#the seven ajahs

[helpitsaskingmequestions]

All Wheel of Time fans/haters: what is the least important part of the Wheel of Time that irritates you? Nothing actually plot important, nothing that touches on real world issues, just the most narratively inconsequential thing that sticks out to you like a fishbone between your teeth?

I’ll go first: In spite of having the White Tower divided into Seven Official Ajahs RJ did not assign them the Seven Visual Colours that make up White Light. 

Red, Blue, Green, Yellow: all fine and good, red and blue being diametrically opposed even if these groups mission statements aren’t the clearest that's fine, that's not the point of this. 

Brown: Fine, if you really don’t want to have orange because orange doesn’t meet the ‘dark academia’ vibes keep brown (why the brown ajah didn’t have an exploratory devision that could have used orange idk and again not important.

Grey: I am chewing Robert - grey for your politics division? Grey? Purple Purple is the colour most associated with royalty, make them purple. The Grey Ajah should have been the logic and philosophy ajah, between and apart from good an evil not the White! 

This way pure white is left solely for the Amyrlin Seat - since she is the tower and the tower is her, "of all Ajahs and none." And novices wear a similar (obviously more uniform and less nice version) of all white as in the books 

Egg in her less nice whites against Eladia in her excessive fabrics both technically in the colour of the Amyrlin they both but forward to be?

Egg haven’t never chosen an ajah before she is raised to the Seat, being apart from and beyond the political struggles the black ajah had taken advantage of? A true - perhaps the first True Amyrlin?

Egg taken on the Seanchan attack technically in her novice dress But visually the Amyrlin atop the White Tower??? 

It would have been so NEAT ROBERT. It would have been so simple.  

In summation, the Ajah should have been Red, Brown(orange), Yellow, Green, Blue/Indigo, Purple and Grey for no reason other than my sanity 

[fishalthor]

Ajah is the name given to one of the seven different groups of Aes Sedai.

[amemoryofwot]

The number 8 being the new significant or “bad” number in the show is very crunchy. The ouroboros entwined through the wheel is literally an 8 (as well as two separate signs for infinity put into one symbol). There’s seven Ages that repeat infinitely except Ishamael wants to break the Wheel and usher in a new, infinite 8th Age for the Shadow. There’s seven Ajah except for the secret 8th Ajah. For the main set of elements 8 electrons is a full valence shell.

[butterflydm]

wheel of time 3x1 speculation

We got that new hint from Rafe about the opening for 3x1, which was exciting.

So far I've seen two main speculations about what the event could be, and I fall on the side of it being our "this is what Liandrin is up to" answer that we were told we would get early in the season, as opposed to being the other big White Tower event that happens in TSR.

Given the other information that we already have (our speculated Elaida and Morgase filming in a castle with Andoran banners) plus the "likely audition scripts" for Elaida, I feel like it's unlikely that the coup will happen in the first fifteen minutes of s3, but Liandrin and her group raiding the ter'angreal room and then bouncing from the White Tower seems like it would fit pretty well.

Instead of the raid being explained to Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne months after it occurs, we would see it on-screen instead, which is more dramatic.

Here is what we know about that raid and escape:

“Do not invoke Liandrin’s name here, child!” the Amyrlin snapped. Leane watched them with a stern serenity. “Mother, Liandrin is Black Ajah,” Elayne burst out. “That is known, child. Suspected, at least, and as good as known. Liandrin left the Tower some months ago, and twelve other—women—went with her. None has been seen since. Before they left, they tried to break into the storeroom where the angreal and sa’angreal are kept, and did manage to enter that where the smaller ter’angreal are stored. They stole a number of those, including several we do not know the use of.”

“Theft,” the Amyrlin went on in tones as cold as her eyes, “was the least of what they did. Three sisters died that night, as well as two Warders, seven guards, and nine of the servants. Murder, done to hide their thieving and their flight. It may not be proof that they were—Black Ajah”—the words grated from her mouth—“but I cannot believe otherwise.

This event could also be how the dream ring comes into play -- it can be one of the ter'angreal stolen by Liandrin & co, and which will end up in Nynaeve and Elayne's hands afterwards once they confront Liandrin in Tanchico, allowing N&E to be able to communicate with Egwene in TAR further down the road.

If Liandrin has been openly outed as Black Ajah and violently fled the Tower, then this could explain why 'only Sitters' are allowed to call meetings with the Amyrlin now (as is said in the suspected Elaida audition script).

[cozcat]

Costuming the Amyrlin, part 1

I've been thinking for a while about how I love Siuan's costumes - both as pieces in themselves, and for what they might mean as they continue to tell this story. So here we are.

Please note: this post only contains spoilers for the show. Part 2 of this post will contain spoilers for the books as well, and will be linked at the end.

When we see Siuan as Amyrlin, we see her in incredibly elaborate, detailed clothing - it's intricate, it's clearly expensive, it's incredibly structured. These are the outfits that she exerts her power in - within the White Tower or outside of it, the Amyrlin stands alongside kings and queens, and that is made clear the second she walks onscreen.

It bears little resemblance to what we see her wearing in private - those moments where does not have to be the Amyrlin more than she is Siuan, because these are not the clothes of Siuan Sanche, these are the vestments of the Amyrlin Seat. But do you want to know what it does remind me of? Papal regalia.

I would not be surprised at all to find out that Isis Mussenden and Sharon Gilham intentionally channelled religious regalia, given that Siuan is often described as the wizard pope. The clothing sets expectations for those that see them, and they let person and position be the same - it's a clear purpose, and these garments achieve it. Both colour-wise and structurally, there is a strong resemblance there. Costuming is a visual cue for viewers, so when Siuan walks on in something that evokes religious authority or royalty, viewers know instantly what that means.

(Though a bonus thing for the colour of Siuan's clothing? Look what happens when you blend the seven colours of the Ajahs together...

Thank you @fuel-prices for the handy dandy image.

There is a very strong resemblance in colour. And as a side note - this is the only outfit we see her in that entirely obscures her tattoos. But we have Tairen paisley visible on the cuffs. Be it the visible tattoos or the paisley, Siuan does not shy away from where she is from.)

And the thing with both religious wear and Siuan's costumes is that I very much doubt that anybody wearing those clothes is wearing them for fun. A person in a position of power and authority is expected to look the part. Siuan needs people to think of people her as the gold standard of an Amyrlin, because she needs to deflect all belief that she could be anything otherwise. Siuan needs to look the part - Maigan straight up says that Siuan is losing her grip on the Tower: Siuan cannot afford any more doubt cast upon her. She and Moiraine have a shared mission - and in order for Siuan to succeed in her half of it, and to allow Moiraine to succeed in her half, she needs to maintain that power, and that control. Siuan is pragmatic, a planner - she's sensible! She knows she needs to be every part the Amyrlin wherever she can afford to be. So, as she would put it - why rock the boat by rebelling against the image expected of her?

And so, Siuan's costumes may not resemble what the books suggested that she wore, but they convey exactly what they need to - power, and prestige, and a unique position of authority.

I've gone into more detail on the way they might use the costuming so far for forthcoming events in part 2 of this post. Please note: book spoilers to The Gathering Storm.

