4PROLOGUE
A strange dream
The sun was beginning to fall from it's noonday perch by the time Rand and his father Tam arrived at their farmhouse. The house itself wasn't particularly large, not like those outside of Two Rivers at least. That wasn't the only strange thing about it though. Most farmhouse families were composed of multiple generations under the same roof, including aunts, uncles, and even cousins.
Rand's on the other hand was only inhabited by him and his father. Two men living in the same house without a wife or sister was odd enough, but one without either was exceptionally odd.
Most of the rooms were on the first floor of the domicile. The house was a simple rectangle without any flourishes like wings or any new or additional rooms added after the initial construction effort.
It boasted two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, and an attic with a storeroom that smelled occasionally of mildew and cotton, and this was below a dull thatched sharp sloping roof.
Winter storms had all but removed the whitewash that once colored the wooden walls. This was not to say that the house was in disrepair, as the thatch was tightly mended and the shutters were well hung and snug fitting.
The house, barn, and the sheep pen formed a triangle around the farmyard where several brave chickens had decided to scratch and peck at the ground in the hope of finding some forgotten seeds or maybe a worm that wasn't paying attention.
An open fronted sheep shearing shed and a stone trough stood next to the wooden fenced sheep pen. They were a sight one would see commonly in Two Rivers.
A tabac curling shed sat nearby the sheep pen giving off the strong bitter smell of the drying leaves. Wool and tabac were common goods sold from Two Rivers, and passing merchants would buy them for a few coppers a pound. Occasionally a rich merchant would pass by and spend a silver penny, but those were few and far between.
There was a reason Two Rivers was called the outer edge of forever. It was far away from most of the rest of the world. The stories of war and the Dark One were far and distant rumors that never really effected the town one way or another.
With the wolves that had come down from the mountains to harass the farms, killing sheep, horses, and even the lone farmer that had ventured out in the dark hours kept the farmers and merchants preoccupied. It didn't seem like very much but for the farmer families, each sheep, bull, and horse was a week or more of food and wood to heat their homes.
When Rand jumped out of the wagon and looked into the wooden pen, a large curved horn ram with grayish white tufted wool looked back at him, it's eyes regarding him as nothing more than the background, yet Rand felt an odd premonition.
Quickly turning around, he felt his eyes drawn to the wooden lantern post that stood on the dirt road that passed the farmhouse.
A large black raven sat watching him with an unnatural stillness. With an eerie silence, it sat as still as death. It's shiny black eye looking into him, not looking away for a second. Ravens were bad news and dark omens. Wherever they gathered, blood would soon be shed.
For a second, he pictured Emuns field burning as the sounds of women, men, and children screaming tore at his ears. Yet he could do nothing but helplessly watch.
His father was busy unloading bales of hay from the wagon, not paying him much attention.
Leaning down and picking up a rock from the ground, Rand pulled his arm back and threw the stone at the dark bird.
The rock flew true racing towards the bird that just silently hopped further down the wood post letting it pass harmlessly by and land in a nearby bush.
Rand took a short breath as the raven silently continued to observe him, as if he had never tossed the stone in the first place.
Tam stopped and turned to his son. Seeing his serious gaze and frown, Tam tracked his gaze to the large dark bird and let out a curse.
Shouting at the bird, Tam stepped forward with a violent gait.
"Shoo dirty bird. You're not welcome here" He growled in a violent shout, shaking his fist at the bird which hopped into the air and flew towards the mountains in the east.
"Those birds are no good son. Bad luck I tell you" Tam said, hoisting a large bale of hay to his shoulder and walking towards the barn.
Rand's mind drifted back to the black cloaked rider he had saw earlier. The cold chills returned and he involuntarily shivered. The hate, the intent to kill, and the darkness was no coincidence. That rider was looking for him, and it seems that it had gotten something it wanted.
"Come, forget the bird and help me put away these haybales. It looks to rain tomorrow and I don't want these to be stuck outside" Tam spoke, a pointed look on his face.
Standing around worrying didn't get work done and there was little time to finish everything Rand had put off today after his excursion earlier.
"Right away" Rand replied before letting out a relieved breath that he didn't know he had held in. Things were getting quite troublesome quite quickly.
