Darren Ta’ler’s Diary.

1^st of Taishan, 998

Well, it’s taken a week to get here now. We’ve been travelling on the river (well, I guess if you read the last entry you’d know that). We still haven’t sorted out the problem of the female channeler on board, the wind mistress as I think she’s called. Seonaid seems reluctant to jeopardise our task by getting side tracked, and Tarn seems to be biting at the leash to get moving. I tried to enquire more about her, but the folk have the, well, err… disconcerting habit of not wearing any clothes. Urghh. I’m really getting sick of this. If I see another naked woman (well, in public) I’ll know that someone is trying to embarrass me. But I’m not going to let it happen. It could be important someday. Still, I think we should try to do something. I just can’t figure out what. I mean, kidnapping is wrong, but it would be for her own good…

By the way, happy New Year! It’s certainly going to be interesting…

6^th of Taishan, 998

I don’t know where to begin. Hmm. Right. Here goes. We were just about a day outside of Caemlyn when we made camp for what should have been a routine night, when I noticed Joar, who was on watch with me, head off into the woods. Now, call me paranoid, and maybe I was, but I thought I’d follow him to see what he was up to. Now there was always something about him that I didn’t really trust (Don’t ask me why; I don’t know… unless…). Anyway, I followed him for a while when he came to a clearing and…and…

OPENED A PORTAL! I mean, not only did this mean he was a channeler, but it was something that hasn’t been done SINCE THE AGE OF LEGENDS! It was fascinating to watch, the way that the weave just coalesced from nowhere, and I’m sure I could see the weave, well, burying (I suppose that’s the right word for it) through the air.

Then, as calm as you like, he just stepped straight through. I decided that this was too good an opportunity to miss, so I threw myself after him. It’s funny, you expect to feel something, most likely gut wrenching, but it was smooth as anything. I then hid myself in a nearby bush and watched what Joar did next.

He was talking to a Myrddraal. Now that’s where I drew the line. I refuse to damn a man for using the gifts the creator gave us (And, as far as I’m concerned, it IS a gift, no matter what the Red Ajah say), but I won’t hesitate to stop a darkfriend. He said a few words, I think telling the thing not to attack (I’m still not quite sure why he did that…) and then opened another portal. I decided it wasn’t worth the risk to follow through again, so I did it the old fashioned way. I ran like the Dark One was chasing me himself.

I managed to get back to the camp at about the same time that Joar did, and so I told Seonaid straight away. Again, she seemed a bit reluctant to do anything until morning, but I urged her to do something now. Idrien, who had been listening, seemed sceptical about us being able to take him, but agreed when I said I would anyway.

Actually, that’s one of the things I pity about Idrien. He doesn’t really seem to have many driving goals (I don’t even think the Horn holds much for him) and he can be a bit, well, depressing at times. Still, he’s a good friend, and I trust him. Even with the other event of the night…

Anyway, we charged Joar, who was taken by surprise. I guess even a blade master can’t plan for everything. I think we almost had him, but he managed to open another portal and get away. He spluttered something about only trying to help, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ll die first before I have anything to do with a servant of the dark one!

Of course, that was when the Shadowspawn attacked. A Draghkar (I better add that to the list of things I’ve seen) flew over head. Now, and I’ll take a deep breath, this is where is gets even worse. The Draghkar was bound by weaves of air. Not too unusual, except for the fact that I could see them. From Idrien! I go my entire life without meeting one like me and then I meet two at once!

We managed to kill the thing (Well, I think, I wasn’t really thinking straight. I think I was nearly under its spell. Creator, I hope that doesn’t happen again; who knows what I might do…), along with the Myrddraal from earlier.

We made to it Caemlyn tonight. And I’ve made a decision. I’ve told Seonaid about Idrien. And if she ever asks me directly, I’ll tell her about me. She deserves to know… but I want to help people. And I can’t do that if I’m gentled. I just hope she understands…