Land of a thousand lakes home of the seven towers Malkier. 19 years after the battle of Shayol Gul the land has been restored to almost its former glory. Al,Lan Mandragoran, Lord of the Seven towers, Lord of the Lakes, True Blade of Malkier , reigns over the rebuilt kingdom. Aes Sedai taking time and effort cleansed the thousands lakes each lake taking months and months of work from circles of Aes these Aes Sedai was El, Nynaeve Mandragoran The seven towers rebuilt to their former glory buy ogre stonemasons out of the stedding and the old stedding having been re grown. Hear our stories begin because with the ending of one age some stories end but when one ends another group's stories begin's.
In Malkier's capital, the Seven towers ran a boy only about 16 years of age. Darting in and out of people in the busy market road he passed by trying to apologize for jostling them. After him he knew chased at least four members of the cities guard. Unfortunately for them they wore armor and were probably slower than the boy even without it on. The boy also knew the streets of his home city like his own body maybe even better because his body was constantly getting new bumps and scars from sword training. The guards clumsily made their way through the crowd trying to keep an eye on the boy and avoid all the merchants at the same time. The young man had been expecting this armor made the market square twice as tough to navigate as it was for him he was almost home free just down the next alley up the fire escape and he was home free. Unfortunately for the young man he was wearing a hood to disguise his identity from the guards and in borderland towns anyone wearing hoods was illegal for fear that they might be shades. One such blacksmith took notice and having been a Borderlander all his life knew this. The poor boy never even saw the man's arm coming one second nothing the next he was gasping for air from running into the man's well muscled arm. In that state the guards wouldn't have even needed to run to catch up.
The captain of the guard wore a triumphant grin on his face as he made his way over to the boy lying on the ground. This had been the third incident of loud booms and explosions in the stable area. The first two having the same pattern of only leaving behind used illuminator wrappings that had startle the horses. This time though the boy had stayed around to watch how the guards coped with the had been spotted laughing on a barrel at the chaos that ensued from the started animals and everyone who had been in the area. He had bolted the minute a guard had walked up to try and question him.
"we have you at last you are going to have to pay for all the time of ours you have waisted with your little stunts." However his moment of triumph was soon to be short lived. The grin that had been so exuberant earlier dropped to sheer horror the minute he had gotten a good look under the hood of the young lad.
"Not again" the guard captain moaned.
Now it was the boys turn to wear the cheeky grin "Well Thomas at least you know I can how did you say it pay for all the time of yours I have wasted."
The boy stood in the center of the throne room grinning a wide grin that not many would wear in the presence of the Queen of Malkier. The queen was a regal women, one who even in the rattiest of attire and setting could appear with more dignity than most nobles possessed surrounded by servant and grand halls wearing the finest silk. As she was in one of the grandest hall possessing nothing bust silk and crown most would be prostrated before her. She stared down the young lad meeting his eyes with her eyes that were as dark as night. She hair to match her eyes and had her hair was tied in a single long braid that would run almost to the ground. Around her forehead ran a single crystal band signifying her as one of the ruling family of Malkier.
The boy met her stare with eyes and hair as dark as her own grinning that sheepish grin he knew she hated so much. The guards if not so well trained and so used to this occurrence would probably have been bursting out laughing at the boy and his mother. The boy being Bukama Mandragoran prince of the kingdom of Malkier.
"Why does this always with you Kam." Nynaeve sighed she knew her stair had held very little terror for her son since the age of 12 he was very much like his father that way one of the few men on earth she had trouble intimidating she thought it had something to do with prolonged exposure. All the men who wouldn't budge and inch to her pushing were ones she saw quite often. "You are the prince you need to start behaving like one."
Bukama or Kam as he preferred to be called was back in his normal attire though it was not much better than the clothes he had been out on the street in the difference was material. These clothes were the finest wool from the Two Rivers to stave off the effects of the frigid northern Malkier climate. "Mom being a prince is so boring though there is almost nothing to do around the palace this time of year."
