New Spring/Chapter 8

==Summary==
Moiraine attends private lessons with sisters who follow its content in a political way, increasing even more her suspicions of what the Hall of the Tower intends to do with her once she is raised. Most of the sisters regard Moiraine and Siuan with heated looks because they could be teaching novice classes and, since the Accepted are not in the Tower, the Aes Sedai are left with that task. However, Siuan and Moiraine are inside all day.
Moiraine is lectured by Kerene on the history of Artur Hawkwing's empire and by Meilyn and Aisha on Saldaean history and Shienaran and Amadician law respectively. Moiraine burns with the inner question of why these sisters are not already out of the Tower to search for the Dragon Reborn, so she tries to bring up tales of rumors related to the war but the Aes Sedai dismiss them. Moiraine tells herself that she will leave the Tower to search for the boy as soon as she passes her test for the shawl and gets a complete list of names.
Rumors swirl about the Accepted's quarters. Ellid says she heard Adelorna Bastine say that Gitara had foretold that the Last Battle would come during the lifetime of some sisters already in the Tower, which excites Ellid greatly as she intends to join the Green Ajah.
With the possibility of testing within the month, Moiraine and Siuan resume their practice of the one hundred weaves, they are aided by Myrelle Berengari and are visited by Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan who is harsh on the girls. Under Elaida's rough distractions and repeated blows with the Power, both Moiraine and Siuan complete far fewer weaves than in their earlier sessions. Elaida says she would come back next morning to heal them. After the Red sister leaves, Myrelle fetches Sheriam and Ellid and they apply ointment to the bruises. Ellid wants to report the incident to the Mistress of Novices, Merean Redhill. Moiraine disagrees and says that Elaida is only trying to help them pass the test, and the others relucantly agree.
Elaida does return to heal their bruises the following morning, only to return again at night to create new bruises. Moiraine and Siuan suffer through three nights of beatings from Elaida and both slowly increase their number of successful weaves. On the fourth morning Merean comes to heal them instead. Merean informs the girls that Elaida was humiliated and nearly had a penance imposed for her actions, but does not disclose how she found out. To Moiraine's surprise, the penance would actually have been for helping them cheat in the test for the shawl, not for beating them with the Power.
Moiraine and Siuan meet Elaida in the hallway two days later and it is clear to Moiraine that Elaida thinks they reported her to Merean. Moiraine is convinced that Elaida has a deep enmity toward them now, whereas before she was simply being harsh on them to encourage their studies. Siuan scoffs at this and says she never wanted Elaida's friendship anyway.
The snow on Dragonmount unexpectedly melts, except at the very peak. This indicates the time boundary for the birth of the Dragon Reborn; the number of viable candidates found dwindles to nothing shortly after this event. Nine days later, Moiraine is formally summoned to test for the shawl of an Aes Sedai.
==Characters==
*Moiraine Damodred
*Siuan Sanche
*Myrelle Berengari
*Sheriam Bayanar
*Ellid Abareim
*Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan
*Merean Redhill
*Kerene Nagashi
*Aisha Raveneos
*Meilyn Arganya
==Referenced==
*Adelorna Bastine
*Shemaen
*Tamra Ospenya
*Gitara Moroso
*Willim of Manaches
*Shivena Kayenzi
*Valera
*Ludice
==Groups==
*Aes Sedai
*Accepted
*Borderlanders
==Places==
*White Tower
*Dragonmount