11/07/15 - Chapter 39: Catelyn V

[Clara]

1-So, Catelyn i son her way back to Riverrun, but before she gets there, she finds out her uncle went west with Robb, and Edmure sits at Riverrun. She’s on her way to see Rivers, who comands the ouriders while the Blackfish is gone. Poor Catelyn finds out last about a lot of things, like the battle of Oxcross, recent news of Tywin marching, and she knows Stannis will march soon as well. I don’t remember why I didn’t like her in my first read, she’s a badass in her own way.

2-I also forgot the name of the song that was made for Robb, “Wolf in the Night”. I wonder what the lyrics are. She hears the tale of the taking of the Tooth, and how Robb gave Stafford’s heart to Grey Wind, which of course she doesn’t believe, and neither do I. I understand the Lannister have tales, but Robb’s men? I forgot about it.

3-Brienne asked Catelyn to leave, she wanted to go back to Storm’s End to kill Stannis, like she promised. She kept her rainbow cloak. There is so much sadness around her character, and I think it’s wonderful how much you can feel of a character. I don’t think it’s wonderful she’s that sad though. She never was one of them, like she never was one of Renly’s. Catelyn thought she was surrounded by walls higher tan Winterfell’s. I don’t think Brienne talks about how she feels with anyone. It seems she didn’t have friend when she was with Renly.

4-Catelyn told Brienne she knows how she feels, and Brienne doesn’t believe her at first. It’s a common thing to hear after all. But then Catelyn said she thinks of Ned everyday, and wants to go to King’s Landing and kill Cersei. But she knows she can’t just show up and kill her.

5-I think Brienne saw Catelyn was not like the other ladies out there, and maybe that’s one of the reasons she stayed. She told Catelyn she had a different kind of courage, and would be her man or woman (I think it’s kinda cute she doesn’t know how people would call her, after all it’s not usual to see a woman fighting), if Catelyn let her go to Stannis when the time comes. They say the vows, and Catelyn wondered what would Ned think if he was there. Everytime she thinks of Ned I feel so sad.

6-They move on, and when they crossed the river and one of the men tells her they planted iron spikes under the wáter, she realised Edmure planned to fight there. She’s not slow at all. She also noted he called the lord who went to defend their lands when she went to talk to Renly. She saw they hanged some Lannisters, and until I read who they were I didn’t remember who they were.

7-They got ravens from Storm’s End, Penrose offered allegiance to the King who would break the siege Stannis has outside the castle. He fears for Edric Storm, one of Robert’s bastard. Stannis wants the boy, and I had no idea why the first time.

8-I liked Catelyn answered very briefly when asked about Renly’s death, being Brienne present there. Beside I wonder if they would have believed about the shadow.

9-So, four of the men hanged were envoys who came with Cleos Frey, and Catelyn at first freaks out thinking they killed envoys. But they tried to free Jaime, which they did. One of them imitated Edmure’s voice, so they opened the gate. Catelyn knew right away this was Tyrion’s idea, and wasn’t so sure now if he was the least dangerous of the Lannisters.

10-I laughed when Edmure started explaining how they found out about the false envoys, but he didn’t know what to say, why he wasn’t in the castle. Catelyn said “You were whoring or wenching. Get on with the tale.”Omg! She just cut down to the chase. So, the guard saw him and closed the gate. Jaime killed two men and wounded one pretty badly before they caught him again. He now was chained hands and foot and bolted to the Wall.

11-I wonder why Catelyn didn’t tell they Stannis won’t make cause with them. She didn’t have to say he made cause with a greater and darker cause, but just that he won’t join, and saw Robb as a traitor. The tal kwas Tywin wanted to clean Cersei’s name, so he would march against Stannis.

12-Robb wants he ron the Twins because things would get messy there, and dangerous. But she wanted to stay there with her father, and I think it’s a good idea. She’s been wanting for a long time to be there with him.

13-She talked with her brother, she didn’t thought his plan was good, he wasn’t seasoned in battle and her uncle was gone. Tywin had far more men tan Edmure, and even if he said the Freys had been faithful and that’s why he didn’t see the problema in calling Robb’s men from the Twins, she still isn’t a big fan of the Freys. She also didn’t know Lord Bolton got married with a Frey. He planned to take Harrenhal, so Tywin does not have a place to go back to and get stuck between armies. I mean, it’s not the best plan but I guess he really wants to win this time, and men want to fight.

14-Catelyn went to see her father, and he was really bad. He thought she was Lysa, and asked her forgiveness for making her marry with Jon, who was way older than her. But he thinks they aren’t married yet. Poor man, it must be so awful. He also named Lysa’s stripling wretched boy, who now I had a pretty good idea who he is, but of course had not a clue the first time.

15-The Maester told Catelyn her father would die soon, and to write the Blackfish, who she knew would go, but not Lysa. Catelyn knew she won’t go even if she writes. It is really sad, Hoster seemed really bad about her marriage, but I don’t think Lysa gives a shit about her father.

