Wheels upon Wheels
Chapter 4 : 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.
After the physically and mentally exhausting day I had, whatever sleep I had was fitful and not very reposing. I woke up still tired and, realizing that I would not be getting back to sleep, got out of the bed and washed my face to clean my mind of the last cobwebs of sleep.
A look confirmed what I thought : The thief I had saved was still asleep. I realized at that moment that I didn't even know his name.
I momentarily thought about waking him, but decided that his day hadn't been much more calm than mine and that he could use his sleep.
I found downstairs that it was 'an hour or so before midday' and that breakfast was pea soup with bread and cheese. I really needed a way to get my watch back to normal time, as it had been off since the beginning.
I went back up and ate it all, even the cheese, which I washed off with a lot of water. I passed the time planning and noting everything I could recall from the books. The information was very disjointed, however.
My companion woke up right after the innkeeper called for dinner. I told him to go get it for both of us, and that we had to talk.
He came back with chicken and carrots, which suited me just fine. After giving me my plate, sat down on his bed with an inquiring look in his eyes.
"So, what do you need to talk about ?"
"First, name."
"Oh," he looked sheepish for an instant before answering. "Shevat Avar."
"Ok, so…"
He interrupted me with a raised hand. "And yours ?"
It was my turn to look sheepish, but he had point. More than one, I realized, as my name would stand out horribly in this world. It was surprising that I hadn't had to tell it before now.
"Can you read ?"
"A little."
I gave him my most recent identity card, which had my name written on it in big letters. He seemed surprised at it until I pointed at it. "Here it is."
He seemed to struggle for a while before he answered "How is that even pronounced ?"
"Exactly my point." He didn't seem to get it. "I'll need a new name which is less conspicuous."
We both gave a few suggestions, which ended up with my name being Stephen Adjani. The Stephen came from me, obviously, as he had been a character in one of the role-playing games I had played. Adjani came from him, the family name of someone he used to know.
I then had him tell me about his life while we ate. Turns out he's from Caemlyn. An orphan, raised on the streets. Kept stealing to feed himself which, when he got old enough, drew the attention of the local thieves guild. He had, by his words, an altercation with them, and he was forced to flee the city. Ended up in Caeral where, due to the city being smaller, stealing became more and more difficult. Got finally recruited by a gang raiding caravans, and the rest I already knew…
He looked guilty during the whole telling, but I didn't mind him having been a thief all his life. I never had to steal for my food, but I know for sure that when it's been two days since you've last ate, a lot of moral concerns become moot. During the first three days in this world, while I was starving and lacking water, I'm pretty sure I would have stolen if that would have allowed me to live longer.
As we were finishing our meals came the big question :
"So, Shevat, what are you going to do now"
At that question, he dropped his knife and looked at me directly with his blue-grey eyes. "I owe you my life. I am yours to command." He replied very seriously, as to make sure I believed him.
"I wouldn't force you to follow me."
"I am here of my own free will."
"You don't know what you're getting into."
"Tell me."
I took a deep breath then. My mind was telling me that having him with me could only help, but my soul objected in bringing other people with me in something that was almost certain to kill me and everyone with me.
"The Dragon is reborn." I said, gravely. He gave a shudder of something I think was fear, but I continued anyway. "The final battle approaches. I plan to help the True Dragon in any way I can. Going with me means dealing with Trollocs, darkfiends and very probably the Forsaken. My way means a death near certain to those who follow me. Can you deal with that ?" I stood, looking down (not much) on his to emphasize my point.
He seemed to think about it for an instant, then turned to me with a smile that was bizarre on his scarred face. "I hope the Dragon you speak of isn't Logain 'cause…"
"No, I wasn't talking about Logain Ablar, who's been captured by the Aes Sedai and will be paraded in Caemlyn in a month or so. It's not Taim in Saldea or that other False Dragon that's shown himself I don't remember where. The True Dragon hasn't proclaimed himself yet."
"I didn't know they were going to parade Logain here."
"I don't know if it has been planned as of this moment but I know that it will happen."
"Foretelling ?" He asked, surprised and a little fearful, I think.
"Not exactly but something like that."
I finished what was left of my now-cold dinner while Shevat seemed to be thinking about what I said. "So what do we do now ?"
"I make money and we plan. We've got until Logain gets here to find a way to spring him loose."
"Why ?"
"I'll need the help of a channeler," Shevat shuddered again. It seemed he was afraid of channelers, for some reason. "And one that I know isn't a darkfiend. Logain's the only one I'm sure about."
