This week on Reading The Wheel of Time, we are finishing up the Prologue with Egwene’s section, and then continuing on into chapter 1, in which Siuan relays Egwene’s message to her followers, and wonders if those followers can hold together without their leader in their midst.
Egwene wakes in a coach with five Aes Sedai. Someone has channeled her clothing dry. She is shocked by the scent of rotting garbage coming in through the window, reflecting that this neglect of the city is reason enough by itself for Elaida to be removed. She identifies three of her captors as Katerine Alruddin, a Red; Pritalle Nerbaijan, a Yellow; and Felaana, a Brown. She also learns that she is bound for the cells, no doubt to eventually be executed for impersonating an Amyrlin. There is hostile tension between all the sisters, so strong that at one point they all embrace saidar. Although no one attacks, no one seems willing to be the first to release the source, either.
The Aes Sedai argue a little about whether or not Elaida will force the Hall to convene at once, and then ask what Egwene did to the harbor chain, and how to undo it.
“It can’t be undone,” Egwene replied. “You must know that it’s cuendillar, now. Even the Power won’t break it, only strengthen it. I suppose you could sell it if you tear down enough of the harbor wall to remove it. If anyone can afford a piece of cuendillar that big. Or would want such a thing.”
Katerine slaps her and tells Egwene to hold her tongue, which Egwene decides is probably the wisest course of action. She’s surprised to find that she isn’t afraid. When she sees the White Tower, she even feels strengthened, like she is coming home.
They enter the Tower by the back entrance, where they are met by Nicola, who is dressed in novice white. She passes along an order from Elaida that Egwene is to be sent to the Mistress of Novices. Katerine is pleased that Egwene is apparently going to be birched. Egwene wonders to herself if she can use the Aiel way of embracing pain to get through the ordeal.
Suddenly, Nicola tries to apologize to Egwene for running away, saying that she thought they might let her learn faster here. She calls Egwene Mother, and Katerine switches her with Air and sends her running back to Elaida. Egwene feels a moment of sympathy, then dismisses Nicola from her thoughts.
Egwene is marched through strangely empty halls until they run into another Red Sister, who informs them that they caught “a wilder” down at Southharbor, one who was only able to turn half of the chain to cuendillar before she was captured. Still, with the cuendillar half sticking straight out, it seems only small vessels will be able to pass through. The sister also explains that the “wilder” gave her name as Leane Sharif of the Green Ajah, and despite being flogged repeatedly, has stuck to that claim. Egwene hastily tries to explain the facts around Leane’s Healing by Nynaeve and the change in her appearance before Katerine gags her with Air.
Eventually they reach the study of the Mistress of Novices, where Silviana orders Egwene’s escorts to leave. Once they are alone, Silviana remarks that Egwene isn’t hysterical, and asks why. Egwene counters by asking if hysterics would do any good.
Silviana informs her that Elaida doesn’t want to lose Egwene for the Tower, and has decided that she was used as a dupe by the rebel sisters. She will not be charged with impersonating the Amyrlin, and she will be reduced back to the level of novice.
“I am Aes Sedai by virtue of having been raised to the Amyrlin Seat,” Egwene replied calmly. There was no incongruity in fighting for a title when claiming it might still lead to her death. Acquiescence would be as sharp a blow to the rebellion as her execution. Maybe sharper. A novice again? That was laughable! “I can cite the relevant passages in the law, if you wish.”
Silviana only raises an eyebrow and notes that Egwene has just earned her first punishment. She also observes that Sheriam was far too lenient and gentle when she held the position, and that Egwene will learn that Silviana makes sure that her punishments are more effective. When Egwene remains calmly defiant, Silviana notes that Egwene intends to resist as long as she can.
She finishes explaining how Egwene’s new life will go. At night she will be shielded by two sisters; during the day, she will be given a mild dose of forkroot, not enough to make her dizzy, but enough so that she will only be able to channel in small amounts. Silviana reminds Egwene that she is a novice, that many consider her a runaway, and that some will no doubt think that Elaida is wrong not to have her beheaded. She will be watched for every infraction, and might very well be sent to Silviana five, six, or seven times a day.
