New Road

Disclaimer: the world and the characters belong to Robert Jordan and the world of the wheel of time none of it is mine as much as I wish it to be.

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I hope you'll enjoy it.

Namwolf

New Road

The wagons were moving again. Morin walked beside them on the snow-cleared road. The landscape around her was white all over reflecting the sun that had appeared for a rare moment in the sky. The effect made it seem as though a blanket of light lay on the shattered and despaired land covering all the ugliness and bringing with it a promise for better times to come.

However Morin didn't really see it she was too busy thinking to notice it. She had a dream last night not a normal one but a True-Dream.

She was standing in a clearance in the forest dressed not in her usual blouse and skirt but in cadin'sor her hair though was warped in her usual shawl. There was a kind of tightness in the air a tension and a seance of waiting of indecision. Suddenly a young man appeared wearing cadin'sor and with a spear in his hands he looked to be about eighteen. The man looked at her then pointed with his spear to an opening in the forest, a road, behind her she knew was another road from which she came and was about to go to. She knew that she had to make a decision.

It was then that she woke up.

Morin continued to walk while she pondering her dream it was clear she had a big decision ahead but of what kind she didn't know, and who was the man in her dream? He seemed significant yet she had never seen him before. However the real problem lay in the spear and it's meaning Morin had a feeling she knew the meaning and didn't like it at all.

"It is not the way" she mumbled to herself yet doubts came to her reminding her of other times, of other doubts. She pushed those doubts firmly away and went back to thinking on her dream.

She was starting to reflect on it all over again when a clear and excited voice came to her ears.

"Mama! Mama! Look at this mama"

Morin turned around to watch the small whirlwind that was her daughter rushing in her direction, the child looked to be about five with thick blond curls and big clear blue eyes, her cheeks were red from the cold and she was all warped up in clothes.

"Look at what Kirin?" she asked.

The child had finally reached her and was holding a bright yellow flower

"At the floyer mama isn't it the most pretty floyer in the world" she asked excitedly "papa said it is as pretty as the trees" Kirin whispered conspiratorially awe clearly mingled in her voice.

Morin looked for Doralin and found her husband on one of the wagons he looked at her and smiled and she smiled back.

"Yes" she said turning back to her daughter still smiling "it's very pretty just as you are"

She gathered her daughter to her and continued walking with her forgetting her dream for a time.

* * *

It's a beautiful evening Morin thought as she sat at their camp by the fire her daughter asleep by her. They had traded earlier with the people in the town and now they had the supply they needed to continue their journey.

Morin looked for Doralin and found him heading in her direction holding to cups of tea in his hands.

"Beautiful night isn't it?" he remarked as he came closer.

"That was exactly my thought as well" she answered,

"Yes" he said, "it is a little bit of peace in a much troubled world".

They sat there talking quietly for a while when suddenly a sound pierced the quiet of the night.

It was a scream filled with terrible anguish of pain and hurt, Morin jumped to her feet and looked shakily around her. The camp was overrun with horseman. They were laughing and worse they carried swords.

Swords! The thought raced thorough her mind chasing the fog away, she grabbed Kirin and ran with her to look for a place to hide she looked back for Doralin and saw him running for the wagons,

For his precious trees she thought acidly feeling deeply betrayed.

She saw her father running toward the horsemen. He was pleading with them to spare them in the name of the way of the leaf, telling them that the violence will only hurt them.

The leading horseman paused for a moment and for a moment Morin's heart leaped in hope But then the horseman laughed and ran his sword through her father then trampled him with his horse then moved on and the rest of the horsemen with him.

Her father, her gentle father who never even raised his voice who believed with all his heart in the way was dead, slaughtered like an animal.

A cry rose in her throat but she choked it down determined to get Kirin out of here. Kirin had awakened and was crying on her while Morin tried desperately to quiet her.

Morin reached the edge of the camp she was thinking that she had made it when a horseman appeared in front her he looked at her and then looked at Kirin.

"What a pretty child" he remarked idly.

