Kimiara Traeban
| Kimiara Traeban | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Ceralyn A'Delin (player) |
| Information | |
| Full name | Kimiara Sirelle Traeban |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Drin |
| Affiliation | The Grey Tower |
| Nationality | Amadician / Illianer |
Kimiara Sirelle Traeban is an Amadician-Illianer Drin of the Grey Tower.
Biography
Note: The first part of this biography, describing Kimi's background and early childhood up until the death of her mother, is written by Kimiara, the middle, describing Kimi and Alli's travels leading to their enrollment as Novices in the White Tower, is written by her twin sister, Alliara, and the end, describing how Kimiara lost the ability to channel, is written by Kimi.
When Alliara and I were little, we used to beg our mother to tell us the story of how she and Daddy met. She told us that story so much that Alli and I both could recite it by heart, even today. Completely understanding Alli and I really requires knowing our past, and so I begin with this ever-so-familiar tale.
Mother was Aiel, a Maiden of the Spear, and a gorgeous one at that. She had fiery red hair, and brilliant blue eyes that made every chief long to have her lay a bridal wreath at his feet. But she never did, choosing instead to remain as wild and free as a butterfly. One of her favorite things was scouting, she used to say, and she couldn't really explain why. It was never in her nature to stay behind; she always was willing to jump right in the thick of things. That was how she found herself in the middle of a Seanchan camp, sent out in search of channelers. She fought fiercely, but she was no match for the collared damane. They called her marathdamane, she said, and she didn't know what that meant then. She used to explain to us that in Seanchan, it meant someone who could channel, but was not leashed and controlled. Unbeknown to Mother, the Wise Ones of her clan knew she could channel, but had decided to allow her one more year as a Maiden, before sendin! g her to Rhuidean, since she was but sixteen. That decision cost Mother her precious freedom. She could never bring herself to tell us of her time as a damane, but tears come to my eyes when I remember the pain on her face whenever it was mentioned. Perhaps she meant to tell us of it when we were older, but then she never got the chance, did she? But I stray away from my tale…
Mother escaped, somehow, while in Tanchico, after two terrifying years as damane. For months, she wandered through the towns of Tarabon, lost and alone in the wetlands of which she knew so little. She met so many people, and did so many things, it would be difficult to relate them all without distracting from the focus of our story, and so I will jump to Amador.
Mother was nineteen, and more beautiful than before, if that was possible. Her beauty had even made many men forget she was a bloodthirsty Aiel, and see a woman instead, but Mother was not looking for love. She was looking for her home, and she planned to walk for the rest of her life to get there, if that is what it took. Time was of no consequence to her, and even now, she couldn't tell you how long she walked before reaching Amadicia. Not that it mattered to her. Wetlander borders were just lines on a piece of paper- it was all just land between her and home. And this town, Amador, was just another cluster of people, even if most of them did wear some silly looking white cloaks with a gold sun on it. She stopped to ask a beggar in the street if he knew where the Aiel Waste was, and he just laughed and told her to go to some big building and ask to see someone he called a 'Child of the Light'. Puzzled by these strange Wetlander names, Mother nonetheless ! did as he said.
She was directed to one of the men in a white cloak. Mother later described the feeling she got as being "knocked off your feet and hit over the head and coming to, only to realize that he was the one you were going to spend the rest of your life with". Whatever you call it, he felt the same way, and despite skepticism, they were soon married. A more unlikely pair you would never see- in fact, the only thing they had in common was their height. He was blonde, with hazel eyes, and she was a brilliant blue-eyed redhead. He was the son of a wealthy merchant from Kandor, who had become a Whitecloak when his sister had been taken to the White Tower. Mother was a Maiden of the Spear, captured by the Seanchan because she could channel. Of course, Mother never told us that outright. Daddy didn't know, and little children have a tendency to let details like that slip. It was only later that Alli and I figured it out-that she was captured because she could channel. ! I often wonder what would have happened if we had known, if we could have done something to stop it. But to continue my story…
Daddy was assigned to a post in Illian, so Alli and I spent half or our life growing up in Amadacia, and the other half in Illian. Of the two, we much preferred the latter. The streets of Illian were overflowing with fascinating people, and Alli and I loved creating mischief with the children of the alleys. Their lives were much more interesting than ours, and they knew the best tricks and pranks to play on unsuspecting nobles. Mother had such a difficult time keeping track of us. We could be out of sight for just two seconds, and already into mischief. I think that is one of the reasons Mother told us the story of her and Daddy so much-it was the only thing we would sit still for. But no matter how many times she told us the story, we still found time for pranks. We were two of the most hated children among the elite, and as Daddy rose among the ranks of the Whitecloaks, Mother was often forced to leave us at home when they went attended functions. That w! as just fine with Alli and I, of course. It was much easier to get away from Saela than Mother. But we loved Mother deeply. She had a heart of gold. She and Daddy would walk the streets of Illian every week, to get in touch with those less fortunate, she said. It was on one of those excursions that it happened.
