| WARNING: This Fanfic contains mature content including, but not limited to; gore, death, violent sexual content and scenarios. |
Taylin was walking down through the Tower escorted by the Mistress of Novices. She said nothing, following what she assumed to be formalities. She was prepared, she hoped. She didn’t know much of the test other than it was dangerous, and some Accepted and Novices whispers about women who went missing. With no small fear they descended the Tower until they came to two large doors, the Mistress of Novices easily opens the door to the room beyond. Taylin entered first at the Aes Sedai’s direction.
Within, were three arches just high enough to walk through atop a silver platform. Aes Sedai of the Indigo, Blue, and Yellow Ajah, sat with eyes open and stared fixedly at the ter’angreal. A flickering of light began in the Arches, and Taylin’s heartbeat began to race.
The Mistress of Novices closed the doors behind her and moved to be just behind Taylin. Her voice was soft as she spoke, and her hazel eyes stared at the Arches as well.
"I will tell you two things which no woman hears until they stand where you do now. Once you begin, you must go on till the end. Refuse at any time thereafter, and you will be put out of the Tower as if you had refused to begin for the third time. Second. To seek, to strive, is to know danger."
She sounded as if she had said this many times, and her tone became more serious. There was a light of sympathy in her eyes which belied the serious tone. "Some women have entered, and never come out again. Even when the ter’angreal was allowed to grow quiet, they were not there. And they were never seen again. If you will survive, you must be steadfast. Falter, fail, and..."
Her face drove home the consequence hinted at by her unspoken words.
"This is your last chance. Refuse now and it only counts as the first refusal. You may still try twice more. If you accept now, there is no turning back. It is no shame to refuse. Many Aes Sedai could not face the Arches the first time. Choose."
Taylin looked at the room around her, at the woman. This Tower was her home now, there was no Far Madding waiting for her. She could refuse once, but it would only make the next time that much harder to do. And so, with a voice that shook, she answered. “I am ready to do what must be done, Aes Sedai.”
The Mistress of Novices instructed her to be clad only in the Light for the testing, so to one side of the room Taylin removed her Novice white and undergarments, folding them in a pile. She felt comfortable being nude; it wasn’t an issue to her though the ground was cool under foot. The glowing Arches however, put the fear of the Light in her.
The Mistress of Novices lead Taylin to the Arches, and a Green sister stood to speak. "Whom do you bring with you, Sister?" the Aes Sedai intoned.
The Mistress of Novices continued her measured pace as Taylin walked towards the Arches, "One who comes as a candidate for Acceptance, Sister." The three Aes Sedai around the Arches did not move.
"Is she ready?"
"She is ready to leave behind what she was, and passing through her fears, gain Acceptance."
"Does she know her fears?"
"She has never faced them, but now is willing."
"Then let her face what she fears," the Aes Sedai intoned again, and steped aside.
The Mistress of Novices stoped before the first Arch and looked to Taylin. "The first time is for what was. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
Taylin took a deep breath, and stepped towards the first Arch; Light enveloped her.
---
Taylin was a girl again, perhaps 8. Rosie, her sister was only six and she was being the child, while Taylin was pretending to be the Noblewoman who adopted her. They were having fun, in the yard between their mother and fathers Inn and the barn. Laughter filled the air, and the sun shown warmly upon them. Rose decided to change games, tagging Taylin and telling her it was her turn to catch Rose. Taylin laughed heartily and gave chase. She couldn’t find Rose. Somehow it was suddenly night time, and the lanterns were on in the barn. Odd, no one should be out at this time of night. Why was she even out here? Then she heard the faint voice of her father.
Going to the barn door she almost called out to him but stopped dead. Her skin went cold with sweat and fear froze her voice. A creature of pure black, a thing of the Shadows stood in the barn with her father. He seemed afraid, but Taylin was paralyzed by it.
“The Dark Lord promised with my help he would keep my family safe. Why do you need Rose? She is but a child!” He was all but crying, his fear and love for his daughter warring within him. Dark Lord? Something in her memory knew what that meant. Darkfriend, her mind hissed with venom, but it sounded like another’s thoughts.
“Do as you are instructed, or we will take you and all of your girls. Don’t make me have to tell you again.” The man swathed in shadows didn’t move, but her father was suddenly on the ground in such pain he could make no noise. DARKFRIEND! Something in the recesses of her mind, a voice of someone else screamed out in anger and pain.
