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===[[Berenene dor Ocmore]]===
 
===[[Berenene dor Ocmore]]===
Sandry is the empress's first cousin, which makes Amiliane fa Landreg the empress's aunt. She is forced to visit Namorn in order to ask the empress to stop taxing her lands. When she realizes that the empress wants her to stay forever in Namorn, she fights back, causing a rift between them. Sandry and her foster siblings are forced to magically fight their way out of Namorn. In order to never have to have a confrontation with her cousin again, Sandry signs her ''clehamat'' over to Ambros fer Landreg.
+
Sandry is the empress's second cousin, which makes Amiliane fa Landreg the empress's first cousin<ref>Pierce, Tamora. [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/48n749/im_tamora_pierce_creator_of_tortall_and_author_of/d0mdbl7 Reddit Ask Me Anything]]. Interview. 03 March 2016.</ref>. She is forced to visit Namorn in order to ask the empress to stop taxing her lands. When she realizes that the empress wants her to stay forever in Namorn, she fights back, causing a rift between them. Sandry and her foster siblings are forced to magically fight their way out of Namorn. In order to never have to have a confrontation with her cousin again, Sandry signs her ''clehamat'' over to Ambros fer Landreg.
   
 
===[[Pershan fer Roth]]===
 
===[[Pershan fer Roth]]===

Revision as of 19:51, 15 March 2016

"I am Sandrilene fa Toren, daughter of Count Mattin fer Toren and his countess, Amiliane fa Landreg. I am the great-niece of his grace, Duke Vedris of this realm of Emelan, and cousin of her Imperial Highness, Empress Berenene of the Namorn Empire..." "
—Sandry to Esmelle ei Pragin[src]

Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, nicknamed Sandry, is an ambient thread mage and a member of House Toren, an Emelanese noble house, and House Landreg, a Namornese noble house. She is the cousin and niece to the rulers of both Namorn and Emelan respectively. She was born to Amiliane fa Landreg and her husband Mattin fer Toren in 1025 KF. She was orphaned in Hatar due to the smallpox epidemic there. Sandry became the foster daughter of Lark and Rosethorn as well as the foster sister of Briar Moss, Daja Kisubo, and Trisana Chandler. She becomes one of the most powerful known thread mages, as well as an adviser to her great-uncle, Duke Vedris IV of Emelan. Since 1035 KF, she was the owner of Landreg, a large estate located in Namorn. While she lived in Emelan, it was overseen by Ambros fer Landreg, her cousin. After some trouble from Berenene dor Ocmore, Sandry bequeathed her lands to Lord Ambros.

Biography

Early life

"I wish I could spin. I wish I could make things stronger. Instead I'm always told nobles don't spin or weave. They say needlework is all I should want to do, and then they tell me I do too much of that."
—Sandry complaining about her upbringing to Lark[src]

Sandrilene fa Toren was born in 1025 K.F. and was the only daughter of Count Mattin fer Toren and Clehame Amiliane fa Landreg[3]. Her parents traveled a lot, so Sandry saw a lot of the world in her childhood. Around 1032 K.F. they visited Bihan, where Sandry saw a porcupine in the woods[4]. Sandry also adopted the unconventional beliefs of her parents and accepted everyone, regardless of standing or nationality. One reason for this is the fact that the nobles Sandry and her parents visited didn't want their children to be influenced by their unconventional beliefs and kept them away from Sandry, leaving the girl with no choice but to make friends with other children, including commoners and Traders[5]. During those travels she also learned Trader ways, mostly from her nurse Pirisi, but also from other Traders whom she met[6]. When they visited Zakdin, the capital of Hatar in the fall of 1034 K.F., a smallpox epidemic struck, and Sandry's parents died of it. She herself was saved by her nursemaid, Pirisi, who was killed by the mob shortly after hiding Sandry magically in cellar[7]. This left the girl alone in a dark chamber and nobody knew where she was, because Pirisi had died and the room was magically concealed. This was the time and place where Sandry first used her magic, braiding light into threads so that she wouldn't have to be in the dark. She spent days there until Niklaren Goldeye, a wandering mage, found her and after a brief stay at the ruler of Hatar palace where she was recovering brought her to Duke's Citadel in Summersea, the capital of Emelan. During the four month journey, it took Sandry the entire journey to recuperate from her ordeal[8]. At the Citadel, Sandry became reacquainted with her great-uncle on her father's side, Vedris IV, the ruling duke of Emelan. He said he would be happy to have her stay, but it would be boring and isolating for her, as he did not keep much company since his wife died.

Orphaned and brought to Summersea

After Niklaren Goldeye rescued her, he brought her to Duke's Citadel, the home of her great-uncle Vedris. As the Duke's wife died, he was in mourning and in no mood to entertain. He said this was the main reason why he hesitated inviting Sandry to stay with him, since he knew she would probably feel isolated and bored. Niko offered boarding to Sandry and Winding Circle, thus negating the problem.

