Chesmal Emry

Author: Kyria d'Oreyn

General

Chesmal Emry is an Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah; she is also a member of the Black Ajah who fled the White Tower with Liandrin. She is a tall and handsome Ghealdanin with a stern face, dark eyes and dark hair (TFoH, Ch. 18). She is often described as cold and arrogant (TFoH, Ch. 34; WH, Ch. 10; KoD, Ch. 31). After being captured in Caemlyn she is killed by Elayne Trakand while trying to escape (ToM, Ch. 23)

Timeline

• Chesmal takes part in questioning Tamra Ospenya about the Dragon Reborn at the end of the Aiel War (WH, Ch. 10).

• Chesmal announces that Meilyn has been found in her bed, dead. Siuan knows this for a lie as she had been hiding under Meilyn's bed all night to wait for her (NS, Ch. 18).

• She induces the Red Ajah to kill Sierin Vayu before she could arrest her for being a Darkfriend (WH, Ch. 10).

• Chesmal leaves the White Tower with the rest of Liandrin's group for Tear. They steal several ter'angreal that allow access to Tel'aran'rhiod (TDR, Ch. 13).

• She leaves Tear with the others and heads for Tanchico on their search for the male a'dam. They manage to get control over Amathera, the Panarch of Tarabon, and move to her palace after they find out that what they were searching for is there (TSR, Ch. 38; TSR, Ch. 46).

• One of Domon's men finds them in the Panarch's Palace, which tells Nynaeve and Elayne that what they are after must be there, but that they still haven't found it, otherwise they would already have left (TSR, Ch. 51).

• After having fled Tarabon, Chesmal and the others regroup in a Darkfriend's manor in Amadicia where Moghedien seeks them out to assign them tasks. Chesmal is supposed to work together with Liandrin, Asne, Eldrith and Temaile to find Nynaeve and take her to Moghedien (TFoH, Ch. 18).

• Liandrin tells Mistress Arene that she will ask Chesmal to look after her husband, though in truth Chesmal has already stated he might be able to do small tasks again in a few months (TFoH, Ch. 18).

• When Moghedien returns wounded from the World of Dreams, she orders Chesmal to Heal her. She says she found Nynaeve in a menagerie. Chesmal replies that there are a lot of menageries travelling to Ghealdan. Moghedien says she'll go to Ghealdan and orders her minions to follow her (TFoH, Ch. 34).

• She and and the rest of the group follow Nynaeve to Samara, where they wait for Moghedien's return. They leave the town for Caemlyn when they learn Kennit, Eldrith's Warder, is there as well, and ready to kill them (WH, Ch. 10).

• One night in Caemlyn, Chesmal is doing embroidery. When Eldrith returns form the city, Chesmal is angry with her, because she is half a day late. Then Temaile appears, clearly having been in Tel'aran'rhiod even though they all had agreed not to go there anymore. The former Gray remarks that Eldrith was right about Elayne and Nynaeve coming to Caemlyn, as she found out both of them are in the Royal Palace (WH, Ch. 10).

• She, Asne, Eldrith and Temaile rescue Falion and Marillin, who have been shielded by Elayne and Vandene after being tracked back to the house on Full Moon Street. After finding out Careane is also Black, Vandene takes revenge for her sister's death. She and Sareitha are killed by Chesmal (KoD, Ch. 31).

• They bundle Elayne onto a cart and take her out of the city. Not far beyond the gates they are intercepted by Birgitte's soldiers. They hurl lightning bolts and fireballs at them until they are shielded by Chanelle (KoD, Ch. 32).

• She and the others are captured before they have the chance to take Elayne very far out of Caemlyn. Before they are taken back to the Royal Palace, Chesmal asks Elayne how it was possible for the soldiers to find them. When she finds out it was Birgitte, Elayne's Warder, Chesmal is disdainful of the idea of a female Gaidin (KoD, Ch. 33).

