Ashenne was born in Beggar's Alley of Bree-town. Her father, a Blackwold, accidentally killed her mother when she was a child. On the run after murdering his wife, he offered his daughter to the brigands rather than allow the law to find her.

From a young age, Ashenne worked as a pickpocket in Bree-town from noon to midnight and returned to the Chetwood from midnight to noon. When she was fourteen, she stole a colt from a ranch and named him Farrand.

When she was eighteen years of age, the Blackwolds began to conspire with the Nazgûl. Taking issue with the destruction of Archet, Ashenne fled the Blackwolds. She did not get far before finding trouble in the Old Forest. Seperated from her horse and supplies, she wandered the dangerous forest for three days before falling into the Brandywine River and awakening north of Stock.

Finding her way back to the main road one night, a dirty, hungry, wet Ashenne was met by a Bounder named Frendo Twofoot and his cousin, Bria. Introducing herself under the false name Nia, Frendo began to question her connection to the marauding black riders.

Frendo and Bria took her all the way to Michel Delving before deciding she was not a threat. Frendo and Bria helped nurse the runaway brigand to health and the three became good friends. Ironically, during her time in the Shire, criminal Ashenne worked as an assistant to lawman Frendo.

During her time in the Shire, Ashenne didn't take so much as a copper piece that wasn't her own or freely given to her. Frendo taught her to smoke pipe-weed, even giving her a tin of it and a custom-made pipe. He also taught her the basics of the lute. They drank together - though Ashenne was no stranger to drinking.

Ashenne didn't feel right staying and lying, however, and parted ways with her friends. She returned to Bree-land and a life of hunger and poverty. Before long, she was approached by Blackbent, a brigand with whom she had worked previously. She agreed to rob people with him and split the earnings.

However, Ashenne's time in the Shire remained in her mind and she began to have misgivings about what she was doing. She tried to break off her deal with Blackbent and was beaten for it, losing a tooth.

Unable to leave her arrangement any earlier than promised, she tried stealing a bare minimum of items. This resulted in Blackbent selling Farrand to make up the difference.

Blackbent went missing but Ashenne continued to pilfer what she could. This led her to seek Blackbent's fellow Brigands in Combe. To her surprise, Blackbent's replacement, Ceou Leodent, didn't make her part with the treasures she'd taken nor expect her to remain a part of the organization against her will.

Overjoyed, Ashenne took her money and went to seek out her friend. She is still conflicted, however, at the thought of using her stolen money - even to repay the Bounder Frendo.