"Homecoming: Part 2: The Wolf's Venom"
By: Naebler
"Die you murdering bastard!" Perrin screams as he pulls his axe down towards Rand's blaze red hair. A shocked look passed all the on lookers; they thought Perrin could barely move; yet here he is trying to kill Rand. With in an inch of Rand's face the blade of Perrin's axe stops, hitting an invisible wall. There was no way to know who it was that did it, with so many people in the room being able to channel. In an instant Perrin was thrown to the wall and held there by an Invisible force. "I will have your head Rand! For what you did to Faile! I will kill you Rand bloody Dragon Reborn!" Struggling in a vain attempt to free himself from the bonds, Perrin starts to growl, a low one growing until he starts to foam at the mouth.
"Perrin?" came Nynavae's startled voice, what has gotten into you, it's not Rand's fault!" Paying no heed to her words Perrin continues to struggle and growl. Scared and amazed looks passed around the room. All save Rand and Perrin who stared directly into each other's eyes. A hurt look passed across Rand's face then he turned and walked out of the door.
"Rand?" came Min's concerned voice, he just waved angrily and walked out, head lowered and back slouched. The three women, Min, Elyane and Avhendhia exchange looks then start to follow.
"You coward I'll kill you, I will get revenge! I will make you pay!" Perrin screams, foam and spit rolling down his chin. His golden eyes blazed and his right hand convulsed on the handle of his axe, where he had taken a tighter grip.
"Perrin Aybara, what do you think you are doing?" came Nynavae's angry voice, only to be spoiled by her occasional looks of fear to Egwene. And the tugging of her long dark braid.
"Don't try to get in my way, Nynavae. If you do I will move you." The two black-coated men looked to Nynavae, when she nodded, Perrin felt a slackening of the bonds and he felt himself lowered to the floor. Then the two men followed Rand.
A cold Lan came to Perrin's face and stared him in the eye, the dead look in Lan's eyes reminded him of what his own eyes looked like every morning ever since Faile died. Since Rand had her killed.
"Blacksmith," came Lan's cool dangerous voice. "I know it is hard for you, but you must understand we are not your enemies here now, don't make us. And if ever you threaten my wife again, you will have made an enemy of me." Perrin made a growl and thought how he would like the taste of this two legs flesh and blood on his tongue. Perrin's hand clutched the handle of his axe harder and harder, the handle creaked and a dangerous look crossed his face. Lan stood passive looking the same as before.
"Listen to me Malkeri. I am no longer a blacksmith so don't call me that anymore, do you understand. Just as you are no longer a king, except for corrupted land, and the dead." Then Land's face did change, a change none in the room had ever seen, even his wife. A look of pain, of hurt, and on Perrin's was a look of triumph and an evil smirk. "Now move from my way, before I move you." Lan looks to the two women left in the room, Nynavae and Egwene, then looked away, allowing Perrin to pass.
What had gotten into Perrin, Rand wondered. He really tried to kill me, if it wasn't for Logain and Cyris, he would have. Rand walked on pondering what happened, and never heard his bondholder's approach him. Min was the first with the courage to speak.
"Rand. Perrin is sick, that's not really him, I am sure of it. He is one of your best friends, and you are his He can't blame you for what hap…"
Rand turned swiftly on his heels, startling the three women. "He can't? He can't! How can't he when I blame my self, if I hadn't gotten him involved, then Faile would be alive and Perrin would be happy."
"What do you mean if you didn't get him involved?" came Elayne's suspicious question.
"I sent them to fetch Masema and when Perrin was off getting him, Faile and the other women were taken and their guards killed. It is my fault that Faile was taken by the Shaido and when I didn't try to help get them back, Faile and the rest were murdered. Their names are added to my list."
"List?" Min asked
"Yes, I have a list of names I memorized, the names of all the women I am responsible for killing or having killed, enemies and allies alike. It is now up in the thousands. Moraine was on it for a while, up until she returned anyway."
"Rand you can't possibly begin to blame…"
"What is it with you, Min? I can and I do, blame myself for every one of their deaths. Would you all please just leave me alone for a while, please?" Rand asked in a defeated voice, turning away.
"Oh yes, leave us alone for a while will you." Came an angry, sarcastic tone. Standing before Rand was Perrin, Axe in hand, and look of murder on his face. "It would be better for you all to leave, we wouldn't want any unfortunate accidents to happen to you, now would we?" then Perrin broke out laughing, if Rand didn't know any better, he would think Perrin was the one going mad not him. The way his moods changed, from anger to cruelty and such.
"I remember another like this, he was cursed, I should have saved him, oh I should have saved him…" came Lews' voice from the back of Rand's mind.
"Lews? You remember another like this? What happened?"
"He was cursed by the dark power, he changed, he changed, he changed. From a good man, into a beast." It shocked Rand how forward Lews was at the moment, how lucid. "Only one way to cure it, must find what it is that cursed him and bathe it in a wind and fire weave… must do this or will loose another, loose him again. I was too late the first time… don't make the same mistake." Rand is simply amazed that Lews is able to talk so lucidly and answer his questions.
