Lia is still convinced that the Whitecloaks are trying to kill her. Is she right? Can Moiraine protect her?
I don't know if it's necessary, but I'd rather warn too much than too little. So, trigger warning! Character death! Poisoning!
I hope you won't be mad about my decision.
Once Moiraine was done with emptying the chamber pots, she wished she could take a bath. Her skin was itching, though she hadn't come in contact with the content of the pots.
Since bathing wasn't an option, the Cairhien woman washed her hands a few times with soap. At least this way, she felt a little better, and her skin wasn't itching so terribly anymore.
Nynaeve seemed pleased with the result and allowed Moiraine to choose her next task. When Moiraine announced she would bring Lia tea and food, sighs of relief escaped the other helper's lips. They had busied themselves with every task they could find so they wouldn't have to deal with Lia.
Of course, the young woman of the Two Rivers heard the sighs. Angrily, she snapped at them for being cowards. She couldn't understand why they were afraid of an old woman.
Satisfied, the Cairhien woman prepared everything, then carried the tea, a bowl of soup, and some bread to Lia. The old woman was already waiting for her.
"Finally. What took you so long?"
"Are you planning on going somewhere, Lia?" Moiraine asked, smiling. When would the Tairen woman understand that she couldn't scare her?
"The Whitecloaks closing in on me."
Sighing heavily, Moiraine sat on Lia's bed, placing the tray between them.
"Lia-"
"One of them sneaks around between the beds." Lia pointed at a Whitecloak who handed tea and soup to another patient. "It won't be long, then he will give me that poisoned cup, sending me straight to my ancestors."
"He isn't sneaking," Moiraine announced, picking up the tea. "He serves tea and soup – just like I do now. Do you want the tea, or do you believe I will poison you too?"
The gaze of the old woman fell on Moiraine's throat. Finally, she accepted the cup.
"You're not a Whitecloak, little fish."
"I'm glad you noticed."
Lia took a sip of her tea and sighed in relief. "Where is your cup?"
"I'll drink later."
"Where's the fun in drinking alone?"
"And here I thought people meant alcohol when they said that because it makes people act crazy."
The old woman snorted, then took another sip. "Don't you enjoy drinking your tea with another person rather than alone?"
Moiraine remembered how she had drunk tea alone after leaving Lan with Alanna. She had felt incredibly lonely, wishing for company. The tea had warmed her somehow, yet it hadn't been enough to ban the coldness from her loneliness out of her bones.
Worry rolled through the bond when Lan noticed the change in her mood. The woman of the Blue Ajah didn't know what her Warder was doing momentarily – nor did she know where exactly he was – but was thankful for having him back. Everything seemed so much easier and brighter since the moment the Malkieri's presence had returned to her. Quickly, she calmed his worries through the bond, letting him know she was in no danger.
"I do," Moiraine admitted, remembering how Lan knew exactly how to make her favorite tea. "I enjoy drinking tea with my…" She stopped immediately. Blood and ashes! She almost told Lia about her Warder! There was nothing more dangerous than telling a Tairen person about channeling and Warders – not even when that person had lived in Falme for decades. "… my travel companion. We were separated for a while, and I missed him."
A smug smile moved over Lia's lips. "Your travel companion, hm? I'm assuming we talk about the handsome guy who keeps a watchful eye on you whenever he works with the patients?"
Handsome guy? Oh light! It was a good thing Nynaeve wasn't here, hearing Lia talk like that about Lan. The young woman was already jealous of Moiraine. What would she do to the Tairen woman?
"Isn't he a little bit too young for you?"
"Isn't a woman allowed to admire? I'm old, not dead."
The Aes Sedai couldn't suppress a chuckle, then got back to her feet. "Alright. I'll leave you with your tea now."
Suddenly, Lia grabbed Moiraine's wrist, keeping her from leaving. "You can't leave."
"I have to. If I take another break while everyone works, Nynaeve will have my head."
"You're the only one that keeps the Whitecloak away."
"Lia. I told you-"
"Did you ask the other patients about the Whitecloaks?"
Sighing, Moiraine counted to ten before she responded calmly, "No, I didn't. But-"
"I'm not losing my mind. People are dying here and not because of natural causes. I need your help, little fish."
The look in Lia's eyes and the plea in her voice were enough for Moiraine to give up. She couldn't let that old woman live in fear, even though she was pretty sure there was no actual plan to kill Lia.
"Alright. You say the Whitecloaks don't approach you as long as I'm here?"
Lia snorted. "They're cowards. They would never kill us when others can see what they do or question them."
"Well, in that case, I ensure to bring you a cup of tea repeatedly. That should keep them at a distance."
The Tairen woman thought about Moiraine's words for a moment, then nodded. "Perhaps they can be fooled by it."
Smiling, the Aes Sedai placed Lia's hands around the warm cup. "It will work. Enjoy your breakfast, and I'll be back soon."
"Don't forget me, little fish."
"I won't."
