Isendre

A similar entry appears in the Wheel of Time Companion confirming the information available in the main story arc.

Author: Val a'Shain

General

Isendre is a Darkfriend who uses her beauty to further the Shadow's cause. She travels into the Waste with Hadnan Kadere. She takes orders from him but gets on the bad/petty side of Lanfear and gets in trouble with the Maidens. Kadere kills her when he thinks the Maidens have broken her.

Isendre is a dark-haired young woman with a palely beautiful heart-shaped face. She has full lips, and alluring smile and a smoky voice (TSR, Ch. 37).

Timeline

• Kadere introduces Isendre to Rand. She shows so much interest in him that it will get Rand in trouble with Aviendha later.

• Isendre and Keille argue in front of Mat. Later Keille/Lanfear will hide stolen jewellery between Isendre's things to get her in trouble with the Aiel (TSR, Ch. 48; TFoH, Ch. 6).

• Isendre's theft is discovered by the Maidens. From now on all she gets to wear is the jewellery she stole. Kadere doesn't object to the Maidens dragging her out of his wagon (TFoH, Ch. 4).

• Isendre keeps trying to get into Rand's bed. The Maidens catch her every time and she is punished severely. None of their punishments seem to deter her though (TFoH, Ch. 4). She also keeps an eye on Natael/Asmodean for Kadere.

• The Maidens make Isendre wear a black robe to discourage her from making more attempts to sneak into Rand's room (TFoH, Ch. 7).

• Isendre visits Kadere in his wagon. The Maidens have now shaven her head and given her another beating and she is ready to give up. Her attempt with Asmodean are getting nowhere either. Kadere decides she is no longer useful and strangles her. He chops her up into manageable pieces to bury somewhere later (TFoH, Ch. 29). The Maidens think Isendre escaped them somehow (TFoH, Ch. 46).

Relationships

Mat briefly considers attracting Isendre's attention (TSR, Ch. 37).

Rand doesn't think Isendre is soft, he does consider her dangerous (TSR, Ch. 48).

Lanfear and Isendre don't like each other. Obviously she doesn't know Keille's true identity or she wouldn't argue with her in public. This mistake will get Isendre in trouble with the Maidens (TSR, Ch. 48).

Miscellaneous

• The Maidens name her sorda. A particularly sly type of rat.

• Aviendha thinks Rand is encouraging her when the Maidens keep catching her trying to sneak into his bed (TFoH, Ch. 4).

• According to Lanfear, Isendre did steal some of the jewellery herself (TFoH, Ch. 6).

Quotes

"'Hadnan has been telling me of you,' she said in a smoky voice. She might have been hanging on the peddler, but her dark eyes traced Rand boldly. 'You are the one the Aiel talk of. He Who Comes With the Dawn.' (...)
'It seems I am,' he said.
'Strange.' Her smile became wickedly mischievous. 'I thought you would be handsomer.'"
(Isendre to Rand when they meet in the Aiel Waste; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 37)

"'You go too far, old woman,' she said softly, eyes hard above the veiling scarf. 'I will put up with your tongue no longer. Have a care. Or perhaps you would like to remain here in the Waste.'
Keille smiled broadly, yet mirth never touched the obsidian eyes glittering behind her fat cheeks. 'Would you?'
Nodding decisively, Isendre said, 'A Tar Valon mark.' Her voice was iron. 'I will see you have a Tar Valon mark when we leave you. I only wish I could see you trying to drink it.' Turning her back, she strode to the lead wagon, not swaying seductively at all, and vanished inside."
(Isendre to Keille/Lanfear; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 48)

"'I cannot, Hadnan. When we stopped tonight, I thought I might have a chance in a town instead of tents, but they caught me before I got within ten paces of him.' She pushed back her hood, and he gaped as moonlight played over her bare scalp. Even her eyebrows were gone. 'They shaved me, Hadnan. Adelin and Enaila and Jolien, they held me down and shaved every hair. They beat me with with nettles, Hadnan.' She shook like sapling in high wind, sobbing slack-mouthed and mumbling the words. 'I itch from shoulders to knees, and burn too much to scratch. They said they'd make me wear nettles, the next time I so much as looked in his direction. They meant it, Hadnan. They did! They said they'd give me to Aviendha, and they told me what she would do. I cannot, Hadnan. Not again. I cannot.'"
(Isendre telling Kadere she is giving up on getting into Rand's bed; The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 29)