Lan wakes up and takes care of Moiraine. Did the protection shield hold?

The soft snorting of a horse beside his ear woke Lan from sleep. Then he felt the wet nostrils on his cheek, trying to wake him. Sleepily, the Warder reached up a hand and patted the jaw of his horse. Cat Dancer always reminded him when it was time to get up. This horse liked to be on the road.

When the uncrowned king of Malkier opened his eyes, he felt a weight on his chest and was surprised when he recognized dark brown locks. Never before had Moiraine fallen asleep on his chest. Usually, she was cautious to keep her distance when they went to bed for the night.

Carefully – he didn't want to wake her – Lan placed a hand on her head and stroked her hair softly while he listened to his feelings. The close contact filled him with warmth. He enjoyed having her in his arms. Maybe he could ask her to repeat this from time to time.

Cat Dancer was back and nibbled on his tunic. Sighing, Lan pushed the head of his demanding horse away. He would get up in a moment. But for now, he wanted to enjoy the feeling of Moiraine being in his arms. Tenderly, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Yes, he could get used to this.

His stallion snorted disapproving, then moved over to Arrow. He didn't like to be ignored. But Lan didn't pay much attention. They rarely took the time to… Shocked, Lan's eyes returned to Cat Dancer. His horse wasn't secured! He walked around freely, just like Arrow! And additionally, they both still wore their saddles on their backs. Lan would never fall asleep without taking care of their horses!

Alarmed, he lifted his head and took in their surroundings. They were in a forest, but there was no fireplace, and they didn't even lie on blankets! What was going on here? Was this a dream?

And then his memories returned. He remembered the fight against the Trollocs. The pain in his shoulder. The group of Whitecloaks surrounding them before they started their attack. How he fought against them. Moiraine, who was grabbed by these bastards, and then… Suddenly, his body remembered the blade in his chest. The blood filling his lungs. He should be dead!

But there was no injury. His skin was unharmed, and he didn't feel any pain. Where were the Whitecloaks? What had happened?!

He steadied Moiraine's head, then rolled them over. She groaned, protesting, but didn't wake up. His eyes already searched the area for any signs of danger while he protected her with his body.

Those Whitecloaks hadn't just given up on them. They had known Moiraine was an Aes Sedai and had wanted to capture her at any cost. Those bastards had stabbed him to get rid of him. So, where were they?

The uncrowned king of Malkier needed a moment to see the air shimmering in a few feet distance. Finally, his sleepy brain understood what he saw before him. Moiraine had pulled some kind of protection shield around them, so their enemies couldn't see them. Smart woman!

Relieved, Lan pushed himself into a kneeling position which was already more challenging than expected. It seemed like he had no strength left in his body, and his arms trembled when he pushed himself up. Well, this explains why my injuries are gone. Moiraine must have healed me.

His Aes Sedai was covered with blood. Quickly, Lan examined her body, but it seemed the blood was only on her clothes. There were no cuts or holes or any kind of damage. He released a relieved sigh, then stroked his knuckles over her cheek. Even her face was covered with dried blood, but he saw no injury. Yet, the Warder turned her head to the other side – just to be sure.

A curse crossed his lips. Those bloody bastards! Moiraine had an ugly head wound on her left temple, and finally, Lan remembered their attackers throwing stones at them and Moiraine's shriek. Apparently, one of the stones must have hit her, which explained the stab of pain he had felt when Saidar had slipped her, but because she had been with her back to him, he hadn't seen it.

With gritted teeth, he examined the damage. Moiraine whimpered beneath his touch. He needed to clean it before they could move on. And then he soon had to find another Aes Sedai to heal this wound, or at least a Wisdom or a Healer before she got an infection.

Lan let his eyes wander over their surroundings. There were only trees. He heard the sound of a small stream rushing close by, but he didn't dare to leave Moiraine's protection shield since he didn't know what it would do to people on the outside.

Finally, his eyes landed on their water skins hanging at the saddles. He could use some of their drinking water to clean the wound. A few clean pieces of fabric should be in their medical bag.

Aching, Lan pushed himself on his feet, but as soon as he took one step, his feet gave in. Cursing, he pushed himself back up. That wasn't good. Healing him had pulled immensely on his strength, meaning his wound had been truly fatal. Without Moiraine, he had died.

Sadly, it also meant his Aes Sedai had lost her own strength in healing him. Would she be able to ride? They couldn't stay here. They needed a Healer.

Cat Dancer and Arrow seemed to notice his bad condition and came closer so he didn't have to move that much. Thankfully, the Warder patted his stallion's flank, then pulled out the medical bag and the water skin.

