Kamar and her family sat at the table, eating a fine meal prepared by Yariesa. "Mother, this is delicious! You must be the best cook in the entire land!" Kamar exclaimed as she took her first bite.
"Oh Kammi, my treasure, only eight and you can already flatter worse than a domani!" Yariesa cooed at her young daughter. She bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. Kamar smiled and licked some stray sauce of her fingertips. She looked thoughtfully at her mother, and her eyes were drawn to the marriage knife nestled between her breasts. "Some day I will get married and have my own marriage knife, only mine will be the prettiest of them all!" Kamar said thoughtfully, tilting her head to one side. "And I shall have silk dresses to wear as well!"
Yariesa exchanged amused glances with her husband and smiled slightly as she took a sip of her wine. It wasn't the best wine, but it was good enough for their family. "I'm sure you will darling."
A scratching at the door stopped them short. Yariesa paled and grabbed hold of her husband. "Mother, what is going on?" Kamar asked in a frightened voice as the scratching grew louder. It sounded as if splinters of wood were being torn off the door at the side where it was bolted shut. It got louder and louder as layer upon layer of wood was torn away. Her father nodded gravely to Yariesa who then ran to the mantelpiece. She gathered up their weapons they had before hurrying back to her husband's side.
As claws became visible, her mother shouted, "Kamar! Go now! Hide! Don't come out until all is still and it is safe."
When she found herself rooted to the spot, she was forced into a cupboard by her father. Anxiously, she peeked out of a crack and strained to hear whatever she could, unable to move an inch.
"Do you think it's really them? Have they come to destroy us for our defiance?" Yariesa gasped.
"I know not my love, but know that whatever happens, you will always be in my heart. Let us prepare ourselves for a duel."
They both drew their daggers and took their positions, awaiting the enemy forces. From what she could see, Kamar saw the door clawed open and giant wolves enter. They growled ferociously and then charged forward. Something seemed odd about them, but she couldn't grasp what. Her parents bravely faced the oncoming wolves like in no duel she had ever seen them fight before. They had dueled many times before, certainly, that was common place in Ebou Dar; yet this time it was different. They dueled without pause and were concentrating harder than she had ever seen before.
The wolves seemed to show no sign of tiring, and Kamar could see that her parents couldn't hold back much longer. Then, Yariesa made a fatal mistake; letting down her guard for a split second. That was all the wolves needed to reach her. Their sharp teeth sank into her side and her mother collapsed. She yelled in agony and Father ran to her side. The moment he left his guard, the wolves were upon him too. He sank to his knees next to Yariesa. Even this close to death they fought on, holding each other tightly and praying for the creator to rescue them. They had had no chance of survival from the beginning, and they had known it; yet as long as they could protect their treasure, their only child still living, they would be content. And with these thoughts, they collapsed into each others arms, never to awake again.
Kamar was too frightened and stunned by what had happened that she could do nothing but stare at the limp bodies of her loving parents who had been alive and healthy just moments before. Her stomach writhed at the sight and she began to sob uncontrollably. She was alone now, and had nowhere to go. And it was all because of those bloody wolves. At the thought of them, her eyes burned in fury and she threw open the cupboard in which she hid. The wolves had already left the way they had entered, and the broken door swung on its hinges from the wind outside. A new hatred welled up inside her small body, and she made a vow that she would kill those wolves that had destroyed the only people that she had ever loved.
Fresh tears were leaking down her face and she resisted the urge to run to her parents; she already knew they were dead. The only thought that she had left inside her was that of revenge. Running outside, she peered down the cobblestone street outside of her house. Good, they had left tracks behind. Five pairs of paw prints were embedded in the paving stones leading away from the house. She ran at full speed after the tracks only to find herself skidding to a halt with the wolves ten feet away. They had caught her sent from the wind, and now knew she was part of Yariesa's family. They had not known to look for another, and hadn't even known she existed. But now they did, and all hope seemed lost for Kamar. She knew it too, and prayed to the Creator for help. There was nothing that she wanted more than to revenge her parents by killing them; yet now, as she stood in front of the slowly advancing wolves, she knew that she would never succeed. In that moment, she gave up, surrendering completely, and extended her arms in front of herself in order to shield her body as best she could.
A thin bar of light emitted from the ends of her fingertips and enveloped the wolves. When the light cleared, the wolves were gone without a trace. Kamar didn't know what had happened to them; all she knew was that the light had made them vanish. Had she killed them? She sure hoped so. She suddenly felt very weak, and fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably. "I hate you wolves! Burn you!" She sobbed as more tears filled her eyes. "I hate you…" it was only a whisper now. "I hate you…" She curled up on the hard ground and cried herself to sleep.
Kamar awoke from the nightmare of her past with a start. The memory of that night was still vivid in her head. The day after, an Aes Sedai had found her on the streets and brought her to Tar Valon. She was the youngest novice that they had ever had. When she had become Accepted, she was supposedly washed clean of who she had been, and when she was raised to a full Aes Sedai, she was a new person; yet she was unable to forget her past. Especially her hatred for wolves.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The wolves had gone and the cave was empty. Her stomach rumbled in anguish, as she had been sleeping for over two days with no food. I must find something to eat, and quick! Just as she decided that she could stand it no longer and arose to her feet, a sharp smell overwhelmed her whole being. Meat! Oh light, meat. Her mouth watered at the thought as she gratefully followed the sent and staggered towards the back of the cave. A large deer that had been ripped apart and strewn about the ground lay in front of her. Although she was repulsed at the sight, she needed something to nourish her body, and wouldn't let that stop her. She looked around to find some sort of materials in which to start a fire to at least cook the venison; yet, finding none, she reluctantly picked up a piece. She turned it around in her hands a few times and frowned down at it, before taking a small bite. She chewed slowly and rolled the raw venison over inside of her mouth. Surprisingly, she noticed that it didn't taste nearly as bad as she had at first suspected. In fact, she found that it tasted much better this way. She greedily tore off another piece.
Burn you, wolves! Only you would eat something like this! You're turning me in to one of you! I won't become a wolf, I won't!
After she could eat no more, Kamar wandered outside. She was in a forest along the border of the city, surrounded by ancient trees that loomed over her. She vaguely wondered how old they were as she stared at the sheer vastness of them towering over her. After a while she came across a spring oozing fresh water out of the ground. Kneeling down, she cupped her hands into the cool liquid and brought it to her lips. A slow smile crept onto her lips as she drank deeply. She hadn't noticed how thirsty she had been until now. She sighed and slumped against a nearby tree, now fully refreshed.
Think Girl! How can you possibly get to Jared? He's still in Tar Valon, training to be a warder. Light! What should I do? She idly looked into the clear pool of water at her reflection. Her eyes seemed to glow golden in the early dawn. Seeing them again made her think of something. That foolish lout that they call Perrin Goldeneyes. Goldeneyes… Like me….do you suppose he can talk to wolves as well? I don't know, but he is my only hope now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Authors Notes: I hope you like it so far! Don't worry, that isn't the end. I'll try to publish a chapter a week. Authors love reviews, so don't hesitate to send one!