Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve have an audience with the Amyrlin Seat. They learn that Liandrin and her cohort are long gone, having stolen ter’angreal and committed murder. Egwene and Elayne will be raised to Accepted, but all three of them will scrub pots for leaving with Liandrin.
Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve are summoned for an audience with the Amyrlin Seat. They naively assume they bring news of Liandrin’s treachery to the White Tower, but Liandrin is already months gone. She and twelve others stole some ter’angreal and left a trail of bodies in their wake. Nynaeve argues that this should excuse them for leaving the Tower, but the Amyrlin says they should hope nobody discovers their absence had anything to do with Liandrin. Even the suspicion of being tied to the Black Ajah would be enough to get them all stilled.
Elayne learns that her absence created political strain between Andor and Tar Valon. Elaida no longer advises Queen Morgase, who has made it clear that she wants her daughter returned. But the Amyrlin isn’t ready to lose such a powerful channeler. Far from it, she recognizes that Elayne and Egwene have grown their power considerably during their time away, and plans to raise both of them to Accepted.
Despite the promotions, all three acolytes are sentenced to scrub pots in the kitchen indefinitely as punishment for leaving the White Tower and Tar Valon without permission. The Amyrlin all but comes out and says that they must have had shit for brains to be so dumb as to follow Liandrin through the fucking Ways to Toman Head, and I can’t argue with that. The Amyrlin dismisses Elayne, but keeps Nynaeve and Egwene in the room. Hey ladies, I don’t know how things work at the White Tower, but when the principal holds you back for a private audience, that means you’re in a lot more trouble than you thought you were.