Chapter 3--For What Will Be
Keri looked at the final arch, barely listening to the ceremonial words. What will be. What she feared to see the most. She could turn her back on the ultimate happiness or she could face a gruesome death. No way to tell what will happen, only a phrase to guide her through a world unexplained. "The way back will come but once. Be steadfast." She stepped into the arch, into whiteness that seemed to burn out her eyes.
~For what will be:
Love... "She who is sent to heal the plague must take her life by the plague to save those in pain." Luke stared blankly at Keri. The Foretelling she just gave, well, it applied to her.
Memory. Flicker. Luke? He's my husband? And Warder? The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love...
Two months ago, the Tower had sent them on a mission befitting a Yellow Aes Sedai of her standing. A whole town had fallen victim to a plague. In the short time they had been there, they had found out that is was caused by the Source. And they had to stop it.
"You have to... catch it?" Keri looked into his eyes. "I love you, Luke." "No! Don't do it! I will not allow it!" "My Foretellings are never false. You should know that. And the visions. I saw what would happen if I didn't die." Keri started to cry like a little girl again. She had seen the terrible agony all the townspeople had gone through, and how they died. She also saw herself and Luke catching the plague. Her new life was falling apart. She had married Luke two years ago and bonded him the same day. And now. Keri put a hand on her stomach, feeling the flutter of a new life. And it would end.
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Keri almost fainted with relief. She would be able to leave and she would. Love...
If she had never become Aes Sedai none of this would've happened! She would've lived a fine life in Amador, with her father who was living a long life even though her mother was dead of a sickness.
She blinked. What.? My mother was alive and my father. was.
She blinked again. These people didn't need her help. Black Ajah! That's who they are; they're just making me think this. I should've never gone to the White Tower. They are killing my family and me! No one else! She would leave this town once and for all. These people were nothing over protecting her family. She looked around the room they were in, only an inn, but the best room there. She could just leave... Thoughts assailed her mind. What about the visions of us? They were just Black Ajah's causing. Nothing was going to keep her from leaving. What would the Tower care? She would leave them too, all behind. But. Her sister was still in the Tower. Lilian.
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... Flicker.
"Luke? I must go to sleep." "What? What do you mean?" "I need to speak with my sister." "The ter'angreal?" "Yes."
Lilian had gotten a ter'angreal for her, one that allowed people to enter the World of Dreams. Lilian was a Dreamer, who could get there any time she wished. That was where they talked as sisters would.
A few minutes later found them in the same room with Keri lying down on the bed. She had just taken some of the sleeping potion she had brought with her for just this purpose. People were outside, asking questions to the owner of the inn, concerning them. "Just rest, Keri." The world was getting. blurry.... and it went... black.
**Heartache, trials, burning, love...**
Tel'aran'rhiod. The World of Dreams. This was a place not many have ever entered, and yet, here she was. She started in Tar Valon, like always, in her old Novice quarters. Even though Lilian had taught her many things about this place, she would never quite get used to having her clothes change to something totally different, or to nothing at all. As soon as Keri thought this, her dress disappeared without a trace. Blushing furiously, she fixed her mind on a picture of a yellow dress she wore often. It popped back into place. "Keri?"
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... Lilian had tried to kill her before... in the other arch...
What arch?
She turned around. "Lilian!" She ran to her sister and hugged her; it had been so long since she had last found the time to be here. She looked at her sister's eyes, always bright. Then she poured out her story. Lilian gave her a deep look. "What do you think?" she asked Keri. "I want to keep my family. I want to grow old with Luke." "Do you want all those people to die?" ".No." "Then you know the answer." Cool, calm, and logical, she was the perfect picture of her White Sisters. But. "I love you, Keri." Keri stood straight up. Her sister was right. This was a sacrifice she would have to make. "Thank you, Lia, sister. I should go now." Ignoring the tears in her eyes, she pulled off the ter'angreal. "I love you." And the world went. white.
