The One... Or Two?

Fight

Secily awoke alone the next morning. She rose like the sun, a soft and warm comforter falling from her. She felt... better. She supposed it was likely the return to full health and... nothing else. Only, there was nothing else there. She was alone. She could've sworn someone had been with her. Someone she'd passed out around. Memories were hazy in the first morning fog she'd had in some time. Like clockwork, Secily entered the bathroom, doing whatever clean-up she could for now and likely some time yet. She wandered the halls and found Egwene wandering as well.

"Good morning!" the cheery channeler chirped. She reached Nynaeve's door and knocked.

The still hazy redhead stilled as well.

"Nynaeve?" Egwene called. When no answer came, she turned to Secily and shrugged. She opened the door and they both walked inside. A grin instantly bloomed at the perfectly made bed. They walked over to it and Egwene sat down, facing the door. Secily looked around at random objects placed about the room. Suddenly, someone walked through the door. Sluggishly, with none of her usual wildness, she turned to face Nynaeve. Egwene grinned from behind, sitting on Nynaeve's bed in a total power move. "And where have you been?"

Nynaeve paused, her face turning coy against her will before schooling her features. "Nowhere."

Egwene cocked an eyebrow. "I mean, you've been somewhere. And by the looks of this perfectly made bed, it wasn't in your room," she sighed as she looked at the wrinkle-less sheets.

Guilty, Nynaeve wouldn't meet Egwene's eyes. "I couldn't sleep."

Egwene shrugged, a sly smirk pulling at her lips. "Hmm."

"How was it?" Secily asked from across the room.

Nynaeve met her eyes and rushed forward, to spill every detail. She paused, turning to Egwene half-way through. "I owe you an apology. I spoke out of turn. I didn't mean to stir anything up."

Egwene waved a hand dismissively, wanting details.

Suddenly someone else came into the room. The girls turned to Perrin. He shut the door behind him, making the air serious.

"So, what did you decide?" Nynaeve asked, focused once more.

Egwene stood from the bed, suddenly serious as well. She sighed. "I want to go," she admitted determinedly.

Nynaeve looked to Perrin who nodded in a determined glare. Her eyes shifted to Secily who looked away, the coward. She nodded as well. Perrin sat down at the implication. Majority rule, Nynaeve was coming whether she wanted to or not.

Egwene looked around. She suddenly crossed her arms, asking, "Where's Rand?"

Perrin looked up at her from his seat. "I assumed he was with you." He nodded at Egwene.

A knock came at the door. Nynaeve, the inhabitant of the room, opened it. Lan stood on the other side, looking deeply stressed.

"What happened?" Nynaeve demanded, stepping back.

Lan stepped inside, shutting the door. When he faced Nynaeve, he finally answered, "Moiraine masked our bond." He walked past her, into the center of the room.

"I don't understand," Nynaeve mumbled as she followed, a little numb.

"She left."

"By herself?" came the immediate retort.

Blood leaked from Secily's already pale face. Her comfort faded and a familiar tenseness hardened her fraught back and shoulders. Blood raced to her legs. "Rand." In an instant, she stood and raced out the door. The others didn't bother to follow.