known about, but it was close to flawless.
"No." His response weighed heavy with a question. She nodded curtly in agreement. "When we were last in Cairhien, I wasn't parted with you, and I don't recall those words. As for the accent, who knows? There were a lot of Cairhienin in Cairhien." She shrugged. Whatever it was, it can't have been all that important, so she would have remembered.
They crossed into the Ogier grove, a open area of grass and flowers and trees, Rav leading slightly. Elia glanced back at the White Tower, rising high above the city of Tar Valon, and smiled faintly. She missed leaving home, and her calling and her Ajah made it a frequent requirement. Ravak made his customary check around the clearing, fancloak making him an indistinct, fleeting figure. At least I get to take a little bit of home with me. Something akin to a friendly nuzzle fed its way back along the bond. They were close to inseparable, and always had been. Now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts, however. As soon as the slender form of her brother returned to her side, Elia embraced saidar. Like a golden rose bathing in the light of the sun, the One Power filled her with warmth. A familiar weave appeared in front of her, a razor-thin line that opened and twisted into a Gateway. A rush of icy cold air blasted forth from the portal, and Ravak was stalking through without a moment's pause. Smoothing her skirts needlessly, Elia moved into the Gateway and let it snap shut behind her.
The large white teardrop that was the Flame of Tar Valon hung over the outpost's portcullis. Shienaran soldiers were already barking orders to open the gate. The ground underfoot was covered in snow, but the thick dress held in the warmth. Many years away from Fal Dara had made her soft. She didn't shiver, nor did any goosebumps appears on her exposed face and neckline; both herself and Ravak knew the trick to keep off the visible effects of cold and heat.
When the gate was raised enough to walk under, she made her way quickly inside, and picked out the captain from his crested helmet. "You shall guide me to the prisoner." Her voice was incredibly soft, letting the contrast between message and delivery spur the man on swiftly. Men thought that raising your voice to a shout was the way to drive home a command, but it was a cold and level tone that got results.
The captain led them from the outer chamber towards the inner chambers. Ravak sniffed behind her, and the feelings from her Warder told her that he smelled something. She had been given next to no information about the prisoner, aside that she had forsaken the Light for the Dark One's promises of power. I will disabuse you of those hopes, Darkfriend.
The three of them stopped in front of a cell. The captain fumbled with a set of keys, making a small din in the stone corridor. Elia sensed something from the other side of the doorway. It took her a moment to realise what it was.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the wooden doorframe burst apart, golden flames following a wall of compressed air. The captain was launched off of his feet, slammed against the wall with a sickening crack, then slumped to the ground like a discarded doll. Shards and splinters of wood filled the corridor. Elia felt sudden pinpricks all across her body, and knew the same was true of Ravak. Steel flashed in his hand as he charged into the hole, flames licking his skin. She embraced saidar not a moment later, and moved to look through the open doorway.
The Darkfriend and the Gaidin were already locked in a deadly combat, Shienaran steel battling against a sword wrought from Earth and Fire. Ravak lithely dodged and weaved past the woman's attacks, his opponent favouring strength over speed.
Be steadfast.
Goosebumps prickled the Aes Sedai's skin. It had nothing to do with Ravak putting his life on the line once again or the realisation that a Dreadlord stood before her. Why is that thought caught in my mind?
Elia did not know the forms that the two sword wielders danced, but it didn't look like Ravak had the upper hand. He was deep in concentration - in the ko'di - so she couldn't know if he felt the fear of defeat or hope of success. Forcefully she struck over at the other woman with Spirit. If she could block the Dreadlord, then she would have no weapon against either herself or Ravak.
The Dreadlord fought back, using Spirit to defend against the Green Aes Sedai's attacks. The sword never more than flickered momentarily, and she never let up in her duel. Ravak hissed as the searing blade struck his right shoulder, flames burning the skin around the wound. That only made his movements more assertive.
The glow around the Dreadlord intensified, then she wove a third flow. The amount of the One Power she held... Peace, an angreal. Even at her best, Elia's strength in the One Power was middling. Against even a weak channeller with an angreal, she did hold much of a chance. This weave was pure Air, but instead of using it to constrain either Elia or Ravak, she struck at the lanterns along the walls. Darkness consumed the room and the corridor beyond, the only source of light the flaming sword and its reflection off of Ravak's sword-breaker.
