I summoned Deindre, Oselle and another of my followers, Solinda, to my chambers. Vaerlin was already there, and I told Oselle and Solinda about Deindre's Foretelling. I told them to go to a small anteroom off the Hall of the Servants. I also asked them to summon Someshta and Jonai, who was the leader of the Da'shain Aiel in Paarad Disen. I followed them, carrying a bundle. When I got there, Someshta and the others were already there. I noticed a deep gash across Someshta's face. It was as if someone had got a shocklance and burned him with it.
I placed my bundle on the table, and unwrapped it. Inside was Callandor, the third strongest sa'angreal in the world that was attuned to the male side of the Power. The cloth was actually the banner of the Dragon. I then left them to their arguing and wove an Illusion around me, so that no one could see me.
Jonai shuddered when he came into the room, I saw him. He was scared of the Dragon Banner.
"What good is your Foretelling," Oselle was almost shouting, "if you cannot tell us when?" I could obviously see that she was shaking with anger. "The World rests on this! This future! The Wheel itself!" Deindre turned to her, and her dark eyes did not show her usual fire, and she replied to Oselle in a calm voice. "I am not the Creator. I can only tell you what I Foretell."
Solinda stood up, calming them down. Her streith gown showed a pale blue, calm like her mood at the moment. "Peace, sisters. The time for contention among ourselves is past. Jaric and Haindar will both be here by tomorrow."
"Which means that we cannot afford mistakes, Solinda." Oselle was trying to keep calm, I could hear it in her voice, but her face showed that she was anything but calm. Her eyes were blazing like wildfire, and her face showed a lot of stress lines.
"We must know..."
"Is there any chance of...?" At this point, I could see that Jonai had stopped taking any notice of the three sisters. Then he looked at Someshta, and nodded to him in greeting. I saw Someshta finger that rift, and he asked Jonai "Do I know you?"
Jonai stared into the hazelnut eyes of the last Nym and said, "I am your friend. You rode me on your shoulders when I was a child. Do you remember nothing of it?"
"Singing," Someshta murmured. "Was there singing? So much is gone. The Aes Sedai say some will return. You are a Child of the Dragon, are you not?" I saw Jonai wince at the mention of that name, and I felt his pain. Too much trouble had come out of that name. Da'shain had served Aes Sedai, and not just the Dragon. But who believed that now?
"Jonai?" I heard Solinda call Jonai's name. "All is in readiness, Jonai?"
"All Aes Sedai. Solinda Sedai..." I knew what he was thinking. "Solinda Sedai, some of us wish to remain. We can serve, still."
Solinda took a deep breath and spoke to Jonai. "Do you know what happened to the Aiel at Tzora?" Jonai nodded, and Solinda smiled sadly, stroking his hair. "Of course you do. You Da'shain have more courage than...Ten thousand Aiel linking arms and singing, trying to remind a madman of who they were and who he had been, trying to turn him with their bodies and a song. Jaric Mondoran killed them. He stood there, staring as though at a puzzle, killing them, and they kept closing their lines and singing. I am told he listened to the last Aiel for almost an hour before destroying him. And then Tzora burned, one huge flame consuming stone and metal and flesh. There is a sheet of glass where the second greatest city in the World once stood." Solinda wiped a tear from her eye. I could see that Jonai was upset too, but he stood up tall and proud.
"Many people had time to flee, Aes Sedai. The Da'shain earned them time to flee. We are not afraid." Solinda's hand tightened in his hair, and I saw Jonai grimace. "The citizens have already fled Paarad Disen, Jonai. Besides, the Da'shain have yet a part yet to play, if Deindre could only see far enough to say what. In any case, I meant to save something here, and that something is you."
Jonai replied sullenly. "As you say, we will care for what you have given into our charge until you want them again." Solinda loosened her grip, and I could see the thankfulness from my place in the corner.
"Of course, the things we gave you. You will carry the...things...to safety, Jonai. Keep moving, always moving, until you find a place of safety, where no one can harm you."
"As you say, Aes Sedai."
"What of Coumin, Jonai? Has he calmed?" Jonai suddenly looked very scared. I knew from the expressions on his face that he did not want to tell Solinda but he had to.
"My father is hiding somewhere in the city. He tried to talk us into...resisting. He would not listen, Aes Sedai. He found an old shocklance somewhere, and..." He would not go on, and we all knew what he had done. Solinda was crying.
"Keep the Covenant, Jonai. If the Da'shain lose everything else, see the keep the Way of the Leaf. Promise me."
Jonai was shocked. "Of course, Aes Sedai." I guessed what he was thinking. I am sure that he thought Solinda mad! Lose the Way of the Leaf! The Aiel WERE the Way of the Leaf.
Solinda looked into Jonai's eyes, and spoke to him softly. "Go now, Jonai. I want you far from Paarad Disen by tomorrow. And remember-keep moving. Keep the Aiel safe." I saw Jonai bow. Solinda had already rejoined the argument with Deindre and Oselle.
"Can we trust Kodam and his fellows, Solinda?"
"We must, Oselle. They are young and inexperienced, but barely touched by the taint and...And we have no choice."
"Then we will do what we must. The sword will wait. Someshta, we have a task for the last of the Nym, if you will do it. We have asked too much of you; now we must ask more." At this point, Jonai bowed formally as Someshta stood.
"What is it that you ask, Solinda?" At this point, I released the source and spoke to Someshta. "Someshta, we are asking you to be the guardian of the Eye of the World, which will be a Well of pure Saidin. We are hoping to work through the taint to create it. Also in your protection will be the Horn of Valere, the banner of the Dragon and one of the seven seals that hold the Dark One's prison shut. You may have to wait three years, or thirty, or three thousand, however."
"Latra Posae Decume, I will take on this great honour your are bestowing upon me. I will happily wait until the Wheel stops to serve you." I smiled at this. It was exactly what we were trying not to happen: the Wheel stopping.