Chapter 38 - Rescue

Summary

While being marched toward Caemlyn as prisoners, Perrin and Egwene are taunted and threatened by the emotionless Child Byar, who hints at a plan to let them escape to save time. Before Perrin can decide whether to trust this hint or fear a trap, Lan Mandragoran ambushes and disables the guards and Byar, allowing Perrin and Egwene to steal their cloaks. Under the cover of a lightning storm summoned by Moiraine, the group escapes the Whitecloak camp and reunites with Nynaeve, who has retrieved Egwene’s horse, Bela. At a hidden camp, Nynaeve heals Perrin’s bruises, while Perrin and Lan discuss Elyas Machera and Perrin’s newfound ability to communicate with wolves. Lan warns that the Dark One may be interfering directly with Rand and Mat, urging the group to reach Caemlyn quickly to find their friends before it is too late.

Characters

• Perrin — Bound and marching behind a horse, Perrin endures the cruel treatment of Child Byar and fears for himself and Egwene. He is rescued by Lan, steals a Whitecloak cloak, and reunites with his friends. He later has his bruises healed by Nynaeve and learns from Lan that his connection to the wolves may be the work of the Dark One, though Lan clarifies the ability itself is ancient.
• Egwene — Pinned and marched alongside Perrin, Egwene is woken by Byar and helped in the escape by Lan. She reunites with Nynaeve and her horse Bela, and later receives healing for her wrists while anxiously inquiring about the whereabouts of Rand and Mat.
• Byar (Child Byar) — A gaunt Whitecloak who mercilessly kicks and taunts his prisoners, Byar reveals his intention to let Perrin and Egwene escape on a rock to save time, though his lack of emotion leaves Perrin suspicious. He is swiftly struck down and disabled by Lan during the escape.
• Lan (Warder, Lord of the Seven Towers) — Lan ambushes the prisoners' guards and Byar, silencing them without killing them, and leads Perrin and Egwene out of the camp under Moiraine's lightning storm. He reunites with the group, confronts Nynaeve about her oath, and discusses the threat of the Dark One with Perrin regarding Rand and Mat's safety.
• Moiraine (Aes Sedai) — Moiraine waits for Nynaeve to return, confirms that Rand and Mat are likely in Caemlyn, and examines Perrin's eyes, noting that his changing irises are not an illness but a change in the Pattern.
• Nynaeve (Wisdom) — Nynaeve arrives on Bela, rescuing Egwene and Perrin from the camp. She tends to Perrin's bruises with a fast-acting ointment and confronts Moiraine about Perrin's condition. She shares her frustration with the Aes Sedai regarding the search for Rand and Mat.
• Dapple — Through Perrin's mental link, Dapple confirms that Elyas is alive and tending a wound in a cave. She later sends a message to Perrin promising that they will meet again, streaked with anticipation and resignation.
• Elyas (Elyas Machera) — Elyas is seen by Perrin in a mental vision transmitted through Dapple, lying on a bed of evergreen branches in a cave and tending to a wound in his side, confirming he survived the encounter with the Whitecloaks.
• Bela — The shaggy brown mare, previously cut free by Nynaeve from the Whitecloak camp, arrives at the rendezvous point with Nynaeve on her back, reuniting with Egwene.