Shielding the Dreadlord was pointless, so she spun a globe of Light. It wavered uncertainly. Elia could feel something absorbing the light. She glanced around, and a pallid face stared back from the darkness. An eyeless face.
Elia swirled around, and a second gaunt face looked back. Myrddraal. She had faced Shadowspawn in the past, but never alone, and not with a Dreadlord present.
The way back will come but once. Elia's wide eyes glanced around in increasing horror. The orb of light reflected off something silvery and arch-shaped. Be steadfast.
There was a cry of pain from within the cell, a man's shout. Along the bond, Elia felt the wound that ran right through him, flames burning at his core. There was still time to help before the Fades were atop her.
The way back will come but once. Green eyes looked at the archway, knowing somehow that it called to her. It was the answer to a question she didn't know, but she still needed the answer.
Hesitation lost her precious seconds. Once more the sword of Fire and Earth stabbed into her brother, her Warder. He writhed in agony, any sense of composure gone. He was as helpless now as he was in the crib. She stretched out a hand in his direction, the beginnings of a ball of Fire forming in her outstretched palm. But the archway...
She could feel time slip away, the Myrddraal drawing close, Ravak fading away. Her stomach lurched as her slippered feet moved not towards the cell, but towards the glimmering silver. Fear and pain and hurt assaulted her across the bond. Her hand trembled, the weave of Fire coming undone. He wasn't dead yet, but soon he would be, and she chose to do nothing.
Elia moved into the place between the arch, felt a heat and a cold envelop her simultaneously. "Rav..."
Intermezzo, Pt. I
Elia fell backwards out of the arch, hitting the ground hard as one outstretched arm swung overhead. Embarrassment forced her into a sitting position, but then the truth hit. "Oh no!" It was a pleading whine, and she crawled a step or two towards the archway. "No, no. What did I?- How did?-" She collapsed to the ground, hugging her knees against her chest.
Water poured over her, but grief muted her shivery reaction. "You are washed clean of what sin you may have done, and of those against you. You are washed clean of what crime you may have committed, and of those committed against you. You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."
Beyond the grief, recognition dawned. Mirin. She knew the voice from the arch now. But why did I not remember? If only she could remember, then she wouldn't have to face that again. Again. Light no, not another arch. Not another...
The Mistress of Novices' hands wrapped around one of the Shienaran's arms, and helped to pull her to her feet. The two women moved around the silver ring to the second archway.
"The second time is for what is. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
Elia looked into the archway, shivering. She drew upon her resolve. Ravak is alive. He is alive and in the Tower, and safe. But she had felt it, and she remembered it, all of it. She had failed him, and he had... he would have died. Because of me.
Numbly, her feet padded towards the second archway, and she was enveloped by a blinding light.
The Friend
Elia blinked in momentary confusion at the bright sunlight beyond the top of her shoufa. She took an unsteady step, the boot sliding in the sand. A strong arm shot out and stopped her from falling on her face. She twisted to see the concerned look from her saviour. "You need water and shade, sister." Sinead produced a waterskin, and handed it to the fair skinned Shienaran. Elia tried to wave the Aielwoman away, but to no avail.
"I am fine." She took a draught from the skin to appease the other woman, before handing it back. "Honestly, I am fine. It was just..." Well, she didn't know what had happened. These soft-soled boots were unlike anything she was used to wearing. Neither was the cadin'sor, although those didn't trip her up. She disliked the cadin'sor because it was a little too casual, too informal. Nothing like the dresses she normally wore. But I don't want to be taken for a gai'shain. It was still odd how easily she had adopted some of the Aiel customs and terms. The same could not be said for the third member of their party. Following behind, just outside of earshot, stalked one of the Gaidin from the Grey Tower. Aside from the colour shifting cloak, he didn't fit into the landscape. Greens dominated his clothes, and two swords sat by his side. He kept back from the two women, because as much as he was there for their protection, he would need theirs - well, Sinead's - explanation about Wise Ones and Dreamwalking if they were to get to their destination unharmed.
After the incident, they continued on for three more hours underneath the baking sun before they reached where they needed to be. Sweat poured out of the shorter Shienaran. There was no shade to be found, so the waterskin got considerably lighter. Years away from home, Sinead was also bathed in perspiration, although her natural tan had eventually returned. Only the Gaidin seemed unaffected, although his skin was a bright red. The fool was normally as pale as Elia, but he refused to cover up. Light, but if he expects to be Healed, he has another thing coming.
