Things Fall Apart; The Centre Cannot Hold [Attn: Sojin Majere Gaidin]

[Bella]

"I don't know about that," she mused as she sunk down into the water. "One might say that an Aes Sedai of the Green is at her best when smelling of smoke and destruction." Leaning her body back against the curved metal, she suppressed a wince for how sore it all was. Power has its price, and she had flaunted the former before the Creator and now was justly paying the latter.

She knew it would not be long before she was on the move again. There was a mystery here--a bloody, deadly mystery--and she intended to seek it out before she returned... Where to from here? Would she return to her family for her intended visit, or back to the Tower?

Alone. Again. You are clearly built to be alone. If not, why would they all keep leaving you? Closing her eyes, she tried to just enjoy the feeling of the hot water as it soaked into her. Caden was by my side for many years and only left in death, after I left to it first... Yes, but he did not come back with you, did he? So much for the bonds to be one forever.

Mia inhaled deeply. Shut up.

After so long being quiet, she opened her eyes and looked at the man beside the tub. He would be leaving her too, but at least it had been...good to have him by her side for the time being. Every moment from here on was bittersweet, but she might as well make the most of it while she could. "Yes," she said softly. "Some help would be appreciated."
* * *
((This section encompasses the events of this fanfic.)) The hot bath and clean clothes, along with some more rest and some food, had done wonders. Although she had certainly flirted with certain disaster, it seemed that the once-upon-a-time dancer had managed to allude it. She had not burnt herself out, nor channeled so much as to make her fall ill. She'd come very, very, very close...but had not done so.

Now Sojin was off to meet with the commander and see in the arrival of aid. She had gone to the battlements to watch them arrive.

It was a sight to behold, that was for sure. The idea of all these Seanchan pouring into a fortress of her beloved Saldea brought a twitch somewhere deep inside, but she had to remind herself that the world was forever changing. She had to change with it. In fact, becoming Amyrlin had put her into such a state of constant spasm that even an army of Seanchan could do little to ruffle it.

They were here to help, and were with those of House Walker and a familiar Grey. She had to trust it in their hands, and hope for the best.

There were other things to worry about. Sojin and Balen were looking her way, but she did not acknowledge them. She could not spare any more moments for a broken heart. There was work to be done, and so she left the battlements to find Commander Alnar. Her mind was filled with a time when she and Caden, along with Sadira and Scerai, had found a similar issue.

She had suspicions.
* * * It was dark by the time the new arrivals had been seen to. The valiant, still beleagured sentries of this outpost were given a chance to rest their weary selves a while longer. The new, fresh troops were given the watch while the others were allowed to rest. Mia was in the room she had been granted, standing beside a table with a map loaned to her by Alnar.

The door opened and she glanced back to see Sojin walk in, even though she knew it had been him. A servant or soldier would've knocked, and an enemy would not have simply opened the door.

"A long time ago," she began without any other sort of greeting, "Caden and I were the Blight Border, as we often were, along with my daughter and her warder." There was a great deal more to it than that, but it was irrelevant information to anyone but her. "We found an area similarly troubled and discovered a waygate in the caverns, pouring out Trollocs.

"I think something similar may be at work here." She gestured for him to join her at the maps and pointed to marks made in Alnar's hand. "The good commander was able to help coalesce their information on where attacks have come from, where patrols have had the most trouble, and so forth. It all suggests a focal point." Which she pointed to, an area she had circled. "I suspect they are trying to get rid of this outpost because it's too close to this. While this is also what gives them so many troops to do it with.

"A waygate, surrounding areas for more Trollocs to be created, the Fade or more that are undoubtedly controlling them..." She tapped the map thoughtfully. "Alnar's soldiers have never gotten close enough to detail it properly, but there--" She pointed to another drawing. "--is a rough idea of the area."

[Jack]

Sojin wanted to hit something. Very, very hard.

The conversation with Balen had left him in such a conundrum that all he could do was fume and bite his tongue while helping to organize and arrange accommodations for the influx of new soliders.

At one point, he nearly tore the head off a Seanchan officer for suggesting that a raken go scouting for Trollocs. Needless to say, he held off lecturing the poor young man and instead allowed the man to move forward with his suggestion.

The Grey Asha'man had a talent for driving home the point when necessary, and Sojin had been on the receiving end of that advice before. Only now, he was more adamant about the decisions Sojin needed to make.

