Lan gets Moiraine to safety, where he finds unexpected help.

Three hours later, they were still on the road. They had passed countless villages by now, but they all had Whitecloaks sitting in their taverns. Since that had happened for the fifth time, Lan was continuously growling. It seemed as if the Whitecloaks had spread out to find the Aes Sedai and the Warder who had escaped them.

Worryingly, Lan's eyes moved to Moiraine. The woman of the Blue Ajah had insisted on riding on Arrow's back. It hadn't even bothered her that she almost fell from the mare's back as soon as she sat in the saddle. In her opinion, she was doing just fine and would survive the ride to the next village. Since Lan had assumed they would stop at the first village they would reach, he hadn't argued with her and let the woman do what she wanted to do. But now, they had been traveling for three hours, and she was in a terrible condition.

The bond felt numb. Moiraine was as pale as a ghost and had emptied her stomach twice into a nearby bush, though the horses were moving slowly. Lan knew this wasn't a good sign. By now, he was certain her head injury was worse than he had thought. How long could she continue like this?!

"Look." Moiraine's voice sounded hoarse when she pointed at something in the distance with her healthy hand.

Relieved, Lan realized they were close to Tear. A big city – not a small village – where it didn't matter if Whitecloaks were there or not. They could easily disappear in a city like Tear without fearing to run into their enemy.

Suddenly, Arrow neighed and danced nervously. Moiraine let her head hang low and obviously did not watch where she guided her horse. Fortunately, the smart mare had refused to be led into the uneven field and stayed on the road.

"That's enough."

Lan led Cat Dancer beside the nervous mare, bringing them both to a halt. Then he grabbed the sick woman under her armpits and pulled her onto his lap.

"Don't," she whispered. "I can ride."

"You will kill both you and Arrow if you continue like this."

The Warder grabbed the mare's reins, but Moiraine didn't let go. "No, I can… I can do it." A new wave of nausea rolled over her, but Lan knew she had nothing left in her stomach. "Please," she begged, crying once the wave had subsided. "I can ride."

Sighing, Lan opened his water skin and helped her to take small gulps. He would rather give her some tea but didn't dare to stop to make a fire. They needed a warm, comfortable bed for Moiraine.

When he put the water skin away, he explained, "How about you hold on to Arrow's reins while we're riding?"

"I can ride on my own."

Lan pulled Arrow's reins around his pommel just to be safe if Moiraine should let go of them. "That's not going to happen. You stay with me."

He placed his hand on her hip – this place seemed safe to him not to cross a line – then let Cat Dancer continue their walk to Tear. The movement let the Aes Sedai fall against his chest, her head fitting perfectly in the crook of his neck.

For a moment, Lan thought if he should push her off him, but Moiraine didn't protest, and she fit perfectly against him… There is no need to make this ride more uncomfortable for her than it already is. If she doesn't mind the close contact, then I don't care either.

"Lan?"

The uncrowned king of Malkier cursed himself for his thoughts. Why hadn't he shut up? He could've just accepted the fact and kept riding on. "I'm here." His voice didn't show his anger.

"Can you put… arm around me?"

Shocked, Lan didn't know what to say. She wasn't… she couldn't mean… Light, she is probably just scared to fall off Cat Dancer's back. Don't be an idiot, Lan Mandragoran. She didn't imply anything. "You don't need to worry. I won't let you fall."

"Don't worry. Be nice."

Puzzled, the Warder tried to make sense of her words. What did she try to tell him? Why did she want him to be nice? Had he acted grumpy toward her? It worried him she couldn't form entire sentences anymore.

"Arm… please."

This was still about his arm? Well, if she insisted, he would do it. Awkwardly, the strong man wrapped one arm around her. The other hand, he needed to hold Cat Dancer's reins. Since there was no other place in reach, he put his hand hesitantly on her thigh. Would she scold him for that?

