The Great Hunt: Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Watchers

Estyrien al'Halien

Characters: Moiraine, Lan, Vandene, Aldeleas, Jaem.

Setting: Tifan's Well, Arafel

Point of view: Moiraine

Moiraine is sitting at a talbe full of books scrols and manuscripts in the house of the twin Aes Sedai Vandene and Aldeleas in Arafel. She is looking for pieces of the puzzle surrounding Rand but she's not making any progress. Frustrated with her lack of progress she turns to her Warder and another problem she must deal with. They talk briefly how the met and how they got to be bonded. Moiraine asks him if, after all these years, his bond chafes. Not really knowing where Moiraine wants to take this conversation Lan tells her that he accepts the bond without reservations still.

Moiraine now tells him she has made arrangements so that in the event of her death the bond will pass to another Aes Sedai, Myrelle of the Green Ajah. He will feel compelled to seek her out. Lan is upset by this, this is the first time Moiraine has felt the need to use the Bond to compel Lan to do anything. He feels he is being treated as a pet, or worse still a package to be handed over to whomever he will fit best with. Despite Lan's anger Moiraine refuses to undo it though, she can hand him over to any sister she wishes and there is nothing he can do about it.

In stead she returns to the original question. Does the bond not chafe? Lan gets even more upset now. He wants to know if this is all some kind of test to see if he is loyal. Not a test, Moiraine replies, but after events in Fal Dara she does wonder where his loyalties lie. Lan takes this to be a reference to Nynaeve. To keep him off balance Moiraine moves to an unexpected topic. Why did Lan tell Rand how to behave towards the Amyrlin? Lan doesn't really have a good answer. He suggests it may be the fact that Rand is a ta'veren. Moiraine can't deny that possibility. She dismisses a still very angry Lan so she can be alone to think.

Moiraine thinks about the changes in Lan that Nynaeve caused. She notices he is starting to share some of her loyalties and objectives and wonders if Lan will be quite so willing to risk his life in the future. Putting the matter aside for the moment she returns to her studies.

Vandene comes in with a pot of tea for Moiraine since her Warder is practicing with his sword. Aparently Lan's presence has reminded Jaem that he is more than a gardener and handyman. The two Aes Sedai talk for a bit about Moiraine's studies. Moiraine asks Vandene some questions about several topics she has been looking at. Is there a connection between the Horn and the Dragon Reborn other than that the Horn must be found before the Final Battle? Vandene tells her there is none. Is there a link between the Dragon and Toman Head. Vandene and her sister have different ideas on that. Vandene seems to think the Dragon Reborn will appear somewhere above Toman Head based on a questionable translation from the Old Tongue. Her sister Aldeleas disagrees. Moiraine jumps to Shadar Logoth and Lanfaer but Vandene can't offer her any useful information on either topic.

After some speculation on the Dragon Reborn, Vandene has noticed the signs, she leaves Moiraine. The blue Sister decides to go for a walk in the garden to escape the full of unanswered questions. She hears someone behind her in the garden but assumes it is Lan. Too late she realizes she is being followed by a Draghkar, shadowspawn that will suck to soul out of it's victim. Unable to reach for Saidar, Moiraine is defenceless against the creature. Then Lan and Jaem show up and kill the creature with their swords. The death cry of the Draghkar wakes up the whole village. In no time Vandene and Aldeleas are out side with lanterns. Aldeleas quickly sends Jaem to tell the villagers they don't know what made the noise but that they are all right while the others dispose of the body. The Aes Sedai wondered how it got so close undetected and Moiraine realizes the creature must have been shielded. A Black sister must have been involved. It's time for her and Lan to leave.

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