10/09/15 - Chapter 10: Davos I

[Clara]

I'll catch up tomorrow!

[Vicki]

This is a longer chapter with lots of notes!

1. A new character POV! I remember the first time I read this I was highly annoyed, due to the many characters we have to keep track of, but ever since the *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN A CLASH OF KINGS* (view spoiler)[Battle of the Blackwater (hide spoiler)] I began to really like Davos. This time I'll be sure not to gloss over his first few chapters!

2. The first paragraph catches my eye: "The morning air was dark witht he smoke of burning gods." I can only imagine how pissed the gods are!

3. Interesting the statue of the Stranger looks more animal than human!

4. Interesting also that Davos's son, Allard, would have been taken to join the Night's Watch had he stayed a smuggler, but Stannis spared him, one more thing Davos owes him. Sounds like he's a young man who freely and frequently speaks his mind.

5. How horrible it must feel to watch your gods be burned to the ground, gods you've worshipped your entire life, and now you're forbidden to worship them because your king commands you to take up another.

6. Interesting Melisandre speaks her prayer three times, once in Asshai, once in High Valyrian, and once in the Common Tongue. It makes sense in Asshai and in common, but did the Valyrians worship R'hllor? Why Valyrian? I wonder if R'hllor approves of the ones who could tame dragons.

7. Stannis is there, watching impassively, you can tell he doesn't exactly believe in the red god, but he must not fear the wrath of the Seven either, to allow Melisandre to do this. Interesting he dresses up nicer for this than what he's used to.

8. Apparently these statues were the gods Aegon the Conqueror prayed to before he sailed to conquer Westeros. This clearly is a big deal, as it's not only an insult to their faith but also an insult to their history.

9. Any who tried to protect their holy sept was taken down. :( I don't believe one should punish another for trying to defend their faith! I like that Guncer Sunglass, who had always been mild and pious of Stannis's lords bannermen, told him he could no longer support his claim. You go, Guncer! Now he's in prison next to Septon Barre.

10. Davos was not a religious man, though he occasionally honors them from time to time, but even he's offended by this. He's smart to keep quiet about it, though.

11. Davos also wants to kill Melisandre, especially for somehow surviving Maester Cressen's poison, but if a maester failed, how could he expect to succeed? True! I wonder if this is a premonition.

12. Apparently the Seven gods in Dragonstone were carved out of the masts of the ships that carried the first Targaryens from Valyria, according to Septon Barre. Wow... Burning up historic relics there. This sounds like a very bad omen for them!

13. Someone had thrust a longsword in the chest of the Mother...that's just going overboard!

14. Davos wants so badly to know what Lord Velaryon is thinking about this. Lord Velaryon is known as the Lord of the Tides, and his family had three times married into the Targaryen line. They are also of the blood of ancient Valyria, and possibly are upsnot prudes.

15. Poor Davos knows his House is still very new and these other lords will scorn him and even his sons, but his grandsons may fit in one day. I like this: "In time my little black ship will fly as high as Velaryon's seahorse or Celtigar's red crabs." :) But only if Stannis wins. All he has he earned from Stannis. If Stannis loses then he loses everything. Ah, so I see now why he's so damn in love with him! *SPECULATION ON THE END OF THE SERIES* (view spoiler)[I'm sure the Starks will reward Davos and his family if he switches loyalty over to them like he was loyal to Stannis! (hide spoiler)].

16. Davos has lots of sons! Four are aboard on ships, and one is Stannis's squire. Two more one day may be knighted when they grow up. That's seven sons right there. Any daughters?

17. Melisandre says that there's an ancient prophesy in Asshai when after a long summer there will come a time when the stars bleed and the cold will fall heavy on the world. A warrior will wield a burning sword called Lightbringer, "the Red Sword of Heroes," and he's called Azor Ahai come again. He'll destroy the darkness like he did once before. Sounds kind of like Jesus, and R'hllor is the Father. Azor Ahai is "the Son of Fire." Apparently she thinks Stannis Baratheon is this man. Interesting that one of Stannis's squires puts a glove on his right hand so he won't get burned by the flaming sword! Oh I see, the sword that was stuck in the Mother IS Lightbringer. Stannis retrieves it with his gloved hand. Everyone chants "a sword of fire!" and "It burns!"

18. LOL! Stannis's glove starts to smolder and he curses at being burned so he thrusts the sword into the ground to beat out the flames against his leg. I don't remember this scene being so funny. If he is the son of fire, why does he not like the heat? *MY SPECULATION OF WHO AZOR AHAI IS* (view spoiler)[I think Daenerys is Azor Ahai; since she LOVES fire. (hide spoiler)] Melisandre keeps on going, however, lol. Notice the flames are dying out now.

