Following her Lead

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric and Loraine were held up in a tent, it was pouring down rain outside the canvas covering and the intermixed flashes of lightning and rolling booms of thunder accentuated the mood of the pair as well. They had been tracking this maddening bunch of shadowspawn for days now, it had set both their nerves on edge and what had made it worse was the size of the group. It was around a fist, 100 trollocs plus a couple myrrddal and a dragkhar. There was just enough doubt in his head that Kynwric was advocating a more cautious approach to eliminating the threat.

 

"I still say we should return to Fal Dara and get some help, there were two other sisters in the town when we left and I am certain we could get some of the Guard to help as well." He said, drying his hair with the edge of his cloak. "The weather works against us, we may well lose them in this downpour anyway." Kyn knew he was fighting an uphill battle, as Loraine had already expressed the opinion that they should overtake and kill the shadowspawn on their own.

[U4ea]

Loraine closed her eyes as another boom of thunder shook the ground under her feet. She felt the cold and she shouldn't have. That was the warning she usually got when things were spiraling out of her control. She didn't like the feeling, especially not after the last few days of rotten weather, bad landscape and a fast moving clump of shadowspawn. It was maddening. They'd finally found them, only to learn their numbers were greater than had been expected. This last storm had shortened their scouting trip and forced them to set up camp for the night. Frustration burned along the edges of her thoughts.

 

"If we wait, we'll lose them. You know that." She forced her voice to remain as even toned as possible as she thought the words through. For whatever reason, that large group was moving quickly. The trip back to Fal Dara would cost them a great deal of time. The return trip... She sighed and pressed her fingertips to her temples. "We can't afford to lose this bunch again, Kynwric. They've destroyed one entire town, already. They're straying farther from the border and I'm afraid the next town will be even more helpless than the last one was."

 

Haunting memories of the small bits of flesh left over from the trollocs' last stop still woke her from sleep. That is, when they had time for sleep. Another reason Kyn would surely use to try to force her hand to turn back. He was right and she knew it. What's worse is that she was right, too. They truly couldn't afford for this bunch of shadowspawn to continue in the direction they were heading.

 

"I know you don't like it, Kynwric, but we don't have time to go back for reinforcements. It's already taken us days to find them. It'll take us at least another full day's ride to get back to Fal Dara and another after that to pay the proper courtesies to those Aes Sedai. Give them another day to get prepared and organize a guard..." She shook her head and turned back. "We don't have that kind of time. We need to strike and do it quickly, before they have a chance to slip past us again."

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn shook his head, they were headed around the same circle again and he knew it, so he relented. He looked at her and sighed then bowed his head, "Lor you know I don't like it, but if this is the set of orders you want to give then I'll follow them. But if we're to do so I have to think on how best to approach and you have to sleep, for it is your strength that will see us through tomorrow, mine will be hardly enough to keep you alive." He sat down on the stool and leaned his head into his hands, threading his fingers into his hair in frustrated thought.

[U4ea]

Loraine nodded and sighed. He wasn't happy about it. Neither was she. "I'm afraid it is the course I am setting," she murmured as she sank onto the pallet. "Just remember that I need you to sleep, too. Stay up and think, but I can't sleep knowing you're awake. You'll drain my energy without meaning to, also." He knew this, but she knew he needed the reminder. "Don't stay up too late, promise?"

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric nodded "Not too late..." and he kept the promise too, having run through different scenarios in his head and the likely outcomes and settled on what seemed to be the best of a bad lot. Most of it hinged on Loraine's abiility to wreak havoc on the enemy from afar, and keepiong her apart from them was his key duty. He slid into the bed made up on the floor of the tent and lay back, trying to let himself relax enough for sleep. The last thing he felt before sleep claimed him was Loraine roll over and curl next to him.

[U4ea]

Loraine laid in a half-sleep until she felt the warmth of her warder behind her. Instinct rolled her over, curling against his side and slipping the rest of the way to sleep. She'd laced the area with wards, turned over on themselves so they wouldn't be detected. She'd even used weaves that didn't use much saidar so they wouldn't draw too much attention. She prayed it was enough, but the wards would be a warning for her if it wasn't. She slept peacefully until almost dawn, when the man under her head began to move. She was far from well-rested, but she was better off than she had been before trying to sleep last night. It wasn't making what was coming any easier. "Come, I'll find the stashes we put in our saddlebags before we left Fal Dara. If I know you, the plan you've cooked up doesn't leave much time for breakfast this morning..."

