Chapter 35

Perrin and Lan quietly prepare to leave Remen after the chaos from freeing the Aiel. Perrin warns Loial to slip out unseen, then hastily gathers his gear. Avoiding the busy common room and an argument with Moiraine, they use a back stair to reach the stable, where Lan’s coin and presence silence questions and get the horses saddled fast.

Under cover of darkness, the group leads the horses to the docks. Lan bargains with Captain Jaim Adarra of the Snow Goose for immediate passage, and the crew hoists the uneasy horses aboard while Perrin soothes them. Moiraine and Lan go below as the boat pushes off; Perrin remains on deck, brooding.

As the ship shoves away, a young woman sprints from the warehouses and leaps aboard. She pays for passage and pointedly stands by Perrin. She reveals sharp observations: identifying Moiraine as Aes Sedai, Lan as Warder, Loial as Ogier, and Perrin as the man who freed the Aiel and fought Whitecloaks. She declares herself a Hunter of the Horn, first calling herself Mandarb, then, after Perrin notes the Warder’s horse bears that name, admitting her given name is Zarine Bashere.

Zarine explains her Hunter’s logic: strange trails lead to the Horn, and this company’s trail is the strangest she’s seen. She shares theories about the Horn’s hiding place, debating Manetheren and ancient cities in the Mountains of Mist, while Perrin tries to deflect her toward that fruitless search and away from his party.

Unmoved, Zarine insists she will not hinder them and intends to follow them toward Illian. Before Perrin descends below, she adopts the name Faile, meaning “falcon,” which startles him and recalls Min’s viewing. Uneasy, Perrin leaves her on deck as the Snow Goose glides into the night.