((Okay I know that Zarkot's ceremony wasn't the best. So I decided to be
done with the Accepted ceremonies. But I will include some of what they
saw...in flashbacks or something like that. Okay?))
Jeriana was sitting on her bed, tears flowing freely from her pale lilac eyes. She held Liandrin at her side and was rocking the honey-blond girl back and forth. Alviarin was sobbing on her left shoulder while Jeaine was on the other. Temaile was at the foot of the bed, her eyes wide and frightened.
"Why?" Liandrin asked. "Why did I do that? That was not me!" Her sobs doubled as she clutched Jeriana's arm tightly.
Jeriana flinched, remembering what she had seen of Liandrin in the arches. "It's not real," she whispered softly. "None of it is real."
"Are you sure?" Temaile asked, her voice quieter and more sober then it had ever been. "Are you sure that none of it is true? That none of it is real?"
Alviarin lifted her head up from Jeriana's shoulder. "It may be," she said. "It may be true but, Light I hope it isn't!"
"I hope it is not as well," Jeriana said. She was watching Alviarin closely. "Otherwise I would lost all that is dear to me, as would others." ~They were stilled!~
Jeaine let out a loud sob and began to shake. "It cannot be real!" she said fiercely. "None of it is true, none of it!" She began to shake more violently. "None of it!" Alarmed Jeriana turned to Jeaine and held her tightly.
"Hush Jeaine," Jeriana whispered. "It is okay, nothing that happened there happened here. It's all right." The coppery-skinned girl gave herself up to sobbing quietly in Jeriana's arms.
Liandrin sat up finally and wiped her face clear off tears. "None of it is true then, not here at least."
"No it's not," Alviarin said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself. Her face was extremely pale and her eyes were filled with fear.
"It may not be real," Jeriana said. "But it still hurts, it hurts to see that all. It hurts to have left, it hurts so badly..." Then she cried into Jeaine's hair. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I did not save you all."
"It's okay," Alviarin and Liandrin said together. "You did your best, right?"
"I did," Jeriana said. "I tried so hard but she stilled you and then she killed you!"
The other three who had stopped crying looked at each other then at the ground. "I need to go back to my room," Temaile said as she rushed out the door. She had a slightly sick look on her face, stilling was never pleasant to hear about, mostly when it involved yourself.
Alviarin left next muttering something about, "Making sure Rianna and Chesmal are holding up."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Liandrin said as she left, her doll-face pale.
Jeaine continued to cry and so did Jeriana. Those two had both seen horrible things; Jeaine's ceremony had been at least as horrible as Jeriana's, if not worse. She had watched as each of her friends, every last one was tortured and killed by a woman she could not see. That had been the second thing she had seen, the last had been the worst.
"Will you be okay?" Jeriana asked Jeaine, pushing the other girl up. Jeaine swayed as she leaned off of Jeriana.
"I, I'll be fine," Jeaine said in a trembling voice. She tried to smile but it looked terrible.
"Are you sure?" Jeriana asked. She herself knew that she would not sleep that night, too many bad things had happened in that arch for her dreams to not be terrible.
Jeaine shook her head. "No, I will not be okay," she said. "It was horrible Jeriana, horrible! My fears, I, I never knew that my fears were so deep."
Jeriana looked at Jeaine's face and felt great pity. Normally this girl was so happy that you wanted to smack her. But now she was so miserable that it was frightening. She was about to say something when the door creaked open.
"The Amyrlin Seat would like to see you," a dark-haired novice said. She frowned slightly at Jeaine. "She said nothing about another though."
Jeriana stood and wiped the wetness off of her white Accepted dress, pulling Jeaine to her feet as she stood. "Jeaine is coming with me," she said, fingering her Great Serpent ring. "If you think she should stay then you can try to make her."
"Maybe I should stay here," Jeaine said. "I do not wish the Amyrlin to see me in such a state."
"You're coming with me," Jeriana said firmly, tugging the other girl along as she went. "I am not leaving you here to wallow in your self-pity, you can do that some other time."
Jeaine smiled faintly and straightened her dark blond hair. If she had to see the Amyrlin at least she could be presentable.
"She's expecting you," the Keeper said when the two appeared at the study. "But she is not expecting Jeaine as well. Maybe she should stay out here with me."
"No," Jeriana said firmly. "Jeaine is staying with me. She had a really bad time in the arches and needs to be with a friend. Are you going to let us in then?"
The Keeper sighed and hid a small smile. Jeriana had a reputation for doing what she thought was best, and hang all other opinions. "Go on in," she said. "But if she is unhappy it is your head."
Jeriana nodded and walked in, her hand still firmly clutching Jeaine's arm. "Mother," she said, bowing her head. "You sent for me?"
"I did send for you, daughter," Sierin Vayu said. "Yet I do not recall sending for Jeaine as well."
Jeaine blushed faintly and tried to pull free of Jeriana's grasp. "Jeaine is in a lot of pain right now, mother," she said. "I'm keeping her with me until she's calmer."
