Disclaimers: Okey, for the last time… I DO NOT OWE THE WHEEL OF TIME, ONLY THE PLOT!!!

Author's Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!! I hope you all enjoyed the celebration as much as I did! The best wishes for the New Year from me to all of you!

I have a few answers for some of my reviewers, but choosing to get to the story right away, I've listed them up below. And now, the latest from me –READ AND ENJOY! ^_^

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Epilogue –The Leave Taking

The tent was dark, so incredibly dark, yet the person sitting on the bed did not lit the candles. Outside, the sound of cheering men and women and the whines of horses and mystic creatures was reaching its peak. The person on the bed closed her eyes, and relived the scene taken place right after the Battle had ended, and the enemy had been scattered for all winds.

*~*~*Flashback*~*~*

The ground was filled with blood, dark red from humans and black from Trollocs and Myrddraals. It mingled together to a sickening red colour, reminding her of the Battle of the White Tower. Some Black Sister trying to save her own bottom had killed Elaida that time, probably, and Egwene had been made the new Amyrlin. The young Two Rivers girl had grown up, she could say with pride, and had handled the new position well. She was going to get into the history books someday.

She jumped over the pools of blood, carefully landing on her good foot; the other was sprained due to a heavy stone falling on it as a result of the explosion. She balanced at her good foot, and took a deep breath before she jumped over the next pool. The pain was no greater than the one inside her heart, which both she ignored –she still had a duty to do, but this one was different from the other one.

Passing a large black and burnt crate in the ground at the size of a well, she spotted the one she was looking for, and moved on, ignoring the stench reaching her nose.

"Rand?" she asked softly as she carefully sat down beside the tall redhead. His armour was bloody, and she feared it was his own. With care, she reached down and took hold of the man's head with both of her hands, and accepted the new life filling her whole being. Weaving Healing was not hard –it was her special ability– yet she struggled to Heal the two old wounds Rand had received in the past. Even with the Dark One finally gone, the wounds did not want to be Healed.

Maybe it is just too soon, she thought confidently, and looked down, only to meet a pair of distant, totally white eyes. Light, where are his pupils? She examined his face closer in hope to find some sign that he was not blind, but when she saw him turn his head in confusion, eyes wide open, she knew he could not see.

"Nynaeve?" His voice was weak, and rasp. Like sand rubbing against a paper. He was looking everywhere, turning his head frantically, since all he could was to feel her hands, and not see her. The woman laid her hands upon his eyes, while speaking softly to calm him down.

"Yes Rand, it's me. Now, do not panic. I know you cannot see, but I will Heal you, if only you calm down." He didn't calm down when he heard her confirmation that he had lost his sight, so she quickly wove a weave she had made herself, for the purpose of calming a person in shock. His breathing slowed down immediately. She took the opportunity to weave the complex weave of Healing Blindness, and when done, she waited for the result. A smile cruised her lips when she saw his pupils appear a little at a time.

"Are you done?" asked Rand. There was confusion in his voice, and it worried her.

"Yes, I am. How many fingers can you see?" She held up two fingers. Fright filled her as she saw his eyes could not focus; they just stared out in the empty air, straightforward. Letting out a sigh, she bowed her head in frustration and worry.

"I'm blind still, am I not?" His voice was low, and she sensed fear in it. Sighing again, she squeezed his hand.

"I am sorry, Rand. Maybe the Dark One's taint has not disappeared yet, and you will see with time. Or maybe his taint will be here until all evil have been ridden from this world, and then… Well, we must just give it time, now that we have plenty of it. He is gone, Rand, for good this time." She smiled, and squeezed both of his hands. A hint of a smile caressed his face, but it remained emotionless.

"Let us hope so, Nynaeve, for the world's sake, and those that we love." She was lost in thought at his last sentence. Those that we love…

"Nynaeve?" She broke out of her thoughts, and was surprised that she still had not shed a tear after the bond had snapped. It was like she hadn't lost hope completely, even though she knew it was impossible to think something else had happened than Lan had been killed.

"Yes?"

"Do you know where Lan is? Can you sense him?" A lump formed in her throat, but she couldn't get herself to cry. She took a deep breath before she answered.

"He is gone, Rand. He won't come back."

Silence followed.

*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*

Nynaeve clutched the pillow in her lap. It had been Lan's the nights they had slept here; it smelt mystic and masculine, just like him. Her eyes had gotten used to the darkness, and so had her ears to the music and voices outside.

*It is time to leave, Nynaeve. You must stick to your oath, * her little voice reminded her.

