Chapter 15 - The Gray Man

Summary

Egwene and Nynaeve discuss the threat of the Black Ajah and their forced kitchen labor as they walk through the White Tower's empty corridors, before being ambushed by a Gray Man who fires a crossbow at Egwene's door. Nynaeve uses Air to freeze the assassin in a running stance, and they discover his body has been stabbed, revealing he is a Soulless assassin. Sheriam Sedai arrives to examine the corpse, covers it with an opaque dome of Air to hide its nature from others, and reprimands the women for their indiscretion before ordering them to remain silent about the incident. Egwene retrieves her cloak and finds the crossbow bolt missing, realizing another Gray Man is present, before rejoining Nynaeve and Sheriam to leave the scene under the Mistress of Novices' stern gaze.

Characters

• Egwene — Egwene walks with Nynaeve through the empty galleries, expressing fear of the Black Ajah and channeling to prepare for defense. She looks through the railing to observe the fallen Gray Man, panics when she realizes the crossbow is missing, and retrieves her cloak, noting the bolt has vanished without a trace. She then rejoins Nynaeve to flee Sheriam's wrath, trying to process the deadly encounter.
• Nynaeve — Nynaeve leads Egwene through the halls, theorizing about threats and checking Elayne's room before pulling Egwene out of the way of a crossbow bolt. She uses Air to immobilize the Gray Man, examines the stabbed corpse with Sheriam, and uses Air to create a protective dome over the body. She questions Sheriam's actions and later urges Egwene to remember the danger of the Black Ajah and the Gray Men.
• Sheriam (Sheriam Sedai, Mistress of Novices) — Sheriam arrives at the top of the ramp, discovers the dead Gray Man, and uses the Touch and Air to confirm his death and cover the body. She questions Egwene and Nynaeve about the incident, reprimands Nynaeve for challenging her authority, and orders them to keep the event secret before dismissing them with a stern glare.