Fanfic:From the Old, Into the New
| Author(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Character(s) |
|
This is a piece of fanfiction. Only the original author(s) or Librarian(s) should make content changes to this page. |
The Grey Tower's Infirmary brought back recollections of another lifetime, her mind rebelling against the scent of cleanser and disinfectant, and the altogether unwelcome memories that threatened to spill to the surface. Emerald green eyes looked at the goosemint she was adding to a jar of salve. It was both pungent and sweet, and yet... she could still detect the sharp astringent odour underneath it. It was so strange. No matter what she was doing, the sterile smell always came through.
It was even stranger to be surrounded once again by Yellows. She was no longer in banded hems, a full Aes Sedai in her own right, and yet there was a small part of her that wanted to shy away from the ageless faces near her, uncomfortable with the way they pretended not to watch her. Kaia refused to be cowed and pretended that she didn't see their covert looks and stares. She had every right to stand among them; she may have chosen Red, but she still possessed the Healing Talent.
The petite Domani lifted her head, her hands gradually coming to a standstill as she watched the sunlight streaming in from the windows split, refracting into a myriad of colours that painted and danced along the otherwise austere walls. A faint smile came across her face and she felt some of the tension leave her body. The Aes Sedai had been here for nearly a month now and the sight never ceased to amaze her. Light, but Kavi would have loved to see this... Kaia pursed her lips. Perhaps there was a way to recreate the effect with Illusion...
Her gaze turned inward, expression softening. As this particular memory rose up, she did nothing to stop it, letting it wash over her instead.
It started off, innocently enough, as a game.
Weeks later, Kaia was sorely tempted to just find a nice hole to lay down in and never emerge from. She covered her face for the umpteenth time, her cheeks aching from the perpetual smile she was forced to wear. It didn't work if she wasn't smiling. She counted to five before throwing her hands out to the side, revealing her eyes. A squeal of delight came, followed by the clapping together of poorly coordinated tiny hands.
Light above, but she hated this game.
The days all seemed to roll together to her sleep deprived mind, one fading into the next, the road before them unfolding in an unending ribbon that met the distant horizon. To avert impending disaster, and to save the sanity of the caravan, Kaia had grasped upon the Age old peek-a-boo game in the frantic attempt to try and keep the mercurial, easily bored miniature human of less than two years entertained and happy. Who knew that such a small creature could scream so bloody loudly?
“Kee! Kee! Kee!” the tiny girl chanted, breaking into Kaia's bemused thoughts.
“Yes, it's me,” she answered with a weary sigh, her face relaxing into something that resembled genuine affection. She was Kavi's favourite person in the whole wide world. It was an odd thing... demanding, unpredictable, sometimes thankless... and she couldn't remember what it was like to sleep through the entire night without a small foot or fist jabbing into her body – or worse, grubby little fingers going up her nose or into her mouth - but still... Despite it all, Kaia couldn't help the soft laugh that sounded as her baby sister wiggled excitedly, little arms waving up and down.
“Kee!”
The tired adolescent wiggled her fingers in front of the small face and watched with bleary fondness as Kavi made several unsuccessful attempts to grab onto Kaia's fingers, the little human letting out a gurgle of excitement when she finally succeeded. Not two seconds passed before Kavi promptly tried to shove the Domani's entire hand into the tiny toothless maw of her mouth. Kaia pulled her arm back a little, letting out a soft sigh. As she did so, she simply shook her head, marveling at the perfect contentment in her sister's dark brown eyes as Kavi finally settled for a finger, enthusiastically gumming the cuticle.
A little shake of her raven-head accompanied the strange pull of awareness as Kaia returned to the present moment. She brushed her fingertips free of any lingering trace of green plant matter and tried to breathe in shallowly. This was ridiculous. She couldn't very well stop breathing every time she decided to spend time in the Infirmary - how else was she to regain her former level of Healing skill if she couldn't stomach the smells? The petite Domani wiped her hands on the apron tied around her waist and then undid the strings. She left it in a heap on table, remembering to replace the lid on the small jar before tucking that away in its proper place.
“Come Sister, please. Attend me.”
A touch came at her elbow and the Red Aes Sedai nearly embraced in response. She turned slowly towards the voice. It was a plump Yellow that stood there entirely all too pleasant and smiling; of bloody course it was a Yellow. Only a Yellow would think nothing of being so overly friendly as to touch someone else without warning, and more importantly, without permission. As loudly as Kaia railed inside her mind, none of what she was thinking showed on her face, the perfect coppery features smoothed over in serene stillness. A curt nod and the raven-haired woman followed as she was bid. It rankled a little, but she was a guest here and she was the one in need of practice.