Silviana tells Katerine and Barasine what Elaida intends for Egwene. The two Reds are quite startled; they are also annoyed to learn that they will be the first to stand guard over Egwene in the night. Before being escorted away, Egwene tells Silviana about her Talent for Dreaming and details her dream about the Seanchan attack. Silviana is skeptical, but agrees to pass on the message, and to investigate Egwene’s claims that the other prisoner is actually Leane.
Egwene is taken to a room just like the one she had when she first came to the Tower. The two Red Sisters stand guard over her while she gets ready for bed. Once in bed she goes through her usual exercises for sleep, and is out almost at once. In the darkness between the waking world and Tel’aran’rhiod, she searches for Siuan’s dream, working out everything she needs to tell the other woman.
Elaida thought her safely imprisoned. No matter this talk of making her a novice again; even if Elaida really believed it, Egwene al’Vere did not. She did not consider herself a prisoner, either. She was carrying the battle into the heart of the Tower itself. If she had had lips there, she would have smiled.
A rough wind carries the scent of ash and sulfur down the slopes of Dragonmount and through the encampment of Aes Sedai. Many of the sisters are awake, discussing the news that the Amyrlin went in secret to seal Northharbor, and that her boat was found overturned and floating in the reeds. Now that the Amyrlin is dead, the future of every sister in the camp is more than uncertain.
Siuan is asleep in Bryne’s tent, having finally exhausted herself with worrying. But she struggles awake, helped by the noise of the wind, with a new reason for hope, and she can’t waste a moment getting that information to the necessary people. Unfortunately, she came out here rather than staying in the Aes Sedai camp, which means she needs her horse. She glances at Gareth’s empty bedding, wondering where he is, wondering why she came out here in the first place, and then does her best to push thoughts of him from her mind. It is difficult.
Outside, the camp is in disarray. Items have been knocked about; some tents have collapsed from the ferocity of the wind. Many people have been injured. For a moment Siuan considers offering Healing, but she has a mission to complete. Not knowing where Bela is tied among all the army horses, she orders a man to saddle her the mildest horse he can find, and ends up clinging to the saddle of a mare called Nightlily all the way back to the Aes Sedai camp, determined “to reach the sisters before anybody did something irretrievable.”
The Hall needs to hear the news, but Siuan needs to tell Sheriam and those sworn to Egwene first. She finds some of them in Myrelle’s tent and, after a failed attempt to eavesdrop with the One Power, she ties her horse to a post and passes some Warders on guard as she enters the tent. She finds Myrelle inside, as well as Sheriam, Morvrin, and Carlinya. Sheriam isn’t wearing her Keeper’s stole, a bad sign, and Carlinya coldly tells Siuan off for trying to listen in, clearly believing she is no longer held by Egwene’s command to obey Siuan.
She tells them brusquely that Egwene and Leane are alive, that they mostly succeeded in blocking the harbors but were captured. She also tells them to fetch Beonin and Nisao to join them. Sheriam wants to launch a rescue attempt at once by Traveling into the cells and escaping with the prisoners before they can be executed, but Siuan forestalls this move.
“Egwene isn’t to be tried, and she isn’t in the deep cells. She wouldn’t tell me where she is being held except to say that she is guarded constantly. And she orders that there be no attempt to rescue her that involves sisters.”
The other women stared at her in shocked silence. In truth, she herself had argued the point with Egwene, to no avail. It had been an order, delivered by the Amyrlin Seat in full fig.
Everyone argues. Sheriam insists that Egwene must be in shock and doesn’t realize the danger she is in, while Carlinya insists that of course Egwene is to be executed and Myrelle suggests that Siuan is hiding things from them. Siuan explains that Egwene is keeping her location a secret to make sure there will be no rescue attempt, and that Aes Sedai on Aes Sedai violence cannot be allowed to happen again, lest they lose any hope of reuniting the White Tower peacefully. The others remain doubtful that such a thing is still possible, and Morvrin posits the only possible alternative to Egwene being tried and executed.
“If she is not to be tried, then without any doubt she is to be broken. She has proven to be a stronger woman than I took her for at first, but no one is strong enough to resist the White Tower when it decides to break her. We must consider the consequences if we don’t get her out before it can.”
