CHAPTER ONE- Seven Years Later
A small boy, maybe seven years old, ran through the garden, laughing in a delighted way. He passed smiling faces, many of which he knew and some of which he didn't. Young women in white dresses shook their heads at his antics and older ones with the banded hem simply rolled their eyes. Well, some rolled their eyes but some watched him eagerly. One of them, a kind girl named Nania, had told him that she had wanted children once but since she couldn't have them he was as good as one.
His running came to an abrupt halt when a pair of arms swooped him up from behind. "I found you," a warm voice said as its owner began to tickle him. He laughed helplessly and fell to the ground, curling up and trying to fend off the multitude of hands that had come at him suddenly. When they stopped at last he sat up and wiped the tears from his face, giving each of them his famous smile. "You run fast for a little boy," Nania said as she hugged him before starting away. She was an Accepted and had a class to teach soon. Otherwise she would have played with him longer.
The other girls dispersed too, leaving him alone with the trees and flowers. Just as he was about to go and explore a woman came up on the path and spotted him. She was a very pretty woman, with dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. He referred to her as his mother, even though he knew she wasn't really. They looked too different, and she had told him that he wasn't his mother when he was five. "Lyrenna Sedai," he said as he ran up and hugged her. He used the Sedai sometimes, the other Sisters frowned when he didn't. In private he still called her 'mother' though. She liked that, he could tell. "I was playing with Nania and some of the others."
Lyrenna shook her head and sighed heavily. "You're a little charmer Zarkot," she told him as she ruffled his snow-white hair. "Those girls spend far too much time playing with you. Nania could called to the Mistress because she was late to teach several of her classes this week."
Zarkot's dark violet eyes went wide. "I don't mean to get them in trouble," he protested. "I just ask them if they want to play with me. I don't have anyone else to play with."
"I know, Zarkot," Lyrenna said. "But come with me and I will show you a new friend who you will not get into trouble because you spend so much time with him or her, I'm not sure which."
Excited, Zarkot tried to beg from her why he had never seen this friend before. But she didn't answer. One thing Zarkot had learned after being raised in the White Tower for seven years was that all Aes Sedai, mostly Lyrenna it seemed to him, knew how to keep their mouths closed. "Ah, here we are," Lyrenna said at last as she reached out and touched the trunk of one of the tallest trees Zarkot had ever seen. It was an odd tree, the dark trunk run through with gold and the leaves a bright, metallic silver. "This is Geson," she told Zarkot softly, taking one of his hands and placing it on the bark. "He has been my friend for many years, we understand each other, him and I."
Wide-eyed Zarkot ran his hand along the bark. It seemed different from other trees in the Gardens, more alive. It was almost as though he could hear the tree speaking to him. "Him?" he asked Lyrenna. "You speak as though Geson talks back to you."
"Oh he does," Lyrenna said with a wide smile. "Geson has spoken with me since I was but a Novice in white. He taught me what I am."
"You speak with trees?" Zarkot asked, amazed. He knew Aes Sedai could do marvelous things, but he had never dreams speaking with trees was one of them. Maybe he could learn, even though he could never be an Aes Sedai. He loved trees more then anything, speaking with them would be more wonderful then anything else he could imagine. Even flying. "Can you teach me?"
"This cannot be taught," she told him gently. "It is something one is either born with or without. A very rare Talent that some do not even know exist. Others say it is useless, but I say it is not. The only one who will be able to tell whether or not you can learn is you, Zarkot. Geson can help of course, if he feels a kinship with you he will tell me."
:Please feel a kinship with me,: Zarkot begged the tree silently as he pressed both hands hard aganist the bark. :Please Light I won't ask for another thing ever again.: A boy's dreams could be marvelous things, though Zarkot's were rather simple from the outside.
"Zarkot," Lyrenna said as she pulled him away from the tree, from Geson. "I have a gift for you, though you cannot take it with you anywhere. It will remain here, but you may come and visit of course." She turned Zarkot towards a second tree in the grove, this one more wonderous to his eyes then Geson. It was the same size, although the bark was shot through with silver and the leaves looked like purest gold. Zarkot gave a delighted smile at Lyrenna and reached out to touch the tree. The moment his hands touched that silver-shot bark a thrill ran through his body and he heard a single word... Galad.
