Moiraine and Lan return to the guesthouse, and Anaiya reports what has happened to her.
Please read the end notes. All your opinions are needed.
"Where are they?" Nervously, Nynaeve walked up and down the room. It had been hours since she had returned with Anaiya to the guestroom.
Egwene, Elayne, Min, and Thom had already been there, but the boys, the Aes Sedai, and the Warder hadn't returned yet.
"Should we search for them?" Elayne asked while fidgeting with her hands.
"No!" Nynaeve and Thom growled in unison.
The Wisdom didn't want to lose anyone else in the chaos. The sound of battles had faded a while ago since Rand and another man had been fighting in the sky. Nynaeve didn't know how Rand could fight in the sky or who the other guy had been, but everyone in Falme must have seen his fight – the companions had seen it through the windows.
Egwene was still angry about Rand for letting them believe he had died at the Eye of the World. After seeing Rand and Perrin at the side entrance disguised as guards, she had only seen them once more when they came to the guesthouse for this strange box. She had begged them to stay, but they had wanted to return to the building Egwene had been held hostage to wait for Nynaeve, Moiraine, and Lan. But something must have happened since they hadn't been there when the Wisdom had left the building with the Aes Sedai and the Warder. And then Rand had appeared in the sky. But where were they now?
Nynaeve wanted to storm out of the room and search for their friends, though she knew it was stupid. Besides, Egwene wouldn't hesitate to follow her, meaning Elayne and Min wouldn't stay behind either.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Moiraine and Lan entered the room. Nynaeve needed one look to see the Aes Sedai was in a terrible condition. She was pale, her eyes and shoulders showed her exhaustion and depression, and she pressed a hand to her left ribs. The Warder had clearly been in a fight – there were blood stripes on his face and clothes – and the grim line around his lips told her he was pissed.
Quickly, Nynaeve rushed to Moiraine's side, pulling away her hand to reveal the bleeding cut under her ribs. "What happened?" Her voice sounded hard while she examined the injury with gentle movements. It wasn't deep, but still bleeding.
"Whitecloak," Moiraine whispered. Nothing more. Just one word. As if this would be enough to describe the whole situation.
The Wisdom lifted her head. Moiraine's eyes were locked on the floor, not caring about what the young woman was doing to her. She didn't protest or fight against Nynaeve's treatment. It was like her thoughts were somewhere else.
Alarmed, Nynaeve looked at Lan, asking for an explanation. What happened to them? The Warder was in a better mental condition, though he looked like he had been involved in a bloodbath.
"Anaiya Sedai, are you strong enough to heal Moiraine?" the uncrowned king of Malkier asked desperately.
The blue sister sat on the bed Nynaeve had used. She didn't have her strength back but looked already better than before. Instead of an answer, she motioned at Lan to come closer.
Gently, Lan guided his unresponsive Aes Sedai to her sister. Anaiya needed one look to see that something was wrong. "You didn't find Maigan?"
Moiraine closed her eyes when the memory of Maigan's lifeless body appeared before her. She had been so close to safe her. If this stupid Whitecloak hadn't stopped her, she would have…
"No." Tears appeared in Anaiya's eyes when she realized the meaning of Moiraine's situation. "This can't be true."
Lan urged Moiraine to sit down beside her blue sister. "Anaiya Sedai, can you please heal her first?"
The woman nodded and opened herself to Saidar. There was time for questions later.
Relieved, the Warder shifted his weight from one leg to the other, then suddenly, Moiraine's hand grabbed his, squeezing it tightly as if he had thought about leaving her. She didn't look at him, but he felt her worries through the bond. In return, he gave her hand a soft squeeze and sent her his reassurance to dispel her fear. He wouldn't leave her.
But Moiraine winced slightly when he squeezed her hand. It was only for a moment, but it was there. Confused, her Warder rubbed his thumb gently over her knuckles, and again, she winced. He stopped immediately. Finally, he remembered her punching the Whitecloak, who had attacked her, in the face.
Over the years, Lan had tried to teach her some basic defense technics, so she could defend herself if she couldn't use the One Power in time. But his stubborn Aes Sedai hadn't paid much attention. She had learned it to soothe his feelings but hadn't trained her skills very often. Lan assumed she had used the wrong position by hiding her thumb under her index and middle finger and had bruised her hand now. When this was over, he would have to train with her again to refresh her memory.
