Willow Kendell is the great great granddaughter of an Ayyad couple who escaped from Shara on a Sea Folk vessel. The pair settled in Ebou Dari and intermarried with the Kin. This established a line of nearly all chanellers in the Kendell rank. Willow's father went mad when she was nine, and her mother and two brothers barely escaped with their lives. Her brother Mylan died of a strange disease very shortly afterwards, and Willow and her living brother Warly were kidnapped from their own home and sold to a menagerie. Willow was 'apprenticed'to an old herb-witch of the place, who taught her tricks. Willow believes entirely in witchery, but does not think it evil. She can channel, as trained by the old woman, but does not understand the concept of 'magic' without componants. When a man tried to force himself upon her and her brother tried to stop him, Willow was forced to channel to save them. They ran from the place in search of the only home that might provide solace to the pair of them, the Tower of Chasaline.