Lazaruss :" Here I am. I haven't forgotten you, but I have a girlfriend now, and the Light knows girlfriends are time consuming. Anyway, hope you like this chapter and the one just after it. "
Chapter 8.a ; Illian Camps
For her part, Joline was too terrified by the prospect of a man channeling right in front of her, to realize the absurdity of that statement. It was only after Teslyne gasped and lost the source altogether, that the meaning of those words struck her, disolving her link with the source as well. It was impossible ! It had to be some kind of a mistake.
" Are you saying that we've been in these mountains for six days ?" Mat asked astounded. Joline thought someone in the back mutter "Light help us" under his breath, but no one else stirred. Nothing else stirred the silence except for the rush of hot draft from that awful hole. " Talmanes, we've camped only one bloody night !"
The Tairen lord darted his eyes over the gapping faces of Mat's companions and slowly his joy winked out. " One night ? But Mat… It's… Ask anyone ; We've set out six days ago. Ask Daedrid, even he arrived to Illian ahead of you. "
Silent murmur started to circle around the Redarms, whispers about the Dark One's work, and the Dark One stealing days from them. Even the black-coated man was now staring at them in an evident surprise. Joline was perhaps the first one to pull herself together. A man who could channel – A man who channeled – was less than three paces from her and she had let go of the source. Her pounding heart was trying to brake through her chest but she managed to embrace saidar again and Teslyn was soon to follow. If the two of them were the first to come to, young Mat was the second.
" Quiet. " He shouted cutting off the murmur instantly. " What about the Band ? Did you have them sent to Tar Valon ?"
Within the next half hour, the small column of men was swiftly progressing through the sun bathed emerald fields of young wheat north of Illian. Young Mat and the Tairen Lord were riding at the front of the group, silently exchanging words concerning the Tar Valon attack. It would have been interesting to listen to what they were saying, except for the fact that a man who could channel was riding almost right in front of her. Joline could not take her horrifying eyes off his broad back and Teslyne tried very hard not to quiver in her saddle without much success. Perhaps Seanchan didn't terrify her as much any more, now that she was in his presence.
Even in Ebou Dar, rumors reached them of an army of black-coated men who channeled, assembled by Rand al'Thor, but next to their pressing issues with the Seanchan nether of them had had the time to pay much heed to it. It had seemed impossible, madness even, to think of an army of such men – hundreds, perhaps thousands of men who could channel, walking about as freely as it was said. But actually being in ones presence was more than enough to sear away all doubts like dry kindling. Light, how could have the Tower allowed that to happen ? This ridiculous rebellion was to blame. Had the Tower been whole, none of this would have happened. How were they suppose to deal with them now that they have spread like a hoard of locus ? Light be upon them, it would be yet another Braking of the World all over again !
For a while they all rode on by themselves, and than all of a sudden, the man's horse started to slow down, shortening the distance between him and the two Aes Sedai. It was slow at first, but it grew more apparent as they inched closer. Joline shared a puzzled and a bit startled glance with Teslyn but nether of them dared to express their fear by falling back. Who knew what he might take into his head if he'd even suspect that they were afraid of him. She could feel Blaerick and Fenn almost behind her, tensing and ready to strike.
Bit by bit, their horses grew closer and closer, giving them a better look of him. A broad-shouldered man – a boy not past seventeen – with pretty brown eyes and dark-brown hair, easily noticed in a few glances he spared in their direction. For some reason, he wore a very thick, shaggy and untrimmed beard which went almost to his chest, and a sword in a scabbard was at his hip, as if he used steel to kill like normal men did. And he knew Traveling ! Yet another rumor turned out to be true. Joline was frantically trying to suppress the image of hundreds of these men popping out of thin air wherever they wished, and even more frantically to keep the effort on the inside, dreading to think what other discarded rumors were also true.
She and Teslyn were riding close together, their knees almost touching, but now their horses had to part to let his spotted gelding slide in between them. It was only after he came level with the two of them did he stop falling behind and matched his speed with theirs. And the three of them resumed riding like that. Slowly. In silence.
" There is no reason to be… uneasy, Aes Sedai. "; The man spoke suddenly in a soft Andoran accent. She glanced at Teslyn whose hands gripped the reins very tightly. Uneasy ? Afraid, he was about to say. Light help them. " I assure you that you are in no danger what so ever. "
Joline allowed herself to observe him briefly, just a flicker of her eyes. Light, he was only a boy and he was facing madness and death. And Gentling. Better that than the alternative. She kept telling herself that at least that way he had a chance to live… But, oh Light, he was just a boy.
Since nether of them spoke a word, he went on just as softly. He must have been a simple farmer before he donned that monstrous black coat. " And I assure you that Gentling me would serve no purpose what so ever, ether. You may have heard that lord Logain was healed of that. I saw him channel just a few days ago. "
Teslyn made a quiet gasp in her saddle. She tried to mask it by clearing her throat, but like with her shudders, she made a poor job of it. This time however, Joline couldn't blame her ; Teslyn had been one of the sisters sent after Logain. If it was true, if this poor fellow was not at least half-mad already, it meant that all a Gentled man had to do was to find someone who would make him channel again. Any Gentled man ! The breaking of the World, all over again !