[_Kynwric_]

"Of course not... and not too much. I don't like fighting on a full stomach." She of course already knew that, but it was calming to him to say it. It was really a part of the routine for them before an assault. "I figure we should ride out and hit them from the east, just as the sun rises. Make them come at us as the sun rises behind our backs. If nothing else it will make it harder to shoot arrows at us. I assume we're going to pick a good place and try and defend it, rather than wade into the shadowspawn?"

 

[U4ea]

Loraine smiled, feeling him relax with the usual cadence of their breakfast conversation. She nodded as she fished out a little sack of breads and cheese, passing him a chunk of bread before settling herself nearby. "East is a good idea. I'm only concerned with getting ahead of them. If they catch us before we find a place to make our stand, all these plans are going to be useless..." She looked up at him, tempted to make a case for charging in directly. Not that she thought it was a good idea. It was just the urge to get him riled up. She always had to fight this urge when he was focused on his duty as her warder. "I think a defensive position is the best way to handle what has to be done, yes. I'm not sure how lucky we'll be at finding such a beast, though..."

[_Kynwric_]

He could feel the tug of war within her, he felt it every time they did this particular little ritual. He'd suggest the prudent and practical thing and she'd want to prick at him with something foolhardy and reckless... One of these days I am going to propose a foolhardy and reckless stratagem and see what she does. "Sounds like what I was worried about... but we'll use what we can find and make the best of it. We always have before." He ate a light breakfast from what she pulled from the saddlebags and finally they were riding astride to find their narrow gap to fight from.

[U4ea]

Loraine felt the humor leaking through the bond and let her lips twitch as she munched on breakfast. She packed it away, swinging her leg over the back of her horse again as they set out in search of their prey. She'd settled into looking for a good position, her hand resting uneasily on the hilt of her sword at her hip. The sneaking itch settled between her shoulder blades and she found herself looking for an ambush with every step her horse took.

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric was paying attention to his horse for the moment, its ears had pricked up and that made Kyn himself nervous. Of course the horse could be skittish about anything from a skunk to a Trolloc, not that that fact made Kyn feel any better. Finally they rode free of the stand of trees that had been screening them and Kyn reined in the horse, looking around to try and judge where they were. the land here was broken and there were several defiles that could be used as a choke point for the unwary, and Trollocs were almost always unwary. He could see the trail of dust being kicked up by the column and that merely made his survey more urgent. He pointed across the boulder strewn land, picking out a narrowing with steep sides. "There, I think they'll have to go through that gap. We should be able to slaughter them there."

[U4ea]

Lor followed the direction he pointed, noting the dust rising just beyond the pass. She closed her eyes on the word "slaughter," chosing to ignore the connotation that went along with it. Slaughter was too close to Murder and, even this many decades later, the oaths tightened in her chest. It made her breath catch for a moment, but she took the opportunity to plan her attack. She nodded her acceptance of his assessment, never doubting that he'd chose the best spot. "I can't just open up on them," she whispered as the tightness eased. "What do you propose to do?"

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn narrowed his eyes at her, not sure why she couldn't lay waste to a bunch of shadospawn but nodded. "I'll make it so you can... I don't think once they figure out we're hear it'll take too much prodding." He rode up into the gap and examined it, keeping an eye on the cloud of dust approaching. "10 minutes. Do you want to fight fromo down here or up there?" Glancing up at the rim of the gap.

[U4ea]

Loraine felt his confusion, but shook it off. They'd discuss it later. She took the opportunity to scout the area for herself, surveying possible attack points. "10 minutes. Do you want to fight from down here or up there?" She groaned inwardly, running options through her head. From the ridge, she wouldn't be able to get to him if they got separated. She would be further away from the damage area, though. From down here, she'd be closer to the enemy, but could use her sword to ward off things that came close. This had been her decision, and this part was the part she hated. Ten minutes... in ten minutes they'd live or die based on her decision. Light, they should've gone back to Fal Dara. She took a deep breath. "I'll only go to the ridge if you come to. Otherwise, I'll be here, at your side, where I should be..."

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn nodded. "I can't go up on the ridge and draw them into the trap as well, so if you're insistant on fighting by my side then we're fighting from the bottom of the gorge." He knew she was working through this and he knew it was hard making the decisions. He wouldn't be letting her do it now if they hadn't both been talked to about getting her used to command.

[U4ea]

Loraine nodded and threw her leg over her horse's back to dismount. She couldn't do what she needed on the back of her horse. Strength, she thought, muttering inwardly. That's what she'd been called down about. To others, apparently, it appeared as if she weren't in charge of this bond. She took a deep breath as she moved into her place. Why did she need to be in charge of it? He knew when she wouldn't budge from a decision and he knew when he could talk her out of something. He knew more about position and tactics than she did. Was it so horrible for her to let him use those skills? She shook her head, adjusting her cloak to leave her arms free before opening herself up to saidar and beginning to form weaves. "Ready?" she asked, not taking her eyes away from the enemy nearly on top of them.