The oath, yes...

*~*~*Flashback*~*~*

Min, along with Aviendha and Elayne, was coming towards them, each face sweaty, yet calm. But then their faces paled in horror at the sight of the bloody armour of Rand, and they jumped off their mounts and ran to sit beside him. Nynaeve rose to give room, gritting teeth at the pain from her sprained ankle, but smiling weakly at the three women. Earlier, she had despised Rand from loving three women at the same time, but she had come to accept it, and actually thought it some kind of sweet. He was Aiel after all.

At once, the women started talking, and Nynaeve had to hold up a hand to calm them down.

"He is fine, with the exception of the two old wounds which won't Heal, and the fact that he cannot see any longer. I've tried to Heal it, but I think his eyes is affected by the Dark One's taint. He needs rest, and so do you, and I. Now, if you can excuse me, I have to leave." With those last words, she turned and wove a Gateway to the camps, disappearing from sight.

The weave drained the last of her strength, and she stumbled into the tent, falling asleep the moment she landed on the bed.

Later, when she woke up, she found that nothing had been touched, but a trash of food and drink had been placed at the bottom of the bed. Outside, the feast must have begun; she could already hear drunken soldiers sing their terrible songs about women, war and ale.

She rose from the bed, surprised that she could not feel any pain –someone must've Healed her while she slept. Her battle suit had not been removed, and she groaned a little at the heavy cuendillar ring mail. It would be great to have it removed.

Sighing, Nynaeve began to undo the knots on her tunic, her thoughts blank. Slipping it over her head and dropping it on the ground, she suddenly felt something heavy land on her chest. She looked down, and a reminder of what had happened the past day, rushed through her mind. It was Lan's golden signet ring. And it made the empty feeling inside her until it filled her entire body. But she shed no tears.

Not knowing exactly what drove her, she took up the ring and laid it in both of her hands. Then she closed her eyes, and spoke.

"I swear at this ring, this last reminder of my husband al'Lan Mandrogoran, Lord of the Seven Towers, Uncrowned King of Malkier, that I, el'Nynaeve Mandrogoran, will live on and give birth to our children. I will make sure they get what is rightfully theirs, and do everything in my power to raise old Malkier again. And if I by life or death can protect them, I will, like a mother would do for her children. Let the Creator and the Light be witnesses to this oath, and help me fulfil it. Arellan jathoner ty chareom kloth anan."

The last words did not come from her, yet she knew what they meant. 'Light forsake me if I break this oath'.

*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*

Shaking her head, Nynaeve stood up from the bed, dropping the pillow behind her back. She then went over to the chair beside the washstand, where the saddlebags were already packed and laid neatly in a pile. Throwing the travel cloak around her shoulders, she picked up the saddlebags, along with a purse filled with money. It was enough to make bandits throw themselves at her, but she didn't fear them. Not after all she had gone through. She took a last glance around the tent to see if she had missed something, sadness filling her, and finding that all was taken, she stepped through the tent flap, and walked out in the moonlight.

The sight that met her left her silent.

"Thought you could leave without saying goodbye, did you?"

*******

Egwene stared at the other woman, dropping the Amyrlin façade and acting like a real Two Rivers woman, her hands placed at her hips. That woman had slept for almost an entire day, and none had disturbed her –Egwene had made sure of that.

She had left the Dragon Reborn's tent this evening in haste, after a conversation with Rand. When news of his injuries had reached her the day before, she had been quite intent on visiting him, but due to the reports that had to be made of wounded and dead, she hadn't be able to do so before today. He had told her of Lan's death, and what Nynaeve had done and was planning to do. They had had much to talk about the hours they laid alone on the battlefield.

With a lump in her throat, she had excused herself, and rushed towards the Two Rivers woman's tent in hope that she would not be late. On the way, she had run into a servant that was bringing Nynaeve's horse to her, and she had taken over the duty herself. For once, she would be Egwene, an Emond's Fielder, and not Egwene, the Amyrlin Seat of the Grey Towers. She would show the older woman the respect that had resided inside her since she had been taught the Wisdom duties.

"I wonder myself why I trusted Rand not to tell anyone," said Nynaeve with a sad smile. She ran her hands over her yellow riding dress, smoothing out the curls on her skirt. Her face was totally emotionless, and Egwene had first suspected it was because she was taking on Aes Sedai ways, but now she understood that she was seeing a person who had taken the death of a beloved close to heart.

