The Grey Tower

As they rode at a comfortable pace towards the tiny village called Somal, Liaran reflected that there could not possibly have been a better day for this trip. The sky was cloudless above her head, the temperature warm but not too hot, and the Aes Sedai was quite looking forward to an afternoon spent walking through the village and by the nearby lake from which the village took its name. It was far enough from the Grey Tower to serve as a short break from her responsibilities, yet close enough that the short time on horseback was tolerable even for her. Still, riding demanded Liaran’s full attention, so much that she had not been able to spare a thought for idle chatter with the woman who rode beside her.

Perhaps that was not entirely due to the demands of riding; Haeden’s mother remained mostly a mystery to Liaran, though she had spent plenty of time getting to know her husband’s family even before their marriage. Miahala Sedai was hardly a stranger, and not at all someone she disliked, yet Liaran remained unsure of what sort of relationship she was expected to have with the other woman. She just barely managed to refrain from glancing nervously at the older Aes Sedai when Miahala broke the silence that had existed between them.

Looking up for just a moment, Liaran offered, “You haven’t?” in a voice she feared didn’t quite conceal her surprise. She had not thought there would be anywhere in the known world that Haeden’s mother hadn’t already seen, but supposed it did make sense. Hama Valon itself was a good deal larger than the lakeside village they were approaching, and the lake, while interesting to Liaran, probably had little appeal to her. Just why Miahala had even wanted to accompany her, Liaran wasn’t sure, but she hoped that spending this time together might help her to overcome the awkwardness she struggled with in Miahala’s presence. Forcing herself to give a small smile, Liaran commented, “Then this will be new for both of us.”

Liaran nodded politely, then looked back down to the reins in her hands, unable to come up with an appropriate response. Even if neither of them had previously visited Somal, the pair of them were hardly equals. The warmth with which Miahala addressed her despite this fact never failed to leave Liaran confused and desperately searching her own mind for the right words. Needing to maintain her focus on the path ahead of her, she remained silent until the town of Somal came into view.

Still some distance away, from what Liaran could tell, the town looked much like Hama Valon, if much smaller. That was as she had expected, since the two towns were not far from each other. It made Somal seem almost familiar, though she had never before visited the place. Offering a somewhat belated observation, Liaran looked to her traveling companion and commented, “I don’t think there will be much excitement in a town as small as this, but it should be interesting, or at the very least, peaceful. I am hoping for a rather quiet afternoon to enjoy.” Both peace and quiet could be difficult to find living within the Grey Tower, causing the Blue sister to appreciate the few times when she was able to get away for even a short period.

As they drew nearer to their destination, Liaran lifted her head to glance towards Miahala again. “Would you prefer to stop in town, or visit Lake Somal first?” she asked. Left to herself, the Sea Folk woman likely would have spent the entire afternoon at the lake and not visited the town at all, but since she was not alone, it seemed only polite to allow the other woman to decide.

Miahala’s agreement to visit the lake first brought a smile to Liaran’s face, one that remained as she directed her horse down the trail that would take them closer to it. Lake Somal was, of course, nothing compared to the oceans of her youth. Yet it was vast enough to support much of the nearby village’s livelihood, and if Liaran squinted at it, she might even be able to pretend that it truly was part of the sea. The Sea Folk woman urged her horse on, stopping just short of the bank, and let out a contented sigh.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, more to herself than to Miahala. It was more of an observation than a question which needed an answer. Still in the saddle, Liaran attempted to take in the sight all at once, dark eyes moving from the boats sailing the surface, to the village’s inhabitants fishing from the banks, to the sunlight sparkling on top of the water. This study was done in total silence which she could only hope Miahala would not disturb.

When she grew tired of staring at the lake from horseback, Liaran dismounted and led her horse to a grassy area beneath a tree. Then she returned to the other Aes Sedai and looked up to address her. “I had planned on taking a short walk, if you want to come,” she invited quietly.

Liaran, never much of a talker unless she had something to say, was pleasantly surprised to find as they walked that Miahala did not seem to mind her silence. She had rather expected the woman to be the sort of person who thrived on constant conversation, much unlike herself. Instead, they both remained mostly quiet, allowing Liaran to enjoy a few rare moments of peaceful appreciation of the world around her. All the pressures of her life as an Aes Sedai of the Grey Tower and a newly-made wife seemed to fade for a very short time. As the two of them came closer to the forested area to one side of the lake, Liaran caught a glimpse of movement deep within the trees.

