Jami
   Jami cuddled herself into a ball as she was in the van. Being small, she
didn't take up space, nor wished to. She looked about, and found her fellow
Studes either sleeping or reading..the driver was listening for anything...she
felt herself look at every car...wonder...What if the Reds come? Will it hurt
to die? Auburn fire lit her eyes, as she thought of the Reds. Suddenly, an
invisible force pulled her head up..her eyes widened in shock.
   "Help me! Someone!" I had cried out...but, they didn't hear...her filthy aes
sedai hand knocked my head.
   "Be quiet," The Red said...flashing colors.....words....the
spectrum...skittles..sugar...tell us who you are....which Forsaken has
you.....find them...make them believe you're good...the rainbow...the
clouds...teeth gone...illusions...my tongue..my tongue on fire...
   "Don't let them know," His voice whispered soothingly. "You know what I do,
mouse.....I know where you should go...who you should betray.." She felt
skittles slammed in her mouth..
    "No, master," I screamed..."NO!".....delusions....flaming
drugs....kill....where are they
      "GO TO--" My head was banged...blood in my mouth...sticky
feelings...heard nothing..her eyes....her burned eyes.
"I can't see!" My voice was like the silence of a bird's
cry...Silence..forever!.
   "This will be forever if you tell," He said..he said..he said...
    "Free---" My head jerked back, my knife.....the Red's head fell off its
place...''master!"
   She awoke from the nightmare. Or perhaps from the memory of command. Her
eyes hardened,as she looked at the others in the van. The goodness reeks
around here. No matter. Soon I'll return to him....soon I'll leave these
dreamers. Break the White Tower. he can do it..my master....go to tear...then
disappear...


Lissy

   As the car came to a stop Lissy tore herself from her set, ripping the
saftybelt right out. She was headed fore Vree's neck. Vree had half turned
around as the figure flew over the seats(again!). Grabbing Vree by the neck she
warned, "If either of them are hurt or dead....." she ground her teath "I
will have your head on the front of this car as an ordiment!!" Letting go, she
bolted out of the Car towrds where Kat and Andy were.
 Andy was standing up and rubbing his head. "That woman is not only mad but
can't drive on top of it!" He said, he turned as he said it and saw Kat laying
unconcience.........


Kaitlyn

   Kaitlyn concentrated on everything at once.  She didn't drive much, and
certainly not vehicles as large as this van, so it would take some getting
used to.  Then there was the worry for her charges.  Thank the Light, all of
them appeared to be sleeping peacefully right now.  She hoped those in the
other van and cars were doing as well.  She half-wished that Tamane wasn't
asleep; there was still a lot she and the girl needed to discuss. 
   Her eyes constantly scanned the road for any sign of trouble.  That broken-
down Landcruiser, for instance, did that hide a Red Ajah member?  She lifted
her foot from the gas when she saw Vree's car halt.  Instantly, fear
blossomed, but then she saw Lissy get out and greet the driver.  She could
barely see them in the rearview mirror by the time the stranger got in the car
with them, but was relieved when it returned to the line-up.  She was tempted
to call on the com and ask what had happened, but figured they'd find out soon
enough. 
   She went back to her worrying, adding fear for Jen (Light, where is she?!)
and the others to her list of cares.  A few minutes later, a glance to the
rearview mirror showed Vree's car rapidly gaining on her van.  It caught up
and then fell back, keeping pace.  Kait suppressed a smile, wondering what was
going on that was ticking Vree off.  Then she returned once more to her brooding.
   The crackle of the com pulled her out of it.  Vree was making a stop and
would catch up later.  Kait passed the message along to Patty in the brown
van.  Looking back, she saw her sleeping passengers and beyond them, Vree's
car slowing.  Soon they were lost to sight.  Sighing, Kait started tapping her
fingers on the steering wheel, bored and tired of worrying about everything.
She was reaching to turn on the radio, intending to play some music softly,
when she heard Jami make a small sound in her sleep.  Glancing back, she saw
the girl grimace, as if she were having a nightmare.  Then, out the back
window, she saw Vree's car catching up to them- with a *person* on the roof?! 
   Eyes returning to the road ahead, she shook her head.  She probably didn't
even want to know what that was all about.  Knowing Vree's temper....  She
glanced in the rearview mirror again, and saw that Jami was awake.  "Hey, you
okay?" she whispered, noticing something odd in the girl's expression.  Before
Jami could reply, a horn blared.  Jami turned and Kait shifted her gaze in the
mirror.  The man on top of the car was hanging on for dear life, and Kat was
mostly out of the window.... 
   Kait uttered a curse as her eyes returned to the road barely in time for her
to make a sharp curve.  She lost sight of Vree's car as she turned.  Some part
of her mind noted a rider on the side of the road, seeming about to cross it,
but they weren't in her way so she dismissed the hazard.  Then there was
another curve.  After that the road straightened out, and she took part of her
attention from driving in order to grab the com.  "Vree?  Vree, are you there?
Is everything okay?" 


