Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ryma took a deep breath in, running a hand down her face for a moment. It was hard to pass through the Tower without anyone seeing or recognizing her, but she pressed toward the Amyrlin Seat's quarters. She knew the secret ways into the Tower, which allowed her to get to Siuan's space without anyone knowing.

She knocked on the door, finding that Leane opened it and looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Ryma Sedia, it's a surprise to see you."

Ryma tightened her fist.

"Because you'd thought I was dead?"

Leane shook her head, but she didn't verbalize her response, which spoke volumes.

"I wish to speak with the Amyrlin Seat."

Leane glanced behind her, considering, before pulling the door open completely.

"Of course."

Ryma stepped inside, finding that Siuan Sanche was watching her closely, eyes narrowed.

"I hear that you've been to Falme."

Ryan glanced at Leane, and Siuan seemed to reluctantly dismiss her.

When she was gone, Ryma cleared her thought.

"I was at Falme. Captured at Falme, that is."

Siuan didn't blink, and Ryma growled low in her throat.

Nynaeve never would have dismissed that.

Ryma had found that she based everyone off of her interactions off of the Dragon Reborn. She wasn't going to be surprised when Nynaeve saved the world, when he shave peace to all people and brought the end to the Shadow and its pawn.

Nynaeve was the Dragon Reborn, and she was glad it was her, though she felt nervous telling Siuan anything about her. She typically liked to tell anyone she could find that Nynaeve was the Dragon Reborn and illustrate exactly why, but this time she was a little nervous to do so, considering what the Amyrlin might do.

"By the Seanchan, I'll assume?"

Ryma nodded.

"How did you escape?"

"I had assistance."

Siuan raised an eyebrow, and Ryma narrowed her eyes.

"From Nynaeve al'Meara," she straightened her posture, "the Dragon Reborn."

Siuan took in a deep breath at the words.

"I see."

"She freed me, and I am here to bring information from Moiraine Sedai."

Siuan shifted a bit in her seat, raising an eyebrow.

"What were you asked to tell me?"

"About the Dragon Reborn."

Siuan's eyes narrowed, and she thought that there was a light of frustration in her gaze.

"She's told me about the Dragon, yes."

Siuan looked away for a moment, and Ryma thought she recognized the look in her eyes.

"You don't like her."

"I've only met the woman once."

"Then you don't like something about her."

"That's not the point."

"What is it?"

"What news do you have?"

"She's a good woman, Mother, one of the best I've ever known."

"I've heard as much," Siuan said, her tone turning bitter.

"You're jealous of her."

Siuan shook her head, but she didn't say no.

"Why would I be jealous of her?"

"Someone said something  about her to you... Moiraine. Moiraine said something about her to you."

"And she said something to you to tell me. What was it?"

"Nynaeve is the Dragon Reborn, and Moiraine intends to follow her to the Last Battle with conviction that the entire Tower should mirror."

Siuan bristled.

"I see."

"You wish Moiraine to be back in the Tower."

"The Blue Ajah misses her."

"And so do you."

The Amyrlin stilled.

"She cares for Nynaeve, you know. Greatly. And as do I, though I suppose not in the same manner that she does."

Siuan swallowed.

"The wheel weaves as it wills. Where is she now?"

"In the Stone, if wager. She likely has Callandor by now."

Siuan gripped her seat tightly.

"I see."

"And now that she's got it?" Ryma rolled her shoulders. "I can only wait until I'm told where she went so that I might find her."

"Stay."

Ryma hesitated on her way to the door.

"Mother?"

"The Dragon Reborn might very well have use for you in other places than you'd suspect."

Ryma tightened her hands into fists.

"And I could say the same for you."

"Then I'd suppose we both wait here until the wheel pulls us away forcibly."

Ryma growled lowly, but she nodded.

"By your leave, Mother."

Siuan dismissed her with a wave of her hand, pushing away the part of her that thought of Moiraine curled up around the Dragon Reborn's arm and doing as she wished. She took a deep breath in, ignoring the jealousy that reared its ugly head.

Moiraine was not, and never had been, hers, no matter how much she might have wished her to be.

-

Min raised an eyebrow, watching Moiraine and Lan stalk through the halls toward Nynaeve's chambers.

Min stayed in a chamber to the side of her, on the opposite one of Rand, and she found herself wondering why Moiraine was headed so quickly toward Nynaeve. She knew it was likely for professional reasons, but she found herself hoping that it was not. After all, Nynaeve deserved to have some fun, and she seemed to be very taken with Moiraine.

"Min?" Elayne asked, reaching out to put a hand on the woman's shoulder.

Min turned, smiling at the Daughter-Heir. She put down her weapon, slowly, and looked over at Aviendha.

She and the Aiel had been planning on playing some sort of game, though she didn't remember why the name of it was. She turned to face Elayne, giving her the best smile she could.

Elayne faltered at the crooked grin, feeling her face turn a bright shade of pink.

"Elayne?"

"I, uh... I wanted to know if you wished to introduce me to your... friend."

Min perked up, her smile turning into a gentle one that showed her excitement.

"I would love to."

She reached out and threaded their fingers together, drawing her toward the higher levels of the building.

"I'll be back in a moment, Aviendha!" Min called over her shoulder, not looking back to notice the small frown that grew on her face as she watched the pair leave.

Bain and Chiad hurried over to their friend and whispered in her ears teasing words that Aviendha did not seem to care for.

"She's really a nice woman," Min said quickly, "just a bit... volatile."

Elayne missed a step.

"How's that?"

"She's got a bit of a temper."

"Oh," Elayne felt faint, "I see."

"She's harmless, really. At least to us."

Elayne grabbed Min with her free hand, pulling closer to her. She passed the movement off as an affectionate gesture, smiling as her head landed on Min's shoulder.

As they walked, Min reflected on the two weeks that had passed since Nynaeve had gotten the Stone claimed as her own. She'd spent much of her time conversing with nobles that inhabited the Stone, and she had been heard yelling at them multiple times. Min had tried to join her as much as she could, but she'd been urged by Nynaeve to spend her time with Elayne instead so as to enjoy her company as much as she could before she left with Nynaeve on their next adventure. Rand had been far more stoic, spending his time following after Nynaeve as surely as Lan, his hand on his own sword with far more confidence than Nynaeve had.

Min had been enjoying her two weeks with Elayne, trying to get as close to her as possible, but Elayne refused to put a label on their relationship despite the multitude of times they had spent acting far closer than friends.

It was late at night now, and Min felt the tingling sensation of Elayne wrapping herself closer to her. She'd often imagined what it would be like if Elayne were to curl up beside her so close during the middle of the night, but she hadn't gotten close enough to her to know the answer to that question.

Elayne seemed to still be coming to terms with the fact that she had feelings for Min, their relationship seeming very strange and new to her, and Min wanted to give her time, but she was starting to worry that it might be too long before she would see Elayne again, that she might be just a fling for the Daughter-Heir. By the time she returned, Elayne would likely have come to her senses about who she was and who Min was.

A rooster crowed.

Min felt her weapon twitch at its holster on her back, and she jumped when she felt it move from its typical position.

She pushed Elayne off of her, spinning around and finding that the weapon she'd been given by the Snakes was floating in the air.

"Elayne?"

"Yeah?" Elayne asked, breathless.

"You don't see any One Power holding that up, so you?"

"Nothing from saidar."

"Run."

Min spoke just before the weapon shot toward her heart, and she rolled to the side, letting it pass by her quickly. She leapt to her feet, watching the weapon turn to lunge at her again. She threw open one of the doors in front of her, catching the sharp end of the weapon and embedding it in the wood.

Elayne hadn't moved, and Min pushed her backwards toward the stairs.

Elayne didn't move, concentrating for a moment.

The weapon got itself free from the door and shot at Min, who prepared to roll to the side and catch it, but it was caught in midair before it had the chance to go anywhere.

It was caught in midair, held up by what Min had to assume was the One Power.

She glanced back at Elayne, seeing that the Daughter-Heir was concentrating, eyes narrowed and one hand held out.

"Don't ever tell me to leave you alone in the midst of mortal peril, Elmindreda Farshaw."

Min had a lot of things to say about that, all of which were positive, but she didn't have the time.

She spun, quickly, and reached out to grab onto the weapon, slamming one boot down on it before pining it to the ground below her foot.

She felt it jumping, trying to push free, but with Elayne's help it couldn't move to attack.

"Are you okay?" Min asked.

Elayne nodded, somewhat shakily.

"All except for a fool woman trying to tell me not to care for her, despite how much I l-," Elayne coughed, "care for her."

Min felt her face burning, and she looked down, gaze landing on the weapon below her. She hated the thing, at least the fighting it represented and the lives she'd lived with weapons in her hands.

"Alright," Min grinned, "I'll keep that in mind, Dear."

-

Egwene let her eyes fall shut slowly, slipping into the land of dreams. Nynaeve had asked her to stop entering the world, with a fearful light to her eyes, but she hadn’t, no matter what Nynaeve had asked her to do.

She’d discovered the existence of other women, Aiel women, who moved through the world of dreams, and she wished to meet with them again and learn all that she could from them.

She took a deep breath in, running a hand down her face for a moment before letting herself relax, falling into sleep after a long minute.

When her eyes opened, she knew she was in the world of dreams, walking through it idly as she tried to imagine herself finding some of the women.

She thought for a moment, but her concentration broken as a rooster crowed in the distance, and Egwene wondered if it was real, wondered if she could hear a real rooster or if it was in her dream.

Egwene looked around, imagining that she was in the Stone’s room that Nynaeve stayed in, and she found that she wasn’t. She frowned, confused, and distantly found that odd.

That had never happened before.

She imagined herself in a Two Rivers’ dress, but it didn’t change, and she took a step forward… but she didn’t move.

Rather than the world of dreams, she felt as if she were back in her accepted test.

A darkened creature appeared behind her, slinking toward her, and she screamed in fear, trying to run, but she couldn’t.

She filled herself with the One Power, trying to throw it at the creature, but nothing worked. She focused, desperately, and needed to be away, needed to have an escape.

She disappeared, reappearing back in Emond’s Field. She tried to run, but her movements were sluggish and slow, her body not responding to the instructions that she gave it. She screamed again when the creature appeared. It looked so similar to the black wind, and her heart stopped.

