The Wheel of Time Companion

by Robert Jordan

  When a penance was imposed by another, the terms could be set by whoever imposed it or the sister could be required to set the terms herself, according to the circumstances.

  A sister could take a penance on herself, because of some wrong she believed she had done, for example, or because of some perceived personal failing, perhaps some flaw that she had allowed to get the better of her, as she saw it. That was done to forestall the imposition of a penance from without, but also from a true remorse.

  Although a penance and the punishment handed out to novices or Accepted were often identical on the surface, in the eyes of Aes Sedai they were very different. This apparent similarity between the punishments given novices and Accepted and the penances suffered by sisters had another likeness. As one of the Accepted was often punished more harshly than a novice for the same offense, so a sister’s penance was frequently harsher, taking into account the offense, than any punishment given to novice or Accepted. Though of course the penance was not a punishment, officially.

  A typical penance was a period of rustication, laboring on a farm and often confinement to the farm’s boundaries. Physical and/or menial labor of various other sorts were also used frequently.

  Although physical chastisement (Mortification of the Flesh) was allowed as penance for sisters—and indeed, in times past, was not unusual at all—it was also prescribed under Tower law for certain offenses even by sisters. In most cases it was chosen when the penance had to be over quickly for some reason—or if self-imposed, when the sister could not or would not give time to something longer—and it was seldom publicized, though sisters often learned of it, or might even be informed in some circumstances.

  In most cases Mortification of the Flesh was a fairly secret affair. It often was carried out by the Mistress of Novices, though in some circumstances it could be done by a sister appointed to the task, or by the head of one’s Ajah. Most often in a self-imposed penance using Mortification of the Flesh, one asked the Mistress of Novices to provide the service; for one thing, she would most assuredly keep it secret—or at least she would not herself spread the information unless the requirement was there for her to do so—and for another, it was customary for Mortification of the Flesh to be a self-imposed penance. These penances could be served in the Mistress of Novices’ study, or more often, when self-imposed, in one’s own apartments.

  The penance of being birched in the Grand Hall before the assembled sisters was something reserved for a crime on the level of rebellion or treason.

  Penance served by Aes Sedai was almost always kept semi-secret—officially, anyway. Every effort was made to keep the fact that an Aes Sedai was serving one from notice, with the possible exception of other sisters. Even if circumstances were such that somebody might suspect, they usually did not know for certain. The dignity of the White Tower was to be preserved, and nothing could interfere with the dignity of Aes Sedai in the eyes of anyone not Aes Sedai.

  Pendaloan. A lesser noble House in Tear. Its High Seat was Algarin. See Algarin and Emarin Pendaloan

  Pendar, House. A noble House in Andor. Its High Seat was Lord Abelle, its sign the Stars: three six-pointed golden stars, one above and two below, on a field of seven vertical red and white stripes.

  Penfell, Elza. See Elza Penfell

  Pensenor, Aubrem. See Aubrem Pensenor

  People of the Dragon. The secret name for the Aiel, hearkening back to the day when the Da’shain Aiel served the Aes Sedai and observed the Way of the Leaf; in prophecy, the Stone of Tear would fall when the People of the Dragon came. Later it was sometimes used to refer to those who followed the Dragon Reborn. See Da’shain Aiel

  Peral Torval. A Taraboner Asha’man who was a crony of Taim, and a Darkfriend. About thirty when he went to the Black Tower, he was 6'1" tall, with dark eyes, a sharp nose and a sneering mouth. On one of Rand’s visits to the Black Tower, Torval challenged Rand and was knocked out by Taim. Torval was at Dumai’s Wells. After the attack on Rand in Cairhien failed, he was placed on the deserters list at the Black Tower. He was killed by Padan Fain in Far Madding.

  Perfumed Quarter. The smelly port district of Illian.

  Perival Mantear. A very young Andoran who was High Seat of House Mantear. The Anvil was the sigil of the House, a silver anvil on a field quartered blue and red. He was born circa 988 NE, but he was perceptive beyond his years. About 5'4" tall, and pretty, with golden hair, he wore a sword that looked too long for him, as it dragged on the floor. He was one of four young nobles Dyelin brought to help Elayne win the throne; the others were Branlet Gilyard, Catalyn Haevin and Conail Northan. The four together brought over three thousand armsmen, mainly crossbowmen and halberdmen. Perival’s guardian, his uncle Willim, was bedridden with age, but he told Dyelin to take Perival to Caemlyn, and he told Perival that he must be brave and uphold the honor of both Mantear and Andor, which Perival very much wanted to do. Elayne thought that Lord Willim had done good work with Perival. He wanted to help fight when Elayne was kidnapped. Dyelin took him to the Far Madding Gate during Arymilla’s attack on the city, but made sure that he was nowhere near the front.