Arrival at Discipline Cottage

Sandry first lived in the Pearl Cup Dormitories with other high-born young girls, who had been sent to Winding Circle to learn away from home. One of her supervising dedicates was Dedicate Quail[9]. She got along relatively well with the other girls, although she kept sneaking off to the loomhouses to watch people weave, incurring the disapproval of her supervisors. After a few months, she was eating in the mess hall at a table with the other noble girls, when a Trader girl walked in. The other children acted with hostility toward Daja Kisubo, and were prejudiced against her and her people. As Sandry was raised by a Trader nurse, she was familiar with the culture and was not prejudiced against it. She offered Daja a seat at her table and introduced Daja with the title Lady. Liesa fa Nadlen was aghast, and Esmelle ei Pragin muttered that if Daja was a lady, then she was a cat. Sandry, who had the most status by far, as the great-niece of the Duke of Emelan and the cousin of the Empress of Namorn, told Esmelle that if she said that Daja was a lady, then Esmelle was probably a cat. This earned a modicum of respect from Daja, who had prejudiced about non-Traders as well.

After a while, Sandry was sent to stay at Discipline Cottage, a house run by Lark and Rosethorn for children with magical abilities. She was sent away because she kept sneaking away to the loomhouses[10]. Daja had also been sent to Discipline after being attacked by kids who hated Traders, as did Briar Moss and Trisana Chandler for different reasons. The adults chose not to inform the children of their magical abilities and instead claimed that Discipline was a house for misfits.

Magical student

First days at Discipline

On her first afternoon at Discipline, Sandry sneaked into Lark's workroom because of her interest for working with thread and cloth in all possible manners, not only in embroidery. She was surprised to find that Lark didn't tell her off for having an interest so unfitting for her standing. Instead Lark taught her how to spin and weave.

Incident in Summersea

Sandry and her housemates at first did not get along very well, as they came from very different lives and cultures. Sandry was the one who was most open to becoming friends with all of them, however, and made efforts to get them to like her. When Briar stole a shakkan from Dedicate Crane, Sandry stood between the angry dedicate and novices and Briar and told them to leave. When the four were brought to Summersea so that Lark and Rosethorn could sell their magic wares, they were given permission to wander. Sandry saw a few town boys torturing a puppy and attacked them, demanding that they stop. As they didn't know who she was, they attacked her back. Daja came to Sandry's aid to pay off her original debt to the other girl. Briar, who had been in these sorts of scrapes since he was young, noticed the fight, and joined readily, as he had missed fighting. Tris accidentally created a waterspout that was destined to destroy the entire main street. Lark arrived at the scene and used her magic to unwind the spout. A mob of angry townspeople came to confront the children and demanded that they be arrested for destruction of property. Duke Vedris had heard the commotion and came as well. This was the first time that it was openly revealed that the four were mages.

Earthquake

Tris, as a very powerful weather-mage, had been feeling rolls in the ground that were later revealed to be earthquakes predicting a very large earthquake. At one point, the four were out walking when the big one occurred and became stuck in a pocket underground. They had managed to survive because of their individual magic. Individually, they did not have the power to free themselves and Tris was convinced that they were going to die. Sandry was also deathly afraid, as her experience in Hatar had caused her to develop a phobia of the dark. She did remember one of her lessons from Lark, which said that if they make a pattern, then the magic would be more powerful. She had created a string of thread that had four distinct lumps, and she used that in order to weave their magics together in order to become powerful enough to survive and escape. They each poured their magic and the thoughts they held dear into their lumps, thus weaving a circle. This made them have the power to keep the land from crushing them. They were later rescued by Lark, Rosethorn, Niko, and Dedicate Gorse.

Pirate attack

In the summer of 1035 KF, invisible pirate ships were spotted by Daja Kisubo while walking on the beach. These were later revealed to be pirate scouting ships, under guise of magic so that they couldn't easily be seen by the naked eye. Pirates who were under the rule of Pauha the Pirate Queen and her brother Enahar started the attack after their agent Aymery Glassfire destroyed all the scrying mirrors in the Hub. They used devices called boom stones, which exploded upon impact, on the temple. Dedicate Skyfire, a war mage who used to serve the king of Sotat was the head of the defense. Because many people were injured, Sandry and Lark were put to work making bandages.

Tris realized that her cousin Aymery betrayed them and started throwing of lightning. Sandry was the only one brave enough to approach her, and she was protected from the lightning because of their joint magic. Because Sandry weaved them together, they started to communicate without speaking through their magical connection. They could also give each other magical strength. This occurred when Briar entered Rosethorn's pattern to help her. This was the first time when the adults realized how strong the children were because of this, as they should not have been able to break into pattern magic done by a great-mage.

When the four heard that they were to be evacuated because of the pirate attack, Tris sneaked off in order to face Enahar on her own with her lightning magic. Because of their connection, they knew that she had gone off on her own and they followed her to help. They joined hands and attacked the ships with magic. However, Enahar gained control of Tris because of blood magic, and the earring that he imprisoned Aymery with was in Tris's hand. The adults realized what was happening and brought the children their thread circle, thus giving them power over Enahar. They destroyed the earring, thus freeing Tris, and destroyed the pirate ships with their teachers.

Forest fires in Gold Ridge

The four were brought to the Emelanese fief of Gold Ridge, located north of Summersea in order to investigate the drought and help with it. The lady of Gold Ridge, Inoulia fa Juzon, had married into the Toren family, and was thus considered a relative of Sandry. Because of the drought, Vedris fer Toren had accompanied them to see what Lady Inoulia wanted. When the lady heard that Sandry was studying magic at Winding Circle, she voiced her disapproval, and said that the University of Lightsbridge was far more suited to nobility because of its credentials. When she heard that Sandry wove, something that was considered beneath a noblewoman, even more disapproval was voiced. Lark explained that since Sandry was an ambient mage, she was naturally born to weave and was better off at Winding Circle.

