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The Wheel of Time – S01E01 – Leavetaking | Transcript

A strange noblewoman arrives in a remote mountain village, claiming one of five youths is the reincarnation of an ancient power who once destroyed the world – and will do so again, if she’s not able to discover which of them it is. But they all have less time than they think.
The Wheel of Time - S01E01 - Leavetaking

Original release date: November 19, 2021

Moiraine is an Aes Sedai, who can channel an elemental force called the One Power. Years past, the male half of the One Power became corrupted, driving male channelers insane, and Lews Therin Telamon, a channeler known as the Dragon, tore the world apart in his madness. Some Aes Sedai wish to eliminate male channelers, but Moiraine and her Warder Lan Mandragoran search for the Dragon’s reincarnation to defeat the Dark One, a force of primordial evil. Their search leads them to Emond’s Field and four possible candidates – villagers Rand al’Thor, Perrin Aybara, Mat Cauthon, and Egwene al’Vere – whom they plan to take to the White Tower, the Aes Sedai seat of power. Rand, who is besotted with Egwene, is disappointed that she intends to become the next Wisdom, a village leader and healer who cannot wed. Trollocs, beasts following the Dark One, ambush Emond’s Field and Nynaeve al’Meara, the current Wisdom, is taken and Perrin accidentally kills his wife Laila. Moiraine battles the Trollocs with the One Power and is injured. Rand, Perrin, Mat, and Egwene reluctantly join Moiraine and Lan on their journey back to the White Tower to keep the Trollocs away from Emond’s Field.

* * *

[Moiraine] The world is broken.

[voices whispering]

Many, many years ago, men who were born with great power believed they could cage Darkness itself.

The arrogance.

When they failed, the seas boiled, mountains were swallowed up, cities burned, and the women of the Aes Sedai were left to pick up the pieces.

These women remembered one thing above all else… the man who brought the Breaking of the World.

And him they named Dragon.

Now, this man has been born again.

We don’t know where or to whom.

If he was reborn as a girl or a boy.

The only thing we know for certain is that this child is coming of age now, and we must find them… before the Dark does.

[birds chirping]

[panting]

Hurry up!

[grunts]

[panting]

[panting]

[neighing]

[woman] Hyah! Hyah!

♪ ♪

Hyah!

Stop!

I said stop!

[rumbling]

[shouts]

[grunting]

[men panting]

We can’t die like this.

You can fight them. Use it.

[groaning]

Don’t hurt him.

It’s not his fault.

Who are you talking about?

There’s one else here.

The madness already has him.

[breathing shakily]

You see, what we’ve come here do…

it’s a gift.

[whimpers]

You should thank me, really.

This Power…

it’s meant for women…

…and women alone.

And when you touch it…

…you make it filthy.

Please. No.

Please.

Sisters.

[man] Please, no. No!

Please!

[screaming]

[echoing screams]

It’s not him.

[screaming stops]

He was born 20 years ago,

almost to the day the prophecy of the Dragon Reborn predicted.

He’s able to touch the Source.

It’s not him.

[sighs]

Where next?

The Two Rivers.

There are rumors of four ta’veren there,

all the right age.

The Old Blood runs deep in those mountains.

Let’s hope it’s prepared them for what’s coming.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[laughter]

[birds singing]

[water flowing]

♪ ♪

This braid will remind you that you are a part of us

and we a part of you.

To be a woman is to be always alone and never alone.

So when the Dark surrounds you and you see no Light,

feel this braid and know that we all stood before you.

We all stand with you.

As Wisdom of the Two Rivers,

it’s my honor to welcome you

to the Women’s Circle.

Be strong, Egwene.

Trust the river.

[gasps and screams]

[yelping]

[gasping]

[yelping]

[panting]

[exhales]

♪ ♪

[coughing]

[panting]

[panting slowly]

[Tam] I remember when this road was just a little deer path,

winding down the mountain.

How’d you get the wool to town?

Carried it.

And the brandy?