There had been a time when Sojin knew Balen Ashe as a quiet, skilled diplomat; obviously he had outgrown that phase to become something that might even make a Sitter think twice about questioning him.

As the Gaidin walked the corridors to Miahala Sedai's chambers, he couldn't help but think that the man was right. Perhaps …

You leave for the good of the Tower as much as you do her, Sojin thought. And yet the words Balen had spoken stung like an Aiel arrow.

As he entered Miahala's room, he was immediately barraged by information. The Gaidin didn't miss a step as he peered over the Green Aes Sedai's shoulder and studied the map.

“It would be a clever tactic, especially if Trollocs didn't use it too much,” Sojin murmured. “Or the Machin Shin didn't kill them first.”

He had learned a lot during his time in the Yards as a trainee, and it wasn't just limited to combat and strategy. Some things were advantageous, even if it saw little day-to-day practical use.

And he avoided prying too much into Miahala's past, or that of her children. He knew only that Scerai Allon Gaidin died by the Shadow's hand and … well the rest was history. Sadira Rose Jolstraer Aes Sedai was still alive, but he could only feel empathize with the loss of a bondmate. Some things were best left untold until the person was willing to speak of them freely.

“But you're probably correct about eliminating this outpost simply because of the proximity,” Sojin said, leaning closer. He could smell the remaining traces of the soap supplied by the outpost servants. “Suppose there is one and that the enemy is using to maneuverer troops about. How would we deal with it? They are nigh impossible to destroy, or so the stories go. A group of Aes Sedai tried once when the Blight nearly overtook it and they were lost to the Ways.”

He smiled wryly. “The stories Aes Sedai of the White Tower tell young kids in Tar Valon are not ones most here in other parts like Ebou Dar or Tear,” he murmured.

It wasn't a question of Miahala's ability. One quick look at the Aes Sedai betrayed a deep confidence in her ability to develop a strategy, even on the spot. “As for the Trollocs, find their big bad Fade, destroy it and hope that it's a big enough catalyst to cut down numbers.”

He kissed Miahala's cheek and murmured, “It's a crazy plan, but it's certainly my type of crazy, Aes Sedai. I informed Balen Asha'man that we would be leaving at daybreak.”

He straightened and added, “And he informed me that House Walker's armsmen and their Seanchan counterparts are quickly getting up to speed. They've brought fresh food, water, and weapons.”

He paused, as if considering how the deliver some more news. He already knew the distance from where he stood to the door but doubted he would get far enough to warn the Grey of a potential oncoming storm.

“He added that if we are not back within a day and Trollocs make a second assault, he will send word to the Grey Tower, or more precisely, the M'Hael and the Hall of Sitters,” Sojin murmured. Balen had been blunt about that. As much as the man respected this particular Amyrlin Seat's independence, he appeared to establish a hard line.

“So, my Aes Sedai, shall we indeed leave at daybreak?” he asked.

[Bella]

As soon as she had seen the Grey, she knew that he would not give her much longer here. Even so, she would tied him up with Air and coarse rope in the corner of the fortress if she had to. She would not leave this place until she had finished this task, because it was before her and she felt it was her duty. As an Aes Sedai of the Green, and as a Daughter of the Borderlands.

"At daybreak," she agreed softly. "From all I know and all I see here, I believe my suspicion that this portal is underground. And if it's a cave, I can sink it into the earth. I might not be able to stop the Power of the thing itself, but I can make sure that no one can ever reach it again, and that must be enough. Then kill those above ground, and...call it a day."

She lifted her head from her looking-over of the map and smiled slightly at him. "And then after this, you ride off to the next pages of your life and I back to the Tower before it falls to pieces without me." A wry light glinted in her eyes. "You will stay with me tonight, then, won't you?"

OOC: I can write them heading out in the next post, unless we want to write this out more first. <3

[Jack]

Sojin felt only a slight wave of relief flood through him. Miahala wasn't marching for the door with the intent to confront Balen and he wouldn't be forced with the decision of whether to stop her or not.

Part of him wanted to suffer for the words spoken today, and another wanted to warn him of imminent doom. After all he was a friend, and pretty much the only channeler present to help defend the outpost after Miahala and he left.

That's because she's a smart and passionate Green, you dolt, not a crazy one, he thought.

