THE WHEEL OF TIME – Season 1 Episode 5 – SPOILERS

Eamon Valda

Egwene (Madeleine Madden) and Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) are still traveling with Ila (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and her band of nomads. Just as they get within sight of the White Tower they encounter the Children of the Light led by Eamon Valda (Abdul Salis), who recognizes Egwene and Perrin. (He encountered them a few episodes ago when they were riding with Moiraine.) Valda is convinced that destiny has brought these two to his attention. He gives Egwene a choice. If she channels, he will kill her and let Perrin go. If she does not channel, Perrin will die and she will be released.

Stepin (Peter Franzén)

The threat to Egwene makes Perrin angry. His eyes turn a strange amber colour, and he breaks free of his bonds and growls, making Valda drop his knife in astonishment, and wonder aloud: “What are you?” Egwene picks up the knife, stabs Valda in the neck, then Perrin and Egwene flee into the night. Perrin seems able to somehow summon the local wolf population (something he might do unconsciously), because the rest of Valda’s men are attacked by a wolf pack, and no wolves attack Perrin or his companion. In a previous episode, Perrin was surprised but not alarmed when a wolf arrived to lick a leg wound he had incurred. Genetic hybrids are not uncommon in the Wheel of Time universe. Trollocs are part human, part boar (with other genetic material thrown in). Perrin’s genetic makeup might be leftover from long ago attempts to create super-soldiers.

Loial, son of Arent, son of Halan

When Rand (Josha Stradowski) and Mat (Barney Harris) arrive in Tar Valon, looking at a nearby mountain gives Rand a sense of deja vu. Leandrin (Kate Fleetwood) and Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) arrive in the city later, bringing with them Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and the ‘gentled’ Logain (Álvaro Morte).

When Loial (Hammed Animashaun) comes upon Rand in the library of the Light’s Blessing Inn, Rand is looking at two books: “The Karaethon Cycle”, which contains the prophesies of the Dragon Reborn, and “Travels of Jain Farstrider”. he encounters Ogier Loial guesses that Rand is an Aielman and when Rand explains that is not so, Loial delivers the best line of the episode: “An Aielman from the Two Rivers who insists he is not an Aielman. That is very odd. I like oddities.” Loial asks why Rand was interested in the Farstrider Chronicles, and Rand explains: “A girl I know used to read this book every day. Thought she was Jain herself reincarnated.”

Egwene, Perrin, and Aram catch sight of Tar Valon, just before they are captured by Valda.

The gleeman Thom Merrilin also thought that Rand’s red hair identified him as an Aielman.

Loial locates Nynaeve (whom Moraine is trying to protect by keeping her location a secret) and brings her to Rand. Seeing that Mat is obviously in distress, Nynaeve tells Rand: “You’ve done well to bring him here. To take care of him. We don’t need the Aes Sedai. We’re Two Rivers folk. I’ll heal what I can, and when Egwene and Perrin arrive, we’ll sort out the rest.”