Although they heard some Trollocs roar and the screams of the worms, Moiraine and Lan made it out of the Blight without being attacked again. The trees seemed to be focused on the Trollocs and the worms and didn't mind the two little humans.

When they left the last rotten trees behind them, the sun was already sinking in the west. Moiraine stumbled more than once, and it was only thanks to Lan that she didn't fall.

The Warder hated that he had to push her that hard, but if they would stay out in the open, the Trollocs would find them very soon.

The closer the two came to Tarwin's gap, the more dead bodies they saw. Dead Trollocs, killed by thousands of arrows. A part of Lan was scared of what they would find inside. And what had happened to Fal Dara? Were Nynaeve and the Emond's Fielder safe?

On the other side of the gap, there were many men carrying the dead. Lan's eyes were scanning the area, looking for a familiar face. How many men had died here?

"Dai Shan!" Lord Ingtar made his way through the crowd. When he reached Moiraine and Lan, he bowed respectfully with his hand over his heart. "Aes Sedai. You two are alive. And unhurt from what I'm seeing."

"Ingtar, what have we missed?"

The Shienaran man pulled his face in disgust when his thoughts returned to the incident, which had happened almost two days ago. "It was a Trolloc army like we've never seen before. I don't know how we couldn't notice them sooner, but we were terribly outnumbered."

"Lord Agelmar?"

"He got seriously injured, but for now he is alive. Thanks to your friend, the Wisdom."

Lan released a relieved sigh when Lord Ingtar mentioned Nynaeve. If she was able to help the injured, then she had to be all right.

Ingtar's eyes wandered over Moiraine and Lan. He noticed the blood, and the dirt, but most importantly, he saw how exhausted they were – especially the Aes Sedai. "Where have you been? You look like you've been through hell yourself."

"We've had our own share of trouble.", Lan answered. His eyes fell on one of the horses, which was pulling a cart with dead bodies back to Fal Dara. "Do you have a horse you could lend us? She is exhausted and needs rest."

Ingtar nodded, while his eyes moved over Moiraine again, who was dangerously swaying. "Give me a moment, Dai Shan. I will get you a horse."

"Thank you, Ingtar."

The Shienaran man turned around and disappeared between the helpers. Two men, who carried a dead soldier, passed Lan, who couldn't take his eyes off the body. How many of those men had he known?

"Lan." Moiraine's voice was nothing but a rasp, but the Warder heard it anyway. He realized that he was the only reason, why she was still standing. His arm around her waist and his hand on her upper arm were carrying her weight.

Carefully, he walked with her to the stairs, which were leading to the top of Tarwin's gap. Then he made her sit down on one of the lower steps and kneeled down in front of her. "Let me take a look at your throat."

Moiraine wanted to say no, but no word came over her lips. Her throat didn't allow her to build a sentence. Not while it was stretched to give her Warder a better view. Instead, she placed her hands on Lan's arms, while he carefully checked her throat with gentle fingers, but she was too weak to do anything more than that.

"As soon as we are back in Fal Dara, I will tell Nynaeve to look at it." Lan took his waterskin. They had emptied Moiraine's on their way back through the Blight and most of Lan's. There was only one gulp left.

Moiraine watched how Lan opened the waterskin. When he offered it to her, she shook her head. "Save it.", she whispered.

"Ingtar finds us a horse, and then we are back in Fal Dara in no time. There is enough water for both of us."

"Then you drink it." Lan smiled at her words, then he pressed the waterskin against her lips. Since Moiraine was too weak to stop him, she drank the water but rewarded him with a reproachful look.

"Dai Shan." Ingtar was back, holding the reins of a brown stallion. "Will this one do?"

Lan moved to the stallion and stroked gently over his flank. "He is perfect." The Warder saw the doubtful gaze of his Aes Sedai. In her weak condition, it was hard for her to imagine herself sitting on the horse.

Since she couldn't walk on her own, Lan carried Moiraine to the horse and placed her on its back. Then he got himself into the saddle and took the reins from Ingtar. "Thank you for your help, Ingtar."

"It is an honor, Dai Shan."

Lan nodded, then he pressed his thighs against the flank of the horse. "Lan, I don't know if…"

His arm moved around her waist and he pulled her closer to him, while he buried his nose in her hair. Moiraine shivered when she felt his warm breath on her cheek. "I won't let you fall."

With those words, the Warder allowed the stallion to mend its pace, moving toward Fal Dara.

The area in front of Fal Dara was filled with dead Trollocs. Ripped to pieces by something very powerful. It seemed as if there was only one way for the horses with the carts to move through the death field – probably arranged by the soldiers of Fal Dara.

