The Gathering Storm - Chapters 24-27

In this section, the heroes learn that power must not only be wielded, but wielded properly.

Like Rand, Gawyn has the power to do anything he wants, which he displays by casually dispatching a handful of guards in the Rebels’ camp. Bryne criticizes him for it, acknowledging that the power is in his hands, but questioning what he will do with it. What guides Gawyn’s hand? He says love for Egwene does, but he has no actual idea what she wants, he is simply making his best guess. Unlike Rand, a mentor’s intervention doesn’t drive Gawyn away, but gives him pause. Gawyn bristles at his mentor’s scathing words about his mother. Bryne’s point is that the truth may be uncomfortable and may shatter heartfelt illusions, but it must be heard nonetheless. Gawyn would like to believe his mother was special, but she wasn’t in this circumstance, she gets no special dispensation. By extension the same is true for Gawyn and Rand, who both wield great power but will be judged harshly if they do not wield it properly.

With Rand abandoning the Light, and Gawyn poised on the precipice before being hauled back, it’s timely to look in on the Black Ajah Sheriam. There were still many holdouts over Sheriam’s allegiance to the Shadow in the Theoryland forums, some positing that Sheriam must have been turned against her will, since she just could not possibly be evil. Jordan had established her kindly character well, as discussed in posts on The Dragon Reborn, and the fact that she was not confirmed as evil allowed readers to stick to their emotion-based judgment of her. Sanderson uses some of the same techniques here, even as she is finally convincingly revealed as a villainess. Ambiguous phrasing, such as ‘the one who had sometimes lurked inside’ tells readers nothing about whether that person was an interloper or a Great Mistress commanding her, and in proving nothing one way or the other create fertile ground for deeper emotional commitment to deep-held beliefs about Sheriam.

We learn that the Forsaken helped raise Egwene as rebel Amyrlin, in the hope that it would further split the Aes Sedai, and that plan paid off very well until now, when Egwene’s status is rising to that of her title and threatening to heal the rift.

Egwene learns she has escaped the headsman for now, but Elaida’s outburst of rage has only unsteadied her, not toppled her, and she may yet recover. Egwene’s options are very limited, but she maintains she will never kneel to Elaida, and she will continue to resist until her trial, and possible death sentence. She still feels her resistance may provide, even in death, the means to heal the Tower and oust Elaida in time for a better candidate to lead the White Tower in the Last Battle.

Aviendha becomes a Wise One after finally standing up for herself. In a plot similar to Shemerin’s, Aviendha learns that only she can raise or debase herself, the power to establish her own  worth is entirely in her own hands.

Romanda listens to Shemerin’s tale and is disgusted that Elaida could cause such a change in an Aes Sedai. A sudden swarm of beetles ruptures the floor of the tent, a bubble of evil which represents the fate of the rebels, the first beetle a precursor to the others as Shemerin’s treatment presages the treatment the rebels will receive. Romanda burns her tent, unable to contemplate touching things that had been touched by such filth, in effect destroying her identity as thoroughly as Elaida could. She wonders if she could submit to Elaida to save the Tower. Like Gawyn, Aviendha, and the other examples, she now wields the power to decide, but may not have the means to reach a decision.

Mat brings some followers to Hinderstap to gather supplies and have some fun. The question of saving Moiraine comes up again, and Mat realizes that Lanfear may well be trapped too. He wonders if he would save her from a fate amongst the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, even knowing how evil she is. Based on the thought “You’re a fool, Matrim Cauthon. Not a Hero. Just a Fool”, readers should recognize the familiar mindset of the character who will go out of his way to do the right thing. It’s the first time anyone has considered saving one of the Forsaken; most of Rand’s interactions merely confirmed they weren’t interested in being saved. As I’ve posited before, Lanfear has close parallels in the myths of Eve and Pandora, myths which also include their redemption and salvation.

