"Burn me, why didn't we bring any wine or brandy?" Mat asked Rand through clenched teeth. Sage had healed his broken jaw, but only partially. The aches would last another week—a much needed lesson in proper manners, the ghost explained.
Both boys were sitting against a huge oak tree while Perrin was getting ready for his first training session with Sage. Nynaeve was fussing over Lan's bruised fist, rather than fussing over Mat's broken jaw. Egwene and Min were discussing hair, and taking the conversation very seriously. Moiraine was off alone brooding, as she often did these days.
"First of all, it's only an hour since sunrise," Rand replied. "Second of all, any alcohol is too heavy and fragile for a long trip on horseback. It's nothing but water you find along the way, and hot tea if you're lucky."
"Thanks to Sage, we've got over a thousand pounds of blasted supplies," Mat whined. "What's so bad about a barrel of brandy or two?"
"You're bad enough when you're sober. As a drunk you would be a disaster. What were you thinking, calling Lan an idiot?" Rand asked. "Just a few days ago you were terrified of him."
"I was thinking that he was like Sage. Sure he's big and scary, but he's only a real threat when Moiraine gives him an order."
"He's a man, not a Power Ring."
"I think I can remember that now," Mat said as he gently rubbed his jaw. "Speaking of painful subjects: have you been able to channel?"
There was a long silence before Rand answered. "It's too easy. I see Egwene struggling with the simple exercises Moiraine gives her at night, and how she has to practice and practice to get the weaves to work. But I channeled a weave of fire just once, and it was perfect. I'm not learning how to channel the One Power. I'm remembering how to channel."
'Bloody hell,' Mat thought.
Rand really was the Dragon Reborn. And he was a Green Lantern, although Sage was still vague on what a Green Lantern was expected to do with his time. Something about helping innocent people on other planets, which was too bizarre to even think about. Hopefully Perrin's life would turn out to be normal once this was all over. Hopefully he would find a kind-hearted wife, and have a couple of cute children.
Mat glanced over at his friend, who was wearing a heavy leather vest that blacksmiths often favored. Perrin carried his big shield with one arm, and swung his long mace back and forth with the other. Both were forged with the One Power, and they were all but indestructible. Despite that, his reluctance to fight was plain to see.
"Perrin was always afraid that he might hurt someone with his strength if he got too angry," Rand said. "Even when we were roughhousing as kids, he was always holding back."
[ Do you want to begin? We have already lost a hour of daylight. ]
"Will the training protocol be safe for him?" Mat asked Sage
[ Relatively safe. The constructs' speed, strength, and aggression have been reduced for this initial session. ]
"Go ahead."
A Trolloc appeared. Like Mat's horse, it looked realistic even though it was made up of different shades of green light. Far too realistic. It stood over eight feet tall, with the horns and fangs and claws of an animal. It also had hooves instead of feet, but even with all those differences it was still basically human under that crude armor. Especially the eyes—they were too intelligent to belong to any animal.
"Are you ready?" Mat asked his friend.
"No, but go ahead anyway."
The sounds the constructs made were also realistic. The Trolloc's sword—which looked more like a farmer's scythe than an actual sword—smashed against Perrin's shield with a loud clang. After years as a blacksmith apprentice, his strength was enough to keep the round shield steady. That strength also let him break the Trolloc's sword arm with his mace. Swinging a hammer all those years made his aim very accurate.
That first blow wasn't enough to end the fight, and the Trolloc went to tackle Perrin. With that much weight pinning you to the ground, there were still ways for an injured Shadowspawn to kill a man. Perrin knew that too, and he used his shield to deflect the charge. As the Trolloc went tumbling by, he smashed his mace into the back of its exposed head.
As the first Trolloc lay on the ground dying from a cracked skull, a second appeared. Perrin wasn't ready this time, and all he could do was keep his shield up as this new Trolloc hacked away with a huge battle axe. The shield didn't break, but after a punishing minute Perrin's strength did. He fell to the ground, and the Trolloc brought down his battle axe with both arms. Just before it could cut Perrin's belly open, it froze in midair.
