Fanfic:Sarinte's Three Arches

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Sarinte's Three Arches
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First Arch

Sarinte bit down on her lip, feeling the warmth of a bead of blood and then the coppery taste as she stepped through the first Arch and was blinded with the light. White light, everywhere. In, out, around, she was the light. And then she wasn't. "I meant to ask, can I channel in here," she turned to ask through the Arch, and was stunned to find it gone. Then she remembered Miahala Sedai's words. The way back comes only once. "Light, I'm alone! What if I get stuck here! Like those others!" Then she paid attention to where she was. There was sand between her toes, and on the hem of her- her PANTS! She was attired in the Atha'an Miere dress! "How can they do this to me?"

"Who's doing what to you? Sarinte leapt a mile high as a crippled woman limped over to her from where she had been digging for shellfish, dragging her basket. "There's no one else here. So, ever you say they be as doing to you, you be as doing to yourself, more'n half-like.""Oh," Sarinte realised her mistake. Saying anything more would confuse this woman. she snapped at herself. "I meant the little beetles around here. See?" She pointed one out for the woman as it trundled towards them, and then blindly bumped into Sarinte's heel and then wandered off in the direction it had come from, apparently thinking it was still heading where it had meant to go. "I meant, why are they bumping into me, instead of going around?"

The woman nodded sagely, as if the answer to this question would reveal the secret of life itself. "They be longsighted. Means them as able to see yon foot from away, but not the whole o' you as be a giant to them. But when them's closer, they can't tell nowt apart."

"I see," Sarinte answered, as though it was the most intriguing and scholarly pursuit anyone had ever heard of.

"You be as one of them Seafolk, like as not, no?" the old woman commented with an appraising look, right on the foot of Sarinte's last words."I am, at that," Sarinte admitted.

"Be that so, then. Do yon be as your ship? Yonder, what's sinking fast-like?" The old woman swung and pointed the pipe she was drawing on towards a ship that flashed in the sunlight and cracked, making eery sounds.

"I think it could be- Light! It's sinking!" Sarinte let out a horrified gasp. "We have to save it! Them, I mean!"

The old woman shook her head. "There's nowt as you nor I can do, girlie." She took another drag on the pipe which she had replaced between her teeth. "If your as thinking how to help, I be as telling you instead that you mustn't. You must as be turning about, girlie, and stepping through that doorway from which as you came."

Sarinte's eyes widened as she realised the woman had seen her come, had seen the Arch, and spotted the Arch again for her. She turned to look at the Arch, glimmering and taunting in the sun, and then back at the ailing ship. "But..."

"But as nothing, girlie. There's a now you can do for them. Go and do for yourself."

Advised so, Sarinte made a run for the Arch which winked as though it were going to disappear, and dove through it as it closed. She prepared in a split second to tuck and roll on her exit, and became the light, then bents to roll, and stumbled out of the Arch standing, not diving.

Second Arch

Sarinte stepped out of the Arch, her skin and hair aflame with light and her eyes wide with curiosity. "Light," she breathed in awe, looking around herself at the Three Arches chamber. Familiar Aes Sedai sat at intervals around the Arches, and Rashenne Sedai stood off to one side, fiddling with a chalice of something. "Well, take it off, girl!" The Aes Sedai who stood next to Sarinte was Miahala Sedai, only Sarinte did not ever remember the Mistress of Novices speaking so harshly. "Take it off!" The Aes Sedai's tone was curt. Sarinte blinked and looked down. What in the Light? I'm wearing my Novice whites again! She frowned and pulled at the fabric with distrust. "Oh, and remember," the Aes Sedai said, as she took Sarinte's clothes from her. "The Arch home comes but once, and many people, when the ter'angreal is still and quiet, still have not returned. Then another girl burst through the first Arch of the room. Sarinte opened her mouth in shock; the girl could have been her twin, if not herself. "Two of them!" "Grab them both!" "Why are there two!" "I've never seen this before!" "Darkfriend in our midst!" The assorted cries described the characters of the Aes Sedai in the room, and Sarinte realized she was most definitely not where she was meant to be. She dashed for the second Arch, where she saw her arch glimmer in welcome as she darted forwards. An Aes Sedai lunged for Sarinte's ankles as the other girl - Amadina - was marched out of the room. Sarinte yelped and leapt over the Aes Sedai's reaching fingers, feeling another hand brush against herhand in a futile attempt to catch her. Breaking through the Archway, she thought briefly I supposeI suppose this is the ter'angreal's idea of a joke. Indeed, it is in the present - I am being tested, and I am in the second Arch- She stepped out of the Arch and into the real Grey Tower and its real Three Arches Chamber.

Third Arch

Washed clean of false pride? she repeated to herself. Silently, of couse, as she knew by now none of the people outside of the Arch would hear her, and there was no point in confusing those within. Was that meant to mean something? Are these "washings" personalised? She glared at an ant that made an epic journey over her foot, carrying a crumb of something in its mouth. "Why couldn't you follow the other ants, and go around, silly ant?" she asked, not expecting an answer.

"It is like you. Stubborn, and refusing to acknowledge the obstacles before it," a voice behind her told her. She whirled, then blinked. Why was Amadaeus Mashiara - of all people - here?

"Charmed, I'm sure," she replied, to buy time to figure out what this meant.

"My honour, and intent, my Aes Sedai." She blinked vacantly at that and then realised the implication of the last two words of his sentence."We're bonded?" The words escaped her mouth before she could check them

"Of course," he replied, steadily. A shadow of concern passed through his eyes. Lovely eyes, she noted. "Perhaps I should take you to see a Yellow? Actually," he continued, almost laughing. "Why don't I just take you to see your other Warders? I'm sure Kyelen would drop everything for his wife and Aes Sedai."

Wife and Aes Sedai! she screamed silently in her shock. I'm bonded and married to him? This is crazy! He doesn't even like me! And I certainly don't like him! Well, she admitted, he is cute. "Warders?" she asked, dazedly.

"Yes, Kyelen, Matthaeus, and I," he replied as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Okay," she managed in a quiet, shocked voice. "Okay." He took her arm to support and guide her to wherever these other Warders of hers where, and then she saw the Arch flash, silvery, beyond Amadaeus' shoulder. "Actually," she said, thinking fast. "I'd feel better if you went and got Kyelen for me. I think I need to sit down." Amadaeus nodded, looking alarmed, and dashed off. For a moment Sarinte regretted the upset she would cause to her Warders of this Arch, and then she firmed her resolve and darted towards the Arch before Kyelen or Amadaeus or anyone else could return. She wasurrouned by light. She was in the light. She was the light. Then she was back in the chamber of the Three Arches, bare as she had been born, and kneeling before the Amyrlin Seat.