The Wheel of Time season three’s fourth episode is all about Rand and Moiraine. The pair along with Lan, Egwene, Aviendha, and other Aiel people’s journey to Rhuidean is the only focus. In this episode of The Wheel of Time, Rand and Moiraine discover that they have more in common than originally thought. This revelation sends their storylines and the series as a whole into a new pathway.
Rand quickly decides to go through the Trial of Rhuidean, even though he could technically take some time to contemplate. Egwene wants to go with him, but the Aiel Wise Ones say they will deny her entry. One cannot go unless they give express permission. However, to the chagrin of Rand, Moiraine asks for permission to go. Her choice is to attempt to protect Rand, of course. But the larger reason is because the Wise Ones on The Wheel of Time “accidentally” told her that if she will die if she doesn’t go through Rhuidean. They grant her permission, and the pair enter the foggy and potentially deadly city. Once inside, Moiraine and Rand make their way to its center. This is where Rand must walk through the difficult and tragic lives of his ancestors.
Before that, they come upon The Wheel of Time‘s Tree of Life, which is almost 3,000 years old. Moiraine tells Rand there was one where she grew up, and the Aiel got a sapling hundreds of years ago as a repayment of a debt. She reveals that her uncle cut the tree down when he became King to build his throne. He wanted a “unique” throne, and that heinous action led to a war with the Aiel. Moiraine’s uncle broke his oath to protect the tree and thereby destroyed the pledge of peace. This is why the Aiel left the Waste to kill him. They hunted him and burned many cities until they caught him on the slopes of Dragonmount and killed him there.
Rand realizes that is why his mother was there and gave birth to him at Dragonmount. All of this explains why he is the Dragon Reborn on The Wheel of Time and why Rand’s ties to Moiraine feel like an inescapable fate. He tells her that she shouldn’t have come to Rhuidean and walks away towards his trial. He goes through the lives of several ancestors, including his own father, in the midst of the glass columns. Through this, he discovers that his long lineage led to the Oathbreakers and has consistent ties to the Tree of Life. It also explains how the Aiel were once a nonviolent group that eventually adopted a more “by any means necessary” mindset.
Meanwhile, Moiraine goes into the Tree of Life and obtains the Sakarnen. The Wheel of Time‘s Sakarnen is an incredibly powerful sa’angreal (rare objects that allow channelers to use even more of the One Power) meant for a woman to wield. We see an ancient Aes Sedai with it in one of Rand’s trial visions, as Moiraine wields its power to create the glass columns. She instructs the original set of chiefs/leaders to see the past and discover how they became Oathbreakers. Right now, we don’t know what Moiraine wants to do with the Sakarnen.
After stashing the shiny orb, Moiraine then goes towards and ends up in the Three Rings of Rhuidean. There, she sees many fates between her and Rand; however, all of them end up with either her dying or Rand dying. In many cases, she dies at the hands of Lanfear, or at least what looks like Lanfear. Could it be the darkness in Rand instead? Maybe.
In the end of this The Wheel of Time episode, Rand reaches the end of his trial and retrieves Moiraine, who is still in the fog and now unconscious. After a long seven days, they return to the campsite, completely changed by their experience in Rhuidean. Rand now must win the trust and respect of the Aiel, which will be easier now that he’s proven himself to be the Car’a’carn. Moiraine will use that orb to perhaps keep Rand’s seemingly unchecked power in control… and maybe for her own agenda to shape a different future, too.