Well, I've had this chapter ready for a while, but I didn't feel ready to post it until now. Here it is. Review or flame, like it or tear it to shreds, I really don't care. Just tell me what you think in your reviews.
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Chapter 2 - The Grief of the Daughter-Heir
written by She Who Walks the Night
*~*~*~*
Egwene al'Vere floated aimlessly through the place between Tel'aran'rhiod and the waking world, a thousand questions buzzing in her mind. Why had Gawyn and Galad fought? Had it really happened? Was it just a dream? Why had Elayne been so still, not doing anything when Galad fell to Gawyn's sword? Would Galad really have betrayed his own sister and Egwene? The questions were endless, but Egwene had no answers.
Finally, Egwene moved with purpose, looking for a particular dream. At last she found it, a sparkling pinpoint of light. She touched it, letting herself be pulled in.
Elayne Trakand sat in her rooms at the Palace in Caemlyn, sobbing. It was obvious from her red, puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks that she had been weeping for a long time. "Why?" she asked through her tears. "Why?"
Birgitte Trahelion, still in the uniform of the Captain-General of the Queen's Guards, hugged Elayne, trying to quiet her. As the young woman's Warder, Birgitte felt Elayne's intense grief, the grief that seemed to rip Elayne's heart in two. Through the Warder bond, Elayne's grief was Birgitte's grief, too. "Shh, Elayne, calm down, it's okay," she murmured soothingly.
A servant entered, curtsying deeply. "Forgive me for intruding, my ladies, but there is a visitor who is asking to see you."
"Send them away," Elayne commanded, choking down sobs. "I wish to be left alone."
"But, my lady," the servant said reproachfully, "the young woman says it is important. She refuses to leave."
"Who is she?" Elayne asked.
"She said her name was Egwene, my lady, and she wears what looks like the Amyrlin's stole," the servant answered.
Elayne nodded wordlessly, finally dissolving into tears again. Birgitte gave the girl a sympathetic look, then told the servant, "Let the visitor in."
"As my lady wishes," the servant said. She curtsied her way out of the room.
A moment later, Egwene rushed in, looking worried and exhausted. "Elayne! Oh, Light, Elayne, what's happened?"
"R-rand," Elayne sobbed. "De-dead!"
Seeing that Elayne could say no more, Birgitte explained quietly. "Elayne woke up in the middle of the night screaming. Her maid and I rushed in, but she sent the maid away. She told me that she had felt Rand's bond severed. She said it meant that Rand was... dead." Even Birgitte had trouble saying it, but she pushed on. "We received word this morning of Rand and Min's deaths. It seems that some rogue Aiel killed them."
Egwene gasped. How could something like this have happened? "Oh, Light, Elayne, I'm so sorry!" She hugged Elayne, her own tears starting to flow. She may not have loved Rand the way Elayne did, but she loved him like a brother and Min like a sister.
The two young women clung to each other, letting their grief flow with the tears. Birgitte comforted them as best as she could.
Finally Egwene wiped her tears away as best as she could. "What about Aviendha? Where is she?"
Elayne bowed her head. "As soon as she heard, she swore that she would find those responsible for Rand and Min's deaths and make them pay. She left through a gateway before I could stop her. I can only hope she is alright."
Egwene darted a quick look at Birgitte, who shruggged. "Of course Aviendha is alright," Egwene said reassuringly. "She was a Maiden of the Spear, and she can channel. She'll be okay."
"I want to find her, to convince her not to do this," Elayne said. "But, I don't think she'd listen. Besides, I can't search for her with all these stupid queenly duties. I couldn't think of asking you, the Amyrlin Seat, since you must be even busier than I am. Gawyn is out looking for her, but I don't think he'll have much luck."
"He might," Egwene said. She sighed. It was time to get down to business. "Elayne, have you heard anything about Galad?"
"Galad?" Elayne repeated, her mouth twisting as though the word left a sour taste. "No, the last I heard he was still with the Whitecloaks... and... Oh no. The Seanchan invaded Amadicia and Amador. What if Galad was killed? He gets on my nerves, but he is my brother..." She bit her lower lip, her blue eyes wide with new worry.
Egwene knew that she must really be worried if she actually claimed Galad as her brother. "We'll have to find word of him, and of Aviendha. Elayne, I have to go back Tar Valon, but I'll be back soon. I promise. Don't worry too much. And, again, I'm so sorry."
Elayne hugged Egwene. "I know. I'm glad you came. See what you can find out about Aviendha and Galad, and I'll do the same."
Egwene nodded. "Take care of her, Birgitte," she whispered to the archer. At Birgitte's nod, Egwene left the room.
The dream faded away, leaving Egwene with few answers and even more questions than before. What now?
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So, what do you think of Chapter 2? I had planned to write this fic differently from this, but the reviews I've gotten made me change my mind. Please review and tell me what you think. And don't flame me for killing Rand and Min. I know they're important in the Books' plotline--Rand is supposed to fight Tarmon Gai'don, for crying out loud--but, I needed to think of something, and this is the result. I'm done talking for now. But, please, review, okie dokes?
