Disclaimer: I'm making no money with this. The countries, places, and any characters I don't claim and make up belong to the great (bow down) Robert Jordan, except for those which other writers make up. They belong to those people.
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Was it the 7th night, or was it the 8th? Al'Ric would have to check the knots on the leather strap in his pocket to be sure. He would guard the forgotten Waygate near Fal-Dara as Logain had ordered him. Fingering the Sword on one collar and the Dragon on the other, Al'Ric felt more secure in his abilities. Having been raised to Asha'man three fortnights ago was not all that he had imagined. This being his first task had shown him much. Too much. He was strong. Strong in the Power, and strong with his more conventional skills. Uno had been a tough taskmaster. At this point though, Al'Ric was glad that Uno had been so hard. Saidin was exhausting. Cold steel was still an answer that could not be disputed. With his strength in the One Power and skill with the sword and spear, he was up to any task set upon him by Logain or the Lord Dragon. To serve these men was an honor. With the taint gone Al'Ric felt he could accomplish much. Let the Trollocs and Fades come through the Waygate again. Many of those vile creatures had already perished by his and his companion's hands, and more than a few of his companions had perished also. Of the 20 who had accompanied him, seven now lay beneath shallow mounds of Earth. Well, what must be done, will be done. Death was light as a feather, duty, heavier than a mountain. His homeland would not fall to the Blight.
xxxx
Zarin frowned slightly, and twisted the Great Serpent ring that was on the second-to-last finger on her right hand. Her horse walked slowly out of the gates of Fal Dara. It was a nice day. A bit breezy, but still a nice day. Zarin didn't notice the weather, though. Her horse walked at a slow pace, its rider lost in thought. An edge of a shawl hung out of one of her saddlebags. It had vines embroidered on it with a long brown fringe.
Lord Agelmar had been more than kind, but less than helpful. He had mentioned things long past, things that had even come to Zarin in the library of the White Tower. "Moiraine Sedai had come a while back," he had said. "The Amyrlin's visit was unexpected." Things Zarin had already known.
"Burn him," Zarin muttered angrily. She suddenly realized that her horse had been wandering aimlessly. With a growl, Zarin took a firm hold of the reigns, and was about to turn her horse around when she realized with a start that she was lost.
Zarin looked around warily before embracing Saidar. Lord Agelmar wouldn't dare kill an Aes Sedai. Or would he? Zarin had heard about the attempt on the Amyrlin's life, every Aes Sedai had. But could the Lord of Fal Dara really be behind it?
As Zarin studied her surroundings, she thought that this place looked familiar. "It could be near the Waygate... I can't be sure though. If I find the Waygate, I can make my way back to Fal Dara and start anew." Zarin let her horse walk again as she recalled the maps she had studied to mind. The horse walked slowly along, as Zarin kept her eyes open for any of the landmarks that she had seen on the maps.
xxxx
As the morning dawned clear, bright and blue, Al'Ric silently made a prayer to the creator, and prayed for the Light to shine upon him and his companions. The daunting task of guarding the forgotten Waygate rested on his shoulders as if ten Ogier stood atop him. Today was another chance to prove himself, and to defend his homeland against the ever present Shadow. If need be, Al'Ric would carry the fight all the way to Shayol Ghul. Last night two more of his Asha'man had fallen. Good men they were.
Seizing Saidin, he used the power to unruffle his jacket and breeches. The power was an avalanche of fire and ice, but so much different now that the taint was gone. Al'Ric filled himself with the power, and knew that he could hold more now than he ever could. With Saidin enhancing his senses, he scanned the countryside below the small rise they were camped upon. There to the north and East, was a rider. Still a half league away, Al'Ric could ascertain that it was a woman riding by herself. She was riding directly toward that accursed Waygate. If the Trollocs and Fades decide to spew forth now, the rider would be in dire straits !
Turning to pick up his sword and scabbard, Al'Ric mounted Distancer, a tall grey, who had been trained for years as a warhorse. Nudging the Grey down the slope, he set off at a loping pace. He should reach the rider about the time she got to the Waygate.
