vatheon | 1st Die - I'm no lord

Entry tags:

1st Die - I'm no lord

Who: Mat and ~~whoever hears his screaming~~ you
Where: The Plaza
When: May 23rd
Style: Either! Starting in prose though
Status: OPEN!

He had been smiling, turning to pick up that rabbit his dagger had found, when he had been pulled - physically this time, unlike when it felt like he had a hook sunk into his belly tugging him toward one of the other two - straight into salt water. Did he somehow get launched into the ocean surrounding the island? That didn't make sense, he'd been standing closer to that river than the sea but- Light his eye hurt.

Blood and bloody ashes, he'd thought getting it torn out hurt! That was nothing compared to this, that pounding as salt water touched where he had had an eye not long before. Dimly he was aware he had begun screaming, collapsing to the ground as he had when they had taken his eye from him. Burn him, maybe he ought to have taken that offer of Healing. He couldn't do anything but scream, but he faintly noticed that not just his eye socket had been drenched in salt water-his entire body had. At least, he hoped it was salt water. He couldn't check. Light, had his eye started bleeding again? He had thought he would be safe once he was outside the Aelfinn and Eelfinn's domain, but here he was proven wrong. He took a few ragged breaths a while later, having stopped screaming.

Light, but it hurt! "Blood and bloody ashes," he whispered, voice hoarse from screaming and weak from pain. He shakily pushed himself to his feet, leaning on his ashandarei and pulling his hat down to shade his socket for all the good that would do. At least his scarf had stayed in place; he didn't want to deal with explaining to Thom and Moiraine how he had gotten it. Burn him, he couldn't remember if she'd known before she pushed Lanfear into the doorway back in Rhuidean and it'd collapsed. He'd gotten it not long before that. Why weren't they here? They'd been nearby and he wouldn't be surprised if the Band had heard his screaming back in Andor! Thom at least should have been here; Moiraine was still weak from her stay but she could channel to protect herself. But they weren't. That was strange. He hoped they hadn't run into trouble at the camp.

He had half a mind to not refuse Healing the next time it was offered, but no. He'd not let any Aes Sedai get their claws into him again, not even her. Light, maybe especially not her.

Tuon wouldn't learn to channel, not with what that means to the Seanchan. That much he could relax about. No need to worry about his own wife tangling him up in Aes Sedai plots and schemes. She'd tangle him up into other plots but he didn't care. Other people's plots hadn't been what had torn away parts of his memory. For now he should just plan on how to get back- a scan with his good eye told him this place was completely unfamiliar to him. That would explain Thom and Moiraine not showing up. But...Light, he'd been screaming. Thom and Moiraine hadn't shown up, but what about creatures from this bloody place? Something had been bound to have heard, and he doubted he'd like the meeting.

Still in barely more than a whisper, he mutters, "Burn me, what's going to be thrown at me now?"

Approach him...?

[ooc: An ashandarei is a sword spear. He will try to use it on you if you try to heal him, just a fair warning. And his face is bloody right now. Have fun~]

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Perrin has been spending more time close to the plaza on learning that this is the time of month new arrivals typically begin showing. He's been trying to tell himself that it's unlikely for anyone else from his world to show up, and he certainly would prefer them to stay where they belong, but he can't entirely ignore how ta'veren tug on those around them. What if his coming here pulls others after him?

Of course, his ears probably could have picked up that screaming from the island. As it is, he's near enough the sound almost makes him wince, but he heads towards it all the same. It sounds unpleasantly familiar, and above the smell of seawater he catches a familiar scent as well.

"Mat!? Light! What happened to you?"

"The bloody Eelfinn and Aelfinn happened to me." He leans a bit harder on his ashandarei. Perrin's here? Another question. Light, his eye hurt. He focuses as well as he can on Perrin. He has to tilt his head up a little to meet his eyes though.

"Where are we? And how did I get here? I was with Thom and Moiraine outside the flaming Tower of Ghenjei and weren't you off in Andor?" He's not sure where Perrin went after that, but Caemlyn was where Mat left from and Perrin saw him off.