Apparently, not. Instead of scolding him, she snuggled deeper into the embrace, though she winced when her injured wrist got caught between them. Carefully, Lan freed her arm and positioned it over her lap. It wasn't necessary to increase the pain she was already in.

"Better." Although her voice was nothing more than a whisper, Lan heard the gratitude in it.

Out of reflex, the Warder tilted his head and pressed a kiss on top of her head. In the next moment, he froze when he realized what he had done. He had never felt the urge to kiss her – not until this day. Was it because she was sick? But he had kissed her hand earlier, and at that point, it had been him who had been in pain. She indeed has found a way into my heart.

Smiling to himself, the uncrowned king of Malkier repeated the action. It felt right. He couldn't explain, but there seemed to be nothing wrong with kissing his bondholder. At least as long as I place the kisses on safe places like her hand or head.

A new wave of nausea rolled over the sick woman, and remembered the Warder he needed to hurry. They still had a few hours ride ahead of them before they would reach Tear.

After three hours, Lan led the horses between the streets of Tear. The guards at the gates had barely let him in since darkness had fallen over the land. And when they saw Moiraine… Lan had done his best to make her look like she was simply sleeping. The guards wouldn't have let them pass if they knew Moiraine was sick.

The uncrowned king of Malkier found a tavern, and the innkeeper sent one of the stable boys with him to carry Lan's and Moiraine's bags while another took care of Arrow and Cat Dancer.

Lan had asked for the best room – not caring about the price – and the innkeeper gave them one with a double-sided bed. Apparently, the man thought they were married, but Lan didn't bother to correct him. All he cared about was helping Moiraine. Tonight, he wouldn't find a Wisdom or Healer anymore. He would start his search in the morning.

Sadly, this meant he was on his own for the night. He didn't know much about ointments or herbs, so he couldn't give the Cairhien woman anything. All he could do was to make her as comfortable as possible. Meanwhile, he heated water over the fireplace, so he could give her some tea which would hopefully calm her stomach.

At some point, one of the waitresses brought two bowls of soup and a loaf of bread. Lan had told the stable boy to give his order to the cook, telling him they needed some food against a troubled stomach from the long ride. Moiraine wouldn't be able to swallow much.

The Warder filled a cup with hot water so Moiraine's tea could cool down a little bit, then filled a bowl with hot and cold water. He needed to clean the head wound again.

Groaning, the woman of the Blue Ajah awoke when her Warder worked on her. She still felt like she needed to vomit, and her headache was not from this world.

Quietly, Lan went from one step to the next. After cleaning the wound, he helped Moiraine with the soup. Now that she was awake, getting something down her throat was easier. Although it was still a battle. Many times, the Aes Sedai refused to open her mouth, and it wasn't easy for Lan to convince her otherwise.

Her stomach grumbled happily when the warm liquid reached it, but at the same time, Moiraine wanted to spit it out. It didn't take long before Lan had to give up. She couldn't eat more.

Frustrated, he held the cup against her lips so she could take a few gulps, but she couldn't even empty the cup. Her body couldn't take more.

Sighing, Lan tucked Moiraine in, then ate his soup. This would be a long night for him.

In the morning, the woman of the Blue Ajah wasn't doing better. Her head was still killing her, her stomach seemed to constantly twist within her, and she had caught a fever overnight.

Lan, who had barely slept, wasn't happy about the development. Moiraine needed a Healer – or an Aes Sedai! But the stubborn woman forbade the uncrowned king of Malkier to get someone to check on her.

Cursing, Lan had no other choice but to leave her side in search of a Healer. Hopefully, that woman could give him some herbs and instructions to help his sick Aes Sedai.

Finding a Healer was easy – in Tear, they were called Wise Women. Convincing her to help him without seeing the sick patient… was difficult. Lan had to remind himself countless times that he was doing this for Moiraine – she was counting on him – or else he would have left the house by now. It was frustrating. Emotionlessly, he endured all the insults and curses even when she threw a wooden spoon at him, he calmly grabbed it out of the air and asked his next question.

