A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day discussion
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A Clash of Kings
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10/26/15 - Chapter 27: Daenerys II
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1. Dany goes to Qarth, an ancient, great city that is described as the center of the world, gate between north and south, bridge between east and west, and ancient beyond memory. It is described as magnificent, too, very colorful and elaborate. The three outer walls are described in great detail. I wonder if it becomes significant later on in the series.2. It seems everyone in Qarth has been prepared for Dany’s coming and they celebrate it with flowers and shouts of joy.
3. Snakes are a popular theme among this city, it seems.
4. Everything about this city is elaborate and colorful, incredibly cultured, and Dany feels barbaric among them. The Dothraki call the Qartheens “milk men” because of the paleness of their skin, and it seems they covet this city, wanting to plunder it, lol, omg. “How savage we must seem to these Qartheens.” Yet they all seem so happy she is here!
5. Interesting that horses shy away from camels, which Qarth seems to prefer over horses.
6. Pyat Pree the warlock and Xaro Xhoan Daxos the merchant argue over what Dany deserves more from Qarth but Dany says all she wants is the Iron Throne in Westeros. Because of Mirri Maz Duur, she distrusts sorcery. Xaro and Pyat Pree don’t seem to like each other much. Ser Jorah tells her she’d do well to avoid both of them. In fact, he tells her he doesn’t like the smell of this place either. Dany says the Qartheens seem sweet to her, but Jorah says sometimes sweet smells are used to cover up foul odors, very true.
7. Xaro lets her stay at his house while she is in Qarth. Xaro’s palace is even larger than Magister Ilyrio’s in Pentos, wow! And incredibly ornate. She tells him he is too kind, but he says anything for the Mother of Dragons. He goes over the top to please her, lol, and an incredible suck-up. Dany realizes he’s only interested in her because of the dragons, not really her.
8. Before Pyat Pree leaves he gifts her with a jar of ointment that he swears will let her see “the spirits of the air.” whatever that means. Quaithe is the last to leave and all she offers is to beware of the others. She tells Dany these people only want to see her dragons and they will lust after them. “For dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.” Ser Jorah says he doesn’t like her much either. Dany finds Quaithe interesting, and puzzling. The other two showered her with gifts and grand promises but Quaithe rarely spoke to her except to give her a cryptic warning. Her mask also disturbs Dany, because she cannot even see her face.
9. Dany orders her bloodriders to guard her dragons at all hours of the day. Smart. She also orders her people to look around the rest of Qarth that Pyat Pree did not show her so they can learn more about these Qartheens. Dany orders Jorah to go to the docks and look for Westerosi ships but Jorah says the Usurper may try to kill her if they cross now. They apparently aren’t aware yet that Robert Baratheon is dead. Since he knows several languages and isn’t afraid of the sea, he is the best candidate for this. Hard to argue there.
10. That pool she bathes in sounds so luxurious! She loves the pampering here and hopes it’s the same at the Red Keep, ha. Probably not. She also feels disquieted about her current situation. “The Dothraki sacked cities and plundered kingdoms, they did not rule them.” Dany doesn’t want to destroy King’s Landing. I like how she wants to have a kingdom where it’s beautiful, prosperous, and everyone is happy and thrilled to see her as she rides by. :)
11. It’s so strange to hear Lord Eddard Stark be described as cold-eyed with a frozen heart. The Lannisters are described a bit more accurately, lol. Dany has never met these people so all she knows she learned from her brother, of which she ought to know should be taken with a grain of salt.
12. Dany feels the bleeding star led her to Qarth for a purpose. What that is specifically, she doesn’t know. *SPOILER FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS IN CLASH OF KINGS* (view spoiler)
13. Jorah returns from the docks with a captain of a ship called Cinnamon Wind; his name’s Quhuru Mo. His skin is as black as jet, wow. That is a deep shade! He speaks Valyrian of the people of the nine free cities. Quhuru Mo gives her the news that Robert Baratheon is dead; he’d been in Oldtown just six months ago. This is great news to Dany! It sure sucks that no one knows Robert ordered a stop for her murder right before he died, and the only other witness is dead too. Drogon hisses at this, interesting. It probably means nothing. Viserion flaps his wings on her shoulder at this too. Quhuru Mo says Joffrey reigns now, but it’s the Lannisters who rule. Also, the Lannisters killed Stark for treason. Jorah sincerely doubts this, lol. :( Dany is happy to hear that the Usurpers dogs are attacking each other. She doesn’t know... I can’t wait for the day when she learns the whole situation.
14. I forgot Rhaegal’s eyes are of molten gold. I thought they were bronze. All he does is stare at Quhuru Mo, eerie.
15. Quhuru Mo says he’s not traveling back to Westeros for another year. He sails east, to make a sweep around the Jade Sea first. He says he’s happy because he’s seen dragons, which is reward enough for his news. I liked that a lot. He seems genuinely thankful to have met them, without covetous eyes.