Of course, he smiled at her simple solution to the matter. If the Waygate were underground and a ton of stone blocked the entrance, then it would not open. Only a Dreadlord could remove it for it to become functional again, and the Shadow likely didn't want to draw attention to itself like that.

But her next words struck a chord in him similar to what Balen had attempted to drill into him only this afternoon.

He almost flinched. What was he to do? Stay and be an ineffective Warder to someone who deserved more or return to something he knew he could be — a soldier and adviser to the Citadel.

Sojin pulled Miahala to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. “Despite wherever our paths might diverge, this I swear, Miahala Sedai: My sword is always yours should you call.”

His hands roamed then as he gently pushed her toward the bed. He kissed her softly before he whispered, “And for tonight, I am yours in any and all fashions.”

~ ~ ~

The predawn hours saw Sojin Majere preparing the gear and horses for himself and Miahala Sedai.

He limited his interaction with the Aes Sedai's stallion, allowing the stable hands to arrange the matter, for they were better horse handlers than most in the Westlands.

Sojin was quiet as he and Miahala prepared to ride out of the gate and into the unknown when Balen Asha'man stopped them.

His eyes were on the Amyrlin Seat. He bowed respectfully as was proper protocol.

“May the Light see you speedily returned, Mother,” Balen said as he straightened. “House Walker's armsmen have seen to shoring up defenses and the outpost will be defended until your return.”

His eyes hardened then, looking briefly at Sojin before returning to the Amyrlin Seat.

“With respect, Mother, you have a day before we assume you in danger, less if Trollocs attack,” he said. “My priority is this outpost's defense and your safety, so if one or the either occurs, word will be sent to the M'Hael and the Hall.”

Sojin caught a wisp of mischief in the Grey Asha'man's eyes.

“The First Seeker will be summoned and he will bring the full fury of the Indigo and Green Ajahs with him,” Sojin said, stealing the Grey's thunder.

“No, he will bring the wrath of the Hall and all eight Ajahs with him,” Balen said simply. His eyes were leveled on the Amyrlin Seat. “Before the fall of the Caralain, he mentioned to myself, Zae Sedai and his Warder Siena Calin of a convent that he swore to: the Amyrlin Seat must survive at all costs. That man will sacrifice all political and personal markers he has left to ensure that remains.”

He smiled politely but his eyes were hard. “Amora en'Damier was everything to him outside of his famly, and he was her shield. Shadows fled when they heard those words.”

Balen raised a finger before the Amyrlin could utter a word. “Those Shadows might fear your name, but they see even greater cause to strike you down, and they will gamble everything they can to ensure that goal. You're his oldest living friend and if he must see you in a gilded cage, he will, because you mean more to him than Amora did.”

Again, Balen bowed before he turned and started to leave.

Sojin smirked and looked at Miahala. “He's not wrong,” he murmured. “So let us prove them wrong.”

[Bella]

Every moment of that night came as bittersweet touches. The passion was tinged with sorrow and concern for the future. What would the next day bring? What dangers and insanity lay before them, for if there was one constant in Miahala's life, it was both danger and insanity. But beyond that, she had a lonely road to look forward to. He would go on, and she would go back.

Could she really have expected anything else?

By the time they collapsed into a pile of sweat and little clothing, she curled her body against his and into the protective circle of his strong arm as she pressed her cheek to his chest. She blinked slowly as she felt sleep coming on, sighing out her sorrow as she succumbed to the embrace of the darkness and the rest they would need for the morrow.
* * * The scar down the very center of her chest was no longer a scar. It was, in fact, a fresh wound that gaped open to reveal her still-beating heart. Somehow, it didn't hurt. Not much, at least. Mia looked down at it. Thump. Thump. Thump. The blood poured freely from the wound, running down her body and hitting the parched dirt beneath her bare feet.

As it touched the ground, it moved of its own volition. She watched it sliding like liquid snakes out from her in four directions, forming a perfect crossroads to all sides.

She looked before and behind, left and right. The paths stretched out as far as could be seen in the barren landscape, yet the paths themselves were shortly shrouded in darkness so she could not see where they led. Thump. Thump. Thump. Every road looked the same, but she instinctively knew that they were not the same.

Lifting her hands, she looked at them. They looked perfectly normal but for the jet black manacles around them. That made her frown, wondering why she was chained here. What was the point of being in a crossroads if you were incapable of picking a path? Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Which way do I go?" she whispered to no one.

