The Shadow Rising: Chapter 47
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Author: Estyrien al'Halien
Chapter Icon: Flame of Tar Valon
Outline
Siuan and Leane are deposed and Stilled. Min rescues them with Laras' help.
Summary
Siuan's Point of View:
Setting: The White Tower, Tar Valon
Characters: Siuan, Leane, Elaida, Alviarin, Danelle, Joline, Shemerin, other Aes Sedai, Alric
Siuan is in her office checking the day-to-day running of the White Tower; "her habit had always been to check one or two things at random each day". She notices that Danelle, a "young Brown sister", has appeared not to notice the too large numbers of builders that had been hired to rebuild part of the library; they "could rebuild the entire library with that many men". Siuan is frustrated that she can't concentrate because she has had one message from Moiraine, "The sling has been used. The shepherd holds the sword", and nothing since. Once the Hall had learnt that someone had taken Callandor, "they voted unanimously and with no need for arm twisting" that the White Tower should try to guide him.
She keeps the message in a warded box along with other messages. One says that the novice who brought Min to see Siuan is missing; she was actually killed by an unknown channeler. There is a man in Ghealdan who is preaching the glories of the Dragon Reborn; he is Masema, the Shienaran soldier who travelled with Rand in "The Great Hunt". Mazrim Taim has not been found, tension between Arad Doman and Tarabon is rising once more and ships have gone missing in the Aryth Ocean. Two Aes Sedai are missing in Illian and one in Caemlyn while a lot of her Eyes and Ears are silent.
Suddenly, the door to her study opens and "more than a dozen women strode into her study". They are led by Elaida and include several Reds, Danelle of the Brown Ajah, Joline of the Green Ajah, Shemerin of the Yellow Ajah, Alviarin of the White Ajah. From later chapters we know that Teslyn of the Red Ajah, Evanellein of the Gray Ajah, Javindhra of the Red Ajah and Andaya of the Gray Ajah were also present. Only the Blue Ajah is not represented.
Siuan orders Elaida to leave "before I make you wish that you were an ignorant novice again", but she stays and Elaida takes the striped stole from Siuan's shoulders, "You were never fit for it". Without her noticing, Siuan has been Shielded and Elaida weaves flows of Air to bind her, "crushing her arms to her side". Alviarin looks through the papers on Siuan's desk and tries to open the warded box but it "flared in a ball of flame", she had not noticed the delicate ward. Elaida tells Siuan that the Hall met earlier- not all the sisters met but "enough Sitters to meet our laws" were present- and they voted to remove Siuan from the position as Amyrlin Seat.
Siuan says that the full Hall will meet and the vote will be reversed. "There has never been a rebellion inside the Tower" but everyone will know the fate of the rebels. Some of Elaida's supporters are doubtful, she doesn't "have as tight a grip on her conspirators as she thought". Elaida orders that Siuan is to be taken away and as she goes through the antechamber she sees that Leane is also Shielded and bound but more importantly, her Warder Alric is dying of a knife wound. Elaida is impatient to know what else Siuan has been hiding from her, "you are going to tell me every last scrap".
Min's Point of View:
Setting: The White Tower, Tar Valon
Characters: Min, Gawyn, Laras, Younglings
Min is entering the Tower after going to collect some silk that Laras claimed "was just the colour to set off 'Elmindreda's' complexion". Min is surprised to notice that are no guards at the gates, "no gate to the Tower grounds was ever left unguarded". As she walks into the grounds, a group of men run into a clearing. They are all men who had come to the Tower for training by the Warders and Gawyn is leading them. Gawyn tells Min to leave, "Get out of the grounds, Min. It is dangerous", and that Siuan was deposed that morning. He says that Hammar is going to try to free Siuan and that "there's fighting everywhere". Gawyn and the 'Younglings' run towards the Tower and sounds of fighting can be heard. Min is upset because she doesn't know which side Gawyn is fighting for. She runs into the trees to hide until the fighting has died down and to contemplate about what she is going to do.
Siuan's Point of View:
Setting: Tar Valon's dungeons
Characters: Siuan, Leane, Min, Gawyn, Laras and Logain
Siuan is in the dungeons of the White Tower. She has been stilled, as has Leane, and both have been interrogated about what they have not told the Tower. Siuan is somewhat relieved that she managed to keep some information from Elaida, "the triumph of holding back a scrap here, a bit there". Siuan believes that Elaida will be raised to Amyrlin Seat but swears that "one day I will feed that woman to the silverpike!" They hear a key being turned in the lock and stagger to their feet; Leane a bit reluctantly, "What good will it do?"
Min's Point of View:
Setting: Tar Valon's dungeons and Tower grounds
Characters: Min, Laras, Siuan, Leane, Gawyn, and Logain Min is the one outside the cells and is accompanied by Laras. When she returned to her room to fetch some things, Laras had found her and discovered what she intended to do. Suddenly the key turns in the lock and Min and Laras enter the cell. Min can see that it is Siuan and Leane but "the agelessness that marked Aes Sedai seemed to have melted away", changing their appearances. Min can no longer see the images that always surrounded Aes Sedai, confirming that they have been stilled. Min gives the two women clothes to change into and tells them that Laras sneaked up on the guard while Min distracted him and "cracked him over the head with a rolling pin". She hopes that the plain clothes will make them look like petitioners.
On their way out of the dungeons, Laras leaves them, since she decides to stay in the Tower, but the other three women almost bump into Elaida; she does not spear them any glances. In the stables, Gawyn catches the women trying to take horses and is enraged to see Siuan free. He asks after his sister and Egwene and Siuan lies to him for the first time, saying that they should be in Illian. In the end, he lets them go with a signed document that would let them leave the city.
Before they leave the city, they see Logain who is also trying to escape. They ask him to join them and he does.
Notes
- Fulfiled Prophecies
- Min's viewing of Siuan lying on the floor with no clothes on is now fulfilled.
Characters
- First Mention
- First Appearance
Danelle, Joline Maza, Shemerin, Alric
This section contains Notes on this Chapter which may contain spoilers. Please expand to view.
Visions and Prophecies
- (About Logain) "Suddenly, for a moment, that flaring halo of gold and blue shone about his head, speaking of glory to come as surely as it had the first time she had seen it."
- (About Gawyn) "For a moment she let herself think of the images she had glimpsed, just for a moment, flickering around Gawyn's head. Gawyn kneeling at Egwene's feet with his head bowed, and Gawyn breaking Egwene's neck, first one then the other, as if either could be the future."
