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“I’ll be fine by myself for ten minutes,” Moiraine said, looking up at Lan from where she sat on the forest ground. 

They had ridden all day and she was tired, but Lan had insisted that they made a fire to brew tea. However, they needed wood first. But she could think of a thousand other things she’d rather do than collect wood right now. 

But her warder was not exactly pleased with her idea to stay behind. Lan had been practically glued to her side for weeks now. Which she liked, usually, especially when it included a bed, but right now she didn’t feel like following him. 

“I can defend myself,” Moiraine insisted. “I’m not helpless.” 

Lan rolled his eyes. “I am aware.” He hesitated for another moment. “Fine, stay here.” He wasn’t happy, but they were both too tired to argue. 

Moiraine huffed. “Where would I go?” 

“Into the woods, exploring,” Lan muttered under his breath, but not quiet enough for Moiraine to miss it. “I won’t be gone for long,” he added. 

Moiraine watched him leave, wondering when he had become so paranoid. In the past, he had never hesitated to leave her alone for a few minutes. He would know if something happened, anyway. 

She sighed, lying down on the grass and looking up at the trees. She suddenly realized how silent the night was. No birds were chirping. Lan’s side of the bond was silent, so apparently he either hadn’t noticed or wasn’t alarmed. Was this a reason to be alarmed? Before traveling with Lan, Moiraine hadn’t spent much time in forests. But usually, you could hear the birds. 

Suddenly feeling uneasy, she sat up again. Lan’s paranoia had rubbed off on her. Maybe she should have gone with him. When had she become so dependent on him? She was Aes Sedai, she could defend herself. 

There was a sound to her left, and Moiraine instantly called the Source to her. It made her feel better. She could feel Lan’s emotions shifting at the other end of the bond, reacting to her channeling. 

Moiraine got to her feet, still more confused than frightened, when a man stepped into the clearing. A man whose clothes she recognized. She held out her hands, creating a shield. But he made no move to come closer. For some reason, she thought they might have walked into a trap. 

“I knew we were right about you,” the Whitecloak said, showing his teeth when he smiled. “ Witch .” 

Moiraine could hear her heart beating in her ears. But it wasn’t her own panic that she was feeling, it was Lan’s. Where was he? Why hadn’t he come back the moment he had felt her channeling? Something was wrong. 

The man across from her took a step forward. He didn’t have his sword out. He was just standing there. Which meant she couldn’t attack him. 

Moiraine scanned their surroundings, suddenly hearing footsteps. She tried to concentrate on the bond, to feel where Lan was, but she couldn’t figure out anything through the mess of emotions in her head. She just wanted her warder with her. 

More men broke into the clearing, and Moiraine instinctively backed away. She held her shield up, but it wavered for a second when she noticed who they had brought along. Lan looked straight at her, the full onslaught of his emotions hitting her. He thought he had failed her. Even with a sword at his throat. 

Moiraine called more power to her, trying to figure out a way to get out of this without Lan ending up dead. They had never taught this at the White Tower. She didn’t even really know how to fight. She wasn’t Green Ajah. 

The man approached her again. “Your choice now, witch. Call back your magic and he lives, fight us and he dies.” He smiled again. “Should be an easy choice.” 

It was an easy choice. Lan shook his head ever so slightly when Moiraine looked at him, but she dropped her hands all the same. She barely felt it when they put chains around her wrists, her eyes glued to her warder. This was all her fault. If she had just gone with him, they wouldn’t have walked straight into a trap. Why couldn’t she just listen to him?

“I’m sorry,” she whispered when one of the men pushed her forward, closer to Lan. 

He shook his head at her. Even now, he was sending her reassuring energy through the bond. It would all be okay. But would it? 

“Knock her out,” someone was saying behind her. “She seems useless, but you never know with them.” 

Moiraine wanted to turn around, but something pinched the back of her neck and everything went black. 

oOo

Moiraine woke up somewhere else. The light was too bright in her eyes and she closed them again, blinking slowly. The first thing she realized was that she was chained to something. The second thing was the bond.

She sat up, too quickly, her head spinning. She felt Lan before she saw him, his presence instantly soothing. He was chained to a block across from her, but he seemed unhurt. She hadn’t been prepared for the relief that hit her when she saw him. 

“They didn’t kill you,” Moiraine whispered, ignoring the way the chains were digging into her wrists. 

Lan shook his head. “They believe that you put me under a spell and once you’re dead, I will be free to go.”

Somehow, that was reassuring. At least one of them wasn’t doomed to die. 

“I don’t find that reassuring at all,” Lan answered her unspoken thoughts, his voice sharp. “We need to get out of here.” 

Moiraine tried to turn, glancing at her chains. The Whitecloaks seemed to be of the impression that Aes Sedai couldn’t channel without their hands. For most of them that might even be true, but it was possible. She had just never tried before. 

“Where are we?” she wanted to know. “How many people are here?” They seemed to be in some sort of tent, that much she had figured out. 

Lan looked towards the exit of the tent. “Somewhere in the woods. I saw around 30 men, but I couldn’t be sure.” 

Moiraine leaned her back against the block. Could she fight her way out of here? She hadn’t even managed to fight one Whitecloak. She had just given up. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Lan said into the silence. “It was mine. It was my duty to protect you, and I failed.” 

Moiraine felt tears rising into her eyes. She didn’t want to die. But she wanted Lan to die even less. “I didn’t even do anything,” she whispered. “I was just standing there, waiting for you to save me.” She sniffed once, suddenly embarrassed. “I was so useless.” 

Lan’s expression softened. “You’re the most remarkable person I know. And you’re going to save me , now.” 

