Cerawyn Bandevin, Novice

Biography — Writing History

Written By: Amy Lynne
Created: June 2010

Curriculum Vitae

  • Gender: F
  • Hometown: A small village in Andor

Channeling Information

  • Elemental Strengths (strong to weak): Air, Water, Spirit, Fire, Earth

Physical Description

Cerawyn has brown hair and eyes, and is rather average looking. She is of average height and perhaps just on the slim side of average for her weight. She is often quiet, but sensible to a fault. She tries to see the truth in every situation,and act in the most sensible way possible. She is very devoted to her family and to Balin, the man had left behind at home, though she intends to still return and marry him when possible.

Biography

Cerawyn didn’t believe in Aes Sedai. Well, that wasn’t exactly the truth. Everyone beleived in Aes Sedai, evne if they wouldn’t admit they did. The stories of the acts performed by Aes Sedia were simply so outrageous that there had to be some shred of truth to them. What she didn’t beleive was that any girl from this part of Andor was meant to be Aes Sedai. Woman from her village did a lot of things: they cooked, they sewed, they baked pies, they got married and had children and allowed them to play on the village green on a sunny afternoon. But they did not become Aes Sedai. In truth, they rarely left the village. One or two left on occasion, off to the city with dreams of rich husbands and dresses they didn’t have to mend nearly once a week it seemed, but they always came back, often within a few months or a year at the most.

And when an Aes Sedai, surely she could be nothing but, came into the village and approached her family’s door, being directed there by a few different people, Cerawyn could not believe her misfortune. She had a comfortable life in the village, and had now reached the age where thinking of marriage and babies and the future was deemed appropriate. Her father made a modest living as a farmer. He sold grain in the larger villages and once a year would go to Caemlyn if the crop was of quality enough to sell in the city. Still, though the farm was small, and the work never seemed to end, Cerawyn and her family never truly lacked for anything they needed. There was even occasional money for a surprise or two, a new toy for Jaron, or a new doll for Amara. As the oldest of five children, Cerawyn didn’t mind that the bulk of surprises fell of her younger siblings.

Still, it had to be the Dark One’s own luck to somehow upset her life when all seemed to have fallen into place. Balin was perhaps days from speaking to her father about his feelings for her. He wished to marry her, he’d told her as much, and she was equally as eager to be his wife. As son of the village’s blacksmith, even her father, who rarely approved of anyone when it came to his daughters, couldn’t say no to Balin’s request.

Cerawyn sighed and laid back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She let her brown eyes drift closed for a moment and then opening them again, found herself staring out the small window at the shadowed landscape beyond. She could not help replaying the conversation in her mind, feeling her own emotions flow and change at even the slightest thought of leaving the village, of leaving Balin.

The dark haired woman wore a plain but obviously good quality green dress, with a cloak about her shoulders of a deeper, yet still unadorned, green. Her dark hair was pulled away from a face that might have been considered beautiful to more than one man if not for the fact that it held the ageless appearance that instantly marked her as Aes Sedai, even to those who knew little of the most renowned residents of Tar Valon. She glanced around the room and then spoke to Cerawyn’s parents, who still seemed bewildered to have her in their home. The woman named herself as Nyari Sedai. Closing her eyes once more, Cerawyn allowed herself to recall the conversation once more.

“Be at ease. I am passing though your village on search for girls who should be brought to Tar Valon. As you know, the Tower seeks all who can use the One Power, even in places that have not seen a sister in decades. I have decided to speak with all the families who have daughters, you see of course why this must be. Any Aes Sedai can sense the ability in another. I believe your daughter must come with me to Tar Valon. I can sense her ability, even if she has no knowledge of it herself.” The Aes Sedai glanced in Cerawyn’s direction and Cerawen could only shake her head. What the woman was saying was simply not possible.

“My daughter is capable of many things, Aes Sedai. She will be an excellent wife to whichever man she chooses and I have no doubt that she will contribute to the village as she should.” Lans Bandevin looked serious, even more than usual. “But she herself denies that she has any such ability as you speak of, and I will not allow you to take my daughter against her will.”