Knowing that he was in the open and had been seen did not effect him. His Asha'man, what remained of them were aware of his leaving, and Al'Ric was certain they were all watching his trek. Closing upon the rider, he could sense that she was unafraid. Drawing rein about ten spans from her, he hailed her. " The Light be upon you, lady. This is a very dangerous place to be traveling alone. Surely there are more to your party than just you? But where are my manners. I am Al'Ric Dai-Shan Mandragoran, Asha'man to the Lord Dragon. May I be of assistance to you?"
xxxx
Zarin kept an eye on the rider that was nearing. Almost out of habit, she readied weaves of Air. As he neared, Zarin could see that he was dressed in all black. Could he be one of those Asha'man she had heard about in the Tower? Zarin blinked, realizing that the rider was already near her. She pulled her horse to a stop when the rider did the same.
"...I am Al'Ric Dai-Shan Mandragoran, Asha'man to the Lord Dragon. May I be of assistance to you?" the man said in greeting.
"May the Light shine upon you, Al'Ric," Zarin said in reply. "I am Zarin Amarith." Seeing no need as of yet to let this man know she was Aes Sedai, Zarin covered her Great Serpent ring with her hand, making it seem as though she was resting her hands on her saddle.
The rest of what the man had said sunk in, and Zarin blinked. "You are an Asha'man? Yes, of course. The pins on your collar proclaim you. And I am traveling alone. I left Fal Dara, for my sisters are in a great time of need and have need of my support." Zarin kept a firm hold on saidar, and readied the weaves that would shield one from the One Power should he pose any threat. Her face was smooth through out her explanation. Her sisters in Tar Valon would need her support to face what would come with the Dragon's rage.
xxxx
"Well met Lady Zarin", Al'Ric said as he made a half bow from Distancers saddle. "If you be looking for a route to the south and west, this is a dangerous one." Al'Ric was unsure if the lady knew that she was not 5 paces from a Waygate. Studying the woman, Al'Ric found himself gazing at her face. She was very pretty. Thinking to himself, Al'Ric wondered how this lone woman had come to be traveling alone.
" Lady Zarin, the Waygate behind you has been spewing forth Trollocs and Fades for the past 10 days. My friends and I have destroyed many, but I cannot guarantee that some may not have slipped past us. If you will wait a night or two, there should be some Shinearians coming from Fal-Dara to help re-enforce our efforts here. Once they arrive, I would gladly escort you a days ride to the South and West, if you would like. The shadow seems to reach far these days, and I would be less than what I am if I did not offer some assistance in your journey. The choice is yours."
There was something about the woman, but Al'Ric could not make up his mind what it was. Dressed as well as she was, riding alone through a country that was no more than 50 leagues from the Bloody Blight, and the sureness of herself. Something was out of the ordinary here.
Leaning back in Distancers saddle, he scanned the area again. "Lady Zarin, I need to return to my camp. Will you accompany me?"
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One of her eyebrows rose slightly. Ten days? Lord Agelmar had certainly failed to mention that. But then again, he didn't know she would venture this near to the Waygate. Zarin was ready to open her mouth to say that she was perfectly fine on her own, but she held her tongue.
As a child, she had been taught that speaking without thought led to danger. Also, it would be profitable to see how many more of these Asha'man there were guarding the Waygate. She did not share the views of her Red sisters, but she had studied the histories. And the histories said that men that could channel had broken the world. But if the Dragon truly was reborn...
Zarin sat in silence for a minute, examining all possibilities in her head. "Lady Zarin, I need to return to my camp. Will you accompany me?"
Zarin blinked before nodding. "Lead the way, Al'Ric." She didn't want to seem suspicious by rejecting the offer; most people were scared senseless of Trollocs and Fades. If she refused, he might think her a Darkfriend. Zarin wanted to ride behind the Asha'man so she could take off her Great Serpent ring.
xxxx
Turning Distancer, Al'Ric galloped up the hill. This woman was a mystery. He thought to himself there were some things about her, that were out of place. Arriving back at the camp. He slid from Distancer's saddle, handing the reins to another of the Asha'man.
Looking around him, he had to shake his head in disgust. Only nine of the twenty Asha'man who had accompanied him here were left. The damned Shadow! There were a score of Shinerian who watched the perimeter of the camp. He was glad these stout warriors were here.
Calling out for the Captain of the Shinerians, he instructed them to put up a small tent for the Lady Zarin, then with a turn and a bow, addressed the Lady. "Lady Zarin, if it pleases you, we will have you some accommodations shortly. I am at your disposal for as long as you wish to remain with us. You have nothing to fear from any of my men. Please be well, the Light shine upon you."
