Lelaine Akashi

Lelaine Akashi is an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah. She is currently First Selector of the Blue and one of its Sitters in the Hall of the Tower. 
== Appearance ==
Lelaine is tall, slender and quite pretty, with a warm smile that transforms her face, although she does not smile often. She is dignified, has dark penetrating almond shaped eyes, and full lips. Despite her age her hair has not sign of gray.
==Abilities==
Lelaine is has a strength level of 13(1) in the One Power, putting her at the very top tier of Aes Sedai in terms of strength. She was one of only five women mentioned by Cadsuane Melaidhrin in New Spring as being the strongest sisters of the Age, beneath herself and Kerene Nagashi. The others were Romanda Cassin, Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche. As of the end of A Memory of Light, she is the fourth strongest living Aes Sedai, behind Nynaeve al'Meara, Elayne Trakand and Cadsuane Melaidhrin with a large gap between herself and Cadsuane.
==History==
Lelaine is 173 years old. She was born in 827 NE in Kandor and went to the White Tower in 844 NE. After spending five years as a novice and six years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 855 NE. 
She has been a Sitter in the Hall of the Tower for almost forty years, in fact she was elected Sitter in 962 NE. She was one of the Blue Ajah Sitters who presented the shawl to Moiraine and Siuan when they first became Aes Sedai.
Lelaine was a good friend of Siuan before she became Amyrlin.
She has a single Warder named Burin Shaeren. She is what would have once been considered very strong in the One Power by Aes Sedai recent standard, being the equal of the likes of Moiraine Damodred, Siuan Sanche, Elaida a'Roihan and Romanda Cassin, the latter of whom she is engaged in a bitter rivalry with.
In the Salidar Hall Lelaine was the second older Sitter after Romanda.
==Activities==
=== To Salidar ===
She has allied herself with the Salidar Aes Sedai. 
While in Salidar, she is seen by Nynaeve al'Meara watching over Logain as he speaks to nobles about being set up as a false dragon by the Red Ajah. She approaches Nynaeve later asking about Rand al'Thor and her attempts to Heal Stilling.
She is the leader of one of the factions within Salidar which contains Faiselle, Takima and Lyrelle. She is not very fond of Romanda Cassin only voting for Egwene as Amyrlin so Romanda would not be Amyrlin. She still treats Egwene as a girl and thinks of her only as a figurehead.
She hires a new maid for Egwene called Selame.
She travels with Egwene to meet with various nobles along the border of Andor, where she insists on speaking on Egwene's behalf. She is finally set down in her place by Egwene when Egwene forces the Hall to declare war on Elaida. 
She votes "yes" in the Rebel Hall of the Tower, this time for an alliance with the Black Tower. 
She later seeks an audience with Egwene by herself. She uses Egwene's new advisor Maigan, to sound off about the idea of using Compulsion through the bond, when the Asha'man from the Black Tower are made Warders. Egwene states under no uncertain terms that Compulsion is not to be used.
=== Egwene captured ===
When Egwene is captured by Elaida's White Tower Aes Sedai, she approaches Siuan Sanche and orders her to support Lelaine if Egwene al'Vere is executed.
She tells Nisao Dachen to stop her investigation on the deaths of both Kairen Stang and Anaiya, citing that it is Blue Ajah business. 
She calls an emergency meeting of the Hall, where Jahar Narishma arrives with the offer to bond forty-seven Asha'man. She votes "yes" to the offer and it is accepted.
With Egwene missing, Lelaine begins to reach for more power, all the while pretending to be acting in Egwene's name. Ashmanaille comes to Lelaine with the news that Elaida a'Roihan's White Tower can now Travel. Lelaine lets this news slip in front of novices and then calls a meeting with the Hall about this news but refuses to have it Sealed to the Hall. Both instances are used to create panic and then a firm hand being forced to take control- Lelaine's hand.
She is part of the group who question Shemerin about how she escaped the White Tower. She forbids Gawyn Trakand to make any rescue attempt on Egwene.
She is one of the Sitters to re-swear the Three Oaths on the Oath Rod and prove that she is not Black Ajah. She is then part of the unanimous vote to attack the White Tower with their army. She later delivers the news to Egwene that all the dreaming ter'angreal were taken by Sheriam Bayanar.
She withdraws her support for Egwene when she finds out that Silviana Brehon has been raised to Keeper of the Chronicles instead of her.
=== The Tower re-united ===
Lelaine remains a Sitter when the Hall of the Tower is re-united after the White Tower Schism. She is present at Nynaeve's testing for the shawl, where she, along with Rubinde and Barasine, refuses to accept Nynaeve as a full Aes Sedai, due to failing to uphold "proper decorum" and "Aes Sedai" calmness.
The Sitters try to hold a secret meeting without Egwene, discussing ways to temper the Amyrlin's power when a declaration of war is called. Lelaine voted for a proposal that would allow only Egwene to deal with the monarchy of the world, which includes Rand as he is King of Illian, while the Hall would take over prosecution of the war and deal with Gareth Bryne's army. In that same meeting, Lelaine voted in favor of the new rules and procedures in the Hall, which included temporarily replacing a Sitter when she is absent from the Hall and that no meeting of the Hall can commence without all Sitters and the Amyrlin Seat being present.
=== The Last Battle ===
Lelaine is one of the five that Egwene takes with her to sign the Dragon's Peace. She is with Egwene, Romanda, and the other Aes Sedai when their position at Kandor is overrun by the Sharan army. Egwene orders the Aes Sedai to release the One Power, knowing that the Sharan channelers would be able to sense a woman who held the Power. Lelaine follows the order, thereby saving her life and enabling her escape. 
Lelaine is again with Egwene when they realize Demandred has a sa'angreal that allows him to draw an immense amount of the Power. She is not mentioned again, but it is assumed she survived the Battle.
es:Lelaine Akashi
Category:Rebel Aes Sedai
Category:High Ranking Aes Sedai
Category:POV character
Category:Aes Sedai
Category:Channelers
es:Lelaine Akashi
Category:Rebel Aes Sedai
Category:High Ranking Aes Sedai
Category:POV character
Category:Aes Sedai
Category:Channelers