After the Eye (Filler Scene)

[Iris 0]

Sweet, Short, Random

 

After the Eye (Filler Scene from Egwene's Perspective)

 

Moiraine was clearly very unwell, but she still insisted on examining the objects from the Eye of the World. Thankfully, Rand returned unharmed but with a jarring account about facing the Dark One himself. Moiraine listened with a cool expression, but a thoughtful frown pulled at her mouth. Rand had thought he had defeated the Dark One, speaking about a black link that he severed with his own sword, but even Egwene knew that simply could not be—not in light of the Prophecies of the Dragon and the promise of Tarmon Gaidon. Still, it left a lot to ponder.

 

Lan paced around Moiraine nervously, and Moiraine somehow managed to ignore him completely. As he paced about, evidently to protect all three of the women, he regularly gave Moiraine a worried look. His eyes also came to rest on Nynaeve more often then she realized. When he looked at her, Egwene couldn't quite puzzle out what sort of emotion was behind that look.

 

In light of Moiraine's health, they needed to quickly move south to the Borderlands, not that they had any intention of lingering in the Blight. A litter was strung up for Moiraine between Lan's horse, Mandarb, and Bela, who was Egwene's mild-tempered mare. Lan's horse took the lead, so Egwene was presented with constantly looking over a very ill Moiraine, who seemed paler than ever. Her eyes seemed to drift in thought as the litter swayed in motion of the horses' walk, and quite often they would close for long periods of time. Egwene wondered if she actually slept. She hoped she did. The woman looked seriously ill.

 

Lan turned over his shoulder to look at Moiraine quite often, although Egwene didn't think he could see much accept the top of her head. He then took to looking at Egwene after glancing at Moiraine, indicating that he wanted to know Moiraine's state. The first time she said “sleeping” without lowering her voice, Moiraine's eyes flitted open immediately and she gave Egwene a flat stare. After that Egwene had to mouth her response silently for Lan's benefit, who would nod and then return his gaze forward.

 

Nynaeve lingered back and Lan's eyes often glanced over to her after ascertaining Moiraine's current health. Nynaeve seemed to be constantly scowling though, even when Lan's eyes rested on her. Egwene found herself growing more exasperated with Nynaeve's mood. She felt sorry for Moiraine, who looked near death, and she even felt sorry for Lan, who seemed to be doing his utmost to insure that both women were taken care of, as well as the rest of the group. Egwene wondered what Nynaeve actually expected from Lan. Was she really that upset just because he was worried about Moiraine? Everyone in the party was worried over Moiraine. Everyone accept Nynaeve, it seemed. Egwene even wondered if Nynaeve would even feel remorse if the Aes Sedai died in the litter on the way to Fal Dara.

 

After a full day of riding, the group broke camp for the night. Lan swung down silently from Mandarb's saddle, and walked over to Aldeib to remove Moiraine's saddlebag. He came back and lifted Moiraine as easily as if he did it every day. Moiraine's eyes were heavily lidded with tiredness, and she didn't seem to look into Lan's face at all, despite the fact that he gave her a very intent gaze before turning to find a place to settle her. As far as Egwene could tell, despite the man's minimal self-expression, he was very troubled over the Aes Sedai, who seemed to be uninterested in interacting with him.

 

Everyone milled about the small campsite taking care of fireside chores. Moiraine managed to set a ward, but even that small effort drained her. Lan gave her a worried, sidelong look. He had settled her in her blankets comfortably, using his own as well to provide her with some additional comfort.

 

“Moiraine Sedai,” Egwene said timidly. Moirained turned her face away from the fire to look at Egwene, looking extremely exhausted and wasted. “Would you like me to apply some more of Nynaeve's salve to your burns?” Moiraine thought for a moment, her expression unchanged, and then agreed. The other men moved away from the camp, accept Lan, who seemed determined to stay by Moiraine's side. Moiraine tried to wave him away, but he only moved a few steps distance. Moiraine laid back with a tired sigh as Egwene applied the salve again to the burns on her legs, arms, and abdomen. Lan looked down at the angry, red marks and his forehead creased, a frown pulling down the corners of his mouth, but then his gaze lifted when Moiraine's skirts went above her knees. Egwene noted this. Perhaps they weren't as intimate as she thought. The Aes Sedai and her Warder were still very much a mystery. Nynaeve kept to herself at the side of the fire, staring into its flames. After a minute or so Lan's gaze came to rest on Nynaeve, but she deliberately ignored him after looking at him once. The man shifted his feet and then took to looking out into the darkened forest beyond. Egwene worked methodically at rubbing the salve, but the tension in the air hung thickly, with Lan being constantly buffeted by it.

