Chapter Ten

"He can't be. Isam isn't alive. I would have heard about it. Isam cannot be alive. He can't be. What do you mean "in Tel'aran'rhiod.""

"Lan, do you remember when we to Fal Dara, just after the Eye of the World, when the Trollocs and Myrddraal attacked?"

"When Siuan Sanche was attacked, yes."

"In the prison where Padan Fain escaped from, there was a prophecy in Trolloc runes. Part of it read "Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom, Isam waited in the high passes." Somehow the two became amalgamated. He is Isam in Tel'aran'rhiod, and in the waking world, he is Lord Luc of Andor. Brother to Tigraine, and Rand's blood uncle." Lan sat down heavily in a chair and said in a solemn voice. "Did my cousin say anything else?"

"He said many things to me. One was that he enjoyed killing wolves almost as much as he enjoyed killing humans, so he will take his time on the one who is both. The one who shot him with an arrow." She looked up at Perrin. "I assume that this is you." Perrin nodded, and Moiraine continued. "I also have a message for Elayne." Elayne looked up from the twins on her knees, and studied Moiraine's face.

"Birgitte says that she is sorry for what she did to you, by leaving you and severing the Warder Bond, but now, she has Gaidal with her. She says she misses you, and Nynaeve and Aviendha." Moiraine smiled at Elayne. "She is definitely happy now. I saw Birgitte Silverbow and Gaidal Cain many times together."

"At least she is happy." Said Elayne. She was visibly upset, but her voice stayed steady and calm.

"Moiraine, Slayer, if he is here now, is a danger to us all, especially the Wolves. He can kill them in the Wolf Dream. I do not want all my wolves being turned into Darkhounds if I can help it." Said Perrin. He fingered the haft of his axe, and his eyes shone with the light of revenge.

"How do you propose we stop that then, Perrin?" she asked, drawing herself up to her full Cairhienen stature. At the obvious conflict between Perrin and Moiraine grew obvious, Egwene stood up and spoke.

"I know how we can trap Slayer, and bring him into this World." Perrin stared at her. "How?" he asked nervously.

"Think about it. Over half a million wolves that he can kill in what you call the "Wolf Dream", which I think is Tel'aran'rhiod. If I could trap him, say in this tent, in Tel'aran'rhiod, and if I can bind him with the One Power and tie off the weaves, that should hold him. Then when I leave Tel'aran'rhiod, he should be here."

Perrin stared at the woman in front of him. Was this really the young girl that had come out of the Two Rivers with Rand, Mat and himself? It did not seem it, looking at Egwene now, wearing the Stole of the Amyrlin Seat. "Are you willing to do that, Egwene?"

"Perrin, if my friends are at risk, then I will do it."

Egwene wandered the camp at night. It was peaceful now, with only the night watch guarding their posts. It was calming after the day's events. She was wearing a green silk riding dress, without the Stole over her shoulders. It did weigh a lot, on the body and the mind. She walked among the fields where the Wolves were sleeping. Then from among the trees she saw a shadow move. She quickly embraced the Source, readying flows of air. She heard with her Power-enhanced hearing, a twig breaking around to the left side of her, and she wove a weave of air around the man behind her. As she tied off the weaves, she used the Power to move her captive closer. Moiraine was right. He looked almost like Lan's twin. This was Isam Mandragoran.

Egwene bolted upright, screaming at the top of her voice. "IN THE FIELD WITH THE WOLVES IN! THAT IS WHERE I CAPTURED SLAYER! MOVE!" Mat, Perrin, Elyas and Lan all ran with Moiraine and Egwene to the spot where Egwene had captured Slayer. She had expected to see Lord Luc of Andor, but she found the same man that she had seen in Tel'aran'rhiod. Perrin walked up to him, and kicked him in the stomach. Slayer doubled over in pain, as Perrin kicked him again. Elyas held him off saying, "If anyone beats the Light out of him, I think it is the right of Lan's." Slayer got up, and found he was staring into the face of Lan.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't al'Lan Mandragoran." He made a lot of emphasis of the "al" "You have grown up now haven't you. You were just a small child when Malkier fell. Now you are the last of the Malkieri. Well, not the last. Isn't it a shame that your parents didn't survive." Slayer doubled over again as Lan kicked him in the stomach this time.

"You dare speak about my parents like that, Isam, and I swear that I will kill you, and leave your meat for your Shadowspawn. Because of your mother's ambition for you to become King, Malkier fell. You deserve to die, Slayer"

"My name is Isam Mandragoran. Remember that we are blood kin, Lan." He looked around. "Tell the Dragon Reborn that I have a message for him. Tell him it comes directly from Ilyena Moerelle Dalisar."