HiHi! I wrote this letter as an essay assignment for one of my college classes, and was told it was one of the best the professor had ever read, so I decided to share it with others who appreciate the world that inspired it.

Ladies of the Hall,

I write you to express my worry that some Sitters may move to undo the reforms instituted by the late Amyrlin Seat, Egwene al'Vere. In particular, I wish to draw attention to the reform regarding the Novice Book and the Bargain made between the Tower, the Wise Ones, and the Windfinders. When the Amyrlin pushed for these reforms, the Tower was going through a time of difficulties while also preparing for the Last Battle. It is understandable that not all decisions made during those troubled times should continue to be enforced, but the aforementioned changes to White Tower Law are quite necessary to unify the diverse channelers of the Westlands against the threat of the Seanchan, as well as cement the influence of the Tower in new Age. The opening of the Novice Book brings in fresh blood to help repair the Tower after the grievous blows suffered in the Last Battle, as does the Bargain; together, these reforms can assure the Tower's dominance in the coming centuries.

Some Sitters may argue that the Bargain will be used by outsiders to sink hooks into initiates of the Tower, to bring the Tower down from within. A quite valid concern, except when it is pointed out that the Bargain allows the Tower to sink equally deep hooks into the heart of the other organizations involved. With the Bargain, the Tower finds itself in a position to assume a position of leadership in an unprecedented alliance between three of the most powerful groups in the world. With Tower trained women among the other groups, there shall be deep connections the Hall can easily use to bind the Wise Ones and Windfinders closer to the will of the Hall. The Hall shall also have an opportunity to have initiates of the Tower that fully understand the ways of the other groups, granting the Hall of the Tower access to hidden traditions and customs which could prove invaluable in future negotiations.

The Amyrlin clearly wanted the Tower to work with the Wise Ones and the Windfinders, as she personally experienced what the Seanchan can do. If the Hall allows the Tower to drift away from the other channelers of the Westlands, the Seanchan shall surely force every woman to become damane. The Amyrlin was damane for a few weeks before the Last Battle, and it almost broke her. She lost all of her free will on that leash and was groveling at the feet of every Seanchan that came near, simply to avoid the pain that came with disobedience. The Hall must take every possible action to prevent that happening to more women. A flimsy treaty made in the haste of battle shall not hold back this threat; this threat forces the issue of unity.

The Amyrlin's reform regarding the Novice Book is also instrumental in defending the Tower from this great threat. It may be argued that the women now being recruited shall be more willful, that they shall resist the harsh training required to become Aes Sedai, but would the Hall rather see these women be leashed by the Seanchan? The Amyrlin opened the Novice Book to all women regardless of age because she saw that strength of will and friends alone cannot hold back the Seanchan. She saw that even if it takes twice as long to train these new women, they shall breathe new life into the Tower, as it shall have a strength of numbers unseen for at one thousand, possibly two thousand, years.

For the past few decades, it has been known that the Hall is concerned about the trend of the Tower finding fewer channelers, and those that are found have been less strong in the Power than ones before. With the opening of the Novice Book, these concerns should be alleviated, as the reason for them had been the Tower itself. The Tower had slowly been drawing back into Tar Valon, neglecting to send more than token numbers of Sisters out into the world to find potential recruits, as many of the women they would find were too old by the time of their finding to have their names entered into the Novice Book. With this new policy, Sisters can rejoice at finding women that can use the Power, regardless of age.

With these numbers and connections, the Tower shall find itself in a position to solidify its hold over the politics of the Westlands. The lands free of Seanchan control need a strong organization to guide them during these times of rebuilding and new growth. Who better to guide them than the Aes Sedai that they have supported and respected for the last three thousand years? However, the Aes Sedai can only be such a force if the Tower allows them to grow and make alliance with other groups in neighboring regions. Channelers must stick together, or else they shall be leashed separately.

During the Last Battle, the Tower, like many groups, suffered terrible loss. Only the Borderlands, who lost all of their cities, half of their monarchs, and at least two-thirds of their armies, know what the Tower is going through at this time. Half of the full sisters were killed, including at least two-thirds of the Green Ajah, most Warders, and the Amyrlin Seat herself. The only way the Tower can recover is to form bonds with the other free channelers and to go on a massive recruitment campaign to make up for lost numbers.

It is imperative that the Hall continues their support for the Late Amyrlin's work, for without these reforms, the Tower shall no longer dominate the international affairs of the Westlands. Another power shall rise in its stead; a power that could even be the Black Tower and those men who can channel. As the Hall knows, men who can channel are not yet to be trusted, as their recovery from the madness happened far too recently for them to have proved themselves, not to mention a lieutenant of the Dark One taking their leadership right under the nose of the Dragon Reborn, may his memory live on in the Light. If the White Tower does not rise to leadership, even the Seanchan may come to dominate, and that must never happen, even if it means a fundamental transformation of the Tower.

The White Tower now stands at a crossroads. Shall the Hall lead the Aes Sedai to even greater glories than those achieved in the past three thousand years? Or shall this once great organization fade into oblivion? Only time will tell. But if the Hall of the Tower continues on the path laid out by the late Amyrlin, the Aes Sedai have a far greater chance of realizing the brightest possible future, a bright future, not only for the Aes Sedai, but also for all women and men who can channel. As I have just pointed out, the Hall must see reason, and stop these notions of revoking the reforms of Egwene al'Vere, the Watcher of the Seals, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat.

Sincerely,

Mirylanna Suala, Aes Sedai of the White Ajah