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Chasing the Darkness


_Kynwric_

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Kynwric, Loraine and their companions had been trekking throught he wilderness for days, stopping at town after town and tracking down cold trails of trollocs, fades and other creatures of the blight. Thus far the route along the blight-border had been uneventful. Once again night was falling and camp was made and wards were set, they were settling in for the night as safe as could be behind those wards. Kyn would still keep second watch, he always did in the borderlands.

 


 

The night had passed halfway when he was wakened for his turn at watch, he would see the coming of the next dawn as he kept a silent vigil in the night. As he walked the perimeter of the wards and kept an ear out for anything untoward he heard the first sounds. Marching, a combination of boots and hooves beating against the ground what seemed a few hundred yards away. He watched and listend, making sure that the force was not coming their way and listened more as it passed them by. He relaxed a little, fixing in his mind which direction they were headed as he would want to track that trail come first light.

 


 

As the first hint of light peeked over the horizon Kyn wakened everyone, while camp was being struck Kyn ventured out to scout what he had heard the night before. He returned within half an hour and reported all that he had found. "There was a column that passed here in the night, at least one fade, probably two and trollocs as well. They headed slighty south and west, I think we should track them down."

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Loraine stretched as she helped set up the wards for the camp. It had been a long few days and patrolling the Blight had always been rough on her body. She was looking forward to the pallet she'd be throwing down in the tent going up behind her. She ate a little and made her way to her tent. With Kynwric next to her, she slept as well as she did in the Tower. When he was awakened for the watch, she lay in a half-sleep. It wasn't nearly as restful and probably contributed to her having a rough day in the saddle the next day, but she couldn't bring herself to a full sleep without him there.

 

Morning came and I was ready for it. I was dressed and had the tent down before Kyn returned from scouting the area. She nodded quietly with his report, her mind running over what they could be heading for. "Is there a town that direction?" 

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"Probably, I would think that is what they would head for. That or a large farmstead." He slid down off his horse and took a drink from the waterskin and inhaled the morsels of breakfast that had been saved for him. "Is everyone ready?" he asked knowing the answer already and he climbed back in the saddle again.

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Loraine barely refrained from laughing at him as he didn't wait for an answer before swinging into his saddle again. He must be truly concerned with this little band of trollocs if he was in this much of a rush. She mounted her horse again, the saddle's familiarity settling easily into her body's posture. "Lead on, Gaidin," she said, fighting the urge to use a commanding tone. If they'd been alone, she wouldn't have hesitated. With this many people about, however...

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Kynwric led on, heading for the trail he had found and following it. It wasn't hard as the band was travelling fast and straight, like they knew where they were going. Every once in a while a set of tracks would deviate out, but invariably they returned  later on in the march. About midday something changed though, a column of smoke was rising on the horizon. Kyn looked at Loraine and sighed. "Looks like they got where they were going..." Pointing out the smoke rising. "It is about a quarter day ahead I'd guess. We could push the horses and be there in 2 hours." He looked at her wanting her to confirm the idea, he knew the horses would be tired when they got there, which would mean no using them to run if things went badly. However, doing so would raise the likelihood getting there in time to help, if not catch the Shadowspawn napping.

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Loraine nodded slowly, weighing the risks. She could help the horses, if it came down to a run. It was worth the risk if they could save even one life from that fire. She eyed the smoke as they started moving again. "Let's see if we can make it in less than two hours. It doesn't take a trolloc long to make a stew..." She didn't mention what would be in the stew. She didn't have to. They'd been here long enough that it truly went without saying.

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Kyn nodded and turned his horse around. He saw Kabria and Perivar in discussion behind them and motioned them forward to their discussion. "We're going to run the horses and worry about their well being after we reach the source of that smoke. Which I am certain is our band of shadowspawn..." he turned to look at the smoke again and then back to Kabria and Perivar. "If it is Shadowspawn there can be no hesitation, kill them fast and hard. Fades are best killed by the One Power, so make that your priority target Kabria. Killing the Fades also make the Trollocs easier to kill." He knew they had been over all this before, at least Perivar had when he was a trainee. Kyn stopped talking as that thought went through his head, and then shook his head and smiled. "Sorry, still getting used to you being Tower Guard and Aes Sedai... anyway, we're ready if you are?"

