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Siuan was surprisingly quiet as she rides her horse, no fuss and complaints about these land sharks as she calls them, as of the moment she is intently watching Moiraine ride ahead, her eyes tracing the elegant lines of the woman's posture. She couldn't help but marvel at how Moiraine’s slender frame moved in rhythm with the horse, every subtle shift of her body, spoke of grace and confidence.
Light , Siuan thought, her chest tightening unexpectedly. She looks...
She almost couldn't find the word for it. The familiar blue figure, that Aes Sedai composure, the wind tugging gently at her dark curls as they peeked from under her hood—all of it should have made Moiraine look cold, powerful. But there was something else, something that made Siuan feel hot under the collar.
She's always been beautiful, in that infuriating way she doesn't seem to notice, Siuan mused. But on a horse... it shouldn't be fair to look like that.
Moiraine’s posture was perfect, as always—shoulders straight, her back not too stiff, but with just the right tension that showed control without strain. Every movement was precise, graceful, effortless. Siuan felt a warmth creep through her as she admired how natural Moiraine looked, as though she'd been born to ride, the reins in her hands like an extension of her will. The horse responded to her touch like it knew her, trusted her. The sway of her hips as she adjusted her position, the way her hands gripped with both delicacy and strength—it all sent a thrill through Siuan. She shifted in her saddle, annoyed at herself, but the feeling wouldn't go away.
Siuan’s breath catch. It wasn’t just her calm, quiet power, though Light knew that had always drawn her in. No, today, it was the simple sight of Moiraine in her riding boots, sitting astride her horse like a handsome knight. The boots alone were enough to make Siuan’s thoughts wander. Soft, supple leather that hugged Moiraine’s calves perfectly, disappearing under the hem of her riding skirts with just the right hint of form beneath the layers. They were practical—Moiraine never chose anything that wasn't—but on her, even practicality had a way of looking regal. Siuan’s eyes examines the work of those boots, watching as they flexed with each subtle movement, gripping the stirrups as if they belonged there, as if Moiraine was in command of the very ground beneath her.
Blood and ashes, Siuan thought, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She makes riding a horse look like an art form.
Siuan couldn’t help but appreciate the way Moiraine’s thighs pressed into the horse and could see the way her lover’s legs held firm the way her boots fit her perfectly, as though they were made for no one else but Moiraine Damodred.
How does she always manage to look so... untouchable, yet so inviting? Siuan mused, her eyes lingering on the curve of Moiraine's leg, then traveling upward to the serene, focused expression on her face.
It’s the way her back arches just so, the way her legs... Skin me and salt me, what a fool you are, getting all the silverpike over a pair of boots and a horse.
Siuan swallowed hard, her eyes now locked on the way Moiraine’s cloak fluttered behind her, revealing glimpses of her form beneath it. Moiraine had always been composed, distant at times, but never to Siuan. With Siuan, there had always been a closeness, a bond. But right now, all Siuan could think about was the ache in her chest and the warmth pooling low in her stomach.
"She's a blasted Aes Sedai," Siuan muttered under her breath, trying to shake herself out of it. "And you're acting like a fish out of the water just noticing a woman for the first time."
But it wasn’t just any woman. It was Moiraine. And Siuan knew that no matter how many battles they fought, no matter how many secrets they kept, this was one battle she was going to lose.
Fishguts, I need to get a hold of myself.
It was everything. The way Moiraine seemed to command the world around her without ever needing to raise her voice, the way she could slip into the most dangerous of situations with a calm that never wavered. She’d seen Moiraine face down the Shadow, manipulate kings and queens, and walk through fires others would flee from, and the way—despite all her duty, all the weight she carried—she still had moments where she was just Moiraine. Siuan’s Moiraine. No matter how long they'd been together or apart, no matter how many years they’d share passionate love or lonely nights, there was something about Moiraine that never ceased to make.
Siuan’s heart swelled as she watched her lover, her partner. But here, just riding through the hills, Moiraine had never looked more beautiful. And Siuan couldn’t help but think, I am the luckiest fool in the world.
Siuan chuckled softly to herself, slowly taking what’s in front of her.
Moiraine glanced back then, her eyes meeting Siuan’s with a small, knowing smile. It was a look that sent a shiver through her, a look that said Moiraine knew exactly what Siuan had been thinking, and Light help her, she wasn’t sorry for it.
Siuan grinned and shook her head, nudging her horse to catch up. Moiraine didn’t say a word as she turned forward again, but that smile lingered, just like the warmth that spread through Siuan’s chest.
No, she’d never get tired of watching Moiraine on horseback. And especially not in those boots.