Illuminator Accepted
Chapter 1
The Strength of a Kindled Fire
"Ilyane?"
"Yes Father?" Ilyane asked twisting around from the miniature firework she was constructing. When she was finished it would not be as impressive as one of the massive fireworks the Illuminators were famous for but it would please a child, and that was as much learning as Ilyane had been given so far. She was merely a girl of sixteen with long blonde hair, constantly braided to keep it from singeing that matched her mother's. She had been raised as any other Illuminator child, fed slowly on the secrets of their craft, but now it was finally time.
"You have lit our large fireworks many times, for the festivals we hold for the dignitaries that ask for a display."
"Yes," Ilyane answered slowly, she already knew this and was clearly wondering why Dav was even speaking of it.
"It has been decided by the Guild, that you might be allowed to learning the making of the large fireworks beginning on your next birthday."
"Really Father?" Ilyane asked excitedly, forgetting her place so much as to hug him. "This wonderful." She murmured into his chest. She was lucky to have placed her firework to the side first, but thankfully as it was a small one even if it had gone off between them it wouldn't have been fatal. They would not have been able to travel to Caemlyn, but they would have survived the accident. Dav was just grateful his daughter had always been careful around the explosive devices; she seemed to understand the dangers better than anyone. She had lost her mother to them after all.
She had only been eight and Dav had been away tending to some of the work in Caemlyn's Chapter House, he'd thought they'd be fine for the few days that he was going to be gone, especially with Ilyane's older brother Matthen to help take care of things. The story went that Ilyane had been playing quietly and Matthen had run in heedless of the warnings he'd received to never disturb an Illuminator at their work.
Matthen had gone to hug his mother or perhaps show her one of his model fireworks. Ilyane had never been sure and it hardly mattered now anyway. Leane had fumbled her work and fuses and powders mixed that weren't supposed to until the firework was finished and ready to be launched. The whole thing had exploded. Matthen had been lucky to escape with his life, he still had a blasted and scarred looking face, one of his eyes didn't focus completely, and his right hand still couldn't close completely. Ilyane had been knocked unconscious by the blast and Leane, his precious Leane, had been killed. Matthen had yet to be permitted to learn how to handle the large fireworks, let alone make them, not that he was particularly inclined to anyway.
"Ilyane," Dav began in a warning tone. She wasn't supposed to hug him; he was one of the Guild Masters. She should know that it wasn't allowed. Only the Guild Masters with young children were allowed the contact between a parent and child and even then it was only supposed to be sparingly. It helped to keep accidents around the workshops to a minimum; since the rule had been instated they had only lost two Guild Masters in the last hundred years to an accident within the workplace. Dav was willing to forgive this time though. The announcement of being able to learn how to create the largest and most dangerous of fireworks signaled that a child was finally mature enough to be treated as an adult among the Illuminators. All children eagerly looked forward to this day, when they would finally be taught all the secrets of the Illuminators. Ilyane was one of the few children to learn so young. She picked up well on the creation of other works and was always meticulously in her preparations, she would be one of the youngest to learn the making of the large fireworks, many didn't learn until their early twenties. Ilyane was quite blessed by the Creator to have the chance to learn so young.
"Sorry Father." Ilyane murmured apologetically releasing him quickly, but though she tucked her head she couldn't hide the pleased grin on her face, she would not have expected to receive such an honor so young and Dav wondered if anything could ever wipe the smile from her face, it was so proud.
"At least you have not forgotten yourself so much as to hug me during my work. You do remember the most important safeties. Now come we have many preparations still to make. The collaborative festival with our Chapter House in Caemlyn is only weeks away."
"Of course Father." Ilyane murmured sketching a curtsey and hurrying from the room.
Deain Sedai glanced around the room with a slight sneer on her face. It was pitiful to see so many nobles gathered together and all so eager simply to see fireworks. If she hadn't been the counselor and advisor to the queen she never would have stood to be amongst such a childish crowd. Fireworks were for children. Any proper Aes Sedai could make the sky light up as easily as these foolish Illuminators, with their dangerous chemicals and powders that could probably kill every noble in the room if the firework misfired. The Aes Sedai version wouldn't hurt, not that any good Aes Sedai would be willing to demean herself for such a thing anyway.
She froze suddenly as she walked past the open archways that led to the courtyard where the Illuminators were preparing their spectacle. She could sense the gift in someone out there, an unawakened gift, but a gift nonetheless.
