Moiraine leaned against the wall and watched how the Ogier's fingers were moving over the Guiding Stone, while he mumbled to himself. At least, that's what the others were seeing.

In truth, she wasn't even seeing what was in front of her. Her mind had drifted off and was caught in her memories.

"Perhaps it is your noble blood, Lady Moiraine Damodred, that breeds contempt for those you consider beneath you."

"What were you thinking? I'm on a knife's edge here, and that… that display you forced me to put on has made everything we're trying to do much hard… Don't smile. Skin me and salt me, if you don't take idiotic risks."

"You are exiled from this tower."

"Swear your oath, Moiraine Sedai. Before your sisters, in this sacred hall."

"Stop." Moiraine blinked when a familiar voice ripped her from her memories. Lan stood in front of her. When had he stepped in front of her? How long was he already standing there? Had the Emond's Fielder noticed as well?

There was worry in Lan's eyes. Obviously, he must have felt how much the memories had hurt her. Quickly, Moiraine moved her head aside before he could see anything in them. Her eyes wandered over their sleeping companions. At least, none of them had noticed what she had been thinking about.

Lan's calloused hand cupped her cheek. Immediately, Moiraine leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. It felt so good to know that he was by her side. She may have lost her place in Tar Valon and Siuan, but Lan was always there for her. He was her safe haven, her rock, her home.

Gently, Lan pulled her face back to him. "Look at me." His voice was soft, while his thumb was stroking over her cheek.

Moiraine bit down on her lower lip. She didn't want him to see. Wasn't it enough that he had already felt her pain? What could he possibly see that he didn't already feel through the bond?

Lan's forehead met hers. "Moiraine.", he whispered softly. His warm breath on her lips made her shiver, and she inhaled involuntarily. Blood and ashes! This insufferable man knew how to get under her skin. "Look at me."

Fluttering her eyelids opened. She couldn't deny him such a simple request. Lan smiled at his success. "There you are."

There was so much love in his eyes that it warmed Moiraine's heart. One look in Lan's eyes, and suddenly, the pain of the memories was gone. A smile appeared on her own lips. Lan was one of the two people, who were able to make her smile like no one else could. An honest smile.

"What is it?"

Moiraine opened her mouth, but no words came out. How should she explain it to him? That he was everything to her? That he meant the world to her? How thankful she was to have this man by her side. Even when she had nothing, she had Lan.

The Warder pulled back in confusion since he couldn't address her feelings. But Moiraine wanted him close. No, she needed him close! The Emond's Fielder were asleep, and Loial was occupied with the Guiding Stone.

Her arms moved around his waist and pulled him close. She leaned her forehead against his chest and inhaled his unique scent. This was her Lan. This was what she had needed since she had left the Hall of the Tower. Since Siuan had exiled her from the White Tower. Maybe she should have allowed him to stand in the Hall with her. But he had to gather Nynaeve, Rand, and Mat to bring them to the Waygate.

The woman of the Blue Ajah flinched when she felt Lan's fingers in her hair, but relaxed in the next moment. His other hand rubbed slow circles on her neck. "You don't have to shoulder everything alone, you know? We're in this together."

"I know."

"And still you don't talk to me."

"Says the man, who barely says a word."

"I talk to you."

Moiraine chuckled. Her Warder was complaining about her not talking? They both belonged to the silent type. Most of the time, they communicated through gazes or their emotions, which was driving everyone else crazy. Especially, Siuan hated their quiet conversations since she couldn't join them.

The Aes Sedai smiled when she remembered how Siuan had started to throw food at them once when Moiraine and Lan had had a disagreement about something. The poor woman had tried hard to find a subject, which would distract them, but nothing had worked until the first apple hit Lan's chest. In the end, Lan had left the room to 'check on the horses'. Siuan had been furious with them until Moiraine had finally started to talk to her.

"Would you enlighten me on what's amusing you? Did I say something wrong?"

"I just remembered how… SHE once threw an apple at you because we didn't talk to her."

Another smile appeared on Lan's lips when he remembered the moment as well. "We had a fight about whether we should tell her about your injury or not."

"She was furious."

"To be honest, she was doing all the talking. I didn't say a word and neither did you."

"I talked to her after you had left the room."

"You did? What did you talk about?"

