Somerne, one of Morallihn's companions flashed signs with her hands to the others.
They come.
Twenty Maidens pulled the black veil over their eyes, Aiel only killed when veiled.
Over the rise came the Shaido Aiel, the enemies that Morallihn would fight that day. On Somerne's hand signal, they rushed forward to start the attach.
Many people would think the fight was over something small, a pool of water. But in the Waste, it was the only water for many miles, and the Aiel were a warlike people. The Shaido and Tardaad clans had never gotten along.
Caught by surprise, a few of the Shaido fell before they could recover and veil themselves. They were facing thiry-two Shaido in all, a fair scouting party, but fourteen of these were Maidens and stepped aside from the battle, even in full war, no Maiden of the Spear would fight another Maiden.
It seemed the Shaido had faced another battle before reaching this hill, they were tired and injured already. Morellihn fought of first one then another, surprised at how easy it was. Why, the Shaido were as slow as wetlanders! Aiel were supposed to fight better then that.
As she thought this, her feet were knocked out from under her by a towering Aielman. He brought his spear down for the kill. Morellihn gasped, but she was not afraid, she was not! Death came to all on this day or another was the Aiel saying, but light help her she did not want to die now! She raised her hand to her spear...and a fireball shot out of it and hit the Aielman. Horrified, Morellihn got up and stared at the man she had just killed with fire! But...it was not possible! She was a Maiden of the Spear, not a Wise One, she could not touch the One Power as some women could.
Yet she had. Had anyone else noticed?
She looked around to see that the battle was over. The Shaido Maidens were going back down the other way, and those of the Shaido who were not dead were stripped naked and sat meekly on their hands. They would be gai'shain. Aiel had no servants, instead, any prisoners they captured would be put in white robes and would serve those they capture meekly for a year and a day. They would willingly do it, even Shaido had enough honor to follow ji'e'toh.
One man stood alone, seeming comfused and terrified. He had dark hair and eyes that no Aiel would have, but it was not that that marked him as a wetlander. A prisoner of the Shaido, perhaps.
"Thank you, for freeing me." He said unsurely to her. "The way you fought wit the fire was amasing." Before Morellihn realised what she was doing, she kicked out at the man. This wetlander had seen her!
"What is a wetlander like you doing in the three-fold-land?" She demanded. He had to know that the Aiel let none save peddlers enter their land without penalty. "You will tell no one of what you saw, and you come with us and be glad you are not bound hand and foot!" The man, allready quivering with fear, shrank back and complied.
Only sixteen of their own party remained, a smaller loss then what the Shaido had taken. The mourning for the dead consisted of a song, then they were on their way. They had fought for the small amount of water, now they must go to it.
On the treck to it, Morellihn was worried. Should she tell the Wise Ones of the fire? What would they do? Wise Ones were named what they were for a reason, but they did not tread lightly on those who broke rules.
A few tents appeared in the distance, growing in detail as their party grew closer. In the center was the precious water source. Morellihn could see, to her dismay, the silver haired Wise Ones waiting for them outside of one tent. They couldn't possibly know, could they?
As their party grew closer, the Wise Ones approached them.
"Morellihn." Ryenina spoke. "You must come to the tents immediately." How did they know? Whatever came, she would face it.
Watch your step with them, spear-sister. One of the Maidens fingers flashed in their handtalk.
Morellihn signed back angrily, Mind your own business.
"You are summoned to us, Morellihn of the Brown Valley Sept of the Tardaad Aiel." Dyneia, a golden-haired wise one spoke. "We would have had you sooner, but you went off to fight the Shaido." So it wasn't something about the fire. Light, she would have to figure out what that was!
"You must now begin your training as a Wise One." Ryenina said. Morellihn choked.
"Wise One training?" She asked in disbelief. "I am a Maiden of the Spear!"
"You are that no longer." Dyneia said, taking the spear from Morellihn's hands and breaking it over her knee.
"No!" Morellihn found herself crying, then scolded herself for being so rash. "Why do you force this upon me? I am a Maiden of the Spear by choice, just as you are Wise One's by choice. If I wished to be a Wise One I would have begun long ago."
"We should have begun you long ago." The other Wise One who's name Morellihn did no know muttered.
"You can channel girl, and quite strongly. Whether you wish it or not, one day you will touch the One Power, and you must let us teach you to wield it. You one of the few with the ability born in you, unlike some who are just taught it, and you must become one of us." Oh light, the fire! She could channel! She, Morellihn of the Brown Valley sept of the Tardaad Aiel, could use the One Power. Somehow this seemed a curse.
"You must get rid of the candi'sor. " The Wise One went on. "YOu must rid yourself of every weapon you possess and burn it, break it down, and use its material to make something of peace, like toys for a child. You are a Wise One apprentice, and Wise One's do no fighting, so you must not touch a spear or weapon other than a belt knife again." Morellihn wanted to cry out again. The spear was her life! Not to fight to defend sept, clan, or society ever again? Maidens were bound to spear, they were not even allowed to marry if they fought. "The spear is your husband, your child, you family..." Some Maidens did give up the spear for a man, or for a more peaceful life, but she, Morellih, could not be one of those!
"First and foremost." Ryenina said, voice firm. "You must go to Rhuidean."
Rhuidean. Men who wanted to be clan chiefs went there, to see if they were worthy. They either came back with a Dragon tattooed on their forearm, or did not come back. Women who wanted to be Wise Ones went for the same reason, and if they were worthy they came back, if not, they didn't.
"I will go." Light, but she wanted to stay a Maiden. But what was done was done, nothing she could do about it. If this was where the dream of life lead her, this was where she would go.
Rhuidean was several miles away, the city in the clouds, but Morellihn could see it easily in the distance. The Wise Ones walked with her outside of the tent circle a little ways. Then they told her to strip. One was not allowed to enter Rhuidean clothed.
"Go now, and be not afraid." The Wise One's told her.
"I fear nothing." Morellihn said, half to herself and half to the wise ones, and she began to run across the Aiel Waste towards the tall spires of its one city.
