A/N- Thanks for those who answered the question. I had forgotten about Halima…
This is not a very exciting chapter, but I made it so next chapter can be fight, fight, fight! This way, everything starting off and I don't need to explain much next chapter.
The return trip to Two Rivers took two weeks or so, and in that time Rand told Mat and Perrin everything that happened on his journeys away from home. At the end, Mat looked boggled and Perrin looked calm and accepting. Towards the end of their journey, they had crossed Tavern Ferry, where they had bought new clothes with their money, and were very close to Two Rivers when both of them finally talked about what Rand had said.
"The wolves hate Slayer," Perrin said, frowning at the name. "No, they fear him, more than they fear Darkhounds. If you fought him…well, that would make you very respectful and powerful in their eyes."
"Light, Rand!" Mat muttered. "You never could do anything normal,"
"Thanks Mat," Rand said dryly.
Mat coloured slightly but managed a small grin when Rand looked expectantly at him. "Look, I don't like the One Power. I think its…well, there are some things men and women shouldn't be able to do. But you're my friend and you have been for a very long time. So…blood and ashes Rand, stop laughing!"
Rand shook his head in amusement, his snickers drying up. "Mat…" he began and stopped. "Oh forget it! Look, I plan on enjoying myself when I head off to Caemlyn. If you want, you can come with me and I'll show you the taverns and inns you can play your dice in."
Mat looked eager at that, while Perrin clasped Rand's shoulder.
"Did you ever get the feeling that you were part of something bigger than your own lives?" He asked quietly. Man sobered up quickly and even Rand nodded. "Maybe it's the ta'veren in you, maybe it's the wolves, but I know that you're part of something bigger and we're linked with you."
Mat looked serious for one of the first times in his life, nodding solemnly. He spoiled the affect by squinting off into the distance and whooping.
"We're home!" He yelled. The first signs of farmland were just beginning to appear. "I told you that we would make it before Bel Tine!"
When the three of them walked into the village, Peddler and merchant wagons had been set up and there was a cluster of people surrounding each one of them. Merchants argued over prices and Two Rivers villagers set their terms stubbornly and without any negotiation. It was the way of Two River's people; each was as stubborn as a mule and could make a boulder seem bendable and less stiff. The three were unnoticed at first, until Nynaeve suddenly appeared from the crowd.
"So, you're back are you?" She asked, sniffing loudly and pulling at her braid. "How was your foolish quest?"
Rand, Mat and Perrin all hesitated, before Mat put in a beaming smile. "Oh, it was fun. We saw Ghaeldan and met a real Lord! And we got twenty silvers instead of ten!"
Nynaeve gaped slightly, twenty silvers was a lot of money. Mat looked past her at the Peddler vans and grinned, quickly moving forward to the first one he could see.
"It was boring," Rand said flatly. "We walked and walked and did nothing."
"The view was nice," Perrin disagreed. "And the actually journey…well, I could get used to doing that."
Nynaeve sighed, her eyes glaring at Rand for some reason. "You shouldn't have encouraged him!" She hissed.
"Rand! Perrin!" Egwene called, laughing slightly as she ran forward. "It's good that you made it in time for Bel Tine!"
Rand shifted under her gaze and looked away. "Where's Tam?" He asked.
"He's in the inn, listening to the Peddlers talk the tales of the outside world." Egwene answered, a flash of hurt appearing on her face.
"Thankyou," Rand said and quickly walked off, leaving a downcast Egwene and an angry Nynaeve.
"Why doesn't he like me?" Egwene whispered to Nynaeve, who glared darkly at Rand's retreating back.
"Because he is a man, and man are all stubborn and oblivious fools!" Nynaeve snapped.
"Really? I didn't know that," Perrin said, noticed again for the first time.
A look of surprise and a tiny bit of an apology formed on Nynaeve's face but Perrin smiled ruefully.
"Egwene, Rand isn't the boy he was when he was thirteen, let alone six." He said softly. "He's been through a lot since then, more than you could possible know and I think he's planning on leaving again."
Egwene faltered, her dark eyes with shock. "But he just came back!" She protested.
"He has other friends, other homes, other…women, that he knows." Perrin said, not unkindly. "He's not going to stay in a tiny village and become a shepherd when he has seen the world."
