It's not a party if it doesn't end in chaos. Moiraine has another encounter with her dear cousin.
Speechless, Moiraine allowed Lan to pull her onto the dance floor. She had wanted to escape her cousins but not by dancing in front of everyone!
"Lan-" He stopped in front of the dancing pairs and faced her. "What are you doing?"
"I want to dance with my wife."
"That's not why we're here."
"You're right. But this doesn't mean that we're not allowed to have some fun." His eyes were sparkling with excitement.
Moiraine looked at the lords and ladies who were swirling through the hall. It seemed like a lifetime when she had been one of those ladies back in the sun palace. In the past, she had loved the beautiful dances when she had been able to dance with handsome young men. For a few moments, she had been like all the other ladies — a young woman having fun. No one had cared that she was a Damodred.
"I haven't danced in ages." It was a weak attempt to explain why she couldn't dance, and she knew it. Worse even, Lan knew it too.
"Do you really want to tell me that you can't remember how to dance? You? The woman who has her nose inside a book most of the time and never forgets anything?"
The Aes Sedai chuckled at his words. Damn him. He knew her too well. Suddenly, he cupped her face with his hands, and his lips lay on hers again. Moiraine thought about pulling back, but her body betrayed her. Her hands grabbed Lan's tunic and pulled him closer. Light, she wanted him! I need to get some distance between us! I don't know what's wrong with me! Why am I reacting to him so strongly? This is Lan! I know him for twenty years! What is different now?
But her body wasn't listening to her. The traitor clung to her Warder as if he wanted to be taken in front of all those people! She felt how Lan moved backward and how she involuntarily followed him. Then Lan ended their kiss, and she gasped for air.
"Let's see how well your brain remembers the steps," the uncrowned king of Malkier whispered against her lips, his forehead leaning against hers and their noses pressed together.
Shocked, Moiraine noticed that he had pulled her onto the dance floor between the other pairs, and she had followed him blindly. Insufferable man!
Lan didn't wait for her to object. He grabbed her hands and started to dance while Moiraine had no choice but to follow his movements. In the beginning, she felt stiff and looked at the other pairs, but soon her body remembered the fluent movements she had learned as a child. Smiling, she glided with Lan over the dance floor, allowing the music to fill her and erase all her worries and her reservations – just for a moment.
Lan, who had been taught all the dances the highborn lords and ladies had to learn, was the perfect dance partner, and the Aes Sedai caught herself thinking that she hoped this dance would never end.
Way too soon, the music stopped, and the pairs left the dance floor laughing – as did Moiraine and Lan. The Aes Sedai threw her arms around her Warder's neck, her eyes shining in excitement. "I forgot how much fun these dances are."
Lan smiled at her. "It looked to me as if your brain remembered perfectly fine how to dance. Except for the two times when you mistimed a step. That was sloppy."
In return, he received a gentle slap to the chest. "That's not true." The woman of the Blue Ajah couldn't turn off her smile. She was happy. "I enjoyed our dance. Don't ruin it for me."
Lan hugged her tight. "I wouldn't dream of it." After a moment of pleasant silence, he added: "I enjoyed our dance, too."
"STOP HIM!" Rand's voice echoed through the hall then people started to scream.
The peddler, Padan Fain, stormed onto the dance floor with a large box tucked under his arm, closely followed by Rand and Perrin. The Dragon had drawn his sword, but Perrin had no other weapon than his fists. Their opponent had a dagger with a ruby in its hilt in his hand. A dagger that looked oddly familiar.
Moiraine and Lan recognized the weapon simultaneously when Fain started to make his way through the crowd. He used the blade and cut every guest whom he passed. Screaming in pain, the people fell to their knees, holding their arms and legs while the evil of Shadar Lagoth spread itself over their skin. Worse even, they blocked Rand and Perrin, who tried to follow their enemy.
Quickly, the Warder pushed his Aes Sedai against the next pillar, shielding her with his own body until the peddler passed them. "Stay here!" Lan hissed, then followed the fugitive.
"Lan!" But it was too late. Moiraine's fingertips touched his tunic before he disappeared between the people.
The Aes Sedai tried to follow him, but the guests started to panic. Everyone tried to get some distance from the infected ones, while others wanted to leave this house as quickly as possible. The woman was pushed from one side to the other until she saved herself by pressing her body against the pillar again.
Shocked, she watched how everything got out of control. The Whitecloaks, who had attended the party as guests, tried to restore order, but it was useless. No one was listening to them. The infected ones begged for help – some of them even cried – while other guests screamed in fear.
