Chapter 23: Wolfbrother

Perrin and Egwene struggle through the wilderness toward Caemlyn, surviving on foraged tubers and the rare rabbit. Egwene tries to channel the One Power to light their campfire but cannot manage more than a trickle of smoke.

Days from any settlement, they stumble upon Elyas Machera, a grizzled woodsman with golden yellow eyes who has been watching them. Elyas lives among wolves and can communicate with them—an ability he says is older than the One Power itself. When Perrin and Egwene try to hide their true story, the wolves sense the lies and force them to reveal the truth about Trollocs and their flight from Shadar Logoth.

The wolves declare that Perrin shares Elyas's gift—he too can talk to wolves—though Perrin desperately denies it. Elyas and the pack agree to guide them south toward Caemlyn, but as they settle in for the night, Perrin feels the angry wolf Burn and a dozen others break away, and realizes he sensed them with his mind.