Al'Ric strode across the camp to his tent, intent on penning a letter to Lord Logain asking for more Soldiers to help in the protection of the Waygate and for Fal-Dara. Engrossed in his writing, he only half noticed the silver slash that appeared in the air outside his tent. The slash turned from horizontal to vertical, and began to spread wider. Commotion from outside brought his full attention to the happenings outside. He walked to the front of tent to look out. He could see a snowy landscape, and several men. Seizing Saidin, he strode to within a pace of the opening Gateway. Two Asha'man walked through, followed by a score of Aiel, who quickly fanned to each side, veils raised, and eyes wary. While he was watching the Aiel, he saw another figure walk from the Gateway. It was Lord Logain!
Logain, walked to Al'Ric, and spoke. "The Light be upon you Al'Ric Mandragoran. I have brought you some help." Al'Ric smiled at his teacher, and bowed deeply. "The light be upon you Lord Logain. You and the Aiel are a welcome sight." Al'Ric gave Logain an overview of what had occured over the last 10 days and nights. Logain shook his head, and made a quick glance at the shallow graves." Al'Ric, you have done well. I will try to get the Lord Dragon to part with more Aiel and Asha'man, but with our move in Illian against the Seanchan, there are not many to spare." "I understand Lord Logain. We will make the best of what we have, and make the Shadow pay a heavy toll for sending their abominations against our land."
The two spoke for a while longer, and then Logain announced that he must leave. "The light be with you Lord Logain." Al'Ric said while pressing his fist to his heart. Logain returned the blessing and the salute, and was gone. The Gateway closed in on itself, spun horizontal and was gone.
Twenty Aiel. That would certainly help. He hated to admit it, but twenty Aiel were as good as a hundred regular soldiers. Returning to his tent, he crumpled the letter he had been writing, and used a small amount of Saidin to burn it away. Seating himself on the ground, he prepared to meditate, when a rustling at the tent entrance made him look up. Standing in the doorway was an Aiel that had to stoop to peer into the tent. With all that had happened, he still thought of the Lady.
xxxx
As Al'Ric galloped up the hill, Zarin hurriedly took off her ring and placed it in the pouch around her waist. Before kicking her silver to a gallop after Al'Ric, Zarin twisted around in her saddle to tuck the edge of her shawl all the way in the bag.
Following Al'Ric into the camp, Zarin slowed her silver to a trot before stopping the mare completely. She easily dismounted, thanks to the divided skirts that she had chosen to wear.
Nodding politely to Al'Ric's offer, Zarin looked back to her silver. Her horse had been taken by another of these Asha'man. Zarin wandered over to an overturned barrel and sat down. Out of the same pouch that her ring had gone in, she produced a small, leather-bound book.
Her eyes focused vacantly on the pages of the book and she scrawled several sentences on an empty page. When she had finished writing about her visit in Fal Dara, Zarin kept the vacant look and began writing down different things that she heard some of the men in the camp saying. Once or twice, she heard the words "Lord Logain" and "the Lord Dragon". She wrote them down, but didn't really notice them.
Hoping that none of these men had ever seen an Aes Sedai, Zarin kept writing until someone touched her arm. Snapping the book shut, Zarin jerked her head up. The man blinked, then laughed. "I was told to tell you that your tent is ready, my lady. But when you looked at me like that, I could have sworn you were Aes Sedai."
Zarin's breath froze for a moment before she let out a quite sigh. "Thank you. Just point me toward my tent, and I will let you get back to what needs to be done."
The man pointed and Zarin stood, placing her small book back in her pouch. She walked off to find her tent, still trying to calm her heart.
