Occupying Rand's study, Elayne sat behind his massive oak desk, studying the ter'angreal Berowyn's friend found, under the flickering light of a candle. After many hours of close investigation, she had come to realize the object was made of some kind of wood, but she was not sure of which. It resembled pine, but also a number of other sorts - elm, oak - and therefore she could not make out the items exact origin. It was almost a hand tall, and soot black. It was a rather handsome man, with musculous arms crossed over his bare chest, but his legs where missing. Below the waist was something that could resemble mist, or fog, or even perhaps a cloud. Elayne had not focused on its appearance, though; the looks of the ter'angreal was often the opposite of what it did.
Elayne had been studying ter'angreal for a while, ever since the beginning of the last century. She had seen a hundred ter'angreal, a hundred different figurines that did a hundred different things when triggered. The Aes Sedai could not tell what this particular one would do, and therefore she had to handle it with utmost care. She traced her fingers down its features, and suddenly she jerked her hand back, suddenly realizing.. She ran to the bookshelf, found the book she needed, and eyed through the pages. She put the heavy leather-bound book down at the table while reading the paragraph. A frown appeared in her forehead when she was certain she had been right. She sighed, and went to tell the others.
Late in the afternoon as it was, the whole little family was seated in the dining room, half-way through their meal, when Elayne came rushing through the door, book in one hand, ter'angreal in the other. Without any explanations, she put the book down at the far end of the table and seated herself in an unoccupied chair while holding the ter'angreal high so everyone could see. "It's a summoner. Of gholam."
Her blurt explanation started a chain reaction in the room. Rand frowned, Elayne's youngest daughter gasped, Alfred leaned forward to take a closer look at the figurine. Only Aviendha did not react, and she looked at Elayne, eyes serene. "What is gholam?" The word sounded strange in her mouth.
Alfred answered before Elayne could even open her mouth, and everyone's gaze turned to him. "A gholam.. is a creature. Let me have a look." He reached over the table, and Elayne put the ter'angreal in his stretched out palm. He eyed it closely for a minute, then took on his lecturing tone, making Elayne wanting to roll her eyes in exasperation. "Made in the Age of Legends by the Chosen" - he made a small, apologizing sound - "the Forsaken Aginor, it was created for one soul purpose. To kill wielders of the One Power. Three feminine gholam and as many masculine were created. Although, they have not a single bone in their bodies, and they can shape themselves however they wish, squeeze through a wall if there are the slightest crack.. Even though they mostly present themselves in their human form. They are very strong, and very quick, and as intelligent as a Myrddraal." He stopped talking for a dramatic pause, and Elayne wanted to roll her eyes again. Alfred was an excellent story-teller, and once he started, there was no way of shutting him up. "The One Power cannot harm them, the weaves will break apart on contact. Swords are of no use - actually, there were no known ways of hurting them, until Mat burned one of them with his silver medallion, the one shaped like a fox." Elayne nodded her head a slight bit at that note, she knew that Rand's long gone friend had come to possess a very special jewelry, that had made him invincible to weaves of the One Power. "There are ways of controlling them, though. If you bring it forward, I'm sure I can make it do whatever I want." He made a small notion as to go on, but Aviendha interrupted, her lips pursed, and a thoughtful look resided in her light eyes. "They kill channelers, you say. How?"
Elayne tapped her fingers at the book, and answered Aviendha, but looking straight as Rand as she spoke. "It feeds on blood. But that is not of any importance. To the point, what to do with the figurine? Shall we destroy it; send it to the White Tower; or hide it somewhere safe?"
Everyone's focus turned on Rand, whose gaze was fixed upon the ter'angreal. "My suggestion.. No; my demand; is that we use it." Gasps and shouts were heard throughout the room; no one was happy about Rand's suggestion-demand, and everyone was protesting loudly. He let it go on for a few minutes before raising his hand, creating complete silence. "It could be interesting. And useful, if now what Alfred says is true." He scratched his cheek, and turned his eyes to Elayne. "How do we activate it?"
Elayne's forehead bore a small frown, and her eyes looked uncertain. She opened her mouth as to respond, but shut it again, gave it some thought, and finally spoke. "Rand, do you really believe this is wise? Alfred might know some way to control this.. creature.." She spoke of it as she once had spoke of the Dark One, her tone revealing her disgust. "It is not safe. It might break free; we do not know that."
Rand paused to reflect on the opinions, and after a while, his face broke in to a mischievous grin. "No, I do not believe it is wise. But I haven't had any real adventure since Cairhien decided to declare war on the White Tower two hundred years ago. Loosen up, dear. It might be fun..?"
