The five year old little girl screamed in horror, her emerald eyes wide open in fright as she watched the terror unfolding before her. The big ugly monsters were hurting them, and no one was fighting back. Big fat tears rolled down her chubby cheeks, streaking her porcelain skin. She could hear muffled crying in the background, near the tree where her parents had been slaughtered mercilessly, and as far as she could tell her baby sister was dead with them.
She had, of course, no experience with death and didn't know what it meant, didn't know that it meant she would never see them again, never here the soft soothing voice of her mother, or laugh in glee while her father threw her up in the air, catching her every time. Everywhere she looked the horrible beasts were indiscriminately killing people, slaughtering men and women were they stood, the strange eyeless men watching it all without the tiniest bit of remorse or feeling. Her mouth agape, she watched in trepidation as Conall's head rolled across the ground, stopping at her feet, his bright blue eyes still wide open.
Wailing again, her voice mingling with the screams around her she closed her eyes tightly. She didn't want to see anymore, where were her parents? Why weren't they taking her away from all this? Opening them again, her sight was once more filled with the horrible images. Turning around she ran, her little legs carrying her as fast as they could. All she wanted to do was find somewhere safe, somewhere that wasn't here.
Before she had gotten very far though, she was caught up in someone's arms. Frightened out of her mind she didn't recognize her father's sister, Duvessa. Biting and scratching to get free, to get as far away as possible from the dreadful beasts that were killing everyone and everything that she knew, she struggled vainly. The arms held her tight. And then she heard the soothing voice lifted in song. It was a lullaby she knew well, one that she had heard ever since she had been Blythe's age and younger. Giving up her fight she collapsed into the familiar arms and hid her eyes against Duvessa's chest. The older woman picked the small child up, cradling her against her bosom and stepped silently into the woods in an attempt to shield the girl from any more painful images. Falling asleep in Duvessa's arms she shielded her ears from the sound of the horrid shrieks that pierced the night air.
Dymphna's warm laughter trilled out, breaking the silence that pervaded the forest, startling a doe and her fawn out of the brush they had hidden themselves in. The doe looked at her, its brown eyes wide with fright, poised on the point of running, the fawn trembling at her side. The young woman's sweet voice crooned softly to the pair as she moved ever closer, her hand outstretched. She had just reached the doe, her hand barely brushing the soft coat that covered here when the beautiful creature bolted. With a sigh she turned to the noise behind her that had caused the sudden disappearance to see Piaras come crashing through the underbrush.
"You big lout, you scared them away. Do you know how hard it is to get a doe to trust you?"
The tall dark haired boy looked at her and rolled his eyes. "I still don't see why always spend so much time out here in the woods with the animals."
"I'd explain it to you, but you're probably to wool-headed to understand it anyhow. All you care about is drinking and chasing girls."
"There's nothing wrong with a good mug of ale and a pretty girl on your lap ever once in a while. Besides, I can't let all these charms go to waste, can I?" He tossed a brilliant smile her way, it fairly oozed charm, a deep dimple appearing beside his mouth and his deep brown eyes crinkling in an ever so attractive manner.
She just laughed at him. "Piaras, that may work on the other girls, but it certainly isn't going to work on me. You've been trying to charm me since we were kids. Shouldn't you know by now that nothing you try is going to faze me by now?" Dymphna laughed even harder at the mock pout he put on just for her benefit. "Come now, what is that you came all the way out here to tell me. I know you didn't come her to seek out the company of the trees and wild ones."
Piaras glared at her. "How do you know that I've not developed a sudden fascination with the forest? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I like the woodlands?"
Trying to smother her laughter the fiery-haired girl put on a face of feigned seriousness. "Oh, I'm so sorry to have offended you. I had no idea. But if you are so fascinated with the forest then could you tell me what that plant over there is? I've been trying to figure it out all afternoon." It was so hard to hold the laughter in as she watched him stare at the mulberry bush, his face screwed up in consternation, trying to come up with an answer, his mouth opening and shutting as he came up with ideas and discarded them.
"Do you mean to tell me that you don't know?" he finally responded. "Well I do, it's very poisonous. I would suggest that you stay as far away from it as possible. If you ingest one of those little berries they cause your skin to break out in a nasty rash and your eyes start turning yellow. Before you know you loose control of your arms, hands, feet and legs, dying a horrible, immobile death."
Schooling her face into one of utter compliance she nodded at him. "Well thank you for sharing your vast wisdom of plant lore with me. I could only dream of having so much knowledge." She had to fight to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up into an amused smile, it was impossible to keep the twinkle out of her intense green eyes, however.
He nodded sagely in response to her words. "I'm always willing to teach those without my superior intellect of the woods."
That was the last straw, Dymphna couldn't resist the urge anymore. The forest was filled with the sweet sound as she laughed at his words. "Your superior intellect?" she finally managed to choke out between gasps of breath. "You are kidding me, right? You, have superior intellect of the woods? Then tell me why you had such trouble identifying a simple mulberry bush." She stopped laughing when she saw the hurt expression on his face. "Oh Piaras, you know that I'm just playing around with you. Of course you're very intelligent. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"Hurt my feelings? You? Don't be ridiculous." He said gruffly, attempting to look nonchalant about the whole matter.
