Towers of Midnight/Chapter 23

==Summary==
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Elayne Trakand sits in the hall trying to work out what Matrim Cauthon's Silver foxhead medallion is made of. She is semi listening to "The Death of Princess Walishen", which is Ellorien Traemane's favorite ballad. Elayne invited Ellorien here for this purpose. Elayne has managed to duplicate the silver foxhead but the copies were imperfect. She can channel while holding the original. Not so with the copies, nor could the copies disrupt more powerful weaves. Elayne believes that the shape is not important but the amount of silver used. She decides to give the copies to Birgitte Silverbow and her other guardswoman as they can't channel. After the play Elayne retires to a nearby sitting room where she meets with Ellorien and Sylvase Caeren. Sylvase asks Elayne how her secretary, Jaq Lounalt, is serving Elayne. The Black Ajah captives have clammed up as they are expecting to be executed once they reach the White Tower. However, Elayne is unwilling to give the secretary the green light to start torturing the prisoners in order to get any useful information out of them. Elayne also realizes that the Black Ajah have some kind of oath preventing them from revealing anything anyway. Ellorien demands to know why she has been asked to attend, but then ignored. Elayne would like to remind Ellorien of times when House Trakand and House Traemane were friendly with each other. Elayne approaches Kaila Bent and ask Birgitte's whereabouts. Elayne manages to work out that Mat was the intruder and that the two have probably gone out for drinks with each other now. With Birgitte absent, Elayne decides to question the Black Ajah herself. Elayne grabs her seated woman Angreal and casts the Mirror of Mists on herself. She disguises herself in a shroud of darkness and then takes the foxhead medallion with her. Elayne then orders all her guardswoman to remain behind and enters the Palace dungeons. She approaches Chesmal Emry, who throws herself to the ground when she says Elayne in disguise. Elayne begins to question Chesmal. She finds out that all Darkfriends are hunting Mat and another, and that Mat has been sighted in Caemlyn. Elayne wants to know who Chesmal's source is, but begins to tip Chesmal off that not all is as it seems. Chesmal continues telling Elayne that a planned invasion of Andor is still underway. Suddenly Elayne can no longer feel the Kin channeling outside and Chesmal's shield has disappeared. The dungeon door bursts open and Jaq Lounalt, Eldrith Jhondar and Temaile Kinderode enter. Eldrith is not fooled by Elayne's disguise and throws a shield at her, which unravels due to Mats Ter'angreal. Elayne manages to shield Eldrith though. Chesmal attacks Elayne next, again to no avail and Elayne shields her as well. Jaq throws himself against Elayne which knocks her into a wall, cracking her shoulder bone at the same time. She lets go of her gateway back to her room. Jaq manages to wrench the ter'angreal of Elayne, making him impervious to channeling now. Elayne throws a weave of Air at Temaile and with the use of her angreal, knocks her out of the room, causing her to go unconscious. Elayne shields her. Jaq trys to escape the room, but Elayne throws Chesmal at him. Jaq drops the medallion as he hits the floor. Elayne can no longer hold up one of her arms due to the break. As she picks the medallion up off the floor she hears Daved Hanlon whisper in her ear. He then stabs her in the side and takes her medallion. Elayne loses the Source and can't reach it again. Chesmal stands up surrounded by the Source, due to her shield not being tied up. Hanlon tells Chesmal to Heal Elayne, as he wants to enjoy her without her dying just yet. Jaq makes his getaway from the dungeon. Chesmal Heals Elayne and then Elayne holds up her copied medallion. By reflex Chesmal grabs it which cuts her off from the Source and releases Elaynes shield. Elayne throws a weave of Fire at Chesmal, engulfing her in flames and knocking Elayne to the ground. Hanlon picks up the second medallion. Elayne lifts Eldrith up, holding her between herself and Hanlon. He leaps forward and slits Eldrith's throat. He then ducks down and kills the unconscious Temaile with his dagger. Elayne pulls down the ceiling above Hanlon with Earth. It misses him but creates a blockage between the two. Hanlon runs away, but with only the copied medallion. Elayne finds the original in the wreckage. She sinks to the ground and is finally found by Birgitte and Mat. Hanlon has escaped and the Kin and guardswomen who were guarding the prisoners have been found dead. 
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An hour after the botched murder of Egwene al'Vere, Gawyn is reprimanded by Egwene. Egwene is annoyed that he has scared of Mesaana, but Gawyn argues that is was blurred man. Egwene tells Gawyn either way she had weaves ready to capture the enemy, now any enemy that approaches her will be extra careful. Gawyn argues that it would be very difficult to be her Warder, as she doesn't seem to want one. Egwene agrees then leaves to tell the Tower guard to be vigilant. Jimar Chubain and Gawyn find one of the assassin’s knifes, which Gawyn keeps. Gawyn tells Chubain about the Younglings and asks if they can join the Tower guard. Gawyn wants them to stay together as a unit. Chubain agrees, allowing them to become part of the Tenth Tower Company, as they entire unit had just about been lost in the Seanchan raid. Sulky at Egwene for not wanting him as her Warder Gawyn makes his way to the Traveling ground. Here he takes a gateway to Caemlyn.
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Lan Mandragoran asks what Nazar Kurenin has in his saddlebags. Nazar pulls out the golden crane flag saying his heritage allows him to own it. Three more men had recently joined the camp. Lan's group was approaching the Arafel border. Lan realizes there are eight new men in camp, three Malkieri and five Shienaran. It is Weilin Aldragoran and his group. Rakim had found them at night and brought them back to camp while Lan was asleep. The merchants had sold up everything they owned to buy supplies, which they have brought into Lan's camp. Frustrated Lan tells them they are now posing as a caravan. The five had become a dozen.
==Characters==
*Elayne Trakand
*Birgitte
*Ellorien Traemane
*Dyelin Taravin
*Conail Northan
*Catalyn Haevin
*Sylvase Caeren
*Kaila Bent Guardswoman Captain
*Chesmal Emry
*Temaile Kinderode
*Eldrith Jhondar
*Jaq Lounalt
*Doilin Mellar
*Mat Cauthon
*Egwene al'Vere
*Gawyn Trakand
*Silviana Brehon
*Jimar Chubain
*Challenge
*Nimri
*Lan Mandragoran
*Nazar Kurenin
*Bulen
*Andere
*Weilin Aldragoran
*Managan
*Gorenellin
*Qi 
*Joao 
*Merekel 
*Ianor 
*Kuehn 
===Referenced===
*Gholam
*Gaebril
*Ispan Shefar
*Morgase Trakand
*Min Farshaw
*Rand al'Thor
*Melfane Dawlish midwife
*Mesaana
*Gareth Bryne
*Elaida a'Roihan
*Rakim
==Places==
*Royal Palace of Andor in Caemlyn
*The White Tower in Tar Valon
*Kandor
===Referenced===
*Andor
*Cairhien
*Arafel
*Shienar
==Items==
*Foxhead medallion and copies