Thanks for all the reviews! I can't believe how many I've gotten. They make me and my talking Stitch happy.
Here's today's chapter. It is a bit longer than the others, but it's full of action, passion, drama, excitement, countless plot twists...that all got lost on the cutting room floor...but it's still a chapter with a few plot twists. I would also like to say, it is damn hard to write the Wise Ones. They're worse than Aes Sedai, but definately cool...and I'm rambling. I'll let you read now...
I own nothing in this story, so you can't sue me. Yay for disclaimers.
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The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass...
What will be, and what is, may still yet fall under Shadow...
Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...
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Sam's eyes widened when she and Sulin approached a large city in theWaste. "Is…is that Rhuidean?" Sam asked.
Sulin nodded. "The Car'a'carn, I believe the wetlanders called him the Dragon Reborn, revealed it to the Aiel many centuries ago. Since then it has become a meeting place of the clans and septs. Only the Far Dareis Mai may live here since they carried Rand al'Thor's honor."
"And I take it al'Thor made the water flow in that fountain?" Sam asked, gesturing to the middle of the square as they descended the hill.
"You have good eyes," Sulin said. "And yes. He gave Rhuidean water. He gave much to the Aiel."
Sulin guided Sam through the city. The Aiel they passed watched Sam go by, the Maidens not saying a word but communicating by hand signals. The rest of the Aiel were muttering to themselves, pointing at Sam.
"Why are they talking about me?" Sam asked.
"I cannot say," Sulin replied. "Ask the Wise Ones."
Sam nodded, a bit annoyed with not getting her questions answered. Sulin continued to lead Sam through the city until they came to a building just off of the main square. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, Sam following. Carpets and pillows lined the floor while beautifully made tapestries hung from the walls. Several older women were sitting on the floor, staring expectantly at Sam and Sulin.
"You have returned with the one you were sent to get?" a white haired woman asked, studying Sam.
"I have Wise One. She also saved my life," Sulin replied.
The white haired Wise One nodded. "Wait outside," she ordered and Sulin obediently left the room. They turned their attention to Sam. "What is your name?"
"Sam Carter," she replied.
"Your full name," another Wise One said.
"Samantha Carter."
"Tell us Samantha Carter, what land do you hail from?" a third asked.
"Why should I tell you anything without knowing your names?" Sam countered, arching a brow at them.
"I am Sorilea," the white haired Wise One said. "This is Amys, Colinda, and Aviendha," she introduced. "A few of the Wise Ones of the Aiel."
Sam nodded in greeting. "I come from a very far away land," she said. "A distance so great that no person could travel it in their lifetime without help."
"Help from what?" Amys asked.
"A doorway…of sorts," Sam said. "I actually came here to ask for your help."
"Why would an Aes Sedai need our help?" Sorilea demanded. She motioned for Sam to sit down on the cushions and Sam did so.
"No one at the Tower knows enough about dreams to help me," Sam said.
Sorilea and Amys narrowed their eyes at Sam. "What sort of dreams have you had?" Sorilea asked.
"They're a bit personal but they have to do with someone I knew from my homeland. Whenever I dreamt about him it felt…real," Sam said. "It was like I could actually touch him, smell him…" she trailed off, her face reddening ever so slightly.
"You entered the World of Dreams," Amys said.
"You mean Tel'aran'rhiod? How is that possible?" Sam questioned.
"You are a dreamwalker," Aviendha said simply.
"It is good you came to us," Colinda added.
"We will train you in the ways of dreamwalking," Sorilea said, staring at Sam and daring her to object.
Sam wisely nodded her head. "I can accept that," she said. "There's also another reason I came here."
"Then tell us," Amys ordered.
"I think there is a doorway that brought me to this world in the Three-Fold Land."
"What does it look like?" Aviendha inquired.
"It's fairly large and is circular in shape. There are also a set of markings on the inner-ring of the doorway as well," Sam said.
"How do you know of the Forbidden Door?" Sorilea demanded. Sam saw the white glow of saidar flare up around each of the women except for Amys.
Sam held up her hands, trying to calm them down. "It's a device called a Stargate. It…it creates a tunnel or pathway between planets. It's how I came to be on this world. It's neither good nor evil, like a spear. It depends solely on the person who uses it," Sam explained.