Morin froze, fear gripping her all over she tried to edge away from the rider but with a sudden move he wrenched Kirin away from her arms and took her to him.

"Nooo! Kirin! No! Don't take her away"

She called while running after him, trying futilely to catch up with him. She could hear Kirin screaming "Mama! Mama!"

over and over again but there was nothing she could do. She was still hearing it when the rider and her daughter disappeared into the night.

She returned warily to the camp, all around her were the signs of the raid, people she knew family lay dying around her many more were hurt and it seemed as though the content of entire tents was spread on the ground and the dirt. It was a terrible sight to look at.

If this is what the way brought us than I don't want it the thought flashed through her mind.

"Where's Kirin? Are you both all right?" it was a very worried sounding Doralin.

"They took her, they took her away, he just took her away from me, she was crying for me and he took her away"

There was a distinct sound of hysteria in Morin's voice.

"It's all your fault if you would have come with us we could have make it, it is all your fault! You left us you deserted us it's your fault!"

Morin was pounding on Doralin's chest screaming that it was all his fault over and over again.

"Light! I'm so sorry Morin you have no idea how sorry I am, light ho dear light"

Doralin was looking visibly distressed.

"Ho Morin will always remember our little girl she will always stay in our hearts it is a suffering sent to test us but we must overcome it "

Doralin's voice was full of grief as he tried to calm Morin and hold her in his arms.

"She is not dead! Do you hear me Doralin she is not dead" Morin was edging away from him.

"You have got to save her, light! She is more than just a test she is your daughter and you are her father. You got to save her you owe her that at least light!"

"I would if I could my love but those people do not respect the way there is no way that they would give us back our child. No, my love I am sorry but she is dead or just like it I am truly sorry my love but you know it"

Doralin looked helpless there was despair in his eyes. Morin looked at him for a long time trying to see if he really meant his words she could see that he did. The way was more important to him than his daughter

The way and the trees, always the trees she thought. If he isn't going to help me I'll best go look for someone else I will not abandon Kirin she thought savagely.

In her mind she could still hear her daughter crying for her. Finally she spoke

"I am not your love as long as Kirin is dead for you so am I now excuse me but I have more important things to do"

She turned around and left without looking back leaving a very shaken Doralin standing there.

* * *

Morin was walking on the road between her camp and the camp of the lost ones they were her last hope.

She was not walking alone three men and one more woman were walking beside her like her their last hope laid with the lost ones as well.

They approached the largest of the small camps. Ahead of them squatting among the snow Morin noticed a veil covered man. The man rose when they approached him and lowered his veilhis face looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't place it she shrugged she had better things to do.

"Yohave need of us, Jenn?" he called.

Jenn she repeated in her mind the true dedicated we are, aren't we so dedicated that the lives of our children is nothing she thought bitterly.

Beside her Collan, angry shouted back

"You name us that to mock us, but it true we are the only true aiel. You have given up the way"

"That is a lie!" he snapped back "I have never held a sword!"

A sword she thought like the one that had killed her father that had taken her daughter away. No there was nothing good about a sword.

The young man has managed to calm himself and was speaking again, "if you are lost, your wagons are that way" he pointed southward with his spear.

This was not going well she thought, she put her hand on Collan's arm and reminded him why they were here for, reminding him that this was their last hope. Around her the others were nodding finally Collan nodded to though a bit reluctantly.

She turned to the man and said, "we are not lost" suddenly a memory floated to her conscious; the dream! It was the same man she peered at him.

Yes it was the same man she thought than the time for the decision has come the time to pick her path

Unconsciously she tightened the shawl around her remembering the shawl and the cadin'sor of her dream.

The man nodded then said, "follow me" he led them to the tents but Morin wasn't paying attention to her surrounding her mind was on the dream and the decision she know knew what the dream meant.

Could I really leave the way? She asked herself

But inside she knew that she was ready to leave the way that she didn't believe in it anymore,

And I can't abandon Kirin the thought was fierce in her mind she is my responsibility, mine! I can't let others rescue her for me I won't be like Doralin, I won't! Those thoughts raced over and over in her mind not letting her go.