The four's magics, which had merged together because Sandry wove them together, began to display funny things. Because there was no blockade between their magical connections, each of them began accidentally using elements from each other's magic. For example, Sandry was admiring the metal embroidery on a warrior's uniform and accidentally melted the pattern and changed the design—though this ended up being more attractive than before. Briar was inspecting a bunch of plants and accidentally burned them with Tris's lightning. Daja was working metal in a smithy, and drew magic from Briar, creating a living metal object that grew and never died. She also encased her hand in the metal and required help from her teachers to free her. As a solution, Lark devised a plan for Sandry to map their magics and for her to reweave them out separately so that they did not have anymore accidents. This required the other three to give Sandry their magic so she could perform this task. Frostpine was extremely angry to learn that Sandry had taken Daja's magic without informing him. However, the plan worked after a while and their magics were returned to them without incident. They could still communicate through their magic without speaking and lend each other strength and power.

Yarrun Firetamer, Lady Inoulia's pet mage, had been keeping the fires at bay. This was considered problematic to the mage teachers, who knew that containing natural power would only create a worse fire later on. Neither Firetamer nor Inoulia would listen, and the teachers ended up having their students make poultices and bandages in preparation for the large fire.

Daja was sent to accompany Tenth Caravan Idaram with Polyam to say goodbye, which was awkward because she was trangshi. They ran into one of the biggest forest fires ever in the area. Daja was able to keep the fire at bay and from destroying the caravan with her foster-siblings' help. Sandry wove the flames together in order to tame them and to contain them temporarily.

Blue pox plague

Back at Winding Circle, a plague broke out due to the sewers flooding because of extensive rains. Sandry and Lark were put to work weaving for the plague. After an incident at Urda's House, after Rosethorn and Briar were forced to stay there in quarantine, Rosethorn was put to work with Crane in order to make a cure. When Briar voiced his disapproval and said that Crane should find another great-mage to help him, Crane was shocked and informed the four that each other their teachers were considered to be some of the greatest mages to have ever lived, and that they were unaware of the honor and quality of their instruction. This was the first time Sandry heard about Lark's credentials and reputation, although Tris was already aware of Niko's.

When Rosethorn succumbed to the plague and was considered unfit in searching for a cure, she was quarantined at Discipline. Sandry and Lark took good care of her and ensured her comfort. As Rosethorn died, Briar plunged in after her into the void. Sandry, Tris, and Daja all physically and magically grabbed onto them, and were able to pull Rosethorn out of death.

Moonstream, the Dedicate Superior of Winding Circle, forbade any of them of talking about what had happened, as it would be considered way too strange.

Accreditation

Sandry and her foster-siblings received their mage's credentials at thirteen, making them veritable prodigies in magic. Although their teachers downplayed the honor and the importance of this, they ran into people later who treated them with jealousy and even hatred because they wore the credential so young. This was mostly a problem to Tris, who had been treated poorly by adults in her field due to jealousy and envy. Sandry, who did not need to rely on the credential for people to take her seriously because of her noble birth, didn't run into as much of the envy and the silly tests as her foster-siblings did.

After the four became accredited, the other three wanted to see the world and to study abroad. Sandry said they should all go and that she didn't mind, but in reality she was sad about it, but knew her duty was with her great-uncle and in Summersea.

Sandry lived four years at Discipline cottage.[11] She moved to Duke's Citadel to aid her great-uncle and remained there.

Life at Duke's Citadel in Summersea

Vedris's heart attack and recovery

Duke Vedris suffered from a near fatal heart attack in the Mead Moon of 1039 KF. After Sandry moved in to help her great-uncle recover his health, she gave him magical strength to help him. She was assigned to guards, Oama and Kwaben, who had watched her cocoon the duke's medical staff in curtains and thread when they did not obey her wish of seeing him. At first, Sandry took over the day to day tasks to do with the Citadel while Vedris was recovering. His seneschal, Erdogun fer Baigh, welcomed the help and grew to trust Sandry greatly. She became aware of the economic and political players of Emelan, such as the Rokat family.

New student and series of murders

During a horseback ride with her great-uncle, Sandry witnessed Pasco Acalon doing dance magic at the beach in order to lure fish into the fishermen's nets. She approached him and informed him of his magic, which he denied. Osabo Netmender's grandmother gave Pasco more compensation than usual as she knew it was bad luck to underpay a mage.

After a member of the Rokat family was murdered, Sandry insisted on joining her uncle at the crime scene. She discovered the use of unmagic, a type of magic that is devoid of all things good in the world. This made the investigation more dangerous.

When she was enjoying tea with her great-uncle and Baron Erdogun, Pasco was admitted into the room and informed Sandry that he had accidentally floated his cousins up in midair and that he was unable to get them down. Sandry went to his aid, using the occurrence as a valuable lesson. She taught him meditation, and said that she would help him as long as he agreed to take lessons with her. As she was the accredited mage who discovered his power, it was her duty to train him until a mage of the same type was located and brought to Summersea. As Pasco agreed to train, Lark had located one of her old friends from when she was an acrobat: Yazmín Hebet, a famous dancer who had traveled all over the world to dance. Pasco was extremely excited to learn from her, and informed Sandry excitedly that Hebet had performed for the Yanjing emperor for years and had received gifts made of pearls and other precious gems. Sandry was amused when watching their first dance lesson, as Hebet was unrelenting and made Pasco do splits.