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Perivar leaned from his saddle speaking quietly to Kabria.  She was probably ready to scream.  He had gone over this a thousand times yet he was going to make sure that she fully understood.  To make it worse Master Kynwric had already went over much of this as it was he who was leading the group.  Perivar was from Arafel and did not need to be reminded though it was always wise to listen to those with more experience than you.  Even though he spent sixteen years in the Borderlands before coming to Tar Valon, there were still things that he did not know.  As much as he thought he was prepared it was a comfort having Loraine Sedai and Master Kynwric with them.  He didn't want Kabria's first trip to the Borderlands to go awry.

 

When Master Kynwric hailed them Perivar and Kabria quickly joined them.  He sat his warhorse, Nightdancer who was fully trained now thanks to Jasine.  He had learned much from his friend, he wondered where he might be right now.  Was he defending the wall or was he on a mission for the Tower.  He thought of Jasine and Mistress Thera, the happiness that radiated from them now that they were truly able to be together, he hoped their service to the Tower had not sent them to opposite ends of the world.  Master Kynwric brought his thoughts and attention back to the present.

 

Perivar listened to Master Kynwric's instructions, nodding when he said that the Fades were best killed by the one power.  Regardless of his pride and his increased skill with a sword, a Fade would be a serious match for him.  It shamed him to admit it but a Fade was much easier killed with the one power.  Perivar glanced at the smoke in the distance and grimaced.  The signal beacons would be in action now, signals sent throughout the borderlands warning all to be on guard.  They would know that Shadowspawn had been spotted south of the Blight.  He hoped they were not too late, the villagers would have had watchers who would have raised the alarm as soon as the attackers were spotted.  Perivar could envision the people reacting in response to the alarm, weapons would be close to hand, the people outside the fortress would come inside and their places on the wall would be taken.  The women and children would be inside the buildings, each one with arrow slits and murder holes, the stout wooden door barred.  Each building in the fort was built so it could be defended should the outer walls not hold.

 

He looked again at the smoke, let them not be too late he thought but he had a feeling deep in his gut that they would be.  A lot could happen in two hours.  Trollocs did not wait to kill especially if they thought there prey would be easily overcome if the odds were overwhelmingly in their favor.  Every village in the borderlands was in itself a fortress, it had to be in order to have a hope of survival.  He just hoped that they could hold out long enough for them to arrive.  Perhaps it was a barn or grain shed that was on fire, the farms were the only things that were not within the fortresses.  Let it be so he hoped, if not...then say a prayer for them and move on he thought.  Something he learned early as a child.

 

He smiled back at Master Kynwric and told him that they were ready.  Master Kynric was so used to thinking of him as a trainee that he took no offense from it.  Well Perivar still called him Master Kynwric, some habits were hard to break.  Anyway the man had been at this a long time, more years than Perivar had been alive, perhaps double that so Perivar was always eager to listen when he spoke.

 

He leaned from his saddle to talk quietly with Kabria.  "Remember not to stare directly at the Fades, I am telling you from experience that they can strike fear into the heart of the bravest warrior.  Their eyeless gaze is disturbing at best.  If you remember nothing else that I have told you, remember that.  Remember this above all, I love you!"  He smiled at her with pride, she was beyond beautiful, she was passionate, had the heart of a lioness and she was his.

 

((OOC: Sorry tried to keep it short...just wanted to get some key information in there.))

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All the horrors that she’d read about and dreamed about were true. The first few days near the Blight had been unnerving and Kabria was thankful that they had not yet bonded or he would know her for the coward she was.

 

"If it is Shadowspawn there can be no hesitation, kill them fast and hard. Fades are best killed by the One Power, so make that your priority target Kabria. Killing the Fades also make the Trollocs easier to kill."

