Disclaimers: I don't owe Nynaeve, Lan or any other characters from the Wheel of Time series, only the plot.
Author's Note: Two weeks, I know, and I'm really, REALLY sorry it took so long, but school have started and with that, also the piling and dreadful homework... :( Anyway, I'm going to do my best keeping this story going, and all I ask for is a little PATIENCE from you guys. I'll try posting each week, but it might as well take longer, due to my ever-shrinking spare time. ^_^
Now, thank you so much for your great reviews! *stands up and applauds together with the rest of the world* This chapter is for you! Contains what you have all been waiting for, but don't worry, it'll not end here!
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Chapter 6 – The Decision
The evening was climbing over the landscape, clouds disappearing and revealing glittering stars on the black background. There were thousands of them, millions. Once in a while, one or two fell down, leaving a long thread of light, like a tail, after them. The moon rose up from behind the dark silhouettes of mountains and cliffs, a grey-shimmering light covering the surface of the landscape, making a beautifully picture. Only that to someone, it was not a happy sight.
This person glared at the picture, as if trying to make it disappear out of sheer will power. It did, however, not work, and the person turned abruptly away, eyes falling on a tent a few paces in front of the person. The person hated that tent, hated the ground it stood on, hated the person inside it.
Suddenly, a bright, strong light appeared out of nowhere, making the person quickly reach the hands up to cover its face. Buried in its hands, the person only heard what was going on, but the person understood perfectly –it had experienced it too many times. Straightening up and removing the hands, the person put up an expressionless face.
"You're late." It was not a question, it was a statement.
"Really? Well, I didn't know." The newcomer grinned. Light, how the person hated that creature!
"My master won't be pleased. He need to finish those plans before the battle begins. And he has had a vision that someone can cause quite more damage to the Great Lord than the al'Thor boy will. Especially if the person is linking with the boy." A pair of eyes searched for some surprise from the newcomer, but none came, and the person dismissed the thought.
"He is expecting you inside." And with that, the person stalked off into the night, moving like a spider before the darkness swallowed everything.
****
For the first time since the people inside the tent of the Dragon Reborn had learned the fact that the Last Battle was quickly closing in, they were laughing and chatting with each other, not about the following day and the sorrows of life, but every happy memory they could think of. Especially the Emond's Fielders was particularly enjoying themselves, as they exchanged memories of Rand, Perrin and Mat's many adventures who mostly ended in the Wisdom's -Nynaeve's- hands, who boxed their ears and slapped their bottoms for acting stupidly. Normally, Nynaeve would have just sniffed after one of those stories, and say they got what they deserved, but tonight, everyone from Two Rivers saw the change in her, as she instead of sniffing, laughed together with them. Even those who did not come from Emond's Field, realised something had changed the normally sniffing-and-tugging-braid-in-anger Nynaeve radically, and Lan too. But none who didn't know the reason behind the change commented it, and those who did know, kept it to themselves. Well, with three exceptions.
****
Min cast a sideway glance at her beloved. He was engaged in a conversation with Perrin, Mat, Gawyn and Lan, and the five of them were laughing together at some story Mat had told them. It still amazed Min whenever Nynaeve's husband laughed. It was such a big gap from the silent type he had been, and the softened man he had become after marrying Nynaeve, it always surprised her. And now they're having their first children, the future of Malkier. She studied both of them.
Lan wore a half soft, half stony expression, as he grinned at a comment from Perrin on Mat's story. When he had first gotten here, arm put protecting around Nynaeve's shoulders, he had been exhilarated, she could tell. She guessed he had been happy about the children after all. But now, sadness was slowly emerging over his face, and his grins dropped a bit each time, as the evening passed, inviting the cold night. And every now and then, he would lock eyes with his wife, stroke her hand, or study her in secret when she talked with the other women, and sigh in sadness, not loudly, just barely a heavy breath.
Nynaeve, on the other hand, seemed very occupied in her talks with the women, laughing more than usual while telling childhood stories from Two Rivers of Rand, Mat and Perrin, causing quite amusement from Faile, Tuon, Birgitte, Aviendha and Elayne -Min was only half-listening, and smiled sometimes, before returning to her own thoughts. But even though the Yellow tried her best to act like there was no sorrow and no Last Battle the following day, she could not fool Min. Reading the body language, the young girl was certain that Nynaeve was terrified, despite her efforts of forgetting about the Battle for one night, and it made her sad. She was so happy when she arrived here with Lan, and now she's going along the same way as he is, letting the sadness creep over her.
