Vicki’s Comments (group member since Jul 17, 2015)

Vicki’s comments from the A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day group.

Your point 3, I don't know how I feel about Loras Tyrell either. To me, he seems like a younger version of Jaime Lannister, who is still young and thinks he's invincible.

Your point 10, I remember having my doubts about that family as well when I first read this. But by the end of this chapter they warmed up to me. I didn't know what to think when Margaery said she was still going to marry Joffrey after she heard how horrible he is. I kind of felt bad for Margaery, but now she knows what she's getting herself into.

Your point 14, I didn't get the impression they were commanding Sansa to marry him. I think they were only asking how she'd like to marry him and get out of King's Landing for good, have Tyrell babies and stuff, lol. Of course Sansa likes the idea so she's not against it at all, and this Willas seems loads better than Joffrey. She could learn to love him. I thought the Tyrells were very kind to her, mostly so they could ally with the North and take over the Lannisters. I'll bet this Willas was having trouble finding a wife who would marry a cripple, but Sansa is known as the daughter of a traitor, so she doesn't have very many options herself.

1. Sansa receives a dinner invitation by Margaery Tyrell and is paranoid over why she would invite a traitor’s daughter. If I hadn’t read the series before, I would agree with Sansa; I’d think it is out of curiosity, to inquire about her future husband, and to be polite. At this point Margaery is already in the capital. We’ve briefly met her before when Renly was married to her, but she didn’t say much then. She is 16, older than Joffrey, but I guess that’s not a big deal.

2. Sansa seems to resent the fact that the same common folk who tried to kill her in the riot are now cheering for Margaery, even though she didn’t personally hand out any food any more than Sansa did anything to piss them off.

3. So the Hound did try to take Sansa away from the Red Keep, but she refused him. Now she questions the wisdom in that. I like that she kept Sandor’s white cloak. She doesn’t think he was being craven; she knows his secret, that he’s afraid of fire. It’s understandable he couldn’t handle the wildfire. I think he meant a lot to her.

4. Sansa accepts the invitation and later is escorted by Ser Loras, Margaery’s brother. Sansa still has a crush on him, lol. He gave Sansa the red rose, crowning her queen of love and beauty at the Hand’s tourney for her father; although, now that I think on it, he could have done that just to honor Ned Stark. Loras says their grandmother will be with them as well. Her name is Lady Olenna, aka The Queen of Thorns. That doesn’t sound so pleasant, but a rosebush is not without its thorns I guess. Loras says it wouldn’t be wise to call her that to her face, though, laughing. Man, she’s got it bad for him.

5. As they are heading toward Maegor’s Holdfast they see the inner yard is full of men training up for the next big battle. Among them is Janos Slynt’s son, Morros, who is only a squire and getting quite the beating from Ser Osfryd Kettleblack. I wonder how he feels about his father being sent to the Wall. Another is Loras’s older brother, Ser Garlan, who likes to train against three to four men at once. I believe Jon likes training against multiple opponents as well.

6. Sansa speaks of the Hand’s tourney and realizes Loras doesn’t remember giving her the red rose but is still courteous toward her. She really wanted it to mean something, awe. Loras sadly explains he killed Ser Robar Royce at Storm’s End, the very knight he unhorsed at the tourney to win the lancing tournament. And he doesn’t even want to talk of Renly’s death, so he definitely meant something to him. Discussing it takes the warmth out of him; he won’t even hold her arm anymore. Sansa thinks he’s angry with her now.

7. The Tyrells are housed behind the royal sept in a keep called the Maidenvault, so named because that’s where King Baelor the Blessed locked his sisters up so he couldn’t be tempted by the sight of them, damn. Puts a stain on my opinion of that guy. Lady Olenna’s guards are very tall and intimidating; they are named Erryk and Arryk, twins. She calls them Left and Right because she can’t recall who’s who, lol.

8. Sansa meets Margaery, who seems genuinely pleased to meet her. There are a dozen ladies at the dinner table already when she arrives, most are family and friends. Lady Alerie is Margaery’s mother, Lord Mace’s wife. Lady Olenna sounds kind enough to me, just a blunt and honest woman. She seems to genuinely sympathize for Sansa’s losses, which is a big deal, seeing as her father is considered a traitor and the Stark name is slandered all over the capital.

9. Lady Olenna calls the Baratheons queer and says it comes from their Targaryen blood. She once had the opportunity to marry a Targaryen but refused, interesting. She doesn’t seem to be a Targ supporter. Margaery defends Lord Renly’s honor but her grandmother is not persuaded. She is a heavily opinionated woman, and old, so she can get away with it, lol. The part where Renly’s claiming to be king before his older brother is treason sounds about right to me, as far as the law is concerned. She explains to Sansa that most lords these days had kings for ancestors, except the Tyrells. They were stewards to the rightful kings of Highgarden up until Aegon the Conqueror killed them and made the Tyrells lords of Highgarden instead. She calls her son stupid. And lol about Garth Greenhands...

10. Lady Olenna loves to talk. She seems to like Sansa, since she wants her to sit beside her at dinner. The food can’t come out quickly enough, and Lady Olenna seems overly eager to have her fool, Butterbumps, entertain them. He seems quite talented. The old woman calls her son a great oaf just like his father. I’m surprised by that, though she does say she loves them anyway. Apparently her husband knew a thing or two about lovemaking, how awkward. She gives the horrible advise of beating your children often to Sansa, but I do like what she says here: “All these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers.”

11. Now we know why Lady Olenna wants Butterbumps here, to distract the others so they can’t be overheard. She wants to know what Joffrey’s like, truthfully. Sansa is terrified of telling the truth. She can’t trust anyone. Olenna’s heard rumors that Joffrey treats Sansa like shit and asks if it’s true. Sounds like she wants to help the girl, but poor Sansa has been at King’s Landing long enough now to know you can’t trust anyone at court. These Tyrells could tell on her and get her into terrible trouble with the king. She lies, again, about him being all that and a bag of chips. Lady Olenna doesn’t believe it and says she heard rumors that Sansa is a fool and is starting to believe it, ouch. She tries again, only this time says not to be afraid, we’re all women here; no harm will come to her for being honest. Sansa says her father always told the truth, hinting where that got him. She begins to crack, confiding in the Queen of Thorns how Joffrey promised her father mercy but killed him anyway and made her stare at his head on a pike. Margaery listens in. She tells her grandmother Sansa’s terrified, so Lady Olenna has the fool sing real loud so they cannot be overheard by even the whisperers within the walls. Smart.

12. Finally Sansa comes out. She whispers he’s a monster and tells all the horrible things he did to her, adding the queen is evil too. I like how Lady Olenna simply says that’s a pity, lol. They reassure Sansa they’re still going through with the wedding and thank her for her honesty.

13. Next, Margaery invites her to come to Highgarden some time, hinting Sansa could marry her brother when she does. Cersei can’t refuse once Margaery is queen. Mace Tyrell isn’t in on this, though. Sansa thinks at first they’re talking about Loras, awe, but it’s their eldest brother, Willas, who will be lord of Highgarden after his father passes and needs a wife. It’s funny how the song talks about a maid refusing to dance with a hairy bear right as they’re discussing this. *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[Because Sansa marries Tyrion instead, who could be considered that hairy bear (hide spoiler)] Willas is “not the least bit oafish” according to Lady Olenna, and a cripple but has a good heart according to Margaery. I wonder why they want Sansa part of their family? Maybe it's more to do with political alliances. I guess they don’t believe she’s a traitor’s daughter. The song ends with the maid eventually calling the bear fair, and lol at Lady Olenna saying she thought the dreadful song would never end. She is a bit curt, but I like her overall.

1. As it turns out, Davos survives! He’d washed ashore in some cave on an island in Blackwater Bay and suffered fevers for days while waiting to die, but he just can’t. Rain and crabs kept him alive.

2. There is a sail out in the distance, coming closer. It is very dangerous to sail where Davos is because of all the little islands being more like sea mounts than an island like Tarth. The ship can easily get caught and flounder here.

3. Davos isn’t sure he even wants to be saved. The poor man lost four of his oldest sons in the disaster. I heard losing a child is the hardest thing. Losing all four at once, maybe a fifth, is just cruel. I can understand why Davos wouldn’t want to go on. But he still has other boys and a wife back home to provide for.

4. We find out Davos swam underneath the clusterfuck of burning ships and the chain. He is an excellent swimmer so he could do that; it helps that he wasn’t wearing any steel. He went with the current which led him here, nearly drowning in the process.

5. Davos goes to touch the pouch at his chest that holds his fingerbones but finds it missing. It was his good luck charm. He lost his sons and now his luck. Awe. Not even Stannis understood why he kept them. It was to remind him of his king’s justice, and I think it is symbolic of Davos’s devotion to Stannis. Since he loses it in this chapter, I figure this is Davos’s first baby step toward moving away from Stannis, who is caught up in Melisandre and her Lord of Light.

6. Davos prays to the Mother for mercy. He definitely loved his sons and grieves for them now, poor guy. Either Davos is hallucinating or he really is hearing the Mother speak to him. She says he burned them, the Seven. Davos tells the voice it wasn’t him, it was her, Melisandre. So it is true they burned the godswood down at Storm’s End, including the heart tree. :( He blames himself for helping her and not doing anything to stop her.

7. Something compels him to climb the rock 1and wave his arms for the ship to find him. There’s something he needs to do, but he doesn’t say what specifically. He shouts for the crew to take notice and they go to him in a small boat. When they ask who he is, Davos interestingly thinks to say he is a fool who loved his king too much and forgot his gods. I forgot that’s how he feels. Instead, he carefully says he’s a knight who fought in the Battle of the Blackwater. Realizing this ship is Lyseni, he figures the Mother sent her to save him. “She had a task for him.” He says he serves Stannis. That was the right answer because they serve him too.

Your point 11, I like Marbrand too, and I also can't remember much about him. Funny you should say that. :)

Your point 13, you're right, Tyrion is used to getting very little credit for anything he does his whole life. The man is not asking for applause, just recognition. I don't think that's too much to ask.

1. Tyrion doesn’t feel comfortable staying in Maegor’s Holdfast because every servant here is paid by Cersei and he has no idea who might kill him or when. He’s still too weak to get out of bed. Bronn of course makes a jape at Tyrion’s new scar.

2. I forgot Bronn has a new sigil, because he’s a knight now. It’s of a burning chain, green on a grey field. Ugh, probably to commemorate the wildfire incident. It was pretty ingenious, but scary. He is Ser Bronn of the Blackwater now, like it was all Bronn’s doing and Tyrion had nothing to do with it, lol. Tyrion doesn’t like that his father knighted him and not Tyrion; it was he who promised to give Bronn a knighthood after all. His father stole that from him.