He walked over to the back of the wagon and grabbed a large haybale and placed it on his muscular shoulder. A straw of hay poked his temple and Rand adjusted the haybale with an annoyed scowl. Even after all his years on the farm, straw always seemed to give him trouble.
Walking over to the barn behind the farmhouse, he entered the front door that his father opened and the smell of dry hay and horses washed over him.
Walking over to a large well stacked pile of hay and placing it down, he turned to his father.
"Will it really rain tomorrow? This foreboding feeling feels to be growing and I can't help but feel something is wrong. Outsiders in the village, a dark rider, and even Ravens all over. Not even the foolhardy would ignore this" he said, looking at his father with a dark scowl.
The fierceness of his father's reply made him take a step backwards with concern.
"Rand my boy, you may be right. I think it's time to give you something I've been waiting to give you for quite a while. I think now would be the best time to do so" he said resting his hand on Rand's shoulder.
"So you may face the coming storm" Tam said in a half whisper, looking deeply at his son.
"The coming storm? What do you mean?" Rand couldn't help but ask. Raising a thick red eyebrow at his father.
"Pay it no mind my boy. It's just the rambling of your old man. Come let's finish stacking these bales" Tam quickly said as if he didn't want to finish that line of conversation.
"Right" Rand said, and couldn't help but reserve the strange warning in the back of his mind.
The two walked back to the wagon and removed the remaining haybales. Yet neither of them felt it prescient to speak
There was a long moment of silence before Tam spoke again.
"It doesn't seem like the black cloaked rider has come here" Tam shook his head to clear his mind. He felt the muddy dirty feelings in the air as much as his son. It didn't leave him with much confidence.
Something was brewing and the glass was soon to crack. The time he would need to protect his son was fast approaching, and he needed to be ready.
The darkness of the night had fallen and Rand had drifted into a strange hazy sleep. Colors and shapes flashing and receeding burned their way into his mind and he felt himself falling from a great height.
Blackness intertwined by blinking and sparkling stars flashed by him as if he had floated through the night sky itself.
When he finally stopped, he found himself floating above the room of a slaughter. Bodies of men, women, and children lay strewn about. Servants, Nobles, and even scholars lay with their throats sliced open, some burned by lightning, others seared by fires. Thunder rumbled from beyond and the flashes of lightning split the sky outside of the window.
Unseen fingers wrapped around him, groping, tearing, pulling. It all seemed to draw him towards the darkness above.
He felt his willpower fading as his mind fogged over. This feeling soon faded, leaving him amidst a thick mist. The sound of a distant battle clamored. Swords clashing. Screams, howls, and cries of death called to him.
He felt anger rise in his chest.
"No! I will not be controlled!" he shouted with a fury he did not know he could muster.
The mist was blown away and he found himself standing in front of massive white walls far larger than any building he had ever seen.
A heaven reaching white tower fresh as white snow rose high above the city that stretched forever beyond the walls.
He felt a pull from the city and he walked down a long white road, women in pristine white dresses threw petals and colorful flowers towards his path.
Children ran across the road laughing and singing. And marching bands played a beautiful and regal tune full of horns, drums, harps, and other pretty instruments.
He felt like he belonged. Like he had a purpose here. Like it was his purpose in life to walk this road.
Then the white city disappeared as quickly as it had came. Rand now sat in front of the fireplace in his farmhouse. His father sat next to him, smoking on his pipe.
His face was hidden by the jumping fireplace shadows.
He said something, but Rand couldn't quite make it out. After a moment of rambling, he stood up and turned to Rand.
Rand couldn't help but cry out in fright as his face shifted into that of the dark rider and two words burned his ears.
"Serve me" it seared into his ears before everything went white.
Rand opened his eyes after an eternity of darkness, the burning words filled his ears and a blazing fire filled his eyes.
He rose with a violent shouting. The name Shai'tan expelled like a bitter poison from his lips.
Looking around, he quickly gathered that he was not in his Two Rivers home anymore. His heart began beating sharply, and his blue eyes widened.
He lay in a soft bed atop a white cotton pillow that expanded with a small expulsion of air after he rose.
