The Old Blood Run True
Tar Valon. the very center of Aes Sedai, their only home and their only hold. A dance to be avoided at all costs. How did it ever get this far, three whole years Laman has escaped justice it must be ended soon. Laman was out there now fighting, any further and they might need to siege Tar Valon, many of the Aiel would do it but none would strike an Aes Sedai.
Janduin took a deep breath, it was a long dance he and his people were dancing, too long. These wetlands were not for him, or his people, there was far too much water. Too long. it was years now since he had been home, since he felt the true heat of the sun, since he knew thirst. He let out a harsh bark of a laugh and looked around, white, red, browns, silvers. How long left until justice was done. All around his people killed and died, all faceless and nameless in the chaos.
For as long as he could hold his spears and not fall to the merest attack Janduin had been fighting, he knew death like and old lover, he knew the cost of killing. He let out another harsh bark. Oh yes, the cost of killing he knew, deep down in his blood he knew the terrible cost. Would it ever end?
It was too hot, dances were always hot, even in this snow.
Till shade is gone,
He sloped off towards the mountain, his spearbrothers wouldn't miss him for a short while.
Till water is gone,
He had to get away from the smell of death, away from the sight of it.
Into the shadow with teeth bared,
A babes cry in the air... Shaiel...
Screaming defiance with the last breath,
Maidens had come, only one was with babe though. The shade of his heart. Shaiel.
To spit in Sightblinder's eye on the last day.
He moved as though in a hazy dream, her golden hair covering the snow, her warm red blood also on the pale and tired face was almost happy, maybe relieved. Her cloak was in a bundle to her side. She never looked so beautiful as she did now, at peace with herself. Janduin lifted her small cold hand and held it to his cheek. "Shaiel, shade of my heart, why?" He knew he should not have let her stay with the maidens, but he was weak to her demands. I would fight ten of these wetland soldiers before I would deny my Shaiel anything.
"Galad...his brother...Galad...tell him...my love, tell him..." her voice was a rasp, but filled with all her love.
For the first time he looked towards the bundle, a small face looked back through his cries. His own child, his little boy. Born in battle, born in blood. Have to get him away.
The sound of steel alerted him to a guest upon the shade of his heart's deathbed, he found he couldn't care less if he died now, he only cared for the two shaped beside him.
"Light, is she well?" his voice called out the steel sound rang again. Janduin knew it was his sword going back inside its holder. A cloak fell on Shaiel, a wetlander cloak. "Light, she's...I'm...Laman is dead...take them home" and he was leaving.
Looking after the man, he saw a sword with a bird on the handle, and he knew if he danced with the man it would be a good dance. Laman dead ... Shaiel dead ... it was the hardest thing to do, to drop her cold dead hand, to take the babe away to safety and leave her for a short while.
As he entered the small area of tents, he heard laughs and merriment, but none of it was for him. He knew the tears on his face were visible but he would not hide his grief. Shaiel deserves that much at least, the sounds still went on but now there were a few concerned calls of his name.
Inside his tent he put the babe down in some furs and blankets. I am lucky to have even this much he told himself but it would never help the guilt he felt. I disobeyed our laws, and now my wife is dead. He walked out to the Aiel in the camp.
"It is time for us to return to the three fold land, we leave when first light comes." For the first time in his life Janduin ran away.
Rand of the Iron Mountain sept of the Taardad Aiel stood tall, grasping the buckler and spears his father had gifted him a few years ago, he was even garbed in his fathers old cadin'sor. He was not truly Aiel as he didn't live by ji'e'toh, much to his current companions shame. It was the price to pay for not being raised by Aiel.
Rand turned to face his companions, they were two maidens. One of them hard and strong as anybody Rand had ever known, and the other was young. Still learning not to stab herself Sulin the elder had said.
Sulin was a fierce woman he had first met her as an infant and ever since she had been sneaking him away to give him these lessons she called them. If he failed to catch this gara he would be forced to return to the nearest hold in nothing but his skin, in front of two girls. Fierce ... no she was cruel.
He thought at first she wanted to keep him here with the Aiel but he had learned after a fair amount of his running away and her catching him, that all she wanted was for him not to be too soft. That and she also seemed to bring Chiad along with her as of late, Chiad was only a year younger and very pretty but he wasn't hasty enough to kiss her as Sulin had suggested once ... or twice.
Concentrating back to the gara he took ahold of his spear, gripping it in a firm hand, and he stabbed. And it snapped. Falling face first into the molten hot sand he growled through the embarrassment. In front of him lay half of his father's old spear shattered one of the few physical things he had left of his.
