Moiraine receives another healing from Alanna, and the Green Sister tries to reason with the Blue.
at Adelynn: Aw. That is so sweet of you. I'm already taking notes for the new episodes. There will be more deleted & extended scenes for Season 3. I just don't know when I will write and publish them. But they will come. I'm still writing on that story, so the deleted & extended scenes have to wait a little longer. Thank you so much for reading and leaving a review.
"How is she doing?"
"Her head is killing her, but she was finally able to rest."
"Did she tell you about what happened at the tree?"
There was silence for a moment as if the person had to think about the following words. "She remembered riding and meeting someone."
"Did she recognize the person?"
This time, the silence was longer, and Moiraine felt the worries of someone else.
"Lan? What is wrong?"
Lan. Her Warder. Had she made it? Was she back? Suddenly, Moirainee wanted nothing more than to open her eyes. She wanted to see Lan – wanted to see he wasn't injured.
"She believes she was attacked by a Forsaken." Lan's voice was so quiet that Moiraine barely heard him. But it was his disappointment in their bond that told her she wasn't back in her world. She was still a prisoner in that other body.
"A Forsaken? But they are locked up. How should any of them walk among us?"
"She believes… Light, she still thinks this is all a dream. She keeps talking about 'her' world and 'her' Lan. Moiraine believes those false memories more than me."
"Give her time, Lan," Alanna said softly.
Of course! What took me so long? Alanna must have returned with Ihvon and Maksim. Blood and ashes! I need a healing for that headache!
"Moiraine doesn't talk like that to hurt you. She got attacked, and the attacker messed with her brain. Once she accepts that there isn't another world waiting for her, she'll find herself again."
"I hope you're right."
The woman of the Blue Ajah fought against the fog that clouded her tired brain. She wanted to wake up. She had to wake up! That half-burned tree may have answers she needed to find. Now that she remembered meeting Lanfear there, she was sure her way back home had to be there.
"Did Moiraine move?"
Fabric rustled, and footsteps approached her as Moiraine kept fighting. She could already grab the linen, and her eyelids started to obey her.
"Moiraine? Can you hear me, my love?"
A hand grabbed hers, squeezing it softly. Moiraine would've recognized that strong, calloused hand anywhere. Lan. His hands always felt like that due to all the sword training he was doing.
"Lan." One word that sounded terrible in the Aes Sedai's croaked voice. Whatever else she had wanted to say ended in a cough.
"There is a pot of tea on the table!"
Blinking, Moiraine opened her eyes while trying to stop the damn cough. Light, that wasn't working well with her headache!
Lan sat on the bed, helping her to sit upright while Alanna rushed toward the table with the tea. "Easy."
When the coughing subsided, the Green Sister returned with a steamy cup. "Here. Drink that, sister."
The warmth of the tea was wonderful and calmed Moiraine's sore throat. "Thank you," Moiraine murmured when the cup was empty.
"How do you feel?" Lan wanted to know.
"My head is still killing me." Sighing, the woman of the Blue Ajah rubbed her temple as if she could get rid of the pain like that. "Any chance you could help me with that, Alanna?"
"My pleasure."
The woman of the Green Ajah embraced Saidar and prepared the weave. But when she reached out toward Moiraine, the Cairhien woman winced and eyed the hands warily.
"You will just heal me." Warningly, she glared at her friend. "No delving."
"I already delved you today. It would be nonsense to do it again on the same day."
"Say it, Alanna."
Sighing heavily, Alanna rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I promise not to delve you. I will heal you and then end the weave. May I continue?" Moiraine nodded – which she regretted immediately – then Alanna placed her hands on her friend's head.
The moment the headache disappeared felt like heaven. Moiraine had been in constant pain since she awoke in that strange world until Alanna healed her that morning. It bothered her that the pain had returned shortly after being free of it.
Was the pain also part of Lanfear's plan? Did she want Moiraine to feel uncomfortable while she was stuck in that world? Would the pain return soon?
"Thank you, Alanna."
Nodding, the Green Sister sat down on Moiraine's other side. "Lan says you remember meeting someone under that tree?"
"It wasn't a planned meeting. Lanfear was already waiting."