• Halwin Norry reports to Elayne that the prisoners are still unwilling to speak (KoD, Ch. 35).

• Elayne disguises herself as one of the Forsaken to trick Chesmal into revealing the Black Ajah's plans (ToM, Ch. 23)

• She is freed by Temaile, Lounalt and Eldrith (ToM, Ch. 23).

• She Heals Elayne after Mellar stabs her (ToM, Ch. 23).

• After a struggle, Elayne envelops her in fire, killing her (ToM, Ch. 23).

Relationships

Amico said she only knew Liandrin, Chesmal and Rianna were members of the Black Ajah before she left the White Tower, meaning that Chesmal's heart most likely consisted of Amico and Rianna (TSR, Ch. 5).

Liandrin is jealous of Chesmal's skill at killing with the Power (TSR, Ch. 38). Chesmal scorns Liandrin for challenging Moghedien (TFoH, Ch. 34).

She is frightened of and faithful to Moghedien. She was concerned when Moghedien returned wounded from Tel'aran'rhiod and did not hesitate before Healing her, although she could have used the chance to kill the weakened Forsaken (TFoH, Ch. 34).

Asne can't stand conversations with Chesmal because she always talks about the important things she has done for the Black Ajah. Asne would rather do embroidery, which she hates, than talk to Chesmal (WH, Ch. 10).

She and the others are somewhat afraid of Temaile ever since the former Gray broke Liandrin in front of them (KoD, Ch. 31).

Strengths and Talents

She was one of the best Healers in generations among the Yellow and she can "Heal and kill with equal ease" (TDR, Ch. 25; TFoH, Ch. 18), although Moghedien calls it "a small ability" (TFoH, Ch. 34). When Asne says she can kill or merely stun a man with one of her ter'angreal, Chesmal replies scornfully that she can kill a man if she can see him (KoD, Ch. 31).

Miscellaneous

• Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve find Chesmal's bag among the things the Black Ajah left behind. It contains a list of trading vessels that sailed in the early morning after the night Liandrin and the others fled (TDR, Ch. 26).

• Egwene thinks she could take on one of the Black Ajah in the World of Dreams, but not if two or more were facing her (TSR, Ch. 11).

• Nynaeve thinks to herself that Elayne does not seem to realize the difference between one of the Forsaken and, for example, Liandrin or Chesmal (TFoH, Ch. 9).

• She and the others have agreed not to enter Tel'aran'rhiod anymore, because they believe it was Nynaeve who wounded Moghedien there (KoD, Ch. 31).

• If the Supreme Council ever finds out about their failures in Tear and Tanchico, they will be killed (WH, Ch. 10). However, now that they have been captured by Elayne, they are certainly going to be tried (KoD, Ch. 32).

• Elayne is given Chesmal's horse to ride for the time being. She feels uncomfortable on the gray and tells herself it cannot be tainted just because Chesmal was Black Ajah. However, she is going to sell the horse and donate the money (KoD, Ch. 33).

Quotes

"Chesmal Emry is one of the most talented Healers anyone has seen in years. Light, could you imagine being Healed by one of the Black Ajah?" (Elayne; The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 25)

"The smugly arrogant Yellow was intent on her own embroidery, on the other side of the room, and she assumed that anyone who took up a needle had her own keen interest in the work. On the other hand, Asne knew, if she rose from her chair, Chesmal would soon start regaling her with tales of her own importance. In the months since Moghedien vanished, she had heard Chesmal's part in putting Tamra Ospenya to the question at least twenty times, and how Chesmal had induced the Reds to murder Sierin Vayu before Sierin could order her arrest perhaps fifty! To hear Chesmal tell it, she had saved the Black Ajah single-handed, and she would tell it, given half a chance. That sort of talk was not only boring, it was dangerous. Even deadly, if the Supreme Council learned of it." (Asne on conversation with Chesmal; Winter's Heart, Chapter 10)