19. Interesting Davos isn't sure if he should chant/cheer for Stannis as well, not sure if he truly is the son of the fiery god. But he is loyal to Stannis so he wants to support him.

20. *MY SPECULATION OF LIGHTBRINGER* (view spoiler)[I'm wondering if Lightbringer HAS to be this particular sword, or if it can be any sword that Azor Ahai claims as his own? In the history, Azor Ahai stabbed his wife to get the sword to work. Does it still have to be that particular sword, or can the new Azor Ahai "activate" another fiery sword? Say, Oathkeeper? Perhaps there are actually three Lightbringers, one might be Blackfyre, one Oathkeeper, and the short sword companion to Oathkeeper (I forgot its name), the other half of Ice? It would make a LOT of sense if Jon had part of Ice. (hide spoiler)]

21. Clearly Stannis wasn't a huge fan of this show and he escorts his wife back into the castle. Doesn't seem like a heroic thing to do. The sword is now charred and dirty, ha! "The Red Sword of Heroes looks a proper mess, thought Davos."

22. Allard does not like that they burned the Seven, or that his little brother wore a fiery heart instead of the Baratheon sigil as fitting for a squire to a Baratheon. I like this he says too: "I'm a knight's son, Father. If you won't remember, why should they?" True! Davos reminds him to be quiet and not meddle in the king's affairs. He says to trust the king and do his bidding, that is all. True loyalty. :) Interesting that Davos will talk to the king about his son's concerns, not trusting them to speak to royalty. All they see when they look at their sigil is the tall black ship, not the onion. That's interesting to me. :)

23. After this affair, Davos goes to an inn and visits his friend, Salladhor Saan, the Lysene pirate in service to Stannis. The man likes to dress flaunty! He calls himself the Prince of the Narrow Sea. "When a pirate grows rich enough they make him a prince." Hmm... Davos convinced his friend to join Stannis's cause.

24. Ha! Salladhor is amusing. He says the red priests on Lys are always burning things and praising their R'hllor; sounds like a bunch of pyromaniacs! He says they bore him with their fires. "Soon they will bore King Stannis too; it is to be hoped." :) Salladhor loves his grapes! Salladhor knows Tyrion is filling in as Hand in King's Landing and that he god rid of Janos Slynt, replacing him with a man with an iron fist, quite literally! Salladhor knows a lot! Interesting he considers his concubines his wives. He is only helping Stannis for gold and Davos assured him Stannis will reward him once they reach King's Landing's treasury. Ha! What gold? He is impatient to sack the capital now, not later. There is no better time; they are at their weakest.

25. They also speak of King Renly and his bride, marching on King's Landing. At this rate they will get there before they do. Salladhor says Stannis doesn't like him, but he won't change just because Stannis doesn't like him. Lol at: "I am an honest man, he must suffer me in silk and samite. Or else I shall take my ships where I am better loved." And then I am shocked at this: "That sword was not Lightbringer, my friend." And lol at, "Men tell me things, it is my pleasant smile." :) I am really liking Salladhor Saan more my second reading! He says it was a burnt sword, not a burning sword. He tells Davos the history of Lightbringer; I forgot about this! He calls Azor Ahai "the hero," which reminds me of Old Nan's tale of the last hero back in Game of Thrones that she never got to finish telling. One interesting part of the tale is that Azor Ahai plunged the second sword into a "lion's red heart," though this too shattered the sword. When I think of lions I think of Lannisters. To get the sword to work, he had to kill his wife whom he loved above all else. It's said her cry cracked the moon; this reminds me of the tale of how dragons were made. Her soul went into the steel. He says be glad that sword Stannis has is only burnt, not burning, because too much light hurts the eyes, and fire burns. Very true! Too much of one thing is never a good thing.

26. Odd that Davos tells Salladhor Saan that Stannis is his god, careful what he says around so many ears. It was also bold of Salladhor to tell Davos to tell Stannis to give him 30,000 golden dragons by the next new moon for not giving him the Seven statues; they were too beautiful to burn, and they could have sold for so much, man... He also says he'll forgive him if he gets Queen Cersei in his bed though, lol.

27. Davos sits alone, thinking about Thoros of Myr when he saw him at a tourney in honor of Joff's name day, another one. Thoros is also a red priest, wielding a burning blade. He made quite the spectacle but everyone says he'd simply set it aflame and there's no magic to it though. Or is there?

