It took me reading the WOT companion to finally know who this was in the TFOH when I did a reread.

 

When Graendal arrived to the meeting with Rhavin and the others.  Rhavin noticed "Oddly, a lean old man, in a wrinkled coat sat disconsolately among the performers."  That was Jain/Noel.  All the time reading the series I wondered who he was since RJ made that subtle thing to point it out.

Don't recall, but will be looking for it the next time I read it.

There were hints of Jain as early as the first book.  He was the man that was sick that came to the stedding and got better, trying to deliver the message that sightblinder wanted to destroy the serpent/blind the eye of the world.  Once he was better (compulsion wasn't working in a stedding?).  I believe that this was the first sign supplied by Loial when Perrin told his tale from the tinkers when they all meet up.  Jain was possibly under Ishy's control at that point.  Decades later he is seen in among Graendal's thralls, though we don't know who he is until later.  We see Slayer passed around as a tool among the Forsaken, so it isn't much of a leap at all to explain him being used years before EoTW possibly when Ishy was free last, and later see him in Graendal's camp.  He is the old man Mat talks to outside Carridin's palace in Ebou Dar from what I gathered, and then he saves Mat.  We get a suspicion or a small understanding of who Noel might be when he badmouths Jain as a fool for leaving his wife to die and grudgingly claims some kinship to the man, as well as all his tales of places and peoples and things he has seen.

 

I do not believe that he was a darkfriend, not ever.  He was upset with himself over his wife's death, over being tricked and used and forced to serve the Forsaken.  I believe that compulsion was used on him as we see a few times where he starts to say something and then puts a hand to his head or seems to forget what he is saying.  It makes more sense than him being a darkfriend after hauling back that darkfriend and traitor back when Malkier fell.  I don't have the companion, so I may be wrong.    

He wasn't a DF, just a really unlucky guy.  From the companion after Ishy let him go, Graendal knew who he was and thought his reputation would make up for his lack of looks. When she determined his fame wasn't enough to be among her pets, she used some compulsion on him and sent him to Ebou DAr on the slim chance there was a cahce of angreal there.  It was only after knowing he was one of her pets that the Oddly lean man passage made sense to me.

Edited January 10, 20206 yr by Sabio

Appreciate the nugget!