She began to get more involved in the investigation of the serial murders. Members of the Rokat family believed the murderers to be affiliated with the Dihanur family, a rival merchant clan. The Dihanurs and the Rokats had been in a blood feud ever since a Rokat severed the head of one of the Dihanur elders and displayed it for the city to see. Sandry teamed up with Wulfric Snaptrap, a harrier mage, in order to find the murderers. During the investigation out in the field, Snaptrap was murdered in front of Sandry by someone who was invisible.

The dedicates at Winding Circle came up with a plan to lure the murderers and the unmage into a trap. Volunteers from the Rokat family said they would stay in their house for the trap, and publicly declare that they were not afraid of the murderers. It was decided that Sandry would weave unmagic gathered during the investigation into a net, and that Pasco would dance the same magic dance that he did to lure fish into the Netmenders' nets. At first, Vedris refused to let Sandry be involved in such a dangerous plan, but Lark convinced him.

After Pasco danced, Sandry sent him away—later she would discover that he did not leave. When the bait fell into the trap, Alzena Dihanur grabbed Pasco and threatened to kill him in front of Sandry if she did not release them. Sandry was forced to tear Alzena, Nurhar and the Unmage to pieces in order to save her student. This haunts her for sometime later.

Permanent residence at Duke's Citadel

Visiting Lark some time later Sandry is assured of their close relationship and decides to permanently move into Duke's Citadel in 1039 KF while Lark's new student, Comas, may live in her old room at Discipline cottage[12].

At the Citadel, she becomes the veritable new head of house and director of management. Baron Erdogun relied on her to do many things, and complained if someone asked him something that she have been directed to Sandry. Throughout the years, she became an expert in diplomacy and politics as well as finance and investment, and was counted as one of the Duke's top advisers. Sandry also read Namornese quite well because she received reports of her estates from Ambros fer Landreg, her steward. She did not enjoy reading these, though, and shirked a bit, not noticing the rise in taxation over the years.

As noted by Berenene dor Ocmore, Sandry seemed to be uninterested in marriage, although she engaged in a few serious flirtations from acquaintances in Emelan.

When Daja Kisubo returned from her two years abroad in 1041 KF, Sandry pestered the other girl about opening her mind. As Daja was considered too old to take up residence at Discipline again, she was forced to buy a house in a wealthy part of Summersea. She resented that Sandry did not inform her that she could not live at Discipline anymore, and refused to open her mind to her foster-sister. Sandry did visit that house, but was saddened that Daja did not want to live with her and Duke Vedris in the Citadel. She was also mad that Daja had been in the area for a couple of weeks and had bought a house without telling Sandry of her return. They became distant, still good friends, but not as close as they were.

The next to arrive back in Summersea was Trisana Chandler, who was paranoid that her foster-siblings would reject her once they discovered her newly found abilities. She was offered residence at Daja's house, as it was now known that they would be unable to move back into Discipline, even if they wanted to. Tris also refused to open their old magical connection. When Briar Moss returned a year later, he refused as well.

Visiting Namorn

Start of the journey

Vedris's seneschal, Baron Erdogun, accidentally informed Sandry that Berenene dor Ocmore, the Empress of Namorn and her cousin[3], had threatened to end trade with Emelan and to tax Emelanese goods[13] in order to punish Vedris for keeping Sandry away from her duties in Namorn. When she heard, she was livid, and vowed to go to Namorn so that no one in Emelan would be inconvenienced on her account. She began to plan her trip. Her great-uncle was very worried for her, as he knew Berenene well and that Sandry might be endangered in Namorn. He asked her foster siblings to go with her, even though he knew that they were at odds for the most part. Sandry, still in a humph because they refused to open their bond, started making courtier clothes for them so they could be presented at the imperial court in Dancruan.

They joined up with a Trader caravan to get to Namorn. During the journey, they bickered, and Tris and Briar teamed up against Sandry quite a bit when they felt that she was getting the least bit noble-minded.

They came into contact with Berenene when she and her hunting party chased Chime back to the four mages. Pershan fer Roth, the Master of the Hunt, mistook the four for peasants, a gaff which Briar and Tris made fun of him for. Berenene recognized Sandry because she looked like Amiliane.

Presentation to the imperial court

Once they arrived at the Landreg townhouse in Dancruan, they were immediately settled in. Sandry had been working on her magic and peace of mind, so that she created a web that extended across the whole house so she would know who came and went. She felt Ambros arrive and came down to greet him, where she found the cook Wenoura, Briar and Ambros chatting in the kitchen area. Ambros informed her that she and her friends would be required to present themselves to the empress the next morning.

Sandry and company were presented to the court in the Hall of Roses, a great hall in the Imperial Palace. Each of them were in clothes made by Sandry for this purpose, so they all looked quite stunning. When they were announced, the other three were given the title Viynain or Viymese, meaning mage. They were surprised, as they had not introduced themselves as such to Berenene, but nevertheless brought out their mage medallions, incurring disapproval and envy from elder mages who watched.