He caught the pain Egwene was feeling, could smell it reeking off her…NO! He was not a wolf, just because he could speak to them doesn't mean that he was one! Murmuring a quick goodbye, he quickly left the Wisdom and her apprentice. Maybe Master Luhhard had some work for him to so, something to get his mind off the wolves.
"…Illian is preparing to call another Hunt for the Horn of Valere, the legendary horn that will raise the dead heroes of all the Ages." Rand heard as he walked quietly into the Inn. Men and women were crowded in the seats, listening expectantly as a pale and skinny man with a nose like a beak and dark hair and eyes. Tam caught Rand's eye from across the room and smiled, part-relief and part- welcome.
As the Peddler talked about the Council of Nine in Illian, Rand slowly and quietly made his way across the room. He could have sworn that the Peddler's eyes had swept over him and for a moment, the bony man skipped a word, shuddering slightly. Rand managed to get close to Tam, who pulled out a seat for him.
"I was hoping you would make it for Bel Tine," He whispered as Rand sat down.
"The world is changing from what it used to be," The Peddler said loudly, ceasing any mutterings about Illian. "You have heard tales of droughts in Amadicia and politics of the south, but the biggest news comes from the north. Shienar, a nation of the borderlands, was recently in battle with the foul creatures under the Dark One. Trollocs and Myrddraal fought men in what could have been the second Trolloc Wars."
Silence filled the inn. Old Cenn, a wrinkled man on the Village Council, snorted.
"What does their War have to do with us? We're south of the Borderlands," He savoured the word, 'War' strangely, no Two Rivers man had been involved in a war for a long time. Only Tam and Rand would know truly what war was like, and they both sat still, Tam in worried expectance and Rand with a small smile on his face.
"Ah, but the war did come south. Several years ago, Myrddraal attacked Caemlyn, trying to destroy the Royal Palace and the Royal Family." The Peddler said and grinned as men muttered to each other worriedly. "Since then, Andor sent out legions of horsemen, giant armies of armoured men, to aid Shienar in the fight against the shadow. Aes Sedai also fought, wielding lightning where they pointed and destroying the ground where monsters walked on!"
"Aes Sedai!" Cenn spluttered. "Listen here, we're a respectable village. We don't want to here anything about those types here!"
"They broke the world!" One farmer yelled.
"They steal children from families!" A Goodwife managed to shriek, clutching her own baby to her chest.
"Aes Sedai…Witches!" That was from a Colpin, the whole family were troublemakers.
"That's enough!" Master al'Vere shouted, and his voice boomed in the room. "Tell us more Padan,"
The Peddler, Padan, grinned mockingly, as if he were enjoying the villager's isolation from the rest of the world. "Thousands of Trollocs, maybe millions, poured from the blight like a flood. They were defeated of course but many are wandering if the Trolloc Wars of two thousand years ago will repeat. Even the Aiel seemed to be concerned, filthy desert savages who would rather kill you than look at you! In the battle, Aiel Warriors poured over the Spine of the World in floods. Many a Andorran and Shienaran thought the Aiel Wars were starting again, I tell you that!"
Tam stiffened at the mention of Aiel, his hands balled tightly. He had participated in the Aiel Wars and had seen much death and horror because of Lamen's Sin. The former Cairhienan King had chopped down the last species of the tree of life, the fabled and mythical tree of peace, to make a new throne out of the wood. The Aiel had taken this news in with rage, and as well they should have as they had given Cairhien the tree five hundred years ago.
"Is there any good news?" Master al'Vere asked Padan Fain, who grinned like he was privy to a joke nobody else knew.
"Ah. In Andor, the Daughter-Heir is getting married!"
Rand gasped softly, his eyes wide with shock. Elayne was getting married? All around him, women talked in dreamy and sighing tones of Princess's and Princes, beautiful nobles with carriages of solid gold. The men were snorting mostly as Padan raised his hand, calming everybody down.
"Lady Elayne, Daughter-Heir to the Throne of Andor and the Golden Lily, is marrying Lord Luc of the House Mantear, a man forty years old to her sixteen. Lord Luc was the only brother of Daughter-Heir Tigraine, who vanished under mysterious circumstances twenty years ago. He also vanished, many said he had died in the Blight, but he had been mugged and attacked by bandits and had hit his head. For twenty years he lived as a farmer, no knowledge of his royal blood or lineage. He recently returned to Caemlyn when he regained his memories."