[toastandjamie]

Hey so I wanna talk about the two distinct types of evil present in WoT, the Dark one and Shadar Logoth.

These evils are similar in that they amplify negative emotions to the point that they boil over into cruelty and violence, where they differ however is that the emotions that draw people to them are born from different places, the dark one being an internal force where as Shadar Logoth relies on external forces.

The dark one is very classic satan allegory where the emotions he preys upon are the seven deadly sins. Greed, envy, lust, pride. The people who seek out the dark one and become dark friends usually feel like they are entitled to something that they aren’t receiving, whether that’s power, money, attention, knowledge- the dark one in turn offers them a way to achieve these goals they feel they deserve but evil is a corruptive force and eventually these feelings of envy and greed grow to the point where they no longer care about who gets hurt in the process of attaining their perceived just reward. The core of the Dark Ones evil is selfishness.

Shadar Logoth by contrast is a more “sympathetic” evil, born of feelings of anxiety and fear. Shadar Logoth was born from the people of Aridhol’s fears of the Trolloks and dark friends and as that paranoia grew they lashed out inwards and destroyed themselves. The evil of Shadar Logoth doesn’t make you violent or angry, the irritability and violence we associate it with are just side affects of the long lasting stress the evil does amplify. The core of Shadar Logoths evil is distrust.

These two types of evil while they do claim to despise eachother are not mutually exclusive however as we see Padan Faine seamlessly blend his greed and pride with Mordreth’s anxiety and fear, which feed on eachother until it developed into what we see him become where he’s callous and cruel, and specifically in the way he targets Rand, he “hates” Rand because of the anxiety that was born of failing the dark one and being tortured was amplified and mixed with his already present contempt and feelings of superiority.

However we see the flaws in the evil in the characters that manage to break out of the cycles of violence that they both feed on.

Verin, though she doesn’t go in with the intention of joining the dark went in with the selfish motivation of seeking out knowledge not for the good of the world but out of curiosity and boredom. She breaks away from the corruptive evil by her selfless act of sacrificing herself to bring to light the knowledge of the black ajah to the Tower.

Mat, is an interesting case because the corruptive nature of Shadar Logoth is more obvious. We see his fear amplified and it might be easy to say that the only reason he was freed from the evil was outside intervention and while that was what finished the job of cutting out the rot we also learn that he held up surprisingly well against the daggers corruption. He was able to last as long as he did because he was willing to be vulnerable and trust Rand. He was able to suppress many of the violent urges his fear created by sheer force of will because of the fact that he knew that he COULD trust someone which is antithetical to the evil of shadar logoth.

The two evils can survive on their own but they truly thrive in tandem and that was what made Faine so powerful that both the light and dark feared him. Because he exemplified all the worst parts of humanity all the fear, distrust, greed, envy and hate all personified into one being. The one thing however the destroys them both is in the most cliche of senses love, it is trust and kindness and selflessness that both evils can not defend against.

[theimpalatales]

"Those lucky enough to get called to the shawl will choose their Ajah of seven factions, each with their own specific purpose.

"Warriors, standing ready. Healers of all things living. Keepers of the past. Seekers of justice. Law-focused diplomats. Pursuers of truth and reason. And those dedicated to preventing the wrong and dangerous use of the One Power."

The Wheel of Time Origins

Buy The Eye of the World, book 1 in The Wheel of Time series

(If you use my link, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org whose fees support independent bookshops.)

[iliiuan]

Robert Jordan: There are seven ages, seven ajahs, seven seals on The Dark One's prison...

Also Robert Jordan: Weeks have ten days

[lord-of-khaos]

“The Amyrlin Seat is the supreme head of the Tower, and is a member of all Ajahs, denoted by all seven colors on her stole. At the same time, she is considered of no Ajah, favoring none above another.”

[brainwormsdepository]

To Take Up the Shawl (2/3)

Pairing: Liandrin Guirale x Fem!Reader

Warnings: None

Notes: In the show, many of the Aes Sedai have been aged up rather considerably (ie. Liandrin being 100-110 years old in the show and being 34-ish or so in the books. So I shuffled around some characters to account for that. Also this story takes place around 990 NE, 8 years before the book/show begins. Lastly, I don’t own any of the books beyond Eye of the World. So the descriptions of the final test are slim and just there to get the point across.

After your night in the garden with Liandrin, things had shifted. You could find neither hide nor hair of the red sister anywhere. Without her guidance, you forged ahead, studying alongside Desandre Sedai more closely than you ever had before. The Yellow sister was as haughty in attitude as she was strong in the One Power. If any of your weaves were less than perfect, you were ordered to take a chore off a novice and burden yourself with it instead. And there were few better motivators than keeping that list of responsibilities as short as possible. But perhaps more than anything, the increased workload kept the vacuum left by Liandrin’s absence at bay. That is, until the day your final test arrived.

You were once again brought to the basement of the White Tower, just as all those years ago. In the center of the room was another ter’angreal, different from the silver arches and in the shape of an oval ring. In attendance stood seven full sisters poised and ready to administer the test, amongst them your mentors: Liandrin Sedai and Desandre Sedai.

You watched as a complex weave channeled using the combined strength of all present Aes Sedai activated the oval ring. It shimmered with various colors and you knew the path was open. Words were spoken and warnings given, but you could pay little attention to anything other than what horrors awaited you. Not that it mattered. By the time you had stepped through, all was forgotten. There was no memory of being in a test. The world you saw was your only reality. You would be thankful after that so few sisters knew you well, their attempts to distract you weak as a result. But Desandre knew you buckled most for children and elderly alike and Liandrin knew the worst of it: your need to protect both herself and her fellow Reds.

You almost failed because of her. The expectation was full detachment, something you could not manage completely. You saw a figment of Liandrin and channeled when you weren’t supposed to, the call to protect her from danger too great to ignore.

One hundred otherwise flawless, well-timed weaves and innumerable tasks and distractions later, you emerged from the mirror world, injured but victorious. Alive. You passed, just barely. Your compassion was a stain, but your skill with the One Power undeniable.

The rest of the night was spent in contemplation and prayer. Time passed quickly after that. Raised to the shawl in the morning, ajah chosen and oaths made; everything had changed and yet you felt the same. Maybe it was because there was little joy in your success. Liandrin wasn’t there and Desandre seemed disappointed in your choice. Never had an accomplishment felt so meaningless.

You knew what you had to do if any of this was going to feel right. Things had to be reconciled with Liandrin and whatever wrongs were made had to be corrected. You just needed something first.

ᕦ ˚✧˳ ˳✧˚ ˚✧˳ ° ˳✧˚ ˚✧˳ ˳✧˚ ᕤ

“Two honeycakes, please.” You smiled to a familiar old woman. You had come to her stall many times over the years, finding her sweets the best the city had to offer and the company even sweeter still.

“Of course, dear!” She was all smiles until she saw the ring—now with stone—on your hand. Her lips made an ‘O’ and her eyes widened with shock. “Sorry, Aes Sedai,” she corrected.

