THE WHEEL OF TIME

Sheepherder

by PJ

"Are we there yet?" demanded Min from the violently rocking wagon bed, a small, leather-bound book clutched in her hands with a finger inside to mark her place.

"Less than an hour," replied Rand with a barely-stifled sigh of exasperation. He flicked the reins of the plodding draft horse, the animal flicked its tall ears but didn't change the speed of its walk.

Aviendha walked to the left of the creaking wagon, her long legs keeping up easily with the plodding horse. The former Maiden of the Spear peeked out at Rand from beneath her wide-brimmed straw hat, she grinned at her husband's growing frustration with her sister-wife.

The trio ambled along the rock-strewn road while afternoon cooled into evening. The towering Mountains of Mist rose to the west, an impenetrable wall of rock and gray cloud. The wagon struggled up a gentle rise, when the squeaking cart topped the summit Rand, Min, and Aviendha could see the sprawling stone and brick homes and shops of Whitebridge.

Rand still marveled at the long, slender span of gleaming glass that crossed the swift-flowing Arinelle river. Uselessly flicking the reins for more speed, Rand swayed upon the driver's seat of the old wagon as the vehicle dipped down towards the waiting township.

"Why do we go to this wetlander village?" inquired Aviendha, her eyes narrowing as she examined Whitebridge.

"I need to buy livestock for our farm," explained Rand patiently, it was always easier for Rand to explain things to Aviendha, she listened avidly and rarely argued, not nearly as much as Min.

"The Dragon Reborn wants to raise sheep. How the Mighty have fallen!" declared Min from the shaking wagon bed.

In reply, Rand drove over a particularly deep hole in the road, Min exclaimed angrily when the wagon shuddered and nearly shook apart.

"Husband," rebuked Aviendha sternly.

Rand grinned down at the sharp-eyed Aiel woman.

Whitebridge was bustling when Rand, Min, and Aviendha entered the town. People of every color and mode of dress jostled through the streets, traders, trappers, farmers, and soldiers. Rand picked up his straw hat from the driver's seat and sat the wide-brimmed hat upon his head, tipping the brim down so that none of the Andorian and Borderland soldiers could get a good look at his face. Rand drove the wagon through town until he reached one of the inns near the glittering span of unbreakable glass. Turning off the street into the inn's courtyard, Rand paid the stable boy a handful of coppers to unhitch the weary draft horse and bed the animal down for the night. Aviendha and Min reached into the wagon bed to retrieve their satchels of clothes, Min carried an additional heavy satchel stuffed with her books.

After entering the inn, Min and Aviendha paid for a hot tub of clean water to bathe in. Rand carried all of the satchels to their room for the night, then went downstairs for a couple mugs of cold ale. The aftermath of Tarmon Gai'don was still on everyone's lips, from the humblest field hand to the wealthiest merchant prince. Rand ignored the talk of armies disbanding and refugees returning home to resume their lives. The bonds broken by the Dragon Reborn were being taken up again, peace was finally establishing itself now that the Dark One was gone forever, his influence nothing but a bad memory. Rand gingerly touched the two healing wounds in his side, the scars ached hotly, but the pain was almost gone, it felt strange not to feel constant agony in his side, it almost felt as strange as not feeling the True Source anymore.

Rand closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and rose from his shaky chair. He laid a silver on the tabletop for his ale, then wearily climbed the staircase to his rented room.

Min and Aviendha were just finished changing into sleeping shifts when Rand unlatched the door and walked in. The young women stopped talking and smoothly climbed into bed, settling the wool blankets over themselves. Rand eyed his wives askance, but didn't inquire about their conversation, he'd wasted enough breath trying to pry secrets out of closed lips. Rand unbuckled his belt and laid his Heron sword upon a small chair set against a wall, he draped his plain red wool coat over the chair's crudely-made back. Rand could hear Min and Aviendha whispering beneath the covers, he kept his back to them as he unbuttoned his white shirt and brown trousers. The floorboards were cold beneath Rand's bare feet when he slipped into bed with his wives wearing only his breechclout. The women had switched places while Rand had undressed, Min lay closest to Rand, Aviendha slept on her side with her back facing the two. Rand blew out the bedside candle, then settled beneath the warm blankets, Min a soft presence to his left.

"Are you sure you want to raise sheep for the rest of your life?" whispered Min, her chin resting on Rand's bare shoulder.

