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Faile Bashere
fah-EEL bah-SHEER
Nationality:
Saldaean
Year of Birth:
981 NE
Gender:
Female
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Dark
Other Names:
Mandarb, Zarine
Article Author:
JosieSedai
Page Contents
Basic Information
Actions During the Story (Spoilers)
Character Summaries (Spoilers)
Basic Information
Appearance
She is 5’7” and slim. She has black hair just past shoulder length, dark tilted eyes, high cheekbones, a wide mouth and a bold nose, also sometimes described as a hooked nose.
She is often described as exotically beautiful.
Personality
Faile is prone to anger and aggression, and often jealousy. She has a short temper, and great passion in all things. She is also particularly intelligent and manipulative; she knows how to get what she wants from others. Faile has a longing for adventure and excitement, she’s not afraid to take control of a situation or to place herself in danger when necessary. She is brave, bold, and a natural leader.
Spoilers Below!!!
Actions During the Story
Actions Before the Story
Faile is not alive until after the start of the story, being born in the years after the Aiel war.
New Spring
Faile is not alive until after the start of the story, being born in the years after the Aiel war.
Actions Between the Books
Faile was born as Zarine Bashere to Davram t’Ghaline Bashere and Deira ni Ghaline t’Bashere in 981 NE. She is the cousin of the Queen Tenobia, her father the Marshal-General of the Saldaean army and uncle of the queen, and so had a noble upbringing and education. After the death of her two older brothers, she became manager of the house’s estates, much to her disappointment. She preferred action and adventure to bookkeeping and seamstressing.
Eye of the World
Faile is not present in this book.
The Great Hunt
Faile is not present in this book, but is likely heading to Ilian to take the oath as a Hunter for the Horn after running away from her parents and responsibility in Saldaea.
The Dragon Reborn
Faile left her Saldaean home for Illian to take the oath as a hunter for the Horn. She travelled with two other hunters, Orban and Gann, who believe the horn to be in the Forest of Shadows. After an encounter with Aiel, which left Orban wounded, Faile waited in the village of Remen in Altara while Orban healed from his wounds.
It was in Remen that Faile met Perrin Aybara, Moiraine Damondred, Lan al’Mandragoran, and Loial the ogier when they came to the inn where she was staying. Faile witnessed Perrin freeing the caged Aiel Gaul, and fighting the Whitecloaks who tried to stop him. She boarded the Snow Goose after them and decided to travel with them on her search for the Horn. After learning from Perrin that Lan’s horse’s name is Mandarb, she chose the name Faile, meaning falcon, a name that her father used to call her. She conceals the identity of her father, and the truth of her identity/upbringing.
She travelled with the companions, after Moiraine begrudgingly gave permission, through Illian and to Tear. In Tear Faile sets off a trap (a small hedgehog shaped ter’angreal) that was meant for Moiraine. She is trapped in Tel’aran’rhiod, where Perrin saves her with the help of Hopper. After the rescue, their feelings for one another are acknowledged.
The Shadow Rising
When the book starts, we find Faile staying in the Stone of Tear with Perrin. She has befriended two Maidens of the Spear, Bain and Chiad. She and Perrin are in their rooms discussing leaving Tear when Perrin’s axe attacks them in a bubble of evil. Perrin forces her out of the room so he can stop the axe from killing them both. Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron, the First of Mayene, begins flirting with Perrin, causing a long-lived rivalry between Faile and Berelain. Perrin and Faile protect one another’s backs during the shadowspawn attack on the Stone of Tear.
Perrin decides to go to Emond’s Field when he hears Whitecloaks have descended on his home, and refuses Faile’s request to accompany him (as he intends to turn himself in to the Whitecloaks to save his people). She tricks Loial into taking her through the ways, forcing Perrin and Gaul to follow behind Loial, Bain, Chiad and herself through the Ways to Emond’s Field. They are attacked at the Ways by trollocs, a fade, and Machin Shin.
In Emond’s Field, Faile is present when Perrin learns that his entire family has been killed. She comforts him and helps him to grieve the loss. Faile accompanies Perrin to the old sick house where they meet up with Verin Sedai and Alanna Sedai and their warders, as well Tam al’Thor and Abel Cauthon. The party stops at the al’Seen farm, where they meet Lord Luc, on the way to Watch Hill to rescue the Whitecloak prisoners. After an ambush of trollocs, Perrin and Faile go to a Tinker camp where they rest for awhile before going back to Emond’s Field for Perrin to be healed. Before the attack on Emond’s Field, Perrin sends Faile to get help from Queen Morgase, in a veiled attempt to rescue her from the battle. Faile agrees to go, if Perrin will marry her. They are married in the Winespring Inn that night, and she and Bain go north, but only to Watch Hill, bending her promise to Perrin. She brings an army back to fight, and ultimately help win,the battle of Emond’s Field.
Fires of Heaven
Faile is not present in this book.
