Lan and Anvaere talk, but then more Fades appear, and Moiraine refuses to leave Lan behind.
kawaiibobby: I want them to be together as well. Hopefully, Episode 5 reunites them (I'll keep my fingers crossed).
Lan stepped beside the dead body of the Eyeless, which was trying to crawl while using its remaining arm to hit whoever was coming near it.
"Most of your arrows are already broken from the fall," the Malkieri explained calmly. "Do you really want-?"
"Just get me those that remain intact!" Anvaere sounded sharp and cold, but her face was pale, and her shock clearly visible. She probably never had seen a Myrddraal in her life ever before.
Lan swallowed his comment about Moiraine being the only person who could command him and moved to the dying body. He stepped on the wild moving arm, then pulled out the arrows.
His thoughts returned to the situation he had seen moments ago. The Myrddraal with one foot on Moiraine's throat while choking Anvaere. Lan hadn't been able to feel Moiraine's pain but heard her gasping for air. He can't remember how he crossed the distance, but he stood behind the creature the next moment, cutting off its head and arm, which had a tight grip on the oldest Damodred sister. Then he had given the corpse a hard push, sending it rolling over the ground, ensuring it would stay far away from his bondholder.
"There." He handed Anvaere the arrows – only three had survived.
She took them with a shaking hand and watched them scrutinizing. Lan almost left, but Moiraine needed a break, and her sister looked awful. Although she wouldn't admit it, she wanted him to protect the stubborn older woman. Light, she followed a Myrddraal with nothing but a sword as a weapon to save her annoying sister.
"Are you all right, my lady?"
Anvaere opened her mouth, and her face showed her words wouldn't be friendly, but the sarcastic words died on her lips, and her shoulders lowered, defeated. She turned the arrows between her fingers, then started a new try to answer. This time, Lan heard the desperation in her voice, and she spoke quietly.
"I put arrow after arrow into this thing. I stopped counting after the fifth, but this… creature didn't die."
"Myrddraals are hard to kill."
"Moiraine, she…." Anvaere's eyes flitted to her little sister lying on the ground. The Aes Sedai had closed her eyes, and Lan was pretty sure she had fallen asleep or was close to sleeping, yet Anvaere lowered her voice to a whisper, "…she fought against this thing with nothing but a dagger. She went down twice but stood up every time it dared to come for me."
"Your sister is strong... and so are you, my lady."
Anvaere snorted. "I was useless. My arrows did nothing. I shot the thing in the head, and it continued to attack us."
"Arrows slow it down."
"Apparently, not enough. It nearly killed us both if you hadn't appeared."
"I have sworn to protect your sister."
At his words, the Cairhien woman looked at him. "Do you love her?"
"She is my Aes Sedai."
"That's not what I asked. Do you love her?"
Lan turned silent. He didn't like to talk about him and his feelings. Moiraine was one of a few persons who knew his feelings, but Anvaere… she was a stranger to him. But she is Moiraine's family and just wants to protect her little sister. I would want to know the same about strangers getting close to her – strangers I don't know. "I do." He didn't dare to look away. Anvaere would want to see the truth in his eyes.
They turned silent – not breaking eye contact – until the Cairhien woman was convinced and nodded. Her fingers started to play with the arrows again. "When this is over, I will train Moiraine to handle a sword."
A quiet laugh escaped Lan's lips. "Good luck."
Surprised, Anvaere narrowed her eyes at him. "You tried to teach her?"
"Multiple times. She… isn't the kind of woman wielding a blade. Although she learned to use her dagger effectively."
Anvaere rolled her eyes. "Foolish woman. She fought against this ugly creature with her tiny dagger because she couldn't pull out the sword."
Lan sighed but refused to comment on that. Inwardly, he agreed with Anvaere. Moiraine needed to learn to use a sword properly – now more than ever. Fighting a Myrddraal with a dagger was close to suicide, and she couldn't use the One Power.
A branch cracked in the distance, and both Anvaere and Lan searched between the trees for enemies.
"We leave." Lan rushed back to Moiraine's side.
"More of those creatures?"
"I can't feel them. Someone shields them, but I won't stay to find out. Moiraine." Gently, Lan stroked his bondholder's cheek. "I need you now."
Relieved, the uncrowned king of Malkier watched how the Cairhien woman's eyes opened, fluttering. Their emergency routine still worked. "I need you to stand up. We can't stay here."