The creature reached out, but before it could grab her, Egwene shot awake, grabbing at her chest. She was in a cold sweat, and she was having trouble breathing.

“Light…,” she muttered.

-

Nynaeve turned in her sleep, thoughts moving far faster than her body.

Nynaeve could see two figures in front of her, both standing in Emond’s Field in front the Winespring Inn.

Moiraine was the first figure, and she was dressed in a skimpy dress that Nynaeve never would have let a woman in the Two Rivers wear. She was smiling, an expression that Nynaeve thought was breathtaking on the woman, and she took a step back into the inn, one hand gesturing for Nynaeve to follow her.

Lan was the second figure, and he stood in a thing shirt and shorts, both of which were almost see-through. The sight was distracting to her, and she almost didn’t see the smirk on the man’s face, his eyebrow raised as he stepped into the inn with Moiraine at his side, beckoning Nynaeve.

Moiraine disappeared behind a turn, but Nynaeve could see the beautiful blue dress slip off onto the floor.

Nynaeve’s mouth felt dry, and when she saw Lan reaching for the hem of his shirt, which started to lift up to show her stomach.

Nynaeve took a step after them, knowing enough about common sense to follow after the pair when they were undressing and gesturing for her to follow them, but she stopped when she heard a voice behind her.

She turned, slowly, and found herself facing the women’s circle. She blushed, realizing what she was doing.

“Oh, I… I wasn’t-,” she coughed, “that is, I mean…”

“Wisdom aren’t supposed to marry, aren’t supposed to have those desires.”

Nynaeve swallowed and went to follow the women’s circle as they pulled away, but stopped suddenly.

“Nynaeve?” Moiraine and Lan both called as one.

Nynaeve couldn’t move, her eyes darted between the pair and the group of women that were drawing away.

She couldn’t decide where to go, and she was spared from having to make a choice when she awoke.

She panted, quietly, and ran a hand down her face as she tried to calm herself down from the fear and worry that filled her.

She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, wasn’t sure why she was thinking about both Moiraine and Lan in such a manner.

She was about to try to go back to sleep when the door was pushed open.

She reached out immediately to grab Callandor, rolling out of bed and to her feet as she squinted, trying to see who had entered.

She Channeler, holding back her nausea, and lit the candles around her.

She found a distantly familiar woman staring at her, the woman squinting in the sudden light, and looked at Nynaeve with a small smile.

“What are you doing here?” Nynaeve demanded.

The woman in front of her was Berelain, the Second of Mayene. She was the first in line to inherit the city of Mayene, but her father currently held the title of the lord, which meant that she wouldn’t ascend until he was dead.

She was dressed more skimpily than normal, the thin white shirt she was dressed in emphasizing more than it hid from view, and Nynaeve refused to look down.

Nynaeve knew she could appreciate the feminine form, that much had to be true considering the fact that she had appreciated her first (and so far only) kiss with Moiraine, but that didn’t mean she was some fool of a man that would trip over herself while watching the woman move sensually toward her.

“I’m here to help, Your Lady Dragon,” she said quietly. “For stress relief, if you will.”

Nynaeve felt her skin burn in embarrassment, and she cleared her throat.

“I’m afraid that I do not, and do not wish to know, what you’re referring to, Berelain.”

“Then why don’t you allow me to show you?” the woman said, stepping closer and raising one arm as she attempted to put her hand on Nynaeve.

Nynaeve scowled at her, taking a step back, and she distantly wondered if Berelain had discovered she had a weakness for women in blue, or if she had guessed when she dressed with the blue necklace dipping toward her hemline.

Nynaeve swallowed and turned, grabbing Callandor tighter, and shook her head.

“You’ll leave my chambers, now, and there will be no consequences for your actions.”

“What if I want to have consequences?” she purred, her hand landing on Nynaeve’s wrist. Nynaeve jerked away. “Why don’t you show me what the Dragon can do, hmm?”

Nynaeve stepped away, glaring darkly.

“Leave my chambers. Now.”

“You needn’t feel so embarrassed, My Lady Dragon. This stress relief is often a favor done among friends.”

Nynaeve didn’t look at her, pointedly, and crossed her arms.

“How did you get past the Aiel?”

“I simply told them what I intended to do.”

Nynaeve flushed, and she made a mental note to tell the Aiel not to allow such things.

There was a rooster crow behind her, and Nynaeve flinched at the sound. She pulled her sword close, though she held it more like a knife, and she turned around for a moment when she saw Berelain looking behind her.

The decision to Channel was instant as figures pulled from the shadows, crawling toward her.

Nynaeve’s first thought was to protect Berelain, and she pushed the woman back with a wall of air, holding her against the wall, and she spun to face the shadowy figures.

They were all familiar, and she recognized them instantly.

She swallowed as she saw members of the women’s circle headed toward her.

“Why did you leave us?”

Nynaeve, at least logically, knew it wasn’t the women of Emond’s Field, but it certainly felt like they were.

“I had no choice,” Nynaeve whispered. “I had to.”

“You left us,” another shadow hissed.

“No, if I didn’t, you’d all be dead. I had to go, don’t you see?” Nynaeve was pleading, Callandor drifting down, unused, to her side.

“We’re already dead,” another figure, Mistress al’Vere, hissed, her figure becoming rotten as it started to stand, towering over her as it advanced.

She stepped back, slowly, and watched as they advanced.

“You left for adventure,” another voice growled.

“No, I never wanted to leave,” Nynaeve pleaded. “I wanted to stay, I did!”

“You took my son from me,” this figure was Tam, sword brandished in his hand, and Nynaeve gasped, “and you’re the reason he’ll go insane. You’re the reason I’ll lose him, don’t you see, Wisdom?”

Nynaeve had enough sense to duck to the side when the man lunged for her, and she Channeled after a moment of shock, pushing the man back.

“It’s not my fault!” Nynaeve hissed. “I didn’t want any of this, don’t you see?!”

Power blazed within her, drawing through Callandor as it raged around her, trying to drag her under the crushing waves of the taint on the Power, dragging her, pulling her, slamming her against the shore of the water that raged through the streams.

She channeled furiously with no regard for her personal safety, slamming against the creatures that howled of her selfishness and her disregard for them.

When she was done, she stumbled, her shirt torn as many cuts bled, many of the creatures having given her surface cuts that burnt distantly.

She glanced up, seeing that Berelain was watching her from behind the wall of air. She was slamming against it, and Nynaeve let the weave dissipate, expecting to find Berelain bolt out of the room.

Instead, she hurried over to Nynaeve and knelt down in front of her.

“Are you alright, My Lady?” her tone was different this time, and she reached out to touch Nynaeve to inspect her wounds rather than anything else.

Nynaeve nodded, slowly, and blinked sluggishly.

“Don’t… don’t tell anyone what you saw here today, and I’ll send aid to Mayene. That is why you’re here, yes?”

Berelain hesitated, and Nynaeve frowned.

“I’m here for you, Nynaeve.”

Her voice was gentle, missing the sultry quality that it had held before, and the use of her first name made Nynaeve melt slightly.

She was so used to being referred to as the Dragon that hearing her own name felt like a breath of fresh air, especially from those who did not know her before she proclaimed herself.

“Then fetch Moiraine and Lan for me, please,” Nynaeve said quietly.

Berelain hurried to the door and threw it open, saying something to the Aiel guards before moving back to Nynaeve’s side again.

“It’s not your fault, you know,” Berelain whispered.

Nynaeve looked up sharply.

“Wisdom are Healers, yes?”

Nynaeve nodded slowly, cautiously.

“Well, then knowing your position,” her eyes stared deep into Nynaeve’s own as if trying to see her soul, “and knowing you, I’m certain you’d never hurt someone on purpose.”

Nynaeve held her breath to keep any tears from falling.

She was the Dragon, and she would not lose her cool like that.

“Thank you, Berelain.”

“It is no trouble, Wisdom. It seems the favor you needed wasn’t the one I expected,” Berelain smirked for just a moment, “but I’m happy to oblige.”

For the first time, Nynaeve let herself take in the woman’s appearance, and for a moment she let herself consider the fact that she couldn’t completely blame a man for being distracted by her appearance or for letting himself give up something valuable to enjoy some time with the woman.

“I like your necklace,” Nynaeve mumbled after realizing she had been staring too long. “It’s my favorite color.”

It was childish, she knew that, but Nynaeve wanted to connect to something that felt as if it was completely her, something that had nothing to do with the rest of the world or Lewis Thelin.

“I’ll have to remember that, Wisdom.”

Nynaeve thought she very much liked hearing the woman refer to her as that.

Chapter Text

Min ran a hand down her face, pulling Elayne closer to her.

“You don’t think it was her, do you?” Elayne asked quietly.

“Nynaeve?”

Elayne nodded.

“No, she wouldn’t do something like that,” Min shook her head quickly, “not now, not ever.”

“She might not be her anymore, Min.”

Min sighed and let Elayne lean closer to her.

“I saw her yesterday, Elayne, she can’t have deteriorated that much. She’s a good woman. This wasn’t her. You said it yourself that you couldn’t see any weaves.”

“I can’t see male ones.”

“She doesn’t channel saidin.”

“Not fully,” Elayne said quietly.

Min ignored her and pressed toward Nynaeve’s chambers, seeing that a group of Defenders and her real guards, Maidens of the Spear.

Min noticed that she recognized a few of the women and raised an eyebrow, looking around. It seemed as if there were more guards than before.

“Mind letting us in?” Min asked, raising an eyebrow when she saw a few of the Maidens standing at attention. They hardly ever did that…

“I’m not sure if she would want visitors at the moment,” one of the Maidens said.

“She’ll want to see me,” Min said with undeniable certainty. She’d never had one experience, whether here or in the Two Rivers, where Nynaeve wouldn’t have wanted to see her, no matter what was happening. “What happened?”

“We believe the Lady Dragon Reborn was attacked,” one of the Defenders said.

Min dropped Elayne’s hand immediately, picking up her weapon. She didn’t trust the weapon, not completely, but she needed it. Needed the trust of the weapon in her hand and the way it felt in her palms.

“Let me see her,” Min demanded.

