Fanfic:Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
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The flame flickered in a pool of melted wax. Amadie glanced at it, guessing she had perhaps ten minutes before she lost the light she read by. The candle was how she judged bed time; for six months she had done this ritual every night, and it would not change now. She turned the page, her finger traveling down the paper as she searched for the information she needed. She made a quick note with her free hand, glanced at the candle, then kept reading. A few minutes later, the candle began to gutter out, and she closed the book, stretched, and crossed the room.
Three things happened at once, then. She sat on the edge of her bed, the candle went out- and someone knocked on her door. Blinking -who in the Light could be visiting so late?- she channeled, a globe of spirit appearing above her hand as she went to the door and opened it.
Illyria stood outside, her red hair alight from the light of Fire she held. Without a word, Amadie let her own globe wink out. "What-?" The Mistress of Novices silenced her with a sharp movement of her fair hand, and motioned for Amadie to come out of her room and follow her. [i]What is going on ?[/i] Amadie's brain whirled as she reviewed the previous few days. She had done nothing that could possibly require a late night penance. Her classwork had been turned in on time, the novices she taught had been pleased with her instruction, her chores were complete, what....?
Abruptly knowledge of what was happening hit Amadie like a rock, and she stopped dead in her tracks, gaping at the Aes Sedai. [i]I can't be raised. I haven't even been Accepted for a year![/i] She dared not speak; when Illyria turned to look at her, she shook herself and took one unsteady step, and then another, until finally she had caught up with the Indigo. Then they set off again. In the long walk that followed, Amadie had nothing but flickering firelight and the slight chill in the air to distract her from her panicked thoughts.
Illyria led her to a large room underground. Amadie's thoughts splinted as she took in the women in attendance, the torches, the door on the other side. Words were spoken, and she thanked the Light that she had made a point to memorize her part in this ceremony despite believing it would be years -if not decades-before she would need them. Finally she stood before the door, and all she had left to do was pass through.
In the passage beyond, she found a stairwell with seven steps. The first was the color of warm summer honey. As she stepped on it, she caught a strong whiff of chamomile...and then darkness.
The Yellow Step
Amadie walked through a street littered with garbage and filth. She had to walk through the Foregate to get from her Gateway outside the city to the Sun Palace within it, and the process made her stomach turn. She had gathered her elaborate skirts in her right hand to avoid dragging them in the muck, while holding a scented cloth to her nose to disguise the smell. Her hair had been pulled back in a complicated coif, studded with jewels, gold, and pearls, and yellow gems set in gold winked at ears and throat.
"Please my lady," a whisper of sound reached her ears, and she looked down. In front of her and to the side knelt a little girl, her hands held palms-up above her bowed head. "Please, anything you can do to help." Abruptly her whole body contorted and she coughed, almost falling on her face as she struggled to control the wracking spasms. "Please..." She looked up, and brown eyes met brown eyes for one long moment. In that flash, Amadie saw the unkempt brown hair, the dirt smeared brown skin, the filthy rags wrapped around her body in an attempt at warmth, the sharp cheek- and shoulder- bones. Then the child coughed again, doubling over for long moments, then falling limply to her side, knees pulled to her chest.
Amadie knelt, forgetting in her haste to protect her dress. Her knees pressed the silk into the ground and she could feel the muck seeping through to wet her knees. "Child, look at me," she said. The girl looked up at her, and Amadie touched her forehead with a gentle hand. Her skin burned and the sharp lines of her bones were much more obvious that close. "I am going to try to help you, little sister," Amadie said softly. "It will feel very strange. Do you trust me?" The little girl stared up at her for a long moment before she nodded slow acquiescence.
The Source beckoned to her, and the Domani woman embraced without thought, weaving the flows for Delving. It swept through the girl, and Amadieknew it would take a miracle to save the child's life- a miracle Amadie could not provide with her limited knowledge of Healing. Biting back a sob, she gathered the child against her chest.
I must try. She channeled again, flows of Spirit, Air, and Water wrapping around the girl's frail body. As the tiny back arched and the girl cried out, she felt herself being pulled backwards out of reality and into....somewhere.
She stood with both feet on the yellow step. The torches to either side had gone out, but the ones ahead seemed to burn all the brighter for it, beckoning her on. The next step was a magnificent deep emerald. With a deep breath, she placed her foot on it.