Suddenly, Min felt a stab of emotions in her head, from Rand, and she turned to him.
He had retreated from the conversation with the other men, and stood together with Egwene, who was looking at her expectantly. Min shook her head; she didn't know what they had asked about, as she was too caught up in her own minds.
"Are you alright?" Rand asked, concern in his voice. Min suddenly realised he must've felt her sadness. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Rand moved closer to her, along with Egwene.
"It's all right, Min," said the young Amyrlin. "We feel sorry for them too."
Rand took her hand gently and looked down at her. "Have you had any more viewings about them? About what they should do?"
Min began to think back, but she could not remember having any more viewings except the first one about the twins. She let out a heavy breath, and grabbed hold of Rand's hands. They were warm and gentle, and she wished they could go back to their tent, and their bed.
"No," she replied while looking up at her bond mate through her eyelashes. "None at all." Sadness flowed through the bond, and Min caught Egwene sigh heavily as she stole a glance at the earlier Wisdom, who was now just grinning while the others laughed. The young woman leaned closer.
"Then we have no other choice but let Nynaeve and Lan decide what shall be done." These words brought silence among those three, and Min tightened her grip on Rand's hands, causing him to smile weakly.
****
Nynaeve sat back in her chair, her eyes drifting off to the other side of the tent, and locking with Lan's. She felt sorrow roll over her when she saw the worry and sadness in his eyes, and she tried to smile, but it came out as a small twitching, and she dropped her gaze. She had discovered during the night that Tarmon Gai'don was not easily forgotten.
*Blood and ashes, Nynaeve!* her little voice said. *You said you wanted to forget about the Battle, and be happy for just one night! Well, forget about it then, and have fun with these people, even though it is totally out of character for you to do anything but sniffing and snorting in anger!*
It's difficult, she replied. Light how she hated that voice! It's too big to just disappear from my mind, you bloody...! She stopped, realising she was cursing her own mind. She sighed inwardly. I can't stop thinking about the possible outcomes of this battle.
*Lan will be fine, you will be fine, the babes will be fine -you'll win the whole bloody Last Battle! Well, at least Rand will. Didn't you say so to yourself earlier? Rand would defeat the Dark One easily, and peace would embrace the world, and Lan would see his kingdom raise from the ground?*
Those are my hopes, not... She couldn't find words for what to say. For once, Nynaeve al'Meara was speechless. Staring out in the air, Nynaeve felt a hollow emptiness fill her with such power her eyes swelled with tears. I cannot loose self-control now, not here.
*And why not? Most of these people know what condition you're in.*
I'm too emotional! she replied angrily. This bloody 'condition' I'm in is playing with my emotions! I cannot show weakness in a time like this!
*Oh yes, you do. You know no one will blame you, condition or not; they're also suffering, scared of their loved ones, terrified of the possible outcome tomorrow. They won't say a word.* Nynaeve felt her tears threatening to fall, and she began turning away from the other women, but stopped as a hand was laid on her arm. Her eyes stared at the owner of the hand.
"What's the matter?" Elayne asked concerned. Nynaeve wanted to scream what was going on, throw herself into the arms of her husband, and cry soundly, not caring what the other occupants of the tent thought. She swallowed a big lump in her throat, and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, and she sensed a single tear find its way down her cheek.
"Nynaeve?" It was Rand's voice. She didn't respond to it immediately. It was like she was somewhere else. The people around her was just muffled voices, and the whole tent blurry. Her eyes tried to focus on the goblet that suddenly flew in the air in front of her. A soft feeling of happiness flowed through her; she had taken hold of saidar.
A blurry figure sat beside her, taking her hand. She moved her focus from the goblet and to the figure, but she could not see clearly. Almost at the brink of tears for not capable of focus, Nynaeve wanted to scream; she opened her mouth but not a word came out, like something or someone wanted her to be silent. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping that when she opened them, she would see clearly, but as soon as darkness filled her eyesight, a voice began thundering inside her head, and pictures swam before her eyes.
****Vision****
"You cannot hide forever!" She sees herself, dressed for battle, riding beside Lan.
"I will kill you like I kill your so-called Dragon Reborn!" Together with Rand, she walks towards the Dark One, the Power filling both of them. They are linked.
"Lews Therin Thelamond and Seryan Metheri, you will never see this world again!" The Last Battle is raging around her, shadows quickly creeping over the battlefield.
"I will be victorious!" The battlefield are totally covered in shadows, and now they start embracing the rest of the world. A horrible laughter filled her head.