[chuckles]

That stayed home.

Your mother could drink.

[laughs softly]

[distant howl]

[Rand] More wolves now.

Something’s been pushing them down from the mountain.

When you were just tiny,

we’d let you out in these woods alone

to look for berries.

You’d always save a basket of them

in the barn to take to Egwene.

[sighs]

Sounds like I used to be a real sap.

[chuckling]

[chuckles]

♪ ♪

[children shouting playfully]

[dogs barking]

[lively chatter]

[laughter]

[grunts]

[cheering]

[laughter]

The Coplins and Congars were worried

we might be without apple brandy this Bel Tine.

Wouldn’t want them to remember a minute of it.

[laughter]

[Mat] Right. Gentlemen, and lady,

I want to thank you all very much

for bearing with me tonight.

Can’t imagine it’s been easy to part with all your money,

but…

[others groaning]

You’ll get ’em next time, Mat.

Next time?

How about right now? Eh? Anyone?

You don’t have anything left to bet.

Come on. Sit down.

How are you?

How’re the girls?

You can spot me.

One game, three of us. Old time’s sake, eh?

Come on. We’re talking.

About what?

You’re married, your life’s over.

[chuckles]

And Rand’s pining over Egwene, cold in the mountains,

only the sheep to keep him warm.

Did you hear already?

Hear what?

A few folks went down to Taren Ferry with the wool last week.

Town was full of soldiers and mercenaries headed south.

Why?

They said there’s a war in Ghealdan.

[Mat] In Ghealdan? Who cares?

It was Callie Coplin told you that, wasn’t it?

So?

She’d piss in your mouth and tell you it was raining.

[all chuckling]

So, come on.

Let’s play.

No?

[laughs] No.

No?

Okay, fine.

Enough of you guys.

Danya.

How much money did he lose today?

I lost count, but it was more than enough.

[clapping]

[cheering]

My girl.

You’re back.

I was worried that…

Come on, then.

We’re losing a coin for every empty hand here.

No.

You drink with us tonight.

[laughs]

Marin! A drink for your daughter!

[laughing]

Cheers, everybody.

Hey.

[whoops]

[laughter]

Cheers!

♪ ♪

[thunder rumbling]

[lively chatter]

[woman laughing]

[laughter]

♪ ♪

How did her ceremony go today?

I don’t know, actually. We, uh…

We haven’t talked yet.

I’m sure she’s just busy.

Yeah, yeah.

I’m sure.

♪ ♪

[chatter quiets]

[wind whistling]

Name yourself, stranger.

Ian Mandragoran.

This is Moiraine.

[Marin] Milady, can I help you?

[thunder rumbling]

We’ll need stables for our horses

and a room for the night.

Two beds and fresh linen. That’s all we need.

Of course, Moiraine Sedai.

[murmuring]

[murmuring dies down]

♪ ♪

If you’ll come this way.

[quiet chatter resumes]

[scoffs]

She looks like a normal person.

I don’t know, I…

Quiet.

Who knows what she can hear?

Maybe she’s headed to the war in the south?

In the stories,

they say one Aes Sedai can turn a battle on her own.

[Nynaeve] I don’t care where she’s going to,

but we’ll all be happier and safer when she’s there.

Where’s Laila?

Probably at the forge.

Iron’s hard to work alone.

[laughter and indistinct chatter]

Give Egwene my best.

[grunts]

[Perrin] What are you doing in here?

Everyone is at the inn.

They said you didn’t even go to her ceremony.

[sighs]

I love you.

I know.

♪ ♪

[lively chatter in distance]

[glass breaks]

Mum? Mum, what are you doing here?

Same thing as anyone else.

Where’s Dad?

Huh.

Right where the whole town could see him.

The prick.

Who’s with the girls?

That pig!

Come on. Time to go home, Mum.

I will go wherever I want.

Please.

[quiet chatter]

How are you?

[grunts]

Matty, is Mum sick again?

I’m fine, you little bi…

[Mat] She’s all right.

