Saving Kathana

At the ruined gates of Shader Logoth, the small group paused. Darksmoon glanced back at his companions, two Aes Sedai and few guardsmen. Lanfir was his own Aes Sedai and he could feel her emotions through the bond. Apprehension and…eagerness colored her thoughts as well as her scent. Ciara smelled excited, like a young pup on her first hunt. Not for the first time, he wondered why Sathinar had insisted she come along to trade for the Amyrlin. He took a breath to steady himself and lead the small group into the ruined city.

"Don’t touch anything.", Lanfir warned. "Everything is tainted."

"We are looking for…"Darksmoon paused, trying to recall his dream. "Something with flowers and vines. A doorway or a gate…"

"A waygate?", Lanfir offered.

"I think so."

"It ought to be in the center of the city then, where the old Ogier grove was."

A sudden scream interrupted them. Darks and the Aes Sedai turned to look. One of the guardsmen had wandered off during the discussion. A thick silvery fog wrapped around him, swallowing him up. Then it oozed down the wide avenue mindlessly towards them.

"I think we need to move along, ladies.", the remaining guardsmen, nervously agreed.

Hurrying down the crumbling streets, they were just one step ahead of the murderous fog. A guardsman stumbled over a stone and the fog swallowed him. His companion stopped to try to help him and became another victim. Ciara swallowed hard, the eager scent fading from her.

Finally they reached the center square, the waygate rose out of the ground unsupported by any other structure and surrounded by a low fence. The two Aes Sedai and Darksmoon approached it warily, wondering if Sathinar had set any traps.

Carefully, Lanfir moved the leaf key to the correct position. A thin, bright line split the smooth surface as the carved leaves seemed to move in a summer breeze. When the gate was open far enough, Darksmoon warily stepping through, with the two Green sisters following close behind.

Inside the ways, Darksmoon tested the air. It smelled …wrong. Filthy and greasy in a way, he fancied that it was the taint on saidin that had corrupted the ways he smelled. There, he smelled her, the Amyrlin. She was farther along the spiraling bridge. He motioned for the Aes Sedai to follow him.

Deep inside the ways, sprawled on one of the platforms was the unconscious form of the Amyrlin. She was dirty and slightly bruised, but she seemed unharmed. Lanfir knelt beside her, feeling for a pulse.

"Mother….Kathana." she looked up at Darksmoon. "She won’t wake up. He must have drugged her. We have to get her to a Yellow for help."

"Where are my ter’angreal? ". Sathinar stood on a rampway above them, toying with his ruby hilted dagger. " You can’t have her until I get them" He giggled, wiping a bit of saliva from his mouth.

"No, no ter’angreal." said the Warder/Wolfbrother. "Just this."

With that, Darksmoon drew his sword. It came loose with a steely hiss and seemed to reflect the only light in the dim ways. Sathinar snarled wordlessly and lunged with his tainted knife, attacking wildly. The Warder was taller and stronger, but he knew the filthy taint on the dagger would kill him, so he held back. Lanfir and Ciara hung back, afraid to channel in the ways and attract Machin Shin.

Darksmoon moved smoothly through the sword forms against Sathinar’s wild attacks. Knife Through Silk met something meant to be Buttering Bread. Cool South Wind pushed away a clumsy attempt at Kissing the Adder. Sathinar attempted something Darks could only describe as Fools Rush In, he countered it with the Grapevine Twines. The ruby knife glittered toward the edge of the platform.

"No!" he screamed wild eyed and lunged for it. While he was retrieving his knife, Darksmoon scooped up the Amyrlin and hustled the Aes Sedai back down the ramp. He hoped to escape before Sathinar recovered.

Soon, they were forced to admit they had gotten turned around in the ways. They found a guidepost, but neither sister could read the curving Ogier script set into it.

"I think we are almost outside.", said Ciara brightly. "I feel a breeze."

"That’s not a breeze.", said Lanfir grimly. "That’s the Black Wind."

There, in front of them was a waygate that led outside. They just had to reach it.

"What ever it is, it doesn’t sound nice. Saying its going to drink our blood and everything. It needs to be taught a few manners." Ciara turned towards the Wind and embraced the Source.

"You fool!", screamed Lanfir. "You’ll draw it to us."

"Oh Master Windy-kins" sing-songed Ciara. "Do you want to play with me? You can be my Warder and I’ll give you a make over and we can have a pillow fight and play tricks on the Amyrlin and bake cookies and watch Sailor Moon and all sorts of fun things. You’d like that wouldn’t you.? Yes you would, you big silly wind, you."

Darksmoon closed his eyes and prepared himself for death. He just hoped that Lanfir and the Amyrlin didn’t suffer too much from it. The Black Wind filled his ears with a horrible rushing sound as Ciara prattled on and then….

It went away. Ciara had actually driven it away with her mindless chatter. He had no time for amazement though. Quickly, he carried the limp Amyrlin out into the morning sun, with the two Green sisters on his heels. Placing the Amyrlin gently on the grass, he asked Lanfir if she knew where they were.

"Somewhere south of Tar Valon, I should say. More I couldn’t tell you. Give me an hour though, and we can Travel back to the Tower."

Darksmoon waited out the hour impatiently while Lanfir paced back and forth, holding saidar. Ciara was picking wildflowers and throwing them onto the Amyrlin. He had never heard of insanity in an Aes Sedai, but Ciara made him wonder. Finally, Lanfir nodded to him.

Once again he scooped up the Amyrlin, as Lanfir made a silvery gateway in the middle of the field. Good thing she was a petite woman, he reflected, it would be awkward carrying her if she was larger. Ciara skipped through, merrily, dribbling flowers, while Darksmoon and his Aes Sedai moved slowly with exhaustion. They arrived wearily on the plain south of Tar Valon, glad finally to be done.