“Thank you, Galaina,” you managed meekly, feeling momentarily self-conscious. “But you don’t ever have to be formal with me.” The woman looked ready to counter, but when she saw the pleading look in your eyes, she nodded her head in acquiescence.

“Alright, sweetie.” She finished wrapping up the honeycakes and gave them to you with shaking hands.

“Are they hurting again?” You asked as you slipped extra coin into her palm, a habit she long since stopped questioning you over.

“I think it might rain today.” You nodded in understanding, pulling the woman aside and sitting her down. You had developed a weave of your own just for her which used not only the typical flows of air, water, and spirit, but also fire. You both found that it would ease her pain for about a month, sometimes more, without Galaina feeling too fatigued after. After five minutes of careful, practiced healing she sighed with relief and thanked you. “You work wonders for me.” You kissed her knuckles and rubbed her hands affectionately, which drew her eyes back to your ring. “So you’re a Red sister now. I’m a little surprised.”

“Well, I couldn’t join the Yellow, you see. Can you believe they want healers? I haven’t the Talent for it.” Galaina swatted you gently on the arm and made a tutting noise.

“Are you going with the others today then?”

“The others?”

“Yes, the other Red sisters. They were here in the market earlier buying some last minute supplies.”

“No, I—I have to go. Thank you, Galaina.” You kissed the shopkeeper on her forehead, and hurried off back toward the tower.

ᕦ ˚✧˳ ˳✧˚ ˚✧˳ ° ˳✧˚ ˚✧˳ ˳✧˚ ᕤ

“You promised!” You barged into Liandrin’s room without so much as a knock at the door.

“I promised nothing.” To her credit, Liandrin didn’t even turn to look at you, her body turned away as she gathered what remained of her travel gear.

“‘I would like to, I think.’” You recited her words back at her, almost mocking if not for the obvious strain of hurt in your voice.

“Those words do not a promise make, child.”

“But they were as good as to me. They carried me in your absence and they were my guiding light during the test. Despite everything thrown my way—everything you threw my way.” You were a full sister, just like her, why had things not changed for the better? What good was being an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah if you could not be at Liandrin’s side? “I should have chose Yellow. At least then your indifference would feel warranted.”

“You are no longer Accepted. Reign yourself in, girl.” Liandrin hissed, turning toward you in acknowledgement. Unlike the irritation in her voice, her face remained an exemplar picture of Aes Sedai calm.

“I thought you were different. But I see now I was foolish to think otherwise.“ Your hands shook in quiet anger and you felt the weight of the honeycakes you had purchased. You looked down at the beige wrapping encasing them and saw a tear drop darkening the cloth. Of course. You stepped further into the room, fighting the urge to drop them on the floor and instead left them unceremoniously on the nearest table. Liandrin simply watched you and said nothing even when you turned and left. “Light shine on you, Liandrin Sedai.”

Fifteen minutes later, Liandrin had joined her sisters at the stables. There was an eagerness in the air. Her particular group of Reds were so used to constant travel that staying in the tower too long made them all restless. The White Tower, as luxurious as it was, would always be steeped in political intrigue and machinations, her own included. Sometimes it imposed a certain mental drain that even the most veteran and steeled of the Aes Sedai needed breaks from. Sure, the Red Ajah was tasked with punishing any misuse of the One Power and it was by no means an easy task, but the travel between it all? The open fields and still mountains? The camaraderie between women with a common goal? It was a welcomed reprieve even at the worst of times.

Courser saddled and bags tightly packed, Liandrin prepared herself to mount until she noticed something was off. Only four horses were readied. There should have been five. Someone was missing.

“Where’s Cariandre?” Liandrin swung her head side to side, but the dark haired sister was nowhere to be seen. None of the horses had her tacky grey, embroidered shawl thrown over them either.

“Ordered to stay in the Tower by Pevara Sedai,” answered a sister to her right.

“What in Light’s name does a Sitter need with her?”

“It wasn’t said, but if our eyes-and-ears near Illian are to be believed, the man we hunt is strong in saidin and a sennight away from claiming he is the next Dragon Reborn. If he hasn’t already. Maybe we should—”

“They all think themselves the Dragon Reborn. They’re mad!” Liandrin snapped back.

“But would it not be wise to bring another sister? Perhaps our newly raised friend.”

“How strong are her stunning weaves? Hard to justify throwing her to the wolves so quickly.” Piped up another sister, erring on the side of caution despite her own apparent curiosity.

“She trained with Desandre Sedai. Say what you will about our Yellow sisters, but they are not weak. At the very least, we can keep her in the back for protection, as well as her healing Talent.”

“Fine!” Liandrin relented, “I’ll get the girl.”

ᕦ ˚✧˳ ˳✧˚ ˚✧˳ ° ˳✧˚ ˚✧˳ ˳✧˚ ᕤ

You stood at your window, eyes fixed on Tar Valon’s gates. Liandrin and her band hadn’t yet left. You would know. You were all but nailed to your vantage point since you returned to the room. The tears you shed had dried, leaving in their wake salt on your cheeks and a pounding ache at your temples. All your studies for the past four years as an Accepted were geared toward this one, singular purpose. Without it, you felt hollow and directionless: adrift at sea. The same way it felt the first time you channeled saidar. If life was a wheel, it had looped back around to the beginning.

Then to your left, the door swung open, loud enough to startle, but controlled enough to not cause a commotion. Liandrin stood within the threshold, her face stern and as unyielding as the day you met. She tossed a brown saddle bag into the room.

“You have thirty minutes. If you are not at the stalls by then, we leave without you.”

[nikarodrigues]

The seven Ajah colors of the female Aes Sedai.

I'm missing the opening of the series, I love Ella Lee's illustrations.

THE WHEEL OF TIME

[helpitsaskingmequestions]

Continuing the process of niche petty nitpicks of Wheel of TIme  there were some narrative choices for the  7 Ajah that make them (imo) uncertain in a way that I think could have been smoothed out in a way to make more narrative sense in terms of motivation, size and narrative framing. 

Reds - 

The Reds at least have a clear purpose in and out of the narrative as Aes Sedai that hunt male channelers & an antagonistic force against Moraine (Blue) and Rand (Male channeler). They’re problems largely come in how the text largely frames them as Narrative Heels but for Pevara & to some extent Teslyn and Silviana, all of whom are introduced fairly late. Even then, the Reds are largely characterised as 90s misandrists,n keeping with Alanna’s framing of the Reds as ‘hating men’ because that's what should define a group of women, how they relate to men. Then comes the size of the Reds - it’s been noted that there are less people who can channel being discovered, in part due to the Vileness and the culling of men who can channel by the Reds (and also Cansaune) yet the Reds are the largest Ajah. That the Reds have the strongest numbers is imo a very blunt object solution to 1) making the Blue’s more like an underdog and 2) have a large ground for Black Ajah. 

Changes that I think would have made the Reds more palatable from a worldbuild perspective 

Expand the purpose - the show did this, effectively making the Reds magic cops, which provides a more concrete cause for Reds to devote themselves to - hunting wayward Aes Sedai, men who can channel and Dark Friends. It would also help explain why there are so many Black Ajah in the Red - what better way to hide from the cops than to Be the cops?