She had let Alli and I come with her, and we couldn't have been happier. We had never been allowed to go before, so we had dropped our stuff in all haste to come with them. Walking the streets with Mother and Daddy was better than any pranks we could play at home. Alli and I were skipping, hand in hand, as we rounded the corner to return to our house. Our joyful innocence was halted as we caught sight of flames and screamed to Mother, terrified, to do something. She and Daddy dropped their things in the street and ran for the well. Water sloshed on the cobblestones as they hauled buckets of water to douse the flames. Alli and I watched, huddled in a corner, as they tried in vain to rescue our home. Mother sank onto the street, weeping, and Alli and I lost all hope. Clutching one another, we bawled as flames licked the walls of our beautiful home, turning to ashes our hopes and dreams. Suddenly, as we all huddled, weeping, the flames went out. Alli and I le! apt for joy, but halted in confusion as Daddy stepped angrily towards Mother, who was now staring at the charred house, as if in shock. "Witch!" he thundered, as she cringed beneath his towering frame, pleading that she had not meant to. He unsheathed his sword in fury and struck. As the sword hit her body, she screamed in terror for Alli and I to run. We were frozen in the spot, our twelve year old minds too young to comprehend the true horror of the scene. Our mother's scream pierced our souls, and stumbling, we began to run. Tears rolled down our cheeks as we fled from the only love we had ever known.
I remember how Kimiara and I had run, tripping and stumbling. We had grasped each other's hands tightly as we fled the charred walls of our home, weeping as though our tears would never stop coming. We had spent many years stationed in Illian with Daddy, who was a Whitecloak, and our gorgeous mother, an Aiel. When we weren't at our home in Illian, we were living in Amadacia, which was where the Children of the Light were based out of. Kimi and I had always loved our home in Illian, never wanting to leave it. This time, however, we could not bear to look back. Mother's screams echoed throughout my head. Even now, when the moment had long since passed, I could hear her terrified shouts for us to run. We had run, faster than ever before. I spotted a ship, not caring whose it was. The only thing I saw was Mother. The only thing I heard was her screams. Pulling Kimi behind me, I ran down the docks. The ship. I had to reach it. Brushing people aside, I tore down! the street, and suddenly, there it was, looming above me. The long, narrow ship looked ready to sail at any moment. A woman on the deck was surrounded by a crowd of men and women, seemingly centered on a boy about a year or two older than me and Kimi. As I stood gazing at the vessel, Kimi suddenly jerked my hand, pulling me aboard behind her. I scurried to catch up, and ran, not aware if there was anyone watching us. Ducking below deck, Kimi and I ran, faster still. The distraction caused by the boy on the decks allowed us the chance to hide. We ran, farther and farther down stairs and crowded hallways, until we reached the storage rooms. Pulling open a door, I ran behind a large stack of barrels, pulling Kimi with me. She gave a quick shudder, and we threw our arms around each other. My head sank onto her shoulder, my tears soaking her soft blue dress. We sat for what seemed like eternity. Our eyes were like oceans, never drying. When my tears began to lessen, I would thin! k of Mother, and they would flood. Finally, Kimi and I collapsed against the wall, our eyes closing gently. They were the only clear difference between us. I had Daddy's soft hazel eyes and Kimi had Mother's bright blue eyes. We were twins, both with long strawberry-blonde hair that fell around our faces in waves, just like Mother's, only ours had more blond than hers, which we got from Daddy. We were deep reflections of Mother's intense beauty, with some of Daddy's good looks as well.