 

This was what she had become a Green for; this was why she was Aes Sedai. Nodding to Kynwric she stole a glance at Perivar, today she would make him proud. She had never run from a challenge in her life and today was not going to be the first. "Sorry, still getting used to you being Tower Guard and Aes Sedai... anyway, we're ready if you are?"

 

Kabria broke through her fear to smile at Kynwric. “ A natural mistake Kynwric” she bowed her head from the back of her horse and set her gaze to the North.  Icy calm emanated from her eyes, but her small hands gently stroked Blade’s mane. It was more to sooth her nerves than the trained warhorse. He had seemed a necessary purchace when preparing for the trip, and with Jasine's instruction Kabria handled the horse like a pro.

 

"Remember not to stare directly at the Fades, I am telling you from experience that they can strike fear into the heart of the bravest warrior.  Their eyeless gaze is disturbing at best.  If you remember nothing else that I have told you, remember that.  Remember this above all, I love you!" 

 

Arching a brow at her would be Warder Kabria gave him a wry grin and laid her hand on his arm. “I do not think I need your instruction any longer Tower Guard. You forget that when the Fade looks at me it sees its death as surely as many men see theirs in his. But I will try to heed what you say and I love you too. But remember... I guard your back just as you guard mine.”

 

Gripping Blades reign tighter Kabria nodded to Kynwric. “Lead on Master Gaidin, I am as ready as I'll ever be” She made sure her words carried the conviction in her heart.

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Loraine heard Kabria's comment about the Fade seeing it's death and took a deep breath. Fade's never died pretty and they always came close to taking the Aes Sedai with them when they did, eventually, go down. She shook her head, knowing to say so would only sound patrionizing and the men seemed to be doing that well enough on their own. She let her horse drop back a bit, though, turning to Kabria. "Try as many weaves as you can hold at the same time. I'm not going to bore you with what works, because it all will, sooner or later, as long as you focus on the nastiest weaves first. For us, it just means you'll want nothing more than a bed when this is done." She smiled and shrugged. "But it feels good to watch a Fade die, knowing you just saved so many lives that it would've taken had you not done it."

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Kynwric turned his horse around and headed off along the trail, bringing the horse up to a full gallop over the first couple hundred yards. He turned his head to check on the others and they were following behind him and keeping pace so he just let the horse have his head and run. The countryside whizzed by them, he kept locked in on the cloumn of smoke, which had blackened and thickened and then begun to lessen as they rushed onwards. As they drew closer Kyn made the decision to just charge straight in and drew his sword forth and gestured to the others to make ready. Coming up over the last rise he spurred the horse on into the charge and the sight that greeted him was horrid.

 

The town was half burned out, there were bodies strewn about haphazardly and many were bent in unnatural angles or were missing limbs altogether. He pulled the horse up in the village square, hearing the clatter of hooves on the cobblestones and sighing. The Shadowspawn were gone, and as he looked around the village he could see eyes and heads peering out at him from doorways and windows. He sighed, letting the adrenaline flow out of his body, suddenly he felt tired from exertion. Slipping down off his horse he bent to inspect the body of a child laying in the street, the neck was broken and the lower half was... gnawed on. He felt like sicking up at the grisly sight. He heard the others dismounting behind him and his head snapped up, turning to look at Loraine as he felt her coming closer. He didn't want her to see this...

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He let it rest, he would never win a battle of words with her.  Well he almost let it rest. "They don't die that easily Kabria Sedai, even a Tower Guard knows that!"  He emphasized the title she had given him.

 

Before she could respond Perivar followed Master Kynwric, Nightdancer rose to the occasion matching speeds with Master Kynwric's mount.  Kabria's Blade was up to the challenge as well.    Perivar had kept his eye on her as they left Tar Valon.  He had never asked her about her ability to ride though he soon found out that she was competent.  On the way here she told him how Jasine had taught her.  If Jasine had not been such a good friend and had such a kind heart Perivar would have been jealous. 