"It's a noble profession in the Two Rivers," replied Rand, glancing briefly at Min's concerned face.

"There's so much you could do instead, you could have been a king!"

"Elayne can handle Andor without me, the others would never accept me..the way I am now."

"You did so much, you defeated the Dark One!" said Min, squeezing Rand's arm with her small hand.

"Too many died to give me the chance to defeat him, they won't forget that, or forgive it," murmured Rand, reaching out with his left hand to stroke Min's short, black hair. "I want to run a farm, live a quiet life with you and Aviendha, I deserve that."

"What about me, what if I don't want to live on some farm in the middle of nowhere for the rest of my life?"

Rand looked deeply into Min's eyes. "Do you want to leave? You can go back to Caemlyn anytime you want, Elayne will let you live with her."

"No, wool head!" frowned Min, punching Rand's side, gasping wide-eyed when Rand winced from the blow. "I'm sorry!"

"Good thing they're healing now," grinned Rand, kissing Min's forehead. Min hugged Rand's waist, but she still gazed up at him intently.

"I don't want to leave you, but I was raised in the city, I don't know if I can handle life on a farm."

"I'll help you, Min. If you decide you don't like it, you can go back to Caemlyn or wherever."

"You'd let me go?"

"You need to be happy, I hope you can still be happy with me, Min."

Rand kissed Min lightly on the mouth. Min caressed Rand's right cheek, then slipped on top of him, tugging off her thin, white shift, her skin warm and soft against Rand's. Rand wrapped his wiry arms around Min's waist, he cupped her right buttock, Min smiled and kissed Rand hard, her fingers sliding into Rand's curly red-gold hair. Min gasped softly into Rand's throat when he entered her, they began gently bucking against each other, Min slipping her tongue over Rand's.

When Min sat up over Rand, her small breasts bouncing while she rode her husband's hard erection faster and faster, Rand turned his head when he felt Aviendha's nude body nestled against his left side, her nails dragging across his panting chest.

"Since you and Min are shaking the bed so much, I will help my sister-wife as best I can," smiled the beautiful Aiel woman, her lips hot upon Rand's throat.

Rand chuckled and kissed Aviendha's fiery hair, he slipped his left palm down the graceful curve of Aviendha's spine, slipping an index finger between her taut buttocks, scratching her tender pussy while she entwined her slender legs with his.

*** 

The vacant farm was deep in the Sand Hills, the victim of a Trolloc raid years earlier when Trollocs had rolled into the Two Rivers. The Mountains of Mist were giants to the west, Rand could see clearly the waves of gray vapor that crowned each of the rough peaks, the air smelled of stone and snow from the mountains' towering summits.

Rand urged the stubborn draft horse forward, the animal had become even more uncooperative after Rand, Min, and Aviendha had loaded the wagon with food, furniture, and supplies. Min and Aviendha guided the large flock of sheep with switches, Aviendha herded the bleeting animals deftly and without effort, Min cursed the wandering creatures frequently and used her switch with enthusiasm. Rand stifled a laugh and redoubled his efforts to motivate the lazy draft horse.

The farm house had several wall breeches of fallen stones, the roof was a mass of rotting timbers and gaping, almost non-existent thatch.

"There is much work for us," observed Aviendha, tapping one errant sheep back to his comrades.

"We'd have more shelter beneath the nearest tree," frowned Min, right palm resting on her shapely hip.

"You two better get started unpacking the wagon, I'll cut some fresh straw for the roof," said Rand as he leapt down from the driver's seat.

The first few days were exhausting, there never seemed to be enough daylight to get things done. Rand re-thatched the roof, then shepherded the sheep to their feeding pastures and watering stream while the women put the house in order, arranging furniture, cooking, cleaning, and planting gardens for fresh vegetables. Rand patched the wall holes in the evenings, it was almost midnight when he collapsed into bed, not even Min and Aviendha working together could rouse Rand for long. Tasks that had seemed so effortless during Rand's youth in Emond's Field drained the former Dragon Reborn, but Rand was proud of his farm and flock as it took shape, he was proud of Min and Aviendha too, they had worked as hard as he had, and now they shared a beautiful home.

Rand was tending the flock one afternoon in the rolling Sand Hills, close to the foot of one of the jagged mountains. The heavy gray clouds surrounding the mountain's peak had disgorged rain hours earlier, the air smelled fresh and clean, the green grass glittered in the soft afternoon sunlight. Rand was sitting upon a small hilltop, idly running a sharpening stone across the blade of his Heron-hilted sword, even though the weapon's edge could never dull or chip. The sheep bleated gently and munched sweet grass, the bells fastened to their collars chimed and echoed across the countryside.