  Perival and Lir met with Elayne about the Trolloc invasion of Caemlyn.

  Perrin Goldeneyes. The name that some called Perrin the warrior, inspired by his wolf-like eyes. See also Perrin t’Bashere Aybara

  Perrin t’Bashere Aybara. A young ta’veren Emond’s Field man. He was born in 978 NE, the son of Con and Joslyn. He had a younger brother, Paetram, and two younger sisters, Deselle and Adora. When he was twelve years old, he was apprenticed to Master Luhhan, the blacksmith. His banner was a red wolf’s head on a red-bordered field of white. Approximately 6'1" tall and weighing about 235 pounds, he was heavy enough in the arms, chest and shoulders to make his waist look narrower than it was, and to make him appear shorter than he was. He had brown eyes and brown, curly hair, worn almost to his shoulders, and a short, curly beard that he wore because Faile liked it. Perrin had a thin, horizontal scar uncomfortably close to his left eye. A quiet man, he was very slow to anger, though his anger could be implacable once roused. He moved slowly and thought carefully by choice; as a boy he realized that he was larger and stronger than most of the other children and could hurt somebody by accident if he wasn’t careful, a feeling which stayed with him as an adult. Perrin liked calm and peace, and didn’t like to argue. He thought that he had no facility with words, and in truth, women in particular often tied him in knots with talk. Under any normal circumstances, the notion of violence toward women was abhorrent to him. He could argue with women, certainly, but like many big men who were subconsciously afraid of letting go of their anger, he found shouting at a woman to be extremely difficult; under most circumstances, he would rather just walk away. His first instinct with an angry woman, especially if she shouted, was to try soothing words.

  In 998 NE, Perrin saw a stranger in a black cloak on a black horse; his friends Rand al’Thor and Mat Cauthon did as well. On the next night, Winternight, Trollocs attacked Emond’s Field. Moiraine Sedai and her Warder Lan were visiting, and they helped fight off the attack. Since the attack was focused on the homes of Perrin, Rand and Mat, Moiraine persuaded them that it was necessary for them to leave Emond’s Field. They attempted to leave secretly, but Egwene al’Vere realized that they were up to something and went along, and the gleeman who was in town for Bel Tine joined as well. Before Perrin left, Master Luhhan gave him an axe that someone had ordered but not paid for.

  The group started for Tar Valon, with Draghkar, Myrddraal and Trollocs chasing them; Perrin, Rand and Mat began being troubled by dreams involving a man with eyes of fire who called himself Ba’alzamon. Moiraine and Lan were able to keep them just a step ahead of the Shadowspawn but eventually they were forced to shelter in Shadar Logoth; when against all expectations Trollocs entered the ruined city, the group gathered itself to flee. Mashadar, the deadly fog, appeared, and the group was separated. Perrin escaped the city by riding into the River Arinelle and swimmi
ng across; his horse ran away. The next day he found Egwene and Bela, her mare; they began making their way toward Caemlyn, but were not entirely certain of the way. They encountered Elyas, who offered to help them. He introduced them to his friends, who were wolves, and told Perrin that the wolves said that Perrin could talk to wolves as well. Perrin realized that it was true, but tried to fight it.

  Elyas took Perrin and Egwene to a Tuatha’an caravan, with whom they traveled for some time. When Elyas decided that it was time to leave, they headed south; soon they encountered huge flocks of ravens that were looking for them. In the nick of time, they arrived at a deserted stedding, but soon afterward Whitecloaks appeared. Perrin and Egwene tried to hide, but they were seen. Wolves came to their aid, and the Whitecloaks killed Hopper, a wolf Perrin had talked with. Feeling Hopper’s death, Perrin became enraged and killed two Whitecloaks. Perrin and Egwene were captured; the leader of the Whitecloaks, Geofram Bornhald, told them he was taking them to Caemlyn for trial.

  Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve rescued them, and they set off for Caemlyn. Perrin’s eyes had become yellow by that point, and he gained other benefits from being a wolfbrother: keener-than-human senses of sight, hearing and smell, and the ability to visit the wolf dream, which was also known as Tel’aran’rhiod.

