Ruby kept her head down, only moving to rub Red's neck. Mat and Perrin hovered close with worry sketched on their faces. Nynaeve looked back every few minutes to make sure the three of them were still there.
"Are you sure your alright?" Asked Mat for what seemed like the hundredth time. He cast a glance back at Logain who was watching the woods. The trees were all bare, those few that were evergreens dead. Some trees had even been split open, as if a hand pried it apart.
"I told you, I-I'm fine. I just heard things." Ruby replied as she shifted the reins from one hand to the other.
"At last, an answer." Perrin remarked gruffly. He sniffed suddenly saying, "Chicken."
"Am not." Ruby whispered as she lightly punched her friend. Seeing that the pretty red head was brought out of her funk Mat grinned and let his horse hang back to talk with Logain. Perrin rubbed his shoulder scowling.
"Not you. That." So saying the blacksmith pointed to a slim bird that pecked mercilessly at the hard ground. Ruby squinted to see it in the distance. "A farm, but where are all the people?"
As the group came closer Nynaeve shook her head in distaste. "I don't think she expected this. But they couldn't have been gone very long. Even with this cold those curtains are too light for winter curtains. Any good woman would only have those up a for a week, maybe two."
Egwene nodded in agreement, as much as she hated to. Ruby bit a finger in puzzlement. "But me and Tam always use the same curtains for every season, I didn't think they meant anything."
The Wisdom let out a sigh. "Ruby, when we get back to Emonds Field we are going to have a long, long talk." Perrin was barely containing his laughter. "Curtains." He chuckled.
Somehow, through everything they had gone through Nynaeve had managed to hold onto the piece of wood she used as a scepter. One practiced hand undid the saddlebags straps and delicately took out the ancient wood. "Perrin, I think your mother would do this if she were here." Commented the Wisdom. She tucked a bang behind an ear and led her horse over to Perrin's.
"Do wha-" The boy bit his tongue as the wood crashed into the back of his head.
"Now I would suggest you watch your tongue young man. Sometimes I think you should be chained to your mothers apron strings." She headed off in a huff, but a small smile graced her features.
Ruby giggled. Perrin rubbed the tender spot that had just come in contact with Nynaeve. "You've been doing that a lot lately. And it's not funny."
"Oh you had it coming." Mat and Logain, who actually heard the impact burst out laughing. "Told you," Was the only comment Mat was able to say through fits of laughter. Perrin blushed and attempted to look innocent. Egwene sniffed and looked away from it all.
Moiraine looked back at them all. Slight question marred her usually emotionless features. "It's good you can all still laugh. We are approaching Fal Dara, you will need to lower your hoods."
Mat complained. "It's cold. Why do we need to?"
Lan lowered his own hood despite the freezing temperatures. "It is the law in Shienar, and in all the borderlands, no one may hide his face inside a towns walls."
"Are they all that good looking?" Mat sniggered. Ruby, at Ranma's insistence winked at him. Mat blushed. Lan watched the exchange in the same stony manner he did all things. "A Halfman can't hide with his face exposed," the Warder replied.
All the Emonds Fielder's quickly removed their cloak's hoods, Logain only hesitated a moment before following. Fal Dara was unlike any city they had come to before. High stone walls surrounded the city, all around it grass cut down. Where even Baerlon had some decor adorning its walls, Fal Dara was plain stone. From as far off as the group still was, the city seemed built to be used as shelter, a fortress, or whatever the time called for.
Ruby reached around and pulled her braid to her front where she began to take it out. "What are you doing?" Asked Mat when he saw this. Most girls waited eagerly to braid their hair, except Ruby who had done it regardless. Still, though Egwene had refused to keep hers braided Mat never thought Ruby would.
"My ears are going freeze off unless I can keep them covered." She dully replied. Her hands reached up into the roots of her hair massaged her scalp. Red locks loosened and blew out covering, and warming her entire head.
Mat touched his own ears and was shocked to find how cold they were. "I think this is the first time I really considered growing out my hair."
