Chapter Text
She needs a Warder.
Well, that much is clear. She may be adept with channeling the One Power but that alone will not save her if she encounters a White Cloak or a hoard of Trolloc along the way. Searching for the Dragon is a long road. She’s bound to face danger along the way and she needs a Warder that will protect her when she wouldn’t be able to do it herself.
Thing is, finding one in the wild is much harder than she thought it would be. Back in the White Tower, there were men all training to be one. Most of her sisters had picked their Warders from them. She didn’t have that luxury as she needed to escape the tower as soon as possible. There’s no way she’s going to let them place her on the Sun Palace. No. She would rather die first than to let that happen.
She can pick any man, perhaps. There are a lot of kingdoms who had sworn their allegiance to the tower and vowed to answer whenever they call. She can take advantage of that but her mission requires dedication and secrecy. She must pick someone she can trust, someone who will understand the gravity of what she’s trying to do. That makes everything so difficult.
As she traveled across the land, she noticed a fire just a few miles away. It’s freezing cold and traveling in the dark is dangerous so she rode towards the fire.
There, she found a man sitting by the river, playing a sad tone on his guitar. She only meant to ask for some sort of shelter, just a few hours to share the warmth of the fire but she found herself rooted on the spot as she listened to the music. What kind of sorcery is this? She heard music before. She danced to some of them but she’s never been entranced like this before.
“You know most pay in order to watch me perform. If you wish for me to continue, you better make sure you have some coins on you”, the man suddenly said.
That caught her off-guard. She thought she’s being stealth but apparently, she’s wrong.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. I just saw the fire and…I was hoping that you would be amendable in sharing it for a few hours”, her hand fumbled inside her pocket. “I, uh…I do have some coins. I don’t know if this would be enough though”,
She produced a handful of coins and the man turned to face her. He looks gorgeous especially with the light from the fire illuminating his face. He’s definitely alluring and she felt her heart pounded a bit.
“You’re traveling alone?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. I am”, she answered.
He put down his guitar and approached her. She has half a mind to step back but she fought against it.
“Who are you, woman?” he asked again.
Her name is on the tip of her tongue. She almost forgot of her oaths and she silently cursed it for making this hard for her.
“You may call me Alys”, she worked her way around it.
She didn’t say it was her name but she inferred that he may call her as such. That works. He raised a brow at her like he is trying to decipher her.
“Thom…the name is Thom Merrilin. You can keep your coins. The fire is enough for two people. You are welcome to share it before you freeze yourself to death”, he said.
Moiraine sighed in relief before putting the coins back in her pocket. She sat by the fire and removed her gloves to warm her hands. As much as she loves traveling and seeing the world, she also misses her bed, the comfort the White Tower offers. She also misses Siuan, her friends. Traveling can be very lonely when done alone.
“So, where are you heading, Alys?” he asked as he sat next to her.
He smelled like tabac. She does not smoke but she has no problem with it either.
“Chachin. Are you a Gleeman?” she asked him back.
Thom smirked at her before nodding. “I am. Why are you on your own? It’s a dangerous time to be traveling by yourself”,
He does ask a lot of questions.
“I don’t see you having company yourself”, she pointed out.
“True…but I know how to defend myself if need be”, he said.
She then caught a glimpse of his daggers under his cloak. He also got two on each side of his boots. A Gleeman who knows how to fight, that is interesting.
“I know how to defend myself too…if need be”, she muttered.
They stayed silent for a while before Thom picked up his guitar again. “You’re running away from something”, she turned to him and frowned. “I am a Gleeman. I’m observant by nature. I can think of many things why you chose to travel by yourself. If my guess is right, A Cairheinin woman alone in the middle of the woods, you must be running away from something…or someone”,
How did he know she’s from Cairhein? Did her brother send him? Any of the High Lords? Suddenly, she felt uncomfortable around him. What if this is all a trap?
“Calm down, woman. I knew you’re from Cairhein because of your accent. I will not do anything to harm you”, he added like he can read her mind.
She relaxed at that.
“I guess you can say that I am running away from something but I am also running towards something”, she muttered.
He started playing a tune she didn’t recognize.
“…and that’s worth all the danger you’re putting yourself into by being out in the open alone?” he asked.
She held his gaze and nodded. “It is”,
Her back first felt the hard ground before she opened her eyes. She didn’t realize that she had already fallen asleep and the fire has already died down. When she tried to move, however, a knife was pressed down her throat.
Thom was looming over her, fury in his eyes.
“You failed to mention one thing, woman”, he flashed her, her Great Serpent ring. “You’re a bloody Aes Sedai”, he hissed.