The door opened a moment later, and Min hurried inside. Elayne, slowly, followed after her with a small look of worry.

She didn’t want to enter the chambers of the Dragon, especially not when she was hurt, but she had a feeling that Min might need someone to lean on, and she would always be that woman for her when she needed her.

Nynaeve looked up when she heard footsteps, and she sat a little straighter with a small, tired smile.

She was covered in scratches and cuts, which Moiraine was hurriedly trying to Heal. Moiraine was knelt beside the bed where Nynaeve sat, Callandor in her hands on top of her knees as she looked at Min.

“Light,” Min muttered, “what happened?”

“Forsaken, I think,” Nynaeve muttered. She looked like she had seen a ghost, and Min stooped down beside her.

Lan was attempting to stop any bleeding that Moiraine hadn’t gotten to yet, and Min joined him in his efforts.

Another woman, one that Min hadn’t even noticed until now, walked over and handed Nynaeve a drink. The woman wasn’t overly tall, but she was beautiful in a way that Min thought she had only seen once.

She still thought that Elayne was likely the prettiest woman she’d ever met (although, to be fair, Aviendha was up there as well), but she also had to admit that whoever this was was a gorgeous woman.

Nynaeve took the drink, not looking up from where she sat, and Min thought it rather impressive she didn’t stare at the woman’s see-through shirt.

“Are you sure you’d not rather cover up, Berelain?” Moiraine asked. Her tone was icier than normal, and Min’s eyes widened in shock

“I have a few spare coats,” Nynaeve said, gesturing with her right arm before grimacing and looking down at her waist,

Moiraine had already cleaned up all of the cuts, and she now put her hand on the long-lasting scar on Nynaeve’s side.

Nynaeve shivered at the contact, making Min almost snort in laughter, and Moiraine’s fingers curled around her waist, the tips of her fingers and nails gently brushing against it.

Min snickered, good-naturedly, and Nynaeve gave her a playful scowl, though there was a darkness behind her eyes, as if she had seen something.

Min wished she could pull her friend into a hug, wished desperately that she could cling to her and make her feel better, but she was the Dragon Reborn, and there were people watching.

Nynaeve smiled at her distantly, and Min watched Berelain grab onto a jacket of Nynaeve’s, which she wrapped around her shoulders. It was a little small on her, just it covered enough to be respectable for company.

Moiraine was still watching the woman with a quiet anger in her gaze.

“I don’t think this was a Forsaken. This was too simple. And too complex. As the Seals holding the Dark One's prison weaken, it may be inevitable that a...miasma...will escape even while he is still held. Like bubbles rising from the things rotting on the bottom of a pond. But the bubbles will drift through the Pattern until they attach to a thread and burst,” Moiraine said. “And this wound will not go away.”

“It’ll likely be the one that kills me,” Nynaeve said. She didn’t look at it, didn’t let herself, and Moiraine held her tighter.

“Don’t talk like that,” Lan snapped.

“How about we get you somewhere else to sleep?” Moiraine asked.

“I’m not getting chased out of my bed. They’re not moving me another inch, Moiraine.”

Moiraine put her hand on top of Nynaeve’s, and Min saw Berelain glance between the two of them.

“Let us stay and watch then,” Lan said.

Nynaeve nodded, slowly, and sighed. Moiraine gently rubbed the palm of Nynaeve’s hand as if trying to help her relax.

Nynaeve looked up, glancing between Elayne and Min, and sighed.

“We’ll talk in the morning,” Nynaeve said, halfway between a promise and a command.

Min nodded and drew outside with Elayne by her side.

“Berelain, I’ll speak to you about your kingdom tomorrow as well.”

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else, Wisdom?” Berelain asked.

Min noticed that the woman’s voice dripped with seduction and oozed promise of things Min never wanted to imagine.

“I’m sure, Berelain.”

Berelain stalked out of the room, and Min caught sight of a viewing above the woman’s head. A viewing of a hawk.

-

“Wisdom, hmm?” Moiraine asked, raising an eyebrow. “You must have gotten to know one another quite well.”

Nynaeve felt her face flush slightly.

“From the appearance, I’d say so,” Lan added.

Nynaeve groaned internally.

“What happened?” Moiraine asked.

“She came into my room asking to do me a favor, that’s all,” Nynaeve snapped.

Moiraine smirked.

“I meant with the bubble.”

Nynaeve flushed. Really, it was unfair that both Moiraine and Lan were looking at her like that.

Nynaeve retold her story, and by the end neither of her friends were smiling.

“I’m going to check the guards,” Lan said quickly, moving outside in a half dozen steps.

Nynaeve watched him go before her gaze drifted to Moiraine.

“Did you see us?” Moiraine asked quietly.

Nynaeve knew the underlying question. Did she see Moiraine?

“Not in the bubble, no.”

Moiraine watched her, and there was a quiet awkwardness that fell over the room.

“I didn’t forget you, you know,” Nynaeve whispered.

Moiraine recalled what she was referencing to after a moment. She recognized the reference to what she’d told Nynaeve after they had kissed.

“I’m glad.”

Another beat of silence.

“Did you forget?”

Nynaeve sounded smaller than usual, her voice almost shaking, and Moiraine was struck by how fragile the Dragon was. She’d fallen for the woman, but sometimes she forgot that she was just a woman. Forgot that Nynaeve wasn’t completely above humanity, untouchable and unshakable.

“I could never.”

Nynaeve found herself moving before she thought. She leaned over, grabbing onto Moiraine’s dress by the hem and pulling her closer.

Their lips met, and Nynaeve held her tightly, her free hand reaching down to settle on her waist.

Moiraine was still for a moment before reaching out to return the kiss, one hand laying on Nynaeve’s braid while the other went to her torso above the old scar.

Moiraine began to play with Nynaeve’s hair some, undoing the ties within it and grabbing some of it in her hands as if attempting to keep Nynaeve in place. She didn’t seem to want Nynaeve to go anywhere, and Nynaeve thought that could be arranged.

Moiraine leaned closer, her other hand slipping down to touch the base of Nynaeve’s sleep shirt, fingers playing with it as if she were considering letting her hand slip underneath.

-

“Nynaeve is the one from your prophecy, yes?” Min asked, standing beside Rhuarc with a raised eyebrow.

“There seem to be many similarities between She Who Brings the Dawn and your Dragon Reborn, but she has yet to prove herself.”

Min frowned.

“What must she do to prove herself?” she asked.

“It’s getting late,” Rhuarc turned away from her, “perhaps we should leave it at that.”

Mom’s mouth felt dry, and she licked at her lips nervously. She sent a glance toward Elayne, finding that the other woman also looked confused by the words.

Min stalked down the hall.

“Why don’t you get some sleep, Elayne. I need to check in on another friend.”

Elayne hesitated, but she leaned down and pressed a kiss to Min’s cheek.

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

Min nodded, making sure she didn’t touch her cheek where Elayne had kissed her, and pulled away.

-

Moiraine pulled away, letting Nynaeve catch her breath.

“You’ll have to make a move soon.”

“I thought I just did,” Nynaeve said, her gaze dropping for a moment before she glanced back at the door.

It felt right kissing Moiraine, but the feeling of Lan being able to walk in at any moment was not as pure-feeling.

Moiraine ducked her head, smirking slightly.

“I meant with the Tariens. They’ll only be scared of you for so long before they start plotting to kill you.”

“Let me,” Nynaeve snapped. “Nobody is making me move an inch. They don’t scar me, Moiraine.”

Moiraine hesitated when Nynaeve said her name, seeming to lose her train of thought, and Nynaeve leaned forward to kiss her again, not carrying that her now unbraided hair was getting in her face.

Moiraine you let the topic drop for the moment.

-

“Rand.”

The voice was familiar, more so than any other, and Rand froze.

“Mat.”

“Why did you leave?”

As always, Mat cut to the chase.

Rand swallowed.

“I had to, Mat.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled.

“It wasn’t safe for you, not when I was around.”

“Tell me what you bloody mean, Rand al’Thor!”

Rand sound eyes burning with tears, and he glared at Mat.

“Don’t you get it, Mat?! Do you think I wanted to leave you?! Do you think I wanted to watch you leave not knowing if you’d love or not?! I would have followed you to death’s door if I could of, but I can’t!”

Mat took a step back at Rand’s venom, eyes going wide.

“Rand,” his voice was gentle now, cautious, caring, “you know you can tell me anything, don’t you?”

Rand blinked back tears.

“I can Channel, Mat. I can wield saidin like an Aes Sedai holds saidar. I’m a male channel, a man destined to go mad, and I’m not going to follow the person I love the most around the world when I know it’ll end with his death!”

Rand had finished speaking now, having gotten loud enough to be considered yelling, and he was breathing heavily, panting almost. He stared intently at Mat, his eyes blazing, and Mat could tell that he was waiting.

He was waiting for Mat to be scared of him, to run away, to scurry back and treat him like he’s some sort of disease or rabid animal that might bite him at any moment.

Instead, Mat slowly smiled.

“I’m the person you love the most?” Mat asked.

Rand stared at him in shock.

“All of that, everything I said, and that’s what you focused on?” Rand cried.

Mat took a step closer, smirking.

“You love me, al’Thor. How embarrassing.”

Rand scoffed, though he found himself smiling.

“Loving you, Cauthon? Of course it’s embarrassing! Why do you think I never said it before?”

Mat laughed, reaching up to put one hand behind Rand’s head, pulling him down slightly.

“Get down here, you bloody giant.”

Mat went to kiss him, and Rand wrapped both arms around Mat’s waist to pull him closer, pressing their bodies flush against one another.

“I love you too, you bloody idiot,” Mat whispered before their lips connected.

Rand lifted Mat up slightly, taking his feet off the ground, and deepened the kiss quickly, holding Mat’s waist tightly with his fingers starting to dig into his hips.

“About bloody time,” Mat muttered.

“Was it everything you dreamed of?”

“Just shut up and kiss me.”

-

Lan pushed open the door, slowly, and heard shuffling. When he stepped inside, Nynaeve was lying down on the bed on one side, looking at the door, while Moiraine was seated on the side opposite her.

Nynaeve’s hair was unbraided, a miracle on its own, and Moiraine’s face was flushed, her lipstick smeared in a manner that Lan had only seen once before.

He raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall.

“Everything’s clear.”

“Good,” Moiraine cleared her throat, and Nynaeve pushed herself up to a sitting position, nodding along with the Aes Sedai.

Lan ignored the pant in his heart.

“Would you like me to patrol outside?” he asked.

His hand was on the sword, Nynaeve’s sword, and he tried to pretend that the pain he felt didn’t exist.

Moiraine and Nynaeve shared a glance, both flushing slightly, and Nynaeve finally shook her head.

“No, Lan, it’s alright. Just make sure there’s extra guards on my room and the two on either side.”

She was referring to the rooms that the Emond’s Fielders had been staying in, Min and Egwene to one side with Rand on the other, Mat typically running around and betting all night.

“Of course.”

Lan pulled out of the room, and Nynaeve turned to Moiraine for a moment.

“Tell me it’s not because I’m the Dragon.”

Moiraine grabbed onto the bed tightly, the covers scrunching up into her hands and rumpling slightly under her grip.

She could feel the wheel weaving, could feel it pulling her toward Nynaeve, and she felt stuck, trapped. The only thing that kept her from panicking was the gentle look in Nynaeve’s eyes.

“What’s not because you’re the Dragon?” Moiraine asked.

“That you kissed me. That you’ve followed me here.”

Moiraine weighed the words for a moment, fighting against the wheel every second as she tried to get her thoughts together, tried to get herself the chance to consider what she was going to say before it spilled out.

“I would have followed the Dragon Reborn anywhere, would have done anything for them no matter who it was. But I’m not some cheap hussy, Nynaeve. I wouldn’t have kissed the Dragon Reborn to get a hold of them or grab a foothold.”

Moiraine was proud of herself for not having been drawn by the wheel to say the first thing it wanted her to.

She was proud, that is, for a moment.

“Then why? Why did you kiss me, Moiraine? I need to know.”

Moiraine didn’t get the chance to consider. The words she said were true, had been for months, but she didn’t want to say them, not so early. She didn’t want to let Nynaeve know it, not so early, both because she didn’t want to feel as if she were at Nynaeve’s mercy and she didn’t want to push herself at Nynaeve.

And yet, she couldn’t help but say it, the words flying out of her mouth without her consent, spilling out between them.

“I’m in love with you, Nynaeve.”

Nynaeve froze, her eyes wide and her jaw slightly slack, though not completely.

Moiraine felt her face starting to heat up, but she wished it away irritably.

Nynaeve reached out and put her hand on top of Moiraine’s own.

“I love you too.”

Moiraine couldn’t help herself when she heard the words. She moved forward, pressing herself against Nynaeve and kissing her. The actions were slow, gentle, yet intense and loving in a manner that Nynaeve had never, and had thought she would never, experience, considering she was supposed to be the Emond’s Field Wisdom.

The door opened, but Nynaeve didn’t hear it, her long hair coming to fall in front of herself and Moiraine, covering both of them.

Moiraine was clutching Nynaeve tightly, but she slowly moved back, glancing to the side and seeing that Lan was standing there, jaw clenched and stone faced.

Nynaeve pulled back with Moiraine, following her gaze.

Nynaeve immediately looked crushed, and Moiraine put the pieces together in an instant.

She pulled back and cleared her throat.

Moiraine knew she had to speak with Lan, though she wasn’t excited to do so.

-

Min pressed the door open, and she saw far more than she ever wanted to.

Mat was lying on the bed with Rand leaning between his legs and kissing him passionately. Both of their shirts off and moving closer quickly.

“Woah!” Min cried, covering her eyes with one hand, grimacing. “Lock the door!”

Both of them jumped, Rand falling off the bed while Mat tried to hide under the covers.

“Maybe try knocking instead of judging, Elayne!” Mat snapped.

Min rolled her eyes.

“I was just going to check on you two after everything,” Min said.

“Everything?” Rand asked, immediately sounding worried.

“Moiraine called it a bubble of evil. Something about the Dark One attacking the wheel.”

Rand gaped.

“Nobody was hurt,” Min hesitated, “too bad. You two get back to what you were doing. Have fun.”

Min closed the door, snickering, and mentally congratulated the two of them. She was happy they were finally doing something about that tension between them that had been bubbling under the surface for years.

-

Nynaeve fell asleep quickly, a small smile on her face, with thoughts of Moiraine on her mind, thought there was a distant part of her that was mentioning that expression she had seen on Lan’s face.

Moiraine stood, quickly, and stalked toward the door. Lan had been watching it and Nynaeve’s slumbering form, but now she grabbed him and dragged him out of the room, confident that the Aiel could take care of Nynaeve for a few minutes.

“You love her.”

There was no question in her tone, but Lan nodded anyways.

“As do you.”

This time, Moiraine nodded.

“Which means we’re at an impasse,” Moiraine said.

“I don’t see how so. She reciprocates your advances,” Lan ducked his head and gave her a small smile. “Congratulations, by the way.”

Moiraine shook her head.

“She does, but I’m not the only one she loves.”

Lan stilled.

“Did she say that?”

“No, but I can feel it when I’m with her, when I touch her.”

Lan didn’t let the words hurt him, but it was difficult, imagining the women together.

“I don’t see why this is an issue, Moiraine.”

“Then you think the same as I.”

Lan’s face twitched for a moment, highlighting his confusion.

“Which is?”

“That perhaps the Aiel have gotten some things right.”

Lan raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

“That sometimes a man or a woman does not need to choose one partner.”

Lan swallowed, and Moiraine watched the action slowly. She distantly wondered if that was a good or a bad sign.

After a moment, Lan’s face twitched into a smirk.

“Do you believe this is what Min saw in her viewings?”

Moiraine frowned slightly.

“You do know that she saw four people, don’t you?”

Lan hesitated.

“She did?”

Moiraine nodded.

Lan shifted his hold on the sword, and Moiraine sighed quietly, almost imperceptibly.

“Perhaps we should have a word with her?” Lan asked, smirking slightly. “I’d hate for you to burn a bridge that you could easily cross on your own.”

Moiraine smiled, gently, and leaned against his side.

Light, this wasn’t an issue that she thought she’d face trying to save the Dragon Reborn.

-

Min opened her door, tiredly, and held her hand up to cover her mouth as she yawned.

“Hello?”

“Min, we were hoping to discuss something with you.”

“Light, tell me it’s nothing to do with Nynaeve.”

“Min, most things for the next few years will have to do with the Dragon Reborn,” Moiraine said.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Min snapped. “What do you want to know?”

“What is right for her?” Lan demanded.

“I’m not a wizard, Lan,” Min snapped. “All I know is that you two have the same feelings for her, and there’s a reason for that, whether it’s so that she has armies and Aes Sedai at her beckon call or because she needs someone to help keep her calm is anyone’s guess. But if you ask me?” Min started to shut the door irritably. “Stop wondering what’s supposed to happen and make what you want to happen work.”

With that, the door shut.

Chapter Text

“What crawled into Moiraine’s dress and died?” Egwene muttered, running a hand down her skirts irritably. Moiraine had been very upset when she’d come to help them interrogate the Black Ajah members they had captured.

She had come in ranting about how Nynaeve was incorrigible and incredibly hard to reason with, her her lipstick was smeared when she walked into the room while Min held back her laughter.

Moiraine had wiped at her face after a moment and gone back to talking about how Nynaeve was impossible to reason with.

Finally, Moiraine seemed to get to the root of her problem, mentioning, purposefully offhandedly, that Berelain had been in Nynaeve’s bed chamber the night before.

Egwene’s jaw dropped.

“She was?!”

Elayne nodded.

“I saw her, just about as bare as the day she was born.”

“That’s an exaggeration, Elayne,” Min said, rolling her eyes. “Besides, she’s lucky that Nynaeve didn’t box her ears for showing up at all. Probably got too distracted to do so, considering the attack.”

Egwene laughed.

“That sounds about right.”

“She said she was meeting with her today,” Moiraine added as they prepared to face the Black Ajah.

Light, Moiraine hoped that Berelain wasn’t one of the four members vying for Nynaeve’s affections.

“Likely to yell at her,” Min said, snickering.

Moiraine seemed to be in a better mood now, though she clearly tried to hide that fact.

“Regardless, she needs to make a move. If she sits, the Defendwrs will undoubtedly try to kill her. She needs to move, and I think it’d be best for her to head to Illian.”

Elayne’s face drained.

“Why?” Min snapped.

Moiraine may love Nynaeve, but Min had seen first hand on multiple occasions how much she would give for the world to be saved.

Would she give Nynaeve? How much of Nynaeve would she give?

“The crown of swords,” Elayne whispered. “She means to have her take it already.”

Min’s eyes darkened.

“She needs to kill Sammael,” Moiraine replied levelly, “or there will be no hope.”

Min’s fists clenched.

“She’s not an Aes Sedai tool, nor is she yours to wield,” Min hissed.

Moiraine glared at her before the expression melted and she ran a hand down her face slowly.

“I know she’s not, Min.”

Moiraine certainly hadn’t treated Nynaeve like a simplistic tool, at least not how Min would treat any of her tools. After all, she didn’t think she’d put her mouth on any of them, nor had she watched them pass her with a barely contained lust in her eyes.

Min could see the gears turning in the woman’s head, akin to how she’d seen clocks work.

“I just want to do what’s right. For her and the world.”

Min smiled gently, though there was a suspicion in her gaze.

“I’ve got a plan,” Moiraine said it quickly, and Min quickly realized that Moiraine was speaking to her in a rather familiar manner. It was the way she’d heard many men speak to the parents of the women they wished to marry. Min supposed she was the closest Nynaeve had to a family at this point, but she blinked in shock regardless.

“What are you planning?” Min growled.

-

Nynaeve pulled her coat closer to her body gently, the one around her shoulders nice and warm. She was dressed in a pair of nice, refined red pants that were quite similar to divided skirts, thought it was tighter and had golden emblems that ran down the entirety of her legs. Her coat matched the leggings, and she thought that they, and the dark black undershirt beneath it, gave her an air of regality that she had never had before.

