Exactly. She's taking extra precautions. These aren't necessary.


And keep the woman sleeping? The point you are ignoring is that Silviana, Katerine, Barasine (by their reactions) and Egwene (by her PoV) make it clear that Barasine alone can hold Egwene's shield, even when the Forkroot is gone.


Okay... so? Egwene doesn't seem surprised at all by Katarine's comment. She never thinks, "Oh great! That means I can escape". Instead, she notes that Barasine seem displeased by Katerine's comment, since it implied that the weaker sister, Barasine, would be asked to hold the shield. Even then, Egwene doesn't comment on the sheer impossibility of that. To me that indicates that Barasine can shield Egwene.


And this is the state in which she was confident she could surprise five Aes Sedai and escape?
What is she, Lanfear?


It dampens your strength for hours if you take a strong dose. The dose Egwene was given knocked her out for a few minutes, and a couple of minutes later, in the carriage, Egwene was confident of being able to defeat five Aes Sedai.

If, as you contend, Silviana could only hold the shield due to the forkroot, why didn't Egwene say that? Why say, "Except Silviana was far from weak; there was no hope that she could break the woman's shield"? If the Forkroot was the only reason Silviana could hold the shield, Egwene would have thought so.


Well, of course it doesn't! But this quote does:
“Why both of us?” Katerine wanted to know, which earned her a wry glance from Barasine. If only one were sent, it surely would not
be Katerine, who stood higher.

Egwene doesn't even indicate any surprise at this move. If Barasine couldn't shield Egwene on her own, wouldn't Egwene have thought of that, and wouldn't Silviana have mentioned that as one of her reasons?


Implying the opposite, actually. It means that one is enough, but they want more around Egwene.


You contradict yourself. If the other were still in the link, Barasine doesn't have to call her back, does she?

Also, do note that Daigian, Elza and Erian are apparently enough to hold Semirhage.

There were several others in the hallway with her—Daigian, Erian, Elza—whose turn it was to maintain Semirhage's shield. Aside from Cadsuane, each Aes Sedai in the camp took turns. It was too dangerous to risk forcing the duty only on the Aes Sedai of lesser stature, lest they grow weary. The shield had to remain strong. Light only knew what would happen if Semirhage got free.

Since Daigian is extremely weak, and Elza is too weak to Travel, this means that the weakest AS, a somewhat weak AS, and a middling AS can hold Semirhage herself. And from Cadsuane's statement, even these three are an extra precaution. This clearly implies that even women weaker than Barasine can hold the shield on Egwene.