AN: A bit of a longer wait between updates than I'd intended, but RL got in the way. As mentioned in the original AN, this version is in the process of catching up to ffn and ao3 and will thus update extra often until it's there.
Chapter 2: Attack
Rand and his father were sitting in the common room of the inn together with Moiraine, while Lan had taken up his customary position against a wall where he had a good view of the room. All waiting for hell to break loose. Thom Merrilin, the gleeman, was sitting at the next table over, smoking his pipe and clearly distrusting the Aes Sedai who was visiting this backwater village for some reason.
Rand wasn't sure how to include him. He was a dependable man, but he had no real reason to be invested in their cause to the degree he had been the last time around, and had indeed rather gotten sucked into events as tended to happen around a ta'veren. But then, he also couldn't help but stick his nose into things, so perhaps he'd join their group in much the same manner as last time.
Master al'Vere, the innkeeper, had given Rand – and Tam – an odd look when they'd entered the common room both with a sword around their waist, but asked no questions. Right now he was with his family, leaving the common room deserted except for the five of them.
Lan suddenly kicked himself off the wall. "Trollocs!" he announced.
Immediately, everyone jumped into action, the three blademasters drawing their swords simultaneously, and Rand felt goosebumps rise on his arms and back, the subtle tell that a woman nearby – Moiraine – had embraced the Source and was now channeling saidar. He himself did not seize saidin, though he was ready to do so at a moment's notice. Similarly, Thom suddenly had knives in his hands, seemingly out of nowhere.
Rand let everyone else leave the inn before him, knowing that he was supposed to be the least experienced fighter. Outside, no trollocs were yet visible, but Lan clearly sensed where they were, as he immediately took off, the others following him.
"Know how to use that blade of yours?" Thom asked Rand.
"My father taught me," Rand lied.
All around them, confused people came out of their houses, hearing Lan's shouts. Then, screams sounded from the direction Lan was moving, and seconds later they encountered a band of trollocs in the darkness of the night. Thom remained at a distance, using his throwing knives to great effect, Moiraine slinging weaves next to him, while Rand stepped up next to his father and Lan.
He easily flowed through the forms – much easier than he was used to, in fact, now that he had his left hand back, that his side no longer complained at his every move, and his hands were no longer marked. Indeed, it was only as he sent his blade through the chest of the first trolloc, then easily pulled out, moved on to the next, blocked a strike, and downed a third, that he realized how spent his body had been, and how young and vital he now was in comparison.
Though the trollocs had managed to set the smithy on fire, Haral Luhhan and his family managed to escape, and the shadowspawn were quickly dispatched of.
However, more shouts awaited them, and the group quickly moved through the village to Mat's house, being held up by another group of trollocs before they got there. Just as they arrived and were about to engage the trollocs, Moiraine shouted.
"Myrddraal!"
Rand immediately turned to face the Fade, resisting the creature's ability to inflict fear with it's gaze. Moiraine shifted her attention completely to it, sending a ball of lightning in it's direction, though it dodged away. A firebolt followed, but it flowed with unnatural movement once again and slid towards a shadow, no doubt intent on disappearing.
Rand seized saidin, reaching through the taint, and wove Fire and Air, calling down lightning. This, the Myrddraal could not dodge, and Rand rushed forward, avoiding the thrashing creature's blade as he approached and cut off it's head. The rest of the creature continued squirming, but Rand paid it no more attention as he walked away.
All around them, bestial screams sounded as the trollocs linked to the Myrddraal died with it, and in the darkness, Rand allowed himself a grin as he released saidin and looked around. From what he could remember, this had been a rather cleaner defense of the village than what they had managed last time, though he had not been there for the fighting. That time, the Myrddraal had escaped, meaning Moiraine and Lan had had to keep fighting until all trollocs had left or had been defeated.
He quickly got back to business, however. Some people might still have gotten injured, and Moiraine was their only healer – except for Nynaeve, who wasn't yet able to use the One Power deliberately.
"What are these blasted monstrosities?" Mat's familiar voice exclaimed.
