With her fingers at his temples and along the bridge of his nose, the Aes Sedai focused all her concentration to the task at hand. For Chiya, healing demanded intense concentration since the flows involved were among her weakest. The approaching sounds of battle, their situation, her fear .... all were thrust aside as she widened the thread of Spirit within the weave. She felt the closing of the gash along his intestine, the stomach walls drawing close, each layer of muscle knitting together. But there was still something ... a feeling of terrible wrongness. Determinedly controlling the panic rising within her, she searched for the source. There!!! Oh Light!!.. A trickle of bile flowed from a hole no larger than the head of a pin. Halting the trickle first, she then gently directed the healing flows towards his liver. Sweat matted golden tendrils of hair clung to her face and with a horrified start Chiya realized that he was slipping from her grasp. The greenish tickle has seeped into his system in enough quantity to send his already weakened system into deeper shock. Noooooo!! He can't die .... she thought. Their destiny lay together, of that she had no doubts and she searched her mind for any and all references she had ever read or heard about Healing.

With sudden clarity, she knew only one path lay before her. Gazing down upon his wan chiseled features, the pallor of his skin highlighted by the vivid red of his hair, she softly murmured...."Forgive me for what I am about to do ... but it is the only way." Adjusting the flows of her weave, Chiya felt it wending it's way down from her hands into him. Gangorn's body shuddered briefly, a groan escaping his lips as she gently pushed and nudged the weave along until she sensed it wrap and then finally anchor itself firmly. Through the new bond between them, she sensed with a flood of relief that strength was returning to him, but there was still the matter of the shard in his right shoulder.

Wearily she glanced up, looking for Aneid's telltale black garb and she almost missed him in the shadowy confines of the passageway. "Asha'man .... Asha'man Aneid?" She raised her voice, attempting to call out to him over the ever increasing clash of steel and death cries. "Aneid! There is yet another shard lodged in his shoulder .... " she let her voice trail off as he calmly strode back towards the pair, noting with some trepidation the signs of strain showing around his eyes and the set of his mouth....He is pushing himself as much as the rest of us ..... yet he barely knows us As he once more knelt at Gangorn's side, Chiya sat back on her heels, glancing at his profile. Not handsome ... no ... but there is alot of strength of character reflected there Tales of madness and the Taint had always portrayed Asha'men in such a montrous light, yet here was this man helping a group of people who under other circumstances might be seen as the enemy. Fine lines of concentration creased his brow, beads of perspiration forming as he somehow altered the steel shard's shape and eased it out of the wound. The Aes Sedai experienced a warm feeling of gratitude towards this man who had thrown his lot in with their party.

"It is out Aes Sedai. The battle approaches rapidly, and he needs to be on his feet before we can move on." The Asha'man's voice cut through her thoughts, his level gaze meeting her green eyes. Nodding, she placed her hands to either side of the wound, weaving the flows of Air, Water and Spirit a final time. Clear blue eyes fluttered open just as she removed her hands and he weakly struggled to a sitting position. Aneid rose, a calm expression returning to his face, but not before Chiya glimpsed the rapid glimmer of satisfaction which flitted across his eyes.

One of the Gaidin's who'd joined the fray in the cave and cut a passage through the Shadowspawn came running back to the trio, his eyes alighting on Gangorn's rising form. "Good to see you back on your feet swordbrother," with a nod to the Asha'man and the Aes Sedai he continued, addressing all three. "I've found the next passage we must take, but we must hurry...even now they are pressing us back."

"Thank you Aemon. Lead the way and let us leave this Light foresaken place." Gangorn's voice still held traces of weakness, but he stood tall if a little unsteady as he turned to Aneid. "I would speak with Chiya Sedai for a moment before we join you. We will be with you shortly."

"As you wish Gaidin, but see to it you do not dally. If we are to leave in one piece speed is of the essence." With that he turned and accompanied Aemon Gaidin back towards the main group.

Gangorn's head turned towards the Aes Sedai, his expression unreadable. She sensed confusion, then a jumble of emotions as knowledge of what she had done dawned on him. Overriding them all however was a sense of recognition, of unity which his words reinforced. Gazing into her upturned face, his face softened, "My thanks Chiya Sedai. Should you have any misgivings, know that I am honored to be bonded to an Aes Sedai such as yourself and....." The sound of Janira calling their names cut off further conversation. Sharing a glance and a short smile, the pair rejoined the others.

The reverberating echoes of steel on steel seemed the only sound as the Shadowspawn harried the retreating group, Aemon Gaidin leading them unerringly along endless passageways which twisted and turned. Rocar followed close behind, his hovering ball of light lighting their way, a beacon of hope. Dar'tagni and Serian, with Aneid just ahead of them brought up the rear, Chiya's crushing flows of Air reaching out and eliminating whatever Trollocs they missed. Janira's stern warning that he wasn't yet ready to wield a blade couldn't keep Gangorn's hand fron the hilt at his side as they group advanced.

The constant battle for survival, of gaining ground inch by inch was the group's sole focus and it was several moments before Aemon's shouts registered. "Daylight!!! I see daylight!!! A few moments more brought them to the outside entrance of the passage, the welcome sight of grass and scrub brush greeting the battle weary party as they stumbled forwards.



The author of this roleplay was Chiya'ath Sedai.