"Galad!" he told Lyrenna with a laugh. "This is Galad!" Her smile was small, but satisfied as she watched him scamper up the tree, happier then she had ever seen him before.
~~~~~~~
The small girl glared up definatley at the much taller boy, her pale lilac eyes flashing. She was seven, he was nine or maybe even ten. "Back off of him," she told him in a low voice, standing between the bigger boy and his intended prey. A boy roughly the same age as the girl was lying on the ground behind her, curled up and whimpering. "Pick on somebody your own size you blasted Coplin!"
"You're too big for your breeches Mirena," the boy growled as he moved forward. "You shouldn't even be wearing breeches, what kind of girl are you? And with those light eyes and that hair you don't fit in here any better then the merchants."
Mirena balled up one of her small fists and hit the boy in his lower stomach. He let out a grunt and bent over, clutching himself as she kicked him in the face. Then she turned and hauled the whimpering boy to his feet. "Come on Jian!" she yelled as he tried to fight her off. "While he's not coming after us!" The boy looked fearfully at Simel Coplin, groaning on the ground with blood pouring from his face, before running with Mirena.
The two didn't stop until they reached Jian's home. Once inside they slumped to the ground; Jian trying to wipe the blood and dirt off of his face while Mirena tried to rid herself of the grin. Jian's mother liked her, but his father didn't approve much of how she dressed or acted. More like a boy then a girl he would often be heard grumbling. Runnig her fingers through her shoulder-length white-blond hair she tried to make it look neat, but failed.
"I heard you come in Jian," his mother said, walking out of the kitchen. Mirena's mouth watered as the smell of freshly baked honeycakes drifted out to her. "Oh hello Mirena," Mistress al'San said with a kindly smile. "I just made some fresh honeycakes, come on you two, have one."
Just as Mirena and Jian settled down and began to eat there was a knock at the door. Mirena peered out the window and gulped, it was the Wisdom. "Why hello Sarah," Mistress al'San said pleasantly as she held the door open wider and let the Wisdom come in. Across the table Jian's face had gone as white as Mierna was sure her own had. Sarah Aybara was a kind woman, unless you got into a fight. Mirena had had plenty enough experience with her in that area to know how bad of an idea it was to get yourself into trouble with her. She was thinking about going out a window when the Wisdom walked into the kitchen, her famous no-nonsense look painted on her face.
"Why Mirena," Sarah said as she walked over and stood there, arms folded beneath her breasts. "What a surprise to find you here this afternoon. I thought you would have run straight home to hide." Her dark eyes were slightly amused, but Mirena winced at the dissapointment there.
"Simel started it all!" Jian piped up suddenly. "He just came up and started a fight with me. He would have thrashed me good if Mirena hadn't stepped in and showed him what for."
"Oh Jian," Mistress al'San groaned. "What have I told you about fighting? He's a Coplin, you should know to ignore his mouth."
"Mirena did indeed show him what for," Sarah said and despite how much trouble Mirena was in she knew that the Wisdom was impressed that she had beaten the larger and older Simel. "She kicked out one of his teeth and broke his nose. He claims you started it. Of course, he still got thrashed for it by me and by his da when he found out. 'No self-respecting man hits a woman!' was what I believe his da was shouting at him. Of course, Simel argues that you don't even act like a girl so it shouldn't count."
"He was going to thrash Jian for no good reason," Mirena said, holding her chin up stubbornly and meeting Sarah's dark eyes. "I had to stop him. I'm not even sorry for what I did."
"Will you not apologize?" the Wisdom asked.
"I will not, there is nothing to apologize for." For a seven-year-old Mirena was extremely stubborn and set in her own ways. Once she decided something was right, it stayed that way for as long as she thought it should. Not a moment longer or shorter.
Sarah sighed and shook her head, unsuccessfully hiding her smile. "Come with me then Mirena," she said. "You know that I cannot let you go around beating up every boy in Deven Ride. Even if you fight better then them all."
"Thank you for the honeycakes, Mistress al'San," Mirena said as she stood up and started after Sarah. "I know I cannot do that, Wisdom. But, if they start it would should I do but finish it?" Mistress al'San and Jian both heard the Wisdom's chuckle drift back to them even as her tone went stern.
((So what do you all think of this chapter one? Better? Worse? Better I think because it went to seven years rather then all ten and gives more background about what the two were like. Develops their characters better I'm thinking.))
