The rocky slopes of the Mountains of Dhoom were extremely dangerous and difficult to cross. Unseen geysers of hot pressurized gas hid themselves in the crater-filled land, threatening a painful and agonizing ending to any unwary traveler's life. Trees, twisted with the colours of sickly yellow and brown, grew in these mountains, with thorns that shot out like arrows at the slightest touch and blossoms of deadly poison. Small rodents with gleaming red eyes hissed like snakes and spat a black oily substance at their enemies, and large cat-like creatures with four eyes and paws that could flatten a tree roamed the caves, making shelter almost impossible.
"I think that we would dead without you, Alanna Sedai," Huin grunted as one of the large cat-like creatures lay dying on the ground, a messy and ragged hole in its stomach pumping blood. If Rand didn't know better, he would have said that Alanna preened under the praise. When the creature had dropped from one of the large trees, Alanna had merely raised a hand and goosebumps had appeared on Rand's arm, probably from the bolt of lightning that had erupted from Alanna's palm and had struck down the creatures during mid-roar.
"These are terrible lands," Tallanvor muttered as he stepped around the corpse. A rocky trail lay ahead of them, surrounded by gigantic cliffs. Trees sometimes grew from these cliffs, but mostly it was dead and barren. Even the Aiel Waste had more life than these mountains.
Rand just grunted in acknowledgement as he kicked the dead creature from the path, his sword resting on his shoulders. Aviendha and Enaila were behind him, veils donned at all times and spears in their hands. They moved with a feline's grace, moving more like a feline than the dead creature had. Both of them had been very quiet once the group had entered the mountains, not even making cold comments to Huin. Though it would take a miracle from the Creator himself to stop Aviendha hating him, she still threw him cold and flat looks and stared at his face whenever she though he wasn't looking.
"Where does this path lead?" Rand asked Huin, probably for the third time in an hour.
Huin replied patiently, the small man sweating heavily in the bright sun. "We follow this path for another league or so, then we cross a rocky plains. If we are lucky, My Lord, we can reach a small river by nightfall, and I am sure that Alanna Sedai could use the One Power to make it drinkable."
"Purifying water is not hard," Alanna admitted, brushing down her skirts.
"This is the hardest part of the journey, my lord. After we cross the small river, it is a day's climb downwards and we have crossed the mountains. The Blight will be dead and cold, and there will be plenty of rocks to hide and make shelter behind. If we move quickly Lord Rand, we can ambush the Trollocs at a ridge, just before Shayol Ghul itself." Huin said.
Rand nodded, relieved that there was some plan to follow.
"After we have killed the Trollocs, we will need to move quickly, with two dozen children or so. If we can make it to these mountains, we can lose the Trollocs or ambush them," Huin finished, mopping his sweaty brow as he glanced up at the sun. "Why is it that you never sweat Alanna?"
"I do not let the heat bother me. It is a trick of the mind, if you wish I will try you teaches it to you." Alanna answered amusedly.
Huin brightened visibly. "That would be good," He admitted. "The heat will only get worse."
Tallanvor stifled a small groan. His armour made him feel as if he were being roasted.
"Alanna, I think that we should be wary." Owein murmured to his Aes Sedai. He was a small stocky man with a grey beard, but he moved with the dangerous grace of all Warders. "That creature may have had companions and I think…ARGH!"
There was a flash and a blur as Owein screamed. A large creature, twice the size of the one before, dropped onto him. It opened its mouth as a dozen more of its kin dropped from the large cliffs, surrounding the group.
"OWEIN!" Alanna screamed desperately, a frantic look in her fiery eyes as she raised her arms. Owein gave a twitch, just as the creature raised its paw and stamped downwards. Rand flinched automatically, just as two spears flew through the air and struck the creature in the chest. Moments later, a head-sized fireball was hurled by Alanna and it hit the creature, exploding in a ball of searing flames. The creature was blown back, charred and twisted, as Alanna whirled around, pure fury and agony on her face.
"Look out!" Tallanvor cried out to Rand, lifting his own sword as a creature leapt at him.
Rand turned his head, and just for a second he saw the drooling fangs of one of the creatures. He wrapped his mind in the void as he lifted his sword off his shoulders with one hand, sidestepping to the left and bringing it down on the creature's neck like a Headsman with an axe. The power-wrought blade sliced through skin and bone, and the severed head bounced to the ground as the body collapsed limply. Rand felt goosebumps burst out from his arms and back and he whirled around, sword flicking and flashing in blurred motions as he sliced his way past another creature. Whirlwind on the Mountain cleanly sliced away a large muscle-bound paw, while Wind Blows Over the Wall ended another creature's life. Rand fought for his life, flowing through the motions desperately as claws and teeth tried to end him. He received a painful gash on his back and he returned the favour, his sword cutting into flesh. Suddenly light flashed in the clearing and lightning lanced from the cloudless sky, once, twice, six and more times. Rand had to cover his eyes to hide them from the intense and painful flashes, and the ground rocked and rumbled and roared. A scorching heat blew through the air and the smell of ozone filled his nostrils. Suddenly, it was all silent and Rand opened his eyes quickly, his bloody sword being held no less tightly.
