Silver Swan. An inn in the New City of Caemlyn. Various Aes Sedai and their Warders stayed there just after Rand fled Caemlyn. A few would leave, a few others come, but there were never more than ten lodgers at one time. They kept to themselves, caused no trouble and asked no questions that Bashere or Bael were able to learn of. Their presence coincided with other Aes Sedai gatherings in Cairhien. Elayne had them watched, as it was unclear whose side they were on. The Black sisters knew of them and avoided them.
silverbell. A plant with blossoms that looked like silver bells. Erith’s eyes were the color of a silverbell’s ripe seedpod.
Silverbow, Birgitte. See Birgitte Silverbow
silverleaf. A plant used in tea for headache.
silverpike. A predatory fish that spawned in the reeds and chewed fishermen’s nets. Attracted by blood, they could tear other fish apart. They were also eaten by people.
silversides. A select type of fish.
Silverwall Keeps. An Arafellin fortress on the Firchon Pass next to the border of Kandor.
Silviana Brehon. An Amadician Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 15(3). Born in 849 NE, she went to the White Tower in 867 NE. After spending twelve years as a novice and eleven years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 890 NE. She was made Mistress of Novices in 999 NE, when the Tower split, and named Keeper of the Chronicles by Egwene al’Vere in 1000 NE, when it reunited. She was 5'6½" tall, and stocky, with a square face, a firm, determined chin, dark hair worn in a tight bun on the back of her head and large dark eyes. Novices and Accepted, and some Aes Sedai, said she had eyes in the back of her head. There were those among the novices who believed she could see what happened in places where she wasn’t even present. Physically very strong, she reminded people of a strict aunt, the one who not only would not stand for any nonsense, but who viewed her nieces and nephews as raw material to be whipped into shape as human beings.
Despite her potential strength, she had great difficulty in learning when she arrived in the Tower; her teachers thought this was a result of her innate stubbornness and too much pride, and she came to agree with them, which was one reason she was so strict with her charges. Well aware of her own weaknesses and flaws, she came to terms with them and learned to control most of them. Thus she believed that anyone could learn to control their weaknesses and flaws given sufficient motivation. She thought that a combination of rewards and punishments worked best. Indeed, they seemed to work very well for her; the novices and Accepted feared her punishments and were very grateful for her small rewards. She had fewer discipline problems than was considered usual, while her charges learned at a very high rate, retaining what they learned better. Silviana was not popular with the novices and Accepted—Sheriam was popular by and large, though no one wanted to run afoul of her either—but she was very successful, by most benchmarks considerably more so than Sheriam. As Mistress of Novices she had a reputation for being harsh, and indeed her model among former Mistresses of Novices was Sereille Bagand, but this fearsome reputation was largely because, unlike Sheriam and Sheriam’s immediate predecessors, she did not play favorites, and she did not have periods when she was slack with her charges. Silviana was watchful all the time, evenhanded and strict. She made sure that any punishment was hard enough that no one could simply shrug it off and forget it. Whoever came to her, for punishment or penance, left with a fervent desire not to repeat the experience. For this reason, she actually punished fewer girls than any of the immediate predecessors she so despised.
She was harder on Accepted than on novices. She was tough enough on novices that not everyone saw it, but in fact she gave more petting than punishments to the younger girls and allowed Accepted much less slack than Sheriam or her immediate predecessors. Since they were older and more advanced, they should have known better.
She considered the novices hers, an attitude not unusual with the Mistress of Novices. In her view, she had responsibility for and over them, and she was not to be overridden by anyone, not even the Amyrlin Seat. Tower law did make her the final arbiter over novices and Accepted.
Since penances for Aes Sedai which contained physical chastisement were usually carried out by the Mistress of Novices—though almost always in strictest confidentiality—a number of sisters who fell afoul of Elaida felt much the same way about Silviana as the novices and Accepted did.
After Egwene was taken by the Tower Aes Sedai and put back in novice white, Silviana would not allow the methods used in putting someone to the question to be used on her, even though she had been aiding the rebels and claiming to be the Amyrlin Seat. When she deemed Elaida’s punishment too harsh and demanded that Egwene be released, Elaida tried to demote her, but Silviana refused to let that happen. Elaida then ordered that Silviana be imprisoned and executed. Egwene had her released and named her Keeper of the Chronicles, another job at which Silviana was adept; Egwene found her a tremendous improvement over Sheriam in that job as well. The only fly in the ointment was Silviana’s dislike for Gawyn. In the Last Battle, Silviana fought alongside Egwene in Kandor. When Gawyn was killed, Silviana tried to keep Egwene away from the battle, but was not successful.
Silvic. A member of the Band of the Red Hand who taught Olver how to use his knife.
Silvie. A crone met in the Heart of the Stone in Tel’aran’rhiod, Lanfear in disguise, who told Egwene about Callandor.
Silvin, Betse. See Betse Silvin
Silvin, Jar. See Jar Silvin
Sim. The innkeeper of The King’s Lancer in Sienda, Amadicia. One of Valan Luca’s boar-horses smashed through the front door of his inn, causing him to lose half or more of his custom.
Simaan. A Tairen High Lord. He had sharp eyes and a sharp nose. One of the most active plotters against Rand in the Stone, he was sent to Cairhien under Meilan to restore order. Later he was sent back south from Cairhien leading one of the last large parties of Tairens to depart, and he joined the rebellion against Rand gathering near Haddon Mirk. Merana and Rafela negotiated a settlement with Simaan and the other rebels; that settlement made Darlin king.
simblossoms. A flower grown on the roofs of holds in the Aiel Waste.
Simion. A servant/workman at the inn Harilin’s Leap in Jarra, Ghealdan. Simion had a wide mouth, popping eyes and no chin to speak of, making him resemble a frog. His brother Noam was a wolfbrother and lost himself to the wolves. When Moiraine, Lan, Loial and Perrin stayed at the inn, Simion recognized that Moiraine was an Aes Sedai, and asked Perrin if she could heal his brother. Moiraine tried, but could not, and Perrin persuaded Simion to let Noam run free.
Sinah, Ranun. A Whitecloak soldier killed in battle with Shadowspawn on the Jehannah Road. When Perrin and Galad found his body, his cloak was soaked in blood.
Sindhol. The name used by Moghedien for the realm of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn.
Singing. Singing was performed at gatherings among guests by those who had the Voice, a Talent. Singing was mentioned by a mad Lews Therin when he greeted Ishamael, the Betrayer of Hope, and also inside the ter’angreal in Rhuidean.
Sins, Thirteen. In Ebou Dar, representative figures carved into a lintel at the Kin house. They included Envy, Gossip and Greed.