On Sisters

This is part of a long storyline Amy, the writer of Menaihya Sedai, and I are doing. I just thought this post to be particularly interesting, one which I enjoyed writing a lot, so I decided to put it here.

Terrian Dy'ner Sedai

It seemed to take only an instant for Terrian to be pulled away from her near-sister by one of the nobles as she watched Menaihya being drawn into conversation by Shae Lorien. Mentally, she cursed, displeased by the fact that the High Seat had already managed to corner one of them alone. She was confident that Menaihya would be able to successfully and skillfully form answers to the man's questions without giving too much away, but a man didn't get and hold a High Seat unless he could play the Game of House very well too. Still, there was nothing Terrian could do as she found herself drawn into polite small talk with a group of Cairhienin ladies who simply couldn't get over how cute young Devin was. The boy, never one to take the spotlight willingly, stood very close to the Aes Sedai, almost burying his face in the forest green silk of her skirts. Of course, this only made him that much more endearing to the noble ladies. One of the ladies, Ariane of House Roas – a young woman with a heart-shaped face, hair so dark it might as well have been black; and large, expressive brown eyes – finally broached the topic of Devin's origins once they thought they had lulled Terrian into being comfortable with them. The Green sister wasn't as caught off guard as she suspected they would have hoped. She wasn't fool enough to fall for the 'we're just women chatting about women things' tactic.

"Terrian Sedai, you'll pardon me for asking of course," Terrian smiled slightly and nodded, "but young Devin is certainly not your child, is he? I was under the impression that Aes Sedai didn't typically have children, but the resemblance between you is slightly uncanny." The rest of the women politely nodded their agreement, simultaneously indicating that they too had been wondering. Terrian, while internally shocked that Lady Ariane had asked so directly, didn't let her thoughts show on her face. She did, however, notice the significant look that passed between Ariane and one of the slightly older ladies, Yvette of House Minae. It was veiled, but Terrian had a lot of practice reading veiled looks and she could tell from this one that Yvette had put Ariane up to asking the question. It was blunt, but when it came from Ariane it could be viewed as somewhat innocent as she was still very young and perhaps adjusting to the ways of adult Daes Dae'mar. It would have fooled some people, but Terrian wasn't an idiot, she could tell what was going on, and it bothered her that these women of nobility thought to play an Aes Sedai for a fool.

Instead of giving the women the reaction, the slip, she was sure they were waiting for Terrian merely smiled and laughed it off as if she truly believed Ariane were than young and tactless. "Certainly not, although I do admit that he does have a few eerily similar features to me. Devin here is a child," she had wanted to use the term orphan, but the knowledge that his mother was still out there serving the Dark One prevented that, "Menaihya Sedai and I have taken in at the behest of his guardians. He is under our protection until such a time as it would be appropriate to find him a different set of guardians." Ariane smiled, obviously touched by a story of such selfless charity to a poor, lowborn boy. Yvette, on the other hand, smiled ever so slightly, but her eyes frowned. She hadn't gotten what she was looking for. It abruptly occurred to Terrian that she was inordinately pleased with herself for such a simple deception, but she really needed something to cheer her up right now. Especially as she realized that she was currently in the home of Jostayn – or Derowyn's – family. He had likely walked these very rooms and halls once. That very thought was enough to sober her mood considerably.

"Oh, Eliani," Ariane called to one of the women passing them; "you must come here and meet the Aes Sedai and child." Terrian's eyes traveled to the woman Ariane had named Eliani as she approached. There was something very familiar about her features, recognizable almost. Eliani was older than Terrian. If she had to guess she would have put the woman at about forty years of age. She was dark eyed and haired with pale skin. Altogether she was very typically Cairhienin, yet there was something about the shape of her face, the look in her eyes, that was almost startlingly familiar. "Terrian Sedai, if you would allow me to introduce you to Eliani Leci Damodred of House Damodred." Terrian blinked, the only outward sign of the fact that Ariane's simple introduction had set the Aes Sedai's mind reeling. Eliani Leci Damodred? Oh, this could be bad. Had Ian ever written home about her? "Eliani, this is Terrian Dy'ner Sedai of the Green Ajah, of course." The look that flashed across Eliani's face for the briefest moment was more than enough to answer Terrian's last question.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Eliani." Terrian greeted with a polite nod.

