When the sun was slowly setting, Lan couldn't take off his eyes of Moiraine anymore. He still remembered last night when she had collapsed in front of him, and he hadn't been able to help her. This time, he wanted to be prepared. But how do you prepare yourself for something if you don't know when it will happen? They didn't even know if they were right! Maybe her unconsciousness wasn't connected to Rand's dreams. Maybe it had something to do with Rand's fight against the Dark One. Everything was possible! He was pacing back and forth in the throne room, while he was always staying in reach of Moiraine, who was currently sitting at the table with Nynaeve and Egwene talking about the One Power.

"Lan." Her voice sounded tired. Was this the first sign? Would she lose her consciousness now? Immediately, he was by her side. Moiraine smiled at him and laid her hand on his cheek. "Stop worrying."

The warder took a deep breath. It had been a false alarm. She was just annoyed by his restless pacing. Slowly, he sat down beside her. "I'm sorry. I don't like it that I don't know what will happen. And I don't like it that I can't help you."

"I know."

"Moiraine Sedai!", Loial called nervously, and everyone turned their heads to him "The bond! I can see it again!"

Moiraine's hand fell on Lan's chest, and in the next second, Lan pulled her against his chest to keep her from falling. Nynaeve stood up and came over to check on the Aes Sedai, who was already unconscious. "I would say that she just proved our theory."

Lan closed his eyes and tried to find his own bond. When she had a connection to Rand, maybe it was possible to open their bond as well. Quickly, he found their bond, but when he tried to follow it, he was blocked. Frustrated, he pushed against the blockade and was surprised when he felt it moving. It didn't vanish, but it wasn't as hard as it was usually.

"Lan?" A hand on his shoulder broke his concentration. When he opened his eyes, Nynaeve looked at him worried. "Do you feel anything?"

Lan shook his head. "I will get her to bed." He wanted to put his hand under her knees, but Nynaeve stopped him.

"Please, wait a minute. Loial, can you tell us anything about the bond? What do you see?"

Everyone turned silent, while the ogier was observing Moiraine concentrated. It felt like ages when he finally spoke again. "It's a strong bond. I can see that one end of it is connected to Moiraine Sedai, but the other end… I can't see. It's floating out of the room towards the Blight."

"Rand.", Egwene whispered, but Nynaeve wanted to know more.

"What else can you tell us about it?"

"There is a flow in it and it flows to her. Whatever this bond is… I don't think that she has control over it. It forces her to connect with Rand and…" Moiraine moved as if she had taken a punch to the stomach, but she didn't wake up. Lan held her a little tighter. "… there are waves in the bond. Some of them are just small, but this one right there, had been a big wave and obviously, she felt it. I would say she is feeling what he feels, but I don't think that Rand knows that she is connected to him."

Lan felt how his face muscles moved in anger. "So, the Dark One didn't just punish her by taking her powers, but by also feeling it when he visits Rand in his dreams."

"There has to be more.", Nynaeve said and looked at the unconscious Aes Sedai "I don't think that she only feels him. She has to see something."

Loial groaned when he went back to lay comfortably on the floor. "I'm afraid that is a subject only… careful! There is a big wave coming!"

Again, Moiraine shrugged, and the pain was visible on her face. Even Lan's soothing movements with his thumb on her temple didn't help to ease the pain. After all, it wasn't actually happening to her.

"You should bring her to bed, Lan.", Nynaeve said and Lan nodded in agreement. He pulled Moiraine in his arms, then he stood up and left the room.

His feet knew the way back to her room, while his thoughts were miles away. How was it possible that he – her warder – couldn't help her with this bond? After all, there was nothing closer than this, and their bond existed for twenty years now. Maybe he should try and break this blockade. It had moved under his touch. Maybe there was a way to get in her head. The Dark One hadn't known about him. He couldn't have known that Moiraine was bonded. What if he was the only one, who could get some answers?

When the warder reached Moiraine's room, he laid the Aes Sedai on her bed, then he sat down beside her and held her hand. She shrugged again, so, there had to be another 'big wave' in the bond. How many were there? This hadn't happened yesterday. What had changed since the last night?

"Lan?" Of course, Nynaeve had followed him.

"She isn't awake yet.", he answered, but didn't turn around. He heard how the wisdom sighed heavily before she appeared at his side and laid her hand on his shoulder.

"How are you doing?"

"I want to get in her head."

"Well, you can't unless she gets her power back." He almost snapped at her but resisted at the last second. Nynaeve was worried about him and didn't deserve his temper. "Are you sure that there is no way for you to open the bond on your own?"

"She masked our bond. She has to be the one to unmask it."

"Have you tried it?"