Let them have Warders - there was no reason for them not to have warders, female or male or otherwise. 

Shrink their size - have the Reds be in the middle of the pack in terms of numbers, or else have them have a high casualty/fail rate that can be explained by difficult weaves & Black Ajah sisters etc. There is no logical reason for them to be that big. 

I mean ⅕ of all Aes Sedai Robert?

Don’t define them by ‘hating men’. Robert I am in your walls

Non-antagonist Reds early on - whether Pevara or Teslyn, just some calmer Reds, who do genuinely want to Hunt Dark-friends. Use the Wonder Girls time in the White Tower not just as a box tick, explore the Ajahs more.  

Show - on page - what a male channel who succumbed to the Taint looks like. The books give (imo) hints describing the Breaking but its not seen on page & I feel that this concrete example of why male channellers are cut off from the Source, why the Reds hunt them, and why people fear Rand/male channelers would be important considering we get a lot of on page stuff (Logain, Thom re his nephew) about the pain of gentling male channelers

Browns 

Ah the Browns. Clean direct purpose. Narrative letting them fulfil that function. Ajah of Verin, the Best Character in Wheel of Time (no arguments to be taken on this point. I am simply Correct). I find very little to be changed with the Browns, though I do think that there should have been an exploratory division if this is the Ajah of knowledge. 

Also not entirely certain why the White/Grey/see Ajah colours post is separate from the Brown beyond the fact RJ was a physics major 

Best Ajah - should have had an Indiana Jones Brown/Orange sister finding Age of Legends stuff

That the Browns get warders makes the fact the Reds, a physical division actively fighting people, not having Warders more insane. Robert WHY

Should have schools/ travelling schools as well 

Why no Browns in Rand’s nerd school Robert?

Yellow

Much like the Brown, a wonderfully defined Ajah, with a clear purpose in and out of universe.

Let them be nicer to Nynaeve

Black Yellows should have been allowed to go full Dr Moreau

Imagine fresh monsters

Green

The Green Ajah - the Battle Ajah. imo Robert Jordan’s favourite Ajah considering 2 out of 3 of the Wondergirls chose the Green (even though Egg should have been Ajahless its fine I’m calm so Calm) and the Green get to ‘love men’ because as the narrative has made clear, how these groups of women from this administrative magical institution feel about Men is what is important. Also a fun experiment - check to see what colours get positive associations in the books - generally it’s blue, green and white (listed as Lan’s favourite colours for instance). The Greens are also an unfortunate victim of the Gender Stuff in WoT- the Battle Ajah don’t get weapons, but they can have lots of Men who can have weapons. Because they Love Men. 

Changes

Let them have weapons Robert ffs 

Active preparation for the Last Battle; should have the third most number of advisors/relationships in nations as Greys(Purples) and Blues. 

Why are they ignoring the Borderlands? This is their Job 

I think the show made a good case for the Greens and the Reds going to nab Logain

So why are the Greens more allied with the Blues than the Reds - other than Author Caveat

Elayne and Egwene shouldn’t have been Green. Neither should Cadsuane.

More Black sisters in the Green - if the Green are going to be fighting in the last battle it should be chock full of enemy agents  

Blue

What do the Blue do? They Hunt After Causes - but what does the Mean? No Really what does it mean, apart from being Vague and because RJ couldn’t say ‘they’re the Good ajah’ even though they only ‘like men’. Other than their complete lack of purpose, the Blues get a good history, a good selection of the Good/Great (Moraine) to the bad (Sheriam). The Show made a good change in making the Blue’s the spies of the White Tower, giving them a quasi opposing ideological approach to the head-first reds, and making the Alliance of Greens and Blues make more sense considering how much they would need to work together. 

If Egg must have an Ajah she should have been Blue 

The fact that blues removed the 2 Red Amyrlin’s, there should have been more arguments amongst the Ajah’s about how justified they were/the justice of that 

Lean into the Reds being Cops and Blues being spies/activist/journalists/internal affairs with a habit of exposing/attempting to expose other sister’s misbehaviour 

Have Blue sisters attempting to uncover the Vileness in a way that actually sets it up as a mystery to be solved, not another plot thread among thousands

I have a Bee in my Bonnet about the Vileness  if you couldn’t tell 

Make the Blues less of an protagonist situation - oh they have the second smallest numbers But the Most Amyrlins and a lot of influence because they’re the opposite of the Reds 

Grey/Purple Ajah 

They have purpose If only the narrative would let them fulfil that purpose. Instead Elaida is a Red so political advisors can be any colour so why?

Also why are they always bad at their jobs

Should have been the largest Ajah change my mind 

White/Grey Ajah 

SO

I understand they have a purpose 

I just don’t understand why/how it is different to the Brown’s search for knowledge 

They’re apparently philosophers as well so it's not a STE(M) v Arts situation

Why Robert 

You didn’t have the Seven Ajahs have the Seven colours why are they Here? 

Because Alviarin being White and the Head Black was a fun twist? 

You did that colour twist with Lanfear already 

What this Ajah needed was a major character who wasn’t Black

Like Give Rand an advisor who is this Ajah during his spiral 

Or Give Egg some prominent sisters of this Ajah? 

Have their theoretical magic that they do have an impact

Or give them the prophecies / religious theorisation - aka a reason for them to be in this story at all 

Black Ajah

There is no Black Ajah what are you talking about 

[cannoli-reader]

Hello Cannolli, your metas on the Wheel of Time books are always very well thought out and constructed, and you've clearly given a lot of thought to the series as a whole. I was wondering if you have any ideas on what RJ's plan for Egwene's AMoL arc and story would be? For all the other characters I can see the writing on the well, the clues and foreshadowing, and together with what can be inferred from BS's books about RJ's notes get what I think is a good aproximation for what would be their final arcs and ending. Except for Egwene! I've always had a hard time understamding her character and Sanderson favoured her so much that I have a hard time discerning what came from him or from the notes! I've found your analysis of her character very interesting and enlightening and so wanted to hear your thoughts on this! Thanks in advance! (No hard feelings if you're not up for answering this tho!)

With the caveat that I have a limited and spotty awareness of Jordan's notes, and so my answer is based largely on my projection of her arc and established characterization in the series, I would say her end was probably where Jordan intended, but Sanderson's path to get there, somewhat different.

"(No hard feelings if you're not up for answering this tho!)" - I found this amusing, because I am always down to go off at length about WoT, among other topics. "Up for answering this"? How could I not be? How hard could this be? The results of seven hours and two drafts later are under the cut.

First of all, when speaking of Jordan's intentions, I generally refer to all three of the final books together as aMoL since that was his plan, to finish the whole series with one book. So I would have to take Egwene's story from where it left off in KoD.

I think her rise in the Tower would have been a lot quicker. Maybe a montage chapter like in KoD, where she meets the other Ajah heads, with less dramatic results, but making a slightly better impression than she did with the two in KoD. Her serving Elaida, as set up in Tarna's chapter, might bring things to a head, but not with schoolyard putdowns. I don't believe she suddenly has the revelation, conveniently just in time to avoid behavior that would spur Elaida to put an end to her pretentions for good, that she should be trying to unite the Tower instead of driving the factions further apart. Rather, that realization should be more organic and maybe a result of seeing the fruits of her sowing coming to pass.