Over head, the ever-present eagle screeched but when she looked up, she could see nothing but a star-less night sky. Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Which way do I go?"
* * * She awoke that morning feeling like she hadn't slept at all. Everything was mechanical, by rote, as she prepared to ride out. They rose, they dressed, they ate a hasty breakfast, and then were in the stables. The hands got their horses ready. Of course, they could not leave without words from the Grey, yet she had expected it.

Mia listened. She was good at listening. Obeying was another matter, but she always listened. His saying that she meant more to everyone's favorite First Seeker than Amora, however, struck a chord. It was unexpected, but she did not reveal the effect it had on her as she listened, bowed her head in respect, and then continued on their way.

Having heard what Sojin said, she simply nodded acknowledgement but her mind was far away. It was still in the Dream. It was in the land of the Blight and their mission before her. It was back in the Tower...

As they rode, she forced her thoughts to narrow. They had a task, and she must entirely focus on it. There would be enemies to defeat to reach their goal, to achieve their goal, and then to escape their goal. If she wanted that heart she dreamed of to remain in her body, she best keep her focus sharp.

A large group of Trollocs and one or more Fades? Most people would ride away, but no, they rode straight into the maw of danger.

"The hills, short though they are here, to the west should provide some aid as they will be less populated," she said as they rode, all business and duty now. "The cave is likely to be in those hills as well. Still, I'm sure we will not find it unnoticed. Shall we attempt stealth, or a bloody swath instead?" She cast a half-smile at him as her eyes glinted, yet there was something dimmed to her expression.

[Jack]

Sojin observed Miahala as they rode from the outpost, his sapphire eyes dancing in the early morning light.

Something was troubling the Aes Sedai, perhaps more so than usual. He didn't have to penetrate an Aes Sedai's facade when the slight tension in her body could give everything away.

But he said nothing. If Miahala wanted to talk about whatever was on her mind, she would divulge it eventually. Forcing the matter might well end with him buried to the neck in quicksand.

When she did speak, Sojin listened attentively. He dropped Tsyn back half a step to ride alongside the Amyrlin Seat and respoded, “While I'm one for taking the fight to the enemy, I think stealth might be more practical.” He smiled slightly. “I'd rather be the one to catch the Trollocs with their trousers down rather than stumble in like one of their own brethren.”

Sojin noted the diminished smile, however.

And he tilted his head. He knew that look.

“You were Dreaming, weren't you,” he murmured. An Aes Sedai he knew from long ago and in another life had such a similar look when she Dreamed. Not that she had ever spoken of it. “That or it's something else.”

[Bella]

There were very few people alive who could read this woman so well, but the time they had been spending on this trip would certainly have given him a far more intimate view of her than anyone still alive could possibly hope to achieve. Such knowledge could be both a blessing and a curse. Though at the moment, she didn't find it to be either, and simply felt a little impressed at his intuition and ability to interpret it.

"It's a great many things, Gaidin," she said as he gaze moved into the distance ahead of them; their goal.

Her mind roved over her Dream. What crossroads? She knew the symbolism of her Dreams could be oblique, but this one she felt was pretty clear. The entire road before her was laid out, and she existed now to walk upon it without much choice in the matter. Not to mention the disturbing memory of seeing her own beating heart; she had been told she felt things strongly and once upon a time, been free with the showing of them...but this seemed extreme even to her own mind. And why were her Dreams always drenched in blood? This had only been since her resurrection.

She pulled herself back out to consider the realm of the living. "And yes," she said quietly, still not looking back at him, "I Dreamed."

[Jack]

Sojin knew to expect a certain distance between him and Miahala during this mission into enemy territory, but some part of him had hoped to overcome the somber parting that awaited both of them once it was completed.

And if wishes were horses, then you would be able to touch the stars, Sojin Majere, he thought.

It was something that a Salt Flats Nakai Aiel spearmaiden had once whispered to him just before battle against a group of Shadowspawn near his unit, nearly twenty years ago.

Like the ones they now faced, those Trollocs had emerged into the area via a Waygate. And thankfully an Asha'man had been assigned to his calvary unit.

“That would make two of us over the last week or so,” Sojin murmured, his eyes focusing on the horizon and the hills that were to come. “At least you weren't being addressed by your half-sister about things she should have no knowledge of, alive or dead.”