Sleepily, the Aes Sedai tried to move and groaned when her body protested.
"I know." Lan stroked her hair. "But it's not safe out here. Do you think you can stand up?"
"I have to."
Carefully, the Warder placed his Aes Sedai's arms around his neck and grimaced when she whimpered. He hated to cause her pain. One of his hands steadied her head, then he helped her into a sitting position.
Moiraine pressed her lips together so she wouldn't scream out loud but couldn't keep her calm Aes Sedai mask. She had taken quite a few hits by the Myrddraal.
Another branch broke, and Anvaere picked up her bow, which she had dropped before attacking the Eyeless with a branch – which had been brave but useless. "This doesn't sound promising."
When Lan pulled Moiraine to her feet, the Aes Sedai pushed her fingernails into his shoulders. She was trembling, and Lan was scared she would fall down again, so he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.
"We need to leave," Anvaere said urgently.
"Give her a moment," Lan hissed. He knew they needed to disappear quickly but couldn't push Moiraine. She was hurt, and the Malkieri thought of it as a wonder that she could move from what he had heard had happened to her.
"Anvaere is right." Moiraine's voice sounded pressed. "We need to leave."
"Can you walk?"
"We're going to find out."
Lan wasn't convinced but didn't protest. He released her from his embrace, though his arms stayed at her side. He didn't trust her not to fall to the ground should he take his hands away.
"Lan," Moiraine chuckled. "We can't walk like this."
The uncrowned king of Malkier grimaced but realized she was right. Carefully, he moved around her until he stood behind her. He placed one hand on her hip and steadied her arm with his other hand.
Moiraine didn't complain. Instead, she slowly made her way over to the horses. Lan whistled, and both Aldieb and Mandarb met them halfway so Moiraine didn't have to walk that far.
Aldieb nudged Moiraine gently, and smiling, the woman of the Blue Ajah held out her hand for her mare to smell her. "You did very well, Aldieb."
"She can't ride like this." Anvaere's eyes moved, worried over her sister. Moiraine was in no condition to ride a horse on her own.
Before Lan or Moiraine could answer that, two screams pierced the night. Two Myrddraals stepped out of the dark, rushing toward them with their blades in hands.
"Two?! Where are they coming from?!"
"We can't lure them back to the village, Lan," Moiraine said, sounding exhausted. "They will kill everyone there."
The uncrowned king of Malkier gritted his teeth, then turned to Anvaere. "My lady? You take Aldieb." He was surprised when the elderly woman didn't complain but mounted the mare immediately. It was the Aes Sedai who turned her head around in shock.
"Lan! We can't lead them to the village!"
He didn't listen. Instead, he grabbed her waist and lifted her on Mandarb's back. Moiraine whimpered at the pain, but Lan couldn't be gentle this time. Once she sat in the saddle, he pushed her foot into the stirrup, then turned to the other side to repeat his action while Moiraine tried to breathe through the pain.
The Eyeless screamed again when they saw the Damodred sisters sitting on horseback.
"What are you doing?" Moiraine whispered. When Lan avoided her eyes, alarm bells rang in her head. What was he planning? He would never risk the lives of innocent people. "Lan?"
Instead, Lan turned to Anvaere. "Get her back to your house."
"No!" The Aes Sedai reached down and grabbed his tunic, pulling him to her. "You're coming with us!"
The Warder freed his tunic by taking her hands and pressing soft kisses on her fingers. His Aes Sedai. His soulmate. He had to save her.
Mandarb turned his head to his owner, and Lan stepped beside him. "Get her to safety, Mandarb. I'm counting on you." The stallion neighed, agreeing.
"Lan!"
Lan kissed her fingers again. "I love you." Tears rolled down Moiraine's cheeks. "Ride, Moiraine." He pressed her hands on the saddle, so she could hold on to something during her ride.
"No, please!" Moiraine was too weak to free her hands, and it was already too late.
The uncrowned king of Malkier gave the stallion a gentle pat on the backside with his free hand, and Mandarb obeyed. Moiraine could do nothing more than hold on to Mandarb's saddle while her body protested vehemently against the motion. "Lan!"
Anvaere watched Lan with big eyes when she finally understood what he was trying to do. "That's madness."
"Help her once you're back at the house. Stay safe, my lady."