**Healing, promises, trust, love...**
Keri pulled up Luke from his sitting position and started towards the town. "Come on! We must hurry!" Luke looked sadly at her as they ran along. They rushed out the door. But then Keri brought them to a halt. "Luke." His ever-swirling eyes filled with life looked at her. She faltered. "You must... go. You cannot stay here, or you shall die, too. You aren't one of them, so the Foretelling might not include you." "Keri... I can't leave you here!"
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love kept her going. Love made her face the trials, love got her through. No love, no life. No Luke...
"You must. Do you want me to release your bond so you can be free?" "No. I will be with you until the end." Keri looked hard at him. "You know what might happen, Luke! I love you! You mustn't do that to yourself..." With a worried heart, she looked at the resolution here, in those beautiful eyes, and nodded. "I love you." They kissed for the last time.
~*~
Keri looked around her at all the people on their plain mats, in obvious pain. There were only a couple people who hadn't caught the plague; they were helping her now. No one was allowed to leave the city, except her and Luke, but they had only left to get supplies. Keri worked hard, blocking or buffering as many people's pain as she could with saidar and herbs when all else failed. Keri knew why she was here, not to help the people, though it did feel good to see relief on their faces, but to wait to die herself. Every once in a while, someone would cry out in anguish, as their loved ones died. Keri could not help them. They died because of her. They died because of Black Ajah. Black Ajah. Whoever started this must be rejoicing right now, she thought. What she wouldn't give to be doing the same. What she wouldn't give.
Would she give up. her beliefs? Would she give up. her life? Would she become Black Ajah.?
What she wouldn't give, right? If it made them all live...
No...
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... for the people... Flicker.
The person in front of her made her snap back to reality. "It's ok, you'll be fine..." She wiped the moaning girl's forehead with a cool, damp cloth. Once again, Keri embraced saidar to Delve the girl's body. There seemed to be nothing wrong, but then there was a blockage of saidar in the brain, in the part in control of healing. The whole body was just falling apart; nothing was healing. It was almost the same in all of them. Keri started to cry. She would have to wait until she became like this, unresponsive, in pain, basically rotting alive. It would be sudden, and it could happen any time. What would happen then? What would happen to this little girl right here?
Black. . . .
No.
Keri shook her head. Her thinking was getting fuddled. What was happ.en.en.ening.? She couldn't think worth. what was that. beans, right. the plague.on her. Luke? Yes. But.
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... for life.
The arch.
Keri woozily crawled. she was on the floor... how did she get there. going to the only familiar thing in her life. world spinning.arch floated in and out of her vision like pretty butterflies in the spring. Consciousness wavered. black. back.black.back. The arch was right there... moaning people all around her. tooloud tootiring toonothing toomuchdeath.
White.
~*~
Keri stepped out of the arch. "Too much... Luke?" No, just the arch. He's... not there. Keri blinked. And turned to the Aes Sedai.
--- Saige's heart went out to her friend, as she watched Keri come out of the third arch. Blinking back tears of her own Saige picked up the silver chalice and poured it over Keri. "You are washed clean of Kerdahlia Telnoray from Amador. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world; you come to us washed clean, in heart and soul. You are now bound to the White Tower." Saige handed Keri a white dress, with colored bands on the hems. "Congratulations, Keri."
---
Keri stood up as dignified as she could. She was almost done. The worst was over. She listened to Saige's words. "You are now bound to the White Tower." Keri took the dress.
---
Saige smiled at her friend. "Kerdahlia Adriel Telnoray, you are now Accepted!"
---
Keri looked at the dress Saige had just given her. With the new dress and status, she felt as if she had reached the top of the world. "Thank you, Saige." She reached out and hugged her friend. She had so much joy she felt like bursting.
The End
(A/N: Please tell me if you like it!! I'm open to suggestions for continuing, or making a new story!!)