With a sweep of her skirts she was out of the room and in the courtyard searching purposefully through the faces of the Illuminators darkened by the night's shadows. She had to be here somewhere…
"What are you doing?" A young girl of about sixteen asked angrily appearing abruptly in front of the Aes Sedai. "The display is not prepared yet. Go back inside with the rest of the nobles until we are ready. We will not have you giving away our secrets."
Deain smiled in the darkness. Ah, so it is you. A mere child. A whelp of the Illuminators, well, I'll change that soon enough. "May I speak with you child?" Deain asked unable to refrain from the title given to all novices in the Tower.
"I'm not a child," The girl growled angrily.
Deain had had quite enough of this girl's impetuous attitude. "You would be wise to watch your tongue with me, child. I am Aes Sedai advisor to the Queen herself."
The girl paled but hardly seemed daunted by the prospect of an Aes Sedai, "Aes Sedai or not, you're not allowed until the fireworks are ready. Now go back and mingle, until they are prepared."
You will do well in the Tower I think. We do not have many as audacious or spirited as you. You will definitely make the training interesting. Amrie will be happy to have such a willing plaything. She always complains that as Mistress of Novices she doesn't have much to do because the Novices are too well behaved. I think you will be the one she will have to break and she will enjoy that. "Well child if you are going to force me to leave you must come with me. I have something important that I must speak of with you."
The girl snorted. "No self-respecting Aes Sedai would have anything of importance to say to an Illuminator," she cleared her throat after a glance at Deain's angry glare, "At least that's what I've heard. Because our art is so menial, to the One Power. You could light up the sky with a glance and we have to build our lights."
Deain merely continued to glare not allowing any discomfort at the girl's statement mirroring her earlier thoughts. She didn't like that the girl recognized the inferiority the Aes Sedai saw in the Illuminators work. "I'm not here to discuss the pretty lights you make." Deain answered with a slight sneer the girl was meant to see. "You could rise above all those menial playthings with my help. You have the ability to touch the True Source."
The girl actually began to laugh. "You think I can touch the Source? I could no more touch the Source than I could learn to fly."
"That's as it may be for now, but with the proper training to you could in fact learn to touch and handle saidar, whereas flight is not truly possible for anything but birds."
"You think I could touch the Source? I'm not some blasted Aes Sedai. I don't want to touch it and I won't touch it." The girl growled.
Deain gave her a tight smile. "You will become Aes Sedai. That I promise. The Tower does not let girls run free once the power is discovered in them."
The girl laughed. "Just try and teach me Sedai. You'll see I'm not some lamb to be won over by your cheap tricks. I know how to create lights in the sky without the help of your precious One Power, I do not plan on the lighting the sky with anything but fireworks."
"That's fine; we tend not to the sky with anything." Deain answered coolly. "We do much more important things with our power than throwing lights into the sky."
"What like destroying the lives of men? Simply because they might one day channel? It's not their fault they were born corrupted. If they die mad, they die mad, but it's not their fault."
Deain snorted. "You foolish girl, if we didn't protect the world by gentling those men the whole world would go mad. We're saving the world from another Breaking."
"You must be a Red to believe such nonsense. I've heard you always behave particularly foul to men."
"They're the ones who broke the world. Why wouldn't this instill anger in every heart of those who care about this world? Do you want a sane world to live in or not?"
"I'd rather live in an insane world, than a world without men. There would be no balance without them, and without them the world would break anyway, because there was no balance. Aes Sedai, don't you understand, much as you hate them, men are necessary to keep this world in balance."
"I'm sick of this impudence child." Deain snapped suddenly unable to contain her rising rage and frustration. "I will take you to the Tower and you will learn how to properly respect an Aes Sedai."
"What if I don't want to go with you?" The girl asked crossing her arms over her chest angrily.
"I will drag you there kicking and screaming if I must. You have the ability to touch the Source and we will not lose that. Nor will we allow you to burn yourself out because you touch saidar accidentally. The Tower saves all the girls it finds. We do not want death among those who can touch the pure half of the One Power."
The girl giggled. "Aes Sedai, you will drag me nowhere. I am protected by the Illuminator's Guild and I will not be forced into some scheme by you to make think I must go to the White Tower or die. I still have the ability to choose Aes Sedai."
"The minute I found you and discovered your ability you lost the power of choice. You are going to the Tower. My Sister Freawyn is here at this obnoxious ceremony as well and will be returning to the Tower after, she's a Green and she can have all six of her Warders hogtie you to a saddle and drag to the Tower. I would take great pleasure in seeing it. You are much too haughty for a girl of your station."
"You wouldn't dare."
"I'm Aes Sedai. I can do whatever I want that is within my oaths." Deain answered unperturbed by the girl's resistant attitude. She would go to the Tower, by the Light she would!