Kaimla sat silently on a pillow, facing her teacher, Ranya, in the largest tent of the camp. She slowly opened herself out and surrendered to saidar. It flowed through her in an overpowering stream. She was so enclosed that her teachers voice was only as a voice in her head. "Slowly, now" Kaimla's teacher crooned, "You do not want to burn yourself out. Now once in the void, let yourself float, just rest, be at peace."
The training to be a Dreamwalker was slow and painful in Kaimla's eyes. She had already done this many times without even trying! But these people, the Aiel Wise Ones, believed in taking things at slower paces. Kaimla couldn't believe it.
"Now, release the power." Ranya's voice was a whip aimed by a muscular man. It cut through Kaimla's peace in a flash.
"What now, Wise One?" Kaimla asked as she opened her grey eyes to see the face of her teacher, her temper flaring slightly at being aroused. "We've been embracing and releasing saidar since I got here five months ago. When will I finally get to dreamwalk? This is getting tedious. It was almost three months ago when w-" She cut off abruptly from her rant when she saw Ranya staring at her with stony eyes and face. "Sorry, Wise One, I forgot my place."
"That's alright, one more time."
Kaimla slowly opened herself to the void once more. She floated for a long while, peaceful and calm. Suddenly, many maidens came streaming through the tent door, supporting another maiden, who was flailing and screaming at the top of her lungs. This jolted Kaimla out of her peace once again. She came around this time to find her teacher talking with the maidens.
Who is the maiden? What did she do? Why is she here? What's her name? Many thoughts quickly streamed through Kaimla's head when she got her first look at the maiden, who was now restrained by only two of the group that had carried her in. Ranya kept on making gestures at the maiden, and looking slightly pleased and happy. Why? Once again, thoughts flowed through her mind. Her train of thought was abruptly broken when the maiden started to talk.
xxxx
Lavida was carried into a tent by her spear-sisters, the largest of the group. While part of her knew that this is what their toh forced them to do, the other half screamed for revenge. They had reached their destination, and her friends had wasted no time in dumping her in here. With Wise Ones.
She sneered around her, finally ceasing to scream. She glared at everyone, her near-sister, the Wise Ones themselves- a hazardous business- and even a Wetlander who was with them. What was a Wetlander doing with the Wise Ones? She shot a particularly venomous gaze at the milk-skinned chit, the worse she could do at the moment aside from spitting. She lay on the ground, ignoring various rocks and bumps, her hands and feet still bound.
When her spear-sisters and the Wise Ones began to talk, she snapped like a frail twig. "I will not become a Wise One!" she spat, like a distasteful bit of food she didn't want to stomach. "I am Far Dareis Mai!" The last was spoken like a pronouncement, as if by saying it the fact would never change.
The Wise Ones looked at her scornfully, no pity in their hard eyes. Those eyes had seen no coddling- but she no longer cared. She threw the whole of her being into trying to convince the women in the tent, ready to use anything short of begging.
"I am a fighter!" she announced, eyes filled with dread. "And Wise Ones... Wise Ones..." Hm. That approach not might be wise here. She trailed off quietly, quite aware of the power the women considering her held.
She turned her face instead to the Wetlander, a focus for her anger. "I will not study with some... some... pampered, milk-skinned Wetlander!"
The Wise One stepped forward, seemingly in charge. She knelt on one knee, cupping Lavida's face in her hands. Without warning, she slapped her, a full-armed blow that took Lavida's hardened nerves by surprise. Her head rang, spots dancing in front of her grey eyes as she struggled to regain her composure. An angry red hand mark quickly appeared on her cheek. As she gaped up at the woman, who had stood up, the Wise One spoke.
"You may leave," she told Lavida's spear-sisters gently. "She is beyond you, now." Lavida's heart ached as they left, not looking back over their shoulders.
In a low voice that did not carry out of the tent, the Wise One spoke, hard and fast. "You are not to disrespect my apprentices. Ever. You have toh to her, now."
"Apologize."
Lavida stubbornly set her jaw, until another slap set her reeling. Eyes still blurred, she muttered;
"I'm sorry."