16-Now, one of the saddest parts in my re-read so far. Ned’s bones. As soon as Catelyn sees them she thinks that’s not Ned. What she thought was really, really sad. It must be so sad to see the bones of someone you loved so much. Tyrion sent his bones with Cleos, but with a different sword, Payne has Ice. She asks the sisters to take him to Winterfell, where he should rest. Since some say they can talk to the dead because they didn’t talk to the living, she envied them. The end of the chapter was really sad. What she thought was beautiful and sad at the same time.

[Vicki]

I liked Catelyn my first reading but not as much as I like her now. My only problem then was that she hated Jon, but I understood why, even the first time, that it was complicated, and I forgot Cat knew she shouldn't take it out on him at the start of my second reading. Knowing this helped me out greatly. It's really hard to fault her on her feelings. She wanted a faithful husband, and the inability to talk about it with him festered.

1. Catelyn finds out her uncle and Robb have gone west and left Martyn Rivers to command the outriders in place of the Blackfish. Martyn Rivers is one of Walder Frey’s bastards. Ser Edmure is still in command at Riverrun. Martyn tells Cat that Lord Tywin is marching west with all his power and is charged to keep her safe from Lannister scouts.

2. On their way to Riverrun Martyn tells them about Robb’s endeavors in detail, including how Grey Wind showed them a hidden path beyond the Golden Tooth, so that’s how the Lannisters never saw them coming. Martyn lowers his voice and says Robb supposedly fed Grey Wind Ser Stafford’s heart but I like that Catelyn says her son is no savage. I also like that Martyn says it’s rumored the old gods of the north sent the direwolves to her children. She recalls when they got them as pups, including Jon Snow’s albino.

3. Now that Catelyn is very near her home Brienne politely asks leave to go. Cat feels bad that this woman was among them but never one of them, preferring to keep to herself the whole trip. She also never cried. I like this a lot: “There are walls around this one higher than Winterfell’s.” Cat asks where will she go. To Storm’s End, of course, to kill Stannis. She swore on it, three times. Brienne regrets fleeing Renly’s pavilion, it seems cowardly to her. I like what Catelyn says to that: “You served him valiantly, but when you seek to follow him into the earth, you serve no one.” Brienne says Cat doesn’t understand how she’s feeling but Cat says just because she doesn’t know how to use a sword that doesn’t mean she’d still like to strangle Cersei Lannister’s neck, lol.

4. Apparently the only part of Brienne that’s pretty are her eyes.

5. Sounds like Cat struggles with identifying exactly who is the rightful king in King’s Landing. Brienne says Stannis isn’t, nor was Robert. Jaime Lannister murdered the rightful king and Robert murdered the lawful heir. That sounds like a Targaryen supporter, there. “Where were the gods then? The gods don’t care about men, no more than kings care about peasants.” Ouch! She hit it right on the head! Cat counters that by saying a good king does care. Brienne says Renly would have made a fine king, she stutters, and Cat gently reminds her he’s gone now. Brienne seems concerned Robb will take Stannis’s side and Cat admits she doesn’t know what Robb will do, but reminds her that Renly’s enemies are Robb’s enemies as well.

6. I really like that Brienne would like to serve Catelyn, despite not knowing Robb. When Cat asks why she says because she was kind and stood up for her in that pavilion when she didn’t have to. She also tells Cat she has a certain courage, a woman’s courage. But she does ask that when the time comes she must not hold her back from killing Stannis. Cat remembers the threat Stannis made on Robb and promises. I love how Brienne makes a formal vow to protect and council Catelyn, an oath of service. It reminds Cat of all the times men would do this for Ned.

7. As they reach Riverrun they see a great many smallfolk taking shelter inside the castle. She also sees many of her father’s bannermen are back, which can only mean they’re preparing for war. Edmure must expect Tywin to attack Riverrun. Ugh, Edmure has some dead Lannisters hanging from the battlements, a gory sight. Seems Edmure’s not above decorating his castle with a gruesome display. The men in her service call it a beautiful sight but Brienne and Catelyn are not smiling. Cat fears Jaime may be dead and hurries into the castle.

8. Edmure greets her warmly and informs her that Ser Cortnay Penrose from Storm’s End sent three ravens pleading for help to uplift Stannis’s siege on them. He fears for “the boy” but doesn’t know what boy he’s talking about. Brienne explains he means Edric Storm, Robbert’s bastard son. Stannis wants him so he can offer him up as “proof” that Cersei’s children aren’t Robert’s. Edmure says he didn’t respond back yet because he has no help to offer and Stannis is not their enemy besides.

