Make sure to read part 4 first!
Chapter 7 – The Itch
I’m not sure what playing Daes Dae’mar means but indeed finding this Dragon Reborn is sounding like more and more of a conundrum as time goes on.
Damn the last penalty for Novices and Accepted – isolation and forbidden to channel forever – sounds awful. But I wonder how such is enforced for those given such punishment. Surely they sneakily use the One Power still quite often?
We are learning a bit more about the Ajahs, namely the Green Ajah, known as the battle Ajah and how the Green Ajah quarters are laid out and furnished you can certainly tell their afinity for battle – and to think that Aes Sedai have not joined in wars since the Trolloc Wars – do they not get restless? And the Warders! Many of the sisters of the Green Ajah let their Warder live WITH THEM in their Tower quarters. Crazy.
‘Two others, in shirt-sleeves, were practicing with wooden swords in a broad side corridor, the bundled lathes clattering with each swift blow. Rina Halfden, who somehow made a square face lovely and a stocky build both elegant and graceful, was urging them on with a wide smile, calling, “Well struck, Waylin! Oh, very well struck, Elyas!'” Hilarious. But it shows the Aes Sedai certainly have quite a connection with their Warders.
‘no man gained the bond unless he already possessed all the requisite skills.’ Important note there. So an Aes Sedai only bonds a man to be a Warder once they have all the necessary skills. I wonder what that entails. Clearly the ability to fight and be deadly when needed. It is interesting that Warders are basically a way for Aes Sedai to fight without having to directly do it themselves.
Damn, I keep forgetting Aes Sedai live to see much of their faimly pass away and die, several generations worth, since they live so long. The miniatures Kerene kept of her family prior to getting the shawl is very sad. But the life she had lived since getting the shawl, all the momentos she has collected, sound exciting and adventurous.
Ah, so Aes Sedai can bond more than one Warder since Kerene has at least two here. I wonder how long the Warders live. I’d imagine not as long as Aes Sedai but do they still live a somewhat extended life due to the bond? Anyway, they are very reactive to Kerene as they soon stop what they were doing once she has read the letter – which seems to be a summons to Tamra.
Siuan soon appears with another letter for Moiraine to deliver – this time to a sister of the Gray Ajah – Aisha Raveneos. Apparently Grays handle matters of mediation and justice, but where it came from laws other than swords unlike those of the Green Ajah. Anyway, Moiraine believes Tamra are going to use Karene and Aisha to search for the boychild. And that Tamra cannot trust all sisters for this job – especially those of the Red Ajah – and that the searchers will take the boychild into hiding rather than to the Tower and have him taught. Further messages go out to Meilyn Arganya, Valera Gorovni of the Brown Ajah, and Ludice Daneen of the yellow Ajah. I cannot recall Meilyn’s Ajah unfortunately. Aeldra Najaf is the new Keeper of the Chronicles.
Moiraine cannot fully confirm her theory since it is possible she is not being used anymore to bring the letters of summons to the sisters – but she and Siuan are attempting to keep a sneaky eye on things to try and catch anything out of the ordinary. Moiraine eventually gets caught by the new Keeper though and so stops spying. I would stop too! In fact I doubt I’d be brave enough to spy in the first place.
Well, things certainly got interesting again. The gears are turning.
Chapter 8 – Shreds of Serenity
So things are starting to get a little tense in the Tower now. Some of the Sisters wanting a return to the normal routines. Many Sisters also refusing to teach any Accepted as they now have to take up teaching Novices which Accepted would usually do.
Lots of rumours and gossip of things happening beyond the Tower but who really knows what much of any of it means. Seems Moiraine is getting restless feeling like the Sisters who are meant to be searching for the ‘boychild’ are dragging their feet too much. For me there really isn’t enough information to make any opinion.
Seems not much is known about Artur Hawkwing and his vast empire. You’d think something like that would have been better recorded. Or perhaps it was but much of it was maybe lost or destroyed in the chaos that followed the fall.
I think I’d quite like it how it currently is in the Tower – less people around during the day and quieter nights as many of the Accepted are tired after their travels and retire to bed soon upon arriving back. I do like the peace and quiet.
