Essay for Raising to Aes Sedai: Saerin

Author: Saerin Alagondar

Submitted for raising to Aes Sedai.

My favorite Aes Sedai in WoT would have to be Leane Sharif, the former Keeper of the Chronicles. I don't know if I can really find much of myself in her, but she's the sort of person one looks up to. Or would like to be like, in any case. She has a sort of mysteriousness going for her that's really cool, even for an Aes Sedai. She's a character with high standing, and yet we get to know very little about her, and that anonymousness I can really find in myself. All she does is stand by the Amyrlin's side, and yet in many ways she has power, if only because of the fact that she's Siuan's friend. That changes, however, after she is stilled.

When Leane flees the Tower after the rebellion, I saw a dramatic change in her, as did everybody else, I think. She went from being a distant Aes Sedai to a warm, beautiful Domani woman, something she'd laid aside after she got the shawl. She took up her heritage and helped herself and her friends with what she'd known best-flirting. Though she needed some time to come into it again, I think that her stilling might've been the best thing that ever happened to her, because she became mortal again and once more explored the cravings of the body, or the cravings of a woman's heart; to have the attention of men. If not every woman desires this, I'd be surprised to find another Domani who didn't. That change also affected her after she was Healed and became Aes Sedai again; she chose Green instead of Blue, and though she's every bit an Aes Sedai once more, she continues being a woman too, as far as I can see.

Those reasons above might be why I in many ways like her. Like me, she was more anonymous. I'd say she was a more confident person, though. Also, she changed heavily, in a way that I, too, would like to do. I wouldn't mind in the least having such influence upon men the way she does, or have such a strong personality, like she does. Leane is much like Siuan, really-strong-willed and stubborn, but much, much more human!