Lan realizes his Aes Sedai is gone and follows her through the night.
Lan needed one look. One look to see Moiraine's room was empty. One look to notice her bags were gone. Fear had taken hold of his heart, squeezing it painfully. Moiraine! Where was she?!
Most women die.
Adeleas' words echoed in the Malkieri's ears, but then he shook his head. No. Moiraine didn't try to kill herself. His stubborn bondholder was on the run. Someone who tried to end his life wouldn't take all his personal belongings with him. No, the Cairhien woman must have had another plan. And Lan wanted to be damned if he let her get away with it!
It was useless to search the room. Moiraine hadn't told him about her plan. She wasn't stupid enough to leave clues for him where to find her. The uncrowned king of Malkier would use Nynaeve's trick to find the Cairhien woman. Moiraine's tell was the only thing how Lan was still able to find her without their bond being unmasked. And Lan intended to find her!
Did she really believe he wouldn't follow her?! – That she could run from him?! Light, Moiraine should know how much he worried about her! What did he have to do to make her see how much she meant to him?!
When the Warder reached his room – something he still didn't like, but Moiraine had insisted on separating rooms after a while – he simply grabbed his sword and put it on. The Aes Sedai couldn't have gone far by now. Verin and Adeleas had been strolling around the house while Tomas and Lan had prepared dinner for everyone. The two older Aes Sedai would have said something should they have run into his bondholder. Especially since they knew Lan would bring the filled plate to his stubborn Aes Sedai. The question was, where had she gone, and which city did she want to reach?
For a moment, he felt like he was back in Fal Dara again. The moment when he had entered Moiraine's room after his incredible night with Nynaeve, only to find it empty. He had intended to inform her about what he thought about her masking the bond for that long. He had understood why she masked it when things got intense between him and Nynaeve but not why she left it masked during the entire night. They had had countless arguments where the Warder had 'informed' his Aes Sedai how much he liked it when he couldn't feel her. Short answer: he didn't like it at all – and she knew it.
And then he had found the letter. A piece of paper he had wanted to throw into the fire. A piece of paper that had torn at his heart and opened it wide for fear clawing its way into his soul. Moiraine – his smart bondholder – had left him behind to save his life. Lan had wanted to scream. He knew the Blight like no one else. He knew what could happen, and Moiraine only had a foolish boy at her side instead of HIM. What had she been thinking?!
Now, the same fear had returned and held a tight grip on his heart. The last time the Malkieri had found the Cairhien woman, she hadn't been the same woman as before. A shadow of the shining star she usually was. What would he find now? Was it possible for her to break any further? Or would it be worse?
Angrily, Lan stormed out of his room. His thoughts wouldn't get him anywhere close to her. Yet, he couldn't stop asking one last question, knowing she couldn't give him an answer. Moiraine, what have you done?!
Verin, Adeleas, and Tomas were still eating when the angry Malkieri left the house. The old Warder was the first to notice Lan and his eyes narrowed at the younger man when he saw the sword on his back.
"Lan, what happened?"
"I'll be back," the uncrowned king of Malkier responded in a clipped tone. He didn't have time to explain the situation.
"Lan!"
"What did she do?!"
Lan gnashed his teeth. Of course, Adeleas assumed that his sudden change of mood had been Moiraine's doing. The Green Sister didn't hold back her tongue against her Blue Sister. She didn't agree with how Moiraine treated Lan. But this time, he didn't have time to defend his bondholder. Not when her life was in danger.
Suddenly, the nervous neigh of a horse reached their ears, and the uncrowned king of Malkier stopped. Where had that been coming from? The horses were in the stable, and he shouldn't be able to hear… A saddled white mare ran through the gate with bags tied on her back and no rider. Lan's heart turned to ice.
"Light! Isn't that Moiraine's mare?" Verin appeared beside the frozen Lan. "Why is she saddled? And why was she outside?" Confused, the Brown Sister faced the Malkieri. "Lan? Where is Moiraine?"