Rand looked up from his sharpening at the approach of Aviendha. The young Aiel woman wore her coppery hair bound in a ponytail tied with a simple strip of leather. Aviendha bore a basket, she sat down to Rand's left with legs crossed, she set the basket down in front of her and opened it, she handed Rand a bladder of sheep's milk and a loaf of freshly baked bread. Rand nodded his thanks and dug into the soft bread, Aviendha unwrapped slices of pale cheese, then began cutting apart a ripe apple for her husband with her small belt knife.

"You haven't said much about living out here, do you like it?"

"It is easier than life in the Wastes, the mountains are familiar, and I like the green hills," replied Aviendha, handing Rand a wedge of apple.

"Thank you for staying with me, Aviendha. You've been strong and patient, I appreciate that."

"You are my husband, Rand al'Thor, I love you," murmured Aviendha, popping a slice of apple into her own mouth without another word.

"When is the baby due?" asked Rand, watching the sheep intently.

Aviendha dropped another piece of apple into her lap, she looked sharply at Rand.

"How do you know?"

"I overheard you talking with Min, I'm getting good at listening to whispers," smiled Rand, winking at Aviendha.

"I shall have to teach Min hand-speech," grinned Aviendha, retrieving her slice of apple.

"So, when is it due?"

"Seven months," blushed Aviendha, lowering her eyes to the short grass.

Rand took Aviendha's right hand and squeezed it. "That's wonderful! We're going to be parents!"

"Yes, my husband," sighed Aviendha, raising her warm eyes to Rand's smiling face.

Rand kissed Aviendha softly. Aviendha clung to Rand, burying her face in his strong chest. Reaching with his heron-marked left hand, Rand untied the leather cord binding Aviendha's thick hair. The gleaming tresses poured over the young Aiel woman's graceful shoulders, Aviendha opened Rand's coat, slipped the garment off.

Rand guided Aviendha onto her back, he kissed her passionately, his fingers combing through her bright mane while she slipped her hands into his open shirt, stroking his body as she returned his hot embrace. Rand carefully unbuttoned Aviendha's wool blouse, his wife untied his breeches and dug her hands inside, grasping his member and caressing it skillfully. Rand planted kisses upon Aviendha's warm throat and shoulder, he slid her blouse off, baring her milky breasts, her dark brown nipples swollen with arousal.

Aviendha grasped the back of Rand's head with one hand and pushed his face into her left breast. Rand eagerly sucked on her soft tit, licking her erect nipple with a wet tongue. Aviendha buried her own face in Rand's silky hair, she massaged his cock, her fingers gentle and loving, her hunger for her husband growing.

Rand hiked up Aviendha's long skirt, pulled down her breechclout with trembling fingers. Aviendha spread her legs for Rand, she released his engorged manhood and pulled open her husband's shirt, yanking it down his muscled, dragon-tattooed arms.

Rand thrust deep into Aviendha's furry pussy. Aviendha pressed her thighs into Rand's legs, arching her back, moaning with bliss. Rand wrapped his glittering arms around Aviendha's small waist, he humped against her, stabbing through her cunt repeatedly, groaning with pleasure when her vagina squeezed his buried member. Aviendha reached out with her shaking arms, Rand leaned forward so Aviendha could hug his neck. Aviendha kissed Rand with quivering lips, Rand nuzzled Aviendha's neck and left shoulder, slamming between her smooth thighs, plowing deep into his panting wife's belly. Aviendha rested her calves over Rand's, she flexed her strong pelvis, grinding her crotch against her husband's, throwing her head back and moaning raggedly when he filled her with every inch of his manhood, the shaft throbbing and growing inside her, until it expelled a flood of cream into her clenching vagina, the overflow dribbling down her shuddering thighs.

Aviendha and Rand held each other for a long time as their flushed bodies cooled. Rand finally rose to dress and chase after several fleeing sheep. Aviendha brushed damp hair away from her glowing face, she smoothed down her skirts and buttoned up her blouse, her fingers only trembling a little as her pounding heart slowed. She watched Rand coax the wandering sheep back into the grass-munching flock, she smiled radiantly, and idly rubbed her belly, where her husband's child grew inside her.

*****