Keri looked at the final arch, barely listening to the ceremonial words. What will be. What she feared to see the most. She could turn her back on the ultimate happiness or she could face a gruesome death. No way to tell what will happen, only a phrase to guide her through a world unexplained. "The way back will come but once. Be steadfast." She stepped into the arch, into whiteness that seemed to burn out her eyes.
~For what will be:
Love... "She who is sent to heal the plague must take her life by the plague to save those in pain." Luke stared blankly at Keri. The Foretelling she just gave, well, it applied to her.
Memory. Flicker. Luke? He's my husband? And Warder? The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love...
Two months ago, the Tower had sent them on a mission befitting a Yellow Aes Sedai of her standing. A whole town had fallen victim to a plague. In the short time they had been there, they had found out that is was caused by the Source. And they had to stop it.
"You have to... catch it?" Keri looked into his eyes. "I love you, Luke." "No! Don't do it! I will not allow it!" "My Foretellings are never false. You should know that. And the visions. I saw what would happen if I didn't die." Keri started to cry like a little girl again. She had seen the terrible agony all the townspeople had gone through, and how they died. She also saw herself and Luke catching the plague. Her new life was falling apart. She had married Luke two years ago and bonded him the same day. And now. Keri put a hand on her stomach, feeling the flutter of a new life. And it would end.
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Keri almost fainted with relief. She would be able to leave and she would. Love...
If she had never become Aes Sedai none of this would've happened! She would've lived a fine life in Amador, with her father who was living a long life even though her mother was dead of a sickness.
She blinked. What.? My mother was alive and my father. was.
She blinked again. These people didn't need her help. Black Ajah! That's who they are; they're just making me think this. I should've never gone to the White Tower. They are killing my family and me! No one else! She would leave this town once and for all. These people were nothing over protecting her family. She looked around the room they were in, only an inn, but the best room there. She could just leave... Thoughts assailed her mind. What about the visions of us? They were just Black Ajah's causing. Nothing was going to keep her from leaving. What would the Tower care? She would leave them too, all behind. But. Her sister was still in the Tower. Lilian.
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... Flicker.
"Luke? I must go to sleep." "What? What do you mean?" "I need to speak with my sister." "The ter'angreal?" "Yes."
Lilian had gotten a ter'angreal for her, one that allowed people to enter the World of Dreams. Lilian was a Dreamer, who could get there any time she wished. That was where they talked as sisters would.
A few minutes later found them in the same room with Keri lying down on the bed. She had just taken some of the sleeping potion she had brought with her for just this purpose. People were outside, asking questions to the owner of the inn, concerning them. "Just rest, Keri." The world was getting. blurry.... and it went... black.
**Heartache, trials, burning, love...**
Tel'aran'rhiod. The World of Dreams. This was a place not many have ever entered, and yet, here she was. She started in Tar Valon, like always, in her old Novice quarters. Even though Lilian had taught her many things about this place, she would never quite get used to having her clothes change to something totally different, or to nothing at all. As soon as Keri thought this, her dress disappeared without a trace. Blushing furiously, she fixed her mind on a picture of a yellow dress she wore often. It popped back into place. "Keri?"
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... Lilian had tried to kill her before... in the other arch...
What arch?
She turned around. "Lilian!" She ran to her sister and hugged her; it had been so long since she had last found the time to be here. She looked at her sister's eyes, always bright. Then she poured out her story. Lilian gave her a deep look. "What do you think?" she asked Keri. "I want to keep my family. I want to grow old with Luke." "Do you want all those people to die?" ".No." "Then you know the answer." Cool, calm, and logical, she was the perfect picture of her White Sisters. But. "I love you, Keri." Keri stood straight up. Her sister was right. This was a sacrifice she would have to make. "Thank you, Lia, sister. I should go now." Ignoring the tears in her eyes, she pulled off the ter'angreal. "I love you." And the world went. white.