It didn't take long, then he had everything prepared and straddled the unconscious woman. He hoped she wouldn't kill him for that once she was awake. But cleaning the wound would hurt, so he couldn't give her too much space to move. He grabbed a piece of fabric and drenched it with water before he started his work.

As soon as he touched the wound, Moiraine began to whimper again, and her head flinched, trying to escape the pain. When this didn't work, she threw her head on the other side. The uncrowned king of Malkier felt her waking up slowly, yet he didn't stop.

With one hand, he held her head down while he carefully worked on her head wound with the other. Moiraine's whimper turned louder, and she squirmed underneath him, but he had left her no room to escape.

Ultimately, she woke from the constant pain and didn't hesitate to use her hands to stop him. Lan winced, feeling a sharp pain in his right wrist when she punched his chest before Moiraine changed her strategy by pushing her nails into the arm which was holding her down while her left hand pulled at the arm cleaning her wound.

"I'm almost done," he assured her. He couldn't leave the dirt inside the cut.

The more the woman of the Blue Ajah became awake, the lesser she fought against him. In the end, she lay motionless beneath him, barely breathing. Only her tight grip on his arms and her painful grimace stayed, but otherwise, she played the brave one until he was done.

"Hold still. I will put a bandage around your head."

The uncrowned king of Malkier threw the used fabric aside and reached for a new one.

"No."

Surprised, Lan watched her trying to push herself into a sitting position. Gently, he used a slight pressure on her shoulder to stop the nonsense. She wasn't in the condition to stand up. "Wait until I-"

"I don't need it."

"Moiraine, would you please-?"

"Get off me, Lan!"

Moiraine's Warder growled at her outburst but obeyed. Once he kneeled beside her, she pushed herself into a sitting position. "Did the Whitecloaks return?" Of course, sitting wasn't enough for her. Instead, she tried to stand up, only to collapse again in the next heartbeat.

Fortunately, her Warder's strong arms were there to catch her. She was pale like a ghost and panting when he cupped her face with one hand. "Would you stop killing yourself now, foolish woman?"

The Aes Sedai wanted to snap at him but felt like her head would explode any second. Shakingly, she breathed through the pain, hoping it would subside soon.

Lan's face became softer when he felt her pain. It worried him she was in such a pain. What if the stone had done more than just leaving a cut on the outside? What if her brain had taken a hit too?

Carefully, he pulled her against him, then ensured her head leaned against his chest – he didn't want to increase her pain. Together, they sat there in silence until Moiraine could talk again. "The Whitecloaks?" Her voice sounded hoarse and quiet.

"Haven't seen them." Lan reached for the water skin, opening it for her.

He was glad when Moiraine didn't protest when he placed the water skin against her lips and helped her to take a few gulps. "You're shield worked."

The eyes of the woman of the Blue Ajah found the shimmering protection shield she had woven before she had lost consciousness, then nodded slightly. She was relieved it had remained and protected them from their enemies.

Again, Lan made her take a few more gulps before she stopped him. "What happens when I leave the shield?"

"You can't come back in. I created it so no one would see us, and everyone would be forced to walk around us."

The Warder nodded. He had already assumed that much. After a moment, he closed the water skin and handed it to Moiraine. "I'll check if the Whitecloaks are gone. You stay in here."

"Didn't you listen to me?" With big eyes, the Aes Sedai watched her Warder getting back on his feet and walking to Cat Dancer. The horse was still carrying Lan's sword. "You can't come back in if they're still there."

"But you're still safe in here. Besides, you can see me and open the shield for me."

While Lan put his sword back on, Moiraine threw the water skin aside and got back to her feet. But as soon as she stood, the world started to move again, and she felt sick.

Fortunately, Lan was there to catch her before she fell and pulled her against him. He didn't like the feelings coming through the bond. Moiraine was obviously not doing well, and he could do nothing about it.

"I can't heal you, Lan," the Aes Sedai whispered. "I don't have the strength to heal you if you get hurt again."

"I'll be careful." He held her at arm's length away from him and looked at her pale face and glazy eyes. "You wait here for me. I'll come back as soon as possible."

Moiraine seemed like she wanted to protest, but they had no choice. They couldn't stay here until the morning. Moiraine needed a Healer.

The uncrowned king of Malkier untied the bloody dagger of the Whitecloak, which Moiraine had placed on Cat Dancer's back, and handed it to the Cairhien woman. "I want you to hold on to this while I'm gone. It's not much, but better than nothing."

"I don't want this thing." Moiraine grimaced in disgust. She hated the Whitecloaks. One of these daggers had almost killed her Warder.

"Just hold on to it until I'm back," Lan responded calmly, then helped her to sit down again. "When I'm back, you can do whatever you wish to do with it. But until then, you keep it if you need to defend yourself."

Shocked, the eyes of the Aes Sedai widened. She didn't like the implication in his words. "You come back to me."

