When did Melaine talk to Aes Sedai?

[MikeRiley]

When we first see Melaine in The Shadow Rising, Rand and co had just entered the Waste via portal stone and she tells Moiraine that she's spoken with Aes Sedai before. When would this have happened? I don't see it likely that there was real talk between the Wise Ones and Aes Sedai during the war, at least not along the lines of how novices are trained.

 

The passage in the book:

 

    Some of the Wise Ones, at least, apparently saw more in Moiraine's

face. "You meant to take her to your White Tower," Bair said, "to

make her one of you. She is Aiel, Aes Sedai."

    "She can be very strong if she is trained properly," Moiraine replied.

"As strong as Egwene will be. In the Tower, she can reach that

strength."

    "We can teach her as well, Aes Sedai." Melaine's voice was smooth

enough, but contempt tinged her unwavering green-eyed stare. "Better.

I have spoken with Aes Sedai. You coddle women in the Tower. The

Three-fold Land is no place for coddling. Aviendha will learn what she

can do while you would still have her playing games."

[Nomos]

I'm not an expert yet, having only read through once.  When the Aiel crossed the Spine of the World into Cairhien in the Aiel war, did the Wise Ones travel with their clans and septs?  If so, did Melaine's clan/sept participate in the war?

[Luckers]

No they didn't, and Melaine would have only been fifteen at the most then. In any case it is likely that Melaine spoke to this Aes Sedai before she became a Wise One--Wise One's avoid Aes Sedai. Perhaps it was at a stedding. The Aiel go to trade for Sung Wood, and Aes Sedai visit stedding sometimes to study.

[perrin51]

Aes Sedai being an open and sharing group, I am sure that if any individual AS spoke with a Wise One of Melaine's strength would have shared that info with all AS. All kidding aside, it is a big world and there are alot of AS. Many stay away from the Tower for decades once they achieve the Shawl. Who is to say that an AS didn't go to the Waste and meet Melaine. Maybe it was a Brown that went to study the Aiel, and got bitten by something and died. Could be she met a Kinswomen merchant that talked about the tower once her ability to channel was discovered. There are so many possibilties.

[Fains nose]

Vanin (mat's scout in the band) mentions having a conversation with an Aes Sedai in KoD. There are 1000+ Aes Sedai in Randland some of them are bound to interact with the public at some point. An Aiel having met one seems unlikely, maybe Melaine is a darkfriend and she was ordered to torture an Aes Sedai at some point, i reckon theres a fair chance that one of the prominent wise ones is a darkfriend

[lordofsoup]

Vanin (mat's scout in the band) mentions having a conversation with an Aes Sedai in KoD. There are 1000+ Aes Sedai in Randland some of them are bound to interact with the public at some point. An Aiel having met one seems unlikely, maybe Melaine is a darkfriend and she was ordered to torture an Aes Sedai at some point, i reckon theres a fair chance that one of the prominent wise ones is a darkfriend

 

one of them has to be, Rahvin found out he was going to be attacked when only Rand, Mat, Moraine, Egwene, Melhindhra (buy Mat killed her before she could spill the beans), and Avi.  And Avi said she was going to tell the wise ones.