Aviendha choked on her wine, Alfred pounded her heartily on the back, but Elayne just looked at Rand, meeting his gaze levelly. After a few moments, she sighed. "If that is what you want. But then I expect you to take full responsibility-" She was broken off when Rand rose from his chair. "Then it is decided. Take it to the study, and we will use it in there." Everyone rose to follow the old man's lead, but Elayne remained seated in her chair a while after they all had left the room. She sighed again before shaking her head irritably, muttering something about stubborn goatherds, and following the others to her husband's study.
Some had taken seats in the sofa; the two remaining grand-children of Rand was seated on the floor, legs crossed; but the rest stood since there was not much room to sit except the comfortable armchair, which Rand, of course, occupied. Elayne carefully closed the door behind her, and put the book back in the shelf where it belonged. She would not need it, perhaps ever again, if Rand's foolish plan did not work out. She went to stand behind Rand, and put an arm on the chair's back support. Rand placed the gholam figurine on the table and cleared his throat to bring silence to the small but powerful company. When no one spoke, he turned his head to look at Elayne. "I'll let you have the honor.." His lips still bore the grin, but his eyes had turned hard and expectant. He was not sure of this either, Elayne suddenly realized, and the realization made her legs feel like water. She took a former grip of the chair, nodded and tried to look like a true Aes Sedai should. She took a deep breath before opening herself to saidar, the Power making her feeling warm and happy inside. She carefully wove a weave of all flows - Spirit; Fire; Water; Earth and Air - through the medallion, and held her breath while waiting for the result.
She did not have to wait long.
A fog sipped out of the figurine, and began to form in the clearing in front of Rand's study desk. A loud gasp was heard; Elayne did not know whose mouth had formed it, it could even had been her's.
Finally, the transformation stopped, and the creature's true features was shown to everyone in the room. The creature was short, just a bit taller than the two children, and it's shortness was further accented by the way he stood, hunching over. It was bony, and it's skin had the color of gray; it was rough, and looked almost slimy. It's eyes were huge and pale, and the colorless lips showed it's sharp yellow fangs. It was naked except for one dirty, torn piece of cloth tied around his hips. The creature darted his eyes from one human to the other, his big eyes looking almost frightened.
Rand stood up, to get a better look at this monstrous being. "Gholam?", he asked, disbelieving.
The creature hissed and shook his head violently. "Ssmeagol iss our name.." He bobbed his head and fixed his pools of eyes on Rand. "We are famisshed, yes famisshed are we, preciouss.. Have they nice fisshes?" He made a sound in his throat that sounded a lot like "gholam", or perhaps.. "gollum"..
Elayne had been studying ter'angreal for a while, ever since the beginning of the last century. She had seen a hundred ter'angreal, a hundred different figurines that did a hundred different things when triggered. The Aes Sedai could not tell what this particular one would do, and therefore she had to handle it with utmost care. She traced her fingers down its features, and suddenly she jerked her hand back, suddenly realizing.. She ran to the bookshelf, found the book she needed, and eyed through the pages. She put the heavy leather-bound book down at the table while reading the paragraph. A frown appeared in her forehead when she was certain she had been right. She sighed, and went to tell the others.
Late in the afternoon as it was, the whole little family was seated in the dining room, half-way through their meal, when Elayne came rushing through the door, book in one hand, ter'angreal in the other. Without any explanations, she put the book down at the far end of the table and seated herself in an unoccupied chair while holding the ter'angreal high so everyone could see. "It's a summoner. Of gholam."
Her blurt explanation started a chain reaction in the room. Rand frowned, Elayne's youngest daughter gasped, Alfred leaned forward to take a closer look at the figurine. Only Aviendha did not react, and she looked at Elayne, eyes serene. "What is gholam?" The word sounded strange in her mouth.
Alfred answered before Elayne could even open her mouth, and everyone's gaze turned to him. "A gholam.. is a creature. Let me have a look." He reached over the table, and Elayne put the ter'angreal in his stretched out palm. He eyed it closely for a minute, then took on his lecturing tone, making Elayne wanting to roll her eyes in exasperation. "Made in the Age of Legends by the Chosen" - he made a small, apologizing sound - "the Forsaken Aginor, it was created for one soul purpose. To kill wielders of the One Power. Three feminine gholam and as many masculine were created. Although, they have not a single bone in their bodies, and they can shape themselves however they wish, squeeze through a wall if there are the slightest crack.. Even though they mostly present themselves in their human form. They are very strong, and very quick, and as intelligent as a Myrddraal." He stopped talking for a dramatic pause, and Elayne wanted to roll her eyes again. Alfred was an excellent story-teller, and once he started, there was no way of shutting him up. "The One Power cannot harm them, the weaves will break apart on contact. Swords are of no use - actually, there were no known ways of hurting them, until Mat burned one of them with his silver medallion, the one shaped like a fox." Elayne nodded her head a slight bit at that note, she knew that Rand's long gone friend had come to possess a very special jewelry, that had made him invincible to weaves of the One Power. "There are ways of controlling them, though. If you bring it forward, I'm sure I can make it do whatever I want." He made a small notion as to go on, but Aviendha interrupted, her lips pursed, and a thoughtful look resided in her light eyes. "They kill channelers, you say. How?"