By the time we fell asleep, the stars were sparkling like diamonds in the black night sky. When I woke again, the ship was rocking gently, and the morning sun was just beginning to peek through the door, which we had carelessly left open. As I turned my head and sat up, I saw a thin figure sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. She stood. "Good Morning. I was not aware that we had passengers," she said, stepping into the light. I could now see her clearly, everything from the silver rings dangling from her ears and nose, to her straight black hair and dark complexion. She was someone I had heard of only in gleemen's tales back in Illian. An Athan' Miere. Seafolk. Her kind were said to be graceful temptresses, sought after by all men.. I gripped Kimi's arm, shaking her from her sleep. She yawned, and upon sitting up next to me, she saw the woman. "Seafolk?" she asked, in shock. I nodded, and we both bit our lip worriedly, as we did when we were ne! rvous. "I'm very sorry that we are on your ship. We had no idea that it was yours, but we have nowhere else to go" I said, cautiously. She appeared to be rather young, perhaps thirty or so, but I was terribly afraid of her. She frowned. "I am Silae din Remma Yellow Sun. Who are you?" "Alliara Mirelle Traeban," I replied. Kimi spoke quietly. "Kimiara Sirelle Traeban." Silae reached over and pulled us out from behind the barrels. "You have not asked for the gift of passage, and stowaways are not tolerated on board our ship. I must take you to the Sailmistress." Kimi and I followed, terrified. The Sailmistress was the fiercest person I had ever seen, and she was not lenient on Kimi and I. It was not until after the ship had sailed away from Ebou Dar that I realized that we were all alone, with nothing to eat and nowhere to go. I began to cry.
Months went by, and the only way for us to eat was to steal food or work for it. We had only the clothes on our backs. We slept on the streets, in alleys, in barns, even in stables. We slept in and ate anything we could find. We missed our home terribly, and feared Daddy almost as much as we yearned for Mother. We missed Mother's bedtime stories and cheerful songs. I would have given anything to have her with us. Kimi and I had hated stealing, but it was on one of those days when we were stealing food to survive, that our whole lives changed. We had been running from the bakery, where we had just stolen a loaf of crusty bread, when we darted in front of a plump woman, knocking packages out of her arms. Kimi and I landed in the muddy street. I stared up at the woman, noticing her rosy cheeks and soft gray hair. Although her hair was gray, she did not appear old. There was something about her face. It made her look ageless. I thought I had heard something ab! out women with ageless faces before, perhaps in a story Mother had told us, but I could not remember what it was. The woman was rather short. Kimi and I had grown incredibly in the year and a half since the fire back home in Illian. We were 16 now, and standing next to the woman, we were nearly as tall as her. I touched the necklace that I wore, checking to be sure it hadn't fallen off after my hard fall. A kind old man that we had encountered in the marketplace had made them for us for free. The necklaces said our names on them, mine reading 'Alli' and Kimi's reading 'Kimi'. They were shiny gold, and Kimi and I adored them. They were the kind of necklaces that only nobles could afford, yet we had them. It made us feel like princesses. I snapped out of my thoughts, and quickly reached for a package. Kimi did so also, and we stood, handing them to the woman. She smiled. "Thank you girls." We turned to go, and she touched my shoulder. "Would you girls like to come back to my ! inn with me? I'd like to talk to you about something." We nodded, only because we presumed there would be some food there. We did not expect her to tell us what she did. It turned out that she was an Aes Sedai, from the Grey Tower. She told us we could channel, and she brought us to the Grey Tower with her later that week. We were enrolled as Novices. If Daddy had found out, he would have gone purple with rage, but Kimi and I did not care. We were so excited that we could do something that Mother could.
Two years went by, and we were doing very well in our studies. We were about to be raised to Accepted, and we couldn't be happier. We were 18 now, and becoming more and more beautiful everyday. We were mirror images of Mother's deep beauty, and all of the Warders and Warders-in-Training agreed. We were constantly getting in trouble for pulling pranks, but we could never seem to stop. They were too much fun to give up. The Amyrlin was constantly giving us extra chores, and she had told us that our next prank would get us sent to a farm for a year. We did not believe her of course. Mother had always said that if we pulled one more prank, then she would have us scrubbing floors for a month. She never did of course. She just laughed at our pranks, and if Daddy came, then she would act as if she had been scolding us and send us to our rooms. We knew that the Amyrlin was a very serious woman, and that she could have been telling us the truth, but we didn't reall! y think that anyone could be that mean. So we decided to pull another prank. We couldn't really go that long without pulling pranks on someone, and we decided that this time was the Amyrlin's turn.