"Really? I think you would look cute." Ruby said under her breath. No one heard her except the horse that snorted in reply.
When they reached the city gates, several of the party were surprised that the gates had been left wide open, though guards did seem in abundance. "Dai Shan!" Several people seemed to recognize Lan. "Glory to the builders!" Called others.
Ruby felt safe here. She glanced about almost missing someone in the shadows. The small body frame suggested a girl, no older than 17, possibly younger. Dark hair hung past her shoulders, pale skin the color of milk. The girl was dressed in a gray dress with black slashes. A cloak of almost black purple rested on her shoulders. As quick as Ruby saw her, she was whisked away with the crowd.
"Welcome Dai Shan! The Golden Crane," cried voices from the crowd. Nynaeve was the most flustered. She took one look at all the somber children and got angry. Her eyes grew hard and Perrin inched his horse farther from her. The Wisdom could channel, but not on command. Only when angry was she able to channel, and that was when she was most willing to.
The owners of abandoned farms littered the streets like sand on the beach. They were everywhere. Wagons supported makeshift cages of animals, which stood under crates and chests of clothing and family heirlooms, on top of which sat quiet children. It was a miracle the wagons didn't break under all the stress.
At last they reached the inner fortress. A moat surrounded the place with spikes of every known material stood up from the bedrock. Perrin could see a distinct layer of something lining the trench; by the smell it was most likely flammable.
Once the drawbridge had been lowered they were in castle proper, with the scene to match the look. People sat about doing work. Arrows with feathers being cut precisely, blacksmiths constantly hammered. The smith of the group looked at the furnaces longingly. Mat looked from Perrin to the forges and back again. "Maybe they'll let you do some work before we leave."
"I hope so. I miss the forge. I miss home."
"Don't we all."
Grooms ran up to take the horses. Ruby gave the man who took hers strict instructions; she had grown very fond of the stallion. "Be good to him, don't try to make him do something he doesn't want to. And give him good quality hay, if I find a speck of mold in it…" She heard a cough behind her and hurried to catch up with her friends, the saddlebags thrown over one shoulder. The groom who held Red's reins sized the horse up and down. Red pawed at the ground twice and watched his mistress leave through the door.
She managed to follow them, and entered a larger room just seconds behind them. A man sat on a wooden thrown inlaid with simple designs of gold, but rose at their entrance. "Peace, but it is good to see you Dai Shan. And you Moiraine Aes Sedai, perhaps even more. Your presence warms me, Aes Sedai."
"Ninte calichniye no domashita, Agelmar Dai Shan." Answered Moiraine. "Your welcome warms me, Lord Agelmar."
"Kodome calichniye ga ni Aes Sedai hei. Here is always a welcome for Aes Sedai." He then turned to Loial. "You are far from the stedding, Ogier, but you honor Fal Dara. Always glory to the builders. Kiserai ti Wansho Hei."
"I am unworthy." Loial bowed. "It is you who do me honor."
Livered servant entered soundlessly offering hot towels and dried fruit. While The Aes Sedai and Warder conferred with the Lord of Fal Dara the Two Rivers people cleaned up. Each took only one towel and discreetly washed faces, followed buy hands and arms then feet. Mat would have taken an entire bowl of Apricots had it not been for Nynaeve's glare. She still could rein them in when called for.
Agelmar was clearly depressed. "Moiraine Sedai, will you not come at least? An Aes Sedai could make the difference."
"I cannot Lord Agelmar. There is indeed a battle to be fought, and it is not chance that the Trollocs gather above Shienar, but our battle, the true battle with the Dark One, will take place in the Blight, at the Eye of the World. As much as it pains me, you must fight your battle, and we ours."
Quiet. The feeling of sadness and depression that had seemingly been banished returned in full force. "You cannot be saying he is loose." The battle Lord said.
"Not yet. If we win at the Eye of the World, he may never be." Her voice sounded like she truly believed the small group would succeed. This brightened the general mood of the room.