Moiraine kept her promise. Over and over again, she brought Lia tea whenever she got a free minute. Not once did she notice a Whitecloak getting too close to the old woman, yet Lia insisted they were sneaking around. So, Moiraine continued to bring tea. She didn't care if Lia used the story about the Whitecloaks to have company. It had to be lonely lying in bed all day, not allowed to leave or do anything. And Lia's face always brightened whenever Moiraine arrived. She even insisted on the woman of the Blue Ajah bringing a cup for herself so they could enjoy the tea together.
At first, Moiraine had refused – not wanting to anger Nynaeve – but when the woman called her a coward because she seemed afraid of the young girl, the Cairhien woman started to bring two cups. She wasn't scared of the Wisdom and didn't want anyone to believe that.
The day went by, and then another patient was brought in. He had a terrible accident, and Nynaeve needed Moiraine and other helpers as support. The injured man was big and strong and fought against the women who tried to help him. Since they couldn't use Saidar to heal him, all hands were needed to ensure his survival.
The treatment went on for hours until he was finally sleeping, and Nynaeve was optimistic he could survive. All the helpers were exhausted, and it was almost time for them to go home. But first, they had to serve dinner to the patients.
Cursing, Moiraine realized she had forgotten to bring Lia her tea in the last few hours. She hoped the Tairen woman wouldn't be too mad about it. Quickly, she gathered a cup of tea, a bowl of soup, and some slices of bread, then made her way over to the probably grumpy patient.
When the Cairhien woman reached Lia, the older woman was lying in her bed, sleeping. Yet, she opened her eyes when Moiraine placed the tray beside her.
"Little fish." Her voice sounded quiet. Light! When did she drink something for the last time? Did no one look after her? "You're here."
"I couldn't come sooner. We had an emergency, and Nynaeve needed help."
"I heard."
Was the woman awake? She sounded like she was moving dangerously between waking and sleeping. Well, Moiraine had to check on her injury and change the bandage before Lia could eat her dinner. That would wake her surely.
"I'll have to look at your wound before we change the bandage. Do you think you can sit up for me?" While Moiraine was talking, she pulled out a box from under Lia's bed.
Every patient had a box under their bed with the necessary equipment for the helpers. That way, the helpers didn't need to carry everything through the entire hall.
"I hoped… you would come… before… it ends."
"What ends?" Moiraine asked absentmindedly while preparing everything.
"It's not… your fault… little fish…. Remember that."
Confused, the Cairhien woman lifted her head. "What is not my fault?"
"You helped… saving… another… life."
Finally, Moiraine realized how pale Lia looked. Her eyes were closed again, and her breathing was shallow. What was wrong with her?
"Lia?" She took the older woman's hand and hissed at the cold. Something was absolutely wrong! "Lia! Can you hear me?"
"I tried… to stay…. Wanted… to say… goodbye."
Cursing, the Aes Sedai pulled the blanket away. Was it the injury? Did the wound get infected without anyone noticing? But she checked on the wound last night, and it looked good. And Lia had felt good today. Not once did she mention any discomfort or pain to Moiraine whenever she brought a new cup of tea. What had changed in the last few hours?
"Couldn't… stop him…. Warn… the whirlwind… or more… people… die…."
There was no blood on the bandage. Moiraine ripped the bandage apart to reveal the healing injury. Everything looked like it should, except that Lia was terribly cold and her skin pale like she was close to death. Nothing indicated…
Suddenly, Moiraine lifted her head in alarm, grabbing Lia's arm. "Wait. Who couldn't you stop, Lia? Did someone give you some herbs?"
The older woman smiled weakly. "Told you… little fish…. They kill… us…." Lia touched Moiraine's hand weakly. "Thank you… for spend… spending… time… with me."
A cold shiver ran over Moiraine's back. They kill us. Had it been true? Did the Whitecloaks do that to Lia? Were they the reason why she was in such a bad condition?
"They? Are you talking about the Whitecloaks? What did they do to you? Lia?"
"It's good… to have you… with me… little fish…. Makes… things… easier…. I'm not… scared…. Not… anymore."
The hand of the older woman fell on the mattress. Shocked, Moiraine realized the woman lay very still. Was she even breathing?
"Lia? Lia!"
Cursing, she searched for a pulse, but there was none. Lia's body had given up.
"Alys? What is going on?"
Nynaeve appeared beside the Cairhien woman, but Moiraine couldn't care less at the moment. Quickly, she closed her eyes and embraced Saidar. She could still save Lia. With the help of Saidar, she could extract whatever the Whitecloaks had given her.
"Stop!"
The young woman from the Two Rivers grabbed Moiraine's shoulders painfully, pulling her away from the Tairen woman and ultimately breaking her connection to Saidar.
Snarling, the Aes Sedai faced the Wisdom. "Let go of me!"
"Are you out of your mind?! You can't use… 'it' in here! You promised to use herbs to help those people!"
"I need to help her before it's too late!"
Growling, Nynaeve pushed Moiraine out of the way, then kneeled beside the small bed to check on Lia. A shimmer of hope grew in Moiraine's chest. If she couldn't use Saidar, surely Nynaeve knew some ways to treat poison. They would….
