Doral Barran

Author: Atarah al'Norahn

DOOR-ahl BAHR-rahn

General

Doral Barran was the Wisdom of Emond's Field before Nynaeve (TEoTW, Glossary). She was the oldest woman in Emond's Field, and possibly in the whole Two Rivers (TEotW, Ravens Prologue).

Doral had white hair. Despite her frailness, she was clear-eyed and not stooped at all (TEotW, Ravens Prologue).

Nynaeve became her apprentice at the age of 14. Many people thought that Doral should have sent Nynaeve off to live with her relatives in the country when she became an orphan, and that she should have taken on an apprentice older than Nynaeve (TEotW, Ravens Prologue). Her first apprentice died because she could not control her ability to channel (TEotW, Ravens Prologue; Ch. 21).

Miscellaneous

• Doral watches Nynaeve like a hawk while Nynaeve bandages Bili Congar's leg at the annual sheep shearing. When Nynaeve is done, Doral unwraps the bandage to peer at Bili's leg, and seems disappointed as she looks at his wound. Perhaps she had been hoping Nynaeve had Healed it (TEotW, Ravens Prologue).

• She often praises Nynaeve publicly for being such a quick learner (TEotW, Ravens Prologue).

• Doral tells Nynaeve that not all Wisdoms can listen to the wind as they claim, only the best. She says that Nynaeve is one of the best (TEotW, Ch. 21).

• When Egwene has breakbone fever, she sets Nynaeve to watch over her. When Doral returns, Nynaeve has unknowingly Healed Egwene. Doral makes over Nynaeve more than Egwene, and Nynaeve thinks that Doral believes she has given something to Egwene and is too afraid to admit it (TEotW, Ch. 21).

• Doral switches Mat when he tries to cut open a firework when he is 10 (TDR, Ch. 40).

• When Emond's Field is struck by spotted fever, Doral makes everyone walk around with brandy soaked handkerchiefs clutched to their noses because it will help stave the fever off (CoT, Ch. 30).

Quotes

Doral Barran was the oldest woman in Emond's Field, maybe in the whole Two Rivers, white-haired and frail, but still clear-eyed and not stooped at all. (Egwene; The Eye of the World, Ravens Prologue )

"You've played the fool often enough in the past, Bili Congar," Mistress Barran said sternly, "but drinking while handling wool shears is worse than playing the fool." (Doral to Bili Congar; The Eye of the World, Ravens Prologue )

"I was still apprentice to Mistress Barran, and she set me to watch Egwene. I was young, and I didn't know the Wisdom had everything well in hand. It's terrible to watch, breakbone fever. The child was soaked with sweat, groaning and twisting until I could not understand why I didn't hear her bones snapping. Mistress Barran had told me the fever would break in another day, two at the most, but I thought she was doing me a kindness. I thought Egwene was dying. I used to look after her sometimes when she was a toddler -- when her mother was busy -- and I started crying because I was going to have to watch her die. When Mistress Barran came back an hour later, the fever had broken. She was surprised, but she made over me more than Egwene. I always thought she believed I had given the child something and was too frightened to admit it. I always thought she was trying to comfort me, to make sure I knew I hadn't hurt Egwene." (Nynaeve to Moiraine; The Eye of the World, Chapter 21)