Alanna and Lan exchanged a glance before Alanna's face returned to being unreadable. "Lanfear? The Forsaken?"
"She is free."
"How can you be so sure that it's her? The Forsaken are locked away for thousands of years. If a seal has been broken, don't you think the White Tower would know about it?"
"Why should they? Lanfear would be stupid to walk around, telling everyone who she truly is."
The woman of the Green Ajah furrowed her forehead, then said, "But you know her. How do you know her when no one else does?"
An image appeared before Moiraine's eyes. Lanfear, straddling Rand, who she had tied to the bed. Moiraine had sneaked up on them, surprising the daughter of the night by pushing Rand's sword through her heart.
"In my world, she was freed by Ishamael, the father of lies, and I tried to kill her."
"Ishamael." Alanna repeated the name slowly as if she wanted to taste it.
Lan simply lowered his head, though he couldn't hide his anger, which pulsed in the bond. Was he angry about Moiraine mentioning 'her world' again or because she thought not just one but two Forsaken walked the earth?
But before anyone could ask more questions, someone knocked at the door. "My Lord?"
"Come in," Lan called.
A servant entered the room, bowing deeply. "Forgive me my intrusion, my Lord. Lord Agelmar waits in your study and asks for your presence."
"Blood and ashes!" Growling, the uncrowned king of Malkier jumped on his feet. "Tell him…."
Lan's eyes returned to Moiraine, and she saw how he hesitated. He didn't want to leave her side. But Lord Agelmar ruled over Fal Dara. He couldn't just ignore the man.
Moiraine decided to help the man from the Borderlands. "Go. I'll be alright." When Lan wanted to protest, she cut him off quickly. "Alanna is here to keep an eye on me. She can protect me if necessary."
Mentioning Alanna's presence actually calmed Lan. Sighing, he returned to the bed. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." He pressed a soft kiss on Moiraine's forehead, then turned toward the Green Sister. "Call for me if you need help with her – or a break."
Alanna chuckled while Moiraine glared at him angrily. Of course, Lan wasn't intimidated by Moiraine's glare. He left the room without saying anything else while Moiraine felt the strong urge to throw a pillow after him.
"He worries about you," Alanna said after the door had closed behind the servant.
"He doesn't trust me not to do something stupid."
"Can you blame him?"
Speechless, the Cairhien woman turned toward her friend. How was the Malkieri's behavior her fault? "Pardon me?"
"Oh, Moiraine." Alanna changed position, lying down beside the Blue. "Do you have any idea what your words are doing to him?"
"My words?"
"Whenever you talk about 'your' world and 'his' Moiraine, or all that other stuff like the Forsaken."
The woman of the Blue Ajah growled angrily. "Lanfear is-"
"It hurts him to hear you talking like you don't belong here. You're his wife, and he loves you with all his heart."
Moiraine had enough. No one believed her, and she didn't want to listen to Alanna's accusations. Without an answer, she threw back the blanket and crawled to the free side of the bed.
"No, you don't." The woman of the Green Ajah was faster. Her hand wrapped around Moiraine's wrist, keeping her from leaving the bed. "I healed you twice today and delved you once. Allow your body to rest and regain your strength before you start running around."
"Let go of me, Alanna."
But apparently, the Alanna of that world was as stubborn as the one Moiraine knew so well. "Shall I tell you what I know?" Moiraine wanted to say 'no', but apparently, Alanna didn't want an actual answer from her. "I once knew a woman who traveled the world with her Warder, searching for something I still don't know what it was. During those years, this Aes Sedai and her Warder were so focused on their search that they didn't see what was right in front of them. And then, one day, they returned to Tar Valon. Their search had found an end, but apparently, it wasn't what they had expected. But suddenly, they had time to think about their future and themselves. Slowly, they started to see each other for what they were – an attractive woman and a muscular, handsome man."
"Alanna." Moiraine felt the strong urge to roll her eyes. She didn't want to hear about the love story of how the Moiraine and Lan of that world found together. Especially not by a horny woman who enjoyed bedding both men and women.
