h1 style="line-height: normal;"a name="_Toc171706278"/aspan lang="EN-GB"#*#26 SURRENDER/span/h1
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"WoTtober 2023 #26 SURRENDER/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Thom felt Moiraine's reluctance coming in waves. She was not bending her will to Nynaeve's even though what the younger woman said made perfect sense. He would have liked more cooperation, really, since he could feel how delving might actually be the best idea he's heard this past months./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""I told you again and again," Moiraine delivered with practiced calm of a well-trained Aes Sedai. "I do not require healing". A fine word game, he supposed, especially with how he could feel a moment, lost to anyone else, except maybe Lan, of hesitation before the actual word 'require'. The Oaths would probably stop her from saying she didn't 'need' help./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""I rest my case! Nynaeve threw her arms up in frustration. "Lan! You sit there quiet as a grave. Say something!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""What do you want me to say? "Lan paused, Thom suspected, for a slight dramatic effect "That she looks fine? She does. That she probably hurts all over and wouldn't let anyone see? Sure. She's learned to keep to herself, never trust anyone. It's in her bones."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Thom could feel Moiraine crumble inside, while her whole body still projected confidence and lack of doubt whatsoever. To any outside observer she would look a complete opposite of what he knew was true. Everything seemed to hurt and she was starting to panic, so Thorn gathered her into his arms. She didn't protest, which told him everything he needed to know./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Lan came closer to his wife and whispered into her ear. Nynaeve came closer. "Please, Moiraine, just let me delve you. Will you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"There was an internal battle raging inside Moiraine and he, sadly, understood. He himself hated being delved, even by Moraine. It seemed intrusive, like anyone who did it would have an insight into the most guarded secrets he held. No, it would surely be even more painful for Moiraine after years of needed secrecy and, especially, the violation of her freedom and personal agency that she's been through with the Finn./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"But as much as he would like her to keep that independence, this was the time to let others help. "Please, Moraine," he pleaded. "Can you do it for me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He felt how it hurt when she eventually shook her head against his chest. She was so set in her ways.../span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Oh, for light's sake!" Nynaeve definitely has had enough. For a moment Thom thought she was going to come onto Moiraine and delve her without consent. Lan moved like he panted to stop her. Nynaeve raised to her whole height instead and put her fists on her hips. "Moiraine Sedai, we are both aware of how being stronger in the power works." Thom felt all warmth drain from Moiraine in anticipation of her next words. "I want to delve you and I want to do this with your permission. My calling demands I delve you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Something broke in Moiraine and Thom had to keep her upright. She was nodding now, slowly, almost imperceptibly. The feeling behind it was so sour that he wanted to strangle Nynaeve for violating Moiraine so. And then there was a question of how broken she already was despite all the good days they had lately. Of how thin she was becoming with each passing week and how everything seemed to hurt now even as she almost managed to hid it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Do it," he said to Nynaeve. He wasn't surprised when she didn't look convinced./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""You have my consent." His heart broke at how defeated Moiraine sounded and felt. Nynaeve and Lan looked terrified. This was scary – Moiraine actually surrendering. "Just do it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Thom took her into his arms and deposited her on the chair, then stood behind to never loose contact. Moraine nodded again and closed her eyes before lowering her head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"A complete surrender. Sadly, this time a needed one./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"WoTtober 2023 #26 SURRENDER/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Thom felt Moiraine's reluctance coming in waves. She was not bending her will to Nynaeve's even though what the younger woman said made perfect sense. He would have liked more cooperation, really, since he could feel how delving might actually be the best idea he's heard this past months./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""I told you again and again," Moiraine delivered with practiced calm of a well-trained Aes Sedai. "I do not require healing". A fine word game, he supposed, especially with how he could feel a moment, lost to anyone else, except maybe Lan, of hesitation before the actual word 'require'. The Oaths would probably stop her from saying she didn't 'need' help./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""I rest my case! Nynaeve threw her arms up in frustration. "Lan! You sit there quiet as a grave. Say something!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""What do you want me to say? "Lan paused, Thom suspected, for a slight dramatic effect "That she looks fine? She does. That she probably hurts all over and wouldn't let anyone see? Sure. She's learned to keep to herself, never trust anyone. It's in her bones."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Thom could feel Moiraine crumble inside, while her whole body still projected confidence and lack of doubt whatsoever. To any outside observer she would look a complete opposite of what he knew was true. Everything seemed to hurt and she was starting to panic, so Thorn gathered her into his arms. She didn't protest, which told him everything he needed to know./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Lan came closer to his wife and whispered into her ear. Nynaeve came closer. "Please, Moiraine, just let me delve you. Will you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"There was an internal battle raging inside Moiraine and he, sadly, understood. He himself hated being delved, even by Moraine. It seemed intrusive, like anyone who did it would have an insight into the most guarded secrets he held. No, it would surely be even more painful for Moiraine after years of needed secrecy and, especially, the violation of her freedom and personal agency that she's been through with the Finn./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"But as much as he would like her to keep that independence, this was the time to let others help. "Please, Moraine," he pleaded. "Can you do it for me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He felt how it hurt when she eventually shook her head against his chest. She was so set in her ways.../span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Oh, for light's sake!" Nynaeve definitely has had enough. For a moment Thom thought she was going to come onto Moiraine and delve her without consent. Lan moved like he panted to stop her. Nynaeve raised to her whole height instead and put her fists on her hips. "Moiraine Sedai, we are both aware of how being stronger in the power works." Thom felt all warmth drain from Moiraine in anticipation of her next words. "I want to delve you and I want to do this with your permission. My calling demands I delve you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Something broke in Moiraine and Thom had to keep her upright. She was nodding now, slowly, almost imperceptibly. The feeling behind it was so sour that he wanted to strangle Nynaeve for violating Moiraine so. And then there was a question of how broken she already was despite all the good days they had lately. Of how thin she was becoming with each passing week and how everything seemed to hurt now even as she almost managed to hid it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Do it," he said to Nynaeve. He wasn't surprised when she didn't look convinced./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""You have my consent." His heart broke at how defeated Moiraine sounded and felt. Nynaeve and Lan looked terrified. This was scary – Moiraine actually surrendering. "Just do it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Thom took her into his arms and deposited her on the chair, then stood behind to never loose contact. Moraine nodded again and closed her eyes before lowering her head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"A complete surrender. Sadly, this time a needed one./span/p