A Song of Ice and Fire 5
George R.R. Martin
Chapters 1 - 41 summary from eNotes
Chapters 42 - 73 summary from A Wiki of Ice and Fire
PROLOGUE
Varamyr is a warg, moving in the north beyond the Wall with a pack of wolves. He smells men and when he comes upon a man, he thinks about eating its flesh. His teacher, Haggon, had always told him that to eat the flesh of man, to mate with wolf as wolf, or to enter the mind of another man was an abomination. However, Varamyr ate Haggon's heart. Haggon had also warned against joining with any creature but wolves, explaining that skinchangers take on the personality of the animal they join. Varamyr's wound has opened again and he reflects that he should have entered the mind of one of his companions before they left him. The wildlings, once unified under Mance Rayder, have now dispersed. Some have followed raiders into the distant north, some have traveled east in the hope of meeting a fleet, and others have gone their own way. Varamyr has died nine times in the minds of animals, but now he faces his true death and his second life. When his true death comes, Varamyr enters the minds of the entire forest—oaks, worms, ravens—before settling into the mind of the wolf, One Eye. He lopes with the pack until they smell something new. It is a woman Varamyr had known as Thistle, but now icicles hang from her fingers like knives and pale blue light shines in her eyes. One Eye realizes that it sees him.
1. Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf and a drunk, has imbibed his way across the Narrow Sea in a small cabin. He thinks about how he murdered his father, Tywin Lannister, and Shae, a whore but also his former lover, who Tyrion found in his father's bed with the chain of the Hand of the King around her neck. He wonders where his first love, Tysha, has gone. When he asked his father, Tywin had replied "wherever whores go." Now, Tyrion wonders where whores go. The ship rolls back and forth in a storm before it finally arrives in Pentos, where Tyrion meets Magister Illyrio Mopatis, who introduces himself as a friend of Varys. He does not trust Illyrio and considers what he should do next. He could go to the Wall, or he could go to Dorne and try to crown Myrcella. Should he atone for his sins or go forth and make new ones? When he sups with Magister Illyrio, the latter informs Tyrion that Stannis is at the Wall and his sister, Queen Cersei, has put a price on his head; he points out that Myrcella will never take the Seven Kingdoms. However, there is a way for Tyrion to inherit Casterly Rock. Illyrio points out that Westeros craves peace and that it will soon lack for food as well. It needs a savior, such as a dragon with three heads.
2. Daenerys Targaryen (Dany) sits on an ebon bench, her throne in Meereen, surrounded by her supporters. Irri and Jhiqui, her Dothraki handmaids, address her as "khaleesi" and advise against touching the dead man being brought to her. Ser Barristan Selmy of Westeros, who addresses Dany as "Your Grace," points out that she does not have to be there. Grey Worm, the leader of her freed Unsullied troops, lowers his torch to show Dany her fallen soldiers, murdered by the Sons of the Harpy, Meereenese that object to Dany's conquest. After, Barristan announces that the Unsullied are unsuited for unraveling secrets. Dany reflects that Daario Naharis and his Stormcrows might do better, but she has sent them to Lhazar in the hopes of reopening trade routes. She summons Reznak mo Reznak and Skahaz Shavepate, a meeting that demands she wear a tokar, a wrap-around garment that signifies that the wearer is a master rather than a slave. She wears the garment reluctantly so that the people of Meereen will not look at her as a barbarian. Even Brown Ben Plumm of the Second Sons advises her to do so. Dany hopes to win over the Meereeenese, however much she despises them for their enslaving of others. Renzak and the Shavepate explain that the families of the old slavers are plotting in their pyramids. Skahaz argues that their blood must pay for the shed blood of Dany's followers. Reznak, whom Dany distrusts, suggests that such actions will only bring destruction. Dany holds court and listens as a representative of King Cleon of Astapor invites Dany to join Cleon in an invasion of Yunkai. Next, Hizdahr zo Loraq approaches, asking for Dany's permission to reopen the fighting pits. She denies him. Others come seeking compensation for lost sheep that Dany's dragons—Viserion, Rhaegal, and Drogon—have eaten. The last man brings bones as well, but not of sheep. They are the burnt bones of a child, killed by Drogon.
3. Jon dreams that he is Ghost, running through the woods near the Wall in the far north of Westeros. There were once six direwolves in the family, but now only four remain. He wakes to the sound of Lord Mormont's old raven yelling "Snow" at him, and he wonders if Bran or Rickon might still be alive within their direwolves. Dolorous Edd brings him breakfast and news that more wildlings have come seeking protection from the Others on the south side of the Wall. Jon is summoned to meet with Stannis, though he must pass the training ground along the way, where Stannis's men challenge him disrespectfully. He meets Sam, who has been reading about archery, on the way to the king. Stannis is accompanied by Melisandre, his red-haired priestess. Stannis wants Jon to sign over the abandoned castles along the Wall, which he will give to his followers. The men of the Night's Watch take no part in the politics of the realm, so Jon refuses. Instead, he suggests that Stannis offer him men to fill the castles under the leadership of the Night's Watch. Stannis is angry that Jon refuses to cooperate. He is angry at the northern lords as well. Only Karhold has agreed to support Stannis, while the others still miss Robb Stark. Jon leaves Stannis with Melisandre, who warns Jon that her fires show him surrounded by enemies.
4. Bran has not eaten anything but ground acorns for days. He, Meera, Jojen, Hodor, and Bran's direwolf, Summer, follow Coldhands, an unusual ranger. Coldhands has black hands, wears a black cloak of the Night's Watch, and rides an elk. Bran notices that he also seems to be accompanied by a murder of ravens. They have been searching north of the Wall for days, and there is still no sign that they have gotten close to their destination, the home of the three-eyed crow. When they sense that they are being followed, Coldhands and his ravens hang behind to face their foes. Meera leads the others to a deserted wildling village. That night, Bran enters Summer's mind as the latter goes hunting. Summer finds a small pack led by a one-eyed wolf. He defeats the one-eyed wolf, the pack's leader, and together they eat the dead men of the Night's Watch that they find. Bran wakes and realizes that the men were killed by Coldhands, who has returned. Coldhands explains that he is dead and that he is a friend of the three-eyed crow, who is the last greenseer. Coldhands may be a monster, but Jojen tells the others that they have no choice but to follow him. They would never make it back to the Wall now.
5. Tyrion and Illyrio set out from Pentos in a carriage. They pass the time eating, drinking, and talking. Tyrion tries to figure out more about Illyrio's motivations, but learns little. Illyrio and Varys had been friends together as children in Pentos. Varys had been a thief who had soon learned that he could make more money spying on lesser thieves and selling information on their whereabouts to their victims. The selling expanded until the king of Westeros sought Varys out. He had been suspicious of his family and his Hand, who had been a childhood friend. Illyrio next explains how he knew Daenerys and Viserys when they were young. Daenerys had been a shy girl until she was reborn amongst the Dothraki. When he sent her three ships, she sailed them to Slaver's Bay and conquered three cities. Now, he hopes to send Tyrion there, where he is confident that the young queen will make use of him. First, they must reach the river and Griff, a knight from Westeros that Illyrio trusts implicitly, who will take Tyrion on the next stage of his journey. The Golden Company, meanwhile, will await Daenerys's arrival. Tyrion soon grows impatient, and he eventually finds himself wondering again about where his first love, Tysha, might have wound up.
6. The Merchant's Man, Quentyn Martell, wonders whether the Adventure, a fast ship but one that stinks thanks to its mysterious cargo, is the right one to take him and his friends to Meereen. There, Quentyn hopes to woo and marry Daenerys Targaryen. With Cletus Yronwood, Willem Wells, and Maester Kedry now dead, Quentyn and Gerris take turns pretending to be either the wine merchant or the wine merchant's servant. For now, Quentyn plays the servant, so he watches as Gerris negotiates. Gerris is lean and handsome, whereas Quentyn has an honest face and a thick frame. It is likely Quentyn, Prince of Dorne, rather than Quentyn himself will attract Daenerys. The captain of the Adventure agrees to smuggle them into the war torn lands around Slaver's Bay, but Quentyn and Gerris worry that he will just rob them. Then again, no other ship will agree to travel to Meereen. They leave the docks and make their way through Volantis, where they see comic dwarfs that joust each other from atop a dog and a pig. They also encounter sellswords recruiting before they go to Slaver's Bay to fight Daenerys Targaryen. Quentyn and Gerris return to their rooms, where mighty Archibald Yronwood guards their possessions with his hammer. They begin to think that they have no choice but to leave Volantis aboard the Adventure when Gerris gets an idea.
7. Jon hesitates to sign the letter that Maester Aemon has prepared for him. He decides to put it off and summons Gilly, whom he instructs to travel south to Oldtown with Mance Rayder's son. Her own son, however, will remain at the Wall. Gilly has nursed both children, and Jon explains that if they allow Mance's son—a king's son—to remain at the Wall, Melisandre and Stannis will burn him to use in their spells. Gilly agrees and flees crying. Jon next meets Sam, who urges Jon to sign Aemon's letter. It is a paper shield that they will send to King's Landing explaining that they do not support Stannis, though they have fed and sheltered him. Sam is to go with Gilly, Mance's son, and Maester Aemon to Oldtown to become a maester. Maester Aemon advises Jon to arm himself with knowledge before setting out to battle and to put the boy within him aside and become a man. Jon next summons Giant, the shortest member of the Watch, whom Jon commands to travel to Icemark, an abandoned fort along the Wall. Giant and his men are to restore the fort as best they can and watch for wildlings. Giant agrees. However, when Jon orders Lord Janos Slynt to travel to Greyguard and do the same, Slynt refuses. The next morning, Jon goes to the mess hall, where Slynt is eating. Jon gives him one last chance to obey, and when he refuses, Jon takes Slynt into the yard and beheads him. Jon looks up and sees Stannis, who nods at him before returning inside his tower.
8. Tyrion wakes and discovers that the carriage has stopped and Magister Illyrio is outside. Illyrio is talking to two men, Haldon Halfmaester and Ser Rolly Duckfield (Duck), who are transferring chests from the carriage onto packhorses. Tyrion is to join them. Illyrio introduces Tyion as Yollo, but Tyrion tells them to call him Hugor Hill. Illyrio tells them to tell the boy that he will be there for the boy's wedding, and he returns to Pentos. Tyrion journeys east with Duck and Haldon along an old road built by the Valyrians. It is a magnificent road—wide, smooth, and ancient—which one maester named one of the nine wonders of the world. Tyrion remembers how when he was young, he had hoped to see them all. Instead, his father had put Tyrion in charge of the cisterns at Casterly Rock, which Tyrion soon had running more smoothly than ever. They arrive in Ghoyan Drohe, a city in Rhoyne, where they meet with Griff, a man with red eyebrows who dyes his hair blue. He reads Illyrio's letter of introduction and is reluctant to accept Tyrion, a Lannister. However, he agrees to allow Tyrion join their party as they make their way to Daenerys. Tyrion does not find Griff, who claims to be neither a lord nor a knight, a very convincing liar; if anything, Tyrion finds Griff's attempts to play the game of thrones amusing.
9. Davos is brought before Lord Godric Borrell, Lord of Sweetsister. Davos was a smuggler in his youth, but his fortunes changed when he smuggled onions past siege lines to an embattled Stannis. Stannis raised Davos to knighthood for his heroics and cut off the ends of his fingers for his smuggling. Now, Davos is Stannis's Hand, and though he hopes to make it to White Harbor, where he will treat with Lord Wyman Manderly, he must first find a way off this island. When Godric offers him food, Davos is relieved since it means he is a guest rather than a prisoner. As he eats, Davos reflects that he should not have been captured, but when storms ruined Salladhor Saan's fleet, the Lysene pirate finally abandoned Stannis's cause. Now, Godric informs Davos that Lord Tywin is dead and that the Freys are treating with Lord Manderly. Davos argues that Stannis will defeat the Lannisters now that Lord Tywin is dead. Rather than agreeing or disagreeing, Godric shares how Ned Stark once stayed at the same hall during Robert's Rebellion. After, he had a fisherman take him across the Bite. A storm had killed the fisherman, but his daughter had taken Ned across. Ned left her with a son, whom she named Jon Snow. Before he was allowed to leave, Godric's family had considered giving Ned to the Mad King Aerys, who seemed like to win the war, but Stark had replied that "only winter is certain." If Robert should win, they would be rewarded. If the Targaryens should win, then no one need ever know that Ned was there. Davos agrees.
10. Jon watches as they bring out Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, to be punished in front of the wildlings. Jon points out that Mance had the Horn of Joramun, but he never blew it. It makes no difference. Melisandre and Stannis hang Mance, who breaks and says he is not a king. Next, Melisandre burns the horn in front of the wildlings. Stannis draws Lightbringer, which blazes like the sun. The wildlings are allowed into the realm and they kneel before Stannis. Jon looks at Sigorn, the new Magnar of Thenn, Rattleshirt, and other wildlings heroes, and wonders if they will be loyal. Bowen Marsh, the Lord Steward, urges Jon to send them back to die fighting the Others. Jon agrees to think on his words before he leaves, but he wants more men to defend the Wall. He goes to the mess hall, where Pyp and Grenn are eating. However, Jon knows that he can no longer pretend to be their friend. He goes next to Clydas, who tends the ravens. He points out to Clydas that if Melisandre is right and Stannis and Azor Ahai come again to fight back the night, then his sword should radiate heat. It does not. Alone, Jon writes two letters—one to Ser Denys and one to Cottor Pyke—as he reflects that he will carry these duties and responsibilities for the rest of his life.
11. Daenerys is woken from a dream in which she had been making love to Daario. It is Irri who wakes her, and Skahaz, Reznak, and Grey Worm who inform her that the Sons of the Harpy have killed nine of her subjects in the night. One of the dead was Missandei's brother. Furious, Dany announces that the Unsullied will no longer patrol Meereen. She instructs Skahaz to form a new watch made up of Meereenese. Their pay shall be drawn from the pyramids, a blood tax as punishment for the work of the Sons of the Harpy. That day, Dany goes to the baths and has a vision of Quaithe, who informs her that the glass candles are burning again. She tells Dany that "soon comes the pale mare, after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal." At the last, Dany wonders why she should fear Reznak. Quaithe disappears after telling Dany to remember who she is. She goes to court, where she is again asked to reopen the fighting pits. She leaves the court with Ser Barristan, who tells her about his escape from King's Landing. Talk turns to Ned Stark, and Ser Barristan defends him. Dany considers him guilty, and suddenly remembers her dragons. Rhaegal and Viserion are held in the pits, but Drogon still flies free. Dany wonders what sort of monster she has unleashed upon the world. If she is the mother of dragons, Dany realizes, then she is a monster too.
12. Reek eats a rat, knowing that the belly will be the softest part. When he hears footsteps coming into the dungeons, he worries that he will be caught and punished for eating the rat. He is not punished. Instead, Big Walder and Little Walder take Reek to the hall, where Lord Ramsay Bolton sups with two grizzled old lords. When they look at him, Reek panics. Lord Ramsay punishes those that disobey him, Reek knows. He remembers how he and Kyra tried to escape, only to learn that Lord Ramsay prefers to hunt human prey. Reek has now lost toes and fingers. Ramsay flays the skin and when the victim can no longer stand it, he begs for Ramsey to cut off the appendage. Once, Reek had tried to bite off his own finger to stop the pain, which displeased Lord Ramsay. Now, Bolton has a task for Reek. Arya Stark is being brought to him, and he wonders if Reek can remember her. Reek admits that he can still remember her. The old lords recognize Reek as Ned Stark's old ward, though they note that he no longer smiles and his hair has gone white. Bolton informs Reek that they will ride to war and to his virgin bride.