Why not attach that earlier Mat section to this one? Probably to get a bit of humour in before Rand’s grim scene sucked all the smiles out. It’s a surprise when the next chapter is also Mat’s; two in a row from one character for the first time in the book. Splitting the viewpoints changes the flow of the story, and since some of the split scenes involving the same character fit reasonably well together and could have fit the typical Robert Jordan format, it’s further confirmation that this was a stylistic choice of Brandon’s or the editor’s.  

Mat remembers the dagger from Shadar Logoth, a dagger that filled Mat and Padan Fain with all-consuming hatred for the Shadow. Once freed of the dagger, Mat’s carefree attitude is almost opposite to the single-mindedness of purpose that the Shadar Logoth taint filled him with. Mat expressly will do the least possible to rid the world of the Shadow, adopting a live and let live lifestyle, and even contemplating saving dire enemies.

Let’s quickly look at Gawyn’s short battle scene:

The four soldiers are portrayed as competent, taking their duty seriously. Gawyn’s emotions are irritation and anger, fuelled by the soldier’s dismissal of his claims. A cluster of dialogue ends with the sergeant laying a hand on his sword. Words end, action begins.

Gawyn leaps from his horse, an explanation for the strategy behind it is given.

Gawyn begins a sword form, an explanation for the strategy behind it is given.

Gawyn slams into the sergeant, an explanation for the success of the attack is given (wearing helmet the wrong way)

Gawyn repels a few blows, and strikes the halberdiers, an explanation for the necessity of wounding them is given.

Gawyn finishes the battle leaving all four wounded and winded soldiers on the ground.

The author succeeds in demonstrating that Gawyn is intensely analytical during battles with immediate and frequent explanations of his actions.

Writing Lessons:

Where you place explanations for actions in the story affects how readers perceive those actions.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 12-13

In this section, Egwene wrangles some allies to her side, while Aviendha provides an obvious suggestion about a potential ally to her friends.

Egwene’s part in the book concludes with her discovering that Myrelle has a dark nasty secret. She received Lan’s bond without his permission. The true fault is Moiraine’s, but Myrelle is complicit. It’s a big enough faux pas that Egwene can force her to swear fealty.

Swearing to obey is portrayed as a bad thing when Aes Sedai swear to Rand, but as a good thing when these Aes Sedai do it for Egwene. The result is a feeling of uncertainty in both cases. While we’re happy Egwene is surmounting her difficulties, the fact that the Aes Sedai are constrained to obey absolutely puts a new spin on the obedience of followers theme.

Lan offers advice on the new followers: don’t let them argue again. This from a man who was compelled and had his bond passed off to Myrelle. Maybe he wanted to get back at them a little.

Off-page, the rest of Sheriam’s group will also swear fealty to Egwene. Having set the stage for their downfall, there is no purpose to showing more of the same here. Many authors would be tempted to show the big boss being taken down, but the victory was already won against Myrelle. Instead, the author lets Egwene and the readers imagine Sheriam’s downfall, showing a blissful Egwene feeling in control, at last. Yet while she basks in these good feelings, a Forsaken is standing over her, in a position of intimacy and trust, and possibly undetected influence. Using Sheriam in this way serves to set up the coming conflict, and is a very worthwhile trade off for not getting to show her downfall on-page.

Aviendha’s point of view is as alien as anyone’s but a Seanchan’s. A good portion of text is spent contrasting her understanding of the world with what we are familiar with.

Aviendha hits on the solution to finding the Bowl of the Winds. Use Mat’s ta’veren ability. This is another example contrasting similar situations. While Egwene could not get allies to support her, Nynaeve and Elayne have been purposely keeping their ally at arm’s length.

Elayne learns about bargaining the hard way. The Sea Folk have very strict rules about who leads or commands, while the pair of Aes Sedai are woefully unprepared. They quickly find that they are not equals with the Sea Folk as their meagre advantages are quickly stripped away. The overlapping conversations ending the chapter convey the sense of overwhelming chaos the women have thrown themselves into.