 

Rations were passed around to everyone, and Lan insisted on feeding Moiraine himself in light of her weakened state. She resisted, quietly telling him she had no appetite, but he wouldn't hear any of it. He gave her a stern look, which she returned with a look of wilting stubbornness, as he held a morsel of food in front of her. Finally she opened her with mouth, and although she also managed to roll her eyes, Lan fed her. Egwene looked toward the others, who all ate their food quietly, accept for some small conversation that took place between the men, Loial's voice humming like an enormous bee. Overall the mood was a somber one, no one wanting to disturb the Aes Sedai. Nynaeve was still withdrawn and staring into the fire. Egwene tried to talk with her in whispers, but Nynaeve only gave one-word answers without turning to look at her, although she did glance from time to time at Lan, who was worriedly trying to force Moiraine to eat more. Egwene sighed and took to eating her own meal in silence, trying not to overhear the Warder practically mothering the Aes Sedai.

 

“Moiraine, you need to eat. You need your strength,” he said in a matter of fact voice, although Egwene could hear concern as well.

 

Moiraine sighed, “I can't eat anymore, Lan. Really.”

 

“Just one more bite,” he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Please?” Egwene definitely heard an element of pleading and tenderness that was uncharacteristic of the man. Moiraine took the last bite, and then Lan settled her into her blankets, tucking her in like a child. It would have been touching, had Moiraine not had one foot in the grave. Egwene's peripheral vision didn't allow her to ignore the couple completely, and Egwene was sure she saw Lan's hand glide over Moiraine's cheek before he turned to eat his own supper. A very mysterious couple, indeed.

 

Everyone else settled down into their blankets after a time, and as Egwene lay back looking up the stars, exhaustion rolled in. Despite whirling thoughts about the future, sleep came almost immediately. Egwene dreamed of being back home with her mother and father in Emond's field, only she was an Aes Sedai, and her parents estranged her for it. Egwene woke with an unpleasant start. Her parents would never estrange her. She tried to brush the nasty feeling away, reminding herself it was all due to the fast-paced changes that were happening to her and the jumble of emotions it caused.

[Iris 0]

As Egwene lay awake looking up at the sky, she heard low voices coming from her right, where Moiraine had been laying with Lan hovering over her. Apparently the two were conversing in low voices.

 

“Sleep, Lan. I'm fine,” Moiraine said, her voice insistent and tired.

 

“You're in pain. I can feel it. I can't sleep when I feel something like this from you,” Lan replied. Egwene shifted her eyes just enough to take in the scene, and was surprised to see the Warder sitting with the Aes Sedai's head in his lap—-stroking her hair. Egwene willed herself to close her eyes, but curiosity got the better of her. She quickly glanced to Nynaeve, who was asleep with her back to the fire, thankfully. Her eyes came back to Lan and Moiraine.

 

Moiraine sighed. “You're going to be very tired if that's your reason, because I'm afraid this pain will not let up until I meet with a sister for Healing in Fal Dara.” Moiraine's voice seemed slightly icy, and Egwene saw her looking away from Lan's face, even though he looked at hers intently. He wore a troubled expression. Moiraine brushed his hand away. “I don't know why you insist on holding me like this,” she said, her voice definitely icy now. “Just lay me back down.”

 

“I just want you to be comfortable,” Lan said. Moiraine's lips thinned and her eyes came down slightly, then she looked off into the dark forest. Lan spoke again. “Raina, please forgive me for what happened.” Moiraine's eyes darted back to his face when he called her by that name, and she seemed surprised for a moment, then her eyes came away from his face again at hearing his apology.

 

“What's done is done, Lan,” she said. “And you needn't worry on it any longer.”

 

Now it was Lan who sighed. “An evasive answer,” he said knowingly. “I know you haven't forgiven me. I can feel it.”

 

Moiraine shifted and for a moment her face seemed to tighten in what looked like emotional pain, rather than physical. “Things will change drastically from here on, I think,” she said. “With three ta'veren and one them the Dragon Reborn, I would be a fool to think that things would remain the same. Even the most subtle or seemingly inconsequential things will shift. Everything that happens will have its purpose, even if I don't know it yet.” She sounded as if she were speaking to herself, ruminating over some philosophical truth. Lan simply looked more worried than ever as he looked down at Moiraine's wasted pallor. As Moiraine continued staring off in thought, Lan suddenly cupped her chin and turned her face to look up at his. Egwene's heart fluttered and she chided herself for being on the verge of seeing something she probably shouldn't, yet curiosity still kept her looking at the couple from the corner of her eye.

 

“Some things will never change as long as one of us is alive, Raina,” he said. Once again Moiraine's face seemed to hold an almost nervous look when he called her that, like a startled animal under the gaze of some predator. It was odd though, because Lan was being most unpredator-like as he held her small chin in his large hand. And what did he mean by that? What would never change? Didn't he just tell Nynaeve the other night that she looked like a sunrise? Egwene was mifted.

 

Moiraine spoke again and her voice sounded lower and considerably less serene than normal. “Let me sleep now, Lan” she said. Lan looked at her for a long moment before resettling her in her blankets. She turned over and seemed to go to sleep, but Egwene wondered if she really was. Somehow it seemed that the Aes Sedai had just escaped from a moment she didn't want to experience with her Warder.

[Sam 19]

Oh we don't get many from Eggy's pov!