But the uncrowned king of Malkier couldn't answer. His head was spinning. Aldieb. Moiraine had taken Aldieb to run, but the mare had returned – WITHOUT Moiraine! Aldieb would never leave her beloved rider behind! She had been in countless dangerous situations. What scared her so much that she decided to run for her life?
Why didn't I stay with her? Why did I snap at her? I'm her Warder. I should support her, not leave her like a sulky child. Light, I will never forgive myself if something happens to her. Moiraine!
The nervous mare came to the frozen Warder and pressed her head against his chest, seeking comfort. Since she knew Lan, he was the person she trusted the most among the others.
Luckily, her action brought the poor Warder back to life. Soothingly, he stroked her jaw and flank and whispered, "Easy, girl. Easy."
"Lan, where is Moiraine?" This time, Verin sounded more determined.
Moiraine. What did she use to fight against her attacker? She didn't have Saidar anymore, and Lan doubted she had suddenly decided to take a sword with her – apart from the fact that she couldn't handle a sword. That left her dagger, but Lan couldn't remember when Moiraine had trained with the tiny blade the last time. Light, he needed to find her!
With gnashing teeth, the uncrowned king of Malkier grabbed Aldieb's reins and pulled himself into the saddle. He didn't have the time to saddle Mandarb. Moiraine needed his help!
"Lan!"
"I don't know where she is."
Verin narrowed her eyes at him. "Where are you going?"
"Finding my Aes Sedai," Lan answered, then turned Aldieb around. He couldn't lose any more time.
"Lan! Wait!" This time, it was Adeleas who yelled after him, but he didn't turn around. Nothing was important except for the survival of his bondholder.
Lan's heart was racing while Aldieb kept running through the night. The incredible mare didn't try to throw him off or refuse to keep going. She obeyed his wishes and ran like the Dark One himself was after them.
At the meantime, Lan's eyes searched the land for a sign of Moiraine. How far had she gone when she was attacked? It had been hours since he saw her the last time. Please, don't let her be too far away.
Suddenly, the Warder's skin started to tingle, and his eyes widened. Shadowspawn! How was it possible he hadn't noticed them earlier?! Why didn't Verin, Adeleas, or Tomas notice them?!
The uncrowned king of Malkier continued until he felt the Shadowspawn being close. At the same time, Aldieb started to become nervous again. That had to be the place where Moiraine had been attacked. But where was she?
A scream of a Myrddraal echoed through the air and let Lan's blood turn to ice. Moiraine! Without thinking twice, the Malkieri jumped off Aldieb's back. The mare didn't like the sound, but at least, she didn't run again.
No, this time, it was Lan who run - ran toward his Aes Sedai. He had to be faster than the Myrddraal. If he could buy her enough time to run to Aldieb so she could escape…
Another scream pierced the silence, and the Warder recognized his bondholder's voice. The Shadowspawn had found her! With gnashing teeth, Lan drew his sword and threw his sheath away so nothing would impede his movements. He would kill that creature that had dared to hurt Moiraine.
Large rocks came into sight, and the Malkieri only needed a moment to find the hooded figure, slowly moving forward like it was playing with its toy. And then the creature raised its poisonous blade above its head, ready to kill its opponent. The blade was dripping and glistening in the moonlight, but the liquid seemed too thick to be water. NO!
The uncrowned king of Malkier jumped at the Eyeless, an angry scream escaping his lips. His blade cut over the Myrddraal's back, and the creature screamed in pain, but Lan wasn't done yet. He wouldn't stop until it was dead! Lan used his momentum and used another rock to push himself up in the air. The higher position gave him the opportunity to swing his sword once again, cutting off the Fade's head with one cut.
Satisfied, the Malkieri heard both the dead body and the head drop to the ground. He had eliminated the danger. Moiraine was… Lan's eyes found his bondholder's frame, and fear rolled over him again. She hadn't moved while he had killed the Fade. Her hand rested on her bloody stomach, and the blood seemed to spread by the second. He was too late! The creature got to her first!