Moiraine didn’t share his confidence in her abilities. She had never channeled like this before. But there was another idea that came to her suddenly. “Do you want me to release you from the bond?” She could do that without her hands, most likely. 

Lan blinked in confusion. “What?” 

She met his eyes across the room. “If they kill me, and the bond breaks-” They both knew what would happen then. Warders rarely outlived their Aes Sedai for long. 

“You won’t die,” Lan replied, shaking his head. “And I don’t want my bond released.” His gaze was steady. “You can channel without your hands.” 

Moiraine could feel that he really believed that. They had been in so many dangerous situations before, and Lan had always gotten them out by sheer will only. He had ridden a horse to death to save her, after all. 

“Everything will be fine.” He looked at her with so much confidence. “Min said we would be married, remember? We haven’t gotten around to that just yet.” 

Maybe that was in another turning of the wheel. Min had also told her she would find the Dragon reborn. That seemed further away every day they were looking for him. 

“Just try,” Lan said softly. “For me.” 

Moiraine took a deep breath. She called the Source to her like she usually did. Lan’s confidence was flooding her, steadying her. Making her feel warm inside. He believed in her so much.

She went back to her training, to how she and Siuan had learned to create weave after weave with full concentration. She imagined saidar forming behind her back, flooding through the chains. Melting them down. Please, she thought. Light please help me. 

Her hands felt suddenly warmer. Moirane focused her energy on the chains. 

“It’s working,” Lan whispered. 

Moiraine pushed harder. It was so unfamiliar to channel without using gestures, without having the physical guidance of her hands. But she had to make it work. Because if she died, Lan would die too. And she couldn’t have that. 

And just like that, her wrists were free. Moiraine exhaled sharply, looking over at Lan, who hadn’t doubted her for even a second. She channeled more weaves, breaking the chains around Lan’s ankles and wrists. He was on his feet right away, looking for a weapon, while Moiraine remained on the ground. 

She felt the strong urge to jump into Lan’s arms and reassure herself that he was indeed unhurt, but she held back. There would be a time for that, but it wasn’t now. 

Lan had found his sword, and judging by his expression he was very keen to put it to work. Moiraine pulled herself together, getting to her feet. If these Whitecloaks wanted to meet a witch, she would show them one. 

Moiraine called saidar to her, creating a shield around Lan. He left the tent before her, already cutting down the first surprised Whitecloak. She could feel the thrill of the fight radiating off her warder. She threw out her power at a couple of approaching men, sending them flying backward.

Lan was by her side in an instant, blocking an attack. The man made a strangled sound and blood splashed in all directions. Moiraine fought back a wave of repulsion when she felt it on her skin. 

More Whitecloaks were approaching now, flooding out of the remaining tents. “Kill the witch!” someone was screaming, and Moiraine pulled up a shield just a second before a bunch of arrows came flying. 

“I’m going to kill all of you,” Lan muttered beside her, swinging his sword and beheading a Whitecloak in the process. 

She channeled fire, spinning around herself to throw fireballs. Some of the tents caught fire, which resulted in more screaming. She held up another shield while Lan was fighting his way through the Whitecloaks, but it seemed to be coming to an end. Several men were fleeing into the woods, some had grabbed horses and were riding off. 

Moiraine turned around herself. There was smoke rising from a few of the tents, and she used her weaves to put out the fire. The smell of burning wood had covered the smell of blood. There were no more Whitecloaks to be seen. 

Moiraine stepped over a few dead bodies, leaning down to inspect something their leader was wearing on his tunic. She reached for it, turning it around in her hand. They were Aes Sedai rings. At least ten of them. Ten dead sisters. 

The adrenaline from the fight was slowly wearing off, and Moiraine finally felt exhaustion creeping in. She looked over at Lan, who was cleaning his sword. These men would never hurt another one of her sisters again. 

“We just keep ending up in these situations,” Moiraine remarked, stepping closer to her warder. Two years with Lan and she had just about experienced everything. 

Lan gave her a pointed look. “You just attract trouble everywhere we go.” He reached for her, caressing her jaw with his fingers. “But they underestimated you.” 

Moiraine wrapped her arms around his neck when he kissed her. They were covered in blood, but neither of them cared. “You always believed in me,” she whispered against his lips. 

Lan held up her chin so she was forced to look at him. “Of course I did.” He paused for a moment, just looking at her. “Marry me tonight.” 

That was the last thing she had expected him to say. Moiraine went still. She had only just recovered from nearly being burned alive by Whitecloaks. “ Tonight?” 

They hadn't spoken about marriage again after they had left Anaiya’s house. They were at least three weeks away from the Borderlands. 

Lan held her gaze. “Why wait? If I die, I’d like to die as your husband.” His fingers brushed a drop of blood away from her cheek. 

Moiraine was suddenly aware of how terrible she must look right now. “I don’t even have anything to wear.” 

Lan looked almost offended. “You think I would care about what you wear? ” He brushed another kiss across her lips, before letting go of her. “I prefer you without clothes, anyway.” 

Moiraine felt her cheeks grow hot. She watched Lan sheathe his sword. 

Perhaps he was right. They could both be dead by now. The wheel weaves as the wheel wills, but she could try to make as much out of the time the wheel had offered them. “Tonight then.” 

Lan wasn’t surprised by her words, because of course he had known what her answer would be before she had even spoken, but she did feel a certain excitement through the bond. 

“Tonight,” he concluded. “But we should get out of here first.” 

Moiraine looked around, at the dead bodies on the ground. She had forgotten where they were. They definitely should be leaving. And she needed a new dress for the occasion.