Oh, and thanks to my first two reviewers,
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Chapter 2 - The Grief of the Daughter-Heir
written by She Who Walks the Night
*~*~*~*
Egwene al'Vere floated aimlessly through the place between Tel'aran'rhiod and the waking world, a thousand questions buzzing in her mind. Why had Gawyn and Galad fought? Had it really happened? Was it just a dream? Why had Elayne been so still, not doing anything when Galad fell to Gawyn's sword? Would Galad really have betrayed his own sister and Egwene? The questions were endless, but Egwene had no answers.
Finally, Egwene moved with purpose, looking for a particular dream. At last she found it, a sparkling pinpoint of light. She touched it, letting herself be pulled in.
Elayne Trakand sat in her rooms at the Palace in Caemlyn, sobbing. It was obvious from her red, puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks that she had been weeping for a long time. "Why?" she asked through her tears. "Why?"
Birgitte Trahelion, still in the uniform of the Captain-General of the Queen's Guards, hugged Elayne, trying to quiet her. As the young woman's Warder, Birgitte felt Elayne's intense grief, the grief that seemed to rip Elayne's heart in two. Through the Warder bond, Elayne's grief was Birgitte's grief, too. "Shh, Elayne, calm down, it's okay," she murmured soothingly.
A servant entered, curtsying deeply. "Forgive me for intruding, my ladies, but there is a visitor who is asking to see you."
"Send them away," Elayne commanded, choking down sobs. "I wish to be left alone."
"But, my lady," the servant said reproachfully, "the young woman says it is important. She refuses to leave."
"Who is she?" Elayne asked.
"She said her name was Egwene, my lady, and she wears what looks like the Amyrlin's stole," the servant answered.
Elayne nodded wordlessly, finally dissolving into tears again. Birgitte gave the girl a sympathetic look, then told the servant, "Let the visitor in."
"As my lady wishes," the servant said. She curtsied her way out of the room.
A moment later, Egwene rushed in, looking worried and exhausted. "Elayne! Oh, Light, Elayne, what's happened?"
"R-rand," Elayne sobbed. "De-dead!"
Seeing that Elayne could say no more, Birgitte explained quietly. "Elayne woke up in the middle of the night screaming. Her maid and I rushed in, but she sent the maid away. She told me that she had felt Rand's bond severed. She said it meant that Rand was... dead." Even Birgitte had trouble saying it, but she pushed on. "We received word this morning of Rand and Min's deaths. It seems that some rogue Aiel killed them."
Egwene gasped. How could something like this have happened? "Oh, Light, Elayne, I'm so sorry!" She hugged Elayne, her own tears starting to flow. She may not have loved Rand the way Elayne did, but she loved him like a brother and Min like a sister.
The two young women clung to each other, letting their grief flow with the tears. Birgitte comforted them as best as she could.
Finally Egwene wiped her tears away as best as she could. "What about Aviendha? Where is she?"
Elayne bowed her head. "As soon as she heard, she swore that she would find those responsible for Rand and Min's deaths and make them pay. She left through a gateway before I could stop her. I can only hope she is alright."
Egwene darted a quick look at Birgitte, who shruggged. "Of course Aviendha is alright," Egwene said reassuringly. "She was a Maiden of the Spear, and she can channel. She'll be okay."
"I want to find her, to convince her not to do this," Elayne said. "But, I don't think she'd listen. Besides, I can't search for her with all these stupid queenly duties. I couldn't think of asking you, the Amyrlin Seat, since you must be even busier than I am. Gawyn is out looking for her, but I don't think he'll have much luck."
"He might," Egwene said. She sighed. It was time to get down to business. "Elayne, have you heard anything about Galad?"
"Galad?" Elayne repeated, her mouth twisting as though the word left a sour taste. "No, the last I heard he was still with the Whitecloaks... and... Oh no. The Seanchan invaded Amadicia and Amador. What if Galad was killed? He gets on my nerves, but he is my brother..." She bit her lower lip, her blue eyes wide with new worry.
Egwene knew that she must really be worried if she actually claimed Galad as her brother. "We'll have to find word of him, and of Aviendha. Elayne, I have to go back Tar Valon, but I'll be back soon. I promise. Don't worry too much. And, again, I'm so sorry."
Elayne hugged Egwene. "I know. I'm glad you came. See what you can find out about Aviendha and Galad, and I'll do the same."
Egwene nodded. "Take care of her, Birgitte," she whispered to the archer. At Birgitte's nod, Egwene left the room.
The dream faded away, leaving Egwene with few answers and even more questions than before. What now?
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So, what do you think of Chapter 2? I had planned to write this fic differently from this, but the reviews I've gotten made me change my mind. Please review and tell me what you think. And don't flame me for killing Rand and Min. I know they're important in the Books' plotline--Rand is supposed to fight Tarmon Gai'don, for crying out loud--but, I needed to think of something, and this is the result. I'm done talking for now. But, please, review, okie dokes?
Oh, and thanks to my first two reviewers,