I don't believe the Seanchan attack would have gone as it did in tGS, where Sanderson seems completely oblivious to the fact that all Egwene did was kill a lot of people without changing much of the outcome. Even her shooting down the to'raken with captives was pretty appalling, since she and Alivia are living proof that being collared is not the end of your life, and the view of channelers as combat assets it is important to deny the enemy is morally repugnant. If anyone is going to be thinking in that manner on the eve of Tarmon Gaidon, there had better be some harsh & immediate blowback. I also don't think Sanderson realizes he had Egwene torture helpless women to death, or that there was any irony or sense of hyperbole in her self-congratulatory stream of consciousness. IF those things happened under Jordan, it should be the spur to Egwene coming to realize that fighting the Seanchan can't be the plan going forward, since it brings out the worst in her and others, and maybe the truce is the best thing for now. During the attack, Saerin actually showed the best leadership, and the kind more in keeping with Jordan's style in the prior books.

I don't know about her rescue, because so much of that is utterly wrong, especially everything with Bryne, from his going along at all, to suddenly brandishing a heron-mark sword, to his reaction to the Warder bond, to Egwene's pompous displeasure with Siuan in the aftermath. Again, I think Egwene was supposed to become disillusioned with Siuan in general during/following her captivity in the Tower, as she works for reconciliation, because Siuan is the worst advisor in the setting since Mordeth. She is the author of the conflict between the Aes Sedai, for her own personal vengeance. There are plenty of signs in the text suggesting that Elaida is not so different from Siuan or Egwene, and the latter in particular takes a lot of actions that mirror or duplicate Elaida's supposed worst crimes against the Tower. As part of her getting her focus on the right conflict, which should have been in parallel with Rand getting his personal issues straight, she should have rejected the whole course of action she pursued from LoC through KoD. She subtly does that in tGS, to a degree, but in a very contemptible way, wriggling out of responsibility for her part and blaming everyone else. Her condemnatory speech to the rebels after she is raised by the loyalist Hall is particularly risible, considering that collectively, the objects of her tirade balked and dragged their heels at doing most of the things she berates them for, and Egwene herself schemed, lied, tricked, maneuvered and ultimately commanded, them in taking those actions. It's the same thing with her histrionics with the Hall when she is raised, the spirit of her ideas in direct contradiction with what she tells the rebels, and her "defense" of Silviana being pure sophistry. The best thing you can say about all that blather is that it paints a picture of a sociopathicaly dishonest and manipulative woman, and might have been intended to show how far lost she has become in the pursuit of her political ascension. If Jordan had anything to do with the scripting of her plotline in tGS, that had to be his intention, to be her equivalent of Rand's behavior after Semirhage gets her hands on him (and his attack on Graendal's HQ & threats against the Borderland rulers are far more justifiable than Egwene's conduct in the Seanchan raid).

For the political side, once she was the consensus Amyrlin, she should have been in the position of a compromise candidate, not the universal hero with the moral high ground (because she has done nothing to earn it, even in the errant perspectives of in-story characters: she has waged war against the Tower, ruined the harbors and her efforts against the Seanchan are not impressive to sophisticated and experienced politicians, who scorn combat as the province of dumb thugs). This should have led to constant frustration in her efforts to make reforms and pursue policies, because after Elaida and after Siuan was deposed for her own high-handed and unilateral actions, the Hall is not going to take the new Amyrlin flexing lying down, especially when she was only chosen because they couldn't stand any of the other choices, or their rivals would never have allowed preferable candidates through. They are not going to agree to major changes to Tower procedures or policies, and they are not going to vote away their own power or toss out checks on the Amyrlin's authority on her say-so.

Jordan's writing is very big on partial victories, and compromises and hard work being necessary to achieve goals, he does not go for dramatic speeches that sway people to give the protagonist everything they want. I believe Jordan's intention in writing the original bargain Nynaeve & Elayne made with the Sea Folk to be a lesson in the costs of high-level political dealings and a warning that the hot streak the girls had been riding for a while was coming to an end, and they were not going to get their way by showing up and asking for it, or with a feat of creative channeling, and that not all goals could be met by driving off the Black sisters or defeating a Forsaken. I also utterly reject the idea that he would simply have the Sea Folk walk back the whole bargain in order to give Egwene a cheap win at no real cost.

To me, Egwene's straw-man debates with Gawyn and Nynaeve about her authority and the effect their recalcitrance can have, make no sense in ToM, because it's simply not an issue, because Warder bonds are firmly established as strictly private, and even one of the strictest sisters can have a Warder back-talk her in the Hall of the Tower without losing face in the Sitters' eyes. Siuan needed 10 years of Moiraine running amok before she started to have political problems, and it was arguably a sign of her own being captured by the system that she put it on Moiraine. There is certainly no real sign that the narrative endorses Siuan's view of the relationship & political issues, since Moiraine feels not the slightest remorse and promptly bails on the meeting to avoid telling Siuan things she is keeping from her. In the story we got, Egwene is getting everything she could wish, there are no problems with her campaign against Mesaana, and the Sitters vote for her proposals for the most painfully stupid reasons I can imagine an educated adult putting to paper. What possible reason could she have for demanding Nynaeve, Elayne and Gawyn jump through hoops to maintain her reputation? That sort of demand makes much more sense in a story where she is experiencing constant political frustration and administrative headaches (Sanderson promptly tossed all the issues with a massive and on-going influx of novices of all ages down the memory hole).

Egwene calling on Nynaeve and Elayne to attend her in the Tower would also create conflict with Elayne. Jordan has seeded too many conflicts between Andor and the White Tower, and between Elayne's two sets of duty, in the series for that not to come to a head in the finale. Egwene's is not the only plotline or character arc where lots of potential conflicts were handwaved away. Elayne is trying to rule one country and claim another, behind two very dubious and fraught coalitions, that are largely loyal to other parties. As awesome & loyal as Dyelin seems to be, she is wrong in every disagreement with Elayne from WH to KoD. Even her support of Elayne at the end is ultimately expressed as an aspect of her conservatism and resistance to change. In Cairhien, she's going to be working with a Red sister who is sworn to Rand, and will see that as two strikes against Elayne, given her anti-Rand policies and positions in Andor. And where she had to suppress and conceal their relationship in Andor, that's going to cost her in dealing with Sashelle and and of Rand's partisans in Cairhien (and there are hints here and there that the commoners and servants and soldiers hold him in rather higher regard than their lords and ladies do). In Cairhien, Elayne herself is a compromise candidate, with the Damodreds and their allies ready to accept her for the father she doesn't remember, their rivals willing to accept her because her name isn't Damodred, whatever remains of Colavaere's allies resenting their own downfall under Dobraine in Rand's name, for Elayne's sake, and some of Dobraine's allies expecting some sort of reward or primacy of place for their efforts in the interregnum. Also, famine. And in the middle of trying to juggle all this political stuff, with the Black Tower conflict heating up in her backyard, and the methods needed to win over Andorans inspiring contempt in Cairhienin, and Cairhienin methods triggering fear of tyranny and intrigue in Andorans, she gets a call in the middle of all this to put everything on hold and dance attendance on the Amyrlin because she can't handle her end, that's going to be when Elayne decides now is the time to draw that line between personal and political authority and responsibility. And Elayne can get away with it as no other ruler in the last thousand years could, because when it comes to Elayne versus the White Tower, the Dragon Reborn, King of Illian and Car'a'carn of the Aiel, and the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light are not going to think twice before taking a side. Right, of course, at the least politically convenient time for Egwene.