Kat

  Lissy steps out of the car and the shock of her and Kats bond hits her like a
ton of bricks... Kat was not okay.......Liss felt weak and dissy, she reached
out to catch herself but there was nothing to grab onto. She fell down in a
faint on the dirt by the road. Kat being Knocked out, having just gotTen out of
the car and feeling it soo quickly coming on was like jumping into a river of
cold water and ice. Her limp body lay there....


Vree

      Vree sat there stunned for a minute, rather surprised that Lissy had 
managed to rip her way out of a four point racing harness the way she did.  Her
driving was so irratic at times she had made sure Ben installed four-point
harness in all four seats.  As the girl stumbled out of the car, Vree touched
her neck where Lissy had attempted to strangle her.  Strange, she hadn't felt it.
      Lissy crumpled to the pavement just off the shoulder of the road as the
com unit buzzed into being.  "Vree?  Vree, are you there?  Is everything
okay?"  Kaitlyn's voice crackled over the staticy  interference.
      "Yeah, I--no, there's been a slight accident.  Get Patty and pull over
at the next gasoline station.  I think we might need some Healing here.  Make
sure everyone else stays together.  I can handle it back here for now."
      "Are ya sure, Vree?  Vree, if we have to turn back, it's--"
      "I can handle it, Kait," Vree cut her off sharply, "but I need to handle
it now!"  She cut the power to the com unit, leaping from the car and leaving it
lying on the seat.  Popping the trunk, she grabbed a stocked First-Aid Kit
from under the supply of blankets and emergency stuff.  She left Larissa where
she lay.  The girl was obviously feeling the backlash of pain from her Warder
and anything she could do for her would be better used on Kat.  She found the
woman lying only a short distance away, left forarm forming an unnatural
angel.  Shit!  That's not suppose to bend!
      "Of all the bloody luck!" Vree cursed, kneeling by the woman and feeling
for pulse and breath.  Good, she's breathing, regular pulse, I just...  The
thought was stopped by the flash of movement from the corner of her eye.  Vree
dived and rolled with her momentum, landing on the balls of her feet, narrowly
missing a good swipe with a overly large tree branch.  Apparently Andy had
come through the fiasco much better than Kat.  Bits of branches and small
leaves clinging to his clothing heralded a rough landing in some bushes.
      "Bloody crazy woman!"  he shouted.
      Vree wondered briefly if he was sane. "Listen to me Andy!" she began,
her voice low and reassuring.  "If you want to help Lissy over there, you
better stop batting at me and let me fix up her bloody Warder!"  She ended 
in an outraged shout.  
      The man in contrast took a quick glance at Lissy and before Vree could
blink was kneeling at her side, croning tenders that were the reason he had
found himself on the roof in the first place.
      She returned to the barely conscious Warder.  Of course Kat was awake.
That was the only reason Lissy could feel her pain.  Kat was cold, her eyes
slightly dialated.  Damn it!  She's going into shock!  Vree checked the
woman's head for depressions, bumps, or bruising that could confirm a
concussion of any kind.  None, good, it's just shock then and a broken arm.
      Vree braced Kat against herself, arm held lightly in one arm.  "Andy,
I've got to reset her arm.  Hold on to Lissy!"  The man grunted in reply,
apparently realizing the pain involved in resetting an arm could well send his
girlfriend over the edge.  She gave Kat a plastic bit from the kit to bit
onto and pulled and yanked the maltreated arm with quick precision.
      Kat screamed, trying her best to curl her body around the source of
pain.  Vree held on, from the corner of her eye she could see Andy struggling
valiantly to keep Lissy from springing at her throat again.  She made a mental
note to thank the man later, then maybe she'd apollogize as well.
      Grabbing Andy's discarded, makeshift club, she splinted her arm and used
the gaze from the kit to wrap it tightly into a sling against her body. She 
channeled just enough Spirit and Water to numb Kat's senses, creating in
effect an ether anesthetic.
      Lissy's hands brushed her aside.  Free now of Kat's incapacitating pain,
the girl was herself.  She cradled her Warder to her muttering unflattering
threats under her breath.
      Vree jerked her head at Andy.  "Get her in the car," she motioned him to
Lissy,  "I'll get Kat, she needs help.  I've done all I can here."
      He nodded, sweeping Lissy into his arms despite her complaints, and Vree
in turned staggered under the weight of the taller Warder.  Lissy went into
the back seat, Kat after her.  Vree headed to the trunk for the emergency
blankets.  They were going to have to keep her warm until they reached the
others.
      "Kait!  Kait! Can you hear me?"  she cursed as all she got was static
from the cursed com unit.  At the speed they were traveling, they had already
out distanced the low technology's capabilities.  Vree cursed their luck as
they sped down the darkened highway.  Shoot, I hope that gas station's not too
far down.


