TDR: The Gray Man

Egwene POV#

Egwene and Nynaeve walk back to Egwene's room. Nynaeve looks in Elayne's room, but she is not back yet. At the door, Egwene stops her suddenly to ask a question. A crossbow bolt passes where they would have been a split second later. Looking hard, Nynaeve spots the man who shot at them and holds him with Air. She brings him to them, but he is dead with a dagger in his chest and the crossbow is gone.[1] Sheriam walks around the corner and they tell her they found him. She touches him and draws back in disgust saying he is a Gray Man. She covers the body with an opaque shield of Air that Nynaeve studies carefully. She says there has not been a Gray Man in the Tar Valon since the Trolloc Wars. Nynaeve asks what she is doing in the novices quarters and Sheriam is startled, then angry.[2] She says to tell no one and implies she will tell Siuan, then she tells them to go to Nynaeve's room. Before Egwene accompanies Nynaeve she goes to her room for a shawl, but actually to retrieve the crossbow bolt. It is gone.[3] Nynaeve thinks she can duplicate Sheriam's trick with Air. Thinking about weaves, Egwene wonders why Healed uses Spirit, Air and Water. As they head for Nynaeve's room, Nynaeve notes that Sheriam never wondered who stabbed the Gray Man.[2]

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Notes (Possible Spoilers)#

[#1] Isam killed the Gray Man and presumably took the crossbow. (WH,Ch22)
[#2] This is the first of several examples of odd behavior by Sheriam.
[#3] Did Isam come back for the bolt or was it someone else?


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