Gleeman Bob writes: happy holidays, Wheel of Timers! this is the epilogue of my novel in which we discover the fate of Father. well, sort of. refer to the beginning of Chapter 3 to find out what happens next, it is all very sad. respects to Master Gleeman Jordan, as ever, and...

...Walk in the Light!

He Sleeps Under the Hill * epilogue

'Master?'

'Mmm?'

'Where are we, Master?'

'Ah, Jojin, you are awake. And apparently lucid. Good. I feared that you might not recover your senses.'

'Where..?'

'We are within the stedding. You lost consciousness when you passed over its borders.'

'I cannot feel the Source… touch saidin… though I yet feel the Taint upon it…'

'Yes, I expect that you would, after your recent experience. Lay still, Jojin. Do not attempt to rise. You have had a hard time of it, I fear.'

'I do not remember, Master… what happened? Where are the others?'

'Dead. A Madman killed them. We are lucky we were able to escape into this stedding, or he might have killed us, also.'

'Orim? Sandor? Kalli? Dead..? Who..?'

'Do you not remember, Jojin?'

'No, Master… I feel very strange.'

'That will be the Taint, I would expect. Or perhaps, the poison.'

'Poison..?'

'Regretfully so. I administered it whilst you slept. A surcease, Jojin. A mercy, that which I gave to poor Timmin, those many weeks ago. Do you recall? No, I see that you do not. Any more than you recall killing the others…'

'I… killed them?'

'You did. And attempted to kill me, also. Though I hold no grudge, you were clearly not yourself at the time. Strange, I thought that Sandor would be the next to succumb to the Taint, he has oft been whispering and giggling to himself of late… though Orim had taken to staring into space and seizing saidin at odd times… no, I did not think it would be you, Jojin, you have shown none of the signs, anymore than Kalli did.'

'Master, I feel so weary… I do not… understand…'

'Be at peace, Jojin. It will be over soon. And do not fear – I have saved enough of the poison for myself. I have one task left to accomplish, if the Ogier will be so good as to co-operate – ah, here comes one of the Alantin ti Avende now – and then, that will be that, my good and faithful Apprentice. I would that I could fittingly honour your memory, and that of your brother 'prentices, as I did with Eldest Son, with the Firstborn. You deserve that much, and more. You deserve a monument. Forgive me, Jojin… Jojin?'

'He cannot hear you. He is dead, Aes Sedai.'

'That he is, good Ogier. May the Hand shelter him. And may the Creator forgive me, though I fear it is a little late in the day for that.'

'We will sing songs of mourning for him. You are come here for the Sanctuary, Aes Sedai?'

'I am not. Whom do I have the honour of addressing?'

'I am Toval son of Athar son of Haythil. I heard the noise and came to investigate. The land beyond our borders has been rent and torn asunder. Aes Sedai have fought one another, and died there. A great sadness, to see such happenings.'

'Forgive us for disturbing the peace of your stedding. Will you take me to your Elders, Toval? I have a boon to ask of them. Something that I wish hidden here.'

'But of course, Aes Sedai. Please to follow me. This way. But you are sure, sure that you do not require the gift of Sanctuary? No Aes Sedai has ever asked it of us, for Stedding Dantu lies far to the north, close to the Blight, and there are still Nightriders and Trollocs in these parts… but I am sure that the Stump would be only too glad to extend Sanctuary to the Constructor of the Lightborn.'

'You know me, then?'

'Humans look much alike, even Aes Sedai, but you have the strange, small, white moustaches – you were described to me once by Hoojm'aldar't'qaysho. I do not imagine there are any other Aes Sedai who match that description so well as you, Chaime Kufer Mors.'

'That name you spoke... it means 'the one who stands betwixt tree and flame' does it not? Who is this person?'

'I am impressed – I have never met a human who could decipher our speech!'

'I have not been human in a very long time, Toval son of Athar son of Haythil – I lost my humanity long ago, before even you were born. Though I will freely admit that of all the tongues I have learnt in the past six hundred years, that of the Brothers to the Trees was by far the most difficult. Who is this Hoojm'aldar't'qaysho?'

'You pronounce it well, also, Aes Sedai! Hoojm'aldar't'qaysho is one of our names for your son.'

'Which son?'

'The Thirdborn… I knew him, once, he told me of you. He was very proud of his Father, he said, and called you by your full title, using even that name which was taken from you by the Grand Hall of the Servants.'

'Yes, for some reason, that censure always annoyed him far more than it did me! I told him that there was nothing in a name, and I cared not, but he disagreed. Names were important, he felt, they define us. When did you know him, the Thirdborn?'

'When I served in the Northborder garrisons. I was younger then, and hasty. I put a long handle on my axe and went to the wars without permission of the Elders… or my mother… she had arranged a marriage for me, but I went with the others to fight for Shadar Nor instead, angering her greatly.'

'And you served with my… with Youngest Son?'

'Yes. I did. I was honoured to know him, Aes Sedai. I saw him fight with Goaeur Rantoel, the Companion… Elisane Sedai and I watched, as he stood betwixt tree and flame… he had no fear. And saved many a life that day, ours included.'

'He fought a Companion? I never designed him for that!'

'He fought two Companions, Aes Sedai, and slew them both.'

'He did not tell me of that!'

'The Gholam, also. Gholam-Killer, the Warmen called him. Shieldman, he called himself. Your son was a Hero… and like many a Hero, he had many a name!'

'You speak of him in the past tense…'

'I heard that he went south and did not return. Ah, here we are, the Stump… see, the Elders await you, Aes Sedai. Ask your boon, and they will grant it, if it is in their power to so do. And forgive me for imparting ill tidings, but I also heard that Hoojm'aldar't'qaysho fell in battle at the gates of Paaran Disen.'

'Not so. My Son sleeps, but not that sleep from which there is no awakening 'til the Wheel spins out our Thread anew. He will return.'

'When will he return, Aes Sedai?'

'When he is needed. Remember, Toval son of Athar son of Haythil – the War never ends. Not really.'

even though there are no beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time, here ends 'He Sleeps Under the Hill'

but the adventure continues next year in 'In the Land of the Madmen'

GB