Here is an example of how a sentence can convey meaning about the situation while establishing facts about the society. Remarkably, the nouns make no difference to understanding the relative value attributed to them.

Do I see a Wavemistress and her Windfinder, or two deckgirls at their first shipmeet?

Do I see a Wise One and her Apprentice, or two Maidens at their first swap meet?

Do I see a physt and her yshesn, or two ujdnds at their first jsjdyf?

It is the words OR and FIRST that provide the contrast between experience and starting out. OR establishes the comparison, while FIRST supplies value to BOTH sides of the comparison. The comparison is supplemented by using nouns which include other value-laden words such as GIRL vs. MISTRESS.

Writing Lessons:

When introducing alien cultures, use words that establish familiar relationships with the unfamiliar terms.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 9-11

In this section, Egwene slowly builds herself up from nothing

It is always rewarding to watch a character overcome obstacles, to go from having nothing to the top of the heap. In the previous section, Egwene was presented as not even having a reliable chair. We saw her loyal maid, who fetched her two other loyal helpers, a pair of disgraced Aes Sedai who stand very low in the hierarchy. A fourth helper, the prisoner Moghedien, had escaped. Things look grim.

Sheriam is supposed to be Egwene’s helper, but tries to keep Egwene occupied with meaningless tasks while keeping control of the rebels by hoarding information. When Egwene finally learns of a secret that Sheriam and her council kept from the Hall, Egwene begins to blackmail her. Fear of the secret being told before the Hall prompts Sheriam to reveal it to Egwene and Siuan.

Sheriam and her group sent ferrets to the White Tower to spy on Elaida. They supposedly told no one because they were not only afraid of Elaida’s own spies among the rebels, but that the Sitters may be Black Ajah. Ridiculously, they never consider whether any of the ferrets or the 6 members of their council might be either of those (true on both counts).

Rushing to investigate Moghedien’s disappearance, Egwene loses the opportunity to truly corner Sheriam, but it will work out for the best soon. Egwene even risks exposing Siuan and Leane in her haste to find who freed Moghedien. Chesa behaves loyally in fetching them, and they in turn suggest grabbing Theodrin and Faolain to do the real legwork so they can go back to the pretense of being angry at each other.

Areina and Nicola attempt to blackmail Egwene, which she takes great offense to, and pushes back at them with veiled threats that she cannot follow through on. This is meant to show the reader that Egwene’s path to power is riddled with moral peril. She berates them for doing exactly what she is doing. Egwene believes she has better cause, and acknowledges she is willing to pay the price for her actions, since it is avoiding the price that is the immoral act, not the blackmail itself. The fact that they cave in to her shows they do not have the same moral fiber or righteousness, though whether Egwene has the right of it is undetermined.

Egwene regains the moral high ground in discussion with the Wise Ones (see below) and gets the germ of an idea when they suggest getting Aes Sedai to swear fealty to Rand.

Theodrin and Faolain then do something unexpected which gives Egwene power and an idea. They swear fealty to her because they feel Egwene is the person who deserves their pledge of allegiance under the law and in principle. They received offers from Romanda and Lelaine so when they swear to Egwene it is as much by choice as by duty. Egwene confirms they made the right choice when she tells them they are Aes Sedai, but never would be if they kept repeating the denials of other sisters who hold it over them.

Romanda and Lelaine demonstrate how professional Aes Sedai of the highest standing act.

We’re given several pairs of followers to compare over these chapters (Siuan and Leane, Faolain and Theodrin, Areina and Nicola, Romanda and Lelaine), with one more pair yet to come (Myrelle and Nisao), each of whom represents a relationship between the leader and the follower. Some are willing followers, some reluctant, some need bullying, and some see themselves as the leader and Egwene as the follower. This is similar to how the author introduced many of the concepts and cultures in early books, placing them near each other in the story as logical comparisons.