"The pleasure is all mine, Terrian Sedai." Eliani replied with equal politeness and a respectful curtsey. Her dark eyes glanced to Devin. "And I suppose this is the child Ariane was referring to." Her tone was slightly warmer when speaking to Devin, but her attention was quickly turned back to the other women who had clustered around Terrian. "If you don't mind, I'd like to steal Terrian Sedai away from you, friends. I should like to ask her about the training of an Aes Sedai at the White Tower." She looked back to Terrian, "If that's alright with you, of course."

Terrian smiled slightly, "It would be my pleasure, Lady Eliani," she replied warmly and followed Eliani away from the group with Devin close on her heels. Eliani led to a fairly private corner of the room where they would be able to speak without interruption or prying ears. "I suspect," Terrian said once they were out of earshot of most of the rest of the guests, "that you didn't really wish to speak with me about the training of our initiates. It was a convenient excuse though, considering I’m sure everyone knows your sister died in training. I looked her name up in the novice book. The final entry by Loria Leci's name is that she never emerged from the first test we all must endure."

"Yes, Aes Sedai." Eliani spoke softly, "Even if I hadn't known from your name, the touch of an accent your voice holds gives you away. You're from Amadicia. Amador, unless I miss my guess. You were almost my sister-in-law." Terrian nodded ever so slightly by way of answer. "He loved you so much. He never said it outright in any of his letters, but it was so obvious from the way he wrote about you."

"I know." Terrian said sadly, being entirely open with Eliani as the woman was obviously being with her. There was a very obvious unspoken agreement that neither party would discuss this. After all, they had almost been related by marriage. "Light, I know." She paused not sure if she should ask what she was thinking but deciding for it after a moment. "How is he? Ian, I mean. I haven't heard from in a long time."

"He still loves you, Terrian Dy'ner and you know it." He reply was scathing, "Why did you leave so abruptly? Ian was heartbroken."

"Not because I left, he wasn't. Didn't he mention that it was his troops that pursued me to the Amadician border? That I didn't want to leave but in the end it came down to my love or my life and I chose my life?" She studied Eliani's face. "He didn't, I'm sure. Ian was always too proud to admit that it was his fault. There was nothing stopping him from leaving with me, but he made a choice too. Ian chose duty over love. I don't fault him that, never have I held it against him. I have however moved on, and this is all in my past. I was seventeen when I met Ian and a very different person than I am today. Trust me, if he still knew me, he wouldn't still love me. Ian is still in love with the woman I was at nineteen, when we were betrothed, not the Aes Sedai I have become." Terrian had just finished those words when a servant announced that supper would be served shortly and the process of moving the guests to the dinning room was begun. She didn't wait for Eliani's response before turning and grabbing Devin's hand to go to the dining room.

Terrian finally found Menaihya again as they entered the dinning room and were seated in places of honor. Devin had been placed on the opposite side of Menaihya, and while he didn't seem too happy about this he was doing a fine job of not making a scene for such a young boy. He took instruction in such things very well it turned out, especially when it came from the Amadician Aes Sedai. Devin was simply a quick study for such a young child. Or perhaps the boy was merely very good at mimicking what those around him did, but he was picking up on etiquette very well too. Still, that was not the point really. Terrian watched as Eliani settled into a chair not too far away. If memory served, Eliani had married into what amounted to a very minor branch of the Damodred House, but she was still a Damodred through marriage and that earned her a place of relative honor. They shared a cool glance, with the Cairhienin noblewoman looking away first.

Menaihya leaned over then, "Who is that?"

Terrian smiled a little sadly. "Lady Eliani Leci Damodred. She was almost my sister." Terrian paused and glanced at Eliani again before looking back to her near-sister. "What about you? What did Shae Lorien have to say?"

Menaihya's answer did nothing to improve Terrian's mood.

Drinking and Driving

I think the title says it all, but if you don't get it my point is don't do it. This week my school lost both a current senior and a well known and liked graduate in drinking related incidents. I didn't know either of them personally, but the fact of the matter is that this was one of the worst weeks I've ever had to live through in school. Everyone was just emotionally drained by the time Tuesday was done and we all had to drag ourselves through the rest of the week. Never take the chance that you might not be fit to drive. If you know that you've probably had a little too much to be safe on the roads, or even just walking home, have a friend whose better off than you take you home. Don't put innocent peoples lives at risk.

That's all I have to say.