The Color of Trust

I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far. Thanks for your patience, I know there are certainly more WoT references right now than Bleach, but don’t worry! That will be changing soon, just need to get the intro and back story out of the way. Yay for my wonderful husband who takes time out of his busy work schedule to look over the story and point out any flaws or errors he finds. If we missed anything, please let me know!


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Definitions:

A’dam – The Leash

Sul’dam – Leash Holder

Ter’angreal – a product of the Age of Legends, one of many. Each are made for a specific purpose, though the use of which is largely unknown for most ter’angreal.

Accepted, the – young women training to be Aes Sedai that have reached a certain level of power and passed several tests to prove their skills. It takes an average of five to ten years to be raised from a Novice to an Accepted.

Aes Sedai – (lit.) of all, Servant. Women who can channel Saidar and have been trained in the White Tower of Tar Valon. They have passed many tests to earn both a ring and a shawl and are bound by the three oaths. Each Aes Sedai belongs to one of seven Ajah. Sedai is used as an honorific for all Aes Sedai


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Chapter 4 – Broken Trust


Step back through the Lace of Ages, two and a half decades before our current story…

The summer sun bore down on the citizens of Tar Valon without mercy. It was felt most keenly by the young men practicing in the yard, their wooden swords flashing as they danced with their opponents.

A group of Accepted were gathered on a nearby bench in the shade, their eyes watching the muscular backs and chests that now shone with sweat. Several of the girls tittered as one of the men glanced over at them between rounds.

Against the shade tree, Alindrah and Suiren leaned. “I do not see what is so impressive about these wetlander men Suiren. One Aiel man is worth twenty good warriors.” Alindrah declared scornfully, drawing a few annoyed glares from the women in front of them.

“These men are not going to be ordinary warriors Alindrah, you should know that. They are being trained by Gaidin to become Gaidin. Why do you think these women are watching them so? We are Accepted now, when we are raised to the shawl, one of these men may very well become our warder.” Alindrah’s gray eyes rolled in their sockets. As if she would have need of Gaidin.

Ariam walked over to them, her smile teasing. “And Suiren do have eyes for one already, no?”

Suiren’s face flushed and she waved her fan back and forth rapidly to try and cool it back down.

Behind Ariam sulked Larmika, who claimed to despise males but now and then Suiren caught her secretly glancing longingly at the men on the field. Larmika would most certainly take up the Red Ajah when raised. There she could forever declare men to be the root of all evil and be in like company.

Alindrah’s elbow in her side jerked Suiren back to attention. “That is right! I have seen her making calf eyes at Roarke Itsuwari whenever she believes no one is looking.” She glared at Alindrah, her cheeks heating again.

“I did hear one of the newly raised sisters do have eyes for him as well” Ariam taunted.

Suiren’s jaw dropped, her face a mask of horror. “But…he’s not done with his training yet!”

All three women burst into laughter, Alindrah clutching her side she laughed so hard. “I do be jesting, Suiren.” Ariam said, resting one hand lightly on her shoulder.

“Burn me for a fool” Suiren cursed under her breath.

“Suiren! That be no way for a lady to speak” chided Ariam, swatting her friend lightly.

“And that is no way for friends to treat each other” she shot back, sulking.

Alindrah slapped her hard on the back “Oh stop letting it get under your coat. Everyone knows Roarke Itsuwari has already promised he will let no other Aes Sedai bond him until you are raised. We are only teasing you.”

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When Suiren was raised she did indeed bond Roarke as her warder the very morning she received the shawl. All four women had been were given the title of Aes Sedai on the same day. She, Alindrah and Ariam had all chosen the Green Ajah, and as predicted, Larmika chose the Red.

Despite their differences, the women remained a close knit group. When they left the White Tower on missions, they always went together. But, when Suiren was unexpectedly called back to Saldaea to serve as her newly crowned sister’s advisor, only Alindrah and Roarke travelled with her.