That is, until a woman sashayed into the room, one of Nynaeve’s extra jackets wrapped around her shoulders as if it were a prized possession. Her thin dress below the jacket, white and almost completely see-through, juxtaposed the jacket, yet she wore it well and in a manner that Nynaeve never thought she would be able to pull off.

Each of the Lords and Ladies were staring at Berelain with either disgust or envy, though in some cases it was a mixture of both.

Nynaeve immediately regretted giving the woman her jacket after last night, having thought that they had bonded… but clearly Berelain thought they’d bonded in a different manner than they had (or, at least, she was trying to convince others that there had been some sort of bonding between her and the Lady Dragon).

Nynaeve wanted to steal her jacket back, but she presumed that it would make more of a scene if she were to do so.

Nynaeve had given a quiet word to one of the Defenders to send aid to Mayene to help halt the encroachment on the land by any other nations.

Berelain swept into the meeting, with complete disregard for who she interrupted, and was now standing beside the chair Nynaeve was situated in.

She leaned down to whisper in Nynaeve’s ear.

“I heard what you did,” her breath was hot on Nynaeve’s neck, and she had to hold back a shiver. The woman really was good at what she did, as well as unbelievably gorgeous. Nynaeve hardly thought the mixture was a fair foe. “Thank you.”

“I did not do it for you, Berelain,” Nynaeve’s tone was icy, and it caused many diplomats to look up, “and I’d greatly appreciate it if you were to give me my personal space and stop trying to spread falsehoods with that jacket.”

Berelain smirked, standing up slowly in a manner that distracted many individuals in the rule.

“Anything for you, Lady Dragon.”

She drew away, but ran her hand down Nynaeve’s shoulder and her fingers ghosted her skin in a manner that immediately reminded her of Moiraine’s tender touch the last night immediately before Lan had interrupted them.

Rand glanced to the side at her, eyebrows raising immediately, questioning her with a small smirk.

Nynaeve shook her head quickly before rolling her eyes.

With that, she returned to letting the High Lords and Ladies of Tear know that they would need to lay off of taxes on the common people and would be held to the law in the same manner the common folk would or so help her she would hold them up to the Creator and throttle them in front of him.

-

Nynaeve let her eyes fall shut, slowly, as fingers ran through her hair. It had been a long day of meetings and consideration on her next step.

She’d learned before that Moiraine was surprisingly skilled with braids, and she was letting herself enjoy the luxury of the woman’s hands running through her hair and slowly braiding the strands together.

Nynaeve liked the feeling of her fingers gently brushing against her scalp and mindlessly running with the hair. It distantly reminded her of the Two Rivers, but not enough so for the memory to burn.

“Your Channeling is changing,” Moiraine said softly.

Nynaeve opened one eye, looking up at the Aes Sedai.

“I thought we agreed to keep the arguments outside the door?”

Nynaeve’s tone was slightly bitter, but she thought it was warranted. After all, she assumed that nobody in the castle could deduce that Moiraine liked her as a person, let alone loved her, based on their interactions, and she wanted their moments inside the chambers to be gentle, loving, in a way that they couldn’t keep up when they were outside arguing and disagreeing over the next step to take.

“I was just commenting,” Moiraine said, her fingers finishing the braid before restarting the weaving.

Nynaeve thought she was as skilled at weaving hair as she was the One Power.

“Changing how?”

“The more you Channel, the less of it I can see.”

Nynaeve stilled.

“You mean like it’s drifting more to saidin? I thought you said I didn’t Channel saidin.”

“I say a lot of things,” Moiraine said, the smile evident in her voice. “And despite never lying, I’m not always truthful.”

Nynaeve scoffed.

“Aes Sedai will twist anything you give to them. Give an Aes Sedai a mile of yarn, she’ll give you back an inch-long knot.”

Moiraine laughed, quietly, and the sound was enough to make Nynaeve’s heart melt.

“It’s like I can see half of what you weave,” Moiraine admitted. “You make these large jumps between weaves and I don’t think they’ll work, but then…”

“Saidin fills in the gaps,” Nynaeve said, her voice gentle.

Moiraine hummed in affirmation.

“It’s hard to know the difference.”

Moiraine leaned down and surprised Nynaeve with a kiss, cradling her face in an almost reverent fashion.

Nynaeve could hardly believe the difference between Moiraine in public and behind closed doors, and she doubted that anyone not expressly told about their (she didn’t want to say relationship, but a part of her longed to) dynamic wouldn’t be able to guess in a million turnings of the wheel.

“I miss when you used to use me as a sa’angreal,” Nynaeve whispered, the admission shameful and quiet, like a sigh lost to the winds of time.

Moiraine was smiling again, and Nynaeve thought she could watch the woman do that forever and never grow tired of the action.

“Because you could feel my emotions and thoughts? Because I can assure you, they’re all about you.”

Nynaeve laughed.

“I meant because of the funneling effect. The way you got rid of all the taint before it touched me. Although, I suppose I wouldn’t mind knowing what’s going on in that head of yours.”

Nynaeve realized that it wasn’t the first time that Moiraine had protected her in such a fashion, and she let herself place one hand on the Aes Sedai’s face, cradling it lovingly.

“Well, I’m not sure I can do that anymore,” Moiraine sounded regretful, “but perhaps I could think of some ways to reconcile the second.”

Nynaeve sat up slightly, eyes widening.

They’d hinted at this topic before, but she hadn’t let herself think that Moiraine actually meant it, for fear of getting her hopes up.

“Yeah?”

“Perhaps one day,” Moiraine gently pressed Nynaeve back down into her lap, restarting the braid she had been working on for almost half an hour now. “If the wheel wills it, that is.”

“Burn the bloody wheel,” Nynaeve muttered. “I don’t care if it wills it.”

She reached up and grasped Moiraine behind the neck, dragging her down for a long, slow kiss, not caring that her own hair was splayed out beneath her in an uncouth fashion she had never expected to allow.

Nynaeve pulled back after a moment, noticing that Moiraine didn’t seem to want her to do so, and smiled.

Moiraine looked around for a moment, taking in the room as if using it as a distraction.

“You shouldn’t be reading so many of the prophecies,” Moiraine whispered.

Nynaeve looked away.

“How is it going with the Black Ajah?”

Moiraine sighed.

“I’ve sent three letters to the Amyrlin on the plan to free Liandrin,” Moiraine said.

Nynaeve hummed.

“You’re close with her, yes?”

Moiraine hesitated.

“You could say that.”

Nynaeve ran her hand down the other woman’s arm.

“You trust her.”

“I do.”

“I’d like to meet her one day.”

“You did.”

“I met the Amyrlin. I’d like to meet Siuan Sanche.”

Moiraine looked down at her, a small, fond smile on her face.

“I think I’d like that as well.”

There was a knock on the door, and the two women stood quickly, Moiraine finishing Nynaeve’s braid before Nynaeve called for the guest to enter.

Lan did as told, not looking at Moiraine or the closeness between the pair.

-

“A ter’angreal?” Min asked, her interest peaked.

“That’s what she was referring to, yes,” Elayne said.

Min leaned back against the wall, considering.

“I might just need to look at that myself…”

-

“You will lower the taxes,” Nynaeve stood with Callandor resting against the floor before her, “and you will increase trade with Illian. It wasn’t a question.”

The high lords and ladies hesitated, watching Nynaeve nervously, and she schooled her features how she had seen Moiraine do over the past few months.

“My Lady Dragon… if we lower the taxes, then-,”

“Do you doubt my intelligence?”

Nynaeve’s voice was venomous, and the man pale.

“N-no, my Lady Dragon.”

Nynaeve nodded and turned to face the rest of the group.

“I will hear no insults toward Illian, nor Mayene. Trade will be encouraged, and if I should hear anyone saying otherwise, I will handle them.”

Nynaeve stalked out of the room, not noticing that Berelain was smirking and playing with her blue necklace idly.

-

Mat froze.

“What?”

“Some small section on the edge of Andor. The White Cloaks have some sort of vendetta against this Two Rivers.”

“Shame,” another man said, “their tobacco is fantastic.”

Mat stumbled as he turned to head toward the Stone.

-

Min clenched her fists.

“They’re going to do what?!”

Egwene was shaking slightly, though out of fear or anger was anyone’s guess.

“A device, they have one, it’s supposed to bind the Dragon Reborn. It’s in Tanchico, they plan to use it to control her completely,” Elayne explained, having heard it from a Black Sister herself.

“Like the Seanchan,” Egwene growled.

Elayne nodded slowly.

“We have to stop them!” Min snapped. She hesitated, her jaw working but not saying anything.

“What?” Elayne asked, grabbing her hand gently.

“I’m not going with you,” Min whispered. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“The pattern, I can’t even say I’m going to Tanchio.”

Elayne clutched her hand.

“I’m going with Nynaeve.”

Aviendha stirred slightly, raising an eyebrow. She’d been bonding with Egwene and Min recently, though Elayne had been exceedingly distracted, and she was evidently excited to spend time with Min, even if she tried not to show it.

Nynaeve was drawing Min tightly, and she knew better than to fight against it.

“I’ll be waiting for you when you get back,” Elayne whispered.

Min blushed, slightly, and ducked her head.

“I should hope you will.”

Elayne scoffed and smacked her arm gently.

Min grinned and wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulders to pull her closer.

-

Moiraine watched Nynaeve walk by, her steps confident and her eyes steeled.

She had been becoming a good ruler, faster than Moiraine thought that she would, and she had taken a few pieces of advice from her and Lan, though she refused to raise the flag of Malkier again, despite Lan’s insistence.

Most of Nynaeve’s time was spent talking with the Lords and Ladies, though she also took walks through the castle with Moiraine and Lan at her sides as she thought, listening to their opinions.

She did, however, refuse to Moiraine attempts to have her start a war. Nynaeve was steadfast in her opinion that she would never start a war, that she would never cause more pain than necessary.

Moiraine had stopped demanding that she begin the war, and she backed off.

Nynaeve was the Dragon Reborn for a reason, and she just had to trust that the woman she loved would do the right thing.

-

Nynaeve heard footsteps behind her, and she glanced back, finding that Berelain was sashaying her way. She wasn’t wearing her jacket anymore, though it hadn’t been returned, however she was wearing her normal attire with the notable addition of a multitude of golden and red linings that implied a connection to the Dragon.