Moiraine noticed a woman who lay on the floor wheezing. She was only three steps away, had a deep cut on her upper arm, and the evil of Shadar Lagoth had covered half of her body with black veins. Desperately, she reached out for Moiraine with her good arm – begging her with her eyes to help her. For a second, the woman of the Blue Ajah hesitated, then took a step toward the dying woman. She was an Aes Sedai! She couldn't let her die!
Suddenly, she felt the pressure of a blade against her throat and stopped in her movement. Her eyes were locked with the ones of the woman on the floor, who shed silent tears.
"My sweet cousin." Barthanes!
Shuddering, Moiraine felt how he pressed his body against her back, and his warm breath tickled her ear. She wanted to escape from him, but the blade against her throat made it impossible.
"I must say, I was truly surprised when I saw you entering my party. For over twenty years, we haven't heard a word from you since you left Cairhien to go to the White Tower." With his free hand, Barthanes grabbed her left hand and pulled it up to look at it closely. "And since I don't see one of these golden rings on your delicate fingers, cousin-" He squeezed her hand painfully. "-I would say you weren't strong enough to become an Aes Sedai. Such a shame."
If you would only know, dear cousin. As soon as this knife is gone, I will show you gladly how 'weak' I am.
"Your guests need help," Moiraine said, her voice showing no signs of anger. "This is not the time to-"
"They will all die. No one can help them." Barthanes sounded actually bored! "This blade is from Shadar Lagoth. There is no healing."
Moiraine gnashed her teeth. She wanted to shake her cousin. He didn't care if these people would die. They meant nothing to him.
"Though Fain mentioned that the disease would spread to other people if you touch them." Her cousin grabbed her hair and pushed her a step forward to the dying woman. "You want to help them, ain't I right, Moiraine? So, touch her. Touch her!"
The Aes Sedai fought hard not to take another step. She had wanted to heal the woman, not to share her fate. But Barthanes was strong and still had this knife pressed against her throat. She felt the blade cutting her skin – not much, but it would burn like hell later.
Suddenly, there was the blade of a sword, though it was pressed against Barthanes' throat and not hers. At the same time, a strong hand grabbed her cousin's hand, which held the dagger and pulled the blade away from her.
"Step away from her." Lan's voice was calm but cold as ice. Moiraine couldn't see his eyes from her position, though she assumed that her cousin saw his death in Lan's eyes. "I won't say it twice."
Barthanes dropped the dagger and stepped away from his cousin. He wasn't ready to die. Lan's blade never left the throat of the coward, not even when the Warder stepped in front of his Aes Sedai and pulled her against his chest. Moiraine didn't hesitate and wrapped her arms around Lan's waist. Safe.
"If you ever come close to her or dare to touch her again, I will kill you. Do you understand me?"
Barthanes grimaced at the uncrowned king of Malkier. "She may be your wife now, but she will always be a Damodred. There are so many people out there – and not only in Cairhien – who wish her dead. One day, you won't be able to protect her, and she'll die."
Moiraine's cousin saw the hatred in Lan's eyes and backed away quickly while holding up his hands in defense. "You should have thought about the consequences before you married her. This woman means trouble." With those words, Barthanes disappeared into the crowd.
"Are you hurt?" As soon as Barthanes was gone, Lan pushed Moiraine away from him, and his eyes searched for injuries. They found the small cut on her throat – nothing more than a thin red line – and he growled.
The woman of the Blue Ajah took his hand in hers. "I'm all right, Lan. It's just a scratch."
"Help." They both heard the wheezing cry from the dying woman on the floor.
Immediately, Moiraine pushed Lan out of the way and kneeled beside the woman who reached out her hand. She opened herself to Saidar, welcoming the poisonous feeling rushing through her veins.
But before she could heal the woman, an arm wrapped around her waist pulled her away from the injured one and back on her feet.
"Don't," Lan hissed into her ear.
"She will die if I don't heal her, Lan."
"No channeling. The Whitecloaks are still here."
Moiraine saw the Children of the Light and how they created room around the infected people and the healthy ones while one of them stabbed those in the heart who were covered with black veins. They would kill them all!
"I healed Mat." Desperately, she fought against Lan's grip. "Maybe I can heal her too."
"'Maybe' isn't good enough for me. Besides, the Whitecloaks won't let anyone leave who has been touched by the dagger. She will die no matter what." The Whitecloaks closed in on them. "We need to leave."
It was useless. Moiraine wasn't strong enough to break out of Lan's grip. Her Warder pulled her away from the infected woman, who wasn't moving anymore. Her eyes were closed, and Moiraine couldn't see if she was still breathing. Then, they were a part of the crowd being shoved from right to left – everyone trying desperately to leave this place. Lan tried his best to shield her, but there were too many. Slowly, they were pushed toward the exit.
"Fire!"