The day before, Kimi had gone to the Tower storeroom and gotten a large jar of ink and some string. I had gone to the kitchens and gotten a large bucket. Kimi and I ran down the tower halls giggling. We were dressed in servant garb, as a disguise, and the dresses felt unbelievably comfortable compared to our Novice white. We stopped when we reached the Amrylin's office, and I put my ear against the door, making sure that no one was inside. She wasn't of course. She and the Keeper were both downstairs, speaking to the Aes Sedai. I supposed it was about some important matters. I nodded to Kimi, and I set the bucket down on the slick floor in front of me. Kimi tied one end of the thick string to the bucket, and the other to the doorknob. She then emptied the jar of black ink into it, laughing hysterically. I giggled and stood on the chair that I had pulled over, setting the heavy bucket on a rafter right above the doorway. I heard the sharp click of shoes on ! the hall floor, and hurrying to push the chair back into its position, Kimi and I ran to hide in the stairwell next to the Aes Sedai's office. After a few moments, the Amrylin and the Keeper came into view. I smiled as the Keeper reached for the doorknob. It turned slowly, and the bucket of ink came crashing down onto the two Aes Sedai. Kimi and I could not hold back our laughs. The sight was too unbelievably funny! Hearing our giggles, the Keeper turned towards the stairwell. She whispered to the Amrylin, and pointed in our direction. The Amrylin's face was full of rage as she stormed towards us. Sure enough, the next day we were packing up to leave for the farm.
Tears slipped down my soft cheeks as I stuffed my few belongings into a traveling bag. I had not known the Aes Sedai would be so serious when she that we were to pack up and go to a farm on the outskirts of the Mountains of Mist. I sat on my bed, knowing that we should have never played the prank, but angry that the punishment had been so fierce. After a few weeks at the farm, laboring over hoes, Kimi and I were fed up. We wanted to learn to channel, not to work growing corn. Soon Kimi and I had left the farm, once again with nowhere to go and nothing to eat. We set off to look for another place where we could train to become Aes Sedai.
Nearly a month went by, hours slipping into days, days slipping into weeks, as Alli and I trekked through the mountains, foraging what little food we could find. Occasionally, we would encounter an isolated farm, and work a little in exchange for the night's shelter and some food, but mostly we ate the berries and other edible plants we could find in the forest. Our slim figures were now gaunt, and our hair had lost its former sheen from a lack of protein. Most nights, our bellies growled with hunger as we slept under the cover of only the night sky, and so it was easy to see why I was able to covince Alli to join a merchants' caravan when the opportunity presented itself.
There, we were given food and shelter every night in exchange for a few menial chores the merchants were too lazy to do themselves, like starting campfires, cooking stews and cleaning the wagons. It was a better life than we had had on the farm, and so Alli and I didn't complain. We had quite a lot of free time, though there wasn't a whole lot to do in the merchant's camp besides explore the wagons and watch the merchants' guards.
The merchant guards were fascinating to me, moving with serpentine grace as they dealt with any problems the caravan encountered, protecting not only the people but the goods we traveled with. They were comfortable with the weapons at their side, and not only one weapon, but every weapon they seemed to encounter. I could weld my dagger with the best of the merchants' guards, a fact that surprised me, despite my years of practical use in the streets, but in versatility, they far surpassed me. I began learning the basics of fighting without weapons from one of the guards, named Jurgan, in some of my free time, but most of it was spent exploring the wagons.
There was one particular wagon which Alli and I discovered early in our journey with the merchants. Our training with the One Power hadn't taught us much about ter'angreal; those were normally reserved for Accepted, which we hadn't been, but we knew enough to recognize them, and that wagon was full of them. Jurgan said they were being brought to the Grey Tower, a fortress where men and women who could channel gathered, and that Alli and I could learn to channel there. He was the only person we confided in, and the only person who we could trust in the camp with our secret.
Despite his warnings to stay away from that wagon, I found myself drawn to it, and to one particular ter'angreal in particular, a small amber bracelet. I knew very little about the ter'angreal or testing them in general, but with precious few things to spend my time on, I began to test threads of Spirit and Air on it. When all combinations of that failed, I experimented with Water, Earth and Fire, but to no avail. Always persistant, I wouldn't give up.
One night, after a particularly hard training session with Jurgan, I returned to my wagon to find a strange girl in my bed. I tried to shake her awake, but the girl was a log and refused to awaken. Sighing with exhaustion, I headed for the only place I knew would be unoccupied- the ter'angreal wagon. I drifted off to sleep nearly immediately, my head resting on a large cushion as my hand grasped the amber bracelet.
What happened that night will forever remain a mystery in Kimiara's mind. When she awoke that morning, she was in such pain that she could barely move, and her body was covered in burns. She lie there, crying out in pain, until Alli came, full of excitement at the news that they were at the Grey Tower. Her sister ran to get Jurgan, who carried her in to the Aes Sedai to be Healed. That afternoon, they broke the news to Kimi. She had burned herself out. She was without the ability to channel, and would never be able to channel again. The tears streamed down her face as she wailed at the loss of the one connection she had with her mother.
Career History
- Drin
