Pages 342 – 403
Jaime:
So…they sliced off Jaime’s sword hand. He feels like that might have been all he was…that one hand. The Brave Companions treat Jaime and Brienne like complete shit – tied up together at all times with Jaime’s rotten hand hanging around his neck. Lovely.
When they come to rape Brienne, Jaime saves her. He does shit like that and then I sort of like him, but he’s evil. Right? RIGHT? They arrive at Harrenhal where Roose Bolton and his men are stationed. Bolton is disgusted at how the prisoners have been treated. Since Brienne pledges her allegiances to House Stark he releases her from her shackles and sends her off to bathe and get new clothes. Jaime is sent off to the fallen Maester to see about his hand. He refuses to let them cut off his arm, even if the infection means death. The Maester cleans Jaime’s stump the best he can. Meanwhile, Jaime learns about what happened with the Battle of Blackwater Bay and some of the aftermath, including Joff’s new bride-to-be.
I think I like Jaime and now I feel dirty.
Tyrion:
Tyrion is out on Tywin’s orders inspecting the damage done to Kings Landing and estimating that there isn’t enough money in the realm to fix it. Then he heads over to that singer’s house to threaten him all the while planning on having Bronn kill him. Things are not going well with Sansa.
Tywin requests his presence and shows him the two Valyrian swords he had made – one for Joffrey as a wedding gift and the other for his son. For just a moment, I thought Tywin might mean Tyrion, but no. He demands Tyrion find a way to pay for the repairs and a way to bed Sansa Stark. Cheery times.
Shae seems nonplussed by Tyrion’s new wife.
Pycelle brings news of the Wall and suggests placing Janos Slynt as Commander since everyone assumes Mormont is dead. Tyrion loudly objects, gets overruled, and wishes he had killed Slynt when he had the chance.
Samwell:
The surviving members of the attack have made it back to Crastor’s. Sam is trying to nurse the near dead back to life, but to no avail. Men have mockingly started calling him ‘Slayer’. Crastor wants the men gone. Mormont decides he’ll leave on the morrow. Crastor holds a pretty sad feast for their farewell.
At the feast, the Watchmen get pissed at Crastor’s offerings and slay him. Next they slay Mormont for trying to discipline them. Basically, hell breaks loose and the men start raping the women and looting the place. Several more men die. Sam gives up as the Old Bear lays dying in his lap until Gilly, her new son, and two other women convince him that he must leave as Mormont wishes – back to the Wall to let everyone know what has happened.
Another scene that should film well. These men are bat shit and it’s time the Realm offered up honorable men to the Wall or everyone is going to die. Sam must now get the message out that dragonglass and fire is the only way to take out the Others. I’m sad to see the Old Bear go, especially in this manor. He wants Sam to tell Jorah that he forgives him.
Arya:
The man the bandits have captured is Sandor Clegane. I figured it was him. They all travel to Ser Beric Dondarrion and Thoros the red priest to hold the Hound accountable for his crimes. Arya can’t wait to see him die in punishment for killing Mycah, the Butcher’s boy.
Clegane is sentenced to trial by combat and will go up against Ser Beric himself. Beric’s body shows the scars of fatal wounds, yet he still lives. Beric now serves the Lord of Light so you know magic is involved. The Hound pretty much slices Beric in half after a tiresome battle and is declared winner, thus innocent of his crimes. Arya grabs a dagger to take care of him herself, but watches as Clegane cries like a baby over his new burns. At the end of the chapter, we realize that Beric has returned to the living. Oh dear at all this magic.
Another fantastic film-worthy scene. Arya has become quite hungry for revenge and death, has she not? I worry about her now. I see her ending up in very dark places. I wonder what Beric will do with her?
Catelyn:
Lord Hoster, her father, has died. They hold the funeral services for him. Some Frey men have come to discuss the betrayal and Lord Frey’s new commands. Spirits are not high.
The Freys also bring word of a burned and destroyed Winterfell as well as the slaying of the smallfolk and Robb’s men. Apparently the little Freys who were taken in as wardens of Winterfell managed to escape with Bolton’s bastard along with the women and children of the castle. The defeat among Robb and his men is palpable. No one knows what happened to Theon.
Lord Frey has promised to forgive Robb as long as he comes to The Twins to apologize in person as well as having Lord Edmure Tully agree to wed his 16-year-old daughter, Roslin, immediately. Edmure wants none of this, but what can he do? He complies.
I miss Robb’s direwolf. I don’t know what he should do next. Catelyn wants him to bend the knee and go home to defend his own castle. Robb refuses.
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