Riley's Background Story and Journal
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 2:43 am
The evening was dreary, rain pounded against the windows of the house. Andion Talvathar paced back and forth on the carpeted rugs in the living room, his wife, Miriel, lays in pain due to her pregnancy on the couch. Something was terribly wrong he thought, its been over two hours ago since he met with the Two Rivers Wisdom. She promised to be over as soon as she finished with another pressing matter.
Half past seven a soft but abrupt knock came at the door. Andion was a bit frustrated about how long it took the wisdom to get there, she brushed past him without hardly saying a word to him. She delved into Miriel’s body. After, a few minutes she realized that Miriel was suffering from internal bleeding, and that the umbilical cord was strangling her baby’s life.
Without taking her eyes off Miriel, she spoke, “There’s nothing I can do to save both of them, I can only save one of them, choose now before it’s too late.”
Andion felt like he had just had the wind knocked out of him. He loved his wife dearly, but he also felt as if he could not let his child die.
His voice wavered as he knew what he was about to say, “Wis.. Wisdom please save our baby.”
The Wisdom without hesitation used the power to make an incision into Miriel's belly. She slide her hands into the incision, carefully unwrapping the umbilical cord from the baby and pulling her out to safety. But, all was not well yet. The baby’s body was weak, and only the faintest of a heartbeat could be felt. The Wisdom severed the umbilical cord with her powers, and channeled to heal the baby. After a long 20 minutes, the baby started crying on her own, and regained her strength.
“Andion,” the wisdom said, “What shall you call her?”
“Riley shall be her name, Wisdom.” replied Andion.
The Wisdom swaddled Riley in a blanket and handed the little one over to Andion.
“Remember, Andion she was healed by the One Power, and will require lots of rest and nourishment,” stated the wisdom.
The wisdom closed Miriel’s eyes, and closed her wound from the emergency c-section by stitches. She pulled a blanket over Miriel’s body. “I’m sorry for your loss Andion, may Riley outshine her life in everyway.”
Andion nodded to the Wisdom, “Thank you, and peace be with you.
As she was about to leave, she looked back, “Andion, on the morrow we will have the funeral.”
After the funeral of her mother, and raising Riley on his own he still had a rough time being a single father. Andion was a master tanner, so between work and caring for Riley his time was scarce. Riley never did get a chance to know the loyal and caring mother she would have had. Instead her toddler years were very stressful. Any time she stepped out of line she didn’t have the caring and sensitive mother, who would of held some compassion when she got into the slightest bit of trouble. But, instead she had to face daddy’s leather strap.
As she grow up she learned a lot from her father, the art and skill for hunting, was her biggest achievement throughout her life. But, she really fancied the boys playing with their swords in the fields, sparring with each other. She became very skilled with short blades from over the years, but never was able to afford to buy any type of sword to be able to practice with, but knowing her strengths from hunting, she approached her father with the aspirations of becoming a warder.
She set off for Tar Valon the day after her 17th birthday, and was mostly awestruck by the magnificence and splendor of the city itself. While asking around the city about who and where she could enlist to become a warder, the city folk mostly laughed in her face. Some were even as ignorant and drunkenly slurring childish things like, “Listen lass, you couldn’t even hurt a fly.” or “You’re just a little runt.” some even were as ruthless as like “You can play with my sword, wench.” Needless to say, she was asking in all the wrong places. But, she figured most taverns would be willing to give anyone the information they wanted, but living in the Two Rivers all her life, she was sheltered from the rest of the world.
She finally stumbled across some public boards that had some information listed on it to visit with Gaidin Gregdal. Now that she had the information that he was on the first floor of the White Tower, she set off in that direction. At least she didn’t have to ask directions this time, since you would have to be a complete idiot not to be able to see the splendor of the White Tower from anywhere in the city.
Once inside she got lost, but wandered around a bit until she ran into a gentleman. She mentioned to him that she came to Tar Valon to become a warder. He introduced himself as Gaidin Sargon, and explained to her, that if she enlisted her chances to become a Warder wasn’t certain. He also mentioned the tuition fees to train with them. At which point she thanked him for the information that he had given to her and Gaidin Sargon escorted her back to the White Tower's entrance. But, since she was a woman he asked Riley if she wanted to know if she could channel. So, she said, "Sure", and he escorted her to meet the Mistress of Novices. After, being formally introduce Riley asked, "Merean Sedai can I learn to channel?" to which the Mistress of Novies at the time was not certain at the moment. Gaidin Sargon escorted Riley out to the entrance of the tower again, and formally gave her a farewell.
A few days later Riley was still intrigued if she could she could channel, this time the Mistress of Novices answer was that she could learn to channel. Not really knowing what that meant at the time because she never was in town at the time when the Aes Sedai came through Two Rivers to bring back girls that could channel, she was actually quite stunned at what happened next.
First off, she was told that she wouldn’t be able to wear all her current clothes. Secondly, that she would be getting a room in the tower, and that her new clothes would be in her rooms that she was expected to wear, keep clean and neat.
