Disclaimer: I own nothing in Wheel of Time. It all belongs to Robert Jordan. I did come up with Raelle/Kashira, I guess, but RJ's welcome to use her if he wants to.
This is going to be a series of "flashforwards" between the Age of Legends and 3rd Age Randland. It centers around Barid Bel Medar (Demandred), but there will be appearances by most of the Chosen, LTT, and others. There are also dream/ TRR sequences which will be set off with italics for the sake of clarity.
Warnings: I am rating this mature for a reason. There will be graphic violence and implied sex (non-explicit), and it's going to get really dark at times. This is no sappy love story. You are forewarned.
For understanding's sake, people lived longer during the Age of Legends, especially channelers. My Age of Legends should sound familiar - its our world, basically, if there had been three thousand years of peace and the One Power.
I love reviews, and I learn a lot from criticism. However, if you decide to flame, please say something constructive. I can't improve my work if you don't tell me why you don't like it.
That having been said, let's get on with this...
The Wheel of Time turns. Ages come and go; nations rise and crumble to dust. Memory fades to legend, and legend to myth. Across the Ages the Wheel spins, carrying with it the souls of all those who have lived and died, and lived again. Not only great heroes ride the rushing wings of Time. All souls return to live again.
Most continue blissfully through their successive lives, never recalling the past. Lessons are imprinted upon the soul, stored away for some higher cosmic purpose known only to the Creator. But at least once in every Age, a soul is wounded so deeply that it carries the scars throughout the Ages and lives to come. And even a whisper of a memory may reopen the bleeding wound...
Age of Legends (twelve years prior to the opening of the Bore)
Raelle Dasine pushed her way through the crowd of students making their way towards the maim elevator. As she started to step into the elevator, a shaggy haired blonde boy she didn't recognize shoved past her and the stack of books she carried fell from her arms. As the door slid closed, she channeled a thin stream of air and pushed the boy into two girls in front of him before diving after her books. She muttered a curse as she saw the cover had been torn off of one of them.
"Such language," a familiar voice taunted her.
"Fuck off, Joar," she snapped, deliberately dropping the illustrious third from his name.
"Burn me for trying to help you," the dark headed boy laughed, floating her books into a neat pile on the floor in front of her.
"All right, now you're just showing off," she said, rolling her eyes at him, and laughing as the book she was holding leapt into the air and did a little spinning number before landing in his hands.
"'An Illustrated History of Paren Disen," he read the cover. "Doing a little light reading?"
"Nothing light about that book," she said, wincing in exaggerated pain. It was a ponderous volume. "I've got a report due a week from today, thanks," she snapped, snatching the book back from him.
"Not bringing that with you tonight, I hope."
"Tonight," she stared at him blankly, wracking her mind for...
"Yeah. Lake party? It's tonight remember? You should, you're hosting...
"Oh shit! I completely forgot. Let me borrow your phone."
"Sure. It's 3 on speed dial..." She snatched the cell phone away from him before he could hand it to her.
"Hello, Dad? Yeah, look, I'm sorry to bother you at work, but I need to borrow the car tonight... yeah... ma and Joar Addam are going out to the lake... yeah, Dad, lots of other people...musician, Dad, he's the musician... No, I told you... how many times?... OK, thanks Dad, I love you too. Gotta go. Classes." She hung up and handed the phone back to him. "You'd think that after ten years he'd be able to figure out who you are."
"I'm forgettable. You know we're going to be late right?"
"So what? It's a stupid class anyway."
"Some of us need this stupid class to graduate."
"Fine. Better move your..." she started moving before she looked and walked right into another student. She started to apologize, and stopped short when she realized who she had just run into.
"Barid... I... I..." she stammered. Her mouth had suddenly gone so dry she couldn't speak. Prying her tongue off the roof of her mouth, she finished, "sorry." and then stared at the ground between his feet, letting her hair fall forward to hide her furious blush.
