The bed shook, and at times, Lews felt himself nearly lift off it. Could it be an earthquake? The cold air felt fresh and carried the sounds of snorting horses and creaking wheels. I must be on some sort of wagon, he thought. Forcing his eyes open—they felt as heavy as millstones—he tried to focus on his surroundings. He saw the moon peeking out from behind somber dark clouds, casting an eerie, silvery light over the landscape. Carefully, he attempted to pull himself into a sitting position, but his arms felt like jelly and refused to obey.
"Rand, wait, I'll help you," a muted voice said, sounding like Egwene. "You need to drink now—at least a water skin—you haven't had anything in four days," she said. Her voice was soft, yet it carried a note of urgency that cut through the fog in his mind.
"Four days... have I been asleep for four days? Why didn't you wake me? And why am I sleeping on a wagon, Egwene?"
"Moiraine is better suited to answer your questions, but now you need to eat and drink, then you'll likely sleep again, I think," she replied.
He was truly hungry, and now that she mentioned food, he could hardly think of anything else. Egwene handed him a water skin which he gratefully accepted and emptied. After drinking water and eating two large portions of cold stew—which tasted like a feast—his eyelids began to droop again. He fought against it for a while before finally losing the battle and falling into a restless sleep.
When Lews woke again, it was silent around him. He slowly pulled himself into a sitting position—it was much easier this time—and peeked over the sideboards of the cart. It was light out, and they had camped in the shelter of some large trees and thick bushes. Some sort of bird broke the silence with its cawing. Below the cart, Egwene and two young men who seemed familiar slept heavily. A bit farther away lay the Aes Sedai—whose name had to be Moiraine—and a little farther still lay an older man with large, bushy white mustaches, whom he had not seen before.
"So, you're awake now, shepherd," a firm voice said. He turned to see the burly warrior who had fought the Myrddraal.
"Here, boy, eat this and then rest," he said, setting down a bowl of the now familiar cold stew and a water skin.
"Where are we heading and why?" Lews asked while lifting a spoonful of stew to his mouth.
"We are headed to Tar Valon. Moiraine Sedai can tell you why," he answered gruffly before turning and striding away out of sight.
Lews quickly finished the no-longer-delicious stew and puffed up the blankets so he could sit comfortably against the sideboards of the cart. I need to get a grasp of this world; it's obvious I've ended up in a low-developed civilization. The boy's memories might be useful, but his knowledge and opinions in this backward society could very well be completely inaccurate. He began methodically searching through memories and experiences that could give him insight into the world and its people. He fell asleep many hours later with the realization that it was a bleak time he had landed in, where most believed shadowspawn were just myths, although they were evidently still a force to be reckoned with.
It felt as though he had only closed his eyes for a moment, but when he opened them again, it was dawn, and the cart stopped a little while later, after what must have been a whole night's journey. After lying for a long while listening to all the sounds of setting up camp, he pulled himself into a sitting position and leaned against the sideboards of the cart, beginning to study the surroundings. The two young men—whom he now knew were named Mat and Perrin—were preparing their sleeping spots. Egwene was preparing the usual stew, and Moiraine was building a fire. The warrior and the older man with the mustache were nowhere to be seen.
He slowly climbed down from the cart and cautiously tried to stand on his legs. The first steps were a bit unsteady before his body understood that balance was once again needed. When he felt properly stable on his feet, he walked toward the now-lit fire. Mat was the first to see him, and Perrin turned when he noticed Mat's reaction.
"Rand... are you feeling better again?" Mat asked in a hopeful voice. The two women's heads turned as one toward Lews when they heard Mat's voice.
"Rand, you must rest," Moiraine said firmly. "Yes, lie down on the cart again, and I'll bring you some stew when it's ready," Egwene said. Lews sighed heavily.
"I haven't done anything but sleep for days, the body needs to be used to function properly," he muttered.
"He's right, getting back into action quickly after an injury helps it heal faster," the warrior said, stepping into the warm glow of the fire. "Still no signs of being followed," he continued.
"Lan, where is Tom?" Mat interjected.
"He's gathering more firewood," Lan replied.
A little later, after they had eaten, Moiraine and Egwene went off. Mat and Perrin told him that Egwene had the spark needed to learn to channel, before they too went off to practice combat skills with Tom and Lan. Lan lingered for a while.
"Shepherd, your father wanted you to have his sword," he said, handing Lews a beautiful blade marked with a heron. "It takes a skilled swordsman to carry a heron-marked blade, but what I saw in Emond's Field suggests you've already trained quite a bit. We start your training tomorrow," he added, before turning and walking off to join the others.
Lews sat alone by the fire, admiring the sword; it was very well-made, even by his standards. Meanwhile, his thoughts raced. I think I need some answers. He had been sitting for a long time, pondering, when rustling from the forest caught his attention. Moiraine and Egwene appeared among the trees.
"Are you still awake? Go to bed now," Moiraine said firmly.
"Moiraine Sedai, may I ask you a few questions?"
"Yes, if it's quick, but I can't guarantee I can answer," she said, tiredly.
"Why are we on our way to Tar valon?" Moiraine sighed before explaining the reasoning behind why they had to leave, the shadowspawn wanting to kill the three of them for possibly being ta'veren.
"I've been thinking, the stories say that Aes Sedai cannot lie, is that really true? And if so, why?" Lews asked, trying to sound uncertain.
"Yes, Rand, it's true. We cannot lie because we swear the three oaths when we become Aes Sedai. In short, the oath rod binds us so that we can't break them, the first oath prevents us from lying, the second from making any weapons, and the third allows us to use the one power only against shadowspawn or to defend our own or our Warder's life."
"Do you swear the oaths voluntarily?" He couldn't quite hide his astonishment.
"The White Tower requires the oaths of all Aes Sedai, but one has the option to leave the Tower and never become Aes Sedai," Moiraine replied.
Lews tugged absently at one earlobe. "But what stops you from unswearing the oaths with the rod?" he muttered before catching himself. Damn, that didn't come out right.
Moiraine's eyes narrowed, and the tiredness seemed to vanish. "What do you mean? How do you know anything about that?" she asked with a cold tone.
"S...sorry, Moiraine Sedai. I...I was just speculating, thinking that if one could swear oaths, maybe it's possible to unswear them with the rod too," he stammered, trying to sound as convincingly humble as possible while lowering his gaze and his head slightly.
"I am exhausted and need rest, as do you. Go to sleep now," she said before lying down. Egwene had already gone to bed. Lews also went to his blankets, pondering for a long while before finally falling asleep.
Over the next two days, Lews practiced swordsmanship with Lan. He was careful not to use too advanced moves, but sometimes, when Lan pressed him hard, it was difficult not to react instinctively.
During one of Moiraine and Egwenes meetings curiosity got the better of him and he sneaked over there to eavesdrop. He heard Moiraine explaining about the breaking of the world, the men sealing the bore and how they all went mad because of the taint on saidin. As if we had any other choice. So there are no male Aes Sedai anymore. He thought while sneaking back to camp.
Later when the women returned, he asked Moiraine careful questions about Tar Valon and the role of the Aes Sedai in society. He wanted to appear curious but not prying. Much of what she told him about the Aes Sedai depressed him, knowing they had fallen so far from their origins.
After the second night's ride, they camped for a few hours and then continued during the day. After a long ride— as evening approached—they could see Baerlon from a hilltop. The city was nestled between the hills. Smoke from countless chimneys rose into the sky, and the distant murmur of a bustling town reached their ears. The sight of civilization, however modest, brought a strange mix of relief and apprehension to Lews. He knew their journey was far from over but they might get a nice bed and something else than stew in their stomachs.