"Trollocs," Rand said, walking up to his friend. He sheathed his sword, hoping Mat didn't notice, and looked down at the specimen Mat was studying. Like all trollocs, it looked to be a mixture of man and beast, in this case a bear, with a snout and an impressive row of teeth, but also unsettlingly human eyes, gazing lifelessly at the sky.
"Blood and bloody ashes!" Mat said. "Here? In Emond's Field? How do you even know what they are?"
"Lan," Rand said, pointing to the warder. "He suddenly called out that there were trollocs, next I knew we were outside, trying to fight them. Is everyone alright?"
Mat looked over his shoulder to his burning home. "I think so?"
"No injuries?"
He shook his head.
"Good," Rand said, walking off to follow Moiraine. She might need some help, depending on how many people did get injured.
"Where are you going?" Mat asked.
"Making sure everyone else is alright, too," Rand said. Mat followed immediately behind him, and they heard Moiraine order someone to bring his wounded wife to her.
"I'm an Aes Sedai," she clarified. "I can heal her."
"A bloody Aes Sedai?" Mat exclaimed, only to cower when she turned around. "Uh, no offense, my lady."
Rand had to hold himself back from chuckling at the naive boy Mat still was at this point. No cursed dagger, no hanging, no memories of wars long past, no Seanchan invasion, no kidnapping of a princess, just an innocent boy watching legends become real.
"Do you have a bloody sword?" Mat asked, finally having realized Rand wore something on his hip.
"My father gave me some lessons in the past. He didn't let me tell anyone," Rand said, hoping Mat wouldn't question that Rand wouldn't have been able to resist telling him. "Never expected it to be useful."
"Wow," Mat said in awe. "Do you think he could teach me too?"
"Maybe," Rand said evasively. "Moiraine, do you want me to check on the smithy?"
"Yes, good idea," Moiraine said, slightly distracted with the woman she was healing. "And if you see the Wisdom, tell her to meet me, so we can coordinate any healing if needed. We'll talk to her after everything has calmed down a little."
Rand started walking back to the smithy, Mat on his heels.
"Did you know she was an Aes Sedai?" he asked.
"Yes," Rand admitted, not seeing the benefit in lying. "Father realized she was one and told me. We were spending the night in the inn, and she, Lan and the gleeman were the only other guests around."
"Did you… talk to her?"
"I did. Did you?"
"Well, yeah. Yesterday. But I didn't know she was an Aes Sedai! Did… did she make that thunder?"
"Yes," Rand said – he had agreed with Moiraine that if he did any channeling, they would claim it was from her. "She hit the Fade with it. The moment we killed it, all the trollocs died."
"Wow," Mat said, awed.
Just then, they arrived at the smithy.
"Rand! Mat! Are you alright?"
"We're fine," Rand said. "What about you, Perrin?"
"Just shocked, that's all," he said. "Were those… I heard people say those monstrosities are trollocs."
"They are," Rand confirmed.
"What are shadowspawn doing here?"
"Trying to kill us," Rand said drily.
"Bloody ashes, Rand," Mat spoke. "How are you staying so calm with all this?"
Rand wasn't sure how to reply to that, but luckily he didn't need to.
"Is everyone okay?" Nynaeve's voice shouted over the gathering crowd. "Any injuries?"
"Nynaeve!" Rand called.
She immediately came over. "Rand? Are you okay? Your father?"
"Moiraine wants to talk to you," Rand said. "Coordinate the healing."
"Coordinate the healing? What do you mean?"
"She's an Aes Sedai," Rand said. "She can heal people."
"She's a what?" Nynaeve exclaimed. "No wonder. What is she doing here?"
"No time for that now," Rand said. "We need to make sure everyone is alright first. Once everything important is out of the way tomorrow I want to talk to you though. It involves Moiraine as well."
Nynaeve looked at him distrustfully. Despite Rand having a full foot in height over her, it never seemed all that apparent. She turned to Haral, the smith, confirming that there were no injuries here, then turned back to Rand.
"Where is that woman?"
"Near Mat's home, or at least she was when I left her," Rand said. "Do you know where Egwene is?"
"At the inn," Nynaeve said. "She's taking care of the people who don't have serious injuries."