Alanna stood in the middle of carnage. Creatures lay dead, blackened fur and large burns covered their bodies. Some of the grey rocks had been scorched black, while others had melted with some fusing together in the heat and some still as liquid, red-hot and gooey. Owein lay on the ground, his body barely recognizable. Half of his torso had been squashed, but his head was intact and his eyes were closed peacefully, the stern and stony melting away to reveal the face of a kindly looking man, a man who would have been better suited as somebody's grandfather.
Aviendha and Enaila prowled the area, barely glancing at the dead bodies. Their veils were draped over their faces and they both held two spears, watching everything like a hawk. Tallanvor had a large scratch on his face, three straight lines from eye to jaw, and his sword was being held in one hand as he held the other arm limply, blood dripping from his fingers. Huin held a small sword, but appeared to be relatively unharmed, while Ihvon, Alanna's second Warder, limped badly on his left leg. Alanna herself stood as still as a statue, her face a picture of sadness as she stared at the body of Owein. Ihvon appeared next to her, murmuring words of comfort as he placed an arm around her and led her away from her dead Warder.
"I…He…." Alanna said; her voice small and meek. Her dark eyes once fiery were now bright and moist; a few tears sliding down her cheek. She shook herself visibly and placed a hand on Ihvon's forehead. He gave a small yelp, almost jumping up, as she channeled into him. Rand could only assume she was healing him as he turned away from them as Tallanvor walked up.
"Owein is dead then," Tallanvor said slowly. He shook his head sadly.
Rand made a noise of sympathy as he rubbed his arms absently. He hadn't liked Owein but he wouldn't have wished death for the warder.
"I wonder if Alanna will be alright." Tallanvor murmured as he observed Ihvon, now healed of his leg wound, hug the now crying Aes Sedai. "I have heard things about the bond between Warder and Aes Sedai. Just the bare facts, Lady Elayne had been interested and had asked Elaida when I was on duty. Elaida had said that the Warder bond lets the Aes Sedai know where her Warder is, how hurt he is or if he is in pain. If what I heard was correct, then Alanna would have felt Owein die and it would have been like feeling a part of her die."
Rand and Tallanvor both fell silent as Alanna walked up, her eyes red and weepy. Ihvon wouldn't part more than an inch from her side as she placed a cool hand on both Tallanvor and Rand's head and closed her eyes. Tallanvor yelped like a child, jumping up and down as he rubbed his arms all across his body. Rand suppressed the yelp but he couldn't help but shudder as an icy cold feeling drenched him from head and toe, colder than anything he had felt before. Abruptly, it was gone and Alanna sagged onto Ihvon.
"She has fatigued herself and drew more Saidar than she should have." Ihvon told Rand quietly, the animosity that usually coloured his voice gone. "She needs rest."
"Huin?" Rand called without taking his eyes of Alanna, who stared at him dazedly.
"My Lord?" Huin said as he approached his sword still in hand.
"Are there any places to rest from here?" Rand asked.
Huin shook his head regretfully. "There are none My Lord. We could either go back six hours, to the caves we stayed in last night, or continue for another two hours to reach the river."
"Can you look after her for another two hours?" Rand asked Ihvon, who stared at him stonily. "Of course you could," Rand muttered.
"I see you, Rand al'Thor." Aviendha said coolly as she and Enaila suddenly appeared from the rocks, their clothing of brown and grey blending in to the background. "We saw no signs of creatures up the path."
"I better…" Huin started.
"Do you doubt my word?" Aviendha demanded of Huin, who shook his head quickly as he eyed the spear she was holding
"We best be leaving quickly then, if we wish to get to this…river…quickly." Enaila said, stumbling over the word river. As she lived in a desert, no words for large bodies of water existed in anything but stories.
The path ahead was indeed clear, and even as they passed the point where Aviendha and Enaila had tracked, no creatures attacked them. Soon, the group was past the mountain trail and had entered the rocky plains that Huin had spoken of. Alanna stayed silent during the journey across the plains, leaning onto Ihvon as he used his strong arms to lift her across craters and holes. Nobody spoke at all, everybody was silent from the time the sun was up till the time when it began to sink. As the faint burbling of a river could be heard. Huin smiled in relief.
"You see, My Lord!" He said proudly. "There it is!" He pointed to a small river, the water murky and dark. A small clearing lay close to it, an alcove carved into the cliffs of stone. It had obviously been used before by humans, probably the same ones who had mapped this trail.
"Very well done, Huin. You have done well." Rand praised the small man, whose cheeks darkened with a blush.
"We are to rest here then?" Ihvon asked Rand, holding Alanna close to him. Rand suspected that there was something between the two of them, but firmly reminded himself that it was not his business.
"That's right." Rand confirmed and Ihvon gently led Alanna into the alcove.
The group settled down as Huin started a small fire. Alanna didn't talk at all and she only moved when the food was handed out, the stored salted meat, and when she cleaned the water. During the night, Rand shifted uncomfortably as a low weeping could be heard from the clearing. The first of their party had died, and suddenly the dangers seemed more real than ever before.