He had been too preoccupied on the spear to notice the gara right in front of him, mouth open to bite, small but sharp teeth bared. A knife took it in one swift motion, straight through the back. With a grin Chiad waved her kill in his face. She had such a charming grin, it was a shame it only appeared at times he would rather forget.
"Skin, Rand or else you will get no water." Sulin chuckled. Oh yes she was the bane of his existence, she knew he was better with his belt knife that the spears. "I will go on ahead and get a sweat tent readied for you, you look as thought you have been running for a week." So she did but not before she flashed a grin for Chiad.
He had been here in the waste for a month now, he had been here before but never for this long. he was getting used to the heat, even if he did sweat a bit more than Sulin or Chiad. it was an awkward run back to the hold at Stones River, he wasn't sure if it was the sun burning holes in his behind or Chiad, but it was uncomfortable.
He knew he should be heading home soon but Sulin was teaching him things that he wouldn't learn at home. Things it felt as though he needed to know, not how to spot a gara in the dark but how to defend himself and others. Sulin had joked that if he was any worse with his spears even Shea'en M'taal might not let him join them, but with his belt knife he could make even a mighty Far Dareis Mai pause for a moment or two.
He knew he should be going home the same feeling as though there should be more to his life than there was still with him but it was different. He felt less suffocated out here, in the barren wasteland called the Three-Fold land. Maybe even Sulin would laugh if he told her that. As he fell asleep in the small tent set aside for him, he decided to be hasty.
As he left the hold only one pair of eyes saw him leave. Of course it was Sulin and of course she didn't keep to herself. "I have to leave today Sulin, I'm sorry I cant stay any longer." He called to her as she came close.
"I did not come to stop you Rand. I came to talk with you." Talk at me, more like. He wished he could say, but he held his tongue else she hold it for him. "You know your father cares for you, he did not do what he did to shame you. He did it to protect you."
"Protect me? Protect me from what? Gara? No Sulin he did it to protect himself." In all the time he had known her Sulin had never mentioned what his father did. Why did she start now?
"I see that look in your eyes, you look like a maiden who has her first spear and wants to go and fight Sightblinder." Her voice was touched with a small amount of concern, lot of scorn, whether for him or these hypothetical maidens he did not know.
"I do not seek death Sulin. I seek life." He sounded colder than he meant to. Maybe he was seeking to find an end and didn't know it, no that was the way of women, they tell you something with so much certainty that you believe it yourself.
"It is the same thing Rand... I hope we meet again" and she was going in the other direction. Sighing to himself Rand continued to stride off towards the nearby mountains. Three days to home, then five days to convince Elder Haman that he was truly back.
Loial son of Arent son of Halan sat under to shades of the largest tree in Stedding Shangtai, he had to read a very large and very old book about Tree Singing. Elder Haman was very proud of his talents in Tree Singing, he had said once that he could rival any ogier to have ever sung. That night he had been a bit drunk, it was a strange night, a hasty night even.
Maybe Loial had been reading too long, he did sometimes forget meals if he was reading a good book, but he could swear his name was being called. If it was a book about the groves he could forget to sleep eat and do his chores, but all ogier loved the groves. Who could not love a place where all things that could grow there did grow there.
There it was again, his name for sure. Looking around him he saw nobody. "Hello?" He boomed out in a quiet frightened voice. Something moved from plain sight and stopped before him.
"Light! Loial I didn't mean to scare you." Said his only human friend, Rand the aiel. He wore a hasty grin on his face that only meant trouble for him when his mother found out whatever Rand wanted to get him involved in.
"Loial gather your things, were leaving." And never once did his grin slip. Oh yes, his young friend was as hasty as a cat in water. Not even a good day Loial, good book Loial? With a sigh he realized he wasn't even going to put up a fight to stop Rand from getting what he wanted. Well, someone had to make sure he didn't hurt himself in all this haste.
"Why do you want to leave Rand? You just got back, Elder Haman will be very upset this time." Rand had left the stedding 12 times now, more than even the adult ogier. Loial had left once before, with Rand, but his mother had gotten word of it and hauled them both back before the sun was past overhead.
"I feel a tugging Loial, I think its time we go to see the groves at Caemlyn and Tar Valon. We can stand side by side and gaze upon the works of your ancestors." Rand really did know him well, the groves, how he yearned to see them. Maybe if they were gone before anyone knew. If he had an axe it would have a handle as long as could be.
Without knowing how, he had a grin to match that of Rand's.