[ Acceptable for a beginner, ] Sage commented. [ Mat, on your feet. ]
"Are you serious?"
[ Yes. Summon your uniform and a weapon. ]
Mat thought he would have to take off his regular clothes first, but instead his uniform just appeared. "Where did my clothes go?"
[ Somewhere else, ] was Sage's useless reply.
He stretched out his long green coat, and realized that he missed it. The Green Lantern symbol on the left arm made him stand out in a crowd, and he liked that kind of attention. His shirt, breeches, and boots were also more comfortable than anything a regular tailor in Baerlon could make. Maybe he should wear his uniform more often?
[ If you are done admiring yourself, you need a weapon. ]
The only weapons Mat knew how to use with any skill were a longbow and a quarterstaff. He doubted Sage was interested in watching him kill fake Trollocs with fake arrows, so he thought about a quarterstaff. One instantly appeared in his hand, and despite its green color it looked like ones he and his Da used during their mock duels back on the farm.
His Trolloc was much faster than the one Perrin faced. It was also nastier. Mat managed to deflect three swings of its spiked club with his quarterstaff before the Trolloc landed a blow that sent him flying in one direction and his quarterstaff in the other. Mat noticed with some part of his brain that the blow should have hurt a lot more than it did. Then the Trolloc rushed over and began beating him with the club as he laid helplessly on the ground.
Again there wasn't that much pain, but the sight of that spiked club hitting him over and over again was terrifying, and there wasn't anything he could do to get out of the way or get back on his feet. Sage had let him burn back at that portal in the mountains. How long was the ghost going to let this beating go on?
Suddenly his uniform vanished, and the Trolloc froze in place. Its spiked club was just inches away from his face.
[ A Green Lantern's personal force field offers a great deal of protection for an organic body. As long as you do not panic—which you just did. Is there some reason you did not use your Power Ring to attack the Trolloc once you were on the ground? ]
"I don't know. I guess I just…"
[...panicked. ] Sage turned to Lan. [ Are you ready? ]
The Warder nodded and it began. One Trolloc after another rushed in, and just as quickly they died. Lan's sword moved in short but graceful arcs, and the result was always a fatal wound. Heads were separated from bodies, as were arms and legs. Several Trollocs were disemboweled, while others were stabbed dead center in the heart. The constructs were realistic and so were their deaths. Mat wasn't the only one sickened by all the carnage.
But even a great swordsman can only hold back superior numbers for so long. One of the Trollocs—probably the twentieth or so—managed to hit Lan's sword at a lucky angle with its warhammer. To regain his balance, the Warder had to move his feet. This was the opening the Trolloc needed, and its warhammer crushed Lan's left shoulder with a single blow. Three pinkish bones broke through the skin and clothes, leaving him defenseless. Before the Trolloc could deliver a fatal blow, it vanished completely.
Nynaeve rushed over and kneeled at Lan's side. "Why didn't you stop that thing before it could hurt him?" she snarled at Sage, who made no reply.
Moiraine walked over and stood over the pair. "Child, what are you waiting for? Heal his wounds."
"Healing all this damage is beyond me," Nynaeve admitted with obvious shame.
"No, it is not," Moiraine said. "I spoke to dozens of your fellow villagers back in Emond's Field. They told me of your miraculous skill at healing. How you saved those at death's door when no one else could have. When you healed those sick people you weren't using any herbs. You were using the One Power."
"The ability to heal like that… it comes and goes for no reason," Nynaeve said as she began to tremble with anger. "I can't control it!"
"Then you had better learn to control it. Quickly."
"He has protected you for years. He has bled for you. And you would let him suffer because of a stupid accident? You vile bitch!"
Moiraine stared down at Lan, who gave her a slight nod that Nynaeve didn't see. "They will call me far worse before this is all over."
Despite his terrible wounds, Lan had remained silent. Now he screamed as his body spasmed. The slivers of pink bone disappeared back under his skin, and the long bloody gashes closed with no scars.
Nynaeve was still angry and she wasn't finished. A thick bluish band of something seized Moiraine's entire body and lifted her off the ground.
