Moiraine rides back to her sister's house.

kawaiibobby: That's true. Lan would do anything for Moiraine. Those two are incredible together, and I love their relationship. Thank you for reading and your comment ❤️ More chapters are on the way.

The walk to the gates was pulling at Moiraine and Lan's nerves. Five times, they almost ran into a group of Whitecloaks. Every time it happened, Lan shielded Moiraine by pretending to let the Children of the Light pass while pulling Mandarb and Aldieb in front of her to shield her from their eyes. And then the Aes Sedai still wore Lan's color-shifting cloak, which she kept wrapped around her, so no one would see her blue dress beneath it. Their trick worked, but it was always a moment when they feared someone would see through their charade.

Moiraine saw how tense Lan was. He was prepared to fight, though they both hoped to leave without being discovered.

So, when they reached the gates, together with many other visitors of the city, Moiraine released a relieved sigh. They had made it. Now, the only important question was, what would Lan do?

"Wait! In the name of the Light!"

The woman of the Blue Ajah stumbled at these words. There was no doubt who had spoken them. Only the Children of the Light used this phrase.

Lan growled beside her when he brought Mandarb and Aldieb to a halt and stepped before her. "I'll deal with them. Get in the saddle and ride."

"What?! No! I won't-!" Moiraine shrieked when Lan grabbed her hips and lifted her into the saddle. Because of her dress, she had chosen to use a saddle made for ladies for today's ride. "Lan!" Desperately, she tried to keep holding onto his arms, but the stupid man freed himself. "Please! Please, don't do that!"

"Ride!"

"I said, wait! Dismount your horse!"

Quickly, Lan took care of Moiraine's reins, so she could hold them properly. "Lan, please! Let me-!"

"Ride! And don't stop, Moiraine!" The look in Lan's eyes was like iron. He wouldn't change his mind.

Before the Cairhien woman could open her mouth again, he gave her horse a pad on the backside, and the animal obeyed.

"WAIT!"

Moiraine took a look at the Whitecloak yelling after her. Another one was following him, and they both ran toward Lan. The face of the one in the front had turned red. The Cairhien woman didn't know if it was out of anger or because he was running, but he looked like he would pass out any second.

"Can I help you, Sir?" Calmly, Lan turned to the Children of the Light.

Heavy-hearted, Moiraine turned her head around and kept riding. She knew what was going to happen. Lan would fight against the Whitecloaks to ensure they didn't follow her. Please, let him be safe.

Riding in a saddle made for ladies had one disadvantage – you can't ride quickly, or you fall off the back of your horse. Moiraine cursed herself for choosing a dress for today. If she had worn her old riding clothes, she would have outrun her enemies way faster. Light, she would've reached her sister's house a while ago!

This way, she had to look back occasionally – checking if any Whitecloaks were following her. But more importantly, she was checking on Lan.

For the first ten or twenty minutes after she had left him at the gate of Cairhien, Moiraine had been alone. She had been torn between turning around to help him and to keep going like he had wanted her to do. Maybe he had wanted this clean cut. Perhaps him being in Cairhien had been nothing but a coincidence, and he had helped her escape out of old habits.

And then – when she had finally decided to turn her horse around and check on him – he had appeared in the distance with Mandarb and Aldieb. The woman of the Blue Ajah had wanted to stop her mare until he would have closed the distance between them, but then she had remembered him telling her not to stop – to keep riding. So, she did.

This had happened over an hour ago. Since then, most of the time, the Aes Sedai didn't see Lan until he appeared in the distance again. It had taken her a moment to finally understand what he was doing. The uncrowned king of Malkier didn't plan to join her. He stayed on lookout for her enemies while making sure she got back to Anvaere's house safely. Once she was there, he would head back to Tar Valon. Light, he probably wouldn't even come close enough to tell her goodbye.

The thought made Moiraine sad. It had been her who had pushed Lan away, yet it had also been her who had cried for the last couple of weeks since they had parted ways. Light, she wanted to hug him!

When the woman of the Blue Ajah finally reached the small village where her sister lived – though Anvaere had built her house at some distance to the last houses – she brought her horse to a halt and searched for Lan. She wouldn't wait for him to come close. His constant falling back had shown her he didn't want to get close to her. But she needed to see him one last time.