They still remained silent, so the man resumed. " But where are my manners ; Asha'man Todd al'Feen. There are several hundred of us in Illian, by the way, so don't get any funny ideas. And don't take into your head that the Black Tower is left undefended. " For a moment he frowned before he went on again, though it was a quick transition. " In any case, we were given orders long since that no sister is to be harmed unless she tries harming one of us first. And it seams you won't be staying long enough for ether, so... "
" Young man, be your mother aware of what you be up to ?" Tesline asked sternly and somewhat angry, and Joline turned her head away quickly before anyone could notice she was staring. Fortunately, the man didn't look her way, blushing slightly, but he did respond.
" It's not something I can tell a lot of people, now is it. But once she – and you, for that matter – learn the truth, I think you will be very pleased matters are what they are. "
" The truth ?" Teslyn arched an eyebrow his way. Light, he could be holding saidin right now !
The boy blushed again and grinned quite openly. He seemed to be stiffening a chuckle. " It's best that you hear it from… someone else. You might not believe it otherwise. "
Exchanging another brief glance with Teslyn, Joline swallowed the bile rising in her stomach. Whatever the boy was talking about couldn't be anything good. But this whole awkward situation also gave her an idea of how to deal with her fears. Despite the fact that he could channel – she prayed to the Light that he doesn't go mad right next to her – he could also give them something invaluable ; information. But it seemed Teslyn had something else in mind.
" Be Logain… Lord Logain in Illian ?" She asked quite casually, yet Joline could notice the effort it took. She could not imagine the horror of coming face to face with a man she had Gentled once before, only to find him able to channel again.
" No. " The boy spoke still smiling and keeping his eyes ahead. " He had other matters to attend to by the orders of the Lord Dragon. " Had she been standing, Joline's knees would have sagged. The Dragon Reborn ! She didn't know why it would make her more terrified than she already was, but mere mention of him just did. Well, she was not going to enter the city if he was there !
" And be… the Lord Dragon in Illian ?" Tesline asked facing the boy.
" None of us knows where he is. " the boy sighed. " Except Lord Logain. He's all but disappeared since the… since Cairhien. Mat might know where he is though. "
" Cairhien ?" Joline arched an eyebrow. He wasn't in Illian, thank the Light.
The boy was hesitant with his answer this time and his smile finally slipped. " Someone… tried to kill him. He's been hiding ever since, but we know for a fact he is alive. Both the M'hael – Lord Mazrim Taim – and Lord Logain agree in that. " He seemed to think it sufficient proof. Taim and Logain were both following al'Thor ? Two false Dragons and a real one. And an army of men who could channel at their call, all able to Travel, all safe from Gentling. Bile was rising in her gut again, but she managed to suppress it. Barely. Sating her curiosity was a great help so far.
" You seem to know Lord General Matrim Cauthon ?" She asked, just to keep the conversation going, but the boy's answer actually surprised her.
" Lord General ?" He laughed brightening up again. " Hardly ! I doubt he recognizes me with this beard, but he himself hadn't changed as much as he seems to think. Yes I know him. Troublemaker since cradle, that one. Lord Perrin, I can understand, but Lord General Matrim Cauthon is something a bit harder to wrap your brain about. Though, I suppose it had to happen with Rand being the bloody Dragon Reborn and all… Pardon my language Aes Sedai. "
The two of them were openly goggling him now, not that he seemed to mind. So he was from Two Rivers as well ? The possibilities and questions that started to pile up within her were staggering. She didn't even care he could channel now that she knew everything he could tell her, but even so, she didn't let go of the source. Nether did Teslyn and they were both exhausted from the trip and at the very limits of their strengths.
" Don't get the idea that I'm revealing too much, though. " He went on a bit more determinedly. " I'm telling you only what is commonly known already, what you need to know so don't do anything rash. And as for secret plans and workings and politics, well, you'll just have to ask someone else. I go where I'm told, and that's it. "
" We be in Arad Doman and away from the rest of the world for quite some time. " Tesline said sounding a bit more relaxed. How was she managing it ? One might think she was talking to a normal person, rather than… Joline stopped her thoughts before they could go farther. "Anything you do be able to talk about, be perfectly fine. "
As they rode on towards the city through fresh green crops with the warm sun above their heads, the massive tension between the three odd riders seemed to slacken considerably. The black-coated man did most of the talking about almost anything the two women at his sides wanted to know, and in that short time, he was able to confirm about a hundred wildest roomers that had reached them since Ebou Dar. The catastrophic capture of fifty – fifty – sisters sent by Elaida and her disastrous attempt to kidnap Rand al'Thor, was what had stung Joline the most. At least all those sisters were still alive, though bonded – bonded of all things. So far it seemed the Asha'man were taking Aes Sedai down like flies.
The boy also spoke of a strange turmoil within the city, dead people walking the streets, instantaneous storms, bizarre accidents and all manner of madness that had the townsfolk terrified. According to him, more than once Asha'man and Aes Sedai had to link to set matters straight, a thing which made Teslyn's eyes nearly come out of her head. Joline felt the same way ; men bonding women, even against their will, was one thing, but actually commanding them to share in the madness of saidin was quite different. And when she pointed it out, the boy merely put on that smile of his, when he thought he knew more than they did. As if he didn't have a care in the world.
" Some of them are in Illian right now, accompanying their Asha'man. " he spoke and Joline discovered she was beginning to resent that annoying nonchalant smile. " You should ask them more of the matter, and I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you. Ah. It seems we've arrived. " He gestured ahead.
Lazaruss : " Proceed to the next chapter please. "