Elayne POV#

Reene Harfor meets Elayne on the way to her apartments. She tells Elayne that she has caught no spies yet. But two servants left in a hurry. Elayne thinks it is probable that they were eyes-and-ears for Naean or Elenia who were often in the Royal Palace. She warns Reene Harfor that they might also be spies for the Aes Sedai at The Silver Swan. The First Maid outlines Elayne's schedule for the rest of the day including Halwin Norry about something urgent. He kept Caemlyn running since Rahvin took over.

As they arrive at her apartments, Elayne sees Solain Morgeillin and Keraille Surtovni down the hall escorting one of the sul'dam with an a'dam. The servants' quarters of the palace are full to bursting with Kin and Windfinders. Reene Harfor tells Elayne that Reanne was looking for her. Elayne goes to find her.

On the way, she runs into Vandene with Kirstian and Zarya who are wearing novice white. Vandene is angry because Kirstian and Zarya have been thinking about the murders of Ispan and Adeleas at Cullen's Crossing.[1] It should be none of their business. They reasoned out that it must have been Merilille, Sareitha or Careane. Elayne and Vandene are convinced that it was not one of the Kin. There are no Darkfriends among the Kin, else Ispan would have known much more about them than she did.[2]

Nynaeve and Lan walk up. She has started wearing a ki'sain. Nynaeve has her hands full with the Kin, even with Alise helping, and now the Windfinders want lessons from her. Nynaeve pressures Vandene into taking charge of Kirstian and Zarya. Vandene acquiesces, but she says she only taught novices a short time because the Mistress of Novices, Sereille Bagand, thought she was too harsh! She walks off and the two novices follow forlornly.

Nynaeve then takes Elayne to Reanne. Nynaeve has sent eighteen of the Kin into Seanchan held territory to find and rescue any of the Kin there. They do not see how Egwene will realize her plan of incorporating the Kin into the White Tower. They find Reanne with Alise Tenjile and one of the sul'dam, Marli. Rand sent twenty-nine captured sul'dam and five damane.[3] Alise says the sul'dam nearly have the spark to channel. Elayne intends to convince the sul'dam that they can channel, then send them back to the Seanchan. She hopes this will break the Seanchan power structure.

Reanne says that three of the five damane, Marille, Jillari, Alivia, Kara and Lemore, are ready to be let out of their collars. Marille and Jillari still believe they must be collared, but Alivia says she hates sul'dam. She was collared when she was thirteen or fourteen and is now over four hundred years old. She is also stronger than Nynaeve. The other two who are ready are Kara who was a village wise woman on Toman Head and Lemore who was a Tanchico noble. They agree that the last three must be freed of their collars.