3. The Hound has gone rogue. At least the gold cloaks admit Tyrion took over the sortie after he left. No one can say Tyrion was a craven. Apparently Ser Jacelyn died in the battle, like so many others. I quite liked that guy. That sucks. Gods, killed by his own men when Joffrey was taken off the Red Keep walls so they could escape like he predicted would happen. Tywin named Ser Addam Marbrand the new Lord Commander of the gold cloaks. Apparently people like to follow Ser Addam. Tyrion realizes he lost the gold cloaks. Another blow. The mountain men either went back home with plunder, were chased away, or decided to stay in the kingswood. Basically he lost them too.

4. OMG, Bronn says Cersei had Alayaya tied up and publicly whipped before tossing her out, naked and bloody. That bitch! Joffrey needs a good whipping now, to keep it even, lol. Right, I forgot it was Tommen he threatened to whip if she hurt Alayaya, not the king. If he doesn’t whip the poor boy, Cersei wins. But it doesn’t matter because Tyrion doesn’t have Tommen anymore, either. Since Ser Jacelyn died Cersei had the Kettleblacks retrieve Tommen from Rosby. He doesn’t even have the Kettleblacks anymore because Cersei upped their pay and two were knighted, though they did no fighting. Urg. It’s just one blow after another for Tyrion. No good deed goes unpunished!

5. Bronn says most of Stannis’s men, who came to him from Renly’s army, went right back over to Renly’s side when they saw his ghost and helped slaughter Stannis’s men. The Lyseni ships took off with as many of Stannis’s men as they could; some were killing each other to get onto the ships. How horrible! It was good of Saladhor Saan to stick around for that, at least.

6. Of Robb’s men, apparently some of them are harrowing Duskendale so Tywin sent Lord Tarly to fix the problem. Bronn says he’s thinking about going with him because he heard Tarly’s “openhanded with the plunder.” This is the last straw for Tyrion. He says he’s the Hand’s guard but Bronn sharply reminds him he’s no longer Hand. Ser Kevan paid the rest of the guards off to be dismissed, but Bronn is still here.

7. Tyrion asks Bronn to look into Ser Mandon Moore and why he tried to kill him. He can’t say it aloud that he thinks Cersei paid him to make sure he dies because there are so many birds and spiders in the castle, but he needs the proof.

8. He finds out Margaery Tyrell is on her way to King’s Landing and already everyone loves her. The Tyrells have brought the capital cartloads of food, so that makes perfect sense why they are looked on with favor.

9. Tyrion stands for the first time since he was nearly killed and is in a lot of pain. He gets Bronn and Pod to help him. It is so cute how Pod is clearheaded when it comes to battle but so confused any other time. Though Tyrion’s face is horrible, the worst injury is his shoulder where the arrow had lodged his own chainmail into his flesh. Pus and blood still seep out of his bandages there and it hurts badly when he moves his arm. He drinks dreamwine for the pain but not to sleep. He is tired of sleeping.

10. They help Tyrion visit his father in the Hand’s Tower. On the way there they see the rest of the castle is full of people, come to celebrate Joffrey’s wedding. They pass Ser Addam Marbrand in his gold cloak uniform. Tyrion congratulates him for the position. Ser Addam says Tywin’s not in the best of moods. Tyrek, Tyrion’s cousin, is still missing. The boy is only 13, who vanished in the riot. Apparently he had just wed Lady Ermisande, a little girl, the last heir of House Hayford. I don’t know anything about this House Hayford. Gods that’s young. Bronn of course states the ugly possibility that he is worm food. Ser Addam clearly doesn’t like Bronn. They will continue looking for him.

11. Tyrion meets with his father in his old solar. Immediately he notices something’s wrong. What now? Bronn and Pod leave them be. Tywin tells him to sit and says Joffrey and Margaery will marry on the first day of the new year, which is also the first day of the new century. Of course it will be symbolic of a new era. What convenient timing. His father claims Maester Ballabar is a gifted maester from Lord Redwyne’s city. He says Cersei was kind to look after him, lol this man is full of shit, and says he visited as often as he was allowed by the maester. Tywin asks why he got his scar, wth, and says Jaime would never be so foolish to take off his helmet in battle. There he goes again, comparing him to Jaime. Tyrion says the man who did it is definitely dead, oh the tension!

12. Tywin announces Ser Gregor (he’s still calling him “ser,” ugh) is helping Lord Tarly cut off and deal with Tallhart and Glover, who are heading for Duskendale. They have a third of Robb’s strength with them, and I still doubt Robb knows about this, lol. Tyrion doesn’t understand why Robb would send his men this way. That’s because Lord Bolton commanded it! That turncloak...

13. Tywin says Littlefinger is rewarded Harrenhal for implementing the match between Tyrell and Lannister, even though it was Tyrion’s idea. He decides to keep that to himself and inquires about his own reward. Tywin tells his son that only mummers and monkeys require applause, but he does acknowledge Tyrion’s ingenious use of the chain, and of uniting Dorne with Myrcella, who arrived safely into Sunspear. But he doesn’t like that Tyrion promised Doran justice for his sister’s death. Tyrion asks if his father has grown so fond of Gregor Clegane that he can’t bear to part with him, ha! Tywin says every lord has need of a beast from time to time, interesting he claims Bronn is Tyrion’s beast, and the clansmen too, which makes more sense. I think Bronn is a badass but I never thought of him as a beast. Nowhere near in comparison to the Mountain!

14. Then Tyrion bravely tells his father he wants Casterly Rock, which is his by rights, seeing as Jaime is a member of the Kingsguard for life and is forbidden to own lands and a castle, just like the Night’s Watch. This is too much to hope for, however. Tywin is very much opposed to this. Despite being the lawful heir, Tywin refuses to allow Tyrion that right. His voice is cold, sharp, and poisoned. For 18 years Tyrion never once raised the issue, until now, and he knew what he would get anyway. He’d always known it. :( Tywin is such an asshole here. He actually tells Tyrion he killed his mother when she brought him into the world (like that was his fault) and calls him a monster, in a nutshell. He calls raising Tyrion from birth the gods’ way of teaching him humility, since he can’t prove he’s not his child. In The World of Ice and Fire, we learn Tywin’s father was actually a jolly guy who loved drinking and this one whore in particular and was a very generous lord whom everybody liked but did not respect. Tywin hated his father because he thought he was an embarrassment to the Lannister name. That’s why Tywin is so against Tyrion having whores and drinking, I’ll bet; it reminds him of his father, Lord Tytos.

15. Tyrion realizes it was his father who had Alayaya whipped. He can get away with it because he’s his father, and the Hand now, urg! The frustration! Tywin says Cersei told him that Tyrion threatened her children, oh dear. Tyrion can’t deny it either. In Tywin’s eyes, Tyrion defended a whore’s virtue by threatening his own blood. Apparently Tywin once told Tyrion a good threat is often more compelling than a blow. Ouch! When Tyrion asks why would he harm Tommen, who is his own blood, Tywin says so was his mother. Big difference, assmunch!

16. Tywin tells Tyrion he will have his reward, but it will most certainly not be Casterly Rock, and he’ll hang the next whore he finds in his bed. *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[No, you’ll sleep with her... (hide spoiler)] I can’t stand Tywin... Kudos to George Martin for making me rage out on Tywin twice in a row! I can’t tell who I hate more, Tywin or Cersei. They can both go to hell as far as I’m concerned, lol.

1. Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie are getting as far away from Harrenhal as possible, going north through the wilderness, not daring the kingsroad. Arya keeps looking back to see if they’re being followed. The Mummers will certainly be looking for them, but Arya’s not afraid. She was scared in Harrenhal, but now she’s determined.

2. I forgot they have a close encounter with wolves. Arya calmly commands Gendry and Hot Pie to slowly back away so they don’t spook them. That sounds scary to me!

3. They pass scorched villages and hanging men. Hot Pie prays for Mother’s mercy. Probably so they don’t end up the same way these guys did. Arya does her own special prayer, her to-kill list.

4. It gets very cloudy out one day and they can’t tell where the sun is. That could be a problem if they’re trying to navigate north, but Arya says she can tell where north is from the moss growing on trees. Apparently moss tends to grow more on the southside of trees. She tells them they’re going to Riverrun, so they need to find the Trident first, which is north. Hot Pie is amazed she can read. She can’t explain to him yet why they’ll be safe there, just that they will. I like how though she still can’t trust Hot Pie with her secret, “Gendry knew, but that was different.” :)

5. I forgot Arya howls at the wolves once and one howls back, making her shiver. And I like how Arya and Gendry tease Hot Pie about wanting to rest. Gendry says the wolves will get to him before the Mummers do. “The noses.” :) That poor boy, though. He’s not used to all this traveling. Neither is Gendry, but he is too stubborn to complain, lol. Arya feels a little bad. It would be much faster if she went alone, but she will not abandon them. I love how Arya sees them as her pack and her friends. :)

6. They come to a river but Arya doesn’t think it’s the Trident. That’s right, she’s seen the Trident before, when she chucked Joffrey’s sword into it, lol. This river is too little. Hot Pie doesn’t grasp the concept of scaled distance in maps versus actual geography. :) Gendry notices the complexity of the tributaries and says they need to know which river they’re at or they’re going to go the wrong way. This land is full of hills, the rivers so meandering, it’s not that simple. Arya says she’s crossing the river with or without them; she won’t follow it like Gendry suggests. A moment ago she was just calling them her pack, now she’s threatening to abandon them, lol. They follow, of course. It wouldn’t make sense not to. She has the map.

7. By dusk they stop to eat and both Arya and Gendry yell “No!” to Hot Pie when he suggests they build a fire, lol, awe. I just love how Arya looks at Gendry and realizes they spoke together like how Jon and Arya used to do all the time, so cute! She misses Jon a lot, and this scene makes me ship her and Gendry all the more.

8. Arya forces them to keep going despite Hot Pie’s begging not to, even though she also is tired. She forces herself to stay awake; they need to get as far away from Harrenhal as possible. She eventually falls asleep, however, and Gendry wakes her, saying they need to stop to rest. He’ll take first watch. She realizes Gendry’s right and figures even the Mummers need to sleep too.

