Sorry! I know it took me a long time to update, I had to write the chapter first. This story is hard to write. Without a doubt very fun, but also very hard. I'm trying, though, really.
This Chapter is for Psycho Goddess. Lots of reviews from you. Love your name, by the way.
Chapter 10- Perpetual Trollocs
As soon as Nynaeve saw Perrin collapse, she sprang into action. Not knowing what she was planning to do at first, she hurried to the city gate.
The guard stopped her. "I'm sorry miss. No one is allowed out. You should just go back into the city."
Anger welling up, Nynaeve showed her serpent ring to the guard. "This gives me the authority to leave. If you do not move, I may do something you'll regret."
With fearful awe in his eyes, the guard opened the gate to the city and Nynaeve started out.
Perrin seemed quite far away. He was nothing more than a lump on the ground from where she stood, but at least she could see him. She took a few steps forward. From the way Egwene had put it, she had expected a horde of Trollocs to attack her the moment she stepped outside the gate. Nothing happened, however, and Nynaeve quickened her step. The crumpled form that was Perrin grew before her.
Still there was no sign of any Dark creatures. Knowing she should feel relieved, she was nevertheless vexed by the absence of adversary. If Egwene had been correct in her description- and Nynaeve knew she was- then the quiet certainly did not bode well, not for her, and not for Perrin.
With that thought, she hastened to reach him. He lay still and stiff as a rock, oblivious to his surroundings, or lack thereof. When she finally came to where he lay, she knelt beside him and tried to shake him into consciousness. He woke but did not seem to see her. He tried to pull away, his huge arm muscles taut, but he was weakened by whatever he had experienced out in the barren wasteland. Nynaeve tried to soothe him with words.
"Perrin, stop. It's Nynaeve al'Meara. I am trying to help you, but I can't if you don't stop with your insufferable resistance." He was still trying to push her from him. She kept a tight grip on his arms. He began to flail helplessly. "Perrin Aybarra! Stop this right now! You males and your refusal to accept help! I could throttle you where you lie!" That was nowhere near true. She was frightened at seeing Perrin, steadfast, careful Perrin, in such a state. She could not help him by shouting. She had to use her power. But how? She still needed to be angry.
She thought of whoever did this to Perrin, taken away his right mind. No one had the right to do these things to the ones she was obligated to care about. Not the Emond's Fielders. She felt the rage welling up, and kept that line of thought. She would get them back. Whoever did this, would get it back a thousand-fold. Saidar was now within her reach. She embraced it, letting it flow into her, and then sent a healing weave into Perrin, calming him first, then returning him to his right state.
His eyes flickered open, widening in surprise when he saw her. "Nynaeve? Is it really you?"
"Yes, Perrin. I do not understand how you manage to get into so much trouble." She smiled at him. "We should get back to the city."
"Wait." He grasped her arm before she could rise. "Faile is still out there. I cannot leave her. Not- not with them."
Nynaeve looked carefully into Perrin's eyes. The suffering was clear. They were still just as yellow as the last time she saw them. "What did they do to you? Who are they?"
Perrin stared at the ground. "I don't- I…I can't, Nynaeve. But I have to save her."
"Well, you won't do much rescuing lying there on the ground." She rose, offering him a hand up. He took it, but did not use it as a support when he stood. "What do you propose?"
Perrin, who had been peering out over the flat land, whipped around. "You are not coming with me. It's too dangerous. I thank you for your help, but I cannot let you endanger yourself for me."
"I already endangered myself for you, you woolhead. Anyway, this would be endangering myself for your wife. You won't be able to rescue her yourself. You *will* need help, whether you want it or not, and I am going to be the one to give it."
"Nynaeve-"
Perrin got no further before they heard the pounding footsteps on the ground. They seemed to come from all directions. A tall figure appeared next to them, and tried to take Nynaeve by the arm.
"Al'Lan Mandragoran, what are you doing here?"
"Nynaeve, this is no time for your stubbornness. There are-"
"Who do you think you are calling stubborn?"
"Why don't you let people finish their sentences?"
"Oh, don't you start, Perrin Aybarra. If it weren't for me, you'd probably be dead by now."
"I'm glad you came out here for me, but I think Lan wanted to tell us something important." Nynaeve turned expectantly to Lan, who was looking past her and Perrin.