"I'll go and help her, make myself useful," Rand said, upon which he found himself walking next to Nynaeve for a bit. Mat and Perrin remained behind, presumably having no desire to deal with a stressed Wisdom.
"Has something happened to you?" she asked him.
"What do you mean?" Rand asked carefully, though he wasn't surprised Nynaeve noticed this quickly.
"You seem different," she said.
"Tomorrow," Rand said. "It's not something I can just tell you in a minute, and there's people that need your help."
She nodded. "Different, indeed. Don't distract Egwene too much."
"I won't," Rand promised as they split ways and he walked to the inn. In the common room, four people were sitting, with Egwene fussing over them.
"Egwene, do you need help?"
"Rand? Oh, yeah, get me that jar over there."
He did as she asked and watched as she administered the salve to a cut.
"What are you doing here, Rand?"
"Trying to make myself useful," he said.
"You, trying to make yourself useful? I had never expected to see the day."
Rand chuckled. "I only make myself useful at night, see."
Egwene turned to look at him. "You know, perhaps you're not a complete lost cause."
"I hope so," Rand said, smiling.
"Don't get smug now."
Egwene finished with her patient and walked over to Rand. "I don't have a clue what's happening."
"Change," Rand replied, realizing she wasn't talking about tonight's precise events.
"You think this isn't a one-time thing?" Egwene asked.
"It's not," Rand said. He led her away from the patients, out of hearing range as he spoke softly. "You know Moiraine?"
"The lady that arrived yesterday? I haven't talked to her."
"She's an Aes Sedai," Rand revealed, causing Egwene to gasp. "She came here because she knew the shadowspawn were trying to find us – or rather, some people here – and she was trying to beat them to the punch, which she barely managed."
"Who?" Egwene asked. "Who are they trying to find? Do you know?"
"Egwene, you know I wouldn't lie about something big, right? Even if I like to join in with Mat's pranks sometimes."
She nodded, slightly apprehensive.
"Me, Mat and Perrin," Rand revealed. "I can't tell you why – Mat and Perrin don't know yet, in fact they don't even know the trollocs were after them, though I'm sure Moiraine will tell them when she has the time."
"What – what are you going to do?" Egwene asked.
"Leave," Rand said. "We cannot stay here, because the Shadow now knows where we live. If we stay, they'd just send more trollocs, more Fades. And Moiraine and Lan, they can only do so much."
Egwene's eyes grew wide. "Can I come along?"
Rand faked hesitation, though he knew he wanted her to, unlike last time when he had tried to convince her to stay. "You'd have to ask Moiraine. Not now, though, she's busy healing people."
Egwene tilted her head. "Not going to talk me out of it out of a misplaced sense of chivalry?"
"I have three reasons not to," Rand said with a teasing smirk.
"Oh?"
"One, it would be pointless. Two, you'd just get angry with me. Three, I don't want to talk you out of it."
By the second point, Egwene wanted to interrupt him, but she changed her mind after he finished. "You want me to come with you? Even though the – the trollocs are after you?"
"Yes," Rand said.
"You really can't tell me why they're after you?"
"No." Rand shook his head. "I'm sorry."
The front door opened, and another man entered, bleeding from a cut in his arm.
"Thanks for the talk, Rand," Egwene said. "And thanks for not treating me like a child." She hugged him, which he returned, and then walked off to help her latest patient. Only then did he realize she had her dark brown hair braided – the sign of adulthood for a woman in Two Rivers, though she had abandoned the practice only days later when Moiraine started teaching her in the use of the One Power. It was strange that this young girl, just seventeen years old, would be the most powerful woman in the world in two years from now. Or perhaps not, depending on what changes Rand might cause to the Pattern. But she had incredible leadership qualities, that was indisputable.
It wasn't long after their chat that Tam returned to the inn, luckily uninjured this time around, and told them that all wounded had been taken care of – proving that indeed, their extra preparation and striking down the Myrddraal had cut down significantly on the injuries. That allowed them to actually get some sleep still, and ready themselves for the next day.
