As he slammed back into his body the all too familiar agony washed
over him anew. A cry of pain escaped his lips. The sound changed in his
ears and he realised that someone else screamed with him.
He pushed himself up onto an elbow with a grunt. Cadsuane sat at his head whilst Min smiled at him from above. The relief he felt through the bond was clearly expressed on her face. Everyone else in the clearing was turned toward the source of the other scream. At the bottom of the slope lay a naked body, curled like a newborn, and wrapped in a mane of long dark hair. He didn't recognise her at first, pain from the old wound in his side coursed through him accompanied by the offset beat of the newer one. As he concentrated on holding the pain at bay his thoughts finally sorted themselves. "Moiraine!" He sat up quickly, hearing Lan calling out at the same time.
She stirred on the ground. Cadsuane looked to the crowd of mute Aes sedai and Ashaman. "Get something to cover that woman before she dies of exposure" Turning to Rand "I suppose you can explain."
"No! She said she couldn't come!" Cadsuane's eyes narrowed "You spoke with a dead woman?"
"In the Dream world, Tel'a.. She told me she couldn't come here. She said she was bound until the Wheel turned".
Nyneave stirred by Lan's side. He dragged his attention back to his wife. "How do you feel?"
"Like I just took on a fist of trollocs unaided! No, don't." as Lan reached out to keep her still, "I'm just making sure everything's still attached." Turing to Rand "Who was bound in Tel'aran'rhoid?"
"Moiraine."
"And?" Lan butted in. It was the first time Rand had seen this much emotion on his face. He expected it was concern for Nyneave. "She is alive, Nyneave. I can feel her. Through the bond." Maybe not, thought Rand to himself. "It's still there. Just as it was before she." "Died" Nyneave finished. The look of pain on her face now had nothing to do with her injuries.
"This can wait," said Cadsuane, "There are more important things to deal with. We must get back to the palace; there are injuries to be tended. Jahar, can you make us a gateway from here?"
"If I use the Sword, Cadsuane Sedai." The grimace of distaste barely registered around her mouth, "If it is necessary then do so. Needs must after all." She began to gather the sisters together passing instructions around the group for the return to Cairhein. "Min, please make sure he stays put in his bed this time" she said, whilst assisting him to stand. Lan had seemed to be torn between his wife and his unexpected Bond holder, But a scathing glance from Min set him to lifting Nyneave into his arms, as an Ashaman lifted Moiraine and cradled her in a flow of Air.
************
Elaida sat in her study surrounded by women who were supposed to jump to fill her every whim, but in truth she was almost forgotten, a useless figurehead. The reports they delivered were direct to Alviarin now, without even the pretence of courtesy due to her rank. Her! The Amrylin Seat! It made her fume inside, but she knew it would not last. Her hounds in the Tower had caught the trail of the Black Ajah and Elaida knew exactly were it would lead them. Then she would show them all!
As her mood began to lift, she rose from her chair, eyes vacant and spoke in a voice unlike her own.
"The Dragon shall consume the Darkness and he in turn shall be consumed, and all the world shall know that their days are numbered.
"That which was sundered shall come together in a mighty clash, and in combating the Tower shall the False Amyrlin fall."
All eyes focused on her, and Elaida knew she had had a foretelling. They came over her unaware, but she remembered her own words as well as any who heard them. Gaze passing over the women seated in her presence, she took in their faces. Shock was there, as well as fear, but on Alviarin, the only thing that showed was triumph!
He pushed himself up onto an elbow with a grunt. Cadsuane sat at his head whilst Min smiled at him from above. The relief he felt through the bond was clearly expressed on her face. Everyone else in the clearing was turned toward the source of the other scream. At the bottom of the slope lay a naked body, curled like a newborn, and wrapped in a mane of long dark hair. He didn't recognise her at first, pain from the old wound in his side coursed through him accompanied by the offset beat of the newer one. As he concentrated on holding the pain at bay his thoughts finally sorted themselves. "Moiraine!" He sat up quickly, hearing Lan calling out at the same time.
She stirred on the ground. Cadsuane looked to the crowd of mute Aes sedai and Ashaman. "Get something to cover that woman before she dies of exposure" Turning to Rand "I suppose you can explain."
"No! She said she couldn't come!" Cadsuane's eyes narrowed "You spoke with a dead woman?"
"In the Dream world, Tel'a.. She told me she couldn't come here. She said she was bound until the Wheel turned".
Nyneave stirred by Lan's side. He dragged his attention back to his wife. "How do you feel?"
"Like I just took on a fist of trollocs unaided! No, don't." as Lan reached out to keep her still, "I'm just making sure everything's still attached." Turing to Rand "Who was bound in Tel'aran'rhoid?"
"Moiraine."
"And?" Lan butted in. It was the first time Rand had seen this much emotion on his face. He expected it was concern for Nyneave. "She is alive, Nyneave. I can feel her. Through the bond." Maybe not, thought Rand to himself. "It's still there. Just as it was before she." "Died" Nyneave finished. The look of pain on her face now had nothing to do with her injuries.
"This can wait," said Cadsuane, "There are more important things to deal with. We must get back to the palace; there are injuries to be tended. Jahar, can you make us a gateway from here?"
"If I use the Sword, Cadsuane Sedai." The grimace of distaste barely registered around her mouth, "If it is necessary then do so. Needs must after all." She began to gather the sisters together passing instructions around the group for the return to Cairhein. "Min, please make sure he stays put in his bed this time" she said, whilst assisting him to stand. Lan had seemed to be torn between his wife and his unexpected Bond holder, But a scathing glance from Min set him to lifting Nyneave into his arms, as an Ashaman lifted Moiraine and cradled her in a flow of Air.
************
Elaida sat in her study surrounded by women who were supposed to jump to fill her every whim, but in truth she was almost forgotten, a useless figurehead. The reports they delivered were direct to Alviarin now, without even the pretence of courtesy due to her rank. Her! The Amrylin Seat! It made her fume inside, but she knew it would not last. Her hounds in the Tower had caught the trail of the Black Ajah and Elaida knew exactly were it would lead them. Then she would show them all!
As her mood began to lift, she rose from her chair, eyes vacant and spoke in a voice unlike her own.
"The Dragon shall consume the Darkness and he in turn shall be consumed, and all the world shall know that their days are numbered.
"That which was sundered shall come together in a mighty clash, and in combating the Tower shall the False Amyrlin fall."
All eyes focused on her, and Elaida knew she had had a foretelling. They came over her unaware, but she remembered her own words as well as any who heard them. Gaze passing over the women seated in her presence, she took in their faces. Shock was there, as well as fear, but on Alviarin, the only thing that showed was triumph!