by grainne » Tue Apr 19, 2016 11:47 pm
Ely edit 20 Jul 2021.
2 qps, depending on length and quality.
Total: 2 qps
****************************************************
Gasping for breath, Grainne, holds her hands up behind her head and admires the rolling forested hills surrounding the valley. Gray turns gold as the summer morning sun batters through a rapidly diminishing fog and filters through pine, fir, and oak trees. Birds flit through the trees, and their calls fill the air. Grainne snakes her hand between sharp brambles and grabs a plump handful of blackberries. Turning back to the trail, she gobbles them ravenously and returns to her chase. Ahead of her on the beaten game trail is her elder brother Gairoad. She has been chasing him since she could crawl. Most other girls her age spend their free time chatting, dressing up, or playing make believe, but Grainne needs the wind in her lungs, to escape into the wilderness, to run.
___________________
On the eve of her 18th birthday Grainne became ill with a strange sickness. For two weeks her body was overcome with fever, and she could not keep food down. By the morning of the 14th day she could not see, and her mind was a scattered mess. She raved and spoke nonsense about events which had never happened as though they were facts of days past. She recovered from the fever, but her eyesight did not return. Over the following weeks, as her eyesight remained dim, Grainne began to understand that she had lost the ability to run the in the mountains and woods as she so loved to do. Devastated, and full of self pity, she settled into a sedentary life.
___________________
On a warm summer morning, Grainne rolled out of bed close to noon, cursing the incessant birdsong which dragged her from her bright, colorful dreams back into the lightless and noisy world. She splashed water on her face from the basin near her bed and began dressing for the day. As she reached across her side table for a ribbon to tie her hair back, her arm struck an unexpected object. Even without sight, Grainne retained much of her dexterity, and she caught a vase just as it tipped off the table. Gairoad she thought, as she brought the fragrant wild flowers to her nose. Their scent was familiar, and it brought tears to her eyes as she set the vase back on the small table. Knowing how much she missed running through the woods, her brother liked to bring her flowers, feathers, or interesting rocks from his travels. She didn't have the heart to tell him that every time he did, it hurt. She wiped tears from her eyes and finished dressing herself.
As she slowly made her way from her parents' house towards the bakery, she noticed how busy the village sounded. Everywhere people moved about, hauling things, calling out to each other. The sound of hammers, carts, and merchants filled the air. As she came near to the bakery, the smell of the morning's loaves still strong in the air, she heard a crash and shouting. She paused to listen and realized what she heard was a rapidly advancing barrel rolling down the dirt road straight towards her. Just as she was about to leap out of the way she felt herself pulled upward and lost all bearing and direction as she hung suspended in mid air. Before she could even cry out she felt the ground gently return to her feet.
"A near thing" a voice behind her said. She heard the woman walk closer. “It can be dangerous to walk these busy roads even with the gift of sight.” She paused, “Child, would you like to be able to see again?"
Confused about what just happened and how she’d landed on her feet, Grainne said, ”I would do anything to be able to see again my lady, but I don't believe anyone has the power to make that happen."
"Relax and breathe deeply," the woman said as she gently held Grainne's head in her hands. Almost immediately Grainne's body began to shiver as she felt cold move from the back of her head to her eyes and back again. Her legs went limp, and she felt the supporting hands of another who she had not heard approach on her waist. The man carefully set her down on a nearby crate. Tears began streaming down Grainne's face as she lifted her eyes to the Aes Sedai's ageless face. Understanding blossomed on her face and she gasped. She had not believed Aes Sedai to be real.
Grainne clumsily leapt to her feet, her legs not responding the way she expected them to behave. She fell into the woman and hugged her. "Thank you. Thank you so very much," she managed to say between sobs.
Awkwardly patting her back she replied "Of course, Child. Take a moment to rest. Healing can take an incredible amount of your energy."
"There is no way I can ever repay you," Grainne said as she took a seat on the crate once more.
"And you don't have to," the woman said, "but there is another matter we must discuss. Child, the moment I saw you, I knew it to be quite true. You have an extraordinary gift. You have the spark."
___________________
Grainne walked the halls of the White Tower slowly, heading for the great stair case and back to her room. She had just left a conversation with Lyren Sedai about the responsibilities of an Accepted versus those of a novice. Several Aes Sedai have asked her questions lately, seeming to check her readiness in testing for Accepted. Grainne mused to herself as she walked, I feel ready, but the Arches scare me. If I fail, I will be put out. She sighed at the thought. She'd worked so hard, and learned so much, the thought of losing the White Tower and all the support she'd found here terrified her.
"Grainne," a voice called out behind her. It was Accepted Ali, one of the many people who had warmly welcomed her here. "What is on your mind? You're hardly moving down the hall."
Grainne frowned, then sighed and said "I was just thing about the Arches, Ali. The thought of failure terrifies me. I'm not sure if I should ask for consideration to test."
Ali nodded solemnly and thought for a moment. "Grainne, you should not be afraid. Do not focus on the risk and what you might lose. Focus instead on the reason you want to go through those arches. What is it that brought you here? Why do you want to be Aes Sedai?"
Grainne mulled that for a moment. When Sharilyn Sedai healed her vision and told her of the latent ability inside of her, she became whole again. More than whole. Hope soared within her for the first time since she could see, and she felt like her life had purpose. That is why she left her family to come to the Tower. She wanted to bring hope to people who had none, to be a beacon of Light to those in their darkest hour. Grainne's eyes moistened as she held back tears. "Thank you Accepted Ali. I think that was exactly what I needed to hear."