Sandry was introduced to Ishabal Ladyhammer, the empress's top mage, and Quenaill Shieldsman. The empress also introduced her to Finlach fer Hurich and Jakuben fer Pennun, two noblemen in the empress's inner circle. Sandry realized that the empress chose them for her so that she would marry one of them and stay in Namorn almost immediately, showing that Berenene had underestimated her. Sandry was also given a very delicate political test, showing her knowledge of diplomacy and politics. This was also when the four were introduced to Rizuka fa Dalach, the empress's Mistress of the Robe.

While Empress Berenene was showing Briar the greenhouses, Sandry flirted with Shan, the Master of the Hunt. She learned that "snare the heiress" was a public game and that everyone knew of it. Daja ran into someone she had met during her time in Kugisko, Zhegorz Fiavrus, who was a patient at Yorgiry's Hospital before the fire that Bennat Ladradun set destroyed it.

Sandry decided to go see her Landreg estates. This surprised Briar, Tris, and Daja, who were not told of this plan. Briar and Tris yelled at her about it afterward. Berenene sent Jak, Fin, Rizu, and a young woman called Caidlene fa Sarajane with them to see Landreg with Ambros.

Landreg

During the journey to Landreg Castle, Sandry noticed that roads were in serious need of repair. When she confronted Ambros, he explained that Clehame Amiliane was very clear in her directions, and that the money was always due to the owner of the estates. Sandry was humiliated and angry with herself because she knew that hints and clues had always been in the multitude of reports that Ambros had sent to her in Emelan, and she realized that the lack of repairs was mostly her fault. She told him that he did not have to send her any money for three years, and that that should be enough to repair the roads. Later that day, Sandry met Ambros's four daughters as well as his wife Ealaga fa Landreg.

One night in Landreg Castle, Sandry was awakened by a woman called Gudruny Iarun. The woman explained that she had been forced into a marriage because of a practice called bride kidnapping that was common in Namorn. Her husband had taken her when she was quite young and had broken her spirit so that she would marry him. Gudruny had two children with him, but was subjected to daily domestic abuse. Gudruny explained that only a woman's liege lord or lady could release them from such a union, either them or the empress herself. Sandry learned with horror that Berenene not only had not gotten rid of the practice, but often refused to release any woman who appealed to her because she claimed that a woman silly enough to be taken was a "caged bird by nature". Sandry was also horrified to learn that when her mother had visited Clehamat Landreg, she had ignored Gudruny when the woman tried to appeal for help and rode by her twice. Sandry vowed that she would free Gudruny and the woman's children from Halmar Iarun.

The next morning, a ruckus woke them. It was revealed to be Halmar the miller looking for his missing wife. He demanded that she be returned. After Sandry yelled at him for a few minutes, she released Gudruny from Halmar. As she acted high and mighty, this earned her snide remarks from Briar and Tris, but they did think she was right to free Gudruny.

Sandry, Ambros, Tris, and a group of men-at-arms decided to visit Pofkim, a village located on Clehamat Landreg. Sandry was shocked to discover that the bridge and the riverbanks needed repairs, and told Ambros that he could have the emeralds that her mother left her, which shocked Ambros. On the way back from Pofkim, the group was attacked by Yeskoy fer Haugh, Dymytur fer Holm, and a group of warriors who wanted to kidnap Sandry and force her to sign the marriage contract. Sandry used her magic to unstitch their clothes, saddles, saddlebags, and other useful and necessary things.

Later, Berenene's court made a surprise visit to Landreg Castle. Berenene claimed that the summer palace, Sablaliz, made a perfect place to stay while they entertained Sandry. Fin and Jak, who had made friends with Sandry and had not been wooing her, jumped to, since they knew Berenene was watching them. This made Sandry retreat to a small garden, where she was approached again by Shan who flirted with her.

The four were called to Sablaliz and the court every day to do whatever the empress chose. Sandry reopened her bond with Daja.

Return to Dancruan

The four again became swept into the parties at the Imperial Palace in Dancruan, this time with Gudruny and Zhegorz in tow. Gudruny insisted on waiting on Sandry, knowing that the servants talked ill about her mistress and her friends. During a party one night while dancing with Fin, Sandry needed to sit down because she had just felt Daja kiss Rizu because of their open magical bond. She then was kissed by Shan while she was getting some air. To hide her confusion and her giddiness, she grabbed Jak when she entered the hall and danced with him. This angered Fin.

There was to be a function in the Imperial Hall of the Palace—the most important hall—to welcome the Lairanese ambassador to Dancruan. The ambassador was a distant cousin of both Berenene's and Sandry's. Fin was selected to take Sandry to the function. He claimed that Sandry was to take the place at Berenene's right, usually reserved for the heir, Princess Maedryan. As they were turning a corner, Fin drugged Sandry and carried her to the Julih Tunnel. Sandry woke up later in a box with magical wards spelled against thread magic. Sandry was forced to use the thread circle to contact Briar, since Daja was with Rizu and Tris was playing with lightning. After Briar and Tris rescued her, Sandry demanded an audience with Berenene, who was accompanied by Ishabal Ladyhammer and Quenaill Shieldsman. Sandry informed them that she would leave the country immediately and return to Emelan. Berenene ordered the arrests of Fin and Notalos fer Hurich, Fin's uncle who helped him with the mage work.