The Green Step
Amadie walked along a road that ran through a rolling field, the village ahead of her growing steadily larger. By the time she reached the outermost homes, the sun had nearly set. She stayed on the road, and as she had suspected, it led her straight to the only inn. When she went in, she found a knot of men sitting in a circle before the fire. The tension was so great she dearly longed to shout "boo" just to see their reactions. Instead, she simply cleared her throat- and was greeted by a collective startled gasp.
"Good evening, gentlemen," she said pleasantly, pushing her dark green hood away from her face. They stared at her wordlessly, and then one of them seemed to collect himself, stepping forward to offer her a short bow. "I'm looking for a place to stay," she said calmly. "Would you happen to have a room, Master....?" She waited for him to supply his name.
"Master Oakburrow," the portly man who had stepped forward said. "I do have a room, but you may not want to stay here, mistress." He would not meet her eyes.
"And why is that?" She asked casually, leaning one shoulder against the door frame.
"For the last two weeks, we have been plagued by bandits," Oakburrow said, scrubbing his hands together nervously. "Each night they have raided a house, taking whatever is of value within. They have come to every house but this one, and we have no hope of stopping them." Meaning they would be coming to the inn that night, and they thought she would be in danger. She nearly laughed, but kept her face sober.
"That sounds like a terribly frightening problem, Master Oakburrow," she said, pursing her lips, "but not one I am afraid of." She walked all the way into the room, and slung her bag to the floor as the door closed behind her. "I am Amadie, and I have some training in strategy and defense," she continued. "If you are having a problem with brigands, I can help you remove them."
The strange men looked at one another uncertainly, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. They have a bandit problem, but hesitate to accept assistance? Finally Oakburrow nodded sharply. "We would be happy for your help, my lady," he said. Abruptly, Amadie could not have been happier that she had hidden what she could do.
She started asking questions, then. "There are six of you. How many total in the village? How many doors does this inn have? What kind of weapons do you have? Do you know how many bandits there are?" As hesitant answers came back, she began to formulate a plan in her head, walking from one end of the room to the other. Then she gave orders: this man to fetch the other villagers, that man to do this, this man to do that. On and on she worked, until darkness had fallen like velvet around them. Once all had been prepared, she went outside and found a place to comfortably lean against the wall. She had set up torches in a circle around the inn- there would be no surprise approach.
Time passed slowly, but finally she heard a noise from the shadows. "Show yourselves," she called. To her surprise, they did so. Perhaps they thought an unarmed woman could not possibly be a threat - fools - and perhaps not all was as it seemed. Regardless of reason, they crept from the shadows, a hand or so of men -and women, she realized with shock- in clothes that had seen better days, carrying contrived weapons of wood and old farming equipment.
"Who are you?" She asked them. These did not look like the organized and fearsome bandits that Oakburrow had described. And perhaps that is exactly why he did not want you to wait outside, she thought grimly. Not all is as it seems. "What do you want with the village?"
A woman in a faded blue dress stepped forward, the torch light dancing on russet hair, her back straight and proud despite her impoverished appearance. "We want our homes and our littles back, m'lady," she said. "Those men in our inn....they drove us away, and our choice now is to fight or starve...and I will fight to the death to get my Marget back."
"She lies." Oakburrow had come out of the inn, and now stood to Amadie's side, crossbow in hand. "They are naught but common thieves, terrorizing us by night and hiding like cowards during the day."
"We shall see," Amadie said. She ducked around Oakburrow and opened the door.
Inside huddled the villagers, men surrounding women and children. The women had their eyes on the ground, and the children looked frightened. "If there is a child named Marget here, I must speak to her," she said coldly. Silence. Stillness. Except- a little girl with red hair bit her lip, looking sideways at the man who stood over her. Amadie walked over and looked down at her. "You are the one," she said simply. The girl looked at the man again, eyes filled with terror- but she nodded. Light, she can't be older than seven.
Amadie took her hand, and led her out of the inn. As soon as Marget saw the woman in blue, she started running, crying "Mama!" The woman knelt, arms outspread, to catch her up and hug her. When Amadie turned away, she saw that Oakburrow had raised his crossbow, and that the other men in his group had come out of the inn, weapons in hand.