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Twenty years later in her lavishly decorated tea room, Suiren fought back a yawn as she waited for Alindrah to arrive. This entire wing of the castle was reserved for the three of them alone. Servants only entered when called or when taking care of daily needs. Otherwise it was peacefully quiet and it provided the solace Suiren often sought for. Most of her days were spent beside her sister as she assisted in ruling which was far from calm or relaxing.

A clink of cups caught her attention as Roarke made his way in carrying a tray of tea. Had the tray not shifted slightly, she would not have even heard him approach. His gait was smooth and graceful, reminding her of a wild panther she had once seen. He was a deadly man who moved with fluid elegance, with or without the sword he now kept at his side.

“Good morning Suiren” he said with a smile, setting down the tea and preparing her a cup.

“Good morning to you as well Roarke, thank you for the tea.”

It seemed humorous almost that her Gaidin, a man who was an incredibly skilled warrior, did such a menial task as this, but she trusted few others to handle her food or drink. She and the Queen both exercised caution in that area, in light of an assassination attempt several years prior.

It was about then that Alindrah came breezing in the room, her skirts rustling softly. Despite being Aes Sedai, she still insisted on dressing as the Wise Ones of her people did, with a well made bleached linen blouse and a flowing brown skirt. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied back with a leather cord. The only jewelry she wore was a golden ring of a snake, The Great Serpent, biting its own tail. This ring was worn by all Aes Sedai, though it was given to them upon becoming an Accepted.

“I see you Roarke Itsuwari, Suiren sur Bashere” Alindrah greeted them in typical Aiel fashion. Though she slipped now and again, Alindrah almost always referred to them by their full names. The Aiel did not keep surnames and therefore called everyone by their full name.

This was their morning ritual, the most sacred time of day for them when they could all relax in each others company and avoid the scrutiny that was the Royal Court.

“I see you, Alindrah” they replied together as she settled into the chair beside Suiren.

After Roarke had poured Alindrah’s tea he stepped back and moved to sit in the window. “Do you not care to sit with us today Gaidin?” Alindrah teased, hoping to get a rise out of the usually quiet man. He acted as though he heard nothing at all, staring out the window in silence. She huffed in disappointment and took a deep drink of her tea.

Time passed in silence as the two women enjoyed themselves, but the peace of the morning was short lived. Suiren pressed her fingers into her eyes “Light…my head.”

Alindrah turned quickly back to her sister with concern “What is the matter sister?”

The room started to swim in Suiren’s eyes. Movement from the doorway caught her attention and she squinted to look. “Who is there?” She tried to stand but fell back in her chair.

“What is going on here?!” Demanded Alindrah as she stood, turning to face the two women that walked in the room. “Ariam? Larmika?” the Aiel woman stood dumbfounded for a moment.

“Roarke” moaned Suiren. He looked towards her sadly but made no move from his perch. With a clatter, Suiren’s head hit the table.

Alindrah looked from Suiren to Roarke to Ariam and Larmika. “Blood and ashes…we’ve been drugged.” She tried to walk forward but fell, her legs disobeying her commands.

“Roarke…” Suiren called one last time before the world went black.

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When she woke, her head was throbbing horribly. She blinked, eyes still fuzzy with sleep. She could hear only the regular clip of hooves and feel the sway of that steady beat. Suiren attempted to raise one hand to inspect a cold band she could feel around her neck but found she could not move. Looking down she saw that her hands were tied to the pommel of a saddle.

“Ah, the princess is awake” a harsh voice announced, causing her to wince.

“What is going on? Larmika? Is that you?”

Peeking out of the hood that cloaked her face, Suiren saw a strange silvery cord that connected to her necklace ran all the way to Larmika’s wrist as she rode beside her.

Larmika laughed “Stupid little chit never saw it coming. You’re almost as brainless as that warder of yours.”

