Crossroads of Twilight: Chapter 30
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Chapter Icon: Flame of Tar Valon
Point of View: Egwene
Setting: Rebel camp outside Tar Valon
Characters: Egwene, Siuan, Nisao, Chesa, Theodrin, Romanda, Maigan, Myrelle, Morvrin, Lelaine, Bodewhin, Ragan, Emara, Sheriam
Outline
Kairen is also killed with saidin. All the Aes Sedai are worried. It turns out Nicola has run away. Egwene replaces Bodewhin in trying to turn the chain of Tar Valon's harbour into cuendillar but ends up being captured.
Summary
Egwene is eating breakfast; she expects the negotiations to end fruitlessly later that day. Nisao arrives and tells her Kairen is dead, killed with saidin. Egwene asks Nisao if she knows of any link between Kairen and Anaiya, but she does not. She orders her to find out all she can. Egwene leaves her tent to go to her study and sees that most of the Aes Sedai are holding the Power as they walk, which disturbs her. The first visitor, Theodrin, comes with a message from Romanda, asking for a meeting. As Theodrin leaves, she is given a very disrespectful look from Emara, angering Egwene, who asks her if she is showing proper respect. Emara quickly curtsies and passes on a request from Lelaine, also for a meeting.
Siuan arrives and they discuss things, including the disrespect shown to Theodrin. Egwene says she needs to make sure no one doubts her, and Siuan tells her that everyone now accepts her fully, even if they won't admit it. Sheriam arrives, with a note from Tiana, informing Egwene that Nicola had run away, several days before. Sheriam tells her that Tiana took so long to discover it because her cousins covered for her as they were hoping to see the last of her. The other novices involved are being punished. Sheriam suggests that Egwene tell Tiana to show lenience, but she refuses. She asks her how the other Aes Sedai interpret her dream of a Seanchan attack. Sheriam replies that they are not concerned.
After Sheriam leaves, Myrelle and Morvrin arrive, shortly followed by Maigan, who sends Siuan off to get tea. Morvrin follows her, but Myrelle stays. After Siuan returns, Ragan arrives with a message from Bryne that raiders have crossed with Aes Sedai and that he advises them to stay close to camp. Egwene snaps that Aes Sedai go where they wish. Romanda arrives and tells her the talks are going badly. She suggests the only way to flush Elaida is to send ferrets in after her. This brings no response from Egwene, so she raises the issue of the Kin. She doesn't believe the Aes Sedai could have missed how many there are, or their longevity. Egwene replies that they never realized how many wilders there are among the Sea Folk and that they still don't in truth. Romanda then insists they will have to be hunted down and that they can't allow over a thousand wilders to remain organized. Egwene points out that there are no wilders in the Kin and that hunting them down would not even be possible as they don't look any different from wilders. Romanda replies that if they channeled they would achieve the ageless look. Egwene tells her that the Oath Rod is the only real difference between Aes Sedai and the Kin and that she plans to allow Aes Sedai to remove the oaths and retire into the Kin. Romanda is appalled, insisting that she will die as Aes Sedai. She storms out, but Maigan and Myrelle are uncertain. Lelaine arrives and suggests that Myrelle takes Llyw, Kairen's Warder. Myrelle quickly leaves. Lelaine suggests modifying the Warder bond to make sure the Aes Sedai are in control when they bond the Asha'man. Egwene refuses totally and tells Maigan and Lelaine she will order anyone who does more than suggest it to be birched. They leave.
Egwene takes Daishar and rides to where Bodewhin is, telling her to stay ashore and that she will perform the task that Bode had been supposed to perform. She boards a boat and rows to the center of the harbour to the iron chain. She embraces saidar in order to convert the chain into cuendillar. She feels someone embrace the source and loses consciousness. When she comes to, she hears Aes Sedai voices, having captured her.