They had stopped by one tent and a tall graying man with a hard face came out of him the man looked like he had never smiled in his life, he introduced himself as Lewin and asked them to tell their story.

Morin told him about the village they had traded with and about the raid she couldn't help but to speak bitterly when she told them about Kirin. The same story has told before by different people in different times.

That is what the way brought us, I want no part of it anymore she thought bitterly.

"We will bring them back" Lewin promised.

He took a bundle of spears handed to him and thrust them point-down into the ground.

"You may stay with us if you wish, so long as you are willing to defend yourselves and the rest of us. If you stay, you will never be allowed back among the wagons."

Morin stared at the spears at the violence they represented, she heard Lewin speaking about willingness to defend themselves and others she almost laugh willing to defend that was all she wanted a chance to defend her daughter. Beside her Collan was leaving but she didn't really noticed him she was too caught up by the spears.

Lewin went on "those who wish to come with us to this village take a spear. But remember, if you take the spear to use against men, you will have to stay with us."

His voice was like stone.

To use against men she thought that what it means leaving the way

But pictures rose in her mind; her father trying to talk of peace only to be slaughtered, al the dead and the wounded at the camp, and her daughter taken away.

And she remembered Doralin speaking of tests, acting as though Kirin was dead

I will not be like him! I will protect Kirin and myself. I choose the other road!

She pulled the spear from the ground. The man from her dream gaped at her and even Lewin blinked.

"You do not have to take a spear just to stay" Lewin told her

"Or for us to bring back your people. Taking the spear means willingness to fight, not jus to defend yourself. You can put it down; there is no shame"

I will not let others fight for me to do what I need to do. I will not ignore my responsibility, my duty she thought fiercely.

"They have my daughter," she said.

Lewin nodded "there is a first time for all things. For all things. So be it."

He began tapping men on their shoulder but Morin didn't notice she was having trouble with the spear, the haft tangling in her long skirts.

"You do not have to go" the man from her dream told her "no woman ever has before. We will bring your daughter to you"

"I mean to bring Kirin out of there myself" she said fiercely "you will not stop me."

"In that case, you must dress like this" he gestured to his own gray-brown coat and breeches.

"You cannot walk cross-country in the night in a dress"

He took the spear away from her before she could react.

"The spear is not easily learned," he said.

The men that had come with her were proof of that, they were nearly falling over their own feet.

The man found a hatchet and chopped a pace from the spear shaft, leaving four feet, counting nearly a foot of steel point.

"Stab with it. No more than that. Just stab. The haft is used for blocking, too, but I will find you something to use as a shield in your other hand"

He is guiding me now just like in the dream guiding me in the new road. But he looks so young!

"How old are you?" she asked

"I am eighteen" just like in the dream she thought.

After a moment, he said, "is one of those men your husband"

A husband?! No I don't have one anymore and I don't need him. He didn't protect Kirin or me when I needed him he ran for his trees. My protector now is this spear it might as well serve as my husband as well it will probably do better her thoughts were filled with bitterness and a deep sense of betrayal.

"My husband mourns Kirin already. He cares more for the trees than his own daughter"

"The trees?"

"The trees of life" he still looked at her blankly, she shook her head

"Three little trees planted in barrels. They care for them almost as well as they do for themselves. When they find a place of safety, they mean to plant them; they say will return, then. They I said they. Very well I am not Jenn anymore"

I have chosen the other way

She hefted the shortened spear "this is my husband now."

She eyed him closely, than asked, "if someone stole your child, would you talk of the way of the leaf and suffering sent to test us?"

He shooked his head yes, I thought so, my guide

"I thought not. You will make a fine father. Teach me to use this spear."

He took the spear away from her and began to show her, working out what he was doing while he did. With the short haft, it was quick and agile.

Morin looked at him she could feel that she was seeing something important, something new a step in the way to the future

It is my turn to guide you now she smiled as she thought it, looking intently on the spear.

"I saw your face in the dream" she told him softly

But she could feel he wasn't really listening he was too caught up in the change.

Too caught up in his new road.