DisclaimerI will never own WoT.
This chapter has Lan bashing. But it won't effect the Ruby/Lan relationship. I was going to have her go with an Asha'man but you people out there convinced me. Ready for another Dragon Reborn love triangle?
Chapter 9 The road to Baerlon
Lan, normally woke with the first rays of the sun. He was a light sleeper and his 'bond' with Moiraine allowed him to wake when trouble was near. The Warder was greatly confused when he woke to find Mat, Perrin, already awake. (He of course has the same cold stone look, no show of emotions from him.) First he thought that by some happenstance he had slept in, then he looked at the sky and realized it was not the case.
The Warder scanned the area, and first thing he noticed was the extra horse. His mind made a connection, Horse=Rider. Rider=Shadow. He jumped up and stalked over to Perrin. The boys were usually sore from the training he gave them in the evening.
Perrin turned and looked straight at Lan. He was about to tell him the horses were ready when Ruby appeared in the bushes. Lan had his sword out of its sheath and swung at her. He stopped when he saw who it was, but she had ducked and was glaring at him from the ground.
"What were you doing out there?" he demanded, careful to keep his voice low so as not to wake Moiraine.
"So now a person has to report when they 'go'." Ruby was still glaring with a look that could have frozen water. Mat started snickering but stopped.
Lan sheathed the blade and turned to Bella. He seemed to be looking for something. He began to question her.
"Why are you here? How did find us?"
"I am here to give support to my friends, whom if you hadn't convinced them they were being hunted, would have left with me. I followed your trail."
"I must be getting rusty."
"No, I just was taught by the best."
"That your mare?" He pointed at Bella.
"Yes, and she has a name, Bella."
"You can't come with us any further."
"Why can't I?"
"Your saddle has been lost, you can't ride at the speed we require." He stated. You could almost see the muscles twitching to smirk. Ruby smoothed her skirt, divided to ride.
"Bella never had a saddle before, I was in a hurry so I determined that I would not need it. I rode bare back the way here."
Lan turned and did, whatever it was that Warders do. Ruby glanced at Perrin and motioned for them to get close. Mat picked himself off the ground and joined them.
"Why does Lan act like that?"
Perrin frowned. "Like what?"
"Like he, thinks that everything is after him. He seemed overprotective of her."
Mat nodded his head. "Paranoid, but this is the D.O. He might be right in his opinion of people."
"Well I don't care. How's Egwene?"
"She is training to be Aes Sedai." Perrin spoke like all hope was lost. Ruby nearly choked on air.
"You can't be serious?" Mat sighed dejectedly. At that moment Thom scrambled over to them. He had gotten up sometime during the small talk.
"Good morning Master Merrilin." The 3 chorused.
"Good morning to you girl, boys. When did you arrive girl?"
"Late last night."
Moiraine had at last awoken. With her came Egwene. Egwene seemed to look at Moiraine with admiration.
"She's whipped."
"What was that?"
"Egwene is whipped, she is blinded and thinks an Aes Sedai can do no wrong."
The cluster broke and all went to tend their own horses. Ruby went mostly unnoticed by the rest until Lan spoke to Moiraine about her coming. The Aes Sedai turned her attention to the red haired girl.
"Child, I understand you wish to join us."
Ruby gave a jerky nod and checked her pack.
"I must tell you it would not be comfortable riding bareback to Baerlon."
"And why do you care?"
"I understand the loss of your father ha—"
"Light! What is it with you? My father is not dead. You leave me be, and I will leave you."
Moiraine glided over to her own white mare. She climbed up and Lan angrily spoke with her in hushed tones. The woman replied with her 'The wheel weaves as the wheel wills.'
Coming to get quite good at it, Ruby hopped up on her horse in one jump. She ignored Egwene's glare and led Bella over to where Mat and Perrin were waiting.
***A few Days Later
Thom, Mat, Perrin, and Ruby all sat around a fire, or the remains of one. Mat was cracking pecans that he had tossed in the embers to roast.
"You know, I think we lost them for good."
Thom might as well been asleep for all the movement he made. Perrin used a stick to fish a nut out of the embers. "If we lost them, why does Lan keep scouting?"
It was Ruby and Mat who replied at the same time. That freaked out Perrin for a moment. "Paranoia."
Mat shrugged and popped some pecan in his mouth. "I think whatever training they have it makes them crazy. You know, the Warders."
"Thanks," she took a Pecan from Perrin, "If he is crazy, he still has serious skill with that sword of his."
Perrin muttered, "Great, we have crazy, overprotective, people running around with swords and Aes Sedai." All three they could have sworn they heard Thom laughing.