Rand had only just finished his breakfast when Nynaeve entered the common room and went straight for him.
"You said you and that… Aes Sedai wanted to talk."
"Yes," Rand said, rising. "And my father too." Tam had already finished breakfast, and Moiraine had had her breakfast upstairs, as far as Rand could tell. He led the way there and knocked on the door. "Nynaeve is here!"
"Come in," Moiraine's muffled voice came from the other side, and they entered together. There were not enough seats, so Rand took a position near a wall, mirroring Lan, while Tam and Nynaeve both sat down in a chair – Moiraine once again sat on her bed.
"So what's all this about?" Nynaeve asked.
"Before anything else," Rand said, turning to her, "Nynaeve, I know I may have a bit of a… reputation, sometimes, in particular because I tend to spend time with Mat, but you know I would never lie about something important, right?"
She nodded hesitantly.
"As you noticed already last night, I've changed. The reason for that is that I did something that brought my future self back in time. Back to yesterday. I still have all the memories and knowledge from that time, which is why I've been acting differently – I'm a different, more mature version of the boy you knew."
"That's impossible."
"So I would have said as well," Moiraine said. "But Rand knows things he could never have learned here, and no matter how extraordinary his description of what happened seems, it sounds possible to me. A… happy accident, rather than something done on purpose."
"I'm not sure why I should believe you," Nynaeve dismissed her. Moiraine seemed to want to retort, but refrained as Rand gave her a look.
"Then believe me," Tam said. "He talked to me separately, and his story makes sense."
Nynaeve considered that, then turned to Rand again. "Why would you tell an Aes Sedai before telling me?"
"Because I know Moiraine's goals, and that I can trust her absolutely as a result of that." He held up a hand, and Nynaeve actually refrained from interrupting. "I trust you absolutely as well, which is why I'm telling you as well, but it felt more important for me to tell Moiraine, also because I knew last night's raid was coming. The advance warning allowed us to take down the Fade, which cut the attack short."
"There's more, isn't there?"
"Yes," Rand said. "We're going to have to leave – me, Mat and Perrin, together with Moiraine and Lan, because the shadowspawn are after the three of us. My father will also accompany us, and I want to ask you to come as well."
"I'm the Wisdom," Nynaeve argued.
"And you trust us to run off with an Aes Sedai with only my father to protect us?"
"You trust her," Nynaeve pointed out.
"But you don't."
"What's the part you aren't telling me?"
"I need you," Rand said. "You came with us last time around – though in something of a different context, I will admit, as we left and you chased us to try and convince us to come back – and you were one of the most important people to support me, in particular once Moiraine died. Which happened because she was protecting me, I should add."
"Why do you need support in the first place?" Nynaeve asked, suspicious now.
"I'm the Dragon Reborn," Rand said plainly. "The Last Battle is coming, and I am to lead humanity against the forces of the Shadow."
"Bollocks."
"I only went back in time two years, Nynaeve," Rand said. "Do you think any two years of normal life could change me this much?"
"We don't live in a fairy tale, Rand al'Thor."
"Tell that to the trollocs outside."
Having no retort to that, Nynaeve turned to Moiraine. "So why are you here?"
"I've been looking for the Dragon Reborn for two decades," the Aes Sedai said. "I was there when a prophecy foretold his birth on Dragonmount. I've traveled the entire world since in an attempt to find him. My last lead led me here. And that's when Rand sought me out and told me his story."
"I found Rand on the slopes of the mountain," Tam confirmed. "His birth mother was dying, as you know already."
"That was Tigraine, actually," Rand said. "My birth mother."
"The vanished Daughter-Heir of Andor?" Moiraine exclaimed.
"The very same," Rand said. "From what I've been able to piece together it was Gitara, the same Aes Sedai that prophesied my birth, who told her that she had to go to the Aiel Waste and become a Maiden of the Spear. My biological father is Janduin of the Taardad Aiel, the clan chief who united the tribes that waged the Aiel War."
He turned back to Nynaeve. "To get back on topic – Nynaeve, as I said already, I very much want you to join us. You are one of the most reliable people I've had around me, and there were a lot of people vying for that distinction. On top of that, you are never afraid to speak your mind or let my position in the world influence your thoughts. I need people like that."
