Chapter 23: Wolfbrother

Perrin and Egwene push south from the Arinelle toward Caemlyn, taking turns on Bela and living off the rare rabbit and a few wild tubers. Egwene keeps trying to light their fire by channeling the way Moiraine showed her, but the most she can manage is a thread of smoke.

Days from any village, they smell a cookfire and find Elyas Machera, a sun-browned man dressed in skins, with eyes as yellow as a wolf's. He has been watching them for two days. Four wolves walk into the firelight and lie down at the fire, with more waiting in the trees.

Elyas says the wolves can read their minds, and the cover story Egwene tells about being from Saldaea comes apart at once. Perrin gives the real account instead, from Winternight on. Elyas explains that talking to wolves is older than the One Power, and that the wolves say Perrin can do it too. Perrin denies it.

Elyas agrees to lead them south in the morning. The scarred wolf Burn, who only wants to hunt Trollocs, breaks off into the dark with a dozen young males. Perrin feels them go, and feels Burn's hatred as clearly as his own thought.