Deftly keeping his balance on the jagged rocks that protruded out of the earth like some gruesome's monster's fangs, Edeleas hopped from boulder to boulder, not really knowing where he was going except that his legs were pulling him to some place. He had always been like that whenever he Delved; always he sank into some kind of trance in which he would walk around the place where the ores were located, his legs knowing their way, his hands reaching and touching the ground, sometimes scooping out dirt that he sniffed without realizing it. It was a strange manifestation of a Talent, and Edeleas was aware of it. He was aware of what he was doing, only, it was his body in control here, not his soul. He knew that he was walking the wide expanse of nothingness - that he would walk until his body somehow knew it reached the boundary of the mine that was to be built in this place. It had always been that way. Always.

Still in that strange trance, Edeleas dropped to his knees and scooped up two handfuls of loose dirt, one on each hand. Saidin pulsed within him, that gigantic net of Earth still searching and spreading, not quite finished with what size and how deep the mine should be. He clenched his hands into fists, allowing the tiny particles of rock and earth to slip through his fingers and back onto the ground. He took a very deep breath, and then saidin fled from him, and so did the trance. Edeleas exhaled loudly, emptying his lungs in a rush as he blinked his eyes to re-focus his vision. His head spun, but he had to bear with it. It was also one of the trance's effects; he couldn't get rid of it, so he just had to put up with it.

Folding his legs underneath him, Edeleas sat down on the earth, looking at the wide expanse of nothingness. He was sitting where the mine's boundary should be. He looked back at the way he had come from. Not more than fifty paces, if his estimation was correct. His hunch that the mine should only be deep, not big, had been right. Giving his glasses a push, Edeleas recalled how he had done the same thing for Arafel all those years ago. He wasn't aware that he had entered a trance; all he knew was that he walked quite a distance before returning to his senses. His head had throbbed awfully; stuffed full of the multitude of resonances he had gathered. There had been sapphire, topaz, opals and emeralds back then. Gems, but little gold and silver. He doubted the mine he'd found in Arafel would really serve the country - he had a shrewd feeling that the ores he'd detected would only be nobles' toys and trinkets.

But this mine - this treasure chest of gold, silver and diamond - would surely help Tar Valon. It would increase the nation's wealth by tenfold, he knew it. Light, a hundredfold too if they would so much as dare go deeper into the ground, Edeleas thought. But that's dangerous; the deepest tunnels and ways would always have to be Power-built in order to stand all the heat and pressure. I doubt even Asha'man would have time for that, what with their other business going on. he said to himself. But this mine...I would definitely want to see it opened one day. A mine discovered by me.

With a moan he lay down completely in the dirt, ignoring the white and brown spots tainting his black robes. The sky was so perfectly blue it made his eyes water with sheer intensity. Somewhere above him a dart flew by, perhaps a hawk or a falcon. He took saidin into him again, and this time, something new happened. The trance came with the raging flood, and his right hand snapped up, his fingers crawling like a spider. Then he grabbed a piece of rock, held it so hard his palm started to bleed, drops of shining red dropping onto the sand. His grip tightened. The pain was distant... Tighter. The pain was distant... Tighter. The pain was not his, and it was distant...

"Ah! Blood and bloody flaming ashes!"

Edeleas cried out as the trance and saidin fled from him. He sat up, clutching his badly bleeding hand. Biting his lower lip and taking in air harshly, he took the One Power again and wove Spirit, Water and Air together. Slowly he felt his skin mending, the blood drying and disappearing. Letting out a relieved breath, Edeleas flexed his hand. Normal. If he had damaged his tendons and ligaments, he would have to go to the Yellow sisters again for Healing. And that would lead to unnecessary questions, and finally, to the office of the Master of Soldiers. Or, if I'm lucky, I get to see the M'Hael now. Edeleas thought sourly.

He looked around and found the rock he'd been clutching. He stared. He managed to crack the piece of granite with his barehand to expose a thumb-sized, unpolished diamond from within. He picked up the tiny, low-lustre chunk of hardened carbon and held it high. It was stained with red; his blood. He could only guess how his blood had seeped in, but he decided that he would keep this little diamond as a reminder of the second mine he had discovered in his life.