When he had all the information and left the house, the strange look on the Wise Woman's face told him she would follow him back to Moiraine. Obviously, she didn't trust him to help his Aes Sedai properly. She has no idea how badly I wish I could take her with me.

But Moiraine had made it clear she didn't want help. His stubborn bondholder thought she could fight this sickness on her own. If she would only see reason!

So, Lan took the long way back to the tavern, making sure he lost the Wise Woman in the streets of Tear, then returned to the tavern. He had felt three nausea waves through the bond and knew Moiraine had emptied her stomach once – she had felt embarrassed afterward.

Sadly, the strong man got caught by the innkeeper when he crossed the common room. "My lord!"

Lan gnashed with his teeth but stopped. He hurried to the bar so the man wouldn't pull everyone's attention. He still hadn't told him he was no lord.

"Is your lady feeling better today? The cook told me she has a troubled stomach."

"Not yet, Master Kertop. I'm afraid riding a horse for hours was too much for her."

A knowing look moved over the face of the innkeeper, then he smiled sympathetically and nodded. "A woman like her shouldn't ride on a horse."

Lan's ears were ringing, alarmed. What did the man know? "Like her?" His tone sounded threatening. If this man knew Moiraine was an Aes Sedai and would call the Whitecloaks upon them while she was still sick, Lan wouldn't hesitate to quiet him. His grip on the bag of herbs tightened.

Master Kertop seemed to notice the change in Lan, though he obviously didn't think it was because he had said something wrong. Conspiratorially, the man leaned over the bar – closer to Lan – so no one else could hear them. "Don't worry, my lord. This will be over soon. My wife had it, too. It lasts a few weeks, and then you can laugh about it."

Now Lan was confused. "Your wife… had it too?" He sounded like an idiot but didn't understand what this man was talking about.

"Oh, yes, my lord. She felt terrible. Everything smelled funny and turned her stomach upside down. She barely left her room at this time. She said she couldn't stand all those smells outside. Once, she even cursed the little creature in her belly after throwing up for the fifth time a day."

The eyes of the uncrowned king of Malkier widened. Finally, he understood what Master Kertop was implying. The man thought Moiraine was pregnant! – with his child!

Again, the innkeeper misunderstood Lan's reaction. He only saw Lan getting paler at his words. "Don't worry, my lord. I promise you she doesn't mean it. All the pain will be forgotten as soon as she holds your little wonder in her arms. You'll see."

Master Kertop gave him a reassuring smile which didn't help at all. This time, it was Lan's stomach that was twisting. Moiraine – pregnant with his child. Blood and ashes! He needed to tell this man the truth! The woman of the Blue Ajah would kill him when she found out.

But when the Warder opened his mouth, he realized it was a great cover. As long as the innkeeper believed Moiraine was sick because she was pregnant and not because she was hurt, no one would find her there. Not the Whitecloaks – should they search for an injured woman and man coming to Tear recently – and not the Wise Woman, searching for them since she had Lan's description of Moiraine's symptoms. It's best to let him spread this lie. Hopefully, Moiraine will see the necessity.

"Thank you for your… encouraging words, Master Kertop. Would you be so kind as to tell the cook to get us more soup for dinner? I think it's best to stick with it for now." He left a few coins on the bar.

"Of course, my lord. I'll deliver the message, and Kora will get you everything you need later."

"Thank you."

Finally, Lan turned away from the bar and rushed toward the staircase. He needed to get back to his Aes Sedai. But when he stepped into the hall, a woman blocked his path. Lan didn't know where she had come from, but her cold dark eyes bore themselves into his.

"Where is she?"

Startled, he blinked. The woman had dark skin and curly hair – Lan would say she was born in Tear. He had seen her before. Once – almost a year ago. Memories of Chachin appeared in front of his eyes. Moiraine, asking him to become her Warder. Him, swearing his oath to her. Their ride back to Chachin to gather her things. The woman in Moiraine's rooms packing a bag…

"You were in Chachin."