The Aes Sedai turned her back on Lans now, and fixed her eyes directly on Cerawyn. Her face was serene but her eyes hinted at the disapproval she felt inside. Clearly, Nyari Sedai was not someone used to hearing the word “no” for any reason. Cerawyn’s stomach turned under that gaze and she summoned all her courage not to shift her weight from one foot to the other.

“Your name child, is…?” The Aes Sedai’s voice was as calm as her expression. It almost made the hair on the back of Cerawyn’s neck stand up the way the Aes Sedai could hide her feelings so easily. Perhaps that was a gift of the One Power or perhaps not. Perhaps only study for years of the One Power’s intricacies allowed a person to have such complete control over themselves.

“Cerawyn, Aes Sedai.” She said simply, seeing no need to give any more than was required to answer the question.

“You have the ability within you to become a great Aes Sedai child.” Nyari Sedai took a sip form the treacup given by Cerawyn’s mother, Valda. “To be Aes Sedai is to guide the world, advise its leaders for what may come. To be Aes Sedai is a greater calling than marriage or motherhood or even to sit upon one of the thrones of this world.“

“But I have no wish for such a calling, Aes Sedai.” Cerawyn did not intend to be rude, but she would be honest with this woman. Whether she was accustomed to hearing disagreement or not, she would hear the truth. “I wish only for a life here, a happy marriage and family. I have no desire to influence anyone but those I truly care for, and work to see that influence is a good one.”

Not even a moment of impatience or annoyance crossed the Aes Sedai’s face, no hint of frustration at having her wishes denied. Truly it was something of a marvel to Cerawyn. Even the most patient woman in the village would show annoyance at having her wishes so summarily dismissed.

“They tell me you are of marrying age, Cerawyn.” At the girl’s nod, Nyari contiunued. “If this is true, then surely you will understand the responsibility you have to those around you, and to your village. The ability in you that I have spoken of will come about whether you acknowledge it or not. The ability to channel will manifest itself when the time is right, and untrained, this can be very dangerous. Without the proper training of the Aes Sedai, training you can only receive in Tar Valon, you could be a danger to anyone and everyone around you, when that time comes. You must learn control, and without control, the Power, though a beautiful and wonderful thing, can do horrible things. I am Aes Sedai, you know I speak truth.”

A danger to her family, to those she loved, to Balin? Cerawyn could scarcely believe her ears, and wanted to believe with all her heart that the woman was lying, but how could she? Aes Sedai did not lie. Even those who knew almost nothing of the most powerful group of women in the world knew that much.

Nyari Sedai stood and gathered her cloak about her. “I will leave in the morning, for your own sake, I hope you see reason between now and then.” The door closed behind her and though the room still held seven people, none spoke a word.

Valda gathered the younger children and took them to bed. Cerawyn sighed softly and kissed her father’s cheek before retreating to her room. “I will make the right decision, Papa.” He only nodded and she somehow felt as though he knew the right choice, she simple needed to have the courage to make it.

Cerawyn sat up on the edge of her bed. Even thinking over the conversation did not make things easier. She wished that she were Amara’s age, when everything was simple and her parents would make the decision and she would follow, knowing it was right. When had life gotten so complicated? Without her even realizing, it seemed as if everything that was set in stone hours ago was completely mixed up in her head. Could she touch the One Power? Nyari Sedai said she could, or she would. Cerawyn shook her head in frustration, unable to remember the woman’s exact words now. Did it truly make a difference which it was, if even the slightest touch could be dangerous to all around her? But it she could touch it, wouldn’t she know?

The last question plagued her mind, it kept her from sleeping for a good few hours as the moon crept higher into the sky and still Cerawyn turned the words over and over in her mind. She had often ignored the rantings of some of the older men in the village when they said that Aes Sedai told their own truths. Aes Sedai could not lie, but was what Nyari Sedai said the complete truth, or simply the truth that suited her purpose of getting more women for the White Tower?

