Quick note. This is my first proper work and my attempt at a true high-fantasy first Peron OC in the wheel of time. I want to reassure you that this isn't going to be some power fantasy trip. I'm going to stay true to the books. The main characters have their own challenges and problems and the OC will be no different. Yes, his past life and knowledge will help him, but it will also come with its own problems and responsibilities. He will not be perfect and at times you may hate his choices, but throughout the story(much of which is already planned) he will grow.
Also, there will be POV chapters and sections for the others and other characters so that you won't miss situations that would never have happened in the original.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.
Sweat poured from my face as I pushed myself up with my arms, gritting my teeth at the sharp and aching pain.
Ok, so maybe attempting a thousand pushups isn't a good idea, especially not after everything else I've done.
I let out a groan as I fell to the ground, the sparse grass tickling my face as I turned my head to the side. The sharp pain subsided, but the aching continued and I didn't need to be a village wisdom to know I'd have aches all day or at least for a couple of hours.
I lay there, unmoving, taking deep breaths. There was a chill in the air, which felt good on my sweat-soaked skin.
At least the cold is good for something.
The winter had been harsh this year, far harsher than expected, especially for me and my family, farming in this weather isn't exactly good. With the crops going bad and dying, the wolves coming down from the mountains of mist to kill livestock and even bears.
Bloody bears. Thank the creator none of my family had seen one, but the congars and coplins had. Well, they claimed they had, but knowing them, it could well be a lie. Neither family was well known for telling the truth.
"Locke? Are you ok?" said a quiet voice to my left. A second later, I felt a slight nudge at my side.
"I'm fine Lyla," I mumbled. "Just resting."
"Oh, good," Lyla, my younger sister, replied, her tone transforming from worry to its usual joyful tone. "Da told me to get you."
The red-haired eight-year-old was a ball of constant joy and happiness. Her presence alone could brighten up any day, even Cenn Buie, who could not seem to stop complaining. Unlike me or Rand, Lyla took after our mother, with little of our father in her.
Groaning softly, I slowly got to my feet and stretched my arms above my hand.
The cold morning sun seemed dimmer than usual and there was an eerie cast to the sky.
Turning, I smiled down at my sister and reached for her. She yelped as I picked her up in my arms.
"Stop, you woolhead, I'm not a baby anymore."
I chuckled as I started towards the farm. "I don't care how old you are you'll always be my baby sister."
She huffed cutely, and stop squirming.
The al'Thor farm was quite the large place. It had started off small, at least that's what my mother and father had told me, but now it stood two stories tall, and far wider than any other farm in the two rivers. The first few additions had been added shortly after it had been bought, the space had been needed for me and my brother, Rand.
After that, a few years later, another had been added as Kari, my mother, had decided she wanted an extra bit of space. That extra bit of space had turned into a room full of clothes, thread, and all other sorts of womanly trinkets.
Then, my sister had come along, out of nowhere, especially since, my mother had been told she couldn't have any more children. That birth had led to the construction of another room, even though we all had our doubts at the time.
Mother, had not thought the child would survive, she'd prayed and hoped, but a child dead at infancy and a stillborn years later hadn't been easy on her. I'd prayed alongside her, as had my brother and Tam, my father. Despite the fact that I wasn't religious, not in my previous life or this life, I'd stilled prayed for the sister I'd hoped would survive.
And survive she did, the ball of joy in my arms was proof of that.
The other parts of the house had been my work. As an engineer and certified university graduate in my former life, with a lot of knowledge, I'd been able to help construct the other rooms, even if it had taken me a week to convince my parents.
Honestly, I still can't believe mother thought I was gonna destroy the house by accident.
Rand had not been much help. Oh, he'd argued on my behalf, but for the wrong reason. Saying something like "We can fix the house if Locke destroys it" isn't something you tell someone when trying to reassure them.
Luckily after the first room, and proving I knew what I was doing, Tam had allowed me to do the others.
As we neared the main house, I spotted Tam and Rand loading barrels into one of the wagons.
Tam was a broad-faced and thick-chested man with gray hair, that had only a sprinkling of black. He had little in common with any of his children, apart from maybe the shoulders. He was of average height though he looked small next to me and Rand.
At six foot four bordering on six-five, Rand was only an inch shorter than me, though he towered over anyone else. He and I were the tallest in the district and the most unique. With his red hair and blue-gray eyes, he was unlike most two rivers people, just like me. My bright blond hair, and blue-gray eyes, a match to Rands were an oddity in the two rivers, though no one but Coplins and Congars made fun of us for it, and they'd stopped after I'd broken Eward Congars arm a few years back. I'd gotten into trouble of course, but in my eyes, it had been well worth it.
Gently, setting Lyla down, I gave her a quick peck on the cheek then turned and headed towards the two.
"Da, you needed me?"
Tam turned as I approached. "Ah there you lad. Rand and I are heading to the village, I've got brandy and cider needs delivering to Bram. You want to come? I know you've got business with Master Luhhan."
Tam had delivered brand and cider to wine spring inn every year since I could remember, so it wasn't a surprise.
"My business with Luhhan is sorted, but I don't mind tagging along. After all, Rand might need me if he runs into Egwene."
I shot a grin to Rand who blushed and shot me a slight glare.
After helping them load up the last of the barrels, and arguing that I didn't need a change of clothes, we started off down the Quarry road towards Emond's field.
My morning exercises had left me feeling a bit tired, but after years and years of exercise and training my body, a walk wasn't going to be difficult, though as the farm faded out of view I did regret not heading inside to put on another layer. I had my cloak with me, as always lately, but now that I was no longer sweating, the chill no longer felt cool or pleasant.
In fact, it felt worse, especially since gusts started up a few minutes later.