"You would dare steal children away from their parents," Amadie said, her voice cold as ice. "You would take their homes, their livestock, and their livelihoods, and then lie to me about it?" Saidar filled her as she spoke, flows of Air yanking their weapons away and binding their arms to their sides.
"Who are you, really?" Oakburrow demanded, struggling against his bonds to no avail. "What do you want?"
"Justice," she said, and fell into darkness.
Her feet rested on the green stair, the color oddly dull now that the torches had gone out. She took a deep breath, remembering the fear in that little girl's eyes. The next step was sky blue; with a deep breath, Amadie moved forward.
The Blue Step
It felt as if Ebou Dar might ignite from the heat of the summer sun pounding on its white buildings and turnip-shaped roofs. Amadie was thankful-not for the first time- that she had no qualms about adopting new fashions. Her pale blue dress was cut in a Mayene style, baring her chin to midway down her chest and back. She smiled, and shook the traveling dust from her skirts before entering the inn she stood in front of. She had been on the road for some time, and a cool drink and a full meal would be excellent refreshment.
She settled at a table in the far corner, watching the few patrons of the establishment with a critical eye. The man in a green coat was a swindler, she could tell by the way he looked at his companion, a woman in a rough wool dress. Amadie was willing to bet a gold mark that that woman was nobility, despite her rough clothes. Two men in white shirts were just what they seemed, dock workers in for a drink at the end of their shift. The large woman at the bar who had greeted her upon arrival was the owner, and despite her cheerful exterior, Amadie had no doubt she would crack a drunk's head with a spoon without a second thought.
Her companions thus sorted, Amadie turned her attention to the book she held- a small leather journal, with script in a language she did not know burned into the cover.
"Here's your drink, mistress. Lemonade, as you ordered." Amadie froze- that voice was entirely too familiar. She looked up, and straight into the eyes of a novice the Tower had long thought dead. Kell wore Ebou Dari clothes, though her coloring marked her as Taraboner, and she had a peculiar red sash around her waist. "Aes Sedai," Kell gasped, face draining of color.
"I'm not going to eat you, child," Amadie said, though the temptation to do just that was strong. Kell had disappeared six years before, and no one had been able to find her. And now...here she stood. "But you did run away."
"Please Aes Sedai, please don't make me go back." Kell sank to her knees, big brown eyes wide with terror. "I can barely channel at all, you know it as well as I, and I haven't touched it since I left, I swear." She wrung her hands. "I have a husband now, and a little boy who's just learning to crawl. I have a life- a life I'm happy with. If I go back to the Grey Tower all will be lost, and for what? To scrub floors for twenty years, until someone finally decides I am not strong enough to pass the tests? Then I get back after my boy is grown and my husband dead, with nothing to show for it but a broken heart. Please Aes Sedai!"
Amadie looked at her, face clear of any of the thoughts running through her head. It was true- Kell stood not a chance of passing the tests to becomeAes Sedai. They had known that before she ran away, and had she stayed another month, might have gained her freedom honorably. There had been a token search only, and then her name had been added to the list of fugitives and life had rolled on.
The lawful thing to do, Amadie thought, was take the girl back and force her to fulfill the promise she made when she signed the novice book. Theright thing, however... that was another matter entirely. Light, how unfair could this girl's plight possibly be?
"Kell, there is a reason the Tower requires you to stay within its walls while you train," she said, and saw the girl's shoulders slump in defeat. "Untrained channelers are a danger to themselves and everyone around them, and women pretending to be Aes Sedai create all kinds of trouble that we cannot afford to allow." Kell's lip trembled. "That said, I do not believe there is justice in separating a woman from her family needlessly."
The novice turned serving girl's eyes flew up to meet Amadie's, unexpected hope blooming there. "Do you mean-"
"You are correct, girl," Amadie said calmly. "If I took you back you would spend decades in white and then be turned away with nothing to show for your sacrifice but a sack of silver pennies." The hope in that girl's face was painful to behold. "Look at me, child." Kell looked at her, and Amadie met her eyes for a long moment, studying her intently.
"Take this coin," she said, producing a copper penny and holding it out to the girl between thumb and forefinger. "Keep it on your person at all times. So long as you keep the coin, you may live a happy life with your family and I will speak of this to no one. Believe me when I say I will know if you lose it, I will find you, and you will be taken to the Tower."
