This is just something I came up with after Winter's Heart, I didn't upload
it right away since I know Robert Jordan doesn't like fanfics. But I can
just as easily stop creating stories in my head as an Aes Sedai could give
up channeling, and I wanted to share it anyhow. The Wheel of Time universe
belongs to Robert Jordan, I just play here!
Prologue.
"You sent for me, Lord Dragon?" Narishma said as he entered the room. He was wearing that blue coat again. It made Rand uneasy, a reminder the sisters had bonded the Asha'man. When asked, Alanna said they had all accepted the bond voluntarily, but Rand could not happen to wonder what the alternatives had been. How often had he found himself making choices when really there were no other options at all? Especially soon after he had left the Two Rivers he had tried to work free of Aes Sedai, but there always was something else that needed to be done, another reason to go where he was pointed to. He suspected the Asha'man had found themselves with 'choices' that had left as few alternatives. But no time to dwell on that now.
"I want you to go to Egwene's army at Tar Valon," he said.
Narishma looked apprehensive. "Tar Valon?" he asked.
Rand could understand the man's unhappiness. A whole camp full of Aes Sedai -and when the siege was successful and Egwene took the Tower, there would be Reds too. But he had been out of touch with her too long, he needed someone there before she was only the Amyrlin Seat and no longer Egwene from the Two Rivers. If it was not too late already. "Now that the taint is cleansed there is no reason for the White Tower to hunt us down any more. Egwene has no Reds in her camp. I want you to go there and be my liaison to the White Tower."
"I am a soldier, you have better negotiators among your people," Narishma said.
Rand sighed. He did not like to argue his point, but Narishma had a right to know why he wanted him to go to the very heart of the Aes Sedai power. Not that there weren't enough Aes Sedai around here, lately. "I can't send any of the Aes Sedai because I can't trust them to remember which side they are on," he said. "I can not send one of the nobles because someone who can not channel does not stand a chance among that many Aes Sedai. The Wise Ones and the Windfinders are likely to put anything I ask them second to their own plans. That leaves the Asha'man. And I need someone I can trust, and that means either you or Flinn. I picked you."
Narishma nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Lord Dragon."
"You will go as soon as you are done packing. Egwene has asked me to show you a copse of trees about half a mile outside her camp to Travel to; there are so many people moving in the camps themselves that she does not want to risk any Gateways opening in the camps where people could get hurt," Rand said. "Oh, and wear your Asha'man coat. Merise can go -she will insist I am sure- but there will be no doubt she comes along with you and not the other way around." He walked to the table and pulled out the map of Tar Valon.
Not long afterward, Narishma saluted and left the room to pack.
Prologue.
"You sent for me, Lord Dragon?" Narishma said as he entered the room. He was wearing that blue coat again. It made Rand uneasy, a reminder the sisters had bonded the Asha'man. When asked, Alanna said they had all accepted the bond voluntarily, but Rand could not happen to wonder what the alternatives had been. How often had he found himself making choices when really there were no other options at all? Especially soon after he had left the Two Rivers he had tried to work free of Aes Sedai, but there always was something else that needed to be done, another reason to go where he was pointed to. He suspected the Asha'man had found themselves with 'choices' that had left as few alternatives. But no time to dwell on that now.
"I want you to go to Egwene's army at Tar Valon," he said.
Narishma looked apprehensive. "Tar Valon?" he asked.
Rand could understand the man's unhappiness. A whole camp full of Aes Sedai -and when the siege was successful and Egwene took the Tower, there would be Reds too. But he had been out of touch with her too long, he needed someone there before she was only the Amyrlin Seat and no longer Egwene from the Two Rivers. If it was not too late already. "Now that the taint is cleansed there is no reason for the White Tower to hunt us down any more. Egwene has no Reds in her camp. I want you to go there and be my liaison to the White Tower."
"I am a soldier, you have better negotiators among your people," Narishma said.
Rand sighed. He did not like to argue his point, but Narishma had a right to know why he wanted him to go to the very heart of the Aes Sedai power. Not that there weren't enough Aes Sedai around here, lately. "I can't send any of the Aes Sedai because I can't trust them to remember which side they are on," he said. "I can not send one of the nobles because someone who can not channel does not stand a chance among that many Aes Sedai. The Wise Ones and the Windfinders are likely to put anything I ask them second to their own plans. That leaves the Asha'man. And I need someone I can trust, and that means either you or Flinn. I picked you."
Narishma nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Lord Dragon."
"You will go as soon as you are done packing. Egwene has asked me to show you a copse of trees about half a mile outside her camp to Travel to; there are so many people moving in the camps themselves that she does not want to risk any Gateways opening in the camps where people could get hurt," Rand said. "Oh, and wear your Asha'man coat. Merise can go -she will insist I am sure- but there will be no doubt she comes along with you and not the other way around." He walked to the table and pulled out the map of Tar Valon.
Not long afterward, Narishma saluted and left the room to pack.