The Dragon Reborn: Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Questions

Cursor Wrathwind

Egwene is in Nynaeve's room, going over the papers Verin had given her. Egwene thinks about her two dreams, one of the Seanchan and another of Rand reaching for a strange crystal sword as a net fell over him. She dreamed of Rand walking into Shayoul Ghul, and of Rand confronting the Seanchan. She had dreamed of Perrin with a falcon and a hawk, both of which Egwene is sure represent women, but the hawk was holding a leash and trying to fasten a collar around Perrin's neck. She also dreamed of Perrin with a beard, leading a pack of wolves. And of Mat, placing his eye on a balance and hanging by his neck from a tree.

Nynaeve growls that the information is useless, and wonders whether or not Verin purposefully gave them useless information. The only pattern Egwene notices is that all of the Ajahs, except the reds, of which Liandrin was the only one, lost two sisters each. Egwene states that everything is random, that none of them were born in the same city, no more than two in the same country, and that they went through a large age range. Egwene then realizes that it is too neat and that the Black Ajah must have had a wide variety to choose from the make so random a pattern and thus there must still be Black Sisters in the Tower and elsewhere.

Egwene notices that there were thirteen ter'angreal stolen, and more than half of them "use unknown", last studied by Corianin Nedeal. Four more have some connection to sleep. Another is a long black rod labeled "DANGEROUS AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL" which produced Balefire. The women seem suspicious that Verin had not noticed that more than half the stolen ter'angreal had last been studied by Corianin Nedeal.

Egwene believes that Alanna cannot be Black Ajah, and Nynaeve thinks likewise about Elaida and Sheriam. Egwene decides to try the dreamer ter'angreal that night. As they discuss it, they notice Else standing in the door. Else gives them a message from the Amyrlin telling them what storeroom the stolen ter'angreal had been in. Afraid she cannot keep a secret, Egwene goes chasing after Else. She runs into a woman dressed all in silver and white, who Egwene notes as extremely beautiful, who tells Egwene that she is bold to be alone in the midst of so many murders. The woman tells Egwene that she saw Else running away down a nearby corridor and leaves. Egwene begins to head after Else but quickly turns back to find the women in silver and white has completely vanished.

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