9. Arya has a wolf dream. It is savage. There are four Mummers who think they’re hunting her but she’s hunting them. She and her pack of regular wolves descend upon them, tearing them apart. Nice. Nymeria is looking out for her! :) Seems Arya’s also a warg. In an interview with the author, George Martin confirms that all six Stark children are wargs but only two know it. *SPECULATION ON WINDS OF WINTER* (view spoiler)[I’m wondering if in WoW, or some other book, Ghost and Nymeria will eventually run into each other, and if they do, will Nymeria submit to him like she used to do when they were pups? If she does, that would mean her huge wolf pack will belong to Ghost. If Jon practices his warg skills enough, he can consciously use them to his advantage to repel the Others. That would be fucking awesome! (hide spoiler)]

*SPOILER FOR DANCE WITH DRAGONS* (view spoiler)[I consider Theon the other character that makes a drastic change. (hide spoiler)] :)

Your point 2, I agree with you, I can't blame her at all for freeing Jaime. It wasn't the smartest move, but the woman was grieving for her children and she was thinking logically. She put much faith in Tyrion to uphold his end of the bargain. It must have been so horrible for her to learn that Tyrion might be dead, and having to deal with Edmure's idiocy. It definitely wasn't a choice she made easily. She wanted to kill Jaime. But I see it as a leap of faith.

Your point 5, *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[Isn't there a tavern wench named Tansy somewhere in the riverlands that Arya and Beric and his crew meet up with at some point? I vaguely remember reading the name and going "zomg!" I think the girl was young, probably 16, which would be about right if Lysa had a bastard baby at that time, and Tansy said she didn't know her parents or something. I really can't wait to read about it. It must be somewhat important, or why else would George Martin include it in the book? (hide spoiler)]

Your point 10, I think Dorne declared for Joffrey when Tyrion sent Myrcella as ward to Doran Martell and future wife to his son, and offered a position on council to the Martells.

Your point 11, lol, I guess Catelyn prays a lot so she doesn't go insane. :)

1. Cat’s brother, Edmure, named Ser Desmond Grell castellan of Riverrun before he left to play at war. He’s older than Cat and is a staunch Tully man. He’s the one who has to deal with Cat’s crime of releasing Jaime Lannister, and it is very uncomfortable for him to do so. Utherydes Wayn, the steward, is helping him. Neither seem to know what to say. This is so unlike her. They heard Bran and Rickon are dead, so they cling to the belief that she did this thing out of grief, which isn’t far from the truth. They say men will understand she did it out of woman’s madness but Cat says she knew what she was doing. She tells them if they don’t punish her people will begin to think they were in on it too and she won’t have that. Noble of her. She’s prepared to take Jaime’s place in the dungeon, but they refuse to do that. Utherydes would rather lock her in her room so she can pray for her murdered sons. Instead, they lock her in her father’s chambers so she can be with him in his last days. That’s very kind of them. They’ll even let her in the sept, but nowhere else.

2. After Ser Desmond leaves, Utherydes says freeing the kingslayer was all for naught; they have already sent Ser Robin after them to bring him back in chains, killing him if need be. Why? That is very stupid if they kill them. Then the Lannisters will destroy them, with Highgarden at their back, but they have a chance if Jaime decides to say the Starks were merciful and let him go as an exchange of hostages. It’s a long shot, but they shoot themselves in the foot if they kill him. Then there’s no going back if he’s dead. Cat figured they would try to catch him; that’s why she sent Brienne with him.

3. They relocate Cat to her father’s chambers and she goes to visit him. He’s sleeping, as usual. Cat wonders what her father would say if he knew what she did. She grieves for her sons and her husband, still. She always will, but losing a child is the hardest thing.

4. Then her father wakes, weak and in pain, and he whispers the name Tansy. Cat realizes he doesn’t recognize her. She’s used to him calling her Lysa or her mother’s name, but she doesn’t know who this Tansy is. She tries to remind him that she’s Cat, his daughter, but he doesn’t seem to hear her. He drolls on and on about how sorry he is, asking Tansy to forgive him. Cat wonders if Tansy was some woman her father took solace with after her mother died and feels awkward. She asks who this Tansy is and if he wants her to get her. Instead, Hoster murmurs she’ll have others...sweet babes, and trueborn. He has her really confused. He tells her to be a good wife and she’ll have trueborn sons, then screams in pain. The maester comes to ease his pain and he goes back to sleep.

5. Cat tells Maester Vyman her father spoke of a woman named Tansy and asks if he knows anything about her. Vyman says he can’t think of anyone, past or present, by that name. He says he’ll look into it if she wants, Utherydes should know, and says he’s commanded not to talk too long with her unless it is required. Cat understands and doesn’t blame Ser Desmond. I like Catelyn for that.

6. Cat watches the river to see if Ser Robin will return, to see if her efforts were in vain, but she sees nothing all day, which is good.

7. At supper Maester Vyman tells Cat he spoke to Utherydes who says there’s been no one at Riverrun by the name of Tansy at any time during his service. Cat saw a raven fly in and begs to know what the letter says but Vyman’s not supposed to talk about it with her. He breaks and tells her Lord Tywin left the riverlands so the war in the Fords have stopped, for now. Robb is injured when he stormed the Crag but says it’s nothing. Cat is still concerned, though. A typical mother’s response. She is full of questions and Vyman hurries away before he says too much.

8. She spends more time with her father, who starts talking in his sleep. He apologizes to Tansy again. It obviously upsets him, so whatever it is/was must be important to him. Cat doesn’t know what to make of it. That night she thinks about it. She ponders if this Tansy had a bastard by him, then rules that out. Her father would never do that, Edmure maybe, but not Hoster Tully. Then she ponders Lysa, who could have been pregnant before she got married to Jon Arryn.

9. Cat recalls the time they both got pregnant at the same time; Cat with Robb and Lysa with a miscarriage. Before that happened, Lysa was so happy, saying their sons would be more like brothers than cousins. How sweet, but then she miscarried. She was never the same since. Cat wonders if Lysa was pregnant longer than she had been, so she married Jon Arryn to cover up being with child before the wedding. Lysa couldn’t handle holding baby Robb, too emotionally damaged to handle it. It did seem strange that Lysa’s marriage was hastily arranged to an old man that needed an heir.

10. Cat goes to her father and tells him she knows what he did. She writes to her sister and explains her two sons are dead and their father is full of grief of the wrongs he did to her. She begs Lysa to come see him, or at least write to him. He lingers on his deathbed, refusing to die because of his need to make amends with her. Awe. She gives the letter to Maester Vyman to deliver the letter and goes to pray in the sept.

11. Later she finds out Edmure has returned. He eventually goes to speak with her, taking his time. He says he pushed the Lannisters back, lol, but stumbles when he mentions Lord Stannis. He says Stannis lost the battle at King’s Landing, and Edmure is sad about this. Dude, even if Stannis had won, he’d be coming after you next! Cat is secretly relieved; she’s still freaked out about Stannis’s shadow and is glad he lost the battle. Edmure says now both Highgarden and Dorne are on Joffrey’s side. That’s a big blow to Robb. They are even bigger than ever. And he’s upset because his sister set free the kingslayer. I knew that was coming. Edmure says he was charged to keep the kingslayer safe and Cat says Brienne is doing that. I don’t like how Edmure calls her “that woman?” Wth, man? Cat explains that Tyrion promised he would safely give her daughters back when Jaime is safely returned to King’s Landing; he said it in front of an entire room full of people. Edmure informs Cat that he heard Tyrion took an axe to the face and is most likely dead. Cat is devastated by this news. Edmure says he sent ravens to Lord Bolton telling him to be on the lookout for the kingslayer who has escaped. He never even says Jaime’s name; he’s just the kingslayer.

12. Cat is livid with her brother now. She tells him it was supposed to be an exchange, not an escape! If King’s Landing thinks Jaime returned to them as an escapee, they will never return her daughters. Edmure promises they’ll find him before that happens but Cat says all he’s made certain of is that she’ll never see her daughters again. Poor woman. She commands her brother to leave, even though she’s the treasoner in his castle and has no right bossing him around. Oh well, he’s still her little brother.

Jaime is one of my favorite characters in the series and is one of two characters that managed to turn a complete 180 in my opinion of them. :)

Your point 4, I don't remember if there's much information about Genna, but I assumed she was much kinder than Tywin.

Your point 18, I agree, the first time I read this chapter I started to doubt how bad he was too. It's a start for his conversion to good guydom. :) But I still think he was weighing his odds of success. He would have a harder time getting out of his fetters all by himself, and he's cocky so he probably thinks he can overcome her when she frees him.

1. Jaime is obviously alive, not killed by Cat, and he’s free! I can’t imagine how good it must feel for him to be out of the dungeons after being cooped up for so long in the darkness. He’s enjoying the wind in his hair and birds in the air and he laughs like an idiot drunk on sunlight. Brienne is with him, as well as Ser Cleos Frey, his cousin. Though he’s in a boat he’s still manacled together so he doesn’t try to escape.

2. As it turns out, Catelyn let him go, despite not having permission to do so. She had Brienne overcome the gaoler, help him up the stairs and into a boat, hidden in a traveler’s cloak, and sent down river in the night. Catelyn has always done her duty...except this time! He slept through much of the boat ride in the night. I love this: Tyrion is going to laugh himself sick when he hears how I slept through my own escape.

3. Jaime offers to help Brienne row the boat if she unshackles him but she’s not falling for that. They bicker from the start; I just love these two together! He keeps calling her wench and she keeps calling him kingslayer. Ser Cleos reminds Jaime to be polite and Jaime thinks there’s not much Lannister in him. His father, Emmon Frey, lived in terror of Lord Tywin since he married his sister, Genna, ha! But though the Freys took Riverrun’s side, Emmon Frey and his children stayed on his wife’s family’s side. Lord Tywin is such a bully...lol. They are both awful Houses, in my opinion. Not all, but most.

4. Interesting Catelyn wants Ser Cleos to deliver her new peace terms to Tyrion, not Cersei. Before she released Jaime she made him swear more vows. Hmm, if he didn’t swear then she’d kill him. Well of course he’d make promises! He wonders what the High Septon would feel about the sanctity of his vows made while drunk, imprisoned, and at sword point. Good point! But Catelyn has more faith in Tyrion to keep his word than in Jaime’s, who has a guard with him at all times to make sure he gets to King’s Landing safely, just in case.

5. In Jaime’s point of view, Bran was spying on him, so he didn’t seem so innocent to him. Even Cersei yelled at him for pushing the boy out the window, so that part really is true.