The man of shadow turned, opening some sort of portal, and was gone. Her father laid there for a time trying to recover. That was when Taylin felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t realize her face was covered in tears until she saw it reflected in her mother’s eyes. She spoke in hushed tones, a large dagger in her hand. “Taylin, get into the house now, get your sister, and hide in the town, go to Gloria’s shop, tell her it is as she suspected and I am taking care of it. Go now! And do not scare your sister!”
NO! She would not leave, not again! No one walked in the Shadow so long they could not find the Light again, NO ONE! Taylin turned and ran toward the inn.
“STOP!”
That voice again, “GO BACK NOW, STOP THIS!”
Taylin turned back to the barn running hard, yelling. When she got there, she saw her mother leaned over her father, his neck split wide and his life’s blood pooling in the hay. “NO! NOT AGAIN! NO! HE WASN’T GOING TO DO IT. HE DID NOT HAVE TO DIE.” She could Heal him, yes. But she couldn’t channel. But he could be saved….blood gurgled from his throat as he tried to breathe. Just beyond him was a doorway. “Be steadfast, the way back will come but once.”
In a hail of fury and tears, Taylin stepped over her father, pushing her mother out of the way, and tore through the gateway.
---
Memory flooded back as she was confronted with the face of the Mistress of Novices. An Aes Sedai emptied a silver chalice over her blond hair. Tears streamed down her face, she sobbed. She didn’t want to continue, but she knew there was no other way.
"You are washed clean," she intoned, "of what sin you may have done, and of those against you. You are washed clean of what crime you may have committed, and of those committed against you. You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."
The Mistress of Novices then led Taylin to the Second Arch. "The second time is for what is. The way back will come but once. Be Steadfast."
Taylin dried her face, then took a step into the second arch and was once again enveloped by the bright light.
---
What a busy day. The Inn had been packed to overflow for near a week due to a noble wedding to take place, and it left no time for Taylin to do anything but help keep the inn running. She had to go though, she knew she did. Her husband was a good man, but this was not their home anymore, they had to go back to the Tower.
“I know Michael, we will be leaving soon enough, Mother can’t handle this many people alone.” Taylin’s voice was warm with the love she felt for the man.
And being the good man he was, he just smiled and kissed her forehead. “Whatever you say.” Smiling she turned to walk back into the inn.
Things shifted. It was day time, but the inn was empty, even the stable hands were missing. Then she saw the barn in a state of disrepair. What had happened here? She was Aes Sedai, she’d been sending her mother money for months.
Turning to the inn she simply walked through the kitchen door, or rather where the door should have been. The entire inside of the inn was scorched black from fire; a dragon’s fang was carved on the wall. This…this was because of her, because of what she was. Taylin began searching the inn; she was beyond words for the fear of her mother and sister. And it was a fear well founded.
Upstairs she heard a floorboard creak, and as dangerous as it was, she didn’t care. Flying up the stairs she gasped. Two men grabbed her on either arm. She went to embrace the Power. “NO!” a voice that sounded like her own yelled from the back of her mind.
The men dragged her into her mother’s bedroom. On the floor was her mother, a few days dead and stinking. On the bed was her sister, still warm and barely alive from the brutal attack. The two men attempted to shove Taylin onto the bed next to her sister. She was crying, screaming. One grimy man began undoing his trousers as the other commented about him being next. She knew what these men were going to do, and then she’d share her mother’s fate.
Taylin saw the jeweled dagger hilt on her sister’s neck, but was held down while the other man removed her underclothes. He squatted on the floor to smell them. That was her chance, suddenly Taylin exploded from the bed, kicking the man kneeling on the ground hard enough in the face to bite his own tongue off. The one who had been holding her tried to get up from the floor where she’d shoved him off of her, but Taylin was too fast. She took the jeweled dagger from the sheath around her sister’s neck in such a quick movement, that her sister’s head lolled to the side, finally at peace in death. Taylin was going to murder these men, and slowly. Her mother’s dead eyes stared off into nothing. She would make them pay with blood.
Stepping forward she drove the dagger to the hilt in the man’s groin. She lifted the knife again, fully intent on mutilating him. His friend was losing a lot of blood but stood to try to pull her off of the other. For his troubles, he got a knife to the gut.