What…oh, her eyes glanced towards her purse and found it opened.
“You went through my things”, she deduced.
“I am cautious by nature. A mysterious woman suddenly appeared in the middle of the woods? I know Alys is not your real name either because you said it like it’s something you read somewhere but this…this surprised me. An Aes Sedai alone without a Warder. What are you doing here, huh? Did you follow me here? Have you come to finish the job your sisters have started? You wanted to finish the rest of my family, is that it?” he exclaimed.
The blade is now digging onto her skin. The fear she’s feeling will allow her to use the One Power against him but for some reason, she didn’t want to hurt him.
“No, I didn’t follow you. I didn’t know you until I saw you earlier. I have no idea of the job you’re talking about and I have no intention of harming your family either…or you”, she answered.
There is a struggle in his eyes before he removed the dagger from her throat. She felt a sting on her skin and she knows that he had made a cut on her.
“You cannot lie”, he muttered.
“No, I cannot. You have no idea how frustrating that is”, she confirmed.
He tossed her, her ring and she is quick to put it inside her pocket. That didn’t escape his notice…that she didn’t wear it right away.
“Then, what are you really doing out here?” he asked.
“I told you. I am heading to Chachin but it’s already dark and I am cold. I saw the fire and that’s it”, she eyed him carefully. “What job were you talking about that my sisters had started? Why did you think I am out to kill your family?” she asked him back.
Thom scoffed before hiding the dagger underneath his cloak.
“What Ajah do you belong to?”
“Blue”, she answered without thinking.
She really shouldn’t be telling him information about herself but he already knows she’s an Aes Sedai. There’s no use in hiding it.
“I guess you wouldn’t know about your Red sisters activities then”,
Red? Well…she knows of their job. No one likes the Red Ajah in the White Tower but what does it have to do with him?
“What happened?” she asked.
“Your sisters found my nephew. They found out he could channel and they gentled him like he’s nothing. No trial to determine whether he’s dangerous, whatsoever. They just…it drove him mad, my Owyn. He killed himself, you know. Cut his own throat at the dinner table like it’s nothing”, he answered as he fought the urge to cry.
She can tell that it happened quite recently too. The memory is still fresh in him.
“I’m sorry for your loss. I…” her oath cut her off all of a sudden.
She’s meant to say that she didn’t know but that’s not true because she already has an idea why that happened.
Apparently, Thom is a quick learner. He knows about her oaths. He knows that she cannot lie and therefore, he caught on the way her voice got cut off when she tried to talk.
“What do you know, woman?” he asked.
Light…why did she stumble upon an observant man?
“I didn’t know about your nephew but…there’s something…I’m not sure I should tell you”,
“Why not?”
“…because I don’t know if I can trust you to keep it a secret. I don’t know you. I just met you a few hours ago”, she answered.
He sat closer to her and this time, she didn’t fight the urge to back away.
“You can trust me. I just want to know why. Why my Owyn? Why did they do that to him? I just want some answers. That’s all. If you want proof on why you should trust me, how about I could have killed you earlier and I chose not to?” he proposed.
Well…she could argue that she could have fought him with the One Power but truly, he didn’t need to wait for her to wake up to kill her.
“There had been a foretelling. Few months ago while the Aiel War was still raging on. A boy was born in the slopes of the Dragonmount. The Dragon has been born again”, Thom halted. “There were four people in the room when it happened. The Amyrlin Seat, her Keeper of the Chronicles, and two Accepted. I was one of the Accepted that happened to be there. We were told to keep it quiet. The Amyrlin had dispersed few sisters to search for the boy but after the Amyrlin suddenly died, those sisters were killed too”,
“Someone else knew of the prophecy”, Thom concluded.
Moiraine nodded.
“Yes. That’s when I first heard about men who could channel being gentled away from the White Tower. They were never brought for trial. Regardless of age, they all suffered the same fate. Now, my Red sisters…they wouldn’t condone that act. They’re stickler for the rules, you see, but there are those who do not care for the rules. Have you ever heard of the Black Ajah?” she asked.
Thom shook his head.
“They’re Aes Sedai who renounced the Light and swore an oath to serve the dark. I think that’s what happened to your nephew. They wanted to find the Dragon first and kill him before he could stop the Dark One from waking. That’s why I am out here, Thom. I am one of the last two who knew of the prophecy. I need to find the Dragon first before the Black Ajah could find him”, she added.
She waited for any reaction from him. If he makes any sudden move to get away from her with that secret expose, if he tries to blackmail her using that information, she will be forced to kill him. He did neither though.
“Well…you’re just in luck, woman. From now on, you won’t be searching by yourself. You got yourself a travel companion”, he announced.