Hell broke loose on their left side when suddenly the expensive curtains caught fire. Way too quickly, the flames spread from curtain to plants, and even the decoration wasn't safe. Everyone pushed their neighbors out of the way to escape the fire, not caring if they ran over someone. Smoke started to fill the room, making the people cough.
Moiraine was surprised when the guests created some space on her left side, then she saw the burning man who came stumbling toward them, yelling in pain. Since she was still connected to Saidar, she didn't hesitate and created a weave to suffocate the flames on his back.
"No channeling!" She heard Lan's angry hiss in her ear and was shocked when he let go of her.
Unlike all the other guests, her Warder moved toward the burning man instead of running away. Confused, she watched how he tripped the man, pushed him on his back, and made him roll until the flames were out. Well, that was one way to do it.
As soon as the man wasn't burning anymore, the people started to push outside again, taking Moiraine with them. "Lan!"
She reached for her Warder, but the wave was too strong. Helplessly, there was nothing she could do except for moving with them. They would run her over if she dared to stop. Once they were outside, she would find Lan again.
It felt like hours until Moiraine felt how fresh air hit her face – though it hadn't been much longer than a few minutes. Although the people had more space now, the pushing didn't stop because as soon as the guests were outside, they stopped moving and watched how the flames started to consume the house while more guests left the house.
Coughing, Moiraine pushed through the crowd to find a place where she would have a better view at the entrance. She needed to find Lan. And Rand and Perrin.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her elbow, and a hand touched her hip. "You don't look good."
Startled, she wanted to shake off this person before she recognized the gleeman. He wasn't hurt, though his eyes moved frantically over the heads of the crowd.
"Rand-?" Another cough attack swallowed the rest of the names she had wanted to mention.
Luckily, Thom understood what she had wanted to know. Soothingly, he rubbed his hand over her back while pulling her through the crowd.
"I haven't seen Rand or Perrin since they had run after the peddler. Loial searches for them as we speak. Where is this Warder of yours?"
"Still inside," Moiraine whispered to avoid another cough.
Thom threw a glance at the burning house of Barthanes Damodred and grimaced. "Well, then, he should better leave quickly before it collapses above him."
Moiraine turned around and saw the gleeman was right. The roof was also on fire, cracking dangerously as if it would collapse any minute. She shook off Thom's hands and focused on her bond. Lan was stressed but unhurt. The woman of the Blue Ajah sent her feelings through the bond, begging him to come to her – to find her.
In return, she received a calm wave telling her to relax and that he was on his way. Anxiously, she watched the entrance while Thom tried to urge her to keep going until she saw how Lan appeared. He steadied the man who had been on fire, helping him to leave the building.
Relief rushed through her veins, as well as pride and admiration for this wonderful man who tried to help whenever he could. Lan lifted his head when he felt her emotions through the bond, searching the crowd for her but couldn't see her. There were too many people.
"The roof!" someone yelled, and immediately, the crowd started to move again – away from the burning house, which was falling apart.
Thom grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away before the crowd would run them over, but Moiraine resisted. She couldn't leave. Instead, she wove a shield around them, which would push the people away from them.
As soon as the shield was in place, she heard an ugly crack coming from the building. The roof fell apart – burning fragments raining over the heads of those who stood close by.
Quickly, Moiraine started to weave again. At first, she created a shield around Lan to protect him from anything coming down on him, then took care of the fragments. There was no safe place to drop them off, with so many people standing around the house. The best she could do was to hold them in the air for as long as possible – to give the poor souls who were still stuck inside the house more time to escape.
But it was exhausting to hold two shields in place and, simultaneously, all those fragments that endangered the lives of innocent people. It didn't take long, and she started to tremble, so she drew on Saidar. She couldn't give up yet! There were still people running out of the building!
"Ehm…" Thom cleared his voice and tried it again. "I'm no expert with the One Power, but… you're glowing. I mean your skin. Are you sure you should…?"
Moiraine didn't look at him. She felt that she was close to burn out. She was drawing too much. But how could she stop? Suddenly, she felt Lan's worry through the bond. He had noticed how close she was to burn out and wanted her to stop – begging her!
"Are you listening to me?" The gleeman touched her arm and pulled her out of her concentration.
Saidar slipped from her grasp, and her knees gave in. At the same time, the shields disappeared, and the roof came down. Moiraine tried to create a new shield around Lan, but she couldn't touch the One Power. Her vision was a blur, and she heard her blood rushing in her ears.
Without the shield, the people weren't pushed out of the way anymore and stormed toward Moiraine and Thom to run them over. The gleeman reacted quickly and covered the exhausted Aes Sedai with his own body, then the storm came over them.
The next chapter will be uploaded on Sunday.
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