Ronde Macura

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Author: Kyria d'Oreyn

Rohn-deh mah-CURE-ah

General

Ronde Macura is a seamstress in the Amadician town Mardecin and one of the Yellow Ajah's eyes-and-ears. She is handsome and in her middle years with dark eyes and dark hair in a neat array (TFoH, Ch. 9).

Since her first days as the Yellow Ajah's agent, she has served them faithfully. She avails herself of whatever useful information she filters out of the news for her reports, too, because she dabbles in the art of curing. Now and again she utilizes her knowledge to heal people, while trying to stay low and not have her house burned down or worse because Whitecloaks might suspect her of being a channeler. Accusation of being a Darkfriend for following her orders enrages her to the point of being able to forget her fears. She would even have risked exposure - which would have meant death in Amadicia - if it served the Yellow's purposes or if she was instructed to (TFoH, Ch. 9; Ch. 10).

However, after her punishment she turns against the Aes Sedai and sells her information about forkroot to the Seanchan. Now she means the Tower harm and hopes to have her revenge through her service to the Seanchan (WH, Ch. 14).

Timeline

  • She is chosen to be the Yellow Ajah's agent by Narenwin Barda. Her job is mainly to report outbreaks of disease or new kinds of illnesses. On the day she was chosen, Ronde asked Narenwin about the Black Ajah and was punished so severely that she cried a whole day. Mistress Macura went to Mardecin to gather information through the trading wagons. Now and then she cures people, though not often enough to earn herself a channeler's reputation in the Amadician village (TFoH, Ch. 9; Ch. 10).
  • She cures Avi Shendar's wife from the falling sickness. He lets Ronde use his pigeons to send reports without questioning her about her dealings. She also cures Therin Lugay from a fever that would have meant death and he has owed her a strong favor ever since (TFoH, Ch. 10).
  • When Nynaeve and Elayne enter Mistress Macura's shop and let her know that they recognized the Yellow Ajah's signal over the door, Ronde bids them into her kitchen and offers them a cup of tea. She sends Luci, her assistant, to brew it and while waiting for the forkroot tea to show some effect, Ronde forwards the message from the Tower concerning the return of Aes Sedai to Tar Valon (TFoH, Ch. 9).
  • Ronde and Luci carry Elayne and Nynaeve upstairs to the bedroom after the forkroot tea paralyzes them. Ronde leaves her assistant in charge of dosing the young women every full hour and heads for Avi Shendar's house to send off some pigeons. She intended to have Therin Lugay transport Elayne and Nynaeve to the Tower, where Narenwin and probably some others can pick them up. When she returns from sending a message, she is captured by Juilin. When Nynaeve is finally able to move again, she accuses Ronde of being a Darkfriend who intended to hand her over to the Black Ajah, which enrages the older woman, who then justifies herself. Her orders were to report Elayne's presence and that of everyone she might be traveling with, because the Amyrlin (Elaida) wants her back in the Tower. Ronde and Luci are fed a lot of forkroot tea and left on their beds. Later that day, Therin Lugay wonders about his orders and checks on Ronde, but after trying to wake her up he leaves again. When Ronde wakes up again, she goes to Avi Shendar and sends one pigeon to Tar Valon to report her failure and another one to the west (TFoH, Ch. 10).
  • On Elaida's orders, Ronde is strapped in front of her own shop with the whole village watching for failing to capture Elayne (TFoH, Ch. 25; KoD, Ch. 31). The next ones to fail the attempt of kidnapping the Daughter-Heir will be punished more severely (LoC, Ch. 7).
  • After her humiliation, Ronde pleads to be taken into the Seanchan's service. She tells Tuon about forkroot and despite her rewards in return, she still wants to harm the Aes Sedai in whichever way she can (WH, Ch. 14).

Relationships

She was chosen to be one of the Yellow Ajah's eyes-and-ears by Narenwin Barda, whom she sends her reports to (TFoH, Ch. 10).

She cured Avi Shendar's wife from the falling sickness. He probably keeps pigeons for Ronde and sends them off with her messages out of thankfulness (TFoH, Ch. 10).

Therin Lugay owes Ronde a favor, because she cured him of a fever. She intended to send him to Tar Valon with Nynaeve and Elayne, because she told him that they are ill and will find help there (TFoH, Ch. 10).

The strapping she had to endure due to her failure of capturing Elayne evolved a bone-deep hatred towards Aes Sedai in Ronde. She wants nothing more than revenge (WH, Ch. 14).

Miscellaneous

  • Nynaeve tells Egwene how Luci and Mistress Macura hauled her and Elayne upstairs and tied them up, helpless as they were after drinking the forkroot tea (TFoH, Ch. 15).

Quotes

"Narenwin said I was to report [Elayne's] presence, and that of anyone with her. And to delay her, if I could. Or even capture her. And anyone with her. How they expected me to capture an Accepted, I do not know -- I don't think even Narenwin knows about my forkroot tea! -- but that is what my orders said! They said I should risk exposure even -- here, where it'd be my death! -- if I had to!" (Mistress Macura justifying her actions to Nynaeve; The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 10).