Alright, last but certainly not least, Egwene al’Vere. The innkeeper’s
daughter is very much a support character in this first tale, but trust me when
I tell you that her role in the story is ultimately closely tied to, some might
even say actually tied with, Rand’s own. Her adventure starts with chasing
after her friends, but she’ll run out ahead of some of them before long. But I’m
getting WAY ahead of myself. Let’s get to it.
Egwene al’Vere was born in Emond’s
Field, the youngest daughter of the mayor and proprietor of the Winespring Inn Bran
al’Vere and his wife Marin. She worked at the inn along side her family, danced
at festivals with her friends, and other typical teenage girl stuff. She had a
sort of romance with local boy Rand al’Thor since they were very young. Most residence
of the Emond’s Field assumed they’d be getting married in the near future. Just
before Winternight, she began training under Nynaeve al’Meara as a Wisdom. It
seems that, while she had just gotten approval to braid her hair (the Two Rivers
sign that a woman a is considered an adult) and COULD ask for approval to marry
her sort-of boyfriend Rand, she wasn’t 100% into the idea of being a housewife before
she was 20.
 |
| She who becomes the sun. ... wait, different story. |
We officially first meet her after
Nynaeve arrives and chastises Mat for spreading a story he’d heard from a caravan
guard about the Dragon being Reborn in humanities’ greatest hour of need. When
Rand sees that her hair is braided, he has a minor panic attack at the thought
that, technically, they could be married at this time next year. And yet, he’s
also panicked with Egwene mentions she’s getting Wisdom Training from Nynaeve
and might considered going to another Two River’s village to practice, as some
areas specifically hire out-of-towner Wisdoms, believing you get less favoritism
that way. Egwene has the wanderlust bug, it would seem. When she hears the boys
discussing the Black Rider, she doesn’t believe them and tells all three they
shouldn’t be off their mother’s apron strings. They’re briefly distracted by a
demonstration of Gleeman talent by Thom Merrilin and the stare down that follows
between him and Moiraine when the traveling Lady comes out to see his tricks as
well.
We don’t see Egwene again until
Rand drags his sick and injured father into town after the Trolloc attack on
the village and the al’Thor and Aybara farms. She’d been up most of the night
helping Nynaeve tend to the injured. Despite their earlier fight, Egwene basically
tackles Rand in a hug upon hearing that Tam might not make it. We don’t see her
again until the boys, Lan and Moiraine are about to head out, pack in hand and insisting
that she brought along. When asked how she knew they were leaving, she claimed she
saw Mat and Perrin trying to be sneaky, badly, and heard Lan buying the extra
horses, so it wasn’t hard for her to figure out. Moiraine agrees to bring her
along, much to Lan’s annoyance and Rand’s horror. She ends up riding stout Bela.
As Rand helps get his family’s mare saddled, he promises Egwene that he’ll
protect her, and she counters by saying they’ll protect each other.
They race across the Two Rivers district,
only stopping long enough for Moiraine to use her powers to take the horses and
their rider’s exhaustion, before reaching Tarren Ferry. They cross the river,
and Moiraine creates a whirlpool that destroys it. Moiraine then shows off her
power one more time by creating a bank of fog that follows the river down stream
for a few miles, using it to hopefully trick the Trollocs, Myrddraal and
Draghkar following them into thinking they traveled down stream a ways before
heading to Baerlon. When they finally stop to rest, Moiraine pulls Egwene to
the side and tells her that Moiraine believes that Egwene can learn to channel.
