Here is a Theory I started 2 years ago on a reread preparing for the release of "The Gathering Storm". I only wrote half of it and then Wotmania closed down and since I never went to any of the other WoT sites it got shelved. So since now Towers of Midnight may perhaps raise or ruin my theory I thought why not finish it now and actually check out the other Sites in the World of the Wheel.

It is all based on Egwene's dream in CoT:Ch20. I’ll put the Dream up First then go into the Detail.

She was struggling up a narrow, rocky path along the face of a towering cliff. Clouds surrounded her, hiding the ground below and the crest above, yet she knew that both were very far away. She had to place her feet very carefully. The path was a cracked ledge barely wide enough for her to stand on with one shoulder pressed against the cliff, a ledge littered with stones as large as her fist that could turn under a misplaced step and send her hurtling over the edge. It almost seemed this was like the dreams of pushing millstones and pulling carts, yet she knew it was a true dream.

Abruptly, the ledge dropped away from under her with the crack of crumbling stone, and she caught frantically at the cliff, fingers scrabbling to find a hold. Her fingertips slid into a tiny crevice, and her fall stopped with a jolt that wrenched her arms. Feet dangling into the clouds, she listened to the falling stone crash against the cliff until the sound faded to nothing without the stone ever hitting the ground. Dimly, she could see the broken ledge to her left. Ten feet away, it might as well have been a mile off for all the chance she had of reaching it. In the other direction, the mists hid whatever remained of the path, but she thought it had to be farther away still. There was no strength in her arms. She could not pull herself up, only hang there by her fingertips until she fell. The edge of the crevice seemed as sharp as a knife under her fingers.

Suddenly a woman appeared, clambering down the sheer side of the cliff out of the clouds, making her way as deftly as if she were walking down stairs. There was a sword strapped to her back. Her face wavered, never settling clearly, but the sword seemed as solid as the stone. The woman reached Egwene's level and held out one hand. "We can reach the top together," she said in a familiar drawling accent.

Egwene pushed the dream away as she would have a viper. She felt her body thrash, heard herself groan in her sleep, but for a moment she could do nothing. She had dreamed of the Seanchan before, of a Seanchan woman somehow tied to her, but this was a Seanchan who would save her. No! They had put a leash on her, made her damane. She would as soon die as be saved by a Seanchan! A very long time passed before she could address herself to calming her sleeping body. Or maybe it only seemed a long time. Not a Seanchan; never that!

I think it is fairly common knowledge that the Seanchan Woman will be Egeanin/Leilwin but just to add some references.

WH:Ch21 The neatly stacked sheets of paper bore her newly granted sigil, a sword and a fouled anchor.

WH:Ch29 Egeanin was not after kisses. Her hands were slender, but they had swordsman’s calluses.

WH:Ch29 The way her head came up was confirmation enough, and her hand went to her side as though reaching for a sword.

I believe that in The Gathering Storm we even saw her with a sword, but I'm not going to look up any references as I think that’s enough and honestly who else could it be. Bethamin with no sword experience. I can't see Tuon/Fortuona helping her also with no sword references.

The Theory

I have seen lots of discussions on people think she is climbing Dragonmount but I always thought that wasn't it. My theory is that the cliff she is climbing is a metaphor for the hierarchy of the Seanchan Blood or even the whole empire.

The Crystal throne is at the top and the peasants at the foot of the mountain.

This is based upon this line from Winters heart.

WH:Ch21 Now she was Captain of the green, ten years before she should have had any hope of it, and stood on the slopes of that steep mountain that rose through the clouds to the sublime pinnacle of the Empress, might she live forever.

Egeanin has just been promoted to a higher Blood ranking for giving Suroth the male a'dam and is thinking on her promotion.

The reference here is extremely close to Egwenes dream "mountain rose though the clouds, pinnacle" and considering the person who will save her is the one thinking the thought.

To continue in the dream Egeanin is climbing down the cliff easily like on stairs. In her real life she leaves the Blood to run away with Mat and co. She has made to decision to have no Seanchan future. Hence the climb down the cliff.

Egwene now as Amyrlin has to be diplomatic to those that she hates and have stolen countless sisters. I believe that she will try a diplomatic approach to try and "climb" the Seanchan spire but will fail without the help of Egeanin.

As Egeanin says, "We can reach the top together". Meaning that with her help and access to Tuon/Fortuona through Mat may help arrange a meeting with the Amyrlin Seat and the Empress. Egwene will have the correct methods to speak to the empress taught by Egeanin (I can’t see her bowing to Fortuona though) and she will be the one to make the North and East "one" with the South and West, this meeting will not Rand.

He will perhaps have bowed to Egwene at this stage (He wont submit though).

As of the Seven Striped Lass we know she is in Caemlyn and the Aes Sedai are about to leave for Tar Valon, Mat is going to the Tower or will soon and wont be taking Bayle. So Egeanin/Leilwin will travel on to the Tower with the Aes Sedai and the sul'dam, me do thinks.

In Defense of the theory Egwene is now Amyrlin what possible reason could she have to climb Dragonmount or any other big mountain in real life alone even Shayol Ghul, metaphorically she climbed a big mountain already by becoming Amyrlin and did not need any Seanchan help so that can't be it.

She will hate them even more now for what they have done but an Amyrlin can't give in to emotion and must do what is right for the Tower.

She has already decided upon offshoot branches from the Tower like the Wise Ones, Windfinders and the Kin so perhaps some arrangement with the Seanchan is possible to be negotiated.

They will have traveling now so can appear in large numbers almost anywhere especially with Raken and To'Raken as visual scouts for gateway reference points so a truce is the only logical answer to an all our war especially given the limiting 3 Oaths.

The fact that the N&E and the S&W must be as one and Rand failed dismally albeit he can try again but with Fortuna already sidestepping his uber powers at the first meeting will need a lot of butter to make the sandwich taste good. Kings and Queens do what the Amyrlin says and with a new Amyrlin she will need to stamp her authority to recover what was lost.

Enjoy and Discuss
Squocka