"I came to the Dragon Reborn in the Stone of Tear," she said. "But he would not have me he even grew angry with my advances. I realized that he, the Dragon Reborn, intended to marry a much higher lady, probably Elayne Trakand. It makes sense he cannot take every realm by the sword; some will have to come to him through alliances. Andor is very powerful, is ruled by a woman, and would be advantageous to hold through marriage."
"Perrin says Rand doesn't think like that, Berelain," Faile said. "Not so calculating. It's my inclination, too, from what I know of him."
"And you say the same thing about Perrin. You'd have me believe they're all so simple. Without a wit in their heads."
"I didn't say that."
"And yet you use the same old protests. Tiring. Well, I realized what the Lord Dragon was implying, so I turned my attentions towatd one of his close attendants. Perhaps he did not 'promise' them to me. That was a poor choice of words. But I knew he would be pleased if I made a union with one of his close allies and friends. Indeed, I suspect that he wished me to do it after all, the Lord Dragon did place me and Perrin togethet for this mission. He could not be frank about what he desired, however, so as to not offend Pettin."
Faile hesitated. On one hand, what Berelain said was purely foolish . . . but on the other, she could see what the woman might have seen. Or, perhaps, what she wished to see. To her, breaking apart a husband and wife was nothing immoral. This was politics. And, logically, Rand probably should have wanted to tie nations to him through bonds of marriage to those closest to him.
That didn't change the fact that neither he, nor Perrin, regarded matters of the heart in such a way.
"I have given up on Petrin," Berelain said. "I hold to my promise there. But it leaves me in a difficult situation. I have long thought that a connection to the Dragon Reborn is Mayene's only hope in maintaining independence in the coming years."
"Marriage isn't only about claiming political advantages," Faile said.
"And yet the advantages are so obvious that they cannot be ignored."
"And this Whitecloak?" Faile asked.
"Half-brother of the Queen of Andor," Berelain said, blushing slightly. "If the Lord Dragon does intend to marry Elayne Trakand, this will give me a link to him."
It was much more than that; Faile could see it in the way Berelain acted, in the way she looked when she spoke of Galad Damodred. But if she wanted to rationalize a political motivation for it, Faile had no reason to dissuade her, so long as it helped distract her from Perrin.
"I have done as you asked," Berelain said. "And so now, I ask your aid. If it appears that he is going to attack them, please join me in trying to dissuade him. Together, perhaps we can manage it."
"Very well," Faile said.
Perrin rode at the head of an army that felt unified for the first time. The flag of Mayene, the flag of Ghealdan, the banners of noble Houses from among the refugees. Even a few banners the lads had made up representing the parts of the Two Rivers. Above them all flapped the wolfhead.
Lord Perrin. He would never get used to that, but maybe that was a good thing.
He trotted Stepper over to the side of the open gateway as the troops marched past, saluting. They were lit by torches for now. Hopefully the channelers would be able to light the battlefield later.
A man came up beside Stepper, and Perrin smelled animal pelts, loam and rabbit's blood. Elyas had gone hunting while he waited for the army to gather. It took quite a keen hunter to catch rabbits at night. Elyas said it was a better challenge.
"You said something to me once, Elyas," Perrin said. "You told me that if I ever grew to like the axe, I should throw it away."
"That I did."
"I think it applies to leadership, too. The men who don't want titles should be the ones who get them, it seems. So long as I keep that in mind, I think I might do all right."
Elyas chuckled. "The banner looks good, hanging up there."
"It fits me. Always has. I just haven't always fit it."
"Deep thoughts, for a blacksmith."
"Perhaps." Perrin pulled the blacksmith's puzzle from his pocket, the one he'd found in Maiden. He still hadn't managed to get the thing apart. "Has it ever struck you as odd that blacksmiths seem like such simple folk, yet they're the ones who make all of these blasted puzzles that are so hard to figure out?"
"Never thought of it like that. So you're one of us, finally?"
"No," Perrin said, putting the puzzle away. "I am who I am. Finally." He wasn't certain what had changed within him. But perhaps trying to think it through too much had been the problem in the first place.
He knew that he'd found his balance. He would never become like Noam, the man who had lost himself to the wolf. And that was enough.
Perrin and Elyas waited for a time, watching the army pass. These larger gateways made it much easier to Travel; they'd have all of the fighting men and women through in under an hour. Men raised hands to Perrin, smelling proud. His connection to the wolves did not frighten them; in fact, they actually seemed less worried now that they knew the specifics of it. Before, there had been speculation. Questions. Now, they could begin to grow comfortable with the truth. And proud of it. Their lord was no ordinary man. He was something special.