9. Cat introduces Brienne to her brother and his council. They are all polite and Brienne is embarrassed, lol.

10. So the dead Lannisters are the red cloaks that came back with Ser Cleos Frey, I see. Catelyn is shocked that he would kill envoys, but Edmure says they posed as envoys but tried to steal Jaime from his cell. He describes four of them as the ones Bronn had picked out for Tyrion. And of course Cat blames Tyrion for this. She still holds a grudge against him. Lol, Edmure was out whoring around when it happened. His sister knows him well! He had just come back when Jaime almost escaped. They recaptured him but not before Jaime killed several of their men. Edmure didn’t hang all of the red cloaks, though. Just the ones that tried to free Jaime. Now Jaime is in the darkest cell of the dungeons, chained and bolted to the wall. As a precaution, he put Ser Cleos in Jaime’s old tower cell, even though the man swears he didn’t know about this.

11. Edmure seems like a compassionate man for letting so many of his people take shelter here, even though he’s expecting to be besieged and there’s too many mouthes to feed. His kindness blinds his better judgment, sometimes.

12. Their father’s steward, Utherydes Wayn, just now tells Cat that Robb instructed her to go to the Twins to pick out a suitable bride for him as soon as she gets back from the south. But Cat has no intention of leaving her dying father. She knows Robb just wants her to be somewhere safe, but it’s getting annoying.

13. She reminds Edmure the last time he tried to offer battle to a Lannister he’d lost. If they were to close their gates and not harass Tywin’s army, they may ride on by them unscathed. Tywin cares more about protecting his homeland than attacking Riverrun. It just seems as if Edmure is terrible at battle strategy. He is proud and likes to think he’s smart, but Catelyn counters everything he says. She didn’t know Roose Bolton had married one of Walder Frey’s daughters while she was away, or that Ser Stevron died at Oxcross. Edmure wants Bolton to attack Harrenhal while Tywin’s away so he can’t retreat if he loses at Riverrun. Cat sometimes wishes Robb had left the Blackfish in Riverrun, awe. Brynden Tully has won countless battles whereas Edmure fought only one battle and lost miserably. Edmure seems so sure his plan will work. Cat doubts it but stops arguing and hopes he will prove her wrong.

14. Cat visits her father, nothing’s changed, still sick and dying. Poor old man, he’s confused Catelyn with Lysa, and he’s forgotten the time. He keeps begging her to forgive him. The maester softly tells Cat he doesn’t have long before he’ll die so he’s going to send a raven out to the Blackfish and Lysa so they can say their goodbyes to him. Cat is sure Lysa won’t come, not even to see her father for the last time, that bitch.

15. Cat wonders who her father meant by “wretched stripling.” I’m pretty sure he means Petyr Baelish, but Cat doesn’t know her sister had a thing for him. She figures it must be some singer; Lysa was always fond of singers, lol. But Cat tries not to blame Lysa, because Jon Arryn apparently was 20 years older than their father, wow! I keep thinking Hoster Tully is ancient, but I suppose he’d be approximately in his 60‘s. That would make Jon Arryn somewhere in his 80‘s. However noble the man was, that’s way too old. I wouldn’t want to sleep with him either.

16. The next day they show her Ned Stark’s bones that Ser Cleos had brought back from King’s Landing. Cat is overwhelmed, doesn’t think this is her Ned. He was always so strong and full of life. She misses his flesh that would hold her every night. This is so intense. She remembers they fed his eyes to crows when they chopped off his head. Utherydes says they still have Ice at King’s Landing but at least Tyrion returned Ned’s bones as a show of respect. Tyrion, not Cersei. I wonder what Cat means by this: “One day I will thank them all.” Cat turns to the Silent Sisters and orders them to return her husband’s bones to Winterfell on the morrow so he can be buried with the rest of the Starks that came before. She tells Hal Mollen to go with them since he is captain of the guard for Winterfell and it is his place.

17. Now she tells them all to leave her for the night; she wants to spend it with her husband. The Silent Sisters do not speak to the living, but some say they can talk to the dead. Cat envies them for that. Awe! *SPOILER FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler)[Do we ever find out what happened to Ned’s bones? Because by the end of DwD they still haven’t made it back to Winterfell. I wonder what the hold up is. (hide spoiler)]

[Clara]

Yes, she's a really complex character, and as far as I can remember, it's not like I hated her the first time, but I wasn't a fan. Now I really like her, and understand her a lot more.

I think Cat sometimes feel worried about Edmure because of how he is. I mean, Tywin wouldn't have taken so many folks in his castle, but Edmure did. Plus there's this pressure, in my opinion, for him to win a battle, since he lost his first. He's kind at times, but he hanged those Lannisters. I don't know if I exlained myself, he's not as cruel as Tywin, and I am not saying it's a good thing to be cruel, but it's kind of a disadvantage not to be when your opponent is a ruthless man such as Tywin is.

*SPOILER FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE* (view spoiler)[That's true! I forgot about it. I wonder where they are too. Something must have happened in the way. (hide spoiler)]