"As you wish, daughter," Sierin said. "Obviously she is a good friend and if you wish to keep her close then you may. But I have something for you."
"What is it mother?" Jeriana asked, curiosity making her forget all pain.
Sierin reached under her desk and pulled out a small box. It was made of pale ivory and had gold inlays on it. The inlays made swirls and small runes that Jeriana had never seen before, no, wait. She had seen those designs before, she had seen that very box! In one of her 'visions'. It had been given to a young woman, an Accepted, someone who resembled Sierin Vayu. By a tall woman in a cloak with a silky soft voice. "Give this to her," the woman had said.
"Who is she?" the young Sierin had asked.
"You will know who she is the night of her Accepted ceremony," the woman replied before vanishing.
Jeaine elbowed Jeriana, snapping her out of her trance-like state. "That is for me, isn't it?" she asked the Amyrlin, who nodded.
"It is a gift for you Jeriana," Sierin said as she held it out. "I do not know what is in it, I do not even know who gave it to you."
"Yes I know that," Jeriana said. "I mean, I saw that."
"Another one of your visions, eh?" Sierin asked. "Well take the box back to your room and open it up. I don't want to know what is in it. I tried to see what was once, about ten years ago, and I still have the scar on my arm that it left. So you're free to go."
Jeriana nodded and grabbed the box before leaving, Jeaine hurrying after her. "Slow down Jeriana!" Jeaine cried as she followed her. "You're going a little too fast!"
Jeriana slowed down a bit so that Jeaine could catch up to her. But she didn't say a word until they were in her room with the door closed. Then she sat on the bed and began fiddling with the box. "I wonder who gave that to you?" Jeaine said as she settled herself on Jeriana's bed.
"I don't know," Jeriana said. "But I have a feeling.."
"That's not surprising," Jeaine muttered. "You always have 'feelings.'"
Jeriana flashed her a smile and continued examining the box. "I have a feeling that this is from my...mother."
"That's right," Jeaine said. "You never knew who she truly was, did you?"
"No I did not," Jeriana said with a pang. "It could have been the woman who dropped me on the porch of the village baker and his wife, or it could not have been. I don't know. Ah-ha!"
The lid of the small box popped open and a beautiful melody began to play. Jeriana and Jeaine both leaned in closer to look inside. The box was lined with lush red velvet on the inside and only a single object sat there. Jeriana picked it up and felt a jolt run through her body.
Jeaine watched as Jeriana picked the small object up. Her friend's lilac eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed. "Light!" Jeaine cried as she caught her. "Blood and ashes this is not good!"
((Okay I'll get to what she picked up in the next chapter, at least I finally updated!))
Jeriana was sitting on her bed, tears flowing freely from her pale lilac eyes. She held Liandrin at her side and was rocking the honey-blond girl back and forth. Alviarin was sobbing on her left shoulder while Jeaine was on the other. Temaile was at the foot of the bed, her eyes wide and frightened.
"Why?" Liandrin asked. "Why did I do that? That was not me!" Her sobs doubled as she clutched Jeriana's arm tightly.
Jeriana flinched, remembering what she had seen of Liandrin in the arches. "It's not real," she whispered softly. "None of it is real."
"Are you sure?" Temaile asked, her voice quieter and more sober then it had ever been. "Are you sure that none of it is true? That none of it is real?"
Alviarin lifted her head up from Jeriana's shoulder. "It may be," she said. "It may be true but, Light I hope it isn't!"
"I hope it is not as well," Jeriana said. She was watching Alviarin closely. "Otherwise I would lost all that is dear to me, as would others." ~They were stilled!~
Jeaine let out a loud sob and began to shake. "It cannot be real!" she said fiercely. "None of it is true, none of it!" She began to shake more violently. "None of it!" Alarmed Jeriana turned to Jeaine and held her tightly.
"Hush Jeaine," Jeriana whispered. "It is okay, nothing that happened there happened here. It's all right." The coppery-skinned girl gave herself up to sobbing quietly in Jeriana's arms.
Liandrin sat up finally and wiped her face clear off tears. "None of it is true then, not here at least."
"No it's not," Alviarin said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself. Her face was extremely pale and her eyes were filled with fear.
"It may not be real," Jeriana said. "But it still hurts, it hurts to see that all. It hurts to have left, it hurts so badly..." Then she cried into Jeaine's hair. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I did not save you all."
"It's okay," Alviarin and Liandrin said together. "You did your best, right?"
"I did," Jeriana said. "I tried so hard but she stilled you and then she killed you!"
The other three who had stopped crying looked at each other then at the ground. "I need to go back to my room," Temaile said as she rushed out the door. She had a slightly sick look on her face, stilling was never pleasant to hear about, mostly when it involved yourself.
Alviarin left next muttering something about, "Making sure Rianna and Chesmal are holding up."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Liandrin said as she left, her doll-face pale.
Jeaine continued to cry and so did Jeriana. Those two had both seen horrible things; Jeaine's ceremony had been at least as horrible as Jeriana's, if not worse. She had watched as each of her friends, every last one was tortured and killed by a woman she could not see. That had been the second thing she had seen, the last had been the worst.
