Chapter 12- Perrin Returns
When he saw the Trollocs closing in, Perrin's wolf sense began to take over. He had learned not to fight it. His anger at Faile's capture mingled with his disgust at the Trollocs in general. When one came close enough, he leapt at it, tearing into it with his teeth. It's blood left a horrible taste in his mouth, and he was careful not to swallow as he savored the feel of their flesh ripping under his fierce bite.
So intent was he on killing that he did not notice what Nynaeve had done until he was floating back toward Tar Valon. He kicked and struggled, but he could do nothing against the One Power. "Nynaeve! Let me down! You cannot control me! Stop this now!"
She paid him no heed. Once he was safely on the other side of the wall, he saw her turn back to fight. Cursing, he ran down to the gate.
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't open it."
"I have to go back out there?"
"Are you mad? With all those Trollocs? No, the gate stays closed."
In rage, he rushed forward, pounding the gate with his fists. "Men! Get him under control!"
Perrin heard comments like, "He's mad!" "Easy, man, just calm down!" "We don't want to have to hurt you!" He disregarded them, trying with all his might to get through the gate.
At last he was subdued. He strained under the restraints of six men, every muscle in his body coiled and taut. He breathed heavily as he looked up at the captain of the guard. "What is your name, man?"
"Perrin Aybarra!" he spat. "I've been a captive of Trollocs, Halfmen, and Forsaken for the past four years! They still have my wife, and I'm going back out to save her or die trying!"
The captain looked at him with a strange expression. "Alert the Amyrlin," he said to the messenger. He ran off toward the Tower with all haste. Then the captain turned back to Perrin.
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"Egwene, that is one thing you can not ask of me."
"Rand, please."
"No. I'm not going to gentle Nynaeve just because you think it's unsafe for her to be using saidin."
"Isn't it?"
"Probably. But no more dangerous than saidar. Besides, she still has her block. Until that disappears, she's not nearly as dangerous as you are. Potentially she is, but not in reality."
"Have you ever seen her channeling in reality? She is more dangerous than you."
A knock sounded. "What is it, Elayne?"
"A messenger from the gate. He says he has an urgent message."
The messenger stepped nervously forward. Rand thought he reminded him of himself, when he had first gone before Queen Morgase. "Mother, a man just arrived in Tar Valon, but wants to go back out. He says he has been a captive of Trollocs. He was out of control, and the guards had to restrain him. He says his name is Perrin Aybarra."
Egwene and Rand stared at each other for a moment. Then, simultaneously, they bolted for the door.
The entire city seemed to move out of the way for them. They ran, heedless of anything or anyone around them, until they reached the gate. There, they saw the aforementioned man with three men on each of his arms.
"Perrin!" Rand called. He was panting when they halted before the guards.
"Let him go," Egwene said calmly. The guards obeyed immediately, dropping their hold. Perrin fell to his knees, but quickly pushed himself back up, growling inhumanly.
"Perrin, what happened to you?"
"The important question is, what happened to Faile. She is still out there. I promised her I'd come back for help. I didn't want to leave her, but she told me I was doing no good to her while we were both captured. She said if I couldn't come back for help, then how would we ever get free? So I left."
"What's going on now?"
"Trollocs attacked us."
"Us?" Egwene repeated sharply.
"Nynaeve and Lan were out there with me."
Egwene's head whipped around toward the closed gate.
"Open the gate," Rand commanded.
"I'm sorry, Lord Dragon, the gate stays closed."
Rand made as if to step forward. "No, he's right, Rand," Egwene said. "I don't even think they're still out there."
He stopped. "You mean…"
"No. They're just not there anymore. They're still alive."
"Well we have to get them back."
"We will, but I don't know how. No one saw them being taken. We don't even know where they are."
Perrin growled. "I know."
End Chapter 12
Sorry this chapter is so short, but it is what it is. The next one will most likely be longer.
Please Review.
When he saw the Trollocs closing in, Perrin's wolf sense began to take over. He had learned not to fight it. His anger at Faile's capture mingled with his disgust at the Trollocs in general. When one came close enough, he leapt at it, tearing into it with his teeth. It's blood left a horrible taste in his mouth, and he was careful not to swallow as he savored the feel of their flesh ripping under his fierce bite.
So intent was he on killing that he did not notice what Nynaeve had done until he was floating back toward Tar Valon. He kicked and struggled, but he could do nothing against the One Power. "Nynaeve! Let me down! You cannot control me! Stop this now!"
She paid him no heed. Once he was safely on the other side of the wall, he saw her turn back to fight. Cursing, he ran down to the gate.
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't open it."
"I have to go back out there?"
"Are you mad? With all those Trollocs? No, the gate stays closed."
In rage, he rushed forward, pounding the gate with his fists. "Men! Get him under control!"
Perrin heard comments like, "He's mad!" "Easy, man, just calm down!" "We don't want to have to hurt you!" He disregarded them, trying with all his might to get through the gate.
At last he was subdued. He strained under the restraints of six men, every muscle in his body coiled and taut. He breathed heavily as he looked up at the captain of the guard. "What is your name, man?"
"Perrin Aybarra!" he spat. "I've been a captive of Trollocs, Halfmen, and Forsaken for the past four years! They still have my wife, and I'm going back out to save her or die trying!"
The captain looked at him with a strange expression. "Alert the Amyrlin," he said to the messenger. He ran off toward the Tower with all haste. Then the captain turned back to Perrin.
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"Egwene, that is one thing you can not ask of me."
"Rand, please."
"No. I'm not going to gentle Nynaeve just because you think it's unsafe for her to be using saidin."
"Isn't it?"
"Probably. But no more dangerous than saidar. Besides, she still has her block. Until that disappears, she's not nearly as dangerous as you are. Potentially she is, but not in reality."
"Have you ever seen her channeling in reality? She is more dangerous than you."
A knock sounded. "What is it, Elayne?"
"A messenger from the gate. He says he has an urgent message."
The messenger stepped nervously forward. Rand thought he reminded him of himself, when he had first gone before Queen Morgase. "Mother, a man just arrived in Tar Valon, but wants to go back out. He says he has been a captive of Trollocs. He was out of control, and the guards had to restrain him. He says his name is Perrin Aybarra."
Egwene and Rand stared at each other for a moment. Then, simultaneously, they bolted for the door.
The entire city seemed to move out of the way for them. They ran, heedless of anything or anyone around them, until they reached the gate. There, they saw the aforementioned man with three men on each of his arms.
"Perrin!" Rand called. He was panting when they halted before the guards.
"Let him go," Egwene said calmly. The guards obeyed immediately, dropping their hold. Perrin fell to his knees, but quickly pushed himself back up, growling inhumanly.
"Perrin, what happened to you?"
"The important question is, what happened to Faile. She is still out there. I promised her I'd come back for help. I didn't want to leave her, but she told me I was doing no good to her while we were both captured. She said if I couldn't come back for help, then how would we ever get free? So I left."
"What's going on now?"
"Trollocs attacked us."
"Us?" Egwene repeated sharply.
"Nynaeve and Lan were out there with me."
Egwene's head whipped around toward the closed gate.
"Open the gate," Rand commanded.
"I'm sorry, Lord Dragon, the gate stays closed."
Rand made as if to step forward. "No, he's right, Rand," Egwene said. "I don't even think they're still out there."
He stopped. "You mean…"
"No. They're just not there anymore. They're still alive."
"Well we have to get them back."
"We will, but I don't know how. No one saw them being taken. We don't even know where they are."
Perrin growled. "I know."
End Chapter 12
Sorry this chapter is so short, but it is what it is. The next one will most likely be longer.
Please Review.