Let’s take a look at a typical Robert Jordan conversation, when Egwene meets the three Wise Ones in Tel’aran’rhiod:

Bair startles Egwene by speaking. 5 lines of discussion about her reaction and how it made her feel and an exaggeration about what will come next. Egwene recovers her poise. Descriptions of the Three Wise Ones.

Melaine mentions Egwene’s reaction, comparing her to a rabbit, again framing both her mood and situation. There is an implication Egwene needs to stop being a rabbit.

Egwene explains about Moghedien. Current relationship between Egwene and Melaine is revealed.

Egwene explains further. She changes her appearance to something more self-possessed.

Bair understands. Her strong character is revealed through her voice, like iron.

They ask for details. Aiel character traits revealed.

Stop, change topic. They get down to business. Sit near Callandor. Describe Callandor’s powers. Describe how weaves are reflected in Tel’aran’rhiod (I guess that means Rand’s dreams of Be’lal holding Callandor were just dreams, not in Tel’aran’rhiod, unless he dreamed himself another copy of it).

Egwene introduces topic of why she was summoned away. She stands, even if she is seen as a supplicant or on trial.

No big deal, says Amys. How old is she anyway (relating to question of aging which will be relevant with the Kin later).

I am the Amyrlin. They seem skeptical.

A comparable situation is described. And shown. The Wise Ones see to the heart of her problem. They do not consider that Egwene’s past lies count any more, since they have been atoned for.

Egwene agrees that she is seen as a figurehead, but she means to change that.

Forget them, come back to us. The Wise Ones extend an invitation.

Egwene already made her choice. But she wants to keep close ties with the Wise Ones.

Good luck. Invitation to join them sitting implies they accept her decision.

Stop, Change topic. Will your Aes Sedai swear fealty to Rand?

They will not. She gives a comparable situation. And shows it. The Wise Ones scoff at the very idea.

They are not like us. Grrrr. Angry Wise Ones. A short history of why that might be.

Egwene will do as she must, Amys says. The other Wise Ones follow her lead. They have tea, symbolizing acceptance of the situation. Egwene compares the Wise Ones to the Aes Sedai in her head, realizing they ARE trying to do the same thing. Only Egwene herself thinks of Rand’s needs first.

Stop, Change topic. What else troubles Egwene?

Rand troubles Egwene. She tries to lighten the mood.

That’s what men do. Melaine’s joke falls flat, implying this is now serious discussion.

Merana must be failing. Egwene reveals her concerns.

A second plea to rejoin the Wise Ones. Egwene rejects it.

I can help him more from here. Egwene is trapped by her own laws and customs.

We’ll take care of any problems between Rand and the Aes Sedai. The Wise Ones are holding back. In doing so, after Egwene has been so open, Egwene’s honour will rise, while their own falls. It is a lie unspoken.

Egwene is doubtful. She detects their evasion.

Bair jokes about how well they will get along.

Merana should have said something. Egwene digs for the truth.

Amys misdirects Egwene.

Amys, promise you won’t stop them from talking. The Wise Ones are uncertain how to keep their secret.

We promise. But they don’t like what it’s doing to their honour.

Egwene thanks them for being truthful. The Wise Ones are now locked in, they have toh. Their appearance changes. Egwene pretends not to notice to save them from more shame.

The Wise ones are silent.

Egwene asks a favour. Don’t tell Rand she is Amyrlin. She doesn’t want Rand interfering or raising tension.

Agreement. They will keep the secret. Egwene is surprised at how quickly they agreed.

Stop, change topic. They talk more, but the Wise Ones are still evasive, revealing tidbits only by accident. Their advice about the Aes Sedai problem is unsound.

Be careful of Moghedien. Egwene goes back to the first topic of discussion.

We can take them down. But they will also be careful.

Friends forever?

Friends forever!

Summary of the discussion: 

Introduction to mood and bad situation.

Topic 1 - Moghedien, Egwene gains honor.

