Elyas, Perrin, and Egwene meet the Tuatha’an. At their camp, they learn about the culture and hear a story about a dire warning from an Aiel spear maiden about the Eye of the World.
Chapter 25 begins by talking about Bela. Bela! This is feeding right into my conspiracy theories, Mr. Jordan. There was no real need to mention the horse by name, was there? Unless, of course, she is a key character. Or perhaps the Dragon Reborn!? </conspiracy theory>
Egwene tries to pester Elyas into riding the Dragon Reborn Bela, but he tells her in no uncertain terms to piss off — simultaneously putting her in her place and emasculating Perrin. Soon they come upon a large copse of trees where three big dogs threaten them, but Elyas does one of his “dog whisperer” tricks to calm them. He says it means that Tuatha’an are here, clarifying that they are also known as the “Traveling People” or “Tinkers.”
Ah, Tinkers! Now Egwene knows what Elyas is talking about. He ought to have used the proper slurs to begin with. Lucky for everyone involved, it just so happens that these two weeks away from Emond’s Field have turned Egwene into a bona fide expert on the cultures and people of the world. She counsels moving on and avoiding contact, because as everyone knows, Tinkers are raging kleptomaniacs. Hey, Egwene, is there any way you could manage to be more of a provincial bigot? You sound like a small-town girl from Iowa warning that Nigerians are all internet scammers, and that you’d better hold your breath around Indians because they smell like curry.
Elyas gently lets Egwene know that her preconceptions are wrong. He might not like the Tuatha’an, but they aren’t thieves, and they do need a place to camp for the night. Heading into the copse, Perrin and Egwene meet Raen, the leader. It’s clear that Elyas has a history with him and his wife, Ila, but we don’t learn anything about it. Their grandson, Aram, makes an appearance. When he’s not busy hitting on Egwene, Aram explains the Way of the Leaf — the pacifist philosophy his people follow. I guess that makes them a cross between Jains and gypsies?
After Aram whisks Egwene away to have dinner with his parents — whoa, this relationship is moving really fast! — Raen tells a story about a band of Tuatha’an who were crossing the Aiel Waste. They came upon a dying spear maiden who had evidently gone hunting Trollocs in the Blight and was barely alive to tell of it. She spoke of the Dark One meaning to blind the Eye of the World.