Barid Medar was a final year engineering student. He was tall, dark and considered not-quite-handsome by most of the girls at the University. Raelle did not share this particular opinion. In fact, she found more than her ability to speak impaired whenever he was in the room.
He stepped back out of the doorway and motioned for her to go in front of him. She shuffled onto the elevator, followed by Barid and another boy she didn't recognize. Joar Addam stepped in behind them and hit the button for the fourth floor.
Edging closer to Raelle, he whispered in her ear, "Ask him."
She shook her head abruptly. No. "You."
"Ask him to the party." Her friend insisted. The elevator door opened. She tried to exit, but found her feet mysteriously glued to the floor. She cast a hateful glance at Joar Addam, who was staring intently at the control panel of the elevator.
She took a breath, pushed her hair back away from her face and..."Barid," she squeaked.
He raised his eyebrows slightly, looking slowly from her to Joar Addam.
"I know you're probably busy and all, but... I... I mean a few of us are having a party at the lake tonight and you're welcome to come if you want. You and your friend," she tilted her head at the boy behind him. "We're going to have a fire and.. Your friend can come too if he wants." she lost it. He was looking at her, Light, he was really looking at her right into her eyes...
"Sounds like a bit of fun. Where's the spot?"
Shock. Recovery. Barely. "National Forest side. It's a little hard to find, but a few of us are carpooling. We're meeting at the East Gate an hour before curfew.
His dark eyes flicked back to Joar Addam, and darkened slightly. Joar Addam smiled widely and clapped her on the shoulder. "Yeah, we'd be glad to have you along. My lil sis here apparently thinks you're something to look at."
She choked in anger and embarrassment.
"Your sister?" Barid asked, smoothly ignoring her reaction and focusing instead on the man behind her.
"May as well be," Joar Addam shrugged.
Barid stepped forward and took her hand. "I shall look forward to seeing you tonight, then."
"No uniforms. And don't let Telamon and his crew know anything."
His eyes flashed as she mentioned that name. The rivalry between the two friends was reaching legendary proportions by the time they both started their last year at the University.
"Not a word," she insisted.
He raised a finger to his lips and smiled, "Silent as the grave. What should I bring?"
"Booze!" Joar Addam interjected, grabbing her arm. "We gotta run, Barid. Already late as it is. See you tonight then, right?"
The taller boy tilted his upper body, ever so slightly towards them in a small bow, and raised her hand to his lips. A tremor shot through her at the contact lightning, quick, pooling in her stomach and seeping lower. He released her hand and sauntered down the hallway. She stood entranced, watching him walk away.
"He moves like a cat, like a..."
"Hello! Earth to Rae! Class, now." Joar Addam reached up and pushed her gently in the direction of the classroom. As soon as they had cleared the elevator, she turned on him.
"I'm going to strangle you with your own harp strings! What did you say that for?"
"I was helping you, Rae," he said, grinning. "He thought I was competition. Guys like him don't like competition. Now he knows I'm not a threat."
"But...you..."
"I know you like him."
"Like him? Joar Addam, I would personally cut off my left tit for one night with that man, Light, two hours..."
"So tell him. Instead of staring like a gutted catfish and drooling all over yourself. We skipping class today, or what?"
"No. I'm coming," she stumbled twice on the way to the classroom, holding her books balanced on one hip, right hand pressed to her chest.
Their professor glared as they walked into the room. "Mistress Dasine, Master Nesossin, so kind of you to join us."
Joar Addam muttered an apology. Raelle said nothing, just dropped her books on the desk and collapsed into the chair. The Aes Sedai stared at her for a moment, then pressed her palm against Raelle's forehead.
"Are you feeling well, girl?"
Beside her, Joar Addam chuckled. "She'll live. She's just recovering from a close encounter with Barid Medar."
Several of the students sniggered. Raelle recovered and punched him in the arm, hard enough that it would bruise later. She quickly opened her book and tilted her head forward, letting her hair fall over her face.
