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Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in The Gathering Storm (Part 16)
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The Wheel of Time
Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in The Gathering Storm (Part 16)
There’s some fascinating info about Sheriam in this week’s section… and some major attitude from Gawyn.
By Sylas K Barrett
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Published on February 10, 2026
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Gawyn arrives at the rebel Aes Sedai camp. He’s exhausted from his travels and having little sleep. Despite his regret that he can never go back to the Younglings, Gawyn knows that leaving was the right thing to do. Finally he is doing something he believes in.
As Gawyn rides through the outer area of the camp, full of camp followers, he nearly runs down a woman in a yellow kerchief. As she scrambles out of the way he catches sight of her face, which has the unmistakable Aes Sedai ageless look. He calls after her, but she hurries away without looking at him again.
He continues on to the gateway of the encampment and gives his name and identity, asking for Bryne. The guards don’t believe he is who he claims, talking down to him and insisting that he present himself as a new recruit in the usual way. Gawyn decides that fighting will get him an audience faster than talking his way up through all the various ranks of bureaucracy. He knocks out one of the guards and injures three others; when archers show up, he throws down his sword and tells them to inform Bryne of what a lone blademaster has just done, and that Gawyn is an old student of his.
Eventually a group of men, led by Bryne, arrives, and Gawyn is pleased that his gamble has paid off. Bryne informs the sergeant in charge that next time he should send for Bryne, and then takes Gawyn away. Gawyn tries to speak to him but Bryne only snaps at him.
Gawyn drew himself up. “General,” he said, “I think you mistake yourself. I’m no longer your student.”“I know,” Bryne said curtly. “The boy I trained would never have pulled a childish stunt like that one to get my attention.”
Gawyn admits that he behaved hastily, but that it seemed the best way to get Bryne’s attention as quickly as possible, because his errand is so urgent. They argue, but slowly Gawyn realizes that he has behaved foolishly, and apologizes, admitting that he is exhausted and on edge. Bryne remarks that Gawyn isn’t the only one, but the apology assuages his anger.
When Gawyn tells Bryne about Egwene’s capture, the general is unmoved, explaining that he already knew about her imprisonment in the White Tower, and how, even if they could devise a way to rescue her, she has forbidden them from doing so. Even when Gawyn insists that the White Tower Aes Sedai will eventually kill Egwene, Bryne still holds fast, bound by oath to obey Egwene’s orders. He does, however, promise to get Gawyn an audience with some of the Aes Sedai Bryne serves.
When Gawyn mentions the sister he saw in the outer camp, Bryne asks to be shown. As they walk, Bryne tells Gawyn that Elayne has won the Lion Throne, and that Gawyn should have been there with her and should be there with her now. Gawyn admits that he wasn’t aware that Elayne had returned to Caemlyn, and that he thought she might be with the Aes Sedai, as Egwene was. Bryne realizes that Gawyn has been serving the White Tower Aes Sedai, and this is why the raids on Bryne’s soldiers have been so successful. Bryne is angry, but Gawyn insists that he no longer serves the White Tower.
But you still haven’t explained why you didn’t return to Caemlyn.”“Egwene was with the Aes Sedai,” Gawyn said. “As far as I knew, Elayne was as well. This seemed a good place to be, although I wasn’t certain I liked Elaida’s authority.”
When Bryne asks what Egwene is to Gawyn, Gawyn only replies that he doesn’t know. Bryne seems to understand this answer.
Gawyn asks why Bryne isn’t in Andor, but the general replies that it is no longer his place—not since Morgase banished him and threatened him with execution. Gawyn is convinced that Morgase’s actions must have had some explanation, been part of some scheme or plan, but Bryne assures him that Morgase’s love of Gaebril led her to almost ruin Andor.
Bryne isn’t sure he believes the rumors that Rand al’Thor killed Morgase, but he also believes that Rand’s interference saved Andor, and while Bryne is glad that Elayne has won the throne, and it hurts to speak of Morgase this way, he also encourages Gawyn to let go of his hatred of al’Thor, since Morgase was the real problem.
Gawyn kept his teeth clenched. Never, he thought. I will never forgive al’Thor. Not for this.“I can see the intent behind that look,” Bryne said. “All the more reason to get you back to Andor. You’ll see. If you don’t trust me, ask your sister. See what she says of it.”
