Thanks to April’s casting announcement, we now know that Ayoola Smart has been cast in the role of Aviendha. Since that announcement, fans have been speculating how Aviendha’s story will unfold in season two. Well, we recently uncovered some information that offers hints about how the character will be introduced, starting with an audition video for a character we believe is Aviendha. The video has since been removed, and we will not be providing the name of the actor who auditioned out of respect for their privacy. However, we do have a transcript of the audition below. While audition tapes may not be indicative of the final dialogue that will appear on the show, please only read on if you don’t mind possible spoilers!

Both scenes are between the characters we believe are Aviendha and Perrin. We have substituted code names with the Wheel of Time names and terms we believe they represent in brackets. However, there were quite a few lines in what we believe was supposed to be Old Tongue. Since we are unable to provide a good transcription for these Old Tongue sections, we’ve removed them as noted below.

Scene 1

Aviendha: My name is [Aviendha of the Nine Valleys Sept of the Taardad Aiel]. [Old Tongue] — my [water] is yours.
Perrin: I am [Perrin Aybara]
Aviendha: You don’t swing the sword* badly, [Perrin Aybara].
Perrin: I thought your people never left [the Waste].
Aviendha: [Wetlanders] call it “[The Waste].” It is [The Three-Fold Land], a shaping stone. A testing ground to prove our worth. And a punishment for the sin.
Perrin: What sin?
Aviendha: Nobody remembers. It was so long ago.
Perrin: Where will you go now?
Aviendha: Where you go, [wetlander]. You’re my [unknown]. [Unknown] is an unpaid debt. You saved my life, so I owe you my shelter. It’s not a lover, [wetlander]. Though, I wouldn’t be opposed. (laughs) Don’t worry, [Perrin Aybara], I will not attack you in a fit of lust. So, where do we go now?

(*Edit, 6/15/21, 8:50 pm CDT: “Swing the sword” may be code for “dance the spears.” Credit to Angush for the idea!)

Scene 2

Perrin: I killed her by accident. Our village was attacked.
Aviendha: Did she die well? Did she choose to fight, to protect her home, those she loved? Then trust she died well.
Perrin: [Aviendha], I want you to beat me. What the other women did to you.
Aviendha: No.
Perrin: You owe me [toh].
Aviendha: It’s dishonorable to remind me. Remember that.
Perrin: Sorry, but, please. I need it.
Aviendha: (hits him?) Did that help? No? Because you are a wetlander, not an [Aiel]! To be beaten isn’t punishment and you are dishonoring your wife by grieving her!. Death comes for us all. We can only choose how to face it when it comes. [Laila] chose! She woke up from her dream but you will not let her live. You want to stop grieving, then throw it away. (holds out a ring)
Perrin: You have your sister’s knife.
Aviendha: That is a tool, not a keepsake to mourn! Focus on those who are with us still.

Analysis

It appears that Perrin rescues Aviendha and as a result, Aviendha owes him a life debt, similar to how he meets Gaul in book 3, The Dragon Reborn. Aviendha will likely introduce Perrin and the audience to the culture of the Aiel, and that she will help Perrin through his continued grieving process as he mourns the death of Laila from season one.

We know that wolfdogs filmed on location in Dakhla near the end of April and the beginning of May. This appeared to be the same location in Dakhla where a waygate was spotted. Also in the scene was an Aiel in cadin’sor and a tall male character who is likely to be Perrin. Given the information from the audition tape, we believe it likely that the Aiel is Aviendha. The nearby Waygate provides a method of travel to and from the flat, sandy location.

This new information also seems to confirm that television viewers will first be introduced to Aviendha as a Maiden of the Spear, which is consistent with how we meet her in the books.

eri@wotseries.com | + posts

Lover of fantasy and other geeky goodness.

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I am a long time fantasy fan. Also a technology generalist with a knack for research. That likely makes me a Brown, but I'm more torn between the Yellows and the Blues.