Nesune Bihara

Author: Atarah al'Norahn

General

Nesune Bihara is an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah who sided with Elaida and the White Tower. She was also part of Elaida's embassy to Rand (LoC, Prologue).

Nesune is from Kandor. She is a slender woman with dark hair and dark eyes, which are described to be "birdlike." (LoC, Ch. 25; TPoD, Ch. 29).

She is a fair-minded woman who listens to all sides before she reaches a conclusion. However, she can find the smallest flaw in anything you say. Nesune can glance at a page or listen to a conversation once and repeat it back word for word; she sees everything and remembers everything. She will sometimes speak her thoughts aloud to herself (LoC, Ch. 25).

Nesune holds an interest in both the seals and the Royal Library in Cairhien (LoC, Ch. 25). She thinks that Rand is both a fascinating young man and a fascinating subject for study. She is certain that the paper she intends to write on him will be the culmination of her life (LoC, Ch. 27).

Timeline

• Nesune is part of Elaida's embassy to Rand (LoC, Prologue).

• Nesune tells High Lord Meilan that Rand will be going to the Tower (LoC, Ch. 25).

• Nesune spends a lot of time in the Royal Library of Cairhien (LoC, Ch. 25; LoC, Ch. 50).

• Nesune is captured at Dumai's Wells by the Asha'man (LoC, Ch. 55).

• Nesune swears fealty to Rand (TPoD, Ch. 29).

• Nesune goes to Far Madding with Cadsuane (WH, Ch. 23).

• Nesune is at Shadar Logoth with Rand and the others. Afterwards, she attempts to comfort Daigian over the death of Eben (WH, Ch. 23).

• Nesune is with Rand and the others in Tear (CoT, Ch. 23).

• Nesune and Verin spend time talking (CoT, Ch. 23).

• Nesune, Erian and Sarene hold the shield on Semirhage while Merise questions her. This is more than traditionally necessary according to Cadsuane (TGS, Ch. 5).

• She is holding Semirhage's shield with Corele and Daigian when Shaidar Haran frees Semirhage. Shaidar Haran kills Daigian and puts Corele and Nesune in a kind of trance to incapacitate them (TGS, Ch. 22, TGS, Ch. 23).

• Nesune and Corele are left weak after Semirhage's escape (TGS, Ch. 23).

• Nesune, Erian, Sarene and Beldeine are less welcome in Rand's presence and are spending more time with Cadsuane's group (TGS, Ch. 48).

• She fights alongside Aviendha in the valley of Thakan'dar (AMoL, Ch. 23)

Miscellaneous

• Nesune has a Warder, though his name is not known (LoC, Prologue).

• "One red-and-green aura spoke of honors, and fame. A huge building appeared above her head and vanished. A library she would found." (Min's viewing of Nesune; TPoD, Ch. 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." (Min's viewing of Nesune, Elza, Sarene, Beldeine, Erian, Sorilea and Rand; TPoD, Ch. 29)

• Nesune, along with Elza Penfell, Sarene Nemdahl, Beldeine Nyram and Erian Boroleos, asked to be beaten at sunrise and sunset, just as Rand was when he was captured by the White Tower embassy. Sorilea thinks that they feel their shame to the bone (TPoD, Ch. 29)

Quotes

"We intend to offer him escort to Tar Valon. Once he departs for Tar Valon, there will be a need for strength in Cairhien." (Nesune to High Lord Meilan about Rand; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25)

"This entire expedition irritated her. She would have been more than happy to join it if asked, but Jesse Bilal had not asked; Jesse had practically shoved her onto her horse physically. However it might be in other Ajahs, the head of the Browns' council was not expected to behave so. Worst of all, though, Nesune's companions were so focused on young al'Thor that they seemed to have gone blind to all else." (Nesune thinks to herself; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 27)

"I want to study you. I can hardly do that carrying stones or digging holes. They do leave plenty of time for thought, but serving you seems a fair exchange for what I might learn." (Nesune to Rand; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 29)

"By everything I have read, the attempt to use those sa'angreal may result in disaster. Together, they might be strong enough to crack the world like an egg." (Nesune to Rand about the Choedan Kal; Winter's Heart, Chapter 35)

"You wrote a paper on animals of the Drowned Lands, as I recall. Lord Algarin showed me the skin of a large snake he claims came from the Drowned Lands, but I'm convinced it is the same as I observed?" (Nesune to Verin; Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 23)