The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gives it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose among the scattered Isles of the Seafolk. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.
Elayne
The wind blew northwest, billowing in the colourful sails of the Sea Folk vessels riding the waves in the many sea channels between the islands of the archipelago. It raced across the breakers, throwing up scuds of foam as it moved towards the mainland, that place that the Seafolk thought of only in terms of mixed derision, fear and pity.
The wind blew across the port city of Ebou Dar, sweltering under the unnatural heat. The city was groaning and creaking under the influx of countless refugees from the north, east and west, all telling wild tales of blackveiled Aielmen running amok, of terrible monsters with bestial heads, of chained Aes Sedai calling forth fire and lightning, of the Dragon now in Cairhien and the chaos he had unleashed on the world. The city was frightened and the heat only magnified the fear.
The wind blew into a high room in the Royal Palace where Elayne Trakand, by the Grace of the Light Daughter Heir of Andor, sat by herself, trying to concentrate. She was a sight to behold. Long golden locks descended past her shoulder, the perfect frame for a fair-skinned, aristocratic face of heartstopping classical beauty and dazzling clear blue eyes. The simple green dress she wore fit snugly to her glorious, queenly body, slender yet invitingly curved and rounded. The low, V-shaped bodice of the gown gave more than a peek at her delectable bosom: two perfectly smooth, huge yet incredibly firm and perky breasts pressed together by the material. She had the face of the queen she would one day be, a face that men would be proud to die for, and a body made for love.
And it was love she was thinking about -love and Rand al'Thor. She had known she would love him ever since they first met, when he tumbled into the palace garden in Caemlyn. Just the thought of his face made her pulse race, while the thought of his hard body made her face flush and her hand want to slip downwards. But where was Rand now... and who was he thinking of?
Aviendha seemed to think that the two of them could share him. Even the thought made Elayne blush but sometimes she thought it was possible. Perhaps she could even persuade Aviendha -and herself- to allow Min to share Rand as well, though the very thought was indecent. But which did Rand want? He had no idea that Min was in love with him. And he and Aviendha had... done things together.
Things that Aviendha insisted on describing, as brazen as a Domani girl. She said that this was a thing that sister-wives would do among the Aiel. Elayne had tried to stop her at first but part of her had never wanted to at all. A completely different side of the fierce Aiel girl emerged when she talked of the night she and Rand had spent together on the far side of the world. She flushed and she sighed as she talked of the way he had seemed to like kissing the side of her neck, and how much she had liked it, and the kisses she had given, running all down the length of his body. Aviendha's stories at first sated but then only fanned the flames stirring in Elayne's nubile body. She could hardly wait for Aviendha to return so they could discuss these things some more -more than that, she felt she could not wait much longer for Rand to do these things to her.
A bead of sweat ran down her forehead. The heat outside was nothing to the heat and hunger in the pit of her stomach.
Min
Min sauntered through the corridors of the Royal Palace of Cairhien. Guards and servants were used to her presence and barely gave her a second glance. The women at least -the men usually found the sight of Min more than rewarding second and even third glances.
She was a slender, petite girl with close-cropped, smooth dark hair, delicate features and huge dark eyes that a man could want to drown in. Her sensitive pink lips were made for smiles, kisses and perhaps other things. If men wanted to obey Elayne, they wanted to simply scoop Min up in their arms. As always, she was dressed in boy's clothes but since Salidar, she had taken to dressing in much tighter, more form-fitting clothes that adhered themselves to every inch of her lithe frame. If not as big as Elayne's, her breasts were still impressive -ripe, perky globes barely contained by the straining buttons of her shirt, each easily a handful. Her breeches clung lovingly to her firm, deliciously rounded ass, her hips swaying as she moved, stretching the fabric tight. As Leane had taught, she moved in ways that subtly emphasised all of her assets -never flaunting them but still, in subtle ways, bringing sweat to the brow of onlookers.
She had never dressed this way or carried herself this way before. The changes, like so much else in her life, were the unconscious doing of one man -Rand al'Thor. Min's heart thumped, her throat went dry and her head swam at even the thought of him. She was in love with him -mad, passionate love, and yet sometimes she wasn't even sure he knew she existed. How could she compete with the other women around him -imperious, beautiful Elayne or passionate, fiery Aviendha, women capable of harnessing the One Power, women who would one day dictate the fates of entire peoples? She was just a tomboy from Baerlon with a gift that was as much curse as blessing. She'd never been the type for romance, thought that the boys who swarmed around her asking for a kiss were very silly. But now... she felt like a monster for thinking it, because Elayne was a close friend and loved Rand as much as she did -but if she could get him, she would do everything in her power to hold on to him. Friendship or no.
And so for the first time in her life, she was wearing clothes that emphasized rather than concealed her feminine attributes.
Rand had been away for some days, but she'd heard of his arrival back in Cairhien. He would be in his quarters. The Maidens of the Spear outside his door let her pass with a smile. Min had once been frightened of the tall, stone-faced women standing guard around Rand night and day -now, she was starting to see them as almost sisters. Enaila opened the door for her.
Min's heart had been drumming before -it reached a crescendo now.
"Sheepherder?" she said, poking her dark head in. She always called him that nickname instead of 'Rand' -she didn't trust her voice not to break with tenderness when she said his real name.