"Lord Luc? Tigraine…" Rand whispered to himself as outraged cries went up from the women inside the Inn. Cold dread filled him; an icy hand clutched his heart. "Light!"
I was your mothers brother…Tigraine was a stubborn woman, you take after her…A Maiden of the Spear who had appeared suddenly from the west… Tigraine vanished under mysterious circumstances…Lord Luc was the only brother of Daughter-Heir Tigraine…Slayer…
"The wedding is being conducted in two weeks," Padan Fain finished.
"Why would a young girl marry such an old man?" Mistress al'Vere, a motherly looking women and Egwene's mother, asked.
"It's all Politics, dear goodwife." Padan said jovially. He spread his hands, shrugging his shoulders. "Normal people like you and me would not understand it,"
Rand was left alone to his thoughts. Maybe he was wrong…maybe he was mistaking…Tigraine was a stubborn woman…Lord Luc was the only brother of Daughter-Heir Tigraine…what should he do? If Lord Luc was Slayer, then Elayne was in serious danger.
"Rand, are you alright?" Tam asked. Rand blinked and looked up, the Inn was almost empty and the Peddler had gone. Tam was standing above him with a concerned expression on his face, his fingers brushing Rand's shoulders.
"No," Rand said and stood up. Suddenly anger rushed through him. Slayer! The man who had tried to kill him at Caemlyn, who had almost killed Elayne! Slayer! The man who had sent Darkhounds at him in the Aiel Waster! Slayer, the man who had fought him at the Eye of the World and drew from the Dark One's powers! Slayer! Darkfriend! Scum! And he was marrying Elayne! What plans was Slayer twisting? "But I will be. Tam, I'm leaving tomorrow."
Tam blinked in surprise. "But you just got back!" He protested. "What…was it the news that Padan Fain bought?"
Rand nodded silently and Tam sighed. "You're old enough to do what you want…I guess that maybe I shouldn't have let you go with that merchant back when you were younger. I don't think that you will ever become a peaceful shepherd."
"I don't think so, especially since I'm leaving to murder Lord Luc." Rand muttered, but Tam caught it.
"Murder?" He said sharply. "Rand, do you know… did you know the Daughter-Heir? You can't kill her husband if it is love you are feeling…"
"'Lord Luc' is my uncle in blood." Rand said sharply. "Yes, I know that you found after the Aiel War and that my parents were Aiel themselves. But my mother…she was Tigraine! 'Lord Luc' is a Darkfriend Tam, he's the one who caused half of my scars and those infected wounds! He killed my blood father, and I wouldn't be surprised if he killed Tigraine."
Tam had stiffened at the word, uncle, and he sighed wearily, lowing himself into a seat. "I…" He began, before he shook his head. "I was going to tell you when you were older. I didn't think…that's to say,"
"Father, it's alright." Rand said gently. "You raised me, you loved me and you fed me. You are my father, blood aside. But I have to stop Luc…he's evil."
"I won't try to stop you," Tam said after a few minutes. He raised his head from his hands, his eyes hopeful. "You will come back?"
"Of course I will. Two Rivers is my home," Rand answered. He gave his father a hug, closing his eyes as he embraced the one man that meant the most to him. After a few minutes, Tam released him and Rand quickly strode from the room.
Outside music was playing. Lights lit up a huge area, where dancing couples laughed as perky musicians strummed their harps and played their flutes. Amidst the laughter and happy couples, Rand spotted Perrin talking with a slim braided girl with dark eyes. He quickly walked over, sliding past other couples as he remembered what Perrin had told him. If Wolves hated Slayer, maybe Perrin could help him.
"Perrin!" Rand shouted over the din of laughter and music.
Perrin turned from the blushing girl, a small blush on his own face. "Rand!" He shouted, waving a huge hand and smiling.
"I'm going to Caemlyn. Slayer is there!" Rand shouted back, and Perrin's face drained of all colour. Something flickered in his eyes, something primal and animalistic, and he turned back to the girl, muttering an apology as he followed Rand out of the crowd.
"Are you sure?" Perrin asked quietly once they were safe out of any nosy ears.
