Chapter 25 - The Traveling People

Summary

Perrin and Egwene continue their journey south with Elyas Machera and his three wolves, Dapple, Hopper, and Wind, eventually encountering a camp of Tuatha'an Tinkers. Elyas uses a special whistle to calm aggressive mastiffs that confront the group, allowing them to join the Tinkers for the night under the leadership of Raen and his wife Ila. Raen explains the Tinkers' search for a lost song and shares a disturbing report from the Aiel Waste regarding a dying Aiel warrior girl's warning about the Dark One. Meanwhile, Aram, Raen’s grandson, charms Egwene with his gentle nature, causing tension with Perrin, who later comforts Egwene after she expresses distress over her missing friends before they settle down for the night.

Characters

• Perrin — Perrin travels with the group, relying on his new ability to sense the wolves' positions. He questions Raen about the Tinkers' pacifist 'Way of the Leaf' and listens to the story about the dying Aiel girl, later confronting Egwene about her feelings for Aram before comforting her with the assurance that Rand and Mat are alive.
• Egwene — Egwene travels on her mare Bela, initially displaying fear and skepticism toward the wolves. She is charmed by Aram's gentleness and dances with him, but later becomes distressed and seeks reassurance from Perrin regarding the safety of their friends before retiring for the night.
• Elyas — Elyas leads the group through the woods, walking alongside them while the three wolves scout. He calms the Tinker's aggressive mastiffs with a whistle and leads the travelers into the camp where Raen welcomes them, remaining wary of the Tinkers' pacifism and protective of Perrin and Egwene from Raen's attempts to convert them.
• Dapple — Dapple is one of the three primary wolves accompanying Elyas, appearing alongside Hopper and Wind.
• Wind — Wind is one of the three wolves traveling with Elyas, present alongside Dapple and Hopper throughout the journey and the stay with the Tinkers.
• Bela — Bela is the shaggy brown mare ridden by Egwene, who rolls her eyes at the wolves and carries Egwene through the woods and into the Tinker camp.
• Raen (Seeker, Mahdi) — Raen is the gray-haired leader of the Tuatha'an band, known as the Seeker. He welcomes Elyas and the youths to his fire, explains the Tinkers' search for a lost song, and recounts a report from the Aiel Waste about a dying warrior girl's warning regarding the Dark One.
• Ila — Ila is Raen's wife, a tall woman with a motherly demeanor who welcomes the travelers, prepares food, and expresses concern about Elyas's violent lifestyle to her husband.
• Aram (grandson) — Aram is a slender young Tinker and Raen's grandson who adheres to the 'Way of the Leaf.' He charms Egwene with his gentle demeanor and dances with her, contrasting sharply with the defensive attitude of Perrin.