16. After the captain leaves Jorah says Joffrey sitting the Iron Throne doesn’t change anything, but Dany insists it changes everything. Instead of one king there are several contending for the throne, all divided, like what happened after Drogo died -- several new khals were made that day. She reminds him she is the blood of the dragon and the things she’s endured. Jorah says she has more of Rhaegar in her than Viserys, but even Rhaegar could be slain. He just wants her to be careful.
Good guess at your point 12! I haven't thought so.
Your point 10, the dragons were enough for Aegon the Conqueror! She just needs to wait until they grow into adulthood, and learn to tame them so they don't get too wild. Your point 12, I think Viserys had biased views of their father. Aerys was crazy, but he loved little Viserys and kept him close always. Of course Viserys would only remember good things about his father. Unfortunately, Dany hasn't heard the real story from everyone else. After all, how do you tell a princess, who loves her father by default, that he was batshit crazy?
Your point 14, that's true, I don't know how many of hte common folk know that Daenerys is still alive, or if they would even want another Targaryen on the throne, hoping this one will turn out all right.
I meant to say she needs more than dragons in the way she needs to grow up in a lot of aspects at this point of the story, and she knows people beside her she can trust. But of course dragons are great help by themselves!Yes it makes sense, all the things (or pretty much all of them) she has heard from Westeros and her father came from her brother.
I don't think she's mention at all like a threat or an aspiring person to the throne. There's the fact of course they don't believe dragons are alive again, but still she's not mention like a possible choice. But she's not been there yet!
That is true, I don't know how many people in Westeros even know about her, let alone wonder if she's still alive or not. And I see what you mean now. Daenerys needs to work at gaining leadership experience before she can win anybody to her cause, and not simply rely on her dragons to impress people. Aegon the Conqueror could do both things well.
2-I forgot the people there were really pale. They all look like lords and ladies to Daenerys, and thought they must look like barbarians comparing to them. So, people live good there.
3-Pyat Pree told her she should go to the House of the Undying, a place not explained, but the name is creepy. She could drink truth and wosdom there, whetever that means. Xaro Xhoan Daxos (again, what a name) told Daenerys he could give her silks and stuff. She replied she wanted swords and ships to go to Westeros.
4-Xaro told her once the warlocks of Quarth, Pyat Pree being one of them, were mighty. They seem to work with magic, dark magic.
5-“The crow calls the raven black,” said Ser Jorah. I do think he's perceptive, just because he's wary from everyone doesn't mean they don't deserve it. And he knows people will want her dragons. He also thinks they should not stay for long there.
6-Aw Daenerys wished she could love him better. She does love him in a way he doesn't want, but she really appreciates him.
7-Xaro offered his palace for her to stay. It's so huge all her people could fit, and she was given a full wing. That's crazy! It's so much bigger than Illyrio's.
8-Quaithe the shadowbinder is a really interesting character. While Xaro and Pyat offered her a lot, clearly interested in the dragons, she told Daenerys to be aware of everyone, for they will want her dragons. It's almost like she's not interested in the dragons. Daenerys hasn't seen her face so far, that's weird.
9-She sent Rakharo to explore the part of the city it wasn't show to them, that's smart. She said to go with both men and women, so they could get in places men couldn't. Also smart. She doesn't trust this people, at least not fully, and that's good. She's learn. Jorah was to go to the docks, and see ships and get news. I forgot she spent six months without knowing anything from Westeros.
10-She was worried about how she would get to Westeros, and how she'd get the throne back. I liked this: "I want to make my kingdom beautiful, to fill it with fat men and pretty maids and laughing children. I want my people to smile when they see me ride by, the way Viserys said they smiled for my father." I'm not sure about people smiling for Aerys, but well. She was also worried about the men she would have to defeat, like Robert, Ned, Tywin and Jaime, having no people. Maybe the dragons would not be enough, she does not have fighters, and dragons die. But I would be more confident, dragons are awesome!
11-Jorah brought a captain named Quhuru Mo, who told her Robert died. She got happy, she always feared him, a shadow since the say she was born. She also found out the lords were fighting.
12-The captain also tell her Ned died a traitor, and right away Jorah said there was no way Ned would commit treason. But Daenerys said he did it with her father. Despite of all my thoughs about who the rightful heir is, I don't think Daenerys knows much of her father, what he did and why he was killed. After all, Viserys told her most she knows.
13-It was nice Quhuru was so happy to see the dragons. They are a wonder after all.
14-After Daenerys told the captain he should go to Westeros once she rules, Jorah told her she should not speak so freely. But she was the word spread. After all I don't know if the folk remember about her in Westeros.
15-Interesting how Jorah said Robert's death does not change anything, Joffrey still rules. But she thinks it changes everything. I forgot how afraid she was of Robert. Like she said, he was a shadow all her life.
16-Jorah told her high lords always fight, and all the things she would need to get Westeros back. Plus a lot of other things. But she seems more confident at the end of the chapter after hearing about Robert, and told him she is the blood of the dragon. And even if dragons die, so do dragonslayers.