[ A duel using the One Power, ] Sage explained. [ That blue substance is the element of Air. I think the wisdom was inspired by your example. ]
{ Are they going to kill each other? } Mat asked silently.
[ I doubt it, although it is possible given Nynaeve's inexperience. ]
Despite hanging in midair, the Aes Sedai smiled. The bluish band holding her body disappeared, and she dropped back down to the ground. Nynaeve left out a painful moan, and then she was the one floating above the ground with several blue and red chains wrapped around her.
[ Moiraine cut her off from the One Power with ease despite the younger woman's greater strength. Impressive. ]
"Child, you have so much to learn. The question is whether your pride will stand in the way of your education."
O-O-O
Their traveling circus took on a different shape when they left camp that morning. Sage was no longer content with a horse. Now he had a covered wagon. Moiraine dragged her two students to the back of the wagon by their ears, and practically threw them inside. After a bit of bribery—in the form of another green book—Min joined Sage on the driver's bench.
That left five riderless horses to look after, since Mat was trying to ride his construct again. Lan and Perrin were watching over the small herd at the moment, while he and Rand trotted ahead looking for hidden obstacles or water or some tasty game.
"Why were Egwene and Min talking about their hair this morning?" Mat asked as he desperately tried to prevent his horse from disappearing again. "I mean, aren't we on our way to a cursed city?"
"Egwene swears she'll never wear a braid again, but her hair is so long that it gets in the way… at certain times," Rand said, and his face was now as red as his hair. "I don't mind, but she does. She can't ask Nynaeve for advice about this kind of thing, and Moiraine is even more cold and distant than before. That leaves Min."
Mat couldn't help it—he laughed at his poor friend. "So her hair gets in the way. That must be why they braid it back home."
"I don't know, maybe we should ask your Ma."
"Is Egwene going for Min's short style?" Mat asked, letting the insult slide. Joking about either of Rand's parents was a bad idea nowadays.
"Whatever she wants is fine with me."
"Really?"
Rand let out a long exhale. "Whenever I think about all this nonsense… about being the Dragon Reborn… all I feel is rage. Pure and overwhelming rage at both the Dark One and the Creator. But Egwene… she is like an arrow shot from a bow. There is no hesitation, no doubts. To her the path before us is clear. I can't let her down. I can't let any of you down."
"Whatever I can do for the both of you, I will," Mat said quietly. "And while Sage might be a pain in my arse, he'll help too. I'm sure of it." They looked back at the wagon, and saw the ghost wave at them, while Min's head was buried in yet another book. "He never really leaves me alone. That's going to be awkward at "certain times" in the future."
"He will probably tell you what a poor job you're doing, and how you're a disgrace to the Green Lantern Corps," Rand said with a grin.
"That sounds about right. I know I shouldn't ask, but how is it?"
"No, you shouldn't ask. But to be honest, it's even better than I thought it would be. Perhaps that is true because it's Egwene."
Mat rolled his eyes. "You're such a sap."
"Just you wait. I've a feeling you're going to fall harder than I ever did once you find the right girl."
"Never."
O-O-O
Late in the afternoon they saw it in the distance, despite a shroud of pale white fog. A great walled city sitting beside a great wide river. It made Baerlon look as small and insignificant as Emond's Field.
"That is a city," Lan said as the three friends stared at the view in awe. "A city so dangerous that Myrddraals and Trollocs have been afraid to enter its walls for over two thousand years. Shadar Logoth can kill you in a heartbeat, and you would be a fool to think the ghost can protect you there."
As they slowly approached the cursed city, something in the air changed. Sage dispersed his wagon, and everyone mounted their own horse. Even Mat, who was sick of falling off his construct all day. The mood was so grim the boys broke out their pipes. A good bowl of Two Rivers tabac to help calm their nerves, or so they hoped.
"Do you have an extra pipe?" Min asked.
They all shared a look. Back home women suck their noses up at smoking tabac, although no one really knows why. Well, it wasn't like Min was a normal girl anyway.
