Elayne's Last Battle
This story was written by Willow Elbereth during a class Miridyth Al'Landerin taught on the Ajahs, where the students got an assignment to write about a Green Sister in the Last Battle.
“Elayne” Birgitte shouts “It’s happening!” “I know”, was the shouted reply, Elayne of course has known for a while, her warder and friend Birgitte was a surprised bond that she has been grateful for time after time to have, but her bond to her love and her strength Rand al’ Thor the Dragon Reborn was no coincidence. You can feel the feelings and almost know their thoughts when that bond has happened it is the closest you can come to knowing someone. She has felt his presence, his feelings and yearned to be near him. It was more than irritating to have to share that bond with another, Alanna Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah. She had bonded Rand without his permission and was a thorn in his and her foot! At least she had no idea where she was and hadn’t seen her in a very long time. It was always tense when she was around and Elayne had to constantly remind herself to have some control.
Finally in the bleak surroundings of the Blight they has been fighting non-stop for hours now, against shadow spawn and the Dark One’s powers, Aes Sedai, Aiel, the Seanchan, Soldiers and who knows who else that supported Rand! The idea was to create a disturbance so Rand could take a small band to Shaiyol Ghol, though they’d been the rounds on the subject Elayne was not to come, threats of sending an Aiel to put her back to the fight were the end of her complaints. He could tell how close she was from him at all times sneaking in the band would have never worked! Birgitte was referring to the fight starting to move to the opposite direction that Rand was going to take. They had all tried to distract the Shadowspawn toward the direction where little would be noticed. Just as Rand’s party had left and made it out toward the Dark One’s lair (which wasn’t too far away) Elayne was making her way to meet him. In order for her not to be noticed she took the opposite direction and went around the fight going on toward the rear end of Shaiyol Ghol, the fight was getting closer towards the Dark Ones lair and Rand would only have so much time to battle before the evil creations would start to target where he was…now was the right time to get closer to him!
There he was! He was still a few hundred yards off but she could see him, arms stretched out as if he was throwing something, Elayne knew that if she were a man she would be able to see streaks of light from those hands and a glow surrounding him, suddenly she was filled with the one power before she even realized it. It was something innate in her to protect him. Without warning the fight had flown to them and they were back in the middle of shadow spawn and people in every direction. She saw that Rand was still fighting though whom she could not see. He was behind a huge boulder though she knew who it must have been.
Just then a young lady holding her son that could have been no more than three came rushing toward Elayne. She was from the Tinker’s, there wagons were near the blight on their search for the lost song and they had been caught up in this battle before they knew what was happening. To everyone’s surprise the men all took up swords to defend themselves and their families, all the woman and children could do was run and hide behind someone as best they could to survive. Elayne figured she rushed toward them since they were secluded a bit from the fighting enough that no one noticed them at least. All of a sudden Birgitte stopped and rushed toward her little boy. He immediately calmed down and jumped into her arms. The young mother watched in amazement.”He refuses to go to anyone” she said in hushed tones, the sight of all this fighting to a people who don’t believe in violence had worn on her. Just then two Myrddraal came rushing toward them sword unsheathed, Elayne bell fired one immediately but just as she turned to defend Birgitte she had been stabbed through with the other’s blade. She bell fired him before he could even turn toward her. Both Birgitte and the boy had been stabbed with that evil blade. As Elayne rushed toward her, she could feel the sense of total happiness. “Birgitte” Elayne started to sob, “No Elayne no tears”, she pushed out, talking slower with each breath. Elayne knew she wouldn’t be alive long. “I’ve found him Elayne, I found Gaidal Cain! We’ll be together again and be threads of the pattern together again…” with that she was gone, still holding the dead little boy in her arms. The mother was sobbing quietly, Elayne knew if she even survived this she would understand who her son was before the day was through.
Just then she felt pain like she had never known all thought out her body. Everything was happening so fast. She knew it was Rand this time though, before she could even think about her loss she was caught up in Rand and his battle. She could see him lying on the ground and a huge dark mist was hovering above him. She knew in that mist lye his enemy, she could see Aes Sedai starting to make their way all around the battle, along with Asha’man. They were together in one purpose, Elayne could see the woman glowing and the men heaving huge breaths she new together they would all be strong enough to seal him for good. She immediately struggled to join them and seized Sadar. They all were trying to bring down the Dark One and the mist was slowly getting thinner. “Together we must seal him together” someone shouted, “We need to distract him the Dragon will die if we don’t”, came another. It was true Rand was losing his strength she could fill him barely holding on. Just then an Aes Sedai stepped forward close enough to get the Dark Ones attention and started to shout “Now everyone, let him attack me, bell fire him NOW!” It worked just then the mist let up off Rand for an instant and as if taking a minute to swipe away a fly she was down, dead. But that instant was all that everyone needed. He was attacked by men and women with so much power, with so much focus of purpose that the mist was sealed instantly, the Shadowspawn, Myrddraal and other creatures of the Dark One were killed instantly, back into Shaiyol Ghol never to break free again. Everyone stopped and looked around. The smell of the dead was already filling the air. Yellow Aes Sedai were rushing toward Rand Nynaeve was there first, after a moment Elayne felt his strength return. Rand rolled over to the Aes Sedai that gave her life to save his Elayne could sense gratitude filled him, “Thank you Alanna…thank you”, was all he said under his breath. His eyes meet hers, through the commotion of it all she smiled and he smiled, the last battle was done.