Moiraine waited and waited, and after a while, she was scared that the Whitecloaks could've followed Lan and hurt him. Or had he already left her? What if there hadn't been any Whitecloaks in a while, and Lan had assumed she was safe, so he didn't have to follow her anymore?

She bit her lip anxiously. One last time. If she couldn't say goodbye properly, she wanted to see him one last time at least. She didn't notice how tightly she gripped the reins.

And then Lan appeared like all the other times during her ride back to Anvaere's house. Moiraine sighed, relieved, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She had feared…

The Aes Sedai allowed herself to wait a few moments, watching her former Warder getting closer, admiring the sight of him on Mandarb and Aldieb following them. She had missed him so much.

Finally, she wiped away her tear and turned her horse around. Goodbye, Lan. Thank you for saving me again. It was for the best to turn around now. Her heart wouldn't take it well if he'd passed her without saying anything.

Besides, she had seen he was alive and well. It was time for him to return to Tar Valon and to Nynaeve.

Moiraine wasn't in a rush when she rode through the small village up to Anvaere's house. She even considered not returning yet. At the moment, she wasn't in the mood for another argument with her big sister. But she couldn't run forever, and her mare was exhausted after the long ride. It was almost time for dinner. So, she went for the stable.

The woman of the Blue Ajah was relieved when she noticed the stable was empty. Anvaere was either out hunting or doing something inside the house – she probably had mentioned it this morning or yesterday, but Moiraine couldn't remember. Anyway, she was glad not to run into her sister. She couldn't face her – not now.

Moiraine dismounted and guided her mare to her horse box. Her sister had built a giant stable that could contain up to ten horses, though her sister only had four – two horses were meant for riding and belonged to Anvaere and Eliza, while the other two were meant for pulling a cart. But Anvaere was known for taking a liking to horses and caring for them. Whenever one was sick, the villagers brought their horse to Anvaere, who nursed it back to health. So, when Moiraine had arrived with her mare, she had gotten one of the empty horse boxes.

Lost in her thoughts, the Cairhien woman unsaddled her mare and hung it over the door of the horse box, then dried the poor animal and combed her.

A sad smile appeared on Moiraine's lips when she noticed Anvaere had already prepared the food for her return. Her big sister would truly do anything for the four-legged animals.

Once she was done, Moiraine left the box, closed the door, and leaned on the saddle to watch her horse eat. She couldn't stop comparing this mare with Aldieb. Maybe she could send a letter to Tar Valon to ask for someone to return the white mare to her. Of course, this one was great too, but she wasn't Aldieb. Maybe a sister could bring her when she was on her way to Cairhien.

Something nibbled on her robe, and Moiraine winced. Her eyes widened when she saw the beautiful white mare standing beside her. Aldieb! Demanding, the horse pressed her head against Moiraine's chest, making her stumble backward before she started to nibble on her owner's clothes again.

"Stop that," the Aes Sedai said lovingly when she pushed Aldieb's head aside, then stroked her head. "Are you hungry?"

"If the stable boy in Cairhien didn't give her anything, she hasn't eaten anything since this morning."

This voice. HIS voice. Moiraine's hands trembled, and her heart beat faster again. Could it be possible? Had he truly come here to return Aldieb to her? Light, she was scared to lift her head – scared he would vanish as soon as she lay eyes on him!

Aldieb lifted her head and snorted hot air into her face before giving her chest a soft nudge with her head.

The Aes Sedai pushed the mare's head out of the way, then finally locked eyes with her former Warder, standing beside Aldieb with Mandarb by his side. He patted Aldieb's flanks tenderly. "How about you unsaddle Aldieb and give her something to eat while I take care of Mandarb? Are those horse boxes reserved for anyone, or can I use one?"

Moiraine just stared at him. He didn't vanish. He kept standing there. Had he mentioned he wanted to use a horse box? Why would he need a horse box? Didn't he want to leave as soon as possible?

"Moiraine?"

Her eyes moved over his body, searching for injuries. Was he hurt? Had he been injured fighting the Whitecloaks? Was this the reason why he needed to take a break?

