Auriane Feidwyn

Basic Information

One Power Breakdown

History

History
Growing up in a small village north of Andor, Auriane had very little experience of the outside world, but she knew a lot of it. Her mother had told her stories from a young age, of immortal Aes Sedai, and of the cannibal Sea Folk, the ferocious and primitive Aiel, of the murderous Cairhienin and crafty Domani. She always wanted to see the world. Once, some Aes Sedai and their Warders had passed her village, when she was very young. Her father had held her on his shoulders so she could see them, but her mother didn’t want her to get too close to them — they were dangerous folk, after all.
Hours were long and the tasks repetitive on the farms, she had to fill her time somehow and often found herself daydreaming of faraway lands. The landscapes really were beautiful around the farm: green crops grew all around, and the shady orchard glistened with ripe, red apples. Riana was carrying a basketload of these apples across the square to the inn — Master Renlow started making cider at this time, and last year’s batch was going to be used in a few weeks at Sunday. Sunday! I absolutely cannot wait for the
She bumped into something. Raising her eyes, Riana was startled to see an enormous man, face all lines and planes, with eyes of coal. He didn’t look unfriendly, but she sensed that he could turn in an instant. Putting a friendly grin on her face, she said: “Hello, sir! I don’t know you. Are you lost?”
His eyes flickered back and forth, scanning the surroundings, and he answered: “yes.”
“Where do you need to go?”
He hesitated a moment, “Is there an inn around, my dear?”
Riana’s smile widened. “Why, of course! I’m on my way there just now. I need to take these apples to Master Renlow for his Sunday cider. You can come with me.” She started on her way again to the Rusted Key with a spring in her step. An outlander! He looked so strange. I’ve never seen a man wear his hair in a braid down the back
“Miss?” came from behind.
“Riana is my name, sir!” she exclaimed while turning around to greet him again.
He stood with a smile on his face — and his hands full of apples. “You dropped some.” Riana started towards him again, but he hopped up towards her, placing the apples back in her basket and taking hold of the handle Auriane did not hold over her shoulder. “I’ll help you with those, it looks a hefty load.”
“Oh, thank you, sir, but it’s really not a problem, I’ve always been working on the farms.”
Arriving at the inn, a redstone building with a sign hanging over the door depicting a black key, the outlander man held the door open for Riana as she skipped inside. There was another person there, a woman, but Riana had to be terribly rude and not stop to chat because Master Renlow was expecting the apples. “Hullo, sorry, excuse me, ma’am, I just need to…” When she had dropped the apples in the back room of the inn, Riana wiped her glistening forehead and retied her headscarf. Stepping out into the common room, she was greeted by an intimidating stare from the strange woman. She whispered something to the man, without her eyes letting go of Auriane’s, and he nodded while he left the inn. The smile dropped from Auriane’s face, and she thought: I must have done something terrible.
“Please, come and sit,” the woman said. “You may call me Saira.” She had luscious, curly black hair and wore a rich violet dress. She looked like a noblewoman! She was seated now, in the corner, with a raised eyebrow. “Are you coming, girl?”
“Oh! Yes, of course, ma- Saira!” Auriane shuffled towards her and plonked onto the chair across from her.
“I’ve come to believe that you possess certain… talents, girl. What is your name? I should like to have a name to give that lovely face.” Her eyes were still intense, probing. It was quite unsettling, and Riana knew she shouldn’t feel unsettled, there was no expression on her face.
“Ah, my name is, Ri- ah, Auriane Feidwyn.” She attempted a smile, but it would not come naturally.
“Now, Auriane, I’d like you to take a look at what happens just above the centre of our table.” Saira looked there, and presently there was a small candleflame in the air. “Just keep looking, Auriane. Please tell me if anything happens.”
It took a while, but when Riana saw the faint threads around the flickering flame, she gaped, amazed. It was the strangest thing she had ever seen.
Bundled onto one of her father’s ponies with little other than a cloak, three spare dresses and a comb, she plodded through the village gates, now a caravan with Saira and her man. Harl, that was his name. I heard her say it.
As Auriane rode away, her mother watched from her kitchen window, and she wept.

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