Jheran

Author: Atarah al'Norahn

General

Jheran is an Aielman. He is the clan chief of the Shaarad clan (TSR, Ch. 49). He was a member of the Sovin Nai society, the Knife Hands, before he became clan chief (LoC, Ch. 4).

Jheran is as slender as a blade, with light brown hair streaked heavily with gray and blue eyes. Rand describes him as whip-quick (TSR, Ch. 57; TFoH, Ch. 52).

Timeline

• While at Cold Rocks Hold, Rhuarc tells Rand that Jheran and Bael are already at Alcair Dal and that Erim is on his way. Rand is worried, because he knows that the Shaarad and the Goshien have a blood feud; he is concerned that Jheran and Bael's warriors will start fighting. Melaine and Bair assure Rand that the Shaarad and Goshien are not like the Shaido, and Bair says that while Jheran and Bael might try to kill each other before they return to their holds, it will not be at Alcair Dal (TSR, Ch. 49).

• At Alcair Dal, Jheran says that he wishes to discuss the water at Chain Ridge Stand. Bael turns towards him threateningly, so the dispute has to be something between the Shaarad and Goshien (TSR, Ch. 57).

• Jheran, along with the other clan chiefs, is present when both Rand and Couladin claim to be the Car'a'carn. Like the other chiefs, he looks disapproving when he hears that Couladin claims to have gone to Rhuidean without permission from the Wise Ones and uncertain when Rand claims to have seen the history of the Aiel in Rhuidean, since this indicates that Rand is telling the truth. Like the others, he stands in stony silence when Rand reveals that the Aiel once followed the Way of the Leaf, but proclaims to the rest of the Aiel that Rand is He Who Comes With the Dawn (TSR, Ch. 57).

• In Rhuidean, Rand holds a meeting with Bael, Bruan, Erim, Han, Jheran and Rhuarc. They talk about whether or not the other clans will join Rand, and also about the Shaido. Before the clan chiefs leave the meeting, Rand tells them to bring in the rest of the clans and to keep an eye on the Shaido (TFoH, Ch. 2).

• The clan chiefs inform Rand that Couladin is moving for Jangai Pass (TFoH, Ch. 6).

• After having left Rhuidean, Rand and the Aiel enter the nation of Cairhien (TFoH, Ch. 23).

• Jheran and Bael mend the blood feud between the Shaarad and Goshien clans (TFoH, Ch. 30).

• Rand meets with Bael, Bruan, Dhearic, Erim, Han, Jheran, Rhuarc, Lan and Weiramon to discuss the impending battle with the Shaido (TFoH, Ch. 42).

• On the day of the battle against the Shaido, the clan chiefs meet with Rand once more for a few final words, to report that their men are in position and ready (TFoH, Ch. 43).

• Jheran is now with Rand's army on the Plains of Maredo, along with Bruan, Dhearic, Erim and Han (LoC, Ch. 4).

• Rand meets with his forces on the Plains of Maredo, which are made up of Aiel, Tairens and Cairhienin. They discuss Sammael; Rand asks if the Forsaken has any new camps set up, but Jheran assures him that he doesn't. When Rand leaves after the meeting, the clan chiefs accompany him from the tent and speak some more of Sammael; Jheran thinks that they should go to Illian now to deal with Sammael, saying that they can destroy the Illianers before Weiramon and Semaradrid are even halfway to Illian, but Rand insists that they wait until Mat can join them. The clan chiefs agree, even though they think that they are wasting time (LoC, Ch. 4).

• He is present at the meeting where the Peace of the Dragon is forged (AMoL, Ch. 6).

Relationships

There has been a blood feud between the Shaarad and Goshien clans for four hundred years (TFoH, Ch. 47; LoC, Ch. 4). At first, Jheran and Bael simply suppress but do not forget the blood feud for the sake of He Who Comes With the Dawn (TFoH, Ch. 2), but Rand's ta'veren effect eventually causes them to mend the feud. However, they still do not like each other (TFoH, Ch. 30).

Despite the blood feud, Jheran and Bael seem to agree on quite a few things, and on more than one occasion the find themselves accidentally speaking, or almost speaking, that agreement aloud (TFoH, Ch. 23). They both agree that the Shaido are honorless dogs and that Rand should have let the Cairhienin starve (TFoH, Ch. 2), and both seem to disagree with Rand's declaration that the Cairhienin are not to be provoked (TFoH, Ch. 23).

Miscellaneous

• Gaul tells Perrin that, although they tried to hide it, Rhuarc and Jheran were uneasy when they sent their Aiel across the Dragonwall to search for the Car'a'carn (TSR, Ch. 28).

• He is always calm, now that the Shaarad's four-hundred-year blood feud with the Goshien Aiel has ended (LoC, Ch. 4).

Quotes

"Cowardly snakes," Jheran barked. Gray streaked his light brown hair, there were no young men among Aiel clan chiefs. "Stinkadders, wriggling away from their own shadows." A slight shift of his blue eyes toward the far side of the carpet made it clear he meant it for a description of the Goshien, not just those who had thrown down their spears (The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 2).

On the other hand, Bael and Jheran had mended the blood feud between Shaarad and Goshien while he was with them, eating a midday meal of dried meat on the move. They still did not like each other, and hardly seemed to understand what they had done, but it was done, with pledges and water oaths given, each man holding the cup for the other to drink. To Aiel, water oaths were stronger than any other; it might be generations before Shaarad and Goshien so much as raided each other for sheep or goats or cattle. (Rand thinking about his ta'veren effect; The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 30).

"Then let us go to Illian now," Jheran said. "Forget these wetlanders, Rand al'Thor. Already there are nearly two hundred thousand spears gathered here. We can destroy the Illianers before Weiramon Saniago and Semaradrid Maravin can be halfway there." (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 4).