001 Flames
Title: Paces
Fandom: Wheel of Time
Characters: Moiraine, Lan, Rand
Prompt: 01 Just Walking By
Word Count: 438
Rating: G
Summary: Rand witnesses a private moment he wishes he hadn't. Set at the beginning of The Dragon Reborn, when the Dragon's men are camped out in the mountains
Table link: http://airelement.livejournal.com/38755.html
Rand paced around the camp, ignoring the men who tried to report to him. He glowered at the tent where Moiraine slept, no doubt dreaming sweet dreams of manipulations and Tar Valon plots. He was restless from spending the winter hiding out in a camp, frustrated from knowing Moiraine was right and angry because she always got her way. Without realising, Rand’s long circuits of the camp had shortened to a few paces each way outside Moiraine’s tent.
A piercing scream tore him from his thoughts. He looked around, expecting to see Min pointing at a Fade in the trees, but Lan shoved him aside as he rushed into Moiraine’s tent. Rand followed him in, bemused and curious. Moiraine didn’t scream. She wasn’t the sort of woman to panic over a mouse, or a big moth.
By the time Rand got to where he could see behind the divide where Moiraine slept, Lan had shaken her into consciousness. Rand stared as the powerful, commanding woman clutched onto the warder’s shoulders, crying and speaking at the same time so that it was impossible to understand her words.
“He… Dark One… fire… you…” Moiraine sobbed. Lan rubbed circles on her back as one would do to a child, and in a few moments she had calmed enough for more of her words to be distinguishable.
“He… the Dark One… he had eyes… pouring fire… he… hurt you…” Moiraine mumbled.
“It was just a dream,” Lan comforted her. “He’s not here, and I’m fine.” Moiraine visibly held her breath for a moment then exhaled slowly, relaxing her muscles one by one. She let go of Lan’s shoulders.
“I am sorry, gaidin,” she said, embarrassment showing clearly on her pale face. “I apologise.”
“Nonsense,” Lan chided her gently. He brushed a stray dark curl from her face. “In these times anyone can expect their fair share of nightmares. Even you. Now, you lie down and get yourself a few more hours sleep.” Moiraine shook her head.
“I would rather not,” she said, her voice less decisive than usual.
“Do you want me to stay with you?” Lan asked. Moiraine nodded and moved over wordlessly; Lan slipped under the blanket and made sure she was tucked in before wrapping his arms around her. Moiraine burrowed her head into the crook of his neck, curling close.
Rand backed away, an intruder on a private moment that he knew they wouldn’t want to know he’d seen. He sincerely wished he hadn’t been anywhere near Moiraine’s tent when she screamed. Next time he had to pace, he wouldn’t be walking by here, that was for sure.
Fandom: Wheel of Time
Characters: Moiraine, Lan, Rand
Prompt: 01 Just Walking By
Word Count: 438
Rating: G
Summary: Rand witnesses a private moment he wishes he hadn't. Set at the beginning of The Dragon Reborn, when the Dragon's men are camped out in the mountains
Table link: http://airelement.livejournal.com/38755.html
Rand paced around the camp, ignoring the men who tried to report to him. He glowered at the tent where Moiraine slept, no doubt dreaming sweet dreams of manipulations and Tar Valon plots. He was restless from spending the winter hiding out in a camp, frustrated from knowing Moiraine was right and angry because she always got her way. Without realising, Rand’s long circuits of the camp had shortened to a few paces each way outside Moiraine’s tent.
A piercing scream tore him from his thoughts. He looked around, expecting to see Min pointing at a Fade in the trees, but Lan shoved him aside as he rushed into Moiraine’s tent. Rand followed him in, bemused and curious. Moiraine didn’t scream. She wasn’t the sort of woman to panic over a mouse, or a big moth.
By the time Rand got to where he could see behind the divide where Moiraine slept, Lan had shaken her into consciousness. Rand stared as the powerful, commanding woman clutched onto the warder’s shoulders, crying and speaking at the same time so that it was impossible to understand her words.
“He… Dark One… fire… you…” Moiraine sobbed. Lan rubbed circles on her back as one would do to a child, and in a few moments she had calmed enough for more of her words to be distinguishable.
“He… the Dark One… he had eyes… pouring fire… he… hurt you…” Moiraine mumbled.
“It was just a dream,” Lan comforted her. “He’s not here, and I’m fine.” Moiraine visibly held her breath for a moment then exhaled slowly, relaxing her muscles one by one. She let go of Lan’s shoulders.
“I am sorry, gaidin,” she said, embarrassment showing clearly on her pale face. “I apologise.”
“Nonsense,” Lan chided her gently. He brushed a stray dark curl from her face. “In these times anyone can expect their fair share of nightmares. Even you. Now, you lie down and get yourself a few more hours sleep.” Moiraine shook her head.
“I would rather not,” she said, her voice less decisive than usual.
“Do you want me to stay with you?” Lan asked. Moiraine nodded and moved over wordlessly; Lan slipped under the blanket and made sure she was tucked in before wrapping his arms around her. Moiraine burrowed her head into the crook of his neck, curling close.
Rand backed away, an intruder on a private moment that he knew they wouldn’t want to know he’d seen. He sincerely wished he hadn’t been anywhere near Moiraine’s tent when she screamed. Next time he had to pace, he wouldn’t be walking by here, that was for sure.