"Anyway, We lost them back at Taren Ferry. If they were even after us."
"So then, will you come home?"
"No, if we are out, lets have an adventure." Mat enthusiastically put in.
"Forget about trollocs and other things."
Perrin paused thoughtfully. (when is he not 'thoughtful') "What is a real city like?"
"Were going to Baerlon, then will find out."
Mat swallowed a nut, "Baerlon's all very well, but I've seen that old map master al'Vere has. If we turn south once we reach Baerlon the road leads to Illian and beyond."
"What's so special about Illian?" Perrin asked.
Ruby was making motions and waving her arms, as discretely as possible. Mat however did not see her, and did not see beyond her.
"Well for one thing it isn't full of Aes—"
And Mat saw both Egwene and Moiraine standing there. They might as well have been screaming or throwing lighting as the reaction would have been the same.
Perrin was thinking oh light oh light oh light... Mat was thinking I am going to die I am going to die... Ruby was thinking she looks really mad...
Thom jumped to his feet. "The lads were just—" Moiraine plowed over his words.
"A few days respite and you are ready to give up. A day or Two of quite and you have forgotten Winternight."
"We haven't forgotten. It's just—"
Again the Aes Sedai ignores the others. "Is that the way you all feel? You are—" This time it was Moiraine who was cut off, by Mat.
"Perrin just told you that is not how we feel! If you would just listen once in a while instead of going all Aes Sedai, we would be more prepared. You seem to purposely not tell us anything, and that increases the danger."
Everyone was stunned. Mat had just acted mature, or just stupid. Still it made several there wonder if the world were coming to an end. Ruby knew the truth to what he said. By talking with her friends she had been able to bounce off ideas and get a grip on how to use her power.
Lan looked ready to pounce. Egwene had her jaw dropped, Thom was edgeing away from the trio. Moiraine's eyes did not loose the hard look. She mumbled something to herself then turned and walked away.
They soon went to sleep and the incident was mostly forgotten.
It took about a week to reach their destination. Mat and Perrin took lessons from Lan in the evening. Ruby watched and cataloged all the information. When they did reach Baerlon all had different reactions.
"So that's a city." Said Mat
"How can so many people live in one place?" Asked Perrin.
Egwene and Ruby just stared while Thom scoffed at them. It was bigger than most of the Two Rivers. They had arrived.
END
This chapter has Lan bashing. But it won't effect the Ruby/Lan relationship. I was going to have her go with an Asha'man but you people out there convinced me. Ready for another Dragon Reborn love triangle?
Chapter 9 The road to Baerlon
Lan, normally woke with the first rays of the sun. He was a light sleeper and his 'bond' with Moiraine allowed him to wake when trouble was near. The Warder was greatly confused when he woke to find Mat, Perrin, already awake. (He of course has the same cold stone look, no show of emotions from him.) First he thought that by some happenstance he had slept in, then he looked at the sky and realized it was not the case.
The Warder scanned the area, and first thing he noticed was the extra horse. His mind made a connection, Horse=Rider. Rider=Shadow. He jumped up and stalked over to Perrin. The boys were usually sore from the training he gave them in the evening.
Perrin turned and looked straight at Lan. He was about to tell him the horses were ready when Ruby appeared in the bushes. Lan had his sword out of its sheath and swung at her. He stopped when he saw who it was, but she had ducked and was glaring at him from the ground.
"What were you doing out there?" he demanded, careful to keep his voice low so as not to wake Moiraine.
"So now a person has to report when they 'go'." Ruby was still glaring with a look that could have frozen water. Mat started snickering but stopped.
Lan sheathed the blade and turned to Bella. He seemed to be looking for something. He began to question her.
"Why are you here? How did find us?"
"I am here to give support to my friends, whom if you hadn't convinced them they were being hunted, would have left with me. I followed your trail."
"I must be getting rusty."
"No, I just was taught by the best."
"That your mare?" He pointed at Bella.
"Yes, and she has a name, Bella."
"You can't come with us any further."
"Why can't I?"
"Your saddle has been lost, you can't ride at the speed we require." He stated. You could almost see the muscles twitching to smirk. Ruby smoothed her skirt, divided to ride.
"Bella never had a saddle before, I was in a hurry so I determined that I would not need it. I rode bare back the way here."
Lan turned and did, whatever it was that Warders do. Ruby glanced at Perrin and motioned for them to get close. Mat picked himself off the ground and joined them.
"Why does Lan act like that?"
Perrin frowned. "Like what?"
"Like he, thinks that everything is after him. He seemed overprotective of her."
Mat nodded his head. "Paranoid, but this is the D.O. He might be right in his opinion of people."
