Dhruv Trivedi
‘The Wheel of Time’ follows the magician Moiraine’s epic journey across the world with five youngsters, one of whom is prophesied to be the all-powerful Dragon Reborn. After they depart from the village of Two Rivers, the group now faces an arduous journey ahead, made all the more difficult by their mistrust in each other’s motives. The enemy horde of Trollocs is close on their trail, and with Moiraine getting weaker, things are beginning to look ominous.
There are many nail-biting plot setups that are going to have long-term repercussions, and a twist at the end tells us a little more about just how wily one of the young characters is. Let’s take a closer look at ‘The Wheel of Time’ episode 2, titled ‘Shadow’s Waiting,’ and make sure we’ve picked up all the details. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Wheel of Time Episode 2 Recap
The episode opens on an ominous note, with a member of the magical Aes Sedai seen burning at a stake. The person responsible for killing her is a Whitecloak— a member of a powerful clan that (as we see later) even Moiraine steers clear of. We then catch up with the group as they make their way away from the village with the Trollocs in hot pursuit. Once they cross a river, it is revealed that the brutish creatures chasing them are petrified of deep water, and Moiraine, Lan, and the youngsters get a brief respite. However, the magician continues to exhaust herself by using her magic to energize the horses.
Soon enough, the group crosses paths with a Whitecloak regiment, who question Moiraine about her destination. She cleverly hides the truth and finally manages to convince the interrogators by revealing her injury (which she sustained while fighting the Trollocs). However, Rand continues to be suspicious of Moiraine and her companion Lan’s motives and begins to panic after seeing a ghastly humanoid figure with embers for eyes. Though Rand soon realizes he was having a nightmare, he is shocked to find that all the others in the group also saw the same ghastly being in their sleep.
The Wheel of Time Episode 2 Ending: What is the White Tower?
Moiraine pushes the group to forge ahead, saying they have to go east, towards the White Tower. However, her injury soon causes her to go into a deep coma, and the group is forced to keep running from the Trollocs while carrying her. They take shelter in a mysterious abandoned city, which Lan describes as a “dark” place. As they rest, a black shadow begins to form on the ground and, upon touching one of their horses, disintegrates it.
The group then scatters and is separated as darkness begins to envelop the abandoned city. Rand and Mat make their way to the bottom of the city and escape through a grate while Egwene and Perrin jump off the top of the city walls into the sea. The two pairs call out to each other but are too far and decide to continue east separately, hoping to be reunited at the White Tower. Lan, who takes the unconscious Moiraine and escapes on horseback, is then surprised when Nynaeve, surprisingly alive (link episode 1), sneaks up behind him with a sword and threatens to slit his throat unless he tells her where her friends are.
With the group already fragmented and too far to find each other, their only hope of reuniting is at the faraway White Tower. Though so far unseen, from how it is described, the White Tower is a stronghold of those that are proficient in magic. It might even be the headquarters of the powerful Aes Sedai. However, the inhabitants of the White Tower also have a reputation of cruelly turning people away if they do not have magical abilities, as Nynaeve scornfully explains to Moiraine when the latter suggests they head there. For now, however, the group is united by their common destination, which is the White Tower.
Who are the Aes Sedai? What are the Three Oaths?
The Aes Sedai is a large organization of magical women that are known and feared across the world of ‘The Wheel of Time.’ The members of the Aes Sedai channel the energy of the One Power and the Light, which gives them the ability to manipulate matter, fire, and lightning. It also gives them the power to heal and energize humans and animals, as we see Moiraine repeatedly do. However, using magic also depletes the user’s energy.
Though their powers seem destructive, the Aes Sedai are bound by the Three Oaths, which don’t allow them to lie, kill humans, or create weapons. Therefore, Moiraine has to be especially crafty while being interrogated by the Whitecloaks— speaking the truth while also misleading them. It also seems like the Aes Sedai are subdivided under different clans, as the women in red seen at the beginning seem to be very different in appearance and much more bloodthirsty than Moiraine. Lastly, the only men that are part of the Aes Sedai seem to be those attached to serve a powerful member, as is the case with Lan, who never leaves Moiraine’s side and is known as her Warder.
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