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"Sooner or later there's always trouble when there's two humans together."
   —Elyas

Elyas Machera (pronounced: eeh-LY-ahs mah-CHEER-ah) was a Warder who learned that he was a wolfbrother. His wolf name is Long Tooth, in reference to the long knife he wields.

Appearance and Personality[]

Elyas strikes a strange appearance; standing 5'10 tall with uncut graying brown hair tied by a cord and hanging to his waist. His beard matches the coloring of his hair and fans across his chest. Elyas clothes himself in a patchwork of animal skins taken from prey that he has killed and frequently wears a flat-topped cap on his head as protection from the elements. He carries a long knife at his belt, which has nearly the length of a shortsword. He also travels with a bow and quiver. Elyas has a scar on his jaw, faded with age, that was given to him by a Saldaean woman named Merya. Like all Wolfbrothers, his eyes appear to others as a burnished gold that shine conspicuously in darkness.

Elyas is a misanthropic loner who shuns people in general and population centers completely. He prefers abiding in the wilderness with wolf packs he considers close kin. When required to interact with people he prefers to do so either one-on-one or in very small groups. He has occasionally spent time among Tuatha'an as they journey through wilderness, but such interactions are always short and generally focused on a set purpose, such as trading for goods. Despite his reclusive nature, Elyas is an honorable man who will fight evil where it is found and has been known to approach population centers for this purpose.

History[]

Elyas Machera

Elyas during his time as a Warder

Born in 943 NE in Tear to poor farmers. He ran away in 957 NE to seek adventure in the Borderlands. In 959 NE he had become a soldier in Shienar.

Elyas was bonded Warder by Rina Hafden in 965 NE, a Sitter of the Green Ajah in Elaida's Hall of the Tower. He also trained Lan Mandragoran to be a Warder; they met in 965 NE. It was at some point after this that he became a wolfbrother.[1] After being held by the Red Ajah - who thought he was using the One Power, and whom Elyas unwisely accused of being members of the Black Ajah - he killed several other Warders and escaped. The deaths of the Warders are something he still regrets. Rina let him escape, but she never released him from his bond; she kept it masked so he wouldn't know if she was coming for him. She may have been his wife, according to the Wheel of Time Companion. He would remain uneasy around Aes Sedai, as he feared they would capture him and carry him back to Rina.

Because of his past as a Warder, he disliked how the Wise Ones turned Aes Sedai into apprentices. He pretended that he did not care, though. He had mixed feelings about Aes Sedai, though he disliked the Red Ajah.

Like all wolfbrothers, Elyas is able to talk and communicate with wolves, but unlike other wolfbrothers such as Perrin Aybara, he lives with wolves, shunning humankind. He can enter the Wolf Dream, but prefers not to as he finds Tel'aran'rhiod strange and dangerous and finds enough of that in the real world. He cannot enter in the flesh in the same way as Perrin and Slayer. His wolf name is Long Tooth because of the long knife he carries.[2] It is not known if he has prophetic Wolf Dreams like Perrin.

Activities[]

Elyas

Elyas Machera

Wolfbrother[]

After Perrin and Egwene escape from Shadar Logoth, they meet up with Elyas who informs Perrin of his ability.[3] Elyas states that he had been following the pair for two days, and it is likely that both he and the wolfpack with which he travels were drawn to Perrin due to the latter's potential for brotherhood. He also gives Perrin advice regarding his axe, suggesting that he keep it until he enjoys using it, and then throw it away. They later meet up with some Tinkers, and although very courteous to them, Elyas is quite reluctant to be around them, because of the Tinkers' aversion to violence.

Elyas Machera

Elyas meets Perrin and Egwene.

After an attack by Whitecloaks[4], Elyas is injured and Perrin and Egwene are captured.

Elyas turns up much later at Perrin's camp in Ghealdan and joins his band. He tells Perrin that by raising his voice at Faile Bashere every now and then, they would get along much better and she would respect him more. He escorts Perrin to his meeting with Masema Dagar in Abila. He sets out to track down Faile when she is captured by the Shaido.

Elyas

Elyas with two wolves

Tracking Faile[]

He finally finds the Shaido camp in the town of Malden and accompanies Perrin there, where he can observe the layout of the land.

He talks to Perrin about the excitement of battle, after Perrin chopped a prisoner's hand off looking for answers on Faile. Perrin decides to throw away his axe and leave it there.

Elyas helps Perrin free his wife Faile from the Shaido Aiel. He goes through the aqueduct to enter the town of Malden before Perrin begins his attack. Once Faile is found, he follows Gaul, who is trying to find Chiad, and keeps him out of trouble.

WoT201

Elyas from the WoT comic

After leaving Malden he attends a meeting with Perrin to decide where the army should now go. A decision is made to send a scouting force to Cairhien to start looking for Rand al'Thor. He helps Gaul scout the Whitecloak camp. He talks to Perrin about how he keeps balance and does not lose himself as a wolf.

The day of Perrin's trial, he is sent out to scout the surrounding area to see if he can find any signs of a hidden army or any Waygates. He is present when Perrin creates Mah'alleinir and then declares to his followers his acceptance at becoming their Lord and leader.

The Last Hunt[]

Elyas travelled to Blight with the rest of the wolves to take part in the Last Hunt. They defend Rodel Ituralde's forces against attacks from Shadowspawn and the Samma N'Sei at Thakan'dar. Perrin speaks to him as Long Tooth in Tel'aran'rhiod and asks him to pass a message that the Great Captains are being Compelled by Graendal.[2]. Berelain later tells Perrin that this message reached its destination.[5]

Parallels[]

Elyas may be inspired by Elias, the Latin transliteration of the Hebrew name Elijah. In Slavic countries, this figure became a substitute for the god Perun, one of the main sources for the character of Perrin, indicating a merging of the identities of the two Wolfbrothers over time.

In the television series[]

In the television series, Elyas Machera TVlink is played by actor Gary Beadle TVlink.

Notes

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