Aww, I love you guys. I haven't had much time recently, but today I have all afternoon… I'm so glad this is going over well. Sorry for killing off Min (that's for White-wolf), but she died. Well, yeah, you guys inspired me to write my next chapter with all your wonderful reviews. This chapter is pretty heavy-duty stuff. Get Ready. Are you ready? Good. Here we go.
Disclaimer- I don't own them, oh no.
Chapter 3- Gone
Nynaeve followed Egwene through the low doorway. They were flanked by five Aes Sedai on either side. It had been a few days since she had emerged from a life created from her imagination. Surprisingly, Nynaeve herself was treated almost on the same level as an Aes Sedai, and many of them showed her reverent respect. She was confused, but Egwene had simply brushed it aside and promised to explain later.
The room they entered was a large circular room of plain gray stone. Nothing at all broke the dull walls, not even a torch to give off light. Three of the Aes Sedai were maintaining a ball of light near the ceiling. The rest seemed to be holding saidar, but not using it, tense and waiting.
"Egwene, what is going on?"
One of the Aes Sedai glanced her way. She and Elayne were the only women she had encountered who called Egwene by her name. Some protocol was still expected by most, but as Egwene herself had not commented, no one else would reprimand her. It was not customary for the Amyrlin to be friends with an Accepted, but everyone kept telling her times had changed, anything could be expected.
"You remember when we were in the Blight, all those years ago."
"I remember."
"You found out Rand could channel."
"Yes." She wondered how that could be relevant. Rand had been gentled…then she remembered that never happened.
"Rand is the Dragon Reborn, Nynaeve. He was proclaimed some time after you disappeared. He learned somewhat how to safely touch saidin. Maybe safely is not the right word…"
At that moment, six women ducked through the door. Followed them, apparently involuntarily, was a very tall man with reddish hair, hunched over to almost half his height. He straightened slowly. Nynaeve gasped when Rand's eyes pierced hers. He smiled sadly, as though not believing she was really there. A contraption of black chains bound him to the women. He followed them obediently to the middle of the room. The rest of them, except Egwene and herself, took an unconscious step backward.
"What is this? What happened to him?"
Egwene tore her eyes away from Rand with difficulty. Nynaeve was torn between sympathy and anger. It had to have been Egwene who had ordered this done to him. Seeing Egwene struggle to keep her tears under control, sympathy won over.
"He started a Black Tower, for men who could channel. He recruited Mazrim Taim to help him teach them. They managed to help the boys, and I admit I thought we would be able to let them live out their lives alone. But Rand- he began to slip. He would make mistakes. Sometimes, he could not touch the True Source at all, and sometimes it came unbidden. We could not gentle him, though. We would not have had a chance at Tarmon Gai'don. But after the Last Battle, he just lost control. Mountains crumbled under his feet. He begged us to kill him, to keep him from breaking the world, but he is our only chance to win. We did the only thing we could do."
Nynaeve stared at Egwene, then turned her stunned gaze to Rand. He had always been an amazingly calm man, compared to Mat at least, and his future was promising. His eyes were dull. It was almost as if he were already dead, but his body was still living.
"And so you let him suffer, because you need him for some twisted Aes Sedai purpose."
Saidar welled up in her. It scared her, but she reached out for it anyway. She found it to be much like running into a wall of thick glass.
Nynaeve knew at once that she was shielded. She looked at Egwene for help, not expecting any. "With the True Source, you are a child, Nynaeve," she said sternly. "A child who has barely learned to crawl. But nonetheless, you have more potential than anyone has for many years. Just try to be open to what you see."
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. The shield would not be lifted until she was no longer angry. It worked to get her outward appearance under control, and she knew the shield was gone, but it was no longer needed.
"Why do you find this necessary?" Nynaeve asked. She shut her eyes, not wanting to hear the answer. Surprisingly, none came.
Opening her eyes, she looked at Egwene, who was studying her. After a moment, she turned toward the door. "Follow me."
With a backwards glance toward Rand, she went after Egwene. Elayne followed, but the rest of the Aes Sedai remained in place.
Egwene walked for quite a while, up countless flights of stairs, past novices and Accepted running about their chores. The Accepted glanced briefly at her as they passed. They seemed to be wondering whether Nynaeve was in trouble or in favor with the Amyrlin.
Elayne's expression revealed her wish to speak. She did not, however, and the only sound was their shoes clicking rapidly on the floor.
Egwene stopped who knows how high above ground level, and gestured out a window. Nynaeve looked, wondering what she wanted her to see.
The warders were practicing below, moving fluidly through forms, against another or alone. One man stood observing it all, once in a while barking out an order. Beyond that stood the city of Tar Valon, as busy as Nynaeve remembered it, but with an air of apprehension. Puzzled, she looked questioningly at Egwene. The woman gestured out to window. Nynaeve looked out again. Still farther, she could see the land beyond the river. It was barren and dry, all fire and dust. The land had turned, as she had so often scolded Mat for saying, to blood and ashes.
