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| <<< Winds Rising >>> |
| Setting: Aboard the Wavedancer |
Summary[]
- Point of view: Elayne Trakand
Elayne and Nynaeve are aboard the Wavedancer. They scramble to get on deck after the ship pitches and heaves. Elayne looks to the Stone, believing Rand has caused this, while all around others shout about earthquakes. Elayne is concerned for Rand and hopes he did not injure himself. Nynaeve wryly remarks that Rand probably caused the earthquake because he was reading Elayne's second letter.[1] Then she notices Thom and Juilin on deck. Coine returns and says that the ship is not damaged and can set sail within the hour. She says that the two men have asked for passage to Tanchico as well. She is willing to deny them passage if the two women wish it, even though that would be entirely against custom.
Elayne suggests that she talk to them rather than Nynaeve, who begrudgingly accepts. As Elayne examines Thom, she has a feeling of familiarity, but is also sure she'd never met him before meeting at the Stone. Elayne questions the men on why they wish to go to Tanchico. Discreetly, Juilin says Rand and Lan paid him to accompany them and only return if the women returned safely. Thom, no less discreetly, tells them that Moiraine asked him to do similarly. Nynaeve allows them to join only if they agree to obey. Thom argues for a bit before relenting.
They leave Tear and sail downriver through the Fingers of the Dragon to reach the Sea of Storms to the south, before heading west. Once the ship is well away from land, all the women take off their blouses. Embarrassed, Elayne and Juilin struggle to find somewhere to look. Nynaeve heads below to find their cabin. Elayne talks to Thom who seems depressed, weighed down by his decisions and the need to make them. Elayne is sure that if she can make him laugh, she will remember where she has seen him before. He talks about the impermanence of history and how a story passed down can be unrecognizable after only a few generations. He laughs at the plausibility of some of the tales of Artur Hawkwing; Hawkwing could not possibly have fought a hundred duels in one day as the stories say. Elayne is now sure that she knows Thom from somewhere, although she still cannot place it. Elayne lets slip that the Wavedancer was originally going east to Shara before they convinced Coine to sail to Tanchico instead, which surprises Thom.
Suddenly, Elayne detects a great amount of channeling occurring toward the stern of the ship and abruptly leaves Thom at the bow. She finds Jorin at the stern channeling thick weaves of Air and Water, yet very intricately.[2] Jorin ties off the weave so that it will continue until morning and slumps back onto the railing to rest. Jorin admits that she had wanted to cut short her weave when she felt Elayne watching, but to do so would have caused a great storm that the ship may not have survived. Elayne realizes this must be why the Sea Folk do not carry Aes Sedai, as it is a secret that some Windfinders can channel. Jorin had the right to veto their passage for this reason, but she did not. The Sea Folk periodically send a few girls to train as novices to satisfy the Tower, but should the truth get out Aes Sedai would likely try recruiting more. Elayne promises to try to protect the Sea Folk from Aes Sedai interference in the future, although she knows her power to do so will be limited even with the might of Andor behind her.
Elayne asks if the Seanchan vessel they fought had a damane on it, which she explains is a captive woman who can channel. Jorin admits there was. Jorin had not known the damane was a captive, or else they might have tried to save the woman. Although it is difficult for her to weave Fire, Jorin was able to start some fires on the Seanchan ship and with the help of Toram and the crew fighting, they were able to repel the boarders and eventually the Seanchan ship sank from the flames.[3] She expects they can make it to Tanchico in ten days, perhaps even sooner, which astonishes Elayne. Elayne asks Jorin to teach her to weave the winds, which surprises Jorin since she expects Aes Sedai to know more than her. She agrees and suggests that they will learn from each other.
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Notes
- ↑ The Shadow Rising, Chapter 16
- ↑ Nynaeve does not look since she cannot detect female channeling unless she's sufficiently angry.
- ↑ Seanchan train damane in mostly destructive weaves. It's unsurprising the damane couldn't put out the flames before the ship sank.
- At least one edition has the wheel icon for this chapter.
