The last person she'd expected to see when she woke up was the wisdom. The wisdom…hadn't Egwene said that she'd died?… That she'd been taken away by the Trollocs?... Why was she here now?

Nothing made sense. And everything… everything just burned. The pain… it all hurt so much… it muddled her thoughts… making it hard to focus,…making the edges of her vision foggy. She could barely think but she felt like she needed to think more than ever. Something had happened, something… she needed to remember…

But it was so difficult… staying awake… just so difficult. The pain wasn't just in her shoulder now… the poison it was everywhere… she felt like she was on fire.

She had felt like this before... long ago…this wasn't the first time she'd been injured or sick…there had been a lake then… again… she wouldn't admit it but she wished she was back there… the cold water would have been nice… she wouldn't admit it though… wouldn't want to encourage him…

LAN!…Shadar Lagoth… The children… the Dragon Reborn… the Shadows... It all came rushing back to her. She tried to turn her head but it was so hard. She couldn't see the children. Had she lost them? Had she lost the Dragon Reborn? Twenty years' work gone in an instant? Had she lost Lan too? She needed to find out.

Moiraine tried to push herself up but she couldn't get her limbs to work properly. Her breathing was raspy and her heart thundered in her ears. She had to get up, she had to, she had to find out what was going on…

"Don't," a familiar voice warned, "Don't even think about it, Moiraine."

Moiraine's eyes darted upwards. Lan! At least he had managed to escape alive. She tried to smile, to reassure him that she was going to be ok, whatever happened. She was prepared to meet the Creator if needs be.

Light! She could imagine what he must be feeling right now- all her pain, the fever, the fire burning through her. And she could feel his worry too, his fear. She wished she could take it from him, wished she could show him she would be ok.

Somehow.

She wanted to mask the bond then, to give him some relief. He was hurting as much as she was hurting and she hated knowing that. He didn't deserve to feel like this. She wanted to spare him that. She didn't know whether she would survive this but she knew he had to survive whatever happened next. She had to ensure it. She wouldn't let him die because of her…

She didn't want to die but she knew it was likely she would. They were in the middle of nowhere. There were no sisters around who could heal her. There were only two tasks that needed to be dealt with now- make sure the Dragon Reborn got to Tar Valon safely and pass the bond. The rest would be in the hands of the Creator.

Moiraine tried to sit up again. What would Lan do? Throw her in a lake? She'd welcome that right now.

"Light, Moiraine!" Lan yelled, "Will you just rest for once? How long until she is safe to ride?"

Ride? Where were they going? What was going on?

"Where?" Moiraine asked in a raspy voice, barely above a whisper. Speaking took too much out of her but she needed to speak and she could feel some strength returning to her. Somehow. There was something on her shoulder… cooling it… hopefully it would lower the fever.

"Don't try to speak" Lan replied, "We escaped Shadar Lagoth. We're safe. Nynaeve has applied a poultice which should help you for the next few hours. I've managed to find some sisters south-west of here."

Sisters? Out here. In the middle of nowhere? Was she saved? Really?

Did she deserve to be saved? Moiraine immediately thought. Especially if she'd lost the Dragon Reborn. Twenty years work all thrown away. All the risks they'd had to take. All of the sacrifices Lan and Siuan had made to help her with her life's work. Was she really worth so much?

And a Damodred saved? If the Creator had any sense then why would he save a Damodred? Mission or no, Moiraine couldn't see the logic in doing that. Still if it was the Creator's will then who was she to judge? The wheel weaves as the wheel wills after all. She only hoped Lan and Siuan wouldn't have to suffer any more on account of her plans- whether she survived this or not.

Siaun. How many times had she told her off for taking idiotic risks? What would she say now? Something about fish probably. It was always something about fish… How she wished she was in Tear now, in their hut by the river… Siuan had always been the one she'd gone to whenever things were too much to handle. The nightmares, Elaida's beatings, the pressures of being a novice, the flashbacks of her mother's death. They'd always been there for each other.

Moiraine hated feeling so weak, so pitiful. She could feel the tears appearing in her eyes but the experiences of her childhood and years of cultivating the Aes Sedai's legendary calm demeanour meant she would be able to hold them in no matter what. She wanted to cry, she wanted to be held, to feel safe and protected and to be told everything would be ok but it hadn't been safe to ever let go completely or ask for such comforts from others… she couldn't remember how to even go about asking anymore… If it was given it was given, if not, she would cope.