Angry, she threw her hands up in the air. "I told her she should bring you to the… back home! You have no training in guarding her properly or how to behave around… us! Has she taught you anything about proper behavior?!"

A man appeared behind her out of the dark. Lan needed one look to recognize the posture. This man was ready to throw himself between the woman and Lan. A Warder! This woman was an Aes Sedai. She is Moiraine's friend. But he couldn't remember her name. Had it been Rian?

Quickly, the uncrowned king of Malkier tilted his head. "Forgive me for my bad behavior." He swallowed hard not to use the title. "She did teach me a few things. I simply didn't expect to run into… one of her sisters."

The woman before him snorted but accepted his apology ultimately. "Where is she?" Her tone was still demanding. She wouldn't leave.

And suddenly, Lan realized she was the answer to his problem. She was an Aes Sedai! She could heal Moiraine! He didn't need to use the herbs or anything else! "Upstairs."

The woman of Tear pointed at the staircase. "Lead the way," she commanded harshly.

Again, Lan tilted his head respectfully, then climbed up the stairs. He guided the woman and the man to his and Moiraine's room, quickly closing the door behind them as soon as they were in.

Moiraine lay curled up on the bed, panting. The fever was obviously not better. Lan dropped the bag with the herbs beside the door and rushed to her side. "I'm back," he whispered, cupping her warm cheek. "And I found a friend of yours."

Fluttering, the eyes of the sick woman opened, yet her gaze was empty. Lan doubted she actually saw him.

"What happened?" The woman of Tear appeared beside Lan and pushed him out of the way, so she could sit beside her friend, tenderly stroking her dark, sweaty locks. "You look like you've met the Dark One himself, Moiraine."

"Siuan?"

Right, that had been the name Lan had been searching for – Not Rian but Siuan. "We got attacked," Lan explained, a hint of urgency in his voice. "Can you heal her?"

Siuan grimaced. Using the One Power in Tear. It was a terrible idea. But Moiraine was sick. She couldn't just do nothing. Frustrated, she turned to Lan. "Tell me what has happened. Then we think about a solution."

And Lan obeyed. He told Siuan and her Warder about the fight against the Trolloc and how they ran from them. How they got ambushed by a group of Whitecloaks and hurt in the process. Moiraine's head wound, their ride to Tear, and he finished his report by giving her a summary of Moiraine's symptoms.

Once he had finished, Siuan shook her head. What had Moiraine gotten herself into again? Sighing, she looked at her sick friend. She couldn't let her suffer – not when she could do something to help her.

Carefully, she pulled off the drenched fabric from her friend's head injury. It had stopped bleeding, yet it didn't look good.

"Siuan…." The Warder of the woman of Tear seemed worried. "This is Tear."

"I know that!" Siuan snapped at him, grimacing again and brushing a loose lock behind Moiraine's ear. "But I also can't do nothing. She needs my help, Alric."

Siuan's Warder gnashed his teeth. Lan wondered if the man would stop his Aes Sedai from healing Moiraine. It was dangerous for a woman to use the One Power in Tear. The citizens didn't like people who could channel. But Lan couldn't be mad at the other man. He probably would do the same thing if their roles were reversed. Nonetheless, Moiraine needed help.

"Skin me and salt me!"

Siuan's curse pulled Lan's attention back to the two women. Relieved, he watched her moving her hands – which was accompanied by an angry grunt from Alric – but instead of touching Moiraine, the woman moved her hands aside, her palms facing the walls.

"A privacy shield," the Aes Sedai explained, seeing Lan's frown from the corner of her eyes. "We don't want anyone listening to us, don't we?" Then her hands started moving anew.

The uncrowned king of Malkier sank exhausted onto a chair while he watched Siuan working her magic on his Aes Sedai.

The next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday.

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