I'm sorry my friends, but this is the last chapter to the Prologue. Thanks for reading, everyone!
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Gale seemed to float inside himself. He heard Lain's voice talking. He tried to shake his head when the tower was mentioned but he wasn't very successful. He was hoisted up, the heave pained him as everything else did and then they were moving. Gale did not know for how long he was moving, but he saw that there were houses suddenly on the horizon. They moved amongst these and made their way to one f the buildings. Herbs hung in the window. Finally they had made it out of the woods. They entered, Gale was set down. Sharp pain shot suddenly through him and was so strong that he passed out cold.
Gale woke. Opening his eyes he found that he was lying in a small bed, surrounded by down blankets. He lifted his head slightly. An elderly woman rushed over and pushed his shoulder back down. "Don't move or I'll concoct a draught to make you sleep for so long you'll have grandchildren as old as you are now." Gale blinked. It sounded like she was serious. More kindly, the woman added, "Your ribs took a while to set. You should keep them that way." He nodded, of course. He could feel tightly wrapped material around his chest.
"My companion?" His voice sounded weak, tired. The healer smiled.
"Do not worry about him." She swept from the room.
Gale lay there, thinking. He wondered if Lain had left, now that Gale would get better. He had hoped to say his thanks, without the man he surely would be dead. He wouldn't be leaving here for a while, so he could do nothing. The woman's words had given him nothing.
xxxx
Lain stood silently in the torn clearing, motionless so his black swirling cloak seemed to fade into the trees. His eyes were closed, his face calm despite the turmoil his soul had endured. Burns still shiny and red streaked across his face and hands where they were revealed from beneath the dull cloth. A small mound stood at his feet, a smaller bundle of wildflowers lain upon it. The bones of Mileni lay within there, picked clean by the eyes of the shadow. The village people had recognized the place by the description he gave, and asked no questions, for which he was grateful. He had gathered her remains along with the shreds of his cloak, weeping for her.
His lips moved in silent prayer, asking the Creator to watch over her for eternity. Eventually, I will come to you, he told her silently. I will return to you, my Mileni. He bowed his head, tears streaming unheeded down his cheek, stinging in the small cuts.
He had had to stay in the village for a few days, a week perhaps. The fierce Healer they had there wouldn't let him rise from his bed, her muscled arm easily holding down his weakened frame. Only threats of strapping him to the bed had made him say put; he would never be put in bonds again. Better to die...
A slight noise behind him alerted Lain to the other man's presence, and he couldn't help but notice how close Gale had gotten before Lain had heard him. Differences from the bloody Bond. His hearing seemed less sharp, his senses less acute. His wounds stayed open longer. Lain slowly brought his head up.
"Hello, Gale," he murmured.
xxxx
Gale had borrowed a horse in the village and had ridden hard to get here. He knew that Lain would be here, and wanted to say goodbye and thank you before returning to the village. He still had to heal, but he felt this was very important. He was surprised when Lain did not hear him come up behind him but he did not blame the grieving warder for it.
"Hello, Lain. I thought to find you here." Gale looked down at the small mound that he knew held the remains of the Warder's Aes Sedai. "I am sorry for your loss. Her life was needlessly taken. It is a waste." He cleared his throat uncomfortably, knowing he could say nothing to make it better. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me out of the wood, you saved my life. Not many would save an Asha'man." Gale put his hand on Lain's shoulder for a second in farewell. "May peace favor your sword." The Ashaman felt that the Borderland goodbye was appropriate for this. He could sense that Lain wanted to be alone.
He made his way over to the horse and swung up stiffly into the saddle. Gale had to return to the village and the watchful eyes of the healer. He turned the horse in the direction of the small village and looked back only once at the disheartened figure, standing in front of the woman that was so important to him. The Ashaman could only wonder how long the man would last. He heard that Warders who lost their bond did not last for very long afterward, that they choose death instead of a life without their bondmate. Gale sincerely hoped that Lain could pull through, and live, though in sorrow. He started up again, whispering under his breath, "And the last embrace of the mother welcome you home, though not before you have given this all you've got." Gale kicked his steed into a brisk canter, toward a path that would begin his healing. He knew that if he had survived the nightmare in the Whitecloak camp, that he could take the path of recovery to its end.
The sun warmed Gale's face as he continued on, and he stopped to appreciate the fields he as riding through. Gale didn't think that he would take this for granted again.
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Lain stayed silent as Gale said his goodbyes, not wanting his voice to give away his emotions. The Asha'man said his final farewell- quite formally actually, befitting the situation and paying respect to Mileni- before mounting his horse and leaving in the direction of the village that had taken them in. Gale would probably have to stay there a while longer before leaving- the bloody Healer again. A humorless grin plastered itself on his face at the thought as he bowed his head over Mileni's grave, closing his eyes.
At last, what seemed an eternity later, he straightened, blinking. A bay the village had given to him glared balefully at him, standing in a circle of clipped grass where he had staked it. Turning one last time to the mound of dirt, he pressed his fingers to his lips, stretching out his hand to her.
"Goodbye, Mileni," he whispered, walking slowly over to his mount. Saddlebags filled with food and blankets, along with a few waterskins hung on the back of the horse, clattering lightly as he climbed up. He pulled the reins gently towards the road, kicking his horse quickly to a gallop.
"Goodbye, my love..."