"Am I truly that indispensable?"
"Yes," Rand said. He shared a look with Moiraine, then decided to go for a gamble. "There's more. You're also a channeler, one powerful enough that you have the potential to duel the Forsaken Moghedien to a stand-still."
"That's impossible."
"You told me the story of it with your own mouth," Rand said. "Again, Nynaeve, I need you."
She remained silent for a dozen heartbeats. "I'll come with you."
"Thank you," Rand said, standing and pulling her into a brief embrace. "Then there's one more thing. Egwene also wants to come along. She's also a channeler, and she was absolutely invaluable, though I admit I had little contact with her for most of it."
"I'll take care of her," Nynaeve said.
Rand smiled. "I expected nothing less."
After the conversation with Nynaeve, Rand took Lan and Moiraine along to a spot just outside of the village, ensuring they would not be seen.
"As I already implied, I want to start teaching you a number of weaves," Rand told Moiraine. "Of course, the only way I can actually use saidar is by linking together, which means I also need to channel saidin, but I'll channel as little as possible to minimize the taint I encounter. In fact, for the time being I will try to avoid channeling whenever possible, and if we come across a situation where you're unable to perform a weave, we can link and I can use your saidar instead."
"Will you start the circle?" Moiraine asked.
"No," Rand said. "Only a woman is able to start a circle. You need to reach out to me in the same way you'd reach out to another woman. Once we link, you'll likely be overwhelmed by saidin at first, as it is rather different from saidar. Just let me take control immediately."
Rand felt goosebumps appear once again as Moiraine embraced the One Power, and he reached out to saidin, just barely not seizing it. He felt Moiraine's link, and suddenly saidin coursed through him, through them.
Moiraine gasped, but let Rand take control immediately, upon which he minimized the flow of the tainted saidin.
"It's so different," Moiraine said. "Like a wild mountain torrent. It felt like I was drowning."
"Saidin and saidar are opposites of a coin," Rand said. "When channeling saidin, you need to control it, while when channeling saidar, you need to surrender to it." And that was what he did, surrender himself to the calm river that the female half of the One Power was often compared to. The greatest challenge in leading a mixed-gender circle was that you had to seize control of the saidin, yet surrender to the saidar at the same time.
"Today's excursion actually had a bit of a double purpose," Rand said. "The first one is that my father has a power-wrought blade. There was no time to get it yesterday, but we can grab it now. The second… Moiraine Sedai, have you ever heard of Traveling?"
Her eyes bulged. "Traveling… but of course! You would know how to do that."
"I do," Rand said, weaving all five elements – Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Spirit – together in a complicated pattern. "With saidar you need to make two places the same in order to open a Gateway. You also need to be familiar with the place you're departing from." He showed her the weave, and as the threads clicked into place, a small line of golden light appeared, which widened into a Gateway showing the farmhouse where Rand had grown up.
Moiraine had stepped up to the Gateway and was investigating it.
"Careful," Rand said. "The edges of a Gateway are sharp enough to cut everything except for cuendillar."
He led them through to the farmhouse.
"Another thing that is lost to the ages," Moiraine said. "Do you know how to make cuendillar?"
"I know the weave, but I do not have the talent for it. Egwene does, however. In fact, she independently rediscovered it the last time around. I'll teach her once she has progressed far enough to be able to perform it."
Behind him, he closed the Gateway, as it required a constant stream of saidar to be held open. The front door of the farmhouse seemed to have been bashed in, and the inside was a total mess, though luckily nothing had been set on fire. Of course, a number of dead trollocs – who had been linked to the same Myrddraal Rand had killed – lay inside, having fallen over. After a moment of indecision, Rand used simple weaves of Air to lift them up and move them outside. He made his way up the stairs to the attic, and after some searching managed to find the heron-marked blade.
"Can I see it?" Lan asked as Rand descended the stairs again.
Rand handed it over. "A true power-wrought blade. I used it for months, until it was destroyed in a battle with Ba'alzamon. I'll have little need for it, in particular after cleansing the taint, but perhaps my father can make use of it."