She actually thinks Egwene has “the Spark” meaning she’d channel on her own regardless
if she were taught or not. It is 100% better than she be coached, though, as
that increases her odds of survival drastically. Moiraine uses the blue gem she
wears on a chain to test her, having her try to light it with the power, which
she does, much to Rand’s disappointment, even when Egwene asks that he’ll be
her Warder.
 |
| She's a quick study. |
Over the next several days, Egwene
continues to have private lessons with Moiraine about channeling, and also unbraids
her hair, telling a perplexed Rand that Aes Sedai only braid their hair if they
wish and he can keep his nose out of what would be Women’s Circle business. In
a lesson with Moiraine, Egwene gets some of the basics of Channeling. One Power
with two halves, Saidar is for girls and is safe, Saidin for boys and it drives
them batty. The Power is broken down into five threads, Fire, Water, Air, Earth
and Spirit, that are weaved together to make magic happen. Typically, men are
stronger with Earth and Fire, women with Air and Water, and are about equal
with Spirit. Neat. One day, Rand follows them and listens in. She hears Egwene
asking for reassurance from Moiraine that it was only the evil men channelers
fault the world broke, which Moiraine confirms, but stresses that those men
were insane, no to evil. She then asks why the Trollocs attacked the Two
Rivers, at which point Moraine looks directly at Rand who runs. They arrive in
Baerlon and Egwene is the only one of her friends that doesn’t have nightmares
about a man in black with burning eyes and mouth.
But, then Nynaeve shows up, and
Egwene finds herself stuck between her established existing loyalty to Nynaeve,
and her new but fast-growing loyalty to Moiraine. She tries to stay out of
sight with her hood up until things are settled, and clearly does not enjoy Nynaeve’s
comment that she thought Egwene had more sense than the boys did. Things cool
of, though, and Egwene has a bit of fun dancing with everyone later that night.
Though a Myrddraal appearing and trying to strangle her boyfriend does kill the
mood. She rides out with the others after the attack, marveling at Moiraine’s power
when the Aes Sedai makes herself appear to grow large to help cover their escape.
They are chased by Trolloc for the next few days, until Moiraine has no choice
but to lead them to ruins of the city once called Aridhol, now known as Shadar
Logoth. She does her best to help Nynaeve administer to the exhausted Moiraine,
so misses it when her friends slip off to explore the city. I imagine her
looking quite smug when she’s the only one not yelled at for running off. They
get the brief history of Aridhol’s fall, how the mysterious Mordeth caused the
city to metaphorically eat itself and becoming the cursed pit that is Shadar
Logoth. Lan arrives then, to tell them that Trollocs are in the city. They
group rushes to escape, but are separated by the Trollocs and by Mashadar, the killing
mist that rises in the city after dark.
 |
| Yes, she's very much a Belle type. |
Egwene ends up escaping across the
River Arinelle, keeping some of her supplies and her horse Bela in the
crossing. Perrin discovers her a short while later, after she’d gotten a fire
started and was trying to warm up. The two begin traveling together, heading
east and hoping to find their friends, a road, or village to point them towards
a road. They travel for a few days, Egwene following Perrin lead on some
things, but also fighting the big man on taking turns riding Bela. They
eventually meet Elyas Machera, a wilderness man waiting for them by a fire. They
try to hide their past, but Elyas pokes holes I all their stories, and brings in
his friends, a pack of wolves, to the two. Egwene is freaked out, but is
intrigued by the idea of talking to wolves, but Elyas says that only Perrin
could learn to talk to them. Because Perrin is a “Wolfbrother” he’s willing to
help led them to civilization. Without his help, they’d have passed 100 miles
north of the Andoran capital of Caemlyn, and wouldn’t have run into any towns between
there and the Spine of the World Mountains.
Elyas leads them for a few days
before they run into a group of massive mastiffs. Perrin almost attacks them,
but Elyas calls them off with a few hand signs. He leads them to a camp of the
Tuatha’an, the traveling people. Elyas introduces them to the Mahdi, a friend
of his named Raen. While introducing everyone, Raen’s grandson Aram comes over
and sweeps Egwene away to have dinner with his mother. Aram does his damnedest
over the next few days to charm Egwene, taking her dancing when he can, giving
her a set of blue beads, and taking up as much of her time as he can. Perrin,
being a good firend, is uncomfortable and kind of judgy that Egwene is getting
so chummy with this guy when she’s dating his friend. When he confronts her
about it, she has a sort of mini-breakdown where she starts crying and asking
Perrin if he thinks they’ll ever go home. He does his best to reassure her, she
even makes him promise to dance with her at Sunday (a holiday, not the day of
the week) if they’re back home in time. Eventually, Elyas tells the Two Rivers
kids they need to move out. Egwene, despite clearly having had fun with the
Tuatha’an, basically turns on her heals to get her stuff packed when she hears.