 

The pace Master Kynwric kept was exhausting on the horses though they could not spare any time.  As they neared the town the column of smoke had grown into several columns.  Nightdancer showed no signs of slowing though a lather had formed on his body.  He silently prayed to the creator that his young warhorse would keep the pace.  As they came closer Perivar unhooked his shield from its resting point and slid his left arm through the straps.

 

Master Kynwric kept the ground eating pace not slowing as the approached the town.  Perivar followed his lead drawing his sword and charged after him.  They were too late.  The fortress walls had been breached and the town was half burned.  The carnage and destruction from the battle was strewn about as if a tornado had struck the town.  Mangled bodies littered the ground which struck him as odd.  Usually Trollocs would have carried the bodies away to eat.

 

Perivar slid off of Nightdancer letting the reins fall.  Nightdancer would remain as he was until Perivar returned.  The warhorse was panting from the effort though now was not the time to care for him.  With his sword in his right hand, Perivar hung his singuata from a special leather sheath that hung from his saddle's pommel. 

 

Perivar stood beside Master Kynwric staring at the body of a child.  The sight sickened him as it always did though he was numb to it.  This was life in the Borderlands.  "Too late....say a prayer and move on" he whispered softly as he sheathed his sword.

 

He glanced over his shoulder at Kabria and shook his head.  Hopefully she would take it for what it was and not approach.  No need for her to see this.  "That is odd"  He said to Master Kynwric.  "Trollocs do not usually leave the dead like this.  This poor child is half chewed up.  Certainly they could have carried the child away unless they left in a hurry.  Perhaps they saw our dust trail and misjudged our numbers or perhaps they caught sight of them."  Perivar motioned with his head in the direction of the Aes Sedai "Though how could they have known, they couldn't have been close enough to see their faces, we would have seen them leave."

 

Perivar heard their softer footsteps approaching and glanced over his shoulder.  Master Kynwric knew much sooner of course as he had the benefit of the bond.  Perivar stood next to Master Kynwric, their bodies shielding the Aes Sedai from the grizzly sight.  He was about to speak though the arching of Kabria's eyebrow held his tongue challenging him to say it if he dared.  She was tough as nails and would take take offense at him telling her not to look.  She was right, she had to grow accustomed to it, there was no other way.

 

Reluctantly Perivar stepped aside so that she could see the child's twisted and half-gnawed upon corpse.  He took her hand in his giving it a squeeze to let her know he was there.

 

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Loraine felt Kyn's revulsion and steeled herself for what she'd see. She'd stayed close to his tail, but had stopped to tend his horse when he'd slid off. She eased the weave into both their horses, feeling the exhaustion leave them as they whineyed and shook their heads. She smiled, patting their necks and moving towards Kyn. He was exhausted, too, so she prepared a weave for him as well. He was shielding her from seeing something and she knew better than to be curious. If he didn't think she could handle it, she trusted him. She stood at his back, easing his exhaustion a little at a time until he was closer to normal. She watched Perivar step to the side for Kabria and looked away before she caught the look on the Sister's face. It was bad, but she'd seen the other bodies, she didn't need to see this to know exactly how bad.

 

She turned away from them, unsheathing her sword almost silently as she looked for some kind of clue. Blood seemed to be everywhere, but that was common enough for a trolloc raid. There didn't seem to be a pattern, though, not to the blood, not to the bodies, not the burned buildings. "They didn't burn everything," she murmured, trying to decipher which buildings they had burned. "They didn't kill everyone, either, if those tracks are any indication." She was thinking out loud, but she was sure someone was thinking the same things. "The tracks don't seem to be going in one direction, either, though the smoke is still coming from there," she pointed at the plume of smoke still rising from the tree line. "Worse, I don't smell burned flesh. Not here, anyway." It was a smell you never missed, if you'd ever smelled it before. "So, the people who were in the buildings, were not inside the buildings when they burned them."

 

She narrowed her eyes, stopping to inspect a body. She wrinkled her brow, seeing clean cuts along the torso, though the lost limbs were the same ragged wounds that trollocs always leave on their snacks. "Kynwric, look at this..." she called, looking up at him as he approached. "Why were they in such a hurry? Why kill what they had no intention of eating? The Fades must be driving them hard to force them to leave their food like this..."