Siuan starts to insist that Egwene wouldn’t tell them not to rescue her if she was going to be tortured, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Lelaine. Siuan picks up a pitcher, taking on what would normally be her role in such a gathering, to pour tea and speak only when invited to. Lelaine asks if she is interrupting anything, and Sheriam blurts out Siuan’s news. Lelaine only remarks that Sheriam should be wearing her Keeper’s stole, and asks Siuan to walk with her. Siuan has no choice but to obey, and leaves with the Sitter, hoping that Egwene’s orders will hold with the others.
With Siuan leading Nightlily, the two walk in silence, trailed by Lelaine’s Warder, Burin. Eventually, and to Siuan’s surprise, Lelaine says that she would like them to be friends, and admits that she has had Faolain confined and has been questioning her.
“She didn’t betray you, at least not intentionally. She made one slip too many, and I decided to press her, rather hard. Not the way to treat another sister, but then, she’s really just an Accepted until she can be tested and passes. Faolain will make a fine Aes Sedai. She was very reluctant to surrender everything she gave. Just bits and pieces, really, and a few names, but put together with you in that gathering, it gives me a complete picture, I think. I suppose I can let her free of confinement now. She certainly won’t think of spying on me again. You and your friends have been very faithful to Egwene, Siuan. Can you be as faithful to me?”
Wondering just how much Faolain—who knew a lot but not everything—gave up while being “pressed hard,” Siuan replies that she is faithful to Lelaine as a Sitter for the Blue Ajah, and that she is faithful to Egwene al’Vere as the Amyrlin Seat. Then she tells Lelaine most of what Egwene said to her in her dreams, though she leaves out a few important facts. She finishes by explaining that Egwene has called a Sitting of the Hall in the Tel’aran’rhiod version of the Hall of the Tower.
Lelaine is amused at the idea of calling their Hall to sit right under Elaida’s nose, and dismissive of Egwene’s impression that the Ajah inside the Tower are turning on each other, though she does intend to investigate the situation the next time she is in Tel’aran’rhiod. Siuan asks outright if Lelaine will obey Egwene’s summons for the Hall to sit, and notes a pause before Lelaine answers that of course she will.
“Egwene al’Vere is the lawful Amyrlin Seat,” Lelaine said finally. “Until she dies. Or is stilled. Should either happen, we would be back to Romanda trying for the staff and the stole and me forestalling her.” She snorted. “That woman would be a disaster as bad as Elaida. Unfortunately, she had enough support to forestall me, as well. We’d be back to that, except that if Egwene dies or is stilled, you and your friends will be as faithful to me as you’ve been to Egwene. And you will help me gain the Amyrlin Seat in spite of Romanda.”
Siuan doesn’t believe any Blue was involved in the initial betrayal, but feels cold as she realizes that Lelaine has a reason to betray Egwene now.
I can’t really blame Lelaine for being skeptical over Egwene’s description of the animosity between the Ajah. A lot has changed in the White Tower in a very short time, much of it anathema to how the White Tower has always understood itself. Even taking into account Elaida’s selfish arrogance and mismanagement of the Aes Sedai, I don’t think any change as dire as the one we see in the White Tower could have ever occurred, and certainly not so quickly, without the influence of Alviarin and the rest of the Black Ajah working to undermine the Aes Sedai’s loyalty to the Amyrlin and the trust between the Ajah.
Unlike Egwene, Lelaine has years and years of experience living in the White Tower and navigating its politics. How could she conceive of a Tar Valon filled with garbage, of outright fear and animosity between the Ajah, of sisters literally at each other’s throats, based on a few words reported secondhand from women she doesn’t really like or trust?
Even knowing what has been going down in the White Tower, and why, I myself was a little shocked at the way Katerine and Barasine treated Berisha. That is, until I remembered that Katerine is Black Ajah. She was the one who escaped after being made a prisoner at Dumai’s Wells, which I think I brought up in whichever chapter it was that we saw her in Dorlan. In any case, once I remembered that, I realized that this behavior is probably one of the tactics that the Black Ajah has been using to increase the tension and fear between the Ajah. The orders that Alviarin has forced Elaida to issue, as well as the excessive and almost random punishments, certainly were a factor as well, of course, but I can just imagine Black sisters leading those of their other Ajah into bullying behavior like this whenever they found themselves outnumbering another sister.