28. Davos can't imagine killing his wife in order to forge Lightbringer. "I am not made of the stuff of heroes, he decided." :)

29. Davos knows they don't have enough men to hold King's Landing, but I think Salladhor is only interested in sacking it, not ruling it. Davos was a smuggler so he understands patience.

30. Ser Axell Florent is Queen Selyse's uncle and he's been the castellan at Dragonstone for ten years. Davos doesn't trust him because House Florent declared for Renly. It seems Ser Axell is enamored with the red god, like his niece. He believes he saw a dozen beautiful dancers in the flames and assumes they're celebrating King Stannis's ascension to the throne, but Davos knows Stannis would not approve of those dancers, ha! Ten years he's been castellan and he still doesn't know Stannis all that well!

31. Davos, being born a common man, still doesn't know how to read, something we all take for granted. Though he can read maps and charts, it's words he has trouble with.

32. He named his younger sons Steffon and Stannis. :)

33. Robert and Stannis's mother was an Estermont, okay. A sea turtle on green, according to The World of Ice and Fire.

34. Stannis has Maester Pylos read aloud the letter they've been workingon and he wants to know what Davos thinks of it. At least Stannis gives a shit about what Davos thinks. In the letter they state that Cersei's kids are bastards born of incest so Stannis is the true king of Westeros. Lol, Stannis tells Pylos to make a few corrections. He calls them a lie. This man is blunt! He means to use every raven they have to send a copy of the letter to every corner of the realm so all who get it will know who the true king is. Smart, and truthful. However, in the letter he calls Cersei's kids abominations, which I think is a little harsh; only Joffrey, lol.

ran out of room!

[Vicki]

35. Stannis also wants Davos and his son Dale to sail up and down Westeros coastlines to deliver more copies of the letter. Stannis knows many lords will not want to hear it, but the truth needs to be sent out. He wants his other son, I'm assuming Allard, to deliver more of these letters all throughout the Nine Free Cities in Essos; he wants the whole world to know.

36. Oh gods, Davos brings up their loss of Maester Cressen, whom he mourns, and Stannis says, "Is it [Pylos's] fault the old man died?" However, Stannis does admit that though he was angry with Cressen, and didn't want him at the feast, he didn't want him to die, either. Stannis hesitates, and I think a part of him struggles with expressing some regret that the old man who helped raise him died, but then he says Pylos serves him well now. :( So he's not completely cruel.

37. Stannis had already shown the letter to his lords before Davos showed up. He obviously doesn't trust their opinions are genuine; they won't be honest with him because he is king. That's why he wants his council. Davos will always be frank with him and Stannis honors him for that. Well, so did Cressen, but you didn't want to hear it! Davos tells Stannis it was blunt and strong and though it's true, he has no proof they are bastards born of incest. Stannis says they have one of Robert's bastards in Storm's End. The boy was conceived by Robert and a Florent during Stannis's wedding night, in the very bed they were to use! Gods, Robert! Robert actually acknowledged this one because his mother was a maiden at the time. His name's Edric Storm and he looks just like Robert, as they all do. Stannis means for everyone to see him and then look at Cersei's kids and see the difference.

38. Davos also tries tellinghim maybe he should not add, "Done in Light of the Lord..." but something more like, "By the grace of the gods old and new..." instead. He won't get much favor by discrediting the old gods and the Seven. Davos bravely tells Stannis he doesn't know this Lord of Light, but he knows the Seven kept his ships safe and gave him seven strong sons. :) "Your wife has given you seven strong sons. Do you pray to her? It was wood we burned this morning." Definitely a skeptic! A very harsh skeptic. But the door swings both ways. Melisandre worships fire and shadows! Others worship trees. :)

39. Davos challenges Stannis, saying when he was young and had no coin, the septons would feed him. Stannis says he feeds him now. Now Davos frankly tells him no one will love him if he burns their gods and thrusts a foreign one on them. Of course Stannis asks when have they ever loved him? How can he lose what he never had? True...

40. I'm surprised I forgot this... Stannis admits he lost faith in gods when he saw his father's ship break up on the bay on his way home. :( The only reason he's giving this Lord of Light a chance is because he sees that Melisandre has power. Davos wonders what sort of power, though? So do I! *SPOILER FOR A DANCE WITH DRAGONS* (view spoiler)[In DwD, Melisandre's only chapter states she uses powders and tonics to fool with illusion. She needs Jon Snow for real power. (hide spoiler)] I do not trust Melisandre. Stannis says he knows of the four self-proclaimed kings, he has the least amount of men. He has ships, and he has her. He means to use her for all her worth if it helps him get and keep the Iron Throne.

