Season 3, episode 4 of The Wheel of Time focuses solely on the Aiel Waste group. Specifically Rand and Moiraine. For non-book readers (such as myself), the episode feels like a bit of an overdose of information because it basically gives us a history of Rand and Aiel in general. It’s a complicated episode that is hard to understand without prior knowledge of the lore. Or at least that’s how I felt. But, here we are trying to comprehend everything that went down in this episode. This episode brings us to Rhuidean, an Aiel city surrounded by wasteland. The Wise One’s prophecy about the Car’a’carn is also known as the Prophecy of Rhuidean. It seems this is almost an abandoned city, but only certain Aiel can go there, including those who get permission from the Wise Ones. In Rhuidean, there are many Ter’angreal (objects of the One Power). Rand and Moiraine are meant to see their past and future, respectively. It is a dangerous expedition that could result in death too. But, with that said, let’s dive straight into episode 4.
Spoiler Alert
Why Did The Aiel War Happen?
The Wheel of Time episode 4 focuses on Rand’s search for his identity. He’s not Aiel enough to be Aiel, and home is simply Two Rivers for him, so how will he figure out how to be the savior? By going to Rhuidean and experiencing everything his ancestors went through. While Moiraine and Egwene are with the Wise Ones, they learn of the Gai’shain. The Gai’shain are not servants; they are Aiel who were captured in a battle or raid. They aren’t allowed to touch weapons or engage in violence for a year and a day, and they must serve their captor for that period. The Wise Ones tell the girls that if Rand hadn’t come to the Aiel Waste, then he would’ve died, and the Aiel with him. Additionally, one of the Wise Ones begins to tell Moiraine that if she doesn’t take on Rhuidean herself, something may happen, but we don’t know what that something is because she’s interrupted. It likely means she would’ve died too.
On the other hand, Aviendha tells Rand and Lan that they cannot use swords when they’re in their current location. Lan and Aviendha have a little sword/spear fight (the Aiel don’t use swords) before the Wise Ones arrive and reveal that Aviendha can channel the One Power and is meant to be training with them. Instead, she went away as a “maiden of the spear” and looked for Rand, even bringing him back to the Aiel Waste. Avienndha gives up her spear eventually and is sent to Rhuidean. Meanwhile, Moiraine urges Rand to go into Rhuidean. She wants to help him, but he claims she’s never tried to help him. He asks her if she will let him do anything he pleases with no questions asked. She says she will do whatever she can to help him, but she will not watch him put himself in danger. All she wants is for him to succeed because that’s what she’s dedicated her life to.
Those who survive Rhuidean are marked with a dragon, because the Aiel are the people of the dragon, but it is always one mark on the left arm. However, the prophecy says that the Car’a’carn will be marked twice so the Aiel can identify him. As you can imagine, there is some protest against letting Rand go through, since he is not truly Aiel, even if his blood says otherwise. But the Wise One handles it. Rand and Moiraine both ask permission to enter Rhuidean, and the Wise Ones grant it. Egwene is told she won’t be allowed even if she asks, so she has to wait. The duo have to leave all of their weapons behind before entering the city surrounded by spears. Inside, they become one with the city; they will not speak to the living until they’re back outside.
For each step Rand takes forward, he goes back in time to see the past of his people. They come across the tree of life (nearly 3000 years old), and Moiraine explains to Rand how the Aiel had once entrusted a sapling of Avendesora (the tree) to Cairhien, hundreds of years ago. That tree was meant to be a symbol of peace. But when her own uncle, Laman, became king, he cut down the tree to make an indestructible throne. This is what the Aiel crossed the spine for, and that’s why the Aiel war began.
What Does Rand See In Rhuidean?
Rand then walks away from Moiraine and towards the glass forest. When he takes a step into the area, he starts to feel strange. Rand has gone into the past. Now he is Janduin, his own father during the war. He fights as a chief of a tribe of the Aiel with blood on his hands and a spear in his hand. But he finds his wife, Rand’s mum, dead in the snow with no baby around. It is Janduin who killed Moiraine’s uncle and won the war all those years ago. More intertwined faith. With his next step, he becomes Mandein, chief of Rhuidean still being built. He discusses with his wife about agreeing with the Aes Sedai, I guess to keep peace in the land. Multiple chiefs join him inside of Rhuidean. The Aes Sedai inside Rhuidean, an old Latra, tells the chiefs about the prophecy. The chiefs are then asked to do the same thing that Rand is doing at present, but only one will survive to lead the Aiel in the right way.