Sighing, Lan reached for the water skin and dropped it in her lap. "I'll do my best to come back to you. In the meantime, wait here for me and drink more water. If everything is clear, we will continue to ride to the next village."

Before Moiraine could say something, her Warder was on his feet and left the security of her shield. Fear squeezed her heart when she saw him swaying – he didn't have his strength back either – but she didn't dare to call his name. The protection shield wasn't made to keep voices in. She had only wanted to fool the Whitecloaks.

Anxiously, the Aes Sedai grabbed the dagger with her left hand. Lan would return. He would check if the path was clear and then came back to her. Nothing would happen to him. But no matter how often she said those lines to herself, they didn't ease her panic.

The woman of the Blue Ajah couldn't say for how long she was sitting on the ground, gripping the dagger tightly while her eyes moved in panic over the trees. Where was Lan? Why wasn't he coming back? There was no change in the bond, yet Moiraine was prepared to feel the bond break any second. What would she do then? Tar Valon was far away.

A nudge against her shoulder pulled the Aes Sedai out of her thoughts. Startled, she was ready to attack the intruder when she felt the warm breath on her skin and recognized Arrow. The mare must have felt her anxiety and came over to support her rider. Even Cat Dancer stood closer than usual.

"Moiraine?"

Her heart jumped when she heard Lan's voice. He was back! And from what she was seeing, he didn't seem hurt. Relief rushed through her veins.

Lan smiled when he felt the relief through the bond. "They're gone. You can lower the shield."

Moiraine's fingers hurt when she forced them to open. Her grip on the dagger had been painful. She opened herself to Saidar and wove an entrance into the shield, so Lan could return to her.

The Warder entered as soon as he saw his Aes Sedai. She hadn't moved an inch since he left her. Yet, she looked paler since she used the One Power. "Drop the shield," Lan said, kneeling before her. "The Whitecloaks are gone. We don't need it anymore."

She wanted to protest, and Lan saw the fear in her eyes, so he cupped her face gently. "Trust me. They're gone."

Finally, she believed him, and the shield fell. But Moiraine didn't look good. She shouldn't use the One Power too often until she was healed.

"Did you drink something?"

But the woman of the Blue Ajah didn't listen. Her headache had returned painfully, making it hard to think.

Frustrated, Lan opened the water skin, then helped her to drink. Had she even listened to him before he left? Or had she been too worried to think about drinking? When she pushed him away, he gave her a moment before he tried to get her to drink again. But when she blocked him, he closed the water skin. Later, he would give her more.

The uncrowned king of Malkier grabbed the dagger which Moiraine had dropped. "We should get going. I don't know for how long we had been knocked out, but it's getting dark."

Suddenly, Moiraine took the dagger from him. There was pure hatred in her eyes. "We don't take THIS with us."

"It's a weapon, Moiraine."

"It belongs to a Whitecloak."

"You took it from him, so it's yours now."

"I don't want it."

With big eyes, Lan watched Moiraine starting to dig a hole with her bare hands. "Moiraine, what-?" She didn't stop. Feverishly, she continued with her task, so Lan tried to get a hold of her hands. "Stop this. It's only a dagger."

But the woman swatted his hands away, then continued. "One of these blades nearly killed you. I don't want such a blade." Angry, she placed the dagger into the hole and pulled the earth back over it. "It stays here where no one will ever find it again."

Speechless, the Warder watched his Aes Sedai. She was covered in blood, and now her hands were dirty too. He had never seen her like that. "Come. There's a stream close by. Let's get you cleaned up."

Since Lan was too weak to carry Moiraine, they both had to walk to the small stream, though Lan was the only reason why the Aes Sedai was able to place one foot in front of the other. His strong arm around her waist kept her upright until they reached their destination. In his other hand, the uncrowned king of Malkier held the reins of their horses, who followed willingly.

Moiraine kneeled beside the water immediately and started to clean her hands of the dirt. As a former lady, she wasn't very fond of having so much dirt on her hands.

Meanwhile, Lan ensured Cat Dancer and Arrow could drink, then pulled fresh clothes out of their bags for him and Moiraine. They couldn't continue their ride being covered in blood. Since Moiraine was still cleaning her hands, he quickly undressed before he put on the new pants. His fingers moved over the place where the stab wound had been, but except for the huge blood stain on his skin, there was no indication he had been injured. Of course, the blood had dried by now, but Lan didn't bother to clean himself. He would take a bath as soon as they found a tavern to stay for the night.

Once the uncrowned king of Malkier was fully dressed, he went with the medical bag to the Cairhien woman, who had moved on to wash her face. "I brought you clothes to change."

Dripping, Moiraine turned her face at him. "Thank you."