Escape from Namorn

Sandry started packing immediately, but through tantrums that were dealt with by Gudruny Iarun. Briar bandaged her feet. Daja was cofused, and Sandry told her that she had to choose between Rizu and Sandry. She basically accused Rizu of knowing that Fin or Jak would use the custom against her, which made Rizu leave the room and slam the door. Sandry realized that she might have been wrong, so she told Daja that Rizu was welcome to come with them. She was met at Landreg townhouse by Shan, who still believed her to be ignorant of the knowledge of him being the empress's lover. Sandry refused all offers of marriage, but cried about it later with Ambros, and mourned that the next man she fell in love with would not be as handsome as Shan fer Roth.

On the road, Sandry and her friends were put to sleep by a powerful spell cast by Quenaill Shieldsman. Sandry was taken by Shan. It is later found out that Shan started planning to kidnap Sandry the moment he knew that she liked him. Sandry dealt with Shan, the guards, and two good mages easily before going back to her entourage.

They were met at the border by Ishabal Ladyhammer, other mages, and warriors. Sandry had already sent most of her entourage ahead, including Gudruny and the maid's children, and Zhegorz, so that no one would feel the brunt of imperial disfavor should the four fail to break through the border. Ishabal rose the border. At first, Sandry and her siblings tried breaking through individually, but to no avail. Finally, they realized they should use the thread circle that Sandry had spun so long ago. Tris was closer to the border than before, and joined up magically. Combined, they easily destroyed the border, leaving Ishabal and the other mages drained of all power.

Signed over lands

After their escape, Sandry's three foster siblings urged her to give her lands over to Ambros. At first, this was met with a flat refusal from Sandry and an exclamation that the lands were hers and that this was her family's legacy. Daja pointed out that it was also Ambros's legacy, and that he had put a lot more work into it than Sandry could even dream of. The others also pointed out that if Sandry kept the lands, and even if Ambros did a very expensive double booking to enroll Sandry's tenants as his own, the empress could still raise taxes again and force Sandry back into Namorn, this time with more great mages waiting.

So, on the 11th or 12th day of Mead Moon, Sandry signed her lands and title over to Ambros, effectively making him Cleham fer Landreg, or Count of Landreg. Zhegorz stayed with Ambros, saying that a count who was not the empress's favorite could benefit from someone who could hear and see things on the winds. Gudruny and her children went on back to Summersea with Sandry and her siblings.

Physical description

She is described as having light brown hair prone to sun-streaks, bright corn-flower blue eyes and an unusually small button nose. Sandry is a slim, fine-boned girl with a stubborn chin[14]. At the age of ten she is a hand's length smaller than five feet[15]. Four years later she has grown to be five feet four inches tall[2]. She is described as very pretty at age fourteen by Pasco Acalon, her student, and while visiting Namorn by her suitors Fin and Jak. Sandry only very seldomly wears breeches, if at all. Instead she usually wears dresses as is seemly for a young lady. While wearing simple clothes at Discipline she wears dresses more fit to her rank as a noble in the presence of her great-uncle, because she knows that he likes to see her dressed suitably for her rank[16]. Once her skill in the craft improved she made the cloth for her dresses herself as well as the dresses themselves. Due to her magic her clothes are normally without wrinkles and stains don't stick to them.

Personality and traits

Briar: "Did I ask you to stick your neb in my life?"
Sandry: "You didn't, but that's all right. I'll do it anyway. I'm like that."
— Briar Moss and Sandrilene fa Toren the day after their arrival at Discipline cottage[src]

Sandry is usually a very talkative[17], good-natured person who easily makes friends and doesn't look at people's standing in society. She isn't easily intimidated by hard words, they just "rolled off Sandry the way rain poured off her [waterproof] cloak"[18]. Sandry is also very determined, as can be seen repeatedly, like when she refused to let go of the subject of Briar's birthday until he eventually picked one and thus satisfied his foster sister.

Sandry matures as the books go on, but still tends to be a bit 'uppity' about certain things. In "The Will of the Empress", we see a potential romantic interest in the form of Pershan fer Roth (Shan), but that is later dispelled when Sandry finds out that he is the Empress' current lover. Though she claims to dislike flirting, and be opposed to the idea of marriage, Sandry's infatuation with Shan is clear. Of all her suitors in the Will of the Empress, Jak is the one she likes most, but only as a friend.

One of the main arguments between the four during The Will of the Empress is the others' hesitation and refusal to open their minds. Sandry is the only one who doesn't understand this, saying that things should be the way they were. The others see her outbursts as childish. One could argue, though, that she is quite experienced in the ways of the world. Before going to Namorn, she is active in politics and economics. She has made herself extremely wealthy in Emelan off of investments and other economic and fiscal ventures. She is also counted as one of her great-uncle's chief lieutenants in terms of policy and advising. Her cousin, Empress Berenene, also underestimates Sandry's knowledge of politics and foreign diplomacy. Ishabal Ladyhammer recognizes this and knows that Vedris fer Toren, a wise and careful ruler, counts pretty little Sandry as one of his top people.