He left the building, going to check on the sheep pen – he remembered that last time, the trollocs had slaughtered the animals. Moiraine and Lan followed him. "Speaking of, Perrin favored a hammer and axe at various points, while Mat favored an ashandarei."
"I've never heard of that," Moiraine said.
"It is a spear-like weapon," Lan said, "except it has a full blade on top. A very unusual weapon indeed. Where did he get it in the first place?"
"From the Eelfinn," Rand replied. "Though that was a situation I hope to avoid this time around. He nearly lost his life because he didn't know what he was dealing with, and if he did know what he was dealing with, he probably wouldn't receive the boons he did in the first place."
Rand confirmed the sheep were indeed dead, which at least meant they wouldn't slowly starve with no one to care for them.
"What weapon did he use before he got his ashandarei?" Lan asked.
"Bow and arrow," Rand said. "A proper Two Rivers longbow is incredibly deadly in the hands of someone who can use it."
He opened another Gateway, allowing them to get back to Emond's Field.
"How many times do you think you need to see the weave to repeat it?" Rand asked.
"I might have to practice it a few times. I imagine you cannot see the weave while I'm practicing?"
"No," Rand replied. "I cannot see saidar except if I weave it myself with a circle."
Moiraine nodded. "Well, despite that, I should be able to figure it out before too long, I think. In particular if I can ask you to show it one more time."
Rand closed the Gateway behind them and released the circle – as well as his saidin – as they walked back to the village.
"Can't we just Travel to Tar Valon?" Lan asked.
"I imagine Rand has reasons not to," Moiraine said.
"I do. Several. The first is that I don't want us to attract undue attention. If we move all over the continent, people who track us are bound to notice. Preferably, I want the cleansing of saidin to be the first thing that people notice, because that is absolutely impossible to hide. But before we can do that, we need to make sure Ishamael can't ambush us while I'm unable to fight him, and that means we need to draw him out."
"That makes sense," Lan conceded.
"Another is that we wouldn't be able to explain it to Egwene, Mat and Perrin. While I certainly want them with me, they need some experience with the wider world before they can be trusted with something of this magnitude. And then there's Thom, the gleeman. I would appreciate having him at my side as well, but I'm not sure how much of him traveling along with us was just because he wanted travel companions, and how much was because he didn't trust an Aes Sedai with a few naive adolescents.
"And the last reason is that there are two people that we can meet on our journey that I want to get to know again. The first of them is Min, the girl that has those viewings, I believe you met her in Baerlon before coming here? And the second is Elayne Trakand, the Daughter-Heir of Andor."
"They were important to you?" Moiraine asked.
"Lovers," Rand replied. "Both."
Moiraine raised an eyebrow. "Both?"
"I had three," Rand said. "The third was an Aiel woman. Among the Aiel, it is accepted for a man to have more than one wife, and Min, Elayne and Aviendha decided they'd rather share me in that manner than fight over me."
"Curious," Moiraine noted.
"Min saw it was going to happen in her viewings, actually," Rand said. "Though I don't think she realized it at first? But that does make me think, I had fulfilled quite a few prophecies from the Karaethon Cycle, and it seems unlikely to me that I'll fulfill all of them a second time. For example, the one that mentions I was marked by the herons, that happened because they were burned into the palms of my hands while I was using this blade." He held up his father's sword. "With the control over my channeling, I doubt I'll hold it again after today. After all, the One Power makes for a far more convenient weapon, in particular against someone like Ishamael, and it was him who I fought when I received the marks."
"That is a good question," Moiraine said. "You have unmade the Pattern, but that is not an act of the Pattern itself, so how could prophecy have predicted what would happen after that? It is quite possible that all prophecies made before yesterday should be disregarded, whether they apply to you or not."
"That was my suspicion as well," Rand said, leading the way into the inn. The common room was empty, allowing them to continue their conversation as they sat down.
"Ah, yes, Lews Therin was a scholar, right?"
"Among other things," Rand said. Lan took up his position against the wall again, one foot pulled up, casual yet ready to jump into action, in the way only a warder could.