It takes some searching, but Gawyn eventually locates the woman with the Aes Sedai face, who is working at a wash tub and trying to keep her head down so as not to be seen. The woman in charge apologizes to her, calling her “My Lady” and pointing out that she knew this would never work. Bryne asks if the woman is an Aes Sedai, assuring her that he will leave if she is and commands it, but despite the ageless look on her face, the woman, who gives her name as Shemerin, answers that she was once Aes Sedai, but is no longer.
Bryne tells her that he must take her to the Aes Sedai in camp. Although she appears grief-stricken, Shemerin obeys without argument.
Sheriam peeks into her tent, examining it before entering. Things are going well for her now that Halima is gone, and she has learned to enjoy moments of peace in between the pain that comes with serving the Dark.
At times, she wished she’d kept her mouth closed, not asked questions. But she had, and here she was. Her allegiances had brought her power, as promised. But nobody had warned her of the pain.
Sometimes, Sheriam wishes she had chosen Brown instead, and hidden herself away in some library. She doesn’t feel regret for the things she’s done, and believes that all Aes Sedai do whatever they can to get ahead, but she didn’t count on being alive during the Last Battle. Other Black Ajah members see honor and glory in it, but not Sheriam.
She becomes aware of a woman with great strength in the One Power outside her tent. For a moment she thinks Halima has returned, but she was never able to sense Halima, who apparently channels saidin. A black figure enters her tent and Sheriam prostrates herself, knowing that she must be facing one of the Forsaken.
The figure tells Sheriam that Egwene must be deposed. Even though it was by the orders of the Chosen that Sheriam worked to get Egwene raised in the first place, Egwene has proved to be a problem, rather than a puppet. Sheriam is also ordered to steal all nineteen of the dream ter’angreal—or sleepweavers—and deliver them to the figure. She is given only three days to do so, and told she will lose a finger or a toe for every one she fails to retrieve.
In her dungeon under the White Tower, Egwene is visited by Seaine, who tells her that Elaida will be tried for breaking Tower Law by using the One Power to punish Egwene. Elaida is claiming that Egwene is a Darkfriend, and that Elaida expelled her from the Tower before beating her, but Seaine assures her that the charge won’t stand—Elaida can’t prove it, and trying would mean a trial, which would allow Egwene to speak to the Hall.
Elaida being found guilty in her own trial would not be enough to remove her as Amyrlin, but would be a blow to her credibility.
When asked, Seaine confirms that the signs of the Dark One’s influence seem to be getting worse: servants dying, food spoiling suddenly, and more parts of the White Tower being rearranged. Egwene encourages Seaine to keep bringing these effects up, and to keep working to reunite the Ajahs. Then the time for visiting is up, and Egwene is once again locked away in darkness. Left alone in the pitch black, Egwene worries over being tried as a false Amyrlin, and encourages herself to be strong. The only thing she can give the White Tower right now is the knowledge that she continues to resist.
Does anyone else get Romeo vibes from Gawyn? He is so obsessed with Egwene, but he barely even knows her. Everyone around him is telling him to calm down about it, but he’s just barreling around and acting like a fool and impulsively starting fights over this girl he doesn’t really know and who doesn’t really need anything he’s offering. She is not the Accepted he believes her to be, a pawn in the hands of the rebel Aes Sedai, but a strong Amyrlin, fighting a brave battle all on her own. She doesn’t want or need rescuing—although one could argue she might benefit, in the future, from having a Warder to have her back and serve her.
I could certainly see Gawyn becoming Egwene’s Warder, through his devotion to her and his feelings of obligation towards the White Tower due to his own involvement in the conflict. I could also see him turning from her, either when she becomes Amyrlin or because of her connection to Rand, or simply feeling that his duty towards Elayne outweighs his desire to be with Egwene. There is also Min’s viewing, who saw Gawyn either kneeling before Egwene or breaking her neck, to be considered. Perhaps this portends a choice Gawyn must make, either to serve Egwene or turn away from her. If he does turn away, the choice will eventually lead to her death.
Gawyn’s earlier indecisiveness around his service to Elaida when she was so clearly trying to dispose of him and the Younglings, also felt very Shakespearean to me. He was a man struggling with whether or not to make a choice, fearing the consequences, all the while experiencing the consequences of not choosing. Which isn’t to say that I don’t have empathy for his struggles—it’s particularly important to remember how little information Gawyn has about what is really going on, when trying to make decisions about how to act— but it’s just also kind of funny to watch.