[groans]

Don’t worry.

[sighs]

You’re going to be just like your dad.

I know it.

Damn prick like him.

[sobbing softly]

Hey.

How about you two sleep with me tonight, instead of Mum and Dad?

Yeah?

Cheers. Come on, then.

[distant chatter]

[Marin] A thousand wars have washed over

the lands down-mountain,

and Two Rivers folk don’t have any more need

to pay attention now than before.

War is just fools killing other fools for foolish causes.

Aes Sedai don’t fight wars.

They pull the strings of the world from their White Tower.

And if one of them’s here…

Then she’ll enjoy Bel Tine tomorrow like the rest of us.

[departing footsteps]

[dishes rattling]

Rand, Egwene, why don’t you two finish up the dishes?

Of course.

You’ve been avoiding me.

Or biding my time until I could get you alone?

How’d it go today?

[scoffs]

[water splashing]

You know I can’t talk about…

It’s me.

You can at least say if it was good or bad.

It was…

…good.

[chuckles softly]

I’m sorry, it’s just…

I’m thinking about something that Nynaeve…

♪ ♪

You know…

…my dad said I used to pick baskets of berries

to bring to you when I was a kid.

Like some lovesick puppy.

[chuckles]

Mm. Sounds sweet to me.

[Egwene chuckles softly]

[gasps]

Has that been in your pocket all day?

Maybe.

[chuckles softly]

Come here.

♪ ♪

[fire crackling]

[sighs]

It could be warmer.

I’m impressed they have this at all.

It could be warmer.

Better?

Much.

[chuckles softly]

[sighs]

What is it?

You think it’s one of them?

Which one?

[door closes]

You let me fall asleep.

You act as if I had some say in the matter.

What happened out there today?

It wasn’t today.

It was before.

Nynaeve.

She asked me to become her apprentice,

to study to be a Wisdom someday.

What?

No, you…

She asked.

I didn’t say yes or no.

Really?

She thinks I’ll be able to listen to the wind

if I work with her.

It’s a lonely life, being a Wisdom.

No husband.

No kids.

I should get up to bed.

Rand.

[wind whistling]

♪ ♪

[distorted whistling]

[whistling]

[goats bleating]

[children chattering]

[Padan] Merry Bel Tine! Merry Bel Tine!

[laughing]

[excited chatter]

No. No sweet sticks for you.

[laughing]

Too early for breakfast?

[chuckles softly]

Never too early for your mum’s bread.

[dog barks]

[goat bleats]

He left before I woke.

♪ ♪

[lively chatter in distance]

[chuckles] Mat Cauthon.

My best and poorest customer.

Seems like I’m your only customer.

So, what do you have for me this year?

Oh. Oh, dear.

Not real gold, sadly.

Yes, it is.

It’s worth three marks, at least.

Mm. Possibly.

But will I be able to sell it here in town?

[scoffs]

I’ll give you one mark.

Two.

Half a mark.

That will get you three lanterns,

and you’ll be lucky to have ’em.

You’re a right bastard, Padan Fain.

Pleasure as always.

♪ ♪

You didn’t sleep last night.

You think one of the Eyeless is already here?

Then we both have work to do today.

[hawk calling]

[birds singing]

Thought you might be here.

[Rand chuckles softly]

When I come up here…

you know what I wonder about?

I wonder about my life here.

In the Two Rivers.

About the house I’ll build.

The wife I’ll have.

About my kids running through these woods, just like I did.

[inhales deeply]

I’m going to…

I know.

I already know.

[sniffles]

[sobbing]

♪ ♪

[insects trilling]

♪ ♪

[Moiraine] They call you a leader in this town, Wisdom,

and here you are, cleaning.

This pool is sacred. It’s an honor to clean it.

What are you doing here?

I wanted to walk.

In the Two Rivers.

I could ask the same of you.

You’re not from here, are you?

The old Wisdom brought you here when you were a baby…

a baby whose parents passed.

But no one can remember exactly when.