Finally, Cerawyn could toss and turn no longer and stood up, slowly pulling on her skirt and wrapping a cloak over her shift against the chilled air as the fire in the main room had long since begun to burn down. Adasine stirred in her bed for a moment, mumbling and then turning over, went back to sleep. Cerawyn exhaled slowly, relieved she had not woken her sister. Adasine was younger by 2 years and though much like Cerawyn, she found the tales of Tar Valon exciting and could not understand why Cerawyn did not want to go. She would have stolen a horse if need be, to get there herself. But the Aes Sedai had not even spared Adasine a second glance, and the girl couldn’t help feeling stung by it.

Cerawyn crept to the front door of her family’s home as quietly as she could and made her way down the darkened street, not that it was truly a street as a city would have, more a gap between the rows of houses. It seemed that the whole village was sleeping and yet she searched, eyes trying to watch every direction at once, until the green came into view. Her steps quickened as she found what she was looking for. A faint light burned in the smithy run by Balin’s family. She had been there so many times, sat on a stool in the corner and just watched him work, sometimes with Adasine and sometimes alone, but always taking every opportunity to speak to him.

She pushed the door of the smithy open and let it close behind her, perhaps harder than she should have. She paused for a moment, hoping the noise hadn’t woken anyone. Moving across the room to the fireplace, she pulled her favorite stool from the corner and sat down in front of the slowly dying fire. It was little more than ashes now but she huddled in front of it, staring into the fading flames as if hoping the answer would jump out at her. She was so intent on her thoughts that she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her, or the voice softly calling hr name. In fact, she didn’t react to anything until a hand touched her shoulder.

With a yelp she toppled from her stool, landing with a thud on the smithy floor, brown eyes wide with surprise. She scrambled to her feet and found herself standing face to face with Balin. Her cheeks reddened immediately at seeing him and she hastily brushed at her skirts, as if they were covered in dust, though the floor of the smithy was nearly as clean as the floor in her mother’s kitchen. When she finally had the courage to look at him, she found his brown eyes looking at her with concern.

“Cera, what are you doing here?” He asked softly, bending down to right the stool that she’d knocked over in alarm. He pulled a second stool from the corner, taking her hand, helped her sit down again, before sitting himself.

“I am sorry, Balin, I did not mean to wake you, or anyone else for that matter. I need to think, and this seemed a quiet place. I did not think that I would disturb anyone here.” When she realized he still held her hand in his, she gave it a gentle squeeze and smiled at him, though admittedly, she didn’t feel much like smiling. “We had a visitor tonight, as a few other families have as well I suspect. She was an Aes Sedai, and she thinks that I am able to use the One Power.” The last words come out as barely more than a whisper. She could feel tears coming to her eyes, but she pushed them away. “She is leaving tomorrow, and wishes me to go with her to Tar Valon, to the White Tower.”

“Leave the village?” Balin’s own words were scarcely more than a whisper. The concerned expression on his face only grew moreso when she nodded. “Surely, she must be mistaken.”

“Aes Sedai can not lie, Balin, and she says that I can do….. things with the Power. That I can channel and that if I am not trained at the White Tower, that I could be a dangerous to you, and to my family.” A stray tear trickled down Cerawyn’s cheek and she tried to brush it away quickly before Balin could see. Only she was a moment too slow, as his free hand wiped it away as if it had never been.

“You will do what you think is best, Cera, you always do. And if you must go, I will wait, you know that. No one leaves for long, we have both seen so many leave with big dreams of the city, only to come back. Perhaps you will go to Tar Valon, they will realize that they can not train you, and they will let you come back to the village. To me.” His words actually did more to reassure her than she would dare to admit.

“I know you will, and I think perhaps that is the best course for things. I do not wish to leave at all, but I will not risk the lives of those I love on the hope that one woman, Aes Sedai or no, could be wrong. But even if I leave tomorrow, my mind is still not made up completely, I will return as soon as I may. And I will write and tell you all about….. everything.” Her words trailed off as the enormity of leaving seemed to finally rest fully on her shoulders. If she left, she did not know how long she would be gone. “It could be years Balin.”