  In Caemlyn the party was reunited with Rand and Mat, and gained a new member: Loial, an Ogier. The party went through the Ways to Fal Dara, and then on into the Blight, searching for the Green Man and the Eye of the World. They found both, but Aginor and Balthamel, two of the Forsaken, attacked. Perrin’s group prevailed and acquired the Horn of Valere, the Dragon banner and a broken seal for the Dark One’s prison. They returned to Fal Dara, but Trollocs and Fades attacked and stole the Horn. Perrin, Loial, Rand and Mat joined a group of Shienaran soldiers to pursue those who stole it; Rand, Loial and Hurin, the sniffer who could smell the trail, vanished, and Perrin used his wolfbrother talents to lead the rest in pursuit. Rand was able to take the Horn back, but it was stolen again by Padan Fain, who took it to Falme. Perrin, Rand and the rest followed using a Portal Stone, but something went wrong and they saw all the lives that they could have lived and lost four months in the process. They eventually made it to Falme, and took the Horn again. The Seanchan and the Whitecloaks were battling; Mat blew the Horn and they all managed to escape, with the exception of Ingtar, a Shienaran solder who was also a Darkfriend.

  The group wintered in the Mountains of Mist; in the spring, Rand left secretly. Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial set off after him. Along the way, Perrin freed an Aiel, Gaul, from a cage; the two of them killed a number of Whitecloaks. Perrin also met Zarine Bashere; she insisted on being called Faile and joining their party. They followed Rand to Tear. There, a trap intended to seize Moiraine in Tel’aran’rhiod instead caught Faile; Perrin went into the wolf dream and rescued her. Rand took the Stone of Tear, and Perrin and Faile stayed there for a while. Perrin attracted the unwanted attention of Berelain, the beautiful First of Mayene.

  Perrin heard of Whitecloaks troubling the Two Rivers, and he and Faile went back there; Perrin learned that his entire family had been slaughtered by Trollocs, although in truth they were killed by Padan Fain. The Whitecloaks were holding the Luhhans and the Cauthons prisoner; Perrin gathered a group of men, sneaked into the Whitecloak camp and freed them. Perrin and his men hunted Trollocs; in the wolf dream Perrin encountered Slayer, who was killing wolves. Trollocs continued to pour into the Two Rivers, and Perrin led the effort to resist them. Thinking that the town was doomed, Perrin tricked Faile into riding for help; in return, she demanded that he marry her. She rode away, but returned with men from Watch Hill, and the people of the Two Rivers were triumphant. Perrin and Faile began building a manor in the area. He came to be known as Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers.

  Perrin and Faile, with an army of men from the Two Rivers, later joined Rand in Caemlyn, and accompanied him to Cairhien. When Rand was kidnapped by Aes Sedai, Perrin led an army to rescue him. With the assistance of Asha’man, they were successful. Following a staged altercation with Rand, Perrin led a mission into Ghealdan to bring the Prophet Masema to Rand. In the group were Two Rivers men, Berelain and her Mayener Winged Guard, Aiel, including Wise Ones, two Asha’man and two Aes Sedai. Queen Alliandre gave her fealty to Perrin, which brought her troops, the Legion of the Wall, into his army. They met with Masema and rescued some Andorans from Dragonsworn. When Faile was captured by the Shaido, Perrin was willing to do anything to get her back. He cut off a captured Shaido’s hand to make him answer questions, but to rub in the salt, he got none of the answers he wanted—and this cut at him. He knew that he would do other things against his nature if necessary to regain Faile. Eventually he was able to ally with the Seanchan and brought the Shaido to battle at Malden; he and Faile were reunited.