Ely edit 20 Jul 2021.
2 qps, depending on length and quality.
Total: 2 qps
****************************************************
Gasping for breath, Grainne, holds her hands up behind her head and admires the rolling forested hills surrounding the valley. Gray turns gold as the summer morning sun batters through a rapidly diminishing fog and filters through pine, fir, and oak trees. Birds flit through the trees, and their calls fill the air. Grainne snakes her hand between sharp brambles and grabs a plump handful of blackberries. Turning back to the trail, she gobbles them ravenously and returns to her chase. Ahead of her on the beaten game trail is her elder brother Gairoad. She has been chasing him since she could crawl. Most other girls her age spend their free time chatting, dressing up, or playing make believe, but Grainne needs the wind in her lungs, to escape into the wilderness, to run.
___________________
On the eve of her 18th birthday Grainne became ill with a strange sickness. For two weeks her body was overcome with fever, and she could not keep food down. By the morning of the 14th day she could not see, and her mind was a scattered mess. She raved and spoke nonsense about events which had never happened as though they were facts of days past. She recovered from the fever, but her eyesight did not return. Over the following weeks, as her eyesight remained dim, Grainne began to understand that she had lost the ability to run the in the mountains and woods as she so loved to do. Devastated, and full of self pity, she settled into a sedentary life.
___________________
On a warm summer morning, Grainne rolled out of bed close to noon, cursing the incessant birdsong which dragged her from her bright, colorful dreams back into the lightless and noisy world. She splashed water on her face from the basin near her bed and began dressing for the day. As she reached across her side table for a ribbon to tie her hair back, her arm struck an unexpected object. Even without sight, Grainne retained much of her dexterity, and she caught a vase just as it tipped off the table. [i]Gairoad[/i] she thought, as she brought the fragrant wild flowers to her nose. Their scent was familiar, and it brought tears to her eyes as she set the vase back on the small table. Knowing how much she missed running through the woods, her brother liked to bring her flowers, feathers, or interesting rocks from his travels. She didn't have the heart to tell him that every time he did, it hurt. She wiped tears from her eyes and finished dressing herself.
As she slowly made her way from her parents' house towards the bakery, she noticed how busy the village sounded. Everywhere people moved about, hauling things, calling out to each other. The sound of hammers, carts, and merchants filled the air. As she came near to the bakery, the smell of the morning's loaves still strong in the air, she heard a crash and shouting. She paused to listen and realized what she heard was a rapidly advancing barrel rolling down the dirt road straight towards her. Just as she was about to leap out of the way she felt herself pulled upward and lost all bearing and direction as she hung suspended in mid air. Before she could even cry out she felt the ground gently return to her feet.
"A near thing" a voice behind her said. She heard the woman walk closer. “It can be dangerous to walk these busy roads even with the gift of sight.” She paused, “Child, would you like to be able to see again?"
Confused about what just happened and how she’d landed on her feet, Grainne said, ”I would do anything to be able to see again my lady, but I don't believe anyone has the power to make that happen."
"Relax and breathe deeply," the woman said as she gently held Grainne's head in her hands. Almost immediately Grainne's body began to shiver as she felt cold move from the back of her head to her eyes and back again. Her legs went limp, and she felt the supporting hands of another who she had not heard approach on her waist. The man carefully set her down on a nearby crate. Tears began streaming down Grainne's face as she lifted her eyes to the Aes Sedai's ageless face. Understanding blossomed on her face and she gasped. She had not believed Aes Sedai to be real.
Grainne clumsily leapt to her feet, her legs not responding the way she expected them to behave. She fell into the woman and hugged her. "Thank you. Thank you so very much," she managed to say between sobs.
Awkwardly patting her back she replied "Of course, Child. Take a moment to rest. Healing can take an incredible amount of your energy."
"There is no way I can ever repay you," Grainne said as she took a seat on the crate once more.
"And you don't have to," the woman said, "but there is another matter we must discuss. Child, the moment I saw you, I knew it to be quite true. You have an extraordinary gift. You have the spark."
___________________
Grainne walked the halls of the White Tower slowly, heading for the great stair case and back to her room. She had just left a conversation with Lyren Sedai about the responsibilities of an Accepted versus those of a novice. Several Aes Sedai have asked her questions lately, seeming to check her readiness in testing for Accepted. Grainne mused to herself as she walked, [i]I feel ready, but the Arches scare me. If I fail, I will be put out.[/i] She sighed at the thought. She'd worked so hard, and learned so much, the thought of losing the White Tower and all the support she'd found here terrified her.
"Grainne," a voice called out behind her. It was Accepted Ali, one of the many people who had warmly welcomed her here. "What is on your mind? You're hardly moving down the hall."
Grainne frowned, then sighed and said "I was just thing about the Arches, Ali. The thought of failure terrifies me. I'm not sure if I should ask for consideration to test."
Ali nodded solemnly and thought for a moment. "Grainne, you should not be afraid. Do not focus on the risk and what you might lose. Focus instead on the reason you want to go through those arches. What is it that brought you here? Why do you want to be Aes Sedai?"
Grainne mulled that for a moment. When Sharilyn Sedai healed her vision and told her of the latent ability inside of her, she became whole again. More than whole. Hope soared within her for the first time since she could see, and she felt like her life had purpose. That is why she left her family to come to the Tower. She wanted to bring hope to people who had none, to be a beacon of Light to those in their darkest hour. Grainne's eyes moistened as she held back tears. "Thank you Accepted Ali. I think that was exactly what I needed to hear."