xxxx
Thinking of the Lady Zarin. Al'Ric walked trough the center of the camp. The sun would set shortly. This far north, the sun went down not much after mid-day. What was it that kept him guessing about the woman? Shaking his head as if to clear his mind, he walked intently towards the group of Aiel. " Who, may I ask, commands your group?" He asked of the first Aiel he came to who was sitting on his heels. the Aiel looked up at him, then stood slowly. " That is Delphin" the Aiel said pointing to a man surveying the plain below. Turning to thank the Aiel, he noticed that he was being appraised by several of the Aiel. The Aiel he had met first, smiled slyly at him." You are big for a wetlander. We do not see many of your people who can match us in height." Al'Ric grinned. "Not many grow like me and mine. We have some distant kinship with the Land formerly known as Malkier. I believe that some of the old blood has surfaced within me. How are you called?" The Aiel looked at him with approval, meeting Al'Ric's gaze. "For you, distant son of the land of the Seven Towers, I am called Trechan. I am of the Taarad sept, and am a Stone Dog. All of my companions with me are of different septs, but we are all Stone Dogs." Stone Dogs, Al'Ric thought to himself. Great fighters. He nodded at the Aiel. Al'Ric put his hand to his heart. " May you find water and shade this day Trechan, I am Al'Ric Mandragoran, leader of the Asha'man and Shinerians that you see here." The Aiel nodded and returned the greeting and the salute." Maybe we will dance the spears together soon Al'Ric." With that the Aiel left.
Turning on his heel, he strode towards the Aiel leader. On his way, he saw the newly raised tent, of the Lady Zarin. Stopping to check would only take a few moments. He walked to the front of the tent. " Lady Zarin. It is Al'Ric. I wish to know if you require anything. I fear that once the sun goes down, we will be hard pressed until sunrise. May I ask your permission to enter?"
xxxx
Zarin spotted her saddlebags in the corner and walked over to them right after she entered her tent. She began searching her bags to make certain that nothing had been taken. Trust could get you killed. Her father had told her that when she was a child.
Finding everything in its right spot, Zarin straightened just as she heard from the entrance, " Lady Zarin. It is Al'Ric. I wish to know if you require anything. I fear that once the sun goes down, we will be hard pressed until sunrise. May I ask your permission to enter?"
Zarin blinked. This Al'Ric was kind and considerate, but could she trust him? An Asha'man? Zarin sat on one of the stools with her hands in her lap. She refrained from embracing saidar; some of her sisters claimed that the Dragon Reborn had taught the Asha'man to know when a woman channels.
One last time, Zarin glanced around her tent, looking for anything that might give herself away for an Aes Sedai. Seeing nothing, she called out, "Yes, you may enter."
xxxx
Bending low, Al'Ric ducked into the tent. Looking around, he saw that it was small, with a few holes. Making a note in his mind to berate the men who picked it out for its shoddiness. There in the center of the tent sat the Lady Zarin. Grabbing a three-legged stool, he took a seat across from the Lady Zarin. " Lady, I fear that the night will be upon us soon, and with it, another fist or three of Trollocs. I would ask that you stay close to the center of the camp if that happens. As you can see, I have a score of Shinerian warriors, three score Aiel, Stone Dogs I might add, and only nine Asha'man. The battle will be pitched when it comes to us. Do you know how to defend yourself Lady Zarin? If you do not, I would suggest that you stick close by my side until we can get you free from this accursed place."
Settling back, he waited for the Lady Zarin to speak. What in the Light was it about her? Something made him think that this woman could and would defend herself. Looking at her hands, he could see the tanned lines of a ring on her finger, but the ring was not there. Maybe she was an...
xxxx
Zarin watched as Al'Ric entered her tent. She found herself studying him. There were no signs of the agelessness that marked Aes Sedai. There were no physical changes that said he was an Asha'man, except for his black coat, but coats were easily removed.
As Al'Ric sat and began speaking, Zarin had to force her mind not to wander. Most thought that Browns always daydreamed, but it was only part true. Like many of her Brown sisters, Zarin used daydreaming as a way to listen where she was not wanted.
Once again, her mind began to wander, but her mind focused on what he was saying as soon as she heard the word Trolloc. Zarin nodded. "Yes. I do have means to protect myself." Just quick enough for the eye to follow, Zarin pulled a knife from her sleeve.
"I did grow up in Cairhien, where a wrong move can get you killed." With a few simple words, Zarin had told the truth, but made the impression that she could use a knife. All she knew was how to hold the knife, pull them out, and put them back.
She slid the knife back up her sleeve and folded her hands back on her lap. Zarin saw Al'Ric looking at her hand and her breath caught for just a moment. Light... If he knew... Zarin lifted her hand in a careless manner. "I was married once. I stopped wearing the ring when he died." Her voice carried just a hint of unspoken sorrow.
Zarin hadn't lied. She had been married at one point, and he had died. Zarin had stopped wearing the ring when he died, however, they hadn't been married long enough for it to leave a tan mark. Maybe he would believe her. Just maybe she would be able to keep her cover.