Aram clearly tries to get her to stay, but she’s not interested. Aram’s
grandmother Ila seems happy that she’s going but not trying to take Aram along.
They spend the next few days
running. They run into huge murders (yes, that is the correct term for flocks
of crows and ravens) of ravens, patrolling the sky. The Dark One can use carrion
eaters as his spies and messengers, so it’s clear he is controlling them to
search for them. The ravens attack and absolutely obliterate a fox that tried
to sneak by. They run through gaps in
the Raven’s search pattern. They’re all worked to their absolute limit. When it
looks like they might be caught, Egwene will never learn this, but Perrin considered
killing her with his axe to spare her the slow death the Ravens or Trollocs
would offer. Thankfully, they cross into a stedding. These places are where the
reclusive Ogier make their homes, though this stedding is abandoned. Stedding
are places where the One Power disappear to Channelers senses, and Shadowspawn
and animals under the Dark One’s influence can’t cross into them. They rest for
a short while, Elyas informing them when they inquire about a massive rock in
the shape of an eye that this stedding is where the legendary Artur Hawkwing
had intended to build his capital, away from Aes Sedai influence. The common
folk, who loved him, commissioned a statute of him, but after Hawkwing’s sudden
death and resulting 123 years civil war (confusingly called the 100 years war)
the statue was pulled down. They’re history lesson is ended when the wolves
tell Elyas and Perrin riders are coming.
 |
| Oh my, how unseemly, going about with her hair unbraided. |
Perrin and Egwene hide in the
ruins of Hawkwing’s hand. The wolves and Elyas try to scare them off, but
Perrin and Egwene are discovered. One of the wolves, Hopper by name, attempts
to save them but is killed. Perrin in a blind rage attacks the men that did it before
being knocked out. They’re brought before the leader of these men, these Whitecloaks,
a man named Geofram Bornhald. Whitecloaks being a group of domineering Knights
Templar wannabes that use the excuse of spreading the Light to force people to
follow their commands. Assholes is what they are. Bornhald presents an almost
grandfatherly air, but when their answers (some truthful, some outright lies)
make him believe they are Darkfriends. He plans to take them to the Whitecloak capital
in Amador for Questioning. And by Questioning, I mean painful torture meant to
make them confess to whatever the Questioner asks. Egwene, he says might be
released if she repents and confesses, but Perrin is set to be executed for
killing two of the Children.
They travel as the Whitecloak’s
prisoners for several days. Egwene is left reasonably unscathed, but Perrin is
used as a punching bag by the Whitecloaks, especially by Bornhald’s #2 Jaret
Byar. Eventually, Byar comes to them, kicking Perrin to wake him, and tells
them that they’re slowing the Whitecloaks too much. He drops a sharp stone near
Perrin, implying that if they cut their bonds and escape, the Children don’t
have the resources or time to chase them. Perrin realizes that this is a set-up,
but, thankfully, Lan arrives to actually free them. They reunite with Moiraine,
Lan and Nynaeve.