Gawyn’s just not the brightest character in this story, and since a lot of the protagonists are very intelligent, it makes him stand out a little.
I haven’t talked much about the King Arthur parallels with Morgase’s family, partly because it isn’t the worldbuilding aspect that interests me the most, and partly because I assume it has already been discussed at length by fans who have been readers much longer than I. But it does feel relevant to note that Gawyn is a parallel to Gawain of Arthurian legend, and that in many sources, Gawain’s intense loyalty to his family and tendency to be unforgiving brings him into conflict with Lancelot, which contributes to the eventual downfall of Arthur, as well as Gawain’s own death. It’s also worth noting that his half-brother Galad is named for Galahad, Lancelot’s son and the “most perfect” knight of all the stories.
What interests me about this is that Galad has always seemed like much more of an antagonist so far in the series. His rigidly lawful nature made him less welcoming to Rand the day he fell into the gardens, while Gawyn sided with Elayne in protecting him from possible repercussions. Elayne feels less close to Galad, less able to trust him, because of his tendency to “do what is right, no matter who it hurts.” And of course, Galad is a Whitecloak now, which puts him on the side of the Light in words, but not necessarily in deed. Gawyn, on the other hand, initially felt more like an ally, but now presents the possibility to be a real problem. With his single-minded hotheadedness, I wouldn’t put it past him to attempt some kind of rescue even against Egwene (and Bryne’s) wishes. I also wouldn’t put it past him to do something rash in the other direction. And of course, even knowing that Egwene supports Rand and having heard Bryne’s accounts of his mother’s actions, Gawyn still wants to kill Rand al’Thor.
Which makes Rand the Lancelot in this iteration, I suppose. He’s even related to Galad, a half-brother instead of a father.
Of course, if Gawyn can learn that Gaebril was really Rahvin, and that his mother’s actions were the result of Compulsion, that would finally be enough to stop his hatred of Rand. But I doubt he would believe such an explanation if it came from anyone but Morgase—and Morgase herself doesn’t know the full story. So in order for Gawyn’s attitude towards Rand to be truly changed, Morgase’s identity must be revealed, and then she and Rand need a chance to talk, and then Gawyn needs to hear the whole story.
Somehow, it seems unlikely we’ll get this exact chain of events. It feels much more likely that Gawyn’s desire for revenge will push him into doing something dangerous or impulsive.
In any case, the fact that no one knows the truth about Morgase is one of the most striking examples about how the lack of information affects how events in this world unfold. It’s particularly tragic that Morgase, a good, intelligent, and loving Queen, should be so disgraced through no fault of her own, suffer so much pain and indignity and danger at the hands of one of the Forsaken, and not even understand what was happening to her enough to know that it wasn’t her fault. It is also tragic because it led to war in Andor, something that never would have happened if Morgase had died as beloved and trusted as she was for most of her reign. Also, I find it fascinating that Bryne and Gawyn are both right, and both wrong, in the way they are thinking about Morgase.
Bryne was there to see how Morgase changed, to see how she treated her allies and to be treated badly himself, in a way that left both personal and professional scars. He understands the state the crown and the ruling of Andor was in at the end, and sees Rand as a savior who put an end to that problem.He’s right, factually, that this is what happened, but he has no way of knowing that Morgase was suffering under Compulsion, changed by the One Power in a way that no one could have resisted, altered into a foreign, corrupted, and weaker version of herself.
Gawyn, on the other hand, is refusing to accept the information he is being given, even though it comes from a man he trusted and respects, a man who was with Morgase while all this was happening. He refuses to believe what Bryne is telling him, either about Morgase or about Rand. However, his belief that there must have been something else behind Morgase’s actions is correct, even if it is based on his emotions, rather than the facts in front of him.
And you can’t really argue with that, can you? Gawyn knew his mother better than most people, maybe even better than Gareth Bryne. It isn’t really unreasonable for him to believe that there must be an explanation for his mother’s change in behavior—and indeed, we the readers know that there is one.
Come to think of it, it is perhaps unfair to call Bryne’s perspective unbiased and logical. He even admits to Gawyn that Morgase’s actions hurt him, and Gawyn is aware that the hurt must be very deep if Bryne was willing to admit to it at all. It might very well be easier for Bryne to wallow in that pain a little, rather than to wonder if there might be some explanation, especially if any conceivable explanation would have to be far outside his understanding.
