Chapter Nine
As they retreated across the field, an order from Rand ran across the lines of retreating men and Ogier.
"When you see a fireball in the sky, retreat and strike at the nearest Trolloc or Myrddraal closest to you." The men and Ogier braced themselves and eased their weapons in their hands, getting ready to strike, and then every person retreating saw the fireball.
It was a ball of pure white light, and as they rotated around, the Trollocs and Myrddraal were blinded for a short period of time. It was then when the Army of Rand al'Thor struck at them. They struck at every Trolloc in sight, and they massacred the army of the Shadow.
In the night, after they had killed the rest of the Trollocs and Myrddraal, Rand sat in his tent with his commanders.
Mat looked up from cleaning the ashanderai, and spoke up for the first time that evening. "Rand, I know that this was only a preliminary battle, but with all those Trollocs and Myrddraal, what is Tarmon Gai'don going to be like." The tent suddenly fell silent, when the truth of what Mat had said dawned upon them all. Perrin stood up, and spoke to Rand.
"If you'll excuse me, Rand, but my army has just arrived. I feel that I should meet them in person. Five hundred and fifty-five thousand wolves from every corner of the World have come. Every wolf in the World is now outside our camp."
Rand nodded. "Perrin, give them my wishes. You are a vital part in my plan, so make them welcome." Perrin walked out, followed by Elyas Machera.
One of Rand's Asha'man walked into the tent, and saluted to him. "My Lord Dragon, an Aes Sedai is here to speak with you personally." He emphasised the word "personally". Rand nodded, and a woman in green stalked in. Egwene stiffened at his side, she was one of the Aes Sedai who had stayed loyal to The White Tower. Now that Egwene was declared the true Amyrlin, all Aes Sedai were reunited. But she still distrusted the Aes Sedai who had stayed loyal to Elaida.
"My Lord Dragon, Mother, my name is Rina Hafden of the Green Ajah. I have come to speak to you about someone in your camp." She spoke in a cool and collected voice, as if she was used to speaking to someone like Rand everyday.
"By someone, I assume you mean Elyas Machera. I know his past, Rina Sedai, and I know about you. What exactly do you want with Elyas Machera after all these years?"
"He is my Warder, my Lord Dragon, and what goes on between us is no-one's business but ours."
Rand rose from his seat at the head of the table, and placed both hands on the table in front of him.
"Rina Sedai, Elyas Machera is one of my commanders and second-in-command of the Left Flank of my army. I know that you have masked the bond between yourself and Elyas, but he is one of my officers in my army. So if you have a problem between you and Elyas, I would strongly advise that you discuss it with either the five hundred and fifty thousand other creatures sharing his bond or myself. I am sure that your Amyrlin will support me in this." With this, Rina walked out, then from outside the tent, Rand and the others heard an exchange of comments between Rina and Elyas.
"Hello Rina. It is nice to see you again."
"Elyas Gaidin, I wish to talk with you, without your friends around us."
"Rina, you have masked the bond between us for twenty years. I do not think that I am your Gaidin any more than you are my Aes Sedai. My loyalties for the time being now lie towards surviving Tarmon Gai'don. If we both survive that, then you can find me and discuss you unmasking the bond." Then Elyas stormed into the tent, fuming. Perrin followed behind, along with a wolf.
"The flaming cheek of that bloody woman! Twenty years she has masked our bond, and now she expects me to be her bloody Warder again!" Perrin spoke up then.
"On a lighter note, this is Summer Heat. She has been chosen to lead the Wolves in the Last Hunt. She has asked me to give you a message. She says, "The Brothers are willing to hunt with Shadowkiller. We want to hunt the Twisted Ones and the Neverborn, and although the Shadowbrothers may kill us, we are willing to fight for you. For the World." Rand thanked Summer Heat. He was grateful that the Wolves were willing to fight in this. Perrin stared at Summer Heat, and Rand and the others could only presume that he was talking to Summer Heat, because when he turned away, Summer Heat left.
Moiraine Damodred stood up from her chair. She was still worn and tired from her imprisonment in the Tower of Ghenjei, and she did not speak as much as she did before. "Perrin, what do you know of Slayer?" Perrin stood stock-still, and as he spoke, he voice stammered a bit.
"Moiraine, what do you know of Slayer?" and Moiraine told them something that they had never heard from her at all.
"When I was imprisoned in the Tower of Ghenjei, I was kept under constant guard by the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn, because it is the centre of their world, just like a web. IN here roamed other things and people as well. Some were prisoners like me; some were Heroes of the Horn waiting to be spun out of the Patter. They came and talked to me. It was so strange. Then one day, Slayer came.
"He knew who I was. He knew most things about me, things that I do not think I told Lan when we were bonded. But he knew all of this, and I knew what he was." She took a deep breath, and stared at Lan sadly. "I am sorry to tell you this, my old friend, but Slayer in Tel'aran'rhiod is Isam Mandragoran."