Lan has a special gift for his bondholder.
In the morning, Siuan and Alric left the tavern. With Lan's help, they had convinced Moiraine to lay low for a few days. She had even agreed not to clarify the situation to the innkeeper – though she had gritted her teeth at that.
Yet, she sent Lan out on the streets to gather information about what was going on in the city and the world. If she was forced to stay put – damned to do nothing else but reading – she needed to know what was going on in the world. And Lan obeyed. He walked through the streets, bought some fruits to get the peddlers to talk, and on his way back to the tavern, he stumbled across the forge of a blacksmith. Said blacksmith brought his hammer down on a piece of hot steel to get it into shape.
A picture appeared in front of Lan's eyes. Moiraine, attacking the Whitecloaks with their own dagger. She had had no experience fighting with such a small blade, yet she hadn't given up – desperate to save his life. Additionally to the weapon, she had also made use of her fists. Again, she hadn't known how to fight properly, yet she hadn't hesitated to use everything she had against their enemies. His Aes Sedai was a fighter.
And every great fighter needs a weapon.
His decision was set before his feet took the first step, and he entered the forge. He would buy a dagger for Moiraine. After all, they were in Tear, and it was said Tear had the best steel.
The blacksmith listened to Lan's wishes. Lan had never imagined his bondholder with a dagger, but surprisingly he knew precisely what the dagger should look like. It didn't need any gems or a lot of gold – Moiraine wouldn't like that. No, what she needed was a blade with which she could protect herself and which would look as elegant as herself.
Sometimes, the blacksmith made a few suggestions if he should change this or that, but Lan didn't want any of those changes. He wanted the dagger which he had imagined and nothing else.
Finally, they agreed on the final version, and Lan gave him extra coins to prioritize his order. He didn't know for how long he could hold Moiraine in Tear before she would run off to continue their journey. For today, she had promised to stay in bed, yet this had been hours ago. Lan feared what would await him once he returned to her – especially since he felt the anger boiling inside her. She wasn't happy about something.
Jingling, the coins moved from one hand to the other. The blacksmith promised to have the dagger ready in a few days, then Lan went back to the tavern to report to his Aes Sedai.
Moiraine was furious when Lan returned. She had spent all day stuck in this little room, pretending to go through morning sickness while going through her books. When he returned, she announced they would leave immediately. She wouldn't stay another day in this tavern.
For a moment, the uncrowned king of Malkier wished Siuan would still be here. She had her own unique way of talking to Moiraine and knocking some sense into the woman. But Siuan and Alric had left Tear, being on their way back to Tar Valon. It was up to him to calm his Aes Sedai.
At first, he distracted her by telling her about everything he had heard on the streets, then suggested a hot bath to calm her nerves – which helped a lot – while in the meantime, he prepared tea. Of course, Moiraine realized what her Warder tried to do, yet she played along and even had to admit the hot bath felt good.
When her inner storm had calmed, Lan repeated Siuan's words about why it was necessary to keep up with this act until Moiraine agreed to stay a few more days. Although, she almost threw something at the waitress when the poor girl brought their dinner.
The cook had made a delicious soup for Moiraine – the same soup they had had the previous two nights – but someone must have had pity on Lan because instead of bringing a second bowl of soup, there was a plate filled with meat, vegetables, potatoes, a dark brown sauce, and a warm loaf of bread. The smell was incredible, and Lan's stomach grumbled in anticipation.
Anger rolled through the woman of the Blue Ajah when she saw all the delicious food – all not meant for her. She didn't want more soup which the cook only made because of her unstable condition. She wanted real food, something that would fill her stomach. Angry, she curled up on the bed until Lan came over and gave her the plate with the meat and vegetables. He had decided to eat the soup and promised to ask for something else in the morning. It shouldn't be suspicious if he would declare his lady was feeling better after two entire days of feeling 'unwell' and wished to eat something more… chewable.
They ate in silence until Moiraine told him to switch the dishes. She had eaten half of her plate – mainly the vegetables and potatoes – leaving most of the meat for her Warder. When Lan asked her about it, she explained she knew he preferred meat over vegetables, as most men did.
She ignored his protests she should finish the plate and told him they would split the food evenly. When Lan grumbled something about him not seeing the food being evenly split, she threw him an evil eye before he handed over the bowl. Ultimately, her mood lightened once he presented the fruits he had bought from the peddlers.