"After what felt like an eternity, the Warder took the next step, asking his Aes Sedai to marry him and to move to Fal Dara with him. Everyone can see how much he loves her whenever he looks at her. He would move a mountain for her with his bare hands if she wished for it to move. And the Aes Sedai was in love with him as much as he was with her. They were meant to be together. But the Aes Sedai got attacked and is now confused by dreams she thinks of as reality. She doesn't see how much she hurts that wonderful husband of hers by repeating over and over again that she doesn't belong here."
Moiraine swallowed. She knew about Lan's pain whenever she mentioned none of that was real. But what was she supposed to do? She couldn't pretend like everything was fine – like she was a part of that world. The Cairhien woman needed to focus on finding a way home.
"Are you done?"
"I understand that things are confusing right now. But can't you at least try to act normal? Or… at least don't mention every five minutes that this isn't real?"
Act normal. How was she supposed to do that? Moiraine lowered her head, looking at the golden wedding ring. Could she pretend to be Lan's wife in that world while searching for a way out of that nightmare? The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. Who knew for how long she would be stuck in that world? It was possible it could take her a few more days before she found the solution. Maybe she would need Lan's help to get out ultimately. Having him on her side would be good if she faced some difficulties.
"How am I supposed to act normal? I don't know anything about being anyone's wife."
Alanna smiled. "Well, I'm afraid I can't give you any hints on the wife part. I never married, and I'm not sure I ever will. The Greens sometimes marry their Warders, but… I like things the way they are right now." She shrugged her shoulder. "You don't have to be the perfect wife. And I'm sure Lan doesn't expect you to pretend you're still the woman he knew. Give it time. Be there for him while you allow him to be there for you. I know you're not much of a talker – well, you both aren't if I think about it – but I always thought you two talked to each other. So, talk to him. Ask him about your life as a married couple. Show him you're interested in getting to know him."
Their married life. What was their life like without their mission? – Without the Dragon Reborn? What was Moiraine doing while Lan helped Lord Agelmar? Moiraine couldn't believe there existed a world where she would enjoy knitting or embroidery.
"And in case you both run out of words, you can always lock yourselves into that room and rediscover each other's body. The last time we talked, you mentioned that Lan's skills in bed are-"
"I'm pretty sure I would never talk about that kind of stuff with you, Alanna."
Moiraine's cheeks were burning. Light! Was that woman unable to think about anything else than bedding a man?!
"Well, you did. And you also asked me for advice because you wanted to… what did you call it? Oh, yes. You wanted to give your husband a night he would never forget."
"Sounds like something you would say, but not me."
The Green Sister smiled with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Believe it or not. Just know that I'm always willing to give advice if you need some help with pleasuring your husband."
Groaning, Moiraine hid her face in her hands. Was there a polite way to throw Alanna out? She didn't want to talk about ways to pleasure Lan.
"Alanna, I-"
"What exactly did you see when we visited the tree?"
Suddenly, all the humor had faded from Alanna's voice. A shiver ran over Moiraine's back, and she swallowed. How much should she tell her friend? On the other hand, why shouldn't she tell her everything? Moiraine needed to go home, so she should be thankful for everyone who could help her with that weird situation.
"The tree before it got split in half. There was a woman waiting for me, and I stopped."
"A woman?" Alanna lifted a skeptical eyebrow.
Sighing, Moiraine remembered hearing Lan tell Alanna about Lanfear. "Lan told you about Lanfear, so don't play dumb."
"How do you know it is her and not a stranger?"
"Didn't you just say I shall not talk about 'my' world?"
"You shall not mention it around Lan. The poor man doesn't deserve that. But I'm not Lan. So, how do you know?"
"She is free in my world, and we… didn't get along."
"You met a Forsaken?"
Moiraine laughed dryly. "I tried to kill her."
The Green Sister coughed in surprise. "You did what?" She asked, choking.
"I had to save the Dragon Reborn. She was seducing him, and he fell for it."
Silence filled the room while Alanna simply stared at Moiraine with her mouth open. "The. Dragon. Reborn."
"He is alive in my world. A silly boy who thought he could run from his destiny. He-"
"Stop." Surprised, the Cairhien woman looked at the woman from Arafel. Alanna had lifted a hand while she shook her head. "That's enough."
