Weaves of Air

by Nyraine Tishari

The leaves rustled softly and a bird flew silently overhead. The only substantial sound to be heard was the crunching of the horses' hooves in the gravel of the well-worn road. It was peaceful; tranquil. Nyraine lifted a hand to shield the brightness of the sun as she looked up ahead. With the other hand she brushed some stray strands of black hair behind her ear, took a deep breath and released it contentedly. She observed the pair in front of her.

The woman sat upon a small brown horse which moved at a placid walk. Her pale blonde hair was not long but long enough to be tied back high on her head. She wore a delicate but sensible, light green riding dress with tiny pink rosebuds embroidered along the hem. It was not the clothing in which the woman was dressed which made Nyraine stare but the way she rode. The woman was as self-possessed as any high-ranking noble and moved with more than the grace of a queen.

Close beside her rode a big, rock-solid looking man. Every time Nyraine stared directly at his shifting cloak, her gaze seemed to glide over it and toward elsewhere. He made no sounds whatsoever. Even his horse seemed quieter than others. The two had their heads together murmuring inaudibly.

An Aes Sedai and her warder. Nyraine could scarcely believe it. According to Liviniya Sedai, she could channel the One Power and already had. Already stronger in air than many of the Accepted at the White Tower, Liviniya had said. Nyraine had spent many a day in the Cairhien library and had read many books about Aes Sedai and the One Power, and here she was, to be taken to the tower and enrolled as a novice. To eventually be Aes Sedai herself....................................

"Light, isn't it lovely to be away from the city?" sighed Nyraine. Her friend Wella, nodded. They walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying the scenery. Nyraine felt free. Out here the paths were natural, not dead straight but winding and separating off into different directions. The trees were untamed, wild, as with the grass. In Cairhien, everything was neatly trimmed and shaped. She and Wella had decided to take a day off and go for a walk outside Cairhien. They reached the bank of the River Alguenya and stood chatting.

"Yes, well Zehrien's invited us to the OH!"

"Wella!" cried Nyraine, reaching out for her friend. Wella's arms flailed out, grasping at air as she fell backwards into the river.

"Nyraine!" gasped Wella, her head ducking under the water with a gurgle. Nyraine's heart pounded. Oh Light, this isn't happening. Wella can't swim! Wella surfaced again for a brief second, her eyes terrified. "Nyraine, help me!!!" The river flowed swiftly and then dipped. Wella went with the current, struggling to keep her head out of the water unsuccessfully. Nyraine ran along the bank calling her name. She slowed and gave two hard kicks, sending her boots flying.

"Wella! I'm coming!" she cried. Her arms above her head, she dove into the river with hesitation. The women were swept down the river and Nyraine fought to catch Wella. Suddenly Wella hit a small cove next to high bank , where the water was calm. She stayed there and to Nyraine's horror, she continued on down river. Nyraine turned and swam hard. The glimpses she caught of Wella showed her struggling to climb the bank, clawing at it despite it being at least six feet high and of crumbling dirt. "Don't struggle!" Nyraine shouted, but Wella was oblivious to her cries. A rush of water hit Nyraine's face and she was forced under the water. There's less resistance here. Nyraine kicked and continued forward underwater. Soon Nyraine's lungs were contracting for breath. She surfaced. Her eyes widened as she looked around. Wella was gone. Then she spotted something. Just beneath the water where Wella had been, was a dark cloud of red hair...................  

Nyraine shuddered, remembering the fear she had felt. The Aes Sedai and her warder, Gaval, had stopped. "We will have lunch here." Announced Liviniya Sedai, swinging off her horse with ease. They sat down and Liviniya handed out bread, cheese and ham. Gaval began to start a fire for tea.

"If I may ask, Liviniya Sedai, what Ajah do you belong to?" Nyraine asked curiously.

"Brown, Lady Tishari. You seem to know a lot about the White Tower, how is that?"

"I have read many books in the Cairhien Library, Aes Sedai."

The Brown smiled approvingly. "Ah, a wonderful library, that. Have your lunch and we will move on soon."
Nyraine ate and thought back again to yesterday.........................  

