Weaves of Fire, Heart of Stone (Ellisha Arc and Raising)

[Sherper]

Weaves of fire, Heart of Stone

 

The dining hall was nearly full when Ellisha finally decided to go down and have breakfast. A few Novices curtsied as she passed, but were only given the slightest gesture of acknowledgement from her. She wore her usual white dress today, the one with seven stripes of colour around the hem. With eyes of emerald green and hair an earthly brown, Ellisha Falwein - now a woman of thirty-four - glided through the centre of the main hall to where the other Accepteds sat eating. 
     A few faces turned as she passed, evidently weary of her presence among them. Despite the best efforts by the Mistress of Novices to keep the news quiet, it seems, somehow, word of Aril Corland's death had still managed to leak through to the larger cohort. Ellisha had never made many friends in her life. In the beginning, she had always preferred solitude to companionship.
     Of course, that had all changed when Aril had entered the Tower.
Two years had passed since the mysterious disappearance of Aril Corland. Apparently, the Accepted had taken a horse and fled from the grounds, bound for her home village in Cairhien. Homesick, that was what everyone assumed her motives were, and it was also what everyone believed had eventually led to her death. Ellisha knew otherwise. Her friend's tragic demise had not come about because of mere fate. Aril had not been homesick – No, she had been hunting Darkfriends.
     Ellisha slowly took a seat next to an empty section of the long rectangular table. The two Accepteds sitting beside her did not move or react as she settled down, which provided the tiniest flicker of a smile from her.  They’re too well trained for that.
     Women of the Tower were infamous for their lack of facial expressions; it was practically their bread and butter on the path to becoming Aes Sedai. Yet, even for those with years of experience and training, subtle hints still occasionally cracks through the masks of indifference. Hints like the flick of an eye, the unconscious straitening of one’s sleave, all bespoke a message. And at that moment, that message said that Ellisha Falwein was – for the second time in her life – being ostracised from her peers. Not that she really bothered herself with what the others thought.  It had almost been too easy to go back to not caring anymore.

 

She stuck a spoon in her porridge and was about to swallow her first mouthful when the doors to the Great Hall swung open in dramatic fashion. In stepped a woman who Ellisha instantly recognised as Valeri Sedai – Mistress of Novices. The woman glided in, then scanned the long line of faces until they came to rest on Ellisha. The brown haired Accepted disconnected her outward appearance from her inward emotions – a useful trick, and one of many she’s learnt over the years. It was done out of necessity for as of that moment, her entire being felt the impalpable urge to embrace Saidar and scream to lash out at the woman. She held her thoughts back as Valeri began to speak. Ellisha had firm reasons to believe the Mistress of Novices was part of the group responsible for Aril’s death.  
   “Ellisha Falwein” the woman spoke in a loud voice, as if to make sure everyone in the hall could hear. "You are summoned to be tested for the shawl of an Aes Sedai." The hall fell silent, and all eyes turned towards Valeri and Ellisha.
   “The Light keep you whole and see you safe.” The woman then turned back towards the door as if to leave, and Ellisha stood from her place to join her by her side. She had prepared for this moment, though it seems to have come sooner than she would have otherwise anticipated. Ellisha was thirty-four, and had spent eighteen years living in the Tower as an acolyte – still a child by Aes Sedai standards. She caught up with the woman a few paces out from the entrance to the dining hall and the two of them walked towards the flight of stairs that led to the lower parts of the Tower.
     The Mistress of Novices led her towards a few rarely used corridors then headed for a spiralling set of staircase. Down towards the bowels of the Tower they went, which was fitting, as that was exactly where Ellisha’s feelings were plummeting. This would be a perfect opportunity for her to kill me, she thought as she followed the woman of her suspicions. She dismissed the notion almost as soon as she had it however. She announced it to the whole hall. Surely there will be questions asked if I never turned up to the testing. Unless... 
     Unless of course, if the Aes Sedai waiting for her were all of the Black Ajah. Some of the Accepted never return when they were called in to be tested. Similar to the test for a Novice, there was a certain chance she would disappear or be killed during the initiation process. They could claim it was one of those, and dispose of her accordingly. 
     Was it possible? Is this entire Tower a nest infested by Darkfriends? 
Out of all the things she knew of the Darkfriend Ajah's existence, she still wasn't certain how many of the Sisters were corrupt and had switched sides.