"I'm sure," Rand said and laughed bitterly. "Light, I wish I wasn't. Listen, you said that wolves hate Slayer. If you come with me, can you persuade them to help me?"
"They would help you if you just asked for anything, you are Shadowkiller." Perrin said wryly. "But Slayer…every wolf on the planet would flock to Caemlyn if they learnt that you needed help killing him." Perrin pronounced him with so much anger and rage that Rand stepped back warily. Golden eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, before Perrin shook his head.
"I'll come with you," He answered. "What about Mat though? You did say you would take him to Caemlyn."
"Should we bring him?" Rand asked hesitantly. "He might get hurt, maybe killed. Slayer…Slayer has powers that would rival an Aes Sedai."
"He can…"
"Not Saidin." Rand said quickly. "But something else. It was his powers that caused the wounds on my shoulder and stomach that were infected."
Perrin shuddered at the memory of the slimy and oily tainted pus that had withered as if it were alive.
"We should bring him," Perrin said quietly, his eyes distant. "He's part of the link, he's part of us."
Rand nodded. "You go get him and get him to get the three fastest horses his father owns. Use my silver if you have to. I've got to go home and get something."
Rand slowly made his way up the stairs of the empty farmhouse. Torches burned on the walls, providing the light he needed as he entered his room. Grunting, Rand pushed the heavy bed back, straining with the effort. Soon it had moved two metres or so and had revealed a tiny niche in the floor. Inside, a black and white painted circular disc and a slim black book rested, hidden from the rest of the world. Rand picked them up and looked at them grimly. He had to take the seal with him; he had to get it to an Aes Sedai. As much as Rand disliked them, they would be the only ones who could protect it. And the book…well, he had five Saidin filled crystals. It would be best if he tried to memorise all of the weaves he could.
When Rand returned to the village, the music was still playing and the villagers were still dancing. Mat and Perrin were talking lowly near the stables that Mats father owned. When they saw Rand, Perrin smiled and Mat scowled.
"We just got back!" He grumbled, but he had his quarterstaff and a small travelling pack on his back. "So, we're going to meet this Slayer you told us about?"
Rand nodded and Mat sighed. "Darkfriends and battles…how fun," He said sarcastically. "But we're going to Caemlyn, right?"
Rand nodded and Mat grinned wistfully. "I've always wanted to see Caemlyn."
"We have three horses and we left ten silvers on the table. Mat claims that they're the fastest that his father owns." Perrin said quietly.
Mat threw a dirty look at Perrin. "I don't claim, I know." He said irritably. "My father's been breeding horses for thirty years, and I've been watching him for eighteen of those years."
"Well, we're going to leave now." Rand said, glancing at Mat. Riding in the dark was not a wise thing to do but the sooner Rand got to Caemlyn, the better. His veins tingled with rage at the mere though of Slayer touching Elayne, and something must have shown on his face because Mat gave a nervous laugh.
"There's no need to be like that," He said, still somewhat nervously. "I don't mind riding at night, honest. In fact, I bought three torches with me,"
Rand smoothed his face and with effort, seized the void. "Are the horses ready?"
Mat nodded. "I saddled them up and raided Mistress al'Vere's pantry. I'm definitely coming with you because once she finds out…" He shuddered.
"We should leave now then," Rand said and together, the three boys walked into the stables.
Egwene watched the dancers with a sullen frown on her face. Next to her, Nynaeve glared at anybody who any though of coming to ask her for a dance, her flashing eyes making any boy flinch. She seemed satisfied as she turned to Egwene, and noticed the younger girls pain.
"Egwene, he is a boy." Nynaeve snorted. "Foolish half the time and stubborn the other half. If you let him see how much he's hurting you, then he has the advantage."
Egwene sighed, knowing that Nynaeve was right and smoothed her face over. Anger swelled in her as she glanced at the laughing men and women around her. How dare Rand make her feel this way on the most joyful occasion in the year? She stood up, squaring her shoulders and Nynaeve smiled.
Suddenly there was a loud whine and the sky exploded in a flash of blue and red. Fireworks shot out from the ground, popping and exploding in bursts of multicoloured sparks. There were occasional mutters of awe as the music stopped and everybody craned their necks up.