So there are one-hundred types of weaves or do they just have to do one-hundred weaves for the exam or the test even? Elaida – the sister observing them doing practice sounds pretty ruthless. Ooof, after Elaida tested her too it seems she is far from ready. And damn she is indeed ruthless – not only ceaselessly testing Moiraine again and again but Siuan too, neither of them getting close to finishing. And they are also in pain and bruised afterwards and Elaida isn’t healing them until morning?! Yikes! That’s harsh. And it sounds like she is going to continue to practice with them. Ooooof
But that is the thing to consider now. Is Elaida abusing her position? I’d say she is but this is also a very strict environment – although that is still no excuse. But as always with these kind of things there is rarely a simple solution. But by the sounds of it trying to make any kind of complaint will likely do little. How awful. I doubt I’d survive in a place like that.
Luckily though the Mistress of Novices does find out and puts a stop to it so that’s good and nice to know she would do something at least even if perhaps the punishment might not be enough. I am not sure what Mortification of the Flesh means in this case but it sounds a bit grim. But all in all it sounds like she got more of a warning than actual punishment. But at least it has been stopped. Apparently Elaida’s intention was to help them cheat in the test if I understood correctly? Hmmm… no excuse whatever though.
Siuan does seem to be daring to stand her ground a bit here even in the face of Merean. Good.
Well looks like Elaida could still end up being a problem. Only just realised she is of the Red Ajah too and from what I’ve been picking up so far they do seem to be the harsher and less trustworthy kind? Yeesh. I’d like to see Siuan end up kicking her ass at some point if anything does end up happening… being too hopeful perhaps. Apparently that is something Aes Sedai don’t do but I don’t know… I think what I’ve witnessed so far Aes Sedai are just as fallible as anyone else contrary to what Novices and Accepted believe – Aes Sedai are just better at hiding it. Hmm… maybe Lan was on to something with not trusting them ha…
And now it is actually time for Moiraine’s test… I wonder what system they use to choose someone to test for the shawl? Picking a name out of a hat? Hah I doubt it. But I wonder… Moiraine does not seem ready. I really do not know what’s going to happen.
Chapter 9 – It Begins
I’d be extremely nervous, close to having a panic attack if not having one. But really.. what if she does fail? Would she go back to her family and lands? What about the Aiel though? Would she search for the ‘boychild’ and possibly get on the wrong side of the Tower? Would she keep practicing saidar rather than giving it up and also possibly getting on the wrong side of the Tower? Yeesh, tough.
‘That was a ter’angreal, a device made to use the One Power in the long-ago Age of Legends.’ Huh. I don’t fully understand this thing but it sounds interesting. Apparently it will be used in the test? Also, Elaida is there testing her along with the others? Yeesh you would think after what happened someone else would stand in her place. Oh well.
Also Moiraine is naked!? Why do you have to be completely nude for the test. It just keeps getting worse! No way. Anyway this magical artifact thing they are using seems to have taken Moiraine to some other realm or place… perhaps in her mind? At least she can get dressed into something here. Urg nevermind… they just melted away. Oof this is horrible but she is somehow doing well so far despite.
So this is the test then. Certainly not what I was expecting… and she has to do one-hundred weaves like this? I shake my head. Sharp brambles digging into her and deadly spiders coming at her. It’s basically a nightmare. I mean she is doing remarkably well so far but still has a long way to go.
‘as tall as an Ogier.’ I am not sure what that is yet but we are about to get a lore drop on Trollocs! They are shadowspawn of the Dark One that infested the shadow-corrupted Blight along the Borderlands. So it sounds like they were created in the war named after them which ended the Age of Legends. And damn these things sound terrifying. A mismatch of beast parts in humanoid form! Do they still exist or were they wiped out in the war? It sounds like whatever this Blight is they may still exist there?
And the test continues in the next chapter. I mean Moiraine seems to be bossing it so far, she just blew many of those Trollocs to pieces quite easily. And now she heads into the Blight itself… dun dunnnn
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