Moiraine and Siuan are disappointed to discover how little freedom they have as Aes Sedai. Lan and Bukama head back to the North.
Moiraine and Siuan are shown to their new home in the ΓΘΨ sorority house Blue quarters. Kairen Sedai greets them along with many other Blue sisters, and soon they meet Eadyth.
Oh for fuck’s sake. Eadyth? Really?
Fine, Mr. Jordan. I was going to let Kairen go, but then came Eadyth, so let’s talk about names. You wanted to name those characters Karen and Edith, didn’t you? But those spellings weren’t weird and exotic enough for you, were they? So you decided to get cute. What’s next? Arynn? Aeryck? Psaira? Mykl? Mat almost seems to be an outlier, until you learn that it’s short for Matrim instead of Matthew! Who was your editor — Mr. Garvey?
Once Siuan and Moiraine settle in, they go to see Eadyth, who is basically the leader of the Blue Ajah.
EADYTH: Listen up. Just because you’re Aes Sedai now doesn’t mean you’re among equals. If another sister stands higher than you in the Power, you are her bitch.
Spooked, they head back to their chambers.
MOIRAINE: Siuan, we’ve got to get the fuck out of here and start searching for the Dragon before they eat us alive!
CETALIA: Oh look, fresh meat.
MOIRAINE: I beg your pardon?
CETALIA: Fret not, my pretty little porcelain doll. And you, Siuan, have a reputation for being good at puzzles. Come, you are now my dog.
Siuan reluctantly allows herself to be led away. A short while later Moiraine is summoned by the Amyrlin Seat herself and is charged with distributing the funds that the Tower promised to the new mothers. Suddenly, neither one of them can foresee escaping from the Tower’s gravity well any time soon.
Meanwhile: Lan and company watch the Aiel retreat into the mountains.
CANIEDRIN: Why are we just standing here?
BUKAMA: Show me one other aspiration you’re fit to achieve with a name like that, boy, and I’ll follow you wherever you want to go. Until then, shut the fuck up.
LAN: Well boys, looks like this war is over and we’ve earned a little time off. I could head down to Tear and spend some time with the wind and the waves and the sandy beach… but nah! I’m heading back north so I can freeze my ass off like the proper Blighter that I am. I sure hope I don’t run into any Aes Sedai!