13. Bran and the others have to worry after Coldhands explains that they are being pursued by wights as well as wolves. He turns to face their enemies and commands Meera to lead them uphill to a cave. Hodor carries Bran and Meera carries her ailing brother, Jojen. They have not eaten anything for days. The wights begin to grab at them from beneath the snow. Bran enters Hodor's mind to fight them off, while Summer attacks the wights. Bran wonders if he should tell Meera that he loves her. They are almost overtaken when the wights catch fire. Bran looks up and thinks he sees Arya. It is a child of the forest, though she explains that in the True Tongue, they called themselves those who sing the song of earth. She takes Bran and the other deep into the ground, where they see other children. Above their heads are white weirwood roots and beneath their feet are bones. They finally come to a cavern where they meet the three-eyed crow, a greenseer. He was once a member of the Night's Watch, but his clothes are now faded and overgrown with moss. He tells Bran that he will never walk again. However, Bran can learn to fly.
14. Tyrion is no longer allowed to drink, and he shivers and sweats in the night because of it. Everyone aboard the ship has a job to do as they sail along the river. Duck and Young Griff spar in the morning, and in the afternoons Haldon Halfmaester and Septa Lemore instruct them. Tyrion is told to record everything he has ever learned about dragons. He wonders if they will be able to find any of the lost histories about Valyria. Tyrion has begun to embellish his original tales about Yollo, also known as Hugor. Tyrion hopes to convince the rest of the crew that his father was a Westerosi lord, and that he is a bastard. One afternoon, he sits in on Young Griff's history lessons. They discuss the history of Volantis, the first of the Nine Free Cities to expand after Valyria met its doom. The Volantene tried to conquer the world but were eventually defeated by their enemies. Now, they are a merchant state. When asked to explain what this history teaches, Young Griff concludes that one cannot conquer the world without dragons. After, Tyrion challenges Haldon to a game of cyvasse. Haldon always wins, but Tyrion suggests that they wager secrets based on the outcome of this match. After, Tyrion goes on deck and sees an enormous turtle, the Old Man of the River. Tyrion reflects that wonders always appear to attend to the birth of kings.
15. Davos arrives in White Harbor aboard The Merry Midwife. He reflects on Cottor Pyke's reasoning: the Manderlys and the Boltons have long been enemies. Since Roose Bolton is now Warden of the North, he is allied with Lannisters. Therefore, it stands to reason that Lord Wyman Manderly will side with Stannis. Davos is distressed when he sees Lionstar, a ship from King's Landing, at dock. He enters the city near the harbor and listens as sailors and merchants gossip. The smallfolk are fleeing the countryside to escape the Bastard of Bolton, and Manderly is hiring men, suggesting that he means to fight the Boltons. However, Manderly's remaining son is still being held hostage by the Freys, suggesting that he might be preparing to remain neutral within a fortified city. At the Lazy Eel, men discuss the return of the dragons. Davos also learns that Ramsay Bolton is leading men south to take back the Neck from the Ironborn. No one discusses Stannis or the wildling attack on the Wall. Davos wonders why he still lives. The gods have taken four of his sons, but he remains. What final job do they intend for him? Davos finally makes his way to the keep and presents himself to the guardsmen. He asks to see Lord Manderly, alone.
16. Daenerys attempts to convince Xaro Xhoan Daxos that he can help restart trade between Meereen with Qarth. However, he has come to bring slavery back to Meereen. He explains that slaves are made by the Dothraki and trained by the Ghiscari. Meereen has little else to trade. Further, without Meereen, the Dothraki must now drive their slaves directly to Qarth, which is inconvenient. He points out that Meereen was once rich and peaceful, but now is poor, hungry, and bloody under Dany's rule. Dany is surrounded by enemies. The Sons of the Harpy attack her within the city. Now, the sellsword companies are amassing against her, under the pay of her enemies, especially Yunkai. The warlocks also seek to destroy Daenerys. Fortunately, Xaro has brought thirteen ships to carry Dany and her army to Westeros. The next day, Dany sends men to inspect the ships and they are declared seaworthy. However, her Meereenese followers worry that they will be conquered and enslaved by the surrounding slavers, punished for supporting Dany's rule. Dany declares that Westeros must wait. When she informs Xaro that she will not go, she realizes that she has made yet another enemy. When she next holds court, a messenger brings a bloody glove upon a pillow. War has been declared.
17. Jon and Dolorous Edd go into the wormways, tunnels beneath Castle Black. They meet Lord Steward, Bowen Marsh, who shows Jon their frozen stores. Normally, they would have enough for three to four years of winter. However, it will not be enough. Between the wildlings and the king's men, they will run out of food by the end of the first year. They agree to start rationing the food, which Jon knows will displease the men. The meeting ends when Jon is summoned to King Stannis, whose wrong-way rangers, Ser Richard and Ser Justin, have returned with news from south of the Wall. They present Rattleshirt, who wears a red gem round his wrist like the one Melisandre wears around her throat. She declares that he will not betray the Night's Watch. Stannis announces that he means to strike at the Dreadfort while Ramsay Bolton and his army ride south to meet Roose Bolton. Jon proposes to give Stannis another target if he should leave the wildlings behind at the Wall. When Stannis agrees, Jon suggests that Stannis recruit from the clans in the western mountains and then strike at Deepwood Motte, a wooden fort still held by the ironmen. Stannis decides to take Jon's advice in order to show his strength to the northmen. Jon is satisfied that he will have a thousand wildlings to defend the Wall, though he still has no way to feed them.
18. Tyrion and the others continue down the Rhoyne aboard the Shy Maid. When they reach the Sorrows, they are engulfed in an unnatural fog and worry that the stone men will attack. The stone men suffer from a mortal form of greyscale. Tyrion recalls how men would sometimes cut off an arm to keep the stone from spreading, only to start to feel its tingle as the sickness starts in the other arm. They know that they have reached the Bridge of Dream when they see a series of lights in the fog above them. On it are the stone men. As the ship passes beneath it, Young Griff refuses to go belowdecks. Tyrion tells him that he should, revealing that he knows Young Griff is a prince. Tyrion reveals his identity as well: he is the son of Tywin Lannister, who was said to have killed Prince Rhaegar's children. Finally, he reveals Griff as Jon Connington, dear friend to Prince Rhaegar, once Lord of Griffin's Roost, and once the Hand of the King. As they talk back and forth, the ship is turned in the Rhoyne's currents back towards the Bridge of Dream. This time, the stone men jump down to the ship. Griff engages one and another is pushed off with a pole. The stone men appear to have lost when a third stone man jumps behind Tyrion. Tyrion uses his torch to drive the stone man off the ship, but he is dragged into the river to drown. He decides to haunt the Seven Kingdoms in the his death.
19. Davos is held captive by Lord Wyman Manderly, and when Ser Marlon Manderly comes to take him away, he reflects on how he was captured. Rather than being granted a private audience, Davos was taken before a court filled with old men, women, and Freys. Davos calls upon Lord Manderly to support King Stannis out of a sense of duty, but no one in the room listens. The Lannisters will return their captured relatives, while Stannis offers more death. Lady Leona, whose husband is still held by the Freys, mocks Davos and calls for his head. The Freys, meanwhile, announce that the Red Wedding was Robb Stark's work. He transformed into a wolf and killed everyone around him. When Davos calls the Freys liars, only Lord Manderly is able to stop them from drawing swords. Davos changes tactics and offers the Manderlys vengeance for their lost men, who were killed by the Lannisters. No one is inclined to listen until Wylla, a young girl, declares to the court that the Manderlys have supported the Starks for generations. The Freys announce that Arya Stark is to wed Ramsay Bolton, so Lord Manderly and Wylla can best support the Starks by supporting the Boltons and the Lannisters. Lord Manderly summons Ser Marlon and commands him to take Davos away for beheading.
20. Reek journeys to Moat Cailin, careful to guard his thoughts against memories of his former identity. He wears gloves so that no one will see his lost fingers. There was a time before when he had ridden south as a prince with Robb Stark and twenty thousand men. Now, he is Lord Ramsay's Reek and only two in ten of those men survived. Still, Ramsay has promised to make Reek his dog if the latter can deliver Moat Cailin. Reek approaches the decrepit towers under a banner of peace and inside confronts the remaining ironborn that guard the tower. They are dying. There are many sicknesses in the Neck, not to mention poisonous serpents and insects. Reek knows that the people of the Neck, whom he calls bog devils, are the worst of all. They strike with their poison arrows, hidden amongst the marshes. Reek convinces the ironmen to surrender to Lord Ramsay and delivers them to the northmen. Lord Roose Bolton and his army cross the Neck from the south. Roose introduces Arya Stark to Ramsay, but Reek recognizes her as Jeyne Poole. She does not have Stark eyes. Reek keeps this information to himself as he sleeps with Ramsay's dogs, a reward for his service.
21. Jon reflects on all of the men the Night's Watch has lost as he leads his men south from the Wall to Mole's Town, where the wildlings live crammed in tunnels beneath the village. Jon notices that they have begun to carve faces into the trees around the village; they have brought their old gods with them. They come out for food and are allowed to pick either an apple or an onion. When they complain that they are not fed as well as the men of the Night's Watch, Jon replies that the men of the Night's Watch are fighting the Others and guarding the Wall. He proposes that the wildlings make a new choice. He offers to take any wildling into his service, boy or girl, that is twelve or older and knows how to use a spear. At first, the wildlings hesitate. However, when a girl and some boys join, a flood of others join. None of the Thenns join. By the time Jon leaves the village, he counts sixty three new spears to guard the Wall. Bowen Marsh, the Lord Steward, is less pleased. He sees sixty three new mouths to feed and worries that the women will cause trouble among the men. Worse, who will they fight for if Tormund Giantsbane attacks the Wall?
22. Tyrion wakes up aboard the Shy Maid again; the others inform him that Lemore revived him. They worry that Tyrion might have greyscale and they advise him to prick his toes and fingers regularly with a knife. If it ever stops hurting, he should cut off that appendage. Tyrion returns to life aboard the ship, though the others remain careful around him. He challenges Young Griff, now revealed as Prince Aegon, to a game of cyvasse. Aegon plans to journey to Daenerys and marry her. Tyrion suggests that the prince's plans might not work out as he plans if he arrives as a beggar with a small army. Instead, Aegon should trust no one—certainly not Illyrio and his schemes. He should journey to Westeros and raise a bold banner of rebellion that will bring Daenerys to him. Also, Westeros has never been weaker than it is now with winter coming and with Cersei destroying every alliance her father made. After, Haldon and Tyrion go into Selhorys to get information. While there, they learn that more countries are preparing to attack Daenerys in Meereen to end her assault on the slave trade. On the way back to the ship, Tyrion stops at a whorehouse. He is drunk by the time he is to leave but is stopped by a knight, who recognizes Tyrion. The knight takes Tyrion and announces that they will journey to the queen together.
23. Daenerys sups with Galazza Galare, an old woman with wise eyes. She is happy to see that Dany has not killed any of the noble children that she holds hostage. The Sons of the Harpy do continue to kill Dany's men, but she cannot bring herself to murder children. Galazza Galare suggests that Dany marry Hizdahr zo Loraq and give birth to a son to consolidate her rule. Dany, however, knows that she will never give birth to another child. Still, she summons Hizdahr zo Loraq and agrees to marry him if he can give Meereen ninety days of peace. Before he goes, Dany asks him to kiss her, but she is not moved by the kiss. When he leaves, she talks with Ser Barristan, who disapproves of Dany's plan. He urges her to go to Westeros, but Dany remains intent on healing Meereen. Barristan tells her that Daario Noharis and his Stormcrows have returned. She summons him at once, as well as her maids. Dany makes herself as beautiful as possible and though she is excited to see Daario again, she is disturbed by his advice. The sellsword suggests that she draw the Great Masters out from their pyramids to attend her wedding. Then, she should assassinate them. Dany refuses to become a butcher queen and sends Daario away. She tells Barristan to send the Stormcrows back into the field. However, as she considers her wild dragons, she wonders if she might not be more similar to Daario than she would prefer.
24. The Lost Lord, Jon Connington, prepares to return to the Golden Company. He served with them for years after his exile and rose high in their ranks before leaving to carry out Illyio and Varys's scheme to train Prince Aegon in secrecy. When he left, Myles Toyne had led the mercenaries. Now, his friend is dead and Harry Strickland runs the company. Though Lemore cautions him, Connington is tired of waiting. He reflects that he has waited seventeen years to avenge his loss at the Battle of the Bells. If he would have defeated Robert Baratheon that day, his silver prince, Rhaegar, would still live. When they present themselves before the captains of the Golden Company, Strickland is reluctant to follow through on the plan. Daenerys was supposed to journey west. Now, she is trapped in Meereen, surrounded by enemies, and the only way the company can reach her is by the demon road. Aegon proposes that they journey to Westeros, win victories, and gather allies to their cause. Though Strickland is reluctant to agree, the other captains are ready to return to Westeros. As Connington prepares for sleep that night, he takes off his gloves. The fingers have already begun to turn black and he can no longer feel pain when he pricks them. He reminds himself that some men live with greyscale for years before they die. It should be time enough to return to Griffin's Roost and to end the line of Robert Baratheon.
25. The Windblown is a mercenary company, and now Quentyn Martell is one of them. The Windblown have marched for thirty years since they were founded by the Tattered Prince. Quentyn now serves as a squire to Arch, and he goes by the name Frog. So far, their plan to reach Daenerys Targaryen seems to be working. They are closer to her than ever, but they are fighting for the slavers, who have just conquered Astapor. Quentyn recalls the battle, in which he and the others rode over green boys armed with spears. Cleon's corpse was tied to a horse in the final battle before the liberated city was defeated. Now, Quentyn wonders when they should defect. Arch and Drink agree that they should wait until they are closer to Meereen before they defect. If they are caught, the Tattered Prince will give them to Pretty Meris, a merciless woman from the Seven Kingdoms. However, Quentyn worries that Arch especially is growing too fond of his brothers in arms. He also worries over Daenerys Targaryen, who sounds like a monster if what the slavers are saying about her is true. Quentyn is freed from having to make the decision when he is summoned to a meeting led by the Tattered Prince. All of the Westerosi members of their company are there. The Tattered Prince explains that they are to ride into the hills, drive any survivors from Astapor towards Dany's troops. Eventually, they are to defect. No matter who wins the coming battle, the Windblown will be rewarded.
26. The wayward bride, Asha Greyjoy, drinks wine in Galbart Glover's longhall when a maester brings her a letter. It is from Ramsay Bolton, who names himself a lord and the Warden of the North. The letter contains a strip of Theon's skin and a warning that all of the ironborn must leave the north. Asha's men would like to march south to fight the skinners, but Asha knows that they only seek a good death. Asha does not like Deepwood Motte and its forests, but she cannot return to the sea. Euron is chasing dragons, but he has declared Erik Ironmaker, the Anvil-Breaker, her husband, and he rules over the Iron Isles now. If Asha should appear, she will be expected to submit to him. She considers joining Stannis, but she is reluctant to form an alliance with a man that has so many enemies. When Tris Botley suggests that they go away together to become pirates or traders journeying to the Jade Sea, Asha reminds him that she is sleeping with Qarl the Maid and is considering claiming Sea Dragon Point to form her own kingdom. Tris tells her that she will have to live with the decision of the kingsmoot. During the Age of Heroes, Torgon Greyiron had challenged the results of a kingsmoot since he was the oldest son but not present, but Asha was there. When she hears this, Asha kisses Tris. That night, a northman is caught in the castle. They attack the north gate as Asha leads her men out the south gate to the shore. They encounter the northerners instead and fight a bloody battle. As Asha is sure that she is about to die, she hears trumpets and dreams of a black stag with flame around its antlers.