Light, but Bryn Riverstone Walker had been a stubborn woman with the strength of a tsunami when she was alive. Dead, or in his dreams, she was that much more disconcerting.

The silver-haired Gaidin urged Tsyn up slightly ahead, letting the Aes Sedai to dwell on her own thoughts.

Sojin didn't speak again unless Miahala broke the silence, and only then in brief remarks. His own mind was now trained on the mission ahead. His face went silent and hard as stone, the Void already claiming his soul as emotions fled or were fed into the fire.

It wasn't long before they reached the first signs of the hills, and with it, obvious signs of past Trolloc activity. Scattered remains of were obviously human bones were strewn to the side of the road.

With a nod from the Aes Sedai, the silver-haired Gaidin took the lead slightly ahead, hand drifting to the hilt of his jian.

Out of the frying pan, and into the inferno, he thought.

[Bella]

The further they road, the more...blighted the land of the Blight Border looked. The wreckage and devastation left in the wake of the Shadow's pawns was an obvious signature upon this place, and the sight of her filled her with anger and sorrow both. She had grown up in this shadow, both in her ancestral home as well as the Tower walls. Both places had raised her.

In silence, they rode on with every sense available to them wandering the land. Mia did not yet embrace saidar simply as a precaution on its own, because she knew it lived at her fingertips.

They crested a small ridge and could see a shallow valley beyond them. Deep inside it, she could see the Trollocs' camp and on the far eastern edge was the obvious gaping maw of a cave entrance in the craggy hillside. On the western line was a ridge that she thought she saw something of a path available to them through the sparse trees. The rocky edges should allow some cover.

Her mind raced to calculate the space, and she determined she could channel across it--especially with Earthsinging weaves, as they were a strength of hers. The cover of the ridge should allow them a place to conceal themselves, collapse the tunnel, and get out of there as bloody fast as they could. Looking beside her, the keen look in Sojin's eyes told her he had seen it as well.

No words need be spoken as they quietly steered their horses forward, moving in a westerly way. The wind was on their side, keeping them upwind of the beasts so they would not be spotted. It was a wide arc, steering as clear as possible. May the Light be with us... she whispered a small prayer in her mind.

Though she was not prone to shows of panic, she could not stop the quiet thundering of her heart. This plan would all be for naught if the monsters found them, as she was not sure she could take on that many again and so soon.

She did not feel like dying, again, today.

Miahala and Sojin gained the ridgeline without being spotted. The higher they would go, the less easy it would be to conceal the horses so they made the difficult decision to leave them below. Well-trained steeds, she knew they would remain with the barest of precautions. And then, they made their way on foot.

Now, she embraced the Source as he pulled his blade. One more look, silent but lingering. Words that need not be spoken. A faint smile, she leaned in the small distance and kissed him. No words then either as she turned and they moved to a better vantage point above.

Once they reached it, they crept as close to the edge where they could remain concealed--as much as possible--but she could see the cave opening on the far side. In the valley below, the Trollocs...went about whatever Trollocs did. She didn't care to think about it. If there was a Fade below, she couldn't be sure...

The former Green, the Amyrlin Seat, took in a deep breath and pulled the One Power into her like a tidal wave. The land sang here to her as well, amplified by saidar's power. While the One Power was always full of sweet notes, the song of Saldea was here a funeral dirge. The land mourned its own passing, and it filled her with as much sorrow as saidar filled her with power.

With her blue-green gaze fixing on that black opening ahead, she pulled on the cords of Earth in the Pattern all around her. She tugged on threads as wove power deeper and deeper into the tapestry around the cavern. The land began to shake. It was subtle at first, but she knew she didn't have the time. She pulled harder on the threads and the whole thing quaked. Stones began falling down the hillside.

The beasts below now took notice, and began to panic. The ground shook harder and the rocks above the entrance itself were the weakest in the onslaught and could no longer withstand the pressure. It began to collapse inward as the mountain shut the door within piles and piles of hard stone flowing deep within the tunnel.

It would be a long time before anyone could hope to open it again.

However, this was where their luck ended. One keen-eyed creature--ironically or as would be suiting with the head of a hawk--spotted them where the cover could not do so entirely. "Time to go," she heard him say beside her, and of course she could not agree more. She kept the waves of the One Power within her as she pushed away from the rock face, rushing along side him to return to where their horses remained.

