The Wheel of Kin: A Daughter's Journey

Unveiling Prophecy and Broken Seals

The trio continued walking along the desolate beach on Toman Head, the weight of their revelations casting a heavy pall over the air. Elara, seemingly unaffected by the gravity of the situation, walked ahead, the destination known only to her.

Attempting to break the uncomfortable silence, Elara spoke with an air of nonchalance, "Lanfear is especially cruel today, the waygate is a long ways away from where we should be, but rest assured, we are almost there."

Moiraine, bothered by her daughter's apparent nonchalance, questioned her, "Elara."

Ignoring her mother, Elara continued walking until Moiraine's stern tone brought her to a halt, "Elara Damodred Sanche!"

Elara turned around, looking down with a sigh. Moiraine and Lan caught up, the tension thick in the air.

"I saw you die. How... how are you..." Moiraine began, her words faltering.

Cutting her off, Elara spoke with a rushed tone, "Alive? It's complicated, I guess."

"Uncomplicate it for us," Moiraine pressed.

"We don't have time for this. I have to make sure you are..." Elara began, but Lan touched her shoulder, his silent plea evident.

Acknowledging the unspoken request, Elara began to speak in a calm tone, "Do you remember when you found me, when I was a baby? The markings?"

Moiraine nods, "Yes of course."

"After the Eye of the World, Ishamael released Lanfear and gave her free rein over my dreams. She trapped and manipulated me for months, trying to use me and turn me to the Dark," Elara revealed.

"Death visits in dreams," Lan muttered under his breath.

"Exactly. You can't kill something that was never truly alive in the first place. It's hard to explain, but I have a feeling you already know what I mean. You've always known what I was," Elara explained.

Moiraine confessed, "I always had my suspicions, but love, I was never certain. When we found you, we knew we had to protect you and raise you with light. Over the years, we thought... we thought it better to give you a grain of truth."

"You should have told me everything from the beginning. All this time I... I..." Elara burst into tears, her head in her hands.

Moiraine, approaching her daughter, pulled her into an embrace. Lan stood nearby, not wanting to intrude on their intimate moment.

As Elara lifted her head from her mother's embrace, she confessed, "The world is so much worse than I ever could have imagined. The things that are done in the Dark... they are horrible, Mother. They want me to swear my oath to the Dark, but I... I..." Tears continued to fall, and Lan, noticing a glimpse of something on Elara's neck, asked, "Elara, what have they done to you?" he says with deep concern.

Elara showed Lan and Moiraine the marking that Lanfear had placed on her neck to tether her to Tel'aran'rhiod.

As they stood on the desolate beach, the weight of Elara's revelations hung in the air like an impending storm.

Moiraine's eyes held a mix of concern for Elara as she posed the question, "Did you? Turn to the dark?" 

Elara paused, looking away for a moment, reluctant to reveal the depths of her experiences. 

"I... it's not that simple. The more they spoke to me, the more I understood what I truly was. They always told me that being a part of the dark would give me the power to control the pattern of the Wheel. But it never made sense until I realized I was connected to the True Power all this time," Elara confessed.

Lan, standing by their side, interjected, "Elara, but anyone who swears their oath to the dark is given True Power from the Dark One."

Elara confirmed, "Yes, but because I never swore an oath, I am not tethered to the Dark. I was created by the True Power itself. The markings that you found around me were from a seal made by the Forsaken. The Forsaken tried to destroy any mention of my existence. Aes Sedai were the ones who broke my seal."

Moiraine interrupted, "But when we found you, there were no other Aes Sedai there."

Elara nodded in understanding, "I know," and proceeded to share. "The remnants of the prophecy that I found said that;

'When time has passed and the new era unfolds, One shall rise, their destiny foretold.

Daughter of the river, with waters deep, Noble house, secrets to keep.

In the shadowed unknown, a soul awaits The One, a force that destiny creates.

Light and love, their offerings pure, To keep the Wheel turning, destiny secure.

Through the ages, their paths align A tapestry woven, a design divine.

Together they stand, against the tide, Guiding the unknown, side by side.

Daughter of the river, noble and wise, With the One Light, they'll see through lies.

Love as their beacon, their hearts entwined, Keeping the Wheel, destiny defined.

So, in the dance of time and space, They'll embrace the destined grace.'

Lan elucidated the prophecy, "Don't you see, Siuan is the Daughter of the River, and you, Moiraine, are the noble house. When you two found Elara that day, that is what broke her seal."

Moiraine exchanged glances with the two, the weight of destiny and prophecy settling around them like a shroud. Moiraine pieced together the puzzle, "That's why they want to control you."

Elara continued, "Lanfear told me I was a reflection of consequences, a product of the pattern. They knew that once I figured out what they were doing, they wouldn't be able to control me. So, they have been manipulating me my entire life through my dreams."

Moiraine realized, "They never wanted you to swear an oath to the dark; they wanted you to swear it to them."

"I have been trying to deceive them as best I can until I was able to reunite with you all, but this," Elara says pointing to the tethering marks, "makes it a bit hard to do what I want. I tried to leave for good and meet with you all in Cairhien, but that was when she decided to put the tether on me."

Lan assured her, "Don't worry, Elara. We will help you find a way out of this."

Moiraine hugged Elara again, placing a kiss on her forehead, and offered words of love and support, "I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, I promise you."