The Eelfinn and Aelfinn? The Tower of Ghenjei? Moiraine? If Mat has questions, Perrin is certainly developing some of his own. Light, he doesn't even know where to begin. What sort of trouble has Mat gotten himself into this time?

One thing at a time. His own questions can wait, Mat's the one who just showed up with a missing bloody eye, though Perrin's stunned expression is staying for the time being.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mat"--and maybe you're delusional--"but we need to do something about that eye." He moves closer to offer support that seems much-needed from how Mat's leaning on that spear, and to guide him towards one of the fountains where they can at least rinse out the wound.

"This is another world entirely-- like one connected through the portal stones, perhaps."

Just the usual trouble that comes with rescuing an Aes Sedai. He frowns and leans on Perrin a little-just a little mind. The polearm is all well and good, but at least this tells him that Perrin's actually here wherever 'here' is.

He was about to say that Perrin was there when Mat stepped through the gateway, but...his eye is more important than explaining or arguing right now. "Right. I'm not getting it bloody Healed though." Walking in an unfamiliar area makes him grateful for the support, especially since his eye still stings.

"So if we find this place's portal stone, if it has one, we might be able to get back?" If that's true...well, he'll at least look for it.

"Maybe. There are channelers here, of a sort. But I don't know if there is a portal stone." It's just the closest comparison he can draw to how they were brought here.

Let's sit you down by the fountain, all right?

"There's a large coral in this plaza that's said to be responsible." He looks at Mat's eye with a thoughtful and worried frown. Obviously Aes Sedai Healing isn't an option, and Perrin isn't sure he'll go for this either, but... "Touching it helps heal wounds, too."

"Of a sort?" He raises an eyebrow at that. Well, he thinks that's a bit better than actual channelers. Light, will they be able to touch him with their Power even while he's wearing the medallion?

"We can look anyway. Maybe it's inside the coral or something. I'm not sure what you were doing, but I just rescued Moiraine. I don't want to leave her there." Different world doesn't mean that their own time isn't continuing, after all. The inside of Tower of Ghenjei was a different world too.

He frowns at that and sits next to the fountain. The coral could heal wounds...? "It doesn't get you caught up in its bloody plans, does it?" ...Could it plan? He'll...think about that later. Especially if Perrin says it does tangle people in its plans. He shakes his head. "Let's just rinse the salt out of my eye."

"They're from different worlds. It seems to work differently." Not that Perrin can really know for certain, since he can't do any sort of channeling.

"Strange things happen here, Mat, but I'm fairly certain they happen whether or not you touch the rock. Tilt your head back," he adds even as he's tilting it back anyway. Scooping water from the fountain, he pours it carefully over Mat's eye. Or rather, the socket where his eye used to be. Light.

Finally, Perrin allows himself to question some of the things Mat's been going on about. "What's this about Moiraine?" Mat's talking like she's alive. Is that possible?

"Bloody ashes. Think they'll listen if I ask them not to use it on me?" Most important question. Then again, a lot of Aes Sedai didn't seem to care about that anymore, so hopefully these people do.

He grunted and tilts his head back. It's probably a good thing that Perrin's holding his head since Light, that's not comfortable. He probably would've tried to let the water out of his socket immediately after having it put in. It's like how he had to stay still when his leg was being sown up by Lopin; he didn't want to stay still then either.

Talking to distract himself sounds like a plan. "She survived falling through the flaming red stone doorway. She's been with Eelfinn, the Foxes, this entire time. They drained her so she can't hold near as much of the One Power now, but one of her wishes gave her a bloody angreal so you can hardly tell. Light, it felt like I was talking to a legend after we got her out. Like talking to Birgitte Silverbow or Jain Farstrider." Perrin knows he's talked to the former, doesn't he? He can't quite remember right now. He's sure only Thom knew Noal was Jain though. "Did you know she and Thom love each other?"

"The ones I've run into only offered Healing." Even Perrin had been wary of it after showing up in a strange place. Which means it's possible, Mat, that they will ask first.

As Mat goes on, Perrin rinses the eye out once more and then tilts Mat's head to let the water drain out. It still looks bloody awful but at least the salt water sting should be gone.