Nynaeve rolled her eyes and didn’t slow down, but Berelain caught up to her, walking in her normal manner that was clearly meant to capture the attention of anyone around her.

“Berelain.”

“Wisdom.”

Nynaeve held back the smile that threatened to appear at the greeting. She really did appreciate being referred to as that, but she didn’t want to give Berelain the satisfaction of making her smile.

“What do you need?” Nynaeve demanded. “I already sent assistance to the Mayene economy.”

“Perhaps that’s not why I’m here,” Berelain said. Her gaze drifted freely up and down Nynaeve’s figure, making her feel rather uncomfortable. She held back the nervousness that arose at the attention and she told herself that the appreciative light in Berelain’s eyes was fake. After all, she was trying to get something from Nynaeve, she didn’t truly like her appearance, at least not enough for that look.

“Then why?” Nynaeve demanded.

“I wish to repay you for what you’ve done,” Berelain reached one hand out, but Nynaeve evaded her grasp.

“No payment is needed.”

“Then maybe I just appreciate you, rather than what you’ve done.”

Nynaeve swallowed.

“I heard you burnt the first treaty they offered Mayene,” Berelain played with her necklace, and Nynaeve forced herself to not follow the action with her eyes, “that was very noble of you.”

“It was the bare minimum.”

Nynaeve saw Berelain step closer to her, and she distantly found herself wondering what Moiraine or Lan would think of this.

“Who is this, Nynaeve?” a familiar voice asked.

Nynaeve spun, finding herself facing Selene.

Nynaeve felt her mouth dry, but she didn’t look down.

“Selene?”

“I’m surprised you remember me, considering who all has been hanging off of your arm,” the woman seethed.

Berelain stepped closer to Nynaeve, putting a hand on her wrist.

Selene scowled.

Nynaeve pulled her hand away and made sure she wasn’t touching anyone, Callandor hanging by her side.

“You’ve gotten stronger,” Selene mumbled, staring at Nynaeve intently.

“I’m glad to see you’re well,” Nynaeve said, though she felt nervous.

“Good,” Selene smiled, “though I’m disappointed you’ve found someone else to entertain you. No matter, you’ll be mine. You always were.”

Nynaeve threw her head back.

“I am no man or woman’s property.”

“Then lucky for me, I am more than a mere woman.”

Selene melted in front of her, changing her appearance.

Nynaeve reached out instinctively and put her hand on Berelain, pulling her closer to defend her.

Berelain gasped in shock as she watched the exchange before her.

“Who are you?” Nynaeve demanded.

“Many know me as Lanfear.”

Nynaeve watched the woman stop changing, appearing older yet more beautiful than she had.

Berelain grabbed onto Nynaeve’s arm and held it tightly.

Nynaeve reached for the One Power, but found herself shielded. She swallowed nervously and pressed Berelain back against the wall.

“If you wish to kill me,” Nynaeve drew Callandor despite her inexperience with using real swords, “I’m afraid you’ll have a fight.”

Lanfear laughed and Nynaeve hated how beautiful the sound was.

“Oh, I don’t want to hurt you, Lewis. I intend for you to be mine, as you always should have been, my love.”

“You only loved power!” Nynaeve snapped. She didn’t know where the words came from, but she knew them to be true.

Lanfear glanced at Berelain, finding the woman was still clinging to Nynaeve with one hand, but her other had drawn a knife, which she held in front of herself and Nynaeve.

“I see you’ve found her,” Lanfear spoke quietly, but she was seething. “And I’ve seen you walking with Lew.”

Nynaeve frowned, shifting her grip on the sword.

Her gaze farted to the side, and she caught sight of a small form, which moved toward them with a self-assured manner.

She drew for the Source, instinctively, and found it unblocked. She sent a weave of fire at the man, watching him go up in flames almost instantly.

Nynaeve spun, hearing shouts behind her, and found herself dashing into the halls, Berelain clinging to her hand as she left the other woman behind.

-

Nynaeve kept hold of Berelain’s hand for a moment before letting it fall, gesturing for Berelain to stay close. Berelain did as instructed, grabbing ahold of Nynaeve’s left elbow and looking around, knife at the ready.

Nynaeve hurried down the hall, finding that many of her Aiel guards were laying on the ground, dead, with deceased Grey Men around them. She remembered Moiraine telling her about those creatures, and their appearance made her skin crawl.

“Keep your eyes peeled,” Nynaeve snapped, hurrying down the stairs toward the sound of fighting.

She found a group of Defenders trying to hold back a Myrddraal. Nynaeve swung her sword recklessly in front of her, a line of fire shooting out to destroy the creature instantly.

“Rally to the Stone!” Nynaeve shouted, turning to face the bleeding Defenders. “The Stone still stands!”

She held up the sword with her right hand and found the guards flocking to her, following her as she moved further into the Stone with the army behind her.

Nynaeve was lost to the weaves that shot from her, to the feeling of the One Power that filled her sickeningly, but she saw the Defenders and Aiel that fought fall behind her, battling Trollocs.

She noticed that the Shadowspawn were fighting one another, as if they were on opposite sides, but Nynaeve killed indiscriminately. The only one that stayed at her side as she pushed through the crowd was none other than Berelain, who helped Nynaeve keep her balance and assisted her in evading any arrow that shot her way.

Nynaeve reached the center of the Stone, and she looked around in shock.

Moiraine and Lan were fighting back to back, Lan defending her against any sort of up close attacks while she dispatched anything distant. Min was doing much the same with Elayne, though Elayne was far less experienced. Egwene was indiscriminately throwing weaves of ground that threw Shadowspawn into the air as she screamed something about not being caged again.

Perrin and Faile were back to back, and Nynaeve could see Rand down the hallway as he shot darkened weaves out as Aiel defending him mercilessly, not letting anyone get close.

Nynaeve hadn’t been using Callandor, due to her fear of drawing with saidin through the sword, but as she saw the countless dead bodies she realized how stupid it was to worry about her own madness when people were dying all around her.

She drew through true sword and held it into the air, screaming as she drew more than she ever had before, the Power dancing and fighting in her grasp, flowing through her and trying to drown her simultaneously.

A bar of light shot out of the sword and shot down the halls in every direction. The Power was overwhelming as it took down the Shadowspawn, the taint more magnified in her mind now than it had ever been.

The Shadowspawn all fall as one, burnt by the light, and Nynaeve let herself hold onto the One Power, relishing in its beautiful and pain.

Berelain hadn’t let go of her, and she was actually holding Nynaeve steady as the Power coursed through her.

There was a dead woman in front of her. No, not a woman, a girl.

Nynaeve’s eyes blazed immediately, growing wide as the Power shot toward the woman.

“Nynaeve!” Moiraine cried.

The Power shot out toward everyone in the Stone, Healing anything from scrapes to breaks to disembowelment. People on the verge of death rocketed upright, and Rand screamed as strands entered his mind, fighting darkness with darkness in a manner that made him sink to his knees. Mat, who had been defending him angrily, caught Rand, holding him gently and clutching him tightly.

The girl in front of Nynaeve didn’t show light in her eyes, but the body began to shake and jump.

“There’s nothing you can do, nothing you can Heal, Nynaeve,” Moiraine pleaded.

“I can Heal anything!” Nynaeve roared.

Down the hall, an arm hanging on by a thread sewed itself back onto a man’s body.

“With this, I can do anything! Don’t tell me who I can Heal, Moiraine! Live, burn you! Anything can be Healed!”

“You can’t Heal death, Nynaeve, you’re not the Creator,” Moiraine said gently.

Nynaeve howled in fury.

“I can do it, Lea! You’ve seen what can be Healed! Don’t tell me again what cannot be done!”

“You can Heal anything in her body,” Lan spoke evenly, “but you can’t draw her soul back into her body.”

Nynaeve let the flows leave the woman’s body, though she saw it was completely pristine, as if the woman had dropped dead instantly with no reason to have done so.

The Power left her, and she slumped immediately.

Berelain tried to cradle her, but Nynaeve was too heavy and Lan had to catch her, holding her up gently in a bridal carry.

She felt exhausted, as if her entire body was shutting down, and Moiraine reached out to put a hand on her forehead.

Nynaeve watched simplistic weaves fall in her, Healing her injuries but not her fatigue.

Nynaeve felt tears in her eyes.

“I couldn’t save them,” she whispered.

“The whee weaves as it wills,” Moiraine replied.

“Burn that!” Berelain snapped, causing Nynaeve to glance at her. “She bloody saved almost everyone here! I think he was missing an arm a minute ago, now look at him! One person died, but you saved countless lives!”

Nynaeve fought a smile, burying herself closer to Lan’s chest.

“Moiraine, I saw her.”

Moiraine led Lan toward Nynaeve’s chambers, and Berelain followed after quickly.

“Saw who?” Moiraine asked gently.

“Lanfear.”

Moiraine wasn’t surprised.

“You can’t face her, not yet,” Nynaeve scowled, “but she won’t hurt you, not when she still thinks she can get Lewis Thelin back.”

Nynaeve groaned.

“We barely even dated,” Nynaeve muttered.

Berelain held back a laugh, and Nynaeve sent her a dark scowl for the sound.

Moiraine didn’t seem to like that Berelain was following them, and she went to dismiss her when they reached Nynaeve’s chambers.

Nynaeve mumbled that Berelain could stay, and the woman smirked, following inside to sit by Nynaeve’s bedside.

“Moraine?”

“Yes, Nynaeve?”

“I’ll let you know the plan tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, dear.”

Berelain glanced at the Aes Sedai when she used the pet name, and she glared.

Nynaeve was already asleep in Lan’s arms, and Berelain helped her under the covers to keep her warm, and she glanced at the other two, raising an eyebrow.

Neither seemed to appreciate that she was still in the room, but Berelain didn’t mind.

She distantly thought that she had some competition, but it didn’t bother her.

-

Mat held up Rand as he pulled him into the chambers they had been sharing, and he moved Rand slowly, pressing him onto the bed before curling up at his side.

“Light, what did you do to yourself, Rand?” Mat muttered.

Rand laughed quietly before coughing.

“Nothing I can see.”

“Yes, you can thank Nynaeve for that, I suppose,” Mat muttered, pulling Rand’s torn shirt off of his chest.