A small boy, maybe seven years old, ran through the garden, laughing in a delighted way. He passed smiling faces, many of which he knew and some of which he didn't. Young women in white dresses shook their heads at his antics and older ones with the banded hem simply rolled their eyes. Well, some rolled their eyes but some watched him eagerly. One of them, a kind girl named Nania, had told him that she had wanted children once but since she couldn't have them he was as good as one.
His running came to an abrupt halt when a pair of arms swooped him up from behind. "I found you," a warm voice said as its owner began to tickle him. He laughed helplessly and fell to the ground, curling up and trying to fend off the multitude of hands that had come at him suddenly. When they stopped at last he sat up and wiped the tears from his face, giving each of them his famous smile. "You run fast for a little boy," Nania said as she hugged him before starting away. She was an Accepted and had a class to teach soon. Otherwise she would have played with him longer.
The other girls dispersed too, leaving him alone with the trees and flowers. Just as he was about to go and explore a woman came up on the path and spotted him. She was a very pretty woman, with dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. He referred to her as his mother, even though he knew she wasn't really. They looked too different, and she had told him that he wasn't his mother when he was five. "Lyrenna Sedai," he said as he ran up and hugged her. He used the Sedai sometimes, the other Sisters frowned when he didn't. In private he still called her 'mother' though. She liked that, he could tell. "I was playing with Nania and some of the others."
Lyrenna shook her head and sighed heavily. "You're a little charmer Zarkot," she told him as she ruffled his snow-white hair. "Those girls spend far too much time playing with you. Nania could called to the Mistress because she was late to teach several of her classes this week."
Zarkot's dark violet eyes went wide. "I don't mean to get them in trouble," he protested. "I just ask them if they want to play with me. I don't have anyone else to play with."
"I know, Zarkot," Lyrenna said. "But come with me and I will show you a new friend who you will not get into trouble because you spend so much time with him or her, I'm not sure which."
Excited, Zarkot tried to beg from her why he had never seen this friend before. But she didn't answer. One thing Zarkot had learned after being raised in the White Tower for seven years was that all Aes Sedai, mostly Lyrenna it seemed to him, knew how to keep their mouths closed. "Ah, here we are," Lyrenna said at last as she reached out and touched the trunk of one of the tallest trees Zarkot had ever seen. It was an odd tree, the dark trunk run through with gold and the leaves a bright, metallic silver. "This is Geson," she told Zarkot softly, taking one of his hands and placing it on the bark. "He has been my friend for many years, we understand each other, him and I."
Wide-eyed Zarkot ran his hand along the bark. It seemed different from other trees in the Gardens, more alive. It was almost as though he could hear the tree speaking to him. "Him?" he asked Lyrenna. "You speak as though Geson talks back to you."
"Oh he does," Lyrenna said with a wide smile. "Geson has spoken with me since I was but a Novice in white. He taught me what I am."
"You speak with trees?" Zarkot asked, amazed. He knew Aes Sedai could do marvelous things, but he had never dreams speaking with trees was one of them. Maybe he could learn, even though he could never be an Aes Sedai. He loved trees more then anything, speaking with them would be more wonderful then anything else he could imagine. Even flying. "Can you teach me?"
"This cannot be taught," she told him gently. "It is something one is either born with or without. A very rare Talent that some do not even know exist. Others say it is useless, but I say it is not. The only one who will be able to tell whether or not you can learn is you, Zarkot. Geson can help of course, if he feels a kinship with you he will tell me."
:Please feel a kinship with me,: Zarkot begged the tree silently as he pressed both hands hard aganist the bark. :Please Light I won't ask for another thing ever again.: A boy's dreams could be marvelous things, though Zarkot's were rather simple from the outside.
"Zarkot," Lyrenna said as she pulled him away from the tree, from Geson. "I have a gift for you, though you cannot take it with you anywhere. It will remain here, but you may come and visit of course." She turned Zarkot towards a second tree in the grove, this one more wonderous to his eyes then Geson. It was the same size, although the bark was shot through with silver and the leaves looked like purest gold. Zarkot gave a delighted smile at Lyrenna and reached out to touch the tree. The moment his hands touched that silver-shot bark a thrill ran through his body and he heard a single word... Galad.
