Chapter Two
They are going to seal the pathway down to the Bore, where the Dark One's influence is greatest. This way, we can attack without the fear of saidin and saidar being tainted as it was three thousand years ago.
"You must know your enemy and his tactics before you attack him. Then you can strike where his plans are weakest. We tried to seal the Bore before, and looked what happened to us. Look what happened to me." Lews Therin Telamon sounded like a true general then. Rand had been getting used to him now, and they actually had long conversations on the Age of Legends.
"The frontline will consist of Mat's secret weapons, the things he has created along with a friend who has since gone to the Creator now. The second line will consist of bow men in three ranks, so that we can keep a constant rain of arrows down on the heads of our foes. I think we made our five hundred thousandth arrow this morning!
The third rank will consist of Ogier, who will clear our path for us, who will go in and finish the job, I hope!
The Aiel will be split into four ranks. One will attack from the centre, two from either side, and the last in reserve, in case they can see a rank being beaten back." Rand took a deep breath. "We have over a million fighters on our side. I say fighters, as not all of our side is human." He smiled at this joke. "I know that we are going to have major casualties, but this is the battle should seal the Bore and the Dark One up forever, until the last Age comes round again." No one said anything as Rand got off the table. They knew that they could die in the battle tomorrow. So they lived for the night, visiting friends and spending the nights with lovers.
But Rand did neither of these things. He went out among the fighters' tents, looking for the tents of the Two Rivers men. He found one man standing sentry duty on the South side of the camp. It was the man he was looking for.
"Good evening, Tam." Said Rand. Tam al'Thor looked up from the ground, and jumped. His hair was more grey and white than brown now, and he had a single-handed sword by his side.
"My Lord Dragon." Tam bowed slightly, but Rand spoke up.
"Tam, it is I who should be bowing to you. Without you, this would never have happened. You found me on the slopes of Dragonmount, and cared for me, and raised me into the man that you see before you today. You are not my true father by blood, but you are to me in my heart." Rand shed a single tear into the dry ground, and it was seeped up instantly.
"Rand, my son." Tam said. "I understand that now you can never see me as father, but you are the son to me, and I know that Kari would have been proud of you as well."
"Tell me about her please, father."
Tam sat down on a rock, and Rand squatted down on the ground. "Kari was one of the nobility. Her aunt was the Queen Mordrellin of Andor, and when we exchanged rings, we also exchanged a small amount of our blood, just a cut pressed to a cut, to show that we were truly pledged to each other. When she died, I thought that I would not be able to look after you by myself, but I struggled on, as we men of Manetherenite blood do." Tam smiled. "Go do the Two Rivers proud, son." Rand smiled and nodded. Tam returned to sentry duty, and Rand wandered through the camp. Why did Mierin have to create the Bore anyway? She was too determined to make her won name after I finished with her. Rand jolted. That was one of Lews Therin's memories coming out. They still did that sometimes. He made his way to the centre of the camp, and found his own tent. He sat down on his small bed, and sighed. How many lives were going to be the result of Lews Therin's mistake three thousand years ago?
"I should have listened to Latra Posae Decume. I was too proud to admit that she was right. If I had listened, we may not have been here, and Ilyena would have still been alive. Light, Ilyena!" Lews Therin wept, and Rand felt like crying to. He knew what had happened to Lews Therin Telamon, and also what happened to Latra Posae Decume. Seven sisters had presented him with a box of documents. In it were letters written by Lews Therin Telamon, and also an account called "WHAT WE TRIED TO SAVE" by Latra Posae Decume. It had extended his knowledge of the Age of Legends dramatically, but he destroyed the documents after reading them. He did not want anyone knowing what he knew. He lay down on his bed, summoned up the Flame and the Void, and feel into a fitful sleep.