Difference between revisions of "Sarene Nemdahl"

Revision as of 10:10, 14 August 2006

Atarah al'Norahn

General

Sarene Nemdahl is an Aes Sedai of the White Ajah from Tarabon, and is bonded to a man named Vitalien (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25). She grew up as a shopkeeper's daughter (New Spring, Chapter 4). She sides with The White Tower after the split.

Sarene is slender, and wears her hair in the braided Taraboner fashion (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25; Winter's Heart, Chapter 13). When she was Accepted, Sarene was the most beautiful woman in the Accepted's quarters, with the exception of Ellid Abareim. However, Moiraine notes that she seems to be completely unconscious of her beauty (New Spring, Chapter 4). She is stunningly beautiful, but obviously does not think it; she thinks of Erian, "She had no head for logic; sometimes Sarene thought that beautiful women did not, though there was no logic in the connection that she could see." (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25; Winter's Heart, Chapter 13).

Sarene has a sharp tongue that often gets her into hot water, and remarkably little tact, though she seems to be as unaware of what she says as she is of her beauty. Moiraine thinks that Sarene's mother must have been glad to see Sarene's sharp tongue go off to Tar Valon. (New Spring, Chapter 4).

Sarene is a typical White. She insists on reasoning everything out logically, and often does not understand matters of the heart. However, Egwene notes that she has a temper, and although she usually keeps it leashed, she can snap your nose off if you put a foot wrong. Sarene will listen to what other people have to say, and is not afraid to admit that she is wrong (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

Her secret vice, though she does not admit to it, is writing poetry. She often writes about her Warder, comparing him to leopards and other graceful, powerful and dangerous animals. She thinks that she would die of shame if Vitalien ever discovered her poetry about him (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

Timeline

• Tamra Ospenya summons all of the Accepted and sends them out to gather names for the bounty being given out to women who have recently given birth. On their way towards one of the camps, Moiraine and Siuan see Sarene already taking down names (New Spring, Chapter 3; New Spring, Chapter 4).
• Sarene is one of the Aes Sedai who goes with Coiren as an embassy to Rand (Lord of Chaos, Prologue).
• Coiren, Sarene and the others arrive in Cairhien (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 24).
• Sarene and the rest of Elaida's embassy meet with Rhuarc. When they return to where they are staying, Sarene, Coiren, Erian, and Galina discuss Rand. Sarene then goes upstairs to take her turn at keeping up the constant channeling (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).
• Sarene is at Dumai's Wells. Rand knocks her out and shields her after he escapes from the box. She and the other Aes Sedai sent by Elaida are captured by the Asha'man (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 55).
• Sarene is one of the Aes Sedai being held by the Asha'man (A Crown of Swords, Chapter 1).
• Sarene is now under the care of the Aiel Wise Ones; she is da'tsang. One day, the Wise Ones make her move handfuls of water from one hide bucket to another, switching her to make her move faster, and switching her again for every drop spilled. Sarene asks Verin why she has given in before she is made to go back to work (The Path of Daggers, Prologue).
• Sorilea brings Elza Penfell, Nesune Bihara, Sarene Nemdahl, Beldeine Nyram and Erian Boroleos to Rand after they beg to be allowed to swear fealty to him. Rand accepts. Sarene gives her oath of fealty as if stating a principle of logic (The Path of Daggers, Chapter 29).
• Sarene is embroidering while Cadsuane and Harine din Togara speak in the sunroom of the Sun Palace. She then escorts Harine and Derah to their rooms (Winter's Heart, Chapter 13).
• Sarene accompanies Cadsuane to Far Madding, but must leave her Warder behind. She is instructed to be Harine's attendant, and to answer all of her questions (Winter's Heart, Chapter 23; Winter's Heart, Chapter 24).
• Sarene accompanies Rand and Cadsuane to Shadar Logoth. She links with Corele and Flinn. They run into Demandred, who gets away. Sarene almost dies while Rand cleanses saidin (Winter's Heart, Chapter 35).
• Sarene is at the Pendaloan estates in Tear with Rand and Cadsuane. She enters Rand's rooms to let him know that her Warder, Vitalien, is Traveling closer (Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 23).

Relationships

When they were Accepted, both Moiraine and Siuan knew Sarene well. They considered her a friend, although a nettlesome one at times (New Spring, Chapter 4). Sarene liked Moiraine, and their friendship carried on after they were raised (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

Sarene thinks that Galina is too hard for logic, but that great fires roar somewhere in Galina's depths (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

Sarene swears fealty to Rand because she thinks that it is the logical thing to do (The Path of Daggers, Chapter 29; Winter's Heart, Chapter 13). She and the rest of Elaida's Aes Sedai who are in Tear watch Cadsuane as if suspicious of her intentions towards him (Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 23).

Harine dislikes Sarene (Winter's Heart, Chapter 23).

Quotes

"Sarene Nemdahl," Egwene said. "You must understand, I do not know either well. Sarene is like most Whites - she reasons everything out logically, and sometimes she seems surprised when somebody acts from the heart - yet she has a temper. Most of the time she keeps it tightly bottled, but put a foot wrong at the wrong time and she can...snap your nose off before you can blink. She listens to what you say, though, and she will admit she was wrong, even after her temper has snapped. Well, once it mends, anyway." (Egwene to the Wise Ones; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

"Egwene had only heard two lectures by Sarene, on the nature of reality, but it was hard to forget a woman who told you with absolute seriousness that beauty and ugliness were equally illusion while wearing a face that would make any man look twice." (Egwene thinks of Sarene; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

"It is only logical. Dividing time into the smallest possible increments, it is impossible to say with any true certainty what will happen between one and the next. Since chasing al'Thor to Caemlyn might mean we would arrive to find that he has come here, we will remain here with as much certainty as we can have that he will eventually return, yet that could be tomorrow or a month from now. Any single event in any hour of that wait, or any combination of events, could leave us with no alternative. Thus, preparation is logical." (Sarene to Erian; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

"What we did was logical at the time. I say that to explain, not to exculpate. Circumstances have changed. For you, the logical course might seem to...to send us back to captivity, or even to execute us. For me, logic says I must serve you." (Sarene to Rand; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 29).

"Cadsuane, she has asked...instructed...me to be your attendant, Wavemestress. I will answer your questions, to the extent that I can, and help you with the customs, as well as I know them. I realize you might feel discomfort at being with me, but when Cadsuane commands, we must obey." (Sarene to Harine; Winter's Heart, Chapter 23).

Miscellaneous

• Egwene was in one of Sarene's classes on the nature of reality (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).
• Sarene thinks that it is illogical to believe that two people can remain compatible for a lifetime; this is why she has never married (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).
• Moiraine was a year ahead of Sarene as novice and Accepted (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).
• "Image and auras; a tempestuous love affair, of al things! The woman was ice, however beautiful. And there was nothing useful in knowing some man would melt her!" (Min's viewing of Sarene; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 29).
• "Among all of those images spilling around Rand and the women, suddenly an aura flashed, blue and yellow tinged with green, encompassing them all. And Min knew its meaning. She gasped, half in surprise, half in relief. "They will serve you, each in her fashion, Rand," she said hurriedly. "I saw it."" (Min's viewing of Sarene, Beldeine, Elza, Erian, Nesune, Sorilea and Rand; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 29).