She was stared at as she passed, Kaia fully aware of how she appeared. She lacked the ageless face and nothing she wore gave any indication as to her rank. No Great Serpent Ring. No shawl. Just as she preferred. Soon enough they were ensconced within one of the private rooms, a faint smile of recognition flickering across the Red's face at the sight she beheld. A human-like prop made of cloth and stuffed with some manner of thing like straw or cotton. As an Accepted, Kaia had done her fair share of learning how to form the correct Healing weaves on just such an object. Green eyes glanced up to the other Aes Sedai with amusement. Perhaps things were not so different after all.
“I am glad this does not cause offense, Sister. I would like very much to see what the White Tower teaches in terms of Healing.” That was said without deception or malice, the plump Yellow seeming genuinely curious. “My name is Lyesia.”
“It is good to meet you, Lyesia. My name is Kaia, though I think you know that already. I understand your precaution.” And truly, she did. She had only recently regained the ability to touch saidar again. “Bear in mind that what I learned, I learned long ago. I do not know if things remain the same there, though I cannot imagine why they would not be.” That was said delicately, the dig subtle, but by the way Lyseia reached up to cover her mouth, the petite Domani knew that the barbed remark was understood.
“Then, please, proceed when you are ready.”
The joy that came as she opened herself up to the Source never failed to take her breath away, the warmth and the sweetness filling her with Light and life. Her sense jumped, the world sharpening into clarity that bordered on pain. Kaia took a moment simply to revel in the feeling, aware that this was not something an Aes Sedai should do. She did not care. Still, she retained enough sense not to draw in too much too quickly, her attention going to the cloth bound substitute.
She reached into the river of the Power, bringing out flows of Spirit, Air, and Water, weaving and spinning them together as she directed them over and into the straw-filled dummy. Her speed was not what it once was, but her touch was steady, the way she manipulated the threads precise and deft. Kaia made the most basic of flows first, the small fine mesh of tri-coloured threads meant to soothe bruises and small cuts, to larger versions meant to knit bone and mend flesh. She could feel herself tire slightly, her breath quickening just a little as she glanced over at Lyesia.
The Yellow was nodding her head, something akin to mischief in the dark eyes as they met green. “Yes, very well done.” A thoughtful expression passed over the ageless face, and yet there was the unmistakable note of satisfaction in the next words. “What if I were to tell you that a... different method of Healing has been discovered?”
Kaia let herself go still, saidar singing through her. “I would say that I believe you.”
Ah, her answer pleased Lyesia, who smiled in response. “I would hope so. You have experienced it firsthand.”
A rather emphatic nod. Asha'man Gareth. Yes. The Red remembered that very clearly.
“You say you have a Talent for the type of Healing the White Tower does?” That was asked very pointedly.
Kaia nodded carefully. “It is what they said, yes.”
An appraising look. “I would very much like to see if you also possess the Talent for this different type of Healing. Attend.”
Any trace of irritation at the unspoken child faded. Green eyes widened in surprise, both at the knowledge that Lyesia offered freely, and the veritable explosion of weaves that formed around the plump woman. The suspicion and the question of: why is she showing me this? warred with the amazement of watching all five Powers being used in tandem together, caressing and flowing over the inanimate dummy. Kaia had never seen anything like it, lips parting as she fixated on what she was seeing. Light! Perhaps Lyesia was right to call her a child. Kaia felt much like she once had as an Accepted... a feeling she did not particularly care for.
“Shall I show you again?” That was asked kindly.
“Yes. Please.” The petite Domani could not keep the note of awe from entering her voice.
“Observe then,” Lyesia chuckled.
It took the Yellow demonstrating twice more before Kaia felt even remotely comfortable enough to attempt the weaves, and three failed tries before she grasped on to the required familiarity of wielding all five of the different elements at once. Spirit, Air, and Water still came the easiest to her, though... somehow, Fire and Earth did not present the usual struggle, melding seamlessly together with the other flows. It still took effort, more than she would like, but as Kaia guided the spectacular amalgamation of Power towards the dummy, the threads... flowed and glided to where she willed, obeying her every touch, her every direction. It was... incredible, and the Domani forgot herself in the moment, a dazzling smile coming to her face, emerald orbs shining with unfettered delight.
What did these weaves do? How did they differ from the Healing she had been taught at the White Tower? How would they affect her? How would they affect the person she was using it on? So many questions! She had to know! It was only when Lyesia chuckled again, that Kaia remembered that there was someone else with her. Hastily she composed herself, chin lifting, her gaze almost defiant as she turned towards the Yellow. Saidar faded from her grasp. To the Red's immense surprise, she did not feel any more tired than when she had begun. The older Aes Sedai merely smiled. She's... pleased? That was not what Kaia had been expecting.
“Well.” A poignant pause. “Let me speak plainly, Sister. You have the ability with this type of Healing as well. You will need practice and refinement, of course, but that will come.”
Kaia felt as if she should say something, demonstrate that she was a proper Aes Sedai, a full Sister, only no words would come. White teeth leapt out from coppery skin and she could do nothing except grin back with girlish joy at the plump woman.
