Janduin's Death
Will I ever see Shaiel again? Thought a young man, as he looked out at the gnarled trees of the Blight. Where is she? Why did I let her go?
He looked at the long spear in his hand, a deadly blade at the top, shining in the dawn light.
He closed his gray eyes, and saw the image of the woman he loved. He felt her soft skin under his tanned hand, felt her soft red lips on his,
and again, he felt the anger for letting her go to war.
"Janduin!" Called a voice, pulling the young man out of his thoughts.
He turned around, his wavy red hair falling into his eyes, "What is the problem Cailen?" He looked at the beautiful Aiel Maiden. Her skin
tanned and her strong arms holding a spear of her own, much like his.
"We have news! One of the Spear Maidens, Beena, who had been fighting at the Shinning Walls of Tar Valon has come!" She turned quickly
as he ran past her, her pale red hair swinging on her shoulders.
Shaiel! He thought, this maiden, Beena, she might know where Shaiel and his unborn child were! He ran faster, sweet rolling into his eyes in
the heat of the Blight.
At last he saw the Maiden. Her short dark red hair was a mess, and her veil hung loosely at the side of her head, her blue eyes tired, yet
alert. She was tall, like all Aiel's, and a cloth, tied tightly around her thigh, stopped a dried wound. She met his eyes with a silent plead of
sorrow in her own.
"Where is Shaiel?" Janduin asked Beena. "Speak up maiden, where is she?"
Beena lowered her eyes, and a single tear ran down her cheek.
He was surprised. Aiel's never showed emotion, unless it was too painful.
He stopped at the thought.
Painful?
"Shaiel is alive, is she not?" Janduin asked her, his voice barley above a whisper. After a moment of silence, Beena nodded. At that gesture,
Janduin thought his heart seemed to stop along with his breathing. Without a word, he turned around and pushed out of the crowed that had
watched the news of his loves death.
When he was out of everyone's sight, he began to run, not caring that he was in the Blight, and that he was the youngest clan chief ever, and
that he had a responsibility, but at that moment, he did not care.
He longed to run his fingers through her golden hair again, and look deeply into her beautiful almond shaped eyes; and most of all, he wanted
to touch her swollen belly that had held their child.
A son.
He knew, but how? He did now know that.
He realized he had run a long way away from the Aiel camp, so he slowed down to a slow walk.
Shaiel. Shaiel. My child. Shaiel.?
He thought over and over again.
In anger, and pain, he tossed his spear away from himself and punched a nearby gnarled tree. The tree groaned, and a whole opened, and
closed around his fist. Branches reached down for him.
In horror, he saw his spear, just a few inches away. He reached for it. Too far!
He looked around, and he suddenly saw a figure in between some trees. It was a woman. Her golden hair was open, falling down her
shoulders like silk. She walked closer to him, and he gasped. Shaiel! Her belly was swollen, and naked, and her Aiel fighting cloths covering
her swollen body. A hand rested on her abdomen, while the other hand mentioned for him to come.
Janduin suddenly realized three thin, sharp vines twirl together, looking so deadly, so sharp, and so dangerous with one sweeping move, the
trees vines plunged their way to his heart, killing the young man.
But his eyes never left the figure of his dead love..
He gasped as the tree let go of his fist, letting him fall to his knees as he felt the life slowly leave him. He did not fear death, he never did,
but at that moment, he had wanted to just stare at the still figure of the woman he'd loved.
Then the soft, throaty voice of Shaiel reached his ears before everything went dark, "He will be different, Janduin! For now he is safe, in the
arms of a farmer. Come my love; let us go away, hmm? We are only awakening from a dream."
His son? His son is alive? In the arms of a farmer?
Janduin closed his eyes, and collapsed, with a death-rattling sigh.
Will I ever see Shaiel again? Thought a young man, as he looked out at the gnarled trees of the Blight. Where is she? Why did I let her go?
He looked at the long spear in his hand, a deadly blade at the top, shining in the dawn light.
He closed his gray eyes, and saw the image of the woman he loved. He felt her soft skin under his tanned hand, felt her soft red lips on his,
and again, he felt the anger for letting her go to war.
"Janduin!" Called a voice, pulling the young man out of his thoughts.
He turned around, his wavy red hair falling into his eyes, "What is the problem Cailen?" He looked at the beautiful Aiel Maiden. Her skin
tanned and her strong arms holding a spear of her own, much like his.
"We have news! One of the Spear Maidens, Beena, who had been fighting at the Shinning Walls of Tar Valon has come!" She turned quickly
as he ran past her, her pale red hair swinging on her shoulders.
Shaiel! He thought, this maiden, Beena, she might know where Shaiel and his unborn child were! He ran faster, sweet rolling into his eyes in
the heat of the Blight.
At last he saw the Maiden. Her short dark red hair was a mess, and her veil hung loosely at the side of her head, her blue eyes tired, yet
alert. She was tall, like all Aiel's, and a cloth, tied tightly around her thigh, stopped a dried wound. She met his eyes with a silent plead of
sorrow in her own.
"Where is Shaiel?" Janduin asked Beena. "Speak up maiden, where is she?"
Beena lowered her eyes, and a single tear ran down her cheek.
He was surprised. Aiel's never showed emotion, unless it was too painful.
He stopped at the thought.
Painful?
"Shaiel is alive, is she not?" Janduin asked her, his voice barley above a whisper. After a moment of silence, Beena nodded. At that gesture,
Janduin thought his heart seemed to stop along with his breathing. Without a word, he turned around and pushed out of the crowed that had
watched the news of his loves death.
When he was out of everyone's sight, he began to run, not caring that he was in the Blight, and that he was the youngest clan chief ever, and
that he had a responsibility, but at that moment, he did not care.
He longed to run his fingers through her golden hair again, and look deeply into her beautiful almond shaped eyes; and most of all, he wanted
to touch her swollen belly that had held their child.
A son.
He knew, but how? He did now know that.
He realized he had run a long way away from the Aiel camp, so he slowed down to a slow walk.
Shaiel. Shaiel. My child. Shaiel.?
He thought over and over again.
In anger, and pain, he tossed his spear away from himself and punched a nearby gnarled tree. The tree groaned, and a whole opened, and
closed around his fist. Branches reached down for him.
In horror, he saw his spear, just a few inches away. He reached for it. Too far!
He looked around, and he suddenly saw a figure in between some trees. It was a woman. Her golden hair was open, falling down her
shoulders like silk. She walked closer to him, and he gasped. Shaiel! Her belly was swollen, and naked, and her Aiel fighting cloths covering
her swollen body. A hand rested on her abdomen, while the other hand mentioned for him to come.
Janduin suddenly realized three thin, sharp vines twirl together, looking so deadly, so sharp, and so dangerous with one sweeping move, the
trees vines plunged their way to his heart, killing the young man.
But his eyes never left the figure of his dead love..
He gasped as the tree let go of his fist, letting him fall to his knees as he felt the life slowly leave him. He did not fear death, he never did,
but at that moment, he had wanted to just stare at the still figure of the woman he'd loved.
Then the soft, throaty voice of Shaiel reached his ears before everything went dark, "He will be different, Janduin! For now he is safe, in the
arms of a farmer. Come my love; let us go away, hmm? We are only awakening from a dream."
His son? His son is alive? In the arms of a farmer?
Janduin closed his eyes, and collapsed, with a death-rattling sigh.