Kell stared at the coin like a poisonous snake for several long moments before snatching it from Amadie's fingers. As she did so, Amadie channeled flows of Spirit, lashed between the coin and the girl's body. Immediately very specific information about the girl's location filled one corner ofAmadie's mind...andall other awareness of the world began to fade into gray.
She stood on dusty blue tiles, and the torches on either side had gone out. She collected herself, and looked ahead- the next step was inlaid in an intricate design in shades of indigo. Almost halfway done. She moved forward.
The Indigo Step
She stood in a dusty shop, the many shelves crowded with trinkets, toys, keepsakes, and books. Metal glinted there, the warm brown of polished wood there, and the musty scent of old things filled her nose. She lifted a purple-gloved hand to her nose just in time to cover a sneeze. A wizened man with light brown hair and a limp emerged through a curtain archway, giving her a quizzical look with eyes that seemed too large for his head. "What can I do for you, Aes Sedai?" He asked, leaning across the counter.
"A farmer told me that you recently acquired a...statue," Amadie said, her gaze traveling across the shelves in search of anything that resembled what that potato farmer had told her about. "You bought it from a passing merchant. Ever since you did that, the crops have failed, luck has been worse than usual, and the children have been sick."
"A coincidence, I'm sure." Master Lynden said. "It has simply been a bad spring. Sometimes, these things happen."
"I will be the judge of that," Amadie said. "Show it to me." Stranger ter'angreal had been discovered, after all. Perhaps a particularly vindictivechanneler had made one that spread ill luck. Lynden gave her an irritated look, but he went into the back once more. While he was gone, she looked around his shop. With even such a cursory glance she could tell other ter'angreal were present. Did the man collect them on purpose, or were they chance finds while plying his trade? Curious.
He returned bearing a chest that required both hands to lift. He set it on the counter, and opened the latch. "See for yourself," he said, waving her over. She obeyed without comment. The lid lifted easily. The red velvet-lined interior cushioned a stone statue. The statue itself was of a man bound upside down on two crossed pieces of wood. On the pedestal beneath his head, bones had been carved in exquisite detail.
The evil radiating off it took the Domani's breath away. She had no need of the One Power to tell her that the statue was indeed a ter'angreal'. "I don't believe in coincidence," she told Master Lynden, "For good reason." She closed the box, snapped the latch shut, and picked it up.
"That is mine," Master Lynden said, his tone sharp.
"Was yours," Amadie corrected. "Now it is mine. You cannot imagine what this object is capable of. It must be destroyed." Ignoring his gabbled protests, she ducked out of the shop, striding as quickly as she could away. Once she had achieved a safe distance from the rest of the shop, she stopped, and opened the box again.
This time, she set it on the ground, and channeled. Flows of Spirit, Fire, and Earth lashed through the air to wrap around the statue, tightening down. The stone began to glow- first red, then orange, then yellow, white and sharp blue in quick succession. Then suddenly, with a loud POP, it exploded. As the molten pieces hurtled towards her, Amadie felt reality fade.
The tiles were dim, now, as were the torches to either side. Ahead lay just three more stairs, and the next one was the soft friendly color and texture of mahogany. Taking a breath to steady herself, Amadie took another step.
The Brown Step
Books piled...everywhere. Amadie had not known until the moment she walked into this room that the Library above held less than a quarter of the total knowledge the Grey Tower possessed. Most of it lay unsorted in rooms deep beneath the ground, waiting to be sorted by the Browns. She ran a finger along the top of one stack, and it left a track a quarter of an inch thick in the dust.
"What did you say we're looking for again?" She asked, disconsolately lifting a pile of books to the table that had been set up against the wall nearest the door.
"We're looking for a treatise on the culture of Aridhol." Bryna said. The young Brown's brocade gown was exquisite in every detail- and covered in dust that turned the rich brown tones to a dull tan. She even had dust on her face and in her hair...and she didn't seem to notice or care.
"I know you have at least three books on that topic in the Fifth Depository," Amadie commented, looking at the first book in her stack. Rules of some game she didn't recognize, in which the players moved glass beads around a series of carved out cups on a board. She set it aside. The next was a history of Tear- also unhelpful.