I enjoyed the little moment Bryne had of understanding that Gawyn is in love with Egwene based solely on his answer of not knowing what she is, exactly, to him. It’s clearly the answer he would give about Siuan, and the fact that he seems to be drinking tea “for his health” was also a nice little nod to Siuan’s presence in his life.
Speaking of getting information, I am so pleased that we finally know why Sheriam chose the Black! I always felt like she didn’t make much sense as a Black sister, and the exact nature of her ambitions were never very clear. But this chapter gives us some really good character work for her and I’m here for it.
I am not here for the characters of Sheriam and Shemerin being in the same chapter, though. Apologies to my editor for the inevitable mixing up of those two names.
Sheriam is a kind of Darkfriend that must be quite plentiful, but that we haven’t encountered yet, at least in a POV character. We learn in this chapter that Sheriam swore to the Dark solely to gain power in the ranks of the Aes Sedai, and that she deeply regrets that decision because she didn’t count on being alive during the Last Battle. I’m sure there are quite a few Darkfriends out there who feel similarly—people who wanted power or wealth or status and didn’t think about what bargain they were really making past what it would do for them in their current, short lives.
I guess I can understand how most people might not consider “what if I end up living in the end times” before signing away their soul to the devil, but I am again reminded that not only are plenty of Darkfriends only concerned with getting to the top in their real lives, and not with becoming high-ranking among their dark brethren, but also that a surprising number of people, even intelligent people like Bors or Sheriam, don’t seem to consider the fact that one day they will die and their soul will belong to the Dark forever.
Is it that future suffering after death just seems too abstract, in comparison to the power and wealth and status that are already at their fingertips in life? Or do they just not comprehend what the Dark One really is? Do they, like the Chosen, believe that their souls will still have value to the Dark One after he has achieved his own ends?
It’s just baffling to me, and I would love to see this concept interrogated within the narrative.
But the fact that Sheriam’s goal wasn’t eternal glory under the Dark, but instead the material power she could gain within the White Tower itself, makes so much sense for her character. And frankly, her assessment of the other Aes Sedai isn’t exactly wrong. It’s just exaggerated.
Every sister in the White Tower tried to get ahead; that’s what life was about! There wasn’t an Aes Sedai who wouldn’t stab her sisters in the back if she thought it would give her advantage. Sheriam’s friends were just a little more… practiced at it.
In some ways, Sheriam’s character feels a little bit more like Elaida’s. She’s intelligent, but her amoral ambition has landed her in a situation she really ought to have known better than to get herself into. And now she’s sinking. Her only goal at this point seems to be self-preservation, which indeed was her goal in swearing to the Dark to begin with.
It will be interesting to see if she manages to steal all of the sleepweaver ter’angreal, and how she explains losing digits if she is unable to get all of them. I assume the Forsaken who visited her was Mesaana, since she returned to the White Tower.
The revelation that the Black Ajah was partly responsible for getting Egwene raised to Amyrlin wasn’t exactly shocking, but it was a surprise to me. We know a lot of Egwene’s election was due to Siuan’s manipulation, but now we also know that Sheriam was ordered to see it happen. I wonder if this was an independent directive, or if Sheriam was reporting Siuan’s campaign to the Chosen and the Chosen agreed that it would be a good choice to install a puppet Amyrlin so that the Dark could control her, through Sheriam, just as the Hall intended to control her, and as Siuan intended to control her.
The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, but perhaps we should also say that the Wheel weaves in mysterious ways. Events that appear entirely unrelated seem to conspire to make exactly what the Light needs to happen, even when none of the conspirators know what events they are really setting into motion.
It almost makes you wonder if Rand’s ta’veren power is at work, but I sort of feel like that is giving the Pattern itself not enough credit. Ta’veren specifically exist to be elements of change and specific effect within the Pattern, but the Pattern itself still has a design. Every life is a part of it, and drawn to specific action and a specific place within the greater design. It is why I continually wonder about fate, and how much free will exists in this world. Is Egwene Amyrlin because she was meant to be, placed there by the Wheel itself as it weaves the Pattern? Or is it by a series of chance and circumstance that this very crucial event happened at all? Some events seem to be set in stone (or set in the Pattern) if you will; Min’s visions prove this. If she sees a vision and knows what it means, those events will come to pass. There is no chance of changing them, either deliberately or by accident. However, we also see that some events appear uncertain, by the rules of Min’s vision. As discussed above, she saw two conflicting images above Gawyn’s head, one in which he knelt to Egwene, one in which he broke her neck. This seems to imply that there is a choice to be made, and that the moment is not fixed, as it appears to be in other cases.
