There's a lot of speculation that she might of been a darkfriend. Largely because if you look at the scene were he axed her, she kinda looks like she was about to smash his head in with that hammer. She's got it raised up so high, she's practically scratching her back with it.

Also about the wife, several things in the first episode(like the extremely noticeable belly touch from Perrin and her) kinda point to her either being pregnant, or given how Nynaeve sent Perrin to her, having recently lost one.