"Right here," Mat said as he took out another pipe, packed it, and lit the tabac using the heat from his own pipe. Then he moved his horse close enough to pass the lit pipe over to her. "Enjoy."
"Nothing about this is enjoyable," Min said after taking a deep draw. "All my life I've heard horror stories about this place. Let me tell you what happens in those stories: everyone dies by the end. The only question is how long and painful their deaths take."
Moiraine came over them on her beautiful white horse. Even the bloody woman's horse was graceful. It didn't trot, it danced in the fading sunlight. "Where is the ghost? Back hiding in its ring?"
{ Are you hiding? } Mat thought.
[ Conserving much needed resources. ]
{ Sounds like hiding to me. }
[ Tell Moiraine Sedai I can hear her, and that you will relay my answers to any questions she might have. ]
He did, but that did nothing to calm her.
"We will not camp overnight this close to Shadar Logoth."
"Sage agrees. Me too."
"So why have we come to this accursed place?" Moiraine demanded.
"Sage needs you and Rand to channel directly at the Mashadar. Just once. That's it. Then we can go."
"The boy can not even channel yet."
"Yes, the boy can," Rand said. "And boy will be glad to help."
Moiraine closed her eyes in an attempt to rein in her anger. "The Mashadar is as vast as the city itself, and it can not be harmed by the One Power. The White Tower has attempted to destroy Shadar Logoth many times, and all those attempts failed. What do you hope to gain by this folly?"
Mat took a draw on his pipe before answering. "Sage says he needs information the White Tower doesn't have, and he is willingly to trade something of value in return for your help. A list of names."
"Names?"
"Sage says you've been looking for these names for twenty years, since Tamra Ospenya was tortured and murdered."
Despite being outdoors so much, Moiraine's skin remained fair. Now that fair skin went deathly pale. "It is lying."
"He doesn't lie to me. Or to you. He doesn't need to."
Her white horse danced about wildly as Moiraine's anger came to the surface again. "Give me the names now, and I will cooperate. You have my word."
They both dismounted, and Sage dropped a book out of his storage dimension. It looked similar to the history book he made for Rand, but much shorter. Only a few pages long, in fact.
Moiraine was breathing heavily and it was clear she didn't want to touch that little book, let alone read it. But she did, using a floating ball of Fire for light. Almost at once tears began streaming down her face. Lan leapt off his huge black warhorse and was at her side in a flash, but she brushed him off.
"Sage, face me!" Moiraine finally shouted.
The ghost appeared. [ Make it quick. The Mashadar is even more dangerous than you know. And not just to us, but to this entire planet. ]
"How accurate is this list?"
[ Extremely accurate. Verin Mathwin, a member of the Brown Ajah, was forced to join the Black Ajah or face immediate death. In retaliation she spent several decades cataloging its membership in a coded journal she always keeps within arm's reach. I read it while she was sleeping. ]
"Browns call themselves scholars, but in truth they are all scatterbrained idiots! And Verin is one of the worst. Are you telling me you took these names from her?" Moiraine asked with icy contempt.
[ Of course not, ] Sage relied with an equal amount of contempt. [ That journal was just a useful starting point. From there I cross-referenced all the information I had on the White Tower. The Black Ajah maintains surprisingly good internal security, but patterns soon emerged in my analysis that confirmed the information Verin Mathwin had gathered. In all, she missed less than a dozen members. ]
"I refuse to believe that…"
[ And I refuse to listen to your objections when we are so close to that abomination, ] Sage said as he gestured over his shoulder at Shadar Logoth. [ I will tell you what you believe. You believe that the Black Ajah is limited to members of the Red Ajah. Maybe a few misguided Grays slipped in, maybe a few delusional Whites, but mostly you believe your childhood rivals are to blame for the crimes of the Black Ajah. No doubt the Red Ajah believes your own Blue Ajah is infested with traitors. Given all the petty backbiting going on in the White Tower, it is no wonder one out of every five Aes Sedai willingly serves the Dark One. ]
Moiraine said nothing. She simply mounted her horse and sped off towards Shadar Logoth at a gallop.