41. I forgot he had a goshawk he nursed back to health but she could never soar again. Sounds like he really loved her, but Robert had a gyrfalcon that never missed her strike and he made fun of his brother's bird. :( He was told eventually to use another bird because the one he had now was making him look like a fool. Awe. :( Now he intends to ditch the new gods in favor of a red god. In the few times in his life Stannis loved someone or something it dies on him or lets him down, which understandably explains why Stannis does not trust in love, and he makes it very hard for people to love him. This is sad, and though Stannis is a harsh man, I find I cannot dislike him because he has his reasons why he is such a prude, lol.

Done.

[Clara]

About your point 8, I haven't thought about it! But they are insulting their history as well.

About your point 16, it doesn't seem like he has any daughters! At least I don't remember if he does.

About your point 41, Stannis seems like he had a really hard childhood, and people always loved his brothers more. It must have been a really sad thing, to grow up like that. I wonder how he got married, and if they even love each other. I have a complicated thing with my feelings about Stannis. I don't love him, but I don't hate him. He has some good things, and some bad. But he's just, which is not a things you could say about a lot of characters. I wonder what I may think of him this second time.

1-So, the chapter starts off with the burning of the seven. A lot of people disagree with this, it was an ill thing to do for a lot of them.

2-I wonder why Davos thinks his son Allard would have ended up in the Wall if Stannis didn't knighted him. Maybe he helped him with the smuggler stuff?

3-Melisandre spoke in 3 different languages, the tongue from Asshai, High Valyrian and then the Common Tongue. I wonder if she can speak them fully, or just those words. Still, pretty good. She asked R'hollor to be with them in darkness and stuff.

4-Selyse seems to be a really follower of this god. But for some reason I think Stannis doesn't. I got the idea he did all this because she didn't die from the poison Cressen gave her.

5-They destroyed the Dragonstone Sept, and the people who opposed so was put in cells. The Septon, a lord who told Stannis burning the gods was not good, and two sons of Rambton. So the others didn't say anything, after that lord was sent to a cell. I don't think it's a good idea to lock up everyone who oppose you.

6-Davos felt ill as he watched his gods burn, but still do nothing. Maybe he was afraid Stannis would lock him up as well.

7-He does not like Melisandre, just like Cressen didn't. He wants to kill her as well, but does not know how to. A Maester couldn't, so how could he? I have to say, I never liked Melisandre, but she has something going on. How could she survived the poison if not?

8-I forgot Davos was from Flea Bottom, just like Gendry. The lords didn't like him, I am guessing because he was a smuggler before. He doesn't seem to like them either.

9-He thinks he owns everything he has to Stannis, and I think he is the most loyal person Stannis ever had. Even after all that happened and Melisandre, he still was there. I also think Stannis appreciate that, but I can't say how much.

10-It's kinda weird he has his fingers hanging from his neck, but he thinks they are his luck. I wonder if they smell, lol.

11-We are introduced to the propheecy of R'hollor , Lightbringer, Azor Ahai and all that stuff. Melisandre seems to think Stannis is Azor Ahai come again, and he got a sword that was on fire from the Mother. I don't know if it has a deeper meaning, but I found it interesting. I wonder how much into this Stannis really is. He was starting to burn, so he beat out the sword against his leg. For some reason I don't think he took the whole things very seriously, but I could be wrong.

12-But Selyse and her Queen Men, seem to believe in all this. I also forgot at some point Davos thinks he is the only men Stannis has, while his wife has her men. It was interesting, it should be the other way around, Stannis is the one who plans on taking the Throne, not his wife.

13-Davos wonders if he owns Stannis so much he has to believe in this new god they believe in. As far as I can remember, I think he never did. Also, it must be hard for a lot of them to just give up in the gods he believed and pray all their lives for a new one they know nothing about.

14-I kinda laughed when the sword is described as a proper mess. Not the sword of the prophecy it seems.

15-I like the banner he chose to have. A black tall ship and an onion. I like he doesn't forget where he came from, and who he was. Interesting his son tends to forget the onion in their banner, like they were born sons of a lord. Makes me think he is more ambitious than his father.

16-And lol at the island being whore free. I bet not a lot of men are happy with that. And Stannis seems to have an obssesion with whores, he wants them out of the world, lol.

17-Davos has a conversation, a really interesting one, with the pirate Salladhor Saan, who I really like. Maybe because I love pirates and he seems smart. He is from Lys, which makes him a Lyseni. Lol at what he was wearing, he looks like a cool dude. People call him Prince of the Narrow Sea, so he must be good at what he does. Davos was the one who recluted him for Stannis, I think they knew each other from before.