The pain from her ribs faded, and Anaiya pulled her hands back. The cut on Moiraine's ribs was healed. Lan crouched before the two women. "Could you check on her hand, too? I'm afraid she bruised it by punching a Whitecloak."
Moiraine opened her mouth to object, but Anaiya didn't hesitate and touched Saidar again to heal the bruised hand. The Cairhien woman was thankful that Lan didn't let go of her hand during the healing. His touch calmed her.
When Anaiya was done, she sighed and looked Moiraine up and down like she was expecting to find another injury. "Are there more injuries I need to heal, or was this all for now?"
"No more injuries," Moiraine said, giving her sister a sad smile.
The former Damane opened and closed her mouth twice before she had the courage to ask, "What happened to Maigan, Moiraine?"
Moiraine's grip on Lan's hand tightened, and she fought against the tears. Tears wouldn't help anyone. They wouldn't bring Maigan back, and Anaiya needed to know the truth. "Maigan is dead."
Her blue sister grimaced in pain while holding back her own tears. That news was hard on both of them. "How?"
"A Whitecloak. He stabbed her. I tried to reach her, so I could heal her, but I got attacked by another Whitecloak. When I finally reached her, she was already gone."
"We need to inform the Amyrlin. The Seanchan took our rings, so we can't return her ring to the Tower, but we must tell everyone about her death."
"In the morning, Lan will get her body, and then we will bury her."
Anaiya nodded, clenching her hands into fists to work through her anger. A few months ago, they had lost Kerene, and now they had lost another sister. The White Tower was losing more Aes Sedai than they could find potential women born with the spark. If they weren't careful, soon, there wouldn't be an Aes Sedai left. Maybe it should become mandatory for an Aes Sedai to bond a Warder. And that reminded Moiraine that her blue sister was sitting here without her Warder. Unlike Maigan, who had never bonded a man to herself, Anaiya had someone for many years. Where was he now?
"Anaiya? Where is Setagana?"
It was the wrong question. A sob crossed Anaiya's lips when Moiraine mentioned the name of her Warder, then she started to tremble. Shocked, the Cairhien woman touched her sister's shoulder, unsure what to do.
"Anaiya? What's wrong?"
But her sister couldn't speak. Tears ran down her cheeks, then she hid her face in Moiraine's shoulder. Awkwardly, Moiraine put her arms around the crying woman. She wasn't used to comforting a person. Lan and Siuan were different. Her relationship with them was… different – easier. Moiraine threw a desperate look at Lan, who backed away. He wasn't much better than her with interhuman feelings. He was glad whenever he kind of understood his Aes Sedai.
Moiraine grimaced when Lan shook his head at her request. He wouldn't help her. So, she rubbed soothing circles on Anaiya's back, letting her sister cry on her shoulder.
After a few moments of heartbreaking sobs, Nynaeve brought a cup of tea to calm the crying woman. Moiraine was thankful for the distraction. What could she do to make her sister feel better?
Anaiya took a few sips of the warm liquid, which apparently seemed to help. Her breaths evened, the sobs died, and her tears dried slowly. Moiraine took a deep breath, then reached out her hand and patted Anaiya's thigh. When her blue sister grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, the Cairhien woman almost pulled back her hand. In the last moment, she remembered her sister needed her support and resisted the urge. She wouldn't get an answer if she kept playing the untouchable. Furthermore, she had to be patient – waiting for Anaiya to be ready to talk about what was bothering her.
Usually, Moiraine was very good at being patient with the people around her. Being an Aes Sedai also helped a lot. They were known for their calmness. But right now, Moiraine didn't feel calm. She had watched Maigan getting killed only a couple of hours ago. If she was honest, she wished she and Lan would have a room to themselves. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her to give her this feeling of safety, warmth, and love back like no one else could. She didn't want to be brave, she didn't want to explain, she didn't want to give comfort. Light, she was exhausted!
Her true feelings must have been palpable through the bond because she felt a wave of admiration and love from Lan. He was proud of her for helping Anaiya though she felt miserable herself.