Nyraine ducked under and swam furiously to Wella. She pulled herself into the calm area. Reaching out her hand, she grabbed a fistful of Wella's hair and pulled her head out of the water. She wasn't moving. Nyraine felt like throwing up. She circled around behind Wella and held her up. Listening carefully for breath, she heard none. Nyraine surveyed their surroundings. I have to get her on land! It's hopeless! She alone could swim through the current and onto the bank further up, but not with Wella. Nyraine looked up. It was too high to get Wella up there.

"Oh ashes! Blood and bloody ashes!" cried Nyraine. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think. An irrational thought came to her. I can throw Wella up. Without stopping to consider the impossibility of this, she heaved with all her might. And Wella lifted. Slowly Wella lifted up and up and eventually up onto the bank, out of Nyraine's sight. She didn't have time to gape. She thrashed up river, her heavy dress weighing her down then finally scrambled onto the bank, her arms scraping on the rocks. Getting to her feet, she stumbled forward, falling over her water-logged dress. Rising again, her hands went to the neck of her dress, slashed from top to bottom with blue and silver stripes, and gave a hard pull. The once delicate fabric tore and Nyraine kept tearing until she could struggle out of it. She ran toward Wella, free of constraint.

Wella lay on her stomach, pale and dripping; unmoving. After wiping her gravel embedded palms on her under garments, Nyraine flipped Wella over and checked again for breath. Finding none, she quickly pinched Wella's nose and sealed off her mouth with her own. She breathed. Wella's chest rose and fell; rose and fell; rose and fell - Without response. Oh please, please no.

A flap of cloak and Nyraine whirled. An expressionless man stood. "Please, help. Get some one. Hurry, please. She's not breathing" The man turned and hurried off. Well, he didn't really hurry, just moved fast, a controlled fast. Nyraine put her fingers to Wella's throat. There was no pulse. She placed her hands atop one another on Wella's chest and pushed firmly fifteen times, then breathed into her twice. She repeated the cycle again and again. After a minute, she checked for pulse. Still there was none. Tears threatened. Where is that fool of a man?! Nyraine grabbed Wella's shoulders and shook her. "Wella, Light burn you, get up! Get up I say. My House ranks above yours and I command you to get up!" she screamed. Hysteria crept and tears threatened. Nyraine drew up and locked it off. Replacing her hands on Wella's chest, she pushed. Breathe.
There was an explosion. There was no sound, no flash of light or dark, no shock wave, no sudden release, but there was an explosion all the same.

Wella's chest heaved and water spewed from her mouth. There was a sharp intake of breath and Nyraine turned. A short woman with blond hair looked at her, her eyes unreadable. Nyraine stared into an ageless face and her eyes searched for and found a golden serpent ring on the woman's right hand. Slightly behind the woman stood the man she had sent for help, hovering with an air of protectiveness. An Aes Sedai and her warder.

Nyraine looked down and noticed she was dressed only in her clinging, wet and now transparent, under garments. She did not blush, Nyraine did not blush easily. The warder took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. She hugged it to her and the Aes Sedai helped her up. The warder lifted Wella with ease.

"My name is Liviniya, and this is Gaval," said the woman gesturing toward the warder, "and you are...?"

"Nyraine Remanor. Lady Nyraine Remanor of House Tishari." Liviniya Sedai nodded then gestured to Wella. "She's Lady Wella of House Angora."

"Let's get you home, and then we will talk."

Nyraine wondered what there was to talk about but she didn't question. They fetched their horses and rode back to Cairhien............... 

The Aes Sedai, the warder and Nyraine now rode at a canter toward Tar Valon. Nyraine recalled getting back to Wella's manor and putting her to bed. Liviniya Sedai had healed her but Wella needed rest most of all. They had left her upstairs and she and Liviniya had talked. Liviniya made her retell everything that had happened and only nodded when Nyraine retold how she had gotten Wella onto the bank. They had talked more, mostly about her then had said good night. The Aes Sedai and her warder had stayed in one of the many spare rooms. In the morning, it was decided that Nyraine would accompany Liviniya and Gaval to the Tower and be enrolled as a novice.