The Wheel of Kin: A Daughter's Journey

Foresight Untold

The soft rocking of the boat stirred Elara from the depths of her dreams. Her heart pounded in her chest, her skin slick with sweat as echoes of the visions clung to her mind—the White Tower, the Aes Sedai's judgment, the cold shackles of the One Power binding her. It had felt so real. Too real. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to sit up and take in her surroundings.

The small cabin was dim, but moonlight streamed through the porthole, casting silver streaks across the wooden floor. The faint sound of water lapping against the hull grounded her. She pressed a hand to her forehead, willing the trembling in her fingers to stop. **It was just a dream. A warning, perhaps, but nothing more. None of it had happened.**

Still, the weight of the truth pressed on her chest. She was the one who had broken the Forsaken seals. And only Lanfear and the others like her knew.

Elara pulled the thin blanket closer around her shoulders, staring blankly at the porthole. How much time had passed? The last thing she remembered was being on the beach in Falme and passing out in her mother Moiraine's arms after breaking the Forsaken seals.

Unbeknownst to her, on the upper deck, Moiraine leaned against the railing, her face turned toward the night sky. For the first time in weeks, she felt it—a glimmer, a flicker of the bond between her and her daughter. It was faint, but it was there.

"Lan," she murmured, turning toward the Warder who stood like a shadow beside her. "She's awake."

Lan shifted, the perpetual calm in his face easing into something softer. Without another word, they both moved swiftly below deck.

Elara was still gathering her thoughts when the door to her cabin creaked open. Moiraine stepped inside first, with Lan just behind her. At the sight of her, relief and something far deeper flashed across Moiraine's face.

"By the looks on your faces," Elara said softly, her voice hoarse from disuse, "I must have been asleep for a long while this time."

Moiraine exhaled a shaky breath, stepping forward. For once, the mask of the Aes Sedai did not hold. She knelt by the bed and brushed her fingers across Elara's cheek, a touch as light as a whisper. "Too long," she admitted, her voice thick with emotion. "Light, I thought..." She stopped herself, swallowing the words.

"You gave us quite the scare," Lan added, his deep voice softer than usual. "It's good to see you awake."

A small, wry smile touched Elara's lips. "You? Worried? I must have been on the brink of death."

Moiraine shook her head, unable to summon a retort. She let herself indulge for a moment longer, cupping her daughter's face in her hands as if reassuring herself that Elara was truly there. She blinked rapidly, keeping the tears threatening to fall at bay.

Elara shifted, pushing herself up. The moment she did, the world tilted sharply, and a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Lan moved with the grace of a man always prepared, catching her arm before she could sway too far. "Easy," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "You've been asleep for weeks. Take it slow."

Elara shook her head stubbornly. "I'm fine," she insisted, though the weakness in her limbs betrayed her.

"Let me at least help you," Lan said, steadying her with an ease born of years of care. "We'll get you something to eat." He glanced toward Moiraine for support.

Moiraine nodded in agreement, her expression brooking no argument. "Lan is right. You need to regain your strength."

Elara hesitated for a moment before her stomach growled loudly, betraying her. With a reluctant sigh, she allowed herself to lean on Lan as he helped her to her feet. "Fine," she murmured. "But I might eat everything on this boat."