“Are you sure that now is the time for that?” Rand asked as Mat took off his own bloodied shirt. The deep gnash that had been on his chest was completely Healed now, and he tossed the shirt to the side immediately.

“Maybe later, when I’m done being mad at you for putting yourself in danger, you woolhead.”

Rand laughed, pulling Mat flush against him. There were Aiel watching the doors for them, and Rand let himself fall asleep with Mat held against his chest tightly, telling himself he would never let the man go.

Mat, meanwhile, was trying to figure out how he could get Rand away from Nynaeve, preferably back to the Two Rivers to check on their people.

Chapter Text

Aviendha cursed quietly.

Egwene had been told in her second meeting with Amysbthat she was to come to Rhuidian to learn how to walk the dreams fully, and she had also told her that Aviendha was to join her rather than go with Elayne to hunt down the issues in Tanchio. She wanted desperately to follow after Elayne, if only so that she wouldn’t have to give up her spears.

But she couldn’t, so she wouldn’t, and she angrily kicked the ground.

Min was going with her, at least, to the Waste. She appreciated Min, thought she was one of the few wetlanders she had met that had a good sense of humor, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t have a few wayward thoughts of drawing the woman into a game of maiden’s kiss, but Elayne would likely skin her with the One Power if she were to do so.

Perhaps she could arrange some sort of first-sister dynamic with Elayne for Amin’s hand. She had explained how people shared spouses, and she thought that perhaps Elayne would be willing to do so if she were to set up the proposal in the right way. As of now, however, she couldn’t make any advances without owing Elayne a great debt, so she decided to just enjoy Min’s presence and perhaps convince her to enjoy hers as well until they were to meet up with Elayne once more.

Min, however, didn’t seem very happy about going to the Waste, considering how she paced back and forth.

When questioned about her frustration, Min snapped.

“It’s Elayne. She’s going to go on this fool’s errand on her own! She’ll get herself killed at this rate, Aviendha!”

“She wields the Power, Min, so I find that unlikely, but death comes for us all at some point.”

Min didn’t seem to like that, and Aviendha made a mental note to approach conversations about death with Min in a different manner.

-

Nynaeve clenched her fist tightly.

“Start from the beginning, Matrim.”

Mat shrunk slightly, but cleared his throat.

“The Two Rivers, Nynaeve, the White Cloaks are invading.”

Nynaeve clenched her fist around her braid, trembling with rage. She looked almost the same as she always had, but the royal air around her and the Aes Sedai by her side ruined the effect.

“Then I suppose we’ll need to send reinforcements. I won’t let the Two Rivers fall,” Nynaeve grew distant for a moment, a burden in her gaze. “Take a squadron with you to the Two Rivers.”

“Nynaeve,” Lan spoke quietly, and Mat jumped, having forgotten the man was there, “a brigade, even one of Aiel, would not be enough to face the full force of the White Cloaks.”

Nynaeve took a deep breath in, and Lan stepped forward, seeming eager. It was odd to see expressions on his stone-like face.

“I’m afraid more reinforcements will be needed.”

Nynaeve took a slow breath in, shaking further, and Mat wondered if she was already going mad.

“Mat, you may take Loial to guide you through the Ways to the Two Rivers, as well as anyone that will join,” her eyes blazed, “and let the people of Manetheren know that aid will arrive this time.”

“Nynaeve,” Mat spoke quietly, “what of Rand.”

Nynaeve looked away.

“He’ll be joining my company.”

“Nynaeve,” his tone raised, but Nynaeve lifted a hand.

“You don’t have to go to the Two Rivers, Matrim, but Rand must come with me.”

Mat shook with rage before he spun and stalked out of the room, growling under his breath insults toward the former Wisdom of the Two Rivers.

“Where will the reinforcements come from?” Lan asked.

Nynaeve turned, angrily, and tossed a bag at him.

“Malkier will fight the Shadow wherever it lies until the Last Battle, whether in the Blight or in the hearts of men. You or Perrin may raise the banner and bring reinforcements to Manethern.”

Lan opened the bag, staring down at the flag within it that faced him like a challenge.

Nynaeve stalked out of the room, wiping angry tears from her eyes before they could be seen.

-

Berelain slunk through the halls with a small smirk on her lips, much akin to a cat that caught the canary.

“Wisdom,” she called, stepping beside Nynaeve.

She slid her hand down into the crook of Nynaeve’s elbow where she had kept it the night before.

“What is it now?” Nynaeve asked, though there was almost a fondness to her gaze, despite how she tried to keep it away. Berelain had been good in a fight, at least as a guard. She hadn’t left Nynaeve’s side once, and Nynaeve thought it commendable.

“I was wondering where you were headed.”

“To a meeting.”

Berelain laughed.

“I meant after Tear, Wisdom.”

“The Waste,” Nynaeve said, not looking at her.

Berelain paled slightly.

“Oh.”

“My promises will still hold, I assure you,” Nynaeve said.

“That’s not why I’m upset, Wisdom.”

Nynaeve glanced at her.

“Then why?”

“Well, I believe anyone would be mildly upset at being told they were going to the Waste. At least anyone with sense, that is.”

“I said that I was going to the Waste, not you.”

“I know what you said, but how could I go back to Mayene so long as you’ll have me?”

“I’m not having you, Berelain.”

The woman smirked.

“There’s many ways to have someone,” she said.

Nynaeve ignored that.

“Do you wish me to not join you?”

“I don’t care what you do, Berelain.”

Berelain raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so? Then why did you try to protect me last night?”

“Why did you make sure I didn’t get hit by arrows?” Nynaeve snapped angrily.

“Other than you being the Dragon Reborn?” Nynaeve hesitated at Berelain’s words. “Perhaps I like your company.”

With that, Berelain withdrew.

Nynaeve swore that it should be illegal for a woman to walk like that. Perhaps, as the Dragon Reborn, she should make it illegal.

-

Lan stalked into the room, throwing open the door angrily as he glared at Nynaeve.

Nynaeve met his gaze levelly, holding her head up without letting her chin tilt down in the slightest.

“Lan.”

“Nynaeve!” he growled. She raised one eyebrow, not noticing that Moiraine had entered behind him, slipping around to stand facing the pair. “How dare you!”

“How dare I what?”

“You know that only you can raise the Malkier flag, and you do this to send me away! You tell me to run, tail tucked between my legs, away from danger to raise your flag! If you’d have me,” Lan worked his jaw for a moment, “I’d follow you. I’d discard the Malkier flag until you’d take it up again, but you take me for a bloody fool!”

“Lan, you won’t give up your kingdom for me. You will go and raise the flag and bring the people to the Two Rivers. And when you’ve saved the people, you will come find me.”

Lan’s fists clenched and he moved toward her, though he stopped, looking at Moiraine for a moment.

Moiraine gestured in a manner that was between “have fun” and “if you must.”

Lan reached down to grab onto Nynaeve’s waist, lifting her into the air to press their lips together.

Nynaeve struggled for a moment, smacking Lan in the chest, before she relaxed, slowly moving to put her hand on the man’s face.

Moiraine looked away awkwardly, both happy for Lan and uncomfortable thinking about the difference between how Nynaeve kissed them.

With Lan, she was rougher, insistent, and was trying to get the upper hand, but with Moiraine she had been more gentle, perhaps due to the fact that they were now both used to the feeling of kissing one another.

Lan pulled back slowly, Nynaeve’s eyes fluttering open. Nynaeve smiled for a moment as Lan put her down, but then froze, gaze farting over to Moiraine.

“Moiraine!” Nynaeve cried quickly. “I didn’t-”

“I do hope you don’t intend to lie to me by saying that you didn’t enjoy that.”

Nynaeve swallowed.

“And I do hope you’re not going to lie by telling Lan that you don’t love him.”

Nynaeve looked lost for a moment before she saw that both Lan and Moiraine were smirking. Her eyes narrowed and her expression darkened.

“Tell me what’s happening,” Nynaeve tried to subtly wipe her mouth, “now.”

-

Elayne crossed her arms.

Min didn’t even ask her to come with them to the Waste.

Of course she couldn’t go with, but asking her would have been nice.

She could still remember their quiet confession of love, and she distantly wished she was an Aes Sedai so that she could bond them woman as a Warder.

Min had kissed her that morning and whispered a promise to be her Warder one day when they met again, and Elayne had let herself melt into the woman’s embrace.

A part of her thought about what her mother would say, about how she would feel about her daughter wishing to marry a common woman.

Elayne had written a letter to Min letting her know how much she loved her, but now she was starting to feel nervous that Min would think Elayne was some sort of fool for her.

She went to work to writing a new letter for the woman.

-

“Come with me, Rand,” Mat pleaded.

“I can’t.”

Mat slammed his hand on the bedside table.

“Why bloody not?!”

“I’m going to go insane, don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter how far away from Nynaeve I am, doesn’t matter how hard I try not to channel. The only thing that would save me would be if I were gentled, and we all know a life after tasting the One Power isn’t a life at all.”

“Why not?” Mat asked, tears streaming down his face. “Why can’t it be a life? What’s not enough for you?!”

Rand reached out to grab Mat’s hand, threading their fingers together.

“You are enough, Mat. You were always enough for me, I promise.”

“Then let them gentle you. Tell the Tower, and I’ll take care of you. I’ll be your Power, your protector, and we can go on that adventure, the one you always talked about,” Mat grabbed Rand with both hands.

Rand smiled slightly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. We can get a farm, a half dozen sheep, the best horses in the village…,” Mat leaned forward and pressed his neck against Rand’s neck. “Come with me.”

“Nynaeve needs me.”

“Why is that more important than me needing you?” Mat asked. It wasn’t a real question, Rand could tell, but it was clear that he was asking the Creator.

“Because what Nynaeve needs is what the wheel needs, Mat.”

Mat grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket, dragging his down and connecting their lips.

Mat backed Rand toward the bed until his knees hit it and he fell on top of the covers, Mat tumbling on top of him.

“I’m going to make sure you never forget about me, al’Thor,” Mat growled.

“I can assure you that, no matter how mad I get, I never will,” Mat smiled, “however, I wouldn’t be opposed to you continuing what you just started.”