Riley felt like she got the wind knocked out of her as she pretty much right than had to come to the realization that her dreams of becoming a warder were shattered. All that lies before her now is the decision to become an Aes Sedai or to burn herself out before she gets to the point that the exhilaration of Saidar coursing through her body is greater than her will power to live.
Half past seven a soft but abrupt knock came at the door. Andion was a bit frustrated about how long it took the wisdom to get there, she brushed past him without hardly saying a word to him. She delved into Miriel’s body. After, a few minutes she realized that Miriel was suffering from internal bleeding, and that the umbilical cord was strangling her baby’s life.
Without taking her eyes off Miriel, she spoke, “There’s nothing I can do to save both of them, I can only save one of them, choose now before it’s too late.”
Andion felt like he had just had the wind knocked out of him. He loved his wife dearly, but he also felt as if he could not let his child die.
His voice wavered as he knew what he was about to say, “Wis.. Wisdom please save our baby.”
The Wisdom without hesitation used the power to make an incision into Miriel's belly. She slide her hands into the incision, carefully unwrapping the umbilical cord from the baby and pulling her out to safety. But, all was not well yet. The baby’s body was weak, and only the faintest of a heartbeat could be felt. The Wisdom severed the umbilical cord with her powers, and channeled to heal the baby. After a long 20 minutes, the baby started crying on her own, and regained her strength.
“Andion,” the wisdom said, “What shall you call her?”
“Riley shall be her name, Wisdom.” replied Andion.
The Wisdom swaddled Riley in a blanket and handed the little one over to Andion.
“Remember, Andion she was healed by the One Power, and will require lots of rest and nourishment,” stated the wisdom.
The wisdom closed Miriel’s eyes, and closed her wound from the emergency c-section by stitches. She pulled a blanket over Miriel’s body. “I’m sorry for your loss Andion, may Riley outshine her life in everyway.”
Andion nodded to the Wisdom, “Thank you, and peace be with you.
As she was about to leave, she looked back, “Andion, on the morrow we will have the funeral.”
After the funeral of her mother, and raising Riley on his own he still had a rough time being a single father. Andion was a master tanner, so between work and caring for Riley his time was scarce. Riley never did get a chance to know the loyal and caring mother she would have had. Instead her toddler years were very stressful. Any time she stepped out of line she didn’t have the caring and sensitive mother, who would of held some compassion when she got into the slightest bit of trouble. But, instead she had to face daddy’s leather strap.
As she grow up she learned a lot from her father, the art and skill for hunting, was her biggest achievement throughout her life. But, she really fancied the boys playing with their swords in the fields, sparring with each other. She became very skilled with short blades from over the years, but never was able to afford to buy any type of sword to be able to practice with, but knowing her strengths from hunting, she approached her father with the aspirations of becoming a warder.
She set off for Tar Valon the day after her 17th birthday, and was mostly awestruck by the magnificence and splendor of the city itself. While asking around the city about who and where she could enlist to become a warder, the city folk mostly laughed in her face. Some were even as ignorant and drunkenly slurring childish things like, “Listen lass, you couldn’t even hurt a fly.” or “You’re just a little runt.” some even were as ruthless as like “You can play with my sword, wench.” Needless to say, she was asking in all the wrong places. But, she figured most taverns would be willing to give anyone the information they wanted, but living in the Two Rivers all her life, she was sheltered from the rest of the world.
She finally stumbled across some public boards that had some information listed on it to visit with Gaidin Gregdal. Now that she had the information that he was on the first floor of the White Tower, she set off in that direction. At least she didn’t have to ask directions this time, since you would have to be a complete idiot not to be able to see the splendor of the White Tower from anywhere in the city.
Once inside she got lost, but wandered around a bit until she ran into a gentleman. She mentioned to him that she came to Tar Valon to become a warder. He introduced himself as Gaidin Sargon, and explained to her, that if she enlisted her chances to become a Warder wasn’t certain. He also mentioned the tuition fees to train with them. At which point she thanked him for the information that he had given to her and Gaidin Sargon escorted her back to the White Tower's entrance. But, since she was a woman he asked Riley if she wanted to know if she could channel. So, she said, "Sure", and he escorted her to meet the Mistress of Novices. After, being formally introduce Riley asked, "Merean Sedai can I learn to channel?" to which the Mistress of Novies at the time was not certain at the moment. Gaidin Sargon escorted Riley out to the entrance of the tower again, and formally gave her a farewell.
A few days later Riley was still intrigued if she could she could channel, this time the Mistress of Novices answer was that she could learn to channel. Not really knowing what that meant at the time because she never was in town at the time when the Aes Sedai came through Two Rivers to bring back girls that could channel, she was actually quite stunned at what happened next.
First off, she was told that she wouldn’t be able to wear all her current clothes. Secondly, that she would be getting a room in the tower, and that her new clothes would be in her rooms that she was expected to wear, keep clean and neat.
Riley felt like she got the wind knocked out of her as she pretty much right than had to come to the realization that her dreams of becoming a warder were shattered. All that lies before her now is the decision to become an Aes Sedai or to burn herself out before she gets to the point that the exhilaration of Saidar coursing through her body is greater than her will power to live.