There is something incredibly true, and incredibly wise, in the way that Aiel custom has woven the process of bonding a dear friend as a first-sister. This scene from the prologue, in which Elayne and Aviendha confirm their deep mutual trust and friendship, is one of those moments that had me thinking, "Robert Jordan sees more simply and more clearly into the human heart than most of us." We should all take a moment to follow the example of this scene to tell our best friends what we most admire about them, and what we find most irksome about them. One Power or not, I think we'll find ourselves with closer relationships afterward. Even with all the epic scenes in this volume, this touching sequence from near the very beginning has to be my favorite.

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