Topic 2 - Egwene is Amyrlin, reminder of mood and bad situation, Egwene gains honour.

Topic 3 – Aes Sedai will not swear fealty to Rand, Egwene gains honour.

Topic 4 – Rand and the Aes Sedai may butt heads, Egwene surpasses the honour of the Wise Ones.

Return to topic 2, then topic 1 – Wise Ones leave, downcast. Egwene is pleased.

This conversation represented a journey for Egwene, pulling herself out of a bad mood to a good one, racking up standing with the Wise Ones, solving problems, and comporting herself in a manner befitting or better than a top tier Wise One. Jordan follows a very structured layout, progressing from small things to big, following the rule of three examples yet again, then moves back down from that pinnacle to the same small things, bringing the discussion full circle. He also uses available cues to plant clues to later plot lines, reveals character, advances plot, shares information among characters, and plants gentle reminders of the broader plot.

Writing Lessons:

Use conversations to advance character development, not just plot.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 15-18

In this section, the Heroes learn important things.

Egwene learns that intense emotion can lead her to be drawn into someone’s dream. There is also a clue that strength with the One Power may be related to the age to which a channeler can live. She also learns that even if she is accepted as Aiel in some circumstances, she is still an outsider to them. She is desperate enough to continue her teaching, she even asks Rand to intercede, which he refuses.

Elayne pulls a fast one on the Aes Sedai, claiming that the Bowl of the Winds needs a man channeling to operate it. It is not really necessary to bind the rebels to Rand, they have already made their plan to have the best offer for Rand by choosing a new Amyrlin, though it remains a closely held secret.

While explaining his intentions to Andoran nobles, Rand learns about his mother’s parentage, which makes him uncomfortable. He has not yet realized that he is worried he is related to Elayne, which would make their romance impossible. This unexpected development fits in nicely with the continuing theme of surprise, and twists, and being the butt end of a joke. As Rand ponders the unlikely set of circumstances that led to the present situation, he has no idea that there are even further twists: Thom killed Taringail and Luc is still about.

Sammael sends a messenger. Rand says no truce with the Shadow.

In Cairhien, Aviendha meets with the Wise Ones, summoned to them by a dream, perhaps? Rand meets with Berelain and Rhuarc, and learns of several developments where people are making a mockery of ji’e’toh, or earning a death penalty because of the laws he passed, or having civil wars over the mere rumour of his existence. Mangin agrees to be hung because of ji’e’toh, and Egwene gets a lesson in its complexity from Niella.  Rand learns that judging people, in the criminal sense, is not a simple or pleasant matter. Instead of stepping away from the whole idea of being the lawmaker, he gives orders to his people to enforce the law and to stop dithering.

At the School of Cairhien, Rand meets teachers, researchers and inventors. He has set off a renaissance-like period, or perhaps begun an industrial age. Herid Fel provides key insight into the Last Battle. In a full cycle of the Wheel of Time the people must forget the Dark One exists, the Dark One’s prison must be made whole such that it can be bored into, yet when the seals begin to weaken memory of the Dark One must return eventually if the people are to face him and seal him back up.

The Aiel treat Berelain as a woman of sense and respect, in spite of her floozy behaviour, which Egwene thinks should disqualify her. In the Two Rivers, any promiscuity would get you thumped. Never mind whether you are actually competent at everything else.

There are two very short points of view in this section: Sheriam and Sulin. How important are they? Do they convey anything new about those characters? A closer look is warranted.

Sheriam watches the girls through a crack in the fence rather than openly. Her regret about punishing Nynaeve and Elayne is lessened when she remembers how they talked to her. The regret only exists because they were right; Rand scares the Aes Sedai badly, as confirmed by Morvrin. Carlinya thinks regret is foolish; they are obviously not going to share secrets with Accepted. Sheriam, ever cautious, gives her a warning not to even talk about secrets, as someone may overhear and realize there is a secret being kept. All things considered, they have no options but the course they have embarked on.