27. Tyrion tests the knight's limits, though he knows that if he goes too far with his comments and jokes that he will get another fat lip. They arrive in Volantis in the middle of the triarch elections. There are slaves everywhere, and the knight has Tyrion bound in shackles so that no one will listen to what he says. Tyrion is struck by the size of temple for R'hllor, the Lord of Light. The high priest, Benerro, is calling for his followers to support Daenerys Targaryen, their reborn savior, against the forces of darkness. Tyrion worries for Aegon, since the priest does not call for more than one savior. They take shelter that night and Tyrion announces that he knows the knight, Ser Jorah Mormont, and he attempts to convince him not to deliver Tyrion into Cersei's hands. The next day, Jorah takes Tyrion to Vogarro's whore, a power in the city. Along the way, Tyrion sees another dwarf, who recognizes him. He follows them. When Ser Jorah asks Vogarro's whore to arrange passage for them to reach Meereen, Tyrion is shocked that he is not being taken to Cersei. The woman refuses and the dwarf, a girl, attacks Tyrion. Her name is Penny and she explains that men killed her brother, Ollo, hoping to deliver him to Cersei. Tyrion recognizes her as one of the two dwarfs that jousted on a pig and a dog during Joffrey's wedding. Vogarro's whore suggest that they board Selaesori Qhoran, which is bound for Qarth, in two days. Although it is bound for Qarth, Benerro has seen in his fires that the cog will not arrive. Before they leave, Vogarro's whore tells them to deliver a message to Daenerys: the slaves are waiting for her to come to Volantis.
28. Jon sends Ser Alliser Thorne north of the Wall on a ranging, though the latter believes it a death sentence. Dywen will lead Ser Alliser's ranging, and Jon is sending Black Jack Bulwer and Kedge Whiteye on another two rangings. Cotter Pyke has spotted wildlings building ships along the shore and Ser Denys Mallister has reported fires north of the Gorge. Both asked for more men, so Jon had sent them wildling recruits, which pleased neither. He wonders where he can get more recruits and goes into the yard, looking for a fight. Jon defeats Iron Emmett's three most promising recruits. Rattleshirt challenges Jon next. The Lord of Bones wields a two handed sword with speed and power and ultimately defeats Jon. Afterward, Clydas brings Jon a letter from Ramsay Bolton announcing his plans to marry Arya Stark, which infuriates the Lord Commander. He goes out that night with Ghost at his heels, wondering what to do. He turns and finds Ygritte, though when he talks to her it turns out to be Melisandre. Jon wonders how he could have failed to notice the difference. Melisandre tells Jon that his sister will be okay. The rangers that he sent beyond the Wall, however, will not fare so well. Three of them will die. When the news reaches Jon, he will have learned to trust her, though he should have all along, explains the Red Priestess.
29. Davos is imprisoned in the Wolf's Den, tended by Garth, who brings porridge "for the dead man" every day. Although Garth mocks Davos over his coming death, Davos is otherwise treated well. He composes letters to his wife and sons, though he realizes that he does not know his youngest three sons as well as he knew his oldest four sons. When someone does come for him, Davos is not taken to his death. It is Robett Glover, who explains that a lot has happened since Davos was imprisoned. Stannis has taken Deepwood Motte, the Glovers' fort. Lord Manderly's son has been returned to him from the Freys. And, most importantly, Davos is dead. They tarred a criminal's head and cut off his fingers to fool the Freys and the Lannisters. Now, they enter a secret passage, in which Davos is taken to Lord Manderly. He apologizes for his discourteous treatment and explains that he had to make a show of befriending the Freys and the Lannisters in order to regain his son. Now that his son is returned, however, Lord Manderly means to fight back. He will go to Winterfell to witness the marriage between Arya Stark and Ramsay Bolton. However, Manderly has more ships, more mounted strength, and more coin than anyone else in the north. He also has Wex, a child that was in Winterfell when Theon Greyjoy and Ramsay Bolton were there. Wex claims that Ned Stark's sons still live. Now, Manderly and Glover demand that Davos smuggle them to the Stark sons.
30. Daenerys counts the ships in the harbor that cut off trade to Meereen. She turns to her admiral and asks his advice, but he insists that there is nothing he can do. Dany turns to Ser Barristan, who tells her she has ample stores and the friendship of Lhazar, though they are not fighters. She next sees Skahaz and two of his Brazen Beasts, men that wear masks of animals. He reports on Hizdahr's movements. Each night, Hizdahr goes to a different pyramid, and Skahaz thinks he may be the Harpy that leads the rebellion against Dany's rule. Dany refuses to have him arrested and insists upon peace. Word has reached the city that Astapor has fallen. A man riding a pale mare brings the news as well as evidence that the bloody flux is making its way through the population of survivors. Worse, Dany's enemies have three sellsword companies, while Dany has two. Dany summons her captains. Brown Ben Plumm of the Second Sons assures Dany that her dragons will lead them to victory. When Dany refuses to deploy them, Brown Ben instead suggests that they try to buy one of the attacking companies. Dany agrees to set up a camp for the survivors until the bloody flux has passed. She finally turns to Ser Barristan, who tells Dany that her only hope is battle. It will mean taking her strength out of Meereen, which will leave her vulnerable to an attack by the Sons of the Harpy. Without any other options or guidance, Dany decides to summon Hizdahr zo Loraq.
31. Melisandre makes sure that there is always a fire burning in her chambers to keep the terrors of the night at bay. She looks into her hearthfire for visions, but does not find any about Arya Stark. There is also nothing about Stannis, Azor Ahai reborn. She sees winged shapes, waves crashing on towers, and a white face with red eyes. She remembers the sound of a woman crying "Melony" and another voice saying "Lot Seven." When morning comes, she has Devan fetch her breakfast. She checks the sleeves of her dress. She is nearly out of the powders that she uses to manipulate fire, but fortunately her spells are more powerful at the Wall than they ever were in Asshai. She meets with Rattleshirt and asks him to consider journeying south in search of Arya Stark. Their conversation ends when a horn blows once. She knows that it will be news that three of the rangers have been killed, which means that Jon Snow will finally begin to trust in her counsel. She goes out to see them with Jon Snow and others. As she hoped, Jon walks with her afterward, though she finds it difficult to answer his questions. She does her best not to give away her uncertainty. She takes him to meet with Rattleshirt and shares her plan with the Lord Commander. Snow refuses to trust Rattleshirt, so she reveals that he is actually Mance Rayder disguised by a glamor. She tells him that Mance is a gift from the Lord of Light, and from her.
32. Reek hears the dogs barking before he sees Lord Ramsay return. The dogs are named after women that Lord Ramsay has raped, and now Reek spends his days with them. Little Walder and Big Walder are with him, and Reek notices that Little Walder is becoming more and more like Lord Ramsay while Big Walder seldom takes part in Lord Ramsay's cruelties. There is a feast that night until Roose Bolton enters and dismisses everyone but Lord Ramsay and Reek. Roose and his son discuss their plans. The Freys that were with Lord Manderly have disappeared, and Lord Manderly has not brought a hostage for the Boltons. In spite of Arnolf Karstark's best efforts, Stannis has not marched on the Dreadfort. Instead, he grows stronger. Lord Ramsay would attack their enemies immediately, but Roose is more cautious. He reminds Ramsay that one of Stark's sons could undermine everything, to which Lord Ramsay replies that he will kill them again. Roose reminds him that it was Theon Turncloak that killed the boys and raised Winterfell. He commands Lord Ramsay to marry Arya Stark at Winterfell and he leaves with Reek. During the journey, Roose explains how he raped Ramsay's mother and how she raised him along with the first Reek. Ramsay killed Roose's first trueborn son and will likely kill any others he has with his new wife. They journey to Lady Barbrey. When they arrive, Roose introduces Reek to her as Theon of House Greyjoy, rightful Lord of the Iron Islands.
33. Tyrion watches as Moqorro leads the sailers in their prayers to R'hllor aboard the Selaesori Qhoran. Tyrion has no use for gods, but he does talk to the priest, who is charged with bringing his faith to Daenerys. Tyrion wonders what to do with Penny. She continues blames him for the death of her brother, but Tyrion refuses to take responsibility. He has his own sins to answer for. She eventually accepts what he says and they begin to form a relationship. She tells him that she and her brother were not hired by Cersei, but rather by one of the Kettleblacks. She also asks him to tilt with her on Pretty, a pig. Tyrion refuses. The ship sails close to where Valyria met its doom. Tyrion looks at the Smoking Sea and he can see the fires of the Fourteen Flames reflected off the clouds. Tyrion reflects that the Valyrians built their empire on blood and fire, and they were destroyed by it. Normally, a ship would not venture close to Valyria, but Moqorro explains that others are going to Daenerys as well. Tyrion asks if Moqorro has seen any of them in his fires and the priest admits that he has seen their shadows, first among them the shadow of a one eyed, twisted thing with ten long arms. It sails on a sea of blood.
34. Bran sits on a weirwood throne under a hill while the Others shuffle above ground. He and Meera have begun naming the Children of the Forest. His guide, Leaf, explains that the Children had their time during the dawn of days, but now they are declining along with the giants, the unicorns, and the great lions. Eventually, even the direwolves will pass. The greenseer, who was once named Brynden, teaches Bran to become a skinchanger. When Bran flies within a raven, he feels the presence of another. The greenseer explains that it is a shadow of a singer's soul. Long ago, ravens carried messages that they were able to speak to First Men. Meera and Jojen explore the caves, and sometimes Bran secretly follows them inside of Hodor's mind. They are warm again, but Jojen broods on his death, which he has foreseen in one of his greendreams. Bran wishes that he could comfort Meera, but he does not know how to. Later, Bran is taught to become a greenseer by entering the weirwood. He eats a paste of weirwood seeds, sends his mind into the tree's roots, and suddenly he can see the past through the deep memories of the trees. He sees his father and his ancestors from the godswood in Winterfell. Though he sees them, he cannot speak to them. He sees a woman from centuries ago kill a captive with a sickle, and when his blood touches the weirwood's roots, Bran can taste it.
35. Jon takes his men north of the Wall to the weirwood grove, though Bowen March disagrees with his decision. Jon explains that if the new recruits—two of whom are wildlings—wish to swear their vows before the old gods, then they shall. It is tradition. The snows are deep now, and Jon wishes that they had a glass garden in which they could grow vegetables. Sadly, the Wall has no gold to buy glass. Along the way to the grove, he tells Iron Emmett and Dolorous Edd that they are to be given command of a fort along the Wall otherwise guarded only by wildling spearwives. When Jon and the others arrive at the grove, they find a group of wildlings and a giant sleeping there. At first, it looks like they will fight until Leathers talks to and calms the giant. They agree to come south of the Wall, though they worry that Melisandre will burn them. The recruits swear their vows, and Jon asks the old gods for strength to do what is necessary. Two of the wildlings are dead, but rather than burning them, Jon has the bodies brought back to the Wall and he orders them put into the ice cells. When Jon returns, he receives a letter from Stannis. He has taken Deepwood Motte and is now marching on Winterfell to fight the Boltons. As a member of the Night's Watch, Jon should be beyond dreams of glory, but he nevertheless feels the urge to lead men and to save his sister.
36. Daenerys goes outside the city walls to tend to the Astapori that are dying of the flux. The dead are piling high, and it is getting harder and harder to convince drivers to take food out to them. The dying Astapori demand blessings and food from their mother. Though she feels bad for them, there is little that she can do except feed them and start a funeral pyre. Fortunately, the Targaryens do not suffer from disease as others do. She returns to her chambers and bathes. After, she sups with the Galazza Galare, who tells her all of the preparation Dany will have to make to marry Hizdahr. Dany refuses to have her womb inspected by Hizdahr's family, but she agrees to wear a white tokar. Galazza Galare and Reznak insist that if Dany does not follow tradition, the Ghiscari will not accept her marriage. Hizdahr, however, does not care for the traditions and encourages Dany to ignore them. Their meeting ends when Daario returns, wounded. He brings word of approaching armies. Though some Westerosi have left the Windblown for the Stormcrows, the Second Sons have betrayed them. Dany orders the wall's shut; the sick Astapori shall stay outside. She recalls the warlocks' prophecy that she will be betrayed three times. She tells Daario, who replies that he will never betray her. Dany believes him and tells him that she has always wanted him as she kisses him.
37. The Prince of Winterfell, Theon Greyjoy, escorts brown eyed Jeyne Poole to her wedding. She tells Theon to take her away and she will be whatever he wants her to be. Theon refuses. The lords of the north have come to Winterfell to see Arya Stark wed Ramsay Bolton. When the wedding finishes, Ramsay is the Prince of Winterfell. Theon walks around the ruined castle. He remembers when he was the prince of Winterfell, though now men only remember him as Theon Turncloak. Abel, who claims to be a bard, plays and sings for the guests. Theon remembers that he arrived with six women. During the feast, Theon sits with Lady Dustin, who tells Theon that Roose Bolton only sees men as playthings. She predicts that Roose will defeat Stannis and Lord Manderly with ease, though Theon is not as sure. When she spots three maesters, she refers to them as gray rats that slowly come to rule their lords, and she thinks they arranged Ned Stark's marriage to Catelyn Tully. The feast ends when word arrives that Stannis is marching on Winterfell. Roose and the other men leave the feast, but Ramsay summons Theon to attend to him and his bride. Alone, Ramsay gives Theon a dagger and orders him cut off Lady Arya's clothes. Theon considers attacking Reek, but does not. When she is naked, Ramsay commands him to perform oral sex on her so that Ramsay can consummate the marriage. Theon sheathes his dagger and Reek obeys.
38. The Watcher, Areo Hotah, remembers his task: Serve. Protect. Obey. Prince Doran, Princess Arianne, Ellaria Sand, and the Sand Snakes watch as Maester Caleotte reveals the skull of Ser Gregor Clegane, the murderer of Princess Elia and her babes. While everyone else examines the skull, Areo studies Ser Balon Swann of the Kingsguard. He looks more dangerous than Ser Arys had been, nor does he appear tempted by Arianne. Prince Doran discusses sending Princess Myrcella, Cersei's daughter, and Prince Trystane, Doran's son, to King's Landing, though both wait at the Water Gardens. Prince Doran retreats with his family, and he decides to tell the Sand Snakes some of his plans. First, he tells them that he has heard that Cersei intends to assassinate Trystane during their journey to King's Landing. When the Sand Snakes swear to obey Doran, he gives them their orders. They will blame Ser Gerold Dayne, the Darkstar, for the death of Ser Arys Oakheart. Obara will take Ser Balon Swann after the Darkstar. Lady Nymeria will go to King's Landing to take her seat on the small council. Tyene, meanwhile, will try to get close to the new High Septon. Alone, Doran reflects to his guard that Oberyn is the only man Dorne has lost so far in the war, and he wonders whether it is to his glory or his shame. Hotah does not share his opinion. His is only to: Serve. Protect. Obey.