Only Nynaeve, who was sitting down, saw three horses gallop off into the night, three men on their backs. Her mouth opened in surprise, and her sharp eyes caught the axe swinging from one of their hips and the sword hanging from another man's hip.
"Rand and Perrin!" She growled, tugging at her braid. "And with Mat, no doubt!"
"What?" Egwene shouted over the fireworks.
Nynaeve pointed at the rapidly retreating backs of the boys and Egwene followed her hand, her mouth dropping over with shock.
"They're leaving now?" She said in disbelief.
Nynaeve growled and her eyes were flashing as she stood up, making a beeline for Tam al'Thor. Egwene followed her, a scowl on her face.
"Where did they go?" She demanded, and Tam hesitated.
"Mister al'Thor, tell me now!" Egwene demanded angrily.
"Caemlyn," Tam answered, and suddenly look surprised. "Wh…" He began, before he crumpled to the ground in front of a startled Nynaeve and Egwene.
"Bullocks!" Nynaeve cursed as she knelt down below Tam's body, her left hand feeling for a pulse and her right hand quickly and efficiently gathering herbs and mixtures from her belt. Egwene stood in the background, keeping back inquisitive people, but looked green and dazed.
"He's alright!" Nynaeve called out. "Just…tired, I think."
Nynaeve quickly rechecked Tam, and with the help of Master Luhhan and Master al'Vere, she lifted him and took him inside the Inn. The fireworks continued, coloured flashes lighting up the ground below, and the pale face of Egwene could be seen. For a moment, she had felt something inside of her. A tingle maybe, something that had made Tam speak up when he wasn't going to. Light, she had done this!
As the sun was rising, three wearied and fatigued horsemen trotted up to the wooden gates of Baerlon. The four guards at the door scrutinised them closely, but to them it looked like three tired farmers. With a grunt, they let them pass and stood back as the horses trotted through. Inside the walls of Baerlon, it was almost dead quiet. Even at this early time, when men would be getting to work and women would be baking their bread, there was no clang and chatter of men working or aroma of freshly baking bread. In fact, if it weren't for the guards and the relatively few cloaked figures that hurried past quickly, Rand would say that the town was deserted.
"Are all towns like this?" Mat asked Rand in disappointment.
Rand shook his head silently as he led the wearied group of travellers to the small house belonging to Min. As he tied the knot at the fence, he allowed a smile to come to his face as Min opened the door, her face beaming.
"Well Sheepherder, I said we would meet again but I didn't think that it would this soon!" She said, laughing slightly and embraced Rand.
Mat and Perrin tried not to stare to hard at the woman hugging Rand. She wasn't like anything they had seen before, a woman with short hair to her shoulders that was upbraided, and one wearing boys clothes at that! But Rand seemed to be very friendly with her as he smiled, a rare thing to be witnessed. The woman noticed Mat and Perrin and frowned.
"These your friends Sheepherder?" She demanded and Rand nodded.
"This is Mat Cauthon," Rand said and pointing to Mat," and Perrin Aybara. Mat, Perrin, this is Min."
Min looked at the two of them closely, Perrin realised, and he could smell the surprise, shock and puzzlement that radiated off her. But she gave no sign of feeling any of those things as she turned back to Rand and started muttering quietly with him.
"They're just like you!" Min hissed once her back was facing Perrin and Mat.
"What do you mean?" Rand asked.
"I mean that I can see things from them. I see a fox revolving around Mat, and a moon. I see a wolf around Perrin and a hawk and falcon that will appear in his life and make his choose between them. Light Rand, normal people never give off two signs at once! I think that they're like you, ta'veren, because there's a golden thread that's joining all of you together!" Min ranted quietly.
Rand took in this information and wandered why he was not surprised. "It would make sense if they were ta'veren." He said. "I knew that there was something that joined us, I could feel it."
"Why are you here?" Min asked Rand after a few seconds of silence. "Not that I mind the company, of course."
"I'm just stopping to say hello. We're going to Caemlyn." Rand answered and hesitated slightly. But he knew he could trust Min, her dark eyes were honest and comforting. "Remember Slayer, the man I told you about? Well, he's in Caemlyn and is about to marry Elayne!"
"Lord Luc?" Min said in shock, a hand to her mouth. "Are you sure?"