Elayne tapped her fingers at the book, and answered Aviendha, but looking straight as Rand as she spoke. "It feeds on blood. But that is not of any importance. To the point, what to do with the figurine? Shall we destroy it; send it to the White Tower; or hide it somewhere safe?"
Everyone's focus turned on Rand, whose gaze was fixed upon the ter'angreal. "My suggestion.. No; my demand; is that we use it." Gasps and shouts were heard throughout the room; no one was happy about Rand's suggestion-demand, and everyone was protesting loudly. He let it go on for a few minutes before raising his hand, creating complete silence. "It could be interesting. And useful, if now what Alfred says is true." He scratched his cheek, and turned his eyes to Elayne. "How do we activate it?"
Elayne's forehead bore a small frown, and her eyes looked uncertain. She opened her mouth as to respond, but shut it again, gave it some thought, and finally spoke. "Rand, do you really believe this is wise? Alfred might know some way to control this.. creature.." She spoke of it as she once had spoke of the Dark One, her tone revealing her disgust. "It is not safe. It might break free; we do not know that."
Rand paused to reflect on the opinions, and after a while, his face broke in to a mischievous grin. "No, I do not believe it is wise. But I haven't had any real adventure since Cairhien decided to declare war on the White Tower two hundred years ago. Loosen up, dear. It might be fun..?"
Aviendha choked on her wine, Alfred pounded her heartily on the back, but Elayne just looked at Rand, meeting his gaze levelly. After a few moments, she sighed. "If that is what you want. But then I expect you to take full responsibility-" She was broken off when Rand rose from his chair. "Then it is decided. Take it to the study, and we will use it in there." Everyone rose to follow the old man's lead, but Elayne remained seated in her chair a while after they all had left the room. She sighed again before shaking her head irritably, muttering something about stubborn goatherds, and following the others to her husband's study.
Some had taken seats in the sofa; the two remaining grand-children of Rand was seated on the floor, legs crossed; but the rest stood since there was not much room to sit except the comfortable armchair, which Rand, of course, occupied. Elayne carefully closed the door behind her, and put the book back in the shelf where it belonged. She would not need it, perhaps ever again, if Rand's foolish plan did not work out. She went to stand behind Rand, and put an arm on the chair's back support. Rand placed the gholam figurine on the table and cleared his throat to bring silence to the small but powerful company. When no one spoke, he turned his head to look at Elayne. "I'll let you have the honor.." His lips still bore the grin, but his eyes had turned hard and expectant. He was not sure of this either, Elayne suddenly realized, and the realization made her legs feel like water. She took a former grip of the chair, nodded and tried to look like a true Aes Sedai should. She took a deep breath before opening herself to saidar, the Power making her feeling warm and happy inside. She carefully wove a weave of all flows - Spirit; Fire; Water; Earth and Air - through the medallion, and held her breath while waiting for the result.
She did not have to wait long.
A fog sipped out of the figurine, and began to form in the clearing in front of Rand's study desk. A loud gasp was heard; Elayne did not know whose mouth had formed it, it could even had been her's.
Finally, the transformation stopped, and the creature's true features was shown to everyone in the room. The creature was short, just a bit taller than the two children, and it's shortness was further accented by the way he stood, hunching over. It was bony, and it's skin had the color of gray; it was rough, and looked almost slimy. It's eyes were huge and pale, and the colorless lips showed it's sharp yellow fangs. It was naked except for one dirty, torn piece of cloth tied around his hips. The creature darted his eyes from one human to the other, his big eyes looking almost frightened.
Rand stood up, to get a better look at this monstrous being. "Gholam?", he asked, disbelieving.
The creature hissed and shook his head violently. "Ssmeagol iss our name.." He bobbed his head and fixed his pools of eyes on Rand. "We are famisshed, yes famisshed are we, preciouss.. Have they nice fisshes?" He made a sound in his throat that sounded a lot like "gholam", or perhaps.. "gollum"..