Lan let the horse follow the carts. Sometimes the way became a little bigger, then he could pass the slower group, but then he had to follow another cart for a while because the way was too small. Sometimes, the carts even moved over an arm or a leg of a dead Trolloc.

The smell was terrible. Burned flesh mixed with the scent of death. Moiraine used her coat to cover her mouth and nose, but it didn't help much.

When they reached the city, Lan was surprised at how unharmed it looked. The buildings weren't burned down or destroyed. He saw no dead bodies or blood. And the smell of death was missing as well. As if the fights hadn't reached the city. This gave him hope. When the army hadn't reached the inside of Fal Dara, then Nynaeve and the Emond's Fielder had to be unhurt. They had been far away from the fight.

Moiraine felt the tension in Lan's body and squeezed his arm gently. Thankful, Lan pressed a kiss on her hair before they continued their way to the fortress.

Soldiers guarded the entrance to the fortress when Lan and Moiraine arrived.

"Dai Shan!" Uno, the soldier with the black eyepatch, pushed the soldiers out of the way. "You are alive."

"So are you, my friend." Lan dismounted the stallion, then his eyes fell on Uno's injury. An ugly cut moved over his face and his temple, and he held his arm as if it would hurt. "Are you alright?"

The soldier touched the cut carefully, and his good eye showed anger. "I tried to fight against a bloody Myrddral. Needless to say, he won."

"You fought at Tarwin's gap?"

"No, I stayed with Ingtar and a few others behind. Lord Agelmar had given us an order to… get something." Lan noticed how his friend hesitated, but he didn't say anything. Uno was his friend, but his loyalty belonged to Lord Agelmar. "Two Myrddrals found their way into the fortress and attacked us. We lost two men. Ingtar and I were injured, but thanks to the Wisdom we are back on our feet."

For a heartbeat, Lan stopped breathing when he heard that two Myrddrals had been in the fortress. So much for his hope that Nynaeve and the Emond's Fielder had been far away from the fight. But everyone was talking about the Wisdom helping the injured ones. First Ingtar and now Uno. Apparently, she was well enough to help.

"Where can I find the Wisdom and her friends?", Lan asked, while he helped Moiraine to dismount the horse.

"She is moving through the fortress with the other girl. I can't tell you where she is right now. But I know where the boy and the Ogier are."

Moiraine's feet gave away when they touched the ground. Luckily, Lan had expected this and steadied her. Surprised, Uno raised his eyebrow at Moiraine's condition. "She doesn't look good, Dai Shan.", the soldier whispered.

Lan pulled Moiraine into his arms, carrying her bridal style. His face was empty when he looked at Uno, who understood immediately. Just like Lan didn't ask about Uno's business with Lord Agelmar, he wouldn't tell Uno anything about how serious Moiraine's condition was. "Follow me, Dai Shan."

Uno guided them quietly through the corridors. Many rooms were occupied by wounded soldiers begging for help. Lan's friend gnashed his teeth angrily but kept walking. There was nothing he could do for these men.

"How is Lord Agelmar?", Lan asked quietly.

"He is in a bad shape. A Trolloc stabbed him with a spear through the chest. The Wisdom is doing everything in her power to keep him alive, but we don't know if…" Uno turned his head and his eye moved over Moiraine. "With Moiraine Sedai's help, we could…"

"She needs to rest.", Lan interrupted him harshly.

"Of course. But after that, maybe later she can…"

"Lan!"

The Warder stopped immediately and watched how Nynaeve rushed out of a room he had just passed a second ago. She looked exhausted, but Lan couldn't see any injuries on her skin. He hoped that she wasn't hiding them under her dress.

Her worried eyes moved from him to Moiraine and then she searched the corridor behind him for Rand. As if the big redheaded sheepherder would hide behind him.

"Where is he?"

At the same moment, Egwene stumbled out of the same room. She had blood on her hands, but she didn't care. Her big eyes lay on Lan and Moiraine, begging them to give her the answer she was hoping for.

"Not here.", Lan answered calmly. This wasn't a conversation, which they should have in the corridor, while everyone was able to hear them. He hoped Nynaeve would understand that too.

The young woman opened her mouth, but then she saw the look in Lan's eyes. Her lips were pressed into a thin line when she nodded agreeing.

"Moiraine's room."

Egwene wanted to follow Lan immediately, but Nynaeve held her back. "First, we finish our job here."

The Wisdom's sad eyes met Lan's, then she turned around and went back into the room she had just left. Egwene was torn between helping the injured ones and getting answers from Lan. Nervously, her hands closed and opened rapidly.

