Writer note:
To all my readers: Buckle up. This story will be a long one again. I have 22 chapters written already, and I'm not even nearly close to being done with this story.
There will be smut chapters, but I will warn you at the beginning of those chapters so you can decide to skip them.
Moiraine is careless and runs into someone she shouldn't have.
The sun stood high above Falme, making everyone sweat. The city still tried to recover from the Seanchan. The invaders had disappeared thanks to the help of the Whitecloaks, but now the Whitecloaks had taken over the city.
Countless people had been injured during the attack and were in need of medical attention. But the Whitecloaks were more interested in finding every Seanchan who hid in the city. Additionally, they searched for Aes Sedai and the Dragon Reborn.
Since the big fire dragon had appeared over Falme – announcing Rand as the Dragon Reborn – the young man from the Two Rivers had to stay hidden, barely getting outside. Luckily, he wasn't alone because Perrin kept him company. The former blacksmith had angered one of the Whitecloaks, and now they were after him. It even seemed they were more interested in Perrin than in Rand.
Slowly, Moiraine walked through the streets, carefully observing everything around her. A few days ago, she and Lan had reached Falme after the battles had been over. It had taken quite a while until they found Rand in the chaos. But the most disturbing part had been when they realized all five Emond's Fielder were in Falme. Min's words had rung in Moiraine's ears that all of them were connected somehow.
They didn't have much time to coordinate before the Whitecloaks took over the city. Every way out of the city was blocked by the Children of the Light. Lan had tried multiple times to find a way out of the city but always returned with no good news.
Anxiously, Moiraine waited day by day for their enemies to leave the city. If they didn't disappear soon, it was possible the White Tower would send Sisters to Falme. Since Siuan had changed their plan regarding the Dragon Reborn, Moiraine couldn't risk an encounter with her Sisters.
Would Siuan risk going to Falme herself? Was she even strong enough for the journey? The woman of the Blue Ajah could only hope her lover had been found and healed. Alanna and Verin had known about their destination, but Moiraine wondered if they dared to stay in Cairhien. Verin had tricked Leane to free Rand and the Blue Sister. It would do her no good if she stayed. Siuan would have to punish her for going against the Amyrlin's wishes.
And Alanna? How much did she really know? How much did Lan tell her? Could she pretend she heard about Moiraine's plan but couldn't stop her? No. If a Sister decided to dig deeper into her story, Alanna couldn't lie about her involvement. She had to-
Moiraine's thoughts came abruptly to an end when she collided with another person. Because of the impact, the Aes Sedai stumbled backward, then landed on her butt. Pain moved through her body, and she grimaced. Small stones pierced her palms and her butt. At least the latter was protected by her dress, yet the fall didn't go smoothly.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Surprised, the Aes Sedai lifted her head when she heard the angry male voice. They both hadn't checked… Immediately, she closed her mouth when she noticed the white clothes, the shiny cloak, and the golden sun on the chest of the two men before her. She had run into a Whitecloak!
"Can't you speak, woman?"
Quickly, Moiraine kneeled and bowed her head. For days, she avoided the Children of the Light, and now, she ran into one because she didn't pay attention to her path.
"Forgive me, Sir. I wasn't paying attention. It won't happen again."
Ignore me and keep moving, idiot.
Sadly, the man didn't intend to let her slip. "Stand up!" When Moiraine hesitated, the Whitecloak grabbed her by the throat, pulling her to her feet. "I said, stand up!"
The Cairhien woman couldn't stop herself from grabbing his hand, trying to loosen his grip so she could breathe properly again.
"I don't believe I remember seeing you at the camp. Have you been questioned by Child Bornhald or Child Valda yet?"
Now, Moiraine was glad the man strangled her. This way, she couldn't answer him. A fact, the Whitecloak didn't realize. Instead, he continued with his questions.
"Have you seen the man who calls himself the Dragon Reborn?"
"Everyone saw him," Moiraine breathed. "It's hard… not to see… a gigantic… fire dragon."
"I don't talk about the creature one of those witches has created!" The man who choked her shook her in frustration. "I talk about the man who thinks he can use magic like the bloody Aes Sedai! Have you seen him?!"
Moiraine's thoughts were running. Blood and ashes! She needed to end that conversation before those men asked her about Rand's whereabouts. The First Oath kept her from lying!
"On that day… I saw him… after the battle… was over."
Cursing, the Whitecloak stepped closer, bringing their faces together. Moiraine wanted to cough when she smelled the wine. He must have drunk not long ago. But she couldn't even turn her head away.
"I want a simple 'Yes' or 'No', woman! And you better hurry before I lose my patience and bring you to Child Valda myself!"
"I saw him," Moiraine croaked.
"Where is he? Where is he hiding?!"
"Days ago," the Aes Sedai managed to say. Light, she needed air! When would that idiot let go of her?
"Days ago?! We don't want to know where he had been days ago! We need to know where he is now!"
Black spots appeared before Moiraine's eyes. In his anger, the Whitecloak tightened his grip on her, making it impossible for her to breathe. How long would it take for her to collapse?