6. When Jaime makes fun of Brienne, calling her Lady Brienne to Ser Brienne, Ser Cleos tells him to stop, but that only makes Jaime make fun of her people living in Tarth, too. What a bully he is at this point in the series! Ser Cleos shortly later sucks up to him, though, saying no Stark could ever win against Ser Jaime Lannister’s sword. Except...they did. What a sniveling two-face.

7. They open sail, having only the Tully red and blue colors available, so that’s a big red flag if anyone, in particular Lannister loyalists, should see it. Or even worse, Stark loyalists.

8. Jaime has Ser Cleos shave his head bald, leaving the beard. This will help with his disguise. It also rids him of all the mats and lice in his hair, ew. He looks considerably older now. Interesting how he knows Cersei will hate it. You’d think she’d be happy just to know he’s alive!

9. The rivers along the Trident are the fastest way to trade goods in the riverlands. Lots of wares are sold in “floating shops” and along the shores. Gods, I love this image! Right now, though, the war has the rivers all abandoned. There are no villagers in any village they pass. Brienne passes the sandbars and snags with ease and Jaime actually compliments her, but she is suspicious of him. No wonder. Sometimes he can be an ass.

10. They come across a huge live oak tree with a bunch of dead women hanging from it, swaying from its branches over the water. Brienne is appalled and stops to give the women proper burials. While they’ve stopped, Jaime enjoys bathing himself in the water. He offers to help get the corpses down if she unchains him, again. He must think she’s stupid. As they get closer, there’s a sign that says these women died because they lay with lions, so this was Stark’s side. Ser Cleos recognizes this place and says it used to be an inn. They were tavern wenches. Jaime says it’s Bracken land. Jonos Bracken may have done this out of retaliation when Tywin Lannister burned his castle down. Ser Cleos debates with him on who else could have done it and the Boltons are mentioned. I wouldn’t be surprised with Roose Bolton. Seems Jaime did not know Bolton holds Harrenhal now.

11. Brienne starts cutting the corpses down when she sees another boat sailing their way. All three hurry back in their boat and sail away. The other ship sails the Tully colors as well. That’s not good. Riverrun will be wanting their prisoner back. They have to hurry. Lol, Jaime jokes saying they should hope the noble Tullys will stop to bury the dead whores. As it gets closer they realize it’s a river galley, bigger than a boat. They have more oarsmen so they cannot hope to outrun them.

12. Jaime suggests they kill them. They’d been rowing since dawn; they’ve got to be tired. If Brienne unchains him he can help fight. Lol, he just doesn’t give up. He’d rather die with sword in hand than be back in prison. Brienne reminds him he’s under her protection. She can’t let him die. Lol, Jaime thinks she’s the Hound with teats.

13. The galley gets closer and Jaime can see they have archers. He hates archers. They are close enough now to see the captain is Ser Robin Ryger, a tenacious old man. Ser Robin shouts he’s been sent to bring him back, of course. Jaime explains Catelyn freed him in order to exchange him for the girls but Ser Robin reminds them that Catelyn Stark doesn’t rule Riverrun. When they don’t yield they shoot arrows at them, two pierce their sails.

14. There is a large island in the Red Fork. Brienne makes a daring move around the left of the island, by far more dangerous, and Jaime can tell she’s determined, only now noticing her pretty eyes. She gives the tiller to Ser Cleos and jumps into the water. The first time I read this I had no idea what she was doing. She scales the bluffs on the north side.

15. Jaime asks Ser Robin for a trial by combat but Ser Robin says he wishes he could but he was given direct orders to bring him back unharmed. Just as the archers get ready to shoot again, Brienne rains rocks and boulders on them from above, puncturing their hull. Men fall into the water and can’t swim for some reason, odd, if you live in the riverlands. Jaime is elated to see the galley foundering and hopes they lose Brienne as well, but she is not that easy to get rid of. She runs alongside the boat and gracefully jumps into the water. Brienne is a total badass! Jaime thinks to hit her with his oar as she pulls up but instead finds himself helping her back in. I wonder why. He could’ve easily knocked her out in the water and overtake Ser Cleos, except then he’d still be in chains, lol.

16. Jaime asks if she expects him to thank her but she says no; she swore an oath to safely get him back to King’s Landing. I really liked this chapter. :) Brienne shows Jaime what a true knight is all about, and she’s not even a knight. Often the good guys in this series aren’t knights.

A Storm of Swords is one of my more favorite books in the series because, like you said, there's so many plot twists it keeps you on your toes.

Your point 3, it just occurred to me that the wildlings could have smuggled horses from the coast by people like Davos over a long period of time. I think I read that somewhere it happens more often than the Seven Kingdoms would like to admit. It must have been very alarming for them to know there are so many horsed wildlings coming for the Wall! I don't think they've even seen the giants and mammoths yet.

Your point 14, I loved this prologue better than the first two books' prologues. Maybe because I already have an idea who these people are and what they're up against. George Martin has a way of making me feel good that Chett is so scared at the same time I feel terrible for him, because he's so scared. I would be too.

1. So here’s Chett’s point of view, the jerk who hates Jon and Sam for losing his steward position for Maester Aemon. He’s still at the Fist of the First Men with Mormont and the others, hating it here because of the cold. Right now he’s trying to track a bear with his dogs but the dogs are all frightened.

2. His two other hunting companions, Lark the Sisterman and Small Paul, discuss murdering the Lord Commander. Seems Small Paul is the big stupid one in the group. He doesn’t want to kill Mormont if he doesn’t have to; he just wants to get back to the Wall like the others, but his friends say if they don’t kill him he’ll hunt them down for being deserters. Chett has a list of others they also need to kill before they go and Sam’s on the list, so he doesn’t try to write a letter warning the others on the Wall.

3. Thoren Smallwood returned three days ago, telling everyone that Mance is moving down the Milkwater now. There’s about 20 to 30 thousand in total, and Harma the Dogshead has the van, 500 on horse, but they’re still a ways behind and moving slow. Half are woman and children, bringing their beasts of burden and everything else they own. They don’t mean to go home. All the more reason Chett and the others want to retreat back to the Wall. They’re not prepared to fight that many wildlings. Thoren Smallwood is one of those who wants to stay and fight, so I’m guessing he’s not with the secret band of mutineers.

4. Mormont only wants to stay because he’s waiting for the rest of his scouts to return, including Qhorin Halfhand and Jon Snow. The other party led by Jarmen Buckwell are also late returning and we have no idea what happened to them. Urg, Chett hopes Jon and Ghost are dead. Those two would be much more difficult to kill should they happen to show up.

5. Chett is an asshole; he’s starved his dogs for three days straight so they’ll be extra vicious when he sics them on the horses, stirring chaos so they can get away unnoticed.

6. There are 14 in total who are part of this scheme, and that’s all Chett wants. Any more and it would be hard to keep it a secret. It seems Chett’s the leader. Of course he would be...he is an asshole. One of the recruits is Softfoot, a man who supposedly raped 100 women in his youth without them knowing he was there, damn! Chatt can’t wait to kill Sam; he has it all planned out in his head how he will do it. That man never let it go. Small Paul is actually a very big man, like Little John in Robin Hood; he and Softfoot are going to kill Mormont while the others kill the guards on third shift watch. Apparently when Mormont dies the command will go to Ser Ottyn Wythers, an old man who can’t wait to run back to the Wall.

7. Lark wants to go back to his home on the Sister Islands but Chett knows that’s a death sentence. Once you join the Night’s Watch and say your vows you can’t ever leave or you’ll be a deserter and everyone in the Seven Kingdoms will try to kill you. Maybe if they went to the Nine Free Cities they could be free, but Chett doesn’t know their languages, nor does he have a trade to make a living. His father collected and sold leeches to maesters, twelve for a penny, while he was growing up. Sounds like an interesting job, but Chett refuses to go back to that lifestyle. He personally has eyes for Craster’s Keep. He’s thinking about taking it from him. One man with a horde of women...sounds like it would be hard to protect your land from other men. We learn when Chett was younger he wanted this whore and even gave her flowers he heard she liked but she just laughed at him and refused to service him because of his boils on his face. Did he not present her with money as well? He killed her for laughing at him and one of Walder Frey’s bastards went to do his judging for him, sentencing him to the Wall where he can’t have any women now, except the whores in Mole’s Town. He means to steal Craster’s wives, never going back to the Wall where he will be caught and tried for mutiny.

8. I like this Small Paul. He doesn’t have the heart to kill Mormont’s raven so he asks if he can keep it. :) Chett says sure just to shut him up.

9. Chett decides to be a dick and makes fun of Sam who is so proud of himself for shooting the target with a bow and arrow. Grenn and Dolorous Edd are encouraging Sam, Edd being funny about it as usual, and Sam is so happy, until Chett happens. He has Sam shaking in fear when his friends defend him, which made me smile. Sam isn’t just Jon’s friend anymore. :)

10. Chett doesn’t seem a very good dog owner by the amount of kicking he dishes to the hounds. He even thinks about eating them. Well if they really are starving for food, I guess that’s not a bad idea.

11. Even in the daylight it’s getting noticeably colder. Everyone agrees on it. If you were to touch steel with a bare hand your skin will peel off; that’s how cold it is. At dusk, Dywen, who is not part of Chett’s 14, says the forest is uncannily silent, none of the animals are making any sound, which is a bad sign. They’ve all up and left. It has some of Chett’s men very nervous, Sawwood and Maslyn especially.

12. All of a sudden there’s shouting for all men to attend a meeting at the central fire. Mormont and his officers inform everybody that the wildlings are descending on them and will probably reach the Fist in ten days. Mormont doesn’t believe they know they’re here but Chett thinks they know. Smallwood and Mormont agree to have the whole party go up in the mountains to deal with Mance’s army tomorrow morning. Most of them are women and children and most that will fight don’t have steel weapons and are undisciplined, so they should be able to hold them back. They plan to ambush them in the mountains where there are lots of places to hide. Yeah, this doesn’t sound smart...

13. Mormont says most of them will probably die, if not all, but a Lord Commander a thousand years ago once said that’s why they wear black. I wonder who this Lord Commander was. Then the officers repeat their Night’s Watch creed until all 300 men recite it together. After they finish, Mormont’s raven repeats very loudly, “Die." Wow, awkward timing.

14. That night Chett frets over all the things that could go wrong. He’s nervous like everybody else, but for different reasons. He wakes up after dreaming of Bessa, that whore he killed, and sees it’s snowing heavily. He cries because it’s not fair...the snow will destroy his plans to escape. They’ll leave footprints clear as day in the snow. They’ll lose their food caches and the trail they’re supposed to follow, too. They’ll be totally lost. He hates snow, which reminds him of Jon Snow, of course. Are you going to blame the weather on Jon too?