His red cotton shirt and his pants stuck to him in his cold sweat. His breathing slowly stabilized when he realized that this was not a prison.
He was in a small guest room which consisted of not much more than a bed, a wooden dresser, table, chair, and a mirror. A lantern rested on a perch on the wall near the window on the far side of the room.
The sound of lazy footsteps approached from the hallway outside the open wooden door at the entrance of the room. The soft blue wallpaper gave the impression of a comfortable room, but it did seem rather poor.
Someone entered the room causing Rand to jump from the bed with a violent shout of 'Trolloc' before he got a better look.
The would be Trolloc flinched from the violent response to her arrival.
"What's a Trolloc?" the sound of a tired and lazy woman spoke.
Rand gave the woman who entered the room a twice over and was thoroughly confused.
"Burn me, you have dog ears, and a tail?" Rand exclaimed confusedly. It was apparent that this young woman wasn't a Trolloc, but who or what she was was still up for question.
Seeing his half terrified look, Naaza felt taken aback, but it didn't directly offend her strangely. She couldn't muster the will to be angry at the startled young boy. It was as if something had stilled her heart. Any objections she had sunk in her throat.
Seeing the young red haired man looking at her with a half shocked, half amazed look, she sighed, resolving herself to explain what a Chienthrope was.
It was clear that this young man was a farm boy and probably just entered Orario. Besides, Miach had brought the young man in with him, and he had been asleep ever since the past three hours.
She heard the soft thudding of the young man's heart and pulled the small chair from the table behind her.
Sitting next to the bed that Rand had backed up onto, she shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was going to be harder than she had initially thought.
Rand looked in shock at this strange being in front of him. It was a young woman with grayish brown hair that had dog ears poke from the top of her head. Her purple eyes were half lidded with a tired look, and her pale skin showed she hadn't gone outside for several days.
She wore a blue shirt with two yellow stripes falling vertically down the middle of her collar to her black breeches. A bushy grayish brown tail wagged slowly behind her from her lower back.
Rand stopped moving after hearing her sigh. It seemed that she wasn't hostile...Yet.
Was she an Aes Sedai?
He had never seen one before, and the stories told of twelve foot tall giants of women throwing lightning and pulling meteors down from the sky.
Rand fell silent, and the woman spoke.
"Is this your first time seeing a Chienthrope?" The young woman asked half reluctant, halfway curious as if to ascertain what to do yet.
Rand asked a question that he had to ask. Only after knowing could he consider continuing the conversation.
"Chienthrope... Is that a different name for Aes Sedai?" He asked, his voice quivering with a slight fear.
Naaza took in the returned question with a raised eyebrow. If Aes Sedai was some name for Chienthrope, she had never heard it before ever in her life. Judging by the fear in the young man's eyes, an Aes Sedai was a fearsome being.
She blinked, thinking for a second before answering. An Aes Sedai must be something else.
"No, I am not an Aes Sedai. Now can you answer my question?" She asked, finding it hard to dislike the young man, and felt sympathetic to his fear. Perhaps he had ran from this 'Aes Sedai' being and Miach took him in.
The young man let out a deep breath of relief.
"Thank The Light. If you were an Aes Sedai I'm not sure what I'd do" Rand answered before speaking again.
"A Chienthrope huh? Is that a type of Tarn Ferry folk?" He asked trying to make sense of what was going on, still only half believing what he was seeing.
The young woman spoke again.
" Us Chienthropes are people with some dog features, it has it's advantages and disadvantages" She trailed off as if remembering a sour memory.
Rand tilted his head.
"You don't work for the Dark One do you?" He asked, but judging from her confusion it was unlikely she would.
"The Dark One? You're a weird guy, farm boy" she said, the idea that he was a farmhand solidifying in her mind. The smell of straw and horses wafted from him.
Rand seemed far from amused but at last he nodded.
" So, where is this?" He asked looking around again.
Naaza sighed yet again. This young man was a problem to be solved. Laboriously she spoke up.
"Before that, let me introduce myself. I am Naaza. Whats your name?" She asked. It seemed the hardest part had passed.
Rand chuckled dryly as he realized that he had to stop thinking he knew anything about the people outside his village.
