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.
Wait…wait… Does this mean no Gaul?!
I hope it doesn’t mean that!
This is super exciting! And glad we are gonna get some trauma healing for Perrin, and fitting that it comes from the Aiel.
Aviendha can be a replacement for Gaul, especially as the dialogue tends to support that idea.
Still, this script isn’t necessarily the final one. Things can change.
Also, she mentions a sword in relation to Perrin. Does that mean that the ax is no longer the physical manifestation of his internal conflict?
The script may have said Sword vs Axe to further hide the identity of the male character in this scene. Plus I doubt an Aiel would compliment anyone on how they use a Sword… just my guess! 🤔
Assuming that this script has been identified for Aviendha only because a female was reading the part in the audition video, this could either be for Aviendha or for a gender-switched Gaul. If they choose to gender-switch Gaul it could be to introduce the concept of Brother-Husbands to the story, balancing the gender dynamics of polyamory among the Aiel better. Alternatively, this could be a shared audition script for Aviendha and Gaul (unlikely but possible). Finally, this could be Aviendha, but Gaul may be introduced next season instead.
I don’t want cringey modern-day social politics in the series. Books were designed with a specific culture at the time to meet the demands of the society of that age. It is rich with unique cultures. It is inspired by legitimate history too. Any changes to that dynamic are completely unnecessary and will degrade the quality of the show.
Also, just because a woman read for a part doesn’t necessarily mean that men didn’t. Could still be Gaul (or Bain or Chiad), though a Gaul/Avi combination does make sense.