"How do we know you speak the truth? Years ago the Forbidden Door opened and stole several of our people," Aviendha said. "We have not seen them since."
"I know. One of the Aes Sedai told me about it," Sam said. "But I swear to you that it's not evil. There's not much else I can do to prove it to you."
"We will decide on the truth of your beliefs while Sulin shows you to your dwelling," Sorilea said.
Sam bowed her head slightly. "Thank you Wise One," she said and rose to her feet. As she turned to leave, something fell from her belt pouch. Sam continued walking, not noticing what had happened.
Sorilea frowned and picked up the item. "It looks like paper," Colinda murmured.
The white haired Wise One nodded. She turned it over and her brows rose slightly in surprise. "It appears to be some sort of painting," she said. She showed it to the others. The faces of Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, and Cassie were staring up at the Wise Ones.
"Her family perhaps?" Aviendha suggested.
"Perhaps," Sorilea agreed. She tucked the picture into her belt and looked at the three. "Do you believe her story?"
"If she truly is Aes Sedai, then she was speaking the truth," Colinda said.
"She spoke with conviction," Aviendha agreed. "I for one believe her. She has little fear." Amys nodded.
"I agree," Sorilea said. She rose to her feet, the bracelets on her wrists clinking together. "I will inform her of our decision and return her painting to her." She walked out of the room and looked at a passing Maiden. "Where is Sulin?"
"There Wise One," she said, pointing to a building across the square.
Sorilea nodded and glided through the square. She entered the building and climbed the few steps to the second floor. She pushed aside a curtain and walked into the room. Sulin turned and lowered her head in greeting, as did Sam, though it was not as low as the Maiden's.
"I wish to speak with Samantha Carter alone," Sorilea said.
"I will be outside," she told Sam before leaving the room.
"That was a fast decision," Sam said, looking calmly at Sorilea.
"We have little reason not to trust you," Sorilea said. "You saved the life of a stranger who was Aiel. That speaks much of your character."
"Thanks," Sam said.
"I would have waited to tell you of our decision, but this fell from your pouch," the Wise One said, pulling out the picture and handing it to Sam.
Sam's eyes widened in gratitude. "Thank you," she said, staring at the picture.
"Is that your family?" Sorilea asked.
Sam shook her head. "Not my blood relatives, but they were like family. They were my closest friends on Earth."
"Earth?" Sorilea slowly said.
Sam nodded. "It's the name of my home planet."
"Why did you not go back when you found yourself here?" Sorilea queried.
"I uh…accidentally destroyed the Stargate I came through," Sam said. "I was being attacked by Trollocs and by some strange circumstance threw balefire at them."
"It hit the Forbidden Door instead," Sorilea said.
Sam nodded. "Since then I've been trying to find a way back home."
"Why not simply accept this world as your own?" Sorilea asked.
"Because of them," Sam said, holding up the picture. "They're the closest thing I have to a family. The people in here are Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, my friend Janet and her daughter Cassie. We've saved each other's lives so many times we've lost count. I owe it to them to go back. As for my real family,I don't see to much of my father and my brother lives miles away from me…well where I use to live on Earth."
"What about your mother?" Sorilea asked.
"She died…" Sam said quietly.
"Do you have a portrait of her as well?" Sorilea asked.
Sam looked at her. "Why so interested me? Why did you send Sulin out to lead me here?" she demanded.
"We will explain in time," Sorilea said. "But I would like to get to know you better. If that is all right with you."
Sam shrugged and returned the first picture to her belt pouch. She pulled out a slightly smaller and more banged up picture and handed it to Sorilea. "That's my mother," she said.
Sorilea looked down at the picture and her eyes widened in shock. She looked up at Sam, disbelief on her face. "This…this cannot be…"
"What cannot be?" Sam asked, somehow already aware of what Sorilea was going to say in response.
"This is a Far Dareis Mai who vanished through the Forbidden Door almost forty years ago," she said softly, looking at Sam. "You are the daughter of Jessai of the Shiande clan…"
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So? Whaddya think? Review to let me know. This is all I have written on this story thus far and I will try to update more, but I have two...no, three tests next week that I need to study for...well, only two of them. I don't think I need to study much for my Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban test...but I will try to have a chapter up on the weekend. I have a temporary muse right now and Elphie (the muse) very helpful even if she is more of a Wicked muse...just review or I shall continue to ramble.