Elayne POV#

Reene Harfor and Halwin Norry enter the sitting room where Elayne, Birgitte and Dyelin wait. Rasoria leaves and Aviendha weaves a ward against eavesdropping.

Reene Harfor reports first. Second Librarian Harnder is a spy. Every few days he visits an inn called The Hoop and Arrow. The innkeeper, Millis Fendry, keeps pigeons and every time Harnder visits, a pigeon flies north. Also, three sisters from The Silver Swan, all Brown Ajah, visited Millis Fendry yesterday.[1] They have identified many spies in the Royal Palace, but this is the first Aes Sedai spy from an Ajah other than Red. Elaida would not have liked spies from other Ajahs. Now both the Reds and the Browns must know about the Kin. There are also spies for King Roedran of Murandy, Tairen High Lords, Cairhienin and some merchants. She has turned Jon Skellit, a spy for House Arawn into a mole. Elayne hopes he can learn in which of the four camps Arymilla, Elenia and Naean are staying.

Halwin Norry reports next. There have been increasing cases of arson attempting to burn warehouses of food. Also, Houses Arawn, Marne and Sarand have taken out huge loans against their holdings, most likely to pay their own mercenaries and to try to bribe Elayne's mercenaries into turning sides.

After Reene Harfor and Halwin Norry leave, Aviendha reports that someone tried to listen in. Birgitte reports that the Borderlanders are moving, but at their current pace it will take them a month to get to Caemlyn. She sent two of the Kin who can Travel, Sabeine Ocalin and Julanya Fote, to scout villages to the north. They believe the Borderlanders are camped for the winter. Elayne still hopes they will move south fast enough to force the Houses to unite with her. She knows that Bashere and Bael will keep their forces in check[2] and the Lugard Road is far enough from the Black Tower so that the Asha'man will not become involved. The two Kin women also reported that Lord Luan, Lord Abelle and Lady Ellorien cannot be found. Lord Pelivar, Lady Arathelle and Lady Aemlyn left Murandy a few days ago and are moving back into Andor. Elayne says they must hope those six Houses do not reach Caemlyn before matters are settled. Otherwise, Dyelin must try to convince them to side with Elayne. The last time the Houses split three ways was five hundred years ago and it led to seven years of civil war.

There is a knock on the door. Tzigan Sokorin announces Monaelle and Sumeko Karistovan. Monaelle stands high among the Wise Ones though she is weak in the One Power. Monaelle is Elayne's midwife and Sumeko came to study her techniques. Tzigan leaves with Dyelin and Birgitte. Monaelle chides Aviendha for missing so many lessons. She weaves Spirit, Fire and Earth in Caressing the Child, a weave unique to the Aiel that tells the health and condition of a pregnant woman and her baby. It is somewhat similar to weaves she learned from Sumeko and Nynaeve. She tells Elayne that there are two fetuses. Her worry about channeling is unfounded; it will not hurt the babies. Monaelle knows about the bond with Rand and that he is the real father, but none of the Kin know. Sumeko duplicates the weave. Aviendha begins, but stops when the powerful channeling to the west ends as suddenly as it began. They wonder if something wonderful or terrible happened. Elayne thinks it is wonderful, as Rand is still alive.

Caseille knocks and enters with news. The Sea Folk are in an uproar because one of their apprentices, Talaan or Metarra,[3] is missing. Also, Yurith Azeri reported that Merilille left the Royal Palace three hours ago accompanied by a woman with tattooed hands.[4] Elayne orders Birgitte to sends guards to the gates. She then orders Sumeko to have Reanne send all of the Kin who cannot Travel to search the city, especially inns such as The Silver Swan. She hopes Rand did something wonderful, but right now she has to deal with Caemlyn.

More Elayne POV