[ Rand, Mat, please follow her. The rest of you should remain here at a safe distance from the city, ] Sage said before disappearing again.
O-O-O
For some reason Mat thought it would be hard to get into a cursed city, but it wasn't. The city gate had disappeared long ago, leaving the arched entrance wide open. Moiraine was already inside the high walls and they galloped after her in the fading twilight with no difficulty.
Once inside, the city itself was another shock. After two thousand years at least some of the stone buildings should have been reduced to piles of rubble. Instead it looked like the inhabitants had abandoned their homes and shops just a few weeks ago.
[ The Mashadar is maintaining the structural integrity of those buildings, among other things, ] Sage whispered.
{ Do I want to know what those other things are? } Mat asked.
[ I could tell you, but it would take several hours and have a negative effect on your mental health. ]
{ No thanks. }
Moiraine had stopped in the center of a wide plaza just inside the entrance. She was staring at a dry water fountain filled with marble sculptures. They had just about reached her, when she raised her hands and sent blades of bluish Air flying at the sculptures, slicing them into pieces.
"Watch the surrounding buildings," she said when they pulled up their horses at her side. "The Mashader appears as a silvery mist that flows like water. Now that I have channeled the One Power in the city after sunset, there is no question that it will attack us."
"There," Rand said while pointing off to their left. "Is that it?"
"Yes, it's time to go," Moiraine said as she turned her horse around and headed back towards the entrance in the wall. At the same time she raised her hand in the direction of the Mashader, and sent a fireball the size of a cabbage flying towards it. It exploded, but didn't seem to affect the silvery mist. After a brief pause, it kept flowing towards them.
After a few seconds Rand did the same, except his fireball was the size of a pig and caused a larger explosion. A much larger explosion, and that got a stronger reaction from the Mashader. It suddenly appeared around the entire perimeter of the plaza, and more importantly along the walls.
[ I have what I need. ]
"That's bloody great!" Mat yelled as he turned away from the explosions. "Because that stuff is trying to block our way out!"
While they were preoccupied, the Mashader had formed a thin barrier of silvery mist across the entrance. When they saw it, both Moiraine and Rand raised their hands to channel.
[ Stop! ] Sage said in a booming voice. [ You will only agitate it and force it to scatter in unpredictable directions. Mat, make a bridge. ]
"A bridge?"
[ It can not fly. ]
That made sense, so Mat raised his Power Ring and made a green bridge over the low barrier of the Mashader. The bridge was high and narrow, and he was afraid the horses might refuse to use it. But Moiraine rode a horse like she was born on one. Her white mare led the way, and their two stallions followed.
Rand didn't panic either. At the highest point of the bridge he dropped his reins, pointed his hands at each side, and let loose with two more of those pig-sized fireballs. That sent the Mashader scurrying back as they finally passed through the high wall and into the open countryside.
The horses were tired from a long day of riding and the explosions had them unnerved, so they stopped a short distance from the city to let them calm down. Lan and the others were riding to meet them, but both Moiraine and Rand held up their hands, signaling them to come no closer to the dangers of Shadar Logoth.
"You manipulated me," Moiraine said, and Mat knew she wasn't talking to him or to Rand. "You knew that reading those names would provoke a violent outburst from me, and the only target I had was the Mashader."
[ You were planning on blackmailing my Green Lantern and his friends, ] replied Sage's disembodied voice.
"She was?" Mat asked.
[ She would have refused to cooperate with my experiment unless certain concessions were made. She still wants control over the Dragon Reborn. ]
Moiraine didn't even bother denying it, despite the murderous glare Rand was sending her way. "With this new information you sought, could your Green Lantern now destroy Shadar Logoth once and for all?"
[ It would take a dozen experienced Green Lanterns working together to destroy that city, and the slightly error would cause a backlash that would level this entire continent. ]
"Then why don't you send a message to your "Green Tower" asking for aid?" Moiraine hissed. "In case you hadn't noticed, Shadar Logoth is the least of our problems at the moment."