Their destination was Maso Hold, which belonged to the Chumai sept of the Taardad Aiel. Sinead was from the Taardad, her sept the Chumai, so naturally she had been summoned back to Maso Hold. Both of them were Dreamwalkers, able to naturally step into the World of Dreams. It was in Tel'aran'rhiod that they had encountered the Wise Ones who could Dreamwalk, and where they had been disabused of any notions that they were knowledgeable of how the rules of reality could be bent in Tel'aran'rhiod. For Sinead, the return to her homeland was something of a pleasant one, even though she knew what awaited them. She had imparted some of it to Elia, but the Shienaran could only believe half of what her sister told her. Not that Sinead was a liar, but digging holes and filling them back in again? It was preposterous.
When Sinead pointed out the particular rock formations that denoted the Hold, Elia's spirits rose. She was vastly looking forward to these Aiel sweat tents she had been hearing so much about. The nudity aspect did not phase her as much as it would others; Shienaran bath houses sounded relatively similar in function. The Shienaran was maybe less keen on the whole 'hard work and training' aspect, but she had survived being a novice, and was surviving as an Accepted. How hard could it be?
Be steadfast.
Elia turned to ask Sinead what she meant, but then everything happened at once. They could not have been more than ten minutes from Maso Hold when figures appeared from every distance. Algai'd'siswai - Aiel warriors - rose out from nowhere with their cadin'sors and shoufas. Several paused with a hand poised by their black veils, inches away from raising them and being ready to kill. Both Elia and the Gaidin froze, one from sudden fear, the other from proper awareness and respect for the situation they found themselves in. Sinead alone was calm, coolly considering the array of warriors before them. She removed her shoufa, revealing fiery-red hair that cascaded down the length of her back.
"I am Sinead of the Chumai Taardad. May you find shade this day."
The returned reply was not what Elia had expected. One of the algai'd'siswai sneered openly before replying. "You have been long in the Soft-Lands, Sinead of the Chumai Taardad. Maso Hold is held by the Black Water Nakai." The Aielman peered past Sinead, looking into Elia's hood and at the Gaidin standing apart from the two women. "And you bring wetlanders? Have you lost all of your honour, or do you wish to dance the spears one last time?"
A glow appeared around Sinead as her face turned red with anger. Saying anything about ji'e'toh made Sinead produce the most vile rancor. This algai'd'siswai had little idea of what was coming his way. Light sister, no! This wasn't the Tower, where her bad temperament resulted in a trip to the Mistress of Novices. Aiel watched with veils in hand, moments away from combat. Yet, she knew that Sinead would not back down. Elia reached for the Source herself, and found... nothing. Her heart was pumping hard in her chest, and realisation that had block had slid between herself and saidar only made it worse.
Yellowish strands of light wove out from red-haired Aielwoman towards two of the nearest warriors. She formed two rings around the ground by their feet, then with a loud whooshing noise, the two men were thrown several feet skywards. Black veils were raised then, the other Aiel charging on the instant. The black-haired Gaidin rushed past Elia to meet the Aiel, two longswords bared.
Two daggers appeared in Elia's hands, drawn from hidden pockets in her cadin'sor. She looked for an open target, someone away from Sinead and the Gaidin. Quickly judging the distance, she adjusted her grip, then threw the weapon. A moment later and one of the Aielman stopped dead, looking down with wide eyes at the expanding pool of red that soaked through his brown cadin'sor, but Elia was already looking for another attacker.
Be steadfast.
She shook the thought from her head - my head, not Sinead? - seeing another algai'd'siswai. Again she judged the distance and lead on the charging warrior, but just as the dagger left her fingers the man shifted direction, directly towards her. Elia scrambled for another blade - she was far, far less calm now - but her hands got twisted in the odd folds in the fabric. Remotely, as if she were only a passenger in another person's body, Elia watched the Aiel approach, spear levelled at her heart.
Steel clashed on spear point as the Gaidin deflected the blow. He punched the Aiel in the face, a horrific sound of bones crushing from the impact, then a second in the stomach. The Aiel buckled over like a sack of potatoes.
"Sister!" Elia heard Sinead's shout, uncharacteristically shrill and taut with concern. The Shienaran's head swivelled to seek out the source of that cry. Three men were around Sinead, gripping onto her. Surprisingly, it looked like they were trying to pull her away towards the hold. It was a galling thought, but they should have been trying to kill Sinead.
