The One... Or Two?

WayGate Travel

That night, Moiraine stood thousands of miles away from the White Tower in Tear, a swamp home with her love.

Her love, Siaun Sanche, laid on the bed across from her. She gazed up at the Blue Sedai, now dressed in red.

Moiraine stood truculently. "Well, say something," she ordered of her 'Mother'.

Siaun stared up at her. "I will. When your spikes retract." Her face twisted into a cunning smile.

Moiraine let out a huff of air, looking to the side.

"You little pufferfish," Siaun teased, her smirk never leaving.

Moiraine laughed at the nickname. She sat at the end of her lover's bed. "Damn you, you can't get away with that every time."

Siaun stood, moving to sit at the end of her bed. "If it's one Dragon or five, man or woman, the heart of every prophecy is the same. The Dragon will either defeat the Dark One... or join him."

Moiraine crossed her arms, staring up at her. "I'll kill them myself before I let him have them," she revealed determinedly.

"Good." Thunder rumbled in the distance and rain began to fall. The younger woman looked at Moiraine. "So what aren't you telling me?" she asked, her Bluey senses tingling.

The older (by two years!) Sedai smiled faintly. "There's one..." She tipped her head to the side, gazing up at the woman. "I hope she is not the Dragon, but I don't wish her to die. I'd like you to meet her."

Siaun frowned confusedly. "Bring her with the other two-" No, she was not jealous her girlfriend was so clearly enamoured with a young, likely powerful channeler.

Moiraine shook her head. "I can't. She won't come within the city's walls again and I need her trust for now." She stared distantly before focusing on her woman again. "And you? What aren't you telling me?"

Siaun flinched as she thought of her nightmares.

*~*

Moiraine stood on a hill with an Ogier on a horse. Egwene and Perrin rode it from one direction, Nynaeve, Rand, Mat, Lan, and Secily from the other. The redhead noticed the relieved look on the woman's face and smiled as comfortingly as she could.

The group dismounted and everyone hugged everyone at the reunion. They all shared the feeling of being able to breathe again. There was no fear one of their friends was dead in a ditch somewhere. An overlaying buzz of speech vibrated the air and a few laughs were exchanged.

Moiraine watched the group interact. "There will be time for every story as we travel." She looked at her Warder and they shared a nod. She petted her horse before urging her own. The other horses followed.

The group of six ta'veren watched them go. "What are you doing?" Mat demanded.

"They would not survive the Ways," the large yet gentle Ogier explained.

The group faced the two large structures before them.

Nynaeve looked at the group before Moiraine turned from them. She decided now was the time to reveal a talk had before the departure from the White Tower. "Egwene and I told them what the Amyrlin said." Moiraine faced them again. The Wisdom stared true, defiant. "But none of us will follow you blindly. Not without answers to our questions."

Rand started the interrogation. "We've all heard of the Ways in stories, but none of us know what they are."

The Ogier, Lioal explained: "Ancient pathways, out of time and space. One step in the Ways could be a hundred miles in our world. One breath the equivalent..."