Lord of Chaos
Faile threatens to kill Alanna if she tries to bond Perrin. She holds court in Emond’s Field, as the Lady of the Two Rivers, as Lord Perrin is not inclined to be a Lord, or to dispense justice on his village people. When Perrin feels the pull to return to Rand, Faile goes with him. They march to Camelyn along with an army of Two River’s men.
Faile and Perrin meet with Rand in the palace. At first Faile doesn’t like Min, thinking she is interested in Perrin after their warm greeting, but then she realizes Min is in love with Rand. Both of Faile’s parents are at the palace, and she confronts them about her marriage to Perrin. After the confrontation, they both accept the marriage.
Faile and Perrin Travel with Rand to Cairhein, where Berelain is steward. Berelain continues her pursuit of Perrin, causing Faile to smell angry and hurt and to give Perrin the cold shoulder for the remainder of the book. When Rand is kidnapped by the Aes Sedai, Faile gives Perrin Rand’s sword to take with him in the rescue attempt. She chooses to stay behind at the palace.
A Crown of Swords
When Colavaere names herself Queen of Cairhien, Faile takes a position as one of her attendants to spy. In front of Rand, his cohort, and all the nobles, Faile accuses Colavaere of treason and the murder of Lord Maringil and Meilan Mendiana. Faile is concerned that Rand and Perrin are under Aes Sedai control, but after being assured from multiple people that the Aes Sedai swore fealty to Rand, and after Perrin gets angry with her, the two make up. Faile joins Perrin on a secret mission to Ghealdan to deal with Masema (under the pretense that they have been exiled from the Dragon Reborn’s presence).
Path of Daggers
While in Ghealdan, Faile meets Maighdin (actually Morgase) and her entourage. Faile takes them on as her and Perrin’s servants. Queen Alliandre of Ghealdan pledges herself to Perrin, with Faile’s help. Faile’s personal followers, who call themselves Cha Faile, are made up of men and women from Tear and Cairhien. Faile uses them as her spies, and they report to her on their scouts of Bethal.
Cha Faile alerted her that Masema was meeting with the Seanchan, but before she could take this information to Perrin, she, Alliandre, Maighdin, Arrela, Lacile, Bain and Chiad are captured by Sevanna’s Shaido. Berelain escapes the attack and carries word to Perrin of their capture.
Winter's Heart
Faile and the other prisoners are marched, then carried naked to the Shaido camp to be made gai’shain. Rolan carries Faile. Galina, who is a captive of the Shaido, heals their frostbite, then induces her to retrieve Therava’s binder, a ter’angreal, with promises of assisting escape. Therava and Someryn, meanwhile, sets Faile and the others to spy on Sevanna. Faile does what is necessary to stay alive, and work towards her escape, along with the others who she feels responsible for.
A Shaido named Nadric assaults Faile, but she is saved by Rolan, a Mera’din. When Galina reports Faile’s stolen knife to Sevanna, who has her stripped and hogtied, Rolan again comes to comfort her and massage her knotted muscles. Many other gai’shain have pledged fealty to her, in hopes of escaping with her. She tasks those who have sworn to her to help in her machinations, working towards their escape.
Crossroads of Twilight
One of her faithful gai’shain, Theril, manages to steal the binder (oath rod) Faile was after for Galina. She hides it in a building in town, and after an argument, agrees to meet Galina in town the next morning. Faile, Alliandre, Maighdin, Arrela and Lacile go into town to meet Galina, with hopes of her assisting escape. Galina insists that they go into the basement of a burned out building, where she collapses the staircase on the party and escapes with the binder. Maighdin, being the only one in the party with a small ability to channel, makes a red handkerchief wave unnaturally to signal for help. Theril sees the signal and alerts Rolan, Jhoradin, and Khirgan, who free them from the rubble. At the same time Perrin and party are attacking the Shaido camp. Perrin sees Rolan leading Faile and kills him with his hammer. Faile and Lacile stab the other two Mera’din in the back.
Knife of Dreams
Faile and her Cha Faile secretly hunt down and kill Masema and the last of the Dragonsworn, knowing that Perrin can’t. Faile has complicated feelings about the death of the man who protected her. Perrin tells her that he doesn’t care what she did to survive, and she doesn’t tell him that the one he killed had been her protector, as it would be too painful for him. Late in the night, she, Arrela, Lacile, and Alliandre meet in the woods to hold a ceremony to remember the Mera’din and the Maiden who died protecting them.
The Gathering Storm
Faile continues to train her husband in leadership as they travel from Ghealdean to Andor. They come across land affected by the creeping Blight, which Perrin orders burned. She continues to be a valuable leader in their party, selecting members of the scout party they send to Cairhien, surveying the camps and reviewing the quartermaster’s ledgers, in the process discovering shady dealings and deftly warns him to stop. Faile surprises Perrin by celebrating their one-year anniversary, Shanna’har in Saldaea, but in Two Rivers style. They spend the evening with a picnic on the hill, sharing thoughts about Perrin’s leadership, past details about his encounters with the Whitecloaks and about Hopper, and her time as prisoner to the Shaido. Perrin feels like he finally has Faile back.