"Yes, but not this book," Bryna said, her tone betraying her excitement. "A thesis on Westland politics written by Lucina Sedai from three hundred years mentions this book as a definitive primary source on the courts of Aridhol. The three books in the Fifth were written less than a hundred years ago, and none of them mention Lucina's thesis or the culture treatise."
Amadie blinked, trying to follow that. So this text is so old most people don't know it exists, she thought. "How do you know it's here?" The idea of going through endless rooms filled with books one by one in search of a volume that might not even be there did not truly excite her, though she hid her lack of interest as best she could.
"Because I saw it here myself, five years ago or so." Five years? Who knows where the bloody thing is now? "We don't move books from room to room, save to shelve them in the Library," Lucina said, seemingly picking up on Amadie's hesitance. "It is in this room." Amadie considered that, then nodded with a sigh. "We'd best get started then," she said. "Any information we can get about Aridhol may prove useful in the Last Battle."
As she wove Fire to create a brighter light to work by, she felt the pressure of thunder without the sound, and the world faded away.
Only two sets of torches remained. Two steps- one shimmering silver, one glowing as white as the moon. Amadie stepped forward once more.
The Grey Step
"They were raiding in our nation, and should be tried under our law!"
"But they are our soldiers, and must face a tribunal to set an example so other soldiers do not do the same."
The two men who stood in front of Amadie's chair resembled nothing more than bickering children, and the slender Aes Sedai had to fight not to knock their heads together until they learned sense. Instead, she sat and sipped her tea, allowing them to argue with each other until they grew hoarse. When they finally wound down and turned to her as if finally remembering her presence.
"I was wondering if you were ever going to stop for air," she commented briskly. "I admire your stamina- I had not known it was possible to live without breathing for," she checked the clock, "nearly ten minutes." The Andoran had the grace to look ashamed of himself, but the Cairhienin man simply puffed himself up even more, opening his mouth as if to start up again. "No," Amadie said, lifting her hand to cut him off. "You asked me to arbitrate this situation, and arbitrate I will."
She set her teacup carefully on the stand by her chair, and stood, clasping her hands behind her as she walked. "Follow me." They did, of course, with enough space between them for a carriage to pass through. She led them out, and down the passage to a balcony at the far end. From there they could see across the rooftops of Aringill to the ships at the docks; across the river, the Cairhienin village could be seen as a faint gray smudge on the shore. "Andor is known for its industry and Cairhien for its intrigue," she commented without looking at either of her companions. "You can see the difference before you." She waved a hand at the scenery, then turned sharply to face them, scowling.
"It is for that reason that I am choosing to place these men in the hands of Lord Reed of Andor." The Andoran put his shoulders back and smiled victory at the Cairhienin man. "But!" They both looked at her. "You may not physically punish them. Lord Harrisin shall supply three men who will witness the work they must do to pay off their debt. If these overseers feel the prisoners are being mistreated, the prisoners must be immediately transferred to Lord Harrisin's care. In either case," and she gave them both piercing looks, "the deserters are not to be forced to work for one penny more than what they stole. I have Eyes and Ears everywhere- do not think to escape unnoticed."
She smiled, and channeled, the flows for a Gateway forming before her. It was time to return to the Grey Tower. She stepped through into momentary blackness.
One more step remained, the milky white glowing in the light of the two remaining torches. I can do this. With a sense of absolute relief, Amadieplaced her foot squarely on the last step of the ter'angreal.
The White Step
Amadie tilted her head, staring at the child in front of her with an air of surprised curiosity. "You think that because I gave you a lecture, you know everything there is to know about the philosophy around Dreaming and therefore do not need to write your homework down? Did I hear you correctly?"
The girl blushed, looking down at her feet. "Yes Aes Sedai," she whispered. "You gave this class a lecture, which we listened to. You have already stated you will be giving us a test. Logically, taking notes is unnecessary." Someone tittered, and the girl's face darkened even more.
"Tell me, child," Amadie said, tapping the desk with a hand covered in delicate white lace gloves, "what does it mean when a Dreamer sees a white dove in her sleep?"
"Doves primarily represent peace, nurturing, self-sacrifice, and care. Secondary meanings include love, grace, devotion, hope, and maternal instinct." Impressive. She had remembered a long line of definitions from nearly a month prior.
"And if you were to dream of a dove flying over a black tower against a blood red sky, what would that mean?" Amadie inquired coolly.