Those were desires she'd let go of in her early childhood. The world was a cruel place, she'd learnt that as soon as she could walk. Failed assassination attempts, poisonings, nights hidden in cellars as servants swept the palace looking for explosives…Tears were pointless, they never stopped anything. Not the death of her father, not the death of her mother, not Elaida…

She found comfort where she could and if she couldn't, she would have to deal with it.

But Lan always knew what she needed it seemed. He pulled her gently into his arms, stroking her hair, "You're going to be safe, Moiraine. Everything's going to be ok."

Moiraine cursed herself, here she was wallowing in self-pity, not paying attention to how he would feel as her thoughts spiralled. He was already in enough pain because of her pain and now she'd burdened him with even more of it…

And she should be concerning herself with other things anyway.

"The children?" Moiraine managed to choke out. It cost her, she felt out of breath afterwards and her head spun.

Lan sighed.

That bad. She had lost them.

"We'll find them," Lan promised, "Once you're better, we'll find them. Or they'll find us, they know we're heading for the White Tower."

Moiraine tried to shake her head but it only made her feel like she was going to be lose consciousness again. No, he needed to find them. The children had never stepped outside a village before in their lives. There was no way they'd find the White Tower by themselves.

"You," Moiraine started, taking deep breaths in between each word,"Should…go…after…them…"

Lan sighed, "I'm not leaving you. We will find them once you are healed. I told you not to try speaking. Can you just focus on resting? We have a three hour ride to your sisters."

Three hours? Moiraine winced. How was she going to manage that? She felt so ill… her head spun so much… the heat… Maybe she should try to speak again… she wanted water so badly… maybe if she spoke again there might be a lake…

"Here, drink," Lan said, putting a hand behind her head. The water was so good…

"Now rest, get some sleep," Lan continued, with a sad smile,"And if you speak again, I will throw you in a lake."

Moiraine dozed on and off, feeling the steady trot of the horse beneath her and strong arms surrounding her. She felt safe, her head resting against Lan's shoulder. The heat was beginning to recede, now she just felt warm, cosy even. But exhausted, she felt like she could sleep forever…

Suddenly, the horse stopped.

"Moiraine, we need you now," Lan said gently.

Her eyes flickered open, though it took a lot of effort to keep them open. They were in a gorge and she could see one of her green sisters sitting atop a horse overlooking it.

Green! That would mean Alanna and Kerene potentially. It had been two years since she'd last seen them. Alanna had been in the same novice classes as her. It was good to think that she might soon see her friend again. What would she say about all of this? 'Moiraine, it's my job to fight Trollocs, not yours!' Then she'd ask her what she'd been up to all these years, no doubt.

It would be good for Lan to see his warder brothers too. She hated how much she kept him from them. All of the nights they'd slept out in the woods, him freezing because he was worried that she would catch a chill if he took more than one blanket for himself… She had only ever caught hypothermia once but trust Lan to never forget that. It would be nice for them to sleep in a bed again with a fire in their tent and hot food to eat. Light, she deprived him of so much…

Moiraine heard the trot of a horse before she saw it and the red clothed rider sitting on top of it.

Red ajah! Light give me strength! Moiraine thought. The reds and blues had been at odds forever. How they would gloat about finding her in such a stricken state!

The rider approached. Oh no, anyone but her…

Liandrin looked at her with a slight smile on her lips, "Moiraine Sedai."

"Liandrin Sedai," Moiraine replied, still a bit raspy but not enough to let her know just how bad she felt. She felt Lan's arms tighten around her, helping her to sit up straighter. Yes, it wouldn't do to look weak if front of Liandrin.

"If you're here to help you're too late," Liandrin gloated.

Moiraine could see a large crowd moving behind Liandrin, several horses and something which looked like…a cage? A cage? What on earth for? She knew the reds stilled in the field now rather than bothering to follow the law and take male channelers back to Tar Valon. What did they need a cage for?

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Liandrin continued, "We captured a man calling himself the Dragon Reborn."

No, no, no. Moiraine thought, had they captured one of her children? Her children? Were they really that now? Rand, Perrin, Matt. Perrin seemed sensible enough to keep his mouth shut. Rand- he was too unruly, too defiant, a pain in the neck but Egwene had a way of helping him see sense eventually. As for Matt- if anyone it would be Matt- he was kind enough but reckless. She had heard Lan telling him off for going wandering about and overheard him talking to his friends about false dragon myths… one wrong word and the reds would be all over him…

Moiraine tried to focus on the person inside the cage. He was hunched over, dressed in a red cape and with long dirty dark hair. Not one of hers, thank the light. But the Dragon Reborn? Could it be? She had thought the Dragon might be Egwene? She would be the best option she could hope for.

