Chapter 12 - A Manufactory

Summary

Perrin rides toward Almizar with Banner-General Tylee Khirgan, Captain Mishima, Neald, and Balwer, observing Tinker caravans and reflecting on his responsibility toward Aram and Masema. Balwer slips away with Medore to gather intelligence under a fabricated pretext while the group encounters raken creatures and Seanchan soldiers gambling at a farm. Perrin experiences a fleeting ta'veren glimpse of Mat before dismissing it, focusing instead on counting fifty-one knots for Faile's captivity. Upon reaching Almizar, they enter a farmhouse converted into an administrative office filled with clerks in brown uniforms, where Tylee demands to speak with the local commander while a young clerk coughs persistently nearby.

Characters

• Perrin — Rides toward Almizar wearing a silk coat and a silver-and-gold cloak pin gifted by Faile, while counting fifty-one knots on a leather cord to mark her captivity. He dismisses a fleeting ta'veren vision of Mat to focus solely on rescuing his wife, then follows the Seanchan into an administrative office.
• Tylee Khirgan (Banner-General, General) — Rides alongside Perrin in ornate military attire, now understanding fragments of Common Speech. She comments on local wildlife and Tinkers, offers to free or avenge Faile, and curtly demands to see the commander upon entering Almizar.
• Mishima — Accompanies the group as a scarred captain who finally believes in the reality of Trollocs and Myrddraal after Perrin's warning. He watches Perrin with wary suspicion throughout the journey.
• Neald — A seventeen-year-old man in a black coat who boasts about Tinkers lacking courage before listening humbly to Perrin's account of them protecting children at Emond's Field. He twists his waxed mustache while riding.
• Balwer — A desiccated little man who slips away with Medore under the guise of visiting a friend, actually to gather intelligence on Amadicia under Seanchan rule. He instructs Faile's followers and accepts their reluctant compliance.
• Medore — A tall, dark-haired woman with deep blue eyes who leads Faile's followers while riding behind Balwer. She follows his lead without question, helping to maintain the group's cover story.
• Carlon Belcelona — A clean-shaven Tairen man who takes Perrin's horse and habitually fidgets with his chin and hair while pretending to adopt Aiel customs per Balwer's instructions.
• Clerk — A smooth-faced, younger man possibly from the Two Rivers who sits in the administrative office coughing persistently before Tylee arrives and demands to see the commander.