Part II – Aes Sedai
Chapter 4: Separation
More than a year passed, and Joar Addam was nineteen, only a fortnight away from his twentieth naming day, when he was summoned to take the test. If he passed, he would be Aes Sedai.
He entered the testing room apprehensively. Five male and five female Aes Sedai lined opposite walls. He knew what he had to do. He had to shield himself from each Aes Sedai's twenty weaves, first each male then each female. If he could do that and shield the Aes Sedai at the end, he would be raised.
The first male Aes Sedai got up and stood across the room from him. Joar Addam began slashing shields of Spirit and cudgels of Air. Twenty weaves gone. While the Aes Sedai was still recovering from the backlash of a severed weave, Joar Addam wove two weaves and threw them at him, Air before Spirit.
The Aes Sedai slashed the weave of Air, then stopped in his tracks as a shield cut him off from saidin. He went back to his seat. The second male Aes Sedai got up and walked towards his spot.
Kiara practised shielding and slashing weaves with Ilyena Dalisar, another initiate due for testing within the year, in the latter's room. So far she usually won the little sparring matches, but Ilyena surprised her here and there.
She was working really hard during class these days, because Joar Addam was testing that day. If he passed, he would be sent home after the ceremony in which he would be raised Aes Sedai. She had to test soon to be able to go home on the same flight as him.
Saidar winked out. Kiara looked at Ilyena. She had become distracted. It was a dangerous thing. Her friend released the shield and smiled. The practice continued, Kiara resolutely keeping her thoughts away from Joar Addam Nessosin.
As the last female Aes Sedai returned to the wall, Joar Addam let out a sigh of relief. He was so tired he was ready to collapse. As one the Aes Sedai stood and acknowledged him as one of them. Then they filed out, some smiling at him, a few of the men even clapping him on the shoulder.
Rubbing his eyes, Joar Addam held on to saidin to keep himself from falling over. He trudged out after the Aes Sedai.
Kiara saw Ilyena jump when a knock sounded at the door. Quickly she ducked into the bathroom and shut the door, leaving a crack large enough to look through. Ilyena kept her hold on the Source and went to open the door.
Joar Addam stood in the doorway looking tired but happy. Kiara channelled and made a doorway. She emerged again in the corridor right behind him in time to catch him asking Ilyena if she was there.
With a giggle she jumped on him, throwing arms around his neck and standing on her toes to rest her head on his shoulder. "Did you make it?" she asked.
He twisted out of her choking grip and turned to face her. "Yes," he replied, looking every bit as excited as she felt.
Smiling wryly, both Kiara and Ilyena spread their skirts in deep curtsies. "Good afternoon, Aes Sedai," they said, sounding just formal enough to embarrass him.
Ilyena said, "You two go have a walk. I need a rest, at any rate." She winked mischievously at Kiara, then shut the door.
"Aes Sedai?" Joar Addam growled once the door was closed. "I remember a time when an extremely foul-tempered girl who just arrived in Shorelle called me a—what was it again?—dratted harper."
Kiara grinned. "Among other things. Would you like me to list them? Cocky noise-maker, conceited—"
He placed a hand over her mouth. "No, thank you, I do not need a list. I remember well enough."
She pushed his hand away and curtsied again. "As you say, Aes Sedai. Will Aes Sedai spare the time to teach a lowly student how to cut weaves she can't see?" she teased.
"Aes Sedai has plenty of time," Joar Addam replied dryly. He reached for saidin to toy with her a little, and abruptly ran into a firm shield. He glowered silently at Kiara, who shrugged and released the weave.
"Aes Sedai must not stoop to underhand tricks," she chided him. She slashed a weave of Air he was inching towards her, then blinked when his shield forced itself between her and saidar.
"That was underhand," she complained.
Joar Addam removed the shield. "I passed the test doing that."
Kiara smiled. "Teach me."
Two days later, Kiara trailed anxiously after Joar Addam as he walked towards the waiting sho-wing with a handful of other newly raised Aes Sedai. She had been allowed to accompany him as far as the door of the vehicle.
At the entrance, Joar Addam turned suddenly and gave her a fierce hug. "You'll pass your test," he whispered into her hair, "and you'll make a greater Aes Sedai than I ever will. I love you."
"Remember to think of me," she answered. He let go and boarded the sho-wing after kissing her lightly on the cheek. She stood with the other yet-to-be Aes Sedai and watched the sho-wing take off.
A week after that painful farewell, Kiara found herself called upon to take her test to be Aes Sedai. Ilyena hugged her and wished her luck. Her cousin Mierin Eronaile, who had been an Aes Sedai instructor at the school, went especially to the student quarters just before her sho-wing left for V'saine and the Collam Daan, where she was going to study the One Power, to give her a few last minute tips on how to shield men and detect their weaves.
Mierin led Kiara to the testing room personally. At the door she wished her young cousin luck and rushed off. Halfway down the corridor Kiara's beautiful cousin turned and said, "You have a lot of Talent with Healing, dreamwalking and Refining ores. You could study with the Restorers in M'Jinn, the dreamwalkers in Tzora or the Refiners in Comelle. It is your choice." With that she whirled around and ran.
Kiara entered the testing room. Five male and five female Aes Sedai. First the women, then the men. She hoped she was strong enough. She had to pass the test. She had to!
The first female Aes Sedai stood across the room from her. Both embraced saidar. Kiara barely had time to breathe deeply before Nemene Sedai struck out at her with three separate weaves.
