h1 style="line-height: normal;"a name="_Toc171706282"/aspan lang="EN-GB"#*#30 ARMY/span/h1
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"WoTtober 2023 #30 ARMY/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Aldieb fell in step easily with Mandarb, like they've never stopped riding side by side. Two years was obviously too short a time to get out of their training. At the same time Lan had to admit having Moiraine close again felt like coming home after a long day. It was a feeling bordering on something Nynaeve might be angry about since she was his bondholder now. It was she, however, that came up with the idea, so she couldn't be angry about unforeseen effects./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Don't you need to rest a little?" he asked, looking at her. "We do not need to hurry. We have all day."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Thom is overprotective," she said, avoiding the real matter in a proficient way. "Do not listen to everything he says about me. If it was for him I would stay stationary forever."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Lan snickered. At least he was aware that the oath could let an irony pass the Aes Sedai's lips. At the same time he pulled on the reins so the horses slowed to walk again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""So," she started, "where are we going that Nynaeve thought it would be good for me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He smiled. "Nothing strenuous, some guests would arrive on the far plain. She thought you could use a ride. I think she likes I might have some company as she's not that fond of horses."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"It was something they could laugh about together. Something they could bond again over. For Thom, he knew, a horse was a means of transport only. They could go riding with Moraine and leave their spouses to rest instead./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"The Gate opened without warning, but they were far enough not to be in any danger. The travelling grounds in Malkier were well marked and used to perfection. Mandarb was used to the sight, smell and feel. Aldieb, on the other hand, was not, but Moraine needed only moments to get her under control./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Stay here?" he asked and waited only long enough to see her nod./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"It was good to see more people coming to reclaim Malkier as their home. This particular army was about to be the last big group – a Borderlands contingent with families. People with Malkieri roots wanting to go back to a newly reestablished Kingdom. He took time to talk to as many as he could before going back to Moiraine. She would understand, she knew how important and also wonderful that was./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He was ready to share his excitement, riding Mandarb in a jolly canter, but only a short time was needed to see something was wrong. He knew her and she was almost too still. Something above the Aes Sendai calm./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Lan missed their bond in times like that. Her eyes looked on, everyone else would think she was just bored. He knew better. He's seen Moiraine afraid, really afraid, a few times./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Moiraine?" He was careful to speak slowly and softly, before touching her arm. Light, he was glad he didn't leave Mandarb in the stable. He could move right to Aldieb's side now and touch Moraine's spine to get her back to reality. Rigid muscles didn't want to yield for a long time and he had time to look where she was looking. It was nothing special – just an army marching towards the city. Just like on the fields just before the Last Battle. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Last Battle... Was it possible that an army might freak Moiraine out this much? The answer seemed obvious, when her back muscles loosened after the army moved left and started looking just like a sea of migrants that they were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""May we go back now?" His heart broke a little, hearing her so unsure, so broken. With how her hands clamped on the reins, he doubted she would get to the palace on her own. "Please?" He heard the pleading whisper and reached for Aldieb's reins to guide her back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He needed to get her to Thom post haste and alert him and Nynaeve of the accident. Seeing an army was a trigger. Light, what else could be one?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"WoTtober 2023 #30 ARMY/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Aldieb fell in step easily with Mandarb, like they've never stopped riding side by side. Two years was obviously too short a time to get out of their training. At the same time Lan had to admit having Moiraine close again felt like coming home after a long day. It was a feeling bordering on something Nynaeve might be angry about since she was his bondholder now. It was she, however, that came up with the idea, so she couldn't be angry about unforeseen effects./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Don't you need to rest a little?" he asked, looking at her. "We do not need to hurry. We have all day."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Thom is overprotective," she said, avoiding the real matter in a proficient way. "Do not listen to everything he says about me. If it was for him I would stay stationary forever."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Lan snickered. At least he was aware that the oath could let an irony pass the Aes Sedai's lips. At the same time he pulled on the reins so the horses slowed to walk again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""So," she started, "where are we going that Nynaeve thought it would be good for me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He smiled. "Nothing strenuous, some guests would arrive on the far plain. She thought you could use a ride. I think she likes I might have some company as she's not that fond of horses."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"It was something they could laugh about together. Something they could bond again over. For Thom, he knew, a horse was a means of transport only. They could go riding with Moraine and leave their spouses to rest instead./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"The Gate opened without warning, but they were far enough not to be in any danger. The travelling grounds in Malkier were well marked and used to perfection. Mandarb was used to the sight, smell and feel. Aldieb, on the other hand, was not, but Moraine needed only moments to get her under control./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Stay here?" he asked and waited only long enough to see her nod./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"It was good to see more people coming to reclaim Malkier as their home. This particular army was about to be the last big group – a Borderlands contingent with families. People with Malkieri roots wanting to go back to a newly reestablished Kingdom. He took time to talk to as many as he could before going back to Moiraine. She would understand, she knew how important and also wonderful that was./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He was ready to share his excitement, riding Mandarb in a jolly canter, but only a short time was needed to see something was wrong. He knew her and she was almost too still. Something above the Aes Sendai calm./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Lan missed their bond in times like that. Her eyes looked on, everyone else would think she was just bored. He knew better. He's seen Moiraine afraid, really afraid, a few times./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""Moiraine?" He was careful to speak slowly and softly, before touching her arm. Light, he was glad he didn't leave Mandarb in the stable. He could move right to Aldieb's side now and touch Moraine's spine to get her back to reality. Rigid muscles didn't want to yield for a long time and he had time to look where she was looking. It was nothing special – just an army marching towards the city. Just like on the fields just before the Last Battle. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"Last Battle... Was it possible that an army might freak Moiraine out this much? The answer seemed obvious, when her back muscles loosened after the army moved left and started looking just like a sea of migrants that they were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB""May we go back now?" His heart broke a little, hearing her so unsure, so broken. With how her hands clamped on the reins, he doubted she would get to the palace on her own. "Please?" He heard the pleading whisper and reached for Aldieb's reins to guide her back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-GB"He needed to get her to Thom post haste and alert him and Nynaeve of the accident. Seeing an army was a trigger. Light, what else could be one?/span/p