"You could try your studies it might be boring but it would keep you out of trouble." Nynaeve suggested
"already done for the month ask me anything about the country of Saldea. I will tell you it's chief exports, it's capital, its military strengths and weaknesses anything you want to know that I can find out about in books or by reports." He managed to say all this while grinning a very triumphant grin
Nynaeve didn't even really need to ask she knew he knew it all. He had always been a reader. He loved fantasy and epics mostly, hers and his father exploits were some of his favorites, but because he read so often he could breeze through his studies with almost no effort at all. She had tried quizzing him and it always ended up blowing up in her face when he knew more about a country or topic than she did. Instead she switched to another form of entertainment.
"How about the sword then I only saw you practice forms and go a couple rounds against some of the guards today. I have seen you do more on some days you consider light training days. Why do you not practice more." She thought she knew the reason why but there was always a chance he would agree and apologize and tell her he would be more diligent next time. It was a small chance but still a chance.
"No one is good enough mother, no offence guys" he directed this comment at the guards stationed around the room Nynaeve saw a few of the guards nodded in gruding respect for the youths sword skill. "Dad took all the blade masters we have with him on his raid and if I practice with multiple opponents I feel like I am showing off. I only do it when dad tells me to practice in case I am in battle. Plus their aren't many regular soldiers so willing to hit the prince I always feel like they are holding back. Only Dad and the 13 true blades take me seriously and don't hold back."
The frustration in his voice was evident to Nynaeve. She also knew that he wasn't over exaggerating his skill with a blade she had seen him practice. No normal soldier even a borderland soldier could even pray to match him he might even be worthy of a Heron marked blade. His father had made sure his son was holding a sword regularly since he could walk. Lan would have had the sword in his sons hand sooner but Nynaeve had forbidden it. The boy had the finest tutors and was almost always sparing with one of the 13 all blade masters themselves or training under Lans watchful eye. But these times Lan was out on raids were always a busy time for Kam to get into all the trouble he missed when his father was around.
"What are we going to do with you Kam" Nynaeve muttered almost under her breath but just loud enough for those in the vicinity to hear. She knew Kam would make a fine king he knew more of politics and other countries than she did and she was 30 years his senor by age not that her face would ever really show it. That and not to mention his almost prodigious kill with the sword he might even wear the heron at 17 one of the youngest ever to do so. "What am I going to do with you, so much like your
Uncle Mat, even without having ever met him."
"You might not have to worry about that mother" said a nervous little girl with dark hair yet to be braided as was the new Malkier custom carried over from the Two Rivers. All girls waited to have their hair braided and be acknowledged as a full women. This was usually done by the girl's mother or by the girl's closest female relative. That and the hadori for men set Malkier apart on the Borderland The girl had her fathers stunning blue eyes she was Bukams sister and her precious little angel Damodred Mandragoran. She was named after Moraine who both she and Lan owed quite a lot to.
"What do you mean by that Dame?"Nynaeve asked
"Well I heard the 12 trumpet blasts out the window just now signaling dads return home about 20 minutes ago right around the time you were bellowing at Kam at the top of your lungs." She said all this very quickly like she had been dying to tell them but needed to wait for the right opportunity to but in. Nynaeve hadn't even noticed the girl in the room till she had turned to sit down on her throne and at that point the worst to the yelling had been over. Dame must have wanted to warn her brother earlier about their fathers approach.
For once, to Nynaeve great pleasure the arrogant grin plastered over Kam face fell. Trolocs didn't scare the boy he had killed a small band or to that had managed to infiltrate the kingdom. Fades scared him less than they scared most men but his father was another matter. If their was one person on this earth that could make Kam sit up strait it was his father. Nynaeve knew she had won with Lans sudden return Kam would lose all the arrogance he showed everyone else. She did fear a little for the boy's safety then Kam started staring around earnestly eye darting for an escape his eyes did rest a little to long on the window for Nynaeve liking. Not like he would jump the throne room was on the second highest floor of the tower in the center of the city. Though the way he looked towards that window he might prefer jumping to facing his father so soon after a prank, especially one so close to their departure.
