THAT is not the definition of an army

Of course it's not an army. That's a desperate mob that knows misery and hardship all too well, with little left to lose, more of women and children that Perrin's soldiers can protect and likely to fight teeth and nails if the WC attack them. They'll be slaughtered, was that your point? Yeah most of them would, especially in a ranged battle. 100,000 refugees are still a big distraction though. They may well make the WC hesitate to attack, not because they're a threat but because they aren't soldiers. Their hesitation might be all the longbowmen and channellers need. How long would Galad's 7000, exhausted and low on food - like their horses themselves after riding so hard to escape the Seanchan, would last against longbowmen and channellers? The outcome of a battle between the two groups is far from certain.

Not that the WC will attack Perrin's group, unless their scouts mistake them for Masema's people, which they could be confused with in that area - though the Mayeners and Ghealdanin soldiers should stand out enough to make the WC quite uncertain what this town on the move actually is. Most likely, they'll be taken for refugees from the Seanchan.

The WC aren't looking for fights and after their unprepared escape they must be very low on food for them and their horses - maybe alarmingly so, and the fact they are with Perrin just beyond the Ghealdan border suggests strongly they found the way east blocked when the armies that moved to hunt Mat returned north. They're stuck below Garen's Wall which is impassable, so are the woods north of Ghealdan, while the east is crawling with Seanchan, and the raken patrols have resumed. Their position is also known.

A comment Brandon made about one of my maps during the tour suggested the WC won't move east much (if at all) once they hit the Jehannah road (after putting a rough marker for the statue on my map, he said something to the effect that Galad's longitude in KOD - a few leagues from the river - would help me locate the statue seen in TGS more precisely as it's but a few leagues west of that, just beyond the border.). It sounds like the Seanchan will have sent armies west in time to block the WC, but for now they refrain from pursuing them in Ghealdan. The Seanchan hunt for Galad may be the reason why Perrin's way east is also blocked, or his claim to be protector of Ghealdan (which Tylee has to have reported), so perhaps the Seanchan will push him and the refugees back within "their" borders.

Galad is ahead of Perrin's by over a week (probably more), so the odds are good the two groups meet only once Perrin enters Ghealdan, bumping into encamped WC still looking at their options (they don't have many left but the long way through the passes to Almoth, north from there and through the passes near Katar/Baerlon to Andor or Caralain. But as far as they probably think, western Ghealdan is still crawling with the Prophet's followers, meaning they believe they might have to find their way through, and can't really count on finding supplies in chaotic Ghealdan either, unlike what they could hope once they passed Remen into Murandy. Galad's situation may not be very good when he meets Perrin).



They didn't do that badly against Aiel or Shadowspawn. Better than the WC ever did against channellers...



How would Galad learn any of this without coming into Perrin's camp? Why would he even consider Perrin is "an ally" of the Seanchan, with 100,000 refugees in tow? Perrin made a need with Tylee for one battle. He's hardly "an ally" of the Seanchan. He warned Tylee he'd fight if they intend to conquer Ghealdan. As for Berelain, she didn't hide she considers the Seanchan the enemy. Allies of the Seanchan, indeed.

It's not bloody likely Morgase will be on wagon in front waving a big banner saying "Hello Galad, come rescue me!". It's also big assumption to make that Galad would so easily give in to Bornhald/Byar's shennanigans about Perrin being Shadowspawn.

Meeting Galad's group won't be a surprise for Perrin for long. As soon as they're spotted, he'll know these are the WC deserters lead by Galad the Seanchan hunt for. Lini knows about Galad, so as well say Morgase does. Lini, if not Morgase (who is more unpredictable) isn't likely not to step up if there are any fear the WC might attack. Skirmishes might happen, but it shouldn't take very long before either Perrin or Galad send the other envoys. And when that happens, how likely is it that Morgase/Lini/Tallanvor let Galad imagine they are prisoners?



If a military clash happened, what would be the odds that the two sides end up in the same camp afterward? It will be hard enough for Perrin/Faile to even consider trusting the WC again after the TR events without adding a military clash to sour things up beyond any hope of repair.