"You wanted me to-"
"Stop!" Moiraine turned silent, waiting for the Green to find her voice again. "This is nonsense, Moiraine. You're not from a different world. There is no other world. You are Moiraine Damodred, wife of a'Lan Mandragoran, Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah. The Forsaken are imprisoned for over 3000 years, and the Dragon Reborn is a simple legend. All those potential Dragons who appear here and then? Not one of them turned out to be the Dragon. The last battle won't be fought while we walk this earth."
Angrily, the woman of the Blue Ajah gnashed her teeth. It had been a stupid idea to fill in Alanna on everything she knew. No one would believe her. No. She had to find the way home on her own.
"Moiraine."
"I'd like to be alone now. Thank you for healing me."
"Moiraine-"
"Send in one of the maidens to look after me so Lan won't worry."
Determined, Moiraine pulled the blanket back over herself, but again, Alanna grabbed her wrist. "I'm not leaving you. You got attacked by a powerful channeler who messed with your mind, and I'll stay until you regain your memories or continue to live your life."
"I'll be fine."
"But you're not, Moiraine. So, stop pretending. We'll figure out what happened to you. It's a start that you remember what had happened to you at the tree."
"All those things didn't happen to me."
"Didn't it?" Alanna raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Who were you in those memories?"
Blood and ashes! Nervously, Moiraine licked her lips. She couldn't lie. The First Oath wouldn't allow it. How much did Lan tell the Green Sister? Light, Moiraine couldn't remember how much she told the Malkieri! Did he know about her seeing things from the other Moiraine's eyes?
"I saw it from her eyes," the Cairhien woman muttered.
"What? What did you say?"
Oh, Moiraine wanted to strangle her friend. That annoying woman actually pretended she hadn't heard the Blue's answer, touching her ear as if that would help her hear better.
"I saw it from her eyes."
"Ah. 'Her' eyes." Alanna shook her head. "And it never came to your mind that maybe those aren't 'her' memories? You remember the moment like it happened to you. Doesn't it make more sense that it actually happened to you? – That this stranger manipulated your mind and made you think you lived another life?"
Don't you think the First Oath would stop you from saying you never fell if you had actually run into a Myrddraal?
First Lan, then Bianca, and now Alanna. Everyone tried to convince the Cairhien woman that there was no other world. They all believed someone had messed with her brain, planting false memories in her head. But they couldn't be right, could they?
"Let's say this other life isn't real. Why should anyone give those memories to me? Why messing with my head?"
"Oh, please. You can't be that naïve, Moiraine."
"I mean it. I'm no danger to anyone. It makes no sense that-"
"You're married to the uncrowned king of Malkier. You will be queen once the Blight is gone, and you two rebuild Malkier. You have many enemies wishing you the worst."
Queen of Malkier. Rebuilding Malkier. How was that even possible? Without the Dragon Reborn, there was no way to defeat the Shadowspawn for good and get rid of the Blight.
"The Blight will never be gone. It would need the Dragon Reborn to defeat the Dark One so the Blight wouldn't spread any further, and the Shadowspawn would be erased."
The woman of the Green Ajah sighed heavily. "Don't let your husband hear that. I don't think he would be happy if he found out how little you think about Malkier's chances. He works so hard to free Malkier from the Blight."
Moiraine swallowed. Lan tried to free Malkier? Blood and ashes! What else didn't she know? What else was that version of Lan doing, and how much was she involved in his plans?
"This isn't real," she whispered.
Alanna's hand found hers, squeezing it softly. "How long do you want to search for a way out of here before you accept that this isn't a dream?"
It was a terrible imagination. Lanfear must have left a way back home. Not even a Forsaken could place someone in a different world without the possibility to get back. Right?
But what if they are right? What if there isn't a different world, and a stranger – a Darkfriend maybe – gave me those false memories to keep Lan busy? As long as the man worries about me, he can't focus on fighting against the Blight.
Although the Aes Sedai didn't like it, the Green's words made sense. That version of herself was the future queen of Malkier. Attacking her would also be an attack on Lan. If he was trying to free the land, Shadowspawn and Darkfriends would do anything possible to stop him from succeeding.
Moiraine's eyes fell on the golden wedding ring. Wife of a'Lan Mandragoran. Queen of Malkier. Could it be real?