"You're right Piaras, I don't know what I was thinking. How could a silly girl do something like bruise your manly ego?"
"Well, now that we've got that settled, Duvessa asked me to come and fetch you. She said it's time that you came back to the wagons. You know how she worries about how much time you spend out here by yourself."
"I know, I know. If I could only make her understand why I spend some much time away from the wagons." she trailed off, not really sure how to finish the sentence. For as long as she could remember she had always felt more at home amongst the trees and animals then around people. Sighing deeply, she turned back to towards the wagon, her steps dragging.
It wasn't long before the two youths had made the short trek back to the small vale where all the wagons were arranged in circle. An older women, her dark hair just starting to turn gray at the temples, bustled over to the two, her brilliantly colored skirts swaying around her like a bell. "You silly chit! Why must you go and wonder off like that all the time? I do wish you would just stay here, I worry about you so. I really don't see why you find it so necessary to wander around so much in those woods, they are so dark and dirty. You never know what you might encounter out there. What would happen if you were attacked by a bear? No one would be able to hear you that's what and you could be gobbled up before anyone knew. You must learn to stay closer. I want to you to be within in my sights at all times now, do you understand. My gracious me, when I was your age I would have never considered wandering about in the woods with no one to guard me and protect. Why if your mother were alive!" Duvessa rambled on, it wasn't as if Dymphna hadn't heard all this before, she had by now memorized the whole speech and could recite it from memory on cue. Looking at Piaras she began to mouth the words to him, her face an exact replica of her Aunt Duvessa's as she mimicked the older woman, her eyes sparkling with joviality and merriment.
Her aunt broke of suddenly with a sigh, "Dymphna, will you never learn?" Before the young girl could answer though the older woman rushed on, "We need to get you cleaned up. Why don't you go over to that stream right there and wash your hands and face. While your at it brush your hair. Your dress is hopeless, try to brush the wrinkles out of it best you can before you come back over here. I need you to help me with dinner."
"Yes Aunt." Waving goodbye to Piaras, whose eyes had widened in terror at the thought that he too would be conscripted, Dymphna hurried to do her aunt's bidding, humming a little tune that her aunt used to sing to her when she was but a small child. It didn't take long for her to wash her hands and the smudges of dirt from her milky-complexioned face, her hair on the other hand was an entirely different manner. Trying to pull a brush through the snarls in her flame colored mane was like trying to an Altaran not to duel when he or she felt slighted. Finally pulling the last tangle from her hair with a vicious yank she quickly braided it, it wasn't very neat but it would do, she wasn't overly fond of pulling her hair back, but it would get in the way if she didn't.
Before too long she was up to her elbows in batter. It seemed to her to be a weird time to be baking the bread, after all her aunt usually did that in the mornings, but Dymphna had a sneaking suspicion that it was really all just a plot to keep her from roaming about the countryside anymore. In the background she could hear her aunt humming little folk tune while working dinner up. Taking up the tune herself, the two women were soon singing in perfect harmony. It didn't take long before many of the other members of the caravan joined them and the whole camp was awash with the voices of men, women and children, their voices blending together in joyful minstrelsy. The camp continued on this way all afternoon and into the evening, with blissful disregard for the time or anything else for that matter.
The sun was quite low above the horizon when the strangers rode into the camp. Everyone stopped what the were doing, the song dying on their lips slowly in a ripple effect until everyone knew of the sudden arrival. Each of them became suddenly still, even the laughing children quieting down, staring at the newcomers in curiosity, almost expectantly. The Mahdi approached them, his grizzled face sober in great contrast to his brightly colored trousers and coat. Bowing deeply he spoke in a loud and dignified voice. "You are welcome to our fires. Do you know the song?"
The woman at the head of the party, inclined her head deeply in a show of respect, "Your welcome warms my spirit, Mahdi, as you fires warm the flesh, but I do not know the song."
His blue eyes met hers for a brief moment before he continued. "Then we seek still. As it was, so shall it be, if we but remember, seek, and find." It seemed that if all at once the entire camp released their collective breaths. The music and merriment at once began again, everyone returning to what they had been doing before. Dymphna watched as the Mahdi and the regal woman walked off together some distance from the camps. It seemed like she somehow recognized her, but she couldn't be sure. She stood there for a minute more, watching them before she turned away, her eyes thoughtful. Where was it that she had seen the woman before? She wasn't left much more time to think about it though because Piaras came up behind her, wrapping his arms about her waist. "Hey there, you feel like coming over to the fire with the others, some of us 'boys' thought that the tiganza was in order."
She eyed him warily, "Just how much have you been drinking?"
"Me drink? Why would I do that?" Grinning foolishly he planted a kiss firmly on her lips before giving her the truth. "Well, maybe just a little."