Skilled riders both, they mounted in moments and freed their steeds from the quick-release leads in an instant. They wheeled around to begin the race to freedom, but in just moments, she saw the path ahead was blocked.

The hard way it is, then, she thought darkly as she pulled a thick column of Air to ride before them, like a battering ram...

[Jack]

For all his years as a Warder or a soldier, Sojin never felt especially comfortable entering the Blight.

As a trainee and young Warder he had done his fair share of tours at the Citadel, and on more than one occasion he and Saphire had helped evacuate a village the Blight had just claimed.

Where most might see the destruction caused by the Shadow and the Dark One's touch, the silver-haired Gaidin saw sorrow. And he could see its impact on Miahala, even if she didn't overtly show it. Once children might have played here in these hills, so many thousands of years ago.

But the Trolloc Wars, and the intervening era claimed these lands. In the thousand years since the fall of Artur Hawkwing's empire and the rise of the current borderlands, one nation had already been claimed. Malkier fell after enduring for a thousand years, its Seven Towers destroyed, its people scattered and its lush beauty distorted and corrupted.

Sojin remained silent, his eyes taking in every curve of the hill, every possible shadow, always slightly in front of Miahala. His gaze, like hers, already fell into the deep valley as they ascended the hills and prepared to traverse the narrow ridgeline. Then they landed on the massive cave at the other end.

It was their quarry. What angered Sojin more than the use of the Waygate as a means of war was the fact that this area may have once served as home to a steading. Now that was gone, and with it the Ogier who perhaps at one time called it home.

On a normal day, he might have sworn up a storm that made most battle-hardened soldiers cringe at hearing. However, silence was their ally this day, and Sojin for one did not wish to cause a ravenous, bloodthirsty horde of Trollocs to stampede from the valley.

At least not before their mission was accomplished.

Tsyn was nimble in their approach until he and Miahala dismounted and moved from foot to their goal. He had since bared his jian sword in silence, prepared to take on any enemy that might otherwise prevent their passage.

He felt her lips against his, and for a second the Void wavered. But only a second. He smiled briefly, the only emotion escaping the flame. Then the next several moments happened within what seemed mere heartbeats.

The ground shook, the beasts beneath screeched. And then their target vanished in an cascade of stone and earth. Barring a massive workforce or a Dreadlord of Miahala's strength and talent, the Waygate would be barred for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, they were spotted and the stampede began. “It's time to go,” he murmured.

The pair flew from their vantage point, mounted their horses and prepared to escape.

The path that was blocked before them suddenly gave way as the Trollocs were shoved to either side by an invisible force. Miahala's hand, undoubtedly, he thought.

But it was the last one he spared before he gave himself fully the Void. His jian came slashing down, cutting down Trolloc after nameless Trolloc. Black blood spilled on to the tainted ground as body after body fell before his blade. At least one managed to gouge at his armor with a knife, scratching him before he sent the creature to meet its maker.

There was a break. Sojin's sword cut through the last of those in their way as they hit flatland, but he pulled Tsyn back, now prepared to cover Miahala's flank and rear.

The first arrow flew by him, narrowly missing his neck and Miahala's horse in the process. Sojin's sword deflected the second one.

The third one flew past Miahala, but Sojin could hear a grunt and he looked briefly in her direction. The arrow had grazed her, and judging by the reaction and look in her eye, Sojin knew to turn Tsyn about and ride past her.

The few Trolloc archers within range were hit by fire and destroyed. And so much more damage that followed.

“Miahala, retreat,” he said. It was an order, perhaps one of the few times that a Warder could trump an Aes Sedai.

Of course, neither was stupid, both were on horses, and both were quick to take advantage of that fact.

The enemy was behind them, the sun on their shoulder. The only thing that Sojin had on his mind was returning to the safety of the outpost, and a host of Saldaean and Seanchan soldiers and House Walker armsmen.

They gained ground, but always in the distance could they hear the screeching of the Trollocs and the sound of steel. It was at one point that he noticed Miahala beginning to shift uncomfortably on her horse, reaching at her wound. But neither could stop or find some place to hide. This was still the Blight and it was the enemy's territory.

