Rhiann Callum





Growing up in Tar Valon children are very much aware of and respect the Aes Sedai and the White Tower. Children are also exposed to people from all over the continent who come to Tar Valon in search of aid from the Sisters of the Tower. Rhiann Callum was no exception. She was intrigued by these foreigners and the sisters as well, and she often played near the Tower in order to get a better glimpse of both. The more she saw the more she wanted to learn. She often spoke to travellers, eager to learn more of the world outside Tar Valon, and she absorbed everything she was told. She decided that she wanted to travel the world when she grew up.......she wanted to be an explorer. Her parents did not try to discourage her, to the contrary, they suggested she study in the public portions of the Tower's Great Library to learn what she would need to know to get along in the world.

Rhiann took their advice and more. She took to splitting her time between studying in the Library and offering her services as a guide to tourists. She would get them rooms in a hotel, transportation around town, dinner reservations, or any other services that they needed. Most importantly, she was earning a wage that she could save for her future travels. The remainder of her free time was spent in the Library.

Rhiann read all manner of books and even took up lending a hand where she was allowed in the the Library. She found herself intrigued by the Borderlands and by the Sisters themselves. Rhiann often took advice on which books to read from Verin Sedai, a kindly Sister of the Brown Ajah who seemed to know a good deal about everything to young Rhiann. The more the young girl read and learned, she came to understand that she too could channel the One Power. She told no one. She wanted to travel the world more than anything, on her own, and on her own terms and in anonimity. She had also seen some of the minor machinations of the Sisters and didn't want any part of it.

That would all change for Rhiann on her eleventh namingday, much to the girl's chagrin. She often stayed late at the Tower Library helping put away the books from the day and the returns as well. On this night, however, she was in a hurry to get home early. Her mother was fixing a special dinner just for Rhiann and she knew there'd be cake too. Rhiann ran through the streets excitedly. When she came to the site of her parent's store, a Tailor's shop with the family home out back, all was quiet and the store appeared to be closed. This made the young girl giddy with glee. That meant that her parents had something even more special than she could imagine planned for her. She moved to the house she shared with her parents and five siblings, a smile on her face.

She opened the door and her delight turned to horror. Instead of a party, she founf her family bound up and a man rifling through their belongings. He turned when he heard the door and darted for the now frightened young girl. Panicked, frightened, and angry, Rhiann's emotions took over and her instinct to channel kicked in. She imprisoned the would be thief in flows of Air. The commotion was such that a passerby heard and called the Watch. Instantly, a fever took the child. She grew weak and could feel herself losing awareness. Just as the Tar Valon guardsmen arrived, she passed out.

She awaoke to find a Green Sister sitting beside her bed, and Rhiann began to cry. Her secret was out. The Sister, mistaking Rhiann's sorrow for fear, calmly explained what Rhiann had done and told her that she could channel. The Aes Sedai went on to explain that her parents were sending her to the Tower to learn more, she would be a novice, and wasn't that wonderful? Her family was thrilled, Rhiann was mortified. She nodded her head in resignation and a few days later she was off to the Tower.

Despite the fact that Rhiann wanted no part of being Aes Sedai, she studied hard to learn to control this thing so that she could leave the Tower and get on with her life. Shortly before her Thirteenth namingday, the Mistress of Novices Sheriam Sedai, called Rhiann into her office to explain that the time was coming for Rhiann to be raised to Accepted. The Novice would soon meet her mentor, a Sister who would guide the Accepted in her studies and her channeling. That evening, Rhiann met the woman who would change her life and her opinion of being Aes Sedai forever.

The woman who entered her room was small and slight of frame. A beautiful woman with dark hair and dark blue eyes that almost matched the gem that rested on her forehead, and she held the air of royalty. Moiraine Sedai. The Blue Sister explained many things to Rhiann over the next few days and indeed over the next few years. Rhiann was an apt pupil. Moiraine traveled frequently, which thrilled the young Accepted. It gave her options. In the periods of Moiraine's absence, the Blue Sister left a demanding list of studies and courses and would test the girl on her return. Moiraine tolerated no failure, and if she felt Rhiann had not done well enough, she would make her take a course over even if the teacher had passed her. Rhiann didn't mind. She respected her mentor more than anyone and set about her assigned task with a determination that even Moiraine respected. Rhiann came to look forward to her time with her mentor.

There came a period where Rhiann saw Moiraine Sedai less and less, for the Sister visited less frequestly. Now in the time since the breaking of the Tower, she has not seen Moiraine in some years and fears the woman lost. On Moiraine's last visit to the Tower, she had and odd coversation with Rhiann. One that Rhiann will never forget for it is burned into her mind:

"Do you trust me?" Moiraine had asked. Her voice was clam and her look cold and emotionless.

"Of course I do, Moiraine Sedai." Rhiann had replied. Confusedly, a slight frown had played across her brow as she searched her mentor's face for some sign of disappointment. Seeing nothing she began to as, "Have I given you reason to doubt..."

Moiraine silenced her with a look and a slight gesture, "There may come a time when I call you to me with no explanation or reason. I may need a service or a favor. Will you respond even if it means running away from the Tower?"

Again Rhiann had studied Moiraine's face. The Blue Sister knew very well how Rhiann felt and her dreams, they had talked about it often enough. She answered solemnly, "Yes. You know I would, Moiraine Sedai."

Moiraine nodded, "If this happens, it will be in secrecy with a word to no one, not a soul." The woman's tone was hard and deliberate, "Are you willing to swear to that?"

Rhiann looked into her mentor's eyes, her tone was equally hard and filled with determination, "I swear to you Moiraine of House Damodred, Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, I will come you you if called, answer a need should you present one, or perform any service you may need and none shall be the wiser, not even the Amyrlin Seat herself. Bring the Oath Rod if you like, but I have never before gone against you and I will not ever." Approval lit her montor's eyes, though her look never changed.

After a moment, she smiled warmly and patted Rhiann on the knee, "Now let us pray that day never comes." Rhiann could have sworn she saw the tension ease from the older woman. Without a change, Moiraine turned the conversation to the girl's studies and what should be next. Moiraine had also sworn her not to tell anyone they had met that night.

In the time since then, Rhiann has fled the Tower. In the days of the Towers split, many where killed and Rhiann was determined to be there to aid Moiraine. She knew that her mentor would side with Siuan Sanche and she follwed Moiraine's unspoken lead. In the time since, she has searched for Moiraine. She does not believe that she was killed when she and Lanfear entered that portal, and she pushes herself to become stronger so that she can go after the Blue Sister. And she knows that she needs the training of the Tower to do so. So now she comes home..........and to what she does not know. Once raised she began her search for Moiraine once again and spent years in search of her. She has recently just returned.