The Shadowspawn brought another player into the battle. Can Moiraine and Alanna be saved?
Saidar still filled Moiraine's veins, and she quickly prepared a weave against the Shadowspawn. A part of her knew it was useless, yet she couldn't just do nothing. A moment – that was all she needed. One moment to take down-
The Draghkar started to croon as soon as it saw Moiraine's movements. All strength left the woman of the Blue Ajah, and Saidar slipped her fingers. The song of the creature wrapped itself around her, dulling every feeling and pulling her toward the Shadowspawn. It didn't need to move. Its song assured its prey would come to it, waiting for the deathly kiss without putting up a fight.
A tear escaped from Moiraine's eyes. They had been tricked. Behind the Draghkar that called her toward it stood another one with its back to her, summoning Alanna. In the meantime, the remaining two Fades were still fighting against Ihvon and Maksim, keeping them from helping the two Aes Sedai. And Lan… Lan couldn't save her. He was fighting against the Trolloc army.
Pale hands, which were more like claws, lifted, eagerly waiting for her to come close enough to grab her. Moiraine couldn't help herself but imagine Lan's hands. He was always so gentle with her.
Fluttering, Moiraine closed her eyes while her feet continued their path. She didn't want to think about the Draghkar. She didn't want to think about what was going to happen to her. Once that creature pressed its lips on hers, she would be gone forever. Hopefully, her death wouldn't be the reason for Lan's death. She couldn't forgive herself if he got killed by a Trolloc because her death hit him out of nowhere.
No, she wanted to think about Lan. She wanted his face to be the last thing she would remember. Not that ugly creature. The Malkieri had worked so hard to help her through the past few weeks. He had been patient with her, though she was sure he had been at his wits' end a few times. Of course, she hadn't made it easy for him with her stubbornness, but he never gave up on her.
You have no permission to die, a'Lan Mandragoran. Do you hear me?
Light, the Cairhien woman wished they had had more time together. She wasn't ready to leave him. Not now, when she slowly started to accept her life with those weird memories that appeared now and then.
Cold hands grabbed her arms, and Moiraine opened her eyes, shivering. Her feet had reached the Draghkar. Its lips were still turned into that creepy smile, though she could see the sharp teeth now. She wasn't afraid of the teeth. The monster wouldn't bite her.
With big eyes, the Aes Sedai watched how the Draghkar lowered its head toward her. She couldn't move, or scream, or breathe. Her thoughts were the only thing that were still her own, and soon, she wouldn't be-
A blade appeared over her right shoulder, hitting the Draghkar in the chest. Before she had time to understand what that meant, the creature was pushed away from her, and Lan came into view. He was there!
As soon as the Shadowspawn stopped crooning, all strength left Moiraine, and she sank to her knees. Panting, she watched how Lan threw his dagger at the second Draghkar, hitting its throat. The crooning turned into a burble, and Moiraine saw Alanna stumbling backward. Apparently, Lan had arrived just in time to save them both.
The skinny creature that had attacked her used Lan's distraction to get rid of him. It couldn't pull out Lan's blade, but its wings hit the Malkieri in the chest, sending him flying through the air with his sword in his hands.
Moiraine's blood was boiling when she saw her Warder. Angrily, the woman of the Blue Ajah pushed herself on her feet. No one hurt her Warder! Saidar returned to her, filling her veins until it felt like the air was vibrating. Quickly, her hands created a weave that held the creature in place. It would regret attacking Lan.
But once the weave was in place, the uncrowned king of Malkier was there. The Cairhien woman didn't know how he recovered so fast but was glad to see him well. He stabbed it again, driving the blade deeper until its hilt collided with the Draghkar's chest.
The Shadowspawn screamed. Gasping, Moiraine covered her ears and sank to her knees again. The sound was… deafening. Her ears were ringing, even though she covered them. It felt like an eternity until the Draghkar finally fell and turned silent.
Moiraine couldn't hear much. The sounds of the battle sounded dull. Searching, she lifted her head. Where was Lan? Was he injured? Did he need healing?
Apparently, the uncrowned king of Malkier was faster than her. While she was still unable to move, the man was already on his feet, kneeling before her the next moment. Roughly, he checked on her – her arms, legs, and body – before he ended by cupping her face in his hands.
Worry and fear washed over Moiraine. Her Warder was scared he had been too late. "Are you alright?" Lan asked. Like the battle sounds, his voice sounded dull. Her ears had still not recovered from the Draghkar's scream. "Did it… touch you?"
Exhausted, Moiraine shook her head. "You-" Her voice broke, and she had to cough. After clearing her voice, she tried again. "You appeared just in time."