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Kynwric turned to look at Loraine, then came where she asked and examined the cuts and tears of the wounds. "The Myrrddal could have been driving them, they could have had a bigger target in mind, they could have thought we were more than we were. I don't know love, it is puzzling." He looked up and saw people beginning to emerge from the buildings and husks of buildings. "But perhaps we can ask them once they figure out we're not the shadowspawn." He nodded to the couple of men who had crept closer, inspecting them from afar. "But you're right, it looks like the Trollocs only took what they could carry..." he looked up along the path the Trollocs made and stared for a minute. "They could be heading somewhere bigger... but that size of band isn't up to taking a town more fortified than this. Unless..." he paused thinking "unless they were after someone of something specific." He looked up at Loraine, the last being of most concern if it were true. Burning and raiding were normal, Trollocs searching for something and finiding it and it being important enough to stop eating was something else entirely. "Only one way to find out..." and he rose and began to walk towards the men and one woman who had appeared from the houses so far, he glanced back the way they had come and noticed something else disturbing, a dust cloud rising. "Perivar!" He shouted, "Get up high and check that out." Pointing at the cloud as he kept walking towards the small knot of townspeople.

 

OOC: Per, should be another band of Shadowspawn on their way, a few hours out...

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Perivar stood by Kabria's side for protection, support, or to answer any questions if he had them.  He saw the eyes watching them from inside the buildings and let Kabria know.  Knowing you were being watched would help steel your nerves.  Even a person with a stone for a heart would feel the effects of staring at a mangled half eaten child.  "The Wheel weaves as it wills my love, say a prayer for them and move on.  This is life in the borderlands."  He said nonchalantly.

 

Perivar studied the town, thin tendrils of smoke still rose into the sky from the ruined buildings.  He caught pieces of the discussion between Loraine Sedai and Master Kynwric as they studied the body.   When they were finished Perivar removed his cloak and placed it over the child.  What needed to be studied had been done so already, there was no need to leave the child's body on display like that.  No need for Kabria to have to see it anymore, one glance was enough to firmly plant it in your mind.  He rose to stand by her side as he began to scan the area.

 

Perivar saw Master Kynwric look the way they had come.  The look of recognition in his eyes as he caught site of something.  Perivar turned to look in that direction as Master Kynwric shouted, "Perivar!"..."Get up high and check that out." pointing in the direction of a dust cloud on the horizon.

 

Perivar glanced at Kabria, she would be fine in their care he thought as he ran towards one of the abandoned watch towers.  He quickly climbed the ladder then stood staring off into the distance.  Perivar scanned their surroundings to make sure there were not others in sight.  Convinced there were not, he focused again on the column studying it trying to determine the size and direction.  He looked up at the sun, it was just shy of mid-day.  When he learned all that he possibly could, he half slid down the the ladder running back to Master Kynwric.

 

"At least a fist by the size of the dust cloud.  They are pushing hard this way, a few hours by that pace maybe less.  I can't be more certain without getting a closer look.  Nightdancer is up to it, with your permission of course?"  Perivar knew the more information they had the better, it could make all the difference to their survival yet the call was not his to make.

 

 

 ((OOC: A fist = 100, if you want more or less let me know and I will adjust it when or if he scouts.  If not we will realize it as they get closer.))

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While Perivar was checking on the cloud of dust rising from behind them Kynwric, Loraine and Kabria were talking to the small group of villagers, after dispensing with the pleasantries and assuring them they were in no danger from their small group and getting through with the discovery of two Aes Sedai in their midst Kynwric finally got down to the grist of the conversation.

 

"What did they take?"

 

"Some people dead, some stored food and weapons and one family live. The Kerich's, the Li."ght bless them

 

Kyn paused and looked at the man who was speaking, Elder Shint. "They took how many dead and a family of how many live?"

 

Shint thought for a moment and answered. "Every Trolloc had a body slung or carried or cut up. At least 30 dead. The Kerich's were all tied up and were being dragged back by the Eyeless."