Dymphna couldn't do anything but look at him, wide-eyed, and let him drag her by the hand to the fire That was definitely not what she had expected, she had grown up with Piaras and would have never have even thought of him in that way. It wasn't that he was bad looking, cause nothing could be further from the truth, he was definitely one of the best looking boys that she knew, but there was just something about him that no matter what she did she couldn't picture him as anything more than her best friend. Finding a log to sit down she joined in the singing and conversation, enjoying herself so much that she almost forgot the woman, almost. The memory still tugged at the edges of her mind, causing an altogether very uncomfortable feeling in her mind. Piaras never got that tiganza he had requested, but seeing as he had forgotten about it only moments after he had first suggested it. The remainder of the night was passed in just such a fashion, and Dymphna entirely forgot about keeping an eye on the wagon in which the Mahdi and the strange woman had closeted themselves.
The sun was just barely beginning to break the horizon when her brilliant green eyes fluttered open. Stretching her arms, Dymphna fairly bounded out of her blankets, quickly clothing herself in a skirt of bright blue, a black blouse overlaid with a vibrant red bodice. Finishing the ensemble the Tuatha'an maiden wrapped a cheerful yellow scarf around her waist, knotting it at the hip, before stepping out of the wagon into the fresh morning air of northern Ghealden. It was a good morning for a walk.
It didn't take long for her to leave the circle behind. She followed the riverbed as it flowed into a forest filled with the joyous twittering of birds, singing their praises to the sky. Finding a nice spot on the riverbank, Dymphna slipped off her leather boots and dipped her toes into the cool water. Reclining against a tree that grew right on the bank Dymphna began to hum quietly to herself as she watched the fish flitting about in the crystal clear water. So lost in her own mind was she, that she didn't even hear the soft footsteps as they approached her.
"It has been a long time. Such a long time." A soft voice intruded into her peaceful thoughts. Dymphna looked up, startled by the voice. Her eyes widened considerably at the sight of the ageless face staring down at her. Scrambling to her feet she managed to splash water all over herself and the woman. "Oh I'm so sorry, Aes Sedai. Please forgive my clumsiness."
The woman smiled at Dymphna, her face rather amused. "Now, now child. There is no need to apologize, for a few small spots of water. Now let me take a look at you child." Taking Dymphna's chin in her hand, the woman's warm brown eyes looked at her critically. Seeming to be satisfied, the woman nodded to herself. "Come now. It's time we got going."
"Going? Going where?" Dymphna was really quite confused by that whole exchange. She wasn't sure what had happened there, but she wasn't so lost as to not realize that whatever it was had been quite significant. "And what did you mean when you said it's been a long time." She was speaking so fast that she began to trip over her own words in the confusion, and only belatedly remembered to tack on the honorific to the end of her sentence.
"Never you mind that child. We have a long journey ahead of us. I trust that do know how to ride a horse? " The woman nodded to herself as if her companion had agreed. "Good, the journey is much too long to have to walk to whole way." The Aes Sedai looked up at the sun "It's a good thing that I have already talked to your aunt and had your belongings packed, it's getting late, as it is we might not make it to Katar before the sun sets, and I really was hoping to not have to spend another night out in the weather."
Dymphna's mouth was agape. What was going on here? What journey was she talking about? She was just about to ask just that when Duvessa bundled over to them, her eyes red and puffy. "Oh my, oh my." Are you sure about all this, Micol Sedai? I mean she's still only a little girl, she couldn't possibly be ready yet. Maybe you should leave her here with me for another year or so. I really do think that would be best."
The Aes Sedai clicked her tongue audibly in irritation, her face taking on one of extreme patience. "Duvessa, you know as well as I do that this was arranged long ago with Saoirse before Dymphna was born. There is no point in belaboring the matter. Now, please make your good-byes to the girl." Turning to Dymphna she spoke directly to the Tuatha'an girl for the first time. "Dymphna, I will be waiting for you at the bend in the river. Don't dawdle. We've got quite a ways to go today." With that the Micol turned on her heel, and glided away.
Turning troubled eyes on the woman that had been like a mother to her since brutal massacre of her parents and sister, Dymphna looked at her in a whole new light. "What's going on? And what does she have to do with my mother?"
"Shush child. Come now, we have to get you a horse. Your belongings are already packed in a pair of saddlebags." The older woman scuttled away carefully avoiding answering any of her niece's questions. It wasn't long before she had a beautiful dappled mare ready. "Now come give your aunt a hug and kiss."
Obediently hugging the rotund woman, Dymphna planted a kiss softly on each of her cheeks, her eyes filling with tears. "When will I will see you again Aunt Duvessa?"
Her face softening, Duvessa's eyes glittered with unshed tears of her own. "Don't you worry about that now. You'll see me again soon enough." With a quick swat to the girl's bottom, she practically shoved her at the horse. "Be careful." Those were the last words Dymphna heard from her aunt's mouth. Watching the woman waddle away quickly, she pulled on the reins, taking the mare in the direction of the river to meet the Aes Sedai. Dashing away the tears that now ran freely down her cheek, she didn't look back at the camp. It would only make it harder. Promising herself that she would return she looked straight ahead, never noticing that Piaras stood, holding the shaking form of her aunt in his arms, watching her with an infinite sadness.