Mierin Eronaile smiled fondly when she left her cousin to take the test. She had absolute confidence in Kiara's abilities. Her thoughts shifted to Lews Therin Telamon. He was already high in the counsels of the Hall of Servants and had his third name, despite only having been Aes Sedai for a few years. Thank the Light she had seen so much potential in him.
Joar Addam sat in his garden, idly plucking at the strings of his harp. A week since he had left Paaran Disen and Kiara—a week of painful boredom and longing. He had other things to worry about—like his future.
When he had been younger, everyone had been so confident of his potential. Sure, his compositions were played in royal courts worldwide, but there were just too many competitors. He was unable to reach the acclaim expected of him. Perhaps his entire lifetime would not be enough.
And the first seeds of unrest were sown.
Kiara nearly collapsed when the fifth male Aes Sedai walked away. She had passed, thank the Light, but she was as tired as if she had carried a ton of weight on her back for a day.
Nemene Sedai—no, just Nemene, Kiara was Aes Sedai too—came up and smiled. "Maybe we can go to M'Jinn to study Restoring together," she said. "All the experienced Restorers said you would do well in that."
"Maybe," Kiara agreed, returning the smile. "I have other paths to consider yet. But it would be an honour to study beside you as a Restorer."
That night, a few Aes Sedai came to Kiara and asked her what she was going to do after graduating as Aes Sedai. She told them that she would like to study Restoring, and possibly Refining and dreamwalking after that.
One of the Aes Sedai told her that it was possible to study dreamwalking and either Restoring or Refining at the same time. Since she already knew the basics of entering tel'aran'rhoid, and the dangers, she could meet the dreamwalker instructors in the World of Dreams and have her lessons there.
Kiara asked the Aes Sedai then if it was possible to learn Restoring in the first half of the week and Refining in the second by Travelling between the two places. After thinking for a moment all the Aes Sedai agreed that it was a feasible method of studying, though it would be tiring and she would have to learn twice as quickly as everyone else. She should do it only if she was sure she could handle it.
"I think I can," Kiara told the Aes Sedai.
"Then arrangements will be made for you to do so," the Aes Sedai replied. They left her to rest.
Someone knocked on her door again. A plumply pretty Da'shain Aiel with dark red hair and bright blue-green eyes entered, curtsying to Kiara. "Excuse the intrusion, Aes Sedai," she said meekly, "I am called Avierhyl, and I have been chosen to serve you."
"Avierhyl," Kiara repeated the name with a smile, exactly the way the Aiel woman had said it, which brought a beam from the latter. "It will be a pleasure."
Avierhyl kept smiling. "A pleasure to serve Aes Sedai."
"Please, call me Kiara."
"I shall leave you to rest after your test, Kiara Sedai," Avierhyl said. "Please call me if you need anything." She opened the door and bumped into an excitable Ilyena. "I apologise," she said hurriedly. "I was too hasty."
"No, Da'shain, it was me who was too hasty. Don't worry yourself," Ilyena deflected the apology just as quickly. "I apologise."
"Please do not," Avierhyl murmured before leaving and closing the door softly behind her.
"Ilyena!" Kiara said cheerfully.
"You made it! You made it! You're Aes Sedai! And I'll be right behind you tomorrow. I'm testing tomorrow! They just told me!" Ilyena cried. Little wonder she had been in such a rush.
"I bet you'll pass with ease," Kiara said encouragingly. "It isn't that difficult, if you set your mind to it. But you must concentrate."
"Concentrate," Ilyena echoed. "I'll remember that."
"A pity I won't around to see you come out all triumphant and frisky," Kiara said. "My ceremony will be held early tomorrow morning. After that Nemene and I will be Skimming to M'Jinn."
"You're going to study with the Restorers!" Ilyena exclaimed.
"And the dreamwalkers. And the Refiners."
"All at the same time?" Ilyena sounded confused.
"Yes. The Restorers during the first half of the week and the Refiners in the second half. And the dreamwalkers at night, in tel'aran'rhoid," Kiara explained patiently.
"You're going to be busy," Ilyena said thoughtfully. "And I'm going to miss you." Kiara's sun-haired friend drew her into a hug. "Write to me?"
"Of course, Ilyena. Every week," Kiara assured Ilyena.
"Well, I'll just leave you be," Ilyena said with a smile. "You have a big day ahead. Good night and sleep well, Kiara."
Ilyena hugged Kiara again and all but ran from the room. Kiara had no intention of going to sleep yet. There was something she had to do first.
Joar Addam entered the World of Dreams that night—he felt a strange desire to do so. He sat outside his house on the bench. He pictured a harp, and there it was beside him. He picked it up and picked absently at the strings.
Abruptly the harp vanished. He looked up. Kiara was looking at him from across the fence. She held the harp loosely in one hand. "Good evening, Joar Addam," she greeted him.
"Kiara," Joar Addam said in surprise.
"I'm Aes Sedai, Joar Addam. I finally am!" Kiara announced happily.
"Does that mean you're coming back soon?" he asked.
Kiara's face fell. "No, Joar Addam, it doesn't. I'm going to M'Jinn to study Restoring. That is for the first half of my weeks. The second half will be spent in Comelle with the Refiners, and my nights in tel'aran'rhoid with the dreamwalkers. A year or two, maybe."
"A year or two," he echoed numbly. Without another word he stepped out of the World of Dreams.
Kiara gaped when Joar Addam simply vanished. Why was he so upset? Men. They had never been easy to understand. With a sigh she exited the World of Dreams herself and fell asleep.