Wheel of Time - Moiraine's Warder
Title: Moiraine's Warder
Fandom: Wheel of Time
Characters: Moiraine, Lan, Nynaeve
Word Count: 469
Rating: G
Summary: Lan ponders his identity.
“You’re Moiraine’s Warder, aren’t you?” the Wisdom asked in a voice that, although quiet, conveyed well her distaste. Lan nodded shortly, thinking that although she was a pretty woman and young too, not more than twenty-four or twenty-five, she had the temperament of a Trolloc.
“And as he is, I am afraid I must make use of him now, Wisdom,” Moiraine said, gliding over. Her voice was calm, polite, gracious; Lan could only sense her irritation through their bond.
“What do you need, Moiraine?” he asked when they were out of earshot.
“Nothing, my Gaidin,” she said with a wry smile. “But I need you too much to have you falling in love with that village girl.” Lan resisted the somewhat childish urge to screw up his face in disgust.
“Have no fear of that,” he said. “I have no desire to fall in love with a child.” Moiraine smiled, satisfied. Lan shook his head. He had never really understood what made women so possessive. Edeyn had had the right, of course, as his carneira, and he was bonded to Moiraine. But it still seemed to be one of those peculiar female habits that few would admit to, but all engaged in.
Lan wondered when he had stopped minding being seen as Moiraine’s possession. In the Borderlands, of course, he was a king in his own right. But anywhere else, he was Moiraine’s Warder.
Years ago, he would have balked at the very notion of being considered a part of someone else. But now… he was surprised to find that he didn’t mind at all. It had been a gradual acceptance, he supposed, one borne by long years of knowing that Moiraine thought of him as more than a mere possession. Being ‘Moiraine’s Warder’ meant ‘Moiraine’s friend’ and that was something Lan liked being.
“You had better watch out, Lan,” Moiraine said. Lan instinctively reached for his sword, looking around for danger. “The Wisdom thinks you are a fine figure of a man.” Well, that explained why the girl had been directing so many poisonous looks at Moiraine. Surely she was not still angry over Moiraine calling her ‘child’.
“She’ll get over it,” he said unfeelingly.
“You are not going to woo her?” Moiraine teased. “She will be very disappointed.”
“You know very well that another woman holds my attention,” Lan objected, and Moiraine smiled. Behind her, Lan could see the Wisdom fuming as she walked towards the inn.
“I wonder what she would say if she knew that…” Moiraine mused, then sighed regretfully. “I have never regretted not being born Domani before.” But no matter how improper it would have been considered in the land of her birth, instead of taking his arm she slipped her soft hand into his rough one as they walked across the village.
Fandom: Wheel of Time
Characters: Moiraine, Lan, Nynaeve
Word Count: 469
Rating: G
Summary: Lan ponders his identity.
“You’re Moiraine’s Warder, aren’t you?” the Wisdom asked in a voice that, although quiet, conveyed well her distaste. Lan nodded shortly, thinking that although she was a pretty woman and young too, not more than twenty-four or twenty-five, she had the temperament of a Trolloc.
“And as he is, I am afraid I must make use of him now, Wisdom,” Moiraine said, gliding over. Her voice was calm, polite, gracious; Lan could only sense her irritation through their bond.
“What do you need, Moiraine?” he asked when they were out of earshot.
“Nothing, my Gaidin,” she said with a wry smile. “But I need you too much to have you falling in love with that village girl.” Lan resisted the somewhat childish urge to screw up his face in disgust.
“Have no fear of that,” he said. “I have no desire to fall in love with a child.” Moiraine smiled, satisfied. Lan shook his head. He had never really understood what made women so possessive. Edeyn had had the right, of course, as his carneira, and he was bonded to Moiraine. But it still seemed to be one of those peculiar female habits that few would admit to, but all engaged in.
Lan wondered when he had stopped minding being seen as Moiraine’s possession. In the Borderlands, of course, he was a king in his own right. But anywhere else, he was Moiraine’s Warder.
Years ago, he would have balked at the very notion of being considered a part of someone else. But now… he was surprised to find that he didn’t mind at all. It had been a gradual acceptance, he supposed, one borne by long years of knowing that Moiraine thought of him as more than a mere possession. Being ‘Moiraine’s Warder’ meant ‘Moiraine’s friend’ and that was something Lan liked being.
“You had better watch out, Lan,” Moiraine said. Lan instinctively reached for his sword, looking around for danger. “The Wisdom thinks you are a fine figure of a man.” Well, that explained why the girl had been directing so many poisonous looks at Moiraine. Surely she was not still angry over Moiraine calling her ‘child’.
“She’ll get over it,” he said unfeelingly.
“You are not going to woo her?” Moiraine teased. “She will be very disappointed.”
“You know very well that another woman holds my attention,” Lan objected, and Moiraine smiled. Behind her, Lan could see the Wisdom fuming as she walked towards the inn.
“I wonder what she would say if she knew that…” Moiraine mused, then sighed regretfully. “I have never regretted not being born Domani before.” But no matter how improper it would have been considered in the land of her birth, instead of taking his arm she slipped her soft hand into his rough one as they walked across the village.