Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred and her Warder, Lan Mabdrigan, have searched out four Emond’s Field villagers, one of whom may be the Dragon Reborn to take on the Dark One! They include Egwene al’Vere, Rand al’Thor, Matrim “Mat” Cauthon, and Perrin Ayabara. Their village is set on fire by bestial Trollocs and now they must set out on horses for the White Tower of the Aes Sedai! Set amongst trees are seven white tents, there are several people in white robes, the Children of the Light have set camp. A young boy has brought a tray with a bell to the table of Eamon Valda (Abdul Salis). He takes off the tray revealing a cooked piece of meat, he pops it into his mouth, and blood drips from his mouth. A woman (Vilma Frantova) who is beaten and gagged, can only stare at him. She is a yellow Aes Sedai tied and bound to a stake with a flame below her! If it is not clear, the Whitecloaks are fanatics.
Eamon takes off a Great Serpent Ring from the severed hand of an Aes Sedai. He attaches the ring to several others tied to his belt. Eamon sets down his chalice while we see the Aes Sedai burn as a witch! On a beach, Moiraine and the villagers ride ahead as Lan rides up to them. He has ridden to watch their back and they start galloping as the Trollocs race through the forest. It is night when the band has reached the village of Taren Ferry. Moiraine says the only thing Trollocs fear is deep water like the River Tarendrelle. She urges an older, bearded villager, Master Hightower (Pearce Quigley), that they must make a crossing. A roar is heard in the forest and Moiraine has given him a handful of coins. The horses are loaded onto the ferry and Perrin with the others pull the chain that carries them across the River Taren. Egwene sees the torches of the Trollocs reaching the bridge.
The mass of horned creatures push towards the bridge and one Trolloc falls, whining before drowning. Their roars die down as the walk of the skull-faced mount of the Myrddral watching the others cross. Master Hightower worries about his son. Lan severs the ferry’s chain with his sword. Moiraine starts weaving a spell that swirls around the ferry and Hightower leaps into the water swimming towards the spinning ferry. Moiraine’s spell has brought a whirlpool that takes in Hightower and the ferry. Moiraine says now they can lose the Shadowspawn, but they have to ride on. The others silently follow. Day, the riders gallop away, and Moiraine warns them that there “are things more dangerous than Trollocs.” They find a clearing in a forest. Moiraine uses her magic to revive the horses. Egwene says to her friends she saw Nynaeve taken by the Trollocs. Moiraine interrupts them to tell them to sleep until morning.
Moiraine takes Egwene out to ask her about the Three Oaths. Egwene replies that they are promises made to stop Artur Hawkwing from his attack on the White Tower. Moiraine says that there is a Power in Egwene who says it is “listening to the wind”, channeling the One Power is much more. I really like the sisterhood of women channelers, it makes Moiraine in a way a Merlin figure to Egwene, she gives her a locket with a black stone. As she talks to Egwene, threads of the One Power start swirling around the locket. Moiraine has Egwene concentrate, breathe, the stone transforms to blue. She says that she helped Egwene, but she has her own power showing her potential as an Aes Sedai! Egwene walks up to Rand sleeping next to the horses and lies down beside him. Rand could very well bond to her as a Warder! I love the potential of this series! The prequel novel, New Spring (2004), by Robert Jordan, covered the bonding of Lan to Moiraine just before the events of The Eye of the World.
Rand wakes up and starts coughing. He reaches into his mouth and pulls out… a dead rat, freaky! Rand sees a dark figure in the forest with red eyes! It’s a nightmare that he wakes from in the morning! He sees a dead bat on some leaves! He sees more dead bats and reaches the group. Moiraine asks all of them if they saw the bats. Mat says he saw the bats die in mid-air in a dream. Perrin has seen a man like from Rand’s nightmare, the Dark One! Moiraine wants to know if anyone gets a dream and that “dreams have power.” Rand is angry at Moiraine who wants them to continue the ride. He wants to know the destination. She says they will reach the river crossing at Whitebridge to reach the White Tower. Moiraine and Lan ride away. Now Egwene is angry at Rand saying Moiraine is getting weak using the One Power. Mat agrees with Rand that Moiraine has her purposes, but gets his saddle. I like the practical side of Mat.
Lan rides back to the group and tells Moiraine, “Whitecloaks.” They meet up with the Whitecloaks, the leader Geofram Bornhald (Stuart Graham) asks them to dismount. His left arm has golden armor. The others have silver armor. There were simliar fanatics in Game of Thrones with what felt from Melissandre and the Lord of Light. Moiraine says she has a sister at Whitebridge, true. Eamon Valda jangles the rings at his side, Geofram says he is a Questioner. Moiraine walks up to him with Lan. Eamon inspects her and Lan says he is from the Borderlands. He subtly threatens the Questioner. Eamon says the White Tower sent eight Aes Sedai to take on Logain’s army. More later, but he was a false Dragon. Eamon checks Moiraine’s shoulder, she says she is in pain, Geofram checks the wound and knows she is telling them about Trollocs. Moiraine says they came from Taren Ferry, true, but the invasion was at Emond’s Field.
Eamon says he will remember their faces, Moiraine smiles as they leave. The Two Rivers folk sing a song of Manetheren and Moiraine tells them the story of the king of their people who fought Trollocs until the army was defeated. Queen Eldrene destroyed the Trollocs, but was in turn destroyed by the One Power. The children left the mountains to hold the Westlands after the Breaking of the World. Perrin checks on his wound and a pack wolves snarl at him. He closes his eyes, then one approaches and licks his bleeding wound. At night, Egwene wakes up and sees on the cliff above them the Myrddral who screeches. Lan has Perrin take the unconscious Moiraine and they ride from the Trollocs to Shadar Logoth! The horses refuse to go any further, they see a massive crack in a cliff, and the Trollocs stand in a line. They enter the empty, dark city and Lan takes Moiraine inside a building. This is the city that betrayed Manetheren, yeah, think Dunharrow in Return of the King!
Lan cautions them not to touch anything, shades of Gandalf, and Rand walks up to a tower to overlook the city. By themselves, Mat talks about the dagger that Laila made for him, and he gives it to Perrin who reassures Mat that his sisters will be fine. Night is falling, Mat checks on the horses neighing, then goes to an abandoned room. He unlocks a chest and finds a golden dagger with a ruby in its hilt. A horse starts to rear, caught in some smoke, then Egwene, Rand, and Perrin find it turned to dust! The other horses take off! Moiraine wakes up only to realize they are in Shadar Logoth and Lan has endangered them! The darkness starts to spread, Rand and Mat are separated from Egwene and Perrin by the darkness. Not too scary, but crawling in tight passages with a ghostly fog with whispering sounds in the video game is terrifying. Egwene and Lan finds their horses are still there and ride out of the ciy. Mat hoists Rand over a wall, but he has difficulty opening the locks to the door. Perrin and Egwene reach the parapets. They have to escape the cursed city before the darkness takes them! Wheel of Time keeps the tension going with our heroes chased by Trollocs and reaching a cursed city where they are separated!
Four Ter’angreal out of Five!
#WheelOfTime, #ShadowsWaiting, #Whitecloaks, #AbdulSalis, #StuartGraham
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