39. Jon sends Val beyond the Wall. She promises to return, though Jon worries that she will die in her mission. His other rangers have still not returned, however, and so Jon sends Val, a wildling, to find Tormund Giantsbane with an offer to move his people south of the Wall. Sending Val is risky because Stannis commanded him to keep the "wildling princess" close. It also alarms some of his men. When Jon finishes eating supper, Lord Steward Bowen Marsh, Septon Cellador, and First Builder Othell Yarwyck come to voice their concerns. Jon is sending Iron Emmett away, but he has put Leathers, a wildling, in charge of training new recruits. Jon explains that Leathers has sworn his vows and that he is a very dangerous opponent. They also object to Jon taking Satin, the son of a whore, as his squire, rather than a knight or a nobleman's son. Jon is keeping dead men beneath the Wall in hopes of studying the Others, but they again object to his strategy of learning more about the enemy. They are most concerned about Jon's intention to bring the wildlings, their enemy, south of the Wall. Jon explains that the wildlings have followed Mother Mole to Hardhome, a cursed and unholy place by all accounts. However, Mother Mole claims to have had a vision that the wildlings will find their salvation there. Jon does not believe in Mother Mole's vision, but he explains to the men that when the wildlings die, they will turn into wights and Others. The wildlings are not their enemy; the dead are. The men leave, dismissed from Jon's presence.
40. Tyrion has somehow agreed to ride Pretty in a tilt against Penny. The crew of the Selaesori Qhoran has grown restless, waiting for a wind. Men that once rubbed Tyrion's head for luck now blame him for their misfortune, so Tyrion agrees to do what he can to make them happy. Tyrion loses the joust, though Penny hopes it will be the first of many. Perhaps they will joust in front of Queen Daenerys. When Ser Jorah suggests that Tyrion will not be able to joust in front of Daenerys because she will judge him justly, Tyrion suggests that she might not do as Ser Jorah expects. Tyrion did not kill any member of her family, whereas Ser Jorah spied on her for years. Ser Jorah punches Tyrion, breaking one of his teeth, and tells him that they no longer will share a cabin. A storm is spotted and Tyrion remembers the prophecy that the cog would never reach its destination. During the storm, Penny kisses Tyrion, but he does not allow it to go any further, explaining that he is married to Sansa Stark. After, Moqorro is gone, the captain dies, and the slaves begin to desert the ship. Penny spots another sail in the distance, thinking that they are saved, but Ser Jorah announces that they are slavers.
41. The Turncloak, Theon Greyjoy, eats alone in Winterfell's hall. Arya Stark weeps in her tower while the men eat. The hall is the only place the men have since the winter snows have begun to fall. Stannis, they know, is out there in the snow, slowly marching to Winterfell, which, though burnt, is still a powerful castle surrounded by two walls. Rowan, one of the women that accompanies Abel, approaches Theon and tells him that it was clever of him to take Wintefell. She asks if he had a secret entrance, but Theon refuses to tell her how he took the castle. As he walks around, he wonders how he could escape, but dismisses the thought. Lady Dustin takes Theon from the hall and tells him to show her the crypt beneath the castle where the Starks are buried. Theon takes her. During their walk, she tells him that Arya Stark's weeping is a greater threat to the Boltons than Stannis. The northmen still love Ned Stark, though they do fear Roose Bolton. Inside the crypt, she asks Theon why he loved the Starks, and Theon eventually confesses that he wanted to be one of them. Lady Dustin understands. She tells Theon that she lost her maidenhead to Brandon Stark and had hoped to marry him. When he died, her father had hoped to marry her to Ned. However, Catelyn Tully took Ned as well as Brandon. She tells Theon that she is watching for Ned's bones, which are making their way north to Winterfell. She intends to capture them and feed them to her dogs.
42. Stannis's host departs from Deepwood Motte. Asha is chained and carried on at the back of the baggage train under guard by Alysane Mormont. Stannis means to bring her to Winterfell to show off the Kraken's daughter as his captive and a sign of his strength. They believe the three hundred mile march through the Wolfswood should take them about fifteen days to Winterfell. She bent her knee at Deepwood Motte, but thinks to herself that others have bent the knee before, such as Balon, who rose again to fight another day. Wise advice years earlier from her father. As part of her surrender she hopes that Stannis will spare the rest of her ironborn their lives, which he does, imprisoning them at Deepwood Motte. She listens to talk between the northmen, seeing their pride in their king, though she predicts many if not all will die in a siege attempt of Winterfell. Ser Justin Massey takes a courteous nature with Asha, treating her well. She believes he is after her lands, but takes his company over being left alone. After a few nights, she is brought to Stannis and tries to treat with him. She says that his brother Robert Baratheon was renowned for turning his foes into friends, but learns that she should not speak his brothers name as it angers Stannis. The snow begins to take a toll on the passage of the southern men, however the northmen are used to this weather and proceed quickly. Later she hears the queensmen, worshipers of the Lord of Light, begin to contemplate a sacrifice to appease their god and blow the storm away. Stannis does not listen to them, nor does he listen to the pleas to make camp and wait out the storm. After fifteen days, the estimated time of arrival, they have only made half the distance through nine days of storm. After thirty days, they have yet to reach Winterfell. Morgan Liddle, the man who nearly slayed her at Deepwood Motte, comes to apologize, but only for calling her a cunt, not for nearly killing her. Later they reach a small crofters' village where they make camp and try to catch some fish. Asha realizes that Stannis is now a gaunt figure, having lost much weight on the march. They are encamped now and locked in by snow, unable to move. Worse, they have almost no provisions, and are starving.
43. Daenerys Targaryen wakes up beside Daario Naharis. She is hesitant about her upcoming wedding. Daario asks her to marry him instead, but truly he knows that she cannot and will not. Outside the Yunkai are massing more ships, building siege weapons to throw rocks at the city. However, no rams or siege towers are built, as the siege is intended to cause famine and disease to force Meereen to succumb. Daario introduces Dany to the three Dornishmen who say that they have specific gifts for the queen. Quentyn Martell, Gerris Drinkwater, and Archibald Yronwood, who defected to Daario, reveal themselves to her. A parchment is presented, describing a secret pact of alliance between Dorne and the Targaryens signed by Willem Darry and Oberyn Martell, that would be sealed by a marriage between Viserys and Arianne Martell. Dany laughs when she learns who Quentyn is, as his mercenary nickname was Frog, and she remembers the story of a frog turning into a prince. Dany remembers Quaithe's earlier prophecy. The glass Candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and Dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal. She recognizes Quentyn and the arms of House Martell as the sun's son she must be wary about. Daenerys refuses to marry Quentyn. The Dornishmen make one last plea before Dany's wedding which she denies, and then goes through with her marriage to Hizdahr zo Loraq.
44. Queen Selyse arrives at Castle Black with Shireen, Patchface, Axell Florent, and others, all on their way to the Nightfort. They are accompanied by Tycho Nestoris, an emissary of the Iron Bank of Braavos. Jon warns Selyse that the Nightfort is still mostly in ruins and advises her that they may be most comfortable at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. The queen says that they are not safe there and insists on going to the Nightfort. Then, Wun Wun appears, startling the ladies. The giant speaks a few kind words, but mangles them. Jon tells the women he is only just learning the Common Tongue as all giants speak the Old Tongue. Wun Wun's laugh startles and frightens the group, causing Ser Patrek to draw his sword. Jon warns him to never draw his sword against a giant as he is protected by guest rights here, which Jon says they still honor in the north, though the south may not. Jon then offers to give Tycho a tour atop the Wall, but he prefers to speak with Jon now, preferably in a warm room. Tycho tells Jon that the Iron Throne has ceased all debt payments to the Iron Bank.[1] Jon thinks this must be madness on the part of the Lannisters. He thinks that the Iron Bank may want to support Stannis in his war to ensure that the debt is eventually payed. Jon asks for a favour: to borrow ships and a loan to keep the Night's Watch fed until spring. Tycho says this is impossible, but after a few hours of drinking and haggling they strike a deal. With the three ships added to the Eastwatch fleet, Jon counts that they now have eleven ships. He hopes to bring the wildlings down from Hardhome around the Wall in order to save them and not have them become more wights in thrall to The Others. However, he is unsure if Mother Mole will be desperate enough to trust her people to the men of the Night's Watch. He discusses things further with Tycho; he asks after Maester Aemon, Gilly and Sam but Tycho knows nothing and Jon can merely hope they have reached Oldtown. They talk about an unknown fleet prowling the narrow sea and rumours of dragons coming from the east, Jon joking that a dragon would warm things up. Tycho says sternly that his people are descended from those who fled the dragonlords of Valyria and they do not joke lightly about such, so Jon apologizes. They make their way to the common hall, where Axell Florent asks Jon to see Val. Jon surmises that he must know the woman is gone. He then excuses himself and leaves, pondering the dangers of the agreement with Tycho, uncertain if the Watch will ever be able to repay the Iron Bank and thus avoid consequences. But Jon knows that between being bankrupt and dead, he made the right choice. He also takes another moment to marvel on the stupidity of the Lannisters; the Iron Bank is notorious for deposing royalty who don't repay their debts and he notes that if Stannis makes a deal with the Braavosi, he will acquire enough money to hire numerous sellsword companies, to bribe as many lords as he needs and keep his men fed, armed and supplied. Jon muses that unless "Stannis is lying dead beneath the walls of Winterfell, he may just have won the Iron Throne". He goes to sleep but is awoken by Mully, who tells him that a girl has arrived on a dying horse. Jon's thoughts instantly go to Melisandre's vision and he giddily thinks that Arya may have come to him as prophesied. He also thinks about plans to keep Arya safe; she cannot stay at the Wall, for Stannis will just marry her off to one of his vassals so as to gain a claim to Winterfell, and Jon doesn't know but fears what Melisandre may want with her-Jon speculates that he might be able to convince Tycho to make arrangements to have Arya fostered with some noble family in Braavos or the Free Cities. When he meets her however, to his disappointment Jon sees that the girl in question is not Arya; she is too old. He recognises her as Alys Karstark, having met her before when they were both children, when her father brought her to Winterfell in hope of negotiating a marriage between her and Robb. She warns him not to let Cregan Karstark take her back with him when he arrives, as he and his father Arnolf Karstark intend to force her into marrying Cregan. She also learns the truth about her father's execution from Jon and is unsurprised to learn that Robb killed him for murdering prisoners in a fit of rage; her father was a brooding man, and her uncles are no better. Alys asks Jon if there is still a blood-feud between them after the death of her father, but he assures her that men of the Night's Watch hold no grudges. She tells him that after Jaime Lannister killed her two elder brothers and her betrothed at the Battle of the Whispering Wood, she and her brother Harry are the rightful heirs to their titles. However, Harrion has been a captive for more than a year; Arnolf only declared Karhold for Stannis in the hope it would provoke the Lannisters to execute Harrion. If that happened, Alys would be heir to Karhold, at which point Cregan would marry her, get a child from her and then get rid of her. Jon offers to write to Stannis about the matter on her behalf but Alys reveals that the Karstarks are playing Stannis false; they have long been in league with Roose Bolton and are only waiting for his word to betray Stannis. Alys entreats Jon to protect her, pleading that he is the only hope she has left.
45. Arya wakes up after entering into Nymeria again; she remembers being feared, but only when she dreams. Arya is still in the House of Black and White in Braavos. She has been blinded, to train her to use her other senses: recognize lies from the tone of voice, walk and work without seeing, even fight. She calls herself Blind Beth now. She goes over her list of names, but remembers that that was someone else, not her, not Blind Beth. The kindly man asks her his usual question about three things she has learned. Arya learns to play the lying game with the waif; this time however she is blind, so instead she learns to use tone of voice to hear the lies. Arya has gotten better at speaking High Valyrian, though the kindly man insists she learn the languages of Lys and Pentos as well. As she continues to learn her skills as a blind girl, the kindly man tells her that she has five senses and she should learn to use the other four. An acolyte gets into a duel of staffs with her, teasing her throughout the lesson. She reminisces that she liked being the Cat of the Canals; she thinks about when she killed Dareon, the deserter from the Night's Watch. The Kindly Man told her that they are not gods to judge who lives or dies, they are just servants of Him of Many Faces. He explains that they are death's instruments, not death itself. As she goes out to beg, the waif helps her to look the part, putting on a blindfold and giving her pox mark scars to make her look ugly. As she goes out into Braavos past the Inn of the Green Eel, she goes over the areas where she has begged in her mind. Arya crosses the Bloody Bridge and makes her way to Pynto's at the end of Ragman's Harbor near the edge of the Drowned Town. She hears that two Lysene pirate ships, the Goodheart and the Elephant, were driven north by a storm and found wildlings at Hardhome.[1] The wildlings were eager to board the ships that were prophesied by the witch, and the pirates took the women and children on board, yet meant to sell them as slaves. The Goodheart was damaged in another storm and was forced to make for Braavos, where the Sealord seized the ship since slave trade is forbidden in Braavos. Arya regularly has wolf dreams, and it is revealed that she has also learned to enter a cat. She uses knowledge gained through the cat's eyes to impress the kindly man, telling him that she knows it has been him who is hitting her but without mentioning the cat. Apparently this completes her blind training, because when she opens her eyes again she sees a candle flame, and she has never seen anything so beautiful before.
46. One of Roger Ryswell's men has been found dead at the inner wall of Winterfell. Theon hears Lord Roger Ryswell declare that he must've fallen off the wall drunk, but he suspects it might have been murder, as do some others. Roose Bolton and his host are still stuck inside Winterfell's walls due to the relentless snow storms. They expect Stannis' forces to attack them, but have no idea how close he may be due to the storms. Tensions rise among the people inside Winterfell, with no one quite certain whether it is a good idea to wait passively for Stannis or instead to pursue him outside. It doesn't help that food is somewhat scarce and distributed quite unevenly. Holly, one of Abel the Bard's washer women, sits down next to Theon, who is upset that she has touched him. She asks him about the crypts, and a mistrusting Theon comes to the conclusion that she, Abel, and the other women want out of Winterfell. Theon sympathizes, but he fears the wrath of Ramsay Bolton and prefers not to get involved. The next morning Aenys Frey's squire is found dead and naked outside in the snow. Later on that day another man, a crossbowman sworn to House Flint, is found dead with a crushed skull, presumably from a horse kick. Nevertheless, the suspicions and tensions keep growing to the point that open quarreling happens among the host's Lords inside the Great Hall. Some are tired of waiting for Stannis and want to attack him. A fight nearly breaks out as Ser Hosteen and Aenys Frey blame Wyman Manderly for the deaths of their three kin Rhaegar, Jared, and Symond. It almost comes to a duel before Roger Ryswell and Barbrey Dustin calm them down, though Roose does nothing throughout the near altercation and Theon sees something new in Roose's eyes for the first time: a hint of fear. Soon the newly rebuilt stable collapses, killing two men and twenty-six horses. Roose Bolton gives orders for the surviving horses to be brought inside the walls of Winterfell. A more suspicious death is discovered, that of Yellow Dick. His namesake is stuffed in his mouth so hard that three teeth have been broken. This death is taken more seriously as it cannot be confused with an accident and to boot he is one of Ramsay Bolton's Bastard Boys. Theon considers that a hooded man whom he meets may be responsible for the murder. Theon is later ushered to see Roose by Steelshanks Walton. Roose says that Theon has been seen where all the murders have occurred. Theon is freed from the suspicions due to his weakened physical and psychological state, as remarked by Lady Dustin and Roger Ryswell. It is now however undeniable that someone has been committing murders, possibly at Stannis' behest. The resulting suspicion flames the tensions between the Freys and the Northmen, who are reminded of their role at the Red Wedding and the fact they are surrounded by northern Houses who all lost people at the Red Wedding and have more than good reason to despise and do harm to the Freys. Suddenly a war horn and drum is sounded, and the men inside the walls begin to believe that Stannis has arrived. Theon goes to pray in the godswood, seeing hints of Bran's very face in the weirwood, hearing it whisper his name. Holly, Rowan and a third washerwoman appear, claiming to have come for him. Theon believes that they are behind the murders and want to kill him now, but they deny his suspicions and insist that there will be no more hurt for him but instead a nice, quick death - but first he must see Abel.
