 |  | Yaniallana's Raising First Arch: As Yani approached, the arches seemed to take on a new life. Flashing and blinking almost knowingly. She stepped through and felt the light consume her. She was one with it and then it was over. THe briefest moment and yet a seeming eternity of warmth. Yani didn't know what was so strange about the bright sunny day on her fathers estates. Something just felt...weird. "Yani!" her mother called from the doorstep of the manor house. This part of the city was where the wealthiest merchants and traders lived and despite its proximity to the bazaar it was actually quite peaceful. You couldn't even tell that a few streets away lay the teeming market quarter of one of the greatest cities in the world. Few cities even stood that had seen the first days of her home. Tear and Tar Valon perhaps, and of course Caemlyn and her sister Cairhien. "Yes, mama. I'll be right there." she said happily. The feeling of something being out of place had begun to fade and Yani could not recall what had made her feel so strange to begin with. A soft neighing brought her attention to the original source once again. Her father's newest purchase. A huge work horse named pepper. At least that was what the nine year old daughter planned to ask her papa to call him. He was a huge black and white gelding who brought to Yani's mind the curious spices that foriegners always used in their cooking. Thus "Pepper" was going to be her daddy's new work horses name. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" Yani couldn't tell where the words had come from, or who had said them. She only knew that she didn't want to go back now. She wanted to stay and have dinner with mama and papa, have a hundred more dinners with them. This was her home and nothing could tear her from it, least of all a formless voice. She turned and started to skip playfully back to the manor house, wondering idly where the voice had come from, and if it had anything to do with the feeling she had had a few moments ago. "Yani...!" Her mother's voice was strained now. Her fear and worry evident, even to the little nine year old Far Madding girl. Yani started off towards the house once again and turned the corner to face her mother's shadowed form standing outside the open front door to the manor. But that wasn't the only thing shining to her in the twilight. There was an Arch of silver that reminded her of something. Though she was certain that she would have remembered such a structure having been in the area, especially if it shone like this at night. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" Just then Yani felt a pull towards the strange arch unlike any she could recall. She wanted to go to it and at the same time stay here with her mother and father. But she knew that one would have to be sacrificed and so the little nine year old girl cried tears of heartbreak as she flung herself towards the glowing arch. "Yaniallana...!" her father this time. Yani stopped in shock. Hearing the note of unease in her father's voice struck her harder then the largest, sharpest sword. Nothing could hurt her more than the loss of her da. Nothing. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" Flinging herself the last few feet into the arch, Yani felt a tearing in her heart, as if her father had been pulled from her by some monstrous entity, intent on playing with her puny little emotions unceasingly. She couldn't stop the flow of tears now as she stepped into the light and then all thoughts of Far Madding and Pepper fled as she entered the chamber of the Tower where she had begun her test for Acceptance. Second Arch: Again, the sudden blinding light. Again the warmth of eternity stretching over her ever slowly. Creeping into her bones with a snails pace. Yani was in a hallway. The hallway could have been any in the known world if not for the view of Dragonmount out the east-facing windows. Tar Valon was a place to be feared by most, but not Yaniallana Survali, Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah. After her rape as a Novice of the Grey Tower, Yani had fled the Tower and ran straight into the waiting arms of a White Tower that needed her. Men might not be tainted by the Dark One's touch any longer, but they still were dangerous to the future and must be watched ever vigilantly. Saidin was an alien, and uncontrollable force and men were dangerous, unruly creatures. Ignorant at best and down right evil at worst. That was what had driven Yani to choose the Red and spend her life hunting and controlling the untrustworthy men she had come to despise. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" Yaniallana might have turned to see where that voice had come from if not for the fact that a faint echo of it lingered in her mind. She recalled where she had heard it before somewhere deep in the back of her concience and it was a warming embrace. One she had never felt except for when she embraced Saidar. One she rarely felt even then. She might have turned to search out the voices owner if not for the man in front of her. He had not seen her, he did not know she was behind him. If he did and he had not run for his life screaming, then he was an even bigger fool than any man who had ever lived. She was not hunting him to question him. She was not following him to watch. Yaniallana Sedai of the White Tower was shadowing this man to exact her revenge! "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" A glance ahead into the street showed Yani what she knew already would be there and her heart sank. They would take her revenge, just as they had taken everything else from her. Who exactly "They" were was not important and no doubt the Red sister just entering the streets of Tar Valon behind the brutish fellow in the tattered clothing didn't care a hair that she didn't know who they were. She only knew that her final vengeance would be denied her. The sight of a glowing silver arch directly across the street proved that. Yani could not recall ever seeing the thing before but somehow she knew that she had to step into it. Waiting to kill the monster who had raped her two decades before was not an option. Even a quick death would take too long. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" With a wordless scowl Yaniallana strode towards the arch and the crowds teeming the street parted willingly and hurriedly before the red shawl on her shoulders as much for the woman herself. Though most of the crowd towered over her Yani managed to still look down on them arrogantly as she reached the silver archway. "I shall never forgive this!" she said before she stepped into the arch confidently, and returned to the basement of the Grey Tower. She returned to Yaniallana the Novice who had never run to Tar Valon, young mother of a newborn girl and testing for Acceptance into the Tower's ranks. Third Arch: Yani stepped determinedly into the light blazing before her. A flash and she was one with eternity once again, for a third time. A faint echo of a remembered whisper in her mind. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" Yaniallana looked on with pride at her daughter giving birth. She was so smart and quick. Yani had often wondered to herself if perhaps she would have turned out differently if given all the teaching and classes that her daughter had had. Yani had grown up well off, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, but she spent her childhood learning the politics and dance of the trade. After her father's death Yani's husband had taken over the family business in Far Madding. She loved Frederic dearly, but the man had no head for business. Luckily his young bride did. She had learned all of her father's skills backwards and forwards. Some people thought it odd that Frederic let his wife sit with him at negotiations, but those who had been on the other side of the table from them quickly learned why he did. Yaniallana Potan, the only child of Grim Survali, was impossible to better in a negotiation. She had often heard rumors that perhaps her father was really Sharan. No one in the westlands could possibly deal like old Grim or his daughter. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" Yaniallana looked up and saw the front door to her daughters house was open. Exactly opposite the door, across the street, was a glowing arch. Her daughter was so strong lying there. Surely the birth would go fine and she and the child would be alright, she was her mother's daughter after all. Yani took a step towards the door, and the archway. "Mother!" her daughter cried. Pain was evident in her smooth knowing voice. The pangs of birth shook even the heartiest soul. "Mother, don't leave me..." Tears streamed from Yani's eyes as she turned to face her daughter, and her grandchild. The baby had not come out yet but it would be born before the bells chimed high, less than an hour from now. Yani would be a grandmother before the morrow. Perfect timing as she expected. Her grandchild would be born on Sunday. A favorable omen for the child's future. Tomorrow most of Far Madding's market district would be celebrating the birth of her grandchild. Most looked on Yani favorably even if they did secretly regret having tried to best her in trade. None made that mistake more than once, save the extremely stupid. "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" "I'll be right back, Child. I just have to..." unable to finish the lie, Yani turned bak to face the arch, and her heart sank. It looked to be fading. Surely it would not be so bad if it did fade. This was as good a life as any woman could want. Her daughter was going to be a mother soon and most of the world was at peace. Well, her world anyway. So far Far Madding had remained untouched by the troubles the rest of the world faced. The Dragon might be reborn, but even he could not touch Far Madding. "Mother...!" "The way back will come but once, be steadfast!" Wordlessly, Yani forced herself to take the last few steps to the archway. She stepped into the arch and fell crying to the cold stones of the basement of the Grey Tower. The candle light showing the faces of her mentor, and the Yellow Ajah Head. Even the sight of Revelin Sedai's comforting figure could not bring her joy. How could they do this to us? Yaniallana looked to the eyes of her long time mentor with the question in her own eyes. She new once again why she had chosen to become a Yellow sister. There was already too much heart break in the world. She wanted to do all that she could to lessen the pain and suffering before she left it. The light send that was years and years from now. | |
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