With Gawyn, he has been taught, since day one, that in addition to physical protection and military advice, his job is also to tell his principal when she is in the wrong, and that is so not going to fly with Egwene in the middle of all the other problems going on. Sanderson seems to have run with the fandom meme that Gawyn is an idiot, on top of inventing a character issue where he resents Rand over class issues and a sense of heretofore never seen royal entitlement. The funny thing is "I should be the leader and hero, not that up-jumped sheepherder!" is basically Egwene's normal state of mind. So I could see Gawyn going to Elayne at Egwene's behest, or stepping in an volunteering, in an effort to patch things over, and butting heads with his sister, while trying to loyally stick to the party line, because Egwene is pissed that he keeps suggesting her leadership methods aren't the best. Because Gawyn has been taught to be a military commander in what is basically a feudal military structure, which means herding cats on a bunch of nobles to get them to carry out the crown's strategies and campaign plans, whereas up until aMoL, Egwene's political training has been about intrigue and subterfuge, and no so much on coalition-building, and appeasing competing interests.

With Nynaeve, she's generally willing to play along, but that's not always helpful, as Nynaeve is all about the moral with little use for the political. We see what her version of helping with political negotiations is like in KoD where Cadsuane has to rein her in from threatening the nobles with Rand's wrath. Her PoV chapters became much more rare after she broke her block, because she's largely centered and has found her right head-space, that Egwene & Rand are still striving for in KoD & aMoL. And that means she is going to be a lot more confident in calling out the sisters on their bullshit, and have Opinions, however respectfully she might make them known to Egwene, on Egwene's methods. She's been butting heads with Cadsuane for three books. No one in the Tower is going to impress her all that much, and to Egwene, it's going to be like having a loose cannon in the Tower.

I think in Jordan's version, Egwene, around the time Rand is on Dragonmount, and Mat is struggling in the Tower of Ghenji and Perrin is trying to save the Children of the Light while relations with Elayne are at their nadir and Caemlyn is falling to the Trollocs, is going to complete her mini-arc of coming to understand what it means to unify the Tower, to move away from the partisanship that divided it under Siuan and her predecessors, reconcile with the fence-sitting sisters, and after all these problems are worked through, she starts repairing her relationships with Elayne and Gawyn, at the least. Maybe she helps resolve things between Elayne and Perrin as well. I don't think her penultimate climax is going to be simply beating Mesaana and the Black Ajah in direct combat for the Tower, at most that would be a part of the whole unity arc, only tangentially related, in the way that the fight with the Black Ajah was to Elayne's claiming the Lion Throne.

I also think the conflict, if any, between Rand & Egwene at Merrilor is going to be over an arbitrary and nonsensical issue like the Seals, but more the cumulative result of all the baggage they've built up over the course of the series. Egwene is going to be fearing the worst, because I think it more likely that Dark Rand called the meeting intending to lay down the law and crush any resistance to his leadership, but then Dragonmount, whereas he has been observing from the outset her resistance to him and his role in things, and her White Tower partisanship. Their working past that, and coming to accept the changes each has made should be organic as well, the payoff of years of friendship and history, with all their friends in common, from the Two Rivers and Rand's love interests helping to bring them together. It would absolutely NOT be resolved by Moiraine wafting in on a cloud of angel farts quoting Scripture the Prophecies of the Dragon to convince the assembled leaders of the nations to fall into line.

I think the effect of Moiraine's return should have been private and personal, for Rand at least, and maybe Egwene too. And it should have some apologies for how she treated them and used them, because let's face it, she did not go out as a hero, she manufactured a scenario to emotionally abuse and gaslight Rand into believing his weaknesses and shortcomings caused her death, and wrote a letter tacitly blaming him, while also writing one to passive-aggressively guilt Mat into risking mutilation and death to extract her from the situation she contrived to put herself in. In any case, it's nonsense that Rand & Egwene would drop their contentions at her word. Egwene was losing her devotion to Moiraine as a mentor before the end, not least because of disagreements over her handling of Rand, and as Amyrlin, would emphatically make a point that their relationship has changed now, as she does with absolutely every other person she knew beforehand. Part of Rand's epiphany is getting some perspective, and while he'd be thrilled to see Moiraine return, the List should be gone, and only relevance her return should have to that construct is the role she played in turning Rand that way. Her return doesn't solve problems, it's the reward for working past the problems. For Moiraine herself, I think she's learned her lesson as a result of her captivity, and goes into the Pit of Doom with him because she means it now, she accepts that this is Rand's mission and it's his call and she will back him 100%.

A lot of the decisions for Tarmon Gaidon, will, I believe, be made on the basis of the connections and trust built up over the course of the series, and part of Egwene's role would be to legitimize it all for public consumption, by telling people who don't get it, that everything is cool, trust the Amyrlin. For the Battle itself, I could not say, because what Sanderson wrote is the complete opposite of WoT warfare. Instead of heavy emphasis on the fog of war, brilliant plans crashing and burning at the outset, the brutality, and the cost, and especially the chaos, and the lack of control, we got a handful of protagonists playing a strategy game, where every piece moved exactly according to the rules, Mat was in complete control the whole time, and half of the decisive moments were settled in duels. On the issue of Egwene, I do think she would die, trying to do something beyond her grasp. I think Gawyn might die specifically because of an order Egwene gave or a choice she made, which is the strong implication of Egwene's dream of him choosing between two paths that lead to different fates, because of her. As it was, picking a fight with the enemy Forsaken general because he didn't have anything better to do, A. does not fit that foreshadowing, and B. indicates a failure to grow from the again, out-of-nowhere envy of Rand and his role. Telling Galad not to succumb to his own fatal flaw, because it got Gawyn himself mortally wounded, is hardly growth (and why would Galad hate or envy Rand, anyway? At best, his expression of this too-late realization makes Gawyn a shitty sibling for thinking the worst of his big brother). In Jordan's aMoL, Gawyn dying because of Egwene's choice or action (not necessarily error, mind you) fulfils his loyalty arc and forces Egwene to confront a real and personal price, and one that she has not reckoned with before this book. She's considered in the abstract prices for her tactics and people dying from her decisions, but its never come home, especially because she was spared the necessity of assaulting the Tower. Egwene pushed for decisive action, but hesitated over actually pulling the trigger on any such significant acts, and lucked out when the Seanchan swooped in and relieved her of the need to fish or cut bait on the Tower siege.