47. All remaining crewmen and passengers of the Selaesori Qhoran are sold into slavery in a Yunkish camp near Meereen. Tyrion and Penny are sold together to Yezzan zo Qaggaz, an immensely fat Yunkish (though a Westerosi sellsword tries hard to buy them-Tyrion suspects this is because the sellsword knows him and wants to claim Cersei's bounty on his head) and put under the charge of his retainer called Nurse. Tyrion sees Jorah Mormont brought on the auction block behind them. The knight tried to fight off the slavers and was beaten almost to the point of death, his face is so swollen as to be almost unrecognizable. Tyrion convinces Nurse that Mormont is an essential part of their show and needs to be bought too. Jorah fought bravely, killing three of the slavers, before being captured and beaten so severely. The fight went out of him once he heard that Daenerys had wed Hizdahr zo Loraq.[1]. Once purchased, they are brought to Yezzan's pavilion, where they meet some of his other "treasures" and his most prized possession Sweets, a hermaphrodite. They are also fitted with slave collars, which Tyrion does not mind as he observes that collars can be removed. There they find out that the sellsword who also tried to buy them was Brown Ben Plumm of the Second Sons. In the evening, Tyrion and Penny are summoned to perform a joust for the guests of Yezzan, including the Yunkish supreme commander Yurkhaz zo Yunzak. The joust is well received, following which they are to pour wine and water for the guests. One of the men heard Tyrion's boast of his skill at cyvasse. Tyrion plays against him and wins, angering the man. He also plays Ben Plumm as his master bets on him; he wins four of five matches, and earns much gold for his master. As a reward for their great jousting performance, Yezzan announces they are to repeat it in the Great Pit of Daznak in front of tens of thousands of people.
48. Jaime arrives at Raventree Hall, under siege by Jonos Bracken. The siege here is much smaller than the one at Riverrun as the intentions are not to storm the castle but rather to starve them out. The siege has been going on for six months and there is not much hope of rescue for Tytos Blackwood as it is only a matter of time. Jaime meets first with Lord Jonos who is in an intimate position with Hildy. After she leaves, Jaime inquires as to what Jonos seeks from the situation. Jonos insists on acquiring a quarter of the House Blackwood lands, saying that they were stolen from them long ago, and that Tywin Lannister promised them to Jonos if he subdued the Blackwoods. Jaime chides the Bracken man saying that they were once an enemy of the king when they sided with the Starks, and keeping his head is more than enough compensation for what the Mountain did to his lands. Bracken protests that he will keep faith with the crown as he did with the Starks; Jonos adds that a dozen good men of his died at the Red Wedding with Robb Stark and he bent the knee because he saw no point in fighting on for a lost cause. Jaime remarks that Lord Jonos is a prudent man on hearing this, yet privately thinks Blackwood might be considered more honorable. Jaime then goes to parley with Tytos Blackwood. Inside he sees the castle's massive weirwood tree from which the castle derives its name; the tree is black and leafless. Tytos tells Jaime that it is the fault of the Brackens, poisoned and barren for a thousand years, and in another thousand it will turn to stone as weirwoods never rot. As they treat, Jaime tells him that he does not have to physically kneel to him. They agree to a confession, fealty, pardon, and financial sum as well as lands. Finally they discuss the matter of a hostage, and Jaime asks for Bethany, his daughter, but Tytos refuses as she is his only daughter. They eventually agree to sending Hoster as he is a bookish boy who may enjoy his time in King's Landing and all the books there. Jaime then leaves quickly as he has appointments in Riverrun and King's Landing. The boy is ready to leave with him within an hour. Before departing, he meets Ser Jonos to tell him the resolution, but also informs him that a daughter of his is to attend to the queen in the capital, as she too is to be a hostage. Jaime rides to the village Pennytree with Hoster, who tells him of the history of the lands and animosity between the Blackwoods and Brackens. In the village stands an ancient oak tree with pennies nailed to it, the namesake of the village. There, Brienne of Tarth finds them, bandaged on her face, and with the sword Oathkeeper. Brienne claims that she has found Sansa, and that Jaime must accompany her alone or else Sandor Clegane will kill the girl.[1]
49. Melisandre is conducting the marriage ceremony between Alys Karstark and Sigorn, the new Magnar of Thenn. Only a few brothers of the Night's Watch attend, along with Queen Selyse, her queen's men, and a few king's men that Stannis Baratheon left behind. Meanwhile, Jon Snow has ordered Clydas to dispatch a raven to Deepwood Motte in order to warn Stannis of Arnolf Karstark's treachery.[1]. Cregan Karstark followed his niece Alys to Castle Black a day after her arrival. Jon met him before he could reach the fortress and imprisoned Cregan and his men in the ice cells at the Wall. Knowing that Stannis will execute Cregan when he learns of the betrayal, Jon tries to get Cregan to take the black and accept Alys's claim to Karhold. Cregan will not hear about it, but Jon thinks time spent in the ice cell might change his mind. At Alys and Sigorn's wedding feast, a raven brings message that the relief fleet for Hardhome, delayed due to the bad weather, has now left Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Cotter Pyke is commanding the fleet and he left behind Glendon Hewett in charge of Eastwatch. Jon is unsure of Glendon's loyalty due to his association with Janos Slynt and Alliser Thorne. Axell Florent once again presses Jon to release the whereabouts of Val, as he intends to marry her, but Jon scoffs at the idea. The wedding feast comes to an abrupt end when a horn is sounded twice, announcing wildlings. Jon knows that Val has succeeded in her mission, and that Tormund Giantsbane has come at last.[2]
50. Hizdahr holds a feast in Meereen with the Yunkish lords and sellsword captains in attendance, to sign the peace and celebrate the imminent reopening of the fighting pits. However, the sellswords and slaves from Yunkai and its allies are still besieging Meereen. Just as in Meereen, the bloody flux has been affecting the Yunkish troops as well. Daenerys is upset that the Yunkai'i are holding a slave market just outside the city, but Hizdahr tells her it is only for a time and to let them have their show and they will have their peace, with Yunkai keeping their slave trade and Meereen remaining out of it. The Yunkai'i have brought representatives of the four sellsword companies serving them: the Tattered Prince for the Windblown, Gylo Rhegan for the Long Lances, Bloodbeard for the Company of the Cat and Brown Ben Plumm for the Second Sons.[1] Daenerys is relieved by Daario's absence, since she knows that he would be furious with Plumm. An exchange of seven hostages has been arranged in order to ensure a measure of peace during the cerimonies. The four sellsword captains and the three Yunkish nobles present Yurkhaz zo Yunzak, Supreme Commander, and two others) are understood to be Daenerys' hostages for the time being, while Daenerys offers seven of her own to the Yunkish siege camp in exchange (Hizdar's sister, two of his cousins, her bloodrider Jhogo, her admiral Groleo, her Unsullied captain Hero and Daario Naharis). Skahaz mo Kandaq the Shavepate is absent as well, having been replaced as commander of the Brazen Beasts by Hizdahr zo Loraq's cousin, Marghaz zo Loraq.[2]. Were he not a hostage, Daario might be causing trouble. He is unhappy about Dany's wedding to Hizdahr, and he got furious when Quentyn Martell revealed that his group of Westerosi Windblowns had been ordered to "defect" to Meereen.[3] Daario nearly slew them all in his rage, but Grey Worm intervened and stopped him, choosing instead to imprison the group of Windblowns. Brown Ben comes up to her and explains his defection, saying that it is natural for sellswords to change sides if they believe that it will improve their odds of survival. He claims that the Second Sons were troubled when they learned that Daenerys could not use her dragons to help fight the Yunkish forces. After he leaves, she asks Ser Barristan Selmy his opinion, as he was hiding and listening as always. He advises her that Brown Plumm is quite truthful, and confirms that it is not wise to place trust in a sellsword. Seeking ways to make up for the loss of the Second Sons, Dany asks Ser Barristan about the possibility of finding a rival leader in the group that might want to "remove" Brown Ben Plumm. Barristan thinks it possible, but doesn't know for certain. She then mentions the other three mercenary companies, prompting Barristan to offer to arrange a meeting with Gylo Rhegan or the Tattered Prince if she wants so. Dany says that this is not the time or the place as there are too many watchful eyes about. Barristan admits that he is not the best man for such work, and that back in Westeros, it would have been Littlefinger or the Spider to have done this kind of work. Dany's mind turns back to the captured Westerosi turncloaks. She realizes that by freeing one of the Windblows she might establish negotiations with their leader, the Tattered Prince, and perhaps sway them to her cause. She first suggests and later commands Ser Barristan to send back the woman Meris as a gesture of her regard, knowing that their captain will get the message. She wants to contact the Long Lances and the Company of the Cat as well. Barristan advises against dealing with Bloodbeard of the Company of the Cat, however; he says that he reminds him of the Ninepenny Kings, that he is much too greedy and much too dishonourable to be an asset. Daenerys feels that such men might be the easiest to sway, but decides to trust his counsel on this matter.[4]. She then summons Quentyn to speak further, at Ser Barristan's suggestion. He still believes that the Dornish envoys are their best option for returning to Westeros, though Dany will not abandon her city. She speaks with him and brings him to the dragon pit to see her "children". She introduces Quentyn to Viserion and Rhaegal, telling him that Drogon is away hunting, and that she is a dragon as well. Dany gives Quentyn another piece of advice to leave Meereen, saying that he is not safe here, that men like Daario and Hizdahr could see him as a threat and eliminate him. He boldly, perhaps foolishly, declines. Dany then retires to bed where Hizdahr is waiting for her, drunk and lustful. She allows him to have his way with her before he passes out. Missandei comes in and hears that the queen is unhappy and comforts her, talking of her home Naath. Eventually Daenerys falls asleep, though she dreads the morrow, when the fighting pits will reopen, and blood will be spilled.
51. Theon Greyjoy is with some of the spearwives, Rowan as well as Abel. He tells them that it is madness to try to escape, as Ramsay Bolton will chase them and hunt them down with his dogs. Abel replies that Stannis must be close by the sounds of the horns, and it is unlikely Ramsay would ride out into that. Theon also begs that he not be allowed to fall back into Ramsay's hands alive, to which Squirrel replies "Abel's word". Hosteen Frey barges into the Great Hall, announcing that Little Walder, son of his brother Merrett, has been killed. Theon looks at the spearwives, but Rowan replies that this is no work of theirs. Big Walder implicates the Manderly men, saying that the boy went out to get some silver owed to him. The dispute turns into a spar of words, and when Lord Wyman Manderly insults both the dead boy and House Frey simultaneously, Hosteen draws his sword in a blind fury and attacks Wyman, who is sliced under his chins and collapses; his knights leap to defend him, and a vicious and bloody fight breaks out. In the end, six White Harbor men lie dead, as do two Frey men, and one of Ramsay's Bastard Boys, Luton. Roose and Ramsay quell the tension by telling the men present if they want blood, they should turn their anger on Stannis. Hosteen replies that once they bring Stannis's head to Roose, they will come for Wyman's. Roose asks Abel to play them a song, and the Freys leave. It is then that Rowan grasps Theon's arm, telling him that the time must be now, and that Abel can fend for himself. The plan is to dress "Arya" up as Squirrel, while the real Squirrel climbs away down the wall. They find the girl in her room in the Great Keep, where she is terrified to leave, thinking this is a trap set up by Ramsay. The girl tells the washerwomen that she has been trained, she will not escape, Ramsay does not need to chop off her feet. They finally get her into Squirrel's clothes, and Theon tells her to follow Holly closely, and not to run. As they get to the gate they see some guards. Holly seduces one and kills him in the process, while Frenya struggles and kills the other with her spear. Jeyne screams, revealing them to the other guards. Frenya waits at the bottom and fights the rest of the "kneelers" that come to catch them, while Holly and the others get to the top of the wall. Holly then realizes that Frenya has the rope, just before being killed by arrows. Theon thinks that if they are caught now they will be brought to Ramsay and tortured. He then grabs Jeyne, and jumps from the battlements.
52. Daenerys bathes in preparation for her visit with her husband to Meereen's fighting pits. Ser Barristan Selmy tells her that the girl Meris, whom they set free, said that the Windblown were willing to join her cause, if Dany gave the Tattered Prince Pentos. Dany cannot agree to pay this as Illyrio is from that city and has helped her more than anyone. Her obligations are to him first. She then departs with her husband and they arrive at the pits, where Strong Belwas eats a bowl of fried locusts. Hizdahr tells his wife that they are tasty as well, but she declines as Dany is not interested in the spicy food. There are twenty thousand spectators in the pit. As Hizdahr announces the fights, they chant her name, though they use the Ghiscari word for Mother because they cannot pronounce her Westerosi name. Dany thinks to herself that it is not her they love, but the fighting. The first fight begins with a victory for the Spotted Cat, and there are many more after that. Following them, the first folly of the day begins with two dwarfs jousting, one on a pig, the other on a dog. One dwarf has a shield painted in the colours of House Lannister, which amuses Daenerys. That one falls off the pig and is chased by the other on the dog when Hizdahr tells Dany that they are about to loose the lions. She tells him this was not in their agreement, that the dwarfs did not consent to this like the other fighters who died did, so she forbids that the lions slaughter the dwarfs. Up next is a bout between Barsena Blackhair and a boar. The fight goes well until the boar's tusk rips her open from the knee to the crotch. The boar then jumps on her, pulling out her entrails, all to the displeasure of the crowd. Daenerys insists on leaving as she is disgusted and no longer wants any part in this. Strong Belwas becomes sick from his locusts, asking for a drink of milk. It is then that Drogon appears, his attention drawn by the blood and screams. His fires sear the boar, before he eats it and then Barsena. A man runs to try to kill the dragon, jabbing a spear into Drogon's neck before the dragon kills him. Hizdahr commands the rest of his spearmen to kill the dragon. Drogon roasts two spearmen, breaks the pitmaster in two with a swipe of his tail and tears out the innards of another spearman. As Strong Belwas is puking, Dany runs into the fighting pit in a mad state, hearing footsteps behind her. When she gets close, she fears the dragon does not recognize her and will kill her. As he blows fire at her she rolls under the flames, and she whips him until finally he allows her to mount him. She leaps onto his back, pulling out the spear. As she whips him again, he takes flight, and she tells him to go higher, watching as Meereen grows smaller below.
