Re-Reading "The Wheel of Time": "Chapter 2: Strangers"

In which we get our first glimpse of both Lan and Moiraine, two of the most important characters in the series as a whole.

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Now that the story world has been established, the second chapter of The Eye of the World, “Strangers,” moves us into the town of Emond’s Field and gives us more of a thorough introduction to some of the other notable residents of this tiny village. Just as importantly, it also introduces Rand and Mat (and us as readers) to the strangers who have arrived in town to shake things up: Moiraine and Lan. There are also hints that other pleasures will be on offer for Rand and his friends.

What’s particularly striking about this chapter is the fact that nothing much really happens. Instead, something equally important is going on here, in that Jordan is more fully immersing us in this little world that he’s created. Everything about the descriptions in this chapter–from the inside of the Winespring Inn to the streets of the town itself–are meant to give us the sense that this is a world that is fully lived-in, with its own history and customs and ways of doing things. There are even references to the other important places in the Two Rivers, and who could forget the little aside about the unknowability of those who live in Taren Ferry?

However, there’s menace here too, embodied by the raven that Mat and Rand see. It’s clear from the get-go that there is something particularly sinister about this carrion-eater, and this impression is only furthered when it manages to step aside and miss both of the stones that are thrown at it. Taken in conjunction with the black horsemen that both Rand and Mat have already seen by this point, the bird is a reminder that there is something very much amiss in the air. It’s a small moment, but it’s one that alerts us as readers to the fact that Rand’s days as a simple farm boy are about to come to an end.

The centerpiece of the chapter, of course, is the introduction of Moiraine, who remarks on the sinister nature of the raven. Our first glimpse of her is one that will live on in the mind of the reader and Rand for the rest of the book. Everything about her suggests that this is someone of importance, from the way that she dresses to the effortless air of command that she seems to gather around herself. Though he doesn’t linger as long on her clothes as he will in later volumes, Jordan still uses sartorial description to tell us a lot about who Moiraine is, what she  values, and what role she is going to play in the rest of the series. This is a woman of power, someone used to wielding influence and having her requests and orders obeyed, someone who has the power to command attention. 

There is more going on with Moiraine than meets the eye, however, and it is precisely her enigmatic nature that makes her so fascinating. Who is she? Why has she come to Emond’s Field? What does she want with Rand (since it’s clear that she does want something with him?) At this point we’re not really given much information about her or her motivations, and she is essentially the strange figure archetype that is such a key part of the fantasy genre, or at least the genre as it existed at the time that Jordan was writing.

 What I find particularly fascinating about the exchange between Mat, Rand, and Moiraine, however, is the way that it frames history. “The Wheel of Time Turns,” she says, “places wear many names. Men wear many names, many faces. Different faces, but always the same man. Yet no one knows the Great Pattern the Wheel weaves, or even the Pattern of an Age. We can only watch, and study, and hope.” It’s a beautiful little speech from this stranger, and it neatly encapsulates so much of the ethos of the series as a whole. Even a place like Emond’s Field, she points out, was once a much different place in the past, though just how important it was remains to be seen. 

Just as striking is Moiraine’s admission that all those in the present can do is “watch, and study, and hope.” It’s a remarkable statement from a woman who, we will subsequently learn, isn’t the kind of person who is willing to just sit around and let things happen. Nevertheless, there seems to be an awareness here on her part that there is only so much that anyone living in the present can do when it comes to affecting the shape of the Pattern to come. There’s a vulnerability here that is rather refreshing, and it’s a reminder that, beneath her placid exterior, Moiraine is a human being like anyone else, with all of the frailties and insecurities that go with it. 

I would be remiss, though, if I didn’t also mention Lan, who is as threatening and powerful as he always is. Even though he doesn’t say a single word in this chapter, Jordan’s prose is so compelling that he still allows us to understand–through Rand’s eyes–that this is the type of person who is death personified. And, more to the point, it’s still not entirely clear whether he might be the horseman on the road (though the fact that his cloak moves suggests he isn’t).

Overall, I love how this chapter is so effective at building up the atmosphere. There are the many references to Nynaeve (who we have yet to see on the page but who is clearly one of the biggest personalities in Emond’s Field), and we get more indications that the men in charge are very concerned about the world around them and what it means for the future of their village. Yet despite the darkness there is still a glimmer of hope that everything will be okay, if only because both a gleeman and a peddler are going to make an appearance. The stage is set for the events to come, for good and for ill. 

Join me next time as I discuss the introduction of Padan Fain, one of the most compelling and terrifying characters Jordan ever created.