That's what I think Egwene's arc would come to in the end - a realization that she's only ever paid lip service to meeting toh or the "pay for it" part of taking "what you want", and that the price for her quest for the Amyrlin Seat, and all the dirt she did along the way, using slander against her enemies and false propaganda on her subordinates and allies, declaring war against people she should have been working with against the Shadow, and being a party to perhaps the worst case of "men fighting their own petty battles" with the Shadow looming over the world, it all comes down to what is she going to do with that power and that position. Her rationalization from the get-go, and perhaps even her true motive, though that would denote an incredible degree of arrogance, has basically been to ensure that the necessary steps are taken and the right woman for the job has it. And now, at the critical moment, she has the choice to try to do the impossible to save the world, regardless of the cost to herself, and she can't do anything else. Whether because that is how she operates, to always push, always reach for more, or because she has come to the realization that if she backs down, she was full of shit when she did all the suspect stuff she did along the way, and that all her striving since becoming Nynaeve's apprentice has only been about self-aggrandizement, that she has been taking what she wants all her adult life, but now is being called on to pay for it.

And a flip side to that, is that Egwene, as depicted in the story, who is all about concentration of power on herself, and cares only for accruing more and more power, status or authority, can't survive or have a happily ever after, without a radical change of personality and mindset, without changing into someone no longer recognizable as the woman whom readers love or hate for her irrepressible ambition and determination. To put it another way, Egwene's attitude and mindset are only justifiable in a protagonist of a fantasy story where the fate of the world hangs in the balance, where her drive and appetite for advancement can only be justified as a means to resolve stakes of that magnitude. She is the parallel to Rand, who, as the Chosen One, the prophesied savior, is given a great deal of latitude and approbation for actions that would be unconscionably ambitions or tyrannical in anyone but a man on whom the fate of the world depends (though, ironically, Egwene herself is the least tolerant toward Rand in this regard). It's understood that after the Last Battle, Rand, if he survives, will no longer have the claim to most of his power or authority. Many people swear fealty or promise to follow him, to the Last Battle, as a limiting condition on their service. But such conditions are not applied to Egwene or to her position as Amyrlin Seat. The Aes Sedai who swear fealty to Rand after grossly abusing their power and social position and violating his trust, still only do so until the Last Battle. The Aes Sedai Egwene blackmails with the knowledge of actions taken to help her friend and to further her cause, do not have any such condition that will end their servitude. And Egwene is outraged by Rand's receipt of sisters' fealty. With that kind of mindset and usurpation of power, she had to go. Egwene is the epitome of the Dark Knight aphorism that you die young or live long enough to become the villain.

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

August: Fantasy & Sci-Fi

Wheel of Time (season 2) / Sophie Okonedo as Siuan Sanche

I'm cheating slightly by featuring a costume that technically hasn't appeared yet (the second season starts in a few days). But I ran across these advance pictures and really liked the effect. The designer is Sharon Gilham. Here's the description of the costume from Nerdist:

"Siuan’s costume became simplified[!] as they discussed the character. Here, flowers and natural elements woven together with delicate goldwork make up her headdress. The robes have three layers. There’s a gold satin crepe jumpsuit layer, a heavily decorated mid layer of wool and matte sequins, and a shoulder capelet made of a mix of original early 20th century embroidered silk. The back of the cape design includes representation of the seven colors of Aes Sedai Ajahs. Siuan wears a gold great serpent ring on her left middle finger."

[areyoudreaminof]

ACOTAR Ladies and their Ajahs: The Crossover No One Asked For!

Before I was an ACOTAR fan, I was a Wheel of Time fan. So now you’re gonna suffer with me! I’ve assigned all our ACOTAR girlies their Ajah’s.

What’s an Ajah you ask? The seven sub divisions within the Aes Sedai, women who can wield the One Power. Each Ajah has their own task, ideology, and purpose.

Blue Ajah

The Blues involve themselves in causes of justice, truth, and being “so ready to save the world they lose themselves.” They’re also the Ajah that the most Amyrlin Seats come out of. And what a perfect Ajah for our High Lady, Feyre.

Green Ajah

Also known as “The Battle Ajah”. They hold themselves ready for The Last Battle, excellent fighters and generals ready to take the Dark One down. They’re forward, direct, and confident. They also can take as many Warders as they’d like. Sounds like Nesta to me. Emorie also fits here, she also straddles Blue but I think Green fits her better.

Yellow Ajah

Devoted to healing and charity. Using the One Power to heal is difficult and a rarity among channelers, combine that with someone who loves to help and heal, you’ve got a Yellow. Despite their love for others, the Yellows have a reputation for vanity. Elain is a Yellow. Her kindness and love are her greatest strengths, and her own power is a rarity. Though she’d make a good Gray too.

Brown Ajah

The Scholars. Browns are devoted to the collection of knowledge and wisdom. They don’t bother too much with the mundane world outright, but prefer to record and research it. If this ain’t Gwyn, I don’t know what is.

Gray Ajah

The political and diplomatic Ajah. The Grays pride themselves on their emissary skills, studying constantly all the laws, customs, history, relations of every nation to offer their help as political advisors to the governments. While Green might fit on first glance, I think Mor fits in as a Gray thanks to her sharp mind and political savvy.

Red Ajah

The Red’s focus on stopping the wrong and dangerous use of the One Power, specifically by male channelers. They’re also concerned with the misuse of the One Power in general and look for wilders, women who learned to channel on their own. While she’s not a man hater, Amren doesn’t put up with shit, including misuse of power.

White Ajah

They devote themselves to philosophy and truth. Boring af.

For my five ACOTAR/WOT girlies, what do you think??

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Dragon Reborn! Chapter 10: Secrets

Secrets come in a variety of forms, and one can argue that the later parts of a story are secrets from everyone who hasn't read that part of the story yet, or at least looked them up on a fan wiki. If you don't want those kind of secrets when it comes to The Wheel of Time series, from book 1 to book 14 plus a prequel, don't keep reading.

This chapter starts with a Whitecloak symbol because they're going to cause Egwene grief.

I will never be collared again! She pushed the thought away, but it came back turned end about. I will never lose my freedom again!

So, as we can see, Egwene has not magically recovered from her months of trauma after months off freedom. Indeed, she will never fully recover and frankly I expect that even if she'd survived the book series she'd have issues for the rest of her life.

Anaiya would be there. And Galad, too, perhaps. She blushed in spite of herself, and banished him from her mind entirely.

Jordan was probably still laying groundwork for the finale that didn't happen with her and Galad pairing off after Gawyn's death. I'm not quite sure when that ending plan would have gone away.

“I swear I will never wear gray again, Bela,” she told her shaggy mount, patting the mare’s neck. Not that I’ll have much choice once we’re back in the White Tower, she thought. In the Tower, all novices wore white.

And of course she'll soon be wearing the seven-colored stole of the Amyrlin, which represents the Gray Ajah as much as the others.

“Do you wonder how Moiraine is treating Lan?” she asked sweetly, and had a moment of pleasure at the sharp jerk Nynaeve gave her braid.

Egwene thinks that wounding remarks don't come naturally to her, but I don't believe that at all. She's quite sharp-tongued when she wants to be, which is often (she's a Jordan woman after all). That said, I think speaking back to Nynaeve is something newer to her; back in Emond's Field Nynaeve was a respected authority and Egwene's mentor.