 

They continued deeper – deeper still than she had ever gone before. Ellisha estimated they were lower even than the time she had been forced to walk through the Three Arches. The two of them didn't speak to one another for the entirety of the trip. It was custom not to talk before they reached the testing grounds. Wall hung lamps lit an eerie staircase, throwing fitful shadows of themselves against the wall like companionable ghosts. Ellisha kept her face straight and her emotions steady as she made the descent; another part of custom was to maintain an outward semblance of calm at all times. 
     The staircase seemed to stretch on and on, growing wider as they travelled deeper. Finally, after what seemed an absolute eternity, Valeri halted before a pair of iron doors. The corridors here were free of dust and the ceiling seemed to disappear into the darkness above. Ellisha paused beside the Mistress of Novices, then nearly jumped as she felt the woman embrace Saidar. She stopped herself from doing the same just in time to see the woman channel a small flow of air to open the pair of doors. 
     Calm yourself, woman, she chided herself as she rearranged her mask.  You can't lose it now. She had to become Aes Sedai if she wanted to fight Aes Sedai. The doors swung open slowly, sliding without a sound on oiled hinges as it revealed the chamber inside. 
     Ellisha stepped forward, just slightly behind Valeri and looked up at the majestic dome that loomed above her. The room was huge. It was an expansive circular affair, with stand lamps covering the perimeter and reflecting lights off the white shone walls. It was also very bright – a shocking contrast to the shadow lit corridors she just walked across. 
     At the very centre of the room – directly below the dome, lay the Ter'angreal. Ellisha instantly knew it was an object of the One Power as it changed colour with each blink of the eye. Now it was blue, now green. It was a large ring; oval shaped and lay completely unsupported – floating a few inches off the ground. The centre radiated light which seemed to warp and distort the air around it. 

 

Valeri took a step forward, away from where Ellisha was standing.
   "Attend." The Mistress of Novices said in a clear crisp voice that travelled then echoed the length of the large domed chamber. Seven figures walked forward, and Ellisha noticed all were wearing their colour fringed shawls. One from each Ajah, she saw and watched as the Aes Sedais gather in a ring around her. Very little was told to an Accepted about the actual testing process apart from maintaining control at all times. She stood tall and erect, keeping her back straight and her chin raised as she waited for the next phase of the ritual. 
     Valeri turned to face her; the woman's face a perfect example of emotionless Aes Sedai serenity. Ellisha kept her mouth shut and maintained her own mask of composure. It took an effort and at times, it felt as if even that was too much to manage.

 

   “You come in ignorance, Ellisha Falwein. How would you depart?” The Mistress of Novices spoke the ritualised lines. Ellisha knew her own part well, and replied almost without thinking. 
   “In knowledge of myself.” 
   “For what reason have you been summoned here?” The woman continued, still holding her Aes Sedai serenity as were the other women around them. 
   "To be tried." 
   "For what reason should you be tried." 
Ellisha maintained eye contact with Valeri. She wondered for the thousandth time in nearly two years whether she should ever trust this woman. You can't trust anyone anymore, a now familiar voice answered.
   "So that I may learn whether I am worthy." 
   "For what would you be found worthy?" 
   "To wear the shawl of an Aes Sedai." 

 

   And to repay the debt I owe a friend.

