Note: characters made up on the spot; this is just a glimpse into the life of a girl named Ryaine. I do not intend to carry it further – e.g. write any more about Ryaine. Just did this for fun, briefly.
Ryaine's In-Between
Ryaine sobbed. Oh, how she sobbed. Her entire body was wracked with grief. It
was not real grief – she assumed – but its effects were tangible enough. Yet she
had only just begun. Now they expected her to go on for more. She did
not know if she could do it.
She was helped carefully, slowly to her feet. "You are well, child?"
She thought about it for a moment before answering Elyoni Sedai's question. She frowned, sobbed, inhaled, and sobbed again – this time more violently than ever before. "I…"
"Are you ready to move on?" Elyoni Sedai continued, as if Ryaine's short answer were sufficient in her mind at least. Ryaine felt robbed somehow – robbed of the chance to complain. Perhaps that was just it – perhaps she was not supposed to have that chance? Perhaps these women were all cold-hearted, cold-minded robots? Perhaps she was not of the right substance to be one of them? She had never been entirely sure of herself, after all.
"No," she said, before she realised what the implications were.
"What was that, child?" Elyoni said, clearly surprised and thinking perhaps she had heard incorrectly. "Are you willing to enter the second arch?"
Ryaine thought, thought so hard it hurt, and still hesitated. Her future at the Tower rode on this decision, certainly – but so did her sanity. She had always thought she would be Green, but how could she be Green if she could not even find the strength to face this first real challenge?
"Ryaine Hasalind, answer Elyoni Sedai or be on your way," another woman said, and after a moment Ryaine recognised it as belonging to one of her favourite teachers – the woman's familiar, usually warm face was cold and expressionless now. It was all about business down here, not friendship or warmth or encouragement. Her life was on the line, and she had to plunge to either side of it – and fast.
"I ask once more," Elyoni said, her voice increasingly grave. "Are you ready to proceed?"
Ryaine sighed, decided none of it mattered, and blurted, "Yes," trying to tell herself she did not care if she died inside the second or third arch.
"Very well," Elyoni said after a moment, a drop of tension flowing out of her at the sound of the answer she had hoped to hear. And she moved toward the second arch, beckoning for Ryaine to follow.
Now or never, Ryaine thought as she took a step forward. She had never known such dread as this.
