The only reason Moiraine agreed to stay in the room and bed assigned to her was the warmth she felt through the bond. Lan was alive and getting better. Under Setagana's watchful eye, no doubt. She has met Setagana on several occasions when she was just an Accepted. Anaiya has been bonded to him for years now and so he was a frequent visitor to the Tower. One of the very coveted warriors and companions, if Alanna was to be believed. And he and Lan certainly hit it off right away when Moiraine visited the Tower a year or so ago. Lan was happy to end up with the older man.
The other consideration was Lan's irritation when she tried to move the second day after the healing. She had muted the bond promptly, seeing how everything still hurt. She was not fast enough and felt him admonish her, getting up himself. Days blurred in her mind with sleeping almost all the time, getting up with Anaiya's help only to use the bathroom and eat. And she ate a lot, such was the case with serious healing. Her Aes Sedai sister left some things as they were to heal naturally on their own. It was safer for her. Moiraine knew enough about healing to ascertain how bad she was before it. Lan brought her here at the last possible moment, it seemed. Her fault, she must have made a mistake.
As soon as she was able to stay awake the whole morning, Anaiya released her to do whatever she felt comfortable with.
"Just remember to observe if everything is normal," the older sister said before leaving her alone. "Keep track of the wound if the stain is completely gone. If it stays that way."
"I'm sure you've dealt with it all." Moiraine had a great admiration for Anaiya. There surely was nothing that the woman could miss. "You've been doing it for some time and I've heard many yellows musing you should have chosen their Ajah."
"The young ones and their trust in a good outcome," Anaiya said with irony. "Be sure to rest a lot in the coming days. Your body still needs to regain its strength."
And with that Moiraine was left alone with her outer garments ready had she needed them. Walking around the room was fine, but the stairs down to the communal area of the small inn took a lot out of her. A voluptuous woman moved seeing her and curtsied.
"Good morning, my lady," she said, looking at Moiraine's hand. "I hope your rest was comfortable. Do you need anything? I can bring whatever you need straight to your room." She motioned for the man that stood by the oak counter, cleaning glasses. He almost ran to them, also looking with awe to her hand. Moiraine flexed her fingers, testing how fast she could channel if needed, but felt the small constraint to her finger. Her Aes Sedai ring. Int must have been what provoked all the strange behaviour.
"Thank you," she said, plastering a smile to her face, hoping to put them at ease. "I will come to you if I need for something." The woman curtsied again and froze. Onlyl a small
push from the man got her going towards the occupied part of the common room. "Can you point me to the stables?"
"Do you need your man, Aes Sedai?" he asked, cleaning his hands on his apron. "I can send somebody to get him for you."
Moiraine kept her smile in place, but she would want nothing more that everyone not to treat her like an invalid. "Just tell me where to go," she said, managing to still hide her irritation.
She should have known no Blue would choose a subpar establishment for a longer stay. Rooms she were given were clean and well prepared. The same could be said about the inside yard and the stable itself. Most space was taken by simple stalls where horses stood tied, but there were also several large, walled ones farther inside, which would give horses kept there more privacy. The smell, well, she remembered it from the royal stables when she used to sneak out and visit her pony in the Sun Palace – fresh straw and lots of hay, even for the scrappier looking animals. Good, she was glad their horses stayed in a place like that.
Horses… She took a deep breath and her feet finally moved her through. Her head snapped from left to right, her eyes looking for familiar horses. She heard one of them didn't make it, but maybe they were wrong.
It was in the last big stall, a little removed from the other occupied space, that she spied a familiar grey mane and soon two bright, active eyes were looking at her over the top of wooden fence.
"Aldieb…" she whispered, opening the latch and almost melting into the mare's velvety side. "My pretty lady. I'm so, so happy to see you alright." She knew she should move and check her over, but it was too much for the moment and she decided to give herself time to enjoy it. "You must have been so brave. And you were so clever to follow us here."
Little grey mare snorted and turned, pushing Moiraine a little, checking the bucket left in the corner, then pawed at it with her hoof. Moiraine looked inside, where not even one grain remained. The walls were licked clean, though, signalling a recent and full meal.
"Only hay for you, for now, my friend," Moiraine said. "You can't eat too much at once. You don't want to be sick, do you."
"You don't want it too, my lady."
Moiraine didn't notice the older woman, who stopped at the entrance. She smiled and turned.
"No, I don't. Thank you for making sure I'm alright." It was not a lie. She didn't say she was grateful. "I'm sure you're much more needed elsewhere. I will be fine on my own."
The woman didn't move. After a moment of silence Moiraine sat down on a conveniently for her placed small bench by the stall.
"What's your name?" she asked the woman. "Have you been working here long?"
"Anaiya Sedai has been coming here for years. We've been working together since her first visit."
Moiraine smiled. She felt suddenly too tired to move and get up. She could barely close the gate to Aldieb's stall now that she knew she would not do more with her.
"Will you get me something to drink?"
The older woman left after nodding gracefully and Moiraine was once again left alone to her own thoughts. And to catch a breath she had a problem with, but until now covered it extremely well. She had to rest her back and head against the stall wall. She was far from happy about that, but with how bad she probably still was, she had to just let it be. She was still recovering, she reminded herself. Healing took a lot in the best of circumstances, and this was far from perfect. So much on her mind, for one. And so much trauma of being near death.
Where was Lan, she wondered. She could feel him still. He was fine, but not happy. She could relate. As much time to as getting Cat Dancer to even accept her near took, she had learnt to like him even. He was a good horse and Aldieb liked him. Now they would never disagree again. She would never again attempt to gain his favour.
Aldieb nudged her with her nose and Moiraine almost dropped on the ground. She tried to get up, but her muscles were not yet ready, it seemed. She needed another minute of rest.
She closed her eyes just for a moment. The next thing she new she was in her bed in the inn with Lan sitting by her side, cleaning his muddy boots.
"You shouldn't have gone out without me," he said without looking at her. "I've found you passed out in the stall. You were lucky Aldieb is so gentle. Not every horse would give you your space. Especially since you've lain on her hay."
"I'm sorry about Cat Dancer."
"He served well." Lan nodded. She wondered how far his stone expression went. Would she ever get to see him loose it? "I just hope my new ride can at least get half as good. With time."