"If I dreamed of such a thing, Aes Sedai, it would mean absolutely nothing other than perhaps I ate something funny for supper. I do not have a Talent for Dreaming." The girl snapped her mouth shut, seeming to realize how cheeky she had been. "My pardon Aes Sedai, I meant no disrespect!" she stammered, curtsying.
Amadie sat back, staring at the girl intently. "Well, you certainly pay attention, I must grant you that," she said ruefully after a long moment of silence. "You remembered a list I only gave sparing attention, and responded correctly to a minor twist of words without batting an eyelash- your mind serves you well, it seems." The novice stared at her shoes once more, but Amadie had seen that flash of pride.
"It would seem that in your case you do remember the subject matter without notes," Amadie said. "However- that is not a safe assumption for the vast majority of the people in the world, and therefore I'm afraid I cannot agree that it is illogical to expect you to write down your assignments the same as the rest of the class. What is important to me is ensuring all of my students pass my class, which includes making certain that they all write down what they have learned. If it is written, there can be zero excuse not to know the material, after all."
The girl nodded, and curtsied again. "Be seated, novice Darcella," Amadie said amiably. "Your mind would be a fabulous asset if you would simply learn to control it." As she spoke, she realized the white room was fading.
She stood on dull white stone, and all the torches had gone out. A door stood open ahead of her that she had not noticed before; she stumbled towards it, and emerged into what felt like the brightest space she had ever been in.
"It is done." Illyria clapped, and to Amadie, it sounded like a door closing- forever. "Let no one ever speak of what has passed here. It is for us to share in silence with she who has experienced it. It is done." She clapped again. "It is done!"
"Who comes here?" Amadie could not see the face, but she thought the voice sounded familiar.
"Amadie Laine," she said, tightening the muscles in her belly to prevent her voice from shaking.
"For what reason do you come?"
"To swear the Three Oaths, and thereby claim the shawl of an Aes Sedai."
"By what right do you claim this burden?"
"By right of having made the passage, submitting myself to the will of the Grey Tower."
"Then enter if you dare, and bind yourself to the Grey Tower." Amadie shivered, feeling the finality in those words- and realized that she had been speaking to Amora an'Damier herself. She had had rare occasion to even see the Amyrlin, let alone speak to her in the two short years she had been at the Tower...and now she would be raised in her sight.
Amadie fell to her knees in front of the Amyrlin, and Amora presented her with the Oath Rod. Such a simple thing, to determine the character of AesSedai....she wrapped her fingers around it, vaguely aware that the Amyrlin had channeled into it. When prompted, she spoke. "Under the Light, by my hope of salvation and rebirth, I swear to speak no word that is untrue." It felt like she was being squeezed, her skin too tight, the air too thick.
She gasped, shuddering for breath, and realized Amora had already prompted her for the second Oath. "Under the Light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth, I vow to make no weapon with which one man may kill another." The feeling increased two fold, and Amadie bit her tongue, hard, to keep from crying out as Amora spoke the last Oath for her to repeat.
"Under the Light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth, I vow never to use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, in the lastdefence of my own life, that of my Warder, or that of another Brother or Sister of the Grey Tower." Something pressed around her so tightly she could barely breath. She clenched her jaw and forced herself to relax, one joint at a time. Finally she knelt in utter calm in front of the Amyrlin.
"It is done. The Oaths are graven on your bones. You are bound to the Grey Tower," Amora said. "Rise now, Aes Sedai; choose your Ajahand take your place among us."
Amadie stood unsteadily, and kissed Amora's ring as if in a dream, suddenly aware that the moment of truth, one she had not thought to face for many years to come, had arrived already. I know where I am going, so why is this so terrifying? She looked around her, at these women that she would now consider sisters.
"I choose the Blue Ajah," she said quietly, eyes meeting Serrah's with quiet determination. A soft murmur rose -had they seriously expected her to go any other direction?- as the other Aes Sedai filed out. Once they were gone, Amadie collapsed to her knees once more. "I am called to you, and I answer my calling now. I pray you, accept me as a Sister."
"Then rise, Sister." Serrah took Amadie's hand, and helped her to her feet, while Laela draped the shawl around her shoulders. Serrah kissed her on each cheek, and the pressure of her lips burning Amadie's tears into her skin.
"Welcome home Sister," she said. "We have waited long for you."