Alanna and Kerene sat beside the cage. The reds and greens working together? Nothing in this world made sense anymore. Two years ago she'd left the White Tower, so much had changed it seemed, too much.

Moiraine felt her strength waning. The poultice was wearing off. She had to lean back against Lan. This was too hard, staying awake was too hard.

"Are you alright, Moiraine? You look extremely pale." Liandrin asked, feigning concern, "I have to say I am quite surprised that you aren't riding your own horse. And that you have a travelling companion."

Moiraine tried to straighten herself up and felt Lan's arms tightened around her, but it was no use, she couldn't hold herself up anymore, she tried to speak but words would not come to her, her vision was growing cloudy again, soon she'd be unconscious.

"A minor scuffle with some Trollocs near the Mountains of Mist, Liandrin Sedai" Lan said. "Moiraine was able to defeat them but not before one injured her."

Liandrin nodded in understanding, "Come with us. We are planning to set up camp a mile from here. Some healing and a night in the warm will do the world of good for all of you. We all know that Moiraine considers canvas and cooked food a luxury."

Moiraine narrowed her eyes at the red. She didn't have the luxury of dithering about, trotting a few miles every day from one glade to the next. Finding the dragon was relentless work. Canvas was a luxury. Cooked food was a luxury. Even sleep was a luxury at times…

"Don't get mad at her," Lan whispered, "Don't waste your strength on her. Get better now, that's all that matters."

Moiraine smiled sleepily, thinking about the lake...it was a petty thought… but still…

Lan let out a breathy laugh, "Yes, maybe we'll have an opportunity to get even later."

With the use of the One Power, Lan knew it wouldn't take long to set up camp. The other warders had arrived at the clearing first, scouting it, checking it was safe- no White Cloaks, no wolves, no bears.

By the time the Aes Sedai had arrived and dismounted their horses the warders' fire was well built up and a pot had been hung up above it. A couple of the warders had volunteered to go hunting no doubt but many of the others were running to and from the horses and wagons, helping to unpack tents. Only Stepin, Ihvon and Maksim were sat near the fire- they knew better than to try to help their Aes Sedai. Alanna and Kerene could be as stubborn as Moiraine when it came to setting up camp.

Lan helped Moiraine down from the horse gently and pulled her into his arms. Nynaeve dismounted soon after.

"Thank you," Lan said as the woman began to walk away. She turned, looking him straight in the eyes, "Thank you for saving her life."

"The sooner she's healed," Nynaeve said, "The sooner she can find my friends."

Lan watched as she walked away, heading towards the hills around the camp. Hopefully she could keep herself safe. Then again, if she had won against Trollocs and tracked him from the Two Rivers to Shadar Lagoth, maybe it was the forest that should be scared of her…

Moiraine stirred slightly, he breathing strained again. He needed to give Alanna and Kerene a few more minutes, then he would bring her to them. Then she would, finally, be safe.

"Lan!" Maksim yelled, "Good to see you. Finally tired of spending your nights shivering and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, have you?"

Lan smiled, walking towards the warders' fire. It was an unspoken rule that the Aes Sedai and warders stayed separate once at camp- unless summoned by their Aes Sedai for dinner, work or… well, other duties- but, on those few occassions when they'd crossed path with the green ajah over the years, Moiraine had been more than happy to join them when she felt like socialising. Which, to be fair, wasn't often. But he knew she felt more comfortable around warders than most Aes Sedai.

"Light!" Stepin exclaimed, "Is Moiraine Sedai ok? What happened?"

Lan gently placed a sleeping Moiraine on the ground, covering her with a blanket, it was a little unnecessary what with being so close to the fire but he had almost lost her to the cold once before and ever since he had been cautious about letting her catch a chill.

"Trollocs," Lan said, " She'll be safe once she's healed."

"Trollocs?" Maksim asked, "Light! The greens will be in a frenzy once they hear about this. A Dragon Reborn, Trollocs, they'll say the last battle is imminent."

"They always say the last battle is imminent," Ihvon replied, "They've been saying that for years. I wish dinner was as imminent, and sleep. I'm shattered."