Shock hit Elia like a hammer. After she and Sinead had met the Wise Ones in Tel'aran'rhiod, Sinead had confided that she did not recognise any of the women. That was apparently strange; her sister had known all of her clan's Dreamwalkers before she came to the Tower. That all of the Wise Ones were new was surprising. Peace. This was a trap all along.
The Shienaran was momentarily distracted from her outrage by a free-standing silver archway, which had suddenly appeared not five feet away. It loomed over her, reflecting the sun fiercely. Something about the archway called to her on an instinctual level.
The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.
Elia blinked at the thought. It was not her own, and between that and the archway. Something is wrong here.
Sinead screamed, and Elia's reverie was broken. A wall of five Aielman stood between her and Sinead, who was already becoming distant, hauled away by more Aiel. The black-haired Gaidin was... gone? Elia turned around once, then again, completely bewildered and confused. Where had he gone? The archway seemed to become slightly indistinct, and that scared her more than what had happened to the Gaidin or Sinead.
"Elia!" Her sister's voice was pleading and scared. Sinead was never scared. Delicate fingers wrapped around the silver archway. I am so sorry, Sinead. She could see it clearly in her mind's eye, what was about to happen. Gai'shain. Sinead had reviled her time as a novice because she associated the dresses with being gai'shain. It had almost broken her, mentally and physically. If Sinead was forced to don pure white again-
Fingers slipped as the archway became like mist. Only focusing on it, as if thought alone could make it real, allowed it to reappear as a solid whole. Elia could hear Sinead's screams, much fainter, distant, but she couldn't tear her eyes off the arch.
"Forgive me," she said, a prayer to the Creator, both for herself and Sinead, before she pulled herself through the archway.
Innermezzo, Pt. II
Elia stepped numbly out of the ter'angreal, taking a few steps towards Mirin before halting abruptly. Her heart thumped in her chest. Sickness rose up her gullet, churned her stomach, but she forced the sensation down. The physical revulsion she felt was nothing compared to the darkness of her thoughts. First they took Ravak. Then they took Sinead. What more could they want from me?
Was this how the path to becoming an Aes Sedai started, by ripping out your soul piece by piece, until there was nothing left? Just a hole that was filled up by duty to the Tower? A flare of hatred bloomed, burning away the sensations of self-loathing. The White Tower had been a wicked place, but she never thought the Aes Sedai here capable of that level of callousness. She barely registered the water being poured over her, or the words from the Mistress of Novices. This is not natural. No-one would construct a ter'angreal for such purpose. Either the Tower had misunderstood the intent behind the arches or-
Elia halted, facing the third archway. She hadn't even realised that Mirin Sedai had been guiding her towards it. The Cairheinin offered a kindly smile. "The third time is for what will be. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
Elia stood on the precipice, considering whether she wanted to go through with this. To stop now meant expulsion from the Grey Tower, but would that be any worse than whatever this arch had to offer? She had sensed Ravak's fears as life slipped away from him. She had coldly listened and not acted when her sister needed her help. Sinead would have been as good as dead too, if that reality had come to pass.
If. She needed to remember that this was a test, only a test. Both Ravak and Sinead were safe. They were alive. Nothing in these arches were true. She hadn't been a Green sister of the White Tower. She had never been to the Three-fold Land. They are just dreams, Elia. Just dreams. With a small blossom of hope starting to form, she stepped into the final arch.
The Mother
Elia blinked in momentary confusion at the bright light that shone in one of the ter'angreal's archways. She glanced around the large chamber, hewn from the bedrock underneath the Grey Tower, then at the three silver arches that connected to a large ring around the base. She clucked to herself, wondering what had possessed her mind for an instant.
Turning away from the Arches, she glided towards her four sisters gathered around three silver chalices. She nodded respectfully to them, grateful for their presence, especially today. This was no ordinary test for Acceptance. Sinead was the White, and here for more than one reason. Kaia and Katrie Sedai, mother and daughter, were the representatives of the Red and Indigo Ajahs respectively. Katrie was, after Sinead, the closest friend she had at the Grey Tower. Well, after Sinead. And her Warders. And her husband. Fine, not that close a friend. The fourth woman was not someone she knew well, a Yellow Taraboner called Alendra. She stood a little apart from the other women, clearly aware that her purpose here was solely ceremonial.