53. Jon treats with Tormund Giantsbane. His four thousand wildlings will be allowed past the wall, including mammoths and giants. They must leave one hundred boys as hostages at Castle Black, and yield all valuables to pay for food. The mammoths are to go the long way around through Eastwatch while the rest are allowed to go through the gates. Jon accompanies Val to go see Queen Selyse to tell her of the bargain. The queen is excited and tells him that her husband will be proud, all the wildlings have to do is swear fealty to the king and convert to R'hllor. This is when Jon tells her that this was not part of the bargain, and Val adds that the free folk do no kneel. Selyse is quite upset about this. Val notices Shireen's facial disfigurements, noting that it is grey death. Jon tells her that it is not always fatal, but she is adamant that it is death, and that the baby "monster" must be taken out of that tower at once and closer to her own person. She insists that Shireen is dead and that the queen and apparently Jon cannot see it. He then goes to the top of the wall, wondering what has happened to Mance Rayder and if he has found his sister Arya. Up here he meets Torghen Flint of the first Flints and Brandon Norrey, the Norrey clan chief. Jon tells them that the wildlings are coming through, though they are not happy about it because of past conflicts. He tells them that they must forgive crimes of the past if they are to live together. They are worried about their lands, but Jon tells them the wildlings are to remain on the wall in the abandoned castles. Bowen Marsh sees this agreement as a betrayal of Jon's vows to the Night's Watch. However, Jon says that he is sworn to defend the realms of men and asks him whether the people beyond the wall don't count as men. Thus it is his intent to use all available resources to defend the realm of men against The Others.
54. Cersei is still a prisoner of the Faith. She wonders when Jaime will be coming for her, in addition to wondering what has happened to Loras Tyrell as last she heard, he lay dying from his wounds on Dragonstone. She only ever sees three people which are her gaolers Septa Unella, Septa Moelle, and Septa Scolera. Her last visitor was Qyburn. She hates all three of them as much as those she assumes have betrayed her, blaming Osney Kettleblack, Orton Merryweather, Harys Swyft, Aurane Waters and Grand Maester Pycelle. She questions whether she should include Jaime in that group but will not believe it. He would not abandon her, she assumes. She feels helpless and hates that emotion, and she prays endlessly to the Seven Gods, since that is what they want, but it helps not. At first she fights with her guards but they are much stronger than she thought, they keep her up endlessly, never letting her sleep. Exhausted, she comes to know that she must confess. She asks to be taken to the High Septon to confess, where she admits to extra-marital affairs. She says she has slept with Lancel and the Kettleblack brothers. She insists she did these things because she was afraid for her children and these were her only means to secure the trust of these men. The High Sparrow still means to accuse her of high treason, incest, regicide, and deicide, all crimes that Osney Kettleblack admitted Cersei had a part in under torture. She manages to talk her way out of the charges of murdering the previous High Septon and Robert and bearing false witness against the Tyrell girls, and avoids the charges of incest by saying that these are lies that Stannis has made up in order to gain the Iron Throne, which satisfies the High Septon, since the Faith is eager to condemn Stannis' 'worship of a red demon'. To get the real truth, though, the High Septon means to have her tried by the Faith or trial by combat, where Cersei would be represented by a knight of the Kingsguard. He is unsure of all the crimes she has committed so the only way to pick the truth from the false is to let the gods decide. She is allowed a visit by her uncle Kevan who, though angry with her for corrupting Lancel, answers her questions. He tells her that Jaime is missing after his return from Raventree Hall, having disappeared with an unknown woman, though they assume it is Brienne. There is word of sellswords appearing all over the south. They do not have the strength to deal with them, though Mace Tyrell does. However, he is unwilling to do so until the matter with his daughter Margaery Tyrell is settled. Mace Tyrell is now the Hand, Paxter Redwyne is the king's admiral, and Randyll Tarly is the justiciar. The Tyrells brought up an army when their daughters were seized, although the High Septon has admitted the case against them is weak. Kevan brings worse news for Cersei. He relays Balon Swann's news of Myrcella's loss of an ear, and Arys Oakheart's death. Though Cersei is insistent that Myrcella's mutilation is Tyrion's doing, she sees a chance in the open position in the Kingsguard, and asks Kevan to approach Qyburn for a replacement.
55. Daenerys has not returned, many fear her dead. The Dothraki are searching for her across the Worm River. Strong Belwas is still in mortal danger from the poisoned locusts that he ate during the reopening of the fighting pits,[1] and Ser Barristan Selmy does not trust the Blue Graces that are taking care of him now. Jhogo, Daario Naharis, Admiral Groleo, and Hero of the Unsullied all remain prisoners of the Yunkai’i.[2]. Ser Barristan is told by Hizdahr zo Loraq's seneschal Reznak mo Reznak that Hizdahr wishes to receive his Yunkish guests without Barristan there, essentially removing the duties of the head of the Queensguard. Of all of Dany's servants, only Missandei remains within the royal apartments, although she too has been replaced. The Unsullied have been slighted by Hizdahr, and the Shavepates might well be more loyal to Skahaz mo Kandaq than to Hizdahr, so the king lets himself be defended by pit fighters while he prepares for the peace discussions with the Yunkai’i.[3]. Meanwhile, disease[4] has spread throughout Meereen, both in the city itself and among the Yunkishmen camped outside it, despite the best of Dany's earlier efforts. Due to this, the streets are extremely quiet. Barristan is in a depressed and reflective state, wondering how he got here, how he lost Dany like he lost her father and brother, as well as King Robert. He remembers how he ran too slowly after Dany, pondering if Daario would have run faster. As Drogon took to the air with Dany on his back, spears and crossbow bolts were targeted at him, wounding him. In reply, he loosed his fire upon them, killing two hundred and fourteen people and wounding three times as many.[5] Rumor has it that the Yunkai'i sieging Meereen have mounted scorpions around the city in an attempt at slaying Drogon should he return.[6]. As he thinks that she may be flying home, Missandei appears behind him. She tells him that Dany would not leave without them. She also says that Skahaz mo Kandaq the Shavepate wishes to meet with him, secretly. Barristan agrees to a meeting at the stables at sunset. There, the Shavepate says that the Sons of the Harpy poisoned the locusts that Belwas ate, intending to kill Dany, that Volantis has dispatched its fleet, and that Hizdahr means to open Meereen's gates for them. Skahaz asks him to speak to Grey Worm, as he will trust Barristan and support them. Selmy agrees to conspire with the Shavepate against Hizdahr, and to attack the unsuspecting Yunkai'i before the fleet from Volantis can arrive to take the city and enslave all Dany's people. He does this on the condition that Hizdahr's guilt can be proven and Barristan thinks to himself that he will kill the man personally. Barristan says that he will go speak to Grey Worm.
56. Victarion Greyjoy is anchored near the Isle of Cedars, right outside Slaver's Bay, to find Daenerys Targaryen. He was sent by his brother King Euron Greyjoy to command the Iron Fleet and bring Dany to him, but Victarion means to take her to wife himself. Victarion's shield hand was hurt fighting Talbert Serry in the Battle of the Shield Islands, and the wound has festered. Maester Kerwin has had little success treating the wound. Victarion learned that the strong Volantene fleet is on their way to Meereen, too, while his own fleet was scattered on their way and only half have come back together. The 54th ship to arrive, the Grief, has happened upon the red priest Moqorro, who was swept overboard the Selaesori Qhoran when Tyrion traveled her to Meereen. He claims to have seen in the flames that Victarion would die unless the priest helped him. Moqorro succeeds in healing him, and Victarion has the maester killed and makes for Meereen.
57. Yezzan zo Qaggaz is dying of the bloody flux. A healer explains to Sweets that the only help for Yezzan is good clean water. Nurse also got the bloody flux and died the night before after Tyrion gave him dogtail soup with silver mushrooms in the broth. Tyrion asks Scar, a soldier slave in Yezzan's ownership, to send 2 men to get fresh clean water for Yezzan. Scar refuses because he will not take orders from a slave, even though he himself is a slave. He tells Tyrion to get the water himself with Penny. Tyrion asks for the mule and the cart to get the water. Scar refuses but gives them Jorah Mormont to help get the water. The three of them travel through the camp to the nearest well south and west of a trebuchet, the Harridan. On the way, Tyrion sees defenses being built to defend against the possible return of Drogon, although he knows that most of these will prove useless against dragons. Tyrion knows that a dragon's eyes are its only weak spot, and not the underbelly or throat as old wives' tales claim. While waiting at the well, they hear the latest news and rumors from other slaves, who are discussing the event at Daznak's Pit. It is argued whether Daenerys Targaryen flew off on the dragon or died trying. Tyrion states she did not die because her body was not found. He briefly thinks on the moment when he almost revealed his identity to her, only to stop out of fear Barristan Selmy would prejudice Daenerys against him out of contempt for House Lannister. After getting the water, they are supposed to return to their camp, but Tyrion leads them to the tents of the Second Sons instead. He knows that right now, while Yezzan is on the verge of death, is the best time for them to try and escape the grasp of the slavers. When they get there, Tyrion is recognized as the dwarf that Brown Ben Plumm wished to buy so they are brought to the captain. There he reveals that he knows that Ben Plumm knows who Tyrion really is and that Tyrion knows that Plumm is a westerman and of House Plumm and that the dragons were fond of him. He implies that he knows more about Plumm's lineage than even Plumm himself, and that Plumm may have more Targaryen blood than he thinks. Ben Plumm then recognizes Jorah Mormont, and Tyrion convinces Ben Plumm to let him and Mormont join the Second Sons instead of killing him in order to win a lordship from Cersei Lannister. Tyrion suggests they play a game of cyvasse as they continue talking.
58. Tormund Giantsbane along with over three thousand wildlings pass the Wall at Castle Black. The price of their entry, which was negotiated between Jon and Tormund, is that the wildlings will yield all valuables so that they can be sold for food, as well as one hundred boys as hostages. Initially, two girls are included in the one hundred hostages, although Jon spots them and they are replaced by two new boys. Tormund voluntarily includes his own son as a hostage as a sign of good faith. Jon decides to take him on as his own squire. While watching the Wildlings pass through the wall, Jon and Tormund speak of many things. Jon mentions that Melisandre burned the horn of Joramun that Mance and the wildlings were supposedly going to use to break down the Wall. Tormund tells Jon that although they did find that huge horn in the Skirling Pass, it is not actually the true Horn of Joramun, or they would have used it when they assaulted the Wall. Jon, confused, tries to decide whether it was Mance that lied to him or Tormund lying to him now about the authenticity of the horn. The rear guard of the Wildings with Tormund includes a warg who is accompanied by his boar. Ghost and this boar seem to be on edge around each other, and it is mentioned that they should be restrained while the wildings are staying at Castle Black. Most of the wildlings will be relocated in the coming weeks. Later, Jon receives a letter from Cotter Pyke, saying that he is stranded at Hardhome, and calls for help. He also reveals that the Braavosi captains on loan from Tychos would only allow wildling women and children aboard their ships, and that the Woods Witch has taken to calling them slavers. This explains Arya's report that the wildlings from Hardhome had been captured by slavers, as narrated in "The Blind Girl". He also says there are dead things both in the woods and the water, lending a great deal of urgency to his message.
59. Ser Barristan attends Hizdahr zo Loraq's court under the unease that Daenerys Targaryen's absence brings. The Brazen Beasts now have a new commander - the king's cousin, Marghaz zo Loraq. Reznak mo Reznak keeps a strong voice in court, counseling the new King. Harghaz is now acclaimed as a hero after his fight against Drogon.[1]. Ser Barristan notices the presence of Quentyn Martell and his two Dornish companions at court, remembering his former companionship to Prince Lewyn Martell, his Kingsguard colleague and also Quentyn's uncle. He considers the possibility that the poisoned locusts that Strong Belwas ate might have been meant for Hizdhar, as part of a plot to direct Daenerys into marrying Quentyn, given that another of the prince's uncles was notorious for poisoning those who got in his way. Before he makes up his mind on the matter, three Wise Masters envoys from Yunkai arrive, along with their sellsword Bloodbeard, to talk with Hizdahr. They show Admiral Groleo's severed head as a gesture of intimidation, claiming his death as payback for the death of Yurkhaz zo Yunzak, who was trampled to death during the panic when Drogon attacked the Fighting pits.[1]. Ser Barristan reminds King Hizdahr that Yurkhaz's death was accidental, while the Yunkai representatives free three of the six remaining hostages. They demand that the dragons be destroyed as a condition for the release of the last three hostages. Barristan is also suspicious of Hizdahr's lack of reaction, given that all three of the Westerosi kings he served under- Aerys, Robert and even the supposedly weak Jaehaerys- would have responded to such an insult by ordering every member of the Yunkish delegation killed; he also believe Bloodbeard is trying to start violence in order to get the plunder the peace has denied him. As the court is ended for further deliberation of the King's council, Ser Barristan decides to counsel the Dornishmen. Despite appearing weak, the King has taken notice of Quentyn, and Ser Barristan considers it dangerous for them to remain in Meereen. He advises them to return immediately to Dorne, going so far as offering the coin for the trip, and reveals that there was an attempt at poisoning either Daenerys or her consort during the fighting pits reopening.[1] Quentyn's shocked reaction reassures Ser Barristan that the Dornishmen had no part in the poisoning, but he still counsels Quentyn and his companions to leave Meereen and return to Dorne, for he considers his prospects of marriage unpromissing and his situation dangerous.
60. Gerris Drinkwater reports having spoken to Beans, Books, and Old Bone Bill. In exchange for some gold, the three members of the Windblown agreed to tell the Tattered Prince that the three Dornishmen would like to meet. Despite successfully delivering the message, Drinkwater insists the group should heed Barristan Selmy’s warning, leave Meereen for Volantis, and ultimately return to Dorne. Quentyn wants to leave for Westeros as well, but fears arriving empty-handed, as he worries he will disappoint his father and Lord Yronwood, and face mockery by the Sand Snakes should he do so. Quentyn tells his companions they can leave without him, but they choose to stay. Denzo D'han finds Quentyn to discuss terms for the meeting. Denzo tells the Dornish prince to find a door marked with a purple lotus near the spice market at sunset the next day. Quentyn agrees and tells Denzo that the Tattered Prince can bring two men, as he will be accompanied by Drinkwater and Archibald. The three Dornishmen leave to meet the Tattered Prince an hour before sunset, bearing weapons. On their way, Archibald and Gerris point out that they might face violence or other retribution from the Tattered Prince for their betrayal. Quentyn agrees it is possible, but they continue walking. The three then discuss waiting for Daenerys’ return, and the possibility of killing Hizdahr zo Loraq to allow Quentyn to marry her. Quentyn fears that his friends have lost sight of why they are in Meereen—for Daenerys’ dragons—and points out that he has Targaryen blood and can therefore tame at least one of the remaining two. Gerris balks at his plan, and points out that the dragons will not care about his lineage. The Prince argues the plan is necessary to grant meaning to the deaths of Cletus and Willam Wells and to please his father. The three eventually find a door marked with a purple lotus and enter a large but dilapidated building. An older woman greets them and takes them to a dim cellar, where Pretty Meris, Danzo D’han, Caggo Corpsekiller, and the Tattered Prince await them. Quentyn is wary as the Prince is wearing mail and has brought one man more than they had agreed upon. Quentyn expresses his displeasure at the extra bodyguard, but the Prince points out that Maris is not a man. The Prince remains resentful of the Dornishmen’s betrayal, as it resulted in the imprisonment of several of his best men. To persuade the Prince to join their side, Quentyn promises to double the amount being paid to the Windblown by the Yunkai once they arrive in Dorne, but the Tattered Prince is unmoved. Quentyn then reveals that he plans to steal one of the two remaining dragons in Meereen, and the Prince names Pentos the price of his allegiance.