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn nodded and looked again towards the gathering dust. "Be back in a few with some company. Oh, and love, do try and not kill me." He turned the horse around and rode down the length of the gorge.

 

Riding up till he was just out of bow shot of the advancing trollocs he realized that he hadn't needed to ride out at all. They were headed for the gap Loraine and he had chosen, with a quick turn of the horse he galloped back to where Lor was waiting. Swinging down from the horse he drew his sword and shield from the saddle and then he swatted the horse on the rump and sent it back behind them. "Three more minutes til their in sight."

[U4ea]

Three Minutes... She took a deep breath, nodding, but not moving her eyes away from the break in the rocks. She had four weaves ready, was glad she felt no hint of a female channeler just out of sight, and sent prayer after prayer over her head that she hadn't made the wrong decision. The little town just beyond that gulch couldn't handle the herd of shadowspawn ahead of them and taking the time to go back to Fal Dara would've been signing their death warrants.

 

That thought slid out of her head as the dust seemed to materialize into gnarled snouts and grizzled faces. She took a deep breath, prayed once that it wasn't her last and let the weaves fly. Rocks exploded, fires erupted and gaping holes were filled with mangled corpses. As always, the weaves didn't get them all and her sword was in her hand, her body moving on reflex as she watched Kynwric out of the corner of her eye. Large weaves were one thing... it was the smaller ones that her oaths tightened the air of out of her chest for. Please don't let him do anything foolish...

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric stood resolute as the first wave of weaves crashed down upon the horde in front of them. It was impressive, of course she was always impressive. He slowly began to move out from her, wading in amongst the throngs of dead trollocs and seeking out the fades, the fades were always the key. He slew trolloc after trolloc and finally came upon it, "Fade..." it almost hissed out of his mouth. he drew his blade up and set his shield as the eyeless thing came hurtling at him, <i>Lion on Hill</i> became <i>Lightning of the Three Prongs</i> and then <i>Low Wind Rising</i> as his shield caught the first series of blows from the fades sword. They circled as Kyn moved into <i>Leaf Floating in the Breeze</i> the dance lasted but a few heartbeats, but as it nearly always did for him, it seemed to last for hours. It was finished when Kyn intercepted the Fades <i>Kissing the Adder</i> with <i>The Rose Unfolds</i> led him into <i>The River Undercuts the Bank</i> seperating the Shadowspanws head from its body. Kyn lept backwards and turned to check on Loraine, who had her own pile of dead built up around her. As he hustled back to her, he saw a few trollocs retreating. they had apparently not all been linked to that fade. When he got back he looked her over "Are you alright?" he asked, feeling the fatuige but not any serious damage.

[U4ea]

Loraine lost track of her hands, letting her training match her blade to whatever was being swung at her. A weave tossed here and there cut down the number of combatants, but as Kynwric moved further away, it was more and more difficult to throw them without hurting him. Her shoulders ached and the sword was slipping in her hands, Tower of Morning turned into something a little less powerful and she grunted under the blow of the return motion from her opponent. By then, forms were gone, replaced by a flow of bastardized forms, butchered and pieced together on the fly as desperate trollocs launched themselves at her.

 

Finally, she'd found what she sought. The Fade in the horde stood away from the others, sending the trollocs to be butchered. She pushed her way towards him, fatigue warning her that this was not the greatest of her ideas. He apparently didn't notice, however and she was nearly sighing with relief as he retreated, the few trollocs left standing on the field trailing behind him.

 

Loraine turned, surveying the massacre, beyond marveling at how much damage the pair of them could do when they set their minds to it. She felt him moving towards her, but continued to move through her pile of wrecked carnage, ensuring the black souls of the beasts were truly gone as she moved back to the head of the pass.

 

She closed her eyes, using her senses to take in movements around them. "The only way around this mountain is this pass. He has to come back through here if he's continuing his journey..." her lips moved, thinking aloud as Kynwric finally caught up to her. She felt his body's exhaustion, though less fatigued than hers. She wouldn't take it from him, though. She needed him strong if that Fade was coming back. [/i]When,[/i] she thought. When that Fade returns. "How long do you think we have, Gaidin? If we move these bodies into the pass, how long will it hold him back? What supplies will we be cutting off to ensure those people stay alive long enough to die of starvation?" Futility seemed to fill her thoughts before she snapped her eyes open. "He's still close..."