So Moiraine is alive... Light, but that's some good news for once. Even if it sounds like she's had the worst time of it, it's still a relief. Mat's last remark brings him up short, though. "Moiraine and Thom?" he asks incredulously. Somehow that's the harder part to get his head around.

"They didn't force it on you?" Maybe they'd keep their word. They probably would, if he managed to get a solid promise out of them. If they had something like the Three Oaths or not. Hopefully.

That already feels much better. He sighs with relief and stands up. It still hurts but he doubts that'll be gone for a couple days at the least. He didn't want to keep tilting his head that far to be able to meet Perrin's eyes.

That makes him grin though. "So I'm not the only one who felt like it came out of nowhere! Not too long after we got her out, she asked Thom to be her husband. And he bloody accepted! He's even thinking about becoming her Warder now." He's going to leave out the fact that they wanted him to marry them right then and there.

Perrin shakes his head. "They seemed to think the coral would do better anyway." It isn't exactly a suggestion, but he is mentioning it again in hopes of Mat trying it on that eye.

Wasn't it rare for Aes Sedai to marry as well? Perrin gives another shake of his head, this one still incredulous. But... "After what she's been through, she deserves it. Both of them." Even if he has trouble even picturing it, much less understanding where it came from.

He frowns at that. "So you did touch it?" If Perrin had...well, he seems right enough. Maybe it is worth trying, at least once.

Rare among Blues, certainly. He's heard that Greens do it often. He gives a bark of laughter. "Light, they deserve it. I'm glad she's alright; you should see how they look at each other now. I'm not sure how I missed it."

"I needed the Healing," Perrin says simply. He might explain if Mat presses, but the battle with Slayer isn't pleasant to remember, and he doesn't even know for certain that everything worked out.

It's hard to imagine, but still good to hear. "I'm glad she's all right, too." Perrin smiles slightly. "I wouldn't have figured on you being the one to rescue her, though."

Since he said that the channelers had only offered, Mat takes that as yes, he touched the coral. So Mat turns and places a hand on a nearby part of the coral before yanking it back. "Light, that feels weird!"

Sort of like being Healed, actually. The pain lessens a bit so it's back to a little less than that painful throbbing of before he arrived. Grudgingly, he admits, "It helped a bit. Doesn't hurt as much now."

Burn him if he'll touch it again if he doesn't have to though. "It was a relief to see that she hasn't changed all that much while she was in there." He shrugs at Perrin's other comment. "Apparently Moiraine Foresaw that she'd fall into the stone doorway and that she'd survive. She wrote it in a letter to Thom, along with that I must come with him to rescue her with someone else if we were to succeed. We still might've failed though."

Perrin nods. He's glad it helped with the pain, though that's about the reaction he expected from Mat.

"And you agreed to that?" Perrin asks, more in jest. Mat may be stubborn enough to at times try doing the exact opposite of what he's told, but he's far from the type to abandon a friend in danger.

"Well, anyway, you succeeded." A slight frown there for the loss of Mat's eye. "Who else was with you?" Someone Perrin doesn't know, he assumes, else Mat would have mentioned them before.

Mat rolls his eye. He can tell Perrin's joking, but still. He cracks a smile, may as well joke too, even with the truth thrown in like that. "You should have seen how Thom was holding that letter ever since he told me about it. I couldn't break his heart like that!"

Mat nods, grin fading. That's what really matters; they succeeded. Though...He looks away. "Noal. You don't know him that well, but he was a bloody good man."

--Wait, this was sounding like Perrin had no idea that Mat was going to the Tower of Ghenjei to get Moiraine with Thom and Noal. He looks up and into Perrin's eyes. "Light, Perrin I told you this before we left. Your Asha'man, Grady, is the one who made the Gateway. Are you feeling alright?"

'Was a good man.' Perrin realizes Mat hadn't mentioning him because he hadn't made it back with them. "I'm sure he was," he agrees quietly.

Finally Mat seems to recognize the inconsistency that's been nagging Perrin since he first opened his mouth. "Mat, I haven't seen you since..." Light, how long has it been? He shakes his head, and at last something clicks into place for him. It's the only way to reconcile the apparent differences in what they remember.