"I did," he said, "but now you can see for yourself." He pointed to where he was looking. The horde of Trollocs Nynaeve had been expecting was charging toward them full force.
"Perrin, get into the city."
"I'm not going to leave you two here."
"I did not heal you to have you die now. How are you going to save your wife if you're dead? Go back now."
"No!"
The Trollocs were upon them. Lan had his sword out, slashing in every direction. Trolloc limbs hewn at the joints fell to the ground. Their blood splattered everywhere, on Lan, on Nynaeve, dotting the ground. Nynaeve used saidar to contribute. It was not difficult to reach it. She was already angry from the recent conversation, and now the thought of wasting effort to heal Perrin pushed her over the edge.
She pulled as much power as she could muster into her. With saidar, she severed heads, arms, whole bodies. Some Trollocs she ripped clean out of their skin, causing them to howl or grunt in pain. She turned them inside out. Many fell before her and Lan, but more sprang up in their place. There seemed to be no end to the Trollocs.
Turning, Nynaeve saw Perrin not far away. At first she thought he was wounded. When he lifted his head, there was blood around his mouth. The glint in his eyes, however, hinted that it was not his own. Snarling, he jumped at the nearest beast and ripped into its throat with his teeth.
Nynaeve was taken with fear for a split second. Her anger returned a moment later, and she let saidin join saidar for a painful, rapturous mixture of power. With saidin, she wove a flow around Perrin, lifting him and placing him back inside the city. It took longer than she had expected, and sustaining both powers at once was a draining task. She managed to hold onto saidin long enough for Perrin's safety to be ensured.
When she finally let go, she concentrated all her energy on saidar. She tore apart more twisted creatures than she would have cared to count, but more still came. She had to do something drastic if this was ever to end.
There was one thing, the thing she had learned in secret, from Rand. The thing she had been warned to use only in the most dire emergencies. If anything was an emergency, this was. She formed the forbidden flow quickly, releasing it into the crowd of Trollocs. Many of them fell, but not enough.
No matter how hard she tried, now, she could not hold on to saidar. She was exhausted from fighting and taking care of Perrin. Her power was drained. She fought the numb unconsciousness that threatened to enfold her, but she was not strong enough. The last thing she saw before the world went black was Lan's face.
End Chapter 10
I don't have much to say. Read next chapter. Review.
This Chapter is for Psycho Goddess. Lots of reviews from you. Love your name, by the way.
Chapter 10- Perpetual Trollocs
As soon as Nynaeve saw Perrin collapse, she sprang into action. Not knowing what she was planning to do at first, she hurried to the city gate.
The guard stopped her. "I'm sorry miss. No one is allowed out. You should just go back into the city."
Anger welling up, Nynaeve showed her serpent ring to the guard. "This gives me the authority to leave. If you do not move, I may do something you'll regret."
With fearful awe in his eyes, the guard opened the gate to the city and Nynaeve started out.
Perrin seemed quite far away. He was nothing more than a lump on the ground from where she stood, but at least she could see him. She took a few steps forward. From the way Egwene had put it, she had expected a horde of Trollocs to attack her the moment she stepped outside the gate. Nothing happened, however, and Nynaeve quickened her step. The crumpled form that was Perrin grew before her.
Still there was no sign of any Dark creatures. Knowing she should feel relieved, she was nevertheless vexed by the absence of adversary. If Egwene had been correct in her description- and Nynaeve knew she was- then the quiet certainly did not bode well, not for her, and not for Perrin.
With that thought, she hastened to reach him. He lay still and stiff as a rock, oblivious to his surroundings, or lack thereof. When she finally came to where he lay, she knelt beside him and tried to shake him into consciousness. He woke but did not seem to see her. He tried to pull away, his huge arm muscles taut, but he was weakened by whatever he had experienced out in the barren wasteland. Nynaeve tried to soothe him with words.
"Perrin, stop. It's Nynaeve al'Meara. I am trying to help you, but I can't if you don't stop with your insufferable resistance." He was still trying to push her from him. She kept a tight grip on his arms. He began to flail helplessly. "Perrin Aybarra! Stop this right now! You males and your refusal to accept help! I could throttle you where you lie!" That was nowhere near true. She was frightened at seeing Perrin, steadfast, careful Perrin, in such a state. She could not help him by shouting. She had to use her power. But how? She still needed to be angry.