15. Chett decides to take it out on Sam before they all die. He finds Sam’s tent and readies his knife but all the ravens start quorking the word “snow” which could wake the boy. Instead, Sam is wakened by the distant sound of a brother’s horn. Chett swallows his curse. Ha!

16. I really like the tension George Martin achieves here, of Chett’s thoughts as the horn blows. One means rangers returning. Chett assumes Buckwell or Qhorin returned when the horn blasts again. Two blasts means wildlings attacking. Sam and the whole camp freaks out. It’s too early for the wildlings to reach them here and they’re not prepared. Chett taunts Sam when a third horn blasts. There hasn’t been a third blast in hundreds of thousands of years. The ravens are all freaking out now. Sam squeals it’s the Others and it’s priceless when Chett half laughs, half sobs, and pisses himself. I don’t feel bad for him so much, but I do feel bad for Sam and the others I care about. :(

You're right about Jojen and not knowing how to use a sword. I hadn't thought of it that way, it makes sense. :)

And I think it will be thousands of years before the Stark kings/lords will have to think about finding another place to bury their dead. I wonder how many levels beneath Winterfell ARE there? I believe it was built over a cavernous, hot springs region, so it's an ideal place for a crypt.

I don't think Qhorin hated wildlings either. I think he respected them and knew there were a few bad ones in the entire group, but I think his main priority was to find out what they're doing IF the wildlings intend to infiltrate the Seven Kingdoms. As a brother of the Night's Watch, he is obligated not to let that happen. *SPOILER FOR DANCE WITH DRAGONS* (view spoiler)[But if he knew they only wanted to get south of the Wall to protect themselves from the Others...I really wonder if he would vouch for them like Jon did. I think he would. :) (hide spoiler)] But you're right; we don't know much about him, except that he's dead now. :(

*SPOILER FOR A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[Yes, Joff did eat Tyrion's cake, and right afterwards he starts choking. It does seem pretty suspicious, but you are right; Cersei had so many chances to kill Tyrion before hte wedding, I just don't think Cersei would be so stupid to try to kill him in front of everybody watching. I'm so used to Petyr Baelish's lies so I wanted to believe he lied to Sansa about killing Joffrey to make her feel guilty and blackmail her if she tries to run away from him. But I think he was really telling hte truth, that time. (hide spoiler)]

Your point 1, I feel the same way. Reading this book a second time really gave me better insight as to what's going on in the story. I catch a lot of things I missed the first time, and I love it even more!

1. Summer sniffs the air around Winterfell. Fire is the worst smell in his opinion, even worse than cold iron. It’s very interesting how he sees a great winged snake in the air, roaring a river of flame. Man, that almost sounds like a dragon! He bares his teeth at it but it disappears. The fires rage through the night. At one point there is a great roar and a crash and the very earth jumps under his feet. I wonder what the fuck just happened. His brother is with him, not liking this either.

2. The fires stop by morning and they leave the forest. No one was left alive in this charred mess. They fight over a freshly killed horse, establishing who’s alpha, probably. Summer wins with Shaggydog rolling on his back in submission. That’s good. Bran’s the older brother of the two and wiser. I like reading the wolf’s point of view. It makes sense because Bran is watching and feeling it all.

3. The dark place pulls at him then, I think he means the crypts. Summer doesn’t like the darkness. He wants to be in the woods and hunt with his brothers and sisters, awe. :) The darkness seems to consume him and Bran wakes from his wolf dream.

4. Bran needed coaxing to come back to his own body, so he’s still not in complete control yet. Hodor, Meera, Jojen, Osha, and Rickon are with him. They are in the dark. He tells them he saw Winterfell burned to the ground. He was dreaming for three days straight. Holy hell, no wonder he’s hungry, thirsty, and weak! Meera tried sustaining him with water and honey while he was “away,” but Jojen says that’s too long; he could kill himself if he takes too long coming back. It sounds like an addiction for Bran, to want to be Summer forever. Jojen explains just because Summer eats doesn’t mean Bran ate too. “Remember who you are.” I like that. But Bran doesn’t want to be his broken self. :(

5. Bran is proud of himself for finally figuring out how to become Summer whenever he wants, but he sill has a lot to learn. One time he even reached Ghost and talked to Jon. I remember that well; it’s when Jon dreamed of the heart tree and of Ghost being attacked by the eagle. I think it’s pretty badass of him to already have been able to tap into other creatures besides Summer. Imagine the power he will have when he masters his gift! Jon is the only other Stark kid that knows he’s a warg, so that’s pretty significant. If they both train themselves, they can communicate to each other through thousands of miles away. Imagine how useful that would be!

6. Bran tells Osha about the wolf dream, so it must be true. She lights a torch so they can see. Now we know for certain where they are: inside the crypts of Winterfell, right beneath the burning rubble. They’d been hiding out beside Ned Stark’s empty tomb, which is beside Lyanna, Brandon, and Rickard Stark’s tombs. We get the names of their ancestors after Rickard as well. Their family line is a very long one full of lords. Before all that they were kings, too. Osha agrees to go up again if only to find more food; their stores are almost depleted. They’re all going up together, finally. They’d been hiding for a while. Very interesting how Bran thinks Ned’s statue looks sad to see them go.

7. They take some of the deceased Stark’s swords in case they need to use them up above. Meera takes Lord Rickard’s sword and Bran takes the sword of Brandon Stark, his uncle, because they share the same name. Bran obviously can’t use it, but he takes it anyway to feel safer. I wonder why Jojen doesn’t take a sword?

8. On their way out they pass some of the more recent dead kings of the North, not the ancient ones underneath them. Bran knows some of them did terrible things, but they’re all Starks. I like that Bran memorized all their stories. House pride. He was never afraid of the crypts. I like that a lot. I’m not afraid of cemeteries, but crypts on the other hand are a bit creepy. Maybe it’s because you’re underground with them, lol.

9. Apparently there is more than one level below this one, “levels” pluralized in this book. There’s probably enough dead kings to start an army, should they come to life like in Jon’s nightmares! An uneasy thought.

10. The stone lords gave Bran courage while they were down there. Osha checks to see if the coast is clear, and Bran is afraid of going up suddenly. He feels safe in the darkness. That’s interesting, since Summer doesn’t like it.

11. Gods, Rickon is annoying... he keeps demanding to go home. I know he’s just a kid, but still. Shut up.

12. Hodor helps Osha break through the blockade in the stairwell so they can get out. The stairwell keeps on going, indicating they are very far below ground level. That most likely means there are more empty levels above them for future Starks. I don’t know why but it interests me to know how many tombs in total there are, filled and unfilled. The original builders must have anticipated a long lineage at Winterfell. Makes sense. I wonder what the other castles do with their dead kings and lords.

13. They are out of the crypts now and behold the remains. How depressing. It doesn’t help that Rickon is screaming to go home. Summer and Shaggydog meet up with them, so that brightens Rickon’s mood, for a little while anyway.

14. Jojen proposes they leave this place. So much death will attract other predators, and not all are on four feet. I like that Osha is the one who says they should look for survivors first. :) Well that sucks the glass gardens are all broken and burned up. Little hope for finding food there. Some places are still on fire or smoldering.

15. Bran thinks Theon did this but Osha says it’s not the ironborn’s doing. They are all charred up in here, too. Some are men of the Dreadfort. There was a fight here.

16. Summer howls, darts to the godswood, and the others follow. At least they didn’t burn down the godswood too! Jojen says there is power in living wood, a power as strong as fire. I like that. :) They find Maester Luwin dying under the heart tree. So he didn’t immediately die from Theon’s chapter. I forgot.

17. Luwin is so happy to see that Bran and Rickon are not actually dead. :) He asks how they escaped Theon’s hounds and Bran explains what really happened. They started to go in the wolfswood but doubled back and hid in the crypts while the two direwolves ran off to make a false trail. No one ever thought to look in the crypts.

18. I smiled when Luwin tells angry Rickon that he’s old and can die as he pleases. :)

19. I forgot it was Luwin’s idea they separate the boys. He tells Osha to take them away to White Harbor or the Umbers, where it is safest. There is war all over the North. He then tells Bran to be strong. I think he asks her to end his pain once the Reeds and Stark boys exit the godswood. Besides Hodor, she is the only adult in the party. Osha says Hodor needs to stay with Bran but she’s taking Rickon with her and the Reeds will go with Bran.

20. Apparently the kitchens weren’t completely burned because there’s still some edible food they can take. They say their goodbyes and Rickon of course is upset, but Osha gets him to come with her. Where they’re going we don’t know as of yet, but there are rumors of possible places.

21. The rest decide to go north, instead of south to Greywater Watch. If you remember, Jojen said in an earlier chapter that the three-eyed-raven lives north of the Wall.

22. Bran takes one last look at the ruins before they depart. Despite the fire, most of the stone towers remain standing; they’re just blackened and parts broken off. Bran tells himself the stone is strong, and so are the trees and the crypts underground, and so is he. :) I just love the ending of this book:

So long as those remained, Winterfell remained. It was not dead, just broken. Like me, he thought. I’m not dead either.

And that concludes A Clash of Kings!

Your point 3, I forgot what happens to Stonesnake too. And I never thought I'd say this, but that eagle is an asshole.

Your point 10, I think wargs are common to the wildlings and seeing Ghost helping Jon probably was proof of that. What kind of direwolf just hangs around a man and helps him hunt like a dog unless you are a warg?

1. Qhorin, who never lets them build fires, is letting them build one now, and Jon knows this can’t be good. Jon is sure he’s going to die, and wonders if Ghost will howl for him as Summer howled for Bran when he fell. :(

2. It’s just Qhorin and Jon left; Qhorin sent off the other brothers. The eagle keeps stalking them. I didn’t realize Qhorin could’ve sent Jon away instead of Ebben, but he tells Ebben Jon has a different part to play. *SPOILER FOR DANCE WITH DRAGONS* (view spoiler)[In hindsight, I wonder, if Qhorin knew what the wildlings really wanted would he have done the same thing Jon did as Lord Commander? Help them? (hide spoiler)]

3. Oh that’s gross...they ate raw strips of horse meat to keep strong. I suppose it’s either that or starve. Haha, they are like the Dothraki now!

4. I forgot Qhorin sent Stonesnake to go back to Mormont to tell him the “old powers” are waking. Jon doesn’t think he’ll make it, though. I don’t think he ever does.