"I think so," Rand said grimly.
Min looked troubled as she leaned in closer to Rand. "Rand, I had a dream about you the night you left here four months ago. I've never had dreams before, ever! But I knew this was real. It was you and another man, with a scar over his eye and a charred face. I knew he was Slayer, and you were older than you are now. There were bodies around you, some were beast-like creatures and some were human. Both of you had your swords out and Slayer said that is would end now, and when you struck blades lightning flashed and you were both blown back."
"Slayer doesn't have a scar over his eye, or any burns. At least, he didn't last time I looked." Rand muttered. He didn't doubt what Min had said, she had told him that what she saw was always the truth.
"How are you getting to Caemlyn?" Min asked, changing the subject.
"Horse," Rand answered gesturing to his tied to the gate. "We had better leave soon."
"They look like they're going to fall over flat on their faces," Min said dryly, glancing behind her shoulder.
"Who, the horses or Mat and Perrin?" Rand asked.
"Both," Min said flatly. "You need rest, or at least they do."
"I have a remedy that will let us keep riding." Rand said, slightly pleased with himself. He had found it last night when he was reading the Saidin book, and had already planned to use a crystal for it.
"It's not strengthening herbs, is it?" Min asked, slightly concerned. "Because men find themselves wanting more and more of them as they start using them."
"It's Saidin," Rand said and was pleased when Min didn't flinch.
"Well…" She hesitated, before she tilted her head and her eyes went wide. "Elayne has golden hair, doesn't she?" She asked Rand faintly.
Rand nodded slowly, wondering what she had seen in his aura and Min grimaced, biting her lip, as she seemed to work over something in her mind. Finally, she came to a decision.
"I'm coming with you," She told him.
"What?" Rand said in shock.
Min planted her hands on her hips and stared Rand down, challenging him to refuse her. Rand however, was not having any of it.
"No." He said firmly
"Rand," Min said, her voice almost pleading. "I need to come with you!"
"What have you seen?" Rand asked her, and she hesitated.
"It's about Elayne," She said, her cheeks blossoming with red for some odd reason. "But I can't tell you!"
Rand hesitated, glancing back at the tired horses and the weary men on the back of them. "We only have three horses."
"I can ride with you," Min answered quickly.
"We're not stopping unless we really need to." Rand tried again.
"Good." Min said flatly.
"Fine," Rand grumbled. Min smiled, giving him a quick hug before she raced back into the house.
"So, What's going on?" Mat asked, yawning as he rubbed his eyes.
"She's coming with us," Rand answered.
"What? I thought this was an Inn of some sort!" Mat protested. "Blast! I thought I was going to get some sleep, maybe chat to a barmaid,"
Perrin stayed silent, his golden-eyes alert. He seemed the least tired of the two, probably having something to do with the wolves. Rand didn't tired at all, but he had wrapped himself in the Void so tightly that he couldn't even feel the sun on his skin.
"I'm going to do something to cure you fatigue." Rand answered and he pulled out a Saidin crystal. Mat gaped at the object and even Perrin grimaced as Rand moved closer.
"What?" Mat asked, spluttering slightly.
Rand said nothing as he drew Saidin from the crystal, mentally blessing Logain for the idea. Slowly, the crystal light began to dim and falter, and after a few moments all that was left was a large blank crystal that Rand carefully placed back in his bag, his mind surrounded by a whirlwind of light and power. It was a struggle to survive, in the middle of an avalanche of heat and light, but compared to the Eye of the World the struggle was like a Trolloc fighting a small dog and Rand easily seized Saidin. He performed it on his own horse first, just to make sure it worked, and was relieved when it did.
"Rand…" Perrin started, before Rand placed a hand on his let. Sitting on his saddle, Perrin let a look of wonder come across his face as all of the tiredness and aches and pains drifted out of him like water running downhill. He shook his head in wonder as Rand concentrated again, letting the power trickle out of him. He carefully placed a weave of spirit over a weave of water, twining the two together and repeating the process so that eight double-weaved threads melded together, and placed his hand on the horses flank. The weaves fluttered in his eyes as they were sucked into the horse, which shook its head, snorting slightly.
"Perrin?" Mat asked anxiously.
"I feel like I've had the best night of sleep ever." Perrin marvelled out loud.
