Chapter 3

Hindrance

Ilyane glared angrily at her brother's back. Deain had finally allowed them to make a camp after almost two straight days of riding, but it hardly mattered that no one was watching her now. She couldn't run away now, there was nothing for miles, in any direction and Ilyane didn't like the idea of wandering without knowing where she was going. How she wished that her pigheaded brother had taken it into his head to kidnap her!

Ilyane rolled over unable to stand the sight of her brother anymore. Why had he wanted to 'protect' her anyway? She didn't understand how forcing her to become Aes Sedai protected her.

She watched one of the Warders crouched in front of the fire. She hadn't known that an Aes Sedai could have so many, but Freawyn didn't seem to take any sort of advantage from the fact that she had six. Deain had no Warders at all and she had still managed to rope Ilyane into going to the White Tower, even if that was largely due to her brother's influence.

Ilyane stood and went to the fire, realizing she probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, not with so many things bothering her. She wished there was someone else she could ask her questions to, but as the Warder was all she had and she didn't want to ever speak to the Aes Sedai again if she could help it, she sat next to him and in a soft voice that she almost hoped he couldn't hear she asked, "Where are we headed?"

"To the White Tower and Tar Valon of course, but I believe Deain Sedai means to stop in Whitebridge and catch some sort of vessel for the rest of the trip. She never did like horses much, if memory serves."

"A boat?" Ilyane asked in surprise, "then what the purpose of fetching her a new horse?"

The Warder chuckled. "She had to get to Whitebridge and she wasn't going to walk. Deain Sedai as never been that sort. She uses things and doesn't consider what she'll do with them when the things use has been fulfilled for her."

"What will they do to me once we get to Tar Valon? Does it hurt to become Aes Sedai?"

The Warder roared laughter startling Ilyane. "I suppose it could, but from what I've seen at least at first, it is mostly just draining, physically and mentally, for you probably spiritually as well, most don't come to the Tower with as much fight in them as you but it will make you the better for it once you take on the name of Sedai, too many these days have been raised to the shawl only to become complacent Browns hiding their noses away in books." The Warder snorted in what seemed to be disgust, but Ilyane couldn't see his face well enough in the firelight to discern his feelings for sure, not that she was entirely sure that even full light would've helped. The Warders seemed a stoic group.

Ilyane sighed wondering why everything had to be so secretive with these people. She went back to her blanket. She hoped that she could sleep now, it would be so wonderful to be lost in the oblivion of sleep, dreams were so much nicer than the waking world, even if she did sometimes dream herself into the waking world that didn't seem to have any people.

Dovrin was amazed by the quick travel of the Whitecloaks it had only taken days to reach the town of Whitebridge and they were traveling by foot. He hadn't taken much notice of the city, little more than a village really, on first passing through with the rest of the Illuminator entourage, but he was rather amazed by it now. The bridge spanning the river, whose name he had ridiculously forgotten, was truly magnificent. His mother had even been helping him to memorize maps of the area, so that he would know what the Andorans had been talking about, if of course he had even talked to one of them. Which he hadn't really.

He, like most Illuminators, didn't like speaking with people out of the sect, it tended to let secrets accidentally slip out, and the Illuminators didn't need others making their fireworks.

But his real worry was the speed at which they were traveling. If they had already arrived in Whitebridge so quickly, it seemed that his trial and imminent death because of that trial were too close for comfort. He had thought he would have months to prepare himself for the fact that the Whitecloaks were going to kill him no matter what he said, they always made their decision of what the verdict would be before the trial and nothing would sway them. If they could truly travel so fast though, then Dovrin was in trouble. He wasn't going to have a good chance at surviving the trial if they were hurrying him so quickly and there was no way he could think to escape. They watched him too closely.

Dovrin was doomed to a quick death, because the Whitecloaks were going to try him as a Warder. They wouldn't listen when he tried to tell them he wasn't; they'd already made up their minds. Dovrin could only hope they wouldn't torture him before they put him on trial and killed him. It was a hopeless thought; the Whitecloaks would do whatever they wanted to him before they executed him.

Dovrin hung his head the splendor of Whitebridge suddenly not seeming so great anymore.

Ilyane leaned over the deck of the Ivory Petal staring out at Whitebridge, which they would shortly be departing from. Deain would finally calm down. They had been stuck in Whitebridge for almost a week as they waited for the Ivory Petal to finish loading its cargo so they could leave. Deain had been especially angry at the captain because he hadn't been daunted at all by any of the Aes Sedai threats. He simply kept repeating that he had to get all of his cargo loaded before they departed and it had taken almost a week to do so. Deain had gotten steadily more annoyed and frustrated but nothing she said had even bothered the captain.

Ilyane had been amazed; she hadn't realized that someone could actually stand up to an Aes Sedai like that. She had tried but, due to her current situation, it clearly hadn't been as effective as this captain's efforts. Ilyane didn't know why Deain hadn't simply commandeered another ship. Deain clearly hated horses, but it didn't make sense that she wouldn't simply try leaving on another boat, but then most of the Aes Sedai's actions hadn't made sense to Ilyane, so she discounted it and simply continued to stare out at Whitebridge.

Matthen joined her hesitantly, "Are you still angry with me sister?" He asked softly staring at the water. "I just don't want to lose you. I've already blundered and lost my mother, I wasn't going to let you fall into a chance with death. These people can keep you alive. You'll live longer in their care."

"At what cost to myself?" Ilyane asked softly staring at the crowds hurrying about their business. She wished that she had never let the Illuminator's fortress. She just wanted to be back in a workshop making fireworks. That was all she'd ever asked of life. "They'll change me, make me what they want, not what I want. Matthen all I ever wanted to do was make fireworks. If I go to the Tower I won't be able to do what I want ever again."

"At least you'll live." Matthen muttered sounding a bit embarrassed, before he turned and went back into the depths of the ship.

Ilyane stared across the river in shock, was it really…"Dovrin?" She hurried to the gangplank she had to know if that really was Dovrin she'd seen being led through the crowd by Whitecloaks.

"Where's that girl run off to now?" Deain asked in annoyance pacing her room. It was well past the time when they should have left, but now Ilyane had disappeared and they couldn't depart without her. I'm going to strangle her when she turns up, and then I'm going to force her to use the Source if kills me.