The Aes Sedai saw the relief in her Warder's eyes. Nothing would've hurt him more than arriving too late to save her. "Good."
"Lan!" Ihvon appeared with an ugly cut over his chest, stumbling to his knees. "Forgive me. I promised to keep Moiraine safe, yet allowed myself to get distracted."
"Ihvon, you're injured." The uncrowned king of Malkier helped the Cairhien woman to her feet, guiding her toward the other Warder.
"It doesn't matter. I let you down."
"Don't be silly. You didn't let me down."
"Moiraine almost-"
But Lan didn't want to hear any of it. While shaking his head, he interrupted Alanna's Warder. "You fought against three Myrddraals so Moiraine could support me and my men. No one could know it was only a trick to keep you occupied. You didn't let me down, my friend." The Malkieri looked at the Cairhien woman, nodding toward the cut.
Moiraine understood immediately and embraced Saidar. Healing Ihvon was easy, though she had to be careful to take care of the poison. The Shadowspawn's weapons were all poisoned.
Once Ihvon was healed, the Aes Sedai used the weave on the Malkieri. She hadn't felt him getting injured, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Of course, Lan growled when she used Saidar on him. He didn't like whenever she used the One Power for useless things, and healing him if he wasn't dying because of an injury was a waste in his eyes.
Moiraine took care of his fatigue and strained muscles since he wasn't injured. Lan would need all his strength if he wanted to continue his fight against the Trolloc army.
"Thank you, Moiraine." Alanna joined them with Maksim at her side. Smiling, she brushed a loose strand behind her friend's ear. "How are you doing? The Draghkar… it didn't…?" The Green Sister couldn't finish the question, yet Moiraine knew exactly what she wanted to know.
Calmly, she shook her head. Her hearing came back slowly, and she wondered if Alanna needed a healing. Her Draghkar hadn't been able to scream because of Lan's dagger, but the one attacking Moiraine had been loud enough to deafen everyone nearby. "How are your ears? Do you need healing?"
"No. Mine are fine. Do you need healing?"
Moiraine opened her mouth when she got interrupted. "My Lord." Bryon had appeared. His armor was covered in black blood.
The uncrowned king of Malkier jumped to his feet, picking up his sword. He was ready to face the Trolloc army again. "How are our men doing? Can they hold back the Trollocs?"
"That's why I'm here, my Lord. The Trollocs…." The captain-general shook his head in disbelief. "At first, I thought I was dreaming, but… they're retreating."
Confused, Moiraine furrowed her forehead. Retreating? Why should the Trollocs stop attacking? Moiraine and Alanna had been distracted by the Draghkars, unable to prepare more traps for them. Why would they give up after the second wave?
Apparently, the Cairhien woman wasn't the only one who thought of it as a joke. Her companions were also confused.
"Retreating? Are you certain?" Lan wanted to know.
Bryon nodded vigorously. "I couldn't believe my eyes when they started to run from us. I even turned around to see if Moiraine Sedai and Alanna Sedai had prepared some kind of weave to scare them away, but there was nothing. I have no explanation for their reaction." Suddenly, a big smile appeared on his lips. "But whatever it was, I'm thankful for it. We won, my Lord."
"Thank the light," Alanna sighed.
Wordlessly, Lan walked closer to the battlefield to have a better look. At the same time, Moiraine pushed herself onto her feet slowly, then followed her husband.
The soldiers were cheering. Countless dead Trollocs lay on the ground. Others disappeared in Moiraine's quicksand while the rest ran for their lives. Was it really over? But why? Why were they running?
"The Myrddraals." Alanna joined Moiraine and Lan. "They must have given the orders, and since they're dead now…." She didn't have to finish her sentence.
"We won." Lan's voice was quiet and didn't sound like he actually believed it. "We won." It was a little better, but still missing confidence. Suddenly, the Warder pulled his Aes Sedai in his arms and swung her around. "We won!"
Moiraine couldn't suppress a surprised squeak. Luckily, Lan quickly placed her back on her feet, only to cup her face in his hands and kiss her hungrily. At first, the woman of the Blue Ajah thought about telling him to stop, but her body betrayed her again, melting against the man and returning the kiss. They had won and were alive!
In the following days, Lan, Moiraine, and the others helped the army to treat the injured, bury the dead, and burn the Trollocs. They also helped to take down the remains of the burned rotten trees. Because of the fire, many trees were gone, and the first ruins were freed.
Moiraine felt that Lan's heart ached through the bond when he touched the stones. He never ran through those streets as a child or hit his knees when he fell. He never met those people who had lived in those houses. Yet, it meant the world to him that they slowly freed Malkier from the Blight and the Shadowspawn.
