Chapter 2
Advent
Jane wandered down the stairs, and the rest of the group followed. Minus Chris of course, who's still with that man. She knew what she was looking for, and so did Lydia, and Evelyn. Den knew too after Lydia explained it to him. If they were there at the right time, the Queen's Blessing was supposed to hold a large library, and they would meet a certain character in that library. After a few more moments of wandering around, they found it, or rather; Lydia knew where it was from her photographic memory and led them to it.
The library was small, having only two shelves. They couldn't have had more than a few hundred books between them. But then again, it wasn't the books that interested Jane, Loial and Rand sat across a table, both frowning at a game of stones. The stone players looked up at the new comers. The descriptions of Ogiers did much to prepare Jane for meeting one, though it still came as a shock. Loial was at least nine feet tall, with a shaggy black mane for hair, a nose almost as wide as his face, eyes like teacups, and such big pointy ears! And Rand, Rand was everything she had imagined. A tall man, taller than Chris, ruggedly handsome, his face just right, broad shoulders, and very strong looking arms. His beautiful reddish hair placed him as an Aiel.
"The Light favors you my Ogier, and you," Jane said, nodding first at Loial and then Rand. "My name is Jane Niels."
"It is good to meet another who remembers us here, good Mistress," Loial rumbled, "I am Loial, son of Arent son of Halan. Your name sings in my ears, Jane Niels."
"My name is Evelyn Young. Your name sings in my ears, Loial, son of Arent son of Halan."
Jane heard the greeting repeated by Rand al'Thor, Den, and Lydia and then repeated it herself. She then walked to beside to the table. Lydia eyed the stone players and pulled Den towards one of the shelves, pointing at a book. Evelyn just shook her head. The game of stones was never really perfectly described in the books, and as well as it wasn't. The game was complicated, and it needed another whole book to describe it perfectly. "I hope you would not mind if we watch your game for a little while." Jane said to Rand and Loial. Rand stammered that he wouldn't, he was staring at her wild-eyed for some reason, and Loial rumbled that he would not mind.
Jane and Evelyn pulled up chairs next to the table to watch them. Soon they had an understanding of the game, and occasional questions cleared up quite a few confusing points. Lydia and Den had sat themselves onto a chair meant for two, and was sharing a big leather bound book. Theology on the Pattern, or some other esoteric crap only they would like.
Soon Loial had Rand's stones trapped in a corner. A few more moves later, Rand admitted defeat. Evelyn asked to play with Loial, and Loial smiled happily. As Rand and Evelyn switched places, Den and Lydia had stood up from their chair and came over to stand beside Jane. Jane looked up to them. Lydia was all smiles, complimenting Rand casually on his jacket of all things! Rand just looked confused. Jane felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Den. He gestured, and drew her to her feet. She allowed him to her out of the library.
"We have to decide what we do very carefully from now on," Den started. "We don't even have to do anything; just by being here we change events. From what I heard, any mistakes can land us in the pit of doom."
"I know, but-" Jane interrupted.
"Wait," Den broke in, "I don't know what you were doing back there, but Rand gets three girls, Elayne, Aviendha, and Min. Unless you want to make it four."
"Are you jealous?" Jane teased. "Lydia might not like that."
Den actually blushed. "Look, you know what I mean Jane. I saw how Rand is looking at you, and it's not your fault, not really. But I just think that we shouldn't head into anything we might regret without all of us talking about it."
Jane laughed sultrily, from Den's red face; she knew the effect she was having on him. "Consider me warned, Denny."
If it was possible, Jane's walk back into the library was even more voluptuous. Den sighed; there was no denying how sexy Jane was. He doubted that even this "Lanfear" could match her. Yet he had meant what he said, whole heartily on the dangers of making too much changes, or wrong changes. He just hoped that she didn't do anything foolish, like opening that damned gateway in the first place, and get his sister killed. With a shake of his head, he walked back into the library.
Evelyn and this Loial, he still looked more like an Orc to him, was still bent over the stones board. He suppose Loial was harmless, but if he even think about touching a hair on Evelyn's head… He shook his head and went over to the other disaster in brewing. His eyes boggled, Lydia and Rand had taken the two seated chair, but instead of bringing over another chair, Jane had elected to sit on the arm of the chair, on Rand's side. Lydia was frowning at her, but Jane pretended not to see. Den very deliberately dragged over two chairs next to them. Jane looked at him and rolled her eyes, but she did move.
Lydia was in the middle of feeding the man what they had cooked up about seeing the False Dragon. Rand was pretending to be paying attention, but it was all too obvious that he had eyes only for Jane. Oh Chris wasn't going to like this.
"I've never been to the Two Rivers, what is it like?"
"Oh the Two Rivers, well it's just a bunch of small villages. We mostly sell wool and tabac." Tabac, Den looked over at Lydia and saw her mouth tobacco, Den nodded. He figured that this was probably a bad time to bring up lung cancer. The man went on and on about the Winespring Inn, Edmond's Field, and then switched to the sights he has seen. Whitebridge, Baerlon. But no trollocs, though, the man still doesn't trust them yet. Well Den wouldn't put too much trust in him either, from Lydia's description, Rand doesn't sound like the most stable person.
