To Face the Red [Attn: Jenn]
Posted: May 8th, 2016, 11:28 pm
Rhykana strode through the hallways, her face the very picture of Aes Sedai calm. Lydie Sedai, ever present in her life, had informed her that she was near to her raising. The Yellow sister had been accurate in her predictions of Rhykana’s raising to the ring; Rhykana could not imagine her to be incorrect. And after seven years in the banded dress, Rhykana hungered for the shawl, impatient and furious every time she curtsied to a woman claiming the title of Aes Sedai.
She had known for years that she would claim the Indigo Ajah, and Lydie had known for just as long. But the woman had gripped her chin as she spoke of the Great Stairs, had forced Rhykana to meet her eyes. Rhykana had not liked what she had seen there; amusement and Lydie’s ever present sense of dominance. Do not assume that the Black will not be present in your choice, child.
Rhykana suspected that Lydie had meant her to see it as a threat. But it was merely a statement of fact; the Black Ajah had been present for every choice she had made since she had become an Accepted. First Lydie Sedai, then Emmond Asha’man, had taken control of her life. They had forced her to steal, to use her talents at Compulsion, to spy. The had forced her to put herself at risk, to prove that she had the mettle to be Black Ajah.
Rhykana’s Ajah would be the Black. And the Black had every right to determine the Ajah she would hide in.
And so she found herself in the basement of the Grey Tower, descending stone steps to meet Kaia Sedai. The Red was the only Ajah Rhykana had little knowledge of. More than that, the Red was an Ajah of only four members, of which it was likely none were Black. If the Black Ajah claimed its right to determine her Ajah, Rhykana could not think of a color more likely than the Red.
She did not let herself think of the Indigo as she rapped her knuckles at Kaia Sedai’s door. She had not given herself the luxury of mourning the choice she had naively assumed was hers; Rhykana had expressed her interest in learning more of the Red Ajah the day after Lydie’s pronouncement.
There was no time to mourn what could have been. There was no other way but forward. The Black Ajah would let her choose, or it would not.
She had known for years that she would claim the Indigo Ajah, and Lydie had known for just as long. But the woman had gripped her chin as she spoke of the Great Stairs, had forced Rhykana to meet her eyes. Rhykana had not liked what she had seen there; amusement and Lydie’s ever present sense of dominance. Do not assume that the Black will not be present in your choice, child.
Rhykana suspected that Lydie had meant her to see it as a threat. But it was merely a statement of fact; the Black Ajah had been present for every choice she had made since she had become an Accepted. First Lydie Sedai, then Emmond Asha’man, had taken control of her life. They had forced her to steal, to use her talents at Compulsion, to spy. The had forced her to put herself at risk, to prove that she had the mettle to be Black Ajah.
Rhykana’s Ajah would be the Black. And the Black had every right to determine the Ajah she would hide in.
And so she found herself in the basement of the Grey Tower, descending stone steps to meet Kaia Sedai. The Red was the only Ajah Rhykana had little knowledge of. More than that, the Red was an Ajah of only four members, of which it was likely none were Black. If the Black Ajah claimed its right to determine her Ajah, Rhykana could not think of a color more likely than the Red.
She did not let herself think of the Indigo as she rapped her knuckles at Kaia Sedai’s door. She had not given herself the luxury of mourning the choice she had naively assumed was hers; Rhykana had expressed her interest in learning more of the Red Ajah the day after Lydie’s pronouncement.
There was no time to mourn what could have been. There was no other way but forward. The Black Ajah would let her choose, or it would not.