Disclaimer: I do not own the Wheel of Time or any of the characters
The Keeper Of The Pattern grinned. This was turning out pretty well. Five minutes in this world, and already he had run into a gholam. The gholam was recoiling, unsure, and then hissed,"You can't be the Keeper, can you? No, no, it's imposssssible! how could-no, it's not you! HAHA! or is it...?"
Todd was confused. Who was that man? Who was that boy? What was going on?! What was the Keeper Of The Pattern? "I grow tired of this!", the boy announced,"either run or fight, gholam.Your choice." The man-the gholam-drew back, then shook his head and visibly steeled himself. "Once I finish this imposter,"he growled, looking directly at Todd, "I'll kill you..."
"It's about time",the boy grinned,"Coward"
"We'll just see about that, now won't we?"the gholam hissed, gliding in a circle around the boy
The boy's grin grew wider, and he crossed his wrists in front of him. Strange, organic-looking blades pushed their way out of his skin, parallel to his wrists. The gholam lept at the boy, but the boy ducked and drove his blade directly into he gholam's stomach. The gholam's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped as if to say something. All that came out was a shower of blood. The boy rose from his crouch, pulling the gholam up with him. The boy's grin grew wider. "See?" he said, shoving his face into the gholam's, "I AM the Keeper", with that, the boy brought his other blade around in an arc. The gholam's head hit the ground with a wet thump. Todd bolted.
~*~*~
Elayne stretched. What a wonderful night, she thought, no meetings at night in Tel'aran'rhiod, just perfect. It was the first good sleep she'd had in weeks. She could feel Birgitte in the back of her head, a bundle of irritation and frustration. Elayne chuckled softly. She must be doing her paperwork. Elayne climbed out of bed and dressed herself. It actually felt good to do that, instead of being dressed by a maid. She pulled on what Nynaeve called good Two Rivers woolens. It felt good to dress simply, too. No one bowed as she walked to the maid's chamber where she, Dyelin, Birgitte, and Doilin Mellar had agreed to meet. No one recognized her. It was a refreshing change. As she walked in, Mellar and Dyelin leaped to their feet, but relaxed once they saw it was only her. A few minutes after Elayne sat down, Birgitte stormed in, in a terrible mood after all that paperwork. She took her accustomed place at Elayne's right side.
"Can we get on with this?' Birgitte grumbled.
"Why?" Elayne teased, "eager to get back to that paperwork?"
Birgitte shot her a smoldering glare, but remained silent. The bond carried embarassment as well as the frustration and irritaiton already present. Mellar grinned, and Dyelin pretended not to notice.
"Alright," Elayne said,"It IS time to get down to it..."
As The Keeper watched the gholam die, he grimaced. These things are worse than Myrddraal, he thought, at least a Myrddraal's severed head wouldn't keep screaming. "Are you okay?" he said, turning to Todd, "Those things can be..." his words trailed off when he noticed that Todd was gone. "That flaming, bloody FOOL! Where could he have run off to?" Suddenly, a blinding pain in the back of his head forced him to his knees, not unlike the pain when Todd had entered The Bore. But this time, the pain did not cease. For how long it continued, The Keeper could not say, his senses and mind were nearly obliterated in the flowing rush of nonstop agony. When it finally stopped, he collapsed, panting. There was only one thing that could do THAT. As he stretched out towards the Pattern, his fears were confirmed. "Oh SHIT!"he yelled. The Pattern was broken. That was NOT good. "Well, I can't do this myself....hmmmmm.....ahHA. Them. Perfect" With that, he started off towards his first target, err, ally...
"Twenty, Birgitte, no more. I can't have-"Elyane was cut off in midsentence as the door was thrown open. A boy walked in. A boy! He looked around and then waved his hand. Dyelin and Mellar collapsed, their eyes still open, glaring at the ceiling. Then Elayne noticed the boy's eyes. The irises were black, and the pupils were red. Where his whites should be, um, well, they were changing color. "What is the meaning of this?!" Elayne demanded, "What did you do to them? Who are you?!" Elayne felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Birgitte staring at the boy. "He is the Keeper Of The Pattern", She said, right on top of the boy, who said, "I am The Keeper Of The Pattern". The boy-The Keeper-stared right back at her. For the first time Elayne actually noticed him, instead of his eyes. He was wearing black robes, with a deep hood that was hanging down his back. He crossed the room in three steps, which was most definetly NOT possible. He stood in front of Birgitte, gazing into her eyes." Oh, my child", he said, with unshed tears in his eyes," What have they done to you?"She gazed back at him, trembling, and then collapsed into his arms, sobbing. "Father! It's all slipping away!" she cried, " I can't remember! I don't know who I am anymore! Oh, Gaidal, My Gaidal! I'll never see him again!". The Keeper held her tightly, tears streaming openly down his cheeks. He pushed her away and held her at arm's length. "Everything will be alright, my child", he said wiping away her tears and smoothing back her hair, "when this is all over, you will be restored. That is my solemn promise." She smiled at him.
Elayne was baffled. What was this? Birgitte was so miserable? How could she have known? The Keeper turned to Elayne. "Ahh, the Daughter-Heir. It is good that I found you. I need your help....."