What does the reader gain from this passage? Most importantly, while Nynaeve and Elayne wonder about the rebels’ plan, this confirms that they do in fact have one, and they are implementing it as a last ditch effort to stave off being forced to beg for Elaida’s forgiveness. Secondary tidbits are that Sheriam is cautious by nature, something which may not have been obvious when seeing her from another character’s point of view; and that Nynaeve’s explanation for their dithering is likely accurate, they are afraid of Rand. A point of view from someone who knows a bit more of what is going on was necessary to set up the summons a few chapters from now. This section’s focus on the matter at hand also succeeds in further cementing Sheriam’s affiliation with the Heroes, not the villains.

Sulin’s part is just two paragraphs long. She finds it difficult to keep an eye on him with the rules he keeps inventing and his constant attempts to find a few moments of solitude. Her frustration is such that she would even let the more mothering of the Maidens take over his care, something she usually protects him from. She and the other Maidens are devoted to keeping him safe, no matter his wishes.

The Sulin section is pure set-up for later events. Rand wants to have moments to himself, Sulin wants him watched constantly. As events will unfold to give the reader’s sympathy to Rand, the circumstances leading to the lack of protectors when he disappears are being justified in advance. An added bonus is including yet another diverse point of view, so that readers can see that even Rand’s followers all have personal agendas that are not compatible with his own. Everyone has an angle, and how it all plays out is anyone’s guess.

Writing Lessons:

Use short passages to convey an important idea without bogging it down in extra exposition.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 25-29

In this section, The Black Ajah Hunt gets underway, and Mat makes a deal that will get him out of Tar Valon.

The information given about the Black Ajah has a pattern that consists of having no pattern at all. The mystery doesn’t last long before Elayne solves it, but it is one of the first times Robert Jordan has introduced a solvable mystery to the story, and told the reader about it. Later examples will have solutions presented several books after the mystery is introduced.

The main mystery drawing attention is the continuing back and forth debate over who may be Black Ajah, and who is not. Nynaeve’s insistence on caution and mistrust until they are sure wins out. As mentioned in the previous post, even the discovery of a second dead Gray Man in Sheriam’s bed, an obvious warning about the price of failure, did not persuade the majority of readers that Sheriam is Black Ajah. The emotional attachment established by her kind behavior is too strong to overcome even with this added evidence.  Elayne says it best: “And Sheriam? It’s impossible.”

Else Grinwell leads the girls to some planted evidence, and remembering the cue picked up from The Great Hunt, any flash of white that quickly vanishes is a banner proclaiming Lanfear’s presence. That must have been her in the oddly twisting corridors above the library in the last section also!

I am surprised at the simple descriptions of using Saidar. They say it is wonderful, it feels like being filled with life, they imagine rosebuds and riverbanks, but where are the lessons to surrender to it? It must only come when they compare notes with Rand. Maybe it wasn’t relevant enough to introduce until it’s time to worry about Rand’s inability to learn in the next book. It is also a critical component of Nynaeve’s weakness, so not mentioning the ‘surrendering’ aspect helps that plotline unfold over a longer period of time.

Elements of horror creep in, with Egwene reflecting that “We could scream our lungs out down here, and no one would hear a whimper.” Lanfear is going to a lot of trouble to send the women on their quest to Tear when she and her cohorts could surround them and do away with them on several occasions. Again, it’s that self-preservation instinct that kicks in. A circle of thirteen that can shield you is just as worrisome to a Forsaken as to anyone else. Time is not of the essence, Lanfear can plot to get them somewhere remote away from the Tower, and finish them off or use them.

Lanfear’s primary objective was to remove the Dreaming ter’angreal from the White Tower. Lanfear knows that Egwene has somehow acquired a dreamring. Keeping the monopoly over the World of Dreams maintains the secrecy of the Shadow’s communications network, removes one means for the Pattern to leave clues for the heroes, prevents movements through tel’aran’rhiod, and blocks the main approach to the Bore. As I proposed in the previous post, the actual Bore could have been drilled in tel’aran’rhiod, given Lanfear’s familiarity with this realm, and would explain why the World of Dreams figures so prominently.