Berelain is still spreading rumors about her and Perrin, and rumors of them sleeping together during Faile’s capture are still rampant, causing issues for Perrin with the others in the party. The conflict with Berelain comes to a head when Faile threatens to duel her to the death in a knife fight. To put an end to the rumors they agree to pose as friends.
Faile is present for the meeting with the Whitecloaks on the battlefield, and Perrin’s continued request for parley. They finally agree to a parley, during which Galad and Berelain meet and become smitten with one another, and Galad reveals Maighdin to be his step-mother, Queen Morgase. Faile is angered to learn the identity of her maid. Galad and Perrin agree to a trial, with Morgase as the judge. She is walking through the camp when a bubble of evil causes the weapons to attack their owners; her belt knife attacks her, and Sulin smashes it on a rock. She helps Berelain drive her knife into the ground, saving her life. This final act seems to quash the rumors for good. Worried about the trial, Faile sends spies, Lacile and Selande,into the Whitecloak camp, and charges Dannil Lewin with preparing an escape for Perrin in case the trial goes badly. She is denied the right to speak at the trial. Perrin is found guilty of illegal killing, instead of murder, and his punishment is handed to Galad who delays his sentence until after the Last Battle.
Perrin gathers the armies to march to where the Whitecloaks are camped. Berelain worries that he is going to attack the Whitecloaks, but Faile assures her he wouldn’t do that. She, Berelain and Alliandre are at the back of the armies when they attack the Trollocs who were descending on the Whitecloaks. The three make bandages for the wounded after the battle, and Faile thanks Perrin for saving the Whitecloaks.
Faile is present when Perrin marries Morgase and Tallanvor, at their request. She chides Perrin for the brevity of the ceremony. Faile releases Lamgwin and Breane to Morgase’s service. Morgase offers to speak with Elayne on Perrin and Faile’s part, as to their claiming lordship over Two Rivers, which is part of Andor. When they speak with Elayne, Faile does most of the talking, and they come to an agreement that Andor will cede the Two Rivers and Perrin will be the steward for the Lord Dragon to excuse the political advantage they will have. They discover Rand’s plans and travel to the Field of Merrilor to prepare for the Last Battle.
Towers of Midnight
Faile is present for the meeting of the monarchs for the Dragon’s Peace. She also signs the documents, at Rand’s behest, in case she rises to a position of power. Faile agrees to coordinate the food supplies for the Last Battle, but when Elayne asks Perrin to get the Horn of Valere from the White Tower and bring it to Mat, he suggests Faile for the task instead.
Faile, along with 50 members of the Band of the Red Hand, including Olver and her own trusted companions, travel to Tar Valon. In Tar Valon they pick up supplies, and a chest of what is supposed to be Two Rivers tabac, but actually contains the Horn. A bubble of evil occurs as they are Travelling back to the Field of Merrilor, and they end up in the Blight instead. At Setalle’s suggestion, they walk to Shayol Gul where Rand is fighting to see if someone there can transport them back to the Field of Merrilor. On the journey, she sees Vanin and Harnan with the Horn, and mistakes them for darkfriends. She banishes them, but the two follow the party through the Blight.
The caravan comes across The Town and decide to pose as a caravan for the Shadow, to sneak through one of the gateways the Shadowspawn are using to ferry supplies. They use the gateway to travel back to the Merrilor, but Aravine (a former gai’shain who had sworn herself to Faile, and is posing as the merchant of their caravan) betrays them, and they are captured. Aravine admits to being a darkfriend, and states that she intends to take the Horn to Demandred. Olver stabs one of the women holding them, and Faile manages to escape, with Vanin and Harnan taking down the trollocs blocking her way. Faile throws a knife into Aravine’s back, recapturing the horn. She doubles back to give the horn to Olver, telling him to get it to Mat. She leaves in the opposite direction, leading the Shadowspawn away from the hidden Olver.
After the Last Battle, Perrin finds Faile by searching in the wolf dream. She is near death on the battlefield, trapped under a horse corpse. He carries her to Nyneave, who heals her.
A Memory of Light
Character Summaries
Special Abilities
Faile is well-educated in many subjects, including geography, accounting, history, political maneuvering and language. She is an excellent horse-rider. She is also a skilled fighter, with hands and feet in close quarters, with combat/throwing knives which she produces with a flourish, and later, with a Two-Rivers bow.
Notable Possessions
Briefly, the Horn of Valere, until she gives it to Olver.
Legacy
With both of her parents and Queen Tenobia deceased, Faile will become Queen of Saldaea.
In Other Media
Faile has not yet been cast in the upcoming Wheel of Time adaptation by Amazon Studios.