 

She began undoing the buttons of her dress, one at a time; it was part of ritual to perform the tasks clad only in her skin. As she moved on to slipping off her shift, the Mistress of Novices continued to speak. 
   "Therefore I will instruct you," she said. "You will see this sign upon the ground." She channelled and traced a six pointed star with the tip of her index finger, the weaves making the marks shimmer in the air. One of the other Aes Sedai standing around her said in an almost trance like tone: “Remember what must be remembered.” 
     Ellisha let her shift slide from her shoulders to the white coloured floor, before folding her clothes into a bundle beside her. 
   “When you see that sign,” Valeri continued, indicating to the six pointed star. “You will go to it immediately, at a steady pace, neither hurrying nor hanging back, and only then may you embrace the Power.” The woman let the hovering star vanish, and then turned her attention back to Ellisha once more. “The weaving required must begin immediately, and you may not leave that sign until it is completed.” 
   “Remember what must be remembered,” the other Sister intoned. 
   “When the weave is complete, you will see that sign again, marking the way you must go, again at a steady pace, without hesitation.” 

 

Ellisha found herself staring at the centre of the large oval ring, floating a few paces away from her. Her last experience entering a Ter'Angreal had not ended well, and memories of that event still lingered at the back of her mind. “One hundred times will you weave, in the order you have been given and in perfect composure." 
   “Remember what must be remembered.” the sister’s voices echoed, and ended with a sinking tone of finality.

 

Her moment had come, the ritual was nearly over, and it was time to begin her test. 

 

The women around her all began embracing the source, and Ellisha felt one of their weaves settle into the back of her head. She waited as the seven figures took a step backwards so they were now completely surrounding the ring Ter'Angreal. All seven were channelling a complicated string of weaves towards the object of the One Power as it began flashing with increased rapidity. Valeri was still inside the circle with her, and she nodded as if confirming for Ellisha to begin walking. 
     She removed the last piece of clothing she still wore - the Great Serpeant's ring, and laid it on top of her pile of clothes. The flashing continued, becoming brighter and more insistent with each beat of its pulse. The white washed walls seemed to turn even brighter still, and staring into the very centre of the ring... 

 

Ellisha took a step forward, then another – neither hurrying nor hanging back. She made her way towards the light, towards whatever lay on the other side. The world melted behind her, no longer existing under the canopy of angelic light that became part of her. She thought of Aril, of her promise, and of... 

 

________

 

The scene before her materialized, and Ellisha found herself stepping into the interior of a building with no recollection of how she had got there. Her bare foot brushed against rough straw as she took a hesitant step forwards. She glanced down, noticing her naked form for the first time and, not for the last, wondered how she had advanced herself into such a position. The room was dark and looked expansive; Ellisha thought she could make out a silver line of light on the other end, hinting at an exit (and maybe some answers).
     She continued her journey forwards, unperturbed by both the darkness and her currently exposed form; using the former to shield the latter, like a mist cloak made from translucent fabric. Her eyes could not make much in the dim illumination, but just like her disposition, she did not let such inconveniences hinder her movements. On she walked, neither hurrying nor holding back, until she reached the end of the passage and found the light. Near the end she noticed a table, and upon closer examination, she recognised that it contained articles of clothing. She did not question how they had gotten there, or why she knew they were meant for her, she simply followed the instinct at the back of her head and began putting them on. A dress made from a rough brown fabric, accompanied by a thick pair of woollen stockings, she lingered only for a moment before stepping into a similarly utilitarian looking pair of boots. With her first task complete, she returned her attention to the only visible light source – It was a door. Ellisha stepped forward and pushed it open, thus beginning her test. It had begun.

 

________

 

Through a world of fire and ice she walked; past torched villages set ablaze by the hand of vagrants, into crowds of hostile eyes; trials of body, trial of mind; to stand in the way of a Trolloc charge and ignore the cries of sickly children. Ellisha walked, neither hurrying nor hanging back. A hundred weaves she performed, a hundred times she longed to lash out at the source of her torment – for she knew there was a source somewhere. Each time she performed her task and each time she followed that six pointed star, her memory was erased. Yet some things can’t be erased. Hours passed, days even, and though each time her mind cannot call upon its memory, her body began to feel the inevitable signs of fatigue. Remember what must be remembered were the words she heard most often, and remember she did of what she needed to do.
   One hundred times she performed, and on her final trial she stepped through the six pointed star only to find herself returned to the centre of the oval chamber.

