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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
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. 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.
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