Chyane Liale
Keeper of the Chronicles
Profile:
Chyane is 5’8”, and likes how it sometimes makes her feel she
holds that power over others. Her Altaran origin shows in her dark,
easily tanned skin and dark chocolate brown hair. But her eyes are a
surprising green against her colouring, not bright but they seem to not fit
in with the rest of her. She often wears her hair down, naturally
wavy, but sometimes she pulls it back in a tie.
Raised in Ebou Dar, she is used to women having all the control. She
is usually self-confident, to an extreme at times, but since her
imprisonment she has become more subdued and timid. Since her capture she has
grown to fear authority to an extent, and she sometimes has trouble
trusting people who have any power over her.
Biography:
I was only 12 when they came. It was not a bloody usurping,
in fact at first it seemed there would be little change for my family,
not being nobles or very wealthy. Our current ruler, Tylin, was even
allowed to keep her throne under the Seanchans nose. But it was only a
few months later when they found me, and that all changed. They stole
me off the streets, not even explaining where they were taking me or
why. They put me on a chain, a cursed silver chain they called an a’dam
in their slurred, impossible to understand way of speaking. I was no
more then a dog to them, no more then a wretched pet with very useful
abilities... they thought I had to be trained... trained to submission
and obedience.
But this is not a story of those days. I cannot bear to recall them
now, they are too close at hand. This is a story of my coming to the
Grey Tower.
After living there for nearly a year, I had become the submissive pet
they wanted. I still often had thoughts of escape, and many more of the
revenge they would get when I did. Every time I bowed at their
wretched feet or performed their magic against my will, I thought of how I
longed to use that against them. Though, now when I look back, I realize
that there was no weave I could have used, fireworks and mining never
really hurt anyone.
The morning of that fateful day, I was laying awake in my kennel (I
call it a kennel for it housed pets, not humans. I was beginning to think
of myself that way). I was thinking of my parents, wondering what had
become of them. To this day I don’t know what has become of them, but
I hope and pray to the Light every day that they are still alive and
that I might see them again.
I heard a sound of soft footsteps outside the door. Wondering what my
trainers were doing this early, I waited for them to enter. I sat up
apathetically, actually looking forward to the morning run. It was the
closest thing to free time us damane were given. I was shocked to see
a woman I was not used to seeing standing in the doorway, and after a
moment I realized she was one of the other non-Seanchan damane. Her
face was haggard and sunken in, her eyes shifty, suspecting attack from
every side.
After the woman left removed the collar, by some magic it seemed as I
had never seen any sort of catch, we left the small cell. Our feet
tread lightly on the cold stone floor, and I my heart was pounding loud
enough for me to hear.
I glanced in the window of one cell and saw a girl of my age laying
there. I stopped dead. “What about them? Aren’t you going to save them
too?” The other woman looked back, clear shock on her face. “Save
them? They would think we were capturing them. No, they can't be saved.”
The damane in the cell saw her looking through the window and sat up.
I went over to the door, giving a pleading look to the older woman. As
I took that closer look at the older woman, I began to wonder how old
she actually was. She looked like she could be 25, but her eyes seemed
to speak ages. My thoughts were interrupted as the damane began to
scream, calling out for help. I changed my mind about the pitiful
Seanchan pet and fled.
Thoughts of guards capturing and returning us haunted my thoughts, and
I began to realize we were attempting the impossible. Just because
that woman could get her collar off didn’t mean they were free! Surely
they had other security around here!
Suddenly a young Seanchan guard came around the corner. My heart
stopped in my chest, I was frozen stiff. My year of imprisonment bid me
fall to my knees and beg for mercy, but I couldn’t even move. Suddenly
the man was lifted from his feet slammed against the wall, falling
unconscious.
Of course.. the woman was a bloody Aes Sedai! But how did she get
here, as a damane? Surely she wasn’t captured! But, as she’d always been
told, Aes Sedai always have their own reasons for things. And stories
about them always said how calm they were, no matter what the
situation. This one broke that rule, but then again stories were rarely
completely true.
They made it through the damane grounds after meeting only one more
guard and passed through Ebou Dar into the countryside. Where were they
going? She thought it best not to ask.
“Don’t go back,” the Aes Sedai said. I stared at her, not sure how to
respond, and I was further surprised when she handed me two large gold
coins. I had never seen so much money in my life!
“But aren’t you going to take me with you... don’t I have to learn...?”
“No, I have to go.” I realized that even though we seemed out of the
danger, the other woman still looked scared, like someone might come at
her any moment. What was wrong with her? I decided I didn’t really
want to know... but I had no idea what I was going to do.
The Aes Sedai turned around and left me there, still not sure where I
was supposed to go. I knew I couldn’t go back, I’d already realized
that.
