Byar, a horrible fanatic

[Caelan Arendor]

Perrin and Egwene find themselves in the hands of the Whitecloaks, and should they reach Caemlyn, they face torture and death. Because of Perrin’s bond with the wolves, they are branded as Darkfriends, and Jaret Byar in particular delights in painting vivid pictures of the fate that awaits them.

As a side note: while reading The Wheel of Time series, I was never entirely certain whether Byar was merely an odious fanatic or in truth a Darkfriend—just my personal impression.

Now to my question: why does Byar offer his prisoners the chance to escape, even providing them with the means (he lets a stone blade fall beside Perrin)? Is it simply his fear that the wolves might wreak havoc upon the company? Or is it a more insidious scheme—to let the captives flee only to hunt them down and kill them while on the run? I would welcome your thoughts.

[Tenobia si bashere kazadi]

I thought he would pretend to come across them escaping and kill them as a way to get rid of darkfriends. Isn't that the very conclusion Perrin comes to.