"Galad!" he told Lyrenna with a laugh. "This is Galad!" Her smile was small, but satisfied as she watched him scamper up the tree, happier then she had ever seen him before.
~~~~~~~
The small girl glared up definatley at the much taller boy, her pale lilac eyes flashing. She was seven, he was nine or maybe even ten. "Back off of him," she told him in a low voice, standing between the bigger boy and his intended prey. A boy roughly the same age as the girl was lying on the ground behind her, curled up and whimpering. "Pick on somebody your own size you blasted Coplin!"
"You're too big for your breeches Mirena," the boy growled as he moved forward. "You shouldn't even be wearing breeches, what kind of girl are you? And with those light eyes and that hair you don't fit in here any better then the merchants."
Mirena balled up one of her small fists and hit the boy in his lower stomach. He let out a grunt and bent over, clutching himself as she kicked him in the face. Then she turned and hauled the whimpering boy to his feet. "Come on Jian!" she yelled as he tried to fight her off. "While he's not coming after us!" The boy looked fearfully at Simel Coplin, groaning on the ground with blood pouring from his face, before running with Mirena.
The two didn't stop until they reached Jian's home. Once inside they slumped to the ground; Jian trying to wipe the blood and dirt off of his face while Mirena tried to rid herself of the grin. Jian's mother liked her, but his father didn't approve much of how she dressed or acted. More like a boy then a girl he would often be heard grumbling. Runnig her fingers through her shoulder-length white-blond hair she tried to make it look neat, but failed.
"I heard you come in Jian," his mother said, walking out of the kitchen. Mirena's mouth watered as the smell of freshly baked honeycakes drifted out to her. "Oh hello Mirena," Mistress al'San said with a kindly smile. "I just made some fresh honeycakes, come on you two, have one."
Just as Mirena and Jian settled down and began to eat there was a knock at the door. Mirena peered out the window and gulped, it was the Wisdom. "Why hello Sarah," Mistress al'San said pleasantly as she held the door open wider and let the Wisdom come in. Across the table Jian's face had gone as white as Mierna was sure her own had. Sarah Aybara was a kind woman, unless you got into a fight. Mirena had had plenty enough experience with her in that area to know how bad of an idea it was to get yourself into trouble with her. She was thinking about going out a window when the Wisdom walked into the kitchen, her famous no-nonsense look painted on her face.
"Why Mirena," Sarah said as she walked over and stood there, arms folded beneath her breasts. "What a surprise to find you here this afternoon. I thought you would have run straight home to hide." Her dark eyes were slightly amused, but Mirena winced at the dissapointment there.
"Simel started it all!" Jian piped up suddenly. "He just came up and started a fight with me. He would have thrashed me good if Mirena hadn't stepped in and showed him what for."
"Oh Jian," Mistress al'San groaned. "What have I told you about fighting? He's a Coplin, you should know to ignore his mouth."
"Mirena did indeed show him what for," Sarah said and despite how much trouble Mirena was in she knew that the Wisdom was impressed that she had beaten the larger and older Simel. "She kicked out one of his teeth and broke his nose. He claims you started it. Of course, he still got thrashed for it by me and by his da when he found out. 'No self-respecting man hits a woman!' was what I believe his da was shouting at him. Of course, Simel argues that you don't even act like a girl so it shouldn't count."
"He was going to thrash Jian for no good reason," Mirena said, holding her chin up stubbornly and meeting Sarah's dark eyes. "I had to stop him. I'm not even sorry for what I did."
"Will you not apologize?" the Wisdom asked.
"I will not, there is nothing to apologize for." For a seven-year-old Mirena was extremely stubborn and set in her own ways. Once she decided something was right, it stayed that way for as long as she thought it should. Not a moment longer or shorter.
Sarah sighed and shook her head, unsuccessfully hiding her smile. "Come with me then Mirena," she said. "You know that I cannot let you go around beating up every boy in Deven Ride. Even if you fight better then them all."
"Thank you for the honeycakes, Mistress al'San," Mirena said as she stood up and started after Sarah. "I know I cannot do that, Wisdom. But, if they start it would should I do but finish it?" Mistress al'San and Jian both heard the Wisdom's chuckle drift back to them even as her tone went stern.
((So what do you all think of this chapter one? Better? Worse? Better I think because it went to seven years rather then all ten and gives more background about what the two were like. Develops their characters better I'm thinking.))