Chapter 14 - Wolfbrother

Summary

Perrin Aybara utilizes his new ability to communicate with wolves to track Padan Fain and the Darkfriends south, then reports this to Lord Ingtar Shinowa, who masks Perrin's secret by claiming he has inherited Hurin's sniffer talents. As the party pursues the trail, they witness the gruesome aftermath of a Trolloc massacre and are approached by Verin Mathwin, who has ridden from Cairhien. Verin questions Ingtar about Rand al’Thor’s disappearance, displaying sharp awareness despite her outwardly distracted demeanor, and insists on riding with the party to learn more about the Dragon Reborn.

Characters

• Perrin (sniffer, Young Bull) — Perrin connects mentally with the wolf pack, receiving their fury at Trollocs and Fain’s scent, then reports the tracking data to Ingtar. He conceals his true abilities by adopting the guise of a new sniffer, enduring Mat’s skepticism while forcing himself to suppress the wolves' desire to kill the Darkfriends.
• Mat (only sane one left) — Mat remains suspicious of Perrin’s sudden claim of sniffer skills, mocking him as crazy while worrying about the missing Rand. He rides with the party, voicing disparaging remarks until Verin arrives, then notes that Verin is likely searching for Rand rather than the Horn.
• Ingtar (Lord, Shienaran lord) — Ingtar demands answers for the vanishing of Rand, Hurin, and Loial, then accepts Perrin’s fabricated sniffer identity to maintain control over the party’s perception. He rides with Verin, answering her detailed questions about Rand while keeping the truth of Perrin’s abilities hidden from the rest of the group.
• Uno — Uno searches the ground with frustration, reporting no tracks before validating Perrin’s new sniffer status when he finds Trolloc tracks later. He accepts Ingtar’s explanation for Perrin’s abilities and rides with the party toward the south.
• Ragan — Ragan searches for tracks alongside Uno and Ingtar.
• Masema — Masema participates in the track search and spits skeptically at the news of Perrin being a sniffer, though he rides with the group after the initial doubt.
• Verin (Aes Sedai, Sedai) — Verin rides rapidly to catch up with the party, initially feigning absent-mindedness before sharply questioning Ingtar about Rand’s disappearance. She deduces the strangeness of the situation and insists on riding with them to learn everything about the young man, dismissing concerns about the Horn.