Because she comes from noble family, Sandry is somewhat naïve. However, through the series she is shown as a very loyal friend, and does not judge people by their place in society. She has a very strong sense of justice and obligation. Briar mentions her as one of the bravest persons he knows, and describes her as a great listener. Daja has commented that she 'has too good of a heart.' When first introduced, Sandry was the only one who wanted to befriend everybody, and during The Will of the Empress, she is the only one of the four to want to "reforge" their circle. She also chooses to forget her status as a noble and treats most people as equals, and uses her status only when very angry. Sandry is also known for her fear of the dark, and goes to sleep with a globe of light created by her friends.

Magical abilities

Thread magic

Sandry: "I don't want to take shortcuts. I want to learn to weave well."
Lark: "That's why you'd be so good at weaving—you care for the work, not just the magic."
— Sandry and her teacher, Dedicate Lark, when she teaches Sandry how to weave magically before teaching her how to weave right[src]

Since childhood, Sandry has always wanted to learn how to spin and weave, but because of her social status, both crafts are considered unseemly. Instead, Sandry spent many hours embroidering, to the point where she was scolded for doing it too much and damaging the skin of her hands. During the Smallpox Epidemic in Hatar that killed her parents, she was locked in a small room to keep her safe from rioters. When she ran out of light she realized that she is capable of braiding light into silk threads. She was found and rescued by Niklaren Goldeye, a powerful mage, and taken to Discipline cottage of Winding Circle where she meets three other children with magical abilities. Together, they learn how to control and use their unusual magic. There Sandry is taught by Lark how to weave and spin properly but also magically. Her powers include calling loose threads to order or smoothing wrinkles out of clothes. She can also imbue cloth with magical protections and weave cloth which won't get dirty or wrinkled.

During the blue pox, nearly a year after she began her studies with Lark, Sandry learned how to lay spells into cloth after it was woven. To do this a spelled oil was worked into the fiber.[19]

Spinning pure magic

When an unexpected earthquake trapped Sandry and her three companions in an underground cave, their individual magics, although powerful, could not reach far enough to protect them. In an act of desperation, Sandry spun the fibers of their power into an abstract thread, using the first corporeal thread she'd ever spun as an anchor for the working. The working causes their magic to mingle and leak into each other, a process only halted when Sandry weaves a cloth map of their respective powers, with dividers blocking them from leaking any further, months later. While being guided by Lark it is Sandry who performs the task of splitting their magics again, first mapping their powers and later separating it by a second weaving. Lark comments that not even she can map pure power or manipulate someone else's power[20].

According to Dedicate Lark, her teacher, Sandry is the only mage known to have spun pure magic. In spinning her and her friends' magic, Sandry makes them all much more powerful, allowing them to speak mind to mind and to each have a little of the others' magic. For instance, they all can see magic a little like Tris and weave their own magic like Sandry. After the Forest Fire of 1035 in Gold Ridge they use their thread, plant, heat and metal magic together to create an artificial leg for Polyam, the trader who lost her leg in a mountain slide. Daja works on the project in gratitude for being given the opportunity to remove her trangshi Trader status.

At the beginning of the pirate attack of 1035, Daja is on a longboat in the harbor while pirates use catapults and blast a hole in one of Emelan's wargalleys. The other three are at home sleeping but feel what's happening. When Daja cuts their connection, Sandry grabs her first thread with the four lumps in it that combine all of their magic. Briar and Tris join her and they are linked again to Daja. After a day making bandages with magic, Sandry is very drained but feels much better after the four are linked. Lark thinks that Sandry drew power from the bond since the thread contained magic from all four mages. Later the four merge their magic to beat the pirates. Niko asks Daja where she got the strength to help since she should have been exhausted from her work on the longboat. Daja admits that Sandry's thread gave her the power to continue.

Sandry spins magic again to capture the Dihanur murderers, when encountering a young unmage embroiled in a war between two organized crime families. This time, the rope of Unmagic is knotted into a web similar to a fishing net, and Pasco performs a summoning charm on it designed to trap the Unmage and his handlers. The Unmage and the assassins are literally torn to pieces by this net.

Relationships

Parents and nurse

Sandry was the only child of their parents and they seem to have loved their daughter. Naturally Sandry mourned them after their death and still does, but she has found support and a new family in her great-uncle and foster siblings and thus the grievance for her parents is manageable for her. Her nurse Pirisi was just as important to her than her parents and she, too, loved Sandry although she had children of her own. She even hid her noble charge and sacrificed herself by drawing the mob away from Sandry's hideout to save her young mistress.

Duke Vedris

In her time at Winding Circle Sandry has developed a very close relationship with her great-uncle. She worries for him like a daughter would for her father and he in return wants only the best for his great-niece. After his heart attack Sandry even left Discipline to live with him at Duke's Citadel in order to be better able to look after him. The duke takes his young kinswoman seriously, even listening to her when matters of state are concerned and sometimes seeking her advice. There are rumors that the duke will change the order of accession so that Sandry will rule instead of his own sons. Sandry doesn't believe these rumors, but her foster siblings think enough of it to mention it to her Namornese cousin.

Namornese relatives

Sandry's relationship to her cousin in Namorn, Berenene dor Ocmore, is less close. She doesn't like the power-hungry empress much and only reluctantly decides upoin going to Namorn and only after much convincing on Vedris' part. After their first meeting she likes her cousin Ambros fer Landreg more, who looked after her Landreg estates for Sandry. She sees that he really cares for the people and the land he is responsible for and that's why she eventually bequeaths him with the estates. Before they met in person Sandry didn't look forward to his regular reports because she found them tedious.