EddiE

   Riding in the back of the car, Eddie was content.  He was back with the
Purple Tower, back with Li, and back where he belonged.  He was happy.  For
the first time in a long time, he was at peace.  No more fighting for awhile,
no more running scared, no more pain.  The "dead" feeling was in the back of
his head, and could be contained.  He looked down at Li, snuggled in his arms,
and smiled at her.  She looked back up at him, smiled, and asked, "So, when
are we going to get reBonded, Eddie?"
   "ReBonded?" a dark light flared in his eyes.  "You think I want to get
reBonded to you?  You wish, wench."  He backhanded her across the face,
dropping her into unconsciousness.  Pulling free one of his swords, he stuck
it through the back of the seat, and straight into Haplo's back.  Power-
wrought steel met Patryn Rune magic.  The resulting explosion shattered the
car and sent a shockwave through the night.
   Rolling onto his feet, Eddie shook his head, and looked around at the
destruction.  The other Purple Tower cars were skidding to a halt, Li was
crumpled on the side of the road, and Haplo was lost in a flaring of magic.
In his hands, the sword he had stuck through Haplo's back was a melted ruin.
The blade was melted until only about six inches still remained.  Throwing it
away like the trash that it was, Eddie checked to make sure his matching sword
was still there, then sprinted into the woods.

