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As he realized that it was an attack, he went for his sword. The steel scraped on the scabbard as he pulled it free, but before the sword was half out for battle, the white light flickered across his vision and the rest of the group vanished. Finally getting his sword free, he looked around at the landscape he had known to hold his friends just a short moment ago, but now they were gone.

Stalking away from the stone, from the others, he searched the ground for any sign of their existance. A quiet terror picked at his mind when he realized that the ground was undisturbed. But how is that possible? I saw them standing here. What could take them away and erase their tracks too?

Looking back at his four companions, he realized that they were just as confused as him. It didn't help that no one knew what was going on. Mounting his horse, he looked towards Tear, taking in the shadow of the Stone. Something urged him to keep moving.

"We shouldn't linger here. We must find what happened to our friends, but we cannot hope to do that just sitting here." He tried to sound confident, but it was a challenege even for him. He had to remain strong.

Nanako was plainly confused. Her gut told her something was terribly wrong, and her heart sank in fears for Gwynne.

She recognized the girl. She only seen her for a second, and from far away, but she recognized that figure as easily as she had recognized Gwynne. Light... Chalinda.

Something was definately not right, and she feared for Gwynnes safety... and her sanity.

Looking over, Selene's behaviour only unnerved her further. Going to the Aes Sedai, she tried to soothe the woman as best she could... simply not having the words adequate to do so.

Unsure as to why Selene was having such difficulties. Watching for a few moments, he suddenly realized why she was having issues. It was like an epiphany hit him and he was speechless. His stomach turned within him, threatening to make him sick. Anxiety and stress suddenly overwhelmed him and he was at a loss of what to do. And the thoughts floodgated through to drown him.

Her Warder is gone. Does that mean... does it mean they're all.. dead? Shaking his head to try and stop the thoughts, he did little to succeed as they continued to flood. So many possibilities, so much evidence that they were gone, and yet, it didn't seem right.

Dismounting, he went over to Selene, a gentle look to Nanako to get her to stand back. Kneeling beside Selene, he put a hand on her shoulder. If anyone could say something to her, it was him. He, in part, shared her loss. What he was about to say he didn't know if it was true. But for Selene's comfort and sanity, she needed to hear the lies. Whether or not she believed them, some part of her would cling to them and ultimately focus her drive toward seeing them through.

Or she'd remain curled up there until she died. And he knew better than that.

"Selene, while it is a tough loss to endure, you have strength in us. I know the loss of an Aes Sedai. I know the torment it puts you through. But Jazral is alive, as are the others." He didn't add the part that he couldn't prove it. But he couldn't disprove it, either. "We cannot do anything from here. That is why we must leave and go to Tear. At least there we can find a place to stay and then begin our search. Will you ride with us?" He offered his hand out to her as an open invitation.

Nikoru noticed with dismay that Selene seemed more upset about their sudden upheaval than the rest. Jazral...the bond must be absent.. Wincing inwardly, she knew better than to try and comfort her Sister. Only she could force herself to go on. Biting her lower lip thoughtfully, she gave Selene a look that spoke volumes. Whatever happened, Nikoru would be there for her Sister. No matter what.

Looking at Markus, she sighed heavily.

"This is...strange. It's as though there is an influx of Darkfriends everywhere we turn."

Her gaze turned sharper as she watched Markus. Did it have to do with him? Did it have to do with who they kept company with? Mysteries were piling up, and they were running out of time to solve them.

Standing back to be with Nikoru, he looked at her when she spoke to him. Her words were true enough, and he was growing tired of Darkfriends at every little crevice they found, but there was little they could do about it. He thought hard on how she watched him and finally, when he had a moment to speak with her away from the others, he questioned her.

"What do you see? Don't tell me it is not important. Anything you focus on has a purpose. Do you know what happened to the others?" It was optimism and hope that gave him most of his strength.

Easing into his saddle, he watched the others for a moment, waiting for Nikoru's response. He had much to tell her, but it seemed that despite everything, they would not get that chance. He knew she saw the change in him, felt the way he was different, but it explained nothing and would benefit no one if they did not know.

Or would it even be a useful tool, assuming they believed him?

There are always ways to make tools useful. It just depends on the way you approach the situation. He shook his head slightly, knowing the thought to be truth.

Seeing the others ready for departure, Nanako did the same. Climbing back up on Cloud's saddle, she was surprised at how at ease the gelding truly was.

"Light, you must have been through alot in your day boy... especially if you've been with Aorn and his crew all this time."

The thought nagged at her, and the hairs on her body stood on end. Nothing here seemed right, and looking at the others only confirmed it. It seemed as though each carried something urgent, something dreadfully heavy inside. No, nothing was 'right' at all.

Tarma shifted uneasily in her saddle, the knuckles on the hand clutching her sword hilt white with strain. A Power weilding Darkfriend; the Black Ajah, Light preserve them all! Studying the remainder of the group, Tarma frowned. Fear was palpable in the air, the kind of thick, vibrating tension that could easily bloom into panic and cause chaos.

She must not panic.

Pulling up the walls against the deep sense of loss, Tarma nudged her mount closser to where the Aes Sedai and Markus stood, her expression grave.

"We have to move. Standing around here, we're just sitting ducks, waiting for the same fate to befall us."

Someone had to be practical and take charge; it didn't seem any of the others was in the emotional state to do so. Giving in to long ingrained conditioning, her tone shifted to one of leadership.

"Markus is right. We have to go to Tear."

Light, she'd have given anything not to have to be the one to say her next words. But the fact was, someone had to...

"For all we know, the others very well could be dead. If they are alive...and that is a big if...the last place we were all heading for was Tear. That is where they will meet us...and where we will need to be whether they do or not. Supplies wont last forever. If nothing else, we need to find somewhere to camp for tonight; if you ride close together, you'll be fine. I strongly suggest Markus and I take point positions to scout ahead slightly."

When no one said anything for a moment, she let the silence deepen before pinning the Warder with her eyes, indicating with a nod of her head to one side.

"Markus, a word please."