She was in control now, and these men were about to experience something that would make the Black Ajah uneasy. Just as she moved to begin skinning one of the men, strips at a time, a gateway opened. “NO! THEY MUST PAY!.” She continued. The gateway wasn’t as bright now. In her murderous rage a serene voice called out from her memory “Be steadfast, the way back will come but once.” Screaming she kicked the man in the head before barreling through the shimmering door.
---
The Silver Arch flashed before her and she stepped through. Again she would feel cold water flow over her and listen to an Aes Sedai’s words.
"You are washed clean of false pride," she intoned. "You are washed clean of false ambition. You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul."
The Mistress of Novices gently took Taylin’s arm and led her to the last Arch. "There is but one left child," she says, smiling softly. "Come back to us."
"The third time is for what will be. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
She stepped through the last arch, all of her emotions kept damned behind a wall of rock, until she could cry over them later alone; and was again enveloped in the bright light.
---
The world was different. She was different. Aes Sedai, the Great Serpent ring on her finger glistened in the sunlight as the boat sailed beyond sight of land. She was among the Sea Folk, befriending a Windfinder who could channel. Her name was Rhea Din Twinwaves, and she was as fierce as her sea name.
It had been months since Taylin had been back to the Tower, and weeks sense their last port. She stood in a simple sun faded dress, her time on the ship spent working the weather with Rhea’s instructions. Her weaves were massive, her latent talent had shown itself early, and even the Windfinder had been impressed by Taylin’s gift in Cloud Dancing.
Now, months later, the two were learning and growing together, eventually Taylin had started practicing alone some mornings, her strength in the power greater than Rheas, allowing her to expand her talent, to work the weather on massive scales.
The two had become tight friends, and on more than one occasion Taylin had helped to defend the ship from pirates or stray Seanchan. One such encounter with a damane had nearly sunk them before Rhea had been able to avert the disaster, and Taylin had taken the opportunity to strike the general area the damane seemed to be with a thick bolt of lightning, crippling the vessel so they could escape.
Today, the salt air was fresh, but carried on it the hints of burning wood. Something was wrong. Soon a man from atop the mast shouted out. “It’s one of ours, dead on the water!”
The Shipsmistress ordered them to go to the Raker. Once they were within distance they could see the devastation. The boat still floated, but it was burned all over. They boarded the ship seeking any who may still live. Taylin joined them, in case someone needed healing.
Once on the ship, Seanchan unloaded from below deck, two sul’dam appeared with a damane. They shielded Rhea immediately as swords were drawn. Taylin grabbed a sword from a fallen Sea Folk man and lashed out, killing damane and her linked sul’dam. Obviously they weren’t used to Aes Sedai who fought without the Power. The other sul’dam moved quickly and the cold clasping sound clicked around Rheas neck. Her eyes widened in abject fear. “Help me Taylin! Help me!” And then, she began screaming as the sul’dam dominated her. Taylin wanted to channel, to release her friend and send every Seanchan on board to the Dark One. She wanted blood.
She moved toward Rhea, when she noticed a shimmering door on the ship. This time it did not matter. The Seanchan would not have her friend. She lashed out at the nearest Seanchan with the sword she still carried, taking his gut. She spun, and jammed her palm into another nose, his face exploding in blood. In all of her rage and fear, a calm voice she knew, but didn’t know spoke to her. “The way back will come but one. Be steadfast.”
Bloody ashes, bloody maggot rotting ashes. Fury filled her as she turned her back on her best friend, and ran through the shimmering light.
---
As Taylin stepped out of the Arch, her furry melted, or at least was set on a back-burner. Of all people, the Amyrlin herself stood before her, holding a cup. One sister from every Ajah stood in attendance. Taylin knelt naked before the woman. The Amyrlin slowly poured the water from her goblet over Taylin’s head.
"You are washed clean of who you were. 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 Accepted of the Grey Tower." The last drop splashes into Taylin’s hair. "You are sealed to us, now."
The Amyrlin passed the empty chalice to one of the Sisters and produced a gold ring in the shape of a serpent biting its own tail. Taylin felt surreal as the ring was placed on her left hand. She realized she was crying, and smiling like a fool.
The Amyrlin helped Taylin to stand as she tried composing herself. "Welcome, Daughter," she said, and kissed Taylin’s cheek. "Welcome."
