You're not alone

Chapter 15 - Repairs and cleaning

Moiraine needs to take it easy, Lan helps, and Anvaere worries about her sister.

Lan awoke when the sun rose over the trees. Moiraine slept peacefully in his arms, though she had managed to turn on her belly, mumbling something inaudible in her sleep.

Smiling, the uncrowned king of Malkier buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her unique scent while rubbing his hand over her arm.

Suddenly, the Cairhien woman flinched – pulling her arm away from his touch – and an agonized sound crossed her lips. Immediately, Lan moved away from her. What happened? Never before had she flinched when he touched her. Had he squeezed her arm without noticing?

Carefully, the Warder placed his hand on the Aes Sedai's back, but she didn't react. So, it wasn't his touch that had hurt her. Could it have been a coincidence? Had she responded to something happening in her dream?

He let his hand move over her back, and she flinched again. Grimacing, Lan pulled back his hand. No, that was not a coincidence. His touch hurt her. But why?

Pictures of last night appeared before Lan's eyes. The horses, panicking in the stable. The Myrddraals, attacking them. Moiraine, chasing after her sister and an Eyeless. Anvaere, telling him the Shadowspawn had thrown his Aes Sedai around like a puppet. And at last, Moiraine's whimpers whenever she moved.

Last night, it had been too soon to look for any kind of bruises, but now... Eagerly, Lan pushed off the blanket and straightened. He started his examination with Moiraine's legs.

It was a relief when he barely found a bruise. Was it possible Moiraine's pain had come from all the fighting after such a long time? – That her muscles hadn't been used to all the movement? Don't be an idiot, Lan. Anvaere mentioned what the Myrddraal did to Moiraine.

Lan grabbed the hem of the nightgown and pushed it up Moiraine's body. She didn't wear anything but her bare skin underneath it, but Lan didn't care. He only had eyes for all the bruises he revealed the more he pushed up the nightgown. Her back was covered in bruises!

Shocked, he let his hand move over Moiraine's back. He hadn't expected that! The Myrddraal must have treated her thoroughly!

Moiraine's whimpers turned louder the longer his examination took, and she squirmed under his touch until she finally awoke. Complaining, she turned aside, facing him. "Stop that."

"You're covered in bruises."

The look in Lan's eyes was pure hatred. He had already killed the Myrddraal, yet Lan looked like he wanted to kill the creature again with his bare hands.

Growling, he grabbed the nightgown again and revealed her belly.

"Lan!" Shrieking, Moiraine tried to cover herself with the fabric but couldn't pull it out of Lan's hands. He grabbed the fabric so tight his knuckles turned white. Light, he was pissed.

He found the bruise, which was a result of the Myrddraal's foot. Moiraine hissed and swatted his hand away. "I said stop that!"

"That creature-!"

"-is dead! You killed him!" Moiraine swatted his hand again, and Lan finally let go of her nightgown. Relieved, she pulled the fabric down, then continued in a calmer voice, "If you excuse me now? I need to-"

The Aes Sedai rolled back on her belly, then tried to push herself into an upright position. A painful scream escaped her lips, quickly muffled by the pillow when she fell back down.

"Moiraine!" Her Warder touched her back gently, but she rolled quickly around and threw her legs out of bed. Lan saw the desperation on her face. She was in deep pain. "Moiraine, what-?"