"How come ?"
"'Cause, If we do nothing, he's gonna end up stilled" I answered. "And I know the Black Ajah wouldn't have let him be stilled if he was sworn to the Dark One."
"The Black…"
"Yes they exist, and I intent to make sure they get revealed as soon as I can get my hands on an Aes Sedai."
Shevat went silent with that. I was a lot to take for someone who had been a somewhat normal person the day before.
"You can still get out, if you want ?" I had to say it. I wouldn't have him if he wasn't sure of himself.
That brought out a smile out of him. "No chance. You don't get two chances to be part of something that big. I'm in."
I couldn't help but smile at that. His presence would be a great help, as my knowledge of this world was limited to the books. His practical knowledge would be indispensable for me to survive.
"What did you mean by make money ?" He asked, thinking. I just could pass that opportunity.
"Just never bet against me." I answered, smiling, as I jumped back in my bed. "Wake me up when we're supposed to check out, ok ?"
"Ok."
Until check out turned out to be a two-hours nap that was infinitely more restful than last night's sleep. I then had Shevat lead me to the Queen's Blessing, where we rented a room for the week.
Why the Queen's Blessing ? Just because I remembered it. I remember that the innkeeper (whose name I didn't remember until he introduced himself) could be trusted. It wasn't until we were safely installed in our room that I could be tempting fate by simply being in the same inn as the Dragon would be. I decided that I would deal with it as it came.
The next three days passed mainly with betting and shopping. Shevat was simply astonished at my luck, and at the amounts of money that I racked in. During the first night, I nearly managed to make more than twice the coin I got during my whole stay in Caeral. Big cities meant big money, it seemed.
The shopping part occupied our days, as we prepared for what we would have to do. As Logain was probably going to be hosted in the dungeons, My main idea to spring him out was a soporific (or as I had to explain Shevat, sleeping) gas. We would smoke the place out and bail him out. Not the best idea, I knew, but I couldn't remember for the life of me the something root that kept people from channeling. Sleep was the best alternate plan.
Shopping meant Shevat leading me around Caemlyn as I pointed out things we would need or want in our excursions. Swords, knives, ropes, dried foods, a sewing kit, bandages and the works. We also had a horse packed and ready for Logain. The only problem was the soporific, which we had no clue how to find. Shevat, unfortunately, knew nothing of a healer's work, and my knowledge of pharmaceuticals was feeble at best.
That shopping trip was also my first experience with a real medieval city. Alive was the only word I could use. I had though that Montreal was a living city, but it didn't hold a candle to Caemlyn. It was like being at a convention all over again. You had to push around to move while in the main streets, and only the thin and dark alleys were empty of people at any time. We traveled through more than a few of these in those three days, and were always left alone by their inhabitants.
Nothing worthwhile really happened until our fourth day in Caemlyn. It was a little after dinner and the streets were as full as ever. It was Shevat who noticed first.
"We're being followed." His voice was cold and silent, and scared me a little.
I had had a bad feeling ever since I had gotten up that day, and it peaked at those words. I saw one of the persons he was talking about, a tall blond man with a trimmed beard. He was very obviously looking for someone.
"How long ?"
"More than an hour."
"What do you suggest ?"
"We continue as we have been doing and get back to our hotel room. We'll need to get out of the Queen's Blessing silently and find a new place."
"Ok."
We walked on, trying to act as inconspicuous as we could. I was unfortunately stopped by Shevat's hand on my shoulder.
"Change of plans."
"Why ?"
"Look near the cart in front of the tailor's shop."
I looked, and quickly found what he was talking about. Two people, mercenaries by the look of them, who seemed to be waiting for something. Us, quite probably.
"I see."
"There are others on the other side of the street."
I did not look. I didn't, it was evident it was true. Someone was putting a lot of manpower to stalk us, at the very least. It did not make me comfortable in the least.
"So ?"
"Follow me quickly, we're going to run through the alleys."
And we ran. I had always made sure to follow Shevat closely while we were in the alleys, as it was a veritable maze. I was glad we hadn't found or bought anything, as the extra weight would surelyslow us down.
However, when Shevat suddenly stopped, I had no choice but to follow suit. I realized the problem at once : we had been had. There was three armed men blocking our way. I turned around to find what I knew I'd find : Two people, swords at the ready, closing the trap. We were struck between five men and two bizarrely partially molten stone walls.