The next day was a repetition of the one before. Lan went out for information, Moiraine was furious when he returned, and he calmed her until she agreed to stay before they split their dinner – the cook hadn't been convinced Moiraine was truly feeling better and had insisted it was vital for her to get as much liquid as possible into her body.
When Lan left the tavern on the third day, he hoped the blacksmith would be done with the dagger. He wasn't sure how much longer Moiraine would sit still.
And the blacksmith didn't disappoint him. After Lan had collected more information about strange behaviors or incidents, he paid a visit to the forge, and the blacksmith presented a beautifully made dagger. The blade was sharp and made out of the best steel of Tear. The ornaments on the ivory-colored hilt were remarkable. It was elegant and magnificent but not too much to attract unwanted attention. A dagger worthy of a woman like Moiraine.
The blacksmith had also ordered a sheath for the blade with a matching belt, so Moiraine could wear it.
Suddenly, Lan felt anger rolling through the bond, followed by the urgent command to return immediately. Apparently, Moiraine's patience had run out. It was time to leave Tear. There was no way he could convince her to stay any longer.
He thanked the blacksmith for the dagger, praised the excellent work, and pulled out more coins since the man had organized the sheath and belt. Lan had almost laughed when he had seen the blacksmith had chosen a dark blue leather for the sheath and belt. It would be a perfect addition to Moiraine's blue clothes. Then the uncrowned king of Malkier left the forge and returned to his Aes Sedai.
The woman of the Blue Ajah had almost packed all their bags when he entered their room.
"We're leaving!" she snapped without even looking at him.
Calmly, Lan placed the new dagger and the bag of fruits he had bought to cheer her up on the table and approached her carefully. First, he needed more information about what he had missed during his walk through the city. "What happened?"
"I said, we're leaving!" She stormed to the other side of the room to grab two of her books.
"I heard you. But this doesn't explain what happened while I was gone."
Angry, she stuffed the books in her bag before Lan grabbed her hands, pulling her attention to him. It was a dangerous move, yet a necessary one. Calmly, he looked her in the eye. "Would you please tell me what angered you that much that you want to leave immediately?"
"This stupid innkeeper!" She glared at him as if it was his fault. "He was worried about me, so he called a Healer to check on me!" Then she grimaced. "But in truth, the woman wanted to check on our unborn love child, growing inside my belly and making me sick, so I can only eat soup!"
Lan opened his mouth, but his Aes Sedai wasn't done. She mimicked the Wise Woman, "I was told you have a troubled stomach for a few days, my lady. Master Kertop thought it might be wise to check on you, my lady. I've helped countless women with the side effects. I have some herbs which will calm your stomach and won't affect the little life inside you, my lady."
Oh, she was pissed. And there was no doubt whose fault she thought it was. "What did you do to them?"
The uncrowned king of Malkier couldn't remember seeing any injuries on his way through the common room, and no one had talked about any kind of strange incident. But he also hadn't seen the innkeeper behind the bar.
"I threw them out! Told her I was in no need of her experience with expecting women!"
"Did you use…?" He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. It was unnecessary to finish his question.
Moiraine sighed heavily. "No, I didn't. I pushed them out with my bare hands and slammed the door shut in front of their curious little noses."
Lan felt relieved. This was good. No injuries, no one who saw her channeling, no possible Whitecloaks on their heels.
The Aes Sedai freed her hands from his grip and closed her bag. "I won't stay here any longer. We're leaving – now."
She was still pissed but calmer now that she had talked to her Warder about what had happened. It was a small victory, but Lan was happy even about a slight progress.
Lan went for the dagger, then stepped beside Moiraine, who had placed her second bag on the bed and closed it. Gently, he touched her arm, hiding the dagger behind his back. "Could you stop packing for a moment and listen to me?"
"No." She didn't pull away from him but at least looked at him. "I won't delay this. We're leaving, Lan. I won't stay here any longer. I can't. I can't pretend to be pregnant while everyone-"
Smiling, Lan squeezed her arm gently. "I don't want to delay anything. And in a moment, I will help you gather the bags and prepare for our departure. All I'm asking of you is to take a moment to listen to me."
Uncertain, Moiraine licked her lips, then pulled her hands away from the bag and nodded. She would listen.
"Do you remember we once talked about you needing to learn to fight with a weapon?"
Her eyes narrowed at him warily. She didn't like where this was going. "Yes."