That’s the thing about these little towns,

no one keeps records of anything.

Births, deaths…

It doesn’t mean we don’t remember.

[Nynaeve] That old Wisdom…

the woman who raised me…

When she was only 13,

she realized she could listen to the wind,

and she went to the White Tower.

She walked.

From here.

It took her months.

And when she got there, your sisters took one look

at her ragged clothes,

her peasant accent, and they turned her away.

She was small and from a little town,

but she remembered.

Until the day she died.

So do I.

See, people say you’re too young to be the Wisdom,

and I disagree.

I think you’re strong,

even if you have only had that braid for, what…

what, a year or two?

I’ve had it for five.

So that makes you 25… 26.

That doesn’t mean I can’t do my job.

And whatever you may think, that is to protect this town.

From you, if I have to.

Enjoy your walk.

[indistinct chatter]

Cheers, boys.

Made it through another year of this shite.

[Perrin chuckles]

All right. Out with it.

Out with what?

Nothing.

[Mat] Bollocks.

Something happened with Egwene.

What happened?

That bad, was it?

[sighs]

[water rushing]

[wind blowing]

[exhales]

Do you hear that?

[wind whistling]

[wind intensifies]

[ominous whispering voices]

[Egwene] It sounds…

wrong.

What does it mean?

I don’t know.

I’ve never heard anything like it.

[wind howling]

[ominous whispering voices]

♪ ♪

[chatter, laughter]

[goat bleating]

[Perrin] Mat, we noticed

your luck wasn’t really with you

last night.

So Rand and I chipped in.

To buy some lanterns for the girls.

We’ll be all right.

Thank you.

[Rand] All right. I should get home.

Don’t stay up-mountain too long.

I won’t.

♪ ♪

[wind whistling]

[cart rattling]

[bleating]

[Rand] Maybe we should be at Bel Tine.

To light a candle for her.

Whole point is to help guide her spirit back to us.

Doesn’t matter where we are when we do it, really.

How long does it take before the Wheel of Time

turns someone’s spirit back into the world again?

[Tam] Wish I knew.

But I’m sure there’s a reason no one can remember

their previous lives.

All we can do is the best we can

with the life that’s given to us.

And take comfort from it.

That no matter what happens, what…

…pain we face…

…what heartbreak…

…even death…

…the Wheel keeps turning.

Always.

And we try again.

Maybe do a little better than the last time.

[chuckles softly]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[sniffles]

[clears throat]

[water flowing]

[twig snaps]

[gasps softly]

[indistinct chatter]

[Marin] Come on, now.

If we want our loved ones’ souls to make their way back here,

we’d best show them something worth coming back for.

[upbeat music playing]

[cheering]

Come on. [laughs]

[laughs]

[Ian] The Fade has Trollocs with it.

Dozens.

We need to leave. Now.

Do you know which one of them it is?

No.

♪ ♪

[cheering]

[grunts]

Tom?

Tom, what’s wro…

[gasps]

[roaring]

[screaming]

[screams]

[indistinct screaming]

[Egwene whimpers]

[grunts]

[indistinct shouting]

[Egwene yelps]

[screaming]

Aah!

[whimpering]

Get down.

[grunts]

[both panting]

Nynaeve, what’s happening?

What are they?

[roaring]

[screaming]

[indistinct chatter]

Quick, quick!

[Perrin] [grunts] Who are they?

[screaming continues]

♪ ♪

[panting, grunts]

Mum. Dad.

Where are the girls?

They… they were right here.

I…

Where are the girls?!

[screams]

[screaming continues]

Help me! Help me!

[screams]

[grunting]

[screaming continues]

[both grunting]

[gasping]

[Nynaeve] Put pressure on it.

[grunts]

Hey. There.

It’s stopped. It’s stopped.

[whispers indistinctly]

[screaming]

[Trollocs snarling]

[horse neighing]

[neighing continues]

[neighing stops]

[roaring]

Dad, what is that?

[grunts]

Rand! Run!

