Mystery of the river blossoms

Chapter 7: Wabunen (Connection)

She could not sleep. For hours she turned left and right, right and left. Yet her mind would not slow down. Frustrated she got up and walked towards the window, watching the sleeping village for a moment. Even exhausted her mind would not allow her to get rest. Again her thoughts drifted to the letter she read the previous morning. A fate close to Tar Valon... What was this all about? What did the Dark One know, that the Aes Sedai did not? And why in lights name was Yareli involved in this. Yes, it was only a matter of time until she channeled again and become a novice. But there were many girls like her, right? Those who could channel usually came to Tar Valon to be trained. What was this mystery around this seemingly ordinary girl? She sighed deeply, her mind would not find rest until she knew.
"Can't sleep?", a deep, rather soothing and sleepy voice asked. She smiled, Lan had always been so good in reading what is going on inside of her. Even before they bonded. "Not really. No.", she looked back at him, the dimmed moonlight only gave them a rather pity view of each other. She crossed her arms and pulled the cloak tighter, the nights were colder than she expected. Lan got up and threw his shirt over as well to stay warm. "What's troubling your mind, Moiraine? You don't sleep well at all. You need you strength. Especially you.", he asked, walked over to her. He placed his hand comforting on her shoulder. "I can't see any connections, Lan. It does not make sense.", she said rather frustrated. "Whats does not make sense?", her warder really tried to comfort her. She felt it, yet only answers could give her some peace to her mind. "There is a fate close to Tar Valon. It attacked, or tried to, Yareli. She's fine, don't worry. Liandrin was with her, for whatever reason. And the reds start to question Siuans authority. And we don't have a clue where to look for the dragon. We nearly searched the whole south and east. And here in the north, I don't even feel strong connections to the wheel itself. As if here are no channelers at all.", she sat down on her bed, face proped in her hands. Lan sighed and sat beside her, put his arm around her. "We'll find the dragon. I am very sure of it. And regarding Yareli... As long as she is with Siuan, bothing can harm her. You know that better than I do.", he chuckled softly, hoping his words provided some comfort to his Aes Sedai. Moiraine smiled weakly and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm just not sure how Yareli fits in. In all of this.", finally exhaustion showed and she yawned. "She's just our river mystery, huh?", both laughed quietly and watched the small candle light die which had illuminated the room for a while.

☆ half a year shall pass ☆

It has been a while since the fate attack. Yareli finally had enough courage to take a ride out alone, or leave without gaurds by her side. Siuan had ordered this after the attack, to make sure she stayed unharmed. But now, reports of the green ajah showed that the fate was gone from the close woods and plains for weeks now. Yareli took a stroll through the market of Tar Valon, she had not talked much to Darian and felt guilty. So the teenager had decided to get him a little something as an apology. She really missed training with him during the early mornings, and relaxing in the courtyard when the sun was setting. Why she took much distance from him, she did not even know herself.
The girl came across the bakery which had thise special little breads during this time of the year. She thought about it for a moment and got one for Darian, and herself. Making her way back to the Tower she stopped at a bridge and watched the sun, which was about to set. She leaned on the railing and her mind drifted to the dream again, it had shifted the last week. She could actually move in the dream now, and this coaled face talked to her a few times. And weirdly enough, that voice reminded her of something or someone, but she could not make out what or who it was. Yet the dream did not scare her as much as it did before, now that Yareli could act in it. She had not told Siuan, it was still a dream. Nothing was real in there. Just a dream her mind created, yes. Just a weird dream.
"Oh look, look. Who do we have here, girl? Remember me?", Yareli looked to her left and immediatly straightened up. It was the drunk man who had tried to do her harm all those weeks ago. She wanted to leave instantly, yet when she turned to take the right way down the bridge, the other man, the friend of the drunk one, stood there. She gulped, there was no way she could outrun them. "Now now, doll. You still have a fee open, don't ya?", the man stepped closer, and Yareli recognized how bulky he was built. She was afraid. Deeply afraid. The man lunged after her and she could just dodge that in time, her back pressed against the railing of the bridge, her breath got heavier as the danger she is in sipped more into her conscious mind. The man laughed weirdly, it sent shivers down the girls spine. "You. You are definitly a quick one. Come here now!", he yelled at her and took out a dagger. Yareli was not stupid and did not get closer. She stayed where she was, considering her options. She did not have many, either she tried to outrun the men and die trying or she could jump into the river below the bridge and die drowning. Both ways were not the optimal one. The man lunged again after her, barely missing her side with the dagger. Yareli climbed up on the railing, which were luckily built out of massive stone. The other man on her right side took out a dagger as well, she was encircled by them with no way out.

Liandrin had been downtown as well, doing what she always does. When she also walked back to the Tower she stopped as she saw a figure ontop of one of the bridges. She herself, was on the next bridge, a few hundred meters away. What was happening over there? The red Aes Sedai focused and made out two men, as well on the bridge and they are armed with daggers. The moment she realised the figure ontop the railing is Yareli, she gulped. What was going on over there? And why again the protégé of the Amyrlin? She should get there, yes. But yb the time Liandrin would arrive, Yareli could be injured, or worse kidnapped or dead. As Liandrin thought about what to do, not really focusing on the situation, she got blinded by an enormous light shield. Covering her eyes she looked back at the situation, seeing that Yareli was holding her side but the light shield came out of her body. The girl channeled! Liandrin dropped her basket, and took the shortest way towards that other bridge.
Once she arrived, the men layed there burned and dead. Yareli was half sitting, half crouching on the railing. The girl cried and was way too pale. "What ha-", Liandrin tried to ask but Yareli fell backwards into the river below.

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I hope you like it! Next part soon!