Speechless, she turned away from the window. Egwene's eyes looked far away lost in a memory. "When Tarmon Gai'don came, Rand thought he was ready to meet the Dark One. I had faith that he was ready, and we would be safe. But when he met the Dark One, he could not touch the True Source. The strangest thing was, neither could anyone else. It was as though it had disappeared all together. Our most reliable weapon had gone, and it was not recovered for three full weeks. Min tried to give herself up for Rand, but he- the Dark One- just killed her. Right in front of Rand, he skinned her alive in the stretch of one second, and stabbed her through the heart. He talked about it a lot, for the first year. She did not cry out or beg for mercy. She simply asked that Rand be spared." Egwene smiled wryly. "And sure enough, he was."
"What are you saying, Egwene?"
The woman turned to face her. Her eyes now held a look of defeated hope. "We lost Tarmon Gai'don."
Nynaeve could not believe what she was hearing. "What- how-?"
"We still do not know." Elayne shook her head as she spoke. "Rand- he thinks it is his fault. We still need him, though. It is not over."
"It is my belief that Tarmon Gai'don is really a war," Egwene said. "We have had the first battle, but it is not nearly over. We will not give up so easily."
"What about Perrin and Mat?"
"Faile- Perrin's wife- was taken by Trollocs. He went after her. When his instincts take over, his logic is left behind. We still do not know whether he made it. For all we know, he could be alive in a hole somewhere, or believing he is a king in some distant land. Mat is fine, he should be around here somewhere. I do not have time to keep track of him constantly, but even he is smart enough not to leave Tar Valon." Egwene sounded reluctant to speak of Perrin, and rather annoyed by the subject of Mat.
Nynaeve looked out the window again. "Why, what is outside of Tar Valon?"
"Nothing. Tar Valon and the Aiel Waste are all that is left to us. The rest of the world has been taken. It is infested with Trollocs and Myrddraal, Darkfriends and the Forsaken would turn up the moment someone set foot on that land."
"And the Two Rivers?" Nynaeve whispered.
"I'm sorry. It was destroyed. None from our home are left alive."
Nynaeve did not know what to say. Feeling tears, she turned away, and without a word started back down the nearest flight of stairs.
She cut a winding path through the garden, staring blindly at the ground. She did not see the flowers in full bloom, or the young warders in training looking over from their field to see the Accepted wandering during study hours. She did not see anything until she walked into what seemed to be a brick wall.
Before she fell backward, hands caught and steadied her. She looked up to see who she had walked into. Her breath caught when her eyes met his.
It was Lan.
End Chapter 3
Wow. I, at least, thought that was a pretty loaded chapter. I thought it would be longer. It actually took a few hours to write, but you know how it is. Anyway, this finishes giving the background for the story. I hope a certain one of you is satisfied that Min did something noble. Ahem. So what do you think? Please Review!!! :)
Disclaimer- I don't own them, oh no.
Chapter 3- Gone
Nynaeve followed Egwene through the low doorway. They were flanked by five Aes Sedai on either side. It had been a few days since she had emerged from a life created from her imagination. Surprisingly, Nynaeve herself was treated almost on the same level as an Aes Sedai, and many of them showed her reverent respect. She was confused, but Egwene had simply brushed it aside and promised to explain later.
The room they entered was a large circular room of plain gray stone. Nothing at all broke the dull walls, not even a torch to give off light. Three of the Aes Sedai were maintaining a ball of light near the ceiling. The rest seemed to be holding saidar, but not using it, tense and waiting.
"Egwene, what is going on?"
One of the Aes Sedai glanced her way. She and Elayne were the only women she had encountered who called Egwene by her name. Some protocol was still expected by most, but as Egwene herself had not commented, no one else would reprimand her. It was not customary for the Amyrlin to be friends with an Accepted, but everyone kept telling her times had changed, anything could be expected.
"You remember when we were in the Blight, all those years ago."
"I remember."
"You found out Rand could channel."
"Yes." She wondered how that could be relevant. Rand had been gentled…then she remembered that never happened.
"Rand is the Dragon Reborn, Nynaeve. He was proclaimed some time after you disappeared. He learned somewhat how to safely touch saidin. Maybe safely is not the right word…"
At that moment, six women ducked through the door. Followed them, apparently involuntarily, was a very tall man with reddish hair, hunched over to almost half his height. He straightened slowly. Nynaeve gasped when Rand's eyes pierced hers. He smiled sadly, as though not believing she was really there. A contraption of black chains bound him to the women. He followed them obediently to the middle of the room. The rest of them, except Egwene and herself, took an unconscious step backward.
"What is this? What happened to him?"
Egwene tore her eyes away from Rand with difficulty. Nynaeve was torn between sympathy and anger. It had to have been Egwene who had ordered this done to him. Seeing Egwene struggle to keep her tears under control, sympathy won over.
"He started a Black Tower, for men who could channel. He recruited Mazrim Taim to help him teach them. They managed to help the boys, and I admit I thought we would be able to let them live out their lives alone. But Rand- he began to slip. He would make mistakes. Sometimes, he could not touch the True Source at all, and sometimes it came unbidden. We could not gentle him, though. We would not have had a chance at Tarmon Gai'don. But after the Last Battle, he just lost control. Mountains crumbled under his feet. He begged us to kill him, to keep him from breaking the world, but he is our only chance to win. We did the only thing we could do."
