The Gathering Storm: Chapter 46

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To be Forged Again


Chapter Icon: Wheel and Serpent

Point of View: Egwene

Setting: The White Tower

Characters: Egwene, Siuan, Tesan, Lairain, Saerin, Yukiri, Seaine, Doesine, Suana, Silviana

Outline

Egwene is raised as Amyrlin officially and names Silviana as a Keeper accepting an apology from the rebels for standing against the White Tower.

Summary

Lairian instructs Egwene on the ceremony to be raised Amyrlin. Siuan says it is not necessary as she is already Amyrlin, but Egwene insists that those women who stayed loyal to Elaida deserve the chance to stand for her or she will never have their loyalty. She instructs Siuan to have the rebels gather in front of the sunset gate, arranged in Ajahs with Sitters at the front so that she can accept their apology for rebelling. Siuan isn't happy with this, but Tesan nods her agreement. Egwene thinks that the ceremony in Salidar was a rehearsal for this.

She is taken to the Hall and sees that the outer wall facing Dragonmount has a gaping hole in it from the Seanchan attack and looks around at the women gathered there, seeing Suana smiling in satisfaction. Saerin, as the oldest Sitter stands to open the ceremony and Egwene looks round to see who is there and who is absent, noting that there are no Reds and that Talene of the Green, Evanellein of the Gray, Velina of the White and Sedore of the Yellow are missing. Apart from Evanellein, all those women were on Verin's List. Saerin has to repeat her question. Egwene doesn't answer, instead asking if the Red is in disgrace and is told it is. She is told Silviana is still imprisoned and orders her brought to the hall before answering Saerin. Yukiri, Seaine and Suana all stand to pledge for Egwene. Saerin quietly asks Egwene if she is certain she wants to bear the weight and Egwene replies that she does already. The Sitters arrange themselves in order of age with Saerin at the end. Tesan brings Silviana before them and Egwene orders her released. She tells her to approach and she does, kneeling to kiss Egwene's ring.

Egwene tells the Sitters present that they all bear a great deal of shame and that they are a disgrace. She tells them Elaida was a madwoman and that they knew it, that they shouldn't have let her disband an Ajah and that Elaida should have been removed after her failure with Rand and the Black Tower and when she refused to compromise to reunite the Tower. She looks at them till she sees shame on their faces and tells them that only one woman was willing to stand up for what was right and to deny Elaida. She tells Silviana that having no Reds present when she was raised will likely lose their support and Silviana says she doesn't see how to avoid it. Egwene offers to make her Keeper and she accepts. She tells them that she is not guiltless and although she had no choice in the actions she did, there is still culpability. She tells Silviana that her previous Keeper, Sheriam, has been executed as a member of the Black Ajah and that a new Mistress of Novices is needed, who will be able to deal with older women as novices.

After the ceremony, Egwene addresses the rebels and tells them that she means to see the Tower mended, a sword reforged and that some Sitters and heads of Ajah will have to step down.

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