That alone would not have concerned her; she knew enough of this land by now to know that plenty of animals made a home in such places, far from the intrusion of humans. Still, something about it disturbed the Aes Sedai enough that she stopped walking and turned her head to get a better look at the space. As she did, Liaran observed that Miahala had also stopped not far from her. She shook her head in response to the other woman’s question. She had not heard anything, but she had seen something in the forest, the movement of a shadowy figure that appeared to be larger than any animal she’d ever heard might live in the woods.

Not sure exactly what she faced, Liaran stepped backwards away from the road and reached for saidar in preparation to defend herself from whatever it was. By the time the creature was close enough to allow both women a clear view, a ball of fire had flickered to life just above her outstretched hand. The Blue sister raised that hand and threw, not caring that she still was not at all sure what the being was. What she did know was that it towered over her, easily twice her height, far too tall for any human. Her eyes followed the fireball in its flight towards her target even as she began to weave another. When it struck near what would have been the creature’s shoulder, the resulting light illuminated what might almost have been a very human face, except for the black feathers that covered it and the sharp beak that had replaced a human mouth.

Understanding struck her then, and fear swept over her even as she lifted her hand to strike again. As the fireball shot forward, the Trolloc, a creature of the Shadow itself Liaran had never thought to see with her own eyes, swung a giant axe towards her head. The Aes Sedai was forced to dart away, hoping to evade its reach, but Liaran did not go far. She whirled around and drew more deeply on saidar, pulling almost as much as she could hold to herself. The fireballs she formed now were smaller, but far more numerous, more of a distraction than a true threat. Liaran could only hope to keep the Shadowspawn far enough from her for long enough to allow her to divert her attention to a second weave of Fire that might actually have a chance at wounding it. For now, she couldn’t take that risk, and as she continued to throw the smaller balls, Liaran dared to look into the forest again. From her limited memories of half-forgotten novice classes, Trollocs did not hunt alone…and she had no idea how many more might still be hiding there.

Liaran continued to weave an onslaught of tiny balls of fire, not willing to let up even when Miahala came closer. The Green sister wasted no time in adding her own weaves against the creatures, including a burst of light that clearly displayed the horde of approaching beasts. Some of the fireballs she’d thrown found their intended targets, but not all of them, and as far as Liaran could tell the Shadowspawn were hardly even slowed by her efforts. With frustration, she switched her focus to creating larger balls, trusting that what Miahala was doing would impede the Trollocs’ attempt to reach the pair of them. As one sank into the mud that the other Aes Sedai had created to trap it, Liaran threw the larger ball she’d made at the struggling creature. The Shadowspawn shrieked as it ignited, but Liaran gave it no more of her attention.

That one had been dealt with, another lay collapsed on the ground, likely felled by some weave Liaran had not even seen, but many of them continued to close in on the pair of Aes Sedai. Liaran wove as fast as she could, with speed she hadn’t managed since she’d passed through the final Arch, watching as one of the Trollocs staggered to the side, one arm blazing. The Blue sister hissed, frustrated with her own inadequate efforts, and did her best to throw the next fireball with better aim. That one slammed into one of the Trollocs’ chests, and when that one fell it did not attempt to rise again.

The one with the burned arm, however, still stood and was advancing towards them along with the rest of its kind. Liaran did not think she could handle enough fireballs, fast enough, to kill all of them before they could get near enough to attack with their giant weapons. Out of necessity, she began a different weave, using Fire and Air to form a tiny bolt of lightning that crackled to life just above her hand. Turning her head, she checked to see where Miahala was before she dared to throw it; lightning was harder to direct but did not need to be as accurate. She was weaving another even as the first bolt struck, causing one of the Shadowspawn to shake, then collapse to the ground. She thought she saw a few more of its kind there as well, likely brought down by Miahala, but others were still coming. Those raised sharp swords and strangely barbed axes, ready to swing as soon as they were within reach of the pair of channelers.