****End Vision****
Nynaeve's eyes popped open with a scream, and she barely noticed that she could see clearly or that she had screamed, before throwing herself into the arms of her husband, who had been kneeling beside her, worry in his eyes. Her tears sprung out in thick streams, and she began sobbing violently.
****
The people in the tent stared shocked and wide-eyed at the couple kneeling on the ground. Lan had Nynaeve in a safe and protecting embrace, and they could hear him murmuring soothingly to his wife, but her sobs didn't diminish. Everyone began to think back to what had just happened.
Nynaeve had gone all unfocused, and tears had come rolling down her cheeks silently. Rand had tried to talk to her, but she had suddenly closed her eyes and after a few moments, she had screamed, making most of them jump in surprise and horror. No one found words to say something; they just watched, and confusion could be seen in most of the pairs of eyes.
****
Mat, like everyone else, stared wide-eyed at the woman he had known to be so strong, now wailed in the arms of her husband. It was still shocking for him to know that the man who had come to Emond's Field that Winternight –in the company of a woman who called herself an Aes Sedai– and had taken him, Perrin, Rand and Egwene to the world outside Two Rivers, had ended up marrying the strict –former– Wisdom.
Blood and ashes, what is going on here?
*It is the bloody Last Battle! It has this effect on everyone!* his little voice answered with a growl.
Not like this! He replied. There's something else behind this outburst! Nynaeve would never acted like this without a good reason, and she would have said that the Last Battle is not a good reason!
*But would you blame her if she suddenly changed her mind?*
Of course not, I mean, people change, and I have seen how Lan has changed her, and she him. But there really is something else going on, I know there is.
*They will explain,* the voice concluded.
Hopefully, Mat answered grimly, turning his attention to Tuon beside him. She now wore an expressionless mask on her face, her eyes on him. They said nothing, not wanting to break the silence among the watchers. Their hands met and grabbed tightly around each other, and they moved the gazes to the couple, who was now sitting on the ground.
"Nynaeve," they could hear Lan ask gently, only soft emotion in his voice. "Tell me, what is wrong? What happened?" So something had happened, it was not the tension around the Last Battle.
Nynaeve didn't move, but her sobs subsided slowly, and she managed in the end to speak, but it was merely a whisper, and Mat concentrated hard to listen what the woman said.
"L-Lan, I-I cannot s-stay be-behind, I-I have to fi-fight with Rand a-against the D-Dark O-One, or the L-Light cannot w-win." Mat found himself shocked and speechless.
Wait a moment, wasn't that according to the plan? Or had something, or someone, changed it? Light, now I am confused! He turned and met Tuon's confused face, her brows furrowed. They looked at each other for a short moment, mirroring each other's feelings and thoughts. Then Rand's voice shot them back to reality.
"Nynaeve, what are you talking about? Have you already taken a decision?" His last question was directed at Lan, who sat rubbing his wife's back, since Nynaeve was in no condition to answer.
Lan just shook his head, obviously shocked as well. Mat began to wonder if the man had ever cried, since he looked like he was just going to, but didn't know how. He opened his mouth to speak, but the Warder was quicker than him.
"Nynaeve, what happened?" he asked again, his voice calm, masking the worry in his eyes. The woman in his arms wriggled, and sat back, staring intently at the man.
"He spoke to me." Her voice was restraining the urge to tremble, Mat could tell. "And showed me pictures from a vision. I have to fight, Lan. I'm sorry." The tent fell dead quiet as they understood who she was talking about.
Again, Mat was shocked, and he tightened his grip on his beloved's hand, causing a faint smile from her. Light, the Dark One speaking to Nynaeve...
He watched as Lan's expression changed from fear to expressionless to determination, just in a matter of seconds.
"Then so be it," he spoke quietly, and at his words, Nynaeve fell into his arms again, but this time, she didn't cry.
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A/N: *lets out a relieved breath* Puh.... Never thought I'd finish this one! :) Well, now I'm at least finished, and so are you... with reading the chapter, I mean. *grins* Anyway, just a few notes before I go on rambling about you REVIEWING this chapter!
If any of you non-members –and members who hasn't author alert– wants to be alerted when I update this story, let me know and I'll put you up on an e-mailing list! That way I'll keep you posted on when I upload new chapters. ^_^
And in case you noticed a name during this chapter that is not mentioned in the books –Seryan Metheri– you'll get an explanation in the next chapter, trust me! :)
Earlier above, I said I was going to ramble on about you guys REVIEWING, and since I feel that it's not enough to tell you twice, I give you a third go: PLEASE REVIEW!
That's all for now, see ya all later!