Moiraine lifted her head, while she was thinking. But she couldn't remember what she had said to her best friend. "I don't know. Probably about our travels. Which cities we had seen and how many children we had visited."

"Did you talk before or after she…?"

"Lan!", Moiraine hissed, and her Warder chuckled.

Behind them, they heard how Loial groaned in frustration. Surprised, they both released each other and moved closer to the Ogier.

"Are you alright, builder?", Moiraine asked.

Loial, who was studying the Guiding Stone for hours now, turned his head to the Aes Sedai and her Warder. "I apologize, Moiraine Sedai. I'm afraid it is harder than it looks to decipher the letters."

"I understand. Take your time. We need to know where to go or else we will be lost in the Ways."

The Ogier nodded tiredly then he went back to his studies. Lan grabbed Moiraine's arm and pulled her back gently until Loial wasn't able to hear them anymore.

"He will need a few hours at least. Why don't you lay down and get some rest?"

"I can…"

"You barely slept last night. That's hardly enough to keep going for days."

"So did you. You stood watch in front of my door the whole night. So, you had what? Two, maybe three, hours of sleep until we prepared for our departure?"

Lan raised his eyebrow at her. "I'm not the one, who has to do the channeling. You need your strength, Moiraine."

She didn't answer. Instead, she stared at him, but Lan was just as stubborn as she was. He met her gaze calmly and held it with barely blinking. Finally, she gave up and turned her head away. The Warder felt that she wanted to prove that she didn't need sleep, so he grabbed both her arms to get her attention. His eyes were soft when he begged: "Please, Moiraine. Rest. Just for a few hours. There's nothing you can do right now."

The woman of the Blue Ajah hesitated but didn't meet his eyes. It was always hard for her to deny him something when he was begging since Lan was rarely begging for anything.

Lan, who felt her uncertainty, pulled her into a tight embrace. "There is no need for both of us to lack sleep. I wake you if it should be necessary."

"And you think that I can sleep here? In the Ways? While someone is following us?"

"I'll stay with you until you're asleep."

Moiraine didn't look convinced when Lan pulled her back to the stone wall, she had been leaning on earlier. But she followed his instructions and lay down. Lan moved the saddlebags until she was able to use them as a pillow, while he was sitting beside her.

His Aes Sedai reached out her hand for his, and the Warder intertwined his fingers with hers. In the meantime, the fingers of his other hand moved softly over her dark brown locks. He knew that this small gesture was always calming her nerves. "Sleep. I'll protect you."

"Our companions…"

"I'll protect them as well. Stop worrying. Leave it to me. I won't lose them again."

"I know.", Moiraine mumbled with closed eyes. She was really tired, and Lan's rhythmic movements over her hair allowed sleep to take over.

Smiling, Lan observed how Moiraine's breathing became deeper and calmer until she was fully asleep. He was relieved that he had won this argument. But he was even more content that he had been able to distract her from those terrible memories, which had bothered her. He knew how hard it had been for her to be exiled from the White Tower. While she had been in the Hall, he and Nynaeve had left the Tower behind them to gather the boys.

Lan remembered the moment when the oath had been laid on Moiraine and how much it had hurt her emotionally. For a moment, he had been tempted to turn around. He had thought about running back to her. To stand beside her against her sisters. To help her through this. But he couldn't do it. She had given him an order, which he had seen through until he had seen her again at the Waygate. But it had been a tough moment for him.

The Warder brought Moiraine's hand to his lips and kissed her fingers softly. He wouldn't leave her side again. They would go this way together.

Neither the Warder nor the Aes Sedai had noticed that Nynaeve hadn't been sleeping all this time. The Wisdom had watched the pair through her almost closed eyes from the moment Lan had interrupted Moiraine's thoughts. And even now, she was observing Lan's actions while she felt jealousy rushing through her veins. How much she wished that Lan would sit beside her. That he would hold and kiss her hand while stroking her hair. She didn't know if she would be able to sleep with him doing this, but she didn't care. The feeling would be incredible.

Angry, Nynaeve bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, but she couldn't banish the picture from her eyes. Oh, how much she envied Moiraine for having Lan's attention. `One day. One day, he will do it for me.´

When Lan left Moiraine's side to guard their little camp, Nynaeve was finally asleep as well.