POV Moiraine

The last three months only solidified Moiraines opinion that Warder Bond is the greatest Weave invented by Aes Sedai since the Breaking Of the World. Oh there are Battle Weaves, Healing Weaves, Utility Weaves and some Weaves that are complex beyond compare that aren't of much use, like Weaves taught for Aes Sedai testing, even when placed against all of those and even with the risks it brings, Moiraine is adamant that Weave of Warder Bonding is the greatest weave invented by Aes Sedai. It took a baseline human and made them better across the board.

Moiraine, who spent all her life with the exception of last three years either in Sun Palace or Tar Valon, who was so sheltered that she never walked more than three miles at once in her life, never carried anything heavier than a pail of water for more than ten minutes as part of chores in her Novice years, traversed the breadth of Andor, largest and perhaps more accurately widest nation in the continent, on foot, while carrying relatively heavy saddlebags. She even managed to jog for a part of the journey. Even with the cost of tying her life to another, Warder Bond is the greatest Weave invented by Aes Sedai, perhaps ever.

Now that Moiraine has her destination quite literally in her sight, Moiraine has to make some decisions, her almost Foretelling-esque feeling told her that she is well within that ephemeral timetable, her desire that this journey be untraceable is achieved, yet that success spawned a problem, a problem so obvious that Moiraine is pretty irritated with herself for not having thought of it before reaching her destination, and even more baffled by why Lan and Siuan, two of the smartest people she knows haven't thought of it. To enter the Two Rivers region, they needed to cross River Taren, which is easily doable, since there is a small town quite literally named Taren Ferry to ferry people across the Taren, crossing the Taren is not the problem. The problem stems from the fact that the region of Two Rivers and the villages it consists are the definition of tight knit communities, they can identify strangers within sight and strangers are treated with suspicion everywhere, but especially in these types of communities. And strangers who came to their region on foot are doubly strange and treated with even more suspicion and curiosity and will be talk of the entire region.

They could backtrack a little, go to Baerlon, it would take at most a week at the pace they could set after all the practice they had, get some horses, even better join up a merchant caravan, it is the time of the year, since the new year has just passed a month ago and the winter is dying and will be gone in less than a month, that caravans would start their journey down to Two Rivers for tabac and wool. Moiraine is practiced enough at the Aes Sedai misdirection and half-truths that she could introduce herself as a Lady or a Scholar or a Merchant or a young Farmwife or someone else with a false name and Lan could be her Guard or her husband all of those are doable and they could be as anonymous as they could manage. Even so, her gut insisted that secrecy is still paramount and yet honesty will serve her better in the long run, these seemingly contradictory instincts warred within Moiraine.


After much deliberation Moiraine settled on a course of action, they would go to Baerlon to acquire horses but only Lan will enter the actual Town, that too disguised by a tied off personal variant of Weave of Mirror of Mists, looking like a typical Andoran, with brown eyes instead of Lans icy blue ones and a softer face with more rounded jaw than Lans chiseled hard planes, Moiraine would have even altered Lans height from his massive Six and half feet to somewhere just below Six feet, which is considered tall around this region, but it takes a bit of practice to effectively pull it of, it could be very distracting to talk to someone who is staring vaguely at your chest area because that is where your face is for their eyes, so Moiraine left the height and Lans sun darkened skin alone without any changes. The Weave of Mirror of Mists is one of those Weaves that are only taught to full Aes Sedai and the variant taught by her own Blue Ajah only makes it so someone appears to be bigger, mainly used in intimidation tactics, when used even Moiraine could appear as a hundred feet tall giantess, yet the Weave itself is something very easy to fiddle with unlike most other Weaves and can spawn a thousand variants. Moiraine herself has discovered two very useful variants, one thats named Folded Light, used as a Ward that makes a small area invisible, favorite she regularly uses during their forays into Blight and another named Disguise by Moiraine, the one she would use on Lan, that could alter someones appearance.

With a plan in place they journeyed to Baerlon and by the time they reached it Moiraine finished sewing the set of clothing using color changing cloth jn the style that Lan practically designed. Once donned it made Moiraine practically invisible and on Lans insistence wore them while she hid outside Baerlon when Lan went into Baerlon to buy them horses and some supplies. The Disguise Weave that Moiraine anchored to Lans face and tied off will last for twelve hours easily, as it is not that complicated a weave and requires miniscule amount of power to form, yet Lan assured her that he will try to return in half that time and entered Baerlon through the Caemlyn Gate.


