A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day discussion
A Storm of Swords
>
01/01/16 - Chapter 24: Bran II
date
newest »
newest »
1. They have left the wolfswood and are climbing through the flint hills of the north. The ice dragon constellation is mentioned again. It helps them decipher which way is north. It is slow going and the food is scarcer up here. 2. I love the part where Meera explains to Bran that you can feel two opposing feelings at the same time. For example, she both hates and loves these mountains. They are beautiful and they are monotonous.
3. The folk who live up here seem different from the rest of society. The Wulls, Flints, Knotts, and Norreys, Eddard Stark called them lords but their own people don’t call them that, according to Bran. Maybe they share some of the wildling sense of freedom. However, they still come down to swear fealty to Winterfell. Jojen doesn’t like that they’re being watched but Bran says no one will bother them as long as they don’t try to steal anything.
4. During a rainstorm they are forced to take shelter in a cave occupied by a Liddle. He seems very hospitable. They share his food but none give their names. The man says it’s gotten much more dangerous on the kingsroad since Bolton’s Bastard took over. He misses the days the Starks were still lords of Winterfell. He also knows Lord Commander Mormont took the majority of his rangers into the haunted woods and only their ravens came back. The next morning he is gone but had left them some food for the trip. Uncannily nice of him. Bran tells himself when he gets back to Winterfell he’ll repay the Liddle’s a hundredfold. :)
5. Interesting they see an eagle flying overhead and Bran tries to reach it with his third eye like he can with Summer, but he can’t. Greenseers can access any animal, I guess. I’m wondering if it’s the same eagle that attacked Jon. I doubt it, but who knows.
6. Very interesting they never found Old Nan’s body in Winterfell. He hopes the ironmen didn’t hurt her. Meera reminds Bran it wasn’t the ironmen who did the killing; it was the Boltons. Speaking of Old Nan and her stories, Bran asks the Reeds if they know of any. They say there’s lots. Telling stories will help pass the time along.
7. Meera tells the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree during the year of the False Spring. They are surprised Bran has never heard of it. A crannog boy goes on an adventure to the Isle of Faces. On his way back he partakes in the tourney at Harrenhal. Interesting she says it’s not her story to tell about what happened that winter he was on the island. I’m pretty certain this crannog boy is their father, Howland Reed. This man must know quite a lot about what’s going on with the white walkers. Anyway, she relates in story form what happened at the tourney. Everyone was there except the “great lion of the rock,” which would be Tywin. The crannog boy was bullied by three squires when a she-wolf interceded for him, Lyanna! She introduces him to the Starks. A girl with purple eyes, Ashara Dayne, danced with several boys including Ned, the quiet wolf, but only after Brandon told her to, lol. It does not specifically say he had feelings for her, though, just that he was shy. The crannog boy partakes in the tourney as a mystery knight, kicking ass and telling the bullies to be better behaved, basically. He was known as the Knight of the Laughing Tree because of the laughing weirwood sigil he wore. He left on the last day before he could snag the victory for himself. Rhaegar won the championship in the end. Lyanna was crowned queen of love and beauty, “but that’s a sadder story,” according to Meera. Hmm...seems like the catalyst to this entire series.
8. Jojen is very surprised Bran never heard this tale before. I wonder what makes him think Ned would have told his children this story. And why didn’t he?
About your point 5, I thought it could be the same eagle. But then I thought they are still far from the Wall, and there are other eagles.And about your point 8, I forgot they were so surprised he never told them. Maybe their father told them, but Ned came back with Jon, and never talked about it. Maybe the Reeds think Ned told them because their father told them.
My point 8, I think that's what it was. They probably don't know about any promises Ned made to Lyanna, or that Ned refused to talk about her much. That moment leading up to Lyanna's abduction probably upset him greatly.
Yeah I think so too. He never told Catelyn anything either, so it makes sense he didn't tell any of their sons. But they had no way of knowing of course. I wonder if Howland didn't tell them about the promise, or if he doesn't even know about it.
2-Interesting how they keep bringing the opposites in coversations. Meera said she loves and hates the mountains at the same time, and Bran doesn’t understand how. Bran keeps talking about how they would get to the Wall faster if they travel in the kingsroad, he wanted to find the three-eyed crow. But Jojen is afraid they might see travelers, and travelers talk.
3-Meera asked if someone lived there, and he names a few. One of the names was Wull, a man who rode with Howland. Bran knows the people that live there know they are there, he saw them watching with Summer’s eyes. But if they don’t steal their animals they won’t bother them. I wonder why Jojen is not afraid they might talk.
4-One day there was a storm, and they found shelter, with a man in it. He invited them over, and talked how the times were better when there were Starks in Winterfell. The man said Bolton’s bastard offered a silver for a wolfskin, and gold for information about them. He also said he wouldn’t go north now, and told them Mormont was gone with most of the brothers. Jojen said he dreamt the wolves will be back, which I forgot and it’s good.
5-They spent the night with the man, who was gone the other day. He left them food, it was really nice of him. Bran thinks he was a Liddle, and would pay them back one day, that’s good! They saw an eagle, and Bran tried to reach it but couldn’t. But it was good he tried, maybe one day he will be able to do so.
6-Hodor’s name is not Hodor. His name is Walder. Old Nan was his grandmother’s grandmother or something like that, wow! I thought she was his grandmother for some reason. He thought of Old Nan, and wondered if she was dead. Bran didn’t see any woman dead back at Winterfell, just men. I forgot this! And it’s interesting, I wonder what happened with them. I really like what Meera told him, to remember the way she told stories and a part of her would be with him.
7-Bran asked Meera if she knew a story, one about knights would be good, Hodor liked them too. She told the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. She began talking about a crannogman who went to the Isle of Faces to visit the Green Men, and later went to a tourney at Harrenhal. the king was there, as his white swords who were receiving a new brother. Jaime? She told how the wolfs who I am guessing were Starks defended him from three squires. He prayed to the old gods, and the next day there was a joust, and a mistery knight appeared. Bran think he was the crannogman, but Meera doesn’t answer he was. This was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, and defeated the knights whose squires had problems with the little man. He then go, so the dragon prince won. Jojen asked Bran again if his father didn’t tell him this story, but he didn’t. Meera doesn’t continue, she said what happened was too sad. I mean, this has to be the story of the tourney Lyanna was crowned by Rhaegar, too much coincidences. Although I don’t think I picked this the first time. I don’t think Bran knew what the story meant, he just thinks maybe one day he can go to the Isle of the Faces, and maybe the green men would turn him into a knight like they did with the crannongman, just for one day. This chapter was really interesting, and I didn’t remember the story at all.