Six people, Egwene thought, and how many secrets? They all shared more than one, secrets that would have to be kept, perhaps, even in the White Tower.

Amusingly, one of the secrets in this party that Egwene doesn't know about will be revealed to her much, much later in the Tower.

Nynaeve had always been able to foretell the weather. Listening to the wind, it was called, and the Wisdom of every village was expected to do it, though many really could not. Yet since leaving Emond’s Field, Nynaeve’s ability had grown, or changed. The storms she felt sometimes had to do with men rather than wind, now.

It's rather interesting to me how all the members of the EF5 have their styles of divination (Perrin and Egwene have T'A'R, Mat gets the dice, and Rand has a whole book of prophecies written just about him) and yet they're all very indirect when Elaida-style Foretelling exists. I suppose it's not very dramatic to get prophecies as straightforward as hers was on a regular basis.

She was of the Brown Ajah, and the Brown sisters usually cared more for seeking out knowledge than for anything in the world around them. Egwene was not so sure of Verin’s detachment, though. Verin had put herself hip-deep in the affairs of the world by being with them.

Egwene's ability to see how people don't fit the stereotypes of their affiliation is one of the things that sets her up to be a good leader for the Aes Sedai.

Years of experience seemed to have given him some talent at sniffing out wrongdoers, especially those who had done violence.

Poor Egwene is not actually in the loop about Hurin though. Kinda funny that we can see the truth distorting at a single degree of separation.

Egwene thought he might be uneasy at being alone, for all practical purposes, with an Aes Sedai and three women in training for sisterhood. Some men found facing a fight easier than facing Aes Sedai.

She's not entirely wrong, though her ignorance of his talent means she's not quite understanding his motivation.

“The One Power won’t do you much good if somebody kills you before you can use it,” Hurin said, addressing the tall pommel of his saddle.

Damn Hurin, that's a pretty ballsy thing to say to a bunch of would-be Aes Sedai, even if you can't quite look them in the eyes to say it.

“I wish I had some idea how much she does know. Egwene, I don’t know if my mother could help me if the Amyrlin found out, much less help the pair of you. Or even whether she would try.”

Naturally, Morgase does in fact try to help Elayne when she thinks the Tower is doing her wrong, though she is unable to do much. How much of that is Rahvin's fault I'm not sure.

“I will do what must be done,” Nynaeve said sharply, “if there is anything to be done, and you two will run, if need be. The White Tower may be all abuzz with your potential, but don’t think they will not still you both if the Amyrlin Seat or the Hall of the Tower decides it is necessary.”

The benefit of Nynaeve being unable to be humble is that she treats the other girls as her responsibility and thus would destroy her life for their well-being. Of course, all three of them are being dramatic and would not be remotely in trouble for actual self-defense.

I was Healing before I ever thought of going to Tar Valon, even if I didn’t know I was. But it seems I need my medicines to make it work for me.

Nynaeve has quite a few blocks, doesn't she? I don't quite remember when this one goes away.

“Let me do all the talking, children,” the Aes Sedai said placidly, pushing her cowl back to reveal gray in her hair. Egwene was not sure how old Verin was; she thought old enough to be a grandmother, but the gray streaks were the Aes Sedai’s only signs of age.

At present, Verin is about 150 years old, meaning that she could have a 10 year old great-great-great-great-great-grandchild assuming 20 year generations. She has no children and boy did the White Tower screw themselves over implementing those policies.

“Two Tar Valon witches, unless I miss my guess, yes?” he said with a tight smile that pinched his narrow face.

Dain Bornhald does in fact miss his guess, as he misses most everything.

Verin opened her mouth as if for idle conversation, but before she could speak, Elayne jumped in, voice ringing with command. “I am Elayne, Daughter-Heir of Andor. If you do not move aside at once, you will have Queen Morgase to answer to, Whitecloak!”

This is possibly Elayne's biggest moment of stupidity derived from being a sheltered princess in the whole series. Other moments like the veil are more laughable and of course she makes some other big mistakes at points, but she just went from "unremarkable passerby who was going to be harrassed but unharmed" to "high-priority target" and all because she couldn't obey a simple instruction not to talk.

There’s no more time to wait, Egwene thought. I will not be chained again!

And meanwhile Egwene's trauma is so ingrained that the possibility of violence (the Whitecloaks haven't *actually* done anything yet) immediately sets her off. Poor Egwene.

She fought to keep from being overwhelmed, and focused on the ground in front of the Whitecloak officer’s horse. A small patch of ground; she did not want to kill anyone.

At least she isn't completely gone, because seriously after the Seanchan you'd hardly blame her for still being in "kill kill kill" mode at the moment.

Verin was wide-eyed with astonishment and anger. Her mouth worked furiously, but whatever she might be saying was lost in the thunder.

Verin does not get paid enough for this crap.

“What you have done is an abomination. An abomination! An Aes Sedai does not use the Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme to defend her life. The Three Oaths—”

The Three Oaths don't apply to anyone having this conversation. But this still is slowly setting up the Oaths and the many attitudes that Egwene will have about them going forward. Here they're only an annoyance.

“It . . . it was not really using the Power as a weapon, Verin Sedai.” Elayne held her chin high, but her voice shook. “We did not hurt anyone, or even try to hurt anyone. Surely—”

The scary thing is, this justification, if believed, would let many Aes Sedai sidestep that particular Oath. No wonder Verin tries to shut it down hard.

He was only trying to bully us, child. He knew very well he could not make us go where we did not want, not without more trouble than he was willing to accept. Not here, not in sight of Tar Valon. I could have talked us past him, with a little time and a little patience. Oh, he might well have tried to kill us if he could have done it from hiding, but no Whitecloak with the brains of a goat will try harming an Aes Sedai who knows he is there.

And now, after two books of very straightforward good guys vs bad guys, we finally get some of the complications that will run through the rest of the books. Not in the straightforward shades of gray (the Whitecloaks might not be Darkfriends but they're still dangerous assholes), but through Verin pointing out that they're so utterly outmatched that using the Power against them is just fucked.

“We have come a long way,” Egwene went on, “all the way from Toman Head, and if I weren’t so tired, I would never have—”

Egwene, never content to let someone else be number one, makes a bold play to be the person with the biggest mouth in the party.

“My name is Dain Bornhald! Remember it, Darkfriends! I will make you fear my name! Remember my name!”

None of these people will ever see you again, Dain, let alone have any reason to fear you. Dude is like an angry dog barking at everyone outside the fence

“What did he mean about my mother?” Elayne said suddenly. “He must have been lying. She would never turn against Tar Valon.”

That was before they lost her daughter for four months, Elayne, and also before Gaebril, though really I expect that a normal Morgase would still have had issues with Tar Valon over the incident.

“Now you must truly be on your guard,” Verin told them. “Now the real danger begins.”

Verin's not wrong, since everyone in the White Tower is far more dangerous to the girls than most people outside it. And also the Black Ajah is headquartered here. Not that Verin, the world's least suspicious woman, would know anything about that.

Next time: The chapter that contains our first map of Vagina Island!