When all the trees were gone, the soldiers continued to burn more of them. The Shadowspawn licked their wounds, and the men from the Borderlands were determined to free as much of the former city as possible.
One morning, the woman of the Blue Ajah was nibbling on a piece of bread while staring at the old ruins. It was their last day. Tomorrow, they would return to Fal Dara. All the soldiers were healed, and she and Alanna used the One Power to help burn down more trees.
Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her, and Lan pressed a kiss on her cheek. "Good morning."
"Good morning."
"I see you found something to eat?"
"Do you want some?" Smiling, Moiraine offered him some bread, but the man shook his head, hugging her even tighter and nibbling on her ear.
"No, thank you. I had a delicious breakfast in our tent." One hand moved over her right thigh. "Bread can't compare to the taste of my wife."
The Aes Sedai almost choked, and heat moved to her cheeks. "Lan!" She hissed, then checked on their surroundings quickly for eavesdroppers. "No one needs to know about that!"
Surviving the battle… well, it had changed Moiraine somehow. Maybe it was the relief of them being alive and unhurt. Maybe it was the near-death experience with the Draghkar. Or maybe… it had something to do with how good it had felt when Lan had taken care of her before the battle.
Whatever the reason was, the Aes Sedai had allowed her Warder to… take care of her again… and again… and again. At least this time, she threw a privacy shield over their tent so no one would hear them. Of course, her shield told Alanna exactly what they were doing, and she didn't stop teasing the Blue about it.
"I don't care," Lan responded while kissing her cheek. "The whole army shall know I'm a very lucky man."
"Don't you dare!"
The Malkieri chuckled at her reaction but spared her another response.
"My Lord." Bryon appeared, and Moiraine hoped he hadn't overheard their conversation. "My Lady. The men already continue with their work. Do you want me to join you for-?"
"I'd like to take my wife with me."
The captain-general seemed disappointed for a heartbeat, then had his features back under control. "I understand. In that case, I'll be with the men if you search me." He bowed formally. "My Lord." After a slight hesitation, he added, "My Lady."
"Thank you, captain-general," the uncrowned king of Malkier responded.
Moiraine watched Bryon leave before she said, "He doesn't like me."
"What makes you say that?" Lan was confused.
"He believes I distracted you, and that's the reason why the Trollocs surprised us."
Lan's laughter vibrated in his chest, and Moiraine felt it in her back. "Well, in a way, you did distract me. Once you took off your clothes, I couldn't-"
"Shut up."
Light! The heat moved from her cheeks to her ears, and Moiraine felt like they were on fire. Was it truly necessary to remind her of their little morning exercise?
"Don't worry," Lan whispered in her ear. "It's not your fault that the Trollocs surprised us. That wasn't a spontaneous attack. They wanted to surprise us."
"I know that. Yet, I should've been more persistent in stopping you. It hadn't been the right time, and-"
"It was perfect," the Malkieri interrupted her. "Or didn't you enjoy it?"
"Lan," the Cairhien woman sighed. How could he believe she hadn't enjoyed it? He felt what she felt. It was ridiculous!
"Maybe I need to refresh your memory." His hand on her thigh moved up, dangerously close to her center. "Maybe you wish to return to our tent so I can-"
"I think you refreshed my memory quite well this morning," Moiraine responded, grabbing his wandering hand to stop it from moving higher. "Once a day is enough, your highness. Don't you think?"
Lan laughed but didn't free himself. "I will never get tired of pleasuring you, my love." Then, he let go of her and offered her his hand. "Would you care to join me?"
Warily, the Aes Sedai looked at her Warder. "To do what exactly?"
The uncrowned king of Malkier smiled. "To take a walk through the freed streets of Malkier."
Surprised, Moiraine's eyes widened. She had thought Lan would want to look without her. "Are you sure? You don't want to do this alone?"
But Lan shook his head. "I want to do this with my wife."
For a second, the image of another woman appeared before Moiraine's eyes. A young woman with dark hair turned into a braid. But the image faded before the woman of the Blue Ajah could find the name.
"Moiraine?" Lan was there, cupping her face while checking her with worry in his eyes. When did he move? "Are you not feeling well? You don't have to come with me if you don't feel well. Do you want to check on Aldieb instead?"
Blinking, the last pieces of the image disappeared. "No. I'm alright."
Lan wasn't convinced. "Maybe Alanna can check on you. Or you two return to Fal Dara. When I'm done here, I'll follow you."
"I'm alright," Moiraine said, smiling. She stepped closer and pressed her lips on Lan's. "I'd like to see Malkier."