So, Lan took the decision from her. Now, that he had seen Nynaeve and Egwene with his own eyes, had seen that they seemed unhurt, he had to take care of Moiraine. Without saying another word, Lan turned around and left Egwene standing at the door.

Uno, who had stopped as well when Nynaeve had yelled Lan's name, caught up with Lan. "I thought you wanted to see the boy and the Ogier?"

"Later. Now, Moiraine Sedai needs to rest."

"Dai Shan…"

"Thank you for your help, Uno."

Lan was surprised at how much time passed before Nynaeve and Egwene knocked at Moiraine's door. Although in the end, it made sense to him. Nynaeve was no one, who would leave a patient just to get her answers. Especially, when she already knew them.

"Where is Rand?" Egwene didn't have this patience. She was a nervous wreck, who would very likely start to cry any minute.

Moiraine, who sat at the edge of her bed, lowered her head to avoid eye contact. It was possible that Egwene wouldn't see the truth in the eyes of the Aes Sedai, but Nynaeve was better at reading people. She couldn't be fooled so easily.

The Wisdom narrowed her eyes when she saw how Moiraine lowered her head. Instinctively, she leaned closer to the woman, who she mistrusted, but so did Lan. His eyes were on Nynaeve, while he stepped closer to Moiraine. His body was ready to get into a fight.

"He won't come back.", Nynaeve said, while staring into Lan's sad eyes.

"No." Moiraine's voice sounded strange in Nynaeve's ears. Quiet and rasp as if she had screamed a lot.

Egwene sank to her knees and started to cry. Nynaeve felt how a tear rolled over her cheek, but she didn't wipe it away. She had lost another one. First, she had lost Mat when they had entered the Ways and now, she had lost Rand to the Blight. Light, how much she wished she would have taken all of them back to the Two Rivers after she had found them in Tar Valon. But now it was too late.

"What happened?"

"He fought against the Dark One.", Moiraine explained.

"His body?", Nynaeve asked and her eyes returned to Lan again, who shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Nynaeve. There was no body."

The Wisdom felt how grief slowly tried to pull her down. Tears built up in her eyes, so she took deep breaths and blinked rapidly. Then she focused on something else to keep her brain busy.

"What happened to your voice?"

This time, it was Lan who answered for Moiraine. "We got attacked by the Blight. A root wrapped itself around Moiraine's throat and almost killed her."

Nynaeve bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying something stupid. She had almost said 'good', but she knew that Lan wouldn't have liked that.

When she was sure that she had herself under control again, she tilted her head questioningly. She had seen the plea in the Warder's eyes. But she wanted to hear the words. She wanted him to ask for her help.

Sighing, Lan closed his eyes. Sometimes, he wondered what he had done to be stuck between two stubborn women like Moiraine and Nynaeve. "I heard that you take care of a lot of people in these walls. I would be really grateful if you could take a look at Moiraine's throat."

Moiraine looked at her Warder angrily. This wasn't the moment to ask Nynaeve for help. Not while she was in grief blaming Moiraine for Rand's death.

When the young woman kneeled in front of Moiraine, the Aes Sedai resisted leaning backward. There was no way that she would let her see how scared she was about Nynaeve's reaction. She was truly surprised when Nynaeve gently lifted the head of the Aes Sedai and carefully touched the bruised skin.

Lan shifted uncomfortably beside them, carefully watching their every move. Finally, Nynaeve got back on her feet. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do. Give it time, and it will heal on its own. I'm sure an Aes Sedai could heal it in no time, but since there is no other Aes Sedai around…"

The eyes of the Wisdom fell on the crying Egwene. She should get the girl to bed. It was late anyway. Sighing, she looked at Lan again. "It will hurt a while. Water and tea should help a little bit. And I would suggest she shouldn't talk that much for a while. Not that she likes to talk about her plans anyway."

Her last sentence was directed at Moiraine. Lan sighed when the two women glared at each other. "Not even to her own Warder."

Nynaeve and her sharp tongue. Moiraine winced as if the young woman had slapped her in the face.

"Nynaeve.", Lan growled, but she was already moving toward Egwene.

"You two should take a bath and then rest. A lot of people got injured, while you were running through the Blight, and they need the help of an Aes Sedai."

Moiraine and Lan's eyes met. For now, no one knew about Moiraine's condition. But for how long could they hide the truth? Especially, with that many people being in need of healing. Sooner than later, people would start asking questions.

"Good night." Nynaeve hadn't noticed the silent communication between the Aes Sedai and the Warder. She helped Egwene to stand before she led her out of the room.

The door closed behind them with a loud bang.