5. At the fire, Qhorin has Jon recite the Night’s Watch creed with him again. Curious. I like what Qhorin says here: “...if the Wall should ever fall, all the fires will go out.” It’s interesting how a wall of ice protects the fires, which I’m assuming is generalized to mean all hearths in every home, lanterns, etc. The life of a man depends on fire to survive.

6. Now Qhorin commands Jon to break his vow in order to get in with the wildlings, that’s the only way to get them to trust him. Jon at first refuses to break his vow but Qhorin says to do it so he can learn from them. Find out what they’re planning. Be a spy, basically. Qhorin commands him not to balk, do everything that is asked of him, anything. Lol, it’s like he’s a secret agent now. And when he gets a chance to steal away, tell Lord Commander Mormont everything he learned. Jon agrees, and asks Qhorin to tell Mormont he never broke his oath. I don’t think Qhorin expects to go home, but he says he will. Jon takes his oath very seriously. He definitely is a Stark.

7. They’re on their way back to the Fist, leaving the fire behind to draw the wildlings toward it, and hide in a crook in the mountains. Probably to stay away from the eagle. It is misty in here, and they move through a falling water, too. The shock of the cold made me shiver! Being soaked in freezing water is not fun. Qhorin says through here there is a way through the heart of the mountains, and if they haven’t found them by tomorrow morning they will press on. Jon is glad for Ghost’s warmth at night.

8. Very interesting that Jon dreams of burning castles and dead men rising from their graves. It makes me wonder if he’s dreaming of the crypts of Winterfell again, and that the Others turn all the Stark kings and lords into wights. That would really suck to see the bones of your ancestors come to kill you.

9. The next morning they move farther on down into the mountain range using torches Qhorin made earlier. Unfortunately, when they reach the other side hours later the eagle is there, waiting for them. Seems the wildlings also know about that secret passageway. Why wouldn’t they? This is their land. Now they make their stand. They are being hunted.

10. Here come the wildlings, with hounds more wolf than dog. There are fourteen in total and eight hounds. This will be Jon’s first real fight.

11. I wonder why the wildlings don’t mine or smelt their own weapons and armor? It doesn’t seem too advanced in technology for even them to do.

12. Their leader approaches, wearing the bones of huge beasts for armor. Qhorin calls him Rattleshirt, makes sense. He’s a famous wildling among the rangers. Rattleshirt calls himself The Lord of Bones. Qhorin insults him, calling him a dog. Rattleshirt throws insults back.

13. Look up byrnie: a coat of mail; hauberk.

14. One of the spearwives shows them Ebben’s head; so he never made it back. :( It gets really weird how one taunts Jon by showing him one of her boobs and calls him a babe. Qhorin says they mean to shame them into running out in anger and reminds him of his orders. Before they begin to flush them out, Jon shouts he yields and comes out. Qhorin follows, making a show for them, calling Jon a turncloak and a bastard craven. Rattleshirt says he won’t take cravens but Ygritte comes forward and says he’s no craven; he’s the one who captured and spared her. She says to let him live.

15. The eagle is angry. Ygritte says he was a man, until Jon killed him. Jon more or less apologizes and says she told him Mance would take him. Ygritte stands by what she said, but another spearwife says to let him prove he’s a turncloak first. Rattleshirt tells him to kill Qhorin. Before Jon can do anything, Qhorin plays the part, threatening he’ll be glad to kill Jon Snow the traitor and comes right at him. He has no choice but to defend himself. Qhorin gives him a good fight, not making it easy. Finally he pierces his throat and Qhorin falls.

16. Jon feels awful, understandable, but he realizes now that Qhorin knew this would happen, so really it’s no betrayal. Jon is just following orders; he must not balk. Jon wonders who he is now. He killed a brother of the Night’s Watch. But now he’s in to play spy.

17. Ygritte tells her people he’s Jon Snow, bastard of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Some approve of him, but others don’t. Rattleshirt still wants him dead and another says he only proved he can betray his brothers. Rattleshirt says he’s angry that Jon Snow killed Qhorin Halfhand before he could. He calls Jon a warg, too. He can’t be trusted. Seems this guy wants any excuse to kill him. But the majority rules. They’ll let him live, for now, if at least to let Mance decide.

18. They wisely burn Qhorin’s body right then and there. Rattleshirt keeps some of his bones and the rest throw dice to see who gets what from Qhorin’s possessions. How horrible it must feel to be Jon right now. Ygritte gets his cloak.

19. When Jon asks if they’re going back through the mountains again Ygritte says no, they’re not there anymore. Mance is coming down the Milkwater, toward the Wall. She looks sad when she says this, interesting. When I first read this I thought she sympathized with him, but now I think I know why she’s sad.

And that concludes Jon’s chapter in the second book of ASOIAF! The bloody bastard made it out alive!

*SPOILER FOR A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[I cheated and reread that scene. Joffrey is drinking a LOT of wine, only from his own cup, though he does make Tyrion refill it several times. He also eats Tyrion's slice of the cake and immediately starts coughing, so I thought the poison was probably in the cake, not the wine. I believe the pidgeon cake was being served right in front of Cersei and Margaery, so it IS possible Cersei put a poison in Tyrion's portion of the cake. However, it's also in the book as it is in the show, as Joffrey chokes to death, Tyrion picks up Joff's chalice and sees the dregs in the cup is very dark purple, which is the same color as Sansa's hair net beads. It could go either way, but I am leaning more on the belief that Littlefinger did it, not Cersei, because of his reasoning that the most dangerous man is the one who sometimes does things for no reason at all, to throw everyone off. And it would have been really stupid to poison Tyrion to death in front of hundreds of people. Who would Cersei blame that on? (hide spoiler)]

Your point 3, I sometimes wonder about whether or not Tysha will make an appearance in the series. I wonder how that would go down.

1. Tyrion’s not dead yet! But he’s certainly fucked up, lol. He seems to drift in and out of reality. Everything he sees is either black, white, or grey, and there are so many corpses. He hears men pitifully whining for death and for their mothers, how sad. He sees the Silent Sisters taking care of the dead. They must think he is dead, too. When he finds he has no mouth we know it is a dream and he’s running back to the castle.

2. He wakes again in the castle in his own bed, recovering. He’s too weak to do anything so he goes back to sleep. He thinks he dreams his sister and father are watching him beside his bed, both frowning. I wonder if it was real? They’re probably frowning because he’s not dead yet, lol. He sees other people coming and going too, but cannot comprehend their words. His head went through blunt force trauma, so he needs to give it some time.

3. He wakes again and sees Podrick beside him. The boy runs away when he sees he’s awake but Tyrion still can’t talk; he wants him to stay. The boy is probably getting a maester. He touches his face and realizes the lower part of his face is heavily bandaged. That’s why he doesn’t feel like he has a mouth; it’s all bound up in plaster. Yep, Pod returns with a maester who gives him milk of the poppy so he can rest more.

4. Tyrion dreams he’s at a victory feast and he’s the hero. :) The singer sings of his great deeds and even his father is smiling, proud of him. Awe. Jaime knights him and Shae is also there. Happy dreams.

5. He wakes again, feeling something is wrong. He tries to get up but realizes he’s a lot more fucked up than he originally thought. He is frightened when he remembers Ser Mandon Moore. He remembers the knight tried to kill him but Pod saved his life. Then he realizes he’s not in the Tower of the Hand anymore, they moved him. Yeah, because Tywin wanted that spot, urgh...

6. He dreams again, of Tysha. Poor guy. It is a happy memory that made me smile, especially of those honeymoon kisses. Then he remembers she’s a whore and a lie. :(

7. The maester tries to give him more medicine but Tyrion stops him and croaks “no more.” That’s a good sign! He rips off the plaster from his face and gets the maester to help him. Apparently Cersei wanted the thing on him, making Tyrion want it off even more, ha! The maester cleans his wounds and explains they found him in the cellar where they put the corpses and found he was still alive. His ribs were broken, he took an arrow in the arm, and he was slashed in the face. He wants to see himself in a mirror. The maester brings one to him and Tyrion sees his face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, awe. The sword left a huge gash across his face and took 3/4 of his nose off. A chunk of his lip was sewn back on. Ha, he calls himself pretty. :) Well, he was ugly to begin with, so it can’t get much more shocking. He realizes now his sister must’ve paid Ser Mandon to finish him off.

8. The maester says he’s in Maegor’s Holdfast, so he’s close to family. He says the queen wanted him close by her side so she could watch over him herself. Of course she would! The maester explains his father is Hand now; he made it to King’s Landing and saved the day, “gods be praised.” Ha, the bitter irony. Lol, Tyrion wants Podrick Payne and the maester calls him the “Odd boy.” I thought that was cute.

9. Podrick comes to see him and Tyrion tells him to get Maester Frenken to treat him, not this guy, and bring his own guards. Pod says they made Bronn a knight. Gods, they’re stealing Bronn away from him it seems. He tells Pod never to mention anything about Ser Mandon and him on the ship-bridge to anybody. Maybe if Cersei knew that Tyrion knew she tried to have him assassinated she would try harder to make sure the job gets done. Plus there is no way to prove it, and that is a serious accusation. Better to keep quiet for now.

10. The good thing we’ve gathered from this chapter is that Tyrion survived! He’s the first Hand of several in a row that hasn’t been killed, so that’s great! What a hardy little dwarf!

Yup, Tyrion gets no recognition for his valiant efforts to protect King's Landing. Tywin throws it off later on like he shouldn't boast about his good deeds, which is true, but everyone praises Tywin Lannister while Tyrion is dying in the other room. It's not right.

*SPOILER FOR A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[That's very true, Cersei would have been incredibly stupid to have attempted to poison Tyrion right in the middle of her son's wedding. It is just too good to be true, but I am strongly thinking Littlefinger actually told the truth and was behind it. (hide spoiler)]

Your point 3, I hadn't thought of it like that before but I agree with you, most people considered Theon like another one of Ned Stark's sons. The only person who didn't feel that way was Theon, lol.

Your point 8, I think Roose Bolton knew this would happen. It seems too coincidental that Ramsay takes over Winterfell while Roose conspires with the Freys. They probably have been sending ravens between Harrenhal and the Dreadfort and that's how he knows. As useful as Ramsay is for him, I still think he hopes to have a trueborn son take over the Dreadfort when he's gone, simply because he's lesser evil. Ramsay would want the Freys spared because it would piss off their alliance with the Freys if they died.

1. Maester Luwin begs Theon to yield. Theon hasn’t been able to sleep and he’s losing his nerves. The Greyjoys are not answering his call for help and all seems lost for him. He accuses Maester Luwin of wanting him killed but Luwin says he serves the realm and Winterfell; it is his job to council him now and he wants him to see sense. He cannot hold Winterfell, so he must yield. His father will not help him; he’s concentrating on Moat Cailin. Luwin says he can still survive this if he yields but is interrupted when Theon commands him to write more letters to his father.