"Actually, do you consider him to be part of you, or a different person?"
"Part of me," Rand said. "Though I would say I am not the same person that I was back then. I've been raised differently. Better, less arrogant." He snorted. "Though that has been a weakness of mine even in this life, whether or not the taint was to blame for that. Moiraine, if I am ever arrogant, please do not hesitate to address it – though of course at the right time, but I trust you to recognize that."
"You have been very down-to-earth for this day and a half that I have known you," Moiraine said.
"Part of that might be the environment," Rand said, glancing around the inn. "I haven't been back here since I left with you, nor have I had my father around me, and the others had all changed considerably. It feels… strange, to be back home."
The door opened, and they both looked up to see Egwene enter. The girl performed a hopelessly clumsy curtsy that left Rand unable to resist a grin.
"Moiraine Sedai, when you leave, can I – are you laughing at me, Rand al'Thor?"
"Come sit down," Rand invited her. He took the sword off the table, ostensibly to make space, but really to distract Egwene, which was successful.
"You have a sword? That doesn't look like the one you were using yesterday."
"It's my father's," Rand said. "He'll be joining us as well when we're leaving. Speaking of, you wanted to ask something?"
"Yes," Egwene said, turning to Moiraine. "Moiraine Sedai, Rand said that he, Mat and Perrin are leaving together with you. Can I come with you? I want to see the world outside Two Rivers, and I doubt I'll have another chance."
"Rand mentioned that already," Moiraine said. "Yes, you can come with us, so long as you are ready to leave by nightfall."
She smiled. "Thank you. What were you talking about?"
"Private matters," Moiraine replied.
"Does it have to do with the trollocs? Rand said they were here for him, Mat and Perrin. But that sounds hard to believe."
"It's true," Moiraine said. "The Wisdom will also be joining us, and she knows what the danger is."
"You're not telling me?" Egwene asked.
"Not yet," Moiraine said. "It is… dangerous knowledge. Mat and Perrin don't know the reason either."
"But Rand does?" Egwene asked, turning to him.
It was once again Moiraine who answered, however. "Rand already knew."
"I'll tell you when I can, Egwene," Rand promised. "Why I already knew. As soon as possible. I don't want to keep secrets for you."
"You're different," Egwene said.
Rand chuckled. "Yes, I am. That's part of the secret, I'm afraid." He reached out to grab Egwene's hand. "Again, I promise that I'll tell you as soon as I can. It might be as little as a few weeks until that happens."
"Who else knows?"
"Moiraine, Lan, my father and Nynaeve all know both why the trollocs are after us, and what changed for me."
Egwene nodded. "If your father and Nynaeve are both fine with it, then I am, too."
"Well I'm glad you trust someone, at least," Rand said teasingly.
Egwene folded her arms under her breasts and scoffed, though without heat.
Leaving was much less stressful than Rand remembered it being last time around. With the attack cut short and the Myrddraal dead, there were far fewer injuries, which meant Moiraine had actually slept during the night rather than being busy until after dawn. As a result, when some people questioned her presence and whether it was related to the trolloc attack, she could respond immediately, and the situation was further diffused by Nynaeve speaking up and telling people where to shove it. In addition, while they were still traveling at night for the sake of secrecy, Rand and Moiraine agreed that with the Myrddraal dead, it was unlikely for there to be any threat from the Dark One's forces until they reached Baerlon at the very least.
Like last time, Thom had been sleeping on the hayloft and requested to join them when traveling, claiming he wanted to perform in Tar Valon.
With Tam and Nynaeve joining them, they simply could not gather enough horses, so Lan and Rand instead had to walk. Thankfully, Rand thought, that was at least an option this time around. While they were both in good condition, their flight last time around had been too hurried for them to keep up with. This time, however, they could simply jog along with the horses every now and then, still allowing the party to move quickly, and Moiraine once restored Rand's energy like she had done for everyone the last time around. Lan didn't need it due to the warder bond, and the horses were fine too, with the slower pace.