"And I wonder why you intended to leave without telling me?" she replied, and her face softened. Nynaeve just looked down in the ground for a moment, her long braid falling in front of her shoulders, then she lifted her eyes to meet Egwene's.

"To be honest, I don't know." Egwene gave the older woman a confused look. "Maybe I didn't want any tear-filled goodbyes with a woman I consider a very good friend, and whom I respect." Nynaeve gave her a smile. "But maybe I didn't want to be reminded of…of…." She left her sentence open, and Egwene knew whom she was talking about.

"You know you cannot run away from the memories, Nynaeve. And you can't run away from him." She took several steps forward towards the other woman. "Not when his children lies within your womb." She laid her hand at Nynaeve's shoulder, and the other woman looked at her, emotion filling her eyes even though her face was still stony. Then she felt she couldn't bear it any longer, and she threw her arms around her mentor in a tight embrace, water in her eyes. She sniffed.

"Will you come and visit the Grey Tower sometime?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion. She could feel the other woman tremble in crying, but somehow, she knew that Nynaeve wasn't crying. Nynaeve sniffed loudly, and took a step back, locking her watery eyes with Egwene's.

"Nothing can stop me," she answered with a smile, her face not so stony any longer. "Except a child birth, maybe." They laughed at this, and embraced once more, but then Nynaeve withdrew her arms and Egwene understood that it was time for the goodbye.

"I will look forward for your coming then!" she chuckled, as Nynaeve took hold of the reins and mounted. Egwene picked up the saddlebags the older woman had dropped to the ground and threw them over the saddle. Nynaeve sat there for a moment, staring down at her with warm eyes.

"Well," the dark-haired woman said finally. "I must get going." With that, she began to ride among the dark tents with Egwene at her trail. It was obvious that she was avoiding attention from the parties around the campfires, celebrating the victory. The last hunting parties had come back earlier this day, after a whole night on the trail of retreating enemies.

"Where will you go?" Egwene called after her. Nynaeve stopped in her tracks, and looked back.

"Where the wind blows, perhaps," she replied with a mysterious smile, and then she disappeared in the darkness of a large tent. Egwene smiled, and hoping that someday she would meet her friend and mentor again, she turned around and walked back to her tent.

*******

Out of the camp, Nynaeve stopped and took hold of the Power. Moving silently, she wove a Gateway, and once it was big enough, she rode through, appearing right outside the walls of a city she had only visited thrice. The first time had been when they were searching for the Eye of the World, the second had been when they returned from the Blight, and the third was when the Armies of Light were moving into the Blight.

Looking up at the moon shining far up there on the sky among the scattered stars, Nynaeve sighed, while letting go of saidar.

"So now it begins. My new life." She clutched the ring around her neck. "I love you, Lan, and always will. No other man will I take to husband, even if it means that I'll be lonely for the rest of my life. Well, I'll not be that lonely for the next twenty years or so. Our children will keep me company." She smiled. Then she dropped the ring, and it hit her chest lightly.

"Where the wind blows, there will I go." And with that, she rode away in the cover of darkness.

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THE END (for now)

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Author's Note: Finished… Well, not exactly! I still have a sequel to complete! ^_^

''''''''''''''ANSWERS TO REVIEWS''''''''''''''

~Elluxion~ Thanks for noticing that grammar mistake! I've changed it now, and reposted the chapter. I'm glad you still like my story, and I hope you continue to do so! *Smile*

~Twilight Dragoon Fighter~ *blushes* Thank you very much… :)

~Squilio Sedai~ To be honest, I never thought of the prophecies when I wrote this story, so therefore I don't bother to change it. Maybe I should consider this fic AU then? :)

~Ilona1~ Ah, my faithful reader! It's been a while since I heard from you, but I'm glad that you're still with me! *Grin* When I wrote that Nynaeve/messenger scene, I never once thought of LotR, but I see now the resemblance, and understand that you wondered! :) And yes, I'm overjoyed that I actually have over 80 reviews! I have a little hope to get over a hundred with time, but we'll see if those who haven't reviewed yet finally choose to do so! *Smile*

'''''''''''''END OF ANSWERS'''''''''''''''

And before I end this chapter, I would like to say thank you very much to all of you who has followed me through this story and to my beta starlight, and I hope you will still follow me through the sequel.

As a little New Year's surprise for you, I ask you to check out my author page, where info about my next story is written down! And to those who despise me for killing Lan, I hope you too will read the sequel.

Oh, and a few last words…………REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!! THOSE WHO HAVEN'T YET, PLEASE DO!!!

Happy New Year Everyone! ^_^