 

Memories assaulted her as soon as she hit the pavement. Hours of memories, of torments and recollections, broke through the channelled barrier like a dam under a vengeful monsoon. She collapsed to the ground, her multitude of cuts and badly bruised leg finally succumbing to the weight of supporting her fragile body. A voice, distant and unimportant, was murmuring something in the background. Ellisha paid little attention to it as she felt the cool marble beneath her, sapping away the last of her body’s warmth. She was crying, she knew; the tears of a thousand emotions colliding against her fortitude as she allowed the fat droplets to trickle down the side of her face.  A clap, thunderous and like the all mighty hand of the creator echoed across the hall.
   “Ellisha Falwein, you will spend tonight in prayer and contemplation…” it said; cold and emotionless like everything else in her life. “… of the burdens you will take up on the morrow, when you don the shawl of an Aes Sedai.” With another clap, the voice condemned her to her fate. And just like that, it was done; she had done it.
    Bodies, the presence of other people – hands, heads, soft condoning voices, gathered around her in an instant. Ellisha blinked, clearing away the condensation to get a better look at the women around her. Someone was offering her healing, to which she did not reply.  With a strength she did not fully possess, she shrugged them off and made to stand on her own. Light burn her, but she did not need their sympathies. She was angry – a familiar emotion that riled the pits of her stomach, made worse by the knowledge that the ones offering her comfort right now, were the ones who had tortured her but a moment ago.
     With the initial shock of having her memories returned, Ellisha was beginning to think straight again. With an effort, she pushed herself off the ground and made for the bundle of clothes she had cast off before entering the ring Ter’Angreal. The voices around her fell silent as she threw the white dress over her head, the fabric soaking in the scarlet beads of blood as she hurriedly walked outside.  Two sisters followed – one Green and one Blue – whilst the rest remained behind. They escorted Ellisha back to her apartment. None of them said anything.
     With the sun having already fallen no one was there to see Ellisha in her bloodied dress, though it would have probably made for an amusing image, if only by the looks of horror from passing Novices. She found her room much as she had left it, the residence having been cleaned and with the addition of food steaming in one corner. The Sisters bid her goodnight and with a tinge of concern previously unfamiliar from Sisters, told her to get some rest.

 

She listened as the door closed behind her and waited a few seconds before letting go of the breath she had been holding. She sank down into her chair, finally allowing herself to wince under the pain of such an action. Light burn her, but she had done it. The gravity of such a thought pressed heavily down on her. Why did it? She pondered this thought for a moment. Once upon a time, a long time ago, Ellisha could remember a little girl who had dreamed of wearing the shawl. Now such a goal had finally been achieved, one would have expected her to feel emotions other than… Dread?
     Excitement couldn’t have been further away from what Ellisha Falwein felt as she waited alone in her room: “Contemplating” as the voice had said for her to do. She left the food mostly untouched, taking only occasional sips from the tea provided and only because it gave her hands something to hold as she sat waiting. One of the servants had started a fire in the stone hearth before she had entered, and was this to which she occupied herself for the duration of the night’s stay. There was much yet to think about – much to plan. Hours passed, and Ellisha fought down the request of her tired body to lie down and rest. On the morrow she was to be an Aes Sedai – a sham of a title if ever she heard one.
    Aes Sedai – the servant of all. Ellisha doubted if anyone in this Tower had ever taken the meaning seriously.

 

All too soon in her estimation, the time was up for thinking. The fire had long died to embers as the first rays of sunlight seeped through the window pane. Two short sharp knocks rapped at her door announcing the arrival of her escort.
     Seven Sisters, one from each Ajah, stood at attention as she opened the door. Not all the representatives were there from yesterday, and a few she saw grew wide eyed as she stepped out from her room. She was still wearing her blood stained dress she realised; the one she had worn to her testing. Yet, Aes Sedai being Aes Sedai, the signs of surprise were quickly swept away as she was led outside. No words were exchanged as they walked, though Ellisha thought she could feel some of the eyes being drawn to her as she walked down a familiar flight of stairs.