Destiny concentrated as he weaved the pattern. It was always a pattern. A scowl formed on his handsome features as he thought back to the days there was no pattern. Fate. What a stupid idea that had been. Let them choose there own lives, let the pattern make itself. That had nearly ended the human race in its entirety.
Once again Destiny shifted forms, taking the more female one. She cracked her back and glared at the two lightened balls of yarn that symbolized two people's lives. She tucked a hair away and left the room, she needed a break.
Two glowing red eyes watched the old yet new being leave the room. Silently the eyes shifted and revealed a human like form. Hands plunged into the web; Destiny would be back any minute.
Ruby got up from her bed. "We will be in the Blight soon." She thought. She raised her arms and felt the soft cotton-like material fall on her form. It was clean, and that was what mattered. Last night she pulled Mat to the side and asked him for her clothing she had gotten from Shasta.
"Don't forget your sword!" Called the cherry Ranma. For some odd reason he kept a happy mood.
"Yes mother." Ruby thought back. It had become a running joke between them. She said a quick prayer to the creator and buckled on her heron marked sword. A blue ribbon was used to tie back her hair, as it matched her eyes. There was a long strip of cloth that she didn't know what to do with, so she used it to cover her belt. Some more knowledgeable person might know what it was for.
There was a brief itch in her shoulder blades. "He's looking at me again. Sometimes I just want to tear out his eyes." Ruby slipped on her boots, they hadn't gotten new ones yet.
"Padin Fain is going to die soon anyway." Startled Ruby looked at herself in the mirror. "What are you talking about?" She asked into it. Sometimes she thought she could see someone else in the reflection.
She got no answer. A sharp knock at the door brought her out of her musings. When answered it was a young girl, only fifteen and dressed in servants garb. "Mistress al'Thor, they are waiting for you." The girl saw at the heron marked sword and squeaked in surprise. When she backed up and took in everything she bowed and left in a hurry. Ruby shrugged and took off.
Everyone looked at her oddly as she stood in the stable yard mounting Red. The horse frisked about and Ruby made no attempt to control him. So long as he didn't hurt anyone she was fine with it. After a minute he calmed and trotted over to the group. The Aes Sedai arched a well-kept eyebrow. "Where did you get such…fascinating clothing?"
"A Lady we stayed with gave it to me." Ruby answered back curtly. What's so special about clothing? Exactly one hundred lances were to escort them to the edges of the Blight. Some of them noticed her 'new' clothing and whispered amongst themselves.
They passed through the city and gates. At the border one man held up and arm as they came to a halt. His armor glinted in the sunlight. "Your pardon, Aes Sedai. To escort you here means we may not reach the Gap before the fighting is done. I am robbed of the chance to stand with the rest, and at the same time I am commanded not to ride one step behind the border post, as if I never before been in the Blight. And my Lord Agelmar will not tell me why."
"He can have my place." Mat muttered, eyes focused on the trees, and the Blight that lay beyond.
"Each of us has his part in the pattern, Ingtar. From here we must thread ours alone."
"As you wish it, Aes Sedai. Peace favor you." He turned and with him so did the Lances. It was then a shadow approached the group. A girl came up, the same one Ruby had seen yesterday. Ingtar peered at her through narrow eyes. "Mirado, what are doing here?"
Her pale face looked up at the soldier. Then everyone could see her eyes, and most flinched. Twin blades rested on each hip. They weapons were curved each a foot long. The handle was shaped to fit Mirado's fingers. She had purple eyes that were clearly blind. A white film, like the look of the dead, covered her eyes. She spoke and it was ruff, like gravel. "I am under no orders today. You know that. Where I wish to be I can."
He took a breath. "So be it." They sat off a slow but ground eating pace, if they could keep it up it was just possible they would make it to Tarwin's Gap for the battle.
Mat glanced about him as he took off his coat and shirt. Rivulets of sweat made there way down his body. The dagger from Shadar Logoth was displayed for all to see. "Aptly named." He said when black marks of disease started to become clearly visible.