This is only speculation, of course. No one really understands how Min’s visions work, least of all Min herself. She has observed certain rules about them, but that doesn’t really explain the power as a whole. Perhaps the vision over Gawyn wasn’t an either/or. Perhaps both moments she viewed will come to pass—first one, then the other. Or perhaps both images foretell the same moment, with Gawyn’s choice to kneel eventually resulting in Egwene’s death for some reason. Much of what Min sees is symbolic, of course, so the snapping of the neck itself might not be literal.
Once again we have Egwene and Rand thematically switching places, as now she is the prisoner locked away in the dark. I have to say, I am really enjoying her characterization during her time as Elaida’s prisoner, because her thoughts, actions, and motivations are some of the most interesting in the last two books. I wish Elaida would bring her to trial as a Darkfriend; I’d love to see how Egwene handled that.
I’m also very aware of the looming threat of the Seanchan invasion. We know it will come to pass—Egwene’s Dreams are as unerring as Min’s visions—but not when. It could be soon, though. Tuon decided to delay plans for that attack while she deals with Rand, but depending on how that meeting goes, she might give the order pretty soon afterwards. Her generals think it is the right time, and she seems to agree.
I also wasn’t expecting to see Shemerin show up at the Aes Sedai camp, though I probably should have expected that she wasn’t done being part of the narrative yet. I’m curious about whether or not the Three Oaths were removed from her after she was demoted; I feel like we did learn at some point that the ageless look takes time to fade, though now I can’t quite remember where or when I read that. Perhaps I just assumed it would, since we know it takes a little while for the ageless look to settle on a woman after she has sworn the Three Oaths.
In any case, I feel like they must have lifted the Oaths from Shemerin when she was demoted, since the Three Oaths are such an important part of the Aes Sedai identity that I can’t imagine them leaving the Oaths on someone who isn’t considered a full sister.
Although it’s also true that there is no precedent for what happened to Shemerin, and it’s possible that no one thought of it. Or that most of the sisters expected Shemerin not to accept the demotion (as Sylviana tells Egwene) and removing the oaths would have confirmed her demotion. So it’s possible Elaida removed them herself, but I guess it’s also possible they are still on Shemerin.
Shemerin does not see herself as Aes Sedai anymore. But if she is still bound by the Three Oaths and forever bound to have the Ageless look of an Aes Sedai, it somehow makes the whole situation feel even more messed up. I’m curious to know what will happen if she stays with the rebel Aes Sedai long enough for Egwene to reunite the Tower and be raised as the sole and true Amyrlin. Will Shemerin view herself as Aes Sedai again? Or will she be unable to regain the confidence that Elaida has taken from her?
I checked my notes and was reminded that Shemerin was present for the meeting in which Elaida made everyone look at the painting of Rand and talk about the Dragon Reborn. Shemerin was overcome with fear to the point of falling to her knees, and had to be helped up again. It makes me wonder if she, like Sheriam, really wishes that she hadn’t been born during this time, and would rather hide away amongst washerwomen, or perhaps in the ranks of the Accepted, just as a part of Sheriam wishes she had chosen the Brown, so that she could hide herself away in a library somewhere.
I can’t say that I don’t have sympathy for that. Who wouldn’t consider running away when faced with the kinds of trials the world is undergoing? But of course, there can’t be any running away. Not really. The unraveling of the Pattern could happen to anyone. Death by Shadowspawn or Darkfriend could come to anyone who found themselves accidentally in the wrong place or the wrong time. As Tolkien once wrote, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
No one living in this age got a choice about when they would be born or what strengths they would have. In that one way, Shemerin is no different than Egwene. And Sheriam is no different than Rand.
It’s a fascinating thought, isn’t it?
Next week we will cover chapter 26, in which Aviendha and Min have a conversation and Aviendha confronts the Wise Ones. Also, Romanda schemes, and the rebel Aes Sedai learn about Shemerin’s demotion.[end-mark]
The post Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in <i>The Gathering Storm</i> (Part 16) appeared first on Reactor.
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