They still avoided Watch Hill, like they had last time, and no draghkar appeared in the skies – likely, it had retreated with the Myrddraal dead, rather than following them, though Rand could not share his thoughts with Lan and Moiraine without the others overhearing.
Dawn had come by the time they arrived at Taren Ferry, which left the ferryman rather more amicable to their request to cross. By now, Mat had started complaining about being tired, and on the other side of the river Taren Moiraine announced they would be setting up camp. Lan led them down a little while along the river, to the same spot Rand remembered him having prepared the last time around, a natural cave of sorts under uprooted trees that had been dropped here by the Tarendrelle.
As they settled in, Moiraine and Egwene sat down near the fire Lan had started, the two women sitting opposite one another with their legs crossed.
"The One Power comes from the True Source," Moiraine told the girl. Rand listened, even though he already knew all of this. It felt nostalgic, in a sense. "It is the driving power of creation, made by the Creator to turn the Wheel of Time. The True Source has two halves, saidin and saidar. They are opposites, yet work together. Saidin is the male half, and it has been tainted by the Dark One, like a film of oil over water. The power itself is still pure, but it cannot be touched without touching the taint. Saidar is the female half, which can still be used safely."
Everyone else, Rand noticed, was also listening to Moiraine, except for Lan, who was making tea above the fire. Nynaeve in particular seemed to be watching intently, no doubt remembering what Rand had told her the previous day.
"And you think I can learn to use it?" Egwene asked, excitedly. "I can become an Aes Sedai?"
Rand remembered her asking that same question the last time, and she had seemed so far away. Yet this time, he could not help but smile at her eagerness. Next to him, Mat grumbled something unintelligible.
"More than that," Moiraine said. "You are one of the few who don't simply have the ability to learn, but rather the innate spark that makes it happen no matter what. You can and will touch the Source. However, you'll need to take lessons in Tar Valon, for otherwise you'll never learn to properly control the Power, and you might not survive."
She continued her explanations for a while longer, about the innate ability of female channelers to recognize other channelers, and got out the golden chain she often wore in her hair, which had a blue gemstone that would be located on Moiraine's forehead when she wore it. She held it between them and made the gemstone pulsate, briefly causing it to light up before going dark again.
While she did that, she also talked Egwene through the meditation exercises that were so common in learning to touch the One Power, and encouraged her to focus on the stone.
For a few minutes, it kept pulsating, with finally one last, weak pulse that made Rand smile.
Of course, Egwene did not have Rand's extensive knowledge about the One Power, leaving her rather uncertain. "I… thought I felt something but… maybe you're wrong," she said. "Maybe I can't learn."
"Don't be silly, child," Moiraine said. "That last flash was only you."
"It was?" Egwene asked excitedly, before sinking down again. "You could barely see it."
"And that's quite an achievement," Moiraine said. "Many women who come to Tar Valon to study have to practice for months to get this far. You're going to achieve a lot, in particular if you work hard."
"You mean… Oh thank you!" She pulled Moiraine into an embrace, then turned to Rand. "Did you hear, Rand? I'm going to be an Aes Sedai!"
"I heard," Rand said, smiling at her enthusiasm. "Congratulations, Egwene." His smile turned mischievous. "I'll try to remember not to add the 'Sedai' honorific until you've officially earned it."
She crawled over to him and gave him a playful slap. "Don't be silly."
Rand put his arms around her. "Honestly, though, congratulations and good luck with your training."
"Thanks," Egwene said, settling in next to him, leaning against his side. Rand remembered the previous time they had been in this hide-out, and how he had felt like they had grown miles apart in those few days, and realized that instead, they had grown closer. Yet, on the inside, he felt conflicted. He cared for Egwene, always had, and though she hadn't ever been his girlfriend, back in Two Rivers part of him had assumed she would eventually become just that as they grew older. Instead, they had walked divergent paths, and on his path he had eventually encountered Min, Elayne and Aviendha.
And now, he wasn't sure what he wanted. That old path, the one that had never materialized with Egwene, or the one he had walked before? A small, self-indulgent part of his mind even wondered, perhaps both? After all, if three women were willing to share, and Egwene had already been so close with Elayne and Aviendha, then what about four?