Lark

Sandry has also developed a close relationship to her primary teacher, Lark.  Lark is the closest thing to a mother Sandry has, and loves her teacher dearly. Lark also recognizes her love for the girl. Sandry often visits Winding Circle in order to ask Lark's advice and just to talk. 

Housemates

Sandry was the first of the four young mages brought to Discipline to see the others as friends, even though they still denied it. She wasn't intimidated by Briar's less than noble ways or by Tris' gruff responses. She didn't even care that the other girls of her dormitory didn't like a Trader sitting with them but invited Daja to sit at her table when the other girl first came to Winding Circle. Even though she knew she would miss her friends, who have by then grown as close as siblings, the unselfish Sandry encouraged them to go traveling with their teachers because she knew that this was what they wanted. However, she is quite disappointed when the others return only years later and that they closed their minds from Sandry.

Pasco Acalon

Pasco is Sandry's first student. Even though their relationship is not as close as Sandry and Lark's, they get along quite nicely after some time. At first he refused to believe her, however, and even tried to avoid her and her strange ideas. Only after his magic got away from him and Sandry talked to his parents did he begin to accept her as his teacher and to trust Sandry. They soon learned to get on, and Sandry became quite proud of her young mage student - albeit exasperated at some points. She had to kill the Dihanur murderers and their mage to save Pasco and prevent them from escaping.

Berenene dor Ocmore

Sandry is the empress's second cousin, which makes Amiliane fa Landreg the empress's first cousin[21]. She is forced to visit Namorn in order to ask the empress to stop taxing her lands. When she realizes that the empress wants her to stay forever in Namorn, she fights back, causing a rift between them. Sandry and her foster siblings are forced to magically fight their way out of Namorn. In order to never have to have a confrontation with her cousin again, Sandry signs her clehamat over to Ambros fer Landreg.

Pershan fer Roth

Sandry develops a friendship with Shan, thinking he understands her predicament. She does not want to be caged as an ornament of the empress's court, and Shan jokes with her. She starts to really like him, but then hears that he has been lying to her and he is the empress's lover. She refuses to marry him. Shan tries to kidnap her instead, underestimating the stitch-witch's power, and she defeats him. She mourns that there probably will not be another man for her who is as handsome as Shan fer Roth.

Family tree

Trivia

Tamora Pierce is thinking about another novel centered about Sandry. It will take a while until she has a fitting idea, probably something political, however, and until she has time to write it as she has several other books contracted for, which have to be written first.[28] Sandry will not appear in the next scheduled Emelan book, which centers about Evvy, Briar and Rosethron in Yanjing, but she might perhaps make an appearance in the planned book about Tris[29]

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. The Will of the Empress, Cp. 1 (p. 1; Scholastic)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Magic Steps, Cp. 2 (p. 18; Scholastic paperback)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Sandry's Book, Cp. 3 (p. 39/40; Scholastic paperback)
  4. Sandry's Book, Cp. 4 (p. 63; Scholastic paperback)
  5. Sandry's Book, Cp. 4 (p. 78; Scholastic paperback)
  6. Daja's Book, Cp. 6 (p. 103; Scholastic paperback)
  7. Daja's Book, Cp. 6 (p. 104; Scholastic paperback)
  8. Sandry's Book, Cp. 2 (p. 23; Scholastic paperback)
  9. Sandry's Book, Cp. 4 (p. 60; Scholastic paperback)
  10. Sandry's Book, Cp. 5 (p. 93; Scholastic paperback)
  11. Magic Steps, Cp. 2 (p. 19/21; Scholastic paperback)
  12. Magic Steps
  13. The Will of the Empress, Cp. 2 (p. 34; Scholastic)
  14. Daja's Book, Cp. 1 (p. 16; Scholastic paperback)
  15. Daja's Book, Cp. 1 (p. 18; Scholastic paperback)
  16. Briar's Book, Cp. 2 (p. 21; Scholastic paperback)
  17. Daja's Book, Cp. 8 (p. 131; Scholastic paperback)
  18. Briar's Book, Cp. 1 (p. 2; Scholastic paperback)
  19. Briar's Book, Cp. 4 (p. 59; Scholastic paperback)
  20. Daja's Book, Cp. 6 (p. 110; Scholastic paperback)
  21. Pierce, Tamora. [Reddit Ask Me Anything]. Interview. 03 March 2016.
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Sandry's Book (electronic edition) Ch. 2.
  23. Tumblr post "Frequently Asked Questions Volume 1". At the Wayback Machine August 12, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Daja's Book (electronic edition) Ch. 3.
  25. 25.0 25.1 Sandry's Book (electronic edition) Ch. 3.
  26. 26.0 26.1 The Will of the Empress Ch. 3. (Scholastic hardback, pg. 76.)
  27. Magic Steps Ch. 3 (Scholastic paperback, p. 43).
  28. Random Buzz; "Welcome to Random Buzzers, Tamora!"; #90683; April 16, 2009
  29. Random Buzz; "Welcome to Random Buzzers, Tamora!"; #90656; April 16, 2009

See also