"It was the first thing that happened. Plants died or became warped. Then it spread, therefore it became known as the Blight. Or at least that's what I heard." Came the grating voice of their new companion.
Ruby leaned over to the strange girl. "Where are you from? It will help pass the time." She looked at Mat, briefly thinking back to what the dagger could have done to him.
"You truly want to know?" Asked the girl surprised. People didn't like talking to her.
Perrin nodded. "Of course, if we are going to travel the entire day, it would be nice to know who we might die with."
"Your optimistic." Mat called with a wave of his hand. For years Mirado had been the outsider of the Borderlanders. Yet, here these people seemed to take her looks as a matter of course. Have I found those friends mother told me about?
It was Loial who got her to open up. "Miss, these three are Ta'veren. Knowing your history would be a great gift compared the distasteful scenery around us."
Mirado cleared her throat. If she wanted to, she could sound just like a fade, as it was she could also sound quite appealing but that was harder. When she started her story her voice had lost some of it's gravel-ness, but still was harsh.
"My given name is Mirado a'Heleen. My mother, she was a beautiful woman who was said to make the sun rise with her smile. But, most people call me, Shadar, or Shadow. It's for a good reason, my father was a-an eyeless."
There was a sharp intake of breath. Mirado looked down, they were going to hit her now, or at least make her go off alone.
"Go on please." Said the woman with the long brown braid. Mirado relaxed after a moment. She knew what they must have been thinking.
"Once my mother had been searching for herbs. The place they grew best had just been taken by the blight. The herbs were not to so far in and she thought she could get some before they were destroyed. As it turned out a raiding party passed by and took her. Luckily some people saw this and ran to get help."
"They tracked the Trollocs for four days, most gave up hope. Sadly my mother had been, been forced by that pitiful excuse for a living thing. When they found her she was crying, begging the Trollocs to eat her, but they refused and found her amusing."
"They killed everything and took her home. She was so distraught that she never told them about, it. Fade's are not sterile like most people think. Normally someone who has been, taken, by a Fade will drink a special tea made of herbs to kill the baby. When she recovered enough to talk about it, it was too late. For her anyway."
"Killing me would also have harmed her. She would carry me full term, or die. The solution seemed simple. Kill me the second I was born, only…they didn't expect a girl."
"After my mom saw me she made them promise not to kill me. I was girl, a baby, helpless. Surely I could be kept from darkness of my father. It is a shame. She died a week after I was born, but they had already promised."
"But I inherited certain things from my father. I remember everything since I took my first breath, and even some of the womb. I also can sense evil. Do you know what a sniffer is? No? Well I was a little like them, only I could pinpoint exactly where it was any time. I was mostly used as a lookout. Now, here I am."
Moiraine looked grim. She shared a conversation with Lan before calling to a halt. "We will camp here tonight. We will see the Green Man at the Eye of the World Tomorrow."
While the others went to sleep the Aes Sedai questioned her warder. "Do you think she can be trusted?"
"Mirado? Yes. I heard of her. Not good things but she doesn't lie. She won't hinder our progress. She can fights like a whirlwind with those blades. It was rumored she hunted down her father and killed him."
Moiraine made no more comments but thought about the puzzle that was the half-Fade girl.
The next morning went by in a blur. Moiraine took time to remove wards she had placed. As they prepared their horses Mirado neared the Aes Sedai. "Moiraine Sedai, I have a bad feeling. Some thing not good." She fumbled for the words.
The Blue looked at her with that calm that she almost always had. "This is the Blight. 'Bad' things are everywhere."
"But. It's just not right. I don't know."
The Aes Sedai pondered this. "We can't do anything about something we don't know about. Go get your horse ready."
Mirado passed by Ruby as she tightened the girth strap on her mare. "She won't listen. They never trusted me, but they always took me seriously. This isn't going to be a good day."
Ruby stood behind her new friend. "I just wanted you to know, in case we die, that I like you." She spun and mounted Red. It was going to be another hot stink filled day.