Moiraine relished the feeling of his love. It wasn't as good as a hug from him, but it felt good and gave her the strength she needed.
"The Seanchan are cruel monsters."
Anaiya's whispered words pulled Moiraine out of her thoughts. Apparently, her sister was finally ready to talk. "What did you say, sister?"
"The Seanchan are cruel monsters." This time, Anaiya's voice was stronger and louder. Moiraine agreed, but she assumed her blue sister had a reason for starting her explanation like this. So, she stayed quiet and waited until Anaiya continued. "They want to make sure to take everything from their Damanes. The women shall feel hopeless and alone. They don't want any strings attached. And the Seanchan aren't stupid. Although they haven't crossed the ocean in a very long time, they know surprisingly much about Aes Sedai. They know about the serpent ring, but more importantly, they know about…." Anaiya's voice broke, and she squeezed Moiraine's hand again. Fresh tears appeared in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. With a trembling voice, she finished: "… Warders. They know about Warders and their meaning to us."
The Cairhien woman felt her heart being squeezed. No. This can't be true. Please, don't let it be true. Anaiya had come to Falme with Maigan, but her sister would never leave the White Tower without Setagana. He had accompanied her to Fal Dara as well. But since they had freed the blue sister, she had never asked for him or begged Moiraine to find her Warder. Moiraine had a sense of foreboding. She was afraid of her sister's next words.
"Do you remember when we met on the street how I was ordered to kill Lan?"
Moiraine winced when the memory hit her. Kill the Warder! She remembered Anaiya attacking Lan. She remembered the order of the Seanchan to kill Lan. She remembered Anaiya's hand, pushing a dagger into Lan's chest. No! This had been a dream! Anaiya hasn't killed Lan! She failed! Don't be stupid, Moiraine! The Aes Sedai focused on her bond with Lan. She could feel him. He was alive. He is alive, he is alive, he is alive. It felt like she had to convince herself, but it helped. Her panic faded.
And it seemed as if Anaiya didn't want an answer from her sister. Although the Cairhien woman did her best to keep her calm mask in place, she couldn't fool Anaiya. Every Aes Sedai with a Warder knew about the fear of losing their partner. Nodding, she squeezed Moiraine's hand. "The Seanchan know about the deep connection between an Aes Sedai and her Warder, and they know they can't handle a Warder. So, they kill the Warders, which makes it easy for them to enslave the bonded Aes Sedai."
Moiraine remembered the feeling of the cold metal of the A'dam on her skin. Luckily, the Seanchan hadn't succeeded in closing it, but even the memory made her shiver. She hadn't been able to fight since Maigan had shielded her from the One Power, and Anaiya had held her in place. But if Anaiya had succeeded in killing Lan, all of this wouldn't have been necessary. The loss of her Warder would have destroyed her. It would have been easy for the Seanchan to put this flaming collar around her neck.
"When I lost…." Again, Anaiya's voice broke. It was hard to say the words. "When I lost Setagana, I was an easy target. I didn't see them. All I saw was Setagana's face, searching for our bond – searching for him. But he was gone – ripped from me – and I couldn't undo it."
Lan's anger rolled over Moiraine. The White Tower hadn't just lost an Aes Sedai with Maigan but a talented Warder with Setagana. Later, she would have to talk to him, but right now, Anaiya needed her strength. "Setagana's death is a terrible loss. I'm certain he did everything he could to protect you, sister."
Anaiya nodded. "He did. I will never forget his bravery."
"Where is his body?"
"It was their first command after they put the collar around my neck. They said it would be important for me to burn my past so I was truly free."
Moiraine felt sick. Those monsters had ordered to… Without thinking about it, the Cairhien woman wrapped her blue sister in a hug. She couldn't imagine what Anaiya had been through. The simple thought of being forced to burn Lan's body to cut off all her connections to the past made her stomach turn. The Seanchan deserved death. And so much more.
After Anaiya's confession, Lan explained to their friends what they had missed. Everyone in Falme had seen Rand fighting against Ishamael in the sky. There was no more hiding now for the sheepherder. The remaining Whitecloaks had left Falme scared, and so had the Seanchan – except they had left the city by fleeing over the water. All battles were over, though the streets were filled with dead bodies.