We quickly took our swords out, both sure that they wouldn't change the balance of the battle. We'd at least die fighting.
"Recognize the place ?" The man in the center said, obviously the leader. He was smiling and, with the huge burn mark on his face, it made look more cruel than anything I'd ever seen.
Shevat did not look around, as he was intent on the burned man. I caught on quickly : He had once spoken about an 'altercation' with members of the thieves guild, and that was what he was talking about. The guild were obviously using this place as an execution ground for undesirables. I moved to Shevat's back, facing those who had come after us.
"I should have made sure you were dead last time." Shevat's voice was the coldest I had ever heard it, and he was sweating profusely.
"You should never have come back here. Though I'm glad you did : I can settle one score and capture the cheater. I don't know how he does it, but I'm sure we'll find a use for him." I was glad to be back to back to Shevat at that moment. The man's smile I would not want to have directed at me.
"It's funny, but I think my burn'll bother me less from now on."
My mind came up with a blank on that one, but I had to refocus less than a second later has the men charged at me. I put myself on their left sides, as both were right-handed, but that availed me not. It was obvious that they were more experienced than me, and everything that I shot at them ended up useless. The best I managed was a full power side slash to the stomach, which cost me that battle. The man was wearing chain mail, so my attack ended up being blunted, and my other foe kicked the back of ankle, which gave me limited flight. I screamed in pain as I landed on my back with a good blow to my head, and my eyes clouded for more than an instant.
I heard another scream come from Shevat a second later, then an unexplained feeling of heat. I shook my head to clear my eyes. It worked, though I could have done with the massive head pain. I was standing unsteadily a moment later, hoping beyond hope to help in the battle, before realizing that it was over.
It was as if a dozen people with flamethrowers had decided to hose the place at waist level. The walls were red, and even more molten then they had been a minute before. The thieves that would had been attacking us were burning corpses whose smell was making me sick. My pained mind tried to reach for a proper conclusion, and it was Shevat's sight that clinched into.
Not that Shevat looked physically any different : apart from a few scratches on his side and arms, he looked exactly the same. It was an aura of power he had. It wasn't visible, no, it was just a feeling in the back of your head, a chill down your spine, the hairs down your back, standing on end.
It was as if he was plugged on power.
When that metaphor hit, I instantly realized what it was. Saidin. The One Power. He could channel.
Before my mind could being altering my plans to fit that new fact in it, I realized something in his eyes. Fear. He was afraid. Whether it was of himself or of something else, it wasn't important at the moment. I needed to do something.
I stepped over a half-molten sword to clap him in the back. He flinched, as if he hadn't heard me coming. He was that way out of it.
"So," I pointed down the alley. "Which way now ?" I tried to keep my tone as normal as I could, as to say that nothing important had happened. I think I did well enough.
He seemed to snap out of it, and started running down the alley once more. I followed, a thin smile upon my face.
We ran all the way to our room in the Queen's Blessing. As soon as the door was closed behind us, Shevat fell his knees before me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to mistrust me. I can't control it. I'm afraid of it." He was babbling. "Please forgive me. I'm not crazy. I just…"
I silenced him with a look and an hand.
"I don't mind." It wasn't really true, but it wasn't like he was thinking. "It's not like I told you everything about me. Sure it's not like I didn't want to know either, but I can understand how you feel. I don't think you're crazy" He finally started to relax. "In fact, it helps quite a lot in some way." I handed him my hand. "I trust you," I really did, even though he hadn't told me that important fact. "do you trust me ?"
It took a while, but he finally took my offered hand. I dragged him back up to look at him in the eyes.
"I'm going to ask something personal now, so please don't be offended. Can you draw it willingly ?"
"No." He looked ashamed at that for some reason.
"Did you ever try ?"
"No." He looked even more down with that one.
"Ok… Think you could try to learn ?"
"Why ?"
I took a deep breath. "To do the best I can do, I'd need be to a channeler."
"You can't become a channeler"
"You can, I think, but to do so you need to get to Rhuidean."
"Rhuidean ?"
"In the Aiel Waste."
"Impossible."
"Possible, but I'd need a channeler to get there."
"Why ?"
"I'd use a portal stone, which moves people from place to place. It needs a channeler to activate it."
"Ok."
"I won't force you to come with me, or even to channel to use the portal stone. I'm not like that. However…"
"No need. I keep my promises." He squared his shoulders. "I'm your man."
"Welcome aboard."