Furiously, Lan pushed his sword into the ground, then kneeled beside the Aes Sedai. His hand reached out toward her stomach, and he was relieved when Moiraine pulled away her hand to give him full access to her injury.
She didn't need to tell him what had caused that wound. He had seen the blood glistening on the Fade's blade earlier. Blood and ashes! Black veins moved over her skin. The poison of the Shadowspawn worked fast.
Pictures of Bel Tine appeared before Lan's eyes. The Trollocs. The battle. The moment when the dagger of the Shadowspawn pierced Moiraine's shoulder. The poison, rushing through her veins, burning her from the inside. She had turned so pale and weak, and he hadn't been able to do anything to help her. Without Nynaeve's herbs and Kerene's help, the Cairhien woman would have…
Cursing inwardly, the uncrowned king of Malkier focused on what was before him. This time, help wasn't far away. He could carry Moiraine to Aldieb, and the mare would get them back to Tifan's Well in no time. Lan didn't know how good Verin and Adeleas were at healing someone, but anything was better than letting Moiraine die in his arms. This time, he wouldn't let her suffer for long. This time, he would do better on her.
But the Warder had to be gentle if he didn't want to increase her pain. And he needed to do something about the bleeding, or she would bleed out before they reached Tifan's Well.
Lan noticed how Moiraine had relaxed since he arrived. His Aes Sedai had been cold and distant the past few months, but it seemed like she still found his presence calming, giving him hope that his beloved Moiraine was still in there. He wished he could pull her in his arms. It always calmed him to hold her close to him.
Suddenly, the woman of the Blue Ajah stiffened, and her eyes widened. Light, she even stopped breathing! Before the Malkieri could ask her about the reason for her sudden reaction, he heard something in his back.
At the same time, Moiraine gripped his arm, digging her fingernails into his flesh. "Lan!" Her voice sounded pressed, and he heard something like panic.
When he turned his head, two Myrddraals emerged from the shadows – both armed with one of those deadly blades. The situation got worse really quickly!
Lan wanted to scream. Why? Wasn't one Fade already enough? Where did the other two come from? And how was he supposed to fight them? Moiraine needed help! He couldn't waste his time with the Shadowspawn!
As if you have a choice, Mandragoran. These Myrddraals won't disappear, and they won't let you leave. If you want to protect Moiraine, you have to fight.
Sighing, the Malkieri grabbed the arm of the Cairhien woman and pressed her hand on the bleeding cut, then covered her hand with his own. She needed to put pressure on the wound, to keep the blood inside her body as best as possible.
Moiraine looked at him with big eyes. She knew how difficult it was to fight against a Myrddraal, but to fight against two? – With nothing but a sword and no Aes Sedai by his side? It was suicidal.
This time, the panic in her eyes was pretty obvious. Lan saw how she swallowed and didn't need to feel her to know she thought about a thousand ways just to save him. No matter what had happened between them, she still cared for him. Her lips opened, and she wet them like she prepared herself to speak.
Gently, Lan squeezed her hand, then turned toward their enemies. As much as his heart loved to see that Moiraine still feared for his life, he couldn't allow himself to get distracted. He had to find a way how to survive two Fades.
The poisonous blade of the Myrddraal he had killed before lay at Moiraine's feet. Two swords are better than one, even if I've never fought with such a blade before. Slowly, the Warder placed his steel under the unfamiliar weapon, then lifted it into the air and caught it. The new weight felt strange, but Lan hoped he would adapt quickly to it. I can't let them get close to Moiraine. Focus, Mandragoran.
Lan opened himself to Ko'di, then got closer to his new dance partners. Time to fight.
We almost reached the end of episode 1. The next story will be the last one for this episode and will tell us what could have happened after Moiraine and Lan have been saved by the sisters and Tomas.
The next story will be uploaded on Sunday.
I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a review.
