Siuan Sanche

Siuan Sanche (pronounced swan [http://www.dragonmount.com/RobertJordan/?p=21] ) is a character of the "Wheel of Time" fantasy series by Robert Jordan.

The sharp-tongued daughter of a fisherman from Tear, Siuan Sanche joined the White Tower at the same time as Moiraine Damodred. Both ended up choosing the Blue as their Ajah and they plotted a scheme to ensure that the Dragon Reborn will win the Final Battle by allowing him to roam the world unleashed with an Aes Sedai guide by his side. At the beginning of the saga, Siuan is the Amyrlin Seat, secretly supporting Moiraine's machinations of Rand al'Thor.

All that came to a halt when Elaida discovered Siuan and Moiraine's scheme and overthrew her. As punishment for "endangering the White Tower", Siuan and her Keeper, Leane Sharif, were stilled (cut off from touching or using Power) and slated for execution. They managed to escape with the help of Min and ended up with Logain in their party as they searched for the rebel Aes Sedai.

Siuan fell afoul of the disgraced Andoran general, Gareth Bryne, when Logain assaulted the owner of and set fire to the farmhouse barn they were sheltering in. Under a false name, Siuan gave an oath of servitude to Bryne but then escaped with the others. Bryne, in a moment of folly, pursued her to Salidar, where the rebel Hall immediately made him the commander of their armies. Siuan was thus forced to pay off her debt to Bryne, a fact that annoys her as much as the fact that she feels strongly attracted to him, which seems to be mutual. In Knife of Dreams, when fuming over the chores Bryne left for her, Siuan's line of thought brought her to think: "...and he never so much as tried to kiss her... Where had that line come in! Whatever Egwene said, she was not in love with Gareth bloody Bryne, she was not!"

In Salidar, Siuan managed to put herself in a position of power through the spy network she had maintained as Amyrlin and could still access. Her stilling was Healed by Nynaeve al'Meara, and although her strength is far less than before, giving her a low social rank among the Aes Sedai, she was begrudgingly accepted back to the shawl and has been reinstated as a member of the Blue. She eventually came to serve Egwene al'Vere as a trusted advisor in their fight against Elaida, schooling the hurriedly raised young Amyrlin Seat in the skills she herself learned during her tenure in that position. She firmly believes in the importance of allowing Rand al'Thor to stretch and learn his skills instead of leashing and chaining him the way Elaida intended to.