Moiraine and Lan hadn't seen Rand or Perrin. The men were still out on the streets of Falme, and no one knew about their fate. Nynaeve decided to search for them, and Egwene, Elayne, and Min wanted to help her, which ended in a loud discussion with everyone yelling. In the end, they all left the guesthouse, searching for their missing friends, though Moiraine and Anaiya were more focused on helping the injured citizens of Falme.
It was Min who found the injured Rand. She took care of him until Moiraine arrived and tried to heal his wounds. The Aes Sedai could heal all his injuries except one on his left side. It was deep, and no matter how hard Moiraine tried, the wound didn't disappear. It refused to heal, and she had to give up at one point.
Egwene found Perrin, who had tried to defend the citizens of Falme from the Whitecloaks and the Seanchan. During the night, the blacksmith and Rand had found Lord Ingtar, Uno, and the Shienaren, who were still hunting for the horn of Valere. They brought them to the guesthouse and gave them the horn. Outside, they met Mat, who had been drawn to Falme after his escape from the White Tower – Moiraine said it was because he was also Ta'veren – and it had drawn him to the guesthouse. Rand and Perrin hadn't been able to stop their friend from retaking the dagger of Shadar Lagoth since they all got involved in a fight with the Whitecloaks. But the most surprising moment was when Mat blew the horn of Valere. No one knew how he got his hands on it, and the Shienaren were still shocked it had worked on him since they all had believed only the Dragon Reborn could blow it, but it had worked. All those heroes from the old legends, they all had appeared to fight by their side.
Together, they chased the Seanchan back on their ships and the Whitecloaks out of the city. Around that time, Rand started to fight against Ishamael after his friends had lost him in the crowd.
In the following days, the companions helped wherever possible. They buried the dead – Moiraine and Anaiya took care of Maigan's body and even found another Aes Sedai among the dead – while getting some rest from the last exhausting couple of days. Especially Rand needed a few days until he finally opened his eyes again, only to receive a lecture from Egwene about faking his death. Surprisingly, all of a sudden, everyone had something very important to do, which seemed to be far away from Rand and Egwene.
Rand's friends explained to him what had happened in Falme and how everyone had seen his fight with Ishamael. Very quickly, the Dragon understood his secret was no more. In a very short time, the whole world would know about the Dragon being reborn again.
After a week, Anaiya declared she would return to the White Tower to inform the Amyrlin about Maigan's death and the new developments in Falme. The Amyrlin shouldn't hear that news from strangers and gleemen, twisting the truth. Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne also agreed to return to Tar Valon to continue their training. Moiraine and Lan weren't surprised when they heard Thom would accompany them. The gleeman would ensure Elayne returned safely to the White Tower. Mat was the last one of the group who joined them – well, it mainly was Nynaeve who ordered him to return to Tar Valon to get rid of that stupid dagger for good.
Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial, and Min decided to stay with Rand, just like Lord Ingtar and the rest of the Shienaren. Now that everyone knew about the Dragon Reborn, he needed protection and some guidance before he could face the Dark One. Their journey had just started.
All right, dear readers. We have reached the official ending for this story.
HOWEVER... since I'm still desperately waiting for the second season release, my brain went crazy and had a few more ideas.
So, I wrote eight more chapters, which take place between chapters 12 and 13 (yes, I know I'm crazy, but I can't stop my brain. I NEED this second season!).
Additionally, I wrote five smut chapters as an unofficial ending to this story (for those of you who would like to see Moiraine and Lan finally having this night to themselves). I haven't gotten any negative reactions to chapters 48 and 52, but those of you who read those chapters know this story is my first time writing smut fanfiction, so I'm highly insecure about me writing such stuff.
Which brings me to my question: do you want those five smut chapters, or do you say, "Thank you for trying, but please never write something like that ever again"? Or do you want me to upload those chapters as a new story?
You will get the eight chapters no matter what, but since the smut chapters are the unofficial ending to this story, I would like to post them first before I give you the 'missing' storyline after the big fight in Fal Dara.
Please let me know what you would prefer.
So - anxiously awaiting your responses - the next chapter will be updated on Wednesday.