"Alys!"
A familiar male voice moved through the darkness. Where had she heard it before? Was he there to help her?
"Greetings, Sir. I hope my wife didn't bother you?"
Wife? She wasn't married! But Moiraine couldn't protest. The darkness pulled at her while the sound of her running blood became louder in her ears. Only snippets of the Whitecloak's answer reached her ears.
"… wife?... ran… me… admitted… seeing… Reborn."
"… forgive… Sir… gets… thoughts… I keep… eye… but… slips… fingers."
Suddenly, the Whitecloak let go of her. Immediately, Moiraine's legs gave way, then an arm wrapped around her back to steady her, keeping her from hitting her head painfully. Gasping, Moiraine pulled as much air as possible into her lungs.
Finally, her vision cleared, and she recognized the warm presence beside her, as well as the familiar smell. Lan had found her, saving her from the Whitecloak. Would he be able to convince the man to let them go?
Her body protested when Lan pulled her back on her feet. They weren't strong enough to carry her. Luckily, Lan seemed aware of her momentarily weakness. His arm around her waist kept her upright, just like his hand on her arm.
"Apologize, Alys."
Anger rolled through Moiraine at Lan's demand, and she ensured he felt it through the bond. However, she put on a polite smile and bowed respectfully. "Forgive me my clumsiness, Sir."
The Whitecloak growled, turning his attention toward Lan. "Have you seen the Dragon Reborn?"
"I don't think anyone has seen him since he appeared on that tower, Sir. It seems like he went into hiding."
An agreeing humming was the only response to Lan's words. Suddenly, the other Whitecloak joined the interrogation. "What about the blacksmith?"
Lan furrowed his forehead in confusion. "You search for a blacksmith? I believe there is one a few streets-"
"Not a blacksmith from Falme! We search for a foreigner. Apparently, he came from the Two Rivers."
"The… Two Rivers?" Moiraine could hear how Lan played dumb as if he had never heard of the little village before. "Can't say I have heard of that city before." Luckily, Lan wasn't bound by the First Oath, unlike Moiraine. "Is it close to Falme?"
The Children of the Light sighed heavily, then shook their heads in disappointment. "Never mind." The second man gave Moiraine's assaulter a gentle nudge on the back. "Come on, man. They don't know anything." He started to walk away without saying another word.
Sadly, Moiraine's assaulter wasn't satisfied with the situation. He grabbed Moiraine's chin, pulling it up until he could look her in the eye. The woman of the Blue Ajah forced herself to remain calm. They would never get rid of them if she gave them a reason to investigate further.
Lan's fingers dug into her arm and waist, and she felt his own anger through the bond. The Malkieri didn't like the Whitecloak's fingers on her and had to fight against all his instincts not to hurt the man before him.
"Don't let your wife run around without your supervision. One day, she'll end up with someone who won't be as nice as I am." Moiraine gritted her teeth. Nice? That man had choked her! "Maybe a disciplining will help her to remember listening to her husband." The Whitecloak grinned wickedly. "A burning butt is always a good reminder not to forget something important again."
"That's an excellent idea, Sir." It became harder for Lan to keep his calm. Moiraine could hear the biting tone in his voice. Her Warder was close to strangling the man before her. "I will see to it once we're back at home."
Luckily, the man from the Children of the Light didn't notice Lan's anger. Satisfied, he nodded, then released Moiraine.
Both Moiraine and Lan bowed respectfully. "Light be with you, Sir."
The Whitecloak snorted, then turned and followed his brother. He didn't look back once.
"Come, wife." This time, Lan didn't try to hide his anger. He didn't care what the other citizens thought about his reaction – if he was angry at the Whitecloak or his wife for putting him in such an embarrassing situation. Light, not even Moiraine could tell right now what angered him more.
The uncrowned king of Malkier guided the Cairhien woman through the crowd. Luckily, her feet carried her again, though they couldn't keep up with Lan's pace. She stumbled after him more than actually walking.
Once they had brought a distance between themselves and the Whitecloaks, Lan pulled Moiraine into a narrow dark alley between two houses, pressing her against the wall with his body. His body trembled from the suppressed anger while his hands tilted her head back to examine the damage the Whitecloak's fingers had left on her skin.
"I'll be alright," Moiraine whispered, but her words didn't stop Lan from slowing down.
"Where else did he touch you before I arrived?" Blood and ashes! The man was angry.
"Nowhere."
"I felt your pain!" Lan growled. "And that was before you almost blacked out because that scumbag strangled you!"
"I fell after I crashed into him, and the stones poked my hands."
Immediately, Lan's attention turned to her hands, examining them thoroughly. There were no stones left – or an actual injury – but the Malkieri ensured he didn't miss anything.
"My butt hit the ground, too. Do you want to examine it next?" The Aes Sedai mocked her Warder in a playful tone.
But Lan wasn't in the mood for jokes. When he realized Moiraine's hands weren't damaged, he let go of her, leaning against the opposite wall with his back and closing his eyes. The man from the Borderlands fought hard to control his anger.
