You're not alone

Chapter 5 - Name yourself

Moiraine rides back to her sister's house.

The walk to the gates was pulling at Moiraine and Lan's nerves. Five times, they almost ran into a group of Whitecloaks. Every time it happened, Lan shielded Moiraine by pretending to let the Children of the Light pass while pulling Mandarb and Aldieb in front of her to shield her from their eyes. And then the Aes Sedai still wore Lan's color-shifting cloak, which she kept wrapped around her, so no one would see her blue dress beneath it. Their trick worked, but it was always a moment when they feared someone would see through their charade.

Moiraine saw how tense Lan was. He was prepared to fight, though they both hoped to leave without being discovered.

So, when they reached the gates, together with many other visitors of the city, Moiraine released a relieved sigh. They had made it. Now, the only important question was, what would Lan do?

"Wait! In the name of the Light!"

The woman of the Blue Ajah stumbled at these words. There was no doubt who had spoken them. Only the Children of the Light used this phrase.

Lan growled beside her when he brought Mandarb and Aldieb to a halt and stepped before her. "I'll deal with them. Get in the saddle and ride."

"What?! No! I won't-!" Moiraine shrieked when Lan grabbed her hips and lifted her into the saddle. Because of her dress, she had chosen to use a saddle made for ladies for today's ride. "Lan!" Desperately, she tried to keep holding onto his arms, but the stupid man freed himself. "Please! Please, don't do that!"

"Ride!"

"I said, wait! Dismount your horse!"

Quickly, Lan took care of Moiraine's reins, so she could hold them properly. "Lan, please! Let me-!"

"Ride! And don't stop, Moiraine!" The look in Lan's eyes was like iron. He wouldn't change his mind.

Before the Cairhien woman could open her mouth again, he gave her horse a pad on the backside, and the animal obeyed.

"WAIT!"

Moiraine took a look at the Whitecloak yelling after her. Another one was following him, and they both ran toward Lan. The face of the one in the front had turned red. The Cairhien woman didn't know if it was out of anger or because he was running, but he looked like he would pass out any second.

"Can I help you, Sir?" Calmly, Lan turned to the Children of the Light.

Heavy-hearted, Moiraine turned her head around and kept riding. She knew what was going to happen. Lan would fight against the Whitecloaks to ensure they didn't follow her. Please, let him be safe.

Riding in a saddle made for ladies had one disadvantage – you can't ride quickly, or you fall off the back of your horse. Moiraine cursed herself for choosing a dress for today. If she had worn her old riding clothes, she would have outrun her enemies way faster. Light, she would've reached her sister's house a while ago!

This way, she had to look back occasionally – checking if any Whitecloaks were following her. But more importantly, she was checking on Lan.

For the first ten or twenty minutes after she had left him at the gate of Cairhien, Moiraine had been alone. She had been torn between turning around to help him and to keep going like he had wanted her to do. Maybe he had wanted this clean cut. Perhaps him being in Cairhien had been nothing but a coincidence, and he had helped her escape out of old habits.

And then – when she had finally decided to turn her horse around and check on him – he had appeared in the distance with Mandarb and Aldieb. The woman of the Blue Ajah had wanted to stop her mare until he would have closed the distance between them, but then she had remembered him telling her not to stop – to keep riding. So, she did.