PoV Moiraine
This was one of the most leisurely journeys Moiraine has undertaken in last few years. They are barely making twenty to twenty five miles a day. They start only when the sun has fully risen, they stop an hour before the sun has fully set, they make stops at every village they come across on their way, they have plenty of variety in their diet.
And all of it is making Moiraine very restless.
Thom Merrilin is trying his very best to keep them engaged and entertained, it seems to be helping Owyn immensely, the young man is undoubtedly still very much depressed, but between Thom's stories and songs, Lan's teaching him the sword, and Cien doing her very best to exhaust him before letting him sleep every night, it certainly seemed like Owyn is too distracted to try and kill himself.
Not that all that sex happening a few yards from them hasn't made things awkward in the beginning for Lan, Thom and Moiraine, but after a month, they got used to it.
Keep telling yourself that.
They have ten more days to go before reaching Stedding Tsofu at the pace they are going.
Moiraine used Saidar heated water to clean her face, took out her travel mirror and looked how well her Saidar woven Disguise held up, it was fine, but she pulled the knot free and the Weave dissolve anyway and rewove the Disguise.
Her natural dark hair became blond, her natural dark eyes became blue and her face gained crow's feet and laugh-lines. She looked an Andoran woman in the later half of her thirties, if a bit shorter than usual.
She called Lan in and gave him a once over, his Disguise too still held, but she redid it anyway, Lan's Hadori disappeared from sight, which he is still not happy about, after a month! Well fine, I know how important it is to him, to wear it and to be seen wearing it, but needs must. Lan's dark hair became greying blond to match Thom Merrilin's hair, his icy blue eyes darkened to more bright blue and the hard planes of his face are bit softened and gained lines to make him look a man in his early forties.
Saidar used to make Disguise is so miniscule it took barely took more than what it takes to light a campfire and an Aes Sedai needs to be at arms length to even feel the tied off Weave.
The others got a few tweaks to their appearance too, Thom Merrilin under much protest shaved off his moustaches, and got a new haircut alongside Owyn.
And Moiraine borrowed the Wisdoms surname, they are the Barrans, going by Alys and Andra for Moiraine and Lan, Tam and Ewen for Thom and Owyn. Their story is that they are on their way to visit family in Cairhein. Moiraine let Thom do most of the talking, and he was very good at it, he always learnt far more than others thought they were telling him and he gave away far less than they thought they were getting. And he always ended every conversation amiably and the left the other party with a smile on their face.
After making sure everyone looked their part, they got on with the day's journey.
Just as they began, Siuan sent, "Cadsuane Melaidhrin is here. And she has Elaida with her."
Moiraine jolted before she could stop herself, her last encounter that woman left an impression.
"Oh, I wonder how she got there so fast. I always assumed she has Eyes and Ears in the Tower to keep her informed, but she has 'retired' to northern Ghealdan last I heard. Even if she heard the news of events in Caemlyn the day they happened, and heard of the troubles in Tower that started a week after, she had to have been at least thousand miles from Tar Valon, if she was anywhere in Ghealdan, and even if she started out the day troubles in the Tower started, three weeks is too short a time for her to have found Elaida and come to the Tower", Moiraine sent.
"Who cares how she got here! She is here with Elaida and she is striding towards the Hall of the Tower!", Siuan sent with obvious anxiety.
And that anxiety struck Moiraine and it reframed something in her head.
Siuan is anxious about Cadsuane being there because she is invested in what happens, she was near panicked about raising tensions between Ajahs because she cares about the White Tower and its well being, and I don't, at least not as much as Siuan does, not as much as I used to.
I care about the White Tower being there to support the Dragon Reborn, I care about purging Black Ajah from the White Tower, but I don't care about maintaining White Towers power or influence, as I demonstrated by orchestrating fall of Elaida so publicly and indirectly tarnished Tower's image, with the exception of few Sisters I still consider friends and Siuan, I don't much care about other Aes Sedai.
Huh, did I really grow that distant from the White Tower or spending time around a Ta'veren has rearranged my priorities?
Something to ponder later, Moiraine, Siuan is still talking.
"Now she rammed the doors to the Hall open and shut them behind her and Elaida with Saidar", Siuan sent, her anxiety tamped down, but still present.
"Siuan, get out of there!", Moiraine sent.
"What? Why?", Moiraine could feel Siuan's almost spluttering.
"That woman is too interested in what I have been up-to five years ago and I doubt her curiosity has been sated. And she knows how close we are, I doubt she is so quick to dismiss our closeness as other Sisters and no doubt she already noted your presence, make yourself as scarce as you can while she is there", Moiraine answered.
"I can't", Moiraine can feel Siuan's building misery as she continued, "There are now about fifty sisters and growing, crowding the doors of the Hall. And I am in the front row, if I try to move away now, everyone of them will make a note of it and wonder why?"
Moiraine exhaled sharply and sent, "Fine, extricate yourself as soon as you can without raising any eyebrows. And if that woman manages to corner you, answer as straightforwardly as you can. She likes Sisters with a backbone, but she likes getting her own way more. You need to walk a careful line with her, be respectful without being servile, she will test you, stand your ground without arrogance or pride. Be careful with her, I know we once suspected her of being Black, and looking back we jumped to that suspicion a bit too quickly, but I am still not completely sure she isn't, so be careful and get your Angreal from your room as soon as you can and keep it close."
"I will", Siuan promised, and Moiraine felt another jolt of surprise from Siuan and she said, "The doors to the Hall opened again and the youngest Sitter crossed the Warding against Eavesdropping Weave and sent one of Red Sisters standing around to summon Galina Casban to the Hall."
Siuan stayed silent after that for another hour, which became two, then she finally broke the silence, "Galina is nowhere to be found, apparently. The Hall ended today's session. Cadsuane still has Elaida with her and they went towards Green Ajah quarters. I will try to find out what happened in there. And what Galina has to do with it all."
"Stay safe, Siuan. And remember to keep your Angreal close", Moiraine reminded Siuan again.
Siuan answered with a perfunctory, "I will" and Moiraine could feel her focus shifting away
As Moiraine returned more of her focus to her surroundings, she caught a speculative look on Thom Merrilin's face before he smoothly turned that speculative look to a benign smile and returned to a conversation he was apparently in the middle of with his nephew.
That man is too perceptive for me to lose my focus around him.