2. Haha! Theon gathers his men and tells them they are free to leave if they want, or they can stay and fight by his side; no one at first steps forward, lol. Finally Wex stands by him and soon more follow, not wanting to be shamed by this boy. Seventeen stay with him but Urzen and Stygg still refuse to join, along with all ten that came with Asha. He tells them they are free to leave, not unkindly. So it seems Reek abandoned him. He never came back with that little army he promised.

3. Black Lorren says as soon as they fight the castle folk will immediately turn on them, so Theon orders their deaths by hanging. That isn’t what Lorren meant. :( He realizes the only reason these men stayed behind is to have noble deaths; no one expects a victory. That is incredibly brave, in my opinion. Even now Black Lorren has contempt for Theon.

4. The northmen are already circling the castle on all sides. He counts well over a thousand! They brought catapults and scorpions as well. Among them are the Cerwyns, Tallharts, Manderlys, Flints, Karstarks, and Hornwoods, but no Glovers, Boltons, or Umbers. Interesting.

5. Ser Rodrik wishes to speak with Theon Turncloak first before they begin their siege. He’s not looking forward to speaking with Ser Rodrik because the man once led his father’s longships to attack Lannisport, I’m assuming this was during Robert Baratheon’s rebellion. Black Lorren advises him not to bother parlaying with him; knights will honor other knights but not outlaws. Theon ignores him and commands him to bring out “the girl,” which I’m assuming means Beth. The way Lorren looks at him tells Theon that even he has turned against him. Well, he can’t say he doesn’t deserve it...he has everyone believing he killed Bran and Rickon.

6. As Theon goes to meet with Ser Rodrik he feels a deep chill in the air and all eyes on him, even the dead boys’ eyes. Creepy. So many men are there, watching him with archers at the ready. They all want him dead.

7. Lol, Theon greets Ser Rodrik by saying he is sad to meet as foes. Ser Rodrik, of course, says he’s only sorry he has to wait a little longer before he can hang him. Theon says he has always been a Greyjoy, not a Stark; he was a prisoner here for ten years, oh gods...he’s playing that card again. Ser Rodrik says perhaps Lord Eddard Stark should have kept him in chains, then, ha! He tells it like it is. Ned Stark raised him up with his own children, two of whom he had murdered. He demands Winterfell be taken back. All who had nothing to do with killing those children are free to walk away but Theon is subject to Robb’s justice. Theon offers his pathetic terms, empty words basically. Ser Rodrik calls him vain, says he has near 2,000 men with him, and he only has 50. So they don’t know he only has 17, lol.

8. Theon shows Ser Rodrik his daughter Beth, close to being hung over the walls. Ser Rodrik is not surprised but still scared for her. Theon says this is how he felt for ten years and realizes as he says it that it’s true. Awe. :( He threatens to kill Beth if they attack him. Ser Rodrik offers to swap Beth for him as hostage. That’s noble, but Theon doesn’t take it. Ser Rodrik says he must take Winterfell back; he swore an oath to Lady Catelyn and House Stark, even if it means Beth’s death. Theon says he will hang a hostage for every day they do not leave and goes back into the castle. A desperate move on his part.

9. Despite his efforts, Theon is sure they’ll still attack. Ser Rodrik loves his daughter, but he is still castellan, and a knight besides. He thinks if it were him in the noose and Balon Greyjoy had to choose, he would have already been hung, awe. He thinks about Robb and the Whispering Wood. Those memories seem to haunt him now. Poor guy. I really like this sentence: “It was one thing to go into battle surrounded by friends, and another to perish alone and despised.”

10. Maester Luwin councils him again. Even now he is kind to him. I applaud Luwin for that. Perhaps he pities Theon’s great folly. It’s here Luwin suggests he yield and ask to take the black. (I’m surprised they talk at length about it. Perhaps one day Theon will end up on the Wall by the end of the series?) Theon thinks hard on it. He hadn’t thought of this option before. Luwin says Ser Rodrik has always served House Stark so he will not deny his wish to join the Night’s Watch if he requests it. Theon knows he’d be giving up a crown, lands, wife, and children, but he’d still be alive, and there’s honor to be found there. Haha, imagine what would happen if Theon joined the Watch and Jon Snow saw him. He’d probably take a beating! Even now Theon is planning how it will all go in his head, of him rising high in ranks to become Lord Commander one day. The arrogance...it’s pathetic at this point. But I do feel for him. He feels like a nobody and wants to be something great. Who doesn’t?

11. Just as Theon seems about to say yes, one of his men informs Theon a mysterious batch of northmen are attacking the 2,000 standing outside the castle. :( It seems the Boltons have come to help aid Theon; Reek came through for him after all. Though they are less in number, they wipe the army out by taking them by surprise.

12. By nightfall the men of the Dreadfort have nearly won and Theon tells Lorren the Dothraki believe the stars are spirits of the valiant dead. Black Lorren says savages believe all manner of foolish things. This scene seems oddly placed, but I just realized that Theon loves horses and he may look up to these horselords he’s heard about from so far away. It’s neat how George Martin casually links these two continents that are worlds apart together.

13. Some time in the night a knight with a group of men rides up to Winterfell and presents to Theon the dead bodies of Ser Rodrik, Leobald Tallhart, and Cley Cerwyn. :( Poor Luwin is beside himself with horror. Theon, however, is relieved, but still feels empty. Now he is glad he hadn’t yielded to take the black...so close... Theon lets his saviors in. :(

14. The knight still hasn’t introduced himself yet, which I find odd. He says they only lost about 20-30 men. His armor is shaped to resemble a flayed man in pain, gross. He says Ser Rodrik made the “common mistake” of assuming they were allies; that’s how they took them by surprise. If it is your first time reading this and you haven’t figured it out by now, the Bolton’s are awful people.

15. The knight turns out to be “Reek,” rather, Ramsay Snow, Roose Bolton’s bastard. He explains what really happened to him. The real Reek posed as Ramsay, who was shot to death on his horse, as Ramsay pretended to be Reek. He delivered the army like he said he’d get for Theon, now he wants his girl that was promised him, ugh. We know what he wants to do with her now. Ramsay likes to hunt them down for sport. Gods, Theon agrees to it. He did save him, after all.

16. Theon doesn’t like the way Ramsay and the Dreadfort men look at him. Ramsay wants Kyra now, not Palla the kennel girl. When Theon objects, Ramsay bitch slaps him with the steel glove he’s wearing. Ouch! It’s too late now for them to close the gates. The Dreadfort men slaughter his 17 and take the castle for themselves. They even kill poor old Maester Luwin. :( Ramsay tells his men to spare the Freys and to burn it all down. What a horrible ending for Winterfell!!!

*SPOILER FOR A DANCE WITH DRAGONS* (view spoiler)[I think for the most part that vision was really what happened, and Rhaegar, at that time anyway, really thought Aegon was the prince that was promised. I believe somewhere it is prophesied that through Jahaerys II's line (Aerys's father) the prince that was promised would be born, and Rhaegar felt for sure it was his kids. Then, later on, he probably realized he was going about it wrong, fell in love with Lyanna, and tried having the prince that was promised with her. I really believe Jon and Daenerys are two of the dragon heads, I just don't know who would be the third yet. (hide spoiler)]

1. Everybody is decked out in the throne room and Tywin Lannister most of all. I smiled when Tywin’s horse shits just as Joffrey goes to embrace him and call him Savior of the City. Sure, he saved the city, but did he actually fight this time? Or was he hiding in the rear again? It sounded as if their army was so huge they only needed the vanguard to dispatch Stannis’s army. Joffrey names him Hand, which is no surprise, since he was supposed to be Hand originally.

2. The crowd also cheers for Mace Tyrell and his two sons: Loras and Garlan the Gallant. I forgot Loras had brothers. They’re dressed in green, their House color. Joffrey also embraces them and presents each with a gold chain necklace of roses, the icon being the lion of Lannister studded with rubies. “The roses support the lion, as the might of Highgarden supports the realm.” Oh gods... Why wasn’t Highgarden supporting Robert Baratheon before?

3. Joffrey asks if there’s anything the Tyrells want. Loras begs to be a member of the Kingsguard. I guess Loras got over Renly quickly enough. Joffrey accepts and calls him brother. What a facade that boy wears. Lord Mace Tyrell asks to join his council which Joffrey also accepts. Then Ser Garlan, who is five years older than Loras, asks Joffrey to marry his sister Margaery, who is still a maiden. When Joffrey politely refuses, saying a king must keep his word, I felt for sure this was all rehearsed. Cersei butts in and tells Joffrey the council decided it’s no longer fitting for Joffrey to marry Sansa because her father was beheaded for treason and her brother even now is fighting against them. She begs him to set Sansa aside and marry Margaery instead, who would make a better fit for a king. When I first read this I was so happy for Sansa. Even the High Septon approves, and I chuckled at how they made the Starks into the bad guys. It’s all about perspective!

4. I wonder why Joff looks at Tywin so sullenly? He probably doesn’t want to let Sansa go, simply because he likes hurting her, and he might not get the chance to do that anymore with Margaery in the mix, whom we know so little about at this time. But he finally agrees to marry Margaery instead, feeing Sansa. She tries not to smile because she’s just been publicly dumped and all eyes are on her. She must look distraught but inside she is jumping with joy, awe. :) She feels bad for Margaery, lol.

5. Other heroes come parading in to receive their rewards. In particular, a lesser knight named Ser Philip Foote slew Lord Bryce Caron and in reward he becomes Lord Philip Foote and gains all lands and the castle of House Caron. I believe that is somewhere in the Storm Marches. I suppose this is how smaller houses rise in ranks.

6. Captains of the ships that somehow didn’t catch fire or break apart also gain rewards and honor, for simply surviving, lol, awe. Even Hallyne the Guild Alchemist is rewarded a lordship, ugh, at least he doesn’t get lands or a castle, which means Hallyne is no more a true lord than Varys is.

7. Lancel Lannister is rewarded lands and a castle, though, to House Darry. Well that’s interesting, seeing as Roose Bolton is having it burned down. According to Joffrey there are no more living heirs of House Darry, except for a bastard cousin. I wonder who that is? Lancel doesn’t accept the title, though, on the account of being close to death.