18-The fact Salladhor Saan spoke so openly about how less he cares about the red god makes me think not a lot of people mess around with the man. Even Davos is afraid to say how he feels about the god. Saan told him some news about King's Landing and Westeros in general. I forgot he had concubines, not a shock, he is a pirate after all. He must trust Davos, since he is staying there with his ships with no gold, he is supposed to get paid when they take King's Landing. I also have the idea they promised lots of gold.

19-Well, Renly took his new wife to war, and he is marching with a large host. I forgot the reason he took her, maybe it's talked later.

20-It was really interesting what Salladhor said about that sword Stannis took off from the Mother not being Lightbringer. He seems to know about the red god, despite not giving a shit about him. He said it was a burt sword, and nothing else. So, was he there? Or maybe he knows something about the real sword?

21-The story about how the sword was forged was really interesting to read, and I was surprised at how well I remembered it. The story doesn't tell what happened to the sword though. I liked Davos shuddered thinking about stabbing Marya's heart. He does seem to love her.

22-Davos said Stannis is his god. I don't think he would make a good one though, but people were listening, and he wasn't Salladhot. Which proves again, the pirate have some power and it's respected.

23-Some characters seem to think King's Landing is ready to be taken, they probably know Tywin is at Harrenhal. But Davos doesn't think Stannis should march yet, after all he doesn't have such a large army as his rivals have.

24-Ser Axell Florent is introduced, a character I never really liked. Foremost of the Queen's Men, and her uncle as well. Davos doesn't trust him, the Florents are with Renly. But I have the feeling Axell has been in Dragonstone for a while now.

25-Davos can't read, and I feel bad for him. A lot of people don't know how to read in the books, but I think he feels he should know. Also Stannis got mad because he forgot the man couldn't read. Like wtf man, it's not his fault if he didn't have anyone to teach him.

26-The new Maester reads the parchment out loud, and it's a juicy one. It tells about Cersei's bastards, and how Stannis is the true heir to the Throne. I did like he told the Maester to put Jaime Lannister with his title, he may not be the best person, but that doesn't change the fact he is a knight. I think it tells about how Stannis thinks. He also wants "my beloved brother" to be removed, since it is a lie, he did not love him. It also talks a lot about him.

27-He is sending all his ravens with the parchment, to every part of the realm. Plus knights to read the letter. The thing is, how can they be sure people will believe what the letters say? At the end of the day, they don't have proof of Joffrey being a bastard.

28-They think of a bastard, Edric Storm, who lives in Storm's End. But I wonder what their plan is, to take the boy everywhere? His mother was a Florent, so Robert recognize him as his son.

29-One of the things I like the most about Davos is how honest and straightforward he is. He tells Stannis the obvious, people won't accept a new god just like that, so he suggest he changes the name of the god to include all, the old and new.

30-Stannis knows he was never loved, so how can he lose something he never had? But he has to win people though.

31-He told Davos he stopped believing in gods the day his parents die. So, does he believe in the red one?

32-Stannis knows he doesn't have as much gold and men like the other Kings do, but he has Melisandre. And he knows grown men fear her. So, he is putting his faith in her, to win the Throne. She's his new hawk.

[Vicki]

Your point 7, most poisons have antidotes and I am wondering if she somehow saw in her fires the type of poison Cressen would try to kill her with and so she took an antidote for it ahead of time? That's the only logical reasoning why she could have survived that, either that or her god R'hllor really did save her life, but I somehow doubt that.

Your point 10, I am pretty sure they are only bones at this point, lol.

Your point 29, I agree with you, that's why I like him so much too! He is smart and honest and very humble. I think he would fit right in with the Starks if he gets the chance.

Your point 32, I like how you called Melisandre his new hawk. I suppose I read that too when I read it a second time but I didn't put two and two together until just now. :)

This chapter was incredibly boring to me the first time I read it but I enjoyed it so much more the second time around!

[Clara]

Oh yes, it could be! But I wonder how does she sees things in fire, thinking about what we got in her chapter in DwD. It did seem like a weird poison, but maybe she thought it was weird so suddendly Cressen wanted a toast for a god he just dispised. She also knew he wasn't a fan of her. And I also think R'hollor didn't save her.

And lol, you are right! For some reason I thought his fingers were cut recently, even though I know it's been a while.

Davos does seem like a man the Starks would want near. We'll have to wait and see!

I got the idea she was the new hawk, or he meant that with the story he told. And it's not like he has the largest army, I think he trusts a lot in the fear she inspires.

You know, I also thought most of Davos's chapters were boring the first time, but I enjoyed reading his chapter this time! And I think I'll like his chapters from now on. It's crazy how much you can change your mind reading the books a second time!