Not always so brazenly, of course. Not at first. But the hierarchical power structure might make it almost easy enough for a higher-ranking sister to lead lower-ranking members of her Ajah into ganging up on others this way. The lower-ranking sister would not need to be told to do anything; the implicit expectation of following her superior’s direction would encourage her to support any hostile word or gesture towards someone of a different Ajah, especially with distrust already sown by “Elaida’s” orders. It’s only a small step from not arguing with your superiors to following their lead and then finally to joining in yourself. Once the pattern is established, it would be easy enough to increase the intensity of the behavior, especially if the bullying was going in, and coming from, multiple directions.
Humans can be somewhat susceptible to this kind of mentality, when their own sense of safety is removed and there is already a clear delineation of us-versus-them, some of which has always existed in the White Tower. Regardless of how much sisters might insist that they are Aes Sedai first and members of their Ajah second, we know that this distinction between Ajah is very important, and that political tensions existed between some of the Ajah long before the schism ever began. How often have sisters had to remind themselves that the Amyrlin is of all Ajahs and none? How often have they not really believed that, given how thoroughly everyone’s identity is so wrapped up in the color of the fringe on their shawls?
The identity of Ajah heads are kept secret from those outside the Ajah; each Ajah has their own eyes-and-ears network that gathers information they don’t necessarily share even with the Amyrlin. The White Tower was fractured before Elaida’s semi-legal coup and ramp-up of Black Ajah activities. In some ways, one might be able to argue that all the Black Ajah has done since the schism is given those cracks a good hard flick, like a pane of glass that has already cracked and only needs a tap to send it to the floor in shards.
The rebels have their own tensions, of course, but although there are certainly Black sisters among them, the same level of distrust between sisters hasn’t been created. Perhaps the Dark doesn’t see as much need to work at destabilizing a group that is already outlawed from its fellows. Or maybe we can credit Egwene, Siuan, and Leane for the difference, for the leadership they showed not just in keeping the rebel Aes Sedai together, but in pushing the Salidar Hall towards decisions and actions. Even when they intended Egwene to be only a figurehead, choosing an Amyrlin was a decisive action that gave the rebel sisters a sense of identity as being the true White Tower, even though they’d been forced to flee their home. Behind an Amyrlin, behind a Hall legitimized by an Amyrlin, they were no longer a group of refugees but true Aes Sedai, with all the trappings thereof except for one.
And then Egwene led them back to Tar Valon, back to a siege on the White Tower, reinforcing again the idea that they are the Tower’s true inhabitants, and cementing her own identity as Amyrlin in the process. True, Halima’gar and Delana have been spreading dissent and fear the best they can, but sisters in the camp are walking around holding saidar and keeping their Warders close because they fear an assassin wielding saidin, not a fellow sister.
So yeah, I can understand why Lelaine had a hard time believing that the White Tower could be as fractured as Egwene described it to be. I suppose I can even understand why she feels Egwene won’t be able to hold out against Elaida’s plans for her. After all, this is the White Tower we’re talking about, and again there is a history of what the Tower can accomplish, how few people can stand up to its power and influence and knowledge.
Then again, one has to ask how many examples the Aes Sedai need to see that they aren’t quite as all-knowing as they believed themselves to be, and that their ways of doing things aren’t the only effective ways—or even the most effective. I have no doubt that Egwene’s Aiel training will help her navigate her captivity and punishment at the hands of Elaida and Silviana, but I will be interested to see if anyone ever learns about her alternate training. An organization other than Aes Sedai taught her to be strong, giving her an adaptability and flexibility that many Aes Sedai lack, and making her stronger than most of them.
Not all of them, of course. I’d hardly call Cadsuane inflexible. Moiraine and Siuan, and Leane for that matter, have all shown an ability to read and understand unexpected situations and to adapt to them, even when experiencing great personal pain. But I think that’s down to their characters and to who they are, not to their White Tower training. But Egwene has a similar adaptable strength, lessons from the Two Rivers and the Aiel, as well as from Aes Sedai like Moiraine and Siuan—and that gives her advantages that no one else has.