"I'm all right," Lan said softly when he noticed what she was doing. "I'm not hurt."

She heard him, but his words made no sense. If he wasn't injured, why would he want to stay?

Mandarb stepped forward and nudged her chest softly. Startled, Moiraine stroked his head, and to her surprise, the black stallion didn't try to bite her.

"If you need a break, just tell me which boxes I can use, and then I'll take care of them both."

"No!" Light, her voice sounded raspy. She cleared it quickly, then tried again, "No, I… I'll take care of Aldieb. Just… chose an empty box."

Lan stepped closer and placed his hand on her hip. "Breathe, Moiraine."

He was so close. The Aes Sedai felt the urge to throw herself into his arms. She wanted him to hold her like he had held her before they had gotten to the Two Rivers – before this mess had happened. But she couldn't. Lan wasn't her Warder anymore. She had no right to ask such a favor of him.

Yet, her hand – which she had used on Mandarb's head – reached for his chest. One hug. This wouldn't hurt, right?

Sadly, Mandarb seemed not to like the interaction between his owner and the woman. He tried to bite into Moiraine's sleeve. Quickly, the woman of the Blue Ajah brought her arms out of Mandarb's reach.

"Light! They both are starving, as it seems!"

The uncrowned king of Malkier chuckled while watching the two horses nibbling on Moiraine's clothes. "Well, it's been a while since they got something to eat, and they rode a long distance today. So, don't be too hard on them."

He smiled fondly at Mandarb, then pushed the stallion's head away from Moiraine. "Clothes won't fill your stomach, silly one. Come on, let's release you from the saddle."

Moiraine guided Aldieb to an empty horse box, then started to unsaddle the starving mare. She couldn't help herself but had to smile while she kept working. The familiar smell of her horse, the feeling of her old saddle, and Aldieb's cute attempts to get her attention by nibbling on her clothes occasionally.

Once she was done, she prepared two buckets of food for both Aldieb and Mandarb, then carried them to their boxes. At the same time, Lan exited Mandarb's box and raised an eyebrow at the two buckets. "You need to stop spoiling Aldieb. That much food isn't good for her."

"I don't intend to spoil her. One bucket is for Mandarb."

Lan growled, then jumped to her side, taking one of the buckets from her. "You didn't have to carry both of them."

"I can do it," Moiraine explained stubbornly.

Calmly, Lan locked eyes with her. "I know you do." His voice was quiet and sounded so soft. Moiraine had no doubt he hadn't forgotten what she was capable of. "Thank you." His free hand squeezed her arm, then he returned to Mandarb.

The hand of the Cairhien woman twitched – wanting to hold him back – but then she forced herself to bring the food to Aldieb. The poor mare was already starving.

"Do you want to keep watching her while she eats?"

Lan's amused voice pulled Moiraine out of her thoughts. After giving the food to the white mare, she hadn't been able to leave her side and kept stroking her flank while remembering all the years they had traveled together.

"Thank you for bringing her to me."

"She missed you."

The Aes Sedai felt her eyes burning, so she turned her head away, pressing her nose into the fur of her mare. She didn't want Lan to see her cry. Light! She didn't understand why he was still there!

Of course, she couldn't fool him. He had been her Warder for over two decades. He knew all the little signs he needed to look for. And since he was the amazing Warder he always was, he didn't mention it. Instead, he changed the subject, "Let's give them a break. I will check on them before I go to bed."

Before he went to bed. Moiraine repeated the words over and over again, trying to hear if they had a different meaning should she repeat them long enough. But they didn't. No, it sounded like Lan indeed intended to stay for the night.

"Moiraine."

She nodded agreeing to let him know she had heard him. Quickly, she wiped her tears away, then pressed a last kiss against Aldieb's flank before leaving the horse box.

Lan was already walking toward the entrance with his bags over his shoulder. It was his way of giving her a moment to gather herself, and Moiraine could have kissed him for that. He still knew what to do in which situation. Slowly, she followed him outside.

"Don't move!"