"Moiraine-"
She didn't let him finish. Instead, she freed herself and stepped closer to the ruins. "You're coming?"
Quickly, Lan stopped growling once they walked through the former gate of Malkier. The ground was plastered with stones, making it easy to walk through the streets. Windows and doors were all gone by now, and Moiraine assumed that the insides of the houses were also rotten by now. Some houses had collapsed over the years.
Heavy-heartedly, Moiraine looked at the ruins. Even if they were able to banish the Blight and resurrect Malkier, they would have to rebuild the entire city. She wondered if Lan would live that long. They had won one battle against the Dark One's army. Without more Sisters who helped the army… so many more men would die. They couldn't fight the Shadowspawn alone.
They reached a big archway that was blocked by rotten trees. Moiraine and Alanna's fire had destroyed a lot, but the Blight was strong and growing.
The uncrowned king of Malkier grimaced when he saw they couldn't go further, and anger rolled through the bond. Seeing the Blight in the streets of Malkier…
Moiraine embraced the One Power. They had one day left. Enough time to help the army with their fight against the Blight.
"Moiraine. What are you doing?"
Heat. The Aes Sedai needed fire to fight against the trees. It was hard to burn those trees. The soldiers needed hours to burn down one tree. Usually, they ripped it out, careful not to touch it.
"Moiraine, stop."
But with the One Power, it was easier. It was stronger than those trees, saving the soldiers hours. It was a shame that Siuan was too stubborn to send Aes Sedai for help. How could she still think of Moiraine as a Darkfriend when she was fighting against the Blight with Lan?
Anger rolled through the Cairhien woman when she thought about her former lover. Over twenty years, they had been united in their search for the Dragon Reborn. And one single incident turned the sweet Tairen woman, who had been her pillow-friend for so many years, into the powerful cold Amyrlin Seat, who acted like she didn't know the Blue.
"Moiraine!"
Lan's arms wrapped around her, breaking her concentration and stopping her movements. Saidar slipped from her, and Moiraine stumbled in surprise. Why had he stopped her?
"Blood and ashes," another man whispered, who stood beside them. Moiraine had no idea when he joined them. "Sometimes, I forget how powerful your wife is, Dai Shan." The man bowed before her, and Moiraine finally recognized him as Lord Ingtar. He was one of Lan's generals. "Please remind me never to upset you, my Lady. I'll prepare the men."
Lord Ingtar left, and Lan stepped before Moiraine. The worry was back in his eyes. "What were you thinking?"
Moiraine pointed at the burning trees. Why did she have to explain herself? "I used Saidar to burn the trees."
"You did way more than that. Light, Moiraine. You were burning up."
Burning up? What was he talking about? "I used fire on the trees, not on me. You must have mistaken the heat of the fire-"
Suddenly, Lan cupped her face in his hands. "I know the difference between the heat of a burning fire and the temperature of my wife's skin. And your skin was hot, like you were having a fever. I can't see weaves, but I'd say you drew too much power."
"I know Saidar and its risks. I didn't use too much."
"Really?" Lan pointed toward the archway. "Look at the stones, Moiraine."
"I burned the trees and not-"
"Look at the stones."
Sighing heavily, the Cairhien woman gave up and turned. All of a sudden, her legs felt weak, and it was only because of Lan's quick reaction that she didn't sink to her knees. The stones of the archway were deformed. It looked like they had started to… melt.
"No," Moiraine whispered. That hadn't been her, had it?
"Your fire was so strong, it started to melt the stones," Lan explained calmly.
"No."
The uncrowned king of Malkier didn't argue with the Cairhien woman. Instead, he brushed a loose lock behind her ear and held her close to him.
"No," she repeated quietly, then faced him finally with tears in her eyes. "I didn't… I used fire to burn the… I don't lose control. I know when to stop."
"I know you do," the Malkieri responded. "But today, you crossed that line. Maybe you-"
"I won't leave!" Angrily, Moiraine tried to free herself, but Lan wrapped his arms around her, keeping her from leaving.
Patiently, the Warder waited until the Aes Sedai stopped fighting him, then finished his former sentence, "Maybe you shouldn't use the One Power today anymore."
"The White Tower won't send sisters any time soon. Alanna and I have to help your men as long as we're still here."
Sighing, Lan placed Moiraine's head under his chin. "Fine. But can you please stay within my reach while you channel? I'd like to be within reach in case you forget yourself again."
Moiraine didn't answer. Instead, her eyes found the deformed stones. She had lost control over Saidar. Her anger over Siuan had blinded her, and she didn't like it.