Elia stepped in beside Sinead, and found herself wrapping an arm around the Aielwoman before she could stop herself. Green eyes glanced at the three chalices, two full, one now drained over the novice who was within the Arches. "I almost cannot bear this," she remarked in a sullen tone. "I thought somehow it would be better, but in truth..."
"Your daughter is remarkably strong willed," Kaia stated. She wore a slight smile, that broadened as she took in her own daughter. "It reminds me of someone else I know." Katrie rolled her eyes skywards and made a sound of vexation at that.
Elia tried to smile back, but her heart was in her mouth. She couldn't help but worry about her daughter, now inside the testing ter'angreal. Elia's own thoughts on the ter'angreal were... Her mind seemed to slip around her memories. She knew she had an opinion about the arches, from when she had done her test for Acceptance. Except she couldn't bring that event to mind. She could recall every other time she had been in this chamber, both as a representative of the Indigo Ajah, and in her current role as Mistress of Novices. Yet somehow, she couldn't remember when she had stepped into those silver portals.
Be steadfast.
She smiled. Yes, her daughter would be steadfast. Kaia was right, she was a strong-willed woman. Her time as a novice had been relatively short, although not extraordinarily so. Like her mother, she was a hard worker, and accepted her chores with the best of graces. Unlike her mother - thank the Light - she didn't have an eye for men. She was entirely too logical over that, which was probably a blessing. No, if she needed a Warder, there would be time for that after she had earned the shawl. The same went for any relationships. Of course, she would be hard pressed to form a relationship with her mother as Mistress of Novices. No-one wanted to risk the retribution of both a mother and an Aes Sedai.
The Shienaran removed her arm from around the White sister, and pulled her shawl tight around her. It wasn't cold in the chamber, but nerves had her in a vice-like grip. Even with everything in her heart and her head saying that everything would be alright, she couldn't help but worry. Worry for her daughter, not worry for herself.
She took her place once more back in front of the second arch and waited. Waiting was, in its own way, a torture. She could be patient, of that there was no doubt, but today it wasn't patience but waiting. Feeling the seconds trickle away. Feeling each minute slip past like a step towards some horrid fate.
There could be a horrid fate, if too much time passed. She didn't want to think of it, but she couldn't help herself. Some novices that stepped into one of the three archways never returned. Again, memories of her own experiences would not come to mind, but she knew that each arch gave the person inside an option. An option between... Light, why can't I remember? It had to be her nerves. She felt like a child, fretting away at things outside her control. No, all she could do was stand and wait.
Time seemed to simultaneously lurch and crawl forward. Entirely too much time was passing. Entirely not enough time had gone by. She had never experienced so much anxiety before. In that moment, she wished she still had a Warder tucked in some corner of her mind to feed her reassurance. All she had was her own thoughts to keep herself company.
Be steadfast.
More time slipped away. Elia could feel the tension in the room building; it was palpable now. She glanced back at the four women by the chalices. Each of them had the serene features of Aes Sedai, but she could read her fellow Indigo's body language. Katrie too thought that entirely too much time had passed.
Be steadfast.
She glanced down at her hands, which had been gripping onto her skirts fiercely. She wore her Great Serpent ring on her left ring finger, alongside a simple golden band. The Great Serpent ring was normally golden as well, but Elia had long ago turned it into a ter'angreal, not long before she became the Mistress of Novices. Ter'angreal was her passion as an Aes Sedai, especially the safe usage of ter'angreal. Even with the rediscovered talent for creating ter'angreal, most of those held by the Tower were still from centuries ago. Aes Sedai and Asha'man had died, or worse burned themselves out handling unsafe ter'angreal. Thus once she became a full sister, she had thrown herself into making the study of ter'angreal much safer.
Her Great Serpent ring was attuned to the three silver Arches. Years before, when too much time had passed and the ter'angreal fell silent, the novice inside had become lost. That had been the original danger of the test. Through trial and error, fortunately without much error, she had found a way to free the trapped novice or soldier inside. That still meant that the candidate had failed and would be put out of the Tower, but at least they weren't trapped inside the silver arches.
One of the three sisters around the ter'angreal stirred, looking up directly at Elia. Her expression was neutral, but the look alone was telling. The child is lost. The test is over. Elia shook her head slightly, wanting to refuse the inevitable truth. In her heart, she knew that too much time had gone by without anything happening, but she didn't want to accept it. That decision was out of her hands. The Grey sister who led the link that powered the ter'angreal ceased to glow with saidar, the other two women also releasing their hold on the One Power.
