She is commonly portrayed as a hero, and lover to her Warder, Anselan, but Birgitte reveals that she was an Accepted who bonded a Warder before she was raised to Aes Sedai and was forced to pass the bond to another Aes Sedai as punishment. Once she was raised, she was forced to bond Anselan, a much older man. The story of Barashelle and Anselan is detailed in The Flame, the Blade and the Heart.