8. Petyr Baelish is also rewarded and gets Harrenhal, haha Tyrion! He is titled Lord Paramount of the Trident. No wonder he looks so pleased! This must have been his chosen reward for helping knit Houses Tyrell and Lannister together. He will now rule the riverlands when the war is over. I like that Sansa thinks Petyr shouldn’t be too happy; Harrenhal is a cursed place. :) Sansa hopes Robb will not let this happen.

9. Holy hell, 600 knights are made that day! But I guess that makes sense, seeing as about that same amount were also slaughtered. Among them Ser Mandon Moore was killed. Good. That asshole deserved it. I guess Loras will be taking his place.

10. Now it’s time to deal with their captives. Among them is Lord Celtigar, old Lord Estermont, Red Ronnet of Griffin Roost (which we will learn more about in Dance with Dragons), Ser Jon Fossoway, and many others. They pardon all who only recently joined Stannis after Renly so long as they swear fealty to Joffrey now (and you know they will...) but those who were always Stannis’s staunch supporters must speak up for their crimes. Only those who still refuse to admit their crimes and beg pardon are beheaded. A few, the ones who accepted the Lord of Light, speak out against Joff, calling him a monster and an abomination of incest. I wondered when that would happen. Man, this Florent guy is really preaching it! It pisses off Joff so much he hurts himself on the iron throne, haha! He squeals for his mother. How funny, and embarrassing for those who call that their king. The Florent says the very throne denies Joff as king, lol. Tywin commands Ser Meryn Trant with a flick of a finger to kill the traitor. There is blood everywhere and that must be a frightening sight to the crowd! Joffrey is led away for maesters to tend to his hurts and Tywin takes over, as if nothing happened.

11. It was a long day and Sansa is exhausted on her way back to her bedchambers. She is so happy she is no longer betrothed to Joffrey, awe. Even the food tastes sweeter.

12. That night she visits the godswood and finds gloomy Ser Dontos waiting for her. She asks why he isn’t excited like she is. Now he tells her the awful truth. Just because Joffrey’s not marrying her that doesn’t mean he won’t continue to have her beaten and raped in the future. “If he wants you in his bed, he will have you, only now it will be bastards he plants in your womb instead of trueborn sons.” :( Sansa is distraught now. Dontos tells her to be brave; he found a way to get her out of the castle now! It will be the night of Joffrey’s wedding feast. There will be so many guests there that no one will notice her slip away.

13. Dontos presents her with an ornate hair net made of thin silver with small black gems Dontos calls black amethysts from Asshai. Well, this cannot be good! In daylight they look purple. Sansa would rather have a ship than a hair net but is polite all the same. Dontos says it is magic, “It’s justice you hold. It’s vengeance for your father. It’s home.” *SPOILER FOR A STORM OF SWORDS* (view spoiler)[Do we ever find out for sure if it was the hair net that poisons Joffrey? Or is this a plot by Littlefinger to blackmail Sansa if she ever decides to run away from him? That murder mystery had me so confused. I believe the show strongly hints it was Margaery’s grandmother who planned his murder, but I don’t know if that’s how it goes in the book series. I also heard the theory where Cersei accidentally poisons Joffrey in an attempt to kill Tyrion. I like that theory much better. (hide spoiler)]

Your point 7, you're right, it doesn't sound to me like it came from Robb either. I think this guy is getting haughty.

1. So I guess ravens are larger than crows, and crows would scatter when ravens come to eat at the heads on the walls. Lovely. It’s interesting how Arya wonders if the dead can speak to the ravens in some secret language the living can’t hear. Odd that she would ponder this.

2. So many people are killed for serving the Lannisters; that is cruel and sad. And for the girls who slept with the Lannister guards...locked in stockades, naked, free for anyone who wants them. Life certainly is brutal in this world.

3. As she’s getting a bucket of water for Roose Bolton, Goodwife Amabel tells Arya that Tywin Lannister rescued King’s Landing and when he comes back he’ll kill Bolton and lock her up in the stockades to be had for what she did with the soup. Why is this woman not dead like the others? Arya hits her with the bucket and tells her never to touch her again. She thinks to herself Lord Bolton would have Amabel killed if she told him what she said to her, but Arya doesn’t tell him. I wonder why. That woman has been cruel to her from the start.

4. Gendry is still angry with Arya for helping Roose Bolton win Harrenhal. He blames her for the deaths of Lucan the blacksmith and so many others, but Arya says that’s not her fault. Gendry says with Lord Bolton things have gotten worse. The Brave Companions are now on Bolton’s side and as horrible as ever. They even eat with Bolton.

5. Elmar Frey is Roose Bolton’s squire; he’s no older than she is. Wasn’t she supposed to marry him when they get older? Anyhow, he seems nice when he needs help with something, but isn’t so much when he remembers she’s just a serving girl. Psh, the irony. He boasts how he’s going to marry a princess one day. Haha, he’s afraid of leeches. She calls him stupid. Typical Arya.

6. Ew, she walks in on Bolton who is naked as he’s being leeched. This man is obsessed with leeches. There are multiple Freys on Lord Bolton’s council. They are concerned Tywin Lannister will starve them out of Harrenhal in order to get it back. Bolton doesn’t seem concerned. The Freys seem convinced Robb Stark will never beat the Lannisters, not with Highgarden on their side now.

7. Oh man, Arya just now finds out Robb lost Winterfell and her little brothers are dead, which we know they aren’t, but still. It takes everything in her to remain calm. Poor girl.

8. Bolton dismisses the Freys and has Arya remove the leeches off his body. What a job, man. Qyburn informs Bolton his wife sent another letter, of missing him and such. She is also a Frey. This man has submerged himself in Freys, lol. Qyburn wears maester robes but not a chain; it is rumored he was stripped of his chain for dabbling in necromancy. Hmm...

9. I forgot Ser Tallhart took over the castle the Darrys held. Bolton tells Qyburn to write Ser Tallhart telling him to kill everyone in the castle and burn it down, and then join forces with Robett Glover and strike east to Duskendale. They haven’t been touched by war yet and he wants them to have a taste. I think he just wants their crops. Arya wants the Darry’s castle burned too, because it was there the queen had Lady killed. From what I remember, the Darrys were good to Daenerys, so this sucks to be them.

10. Bolton wants to hunt wolves down; he can’t stand their howling in the night. :( Odd, since his king’s sigil is the direwolf. You’d think he’d otherwise treat the creatures as sacred, indicating he’s not entirely on the Stark’s side. He says it’s queer to see common wolves so bold south of the neck. I wonder how he’d know, being a lord of the north. I suppose it’s not technically illegal to kill wolves, but symbolically it just seems off.

11. I don’t understand why Arya burns Lady Walda’s letter. Does Roose Bolton not like to keep her letters? He does seem like a dick like that.

12. As Arya’s cleaning Bolton’s chambers she finds a map of the riverlands and looks for Riverrun. She’s happy to see it’s not so far from Harrenhal.

13. She gets done early so she heads to the godswood for some “needlework” and tells the heart tree “Valar morghulis.” :) She likes the way the words sound when she says them, even though she doesn’t know what it means yet. She really hopes her brothers aren’t actually dead.

14. The hunting party returns with nine dead wolves, two of which were only pups, awe. :( Bolton wants them skinned and made into a blanket. Damn. What an insult to the Starks.

15. Arya is summoned to the kitchens to get Lord Bolton’s dinner when she sees Hot Pie. He is sullen around her and she realizes he hates her too for what she did. Interesting she is more sad than angry by this. Her only two friends are not happy with her.

16. Something possesses Arya to ask Lord Bolton if he will take her with him when he leaves Harrenhal. He seems like he’s going to scold her but answers anyway, saying he’s giving Vargo Hoat Harrenhal when he leaves and she’s staying here. She starts to object but he tells her to go now and he’ll forget her insolence for speaking out when she wasn’t asked. That was brave! He could’ve had her tongue cut for that.

17. Arya is heading toward the godswood when she sees Elmar Frey sitting outside the Wailing Tower, crying. She asks what’s wrong and he says his family has been dishonored. They received a letter from the Twins, and we’ll eventually find out what happened, but not here apparently. He says now he’ll never marry that princess, lol, the irony. If only he knew she is his “princess” and if she knew she was supposed to marry him... Typical of a highborn to say something rude about a servant’s family like they have no feelings. In response, she says she hopes his princess dies. :( I hope that’s not a bad omen!

18. Now Arya prays to the old gods when she gets to the heart tree again. She wants them to tell her what to do. There is a faint howling sound and she hears her father’s words: “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” :) *SPOILER FOR A FEAST FOR CROWS* (view spoiler)[I hope she remembers this before she becomes no one. (hide spoiler)] She tells the voice there’s no pack anymore and she doesn’t know who she is. He reminds her she’s Arya of Winterfell, and she has the wolf blood in her. This boosts her spirits. :) *SPOILER FOR A DANCE WITH DRAGONS* (view spoiler)[I’m pretty sure this is Bloodraven speaking to her! And that wolf howling in the distance is Nymeria! She is no lone wolf! (hide spoiler)]

19. That night Arya slips past the guards and into Gendry’s sleeping space to wake him. How awkward that he’s naked as she beckons him away from his sleeping companions to talk to him. She tells him she wants a sword. He balks but she tells him Lord Bolton is leaving Harrenhal and leaving the Mummers here alone. Gendry wouldn’t like that one bit. She begs him to run away with her, and tell Hot Pie to come too, with food. He’ll bring the swords and she’ll get the horses. They’ll meet up at the Tower of Ghosts. Haha, he begrudgingly agrees.

20. Arya quietly puts on a bunch of clothes and steals the map from Bolton’s solar. She gathers three horses and hurries to the Ghost Tower where she’ll meet up with Gendry and Hot Pie, hopefully. A storm is coming; that could be either good or bad for their escape. She waits and luckily they show up. Arya is going to get rid of the guard at the gate and I love how she tells Hot Pie she’s not an owl, she’s a wolf, and she’ll howl when she wants them to come. :)

21. I also love how Syrio, Yoren, Jaqen, and Jon Snow are with her when she strides to the gate. That little girl is so brave! The guard is a northman but not a Winterfell man. He belongs to Roose Bolton and it makes her nervous. In the end she tricks him into picking up the coin Jaqen H’ghar gave her off the floor when she drops it, and as he does so she stabs him clean and silently in the throat. Nice. She tells him “Valar morghulis” as he dies, drowning in his own blood. That girl is scary sometimes.

22. She opens the gate, howls, and lets Gendry and Hot Pie through. Hot Pie is so innocent, lol. He didn’t expect her to kill the guard. I am just so happy they’ve finally escaped Harrenhal!