“I know, and I would find you in Tar Valon if I had to.” He pulled her closer, wrapping her arms about her, and she was content to stay there for a few long moments. She felt safe there, a feeling that she needed at this moment. She wondered if it would be the last time she would feel safe for a very long time. She was not worried for her safety without him, this was merely a different sort of safe. It was home, and she knew it.

She felt his hand under her chin, and felt him lift her face to look at him. Their lips touched for one moment that seemed to stretch on for ages before parting again, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that somehow things would be all right. She loved him with all her heart and soul, and in that moment she was certain he felt the same.

For a time, neither of them spoke, the silence stretching out between then, but it was not awkward or unwelcome. It was the silence that sits between two people who are completely assured in themselves and in each other. Cerawyn wished with all her heart that she could stay there with him. That the sun would never rise on the journey that was to come, and that they would not have to be separated.

“You should sleep Cera, you have a long journey tomorrow.” His voice was soft in her ear, and with a sigh she pulled away from him. She nodded slowly, still fighting off the desire to simply stay with him.

“Will you be there tomorrow? When we leave?” She asked him, both rising to their feet and Cerawyn wrapped her cloak tightly around her.

“Of course.” He took her hand and they left the smithy. She had expected him to part ways with her once they left the building, but he insisted on walking with her until she reached her family’s home. He kissed her again, as if neither wanted the other to go. But sense prevailed and she did go inside and to her room, slipping into bed for a few hours of sleep before the sun rose again on the rest of her life.

The next morning came far too quick for Cerawyn and the prospect of leaving was staring her straight in the face. There was no avoiding it now. This was truly happening and without much time for delay, she packed a few changes of clothes, though she wondered if she would be gone long enough that more would be more pudent.

Outside the house stood three horses, Nyari’s mare stood beside a tall warhorse that snapped at anyone who came near it, save the man holding his reins. Cerawwyn hadn’t seen the man before, and studied him for a moment as she handed her bag to one of the grooms from the village’s only inn. The man looked like he’d been carved from the stone that made the walls of some of the houses of the village. She figured him to be Nyari’s Warder. The stories of Warders were even more outrageous than those of Aes Sedai. Men who could go without sleep or much food, could fight for hours on end, and could feel the minions of the Shadow, surely they must be exaggerations, though Cerawyn couldn’t wonder how much of the tales could be true, looking at the man standing with Nyari.

The third horse, one of the few to be spared in the village was for Cerawyn herself. A mare with a deep chestnut coat, nothing special but certainly it would carry her to Hama Valon well enough. Balin stood next to it, holding the reins and ready to help her mount, though there was no need. Cerawyn wasn’t the best rider in the village by far, but she could usually get on a horse’s back without falling or looking a complete goose. Still, she smiled when their eyes met. It was a nervous smile, though she was determined not to show it.

She was also determined not to cry, there was no point in it really. It wasn’t as though tears would change the fact she was leaving. They would make the trip no shorter, the time away no shorter, and would only give further upset to those she was leaving behind. Was she leaving them behind, or was she foolishly stepping out into the unknown without them? The answer to that question was hard to decide. But the time was nearing, and both Nyari and her Warder looked impatient to be on their way, even though the sun had scarcely peeked over the horizon.

The Aes Sedai said nothing as Cerawyn approached the horse and with Balin’s help mounted and got her skirts settled. It was as if she knew Cerawyn would be there all along. And perhaps she did, the Light only knew what things an Aes Sedai could know without even hinting at them. Perhaps this one saw the future, as if such a thing were possible. The Aes Sedai and Warder turned their horses and started at a slow walk toward the edge of the village, heads together as soon as they were out of earshot. Cerawyn hesitated for a moment when Balin grabbed her hand.

“Come back to me Cera. I will wait.” She thought his words would shatter her resolve not to be emotional about the leavetakings, but she somehow managed to swallow hard and hold everything together. Cerawyn squeezed his hand and mouthed the words “I love you”, before letting go and kicking her horse to follow Nyari and her Warder. She glanced over her shoulder only once, near the edge of the village. She could just make out one shape near the front of her home and knew it to be Balin. He was already waiting for her to come home. And come home she would, as soon as possible. Surely, the White Tower could not hold her for very long.


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