Wheels upon Wheels
Chapter 3 : The road to Caemlyn
Disclaimer : Wheel of Time belongs to Robert Jordan, and no one else. This story may not be used for profit by anybody, not even me.
The Braem Road was, I learned one of the main trade arteries of Andor. Since it linked the capital with the great city of Tar Valon, caravans came and went at a regular pace. It was in one of those caravans I was currently going to Caemlyn.
Two night of betting had given me more than enough coin to buy me a spot in the most guarded caravan that had stopped in Caeral before going to Caemlyn. After three days of riding, it was due there before midday tomorrow.
Caravan time is a slow and bumpy time, whose only use I found was planning. As I had a lot of that to do, it wasn't that bad, really. The bumpy part was getting on my nerves, though.
The problem with my plans was my limited means. I could probably get in Fal Dara before the Amyrlin ever does, but I doubt anything I could do could stop the Horn from being stolen. It was same thing just about everywhere : there was little a simple human like me could do.
Another problem was that what I knew was only helpful until I changed something, especially if that thing was important. If, like I said, I stopped the Horn from being stolen, everything else that happened in the books after would change… as would my utility.
That's what I was currently thinking about. With a pad of sheets and a pen in my hands, I was trying to list everywhere I could help in the Wheel of Time world. There wasn't much written, unfortunately.
The Black Ajah
Logain
The Amyrlin Seat
Morgase
And most of these ideas where mutually exclusive. For example helping Logain escape and, by doing so, keeping him a channeler might very well doom the Amyrlin Seat to exile, only one that she would not survive.
My other ideas were lacking a crucial element from my part : Power. I just wasn't powerful enough. I might very well know where I could find half of the Forsaken, but that was useless when you weren't able, at the very least, to shoot an arrow that could kill them.
Getting the information about the Forsaken to Rand was pointless, also. Rand, at this point in the story, couldn't and wouldn't do anything about it, and, by the time he would, it would be too late to actually prevent the worse things from happening.
It was just so…
The wagon I was in halted suddenly, and I found myself face first in my bag. It didn't take me long to get back up and outside, and what welcomed me there was battle.
It seemed that a bandit gang had decided to try to claim ownership of the caravan, by force. Luckily, for me and my side, I hadn't chosen this caravan for nothing.
The thieves were falling rapidly under continuous bow fire.
As I watched a man beside me fall with an arrow in the eye, I was starting to ask myself if my transport to this world didn't have other effects than those I knew. Should I be retching at this sight ? Was there something wrong with me ?
The battle ended quickly in the advantage of the caravan guards, as most of the thieves in the assault saw that the odds were not in their favor, and quickly retreated to the cover of the forest. A few didn't, but those were quickly captured or killed.
Those captured were brought before the caravan master for their punishment. I followed, just to see what kind of law I could expect in this kind of place. I didn't like the smile the master wore, though.
Their 'trial', and I use the word loosely, was quick and without point. The chief told them cheerful they were going to die slowly, and that their corpse would be left for the crows to feed on. He then playfully described how they were worthless to society and that the world would be better without them.
That mockery of justice disgusted me more than the fight had. It was obvious that the caravan master was going to enjoy making them suffer. I had expected that they would be brought to Caemlyn for judgment or, at worse, quickly beheaded for killing members of the caravan. As I watch the leader of the caravan bring out instruments that could easily be recognized as implements of torture, my conscience had enough.
I brought the caravan leader to the side and began dealing with him, quickly. My pleas to get them imprisoned in Caemlyn were useless, and everything failed until I offered to buy them off his hands. The smile the man gave me I disliked, but I saw no other choice.
There was another reason why I wanted these people alive. A debt. Yes, that debt to those nameless thieves whose corpses I had looted. That was my way to pay back for that sin, so to speak.
Their lives cost me a pretty penny, and I walked back from the deal with half as much money, but money never meant anything to me, especially now. I gave each thief three gold coins and sent them on their way, telling them to start anew with the money I gave them. One did ask why I was doing this. I said a debt and left it at that. They all fled pretty quickly after that.
The rest of the day took a long time to pass. All the guards were giving me weird looks, and I wondered if I would be finishing this travel with them or be kicked out soon. I continually asked myself if doing what I did had been a good idea. Luckily, none of the guards seemed the take the matter in their own hands and I fell asleep without one threat being said to my face.
I was shaken up awake sometime during the night, judging by the sky outside. It took me a few minutes to recognize the person waking me me.
It was one of the thieves, specifically the one who had asked why.
My eyes widened the moment my brain made the connection and I instinctually scrambled backward before catching myself. I mustn't show fear, I said to myself in my mind. That would only give him more power.
"What do you want ?" I tried to keep fear out of my voice, but I think some bled in anyway.
"I think you should leave." He replied. "I heard two different groups speaking of killing you and taking your gold. You're not safe here. I'll help. The back guard's asleep, so sneaking off is not too tough."
The words didn't surprise me, that is until my mind hit the 'I'll help' line. I had half expected the caravan to turn against me after my generosity, but I hadn't expected anything good to come out of it.
"Why are you helping me ?" I had to ask.
"So said you paid for our freedom because of a debt, right ?" I nodded. "Then this is my debt to you. I owe you my life."
"So you're helping me escape to pay that debt ?"
"An escape isn't worth that much." He smiled. "Those three gold coin should do."
I was about to reply, but he cut me off. "If you want to escape, we better go quick before someone realizes that that guard is asleep and wakes him up. We can't stand talking like this all night."
That decided me and, less than five minutes later, we were both out of the caravan for good.
Fifteen minutes later he led me to two horses tied off in the forest. He quickly untied them and led one to me.
"You can ride ? 'Cause if you can, we'll be in an inn outside Caemlyn before dawn."
I had learned to ride when I was young, truly, but it seemed so far ago that I wasn't sure I could still do it. Still, to be in Caemlyn the quickest, there was only one answer :
"I'll manage."
With that he jumped on his own horse and led the way at a quick pace.
Note to self : do not ride a horse with a full schoolbag.
That's what I was saying to myself at dawn, when we entered Caemlyn. I was sore from I don't know how many places, and tired to boot. My mood got worse quickly as the first three inns we visited were full.
In the fourth, a small inn near the walls called the "Horseman's Rest", we finally managed to get the last room open, at the cost of a gold coin. Luckily, the room had two beds.
I quickly gave a coin to the stableboy and, as soon as the master of the inn had left after showing us our room, I jumped in the bed, sleepy as a bear in winter.
"Wake up me up as soon as you do." I said to my companion while yawning. Then I fell asleep on the spot.