With his next few steps, Rand is Lewin, grandson of Adan. Here, the Aiel live out of wagons, and the tree of life is a mere sapling in a pot. The boy and his two friends learn that his sister and another girl have been taken by bandits. They are oath-bound to refrain from violence. However, while trying to save the girls, Lewin ends up killing one of the men who kills one of his friends. The two remaining boys are shunned from the tribe. Even his mother abandons him, but he decides that if they cannot fight; they will protect them from the outside. I suppose this is how the different sects of the Aiel began. The way of the spear, because he used a spear to kill the man.
Next, Rand is the grandfather of Adan and Jonai. The Aiel wagons look to be destroyed, and it seems Adan’s parents are dead. Jonai splits from the rest of his tribe. The tribe goes south, but Adan remains with his grandfather, not breaking his oath. They bury Adan’s mother, who had a vision of Rhuidean.
Now he is with Latra Sedai, in the age of legends. He tells her the wagons are ready, each one with a bit of the tree to keep them safe. Latra tells him she has one more thing for him. But the other Aes Sedai with her tells her it’s a bad idea. She reminds her that the Aiel have shown them that there is courage in peace, and it will be safe with them. Latra reminds the other woman that Lanfear was the one who sided with the dark one, so they can not risk keeping it with the Aes Sedai. The thing in her hand is the strongest Sa’angreal in the world. This is the one Lanfear told Rand about, and it looks like the same one Moiraine has just stolen. Latra encourages the Aiel to stick to the Way of the Leaf, and the man who looks like Rand makes an oath with the Sa’angreal in his hands.
Finally, Rand is in a big spacecraft-looking ball meeting Meirin Sedai, later to be known as Lanfear. She asks him if he belongs to the place they’re looking over. It’s a field where the Aiel, probably not known as the Aiel just yet, sing songs and work the earth. He asks her what they have found, even if it may not be his place to ask. She says it’s the thinnest part of the pattern. A place that will help them look through to the other side. She thinks it’s the true power they will find. Basically, she thinks it’ll be something that’ll make everything more convenient and bring prosperity to the world. She then sends Rand’s ancestor into the field, telling him to join his family and sing his song. As Rand joins the people in the field, the ball hanging over them is destroyed and falls to the ground with a big crack in the sky. I suppose this is when Lanfear opened up the world to the Dark One. Finally, Rand finds himself unconscious on the ground in Rhuidean. When he wakes up, both his arms are marked by the dragon. The Car’a’carn.
What Do Moiraine’s Visions Show Her?
Moiraine uses her power to bring out the little white ball inside of Avendesora. She keeps it in her bag, then walks away and finds Aviendha screaming in slow motion while floating in the air inside some rings. When Moiraine steps into the rings, the same thing begins to happen to her. Moiraine sees the future play out around her, but it is in a cycle that keeps going round and round, never truly showing us what is happening. She is the queen, punishing Rand, who tells her she’s making a mistake. She then slits his throat. In the next second, she breaks her bond with Lan and then bonds with Rand himself. She watches as Lan burns to death and scoffs. She then holds a lifeless Rand in her arms.
In the next set of visions, Moiraine is alone while everyone is against her. She watches her own throat get slit by Lanfear multiple times in different locations. She sees herself sleeping with Rand, who then becomes Lanfear, who starts choking her. In every vision, Lanfear wins, killing Moiraine. So I suppose Moiraine is simply seeing herself die a million times. Surely it can’t be any fun. On the other hand, Egwene and Lan discuss how it’s been 7 days and Aviendha came out on day 5. Egwene thinks they should go in after them, but Lan reminds her that they want them to stay. Egwene is simply too young to understand how important it is to follow the rules here. If she had gone inside, she’d probably have ended up dying.
Rand finds Aviendha, and he apologizes for not understanding about the swords. She’s annoyed that he thinks he understands now, but he tells her that that is not the case. He’s seen why the Aiel believe so much in the Way of the Leaf and why non-violence has been so important to them. Rand may never truly be Aiel. Aviendha leaves because Rand says he won’t leave Moiraine behind. At the end of The Wheel of Time episode 4, Rand returns with Moiraine in his arms. She looks nearly dead, but they’re both alive and returned from Rhuidean. Rand gives Moiraine to Lan, and Egwene hugs him in relief. They’re both changed people, and nobody will ever understand what they’ve been through. Now that Moiraine has the Sa’angreal, though, Lanfear can’t get her hands on it, but does this mean Moiraine could turn against Rand? I can’t really tell what the visions really imply.