Elia glanced back towards her friends. Worried expressions were plain on Kaia's and Katrie's and Sinead's faces. Even Alendra looked concerned. Elia imagined she shared their look, but magnified a thousand-fold. But there was also something different about the wall behind the women. Normally it consisted of the same stone that dominated the rest of the room, but now there was a silver arch, akin to those of the ter'angreal. It glowed softly, casting a halo of light around Alendra's form.
The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.
Elia embraced saidar, turned towards the silver arches, and channelled into the Great Serpent ring. It was a complex weave, involving all five parts of the One Power. Time had done nothing to improve her ability with Earth, but she had made those accommodations in her designs when she made the ter'angreal. Flows of Air and Spirit and Water made the ring shimmer, as if it made its own light.
Be steadfast.
She looked back at that fourth arch. Something told her that it was important. It looked so similar to the other arches, but that made no sense. It seemed to blur into some indistinctness as she thought that, then resolidified when curiosity struck her. If it was some other ter'angreal, then she wanted to know what it was.
"Elia!" Sinead's voice was full with concern, as she gestured back towards the original three Arches. Elia's eyes were still fixed on that fourth archway. It was important. Something about it. "Elia! You need to save her!"
"Yes..." her own voice seemed faint. She was still channelling into the ring, and through it she felt a resonance within the huge silver structure. With flows of Fire and Earth...
Kaia and Katrie put a hand on each of her shoulders, mother and daughter wearing matching looks of worry. "What are you doing?" Kaia put in as Katrie asked "Are you alright?" She shrugged the two women off her, mind still transfixed by the fourth archway. She laid a finger against its edge. It seems so similar yet... It glowed, pulsed really, and she felt it calling to her.
She sat in the window sill, watching the raindrops landing against the flagstones outside. On her lap sat a small girl, no more than three, with ringlets of brown hair framing a heart-shaped face. She had blue eyes like her father, the beauty of her mother, and occasionally the temperament of her uncle.
"Mama?" The girl's voice was filled with question and wonder. "Why does it rain?"
She chuckled softly, planting a kiss on the girl's cheek. "Oh sweetheart, some things just happen. Sometimes it is sunny, sometimes it rains. Some things just happen." She hugged the little girl, who smiled so sweetly back at her.
"I love you mama."
"I love you too, my dearest."
She turned back one final time. She saw the faces of her fellow sisters. She saw the silent ter'angreal that dominated the room. She saw the incomplete weaving that could save her daughter. Her daughter.
"Some things just happen." Her body shook almost as fiercely as her voice, but she stepped backwards into the glowing arch, and watched the chamber fade away.
Close
Elia Darrow stepped out of the ter'angreal unsteadily, her legs wavering for only a moment before she forced herself to stand. Malachite green eyes blazed not in pain nor in sorrow, but with fury. "This is a wicked thing." It was said fervently, and in the silence of the chamber, it carried clearly to every ear. "Wicked."
Mirin shook her head ruefully. "Everyone says and feels something much akin to what you're feeling now." There was a look of reserved empathy in the Cairhienin's grey eyes. "A natural reaction to such an ordeal."
"Peace." Whether the Mistress of Novices took that as the scornful oath it was meant for or for its commonplace usage, Elia could not care. The red-haired Shienaran started to become aware of a host of new women in the room. Eight Aes Sedai, each bearing the shawl of a different Ajah, flanked a tall, statuesque woman that wore a shawl with stripes of all eight Ajahs. Miahala Sedai, the Amyrlin Seat, stepped forward with a chalice in hand. Despite the firestorm of emotions within her, Elia dropped to one knee in front of the Amyrlin, before she started to pour it slowly over the thick braid.
"You are washed clean of Elia Darrow from Fal Dara. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul. You are Elia Darrow, Accepted of the Grey Tower." The cascade of water stopped, and Miahala passed the chalice to one of the assembled sisters. "You are sealed to us, now."
An inferno of vehemence still raged within her, but Elia made her sweetest smile towards the amassed Aes Sedai. A thousand times before, that smile had been warm and genuine. This time, it was a façade. I shall find a way to break your seal, Aes Sedai. I shall find a way.