She thought of whoever did this to Perrin, taken away his right mind. No one had the right to do these things to the ones she was obligated to care about. Not the Emond's Fielders. She felt the rage welling up, and kept that line of thought. She would get them back. Whoever did this, would get it back a thousand-fold. Saidar was now within her reach. She embraced it, letting it flow into her, and then sent a healing weave into Perrin, calming him first, then returning him to his right state.
His eyes flickered open, widening in surprise when he saw her. "Nynaeve? Is it really you?"
"Yes, Perrin. I do not understand how you manage to get into so much trouble." She smiled at him. "We should get back to the city."
"Wait." He grasped her arm before she could rise. "Faile is still out there. I cannot leave her. Not- not with them."
Nynaeve looked carefully into Perrin's eyes. The suffering was clear. They were still just as yellow as the last time she saw them. "What did they do to you? Who are they?"
Perrin stared at the ground. "I don't- I…I can't, Nynaeve. But I have to save her."
"Well, you won't do much rescuing lying there on the ground." She rose, offering him a hand up. He took it, but did not use it as a support when he stood. "What do you propose?"
Perrin, who had been peering out over the flat land, whipped around. "You are not coming with me. It's too dangerous. I thank you for your help, but I cannot let you endanger yourself for me."
"I already endangered myself for you, you woolhead. Anyway, this would be endangering myself for your wife. You won't be able to rescue her yourself. You *will* need help, whether you want it or not, and I am going to be the one to give it."
"Nynaeve-"
Perrin got no further before they heard the pounding footsteps on the ground. They seemed to come from all directions. A tall figure appeared next to them, and tried to take Nynaeve by the arm.
"Al'Lan Mandragoran, what are you doing here?"
"Nynaeve, this is no time for your stubbornness. There are-"
"Who do you think you are calling stubborn?"
"Why don't you let people finish their sentences?"
"Oh, don't you start, Perrin Aybarra. If it weren't for me, you'd probably be dead by now."
"I'm glad you came out here for me, but I think Lan wanted to tell us something important." Nynaeve turned expectantly to Lan, who was looking past her and Perrin.
"I did," he said, "but now you can see for yourself." He pointed to where he was looking. The horde of Trollocs Nynaeve had been expecting was charging toward them full force.
"Perrin, get into the city."
"I'm not going to leave you two here."
"I did not heal you to have you die now. How are you going to save your wife if you're dead? Go back now."
"No!"
The Trollocs were upon them. Lan had his sword out, slashing in every direction. Trolloc limbs hewn at the joints fell to the ground. Their blood splattered everywhere, on Lan, on Nynaeve, dotting the ground. Nynaeve used saidar to contribute. It was not difficult to reach it. She was already angry from the recent conversation, and now the thought of wasting effort to heal Perrin pushed her over the edge.
She pulled as much power as she could muster into her. With saidar, she severed heads, arms, whole bodies. Some Trollocs she ripped clean out of their skin, causing them to howl or grunt in pain. She turned them inside out. Many fell before her and Lan, but more sprang up in their place. There seemed to be no end to the Trollocs.
Turning, Nynaeve saw Perrin not far away. At first she thought he was wounded. When he lifted his head, there was blood around his mouth. The glint in his eyes, however, hinted that it was not his own. Snarling, he jumped at the nearest beast and ripped into its throat with his teeth.
Nynaeve was taken with fear for a split second. Her anger returned a moment later, and she let saidin join saidar for a painful, rapturous mixture of power. With saidin, she wove a flow around Perrin, lifting him and placing him back inside the city. It took longer than she had expected, and sustaining both powers at once was a draining task. She managed to hold onto saidin long enough for Perrin's safety to be ensured.
When she finally let go, she concentrated all her energy on saidar. She tore apart more twisted creatures than she would have cared to count, but more still came. She had to do something drastic if this was ever to end.
There was one thing, the thing she had learned in secret, from Rand. The thing she had been warned to use only in the most dire emergencies. If anything was an emergency, this was. She formed the forbidden flow quickly, releasing it into the crowd of Trollocs. Many of them fell, but not enough.
No matter how hard she tried, now, she could not hold on to saidar. She was exhausted from fighting and taking care of Perrin. Her power was drained. She fought the numb unconsciousness that threatened to enfold her, but she was not strong enough. The last thing she saw before the world went black was Lan's face.
End Chapter 10
I don't have much to say. Read next chapter. Review.