   Hours later, Eddie woke up in a cave, freezing.   Remembering what he had
done, he hunched over and emptied his stomach.  "What have I done!?" he cried
into the night.  "Li!!!!!!!!!!!  And Haplo!  What the hell is wrong with me!
I have to go back and explain, try and get them to understand that I don't
know what came over me."
   "I would not do that, human.  I would just be forced to take over your mind
again, and actually kill people this time.  My incubation period is at an end,
and I no longer have to waste energy saving you from yourself.  Now, you will
take me where I need to go, or I will be forced to destroy everything you hold
dear."
   Spinning around, Eddie looked around.  "That voice!  It's back!  What do
you want?  Why are you doing this?  Why don't you leave me alone?"
   Cold laughter filled his head.  "What I want, human, is for you to perform
a service for me.  If you do so admirably, maybe I will let you live
afterward.  But I wouldn't count on it.  I am doing this because you are the
only one who can accomplish this task.  There is a thing that makes you
special, that sets you apart from the rest of humanity.  Unfortunately for
you, and fortunately for me, it also makes you especially susceptible to evil.
And I am afraid that for the previously stated reason, I cannot leave you
alone.  We can do this the easy way, where most of your actions are your own,
or I can completely take over your body, leaving you nothing but an impotent
voice in the darkness.  Your choice, human."
   Reeling, Eddie tried to think.  "If you think I would help you, after you
made me kill my reason for being, then you are a bigger fool than I already
think you are."
   "Your wife still lives, human.  As does the Patryn.  It has been long since
I encountered one of his race.  It will be interesting if I get to meet him
again.  For now, we have some travelling to do.  We best be off, human."
   "I still will not help you, you damn bastard.  Not after you made me betray
my friends.  They will never trust me again."  Eddie was losing his grasp on
reality.
   "That is not my concern.  You can either help me willingly, or I can make
you.  Either one is acceptable to me.  Choose, human."
   "All right.  If it gets me back to Li, I will help you." But as soon as I
can figure out a way to do it, you will die.  Standing up, Eddie made his way
out of the cave.  He didn't know where the hell this quest would lead him, but
as long as Li was at the end of it, he would take it, and any like it.  "Where
are we going, anyway, asshole?"
   "Such language human, is hardly fitting of you.  And since you must know,
we are heading to what you people call Seanchan.  I have some unfinished
business there."
   "Seanchan?  Oh Christ."  Shit.  Looks like I won't make it back.  Damn!
Finally, I was back with Li, and I think everything is fine, and now this
bloody thing.  Light!  Once again, I am forced to say goodbye to her.  Except
this time, she thinks I betrayed her.  Somehow I will find my way back.  I
swear.  Eddie started heading west, his demons and the last look of pain in
his wife's eyes pursuing him. 


Patty

      Of course it coldn't last.  The ease with which they'd started this
journey was just an evil ploy of Fate to lull them into a false sense of
security.  And the worst part was, she'd fallen for it.
      Maybe it was the serene, sleeping faces of her passangers in the van.
Maybe it was the joyous feeling of freedom coming through from Moonlight
Dancing.  Maybe it was just the good feeling of doing *something* and being on
the move.  Of course it couldn't last.
      The first sign of trouble was when Vree pulled over to pick up their new
passanger.  Patty's heart was in her throat until Kait filled her in on who he
was and why they'd picked him up.  Then her heart was in her throat again when
Kait informed her that Vree's group had had a "slight accident" and someone
needed Healing.
      It couldn't be anything *too* bad because Vree'd asked them to pull into
a gas station and wait for them to catch up.  So at least their car was still
able to travel.  The passangers, on the other hand...
      Luck was still with them.  The gas station was only about a half-mile
away from where Kait had contacted Vree.  The message was passed along to the
rest of the cars.  Hap and Timothy who had already passed the station opted to
keep going and meet back up with them once the rest had gone through the
tolls.  They would've had to split up eventually anyway.  And this gave the
van travelers a chance to "freshen up."
      Hap mumbled something about "women always needin to stop every half-hour
and find a toilet", and Patty assumed Timothy had much the same mind-set.
Somehow she figured Liagala wouldn't be noticing minor bodily functions like
that for a while...but she felt bad for Dinnae who had to travel with Tim.  
      Patty pulled into the Mobil station and let her passangers know if they
need anything, this was their chance to get it.  Danielle grumbled about using
"dirty toilets", but Patty noticed she was the first to ask for a key.  Kait
pulled in about a minute behind them, and he passangers disembarked too.
     "What's going on back there?"  Patty asked.
      "You've got me.  It probably has something to do with that guy Vree tied
to her roof." Kait responded.  Patty just raised her eyebrows at that.  Hell,
what could she possibly say?
      Waiting for Vree to catch up to them seemed interminable.  It was a good
thing this stretch of the highway was relatively deserted...everytime a pair
of headlights loomed in the distance Patty thought it was them coming.  It was
completely nerve wracking!
      Finally, Vree pulled up in Battle Angel.  There was some aura around the
car that Patty hadn't noticed before.  It seemed to shut off once Vree had cut
the motor.  First out were Vree and the new passenger.  They both then leaned
in, each to help someone out of the back seat.  Vree was trying to bring Kat
out without too much jostling.  Kaitlyn ran over to help and was dismayed by
the condition Kat was in.  She did a Healing on the spot.  Kat looked much
better afterwards, but she was still weak.
      Kaitlyn then turned her attention to Lissy who seemed desparate to get
to her Warder's side.  "Just stand still a minute, Lissy.  Let me get this
done."  Kait ordered.  Lissy submitted to Kait's Healing.  She shivered with
Kait's use of the Power then ran over to be with Kat.  
      Vree introduced Andy to Patty.  Patty eyed him warily.  "How'd you end
up on the roof?"  Andy seemed about to retort when Patty held up her hand.
"Nevermind...I'm sure I don't want to know..."