"Rand!" Min's shocked voice brought him back to the situation at hand. Perrin had swung is axe and it was heading for his head yet again. Just in time, Rand brought up his sword of flame, and held the axe at bay.
"Perrin, stop this, you are being controlled by someone."
"Not anymore, not again not by anyone else!" pushing harder on the axe, Perrin's face became a snarl and his eyes blazed. Rand was doing all he could to keep the axe at bay and was afraid to do anything else with the power for fear of setting off the thing controlling Perrin. He could sense his bondholder's fear, and he knew one would lash out at anytime at Perrin, with power or knives, and that would be extremely bad, for them all.
"No don't let them use the power against him. Women's channeling will kill him." Came Lew's voice.
That is when he felt one of them opening them selves to the power. Acting quickly, Rand wraps them up and blocks Avhendhia and Elayne. "What! I am blocked" Came Elayne's startled voice.
"Rand! It is a trap, I am as well!" Came Avhendhia's voice.
"Rand I am being held."
"I am doing it."
"What! How do you expect us to help?"
"I don't" came Rand's straining voice, "I can't explain right now." Perrin was pushing harder and harder, his years of blacksmithing and his years with the axe, strengthening him, beyond Rand, if it wasn't for the power, Rand would already be dead. From out of the stable, walked Mat and his father, laughing, that is when they saw what was going on, running forward, Mat and his father, each grab Perrin's arms and pull him away from Rand struggling. Hearing the yelling and commotion out side, Master Luhan walked out of his shop, saw what was going on, and rushed towards the men to help.
"Bloody, sheep swallowing…Henspeck!" came mat's strong cursing, " what has gotten into you Perrin! Bloody hell this is Rand, our friend."
"Friends don't kill your wives!" some how Luhan had taken Perrin's axe and had thrown it away. Rand let the sword disappear and takes a breath." Let me go! Let me…mmmph." Rand used a flow of air to gag him.
"Hold him down, search him for odd items, or anything suspicious."
"Rand what are you…"
"Just do it now!"
"Bloody hell, okay, okay." After searching him entirely they find nothing.
"Lews, it isn't on him, is there anther way it could be controlling him."
"Yes, Yes! In him, in him. Why didn't we think of it before? In him! Hahaha…" Rand pushes Lews voice to a buzzing in the back of his head.
Scratching his head, Rand tries to think of where the item could be. That is when it hit him. "Turn him over."
"Rand what is…"
"Light Mat! Just do it!"
"Okay, okay…" Mat turns Perrin over, looking at his Neck through the power enhanced eyesight, Rand sees what he is looking for. Un raveling his weaves on his bondholders Rand picks Perrin up with a flow of air and brings him back to the manor followed by Mat and the rest. Meeting Logain and Cyris on the way back.
She could feel the pain and hurt from the bond with Lan, how could something a person say hurt him so much. Lan was a rock, and was so strong, yet what Perrin said hurt him more then any wound he received. Breaking her thought, the door into the chamber burst open, admitting Rand and the others, with Perrin struggling on an invisible bed. "Okay Nynavae, I need your help. No power, but your herbs. Knock Perrin out, now."
"But Rand…"
"Now." Came the commanding voice.
"Okay." Pulling a blue bottle out of her bag, Nynavae doses it out and puts it in a glass of water. Stirring it she looks to Rand. "I doubt he will drink it willingly."
"Give it to me." Taking the glass, Rand made a funnel of air down Perrin's throat, drilling a hole through the gag he put there. When the funnel was far enough, Rand poured the contents of the glass in. the sides of the funnel took on a sort of translucent green tinge, from the mixture, so Nynavae could see the shape of the funnel. Slightly. Gagging slightly, Perrin, finally swallowed willingly, it was that or drown. Soon he was out, using the power, Rand turned Perrin over, and looked to the wound on the back of Perrin's neck.
Nynavae wonders on seeing Rand's face, if Rand will heal Perrin or Kill him.
The dream came upon him, suddenly, standing before him was Hopper. Young bull, you are becoming shadowsworn. At least that was the way Perrin translated it. In actuality Hopper showed a picture of Perrin, as a bull. Starting to kneel to a fade. Be careful young bull, fight the shadow. Kill it like the neverborn, never give up. With that Hopper bounded away leaving Perrin alone. Alone in a world of dreams, wolves and evil.
Wiping his brow, Rand calls to Lews again, this will be the third time, with out him, Rand has no chance of saving Perrin. Finally Rand could here the mad laughter, from the back of his mind. "Lews, how do I make the weave?"
"Simple, do what I say." Oddly all the madness seemed to have vanished and Lews was Lucid again, strangely as of late, he has been more and more Lucid. Lews starts to explain the weave and Rand follows to the letter, focusing all his power on the wound on Perrin's neck. The wound started to move; much like it did during healing crawling and creeping. The wound pushed out a small piece of metal and then seals up. rotating on an invisible thread of air, Rand shoots a strong burst of flame, that destroyed the object. Hopefully killing the malady effecting Perrin.
Come back soon for the third Chapter of Homecoming
What is a Dragon Knight, who is Cyris, find out in next month's "Cyris The Dragon Knight, Beware the crimson blade"