Moiraine heard the voice of her sister and lifted her head. Shocked, she froze beside Lan. Her big sister and Eliza stood between them and the house, and both had a bow in their hands with an arrow nocked in, and the sharp end pointed at Lan.

"Name yourself, stranger!"

"Lan Mandragoran," Lan replied calmly.

"This isn't a tavern, Lan Mandragoran!" Anvaere's eyes were shooting daggers at the uncrowned king of Malkier. "What do you want here?!"

"Lower your bow, Anvaere. He is with me," Moiraine explained, taking a step forward.

But the older woman didn't even look at her, nor did she lower her weapon. "What do you want from my sister?!"

"Blood and ashes, Anvaere! Enough with this nonsense!" The woman of the Blue Ajah stepped deliberately in front of Lan, shielding him from both Anvaere and Eliza's arrows. "Lan is with me and means no harm!"

Anvaere squinted her eyes angrily. "Get out of the way, Moiraine!"

"Lower your bow!"

"First, he answers my question! In his own words!" Moiraine's older sister could still glare at the uncrowned king of Malkier, even with her sister being in the way.

Lan returned the look calmly, then said, "I would never harm Moiraine, my lady."

"This is not what I asked!"

"Stop this, Anvaere! Lan is my-!" Moiraine stopped as soon as she realized what she had wanted to say. Blood and ashes! She hadn't thought about that!

"I'm her Warder."

Moiraine's eyes widened. That was impossible! She had left him in Tar Valon for her sisters to find a way to break the bond, so he could… Shocked, she turned her head around to Lan. Was he lying? Was he trying to calm Anvaere? But Lan held eye contact with the woman still pointing an arrow at him.

"Her Warder? How convenient." Even without looking at her sister, Moiraine could practically hear her sister raising her eyebrow doubtfully. "Where have you been the past few weeks? She never mentioned you once."

"Following her order."

Silence followed his words, and Moiraine wished Lan would look at her. She needed to know if he lied to her sister or told the truth. One look. One look into his eyes would be enough.

"I don't believe you. I don't know what you told my sister so she would bring you here, but this is my house. You're not welcome here. Take your horse and leave."

"My lady, I'm not-"

"You stay away from my sister, Lan Mandragoran! I won't allow you to use her to satisfy your needs!"

"Blood and ashes! Will you shut up, Anvaere?!" The words of her sister embarrassed Moiraine. Did she really think she would bring back a man just to-? Angrily, she faced Anvaere, who had winced at her sudden outburst and looked at her with big eyes. Never before had she told her older sisters to shut up. "For the last time, lower your bow! Lan is my Warder!"

There – she had said it, and the first oath hadn't stopped her. Moiraine's hands trembled, so she quickly grabbed her dress to hide it. Lan was her Warder. He was still her Warder! Light, she just wanted to return to her room with Lan to shut out Anvaere, the Whitecloaks, and the whole world! "And I will take him to my room now! He will stay with me, so you don't need to prepare another room unless you decide to send me away too! Then please tell me now so I can gather my stuff!"

The two sisters glared at each other, but ultimately, Anvaere lowered the bow, followed by Eliza. Yet the look on her face told everyone she wasn't happy about Moiraine's decision. "Very well then."

Moiraine simply nodded. She couldn't speak anymore. Her hands were still trembling, and her heart beat faster than it had ever done after a fight with her sister because Lan's words were still ringing in her ears. I'm her Warder. She needed a moment alone with Lan.

Anxiously, she aimed for the house. As soon as she had taken ten steps away from Lan, who had decided to wait a moment instead of rushing after his bondholder, the Aes Sedai saw her sister raising her bow again in one swift movement. The woman loved to go hunting for years. She was well-trained in shooting with a bow.

"Anvaere, NO!" But it was too late. The arrow left the bowstring, aiming at Lan!

Moiraine swirled around, and her eyes widened. The arrow stuck inside the wall of the stable, still vibrating from the impact – right in front of Lan's nose! It had missed his face only by inches!

The uncrowned king of Malkier grabbed the arrow to stop its movement. Then his eyes returned to Anvaere, who watched him with cold eyes.

"Consider this a warning, Lan Mandragoran. This is MY house."

"I will remember it, my lady."

The next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday.

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