Chapter 25 - The Traveling People

Description

During a peaceful stay with a Tinker caravan in the woods, the group learns more about the Tuatha’an way of life, particularly their philosophy of nonviolence called the Way of the Leaf. While Egwene finds herself drawn to a young Tinker named Aram, causing tension with Perrin, the group’s hosts - Raen and Ila - share a disturbing tale about a dying Aiel woman who delivered a cryptic message about the Dark One’s plan to “blind the Eye of the World” and “slay the Great Serpent.” The evening ends with an emotional moment between Perrin and Egwene, where she seeks reassurance about their missing friends’ survival, while Perrin continues to wrestle with his growing connection to the wolves that howl in the night and haunt his dreams.

Characters

  1. Bela - Shows nervousness around wolves through her eye movements while carrying Egwene.
  2. Egwene - Rides Bela while attempting to hide her fear of the wolves, repeatedly denies being afraid, and watches anxiously for the rest of the pack.
  3. Perrin Aybara - Struggles with his newfound ability to sense wolves' locations and activities, attempts to ignore this connection, and experiences wolf-related dreams that seem increasingly normal.
  4. Lan, Elyas Machera - Leads the group while demonstrating his connection with wolves, reveals the presence of Tuatha'an nearby, and shares meals and conversation with Raen's people despite apparent reluctance.
  5. Raen - Serves as the Seeker (Mahdi) of his Tuatha'an band, welcomes the travelers with formal ceremony, and shares stories about Aiel women encountering Trollocs in the Waste.
  6. Ila - Welcomes the travelers warmly as Raen's wife, tends to cooking at their fire, and expresses concern about her grandson Aram's struggles with the Way of the Leaf.
  7. Aram - Flirts persistently with Egwene, explains the Way of the Leaf, and shows signs of struggling with his people's pacifist beliefs.
  8. Dapple, Hopper, Wind - Three wolves who accompany and guard the group while maintaining their distance from the Tuatha'an camp.
  9. mastiffs - Guard dogs who initially confront the group but submit to Elyas's control and later play gently with Tuatha'an children.

Takeaways

  1. The Tuatha'an (Tinkers) reveal a dying Aiel woman's prophecy about the Dark One planning to "blind the Eye of the World" and "slay the Great Serpent," warning about the coming of "He Who Comes With the Dawn."
  2. The Tinkers follow a pacifistic philosophy called the Way of the Leaf, which prohibits all violence, causing tension with Perrin's worldview and Elyas's way of life.
  3. Egwene forms a connection with a young Tinker named Aram and enjoys dancing with him, leading to tension with Perrin and revealing her underlying worry about Rand and Mat's safety.
  4. The wolves continue to maintain their connection with Perrin, appearing in his dreams despite his attempts to ignore them.
  5. Raen and Ila reveal that some Tinkers who cannot follow the Way of the Leaf become "the Lost" and must leave their people, showing the strict nature of their beliefs.