Elaida is certainly underestimating her, but she is far from the only one. That gives Egwene a distinct advantage, because the sisters she encounters in the Tower won’t feel the need to be on guard against her. True, she’ll be treated as a novice and it will be hard to get people to listen to her, especially given that some sisters apparently consider her a runaway or even a traitor. But they won’t expect her to have skill at manipulation, to make arguments they might find compelling despite all their other instincts. Given how fractured the White Tower is, if Egwene’s words and actions involve even the suggestion of intelligence and security, she might find some allies among those who are tired of Elaida’s temper tantrums and properly worried about the devolving situation between the Ajah.
That isn’t to say things are going to be easy for Egwene, either when it comes to interacting with the Aes Sedai in the Tower or when it comes to keeping the Salidar Hall, and those sworn to her, on the path she’s laid for them. Now that the harbors are (nearly) blocked, the siege is truly committed to. The Salidar Aes Sedai could leave, and take Bryne and the army with them, but those cuendillar chains aren’t going anywhere. And where would the rebel Aes Sedai go, if not home to the White Tower? Lelaine might hope that Egwene fails or dies, so that she herself can become the next Amyrlin, but she would still be bound by the choices that Egwene made and the path that she set the Aes Sedai on.
The only questions that remain are whether or not they are able to see it through, and whether or not the White Tower can be made whole enough to be an asset in the Last Battle.
I find myself wondering if there is a traitor among the Sitters for the Salidar Hall, or if Nicola’s presence in the White Tower is enough to explain everything. True, Nicola wouldn’t have been privy to the plan, but she was one of those being trained to make cuendillar, and she might have had enough information to pass on to the Tower Aes Sedai that they would have known to keep watch on the harbor, especially since we know she and Areina have a tendency to eavesdrop. Those who captured Egwene seemed unaware that she changed them to cuendillar, but they might not have been given all the details when they were sent to watch for saboteurs. Or perhaps they didn’t believe that Egwene could really have rediscovered how to make cuendillar, even when they saw it happen with their own eyes.
Nicola’s betrayal would then be thematically parallel to Faolain’s as well, even if Nicola probably gave up the information much more willingly than it sounds like Faolain did. I feel really bad for Faolain. She’s kind of a jerk and a bully, but she is also a disciplined person who is guided by her sense of justice. Even while not liking Egwene personally, she believed Egwene was due the respect proper for an Amyrlin, and she endured a lot being raised by decree but not seen fully as a sister.
I’ve never liked Lelaine. She’s selfish and self-centered, and it makes her bad at being a Sitter and worse in the way she treats other people. Whatever she did to Faolain was bad enough that Lelaine remarks that it’s “not the way to treat a sister,” but she has no problem treating a novice or Accepted in such a way, which isn’t surprising but doesn’t sit right with me. We’re going to see other examples of such treatment as Egwene is “disciplined” by Silviana, I’m sure. And then there’s poor Leane to worry about. Hopefully Egwene’s explanation will help everyone believe her identity, at least, though that might not mean the end of the physical ordeal.
And finally, it seems worth noting Siuan’s observations about Sheriam’s behavior. She thinks that Sheriam has become “as flighty as a novice,” which may well be true, especially since I doubt Halima’gar will be pleased at losing access to Egwene, who she has been charged to keep an eye on. Sheriam is no doubt feeling a little frantic at this change in events, and since her choices and decisions are being overseen by one of the Forsaken, there’s no opportunity to grab power for Sheriam—only an angry Halima’gar to answer to.
All in all, I’m worried about Egwene but also inclined to agree with her that the kidnapping might be an unexpected blessing, or at least give her a decided advantage in her struggle. She doesn’t have to lead Aes Sedai into battle against each other if she can take over from the inside, which I think she actually has a good chance of succeeding at, plus she’s now free from Halima’gar. I wonder if she’ll notice a reduction in her headaches and wonder about it. I don’t think she has access to enough information to figure out it was Halima, but you never know.
Really, the most important question is whether there’s an imminent chance of a Seanchan attack. That could upset everything, the way it did for Mat in Ebou Dar, or the way it did for Morgase and her captivity under the Whitecloaks.
Next week we’ll be covering chapters 2 and 3 of Knife of Dreams. In the meantime, and as always, I wish you a good week, dear readers, and may we walk in the Light.