      After the brief pit stop, they were on the road again.  The Ayenda Vera
who would be easily recognized used Concealment to disguise themselves,
turning the weaves inward so they wouldn't be sensed by other women who could
channel.  They'd do their best to get into exact change lanes on the Turnpike.
The fewer people who saw them...the better off they'd be.
     Patty was thinking (lulled again) that maybe the incident with Vree's
group would be the worst they'd have to deal with.  She kept her eye on the
vehicles behind her...it was so distracting seeing a face not her own in the
mirror.
      Suddenly, up ahead, Hap's car exploded in a blast of magical energy.
"Shit!" Patty yelled startling her passangers.  Agelmar was instantly on the
alert.  The girls braced themsleves as Patty turned the wheel hard and hit the
brakes to avoid running anyone over.  She prayed that the others were far
enough back to avoid hitting her too.
      Patty could hear the screeching of tires behind her and waited for the
inevidable crash.  It didn't come.  **Thank the Light for small favors.**
With an order for the girls and Liam to remain in their seats, Patty leaped
from the driver's seat.  Caralaine jumped out of her door and Aglemar was
right behind.
      Running footsteps announced the arrival of Kaitlyn, Vree and other
Ayenda Vera.  Even Kat who hadn't recovered from her earlier ordeal was on her
feet and rushing to the scene.
      Patty could see Eddie as a shadow outlined on the edge of the woods.  He
appeared unharmed.  "Eddie!" she yelled.  He didn't seem to hear, and sprinted
away into the woods.
      There was no time to follow.  Liagala was in a crumpled heap on the
road, and Hap looked like he'd been blasted in a furnace.  Patty knew that
those runes of his protected him from a lot...but this looked really bad. For
a wonder, both were still breathing.  
      This was going to take some doing...and they didn't have any time.  This
stretch of highway was closer to more populated areas.  An explosion like that
was bound to get some attention. Police attention...and they couldn't risk
that.   Patty ordered the injured to be carried one to each van.  Kaitlyn
glared at her growling about not moving Liagala and Hap.
      Patty lost it and started yelling,  "Kait!  We need to get off this road
and away from anyone who shows up to investigate!  There are bound to be
questions of how we all happened to wittness this particualr "accident". You
take who you need into my van with Hap."  She pointed.  "Trace!  Tristan!  You
take car of Liagala!  Everyone else find some car to get into...NOW!"
      The Nila and Studè who weren't involved in the Healing were
redistributed or squashed into corners.  The back and middle seats of the vans
were folded down to make room to lay out the injured.  Not even Danielle
complained about not having a real seat after getting a look at Hap's ruined
body and Liagala's still form.
      While the injured were being arramged in the vans, Agelmar investigated
the remains of the vehicle.  He found the spot where Eddie had regained his
feet and thrown away his ruined sword.  He picked up what remained of the
weapon and returned with it to Patty's van.  He'd bring it to their attention
later when they had time to hash this out.  But he didn't like the picture it
presented, and he wondered what happened to his  friend.  He didn't think the
man's brush with death had changed him, in fact the man was perfectly
contented to be back in the arms of his wife.  What in bloody Hell had gone
wrong?
      "What about Eddie?"  Agelmar asked in a low tone for Patty's ears only.
      "Shit.  He can take care of himself.  He's done it before." was the
abrupt reply.  With everyone loaded in the cars, they were on their way again.