 

Kyn rolled his head around his neck and nodded. "Anything unusual about the family? Any reason for them to be taken by the Shadowspawn?"

 

Shint shrugged and shook his head. "Maybe as fresh food, that is all I can think of."

 

Kyn nodded and turned around to see Perivar striding back and he excused himself to meet him. He listened to the report and glanced back at the villagers. Kyn shook his head to the request. "No, no time to scout what you've plainly seen. Keep this to yourself and do not share it with the villagers. Make sure the canteens are full and the horses are ready. We'll be leaving very shortly. Then meet up with us." Finally he sighed and shook his head and returned to the conversation and asked "Can we see the Kerich's house?"

 

Elder Shint nodded and led them to the small house, unburnt and said "This is it. I'll leave you here, I need to see to the rest of my town."

 

Kyn nodded and thanked the man and began to go through the house, "I think we may find a clue in here to why they were taken alive, looking at the town it is as if they found what they were looking for here and then left. There are just a scattered few burned houses beyond this point. While up this house there is widespread damage. Kabria, Loraine can you see if there is any residue of the One Power?"

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"No, no time to scout what you've plainly seen. Keep this to yourself and do not share it with the villagers. Make sure the canteens are full and the horses are ready. We'll be leaving very shortly. Then meet up with us."

 

Leaving Perivar thought to himself.  He would have asked had Kynwric why had the man not turned back to talk to the others.  Perivar wondered why they would not stay and help defend the town.  Perhaps he meant to ride to meet the Shadowspawn well away from the town or lead them away from the town? Could two Aes Sedai, a Warder, and a Tower Guard take on a fist of Trollocs led by a Myrddraal.  Perivar had no idea, he had never seen an Aes Sedai in battle nor a Warder.  Perivar had no idea of his potential either.  It had been well over 2 years since he last faced a Trolloc.  His skill had increased exponentially yet how many could he take on at once and survive.  As long as she made it, that was all that mattered.  He would make sure that it happened no matter is he had to fight the whole fist himself.

 

When Perivar reached the horses something struck him as odd.  They seemed fresh, far more fresh than they should have been after that long run.  Either Loraine Sedai or Kabria Sedai, perhaps both were responsible for the improved condition of the horses. 

 

Perivar watered and brushed the horses then took out a pick to check their hooves.  He removed a few small rocks from their hooves then checked the condition nof their shoes.  Luckily all the shoes were in good shape for he had no idea what condition the town's smithy was in.  He did not think they could afford to wait on a farrier to fix a shoe or craft a new one.

 

Perivar filled the waterskins then returned to the others.  When he finally found them they were inside one of the houses.  He let Master Kynwric know that the horses and waterskins were ready then just stood there out of the way. 

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There was tightness around Kabria’s eyes and she steeled herself for what was to come. If it had Kynwric on edge and Loraine refusing to look, perhaps it was something she truly did not want to see. She had to force herself to put her feet on the ground and take the few steps away from her stallion. Looking into Perivar’s eyes as he stepped aside, she could see pain radiating from his core, but not pain for the carnage, pain for her.

 

Smiling wryly she patted his hand and stepped forward to see what had made her warrior near tears. Looking down at the small child, mangled and barely recognizable the bile rose in her throat and stomach acids licked at her stomach. For a moment she pressed her hands to her middle sure that she would sick up, but as soon as it had came the bubbling subsided and she was able to view the destroyed body with something resembling calm. Kneeling down she brushed the hair away from what was left of the child’s face and whispered a prayer. “The Light shine on you, may you shelter in the Creator’s hand and may the last embrace of the mother welcome you home”

Standing up and wiping the blood from her finger she returned to regard the others. Her first body! And it was a child! Light! That image would be forever burned in her brain

 

"Perivar!" Kynwric shouted, "Get up high and check that out." Stepped over to stand with Loraine, Kabria eyed the people warily, keeping one eye on them and the other on Perivar. A knife appeared in her hand and she held it tucked to her wrist ready to throw. She did not expect trouble from the ragged villagers, but it never paid to be too careful.