Shock hit Suiren square in the chest. Roarke! She couldn’t feel him anymore. Her eyes stung with tears as the pain bloomed within her. The bond had been severed…Roarke was…

“What have you done with him?” she choked out, her voice thick.

“Why do ye ask a question ye do know the answer to?” Turning to her right she saw Ariam through her tear filled eyes. “Why?!”

Larmika snorted “Men are such a nuisance. He served his purpose, but he was a loose thread.”

“I…I don’t understand” Suiren stammered.

Ariam sighed “He do be the one that drugged ye, foolish girl.”

She shook her head fiercely, it couldn’t be true. Roarke had been a faithful warder to her for twenty years, she’d known him since she was a Novice in the White Tower. But then…she had known Ariam and Larmika for that long as well.

“You are…were our friends” she corrected “Why the sudden change?”

Larmika cackled madly “Wool for brains. We have never been your friends. We have only done as the Great Lord asked.”

With those last words Suiren’s blood froze in her veins. They were servants of the Dark One! She struggled to fit the pieces together, still unable to believe that three people she trusted and one with her very life had gone to such lengths to betray her.

“This doesn’t make any sense. Aes Sedai cannot serve the Father of Lies, the Three Oaths--”she was cut off by Larmika

“-Can easily be removed” the other woman finished.

Suiren licked her lips nervously as it began to sink into her. Ariam and Larmika were members of the Black Ajah, something that was staunchly denied by any Aes Sedai as ever existing. Darkfriends held no place among Aes Sedai. Aes Sedai were meant to destroy the Dark One and his minions, not foster them.

“This cannot be happening” she whispered.

Though she knew it was pointless she tried to open herself up to Saidar. She was met with a wall, not quite solid, though certainly not easily breached. It was not a shield, but what felt like a barrier that blocked her from grasping the source fully. She could just barely channel a weak thread, nothing more. Even that attempt made her head spin.

“Don’t waste your time trying to channel. The a’dam you wear is a ter’angreal. It allows the sul’dam to control you completely. You will only make yourself sick trying to channel without my permission.”

Suiren moaned and reeled in her saddle. “Oh Light…”

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Alindrah finally awoke as they came to a stop in a copse of trees well off the beaten path. She had been given a much stronger dose of the drug due to her upbringing. They knew to watch themselves around an Aiel.

Recalling what happened, she tried to asses the situation as best she could. Feigning sleep, she quietly observed her surroundings from underneath the hood of hear cloak, watching and waiting. She was not kept in repose long. Her captor dismounted and moved over to Alindrah. She kept her eyes shut, lax as though still sleeping. As soon as Ariam untied her from the pommel of the saddle she made her move, striking the woman hard across the face.

The moment her fist made contact, one of more than double the force felt like it hit her own cheek. She grunted and fell the rest of the way out of her saddle, barely managing to land gracefully. Using her momentum, she swung out her leg, knocking Ariam to the ground with her. Again it felt as though the pain she inflicted on the woman was returned to her only much harder.

“Alindrah!” she heard Suiren scream. Her friend was not far off, wearing the same strange leash that was hanging from Alindrah’s neck. Larmika was beside her, grinning cruelly.

An invisible blow struck her in the face then, fists made of air she knew was coming from Larmika. She could see the glow surrounding her. She fought to grasp the source herself even as the blows rained down but her efforts were in vain. Still, Alindrah fought like a cornered fox.

“Stop it!” Suiren screamed, pleading with the two women.

Larmika sneered at her, not pausing in her assault. Soon her pleading was for herself as she felt claws tearing at her body that left no mark. She tried covering herself protectively but these were not attacks made of air, but pain translated through the a’dam.

“It’s so deliciously easy” Larmika said with delight “All I need to do is think of causing you pain and this wonderful thing does the work for me.”

Suiren screamed until her throat was raw and breathing ragged. Even when she thought she no longer had a voice with which to scream, her own howls filled her ears until her body fled into unconsciousness.


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Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please review, I’d like your two cents. :)