11-11-2024, 11:20 PM
Chapter 3: The Third Arch
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The water had washed the tears away, but Kira could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "The third time is for what will be. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
Kira stepped through the arch and appeared on a battlefield. Screams and the clashing of blades filled the filled the air, and the scent of blood was everywhere. Kira, who wore a yellow dress, stood amongst a number of fallen people. Most were women, many wearing green dresses. She recognized a few faces. She had sung to them this...no it was a long time ago...so long ago, yet so near. One man lay face down at her feet. A warder - her warder.
"Kira Sedai," a woman's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Kira looked up to see a woman, a hood drawn up to cover the top half of her face approach. On a finger lay the Great Serpant ring of the Aes Sedai.
Black Ajah... she thought as she began to breathe faster.
The woman moved towards her with a supernatural speed, bringing Kira to the ground. Kira wondered why the woman didn't channel, but she was unable to find Saidar herself. They struggled, and the woman pulled out a knife and brought it down. Kira twisted and the knife took her in the arm. She screamed in pain and the knife came down again, hitting her shoulder.
The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.
The arch appeared. Kira could see it, but with the Black sister on top of her, she wasn't going to make it. She rolled, trying to get herself on top of the sister, and was surprised she succeeded. The other woman wouldn't let her go, so Kira did the first thing that came to mind. She bit the woman's hand. The woman let her go with a yelp and Kira stood, running towards the arch. She tripped on the hem of her dress just moments before and crawled foward into the Arch chamber.
Kira screamed, tears falling, only some of it coming from the pain that still lingered in her shoulders. The woman's shrouded face was still clear in her mind.
Light, it hurts... Kira thought, trying to calm herself as she saw the Amyrlin Seat in front of her. She tried her best to keep the Aes Sedai serenity that they had preached. Novices were held to a lower standard than Accepted, but no reproach came from the woman.
"Bl...bla...black ajah..." was the only thing she spoke through the crying.
"Heal her!" the Amyrlin's voice said.
A yellow Kira did not know came to her and Kira felt the coldness of the healing weave hit her as her wounds knit back up. The pain in her arm and shoulder replaced by a deep fatigue. It did nothing for the pain in her heart.
The Mistress of Novices, came and picked her up off the ground, pushing her to move forward. Kira only resisted because of the fatigue. The room had become silent after the Amyrlin's command. Kira hadn't known that the reason the command had been given was becuase the Aes Sedai in the room had hesitated at her words.
There was an Aes Sedai from every Ajah in front of her, and in the center stood the Amyrlin Seat, holding the last chalice. Kira approached, and knelt down in front of her. She tried to banish the image of the Black Sister from her mind, but it lingered.
The Amyrlin tipped the chalice, pouring the cool water over her head and it washed away her tears and blood. "You are washed clean of Kira Valyrios of Tear. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to he world. You come to us washed clean, in heart and in sould. You are Kira Valyrios, Accepted of the White Tower." The Amrylin came and pulled Kira to her feet.
Kira stepped through the arch and appeared on a battlefield. Screams and the clashing of blades filled the filled the air, and the scent of blood was everywhere. Kira, who wore a yellow dress, stood amongst a number of fallen people. Most were women, many wearing green dresses. She recognized a few faces. She had sung to them this...no it was a long time ago...so long ago, yet so near. One man lay face down at her feet. A warder - her warder.
"Kira Sedai," a woman's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Kira looked up to see a woman, a hood drawn up to cover the top half of her face approach. On a finger lay the Great Serpant ring of the Aes Sedai.
Black Ajah... she thought as she began to breathe faster.
The woman moved towards her with a supernatural speed, bringing Kira to the ground. Kira wondered why the woman didn't channel, but she was unable to find Saidar herself. They struggled, and the woman pulled out a knife and brought it down. Kira twisted and the knife took her in the arm. She screamed in pain and the knife came down again, hitting her shoulder.
The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.
The arch appeared. Kira could see it, but with the Black sister on top of her, she wasn't going to make it. She rolled, trying to get herself on top of the sister, and was surprised she succeeded. The other woman wouldn't let her go, so Kira did the first thing that came to mind. She bit the woman's hand. The woman let her go with a yelp and Kira stood, running towards the arch. She tripped on the hem of her dress just moments before and crawled foward into the Arch chamber.
Kira screamed, tears falling, only some of it coming from the pain that still lingered in her shoulders. The woman's shrouded face was still clear in her mind.
Light, it hurts... Kira thought, trying to calm herself as she saw the Amyrlin Seat in front of her. She tried her best to keep the Aes Sedai serenity that they had preached. Novices were held to a lower standard than Accepted, but no reproach came from the woman.
"Bl...bla...black ajah..." was the only thing she spoke through the crying.
"Heal her!" the Amyrlin's voice said.
A yellow Kira did not know came to her and Kira felt the coldness of the healing weave hit her as her wounds knit back up. The pain in her arm and shoulder replaced by a deep fatigue. It did nothing for the pain in her heart.
The Mistress of Novices, came and picked her up off the ground, pushing her to move forward. Kira only resisted because of the fatigue. The room had become silent after the Amyrlin's command. Kira hadn't known that the reason the command had been given was becuase the Aes Sedai in the room had hesitated at her words.
There was an Aes Sedai from every Ajah in front of her, and in the center stood the Amyrlin Seat, holding the last chalice. Kira approached, and knelt down in front of her. She tried to banish the image of the Black Sister from her mind, but it lingered.
The Amyrlin tipped the chalice, pouring the cool water over her head and it washed away her tears and blood. "You are washed clean of Kira Valyrios of Tear. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to he world. You come to us washed clean, in heart and in sould. You are Kira Valyrios, Accepted of the White Tower." The Amrylin came and pulled Kira to her feet.
The ceremony was complete, and Kira wore the Great Serpant ring now with pride. They had given her her first Accepted dress and she had put it on. By command of the Amyrlin, Kira was escorted to the hospital wing for observation for the night. The shock of two stab wounds had been an ordeal. Aranea Sedai was still there, and congratulated her on passing the test before telling her to go to sleep.
"Aranea Sedai," she said, weariness in her voice.
"Sleep, we'll talk tomorrow,"
It wasn't often Kira disobeyed, but she couldn't sleep without asking. "The Black Ajah...does it exist?"
Kira didn't see surprise in the woman's face and guessed that the Mistress of Novices had informed her of Kira's words before she left. She looked at Kira gravely. "I don't know, child. Drink this - it will help you sleep."
Kira obeyed this time, and within minutes was sleeping deeply. The drink apparently also kept dreams at bay, because the nightmares Kira expected didn't come.