Disclaimer: I am afraid, that with an empty heart and a heavy wallet I must say I own nothing… wait… with a heavy heart and an empty wallet…. Woo, that could have been hard to explain to the old Bill….

Dedication: This week I'm dedicating it to the peeps who reviewed my last chapter, namely being:

Dreamer of Tales

Neseve Sedai

Nynaeve80

Mahine (Anon)

Thanks; your reviews really cheered me up, thanks.

Please, read on.

o-o-o-o-o

Nynaeve and Lan reached the camp within hours of speaking to the soldier; the distance between the hills was deceptive, what looked a short walk turned out to be very different. Lan had remained taciturn since they had departed, He knew Nynaeve had recognised the fact that he grieved his land but was bound by his duty to protect her. He couldn't got to Malkier without her, and she was needed else where.

Luca. Lan was vaguely sure he had heard that name before... and woman had spoken it with a laugh. The memory was fading now, as was the face within that thought. Birgitte was gone. Dead, killed by someone with a grudge against Elayne. According to the letters that Nynaeve picked up from the meeting point in Illian. Every night before sunset she travelled there, waited a while and checked the message drop off point. Every night she returned with a white paper message rolled in yellow tape. Lan knew Siuan was the sender, the former Amyrlin used to do this all the time. A message from the Amyrlin wouldn't be sealed in her old Ajah colour, but in the colour ajah of the receiver.

Why would Nynaeve correspond with Siuan? Surely those two could never be friends? When he asked as much he got little by way of reply. "I healed Siuan's… affliction…. She seems to feel honour bond to keep me informed." He noted that despite her miraculous discovery, she never spoke of stilling, except to call it and illness or problem that could be sorted out now. This time Lans patience was on edge, he had no thought as to the reason his wife would keep something so seemingly trivial a secret.

"For the love of the fight, Nynaeve! As much as I love you, you drive me in circles. You tell me nothing of your reasons and you could be running head long into a danger I cannot save you from! Then you say nothing about whether or not we will go to Malkier! My homeland is dead, but I cannot allow it the shame of falling into complete ruin. Nynaeve, surely you can understand this."

Nynaeve sat silent; watching him calmly from Loversknot's back, while a faint sense of satisfaction flowed through the bond. "My husband, my heart, I tell you not why we travel here because I don't know. Even if I did I can safely assure you there are no dangers here that you could fight. Where we go, I will be alone. Your protection may save me from robbers and bandits, but our lives depend on whether or not I can win. As much as I love you I can say no more, except to perhaps comment on our sudden reversal of positions."

Lan noted Nynaeve's calmness and his flood of anger at the futility of the situation. Chuckling he walked over to Loversknot and held her bridle firmly. "There is more Mistress of my Heart, I know there is. Good news too, from your smile." Nynaeve pulled her horse out of his grasp, laughing he walked back to Mandarb, the warhorse barely moved as he mounted. "Yes! It is good news, but please let me confirm it before I say. Please allow me that much Lan." Her husband made a mock bow from the seat of his horse, an imitation of the Carhienien peacock that had so rudely interrupted them in Andor.

The banner above the gates clearly read Valans name, but for Nynaeve blanched when the passed under it, performers ran about, an acrobats sat on another's shoulders selling tickets, one of them lent across and muttered something as the approached, the other nodded and yelled "Nana! It is you! I don't suppose the other two are coming back then?" He proceeded to look around as if her and Lan were hiding them in their saddlebags.

"No Barit, today my husband and myself travel alone. We need to talk to master Luca. If he is availed?" The man called Barit gestured towards another man who had just surfaced from around a wagon. "Taeric!" The man turned and waved a Nynaeve before running up. Talking to Lan now he spoke. "My Brother Taeric will take you to him. The Chavanas loved the company of your wife and her friends last year. Their entertainment was refreshing from old Lucas sour sense of humour."

Lan frowned as they began to follow Taeric, if the pair of them are brothers then I would surely like to meet their parents. Taking Lans arm she whispers quietly, "There are seven of them, Taeric is actually Saldaean and probably of no relation at all to the sea folk Barit. But they are brothers in their calling." Lan nodded, and was about to state that such was obvious when Nynaeve spoke again. Remember hear you are called Blaedon. Remember that name." Lan smiled at his wife's confident demeanour but inwardly winced at the fear flowing though the bond. Tonight he would comfort his afraid wife as best he could, she would know no fear in his arms."

As they approached the door Lan could tell this was Luca's, it was painted in the most revolting patterns and was bright enough to make a tinker blush. As the wagon doors opened a plump man in a ridiculous cape flew out almost knocking the short acrobat of his feet. As Lan looked up into the man's blotchy face he knew, in a split second who this man was.

Lan never felt his fist move until it collided with the show masters face. Shock adorned the faces of the watchers and all Lan could think of was hatred. It absorbed all emotions preceding it, recognition flickered and bloomed jarringly at the back of his mind, the man writhed on the floor blood gushing from a broken nose, the Chavana brother stood completely still. None spoke.

A harsh laugh made its way out from under the bloodied face, "What a way to greet and old friend Lan. Perhaps we shall just shake hands next time, yes?" Looking up he saw Nynaeve's face, and upon it was an open war of distress and gratification. It was just surprise that echoed across the bond.