While Lan was in the town, Moiraine experimented some more with Mirror of Mists, with her new set of clothing for stealth purposes, she wanted to know if she can create a variant Weave to cancel out the sound of her movements, the weave being anchored to her person instead of being anchored to a place like Silencing Wards are and discovered a Weave for that purpose very easily with only a bit of experimentation in two hours and shared it with Siuan via Sending.

"With that new Weave of yours to cancel out the sound of you movements, those Stealth clothing Lan designed and your learning of how to use knives, you would make a surprisingly effective assassin, after all Three Oaths did not say anything about Aes Sedai using knives to kill", Siuan sent musingly.

"I know", Moiraine mentally sighed and sent, "We do what we must, use whatever we can, the war thats coming is not one that could be won by half measures. How is your investigation coming?"

"Not much progress, the Oath Rod is under the supervision of Hall, not that they carry it around, they just leave it in a Warded room, Wards keyed to the Sitters and the Amyrlin, thats twenty two women who are prime suspects, and whoever managed to find a way around the Wards, who knows what Weaves the Black Ajah has access to. By the way, our Ajah Sisters finally admitted that you managed to effectively disappear and they are in a tizzy because of it. They tracked you till Aringill easily enough and when you vanished from there they were confident you will turn up in a bit, after all we Blues have most wide spread Eyes and Ears network among all Ajahs, yet you remain unfound for three months, longest period that you managed in the past four years, since you left the Tower. It was especially concerning for our sisters because we usually find who we want if we put in the effort. I am kind of surprised that no one accused me of covering your tracks, yet. I did not find anything new about what exactly Red Ajah are up to, but they are out in the world en masse now, there haven't been this few Red Sisters staying in White Tower in a long time and this has been going on for more than two years now, I am surprised this isn't prime gossip in the Tower and has only come to my attention this late", Siuan replied.

Just as Moiraine was about to reply to Siuan, something truly unusual happened, something surprised Lan, that really doesn't happen often, Moiraine remembered it happening only twice since she bonded him four years ago. Moiraine ended the discussion with Siuan, there aren't any new topics to cover anyway and waited for Lan.

When he returned even Lan took a minute to accurately pinpoint Moiraines position, as Moiraine stayed very still while leaning against the tree and masked their bond as soon as felt Lan was near the clearing where Moiraine waited, as a test for just how effective this stealth suit is. If Lan, who had hawk like eyes even before the bond enhanced them and who knew for a fact that Moiraine is in the clearing and her general direction vaguely took so long to pinpoint Moiraine, then they could say without any doubt that the stealth suit is truly effective.

Now only Aes Sedai, who are able to sense the ability to channel in other Aes Sedai and prospective female channelers, would be able to sense me, when I am clad in the stealth suit and stay very still. Wait a second, with the exception of bringing back the dead and turning back the Wheel and even those two could be achieved in a limited, convoluted way by Balefire, everything else should be possible by One Power, so why won't it be possible to hide the ability to channel or even the Weaves of One Power themselves. Hmmm, something to think on later.

"So, as I said, you could become effectively invisible with the stealth suit", Lan said with a barely there self satisfied smirk.

Moiraine sighed and pulled down the hood and the mask before asking, "You were surprised by something in the town. What is it?"

"A Blademaster in a farmers garb or perhaps a farmer with a Blademasters sword. But I am mostly sure my first guess is the correct one. He moved with the grace of a Blademaster and the sword belonged with him. He is from Emond's Field, searching for a Wise Woman, what they call a healer in Baerlon, who would be willing to come to Emond's Field to try to heal his wife, apparently his own village healer and other healers in the Two Rivers checked her over, but they have no clue about whats afflicting her. I followed him around discreetly for a bit. The man almost got down on his knees at a point, when last of the Wise Women in Baerlon too refused him", Lan reported.

"A Blademaster, in this forgotten corner of the world. This is too unusual for us not to investigate. We need to follow this trail, wherever it leads. But how do we go about it? Lan, did you manage to learn his name?", Moiraine asked.

Lan answered, "Of course, I did. His name is Tam al'Thor."