[grunts]

[grunting]

Dad!

Hey! Over here!

[snarling]

[grunts]

[snarls]

[panting]

[grunting]

[screaming]

[blade slashes]

[Trolloc gurgles]

[groans]

Dad?

Dad. Are you all right?

[panting] I’m fine.

It’s a Trolloc. You need to get out of here.

[gasping]

You need to leave.

Go.

No.

I’ll get you to Nynaeve.

[screaming]

[Trolloc snarling]

[roars]

[yells]

[grunting]

[screams]

Dear Light.

[snarls]

[Trollocs snarling]

♪ ♪

[wind whistling]

[Daise] You want a real feast?

Come and get some of this.

[snarling]

[shouting]

[panting]

[snarling]

[Perrin] Go, go!

[screams]

[grunts]

Take my hand. Go.

Laila, run.

[roaring]

[shouts]

[grunts]

[Laila] Run!

[shouts]

[grunting]

[screaming]

Move!

[panting] Hey.

[girl] Somebody help us!

Hey. Hey.

It’s all right. I’ve got you.

I’ve got you. I’ve got you.

Don’t worry. All right?

Remember when we played hide-and-seek?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah?

Big oak in the woods.

Let’s go.

[snarling]

[Laila] No!

[grunting]

[grunts, screams]

[grunting]

[Trollocs roar]

[grunting]

[screams]

Nynaeve!

Nynaeve!

[Nynaeve screaming]

[panting]

[Trollocs snarling]

[whimpering]

[grunting]

[snarling]

[grunting]

No!

[grunting]

[Laila grunts]

[breathing raggedly]

No. Laila. No. Laila.

I’m sorry. Oh.

[panting]

[gasping]

Look at me. Look at me. Look at me.

Look at me. [panting]

[sobbing]

[screaming]

[distorted] Nynaeve!

Nynaeve!

Come on. Come on

[crying] Nynaeve.

Come on, come on, come on.

[snarling]

[grunting]

[grunts]

[panting]

There’s too many.

[grunting]

[roaring]

[growls]

Light give me strength.

[roars]

[snarling]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[infant crying]

[woman sobbing]

[sobbing]

[quiet chatter]

♪ ♪

Egwene.

[exhales]

Thank the Light.

My dad.

He needs help. Where…

Where’s Nynaeve?

She’s gone.

[exhales]

Can you help him?

Quick.

♪ ♪

My babies.

Mum!

My baby girls.

You’re all right.

Mummy. Mummy.

Oh, thank the Light.

Thank the Light.

Perrin!

Perrin?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

It’s Trolloc poison.

[grunts]

[Moiraine exhales shakily]

You show up,

then these things the next day.

They’re here for the same reason as I am.

For you.

For the four of you.

Twenty years ago,

there was a woman at the White Tower.

An Aes Sedai born with eyes so white,

she couldn’t see anything.

Yet still she saw.

Glimpses of the turning of the Wheel.

The Dark One is waking.

His whispers

are already in the backs of our minds.

But there will be one who can stand against him.

The Dragon has been born again.

And it’s one of you.

You’ve fully lost your mind.

[chuckles softly]

Moiraine.

[distant screeching]

What are those?

[Moiraine] The Dark One’s army.

More Trollocs.

Three hundred at least.

How did they get here so fast?

Get the horses.

What? You can’t leave.

You’re coming with me.

The four of you.

Your life isn’t going to be what you thought.

You’ve lived too long in these mountains, pretending that what happens in the rest of the world won’t affect you.

We can’t just leave.

They’re after you.

They will follow you.

And if you stay here, this is where they’ll come.

They will leave nothing and no one standing, and I can’t do anything to stop them.

Our only chance is to reach the White Tower and the other sisters of the Aes Sedai.

There’s no time.

We leave now.

♪ ♪

[Moiraine] The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend.

Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.

In one Age, called the Third Age by some, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist.

The wind was not the beginning.

There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time.

But it was a beginning.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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