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric was tired, he felt the exhaustion of battle as he returned to Loraines side. He literally was walking across a carpet of trolloc corpses as he did so. He listened to her fret, it was almost calming to hear her fret about normal things for a moment until she mentioned he was close. Kyn turned around and scanned the bodies. "Light the corpses... burn them... it will keep the Fade at bay for a little while. Give us a brief respite." He gave her  quick glance and hefted his sword and shield. "If you have the strength left for it."

[U4ea]

She nodded,"I've strength enough for that," she murmured, not even turning towards the bodies as she twisted a weave of Fire together and lit them. There was a thin path through the death they'd laid in the passage, though, and that path is what scared her. It was small enough they'd have to come through it single file. As long as the bodies were lit, that is. Her mind clicked, playing scenarios in her head. She discarded most of them as below a Fade's intellegence level. Even a Fade wouldn't be so stupid as to go through the bodies... right?

 

"There," she whispered, pointing with her sword. "He's coming from there." There was a small rise to their left that was partially concealed by a stone outcropping. "It's wide enough for two or three trollocs at a time. The Fade will be at the rear," she stopped, knowing it was babble to him. Nothing he wouldn't already know. "I don't think I've got the strength to do that again, Kynwric." she whispered, nodding at the flaming corpses laying around them. "I can take a few, and I'm still strong enough for some nasty weaves, but, that..."

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn nodded, "It won't be necessary. I can hold a gap that wide all day if that is what it takes. Just keep a weave saved for that Fade and kill him as soon as you can." He hefted the sword and shield and made his way to the narrowest part of the passage, he could feel the heat from the burning corpses and hoped that would make driving the trollocs even more difficult than normal. Glancing back he realized it was about 10 paces to the 'mouth' of the passage and he stopped, setting up his defense as best he could as he had just seen the first line of a pair of trollocs advancing towards him. He muttered to himself "Nothing left now but the killing." The Trollocs rushed him and it began, another round of dancing the dance and slaying the unclean.

[U4ea]

Lor felt the cool flow of the forms settling into him and took some reassurance from it. It steeled her as she gathered her last shreds of energy together and twisted saidar into the complicated tangles of deadly weaves. They were expensive in terms of energy, especially when using as many as she was twisting at the same time. She was waiting, watching for the loophole she needed to let those weaves fly. Already the drain and the tightness in her chest was making it difficult to focus on what was in front of her. She clutched her sword in her hand, leaving one hand free to push the weaves away. She rarely had to do that, but she was so blasted tired...

 

The Fade's cloak shifted into view. More blood splattered over rocks and steel. Trollocs fell around Kynwric, but she had eyes only for the most dangerous... the driving force behind those hideously twisted faces. The Fade's blade raised, swinging for Kynwric and she was delivered the opportunity she needed. Her hand flung out, directed every weave she'd created at the swirling black mass that was Fade. Her body shook as the energy left her and she drove the sword into the ground to stay upright. Weaves twisted around the Fade's blade, forcing it back, as explosive weaves buried themselves in the fold of the cloak. A scream rent through the air, sending a shudder down her spine, but she didn't let up. She pushed saidar through those weaves, forcing it to bend and tear the life from the Fade threatening her Warder.

 

When the cloak erupted in flame, she staggered to her knees, her white-knuckled grip on the hilt of her sword twisting her wrist in an impossible angle. She had no time for thinking of it, though. She had to get Kyn free of... The Fade pitched forward and Loraine gasped, quickly wrapping a thread of Air around him and pulling him backwards. She pulled on the sword, gaining her feet and stumbling forward. Her sword dragged the ground behind her, but she reached the Fade. Her thoughts focused on the writhing mass of flames and blackness as she lifted the sword and drove it down. She didn't stop pushing until she hit rock and the blade stopped moving. When she stumbled backwards again, she tripped on the carcass of a trolloc and landed on her backside.

 

"Please," she whispered, her eyes focused on the sky above her. "Please let it be dead..." if it wasn't... she was about to be. She gasped as a form appeared over her, blocking what was left of the sun. Alarm exploded in her thoughts and she lifted her hand to ward it off...

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn stepped back and shielded his eyes as the flames engulfed the Fade, he could feel it growing hotter and drier as he knew Loraine was pouring the last of her power into destroying the thing. What he hadn't expected was the vehemence with which she destroyed it, pouring the flames into it until she had pulled herself to it and driven a blade and pinned it to the rocky surface below. When she tumbled he was to her side in moments, blocking the sun from her face as he looked down at her. The remaining few Trollocs had fled with the death of the fade and that left nothing to do but patch them up a little bit and get back to civilization. He bent down and scooped Loraine up, knowing she had spent the last of her reserves in killing the Fade and carried her back to the stand of trees where the horses had been left. "We need to ride a hour or so, just to be away from the carnage. Can you manage that?" He asked as he was setting her on her horse.