She offered her sympathy’s and healed what her meager ability would allow, but other than that she left the words to those older and wiser than herself.

 

Over hearing the last part of their conversation Kabria laid her hands on each horse and pulled away their fatigue. If her suspicions were correct they would need them fresh on the ride to come.

 

"I think we may find a clue in here to why they were taken alive, looking at the town it is as if they found what they were looking for here and then left. There are just a scattered few burned houses beyond this point. While up this house there is widespread damage. Kabria, Loraine can you see if there is any residue of the One Power?"

 

Kabria looked to Loraine and took the lead to house. Tucking the knife back up her sleeve she drew on the source. Perhaps if their were residues there would be enough left for her to tell what they were, she had some small ability there.

 

To her great shock Kabria was the first to find a clue to their mystery. "Loraine! What do you make of this?"

 

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Loraine nodded, but purposefully held back a moment to let Kabria take the lead. She needed the experience and Loraine had an idea of what they'd find. She had just laid her hand on a building when she heard Kabria call her. She moved her direction, saidar still pulsing through her as she searched the building. She slowed the closer she got to Kabria, feeling the remnants of a weave against the stones. She narrowed her eyes, tracing the lines she could feel with a touch of Fire and Air, just enough to make them glow. "I'm not sure if they showed you how to do this or not, it's truly a talent, so you may not have run into anyone who could show you." She turned to Kabria and showed her the simple weave. "Just let them trace the patterns. You can touch it anywhere and it will run along the threads and make them glow. There's a few different patterns here and, honestly, I'm not sure what to make of it. It seems like..." She wrinkled her brow again and shook her head. "It seems like something's missing. As if both male and female channelers were at work here."

 

Perivar said there were only a few trollocs and Kyn said he'd seen the Mydraal. Was there a male channeler in the mix, too? Forsaken? She shook her head, thinking it strange, but continued her search. "Do you feel like something's missing? These weaves don't make sense to me, it's as if someone erased some important parts..."

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Perivar stood there like a man out of his element.  To him this looked like any other house yet the other three were like huntsmen on the trail of a trophy buck.  Perivar watched Kabria with a look of pride as she spoke with Loraine Sedai.  She seemed to come alive more so than usual as she spoke to her mentor about her discovery.  Loraine Sedai showed her a new weave and Kabria lit up even more.  She was beautiful beyond words.  Perivar just stood there leaning against the door frame watching her.  It was something that he never grew tired of.

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Kyn watched as the two women did the thing they do and waited as they discussed it. "What have you found?" He had turned the rest of the house upside down and found that there were five people that had lived here. From the best he could guess to parents two boys and a girl, the youngest boy was too young to be of any use to anyone but the older siblings were nearly of age, which made him wonder if they were dealing with Shadow channelers or whether this family was both blessed and cursed.

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Kabria’s eye shone and she devoured the new weave. Every day since she’d been raised was a learned experience. “Yes, yes I see what you mean” she murmured excitedly as she scanned the remnants before her. So caught up in her work she was startled with Kynwric spoke.

 

Not even giving Loraine a chance to speak she blurted out what they’d found; Excited that she was able to contribute.  “It’s obvious that we are dealing with more than we first thought. Not only was Saidar used, but Saidin as well. That leaves only a few options, none of which I am sure I need to explain to you.” Glancing around the rest of the room Kabria grimaced; this was not turning out at all as she’d planned. “ Unless Loraine sees something I do not” she glanced at her former teacher, and still inspiration.  “ The weave is foreign to me.”

 

A male and a female channelers working together. Even the thought made her insides curdle.

