A Boy And His Dreams
Fel sprinted down the nearest alleyway, terrified of what he had seen. He could not get the image of the knife sliding across Han's throat out of his head. He wanted to break down and cry. Han had been his only friend, going out to steal food from the unsuspecting citizens of Cairhien together had been better than what Fel expected going out alone would be like. Finally arriving back at his little hidey-hole, Fel began to steady his breathing. Sitting own upon his pile of rags, Fel closed his eyes, hoping for a release in his dreams.
He was in a vast expanse of stone; huge pillars of red rock jutting out of the floor seemed to hold up the ceiling. Looking around, Fel realised where this was. The Stone of Tear! He thought Where Callondor rested before the Lord Dragon took it! He had seen the Lord Dragon once, a scary man with dark red hair and eyes that were grey one second and blue the next, riding on a big black horse, Callandor swinging on his hip. Right in the middle of the room two women stood talking, one with a reddish gold hair that hung in slight curls around her, a crown that was a band of intertwining of roses and the original crown of Cairhien. She is the Queen! Fel thought to himself excitedly. The other woman had a long, dark braid hanging down on one side and she had a crown on as well! Fel did not recognise her but he knew they were both Queens and would not even look at him, most likely.
"I don't see why we are here, Elayne." The braided women said.
"For old time's sake, you know, a bit of nostalgia, Nynaeve." Elayne replied. El'Nynaeve! That's the Queen of Malkier! Fel realised.
"You must want to tell you something or you wouldn't have asked me to meet you."
"Nynaeve, Rand wanted me to tell you something. He said wait five years after The Last Battle, and now it has been five years. He is-"
"Ssh! We are being watched. Behind you and to the left."
Suddenly, Fel felt himself being lifted into the air. Struggling against his invisible bonds, Fel was terrified. They were probably going to cut off his head!
"Boy! Why were you spying on us?" Nynaeve shouted.
"I-I-It was a-an accident your M-Majesty. I s-swear it! I fell asleep and I a-appeared here!" he said quickly.
"No need to be so hard on the boy, he is probably just brushing the World of Dreams in his sleep." Elayne said "He'll likely just disappear any second now."
Fel could feel something dragging him backwards, out of this strange place and back to real life and he could tell that it was not a natural thing.
Eyes snapping open, Fel looked around and reached for his knife, the one he kept next to his head. When his hand found nothing he looked up and nearly soiled himself when he did.
A large wolf with glowing golden eyes growled at him and looked menacing as it bared its teeth. Next to the wolf stood a man that looked as if he was made of tree trunks. Huge arms held a hammer that had a leaping wolf on it in one hand and a dagger in the other. His dagger! Then Fel looked at the man's face, and gave a start when he did. His eyes were glowing gold as well! "Sorry, my lord, but that's my knife. If you'd just give it back to me you could go about your business. I'm just a simple street rat, you see."
"Stay here. I will be back soon. Try to stay awake as well, that place you were in is dangerous. Any wounds you receive there will be with you when you wake. Where were you in there? Anywhere you know?"
"I was in the Stone of Tear, my lord, where they kept Callandor before it was destroyed in the Last Battle. The Queen of Malkier and the Queen of Andor and Cairhien were talking about someone called Rand there!"
"Were they now? Well stay here I'll be back." And with that the big man placed the knife down and put his hand on the wolf's back. Then they disappeared. Eyes wide and mouth hanging open, Fel bent to pick up the dagger. He had already decided to wait, just to see who the strange man was. Han had always said he had too strong a sense of curiosity for his own good. Settling down back on the rag pile, Fel began to sharpen his dagger.
Nynaeve watched carefully as the boy faded away. That was not what usually happened, fading away like that. Usually they snapped out of existence, back into their own dreams. Glancing back at Elayne, Nynaeve asked her what she had wanted to tell her.
"Maybe another time, tomorrow perhaps, or the day after." She replied.
"Tell me!" Nynaeve said angrily.
"Fine. What I was going to say before we were rudely interrupted by that young boy was that-"
"Enjoying your little conversations, Your Majesties?" Turning around and seizing the True Source, Nynaeve was shocked to see Perrin, The King of Saldaea, standing before her.
"How are you here Perrin? Never mind – it doesn't matter - you need to leave." Shoving her mind into Perrin's, she tried to push him out of Tel'aran'rhiod, but surprisingly he did not budge.
"Come now Nynaeve, is that any way to greet an old friend? I know this place like the back of my hand, and my… friends… do too." Suddenly a wolf appeared by him. " This is Dapple. We are old friends. But back to business. That boy you talked to, he is a wolfbrother as well."
"He is? Oh well I suppose it doesn't matter to us anyway. You really do need to go, Perrin. We are going to have a private conversation about-"
"Rand." Perrin cut in. How does he know? Nynaeve thought. Was he here all along? "The boy told me everything, though he did not make the link between Rand and Rand al'Thor."
"Luckily for us." Elayne said "Well I don't think Rand will mind me telling you as well."
"What do you mean 'will'? He died five years ago." Nynaeve asked.
"Not as dead as you think. Rand?" With a loud pop, a man appeared. Dark hair hung 'round his head and his eyes were dark as well. There were several oddities about him, such as the Dragon's Fang in his eye and King Laman's sword at his hip.
"You!" Nynaeve screamed "Moridin! What is he doing here Elayne?" Oh Light, she can't be a Darkfriend! She bloody can't be! They practically don't exist anymore.
"Nynaeve, is that any way to greet a long lost friend?" the man said. Quick as a flash, Perrin had his knife at the man's throat.
"What did Mat suggest we do on the day we met Moiraine?" He said.
The man looked startled. She expected this was not how he had wanted this to go. "He said we could let a badger he'd caught out on the Green and watch it scare the girls." He said after a couple of seconds.
"What did Moiraine give the three of us?" it seemed Perrin was not going to settle for a single answer.
"A silver Tar Valon mark." The man said. "So she could find us if we were separated."
Perrin slowly withdrew the knife "Is it really you? After five years, why show yourself now? Why hide in the first place?"
"The Dragons Peace was the price for my death. If I had lived then it would have been voided."
"Simple as that? Couldn't you have gone to the black tower or something? Pretend to be a newbie?"
"A man the same strength as the Dragon Reborn, who happens to learn everything he has done it only once? And has the Dragon's Fang in his eye? A bit suspicious, don't you think? And I can no longer channel" the man – no Rand, only he would know those things about before they left Emond's Field – said. "Anyway, I should be going. I have business to be about." And as quick as he came he left. Perrin spoke up first.
"Does he… does he feel the effects of Severing?" he said.
"No, he seems happier than he ever was before the Last Battle." Elayne replied "It's as if a weight has been lifted from him."
"Well, I actually need some real sleep tonight so I'm going. You ladies can talk all night if you wish."