“They’re confused,” Perrin said. “Well, they’re more than confused. They’re Light-cursed frustrating. But we shouldn’t be fighting them, not with the Last Battle coming. If we squabble among ourselves, we will lose to the Dark One.”

Edarra laughed. “I would like to see someone tell that to the Shaido, Perrin Aybara. Or, rather, I would like to have seen someone suggest that to you when they still held your wife!”

“Well, the Shaido needed killing,” he said. “But I don’t know if these Whitecloaks do. Maybe they only need a good fright. I want you and the Aes Sedai to blast the ground in front of their army.”

“You ask something you should not, Aybara,” Seonid said sternly. “We will not take part in your battle.” The diminutive Green met his eyes, voice crisp and curt.

“You’re not taking part in battle,” Perrin said. “You’re preventing one.”

Seonid frowned. “I’m afraid it would be the same, in this case. If we attack the earth, it would be using the One Power as a weapon. We could hurt those men. I’m sorry.”

Perrin ground his teeth, but did not force them. The Wise Ones and Asha’man would probably be enough. He turned to the Two Rivers men. “Tam, tell the men to nock arrows and be ready to launch a volley.”

Tam nodded, sending a runner with the order. The Two Rivers men lined up. This was beyond the range of most bows, but a good pull on a Two Rivers longbow could manage it.

Perrin nodded to the Wise Ones, then motioned toward the Asha’man. Before anything else could be said, the ground in front of the Whitecloaks erupted. A rumble shook the meadow, dirt exploding into the air. Grady and Neald moved their horses forward.

The Whitecloaks’ horses reared and men shouted in terror. A small group of men at the very front didn’t seem disturbed by the explosions, and they kept their horses under control. Those would be the leaders. Indeed, Perrin’s eyes could make out the Lord Captain Commander himself sitting there.

Dirt sprayed into the air again, falling to pelt the trench beneath. The Wise Ones wore that look of concentration that came with channeling.

“Can one of you enhance my voice?” Perrin asked.

“I can do it,” Grady said. “I saw the M’Hael do it once.”

“Good,” Perrin said, turning to Tam. “Once the channelers stop, tell the men to give me a couple of long volleys. Try and hit that trench.”

A few moments later, the explosions ended. The Two Rivers men drew a volley and loosed it. Thick shafts rose in an arc, and soon the rift bristled with arrows. Perrin watched the Whitecloak army. They had broken ranks, standing in disorder.

A clank of armor matched by hoofbeats announced Arganda’s arrival. The First Captain of Ghealdan wore his plumed helm, his eyes hard beneath it. “What was the point of that, if I may ask, Lord Aybara?” He smelled hostile. “You just gave away our advantage! An ambush could have killed thousands and broken their initial charge.”