Silvie is a strange character, waiting for Egwene to come, which is plausible for anyone who can navigate tel’aran’rhiod. She seems familiar with the Forsaken and their plots, mocking them openly. She asserts she can change her face, which anyone should be able to do in tel’aran’rhiod. The country bumpkin accent is the only thing that doesn’t fit Lanfear. She’s secretive enough to not want Egwene to see her true face again, but this is the first real sign of acting ability she’s displayed. Talking about Callandor is consistent with luring Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne into the trap that has been laid.

Mat’s chapter once again provides humour after several somber-mooded chapters. Mat’s quest appears inconsequential so far, so there is opportunity to use his chapters as spacers in the more important quest undertaken by the Black Ajah Hunters.

Telling the story chronologically often does not meet the objectives of brevity and staying interesting. In Chapter 25, Egwene thinks back on a number of events in a chronologically jumbled order that makes sense thematically. This is an excellent example of how to condense the story to its essential elements and avoid boring the reader. It takes exactly two pages, and puts the focus on the information, not the series of actions. I list the relevant parts below, indented to show where ideas are nested within each other.

They are reading the list of names

                The first time they read the list, they argued

                Last night, she had hardly had any sleep, but she had dreamed

                                She dreamt about Seanchan, and home…

They are still reading names

                                She dreamt about Rand, who is ta’veren

                                                Months ago, she asked Anaiya about ta’veren in Dreams

                                She dreamt about other ta’veren, Mat and Perrin

                                                At his healing, Mat spoke the Old Tongue

                                                After breakfast this morning, they had gone to Mat’s room

Nynaeve interrupts the reading of names – end of flashbacks.

There may be other, better ways to write some sections than chronologically.

Writing Lessons:

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 15-20

In this section, Egwene and Nynaeve survive an assassination attempt.

The Soulless, the Gray Men, make their first appearance, narrowly failing to kill Egwene and Nynaeve. Given their failure to kill Rand in Fal Dara, it may be that Gray Men not only give up their soul to the Dark One, but also the better part of their aim. Alternately, the Pattern can always use subtle means to stave off disaster. A gust of wind, a flicker at the edge of vision that makes someone move or hesitate just long enough to be missed by that fatal arrow. The most interesting part of their terms of employment is the complete devotion to secrecy. With no ability to free his comrade, one Gray Man kills another to prevent their interrogation. Better to fail at the mission than to give up information. Nynaeve and Egwene can always be killed later, but secrets told can never be taken back.

There are more and more secrets being revealed with a need to be kept, but Nynaeve correctly decides that keeping secrets between themselves is counter productive, and that they need an ally that can be trusted, something no Aes Sedai can pull off. Without hesitation she brings Elayne into the hunt, never questioning her trustworthiness or willingness to help. Cementing the deal is Elaida’s belligerent interest in Rand and in coercing the Hunters Three to reveal their secrets. Nothing binds friends together like opposition to a bully. From her perspective, Elaida sees Siuan making a mess of Elayne’s destiny and playing dangerous games with ta’veren. Siuan must be stopped.

Nynaeve is always skeptical and suspicious, and has a keen eye for noticing the ways in which Aes Sedai may be twisting the truth. Egwene is far more trusting of their authority, and is less willing to skirt the rules. Without Nynaeve supplying the backbone, the Black Ajah Hunt would be off to a much slower start. Nynaeve correctly reasons that they cannot trust any beyond themselves, and evidence if this is seen with their interaction with Sheriam. Nynaeve is confrontational with Sheriam, where Egwene manages to be meek and eager.