**Healing, promises, trust, love...**
Keri pulled up Luke from his sitting position and started towards the town. "Come on! We must hurry!" Luke looked sadly at her as they ran along. They rushed out the door. But then Keri brought them to a halt. "Luke." His ever-swirling eyes filled with life looked at her. She faltered. "You must... go. You cannot stay here, or you shall die, too. You aren't one of them, so the Foretelling might not include you." "Keri... I can't leave you here!"
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love kept her going. Love made her face the trials, love got her through. No love, no life. No Luke...
"You must. Do you want me to release your bond so you can be free?" "No. I will be with you until the end." Keri looked hard at him. "You know what might happen, Luke! I love you! You mustn't do that to yourself..." With a worried heart, she looked at the resolution here, in those beautiful eyes, and nodded. "I love you." They kissed for the last time.
~*~
Keri looked around her at all the people on their plain mats, in obvious pain. There were only a couple people who hadn't caught the plague; they were helping her now. No one was allowed to leave the city, except her and Luke, but they had only left to get supplies. Keri worked hard, blocking or buffering as many people's pain as she could with saidar and herbs when all else failed. Keri knew why she was here, not to help the people, though it did feel good to see relief on their faces, but to wait to die herself. Every once in a while, someone would cry out in anguish, as their loved ones died. Keri could not help them. They died because of her. They died because of Black Ajah. Black Ajah. Whoever started this must be rejoicing right now, she thought. What she wouldn't give to be doing the same. What she wouldn't give.
Would she give up. her beliefs? Would she give up. her life? Would she become Black Ajah.?
What she wouldn't give, right? If it made them all live...
No...
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... for the people... Flicker.
The person in front of her made her snap back to reality. "It's ok, you'll be fine..." She wiped the moaning girl's forehead with a cool, damp cloth. Once again, Keri embraced saidar to Delve the girl's body. There seemed to be nothing wrong, but then there was a blockage of saidar in the brain, in the part in control of healing. The whole body was just falling apart; nothing was healing. It was almost the same in all of them. Keri started to cry. She would have to wait until she became like this, unresponsive, in pain, basically rotting alive. It would be sudden, and it could happen any time. What would happen then? What would happen to this little girl right here?
Black. . . .
No.
Keri shook her head. Her thinking was getting fuddled. What was happ.en.en.ening.? She couldn't think worth. what was that. beans, right. the plague.on her. Luke? Yes. But.
Memory. Flicker. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast. Love... for life.
The arch.
Keri woozily crawled. she was on the floor... how did she get there. going to the only familiar thing in her life. world spinning.arch floated in and out of her vision like pretty butterflies in the spring. Consciousness wavered. black. back.black.back. The arch was right there... moaning people all around her. tooloud tootiring toonothing toomuchdeath.
White.
~*~
Keri stepped out of the arch. "Too much... Luke?" No, just the arch. He's... not there. Keri blinked. And turned to the Aes Sedai.
--- Saige's heart went out to her friend, as she watched Keri come out of the third arch. Blinking back tears of her own Saige picked up the silver chalice and poured it over Keri. "You are washed clean of Kerdahlia Telnoray from Amador. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world; you come to us washed clean, in heart and soul. You are now bound to the White Tower." Saige handed Keri a white dress, with colored bands on the hems. "Congratulations, Keri."
---
Keri stood up as dignified as she could. She was almost done. The worst was over. She listened to Saige's words. "You are now bound to the White Tower." Keri took the dress.
---
Saige smiled at her friend. "Kerdahlia Adriel Telnoray, you are now Accepted!"
---
Keri looked at the dress Saige had just given her. With the new dress and status, she felt as if she had reached the top of the world. "Thank you, Saige." She reached out and hugged her friend. She had so much joy she felt like bursting.
The End
(A/N: Please tell me if you like it!! I'm open to suggestions for continuing, or making a new story!!)