 |
| They're both thinking of the life they wanted instead of the life they're getting. |
Rapid fire time, the group rushes
to Caemlyn and the Queen’s Blessing where Mat and Rand are staying. Moiraine is
able to heal Mat of the curse of the dagger he took from Shadar Logoth,
repressing the infection to give him time to get to Tar Valon to fully cure
him. There is a funny moment where Mat mentions Rand meeting a girl named
Elayne, which clearly seems to annoy Egwene, only for Perrin to bring up Aram’s
name and she gets super evasive. Rand, Perrin, Mat, and their new friend Loial,
all have stories of warnings that the Eye of the World is under attack by the forces
of the Dark One. Moiraine elects to use Loial’s Ogier knowledge to lead them
through the Ways, an extradimensional highway that the Ogier once traveled but
abandoned. It was made by tainted Saidin, and began to rot. They travel through
the Ways, getting confirmation that the Shadowspawn are using them to move
their troops unnoticed. They arrive in the Borderland country of Shienar just outside
Fal Dara keep. The group rest at the keep for a night, while Moiraine
interrogates Padan Fain, a peddler who seemed to have been following them since
the attack on Emond’s Field. He, as it turns out, was tracking the boys for the
Dark One. The next day they travel through the Great Blight, stopping to rest in
the ruins of Lan’s home country of Malkier. They eventually enter the Green Man’s
Grove, a forest oasis in the dead land that is the Blight. The Green Man leads
them to the Eye of the World, a container of untainted Saidin. Just then, two of
the Thirteen Forsaken, the Dark One’s most powerful minions, Aginor and
Balthamel arrive and try to steal the Eye. They quickly overwhelm Lan and Moiraine,
Nynaeve tries to stab Balthamel but the Forsaken grabs her by the throat and
shocks her. The Green Man rushes over and kills Balthamel with plants just as
the Forsaken destroys him. Rand draws Aginor away before battling and
destroying him, and then severely wounding Ba’alzamon, the man claiming to be
the Dark One that had been haunting Rand, Mat and Perrin’s dreams since
Baerlon. Rand returns to the group, where Moiraine is healing Nynaeve while
Egwene watches, and tells them he killed the Dark One with channeling. Egwene,
reflexively, pulls back from Rand when he goes to hug her after this
pronouncement, but then hugs him fiercely. They return to Fal Dara keep. Egwene
goes to see Rand after he has a sparring match with Lan, to ask her sort of
boyfriend to come with them to Tar Valon when they go. Rand refuses, though,
claiming he’ll go somewhere to protect everyone from his potential channeling.
Moiraine, who is eavesdropping with the Power, proclaims the Dragon is Reborn.
Egwene al’Vere at the start of the
story is just an innkeeper’s daughter. She’s smart, driven, and stubborn as a mule.
Of the five people to leave Emond’s Field, she is the only one that went of her
own freewill and intends to go all the way to Tar Valon. It’s revealed on the
trip that she is a Channeler born with the Spark. This means that she would
eventually channel regardless of training. And, according to Moiraine, she has
the potential to be one of the strongest channeler to enter Tar Valon in
centuries, and will be one of the strongest Aes Sedai if she can finish the training.
She doesn’t get many chances to use her powers in this first story, as she
basically just gets a crash course in channeling before things go nuts.
You’re probably wondering why I
used sort of whenever I referred to her relationship with Rand. That is because
they’re relationship is the most chaste, strained relationship I’ve ever read
in fiction. If we hadn’t had Rand’s inner monologue and references to the two
being all but promised to each other, I wouldn’t say they’re really in a
relationship at all. Just sayin’.
Egwene al’Vere is set to appear in
Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation, premiering November 19, 2021. She’ll be played
by Madeleine Madden. Madeleine Madden has appeared in Tidelands, Pine Gap,
Mystery Road, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and Around the Block, amongst
other roles.
Egwene is one of those characters that
is pretty divisive characters in the series. She’s headstrong, stubborn, at
times quick tempered, and unwilling to admit when she’s wrong. So, she’s just like
the boys she hangs out with. But, ya know, is a girl, so some people react badly
to that. She’s also the only member of this group to leave her home of her own freewill,
and despite not having sturdy boots or much traveling experience, she complains
the least of all of them. She’s the only one to also not express a desire to
return home early. As the series progresses, we see her power grow, as well as
her ambition to be one of the greatest Aes Sedai of all time. In many ways, she’s
Rand’s best foil in the series. Rand is destined to save the world and resists
this duty every step of the way. Egwene, in contrast, has no prophecies preordaining
her rise but fights tooth and nail to get the power necessary to help save the
world. She’s the Yin to his Yang in many ways. And there we have it, my Wheel
of Time theme week is at an end. I’ll see you next time when I get back to something
Superhero related. See you then.
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