Elayne
The wind blew northwest, billowing in the colourful sails of the Sea Folk vessels riding the waves in the many sea channels between the islands of the archipelago. It raced across the breakers, throwing up scuds of foam as it moved towards the mainland, that place that the Seafolk thought of only in terms of mixed derision, fear and pity.
The wind blew across the port city of Ebou Dar, sweltering under the unnatural heat. The city was groaning and creaking under the influx of countless refugees from the north, east and west, all telling wild tales of blackveiled Aielmen running amok, of terrible monsters with bestial heads, of chained Aes Sedai calling forth fire and lightning, of the Dragon now in Cairhien and the chaos he had unleashed on the world. The city was frightened and the heat only magnified the fear.
The wind blew into a high room in the Royal Palace where Elayne Trakand, by the Grace of the Light Daughter Heir of Andor, sat by herself, trying to concentrate. She was a sight to behold. Long golden locks descended past her shoulder, the perfect frame for a fair-skinned, aristocratic face of heartstopping classical beauty and dazzling clear blue eyes. The simple green dress she wore fit snugly to her glorious, queenly body, slender yet invitingly curved and rounded. The low, V-shaped bodice of the gown gave more than a peek at her delectable bosom: two perfectly smooth, huge yet incredibly firm and perky breasts pressed together by the material. She had the face of the queen she would one day be, a face that men would be proud to die for, and a body made for love.
And it was love she was thinking about -love and Rand al'Thor. She had known she would love him ever since they first met, when he tumbled into the palace garden in Caemlyn. Just the thought of his face made her pulse race, while the thought of his hard body made her face flush and her hand want to slip downwards. But where was Rand now... and who was he thinking of?
Aviendha seemed to think that the two of them could share him. Even the thought made Elayne blush but sometimes she thought it was possible. Perhaps she could even persuade Aviendha -and herself- to allow Min to share Rand as well, though the very thought was indecent. But which did Rand want? He had no idea that Min was in love with him. And he and Aviendha had... done things together.
Things that Aviendha insisted on describing, as brazen as a Domani girl. She said that this was a thing that sister-wives would do among the Aiel. Elayne had tried to stop her at first but part of her had never wanted to at all. A completely different side of the fierce Aiel girl emerged when she talked of the night she and Rand had spent together on the far side of the world. She flushed and she sighed as she talked of the way he had seemed to like kissing the side of her neck, and how much she had liked it, and the kisses she had given, running all down the length of his body. Aviendha's stories at first sated but then only fanned the flames stirring in Elayne's nubile body. She could hardly wait for Aviendha to return so they could discuss these things some more -more than that, she felt she could not wait much longer for Rand to do these things to her.
A bead of sweat ran down her forehead. The heat outside was nothing to the heat and hunger in the pit of her stomach.
Min
Min sauntered through the corridors of the Royal Palace of Cairhien. Guards and servants were used to her presence and barely gave her a second glance. The women at least -the men usually found the sight of Min more than rewarding second and even third glances.
She was a slender, petite girl with close-cropped, smooth dark hair, delicate features and huge dark eyes that a man could want to drown in. Her sensitive pink lips were made for smiles, kisses and perhaps other things. If men wanted to obey Elayne, they wanted to simply scoop Min up in their arms. As always, she was dressed in boy's clothes but since Salidar, she had taken to dressing in much tighter, more form-fitting clothes that adhered themselves to every inch of her lithe frame. If not as big as Elayne's, her breasts were still impressive -ripe, perky globes barely contained by the straining buttons of her shirt, each easily a handful. Her breeches clung lovingly to her firm, deliciously rounded ass, her hips swaying as she moved, stretching the fabric tight. As Leane had taught, she moved in ways that subtly emphasised all of her assets -never flaunting them but still, in subtle ways, bringing sweat to the brow of onlookers.
She had never dressed this way or carried herself this way before. The changes, like so much else in her life, were the unconscious doing of one man -Rand al'Thor. Min's heart thumped, her throat went dry and her head swam at even the thought of him. She was in love with him -mad, passionate love, and yet sometimes she wasn't even sure he knew she existed. How could she compete with the other women around him -imperious, beautiful Elayne or passionate, fiery Aviendha, women capable of harnessing the One Power, women who would one day dictate the fates of entire peoples? She was just a tomboy from Baerlon with a gift that was as much curse as blessing. She'd never been the type for romance, thought that the boys who swarmed around her asking for a kiss were very silly. But now... she felt like a monster for thinking it, because Elayne was a close friend and loved Rand as much as she did -but if she could get him, she would do everything in her power to hold on to him. Friendship or no.
And so for the first time in her life, she was wearing clothes that emphasized rather than concealed her feminine attributes.
Rand had been away for some days, but she'd heard of his arrival back in Cairhien. He would be in his quarters. The Maidens of the Spear outside his door let her pass with a smile. Min had once been frightened of the tall, stone-faced women standing guard around Rand night and day -now, she was starting to see them as almost sisters. Enaila opened the door for her.
Min's heart had been drumming before -it reached a crescendo now.
"Sheepherder?" she said, poking her dark head in. She always called him that nickname instead of 'Rand' -she didn't trust her voice not to break with tenderness when she said his real name.