  Perrin had sent the noncombatants with him away before the battle; as he traveled to rejoin them he was beset with many challenges. To try to solve them, Perrin went into the wolf dream and asked Hopper, who still lived in the wolf dream, to help him learn what he could do there. When the Asha’man could no longer make gateways to Travel, Perrin found a strange purple dome in the wolf dream, and Slayer killed a wolf that was helping him. The noncombatants were captured by Whitecloaks; to regain them, Perrin had to stand trial for killing the Whitecloaks in the abandoned stedding. One of the Andorans he had rescued turned out to be Morgase, the former queen of Andor, and she presided at his trial. She found him guilty of illegal killing instead of murder; Galad delayed his punishment until after the Last Battle. In the wolf dream, Perrin battled Slayer for a dreamspike which was causing the purple dome and preventing his Asha’man from Traveling; Perrin won, and destroyed the dreamspike in a lake of lava. His group then Traveled to Whitebridge, and with the aid of the Asha’man and the Wise Ones, Perrin forged a hammer, Mah’alleinir; because it was a Power-forged weapon, it was very effective. He then led his army to the rescue of the Whitecloaks, who were being attacked by Shadowspawn. Galad swore allegiance to Perrin on behalf of the Whitecloaks. Perrin presided at the wedding of Tallanvor and Morgase. He then met with Elayne, who agreed to cede the Two Rivers to the Dragon Reborn, with Perrin acting as his steward.

  Perrin made his way to the Field of Merrilor to meet with Rand. He turned over command of his armies to Tam, and had Rand make a gateway so that he could go into the wolf dream in the flesh to deal with Slayer; Gaul insisted on going with him. In the wolf dream they met Lanfear, who provided some assistance; she helped Perrin find and disable the dreamspike at the Black Tower, and alerted him that Graendal was up to something with the great captains. Perrin fought Slayer, trying to prevent him from attacking Rand at Shayol Ghul. Slayer managed to injure Perrin badly, but Perrin worked out a way to move in and out of the wolf dream in the flesh at will; Haral Luhhan found him in a field and took him to the Aes Sedai. After being Healed, Perrin went back into the wolf dream and chased Slayer; with Perrin’s newfound ability, Slayer was unable to escape, and Perrin finally killed him. Lanfear tried to compel Perrin to murder Moiraine in the Pit of Doom, but Perrin was able to resist and wrung Lanfear’s neck instead. He returned in the aftermath of the Last Battle only to find that Faile was missing. He took to the wolf dream again, and heard a falcon crying; shifting to the waking world, he found her underneath the carcass of a horse and took her to be Healed. With the deaths of Faile’s father and Queen Tenobia, Perrin and Faile were to become the monarchs of Saldaea.

  Perwyn Belman. The son of Nan, in Caemlyn. He reported to Fain that a Gray Man had tried to kill Rand. Fain lost his temper and touched Perwyn, making him tremble and gibber. Fain thought that the boy would survive.

  Petra Anhill. The strongman in Valan Luca’s circus. He was married to Clarine, the dog trainer. Petra was the biggest man Nynaeve had ever seen; he was about 5'10" tall and very wide. His arms were the size of tree trunks. After Mat left the circus, Petra returned to Ebou Dar and worked as a gate guard.

  Pevara Tazanovni
. A Kandori Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 14(2). Born in 839 NE, she went to the White Tower in 855 NE. After spending six years as a novice and five years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 866 NE. About 5'4" tall, and pleasingly plump, she had short black hair, large dark eyes and a merry face. Though she was as tough as an old post inside, she was never mean. Her voice was usually brisk. Pevara’s entire family died while she was a novice, killed during a quickly suppressed uprising of Darkfriends led by a fool who decided that the Dark One was about to break free. She and Seaine were friends as novices and Accepted (pillow friends, in fact); Seaine might have planned how to carry out most of their pranks as girls, but Pevara had been the one with the audacity to think of most, and she had provided most of the nerve to go through with them. Shortly after being raised Aes Sedai she said that she would not mind at all having a Warder or even more than one; the Red Ajah did not approve. Pevara gave Seaine the cut directly after attaining the shawl because of pressure from the Red Ajah. She was raised Sitter for the Red in 985 NE in the wake of the exile of the former Sitters because of the male channeler pogrom. Always a stickler for the law, Pevara was not one of the Red Sisters who took part in the pogrom. She knew about it, but it was Sealed to the Flame, and it troubled her. She believed in the Black Ajah afterward, and eventually became part of a group in the Tower rooting out Black sisters. She had stood to depose Siuan in the truncated Hall arranged by Elaida. The charges leveled, including most specifically that Siuan had been meddling in secret with a man who might be a false Dragon, or the true Dragon Reborn, were very serious in her eyes. Under orders from Tsutama, Pevara led a group to the Black Tower to bond Asha’man as Warders; there she bonded and was bonded by Androl Genhald. They were captured by Taim, but escaped and drove Taim out of the Black Tower. In the Last Battle, Pevara and Androl fought together very effectively, succeeding in reclaiming the seals and trapping a number of Dreadlords in a stedding.