"Why don't we just sit here and wait for your father to arrive." She said this with the same grin he had warn not moments before. They didn't have to wait long in not time at all the trumpets blasted at the front of the hall signaling Lans arrival outside the door. The Doors flew open with Lan coming strolling in he was a big man in both height and girth. He warn a battle hardened face one that might as well have been iron. His long dark brown hair being pulled away from his face by the leather band he wore the hadori given to all men after they laid in the arms of a woman and truly became men. At his side hung the heron marked blade of the kings of Malkier a razor sharp weapon forged of the power that would never bend or chip.
The man strolled right by his son in the center of the room making his way up the dais to the thrones. Quickly he gave his wife a peck on the cheek and his daughter another before turning and sitting down on his throne. Once seated he proceeded to stare down his son and for Kam credit Nynaeve though he was taking it quite a bit better than he normally did usually at this point he would be apologizing to his father.
"Well what do you have to say for yourself?" Lan asked at last
"nothing much really father I was bored I know it was a stupid prank but it's not like you and mother give me a lot of options. You go off to the blight to fight taking all the good practice partners I have and all my military tutors as well and you expect me just to get by doing nothing all day "
So that had been what was really bothering him he had been worse than usual during Lans raid this year he had wanted to go with him truthfully he probably could have the ten thousand lances Lan brought into the blight each year to wipe out growing Trolloc fists would be more than enough to keep him safe and if that wasn't enough he was a very fine swordsman. The trollocs weren't organized anymore but there were still a lot of them and a lot of fades too and quite a few dreadloards left in the blight these raids were meant to keep the fist small and manageable. Malkier was savable because it had only been part of the blight for 20 some odd years but some parts of the blight had only seen shadow spawn in them for thousands of year.
"You can't cause chaos whenever you are bored. What if someone had been hurt?"
"No one was hurt and I made sure the horses were all caged up before I lit and of the sky lights off. I just wanted a little fun."
"Well usually the price for that type of fun is prison. How does a little time in the judicial tower sound to you Kam" Nynaeve looked over at her husband in horror. There was no way she was going to let her baby be locked up with all those criminals."O it won't be for long mind we can't lock up a minor for long for playing a prank but it will be a couple of days just long enough that you will miss the trip down to the Two Rivers."
Nynaeve watched on as the look on her sons face fell right through the floor. He had been looking forward to this trip for a year since she had told him that this year they would be coming every 10 years the old questing party had agreed to go back to the two rivers and Meet and spend a few days together remembering old times. The last time Kam and Dame had stayed behind like all the children of the parents had but the parents agreed this time to bring the children. Now the time they would leave for the two rivers would be tomorrow if Kam missed it he would have to wait another ten years for the next one. Lan waited what felt like an eternity before speaking again
"Do I have your word this will never happen again?" this almost sounded like a request almost. Nynaeve knew that if her son didn't take this Lan might really lock him up in the tower of punishment until they left. Thankfully she had not raise an idiot.
"yes father no more lightmakers to startle the horses to create chaos I swear." The grin was back on his face Lan nodded and then dismissed everyone including the guards kam almost made it out the door before his father's last comment reached him though.
"you will spare with all the 13 before we leave tomorrow since you were so bored while I was away you can make up for all that practice you missed." The 13, Nynaeve noticed all wore grins as if they were children on gift day. Kam walk slowed down considerably even though he was good he was no blade an enjoyed it immensely he was no blade master yet and sparing with one of the 13 left him slightly battered if he had to spare with all of them in a row he would be quite sore as they made their way to the Two Rivers. Dame also made her way out quickly huring to catch up with her brother .
"you wouldent have really let him miss the trip would you?"Nynaeve whispered in her husbands ear as they made their way out of the throne room. " you have been so eagar to show him off too all our friends"
Lan for his part just smiled.