"I'm Rand. Rand al'Thor... Pleasure to meet you?" He finished, unsure if this really was a pleasure.
"Well with that over, welcome to Orario Rand" She said, giving a wave of her hand as if presenting some masterpiece. Though the sharpness of her voice spoke as if it wasn't all sunshine and daffodils.
"Orario? I have never heard of such a place?"Rand asked, completely oblivious to what Orario was. It was clear that he had no clue what or where Orario was.
"Where did he pick you up from?" Naaza muttered before speaking again. This time with a determination to at least get the basics from him.
"So Rand, Orario is the city we are in right now. You're in the Miach Familia's home. You know what a Familia is right?" She asked. This kid must have been from out in nowhere to not know what Orario was.
"Is that a different name for a family?" Rand asked, scratching his head in confusion. Every sentence she said confused him more and more.
"Miach help me" Naaza mumbled before giving one more try.
"So you know what a God is, right?" She asked. She was banking on him at least knowing what a God was.
"You mean the Creator? Light burn me, you're talking like there is more than one Creator" Rand narrowed his eyes at her.
"Yes, exactly" she said before stopping and asking another question.
"Wait, Creator?" She had not heard of this God, and she was fairly certain that a God or Goddess going by the name of the Creator would be mentioned at least once by Miach.
"Yes, the Creator. The one who created everything and who holds back the Dark One's taint" Rand responded with certainty. Everyone knew about the Creator and the Dark One. Even farmers like his family in Two Rivers knew that.
"I have never heard of those Gods" Naaza mumbled. Sure she didn't know every diety in Orario, but she liked to believe that she was well read enough to know the major Gods and Goddess.
"I see" Rand trailed off, unsure of how to continue. He was somewhere where the Creator was unknown. This must have been quite far from Two Rivers.
"Wait" he sucked in a deep breath as a shadow passed over his face.
Naaza looked at him curiously as if to wonder what he would say next.
"How did I get here?" He asked, finally getting to the point.
"I was planning to ask you that myself. Miach brought you in while you were sleeping, saying you looked interesting. Though he seemed unsure of why he thought so" she said that last part to herself, but Rand picked up on it.
"Who is Miach?" He asked curiously, and Naaza suppressed a wince before remembering who she was talking to.
"Well, he's a God whom I owe so much to and who I serve" She said, giving a little background to him.
Rand's eyes widened at the thought of a God other than the Creator, and he gave a silent cough into his fist.
Sure, he wasn't as devoted as some, but this woman was openly challenging the Creator. He gave a shudder as he thought of what the Whitecloaks would do to this young lady if they heard her heretical views.
Light save him, he must be in a whole nother world for people not to know the Creator and the Dark One.
The truth was exactly that, but he was unaware of this just yet.
"Next you're going to say you don't know about the Dragon" He joked, but she responded seriously.
"The Dragon?" She asked, curious as to what he was talking about.
Rand did a double take.
"Y'know, the man who will bring ruin to the world?" He asked incredulously. This woman was so odd that he was beginning to think that he was still dreaming.
She just looked back at him as if he was of infirm mind.
"I didn't have you pegged as crazy, but you can't be right all the time " Naaza deflated, standing up quickly.
" Just rest up. Miach will be back shortly" she said to him while leaving the room.
"Wait, there's still so much I don't know" Rand protested, but it seemed the conversation was ended.
Laying back on the bed, Rand tried to rest, but his curiosity overpowered his need to rest and he rose from the bed and walked out of the open door into the bright hallway.
At the left end of the hallway past multiple other open doors was a curving staircase going upwards, and on the further right end was a staircase going down to the basement.
It seemed that this house was large. Perhaps like a large farmhouse over by Gopher Knoll.
No more than ten or twelve steps to his left, the hallway opened into a foyer where multiple pairs of shoes sat on racks, including his bearskin boots.
It looked like he was on the ground floor and he didn't seem to be a prisoner, but if he had been whisked away to some far off country, was escape his best bet?
He wasn't so sure. Not to mention if Naaza's earlier comments were even remotely true, could he escape from a God?
He didn't like his chances that's for sure.
Author Note: This prologue takes place at the beginning of Chapter five of The Eye of The World.