And I'm back :D

Today, Moiraine and Siuan are able to talk to each other before it goes sideways, and Lan comes to the rescue.

Enjoy the new chapter 3

Guest: Thank you for your review. I'm afraid it will take a while in this story until her shielding will be healed.

"Your Warder forgets his place."

Even now with the door closed, Siuan sounded pissed. Moiraine kept her eyes on the floor. "Forgive him, Mother. He is just trying to protect me."

"Protecting you? And what does he think would we do to you? Besides, he can feel you through the bond. He knows exactly when something happens to you."

Moiraine winced at Siuan's words. She knew that her best friend wanted to calm her. Little could she know that those words were the worst thing she could say. The Aes Sedai felt tears build up in her eyes, so she closed them. Siuan didn't know about what had happened to her at the Eye of the World.

Luckily, Siuan knew her best friend very well, and she noticed the change in Moiraine's composure. "Leane?"

"Yes, Mother?"

"Please, leave us alone."

"Mother, may I say…?"

"Thank you, Leane.", Siuan interrupted the other woman harshly.

Moiraine saw the warning in Leane's eyes, which was directed at the Amyrlin. The woman would protect Siuan from anything, which was the reason why she barely left Siuan's side. She had been friends with Siuan and Moiraine before Siuan had become the Amyrlin Seat, so she knew about their relationship and how deep it had been. The two women may have fooled the other Aes Sedai with their charade, but Leane was better at reading them. She saw the longing gazes and the little smiles when Moiraine and Siuan locked eyes.

"As you wish, Mother. I'll make sure that you won't be disturbed."

Siuan waited until Leane closed the door behind her, then she stood up and sealed the room with the One Power.

For a moment, Moiraine felt panic rising in her chest. Lan stood outside, but now he couldn't even hear her if she would call him. She was tempted to ask Siuan to lift the shield, but before she could open her mouth, Siuan wrapped her arms around her, and Moiraine noticed that she returned the hug without thinking.

"You're alive.", Siuan whispered with tears in her eyes.

A sob escaped Moiraine's lips. Her pillow friend had used the same words Lan had said to her when he had found her at the Eye of the World. "I was worried that you…"

Moiraine pulled back. Both women were crying silent tears. "What are you doing here, Siuan? It is dangerous to be so close to the Blight."

"Lady Amalisa has informed us constantly about their problems with the Trollocs and the Blight. So, I used this information to bring our sisters here. I thought it couldn't hurt if we could help them and at the same time, help you if possible."

"You exiled me publicly because I couldn't answer your question. Now, our sisters will expect from you…"

Siuan didn't let her finish. Her lips found Moiraine's, while her fingers moved through Moiraine's beautiful locks. Hungrily, she kissed the Cairhien woman as if she would see her for the last time.

When they both needed to breathe again, Siuan ended the kiss but didn't move back. She laid her forehead against Moiraine's and cupped her face with her hands, while their breaths mingled. "Light, I've missed you."

"We left Tar Valon only a few days ago."

"It was a week ago.", Siuan corrected her.

"And before that, we hadn't seen each other for two years."

"The last time, I hadn't exiled you from the White Tower. I just couldn't forget your face when you had to leave the Hall. You have no idea how hard it had been for me not to pull you in my arms. I wanted to take it back the second you were done with your oath."

Moiraine smiled sadly. "This would've been stupid."

"You make me do stupid things." Both women chuckled at Siuan's words, then she pressed her lips on Moiraine's again.

The woman of Tear growled when her pillow friend pulled back from her way too soon. But they couldn't lose track of time. The Aes Sedai would start to talk if they stayed alone for too long. Reluctantly, Siuan released Moiraine and brought some distance between them to keep herself from touching her. "Tell me what happened. Do you know who of the children is the Dragon?"

"The Dragon came to me after I told them that everyone would die at the Eye of the World who wouldn't be the Dragon. He wanted to protect his friends."

"He? So, it is one of the boys?"

Siuan seemed disappointed, and Moiraine understood her. They had hoped that Egwene would be the Dragon. Saidar wasn't tainted like Saidin. She wouldn't fall for the madness like Rand would do at one point. Light, he had admitted that he had already felt it.

"His name is Rand al'Thor." And then Moiraine told her best friend what had happened since then. How she had taken him to the Eye of the World. How he had fought against the Dark One. But she didn't mention that he had survived. Siuan would want to search for him.

When she reported how Lan and she fled from the Trollocs and the worms, and how the roots attacked her, Siuan asked the one question, Moiraine had been afraid of. "Why didn't you use the One Power? You could have easily fought it off instead of stabbing it."