Lan saw she had washed off most of the blood, but there were still a few strains left. Smiling, he kneeled beside her, reaching out his hand before he stopped himself. "May I?"

Moiraine eyed his hand warily. He had never asked to touch her before. In truth, she had thought, he would only touch her if it was truly necessary, like when he had steadied her to get to the stream.

"You still have blood on your face," her Warder explained calmly. He hadn't moved. Simply watching her reaction.

Scolding herself, Moiraine nodded slightly. This was ridiculous. He was her Warder! "I would be thankful for your help." Yet, she held her breath, impatiently waiting for the contact.

When his fingers touched her cheek, she was surprised at how gentle he was. But it was nothing compared to the warm feeling growing inside of her. Lan's touch felt good, just like it had when he had kissed her hand – before the Whitecloaks had interrupted them. It felt… safe. Relaxing, the woman of the Blue Ajah closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the movement of Lan's thumb, carefully getting the blood off.

Meanwhile, Lan took the time to truly look at the woman before him. She was young and beautiful, yet sometimes stubborn and headstrong. She was nothing like he had ever imagined an Aes Sedai would be.

Her skin under his fingers felt so smooth that he continued stroking her cheek with his thumb, though no blood was left. He enjoyed taking care of her.

Way too soon – at least in his opinion – he had to tell her, "I think I got everything." His thumb stopped moving, but it felt like his hand was glued to her cheek. He couldn't let go.

And when those beautiful blue eyes opened fluttering and looked at him, he almost forgot how to breathe.

"Thank you," Moiraine breathed.

Quickly, Lan cleared his throat, then moved his hand to her head wound. It was still bleeding, though there was less blood than before. "I will put a bandage around your head to stop the bleeding."

"I don't want one."

Lan growled at her stubbornness. "You're still bleeding."

"I will take care of it in the next village."

Frustrated, the Warder went through their medical bag. This insufferable woman! He found a clean piece of fabric and pressed it on her head wound.

A small whimper escaped Moiraine's lips, and she tried to escape his hands, but the fabric stuck to her wet forehead. "It's not a bandage, but it will at least protect your wound from any dirt getting in. We can't risk you getting an infection."

Of course, the stubborn woman tried to pull it off, so Lan caught her left hand and examined it carefully. He remembered that his brave Aes Sedai hadn't just used the dagger of the Whitecloak to fight against her enemies but also her fists. The skin over her knuckles had split open, and she had gotten some dirt into it.

Lan placed her hand back in the cold stream, then carefully rubbed the dirt out of it. Moiraine didn't protest. Instead, she pulled herself together to endure the pain. "You did well today."

She couldn't speak, or she would have cried out in pain, so she sent her question through the bond. What was he talking about?

"With the Whitecloaks. You fought against them with a simple dagger and your fists, and they didn't have a chance." Temporarily satisfied with the condition of her hand, the man let go of it and reached for her right one.

"I was lucky. They didn't expect this move from me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a chance, and they would've let you bled to…." Her voice broke, and it had nothing to do with Lan repeating the same procedure with her right hand – which didn't look as bad as the other.

"But you saved me."

She couldn't look at him. Tears built up in her eyes, and she didn't want them to fall. Lan shouldn't see her cry. Yet, she couldn't ban the desperation out of her voice when she whispered, "I was almost too late."

"Hey." Softly, Lan laid a finger under her chin and pulled her face to him. "I'm alive because of you. You protected us by creating a shield around us while we were unconscious. Don't you dare insult yourself by implying you didn't do enough. I would be dead without you."

Quickly, Moiraine lowered her head when she felt the first tears falling. She didn't want Lan to see her cry! Surprisingly, her Warder seemed to understand. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close until her head leaned against his chest. Soothingly, he moved his hand up and down her back. Moiraine didn't know where he had learned that but wished he wouldn't stop.

The uncrowned king of Malkier released the Cairhien woman once he noticed her feelings became lighter. "Now, will you let me take a look at your hand?"

"Wasn't this what you did the past few minutes?" Her right hand lay still in his big hand, though he had pulled it out of the cold water. Moiraine straightened and raised an eyebrow at him. "Or what were you doing?"

"I'm talking about your sprained wrist."

Moiraine's eyes widened for a moment. How had he noticed that? "I will tend to my injuries when we reach the village."

Lan nodded. "The flesh wounds we can take care of later, but I will put a bandage around your wrist to stabilize it."

"This is-"

"Not up for debate," Lan responded firmly with a stern look. "We need to ride, and you will need your hands for that."

For a heartbeat, the Aes Sedai considered telling him what she thought about his overprotective behavior, but then she simply turned her head aside and stayed quiet. As much as she hated to admit it, Lan was right.

The next chapter will be uploaded on Sunday.

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