Nynaeve stared at Egwene, then turned her stunned gaze to Rand. He had always been an amazingly calm man, compared to Mat at least, and his future was promising. His eyes were dull. It was almost as if he were already dead, but his body was still living.
"And so you let him suffer, because you need him for some twisted Aes Sedai purpose."
Saidar welled up in her. It scared her, but she reached out for it anyway. She found it to be much like running into a wall of thick glass.
Nynaeve knew at once that she was shielded. She looked at Egwene for help, not expecting any. "With the True Source, you are a child, Nynaeve," she said sternly. "A child who has barely learned to crawl. But nonetheless, you have more potential than anyone has for many years. Just try to be open to what you see."
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. The shield would not be lifted until she was no longer angry. It worked to get her outward appearance under control, and she knew the shield was gone, but it was no longer needed.
"Why do you find this necessary?" Nynaeve asked. She shut her eyes, not wanting to hear the answer. Surprisingly, none came.
Opening her eyes, she looked at Egwene, who was studying her. After a moment, she turned toward the door. "Follow me."
With a backwards glance toward Rand, she went after Egwene. Elayne followed, but the rest of the Aes Sedai remained in place.
Egwene walked for quite a while, up countless flights of stairs, past novices and Accepted running about their chores. The Accepted glanced briefly at her as they passed. They seemed to be wondering whether Nynaeve was in trouble or in favor with the Amyrlin.
Elayne's expression revealed her wish to speak. She did not, however, and the only sound was their shoes clicking rapidly on the floor.
Egwene stopped who knows how high above ground level, and gestured out a window. Nynaeve looked, wondering what she wanted her to see.
The warders were practicing below, moving fluidly through forms, against another or alone. One man stood observing it all, once in a while barking out an order. Beyond that stood the city of Tar Valon, as busy as Nynaeve remembered it, but with an air of apprehension. Puzzled, she looked questioningly at Egwene. The woman gestured out to window. Nynaeve looked out again. Still farther, she could see the land beyond the river. It was barren and dry, all fire and dust. The land had turned, as she had so often scolded Mat for saying, to blood and ashes.
Speechless, she turned away from the window. Egwene's eyes looked far away lost in a memory. "When Tarmon Gai'don came, Rand thought he was ready to meet the Dark One. I had faith that he was ready, and we would be safe. But when he met the Dark One, he could not touch the True Source. The strangest thing was, neither could anyone else. It was as though it had disappeared all together. Our most reliable weapon had gone, and it was not recovered for three full weeks. Min tried to give herself up for Rand, but he- the Dark One- just killed her. Right in front of Rand, he skinned her alive in the stretch of one second, and stabbed her through the heart. He talked about it a lot, for the first year. She did not cry out or beg for mercy. She simply asked that Rand be spared." Egwene smiled wryly. "And sure enough, he was."
"What are you saying, Egwene?"
The woman turned to face her. Her eyes now held a look of defeated hope. "We lost Tarmon Gai'don."
Nynaeve could not believe what she was hearing. "What- how-?"
"We still do not know." Elayne shook her head as she spoke. "Rand- he thinks it is his fault. We still need him, though. It is not over."
"It is my belief that Tarmon Gai'don is really a war," Egwene said. "We have had the first battle, but it is not nearly over. We will not give up so easily."
"What about Perrin and Mat?"
"Faile- Perrin's wife- was taken by Trollocs. He went after her. When his instincts take over, his logic is left behind. We still do not know whether he made it. For all we know, he could be alive in a hole somewhere, or believing he is a king in some distant land. Mat is fine, he should be around here somewhere. I do not have time to keep track of him constantly, but even he is smart enough not to leave Tar Valon." Egwene sounded reluctant to speak of Perrin, and rather annoyed by the subject of Mat.
Nynaeve looked out the window again. "Why, what is outside of Tar Valon?"
"Nothing. Tar Valon and the Aiel Waste are all that is left to us. The rest of the world has been taken. It is infested with Trollocs and Myrddraal, Darkfriends and the Forsaken would turn up the moment someone set foot on that land."
"And the Two Rivers?" Nynaeve whispered.
"I'm sorry. It was destroyed. None from our home are left alive."
Nynaeve did not know what to say. Feeling tears, she turned away, and without a word started back down the nearest flight of stairs.
She cut a winding path through the garden, staring blindly at the ground. She did not see the flowers in full bloom, or the young warders in training looking over from their field to see the Accepted wandering during study hours. She did not see anything until she walked into what seemed to be a brick wall.
Before she fell backward, hands caught and steadied her. She looked up to see who she had walked into. Her breath caught when her eyes met his.
It was Lan.
End Chapter 3
Wow. I, at least, thought that was a pretty loaded chapter. I thought it would be longer. It actually took a few hours to write, but you know how it is. Anyway, this finishes giving the background for the story. I hope a certain one of you is satisfied that Min did something noble. Ahem. So what do you think? Please Review!!! :)