Rand came over to Mat, who shifted uneasily but allowed Rand to touch him. He almost yelped at the feeling and Rand snickered, repeating it for the horse. Still, there was enough Saidin left in him for a second repeat and for a moment Rand considered trying it on himself. But he remembered long ago Alanna had said that Aes Sedai could not do to themselves what they did to others, so he pulled out the crystal and let the Saidin flow out of him.
"Rand, remind me to fetch for you when I've had to much too drink." Mat said, staring at his hands with marvel.
Min burst out of the house then, locking the door behind her. A small pack lay strapped to her back and Rand could see a flash of metal as Min's sleeves blew in the light wind. "Are we ready?" She asked.
Rand nodded and gestured to his saddle.
"Aren't you the gentleman?" Min said dryly as she climbed up by herself. Her eyes flickered over the crystal as Rand put it away and jumped up. Min gave a small shriek as she clutched Rand by the waist, before giving a small growl.
"Don't do that again Woolhead! I almost fell off!" She muttered.
Rand ignored her as he gestured for Perrin and Mat to follow him and they slowly came back the way they had started.
"Where is everybody?" Rand asked, turning his head so he could see Min. Min leant her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"In their homes, praying that if war breaks out between the Whitecloaks and Queens Guard, they'll be safe." She replied grimly.
Rand frowned, but he had reached the gates and as soon as he was out of them, he urged the horse on faster. It would take at least a week to get to Caemlyn even on a non-stop horse, and he had to stop Slayer before he did something stupid.
At the same time…
Two Rivers:
Tam was up and awake the next morning, claiming that he had had too much to drink. He did give Egwene a peculiar look but shook his head and made his way home, ignoring the good-natured jests of Master al'Vere. There was a bit of a commotion in the morning when Mistress al'Vere had discovered her larder had been raided and Master Cauthon discovered three of his best horses were gone, but both of them found ten silvers on their tables and had deduced that Rand, Mat and Perrin had taken everything.
Master Cauthon had been angry at Mat, but he had also been slightly worried about what reasons Mat would have to return home and quickly flee the next hour.
Nynaeve was gone off somewhere, leaving Egwene alone. She had managed to get some sleep, but had kept awaking up with shivering arms. Light, what had she done? Something had blossomed inside of her, something filled with light and she had surrendered herself to it in the moment, wanting something to make Tam tell the truth. And it had.
"Egwene, are you ready?" Nynaeve asked as she walked into the Inn. She wore a riding dress, her braid trailing behind her back as she stared at Egwene with impatience.
"Where are we going?" Egwene asked.
"To find Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara and drag them back home!" Nynaeve sniffed. "They're Two Rivers men and its time they acted like it. I have already gotten permission from the Women's Council, they've given us the twenty silvers and we are both allowed to leave and find them. That is, of course, if you want to come."
"Give me a minute." Egwene said and rushed up the stairs to her house, quickly undressing and putting on dirty riding robes. She paused to glance at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks looked pale and her eyes were bloodshot, but she ignored them and quickly made her way downstairs.
"How do we track them?" She asked Nynaeve as they both exited the house. Two horses stood outside patiently, saddled and harnessed.
"Master al'Thor has given me a note for a friend of his in a town called Baerlon. We are to deliver the note, and he will take us to a nearby river and take us by boat to Whitebridge…some town. From there, it's only a few days ride to Caemlyn, then we can find them."
"I'm ready," Egwene said determinately.
Andor: Caemlyn
"Lady Elayne, is your dinner to your liking?" Lord Luc said charmingly, bowing his head at the beautiful girl in front of him.
"Quite Lord Luc," Elayne said, a pleasant smile on her face. But inside, she protested angrily at the man in front of her. She was being forced to marry him for Light's sake! Still, the man's earnest expression and happy smile made her anger dim slightly. She couldn't blame him; he was being forced into this as much as she was. Not for the first time, she wondered if she could run away, disappear and never return. If Rand had been here, he would have helped her. He had probably known half a dozen places she could have gone. But he wasn't here, he was dead and she was forced to marry the man in front of her. She had to stop dwelling on what was and concentrate on what is.
"Please pass the salt Lord Luc," Elayne asked, smiling politely as she nibbled her dinner. She had never felt more alone…