Talk quickly turned to Logain, "We're going out to see him tomorrow," Jane said, how Den wished that Jane talked to someone before making these group decisions, "you should come with us, Caemlyn is a boiling pot, there's safety in numbers."
Rand considered for a moment then agreed. He looked pleased.
Evelyn could tell that her brother was angry. As soon as the door was shut behind them, he spoke. "I thought we agreed Jane. We discuss things first before we do anything!"
His face reeked of fury as he stood in front of Jane's bed, towering. Jane merely crawled onto the bed and sat with her back to the wall languidly. She smiled up at him pleasantly, but her voice lacked none of her usual authority.
"We could hardly go aside and talk after every sentence," she responded wryly. "Besides, you're not the boss of me."
"Maybe we should change that," he shot back, "we could have a vote for leadership!"
Evelyn had to put in at this point, such a clash of personality between Jane and Den might destroy what little group feeling they have.
"Ugh, Den!" Evelyn protested, "Surely you can't mean that, that's a most ridiculous suggestion!"
Den scowled heavily, "But you agree that she should at least consult us before making any momentous decisions!"
"I hardly think that going with Rand to see Logain is so momentous. It only makes sense that we stay with him as much as possible, and get to know him as well as possible."
"But sister, you saw what she was doing! She was freaking HITTING ON HIM! The books said that his three women would be crucial to his winning the last battle. We can't go around hitting on these people! You know what little changes in time can do."
"We are supposed to change this age," Jane reminded him mildly, "and how I'm doing it is no worse than any other. Besides, I never liked that Elayne, she was always a stuck up bitch."
Den gave a disgusted grunt. "But at least we should discuss what we plan to do next, what happens tomorrow, what happens when this Aes Sedai show up."
"Good idea," Lydia said, "I'll go get Chris."
Evelyn found a comfortable seat on a plain short chair by her cot and plopped herself down. Den was still glaring at Jane and she affected not to notice. Evelyn almost sighed, she should've never had brought her brother along, but who knew this would happen? Who knew? But in a way, he was right, it was important that they have a clear plan for the future. What were they to do?
It was obvious to Chris when he walked into the girls' room that there were tensions there. Den-Jiang was glaring hard at Jane. Jane was purposely not looking at him, and Evelyn looked… kind of forlorn… But whatever petty trouble they had gotten into is nothing next to the man he had almost killed. He recalled his conversation with Mother Grubb after she was finished.
She stood over the man, shaking her head. Chris asked her desperately, "He's going to be all right isn't he?"
Mother Grubb considered him for a moment, face expressionless. "Your friend might be able to recover. Treat him well young man."
Without another word, Mother Grubb gathered her herbs and headed out the door.
For some reason Chris didn't believe her, he stood destitute, looking at the closed door. Hopelessness welled up in him, hopelessness and despair. He crawled back to the man, and looked into his face. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean it. Now I'm not even going to find out your name." He grabbed the man's hand. Suddenly Chris quivered in rage at all the injustices of the world. He had felt drowned in despair, but now anger broke through, a deep terrible, dark anger. A powerful anger. It cut through the despair like hot knife through butter, Chris felt strangely invigorated. He felt the anger shove aside everything, all emotions, and just let anger seep through him. When it was gone, Chris felt… cold, there was nothing else in the world, just the emptiness and what he must do.
Suddenly the anger disappeared, the bubble of energy shattered, and with a jump, he realized that he was crushing the man's hand. Hurriedly, he set it down with a pat. Strangely, the man's breathing sounded much smoother, more normal and regular. Frowning…
"…wait, what did you say?" Chris asked. He just realized that Jane was speaking to him. "I asked if you want to come see Logain with us, we have to introduce you to Rand too."
"I don't see why not. The guy looks much better. Mother Grubb said he might recover."
The others exchanged a glance, "Are you sure?" Evelyn said kindly, "The guy was definitely dying when we left, this wouldn't be the first time that a "wise woman" has been wrong."
Chris shrugged, "Well I heard what she said, and the guy does look better. So yeah I'll go with you guys into the city tomorrow."
Evelyn nodded slowly, but she still looked troubled.
"OK, we still have to decide how we're going to get to the point where we can 'advise' Rand," said Jane. "When do we reveal who we are? We have to let him know sooner or later, and guide him to the correct path."
"The problem with that," Lydia said, "is we don't know what Rand does wrong. So far in the books, he has been doing pretty good. It is a cruelty not to let us read the last, and probably the most crucial one, before bringing us here. That is, if that is what happened."
"No matter," Den said firmly, "we do the best we can, we must have some chance of success, if the pattern brought us here, or else it wouldn't have. We use whatever resources at our disposal to make sure he wins Tarmon Gaidon."
"So when do we tell him? Or better question, we do we start advising him?"
Chris almost rolled his eyes, Jane and Den is struggling for control of the conversation. They're almost cutting each other off, just barely avoiding it.
"I say we let Moiraine know that we're… say seers. Like Min."
Jane pursed her lips in thought, and Den nodded. "Good idea Chris." "Very good Chris." That was Den and Jane respectively.
"We'll show proof to Moiraine first, and after we get to know Rand better, we'll tell him that story too."
Lydia giggled, then jumped off her chair and twirled around the floor like in a dance. "We're a secret organization that has dedicated itself to seeking and advising the Dragon when he is Reborn. And we are called the Guild of Seers."