That soon changed as they crossed the invisible border, and the land began to regain some of its vibrancy. But by that time, Miahala was clinging to her horse as if it were life itself. She looked barely coherent, but all Sojin could do was ensure she didn't fall from her saddle. It was as if her stallion was now in control, intent on returning home.

And the enemy was gaining … until he heard the first screeches from above. A shadow fell over the pair, and Sojin looked skyward to see the silhouette of a winged beast flying over them. And it dived … toward the Trolloc force.

The raken was a beast clumsy on the ground, but in the air it was lord of the skies. The beast screamed earthward, scattering the Trollocs in brief fear at the unexpected attack before the raken climbed back into the sky.

It bought Sojin and and a wounded Miahala precious moments as they came within sight of the keep.

But it was not enough before the first of the Trollocs began to overtake them.

Sojin was prepared to turn and fight when the first arrows flew into the black horde. Something told him to go on, to follow Miahala.

He listened. And he followed the now unmoving Green at her horse's heels. A line of Seanchan and Saldaean lancers were there to greet them, along with what Sojin saw was a group of a dozen mounted men and women.

And two people standing in their center, both of whom he knew well by sight. One diminutive woman and the black-clad Asha'man that was his father, holding a wooden quarterstaff more than six feet in length. The First Seeker had come and with the wrath of the Grey Tower.

The allied line parted to allow the pair of riders to pass before closing. All Sojin could hear before he reached the gates were the words of Jerid Walker. “The Shadow is not welcome in the land of Light.”

And then the world shook behind Sojin, and lighting and fire fell from the heavens.

The courtyard was a beehive of activity, with soldiers and servants preparing to defend the walls and the hold itself if necessary. Above, the banners of three silver fish on a sea of blue, golden Seanchan hawk on a field of white and the silver fox rampant of House Walker flew in tandem with one another.

Sojin dismounted quickly, leaving a heavily breathing Tsyn to the attention of others.

Miahala's horse circled, clearly protective of her rider and preventing anyone from trying to gain control of him. Then she started to slip.

Sojin was across the the small space between them, catching the Aes Sedai as she slipped. Her horse turned, looked him in the eye as if considering to rear and defend his mistress before he backed away.

Miahala felt hot to the touch, and yet pale as if death itself was fighting to claim her. Sojin held her in his arms as he lowered her to the courtyard's bare earth floor.

“Out of my flaming way, or I will have all your heads to decorate my hall and your hides for my saddle,” a female voice roared. The crowd of bustling troops suddenly parted and a very familiar Aes Sedai made her way to the pair.

Zae Rowe Aes Sedai moved with a fierce determination, kneeling beside the pair and grasping the wounded Amyrlin Seat's face in her hands. She bristled with saidar, more than she could hold on her own unaided.

“Mother, focus on my voice,” she whispered. She looked at Sojin and added, “With your blessing, Sojin, I would Delve you Aes Sedai.”

Sojin was oblivious to most of what she said, but nodded firmly. He watched as the Indigo Aes Sedai work and then saw her face grow grim. And then she recoiled visibly, as if bitten by a viper.

Zae's blue-green eyes landed on Sojin. “I'm sorry, Sojin, but she's dying,” the Indigo Aes Sedai murmured. “The wound … it was tainted by a weapon created at Thankan'dar. It's beyond my ability to Heal alone. Unless she receives Healing from a circle in the next hour, she will die.”

Sojin's grip around Miahala tightened unconsciously. “Do. Something.”

Zae shook her head. “Sojin, there is nothing I can do. The Flame of Hama Valon flickers even as you did so many years ago as a drin'far'ji wounded by a poisoned Seanchan arrow. Only one thing can buy time and that is beyond my scope or your ability. Comfort her.”

The Aes Sedai gripped Miahala's hand and whispered, “I am truly sorry, Mother.” Then she was up and already moving toward the wall, prepared to join the fight beyond.

Sojin looked at Miahala, whose eyes were open, breathing shallow and skin now burning to the touch. He caressed her face, tears falling from his face. “I never told you this, but I love you Miahala,” he murmured.

His mind raced … and suddenly connections formed on what Zae had just said, something from when he was a but a drin'far'ji at death's door and the act that had brought him back.

“Miahala, listen to me carefully, you must bond me,” Sojin said. “Use my strength so that you might be anchored to this world. So live, burn you, and that's a flaming order.”