The One... Or Two?

The Traveling Partners

The unfamiliar group of seven rode quickly to drop the monsters on their tail. Had they been called Trollocs? Not the point. The Warder caught up with them on the riverbank they were trekking.

Moiraine came to a stop, turning to face him. "How much time?"

He stopped, still a bit behind him. "Not enough," he answered.

Moiraine turned and looked at the quintet of 20-year-olds. "Then we need to move faster," was her subtle order.

A horn sounded and Egwene finally got the message and ordered her boys, "Run!"

They all raced to cross the river, bounding along tiredly. Still, they followed. They entered a forest, Moiraine leading at a pace they could follow, but still she led. The sun had long since set by the time they reached a road they turned off of. They came to a ferry over a large bound of river.

"Draw rein," Lan ordered.

Mat pointed down the road they'd turned off of. "The town's just up there. Would it not be a good idea to head inside some walls?"

Moiraine pulled up to the crossing building and dismounted. "Walls won't stop Trollocs. The only thing they fear is deep water."

Mat followed off his steed. "No wonder they smell like piss," he mumbled, finally more comfortable with their traveling companions and their proclivity for silence. The rest of them settled firmly on the ground as well.

The Master Hightower, who laid outside his tower, lifted his hood and examined the woman before him. "Well, you've woken me then."

"We need to cross the Taren, immediately," Moiraine ordered. Either the fact she was the one to give the orders or the way she said it, but she screamed nobility. Or perhaps simple entitlement. Non-nobles were capable of that.

"Of course, mistress. Of course," the ferryman insisted when he came to a similar conclusion. "My son will be here soon, and then we can..."

Lan pulled out a few coins from his purse and held them out to the man.

Moiraine played with her hair with her ring hand, showing it off and making a show. "Twice that when we're safely on the other side." The man froze, staring at her ring. He knew she was good for it. "Have I not made myself clear?" she demanded when roaring sounded behind them.

The man stood, making for the far too heavy rope to pull in. "You're not the type of woman that hears no often?" he asked rhetorically.

"I am not," Moiraine answered nonetheless, venturing back to her horse.

Secily sighed and rolled up her sleeves slightly, bringing Arthur to stand behind the pulling ferryman. She helped him with the rope, something he seemed grateful for and Arthur stepped onto the boat first, testing it like a damsel. "On or off," came the sharp tone of voice no one had heard from Secily before. The horse stepped on and she helped the man follow.

They ventured to the rope on the right as well. Eventually, Rand and Perrin came to take her place and they watched as Trollocs came over the hill. They all stood at the edge of the dock before one fell in, promptly drowning.

Secily laughed, though the situation only barely called for it. "It worked," she whispered before frowning. This was very clearly a bandaid. They were in no way out of the woods or finished being hunted. The two rivers of Two Rivers bayed and bound as it pleased, there were shallow crossings. All they had to do was find one. There seemed to be some kind of instinctive tracking to them, they were like bloodhounds.

The Trollocs parted and a non-human creature rode in on a black horse.

Secily took Moiraine's hand. The brunette turned her head to her, her eyes never leaving the mass of monsters. "Thank you. I just realized no one'd said it yet." She stepped closer, sticking her face beside Moiraine's, facing the other way. "What about his son?" she whispered.