"My honourable Sister, ladies and gentlemen of the floor. I will now discuss how the Shadow has, over the last few millenia, caused the birth, growth and fame of the Yellow Ajah.

Some of you may think that statement a little far-fetched; arrogant, even egotistical. However, please bear with me, for I will prove beyond any doubt that it is true.

In any village you visit, in any city or town in any country, you will find somebody who acts as a healer. They may be called Wisdom, Reader, Mother, countless other names; in Amadicia, they are hedge-doctors and hunted; but no matter where you are, you will find them. Most have enough ability with herbs and suchlike to take care of such minor ailments as affect the inhabitants of their area. When a farmer has a sore tooth, or his horse kicks him and breaks his ribs, he will go to this woman - or man - for guidance and healing. In most cases, the healer will be able to take care of it.

However, there have always been wounds which mere herbs and village healers cannot take care of. These wounds - and here it should be obvious that I speak of shadow-forged steel, of the sort wielded by Trollocs and Myrddraal - will kill if left unaided. And, directly rising from these wounds that were seemingly incurable, rose the Aes Sedai Healers - the predecessors of the Yellow Ajah. It is easy to follow my path from there, I think; the Yellow Ajah has always had a reputation as being able to heal the wounds that others could not - and this reputation was enhanced and spread by those who were healed, and seemingly miraculously saved from beyond the grave, by these Aes Sedai Healers. In fact, one could almost postulate that without the continued existence of the Shadow's legions, there would be no need at all for Yellow sisters to continue as an Ajah; any other Aes Sedai could heal all that was necessary to be healed, since no real serious wound would ever merit the attentions of an entire Ajah devoted to healing.

Therefore, to summarise, I am stating that the entire reputation and history of the Yellow Ajah is based upon their ability to heal wounds incurable by any other methods - and that most of these wounds are caused by the Shadow or by agents of the Shadow. In fact, I would state that this is the reason that the Borderlands are traditionally open and welcoming to Aes Sedai; because wounds caused by agents of the Shadow are so common, so close the Blight, and they know that their only hope of survival if they are so wounded is finding an Aes Sedai Healer."

In Defense of the Dreadlords

Raina's Hold / Raina's Library / Raina's Library - Other People's Humour