Mat’s smile turned to a smirk, and he tore open Rand’s shirt.

“That can be arranged.”

-

Nynaeve shook her head, tugging on her hair.

“No, no, no,” she snapped, “I’m not doing this, you’re not doing this. Absolutely not.”

Moiraine, sitting on the bed, glanced at Lan, raising an eyebrow.

“Why not?” Moiraine asked.

Lan noted that she was wearing all blue again, laying in a manner that he had only seen her lay in when Siuan or Nynaeve were in the room.

Nynaeve’s furtive glance at Moiraine told Lan that it was working, and he saw that Nynaeve had also snuck a look at him.

“I may no longer live there, but I am an Emond’s Fielder through and through! And this is not how marriages,” Nynaeve flushed, “or relationships work there!”

“What about us?” Moiraine asked. Nynaeve shot a look her way. “What would they say about you and me?”

Nynaeve hesitated.

“You love Lan, don’t you?” Moiraine asked. Nynaeve, reluctantly, nodded. “And you love me.”

Nynaeve nodded quickly, a look of guilt in her eyes.

“And if you had to pick one of us?”

Nynaeve froze, immediately, and couldn’t so much as blink, her mind reeling.

“Well, in that case it would be best if you didn’t have to pick, wouldn’t it?” Nynaeve started to nod before stopping herself. “I certainly see no problem with you not having to pick. Lan?”

Lan shook his head, arms crossed, with a small smirk on his face.

Nynaeve was still considering, and Moiraine smirked as she stood.

“I’ll leave you two alone.”

She stood, leaving the pair behind, and gave Lan a wink before she closed the door to the chambers behind her.

-

Nynaeve really had her doubts about this arrangement. That is, until she found herself laying back in her bed with Callandor and Lan’s sword forgotten across the room.

Nynaeve’s thoughts strayed to Moiraine for a moment, and she curled closer to Lan.

Lan wrapped his arm around her shoulders gently.

“You’ll let me tell the Malkieri that the flag is raised in your name?” Lan asked, running a hand down her shoulder.

“I don’t allow anyone to kiss me in the same room that we talk politics in,” Nynaeve said, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t discuss your arrangements with Moiraine and assume they’ll be the same with me.”

Nynaeve hesitated, and she started to pull away. Lan held her in place.

“If you don’t want to discuss it now, we don’t have to.”

“You can tell them I sent you, and you can declare me.”

Lan reached over and touched Nynaeve’s forehead where the blue mark of Malkier was situated.

“I’d ask you to travel with me, but I know better,” Nynaeve said.

Lan nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead, and the pair fell silent.

-

Min raised an eyebrow, watching Moiraine pass.

Elayne, accompanied by a letter from the Amyrlin Seat, had already left, and Min was t trying to distract herself.

“Where’s Nynaeve?” Min asked.

Moiraine hesitated, and Min found herself smirking.

“In her chambers.”

“You and Lan finally figure things out?”

Moiraine nodded.

“Jealous?”

Moiraine didn’t let her expression change.

“Why would I be? We’ve reached an agreement.”

“I’m sure you did,” Min nodded gently, “but I know Nynaeve, she tells me pretty much everything, and not once has she told me that you two have been as close as I’m sure she and Lan are right now.”

Moiraine hesitated, and Min found her mind reeling.

“Lan’s not going to the Waste, is he?”

Moiraine shook her head.

“Well, if you’re that jealous you might need to just disappear, hmm?” Min laughed quietly and winked at Moiraine. “Seems like she’s always wanting things she can’t have… whether or not that’s a coincidence or not.”

Moiraine frowned, and Min decided to elaborate.

“She wanted someone to love after she became a Wisdom, wanted a woman when she couldn’t have one in the Two Rivers, wanted Lan when he started to leave, wants to Heal want can’t be Healed…”

Moiraine moved one hand up to run a hand down her face.

“I’m just kidding, Moiraine,” Min said, snickering. “When Nynaeve wants something, she takes it, no matter the situation. Sometimes emergencies just hurry her timetables.”

Moiraine seemed to relax, and Min smirked again. She enjoyed watching Moiraine lose her cool because of Nynaeve, considering how funny the entire situation was. Moiraine had always been so reserved and confined with her emotions, but now here she was being jealous because Lan was in Nynaeve’s bed chamber with her.

Moiraine watched her, raising an eyebrow.

Min just laughed and shook her head.

Moiraine glanced over her shoulder and up toward where Nynaeve and Lan were at.

-

Nynaeve watched Lan go, her gaze trailing the man.

“Be careful,” she whispered, watching the flag that was tucked into his bag.

Nynaeve turned away before anyone could see her, scared that anyone would think the Dragon Reborn was a fool woman in love with a fool man.

Light, it was somehow worse than the Wisdom trying to have a husband.

She made her way toward the meeting, finding a woman that fell into step behind her.

“Moiraine?”

“Are there that many women that hang onto your arm that you can’t guess which one is which?” Berelain asked, grabbing onto Nynaeve’s arm. She wrapped her elbow through it, coming to rest on Nynaeve’s belt, which she gently tugged on.

Nynaeve rolled her eyes. She would get mad at the woman, but something about Berelain gave her pause. Yes, the woman had been by her side in battle and after she’d lost her cool the night before that, but there was something else, a deeper part of her. A part of her that almost recognized the woman. It was the same part of her that had yelled at Lanfear, and Nynaeve was starting to wonder if she should be afraid of that part or hesitantly realize that it seemed to know more than her.

“Are you still joining us in the Waste, or are you too scared?” Nynaeve asked.

Berelain scoffed, tugging Nynaeve closer with her belt loop.

“I’ll show you scared, al’Meara,” Berelain said, smirking.

“Are you threatening the Dragon Reborn?” Nynaeve asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m threatening a woolheaded Wisdom a little out of her wheelhouse,” Berelain replied.

Nynaeve’s eyes darkened before narrowing.

“Out of her wheelhouse?” she hissed. “Well, any Wisdom out of her field of expertise could still teach you a thing or two!”

“What is it you want to teach me?” Berelain asked, her voice practically a purr as she leaned closer.

Nynaeve leaned away and rolled her eyes, but there was a slight smirk on her face.

Nynaeve pushed her way into the meeting room, and Berelain curled up closer.

Moiraine eyed the two of them, raising one eyebrow slowly, and Nynaeve stood upright, moving her hands away from Berelain to rest both on Callandor in front of her.

“Ready the company for travel to Rhuidian, Moiraine,” Nynaeve said.

Berelain trailed out behind the Aes Sedai.

“I’ll see you on the road,” Berelain called.

Moiraine watched Berelain warily.

Nynaeve ignored the pair and went to give her orders to send excess grain to Illian.

Afterwards, she headed toward the center of the Stone.

She was going to leave Callandor here, for the time being, and intended to ensure that nobody else would be able to draw the sword from the Stone. She wasn’t sure how she made the weaves, but a now-familiar part of her guided her weaves.

-

“Are we walking the whole way?” Berelain asked, putting her hand on the pommel of her saddle.

“No.”

“Do elaborate, al’Meara.”

“Portal Stone, Paendrag.”

Moiraine looked up.

“Yes, Portal Stone, Moiraine.”

Moiraine reached out over their horses, putting her hand on top of Nynaeve’s. Berelain watched the action, and Nynaeve seemed shocked.

“Will you need a sa’angreal?” Moiraine asked, and there was a slightly playful light to her gaze.

“I believe I left Callandor back in the Stone, Moiraine.”

“It’s not the only sa’angreal that would follow you to the ends of the world.”

Nynaeve smiled gently, ducking her head.

“I suppose I could always use that one, should it not mind the possibility of feeling the taint on the Power.”

Moiraine squeezed Nynaeve’s hand, purposefully touching the crane on her palm.

“I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“Then I’m sure I could use one, Moiraine.”

Nynaeve pulled Fa’Roden to a stop at the Portal Stone nearby, watching Moiraine hold herself close to the Power.

Rand reared closer, putting himself between a frustrated Berelain and Nynaeve.

“What was this about sa’angreal?” Rand asked.

Nynaeve shook her head quickly.

“Not you, Rand. I’ll be able to do it on my own, but Moiraine worries.”

Nynaeve planned to have Rand as close to her as possible, but intended for him not to Channel unless necessary.

Anything could be Healed, including madness, and she didn’t want him to be exposed to the taint on saidin while she worked on the way she could Heal the problem.

Nynaeve looked at the Portal Stone before glancing at Min.

“It’s one of these two,” she pointed at two different symbols. “Why don’t you use your luck to tell us which one it is?”

Min flipped a coin before pointing to the one on the right.

“How did you know?” Moiraine whispered.

“You’d be surprised what you can find in the Stone’s library,” Rand said, making Nynaeve fight a smile. He was right, after all.

She reached out and gently grabbed the One Power through Moiraine, relishing in the beauty that was her Source, that was how she viewed it, but soon it was overwhelmed by her own One Power and the taint that coursed through her.

Moiraine grabbed Nynaeve’s hand, and she could feel the woman’s thoughts passing.

She could hear Moiraine’s worry for her, then for the world. Moiraine’s love and care for her, and then the same for the world.

Nynaeve blushed slightly, drawing more deeply on the One Power, and Moiraine felt the same thoughts and emotions emanating from the woman beside her.

Light, Moiraine wondered what it would be like to feel these emotions from her always, as a Warder and Aes Sedai would.

Nynaeve fumbled for a moment before thinking, with false boldness to cover her shy nature, that maybe one day that could be arranged, so long as she found a way to stop Moiraine from going mad along with her.

She ignored Moiraine’s wayward thought of the bond being worth it, as well as the spark of jealousy she felt when Nynaeve glanced at Berelain.

Nynaeve closed her eyes, sending Moiraine a wayward thought that she didn’t have to worry about Berelain (especially considering the fact that she had both Moiraine and Lan, an arrangement she still couldn’t wrap her head around completely).

Finally, she drew harshly on the One Power and slammed her will against the Portal Stone, encompassing every member of their party (from person to pack animal) and letting them wink out of existence, her mind focused on Rhuidian.

Moiraine held her tightly with both hands, and Nynaeve let herself appreciate the connection she had with Moiraine, despite the sickening Power that tainted the bond.