 

   “Who comes here?” The Amyrlin Seat, a tall regal woman, spoke as the party of seven and one drew near the large wooden doors. The Keeper of the Chronicles stood beside her, and they stopped just short of the two. “Ellisha Falwein,” she replied in a steady voice.
   “For what reason do you come?”
   “To swear the three oaths and thereby claim the shawl of an Aes Sedai.”
   “By what right do you claim this burden?”
At this, Ellisha found herself pause, “by right of having made the passage,” she continued,
   “submitting myself to the will of the White Tower.”
   “Then enter, if you dare, and bind yourself to the White Tower.”
She, along with the others stepped forward into the room, filled by the entire hall standing at attendance.

 

The Amyrlin seat stepped forward, taking the ivory oath rod from the cushion held out by the Keeper as Ellisha made to kneel. She accepted the object, and with no further delay, began binding herself to her fate.
   “Under the light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth, I vow that I will speak no word that is not true.” The oath, emphasised by the power being channelled into the rod, settled into her as she began to speak.
   “Under the light and by my hopes of salvation and rebirth, I vow that I will make no weapon for one man to kill another.” Again, the oath settled, like a coil of rope, only it covered the entire length of her body.
   “Under the light and by my hopes of salvation and rebirth, I vow that I will never use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme of defending my life, or that of my Warder, or another Sister.” With the last of the weaves completed, Ellisha handed the rod back to the woman in front of her.

 

“It is half done, and the White Tower graven on your bones. Rise now, Aes Sedai, and choose your Ajah, and all will be done that may be done under the Light.”

 

She rose, coming level and meeting the eyes of the Amyrlin.
   “Go on now, Child. Find your way home,” the woman whispered as Ellisha turned to face the rest of the hall. Now was the moment of truth. Seven Ajahs waited in attendance for her, the eyes of each Sister fixated as she walked to the edge of the marble pedestal. Home, was what an Aes Sedai called her Ajah. But Ellisha knew she wasn’t going home. She turned to face the ranks of Blues standing at one end of the room, and with this proclamation made, the rest of the hall quietly filled out through the back door.

 

The six Blues stepped forward as Ellisha came towards them, and the youngest of the six draped a Blue fringed shawl around her shoulders. Ellisha stood in silence and forced a smile as one by one her new family welcomed her into their ranks, one quick peck on each cheek. On the sixth and final Blue, the Sister – one Cooran Sedai, bent towards her and laughed quietly next to her ear.
   “Child, you owe me a pie,” before she too kissed Ellisha on her cheeks.
Ellisha’s smile nearly lost its curvature as the Sister drew back. One of the Blue’s ancient traditions no doubt. The six stood in front of her, all of them for once not being held back by Aes Sedai serenity. They assumed her silence to be her loss for words, out of joy from the occasion. But in truth, Ellisha was still getting used to her new restrictions.
   “I can already imagine fitting in here,” she finally managed after a hurried second attempt at producing words. What she had originally meant to say was: “I’m so happy to finally be home,” to which she quickly realised, was a complete lie. She wasn’t happy – she wasn’t home, she never will have a home. The Sisters around her took no notice of her inner transaction however, as they all continued to beam broadly towards their newest member.
     How many of you are faking those smiles now? She wondered as they took her up to her new apartments in the Blue’s quarter. How many of you are rotten to the core?
She knew there to at least be one. One Blue Sister out of the Light knows how many that had started all this. I will find you sooner or later. Light burn me, but I will. She would find that woman no matter what happens, even if it would be the death of her. She hadn’t been lying when she said she would fit right in – the Blues were masters of Daes Dae’mar, and Ellisha intended to play their own games against them. They walked, Ellisha with her newest family towards what lay for her beyond. 

 

To life or death she marched the steps of the Tower, the polished marble walls and its pristine walkways, the sands of her next battle.

 

A battle she was determined to win – no matter the cost.

 

~ Ellisha Falwein
Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah

Edited June 17, 2014 by Sherper