Daerid Ondin

Daerid Ondin
Biographical Information
Nationality	Cairhienin
Current status	Alive
Physical description
Gender	Male
Height	Short
Build	Slender
Hair	Shaven
Eyes	Hard
Chronological and political information
First appeared	TFOH 43
Last appeared	LOC 38
Last mentioned	TGS 34
Affiliation	Band of the Red Hand
Occupation	Soldier
Rank	Lieutenant-General

Daerid Ondin is a lieutenant-general in the Band of the Red Hand.

Appearance

He has a scarred face and a nose that has been broken more than once.

History

He was born roughly in the year 960 NE in Cairhien. He is a "good fifteen years" older than Talmanes Delovinde, who was born around the year 975 NE.

He has been a soldier all his life. As a commoner he has risen to his position solely on merit - infantry is the one arm generally neglected by the nobility of the Westlands who generally prefer the dash and pageantry of armored cavalry.

Due to his social rank, he would have normally been condemned to remain a relatively minor military commander who merely carries out the orders passed down from his superiors.

Activities

When Mat first meets him he is a Cairhienin soldier who is in charge of an infantry unit. He is saved by Mat who warns him that an Aiel ambush party lies up ahead during the battle outside Cairhien.

He helps fight the Aiel that try to assassinate Mat.

He later rises to command the infantry forces of the Band of the Red Hand.

He later gains the rank of Lieutenant-General, third in line to command after Mat Cauthon and Talmanes Delovinde - this rank, in effect, gives him the social rank of a noble, both in the Band and in the eyes of those that deal with the Band. While other nobles may not respect him as their social equal, still considering him a commoner, they are generally shrewd enough to respect the power he represents - power backed up by cold steel.

In addition, his high rank in the Band is quite likely to be a motivator to the mass of commoners that make up the Band, for his rank makes it clear that ability is rewarded in the Band, regardless of a man's origins.

He joins Talmanes and Aludra in the underground cavern with the dragons during the Last Battle. He helps command the dragoners as they fire through gateways at targets on the surface. He sees Talmanes smile for perhaps the first time ever, and comments that it's horrifying, but that he should maybe do it more often.