The Fires of Heaven: Chapter 15
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Author: Mariasha Casindred
Chapter Icon: Template:Teardrop
Points of View: Nynaeve, Egwene
Summary
Nynaeve's Point of View:
Setting: Tel'aran'rhiod, The Aiel Waste
Nynaeve attempts to picture herself into the Amyrlin's study, but is unable to. Instead, she ends up in the Mistress of Novice's study. She disguises herself as an Accepted with Melaine's face.
As she starts out to the Amyrlin's study, she sees flashes of novices in white as they barely touch Tel'aran'rhiod. She approaches the Amyrlin's study and suddenly Elaida is in front of her, the Amyrlin's stole minus the blue stripe on her shoulders. Elaida chastises her and Nynaeve reflects that it is in Elaida's fondest dreams.
When she enters the anteroom, she thinks that the fact that papers are left out on the table is odd of Leane. When she enters the Amyrlin's study, she realizes why she could not visualize herself there. It had been totally changed.
The door opens, and another Accepted comes in that Nynaeve does not recognize. She chastises Nynaeve for using Melaine's face and she realizes that it is Egwene. Egwene is angry at her for not being careful in Tel'aran'rhiod and vehemently warns her about the dangers of Tel'aran'rhiod.
Suddenly, two men accost Nynaeve. She is terrified and cannot touch the Source. She begs Egwene to help her, and suddenly the creatures vanished. Egwene scolds her again and Nynaeve realizes that she has scratch marks on her chest and neck. Egwene tells her that because she has control of the Tel'aran'rhiod, in some fashion, that she can make and unmake those creatures. She reminds Nynaeve that she can die here, and only through a figment of someone's imagination. Nynaeve says that she could always envision herself somewhere else. Egwene agrees dryly, but says she could only do it if she wasn't "scared spitless", which Nynaeve obviously was.
Turning back to the Amyrlin's study, Nynaeve comments that none of it looks like Siuan Sanche. Egwene identifies the odd painting on the wall, the one next to the picture of Rand in the sky of Falme, as a triptych of Bonwhin, the last Red Amyrlin.
Egwene orders Nynaeve to search through the papers on the Amyrlin's desk, and she goes to search through Leane's.
Nynaeve begins going through the papers and begins to read a report on a suspected Blue gathering when she hears Egwene cry out. Nynaeve goes to her aid and finds her just sitting at Leane's desk. Egwene tells her that Elaida is the Amyrlin Seat. At first Nynaeve doesn't believe it. She can't imagine Siuan Sanche dead and reflects that though she hated the woman, she respected her.
Egwene tells her that the paper she saw was an arrest warrant for Moiraine Damodred, on the charge of treason. Nynaeve concludes that Elaida will not support Rand, and decides that this new information fits Mistress Macura's message for all loyal sisters to return to the Tower.
Nynaeve then tells Egwene about the message she started reading, and Egwene pushes her to remember it. Nynaeve is trying and then realizes that she's trying to please Egwene when it used to be the other way around. She found that her "moral authority" had vanished when she told her first lie to Egwene. She blurts out the truth to Egwene.
Egwene suspected as much, since she'd never heard Nynaeve talk about forkroot, and tells her that she always tries to put the best face on everything. Nynaeve denies it and Egwene gets mad at her for lying to both Egwene and herself. She threatens Nynaeve with a vile herb concoction, the mixture that Nynaeve had made Egwene drink when Egwene had lied to her. Nynaeve admits that she does so, but protests that she only has ever lied about small things.
Egwene relents and wants to decide who to tell. Moiraine and Rand, certainly, but she's not sure who else. She warns Nynaeve against telling anyone, and Nynaeve reminds her that she's "not a fool". Egwene agrees, except when she's in a temper. Egwene tells her to keep her wits about her and asks her again about the Blue gathering. Nynaeve cannot remember. Egwene tells her to be careful with Moghedien and vanishes. Nynaeve returns to her bed in Sienda.
Egwene's Point of View:
Setting: Tel'aran'rhiod, The Aiel Waste
Characters: Egwene, Enaila, Aviendha, Moiraine
Egwene awakens in her tent in the Aiel camp, relieved that there are no Wise Ones present. One of her greatest fears is being discovered by the Wise Ones and being turned away for being the Tel'aran'rhiod unsupervised.
She thinks back on her conversation with Nynaeve and is proud of herself for keeping her voice calm and firm. She reflects that she's never seen Moiraine yell, and Moiraine is certainly quite effective.
Egwene goes to Rand's tent, where Enaila and Aviendha sit outside. Enaila tells her that Rand is busy with Asmodean and is worried that he does not sleep enough. Aviendha is angry with him because she would like to sleep, but she cannot until Asmodean leaves.
Egwene goes to Moiraine's tent and finds the Aes Sedai is still awake. Egwene is slightly surprised to find that Moiraine is eavesdropping on Rand since he shut the Wise One's out of his dreams.
Egwene tells Moiraine that Elaida is Amyrlin. Moiraine asks if her Talent as a Dreamer has manifested and Egwene makes it seem so to hide her being in the Tel'aran'rhiod. She also tells Moiraine that she saw an arrest warrant for the older woman.
Moiraine accepts it calmly, and Egwene is surprised that she does not grieve, even a little angry at it. Moiraine tells her that she and Siuan knew what they were doing, and knew the consequences. She tells Egwene that she "has no time for tears."
Moiraine also tells Egwene that she's not happy about what's happened, that she's not happy that the Tower as split apart. She says that she "could almost wish that every sister had sworn to Elaida, whatever happened to Siuan."
Egwene then asks about Rand and what will it mean for him and what Moiraine intends to do. Moiraine tells her that she will do her best with what she has and continue to try and help Rand.
Egwene then tells her about the Forsaken. Both are concerned about Lanfear, who still loves Lews Therin/Rand. Moiraine says that they must keep an eye on them as much as possible, and hopes that they will not have to worry about Lanfear.
Egwene is worried about what will happen if several Forsaken come at him at a time, but Moiraine reminds her that they must allow Rand to learn on his own. Egwene asks her why she has started doing as Rand says and the Aes Sedai tells her that she does so because she remembers how to control saidar. First, you must surrender to it. Moiraine then retires for the night.
As Egwene is returning to her tent, she realized that Moiraine spoke to her as an equal the entire time and reflects that she may be closer to the shawl than she thought.
Notes
Visions and Prophecies
- "Rand sitting down in a chair, and somehow she knew that the chair's owner would be murderously angry at having her chair taken; that the owner was a woman was as much as she could pick out of that, and not a thing more.
- Perrin, lounging with Faile on his lap, kissing her while she played with the short-cut beard that he wore in the dream. Behind them two banners waved, a red wolf's head and a crimson eagle. A man in a bright yellow coat stood near to Perrin's shoulder, a sword strapped to his back; in some way she knew that he was a Tinker, though no Tinker would even touch a sword. And every bit of it except the beard seemed important. The banners, Faile kissing Perrin, even the Tinker. Every time he moved closer to Perrin it was as if a chill of doom shot through everything.
Aram is dangerous to Perrin
- Another dream. Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down his face, the wide brim of his hat pulled down low so she could not see his wound, while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire to draw out the small blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's forehead.
Thom seem likely to rescue Moiraine somehow, with Mat's involement
- Or a dream of a storm, great dark clouds rolling without wind or rain while forked lightning bolts, every one identical, rent the earth.