"I know you will always prefer… your abilities when it comes to fighting the enemy, but when the Whitecloaks had us, you fought like hell. Not by using... it, but with a stolen dagger and nothing else than your bare fists."
Embarrassed, she turned her head aside. "I got lucky. And I guess my anger pulled me through it. Otherwise, those idiots would've killed me within a heartbeat."
Of course, she didn't see what she had done. How she had injured those Whitecloaks and had saved his life. "You did very well with them. They didn't have a chance against you. And I think you would become even better with a little training."
"Lan-" Moiraine sighed. They had this conversation before. She didn't want to learn to use a weapon. Saidar was everything she needed. "I-"
"You refused to keep the dagger of the Whitecloak," the Warder continued as if she hadn't said anything.
"Because one of those daggers almost killed you!"
"But I think you should have a weapon to defend yourself. So, I bought you this."
The eyes of the Aes Sedai widened when Lan showed her the dagger. He had bought a dagger for her?! "You…." All her anger had vanished within a heartbeat. Lan had bought this thing?! For her?! It looked beautiful! Light, her mouth felt dry! "For me?"
It was a silly question, and she knew it, but her brain felt empty right now. Hesitantly, her hands reached out to take the beautiful thing out of Lan's hands. "Why?" Her fingers moved softly over the ornaments on the hilt. She had never thought about getting a weapon, but… this one she liked.
"Because I think you should have a weapon to defend yourself," Lan repeated in answer to her question.
"I heard that. Why did you buy…?" A dagger. HER dagger.
"Are Warders not allowed to buy something for their Aes Sedai?" They had never talked about it. They got their money from the White Tower and rarely used it for anything other than food or to have a peaceful night in a comfortable bed.
"That's not what I meant. You can buy… whatever you like." Moiraine couldn't pull her eyes from the dagger. "I just didn't expect…."
Lan watched how her thumb moved over the hilt, over and over again. "If you don't like the ornaments, I can return the dagger and-"
"No!" Shocked, the woman of the Blue Ajah pressed the dagger against her chest and took a step back. The uncrowned king of Malkier saw panic in her eyes. "I don't want to return it. I… I love it."
Her gratitude and love filled the bond, and Lan smiled. He was glad she liked his gift even though she had said she didn't want a weapon.
"I love it," Moiraine repeated in a tight voice and with burning eyes. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." The warmth in Lan's voice nearly made her cry. Then she saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I hope you know this means you'll have to train with it."
Smirking, Moiraine raised an eyebrow at him. "So, this comes with a condition?"
"You can't have a weapon not knowing how to use it. In the end, you will stab yourself by accident. I can't let that happen. As your Warder, it is my duty to keep you safe and whole."
The woman of the Blue Ajah chuckled. "Understood."
Her Warder nodded contently. Then his eyes fell on her bag. "Well, I guess I should gather our stuff, so we can leave." With those words, he turned around, leaving Moiraine with the dagger pressed against her chest.
Moiraine knew she was smiling like an idiot but couldn't stop. She held the weapon in front of her again, letting her fingers move tenderly over it – feeling every curve of the ornaments. Her dagger. It was hers now. A gift from Lan. As a child, she had received countless gifts, but none had ever filled her with so much love as this one.
"Can we leave, or do you two need a moment alone?"
Lan was back with his bags hanging over his shoulder, waiting for her to put the dagger away.
The bubbly happiness inside of the Aes Sedai and her intense feeling of love for this man made her act on instinct. Before she could think about it, she stepped forward and pressed her lips on his cheek, then leaned back breathlessly. "Thank you." She had said it before, yet had to repeat it.
Her Warder seemed surprised for a moment, then followed his own instinct. He placed his free hand on the back of her head and pulled her against him. Would it feel wrong? Would Moiraine push him away?
The Aes Sedai reacted immediately and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tight. Lan couldn't believe it. It felt right – so damn right. She had the perfect height for her head to fit into the crook of his neck, and her body melted perfectly against his. Pure love filled every cell of his body – love he had never imagined feeling for someone like her.
Apparently, I have been wrong all this time. It's not terrible to be bonded to an Aes Sedai. I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with this woman by my side.
Neither of them wanted to let go. They simply stood there, enjoying the comfort they gave each other while letting their love fill the bond.
This is the last chapter of this story. Thank you for reading.
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