Moiraine's eyes moved to her hands, which were trembling now. Her useless hands. Over the last few days, she had tried to touch the source over and over again, but nothing had changed. Whenever she had taught Egwene how to use the correct weave for healing, she had secretly tried to do it as well. "I can't use it anymore."

Shocked, Siuan looked at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

"The Dark One, he…" Moiraine sank to her knees, while tears were running down her cheeks. Immediately, Siuan was by her side holding her trembling hands. "I can't channel anymore, Siuan."

"You mean he… But Lan! He is still bonded to you! As long as he can feel you, you can't be…!"

A sob came over Moiraine's lips. "I masked the bond before I went to the Eye of the World."

Siuan's eyes widened. "Lan wasn't with you when you…?" When Moiraine shook her head in denial, the Amyrlin gasped. "Oh, Moiraine. How could you be so stupid?"

"I wanted to protect him.", the woman of the Blue Ajah cried "I didn't want him to die. So, I left him here and masked the bond. And now… I can't unmask it without the One Power. I can't feel him anymore, and I will never again."

It hurt so much to say these words out loud finally. Moiraine couldn't suppress the sobs anymore, which shook her whole body. With tears in her eyes, Siuan pulled the crying woman into her arms and hold her. "That's why you wanted Lan to stay, and why he resisted leaving you. Because he can't feel you anymore."

But Moiraine couldn't answer. The pain was too much for her, now that she had talked about it. The tears didn't stop and neither did the sobs, which shook her whole body. Siuan did her best to comfort her but had to realize soon that she couldn't do anything about it.

She lowered the shield. "Leane!"

The Keeper of the Chronicles must have stood close to the door because it opened immediately, and Leane entered the room. "What can I do…?"

Leane's eyes fell on the crying Moiraine and her eyes widened. This was not what she had expected to see. "What in lights name…?"

"Get Lan Mandragoran in here! Now!"

Nodding, Leane left the sitting room. Siuan heard through the open door how she yelled Lan's name. Had he stayed in the corridor? Or did he flee from the Aes Sedai, who were waiting for her conversation with Moiraine to be over?

Quickly, Siuan wiped away her tears. For the other Aes Sedai, she had to be the strong and cold Amyrlin Seat. They couldn't see how much she really cared for Moiraine.

In a way, Moiraine's breakdown was good to keep their relationship a secret. Now, their sisters would believe that she had punished her for her disobedience.

Lan stormed into the sitting room with Leane on his heels. The Keeper of the Chronicles closed the door behind them before the other sisters could come in. Siuan was thankful that Leane didn't put Moiraine's suffering on display.

"What happened?" Lan kneeled down beside them. Worry was written all over his face. His eyes were searching for an injury or something that had caused Moiraine's tears. The Amyrlin felt bad for him. It had to be an awful feeling not to feel the woman he was bonded to. Now, his eyes were the only thing that could help him to see an injury. Sadly, he couldn't see this particular injury, which was inside of Moiraine.

"She told me what happened.", Siuan explained and Lan's eyes met hers. "That she can't channel anymore-" Leane gasped in the background, but Siuan ignored it. "- and that your bond is masked."

There was pain in Lan's eyes. Only for a moment, but it was there. He lowered his head and placed his hand on Moiraine's head.

Siuan wished he would say something, but Lan rarely spoke. She grabbed his hand, and his whole body was ready to fight immediately. The Amyrlin assumed that it took all his strength not to attack her. If she was honest, she couldn't remember that anyone had ever touched Lan – except for Moiraine of course. The man was a lone wolf. "I didn't know about your bond. I would've never sent you out if I had known that…" She saw how Lan's facial muscles moved and didn't finish her sentence. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't know." Lan's voice was quiet.

"I still feel bad about it." His only response was a short nod before his attention returned to his Aes Sedai. "Please, get her back to her room and stay with her. She needs you, Lan."

The Warder didn't answer. Instead, he tenderly helped Moiraine into an upright position, placed her arms around his neck, and pulled her in his arms. "Mother."

Siuan watched how Lan carried Moiraine to the door, which Leane opened for him. This wasn't how she had imagined her reunion with Moiraine.

Lan ignored the curious looks of the Aes Sedai and their Warders, who had still been waiting outside of the sitting room. During Moiraine's conversation with the Amyrlin, Alanna had scolded him for being a stubborn idiot. She couldn't understand why he and Moiraine tried everything to anger the Amyrlin instead of apologizing to her. Lan hadn't even listened to her tirade. His thoughts had been in the sitting room, wondering what his Aes Sedai was doing and how she was feeling. But when Leane had left the room as well, he had known that Siuan would seal it to keep her sisters from eavesdropping.