Damn winter, it has to end eventually.
The forest on either side of the road was quiet as we walked, no birds sang, no squirrels chittered from branches, and accompanying the silence was an od sense of foreboding. The tress that should be green by now held no leaves. Only the tress that held pine and needle still had any green on them.
There was the occasional nettle or common weed, but even they were sparse. Patches of snow dotted places where trees had kept a deep shade, keeping the sunlight away.
It was undoubtedly an unpleasant morning.
I Should have bought my blade.
Rand had bought his bow along, and he walked with an arrow knocked, his gaze moving from side to side. Tam had his spear with him using it as a walking stick as he took long strides down the road.
Guess ill have to hope they can handle it if anything happens.
Normally there would be no such worries but this winter had put everyone on edge, especially those on the outlining farms. They were a distance away from Emond's field and there were no patrols or anything of the sort in the two rivers.
As a sudden gust sent my clock flapping and a chill running through me, a memory hidden and kept deep within my mind rose up
The biting cold, the darkness. A crying woman, the sound of steel on steel. The cries, and shouts.
Pain, sorrow, and the-
With a grimace, I forced the memory down and formed the flame in the void. My mind cleared of all thought as it was fed into a single flame within an empty void. My fear, my anger, my annoyance all burning away in the flame.
I kept it in my mind for a few seconds then slowly let it fade, allowing thought to return. The technique my father had taught me was a blessing, and worked surprisingly well, allowing me to concentrate in times where I needed a still hand or calm mind.
And to keep the memory away.
The beginning was something I kept buried for good reason. Oh, I thought about earth often enough, but that was mostly just me thinking about the knowledge I'd learned there and making comparisons.
I didn't think about it in a nostalgic way. There was nothing nostalgic about it.
Years of boredom, followed by years of study then more years of boredom with no family or future in sight. Those times were best left forgotten or buried since I didn't seem to be able to forget anything of my past life.
My hand reached for a blade that wasn't there and I once again sighed at my forgetfulness. I always carried my sword with me, despite not ever having had to truly use it. But it was a comfortable weight to keep me grounded, to remind me that the past was the past, and to keep to the present and future.
"Forget your blade, lad?"
I turned my gaze to Tam and nodded sourly.
"Aye, was wondering why you looked so down."
"You look odd without it," Rand added. "I'm used to seeing you with it. At least you won't make Mat or any of the others jealous. He always asks you for a go when you see him."
Tam shook his head. "That boy should stick to the staff, the sword doesn't suit him."
That was something he'd told Rand and me about when I'd first found the swords. It had been a complete accident. I'd been rummaging in the attic when I'd stumbled across two heron-marked blades, both in pristine condition despite the dust that covered them.
I'd been attracted to it immediately and after an entire two days of pestering him, he'd finally agreed to teach me, and when I'd first held that sword in my hand, Tam had remarked that the sword 'suited me'
Since then daily sword practice, after work and chores were done, was common, and despite arguing with him, Rand still only occasionally joined us, most of his time was still spent reading, messing with Mat, Perrin, and the other two rivers youths.
It's a shame, he's damn good with a blade. Needs more practice, but still good.
I myself, while good friends with Mat and Perrin and the other two river boys, spent most of my time practicing, helping around, or working in my room.
I did, after all, have a lot of knowledge from my old world that could revolutionize things in this world, if I ever left the two rivers, which lately seemed less and less likely.
I wanted to see the outside world, but the peace and simplicity of the two rivers had been a blessing. Back on earth, life had been anything but simple.
School, taxes, jobs, homelife. It had all been too much, but here in the two rivers, life was simple, yet not dull.
The people, the atmosphere. It had been like a rehab of sorts.
The proper family and childhood had most certainly helped, alongside the fact that the memories had slowly returned once I'd turned thirteen. It had allowed me to live as a child without the mind of a twenty-eight-year-old university graduate.
A sudden tingling at the back of my head prompted me to turn my head back.
I froze.
A dark hooded figure atop a horse followed behind us. Its hood obscured its face, and its cloak, as dark as night, covered it from its boot tops to its head, leaving nothing but the vague outline of a face whiting that cowl.
Was it staring at me? I couldn't see its eyes, but for some odd reason, I felt as though it was staring directly at me.
Why do I feel so sick all of a sudden?
Hatred. The word popped into my head unbidden. I felt hatred in that gaze.
I tried to move my head but I couldn't. My head didn't want to respond, like it had been locked in place.
Bella, the mare pulling the wagon let out a snort, and with a force of will, I pulled my gaze away from the rider to see Rand holding onto Bella's harness.
"Are you all right, lad?" Tam asked.
"A rider," Rand said.
"You saw it too?" I asked.
Rand turned to me. "Yeah he's…"
Rand's words trailed off and I followed his gaze found... No one. Where the rider had once been, there was no one. No sign that anyone had been following.
"He was there," Rand said insistently. "A man in a black cloak, Locke saw him too."
Tam glanced at me, and I nodded. "I saw it too, a black rider with a cloak covering him."
Tam raised his spear and peered back the way they'd come. "I don't doubt your word lads, especially since both of you saw this man, but I don't see anything. We can head back and search for prints. If we find them we'll know for certain, and if not… well, these are days to make a man think he's seeing things."
I opened my mouth to object but Rand beat me to it. "No, father, there's no need your probably right. No point looking for what isn't there, not when we can use the time getting on to the village and out of this wind."
"I can agree with that," I added. "I'd rather we reach the village as quick as we can."
"All right lads, come on then, I bet mistress al'Vere will have some of that bread of hers ready or some mold wine. That woman always has something cooking."
That sent my stomach rumbling and I quickened my pace to match Tam's.
I could definitely go for some mold wine. Maybe she has some cakes ready as well.