Fanfic:Tatham's Three Arches
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There it was. The Arches ter'angreal. Tatham had read so much about this fabulous creation, but, of course, had never seen it until now. The ironic thing was that he didn't want to be seeing it- he didn't feel ready for this. The Master of Soldiers' summons had been totally unexpected, and Tatham had followed Sejan Asha'man down to the testing chamber in a daze, not quite believing that this was happening to him.
Tatham had hardly heard a word of the ceremonial dialogue between Sejan and...whoever it was that was in charge of the testing- Tatham hadn't even noticed whether it was an Aes Sedai or Asha'man at the table with the three silver chalices. And now the Soldier was standing, stripped naked and shivering, in front of the first arch. A cough from Sejan Asha'man reminded Tatham of his absent-minded acceptance, and the consequences of failure, and spurred him into action. The young Domani took a deep breath, then walked briskly through the silvery light of the archway.
Crouching in the long, yellowing grass, Tatham used a short and brittle twig to prod the beetle. The creature immediately scuttled away, heading for the safer environs of the low garden wall. As Tatham watched the beetle making its rapid escape, he had an uneasy feeling that this had happened to him before. But as he got to his feet, the curious thoughts fled from his head, and Tatham returned to his normal, absent-minded self.
Inside the house, Tatham found the kitchen to be empty. That's odd, he thought, it takes a lot to move Father from his chair. Moving over to the old, worn table, Tatham began to unceremoniously dump his gear onto the sand-smoothed surface. Seconds after his glass inkwell dropped with a heavy thunk onto the table, his Father's voice came to him from upstairs.
"Azra? Is that you? Come, quickly!"
"No, Father, it's me." Tatham said, wondering why his father was sounding so scared. "I think Mother is still attending to that birthing. What's wrong?"
"Get up here, now! It's your sister!"
Beginning to get worried, Tatham dropped the rest of his things and hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Bursting into his sister's tiny bedroom, he saw Esielle lying on the bed, their father at her side. Asbad's right leg ended abruptly at the knee, and he was half standing, half leaning against the wall for support. Esielle was deathly pale, and sweat was oozing continuously from every pore on her face. Rushing over to her, Tatham laid the back of his hand against her brow- she was burning up.
"Tatham, run and find your mother. I don't care whose birthing she's at, your sister needs her. Now! Go!"
Whirling around, Tatham didn't pause to ask what had happened. He leapt down the stairs, and dashed out of the house, desperately trying to remember where his mother had gone. Before he had gone ten spans, a voice suddenly flashed through his head.
The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.
Before the words had gone, a shining silver arch appeared at the side of the street, and Tatham suddenly knew he had to go through it. "But I can't!" Tatham screamed. "Who will fetch Mother? What will happen to Esielle?"
The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.
With a sob, Tatham changed course and headed towards the archway. As he dived through the scintillating light that filled it, he could almost hear his sister's screams of agony.
Back in the chamber of the Three Arches, Tatham was drenched as someone tipped a chalice filled with icy water over his head. But he hardly noticed it- he was too occupied with what he had just done, and how he had abandoned his sister. Perhaps it wasn't real, but...you could never been too sure.
The brief formalities of this part of the ceremony were soon over, and Tatham found himself being propelled towards the second archway. "The second time is for what is. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast." Sejan Asha'man said quietly to the Soldier before stepping back. His resolve firmed, Tatham ran forward into the archway.
Tatham sat up in bed, alarmed by the sudden horn blast coming from outside. Throwing aside his plain, white covers, he rushed to the narrow window of his cell- like chamber. Outside he could see nothing out of the ordinary, but he could hear screams and the noises of weapons clashing together around the corner, at the gates of the Tower.
Hurriedly throwing on some clothes, Tatham ran from his room, and stopped in the corridor. He was tempted to seize saidin, but that wasn't allowed when he was alone. What if this was only some sort of practice, a false alarm? He didn't want to get into trouble needlessly.
Suddenly, a man came flying out of an intersecting corridor, down which Tatham couldn't see, and slammed into the wall. Afraid, Tatham grabbed the Source, and dashed to the man's aid. But before he could reach the Gaidin, a huge, bear-snouted form leapt from that same corridor, and snarled at the Soldier.
Tatham gulped, then turned, and fled. He hated himself for his cowardice, but what could he do? He wasn't fully trained yet. What if he sent a fireball at the Trolloc- for that was surely what this creature was- but missed, and hit a person?
The Trolloc had evidently turned off somewhere, in pursuit of someone else, for Tatham could no longer hear its heavy breathing behind him. The Soldier stopped, and took a minute to survey his suroundings. He had ended up near the Hall of Sitters, not far from the M'Hael and Amyrlin's chambers. A sudden scream caught Tatham's attention, and he ran in the direction from which it had come.
As he turned a corner, he had a good view into the Amyrlin's office. Joaynna Sedai was slumped over her desk, evidently unconscious, and a wolf-headed Trolloc was leaning over her, saliva dripping from its mouth onto the Amyrlin's exposed neck.
"Joaynna Sedai!" Tatham yelled, desperately hoping to get the Trolloc's attention. But the Shadowspawn didn't turn around. Instead, it picked up the Amyrlin with one of its huge, muscle-bound arms, and brought her face closer to its powerful, teeth-filled jaws. Tatham began the weavings of a fireball, but was distracted when something materialised at the edges of his vision. Turning, he saw a silver archway, and a voice simultaneously flashed through his head.