The Keeper Of The Pattern grinned. This was turning out pretty well. Five minutes in this world, and already he had run into a gholam. The gholam was recoiling, unsure, and then hissed,"You can't be the Keeper, can you? No, no, it's imposssssible! how could-no, it's not you! HAHA! or is it...?"
Todd was confused. Who was that man? Who was that boy? What was going on?! What was the Keeper Of The Pattern? "I grow tired of this!", the boy announced,"either run or fight, gholam.Your choice." The man-the gholam-drew back, then shook his head and visibly steeled himself. "Once I finish this imposter,"he growled, looking directly at Todd, "I'll kill you..."
"It's about time",the boy grinned,"Coward"
"We'll just see about that, now won't we?"the gholam hissed, gliding in a circle around the boy
The boy's grin grew wider, and he crossed his wrists in front of him. Strange, organic-looking blades pushed their way out of his skin, parallel to his wrists. The gholam lept at the boy, but the boy ducked and drove his blade directly into he gholam's stomach. The gholam's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped as if to say something. All that came out was a shower of blood. The boy rose from his crouch, pulling the gholam up with him. The boy's grin grew wider. "See?" he said, shoving his face into the gholam's, "I AM the Keeper", with that, the boy brought his other blade around in an arc. The gholam's head hit the ground with a wet thump. Todd bolted.
~*~*~
Elayne stretched. What a wonderful night, she thought, no meetings at night in Tel'aran'rhiod, just perfect. It was the first good sleep she'd had in weeks. She could feel Birgitte in the back of her head, a bundle of irritation and frustration. Elayne chuckled softly. She must be doing her paperwork. Elayne climbed out of bed and dressed herself. It actually felt good to do that, instead of being dressed by a maid. She pulled on what Nynaeve called good Two Rivers woolens. It felt good to dress simply, too. No one bowed as she walked to the maid's chamber where she, Dyelin, Birgitte, and Doilin Mellar had agreed to meet. No one recognized her. It was a refreshing change. As she walked in, Mellar and Dyelin leaped to their feet, but relaxed once they saw it was only her. A few minutes after Elayne sat down, Birgitte stormed in, in a terrible mood after all that paperwork. She took her accustomed place at Elayne's right side.
"Can we get on with this?' Birgitte grumbled.
"Why?" Elayne teased, "eager to get back to that paperwork?"
Birgitte shot her a smoldering glare, but remained silent. The bond carried embarassment as well as the frustration and irritaiton already present. Mellar grinned, and Dyelin pretended not to notice.
"Alright," Elayne said,"It IS time to get down to it..."
As The Keeper watched the gholam die, he grimaced. These things are worse than Myrddraal, he thought, at least a Myrddraal's severed head wouldn't keep screaming. "Are you okay?" he said, turning to Todd, "Those things can be..." his words trailed off when he noticed that Todd was gone. "That flaming, bloody FOOL! Where could he have run off to?" Suddenly, a blinding pain in the back of his head forced him to his knees, not unlike the pain when Todd had entered The Bore. But this time, the pain did not cease. For how long it continued, The Keeper could not say, his senses and mind were nearly obliterated in the flowing rush of nonstop agony. When it finally stopped, he collapsed, panting. There was only one thing that could do THAT. As he stretched out towards the Pattern, his fears were confirmed. "Oh SHIT!"he yelled. The Pattern was broken. That was NOT good. "Well, I can't do this myself....hmmmmm.....ahHA. Them. Perfect" With that, he started off towards his first target, err, ally...
"Twenty, Birgitte, no more. I can't have-"Elyane was cut off in midsentence as the door was thrown open. A boy walked in. A boy! He looked around and then waved his hand. Dyelin and Mellar collapsed, their eyes still open, glaring at the ceiling. Then Elayne noticed the boy's eyes. The irises were black, and the pupils were red. Where his whites should be, um, well, they were changing color. "What is the meaning of this?!" Elayne demanded, "What did you do to them? Who are you?!" Elayne felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Birgitte staring at the boy. "He is the Keeper Of The Pattern", She said, right on top of the boy, who said, "I am The Keeper Of The Pattern". The boy-The Keeper-stared right back at her. For the first time Elayne actually noticed him, instead of his eyes. He was wearing black robes, with a deep hood that was hanging down his back. He crossed the room in three steps, which was most definetly NOT possible. He stood in front of Birgitte, gazing into her eyes." Oh, my child", he said, with unshed tears in his eyes," What have they done to you?"She gazed back at him, trembling, and then collapsed into his arms, sobbing. "Father! It's all slipping away!" she cried, " I can't remember! I don't know who I am anymore! Oh, Gaidal, My Gaidal! I'll never see him again!". The Keeper held her tightly, tears streaming openly down his cheeks. He pushed her away and held her at arm's length. "Everything will be alright, my child", he said wiping away her tears and smoothing back her hair, "when this is all over, you will be restored. That is my solemn promise." She smiled at him.
Elayne was baffled. What was this? Birgitte was so miserable? How could she have known? The Keeper turned to Elayne. "Ahh, the Daughter-Heir. It is good that I found you. I need your help....."