Lan smiled, Ihvon didn't know the true meaning of the word. In the early days, there were some nights when Moiraine would only stop out of fear of killing their horses- when she'd been so exhausted that her grasp on the One Power was uncertain, when she'd completely spent herself giving him her energy to keep him awake…

They had a rule now. It had taken years of furious arguing to put that rule in place. She had to stop every night. Or he would force her to stop. And then she had to sleep for at least a few hours and eat a good meal. He had seen her nearly fall off her horse too many times due to hunger or exhaustion…

"Earth to Lan!" Maksim yelled, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Enough of that," Stepin said, "You wouldn't be any better if it was Alanna. Nor I, if it was Kerene. Don't worry, Lan. You two are safe now."

Lan smiled, stroking Moiraine's hair. He hoped so.

Moiraine could feel strength flowing back into her, her fever had gone but the pain in her shoulder was still present. Her eyes still felt too heavy to open but she was beginning to wake up. Light! How bad had her injuries been if they'd needed to give her their strength to stabilise her before she could be healed fully?

She could feel the weaves of One Power passing over the wound, reducing the swelling, removing infected tissue, knitting her skin back together until nothing was left apart from a scar. Her eyes flew open. She hadn't felt this good in days, so refreshed and alive. She felt like she had so much energy. She felt like she wanted to find Lan, get their horses and go for a ride up along the cliffs to watch the sunset. She knew how much he liked taking the opportunity to watch the sunset. She made a note to herself to slow down a little more often for Lan's sake. She had almost died and had put him through hell the past few days, the least she could do was slow down for him.

Moiraine sat up slowly, "Thank you, Kerene."

The woman seemed exhausted by the healing and Moiraine looked at her surprised, "You've held back armies, healing one wound shouldn't have strained you."

"It hasn't," Kerene replied, passing Moiraine a cup of water, "He has."

He has? The false dragon?

"I want to meet this false dragon," Moiraine stated, before draining her cup dry. She forgot sometimes how good it felt to not be dehydrated.

"You will," Kerene replied, "But he can wait. You've only just been healed. You need to rest a while."

Moiraine sighed, she felt better but she could still feel some sluggishness creeping around the edges. The earlier burst of energy had felt amazing but was fleeting. The days of not eating enough, not drinking enough, not really sleeping well were beginning to catch up with her but she could push past them for a time. She needed to see this dragon.

"Lan won't forgive me if I don't make you rest," Kerene said before giving Moiraine a look that suggested there would be trouble if she complained.

Moiraine gave up, letting her head rest against the pillows. A short nap would suffice, she supposed.

"How is she, Kerene Sedai?" Lan asked as Kerene appeared outside of her tent.

"I've healed her," Kerene said, "I've told her to rest. Light, I hope she will."

Lan smiled, "Thank you."

"Go on," Kerene said, "You've got more of a chance of convincing her to do as she's told than anyone else here."

Lan walked into the tent. Moiraine was curled up on her side, her coat wrapped around her like a blanket. Lan could tell she was trying to fight against sleep.

He knelt beside the bed, taking her hand in his, "How do you feel?"

Moiraine smiled, "Better. Thank you for saving my life."

"Don't mention it," Lan replied. She was no longer deathly pale, no longer felt like she couldn't move or had to pause between speaking words. She felt healthy again, a little dehydrated, hungry and tired but well.

"Say thank you to Nynaeve for me, if you see her before I do," Moiraine added.

"I will," Lan replied, "Now rest."

"I feel like I've slept forever," Moiraine replied like a petulant child, "I don't want to sleep anymore."

"You need to sleep, Moiraine," Lan answered.

"So do you but I don't see you sleeping," Moiraine retorted.

Lan sighed, "I'm not the one who nearly died."

Moiraine sighed, and then yawned, "I don't need to sleep, I need to see the dragon. I need to see if it's really him…" Another yawn, her eyes began to close again.

Lan smiled, "He's not going anywhere, sleep now."

Moiraine sighed, then nodded groggily. Well that was easier than he thought it would be.

"When are we chucking Liandrin in a pond?" Moiraine asked wearily, "I don't like her insinuation that I don't look after you well enough."

Lan laughed, "Soon, my Aes Sedai, soon."

"Maybe we could start with ants?" Moiraine mumbled, half-asleep already.

"Well, you'd have to figure out the details for that one," Lan replied, "But rest first."

Moiraine nodded, her eyes closing but as Lan tried to stand her hand tightened around his.

"Stay?"

Lan smiled, "I'll always be here for you, Moiraine."