 

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Loraine nodded through Kabria's explanation, watching for the second she started doubting herself. It seemed to come pretty quick on the heels of her explanation and Loraine smiled. "Kabria is right, both male and females weaves are present. They seem to be woven together, which means they were working the weave in tandem. I can't see the lines of the male half, but it's pretty clear that the threads of saidar have been matched with something else. It's as if half the weave has simply been erased. If not for the regular pattern of the missing pieces, I'd say someone was covering their tracks. However, since the weave is missing in a way that doesn't appear to be deliberately tampered with..." she shrugged turning back to the residues on the wall. "I just don't know what to tell you, Kyn. Not knowing what the weave is could mean it was defensive, as easily as it could be the attacker's doing. One or the other party, however, has both a male and female channeling together. That never bodes well..."

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Kyn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, that settles it as far as I am concerned, we have to track down the band that was just here. I can't Imagine leaving a pair of channelers in Myrddal hands to be a good idea under any circumstances, be they followers of the light or dark." He decided not to mention the other force of Trollocs bearing down on the town for now, he didn't want to have them have to make the same choice he had just made. "I think we need to leave immediately, every minute we tarry is another minute for them to slip away with those channelers." He glanced back over his shoulder, seeing Perivar at the door with the horses made him feel better... and he wasn't sure why that was. He noticed the women still studying their invisible knot and shook his head with a smile. "Be careful with that, you don't know what it does."

 

 

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Ooh she lit up like the sun and he smiled lovingly at her but she did not see.  Kabria was so wrapped up in her investigation that she did not see him waiting idly by the door.  She was so full of life as she studied the weave or whatever it was she was doing.  It was all beyond him but he could hear the excitement in her voice as she described what she was seeing.  He stood there like a little boy mooning over his first girl.  Well she was his first love after all.  He had been with girls before, but never a with woman.  He had known lust but never had he felt love until she came into his life.  He felt so fortunate that he almost forgot the grim business which they were about.  She had a way of making him forget that anything else existed.

 

As he watched her face something struck him, the seemingly ageless face.  Some Aes Sedai did not show it right away but she had.  She knew exactly how old he was, well at least he thought she did, but he had no idea as to her age.  It was not a concern, it didn't matter it was just an idle thought.  She had said how long she had been in the Tower before she met him though he could not bring it to mind at the moment.  He knew that the White Tower didn't take girls too young though he could not say what the minimum age was. The progression from novice to Aes Sedai could take up to ten years or more he thought.  She could be anywhere from five to ten years older than he was, maybe more.

 

It did not matter anyway for she would long outlive him.  A thought that made him sad.  He wanted to be with her for all his days, for hers as well but that would not be the case he knew.  He would not trust another to care for her with the same fervor and love that he would but she would have to find someone after he passed.  Then something that Loraine Sedai had told him struck him.  Most Greens do not live long enough to die of natural causes.  Well Perivar swore that he would make sure she grew old living a long and happy life.  If she ever died before him he knew that he would be right behind.  He could not live without her.

 

Perivar was daydreaming yet he heard bits of the conversation between the Aes Sedai.  Male Channelers, here, Light this was not what he expected.  He could easily think about any manner of shadowspawn without flinching but a male channeler.  On top of that a male channeler working along side a female channeler. 

 

Perivar listened as Kynwric laid out the plan.  He wanted to protest for Kabria's sake though he new she would not appreciate it.  He would face anything for her but he was not ready to throw her to the wolves.  There was nothing to be done about it though, this is what they had both been trained for.  This was their duty in service to the White Tower, as servants of the light. 

 

When Master Kynwric said they were leaving he felt a momentary pang of sadness for the townsfolk.  They had already endured one attack today and they were going to leave them to deal with another.  The Wheel weaves as it wills he thought.  When he was caring for the horses and filling the waterskins he was happy to see that all the townsfolk had already begun the repairs, resuming their daily activities.  The soldiers were sharlening their blades and reinforcing the fortifications.  They knew of the incoming shadowspawn and were getting prepared for it. 

 

Perivar felt like they were abandoning them though he knew that Master Kynwric was right.  He knew the man and knew that the decision was not an easy one no matter how necessary.  Duty is as heavy as a mountain the saying went.  Hopefully Kabria would be so caught up in her study and discovery of a new weave that she would not think on the townsfolk that they were leaving to face their fate.   

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