"Lan." Moiraine kept her voice gentle when she reached out for him.
"Don't."
She wasn't sure what he wanted her to stop and decided it wasn't important. She would ignore it either way. "Lan." Gently, she reached out for him, placing her hands on his chest.
"I failed you."
"Don't be silly. You didn't fail me."
"Apparently, I keep repeating my mistakes, though I had sworn myself not to."
"Lan." The Cairhien woman cupped his face in his hands, but the Malkieri refused to look at her. "What are you talking about? What mistakes do you repeat?"
"I failed you in Fal Dara, then in Tifan's Well, and now, I can add Falme to the list."
I'm still your Warder.
No, you failed me. Without Verin and Adeleas, I would be dead.
Guilt rushed through Moiraine's veins. Light, that night would haunt her forever! The words she said to the Malkieri…
"Oh, Lan."
"I wanted to do better. I swore myself to protect you – to prove I'm worthy to be your Warder – and the only thing I proved is that I'm not there when you need me the most."
Moiraine swallowed hard. As if the man had to prove anything to her! Over and over again, he had saved her life. How could he doubt being worthy of her? It was her who wasn't worthy of him and his protection. Not after what she had done to him to push him away.
"It was my mistake running into that Whitecloak, not yours. I was lost in my thoughts instead of paying attention to where I walked. This isn't on you, my friend."
"He almost killed you."
Finally, Lan opened his eyes. There was so much pain and desperation in them. It broke Moiraine's heart to see him like that.
"It wasn't your fault," she whispered, but Lan shook his head.
"I'm your Warder. I should-"
Immediately, the woman of the Blue Ajah interrupted him. "You got us something to eat. It was my decision to leave your side and start walking. You can't be at two places simultaneously."
Lan's fingers grabbed Moiraine's hip, pulling her close against his body. Their foreheads touched like they had at the beach during their re-bonding.
"I don't want to fail you again."
"You don't. You…." Frustrated, the Aes Sedai licked her lips. How could she explain that terrible night to her Warder? "When I told you you failed me before I left you with Alanna, I looked at the situation as an Aes Sedai."
Confused, the Warder furrowed his forehead. Her words made no sense, and she knew it. It wasn't easy to find the right words for what she had done.
"An Aes Sedai would've said that her Warder had failed to protect her against the three Fades. But this is not what I, Moiraine, believe. You, a'Lan Mandragoran, haven't failed me – not once in all those twenty years."
Lan opened his mouth to protest, but Moiraine cut him off before one word could leave his lips. "Never. Do you hear me? There was never a situation where I thought you failed me."
Sighing, the uncrowned king of Malkier pulled her closer. Hope glimmered in the bond – hope that her words were the truth.
"I thought about that night so many times, trying to find a hidden message in your words. Something I missed the first time. Sadly, your words cut deeper the more often I thought about them."
Moiraine's eyes burned when she felt tears coming up. "There was no hidden message. I chose my words so they would hurt you the most. It was the only way I could think about saving you. I didn't want you to go down with me."
"I would go anywhere with you," Lan whispered.
"And that was exactly what I didn't want."
Lan opened his mouth, then a scream made them both wince. Playing children passed the alley, reminding the pair that an alley wasn't the best place to talk about their complicated situation.
"We should continue that conversation once we're back at our hut," Lan suggested. "Tonight?"
The Cairhien woman's throat felt tight. She didn't know if she was ready to explain everything, what she had done the past six months. "We'll see."
Of course, the Malkieri noticed her careful choice of words. He was bonded to her long enough to listen carefully to what she was saying. For a moment, it seemed like he wanted to protest, then he sighed and nodded. He wouldn't push her.
A wave of love and admiration for the man before her rolled through the bond. Moiraine was so thankful to have him back in her life. Everything had felt different without the bond and Lan's presence in her head. But more importantly, she had felt lonely. Although the man had been with her in Tifan's Well, it hadn't been the same. And once she left him with Alanna, the feeling had gotten worse.
"We should go," Lan said. "Because of the Whitecloaks were already late."
"Right." Reluctantly, Moiraine stepped back, feeling the resistance in Lan's hands when she tried to free herself. He didn't want to let go of her, just like she didn't want to be separated from him. "We don't want to anger Nynaeve, or else she might think we don't take our assignments seriously."
"Moiraine," Lan sighed in an annoyed tone.
The Aes Sedai knew the man was tired of mediating between her and the young Wisdom. So, she bit her tongue and stepped back on the crowded street of Falme.
"Shall we?"
Moiraine didn't wait for an answer, nor did she wait for Lan to follow her. Her Warder would catch up with her quickly. A long day lay ahead of them with a certain Wisdom giving the orders.
As expected, Lan caught up with Moiraine before she had made more than three steps, silently accompanying her through the streets. It was time to finally find a way out of that city before the situation with the Whitecloaks turned south. Well, that and Moiraine didn't know for how much longer she could stay calm while working with Nynaeve. The moment when they both would explode got closer with every passing day.