Lan drew his sword, then faced the two Myrddraals, which had almost reached them. He couldn't let them pass. He needed to protect Moiraine, no matter the cost.
When he heard Anvaere leaving on Aldieb's back, the Warder embraced Ko'di to sharpen his senses. Time to end this.
Moiraine's body was on fire. Riding on Mandarb hurt like hell, and he didn't stop running. It took her quite a while until she could finally grab the reins and bring the stallion to a halt – he hadn't listened to her begging or the pressure of her calves. Yet, Mandarb didn't like the order. He danced nervously and moved his head to pull the reins out of her hands.
The Aes Sedai leaned forward until her upper body lay on Mandarb's back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She didn't want to move anymore, but Lan needed her help. "Please, Mandarb."
Mandarb snorted, but his movements became calmer. "We need to help Lan. Please, turn around." He continued to dance nervously, clearly torn between obeying Lan's order and wanting to help his owner.
"Moiraine!"
Anvaere reached them and brought Aldieb to a halt beside her sister. "Come on. We need to keep going." She placed a comfortable hand on her sister's back, but Moiraine shook her head slightly.
"I need to go back to Lan. He needs my help."
"Are you out of your mind?! Those monsters are with him! You barely survived the last one!" The oldest Damodred sister shook her head in disbelief. "No, we ride back to Eliza. Come."
But when she tried to reach for Mandarb's reins, the stallion turned his head around and tried to bite her. Quickly, Anvaere pulled back her hand. "What in light's name…?!"
A quiet chuckle escaped Moiraine's lips. "Mandarb doesn't like to be touched by anyone than Lan."
Anvaere raised an eyebrow skeptically. "And you miraculously turned into Mister stony face? Or why does the horse accept your touch?" She shook her head. "There is no horse in this world I can't tame."
She tried to reach for the reins a second time and was again rewarded with the sight of Mandarb's teeth. "Blood and ashes! Stop that!"
The stallion wasn't impressed. He snorted at Anvaere and moved out of her reach. He wouldn't be tamed by her.
Moiraine stroked his flank. She was losing time. At this moment, Lan fought against two Myrddraals! – Alone! And she didn't know how far they had ridden before Mandarb had finally obeyed to stop. How far had they come? "Please, Mandarb. Lan will die if we don't help him."
"YOU will die if you go back there!" Anvaere objected angrily. "He wanted you to be safe, not to return to your certain death!"
But Mandarb had finally decided and turned around. Groaning, the Aes Sedai pushed herself into a sitting position again. Light, she was in no condition to ride, let alone fight someone but couldn't let Lan die. He had followed her into the woods because she had decided to save her sister without her ability to channel.
"Moiraine!"
"Go back to Eliza!" Then she pressed her legs against Mandarb's flanks, and the stallion returned to the clearing.
The ride back to the clearing was as painful as the one escaping from it. Moiraine trembled when Mandarb stopped behind the last trees. She needed a moment before her vision had cleared enough for her to see what was happening in front of her.
Lan was still fighting against the two Myrddraals but couldn't find a gap in their defense to end them. How long could he continue like this?
"You're a fool." Anvaere appeared beside her little sister with a grim line around her mouth. She didn't like to be back there. "Now what?"
"I need to help Lan."
"Well, you won't help him with that sword on your back, that's for sure. Even if you could draw it this time, you're in no condition to wield it against anyone who isn't already dead." Anvaere checked on Moiraine with a worried look. "Are you strong enough to use that power of yours?"
Moiraine tightened her grip on the reins until her knuckles turned white. Her power. If only she could use Saidar again… "I can't use the One Power."
"What do you mean you can't-?"
"I can't!"
Anvaere sighed, frustrated. "So, no sword and no power. What else can you offer?"
"I need to think." The Aes Sedai let her eyes wander over her surroundings. There had to be something of use – a way to help Lan. Light! Why hadn't she listened more carefully when he had tried to teach her to use a sword?!
"All he needs is a distraction, right?"
"What?" Confused, Moiraine turned her head back to her sister. What had she said?
Anvaere had her bow in her hands and nocked in an arrow. Moiraine's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"
"Those creatures will kill him if we don't do something. But at the moment, they are focused on him."
"Arrows don't kill a Myrddraal."
