Sarene Nemdahl

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Author: Atarah al'Norahn

General

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

Sarene is slender, and wears her hair in the braided Taraboner fashion (LoC, Ch. 25; WH, Ch. 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 (NS, Ch. 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." (LoC, Ch. 25; WH, Ch. 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 (NS, Ch. 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 (LoC, Ch. 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 (LoC, Ch. 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 (NS, Ch. 3, Ch. 4).
  • 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 (LoC, Ch. 25).
  • Sarene is one of the Aes Sedai being held by the Asha'man (ACoS, Ch. 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 (TPoD, Prologue).
  • 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 (WH, Ch. 23; Ch. 24).
  • 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 (CoT, Ch. 23).
  • Sarene and Daigian wait outside the room and hold Semirhage’s shield when Cadsuane takes Sorilea and Bair to see Semirhage (TGS, Ch. 14).
  • Rand insists that one of his Aes Sedai be allowed to question Semirhage, so Sarene is given the chance to do so while Cadsuane waits outside the room with Daigian, Erian and Elza, who are holding Semirhage’s shield. Sarene does not know that Cadsuane is watching. Sarene questions Semirhage for three hours without success. When Cadsuane enters the room and begins to treat Semirhage with contempt, having determined the means to break her, Sarene looks shocked. Cadsuane sends her to summon Daigian, Erian, Elza and five servants into the room, which she does. After Cadsuane paddles and humiliates Semirhage, she returns the questioning to Sarene (TGS, Ch. 17).
  • Sarene, Erian and Beldeine are present when Rand confronts Cadsuane following Semirhage’s escape and death. They witness her exile from Rand’s presence (TGS, Ch. 23).
  • When Rand Travels from Bandar Eban to Tear, Sarene, Beldeine, Erian, Corele, Merise and Nesune accompany him. They regard the crowd sagaciously as they make their way through the gateway (TGS, Ch. 42).
  • Sarene, Beldeine, Erian and Nesune find themselves less welcome in Rand’s presence following the incident with Semirhage as his trust of Aes Sedai grows ever thinner. For this reason, they make their way to Cadsuane’s camp (TGS, Ch. 48).
  • Sarene goes with Rand to Tear and fetches Nynaeve for Cadsuane when Alanna disapears (ToM, Ch. 12).
  • While fighting Rand's forces, she falls to her knees, staring vacantly ahead (AMoL, Ch. 42).

Relationships

When they were Accepted, both Moiraine and Siuan knew Sarene well. They considered her a friend, although a nettlesome one at times (NS, Ch. 4). Sarene liked Moiraine, and their friendship carried on after they were raised (LoC, Ch. 25).

Sarene thinks that Galina is too hard for logic, but that great fires roar somewhere in Galina's depths (LoC, Ch. 25).

Sarene swears fealty to Rand because she thinks that it is the logical thing to do (TPoD, Ch. 29; WH, Ch. 13). She and the rest of Elaida's Aes Sedai who are in Tear watch Cadsuane as if suspicious of her intentions towards him (CoT, Ch. 23). As Rand grows less and less trusting of Aes Sedai than ever, Sarene, along with Beldeine, Erian and Nesune, finds herself unwelcome in his presence and makes her way to the camp of Cadsuane, who has been exiled from his presence (TGS, Ch. 48).

Harine dislikes Sarene (WH, Ch. 23). Cadsuane instructed Sarene to spank her if she was uncivil (WH, Ch. 13) and Sarene followed these instructions. Unfortunately, she lost her temper. Harine wishes to forget the incident (WH, Ch. 23).

Visions and Prophecies

  • "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; TPoD, Ch. 29).
  • "Image and auras; a tempestuous love affair, of all things! The woman was ice, however beautiful. And there was nothing useful in knowing some man would melt her!" (Min's viewing of Sarene; TPoD, Ch. 29). It is not known if this occurred before the Last Battle, or if Sarene recovered from Hesselam's Compulsion.

Miscellaneous

  • Egwene was in one of Sarene's classes on the nature of reality (LoC, Ch. 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 (LoC, Ch. 25).

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, Wavemistress. 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)

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