"I thought… maybe while she is connected to Rand, I would be able… but there is this barrier, which won't allow me to enter her head."

Nynaeve kneeled in front of him. "Tell me about this barrier."

"It keeps me out. I can't circumvent it. Although it seems weaker now, while she is connected to Rand."

Nynaeve looked at Moiraine when she answered: "So, the barrier gets weaker when she is distracted? Maybe when we… we could weaken her before the bond to Rand forms again. Then you could try again."

"Weaken her? What do you mean by that?"

"I'll give her some herbs. This way her mind isn't so strong anymore and maybe you could break the barrier."

Lan wasn't convinced. "Wouldn't she be more vulnerable for Rand's feelings? I don't want her to get hurt."

"We need answers, Lan. You know that SHE won't give us the truth. When she wakes up again, she will just say that she can't remember anything. We need to find Rand to disconnect their bond. Or do you want her to fall unconscious every night from now on?"

The warder gritted his teeth. Of course, he didn't want that. But he also didn't want to endanger his Aes Sedai. "I want her to get better."

"Then we need answers, and you are probably the only one, who can get us some. So, tomorrow I will prepare the herbs, and then we'll make sure that she drinks them." Sighing, the wisdom got back on her feet. "If you get anything out of her without the herbs, then you have my respect. But I'm pretty sure what her answer will be when she wakes up. And now I will go to bed. Good night, Lan."

"Good night, Nynaeve."

Lan listened, how the wisdom left the room and closed the door behind her. Weakening Moiraine? This was definitely not a good idea. But what if he would be able to get inside her head? Maybe he could help her. Maybe he could protect her from Rand's feelings!

Groaning, he shook his head. This whole situation was driving him crazy.

Suddenly, Moiraine awoke gasping. Lan helped her to sit upright, then he looked at her closely. She looked pale. How long could she do this? How long was she able to feel Rand's pain before she would get sick?

"What happened?" Her voice sounded hoarse.

"I'll get you some water." When Lan returned with the water, Moiraine was rubbing her temples as if she was having a headache. "How do you feel?"

Moiraine sighed and took the glass out of his hands. "I still don't know where Rand is."

"So, you don't see him?"

"I honestly can't tell you if I see him, since I can't remember. As soon as I open my eyes, I only remember him being in pain, but nothing else. It's like… as soon as this… bond between us is broken, it takes everything with it."

Lan turned his head to the balcony. Would this happen to him too? If he would try and get in Moiraine's head, would he forget about Rand's whereabout as well? Or was this only affecting Moiraine, since she had the bond with the young man?

The Aes Sedai saw that Lan was thinking about something and put down the glass. "What is it?"

"I just wonder if there is another way to find out where Rand is."

"I'm pretty sure that Nynaeve would love to beat the answers out of me."

Angry, Lan turned back his head and stared at Moiraine. "That's not funny."

"It wasn't meant to be funny." Sighing, she put the glass on the nightstand beside her bed, then she pulled off one of her boots. "If slapping me would help, I do not doubt that she would do it. She hates me, and this way, she would be able to make me pay for what I did to her and her friends."

The warder took the boot out of her hand and placed it beside her bed. "She wouldn't do that."

Moiraine raised one eyebrow, while she took off the second boot. Finally, Lan sighed and took the second one from her. "Fine, she probably would think about it, but I wouldn't let her."

"Whatever she will do, I will sleep now. You can go and tell her that I can't remember anything again, but tell her she can yell at me tomorrow. Tonight, I'm not in the mood to deal with her."

Lan helped her to crawl under the sheets. "She already went to bed herself. We will tell her tomorrow. Now rest."

Moiraine watched how her tired warder was walking to her small balcony. "What are you doing?"

"Sleep, Moiraine."

"You can't stay awake night after night. You need to sleep too, Lan."

Slowly, Lan re-entered the room and walked back to her. "I did sleep last night, remember? I was with you in your bed."

"Then go to Nynaeve tonight. She will be glad to have you…"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?", Lan interrupted her harshly.

"Maybe."

"Well, it's not working. I'm staying here. Now sleep." Angry, Lan turned around. He knew that she was pushing him away on purpose, but he wouldn't let her.

"Lan?" This time, her voice sounded exhausted. As if she didn't want to fight anymore. He didn't answer, but he didn't move either. He waited for her to continue. Then he heard, how she was patting with her hand on the bed. "If you don't go to Nynaeve, then at least lie down with me. I really don't want you to stay awake."

After a moment – where he thought about her offer – he finally took off his boots and tunic and moved under the blanket as well. She even gave him some space, but he pulled her back beside him. He needed to know that she was alive and well.

"Good night, Lan.", she murmured with her eyes already closed.

"Good night, Moiraine."