Chapter 1 Silence before the storm
Egwene rearranged the seven-stripped stole on her shoulders as she waited for Nynaeve to return from a town 20 miles upstream.
"When she gets back I'm going to give her a piece of my mind". Muttered Egwene irritably
The Aes Sedai of the yellow Ajah should have returned 2 hours ago. Egwene began to suspects that it wasn't only the town that Nynaeve had gone to see. Lan was looking for Myrelle, the Green Aes Sedai who held his bond and she was rumoured to be upstream as well.
Egwene rose steadily and moved across the small tent to a pile of papers she had already read at the foot of Nynaeve's pallet. She absently flicked through them as she looked round the tent that was so much smaller than her own. The forest surrounding the camp was quite.
Suddenly a cry went up from outside. Egwene rushed to the tent flap and pulled it back just in time to see a Myrddraal slice the tent cables in half as it battled with a Warder. The heavy canvas collapsed on Egwene, dragging her down. The Amyrlin felt her head thud soundly on the floor black spots appeared in front of her eyes blurring her vision.
No!!! a voice cried urgently inside her bleeding head. Must stay awake!
Egwene pushed the smothering darkness aside and crawled out from under the collapsed tent. Her ankle protested as she got to her feet. Trollocs, Aes Sedai and warders surrounded her but they were all blurred and distorted. She tried to draw on Saidar but found it beyond her reach. She staggered forward gripping to consciousness, fumbling for something to hold on to, when, out of nowhere a trolloc charged at her slashing wildly. All Egwene could do was stand and stare as death charged. She closed her eyes as the Neverborn leered towards her and awaited the blow. Nothing happened. She opened one eye to see her adversary flailing past her, on fire.
Turning she saw her rescuer, a glowing figure on top a brown mare. The radiant glow masked the rider's identity from Egwene's fuzzy, clouded eyes. The stranger wrapped the 18 year old in flows of air and pulled her onto the horse. The Aes Sedai's dark, wrist thick braid swung over her shoulder.
"Nynaeve," Egwene sighed as the world went black around her.
If Egwene had stayed awake, she would have seen her friend turn the horse and ride towards the forest. She would also have seen a Trolloc's arrow piece her friend's side and she would have heard Nynaeve's scream of pain.
Egwene rearranged the seven-stripped stole on her shoulders as she waited for Nynaeve to return from a town 20 miles upstream.
"When she gets back I'm going to give her a piece of my mind". Muttered Egwene irritably
The Aes Sedai of the yellow Ajah should have returned 2 hours ago. Egwene began to suspects that it wasn't only the town that Nynaeve had gone to see. Lan was looking for Myrelle, the Green Aes Sedai who held his bond and she was rumoured to be upstream as well.
Egwene rose steadily and moved across the small tent to a pile of papers she had already read at the foot of Nynaeve's pallet. She absently flicked through them as she looked round the tent that was so much smaller than her own. The forest surrounding the camp was quite.
Suddenly a cry went up from outside. Egwene rushed to the tent flap and pulled it back just in time to see a Myrddraal slice the tent cables in half as it battled with a Warder. The heavy canvas collapsed on Egwene, dragging her down. The Amyrlin felt her head thud soundly on the floor black spots appeared in front of her eyes blurring her vision.
No!!! a voice cried urgently inside her bleeding head. Must stay awake!
Egwene pushed the smothering darkness aside and crawled out from under the collapsed tent. Her ankle protested as she got to her feet. Trollocs, Aes Sedai and warders surrounded her but they were all blurred and distorted. She tried to draw on Saidar but found it beyond her reach. She staggered forward gripping to consciousness, fumbling for something to hold on to, when, out of nowhere a trolloc charged at her slashing wildly. All Egwene could do was stand and stare as death charged. She closed her eyes as the Neverborn leered towards her and awaited the blow. Nothing happened. She opened one eye to see her adversary flailing past her, on fire.
Turning she saw her rescuer, a glowing figure on top a brown mare. The radiant glow masked the rider's identity from Egwene's fuzzy, clouded eyes. The stranger wrapped the 18 year old in flows of air and pulled her onto the horse. The Aes Sedai's dark, wrist thick braid swung over her shoulder.
"Nynaeve," Egwene sighed as the world went black around her.
If Egwene had stayed awake, she would have seen her friend turn the horse and ride towards the forest. She would also have seen a Trolloc's arrow piece her friend's side and she would have heard Nynaeve's scream of pain.