61. Jon Connington and the Golden Company have landed at Cape Wrath in Westeros, and manage to seize Griffin's Roost and other small castles by taking them unawares. The taking of Griffin's Roost was quite easy; the Golden Company only lost four men in the attack. Any raven trying to leave the castle was shot down, followed shortly by the castle's maester being thrown from his tower. After that, what was left of the garrison surrendered. Taking his leave of the Golden Company officers by claiming to be going to pray at his father's tomb in the castle sept, Jon instead goes to the battlements and reminisces over the time Rhaegar visited his home and seemed impressed with Connington's lands. Jon then reflects on what happened next to his House; after Aerys exiled Jon, furious at his failure to stop Robert, the lands and title went to his cousin Ronald Connington (who had been Jon's castellan while he was in King's Landing) but after the end of Robert's Rebellion, King Robert stripped Ronald of his lordship and gave most of House Connington's lands to houses that had fought for him. Jon, however, is glad that he will not have to fight his deceased cousin or Ronald's son Ronnet, who is away fighting in the Riverlands, to reclaim Griffin's Roost, not wanting to celebrate his return by killing one of his own kin. Nor does he blame his cousin any longer for taking advantage of his downfall, since as far as Jon is concerned, the one responsible for House Connington's downfall is himself. Jon's musings then turn to where he lost everything: Stoney Sept. Taking over pursuit of Robert from the Tyrells after the Battle of Ashford, Jon cornered the rebel in the town and began searching for him. But the search yielded nothing, as the townsfolk were protecting Robert, hiding him and constantly moving him. All of Connington's efforts to find Robert- offering bribes for information, taking hostages, threats and pardons- got him nowhere, and the delays bought time for Eddard Stark and Hoster Tully to bring a rebel army to Robert's rescue. The rebels attacked Connington's men at the same time Robert and his followers emerged from the town in a counterattack, and the ensuing battle ended in a rebel victory. For years, Jon reflects that he insisted he did all he could, until Myles Toyne disabused him of that notion by pointing out that Tywin Lannister would have burned Stoney Sept to the ground to kill Robert, then offered pardons to Stark and Tully when they arrived to convince them to give up and go home. Connington, however, knew this would mean killing everyone in the town, and he both didn't want to be branded a murderer and wanted the glory of slaying Robert for himself. Jon reflects that his failure at Stoney Sept led to Rhaegar's death at the Trident and vows not to fail Prince Aegon as he failed his father. Re-joining his fellows, Jon takes note of the captives, including Ronnet's brother, sister and bastard son. Most of the castle staff swear loyalty to him. Connington pays a visit to Haldon, who is trying to interpret where most of the Golden Company, scattered along the coast by the Volantene ships that transported them from Essos to send a message to Doran Martell to inform him that his nephew Aegon is alive, in order to gain the Dornish alliance. Jon reflects that he could not have expected loyalty from these men if he had reclaimed his home while Robert and Renly still held the Stormlands. Haldon also argues that they need to offer incentives to convince recalcitrant lords to join them-as most of the gold and land will go to the Golden Company officers that was taken from their ancestors, Haldon suggests offering the hands of Prince Aegon and Jon himself for marriage alliances. Jon, however refuses, in the face of his illness and his insistence that Aegon must be free to wed Daenerys Targaryen if she ever returns home. In his chambers, Jon privately treats his greyscale with wine. If his condition became known, he fears that any lords still loyal to House Connington would abandon him. Four days later, Prince Aegon arrives along with Duck, the first member of his Kingsguard. Jon recalls his disapproval of that choice and how he argued with Aegon that they should leave places in his Kingsguard open to both warriors of great renown or the younger sons of important lords to add lustre to their cause, but Aegon refused, saying all he wanted from his Kingsguard was their willingness to die defending him, pointing out that Jon's criteria for the Kingsguard perfectly fits the Kingslayer. Jon informs him that his men plan to take Storm's End in ten days (he had refused the suggestions of the Golden Company officers to make an alliance with Stannis Baratheon, who holds it, arguing that Stannis is Robert's brother, a rival claimant to the throne and leagues away from them with nothing to offer). Aegon agrees to this plan, and tells him that he intends for the siege to go forward with one change: Aegon will lead the attack himself.
62. Asha Greyjoy is still a prisoner of Stannis Baratheon at the crofters' village between the lakes, being guarded by Alysane Mormont. While they thought they would be only three days from Winterfell, the snows have kept them stranded for nineteen days. Food has become a major concern. The supply of fish from the lake has been diminishing, they have already been relying on their dying horses as a source of food for a while now, and foraging has brought little result. Some men have even begun to resort to cannibalism: four men from House Peasebury were caught eating parts of a dead man from House Fell. There are growing tensions between the queen's men that Stannis brought with him from Dragonstone and the other people present, both local northerners and the king's men that Stannis brought from Dragonstone and the Stormlands with him. Fueling those tensions, Ser Godry Farring the Giantslayer, Ser Corliss Penny and Ser Clayton Suggs are about to burn the four cannibals in sacrifice for R'hllor, hoping to stope the snowfall. Northerners Artos Flint and Big Bucket Wull express dislike of the sacrifice. Asha has noticed that Clayton Suggs is a cruel man and fears that he may eventually turn against her. Stannis himself has been retreating to a tower roof with a perennial flame for four days, since his squire Bryen Farring was given a funeral burning after dying from the cold. He returns now, along with Queen's Man Ser Richard Horpe and Karhold's castellan Arnolf Karstark, whose men joined theirs eight days past. There are rumors that Arnolf may hold Winterfell in Stannis' behest if they are successful at retaking the castle. Stannis authorizes the sacrifice and watches it until its end.[1]. Ser Justin Massey remains close to Asha and protects her from the worst of Clayton Suggs' threats. He also reveals that he is no longer a true believer in R'hllor and hints that he knows more than he is telling. Justin offers to guard Asha for a while, relieving Aly Mormont from that duty. The two of them eat some roasted horse in the hall. Stannis' knights are however lost by a lack of options, knowing that they are likely to die soon no matter what they do, since they have no food nor are they in any condition to fight Roose Bolton's forces at Winterfell. Talk is tense and frustrated, and eventually Justin leaves the Hall. Attempting to follow him, Asha finds Clayton Suggs instead. He threatens her, but the two of them are surprised to find that riders are coming to Stannis' encampment. Assuming that this is an attack from the Boltons and Freys, Clayton commands Asha to warn the others while he alone attempts to delay the riders. But there is no immediate danger, for the riders are not hostile. It is instead the group of Tycho Nestoris, representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos, with two men of the Night's Watch and the seven ironmen that he ransomed from Sybelle Locke. Asha recognizes Tristifer Botley among them. The group has come by way of Winterfell, where they found Crowfood Umber beating drums and blowing horns, and have brought Theon and Jeyne from Winterfell. Jeyne's nose is black from frostbite, and no one has referred to her by name yet, so it is not clear whether Tycho's group knows that she is not Arya Stark. Asha fails to recognize Theon, who looks decades older than she knows him to be. Theon, however, reveals his identity to Asha, much to her shock.
63. Victarion Greyjoy continues on his way to Meereen. Despite his crew's unease at Moqorro's continued presence, Victarion insists that the Red God will help them on their journey. Though his arm and hand are now burned, they are stronger than ever. He says, “Two gods are with me now...No foe can stand before two gods.” The Iron Fleet captures a number of trading ships: Ghiscari Dawn, Dove, two unnamed ships that he renames as Ghost and Shade, an unnamed fat galleas, an unnamed trading galley, an unnamed fishing ketch, and a slaver galley named the Willing Maiden. Moqorro's prophecies are instrumental in the capture of these fleets. As a show of his appreciation, Victarion burns seven Lyseni bed slaves as a tribute to both the Drowned God and R'hllor. After this sacrifice, a favourable wind rises for the Iron Fleet, which now numbers 60 ships with the new additions. That night, Victarion allows Moqorro to inspect the Dragon Horn given to him by his brother Euron. Moqorro reads the Valyrian glyphs displayed on the horn to Victarion, telling him that the horn's name is written as "I am Dragonbinder." Moqorro goes on to explain that no mortal man can blow the horn and live. However, he states that "Who blows the hellhorn matters not. The dragons will come to the horn’s master. You must claim the horn. With blood.”
64. After a gathering of eleven Faceless Men, Arya is interrogated by plague face and deemed ready for her first assassination. Arya disguises herself again as Cat of the Canals and returns to Brusco's. While selling seafood at the Purple Harbor, Arya observes her target, an old man who sells insurance for captains, shipowners, and other merchants. When the kindly man suggests that the man might not be paying out for claims as he should, Arya determines that a family member of a client has prayed for the man's death at the House of Black and White. Arya eventually decides she will kill her target with poison, which the waif then helps her prepare. The kindly man informs Arya that she will need a new face for this job, since Cat of the Canals would be easily recognized. He and the waif lead her down into a hidden chamber deep under the House of Black and White. The walls are covered with mask-like faces, which Arya realizes are the faces of people who have died at the House of Black and White. The face chosen for Arya is that of a young girl who was abused to the point of permanent disfigurement, and who came to the temple seeking death. Arya's blood is used to soften the leathery mask into living skin, which then bonds to her head and becomes her new face. The kindly man warns Arya that she will suffer the nightmares of the girl whose face she has taken, but only for a time. His promise proves to be true, and that night Arya dreams of the abuse that was suffered by the girl at the hands of her father. The target is always accompanied by two guards, and the kindly man has forbidden Arya to kill anyone other than her target, so Arya must stalk the man for several days to find an opportunity. She eventually dispatches him by slipping a poisoned coin into the purse of one of his clients, knowing the old man selling insurance will bite into the shipowner's coins to test their legitimacy. Knowing that the target's heart would then soon give out after consuming the poison, the kindly man is pleased by Arya's success, and he raises her to the status of an acolyte. He gives her a black and white robe to wear while at the temple and restores her face. However, the next day she is to take a new face and leave for her first apprenticeship with someone named Izembaro.
65. Cersei is forced on a walk of atonement from the Great Sept of Baelor to the Red Keep, as penance for her confessed sins. It is the only way to escape the sept, as her uncle Kevan will not oppose the Faith and Cersei does not have enough friends in the sept to risk a trial like Margaery Tyrell; her only hope is a trial by battle. Cersei feels fear at the thought of being paraded through the streets naked, remembering the violence the smallfolk caused during the riots in King's Landing, but reassures herself that no harm will come to her. When morning arrives, her goalers arrive with a group of silent sisters, who strip Cersei naked and shave her of every hair on her body. Cersei is then led by an escort of Warrior's Sons (among them, her cousin Lancel, much to Cersei's disgust) to the courtyard, where Cersei finds herself standing close to the spot where Eddard Stark was executed. As the septas accompanying her announce her sins to the watching crowd, Cersei muses on how Joffrey undid all her plans and the work of Varys and Littlefinger. Had Joffrey done as he was told and sent Stark to the Wall, Ned and his knowledge of Cersei's incest would have been removed and the Lannisters would have had peace with Robb Stark, a hostage in the form of Sansa, and the freedom to deal with Stannis and Renly Baratheon. Joffrey instead demanded Stark's head, and after that everything fell apart. Cersei's thoughts then turn to memories of how her father Tywin did away with the mistress of her grandfather Tytos mistress after his death, having her stripped naked and marched through the streets of Lannisport, but Cersei insists to herself she will not be broken and humiliated so easily. Cersei is then forced to strip before the crowd and walk to the Red Keep. At first, Cersei walks with dignity, ignoring the insults and worse (such as rotten vegetables and a cat carcass) the crowd throw at her. As the walk continues and the insults grow worse, mocking her faded beauty and the signs of age on her body, however, Cersei struggles to maintain her composure. As she walks, Cersei begins to hallucinate, seeing faces of others in the crowd: her father frowning; Melara Hetherspoon; Ned and Sansa Stark, along with Sansa's wolf staring accusingly at her; Tyrion laughing at her; and finally, the face of Maggy the Frog intoning her prophecy, "Queen you shall be, until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all you hold most dear." At this, Cersei breaks down in tears and runs for the Red Keep, collapsing as soon as she staggers into the courtyard. Kevan Lannister orders his niece covered up and removed, at which point Cersei is picked up by an eight-foot-tall giant of a man, clad in the armor and white cloak of a Kingsguard knight. Qyburn appears and introduces Cersei to this champion, Ser Robert Strong, and she is most pleased.
66. Tyrion has made an agreement with Ben Plumm to join the Second Sons. He signs a number of agreements that he will pay about 50 higher ranking members of the company 100 gold dragons. This amount increases for the higher ranking officers, and for Plumm himself, he must sign a contract for 100,000 dragons along with land and a lordship. After this, he signs the register of the Second Sons using his own blood as ink. After this, he is told to go and find armor for himself and Penny. He returns to where she is sleeping, and there he notices signs that she may have the bloody flux. Regardless, she is distraught over the abandonment of the hog and the dog that were part of her show. Tyrion is hiding from her that the two animals have almost definitely been slaughtered by Yezzan zo Qaggaz's men. While they are looking for armor, they find Jorah Mormont outfitted in a random assortment of armor, which he claims is of decent quality. When Penny tells Tyrion that she dreamt that she was jousting with her brother again, Tyrion slaps her, trying to force her to quit her mooning and to realize that they must wear armor or likely die. Finally, Tyrion says that he will take care of making sure that the Second Sons turn sides again, since Tyrion and Jorah both agree that they are on the losing side of the coming battle.
67. Ser Barristan meets with Skahaz mo Kandaq again, and they go through with their plan to seize Hizdahr and the city, and have it ruled by a council until Daenerys's return. They decide that their word for going ahead with the plan will be "Groleo," in reference to the hostage that was slain by the Yunkai'i. Skahaz reveals that he was present in the throne room when Bloodbeard and the slaver lords made their insult, and that he and every one of the Brazen Beasts present would have killed the Yunkish delegation in an instant had Hizdahr given the command, raging that the Yunkish would never have dared do such a thing to Daenerys. The Shavepate goes on to explain to Ser Barristan that Hizdahr's horrified reaction to Groleo's severed head was a sham and the slavers couldn't care less about Yurkhaz zo Yunzak's death in the pit; the whole thing was arranged so as to give Hizdahr a pretext to kill the queen's dragons before Volantis's fleet arrives. Despite Skahaz's objections, Barristan insists that after Hizdahr is deposed, they will order the Yunkai'i return their remaining hostage and withdraw their armies from Meereen, only going forth to do battle if they refuse. Selmy is also confident he can overcome Hizdahr's guards, as they are only pit fighters and Barristan believes men like that, who fight for the adulation of the crowd and only when they are called to, are no match for a knight of the Kingsguard who must always be alert and ready to fight and die at a moment's notice to defend their monarch. Barristan and Skahaz also dispute over trying to rescue the remaining hostages—Jhogo, Hero and Daario—as the Shavepate believes it is too dangerous to try. He is also particularly scathing about Daario, believing it would be better in the long run for Daenerys if the Stormcrows's captain were to die. Though he is aware Daenerys is in love with Daario, Barristan privately agrees as he is well aware from history that the Targaryens have a propensity for choosing poorly in matters of the heart, choices that almost always lead to disaster.Skahaz also mentions that they have hostages of their own and that they can easily retaliate in kind if the Yunkai'i harm any more of their hostages, but like his queen, Barristan refuses to harm the cupbearers, due to his own aversion to killing children. Though disappointed, the Shavepate agrees and promises that everything will be ready for the plan by nightfall. For the rest of the day, Barristan makes his rounds about the pyramid and trains with his boys. He thinks to himself that some of them might be ready for knighthood soon. However, as he wrestles with what he is planning to do that night, he decides it would be worse for the boys if they were knighted by a knight without honor just before his death. He lectures the boys about honor and thinks that someday maybe they will understand. He also warns Missandei not to leave the queen's chambers, but refuses to answer her questions about his intentions. He also reflects on his own failures, one in particular; that he didn't defeat Rhaegar at the tourney at Harrenhal. Had he won, he would have crowned Ashara Dayne, who he was enamored with, as queen of love and beauty and wonders that if he had, would Ashara not have killed herself from grief over a child supposedly fathered on her by a Stark. Barristan considers that his greatest failure. During the night, after bathing and donning his armor, Ser Barristan goes to confront Hizdahr in his chambers; the Brazen Beasts let him past without incident. Barristan, using the pretext of delivering a message to gain entrance, tries to question Hizdahr, demanding to know if he is in league with the Sons of the Harpy and if he had anything to do with the assassination attempt on Daenerys. Hizdahr's denials of the accusations do not convince Selmy, and when the old knight draws his sword, Hizdahr call for the pit fighter Khrazz, one of his guards, to defend him. Despite Barristan's efforts to convince Khrazz to surrender, the pit fighter attacks him; however, Khrazz's inexperience of fighting opponents wearing armor is his downfall, and Selmy kills him quickly. Barristan tells Hizdahr, who desperately begs for his life, that he means to take Hizdahr to a cell, where he will be imprisoned until Daenerys returns. Suddenly, a cup bearer informs them that Reznak wishes to see the king. Barristan, surprised as he and Skahaz had planned to imprison Reznak as well, asks why and is told the dragons (Viserion and Rhaegal) have been loosed upon the city.