"Will you be okay?" Jeriana asked Jeaine, pushing the other girl up. Jeaine swayed as she leaned off of Jeriana.
"I, I'll be fine," Jeaine said in a trembling voice. She tried to smile but it looked terrible.
"Are you sure?" Jeriana asked. She herself knew that she would not sleep that night, too many bad things had happened in that arch for her dreams to not be terrible.
Jeaine shook her head. "No, I will not be okay," she said. "It was horrible Jeriana, horrible! My fears, I, I never knew that my fears were so deep."
Jeriana looked at Jeaine's face and felt great pity. Normally this girl was so happy that you wanted to smack her. But now she was so miserable that it was frightening. She was about to say something when the door creaked open.
"The Amyrlin Seat would like to see you," a dark-haired novice said. She frowned slightly at Jeaine. "She said nothing about another though."
Jeriana stood and wiped the wetness off of her white Accepted dress, pulling Jeaine to her feet as she stood. "Jeaine is coming with me," she said, fingering her Great Serpent ring. "If you think she should stay then you can try to make her."
"Maybe I should stay here," Jeaine said. "I do not wish the Amyrlin to see me in such a state."
"You're coming with me," Jeriana said firmly, tugging the other girl along as she went. "I am not leaving you here to wallow in your self-pity, you can do that some other time."
Jeaine smiled faintly and straightened her dark blond hair. If she had to see the Amyrlin at least she could be presentable.
"She's expecting you," the Keeper said when the two appeared at the study. "But she is not expecting Jeaine as well. Maybe she should stay out here with me."
"No," Jeriana said firmly. "Jeaine is staying with me. She had a really bad time in the arches and needs to be with a friend. Are you going to let us in then?"
The Keeper sighed and hid a small smile. Jeriana had a reputation for doing what she thought was best, and hang all other opinions. "Go on in," she said. "But if she is unhappy it is your head."
Jeriana nodded and walked in, her hand still firmly clutching Jeaine's arm. "Mother," she said, bowing her head. "You sent for me?"
"I did send for you, daughter," Sierin Vayu said. "Yet I do not recall sending for Jeaine as well."
Jeaine blushed faintly and tried to pull free of Jeriana's grasp. "Jeaine is in a lot of pain right now, mother," she said. "I'm keeping her with me until she's calmer."
"As you wish, daughter," Sierin said. "Obviously she is a good friend and if you wish to keep her close then you may. But I have something for you."
"What is it mother?" Jeriana asked, curiosity making her forget all pain.
Sierin reached under her desk and pulled out a small box. It was made of pale ivory and had gold inlays on it. The inlays made swirls and small runes that Jeriana had never seen before, no, wait. She had seen those designs before, she had seen that very box! In one of her 'visions'. It had been given to a young woman, an Accepted, someone who resembled Sierin Vayu. By a tall woman in a cloak with a silky soft voice. "Give this to her," the woman had said.
"Who is she?" the young Sierin had asked.
"You will know who she is the night of her Accepted ceremony," the woman replied before vanishing.
Jeaine elbowed Jeriana, snapping her out of her trance-like state. "That is for me, isn't it?" she asked the Amyrlin, who nodded.
"It is a gift for you Jeriana," Sierin said as she held it out. "I do not know what is in it, I do not even know who gave it to you."
"Yes I know that," Jeriana said. "I mean, I saw that."
"Another one of your visions, eh?" Sierin asked. "Well take the box back to your room and open it up. I don't want to know what is in it. I tried to see what was once, about ten years ago, and I still have the scar on my arm that it left. So you're free to go."
Jeriana nodded and grabbed the box before leaving, Jeaine hurrying after her. "Slow down Jeriana!" Jeaine cried as she followed her. "You're going a little too fast!"
Jeriana slowed down a bit so that Jeaine could catch up to her. But she didn't say a word until they were in her room with the door closed. Then she sat on the bed and began fiddling with the box. "I wonder who gave that to you?" Jeaine said as she settled herself on Jeriana's bed.
"I don't know," Jeriana said. "But I have a feeling.."
"That's not surprising," Jeaine muttered. "You always have 'feelings.'"
Jeriana flashed her a smile and continued examining the box. "I have a feeling that this is from my...mother."
"That's right," Jeaine said. "You never knew who she truly was, did you?"
"No I did not," Jeriana said with a pang. "It could have been the woman who dropped me on the porch of the village baker and his wife, or it could not have been. I don't know. Ah-ha!"
The lid of the small box popped open and a beautiful melody began to play. Jeriana and Jeaine both leaned in closer to look inside. The box was lined with lush red velvet on the inside and only a single object sat there. Jeriana picked it up and felt a jolt run through her body.
Jeaine watched as Jeriana picked the small object up. Her friend's lilac eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed. "Light!" Jeaine cried as she caught her. "Blood and ashes this is not good!"
((Okay I'll get to what she picked up in the next chapter, at least I finally updated!))