"Well I don't care. How's Egwene?"
"She is training to be Aes Sedai." Perrin spoke like all hope was lost. Ruby nearly choked on air.
"You can't be serious?" Mat sighed dejectedly. At that moment Thom scrambled over to them. He had gotten up sometime during the small talk.
"Good morning Master Merrilin." The 3 chorused.
"Good morning to you girl, boys. When did you arrive girl?"
"Late last night."
Moiraine had at last awoken. With her came Egwene. Egwene seemed to look at Moiraine with admiration.
"She's whipped."
"What was that?"
"Egwene is whipped, she is blinded and thinks an Aes Sedai can do no wrong."
The cluster broke and all went to tend their own horses. Ruby went mostly unnoticed by the rest until Lan spoke to Moiraine about her coming. The Aes Sedai turned her attention to the red haired girl.
"Child, I understand you wish to join us."
Ruby gave a jerky nod and checked her pack.
"I must tell you it would not be comfortable riding bareback to Baerlon."
"And why do you care?"
"I understand the loss of your father ha—"
"Light! What is it with you? My father is not dead. You leave me be, and I will leave you."
Moiraine glided over to her own white mare. She climbed up and Lan angrily spoke with her in hushed tones. The woman replied with her 'The wheel weaves as the wheel wills.'
Coming to get quite good at it, Ruby hopped up on her horse in one jump. She ignored Egwene's glare and led Bella over to where Mat and Perrin were waiting.
***A few Days Later
Thom, Mat, Perrin, and Ruby all sat around a fire, or the remains of one. Mat was cracking pecans that he had tossed in the embers to roast.
"You know, I think we lost them for good."
Thom might as well been asleep for all the movement he made. Perrin used a stick to fish a nut out of the embers. "If we lost them, why does Lan keep scouting?"
It was Ruby and Mat who replied at the same time. That freaked out Perrin for a moment. "Paranoia."
Mat shrugged and popped some pecan in his mouth. "I think whatever training they have it makes them crazy. You know, the Warders."
"Thanks," she took a Pecan from Perrin, "If he is crazy, he still has serious skill with that sword of his."
Perrin muttered, "Great, we have crazy, overprotective, people running around with swords and Aes Sedai." All three they could have sworn they heard Thom laughing.
"Anyway, We lost them back at Taren Ferry. If they were even after us."
"So then, will you come home?"
"No, if we are out, lets have an adventure." Mat enthusiastically put in.
"Forget about trollocs and other things."
Perrin paused thoughtfully. (when is he not 'thoughtful') "What is a real city like?"
"Were going to Baerlon, then will find out."
Mat swallowed a nut, "Baerlon's all very well, but I've seen that old map master al'Vere has. If we turn south once we reach Baerlon the road leads to Illian and beyond."
"What's so special about Illian?" Perrin asked.
Ruby was making motions and waving her arms, as discretely as possible. Mat however did not see her, and did not see beyond her.
"Well for one thing it isn't full of Aes—"
And Mat saw both Egwene and Moiraine standing there. They might as well have been screaming or throwing lighting as the reaction would have been the same.
Perrin was thinking oh light oh light oh light... Mat was thinking I am going to die I am going to die... Ruby was thinking she looks really mad...
Thom jumped to his feet. "The lads were just—" Moiraine plowed over his words.
"A few days respite and you are ready to give up. A day or Two of quite and you have forgotten Winternight."
"We haven't forgotten. It's just—"
Again the Aes Sedai ignores the others. "Is that the way you all feel? You are—" This time it was Moiraine who was cut off, by Mat.
"Perrin just told you that is not how we feel! If you would just listen once in a while instead of going all Aes Sedai, we would be more prepared. You seem to purposely not tell us anything, and that increases the danger."
Everyone was stunned. Mat had just acted mature, or just stupid. Still it made several there wonder if the world were coming to an end. Ruby knew the truth to what he said. By talking with her friends she had been able to bounce off ideas and get a grip on how to use her power.
Lan looked ready to pounce. Egwene had her jaw dropped, Thom was edgeing away from the trio. Moiraine's eyes did not loose the hard look. She mumbled something to herself then turned and walked away.
They soon went to sleep and the incident was mostly forgotten.
It took about a week to reach their destination. Mat and Perrin took lessons from Lan in the evening. Ruby watched and cataloged all the information. When they did reach Baerlon all had different reactions.
"So that's a city." Said Mat
"How can so many people live in one place?" Asked Perrin.
Egwene and Ruby just stared while Thom scoffed at them. It was bigger than most of the Two Rivers. They had arrived.
END