68. Quentyn goes ahead with his plan to steal the dragons. With the help of the Windblown Company, they make it to the pit where Rhaegal and Viserion are kept. There, however, they use the codeword "dog" on the Brazen Beasts, who are actually part of the scheme to overthrow the king that very night. A fight ensues, and the four guards are slain, although Quentyn is almost slain by a spear. They enter and find that Rhaegal has also broken his chains since he was last in the pit, and that Viserion has created a cave for himself in the ceiling of the pit. Viserion is first attracted to Pretty Meris, as he is looking for Daenerys, but then tries to exit the pit. Throughout this encounter, Quentyn tries to dominate the dragons like he had seen Daenerys do with Drogon, but when he strikes Viserion with a whip, Rhaegal spews fire on him, setting him aflame.
69. Jon means to lead men to Hardhome to rescue the wildlings and men of the Night's Watch trapped there. Queen Selyse and Melisandre discourage him, and want to leave them to their fate. However, Jon is determined to lead a rescue mission. While planning the mission with Tormund Giantsbane, Jon receives a letter from Ramsay Bolton. Ramsay claims that King Stannis is dead after a seven day battle, that he captured Mance Rayder and flayed his spear wives, and that he wants his bride back, along with Theon, Melisandre, Val, Mance's presumed son, and Queen Selyse and her daughter This changes everything, and Jon decides to send the bulk of the Night's Watch to Hardhome with Tormund in command, while he will go to Winterfell himself and make Ramsay answer for his words. Jon knows that doing so will break his vow to not interfere in the wars of the Seven Kingdoms, so he is prepared to go alone. He asks if anyone will ride with him and he gets an overwhelming roar of support from most of the wildlings, though not from his Black Brothers - Yarwyck and Bowen Marsh leave the hall with their men. Jon doesn't mind as he appears to have more than enough men to go with him and none of the Night's Watch will have to break their vows. When Jon is on his way to inform Queen Selyse, he hears the giant Wun Wun roar and a man scream. When he arrives, a bleeding Wun Wun is smashing dead Ser Patrek against a tower wall. Jon tries to calm the people who come running, when Wick Wittlestick slashes at Jon's throat with a dagger, just barely grazing him. While Jon is still trying to understand, Bowen Marsh and others plant daggers in him, all of them saying, "For the Watch." By the time the fourth dagger slashes him, Jon passes out.
70. It is raining heavily in Meereen, for which Barristan Selmy is grateful; otherwise the fires caused during Viserion and Rhaegal's rampage might have consumed the entire city. There is no sign of the two dragons: they do not like the rain any more than men. Quentyn Martell is dead; it took three days for him to die. Out of respect for the prince, Ser Barristan had him placed in the queen's bed, the same one he crossed half the world to reach. Missandei is the only one he could get to help tend Quentyn, for none of the cupbearers were willing and the Blue Graces never responded to his summons; he suspects the pale mare has carried them off. Missandei asks what is to be done with Quentyn's body and Barristan replies that they will find a way to send him back to Dorne, though he is unsure how. He advises Missandei to get some sleep and she urges him to do the same as she has noted that he doesn't sleep very much. Barristan privately thinks it is not just needing less sleep than a younger man, as Grand Maester Pycelle once told him, but having reached the age where he fears to close his eyes in case he never opens them again; Barristan does not consider dying in his sleep a death worthy of a knight of the Kingsguard. For a brief moment, he wonders if Daenerys is dead, but then dismisses the thought, though he notes that each time it becomes harder to convince himself his queen is still alive. At dawn, Skahaz mo Kandaq comes to speak with him; Skahaz is already aware that Quentyn is dead, and he informs Barristan that the Green Grace, who Barristan sent to treat with the Yunkai'i to make them release the hostages, has not returned to the city. In addition, while the city is secure, an angry mob is gathered outside the pyramid demanding Hizdahr's release and that both dragons be destroyed, and since his arrest, the Sons of the Harpy have resumed their nightly murders with a vengeance; Barristan is shocked to learn they have killed twenty nine in the night, in contrast to nine the previous night and three the night before. However, despite Skahaz's insistence, Barristan still refuses to kill the hostages in retaliation. The Shavepate tells Barristan (who is now the Queen's Hand, as head of a council ruling the city) that the council is waiting for him. Barristan does not want the position, but in the absence of Daenerys, he doesn't trust any of the others to rule. Grey Worm and the captains of the Stalwart Shields, Mother's Men and Free Brothers, along with Strong Belwas are present. Barristan informs them of Quentyn's death; most of the council express contempt for the prince's actions and many want his companions, who are at present imprisoned, executed for unleashing the dragons on the city. The fighting pits are to remain closed, for fear that the noise and smell of blood will attract the dragons, though Marselen suggests reopening the pits in the hope it lures Drogon back, and Daenerys with him. For the time being, the pits are packed full of livestock, from which the dragons are feeding regularly, and thus far, there has been no further evidence of either Viserion or Rhaegal eating people. The council are convinced that the Yunkai'i are never going to accept any terms beside the killing of both dragons for the return of the hostages. When asked what he will do when his terms are refused, Barristan replies "Fire and Blood". They quickly grasp his meaning; he intends to do battle with the Yunkish army. A lengthy discussion regarding the battle plan follows, particularly regarding the deployment of troops, targets to attack, how best to use the Unsullied and other such concerns; however, all agree that if they can destroy the slavers, the sellsword companies will abandon their paymasters, and the dragons may make their presence known in the fight, though Barristan cannot say if they will help or just kill indiscriminately, though he does note that if they come, it will help break Yunkish morale. When the council adjourns, Barristan goes to the cell where the two Dornishmen are being held and informs them of Prince Quentyn's death. Gerris Drinkwater angrily blames Daenerys for it, causing a fierce argument between him and Barristan, who bluntly dismisses Gerris's claims Quentyn came for love and asserts they came because Quentyn's father wanted the backing of House Targaryen before daring to defy the Iron Throne, but Archibald Yronwood angrily tells Gerris to shut up before more can be said. Barristan then makes an arrangement with the two Dornishmen; in exchange for a ship back to Dorne and Quentyn's bones to return to his father, Barristan wants them to go back to the Windblown company and tell the Tattered Prince that they will give him what he wants (namely Pentos) if he can free and protect the hostages during the attack. The Green Grace returns, telling Barristan that the Yunkai'i have refused his offer, and that the only price they will accept is the death of the dragons. As they speak, the Shavepate runs in and tells them that the six trebuchets have begun flinging not rocks, but corpses into Meereen.
71. Daenerys is walking back south through the Dothraki Sea towards Meereen, following a small rivulet that she thinks will flow into the Skahazadhan. She has spent her time flying Drogon,[1] but could not make him take her back. Instead, they have been staying at his lair, a small cave in a hill she named Dragonstone as a reference to the place where she was born. She gets sick on the way,[2] and has a number of hallucinations as she lies in the grass, bleeding and dying. These include a vision of Quaithe, of Viserys Targaryen, and of Jorah Mormont, and seem to revolve around the idea of forgetting who she is. Finally, a single Dothraki scout approaches her, but does not see her. The scout freezes as Drogon approaches, and then flees. Daenerys calls out for Drogon as he flies over, and mounts him. Drogon catches and devours a horse, and Dany joins him. This is how Khal Jhaqo, former ko of Khal Drogo,[3] accompanied by 50 of his warriors, finds her.
EPILOGUE
Lord Regent Kevan Lannister is hosting a small council meeting in the Red Keep's throne room; neither Queen Margaery nor Cersei are present, nor is Tommen, as Kevan thinks it kinder to let him spend as much time as possible with his mother before her trial and possible execution. The lord of Griffin's Roost, Ronnet Connington stands before them, insisting that he is loyal to King Tommen and uninvolved with whoever claims to be his uncle Jon Connington and the Targaryen pretender he has brought with him, who have landed with the Golden Company in the Stormlands, attacking towns and villages as they march on Storm's End.[1] Ronnet begs to prove his loyalty in battle, but the new Hand of the King Mace Tyrell refuses, and orders Ronnet kept in his quarters for the moment, in addition to sending the men-at-arms Jaime sent to accompany Connington south - all former thugs of Gregor Clegane's - to the Night's Watch. Kevan has begun to resent the demands of Mace Tyrell as Cersei did, but he realises he cannot openly oppose them; Tyrell and his bannerman Randyll Tarly have both brought armies to King's Landing, while the Lannisters' standing army is still in the Riverlands. Tyrell insists that he will deal with Connington and his boy after Margaery's trial, but both he and Tarly show much reluctance about it; Kevan however chides them. Tyrell then asks why Tommen can't declare Margaery's innocence without a trial, but Kevan insists that defying the Faith will send them straight into the arms of Connington or Stannis Baratheon at a time when the Ironborn are attacking the Western lands as well. Mace Tyrell retorts that Paxter Redwyne will drive the Ironmen back and that Stannis has to face both Roose Bolton and the cold climate of the North. He also dismisses the threat Jon Connington and the exiles of the Golden Company pose but Kevan is unsure; he still remembers when Aerys appointed Connington to the role of Hand, and while Tywin Lannister's assessment of Connington as unsuitable for the post proved true after his failure to kill Robert Baratheon at the Battle of the Bells, Kevan believes age has surely made Connington wiser, more cautious and more dangerous. The small council all agree that Connington and his pretender must be crushed, lest Daenerys Targaryen receive word and leave Meereen to join forces with them. Pycelle suggests that they buy off the Golden Company, but new Master of Coin Harys Swyft dismisses this idea; thanks to Cersei's economic mismanagement, the treasury is nearly empty, the Iron Bank of Braavos still demanding its money, pledges for new loans from Myr received no favorable response, and their hopes of replenishing the treasuries with the fabled wealth on Dragonstone following Ser Loras's capture of the island have proven in vain. Mace Tyrell reacts angrily to that, arguing that Loras searched the castle and found no trace of gold or gemstones, nor the fabled cache of dragon eggs supposedly kept there; Kevan personally thinks that Loras didn't look very hard, given that he is a young man prone to rash judgments, even more so following his injuries, and the Valyrian sorcery used to construct Dragonstone likely hides many secrets, but Kevan defuses the argument by suggesting Stannis likely took everything of value with him when he fled. Kevan also suggests that Harys try Pentoshi magister moneylenders, or else go to Braavos and deal with the Iron Bank in person. Next, business turns to the forthcoming trials; Kevan says that Cersei has chosen trial by battle, with Ser Robert Strong to represent her as her champion. Tyrell and Tarly express deep misgivings about the man, which Kevan shares as they have all heard rumours: Meryn Trant says he has never seen Strong eat or drink, and Boros Blount claims to have never seen him use the privy. Kevan muses that "Dead men don't shit", suspecting that he and the others know who Strong really is. However, Kevan silences Mace's protests by arguing that if Cersei loses her trial, the legitimacy of her children, and thus Margaery's claim to the throne as Tommen's queen will be called into question. He also assures the council that even if Cersei proves her innocence, she will be sent back to Casterly Rock afterwards, and play no further part in ruling or Tommen's education. The meeting adjourns, intending to reconvene in five days' time and leaving for later decisions about an inheritance involving House Rosby and six claims, as well as the preparation for Myrcella's upcoming marriage. Mace Tyrell makes plain his scorn for the marriage, particularly after Myrcella's injuries, and suggests a better match for her; Kevan muses that Mace likely has his son Willas in mind. He dismisses the idea, warning that reneging on Myrcella's betrothal now could be all the cause Doran Martell needs to side with Connington. Harys Swyft suggests that they get the Dornish to deal with Connington and his pretender; Kevan agrees that it would save them a lot of trouble. After Tyrell and Tarly are gone, Pycelle asks Kevan for guards, fearing that Mace Tyrell means to do him harm for his part in Cersei's claims about Margaery, but Kevan dismisses his concerns. It is snowing heavily in King's Landing and Kevan retires to his study for a time to warm up. He muses on the possibility of raising his son Lancel to the Kingsguard to end his newfound piety, before his thoughts turn to Cersei, the charming and sweet girl once was; he believes that, had Aerys accepted Tywin's offer and wed his son to Cersei, Rhaegar would never have looked twice at Lyanna Stark, and perhaps many now dead would still be alive. He then thinks on Cersei's walk of shame and how similar it was to what Tywin did to their father's mistress, but Kevan reassures himself it was necessary; the Faith had to be appeased, and left unchecked, Cersei would have corrupted Tommen as she did Joffrey. Kevan then goes to Cersei's chambers, where he has dinner with her and Tommen. Cersei is very calm and guarded after her walk of atonement, which Kevan thinks a good sign. She makes a humble request that Taena Merryweather attend on her once more after the trial and that her son be brought to court as a companion for Tommen; she also asks after her brothers, but Kevan has no news of Jaime or Tyrion. He also says that he has imprisoned the remaining Kettleblack brothers for their crimes of fornicating with a Queen; if they confess, he will send them to the Wall. If not, they will face Robert Strong. A messenger then announces that Grand Maester Pycelle is asking for Kevan's presence. Kevan arrives at the Maester's chambers and enters to find a white raven sitting on the window ledge, a sign from the Citadel that winter has come. Kevan turns to leave, and is hit in the chest by a crossbow bolt. He calls out for help, but then sees Pycelle sat at his table, already dead. For one moment, Kevan calls out to Tyrion, thinking his nephew responsible, but a familiar voice tells him otherwise as the real killer emerges: Varys. Varys explains to the dying Kevan that he bears the man no ill will, that Kevan is simply a good man in service to a bad cause, but he was becoming too successful in uniting the realm behind Tommen and undoing the damage Cersei had caused. The eunuch adds that Cersei will suspect the Tyrells (with help from the Imp) for Kevan's murder, the Tyrells will blame her, someone will blame the Dornish and the alliances shoring up Tommen's hold on the Iron Throne will crumble as Aegon makes his presence known at Storm's End and the realm flocks to the side of the Targaryens. Kevan insists that Aegon was killed during the Sack of King's Landing but Varys explains otherwise; that Aegon has been groomed since birth to be king, taught not just in skill at arms and ruling, but how to look after himself, what it means to go hungry, to be hunted and most importantly, that it is his duty to rule, not his right, and to put his people first. Varys then summons some of his "little birds" and instructs them to finish the dying Kevan off.