He moved as quickly as possible to get Moiraine away from her sister. His feet brought them to Moiraine's room, then they were alone again.

Carefully, he placed the crying woman on the bed, then he took off her shoes. It was impossible to talk to her, while she was in this condition. First, she needed to rest before she could talk to Lan again.

The Warder pulled the blanket over her to keep her warm. In the end, he sat down beside her and rubbed soothing circles on her back. It wasn't much, but he knew that it always helped her. He didn't know if it was the movement, the warmth of his hand, or his mere presence, and if he was honest, he didn't care. All he cared about was the result.

After a few minutes, Lan felt how Moiraine's sobs became quieter. She started to breathe more calmly, and then her breaths became deeper. She had fallen asleep. He kept his rhythm for a few more minutes before he stopped. Now, he had to wait until she would woke up again.

Slowly, Moiraine opened her eyes. She lay in her bed in Fal Dara, but how did she end up here? She couldn't remember when she went to bed. What had happened? `Don't panic. Concentrate and try to remember. What is the last thing you know?´

She had been with Egwene and Nynaeve, watching over Egwene while she was healing the injured soldiers. Then Lan had joined them and had informed her that the Amyrlin Seat had arrived with a group of Aes Sedai. `Siuan!´

Now, Moiraine remembered. Siuan had ordered her to meet her, and Alanna had picked her up. She also remembered, how Siuan had sent Lan away, though she had begged her to let him stay. After Leane had left them as well, she had told Siuan everything that had happened, including the Dragon, the loss of her powers, and the loss of her bond.

Moiraine's eyes burned, but the tears didn't come. She assumed that there were no tears left in her body. It was exhausted from all the tears she had shed in Siuan's sitting room.

"Welcome back."

Lan's soft voice pulled her out of her thoughts. He sat down on her bed, giving her some room, while his eyes were carefully watching her.

"How long was I gone?"

"A few hours."

"My sisters…"

"Stayed away, for now. Except for Alanna. She knocked once, but I told her that you need to rest.

Moiraine nodded. She didn't want to face her sisters. Now, that they had seen her weak… she could only imagine how Liandrin was already enjoying this development.

Carefully, she lifted her head and noticed that it was dark outside. Light, she had really slept a few hours. And she was still tired. Well, this day was already over. No one would care if she would stay in bed.

Sighing, she placed her head back on the pillow. Then her eyes fell on Lan, who hadn't moved a bit. He was still watching her movements. Suddenly, the woman of the Blue Ajah remembered how Lan had pulled her in his arms after her breakdown in Siuan's sitting room. In his arms, she had felt secure and she realized that she was longing for this embrace. She wanted to feel safe again.

"How are my chances that you will join me?"

Lan opened his mouth, but no word came out. Then he stood up and walked to the table. Moiraine felt as if he had pushed a dagger into her heart.

"A simple 'no' would have done it, too.", she said, while closing her eyes, then she snuggled deeper into her blanket to hide her pain from him.

"Here."

Surprised, she opened her eyes again. Lan was back, and in his hands, he held a steaming cup and a plate with some bread and cheese on it.

"What's this?"

"Tea and some food. You barely ate anything today."

"I'm not hungry."

"Well, if you want me to join you, you have to drink and eat first."

Moiraine's eyes widened when her tired brain realized what Lan was telling her finally. He didn't refuse to join her. He simply wanted her to eat and drink before she would go to sleep again.

"This is called blackmailing."

Lan smiled and sat down carefully on the bed again. "It's your choice. What's it going to be?"

Moiraine grumbled, while she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. Her Warder was using dirty tricks. Since he knew how much she wanted him to join her, he knew that she couldn't refuse his deal.

Carefully, she took the steamy cup from him, and the smell hit her nose. It was her favorite tea. Light, this man was killing her.

Lan placed the plate beside her and said: "As soon as this cup and this plate are empty, I will gladly join you for the night."

"Will you at least drink a cup of tea with me or do you just watch me?"

Smiling, Lan went back to the table. Now, Moiraine saw the pot on it. Lan must have made hot water, while she had been asleep. He poured himself a cup, then he returned to her. She offered him some bread, but Lan shook his head.

"That's all for you. I already ate something."

"When did you fetch this?"

"I didn't. Alanna had asked me if she could help somehow, so I asked her to get us some food. If anyone knows how important it is to eat, it is Alanna."

Moiraine chuckled at his words. It was true that Alanna was rarely seen without some kind of food.

In silence, Moiraine and Lan enjoyed their tea, while the Aes Sedai did her best to fulfill Lan's demand.

The next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday. Have a great start to the week.

Reviews are always appreciated 3