[ Does the White Tower interfere with the internal politics of nations that are known to be hostile to Aes Sedai? Nations like Tear or Amadica? ]
"We do, at times."
[ And when the White Tower does interfere, it often makes the situation far worse. The Corps learned this lesson a long time ago. We only act when an intelligent species from one planet threatens to destroy another. ]
"If you are not allowed to meddle in our internal politics, then why are you still here?" Moiraine asked.
[ I am training Mat Cauthon to be a Green Lantern. Nothing more, nothing less. By stay on this planet I may be bending the rules of the Corps, but I am not breaking them. ]
"Perhaps the boy would like to attend your Green Tower instead. From my point of view, your training techniques leave something to be desired."
"What's it like?" Mat asked, figuring Sage was playing an angle.
[ You read a great deal, and then you answer questions about what you have read. Answer enough questions correctly, and they might let you use your Power Ring for an hour each day. ]
"That doesn't sound appealing. I think I'll stay here and help out with the Last Battle. According to you, it's coming up soon. Having a Green Lantern around—even one as young as me—might be useful."
Rand brought his horse over until he was facing Moiraine from only a few feet away. "You need to stop. I will do my duty, and so will Egwene. But we will not go to our deaths as dogs on an Aes Sedai leash."
"Do not understand…"
"Unlike Sage, you have no real interest in teaching me about things that I don't understand," Rand snapped. "Until you change your mind—until you are ready to help us, instead of just dictating to us—your only role here will be to teach Egwene and Nynaeve about channeling. If you are unwilling to do that, then leave. I'm sure there must be some other Aes Sedai in the world who would be willing to act as their teacher."
"Some of my sisters are not to be trusted," Moiraine said. "And I'm not just speaking about the Black Ajah."
[ We need to cross the River Arinelle now. Traveling on the south bank will only take us further away from Tar Valon. ]
Moiraine looked shocked at these words, and she broke off her argument with Rand. "Knowing what you know about the Black Ajah and their numbers, you still want to take the Dragon Reborn within a hundred leagues of the White Tower? The risk is too great."
[ You need to give that list of names directly to the Amyrlin Seat. Your friend Siuan Sanche is an intelligent and cunning woman. She might be able to prevent the Black Ajah from seizing control of the White Tower if you warn her of the dangers she is facing. ]
"Your analysis of events has been accurate up until now. Do you think she has any chance of success?"
[ Civil wars are the worst kind of wars, and the most unpredictable. I will say that time is of the essence. We should cross the River Arinelle. ]
"I agree," Rand said. "We need to put the river between us and Shadar Logoth. That's the only way I'll be able to sleep tonight. Mat, a boat big enough for all of us would be nice."
"Burn me, is that really a good idea? My constructs still have a nasty habit of disappearing, and that river is nearly half-a-mile wide."
[ The river is only 1823 feet wide, so a bridge construct would be a logical choice. But given your current skill level, it would likely fail before we managed to reach the far side. ]
"Thanks for the encouragement."
Rand reached over with his long arm, and placed a hand on Mat's shoulder. "I watched you close that portal back in the Mountains of Mist. You can get us across this river. I know you can."
They finally went to join the others, and after a series of hugs and explanations they made their way to the edge of the river. The idea of a boat construct met with a lot of resistance, but somehow Rand managed to convince everyone to go along it.
Mat had seen the Taren Ferry several times during his youth when his Da traveled up to that village to trade horses, and it was the only sizable boat he'd seen with his own eyes. There were some drawings in books back home, but that wasn't the same thing.
So it shouldn't have been a surprise that his Power Ring created a square, flat-bottomed ferry when he asked for a boat. There were high rails along the sides and gates at both the front and back. The color was green, of course. But other than that, it looked just like the Taren Ferry back in the Two Rivers.
"I don't like it," Mat complained.
"It's kind of pathetic," Min added.
[ Your Power Ring has detailed records of several hundred seafaring vessels, if you can access them, ] Sage offered.
"You expect Mat to read through records?" Perrin asked. "If that's the case, then I guess we're stuck with the Green Ferry here."
