Chapter 6 Tears of the Forest
Aviendha jiggled around on the back of a white mare as she rode after Lan on his black stallion. Lan pushed his horse to the limit as he hurried to the Aes Sedai camp and Aviendha had been instructed to keep him within her sights at all times by her first sister.
The party of ten soldiers, four Aes Sedai and four Warders followed some way behind as Lan and Aviendha entered the woods which contained the camp. Lan still rode at break neck speed undaunted by the trees and branches that hindered their route. Aviendha followed as best she could, clinging desperately to the horse's neck.
It was such a surprise when Lan stopped that Aviendha nearly fell off the horse. She quickly straightened, trying to recover what was left of her dignity. She noticed that Lan did not look at her but instead stared out at the clearing they had come to. Aviendha followed his gaze and unsuccessfully suppressed a gasp.
The clearing held what was left of the Aes Sedai camp. Tents had been reduced to skeletons, with what material left flapping in the breeze. The ground was up-turned and showed signs of scuffles. Blood was evident on the ground. In the centre of the camp was something that Aviendha had never even imagined in all her years as a Maiden of the Spear. Where the main fire had stood was a pile of blackened bodies, human and Trolloc alike, so mutilated that it was hard to tell the two apart.
Lan dismounted and walked towards the pile. Bits of armour lay on the floor and there were some glints from the pile. Aviendha followed his example and together they gazed down at the dead. A woman's hand stretched out from the pile almost pleading for help. Aviendha's eyes stung with tears. Her companion's face showed no emotion but his lips curved slightly with disgust. Slowly Lan bent and began pushing bodies apart, separating them so they could be seen. Aviendha assisted him in his morbid task, tears falling onto the bodies of soldiers, Warders and Aes Sedai.
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The Aiel and the Warder looked up as they saw the soldiers, Warders and Aes Sedai entered the ruins of the camp as the sunset. Many soldiers saw the bodies and emptied their stomachs on the forest floor. The Warders glanced and then looked away as the Aes Sedai ran their eyes over the line of 20 human bodies and the pile of Trollocs. Aviendha rose from the log she sat on as the 4 Warders searched the camp and the soldiers began to bury the corpses. Lan covered the Trollocs in alcohol and brought a flaming torch to them. Aviendha stood next to him as they watched the flames lick and dance on the Shadowsporn.
"She might not have been there. She could still be in the woods." Aviendha said. Nynaeve didn't deserve a funeral with Shadowsporn. She deserved to have a burial of a Maiden.
Lan looked up from the flames and opened his hand. It held a belt knife she had seen many times. Nynaeve's.
"I found this clutched in a woman's hand. Her face-" he stopped and took a deep breath, "I couldn't see it. Her father gave her this. One of the only presents he gave her." He sighed and drew the blade, considering it. Aviendha's heart jumped. Sheathing it he handed it to the Aiel.
"Look after this for me. I cannot trust myself."
Aviendha took the knife as Lan disappeared into the shadows. She squatted by the fire, turning the knife in her hands as she heard tears from the forest.
Aviendha jiggled around on the back of a white mare as she rode after Lan on his black stallion. Lan pushed his horse to the limit as he hurried to the Aes Sedai camp and Aviendha had been instructed to keep him within her sights at all times by her first sister.
The party of ten soldiers, four Aes Sedai and four Warders followed some way behind as Lan and Aviendha entered the woods which contained the camp. Lan still rode at break neck speed undaunted by the trees and branches that hindered their route. Aviendha followed as best she could, clinging desperately to the horse's neck.
It was such a surprise when Lan stopped that Aviendha nearly fell off the horse. She quickly straightened, trying to recover what was left of her dignity. She noticed that Lan did not look at her but instead stared out at the clearing they had come to. Aviendha followed his gaze and unsuccessfully suppressed a gasp.
The clearing held what was left of the Aes Sedai camp. Tents had been reduced to skeletons, with what material left flapping in the breeze. The ground was up-turned and showed signs of scuffles. Blood was evident on the ground. In the centre of the camp was something that Aviendha had never even imagined in all her years as a Maiden of the Spear. Where the main fire had stood was a pile of blackened bodies, human and Trolloc alike, so mutilated that it was hard to tell the two apart.
Lan dismounted and walked towards the pile. Bits of armour lay on the floor and there were some glints from the pile. Aviendha followed his example and together they gazed down at the dead. A woman's hand stretched out from the pile almost pleading for help. Aviendha's eyes stung with tears. Her companion's face showed no emotion but his lips curved slightly with disgust. Slowly Lan bent and began pushing bodies apart, separating them so they could be seen. Aviendha assisted him in his morbid task, tears falling onto the bodies of soldiers, Warders and Aes Sedai.
J/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\J
The Aiel and the Warder looked up as they saw the soldiers, Warders and Aes Sedai entered the ruins of the camp as the sunset. Many soldiers saw the bodies and emptied their stomachs on the forest floor. The Warders glanced and then looked away as the Aes Sedai ran their eyes over the line of 20 human bodies and the pile of Trollocs. Aviendha rose from the log she sat on as the 4 Warders searched the camp and the soldiers began to bury the corpses. Lan covered the Trollocs in alcohol and brought a flaming torch to them. Aviendha stood next to him as they watched the flames lick and dance on the Shadowsporn.
"She might not have been there. She could still be in the woods." Aviendha said. Nynaeve didn't deserve a funeral with Shadowsporn. She deserved to have a burial of a Maiden.
Lan looked up from the flames and opened his hand. It held a belt knife she had seen many times. Nynaeve's.
"I found this clutched in a woman's hand. Her face-" he stopped and took a deep breath, "I couldn't see it. Her father gave her this. One of the only presents he gave her." He sighed and drew the blade, considering it. Aviendha's heart jumped. Sheathing it he handed it to the Aiel.
"Look after this for me. I cannot trust myself."
Aviendha took the knife as Lan disappeared into the shadows. She squatted by the fire, turning the knife in her hands as she heard tears from the forest.