Chesmal Emry and Sierin Vayu

[Luckers]

In Winter's Heart Asne thinks to herself on how irritating Chesmal Emry is. She thinks on how often the women claims to have been a part of the questioning of Tamra Ospenya and inciting the murder of Sierin, the Amyrlin that followed her. Now whilst it is clear that Asne thinks this is boasting, she also thinks that Chesmal is in great risk should the Supreme Council hear of it, implying at least some threat.

 

Moreover in New Spring it is Chesmal that announces the death of Tamra, supporting her involvement.

 

Now Chesmal claims that she incited the Red to kill Sierin before the woman arrested as many as fifty black sisters. Even taking this as somewhat exagerated it strikes me as off. Everything about Sierin stands at odds with this. For one thing, Sierin was named as a gray with more red in her then gray. How would the Red be incited to murder a woman that held their position so strongly--strongly enough that Moiraine and Suine would conclude her a deep threat.

 

And what led to the Black acting against her. By all repute the women seemed more of an asset to the Black. One path lies in Suine. Suine wrote her a message, describing the deaths of Meilyn Arganya, Keirene, Aisha and the others that Tamra set to hunting Rand, and her suspicions about who caused those deaths. Then we have Chesmal claiming that Sierin was killed in order to stop her arresting up to fifty black sisters.

 

Assuming Sierin is of the Light it fits. She certainly seems a fierce woman, and such a woman recieving such a message--well, it seems she acted on it. And perhaps succeeded in uncovering the Black Sisters involved in the murders of Tamra's hunters, and indeed Tamra herself, but was killed for it.

 

So, despite Asne thinking Chesmal a braggart, it seems likely that she was telling the truth, for all that she was overly proud of it. In which case the question is raised of which Red sisters killed Sierin Vayu? And what was used to incite the Reds against one who so closely supported their own agenda. Certainly it seems the act was done by sisters of the light. If it were done by the Black Chesmal would have had no need to convince them, or manipulate them.

 

Possibly it was that in her search for Black Sisters Sierin came accross the Red Ajah Search and Destroy mission, and the Reds killed her to keep that under wrap, for all that it later came out. Was it then Toveine that killed her? No. My guess is that it was Tsutama Rath, the other Sitter ultimately found culpible for that search and destroy mission. Tsutama Rath, who is hard as nails and capable of anything, who has shown herself willing to act outside the law, who as returned and appears deeply unstable, whose eyes make Pevara think of a predator searching for prey. I believe it was Tsutama Rath who killed Sierin Vayu.

 

The question is will this become an issue. I suspect it might, at least in passing. I think Tsutama will grow increasingly unstable. It seems possible to me that Thom will play a role in this... remember, Moiraine promised her aid in bringing down those responsible for Owein's death. But meh. It also could have been Elaida, Toveine or any of the other myriad involved in that time.

 

What do you guys think? Am i picking up on nothing?

[Beckon]

I certainly think something has to come of the whole Thom's nephew bit. RJ doesn't put anything in his books just for giggles. I'm just statrting tPoD on my latest read-through and I haven't gotten to this stuff yet...

[DemandredFO]

My guess is that is was Elaida, maybe with the help of Tsutama. That my guess though I haven't read the BWB so is there more stuff that I'm missing

[Luckers]

Nt directly, no. But i dont think it was Elaida. She's not subtle enough, and doesn't have the edge that Tsutama has. Even against Suine she goes for the throat, openly. I don't see her murdering an Amyrlin. Certainly not when she was so new to sisterhood the oaths still smarted. Yes she was involved, but as a minor player. Tsutama on the other hand, with her edgy nature... yeah, i could see her killing an Amyrlin for the good of the Ajah.

[Luckers]

Sorry, correction. It was not that Sierin was going to order the arrest of fifty black sisters, it was that Sierin was going to order Chesmals arrest. I misread. The number fifty came from the amount of times Asne had heard Chesmal tell the story.

 

It seems even more possible to me now that Sierin made the connection between Chesmal announcing Tamra's death, and the note Suine left. Much less deduction on Sierin's part is required. Though this also raises the thought of how Chesmal learnt of Sierin's suspicions... possibly she was too open with her question, but more likely her keeper of the chronicals is black. Guess who that Keeper was. Duhara. And if ever there was a black sister...

 

Additionally though, Alviarin disavows knowledge of who killed Sierin, claiming the black had nothing to do with it which is in direct contradicition of Chesmal. This could either mean that Chesmal really is a braggart, or that she made an attempt to hide her involvement from the Supreme Council. Asne's thought that Chesmals comments would be dangerous to her should the Council hear them seems to suggest this. And the fact that Chesmal felt the need to induce a red sister to commit the act, rather then the black doing it itself, indicates that she was hiding something. Black sister have been known to be... disapeared... in the past, when suspicion fell on them. Chesmal may have had reason to act outside the Council.

[BrainFireBob]

The missing piece of info was in NS.

 

Siuan left Sierin a note regarding the death of what's-her-name, the old White.

 

Meaning someone among the Aes Sedai lied about her dying in her sleep.

 

Meaning one was Black Ajah.

 

Recall, the Reds were engaging in seek and destroy missions against male channellers, incited by the Black, to hide and assist their attempt to murder the nascent Dragon Reborn.

 

Sierin may have approved of what the Reds were doing, but was not Red herself, and should not have known. Her quiet investigation to search for the Blacks could easily have been used by Chesmal to make the Reds believe she was looking into THEIR illegal activities, so they snuffed her out- just like Tamra was killed by the Black for her quietly gathering searchers among trustworthy, light-loyal sisters made the Black think she was after them, causing them to seize her and find out the Dragon had been Reborn, the real target of Tamra's hunt.

[mikey sedai]

Luckers - you star!

finally some pretty indicative proof that Duhara is black.

now if only some brilliant DMer could find some for Javindhra.............

[Luckers]

I'm not sure Javindhra is, though there is deffinately something strange about her.

 

As for Duhara, does anyone else think it presents an interesting situation that she is in Caemlyn, with Chesmal locked up nearby?

[RobertAlexWillis]

Unfortunately, given Elayne's luck, it probably just means Duhara is about to be captured too.

 

-sigh-

 

Even RJ can't withstand a good looking blonde.