Missing and extended scenes of Wheel of Time - TV series

1x05 (Story B) - Lead the way

Gently, Lan moved his fingers over Moiraine's, while his eyes were locked on the golden serpent ring. His Aes Sedai. He had sworn to protect her. He would give his life for her without thinking twice.

'First, you lose Moiraine and then you tell me how easy it is to jump from one woman to the next.'

Stepin's words were still ringing in his ears. Losing Moiraine... in the last two months, he had been so close to losing her multiple times. The Trolloc attack in the Two Rivers. The blade of the Trolloc. Mashadar. The Trolloc poison. Logain. Stepin's axe.

Anger rolled through his veins when all those incidents replayed in his head. He was getting weaker. He needed to train more. Moiraine needed a Warder, who was able to protect her from the servants of the Dark One. Someone, who would make sure that she wouldn't get hurt. She...

Moiraine pulled her hand free, while she flooded their bond with her love for him. Lan closed his eyes when he felt how deeply she trusted him. This incredible woman tried to erase his doubts and worries by showing him her feelings. Feelings, which he didn't deserve. He had failed her. He was weak...

The gentle touch of her hand on his cheek broke his chain of thoughts then he noticed the pressure of her forehead against his. Strength flowed through the bond. Her strength. She tried to be strong for both of them. 'I should be the one comforting her. She has lost a sister.'

His Aes Sedai was a strong woman. He was proud to be the Warder of this incredible woman, who... Another feeling appeared between the others and was gone in an instant. Surprised, Lan furrowed his forehead. Did Moiraine hide something from him? But what could that be?

The Warder pushed his own feelings aside and concentrated on Moiraine. What was she hiding? He dove into their bond and pushed her love, trust, and strength aside to reveal the feelings beneath it.

Moiraine pulled back as soon as she noticed that Lan was digging. She couldn't allow him to find what she was hiding underneath the strong feelings she was willing to share with him. Light, she had just wanted to cheer him up since his mood had been terrible.

Everyone in the tower had known that today Stepin would return Kerene's ring to the flames. While the Warders had supported their grieving brother, the Aes Sedai had stayed in their rooms to remember Kerene.

But Moiraine had something else that was on her mind. Over the past month, she had watched how the grief had taken its toll on Stepin. The poor man barely looked like himself anymore. And according to the Warders, he rarely ate anything and his sleep was troublesome as well.

They all had seen how fast everything could end. Not even an Aes Sedai was invincible. One careless moment and her life would be over. And then it would be Lan's turn to return her ring to the tower. He would have to bring Siuan the message of her death. But the worst part was to know how hard her death would hit him. The loss of a bonded Aes Sedai... how could she do this to him? She loved Lan with all her heart and she didn't want this for him. She wanted him to live. He wasn't just her Warder. For twenty years, he was her protector, her friend, her confidant. He had saved her life countless times. She couldn't wish for a better Warder.

The Aes Sedai felt that Lan was close to finding the hidden emotion. Quickly, she concentrated on masking the bond. She always hated it to do this, but otherwise, he wouldn't...

Moiraine gasped when Lan suddenly took her face into his hands and broke her concentration. At the same time, he found what he had been looking for. A silent tear rolled down Moiraine's cheek when she couldn't hide her fear anymore. Within a heartbeat, her throat tightened, and she had troubles to breathe. She was close to a panic attack.