Given the role that Sheriam plays in later books, and strong reader reaction to her warmth and trustworthiness, I’ll examine how she has been portrayed. Including New Spring, there are two times when Siuan wants to make Sheriam the third in their own group of Hunters. Sheriam is an incurable gossip, but a close friend to Siuan, which explains how she landed the plum position of Mistress of Novices. In The Great Hunt she warmly welcomed Nynaeve and Egwene to Tar Valon, giving them some much needed orientation and acceptance after the rest of the Aes Sedai ignored them. That interaction will place Sheriam among the potential allies in the Tower. Readers should have a generally pleasant feeling about her by the time she appears on page in The Dragon Reborn.

Sheriam appears just after the assassination attempt, and is surprised and horrified at the Gray Man’s presence. She immediately offers comfort and shares closely held information about the Soulless. These are her hallmark, and it is unsurprising that Egwene, and readers, will interpret it as a good sign. They may not be able to confide in Sheriam, but they can rely on her for some help.

It takes Nynaeve’s distrust of all Aes Sedai to notice and point out the flaws in Sheriam’s actions. Sheriam didn’t ask who killed the Gray Man, but since Nynaeve claimed to have found him just so, she would have had no reason to ask a mere Accepted or concern her with such matters. Sheriam is evasive about Nynaeve’s questions, which is no proof of anything except that Nynaeve is far less willing to take Sheriam’s apparent openness at face value. Sheriam has likely never dealt with such a hostile attitude from an Accepted at any time in her tenure. Sheriam twice tells them not to speak of the matter with anyone unless asked first, a sign that she cares deeply about the secrecy of this matter, which she may well have good reason for, but could also be an indication of Dark affiliations. The coincidence of her appearing on the scene mere moments after the Gray Man’s death also adds to suspicions.

The point of the encounter is to reinforce that any Aes Sedai may be Black Ajah. By choosing Sheriam, who has had more positive interactions than any other Aes Sedai, for the first encounter after the Gray Man, the sense of paranoia is established. Readers should be firmly suspicious of all Aes Sedai at this point. Then, to let Sheriam off the hook, a confrontation between her and Elaida forces readers to make a relative value judgment between the two, which transfers misgivings about Sheriam to Elaida. Soon later, Lanfear reveals that she was in the White Tower on other business. The implied connection to the Gray Man means Sheriam was not involved, and that readers can go back to trusting Sheriam while retaining their suspicion of other Aes Sedai. I note that reader opinion at Theoryland based on factions over Sheriam remained about 2 to 1 in her favour, even after her later beatings, which could be taken as a measurement of the effects on readers of this portrayal.

The same type of worry about who was a Darkfriend never really surfaced in The Great Hunt. An arrow as fired at Rand and the story moved on. In this instance, the claustrophobic feeling that it is just the three girls against the whole White Tower is well established over a lengthy build-up, where readers are given a straightforward example of the risks of trusting even Sheriam. Themes of trust have been in place throughout the series, but become part of the reader’s psyche from here on.

Mat gets healed with a circle of ten Aes Sedai using their most powerful sa’angreal. It is not immediately obvious that if Mat needed that much Power to heal him, dealing with Padan Fain will be incredibly difficult. This is Mat’s first point of view in the series. He has been a prod to move the plot forward, but hardly an active participant up until now. In strong contrast to the other characters, the use of humour is evident in his perspective. He thinks he is the last one of them who is still sane. Meanwhile he is remembering leading the armies of Manetheren. Mat, more than the others, will be an unreliable narrator, despite his certainty that he is thinking things through. There will be opportunities to shift the tone and mood of the story by shifting to Mat’s point of view.

Lanfear is still interested in the three young men, and is certain Mat will seek out glory. It was important for Rand not to be lured by glory, Perrin is unlikely to be budged by such concerns, but Mat is being portrayed as the weakest leg of their tripod, keenly interested in getting what he wants here and now far more than his friends.

Writing Lessons:

Don’t just have your characters wonder who to trust, show what happens, use examples to make readers worry as much as your characters.