"The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
Tatham looked back to the Amyrlin, confused, but as he did so the arch flickered and the voice repeated itself.
"The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
With a whimper, Tatham released the Source, and ran to the arch. As he jumped through it, he could hear the Trolloc chuckling over the Amyrlin's unconscious, helpless body.
As Tatham tumbled to the floor he stared around the room, wide-eyed. Where were the Trollocs? Surely all these Aes Sedai and Asha'man should be doing something! Suddenly he realised what was going on. The Amyrlin wasn't about to be eaten, there was no Shadowspawn raid on the Tower.
A little calmer now, Tatham knelt down in front of the Aes Sedai who was bearing the second silver chalice. He took deep breaths as her words flowed over him, again not paying attention; he was preparing himself for whatever he might have to face in the third arch.
It wasn't long before Sejan Asha'man helped him to his feet, and the Master of Soldiers was once more leading him to the ter'angreal.
"The third time is for what will be. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
After Sejan released his arm, Tatham took a few deep, calming breaths. He closed his eyes as he slowly walked forwards, and was engulfed by the mystical silver light.
Grasping hold of the smooth, neatly carved railing, Tatham knew he was going to be sick. And he was right- as he leaned out over the edge of the ship, his stomach pumped out everything he had eaten in the last twenty- four hours. Feeling slightly better, Tatham used a linen handkerchief to wipe his mouth and turned away from the rolling sea.
An unusually light-skinned Sea Folk woman was watching him, a small mischievous smile on her face and a merry twinkle in her rare blue eyes. Tatham felt he should know her, but he had to strain before he could remember her name. "Sarinte. I don't think this is the best condition you've seen me in."
The woman laughed, and Tatham could feel her amusment through the bond. Bond? Suddenly confused, Tatham had to shake his head to focus. When did I bond? Everything came back to him in a flood, and his confusion was washed away. Tatham and Sarinte, his bonded Aes Sedai, were taking some time out from the Tower to visit the Green sister's family.
"I'll go and get you some herbs that I know will help, Tath," Sarinte said, chuckling quietly as she walked away across the deck, and down a ladder to the ship's cabins. Left alone, Tatham took some time to marvel at the ways of the Sea Folk. All the women were topless, for a start, and Tatham couldn't understand why this was permitted in such a public and enclosed place. And the jewellery! Why would anyone wear those frightening- looking nose-to-earrings?
Tatham was interrupted from his musings as the ship suddenly keeled over to one side, and Tatham tumbled head over heels down the deck, before coming to a stop against the railings on the far side. The deck lurched the other way, and within seconds the Brown Asha'man found himself in his original position.
"What under the Light is going on?" Tatham struggled to get to his feet, and as he staggered across the deck towards the ladder down which Sarinte had disappeared, he heard a resounding crack of timber. "Light," he breathed as another ship suddenly came into his sights. Its size and the heavy ribbed sails gave it away immediately as a Seanchan vessel.
"Sarinte!" He roared, realising the predicament his Aes Sedai could be in if she was trapped below decks, with water flooding in. As he clambered down the ladder he seized saidin, readying himself to aid Sarinte and whoever else was trapped by the water, which he could now see was neck-high in the narrow corridor below him.
Before his head disappeared below the level of the deck, he saw a silver archway materialise on the deck. The panicking Sea Folk seemed oblivious to it as they rushed around, trying to save their vessel, and Tatham knew he was the only one who could see it. A groan escaped his lips as a voice spoke in his head.
"The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
As the mysterious voice disappeared, Tatham heard a scream of help coming from below, and he knew it was Sarinte's voice. As he put one foot on a lower rung, planning to save the Green sister, the archway flickered, nearly disappearing, and the voice came to him again.
"The way back will come but once. Be steadfast." Tears blurring his vision, Tatham made up his mind. He clambered back up the ladder, and made a run for the arch. He could hear the Sea Folk yelling for his assistance, for now bolts of lightning were darting out of the sky, but above all was the torturous scream of his bonded Aes Sedai. Tatham jumped into the silver light, and felt Sarinte's presence being ripped out of his mind.
Tatham sank slowly to the cold stone floor, tears still streaming from his eyes. Someone came to stand in front of him, and Tatham wiped his face, trying to scrub away the tears. It was the M'Hael, and he was holding the last of the silver chalices. As the frigid liquid was poured over him, Tatham realised the ordeal was over, and was mildly comforted by Melabrid Asha'man's words.
"You are washed clean of Tatham Anselar from Arad Doman. 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 Tatham Anselar, Dedicated of the Grey Tower."
The M'Hael stepped back, and Tatham got shakily to his feet. He stared from Melabrid to Sejan, to the seven Aes Sedai and Asha'man lined up behind them. The M'Hael reached out with one hand before Tatham could speak, and pressed something into the newly raised Dedicated's hand. Tatham looked down to see a silver sword pin, and smiled slightly.
Tatham bowed to everyone present, then wordlessly turned away. Gathering his clothes, he put them on. As he walked sedately from the chamber, he fastened the sword pin to his black collar, and attempted to prepare himself for the hard training that the coming years would bring.