"Your Warder mentioned that earlier." The older woman couldn't stop herself from snapping at her sister, then took a deep breath and continued in a calmer tone, "I don't intend to kill them, but shooting them would pull their attention on us and away from him. That could give him a chance to kill at least one of them. It's easier to fight one enemy than two."
Anxiously, the Aes Sedai looked at her Warder. Lan hadn't noticed her yet, but she saw he was at the end of his tether. He had already fought against three Myrddraals tonight, and those two down there raised the bar to five. As a Warder, Lan was stronger and faster than a regular soldier, but even he had his boundaries.
"Do it."
Sighing, Anvaere raised the bow, aiming at the fighters. "I just hope I don't hit your Warder," she murmured.
"Anvaere!" Moiraine hissed angrily. "If you hit Lan-!"
"Be quiet! I need to focus!"
The woman of the Blue Ajah turned her head back at the fight. Please, don't hit Lan, Anvaere. Her sister was a phenomenal shooter, but Lan moved a lot – continuously moving back and forth to attack and pull back before his opponents could land a hit. And he didn't know about their plan.
Before her thoughts could continue to spiral, Anvaere let the arrow fly. While Moiraine's eyes followed the flight of the deadly weapon, she forgot to breathe. Not Lan. Please, not Lan.
She should have had more trust in her sister. The arrow hit one of the Myrddraals and went straight through its heart. Its angry scream echoed over the clearing, but it wasn't dead. Both monsters turned to the Damodred sisters, and Anvaere nocked in a new arrow.
"Do you think I should send another one?"
Moiraine bit her lip. "You could try, but I doubt you will hit anything this time. They are warned now."
Lan didn't risk checking on who had sent the arrow. He used the distraction to behead one of the Eyeless. One down, one left. The remaining Myrddraal turned to him, not happy about what had happened.
Their blades crossed when Anvaere sent a second arrow. The impact of her arrow made the creature stumbled backward, and Lan used the opportunity to finish the enemy.
A relieved sigh escaped Moiraine's lips. It was over. Anvaere had saved Lan, and their enemies were dead. The only important question now was if Lan had gotten injured or not. Carefully, the woman of the Blue Ajah let Mandarb walk slowly to the uncrowned king of Malkier, who cleaned his blade with the cloak of an Eyeless. When he heard the horses, he turned around, and his face darkened at her sight.
"What are you doing here?" Growling, Lan sheathed his sword.
"I won't leave you behind." Moiraine raised her chin like a noble lady who didn't listen to servants. "Besides, Mandarb hates taking orders from anyone other than you."
"Apparently, he disobeyed me by listening to you. If he truly didn't listen to you, he would have brought you back to Eliza."
"Well, I don't know about you two, but I would like to return to my house. I don't like the thought of Eliza being on her own while it's possible for more monsters to appear." Anvaere put the bow around her back, then grabbed Aldieb's reins. "Are you coming?"
Lan stepped beside Mandarb while Moiraine pulled her feet out of the stirrups. Her Warder mounted the stallion, but when he moved her so he could sit behind her, a wave of pain rolled over her, and she groaned.
"Moiraine?"
Worried, the uncrowned king of Malkier pulled her gently back against him. Her head fell back on his shoulder, and she was breathing heavily. Blood and ashes! She felt like she needed to vomit!
"Are you with me?" Lan's fingers stroked her cheek tenderly.
Moiraine wanted to tell him she was fine – wanted to calm him – but the first oath made it impossible for her to lie. Each movement was painful. It was a good thing Lan sat behind her to steady her, or otherwise, she probably would've fallen off Mandarb's back by now. She had no strength left now that Lan was safe.
"I'm here," she whispered, though her vision was blurry again.
"Hang on for me. I'll get you back, and then you can rest." Lan placed Moiraine's head in the crook of his neck, then wrapped one arm around her to keep her upright during their ride and gripped the reins with the other hand.
The oldest Damodred sister had already turned Aldieb around and aimed for the trees. She wouldn't wait any longer. She was worried about Eliza.
Sighing, Lan pressed his thighs against Mandarb's flanks, and the stallion followed the white mare. They couldn't ride fast since he had to take care of Moiraine, but he also couldn't let Anvaere go too far ahead. It was possible that more Shadowspawn was hiding in the forest, shielded by an Aes Sedai of the Black Ajah. And the woman didn't have many arrows left to defend herself. Light, this night was a nightmare!
The next chapter will be uploaded on Sunday.
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