"Someone told me when I first came that people can arrive here from our past or future," he says thoughtfully. "You said you saw me in Andor? We were still in Ghealdan the last I remember."

He was why they got out, the three of them. Mat nods. "One of the best men I've known."

Mat's eye widens. "Are you flaming crazy?" Him? From the future? But...he had told Perrin all about his plans when he'd seen him - and about what happened on Mat's end while they were apart. Perrin had been shocked to learn about Moiraine, just like when Mat had told him before he left...It makes sense. He had explained about Thom's letter then too. And the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, the Snakes and Foxes. Blood and ashes.

"I saw you in Andor. I told you about what I'd been up to and asked if you'd lend me a gateway to get to the Tower of Ghenjei. You knew about it already." A pause. This was weird. This was bloody weird. "Blood and ashes, maybe I am from your future." That's a really strange idea. Maybe this means he'll be able to leave out the fact he's married this time.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only thing I can think of." This is the first he's spoken to Mat in ages, at least from his perspective. And of all the things they've experienced, is a difference of what might only be a few days really the strangest?

"So we make it to Andor," he says quietly. It is good to know. He'd destroyed the Dreamspike, but he'd had to retreat without defeating Slayer, and that's been nagging him while he's been here. But if Mat is really talking about his future, then it must mean he's been able to safely move his forces into Andor. Maybe he's even spoken to Elayne and straightened out this 'Lord of the Two Rivers' business.

It's only been a few days from Mat's perspective; maybe only a couple of hours depending on how long he was in the Tower of Ghenjei, but it's still odd to say the least. It's not nearly as strange as other things they've experienced, that's true. He shakes his head, "I still find it a bit hard to believe, even if it makes a bit of sense."

Especially given how Perrin's reacting. Mat gives Perrin a look with his eye. "Yeah. What did you do before you arrived here?" That should give him some idea about where Perrin is compared to him. At least, it might. It'll be better than just sitting here without a clue anyway.

Perrin is quiet for a moment as he considers how to answer. What just happened was he had been found guilty of murder at a trial where he had announced he could speak to wolves, and following that he had gone into the wolf dream to fight Slayer and destroy a ter'angreal. Explaining that to Mat? Would take time. And his friend has probably had enough shocks for one day. He's getting strange looks as it is.

"I was fighting a Shadowspawn," he answers at last. Is that even the right term for what Slayer is? "He was using a ter'angreal to keep us from Traveling out of Ghealdan. I told Faile to get everyone moving to Whitebridge once gateways were working again."

Faile. If time is really stopped in their world, then she must be caught in that moment, waiting for him to wake. He wishes he knew how.

Oh. Perrin had told him that something like that had happened when they met up before. He didn't use the same wording though.

He nods. "You mentioned that the last time I saw you. I think you're only a couple days before meeting up with me in Caemlyn."

Later, Mat will tell Perrin that Faile was fine and didn't have to wait a long time for him to wake up. At least, that's what he gathered from Perrin's tale. For now... "Is there someplace here I can get dried off?"

"Not terrible then." At least they are from nearly the same time, even if it must be a bit frustrating for Mat to have to repeat himself.

At Mat's request, Perrin smiles a bit. "They are prepared for new arrivals. Towels everywhere." He gestures his friend towards the nearest stand. "We can find you some dry clothes, too."

"Yeah." A bit frustrating, but a bit relieving. He could leave out the fact that he's married this time!

"Dry clothes sound like a bloody good idea." He makes his way over to the stand and grabs a towel. He nearly missed it on his first grab, not quite used to having one eye yet, and starts drying his face off. "Do you have any coin to pay for the clothes? I don't." It'd be a bit foolish to bring coins with him into the Tower of Ghenjei.

That incredible piece of information will have to come out of you sooner or later, Mat.

"Actually, Mat," Perrin says, waiting nearby while he dries off, "most things here are free, for 'foreigners.'" He still finds it odd, but it is without a doubt convenient when you don't have anything recognizable as proper money.

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