The Hollow Men
By Jeslyn Nighthawk
Disclaimer: I own neither The Wheel of Time nor "The Hollow Men." These works are the creative property of Robert Jordan and T.S. Elliot, respectively.
A/N: This is not a happy fic. It will be very dark and will deal with aspects of madness and death. It will not have a happy ending. If you are looking for a light fic, please look elsewhere.
Chapter 1
Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;
… Eyes I dare not meet in dreams
*** My breath burns in my chest. Cramps are beginning in my exhausted legs. Still I run. I hear them behind me. Their grunts and gasping breathes. I look over my shoulder, but in the swirling fog, I cannot make out their forms. Ravens screech overhead. My tired muscles are going to give out any minute- I know it. I duck into a hollow in a tree. My pursuers are not smart enough to look for me, I know, but they might still smell me. Burn them! What have I done to deserve this?
I feel a new presence. It is more sinister than my pursuers. It does not hunt me; it simply searches. Like giant eyes on the back of my neck. I cower in my small hiding place- a shelter that no longer seems so clever. I squeeze my eyes shut as if my inability to see will prevent my being seen. I hold my breath. It will pass. It will pass. I think this over and over like a mantra. It draws nearer. It will find me. Closer. If I am found I know it will no longer mean just my life. It will mean my soul. That burning gaze lights upon me. ***
I am sitting bolt upright in my bed at the inn. A sheen of cold sweat covers my bear chest, and my breath comes in ragged gasps. Every muscle in my body is taught, as if ready for a fight.
That same dream has haunted me every night since that night. The night the trollocs came. The night my home was burned to the ground. The night the Aes Sedai witch, Moiraine, took Egwene away to the White Tower. The night the peddler, Paiden Fain, was revealed as a dark friend.
The night Tam al'Thor- no my father- he was my father and nothing any witch says will make it other wise- was killed upon the spear of a trolloc. The night my world changed forever.
That night I made a deal with a witch. I would go with her, as she believed was necessary- but only if she saved my injured father. She did not hold up her end of the bargain. Tam al'Thor died that night. In my rage I risked everything to defy the power of an Aes Sedai.
In my rage I made a discovery that I can never allow any one else to find. Moiraine already knows- I do not fear the day she sends the Reds for me. By that time, I am sure I will welcome the certain death that they will bring. I can only hope that they will find me before my ability to hold the madness at bay fails.
That night I came to two irrevocable conclusions. I am Rand al'Thor, son of Tam al'Thor. And I wield saidin, the male half of the One Power.
A/N: Short, I know, but it was really only an introduction. This is basically going to be an "if-world" scenario. If I make any really grievous errors in grammar, spelling or theory please don't hesitate to tell me. I will fix mistakes as soon as possible. Also, I need to know if I pull off the 1st person POV. If I don't I can still change back to 3rd person relatively easily. Please review. Flames are welcome.
-Jes