But instead of helping, Nynaeve pulled the blanket over Lia's face and stood up. "I'm afraid it is already too late, Moiraine. She is gone."
Angrily, the woman of the Blue Ajah embraced Saidar again. She would save Lia. She had to! Pain rushed through the bond, and a part of her realized that Lan must have hurt himself somehow, but she couldn't focus on it now. If she didn't act quickly, it would be too late to save Lia.
But before she could start to weave, another pair of hands broke her connection to the One Power. "Don't." This time, it was Elayne who didn't let her continue. "You can't save everyone."
Everyone?! She didn't want to save everyone! – Just Lia! "Let go of me, Elayne."
"Not while you act like this." The daughter-heir knew exactly how to deal with her aunt and wasn't scared easily. "First, you need to see clearly again."
"I see clearly."
Elayne shook her head with a sad look on her face. "I'm sorry, but you're not." She stepped before her aunt, pointing at Lia's covered body. "You think about crossing a line for a stranger you met a few days ago. A line we all agreed not to cross to pull any unwanted attention on us."
"She doesn't deserve-"
"Shall we get Lan... I mean, Andra, to knock some sense into you?"
Moiraine narrowed her eyes dangerously on her niece. "Elayne." The girl was getting bold and didn't think about stopping. "Don't you dare-"
"I don't think he would be happy about your attempt. When you cross that line, you don't just put yourself in danger but him as well. You know he won't let anything happen to you."
"I try to save someone!" Moiraine hissed angrily. Why did no one understand?
"A stranger!" Elayne hissed back. "You try to save a stranger and put yourself, and all of us, in danger."
"She didn't deserve to die!"
"She was an old woman who lived her life. We all have to die eventually."
"Is everything alright?" Two Whitecloaks had appeared, letting their eyes wander over the angry women. "Is there a problem?"
Quickly, Nynaeve pushed Moiraine and Elayne out of the way to do the talking. "Another patient died, and one of my helpers didn't take it well."
They talk to every older patient, asking about their families and where the person comes from. And everyone who mentions he doesn't have any living relatives receives another visit from another Whitecloak later that day. They bring a cup of tea with them. A few hours later, the child declares them dead.
Lia's words echoed in the Cairhien woman's ears – words she had ignored. She hadn't taken Lia seriously. Never had she assumed the old woman could've told the truth about Whitcloaks killing old people. And now, Lia was dead.
Told you… little fish…. They kill… us….
Rage overcame Moiraine, letting her forget not to engage with the Whitecloaks. "You did that!"
Confused, the Whitecloaks faced the angry woman. They hadn't expected to be yelled at.
Elayne jumped to stop her aunt but couldn't do more than stop her from getting any closer to the Children of the Light. Sadly, she couldn't make Moiraine stop talking.
A shocked Nynaeve tried to tell the furious Aes Sedai with her eyes not to keep going, but it was useless. Moiraine wasn't even looking at her.
"She told me you walk around, killing the old people. But I didn't believe her. And now, she is dead."
"Who said we kill old people?" One of the Whitecloaks asked.
"Her name was Lia. A Tairen woman who had lived in Falme for decades." Moiraine wanted them to know who they had killed. "She warned me about you."
One of the men stepped forward. His nose almost touched Moiraine's, staring down at the furious Aes Sedai. His eyes were cold. "Old people often misunderstand something. You should be careful with such accusations. Sometimes, what people say is not true."
"And sometimes, it is true," Moiraine hissed.
"You-"
"That's enough." The young woman from the Two Rivers stepped between the Cairhien woman and the Whitecloak, keeping them at a distance. "We don't have time for fighting or accusations. There are many people who need our help. Let's get back to work."
"You might want to let go of that helper," the Whitecloak suggested, though his eyes never turned away from Moiraine. "She tends to listen to sick people without knowing the truth."
"I'll think about it. Thank you." Nynaeve's voice made it clear she wouldn't think about it, and the Whitecloak heard it, too.
"If you need us to take care of her…." He left the rest of his sentence hanging in the air, yet everyone understood his suggestion.
"Then I'll know exactly who to ask," Nynaeve answered coldly.
The man nodded – probably believing the young woman had meant him – then turned around and left with the other Whitecloak. They didn't even look back, knowing very well no one dared to attack them.
Moiraine wanted to strangle both of them, but Elayne and Nynaeve held on to her, not allowing her to do something stupid.
"Elayne, why don't you take a moment to step outside?" The Wisdom asked.
"I don't need a moment," the daughter-heir responded in confusion.
"I think you do." Nynaeve sounded angry. "And take Alys with you. Maybe some tea helps to calm everyone and clears the head."
"Oh." Finally, the young woman from Andor understood Nynaeve's intention. "Yes. I guess some tea would be nice."
Angrily, the woman of the Blue Ajah freed herself from the young woman's grip. "I don't need anyone to watch me," she hissed, then turned around and left. She could try embracing Saidar again but wouldn't be able to bring back Lia. Too much time had passed since the poor old woman had taken her last breath. Not even Saidar could bring back the dead.