Mirado hopped on her own horse wondering what that had just meant. She had a feeling that Ruby was a very direct person. She had next to no ability in the game of houses.
Plants burst out pus as the horse's hooves crushed the warped greenery. Tree's shivered, literally. Mat sat with his bow across his legs and his quiver at his side. Ruby told him what Mirado had said, and he took it to heart. "Look as if they want to grab us." Nynaeve gave him one of the notorious 'woman' looks. He felt like he needed to defend himself. "Well, they do look it."
"And some of them do want it," said Moiraine. "But they want no part of what I am, and my presence protects you."
All the Two Rivers folk shivered, and Loial moaned. From the south came a loud cry. Lan cursed and drew his sword. "Keep moving, stay with Moiraine." With that he crashed off to face whatever made the sound.
"I knew it." Nirado murmured. I felt it coming, but with so much evil it practically blended in with everything else."
"Lan!" Nynaeve cried as she heard the monstrous cry once more. Angry, about so many different things, she embraced the source and practically blinded the Aes Sedai and Egwene.
"No! Lan can look after himself. Ride Wisdom!"
Just as Moiraine finished Mirado let out a screech. Nails on chalkboard voice came out. "Mat! Behind you." Just then Lan jumped from the brush wiping his sword with a cloth. Mat pulled the catgut taught. There! The arrow flew past Lan's ear embedding itself in the single eye of the creature. It died.
With new haste they went along. Moiraine glanced back at the creature that lie withering on the ground. "It should not have been willing to come so close to one who touches the True source."
"Agelmar Said the Blight stirs," Said Lan, "Perhaps it knows a web is forming in the pattern."
Mirado screamed again. This time the Aes Sedai took notice and urged her white horse forward. Creatures even more deformed than Trollocs leaped out. Tree limbs weaved together in an attempt to block passage. Perrin leapt ahead, snarling, his axe rose plowing through the plant and animal alike. Mat shouted old tongue while firing arrow after arrow. Ruby had her sword out and hacked at anything and everything. Lan rushed in and out of the group, coming back with wounds, and always blood on the sword. Logain had acquired a sword and put it to use, reveling that he was a blademaster. Mirado screamed curses in the Trolloc language, dismounted and fought on foot. Nynaeve saw Moiriane channeling and joined in. Great needles of air rushed out stabbing at unseen enemies, trees burst into flame.
"We've lit signal fires for halfmen, press on!"
So close to the mountains. They were nearly there. "We're not going to make it. Watch yourself on the pass." She wheeled his horse.
"Lan, not even you can stop them! I won't have it. I will need you for the eye."
Ruby clutched her stomach. They would all die…all die. She saw Mirado clamber back into her saddle with blood on the twin blades. Mat ready to fire off at anything. Light Mat. Mat. She summoned the void, fed everything she had into it. The flame shattered into a million pieces.
Logain turned to her. A strange gleam in his eye. "We have to try to run for it." Ruby choked out. "We came here together. If-If we stand here arguing it will only waste time."
So saying she let Red run away from the danger and follow the path only put terrified animal instinct could fine. The rest followed. Red slowed, as did the rest.
"We have reached safety. This is the Green Man's place, and the Eye of the World is here. Nothing of the blight can enter here." Said the Aes Sedai breathlessly.
"Hmm. It is good to see you little brother," Said a man that looked to be made of nature itself. "And you wolf brother." His eyes followed Loial and Perrin before resting on Mirado. He seemed to grow sad. "Ah. A grayling, I do mourn for you so."
END
A/N: Go me! The Next chapter will be the last. I'm going to finish a fanfic! Yay! Oh, and it's going to be a duzie. Someone will die, someone will live, and someone will be seriously confused. Heh heh heh. Is Egwene the least mature bunch of the group or what? Oh, and she will die, but not for a loooooong time yet. It will have to be sometime after the tower splits, I got a character being made just for that purpose…