Mat clenched his fists and snarled. He was used to being the butt of everyone's jokes, but that didn't mean he liked it. Especially when he had just escaped being eaten by an evil fog monster. Plus his arse still hurt from falling off his disappearing horse all day.
{ Boats, } he silently told his Power Ring. { Show me some blasted boats so we can cross this river before the Mashader decides to come out of that city and kill us. }
The Green Ferry changed shape and was replaced by a floating arrowhead covered with dozens of tiny arrowhead windows. From there the boats got even weirder. The arrowhead changed into a metal swan whose neck had to be forty feet high. The swan changed into a tiny village sitting on a glass lily pad. There was a floating pyramid, a long thin slipper, a huge axe head, and what looked like an overgrown wasp nest floating on its side.
After a few more changes, one of the boats caught his fancy. It had the shape of a giant Green Lantern symbol. The two bars at the ends went deep into the dark water, which kept the circle in the middle suspended in the air. Despite its irregular shape, it somehow managed to look sleek and fast.
"What do you think?" Mat asked.
"Is it safe enough to get us across?" Egwene asked.
[ It is an old type of boat called a catamaran, and it is very seaworthy, ] Sage told her. [ This particular design is popular with young Green Lanterns. They often take it out on pleasure cruises, hoping to impress potential sexual partners. ]
Everyone younger than Nynaeve laughed. The Wisdom herself scowled, but even Lan and Moiraine smirked at Sage's comment.
Mat rode his horse up the retractable boarding ramp. "If you're not onboard in the next minute, you can swim across on your own."
The circular deck of the boat was like something out of the Age of Legends. There was a large glass window in the middle of the floor. It allowed you to see the water below, thanks to the green glow the boat itself was giving off. All around this window were cushioned sofas. Mat kept his distance from that window, and tied his horse to one of the rails on the outer edge of the boat. As everyone else was taking care of their horses, he stared out across the River Arinelle. At night, its size and fast-flowing current made it seem almost as terrifying as Shadar Logoth.
Min came over and stood beside him. "You can do it."
"What makes you say that?"
"Sage won't let you die."
"Yes, he would," Mat muttered. "I thought you said he was a creepy ghost?"
"He's so clever!" Min gushed as she ran her hands over the smooth surface of the railing. "I spent hours asking him questions about everything under the sun, and he never once complained about my sense of curiosity. Sage wants to teach you how to be a great Green Lantern. He can't do that if you're dead."
Mat turned away from the naïve girl and back towards the river. He thought about that little wagon, and how he made it move with just a thought. This thing was larger, but that shouldn't matter. He told his Power Ring it was time to shove off, and the boat began to move. Slowly at first, but then with more and more speed.
Everyone was silent. They had seen his constructs fail too many times to be comfortable about this trip. The only sounds they heard was the lapping of the water against the hull, and the harsh wind blowing off the icy river.
Even with the powerful current of the Arinelle, the boat made quick progress. Soon the far bank came into view despite the darkness. Mat left out a deep sigh as they reached it, relieved that they had made the crossing with no real problems.
Then the boat disappeared.
The shallow water below was icy, but Mat was too mad to notice. He had been a screw-up his entire life, but he wasn't going to let it happen again. Dozens of thin green lines erupted from his Power Ring, shooting off in every possible direction. As he crawled up the muddy bank of the river, he saw where those lines went: each was attached to a floating bubble holding his friends and their horses and any loose belongings lost to the river. When he felt dry ground the bubbles slowly settled down next to him and disappeared.
"Are we camping here for the night?" Mat asked as everyone silently stared down at him. He was suddenly too exhausted to get up off the ground.
"That sounds like a good idea," Rand said.
"Give me a minute to rest. Then I'll go and make a latrine."
O-O-O
Author's Notes: (1) In this story Shadar Logoth will not be used to cleanse the Dark One's taint on Saidin. (2) The paraphrased quote about an arrow in flight was borrowed from Babylon 5. I don't know if J. Michael Straczynski wrote that himself or if he borrowed it from somewhere. (It sounds very Zen.) Either way, it's my favorite quote from the entire series.