"Perhaps we should talk Master Luca, of Course you must remember me, and it seems you know my husband …Blaedon" She had hesitated before deciding to use Lans false name, the witnesses were probably too scared to have heard 'Lan' properly the first time. The blood on the show master's face was drying, "Of course I remember you Mistress Nana, and perhaps we should speak inside. I have a message to give you… one I doubt you will enjoy hearing."

o-o-o-o-o

Elayne Lay exhausted in the chamber, the birthing had been hard but the silent maids had made it worse. They gave no encouragement or support for her; the babes were their responsibility. They had left soon after the birth of the first child, leaving the queen of Andor alone for her daughter's birth. She suddenly wondered why they had left; do they know I was having twins? Moghedien had never mentioned it, and Elayne had certainly never volunteered this information. Grasping for the source she felt it, but was too weak to reach it. I must rest if I am to get this child and myself to safety. Then we can rescue the other.

Sleep came sporadically, often dozing in and out of nightmares where she would wake screaming out for Rand or her other child. A sudden thought occurred; I do not know the gender of my other child! Should she ever escape with her daughter, she could never be proclaimed heir because none knew whether she had an older sister, it could be a boy!

Rands son, that would be perfect, the heir and her protector as twins. Elayne wrapped her youngest child in a discarded towel, left by the maids. The little girl smiled at her mother, her wrinkled face scrunching up further. The bonding was cut short when the Queen heard footsteps approaching, knowing there was no way to hide her daughter, Elayne grasped frantically at the source, a trickle reached her not enough to weave a full-size gateway but enough for her child, Egwenes shocked face showed on the other side.

The end of the gateway appeared to be in Elayne's own rooms, but Egwene grasped out and caught the bundled child, "Elayne, squeeze through, I can help." Elayne could barely speak as the youngest of her issue was passed into the hands of another. Shaking her head she gasped and gestured to the door behind her, keys rattled in the lock. Elayne only spoke a name, "Irisis" and the gateway shut. Tears came unbidden to her eyes; her children were gone, taken by good and evil. One probably dead, the other in the hands of the Amyrlin seat herself. That was no way for the heir of Andor to be raised.

Within ten years the Amyrlin would have Andor completely under her control, the heir willing to do what ever it took to make her happy. The metal door swung open, the prison warden carried a small glass of a liquid, and smiling a gap-toothed smile he spoke. "My mistress says if you take this nicely she will allow you to see your son."

"A son?" Elayne flushed with relief, two thoughts came into mind the first was that he must be alive, the second brought shame with it. My daughter and heir is safe! The guard didn't notice her odd behaviour, probably attributing it to having not seen the child yet. Grasping the drink she poured it into her mouth and swallowed quickly. "Yes, he will be great! Moridin himself is coming to collect him. You eldest son shall rule the shadow as one of the forsaken! He will b worshipped by fades and trollocs.

The resultant scream brought another pair of footsteps to the door, Moghedien held a cloth wrapped bundle in her arms, a small hiccup confirmed life. "He is such a beautiful child, just like his father, now your highness, I best be going now, Moridin awaits." Elayne almost laughed at the irony. Death awaits. Death was one thing Elayne suspected Moghedien probably wouldn't experience. "WAIT!" Moghedien turned, at the yell, and began stroking the boys forehead.

"Can I… Can I hold my son?" Moghedien stepped forward and held the child out to her before wring her arms back in. "He is no longer your son Elayne, he is a son of the shadow. Moridin himself will raise him, in his name cities will be plundered and families torn apart, in his name trollocs will pillage and dark friends kill. You have lost your only son this day, weep, weep for the loss of the only child of the Dragon!"

The forsaken woman certainly wasn't weeping, the smile on her face burned Elayne's eyes. "You will have no more issue Elayne, Queen of Andor. You will have no other children from now, the drink was Fork root mixed with Kiered, you will never conceive again. Goodbye your highness. Perhaps you should say goodbye to your heir."

As the forsaken, turned the baby screamed and Moghedien spoke without turning back. "Which reminds me… a child needs a name. What shall you call him?" Elayne frantically grasped at boy's names thought up during long months of pregnancy, the list had fled to the back of her mind; no amount of grasping could regain it. "Rayon, he will be Carnelian." Carnelian giggled and hiccupped again, before Moghedien and the guard tore out of the room.

o-o-o-o-o

"We must rescue Elayne." The women had argued for almost an hour and this was their only agreed on point, the Queen of Andor couldn't stay a captive. A coughing noise distracted them briefly, the five women smiled at the baby and the young one holding her smiled. "I know where we can take her, she will be safe. She cannot stay here, that is where people will expect to find her."

"You are sure Siuan? I called you here for advice not to hide the child, but perhaps that would be for the best. Take Irisis carefully, none must no who she is except those who will care for her. Don't tell me who, tell none. Irisis has a sibling out their somewhere, I know not whether older or younger, or a brother or sister, so until we know more Irisis is the heir of Andor." The solemn silence stretched out before them, Siuan stood and left, turning she spoke to Egwene and th three other women, "I would chose an Advisor for Elayne soon, Egwene, then they can be about spreading that the Queen is ill after her first child's birth. There is no need to mention the gender or name, or even if she survived."

As Siuan spoke Egwene regarded the three applicants for the position of advisor, which was only one of the decisions that would need to be made soon, along with the way to rescue Elayne. Egwene thought she sensed where Elayne was when she spoke in the gateway, but the Amyrlin couldn't just pop round for a visit.

The clouds rolled in as Egwene thought from the balcony, who ever received the chid would likely not know whose it was, only that she deserved protection that more than they would die for. I pray to the Light Irisis grows safe and well, and her mother and sibling is saved soon!

o-o-o-o-o

You like? Yes? No?

At this point please say yes because otherwise you will destroy my very fragile pride and I will cry…. Ok… I won't but I'd appreciate any comment and review! They really do make an authors day!

So please… REVIEW!

Cookies for all.