And now my watch begins

Currently in the middle of an ASOIAF re-read, blogging about things that catch my attention

[whimshillow]

Sansa’s very first chapter puts forward a contradiction.

With Arya, she is blunt and unfiltered:

“I hate riding,” Sansa said fervently. “All it does is get you soiled and dusty and sore.”

But not even a page later, in front of Joffrey, she becomes someone else entirely:

“We could go riding.” “Oh, I love riding,” Sansa said.

[whimshillow]

Caught Between Outlaws: The Riverlands Trios

In ASOS, the Inn of the Kneeling Man marks a turning point for two trios moving through the Riverlands: Jaime, Brienne, and Cleos, and shortly after, Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie.

Jaime’s group leaves the inn and chooses the “safer” road, despite the innkeeper’s warning, even as he tries to steer them toward his own allies via the forest road to the southeast. Instead, they take the other southern road and fall into the hands of the Bloody Mummers, a brutal detour.

Two chapters later, Arya’s group finds itself with the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Arya’s reveal binds them to that company.

Both journeys are shaped by these opposing groups, the Bloody Mummers and the Brotherhood Without Banners, who repeatedly intercept their paths.

Jaime and Brienne move toward King’s Landing.

Arya moves toward where she believes her family to be, not Riverrun, but the Twins.

Even though the groups reach their original intended destination (RIP Cleos), they are passed from one faction to another, caught in the crosscurrents of the Riverlands.

Arya had already crossed paths with the Bloody Mummers at Harrenhal before this journey began. Brienne later encounters the Bloody Mummers again at the Whispers.

By the end of ADWD, Jaime and Brienne are pulled back into the Riverlands, where they fall into the hands of the Brotherhood Without Banners.

Hopefully TWOW does not open with Arya roaming around with the Bloody Mummers, because wtf?

[whimshillow]

Today marks yet another day where I was mind blown noticing a parallel from my favorite book series that I didn't even realise.

Ghost of Winterfell and Ghost of Harrenhall.

Both captive of Roose Bolton and both escaped from him.

[whimshillow]

Jon Snow's plot armor? His parentage

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Jon, Arya, Theon and their trouble with saying 'm'lord/my lord'

Jon to Janos Slynt

"M'lord," Janos Slynt reminded him. "You'll address me—" "I'll go, my lord. But you are making a mistake, my lord. You are sending the wrong man, my lord. Just the sight of me is going to anger Mance. My lord would have a better chance of reaching terms if he sent—"

Arya to Roose Bolton

She had to think for a moment to remember. “Ten.” “Ten, my lord,” he reminded her. “Are you fond of animals?” “Some kinds. My lord.”

“Nymeria,” she said. “Only she called me Nan for short.” “You will call me my lord when you speak to me, Nan,” the lord said mildly. “You are too young to be a Brave Companion, I think, and of the wrong sex. Are you afraid of leeches, child?” “They’re only leeches. My lord.”

Theon to Roose Bolton

Reek, I'm Reek, it rhymes with wreak. "Reek," he said, "if it please my lord." "M'lord." Bolton's lips parted just enough to show a quarter inch of teeth. It might have been a smile. He did not understand. "My lord? I said—" "—my lord, when you should have said m'lord. Your tongue betrays your birth with every word you say. If you want to sound a proper peasant, say it as if you had mud in your mouth, or were too stupid to realize it was two words, not just one." "If it please my—m'lord."

[whimshillow]

Arya and the magic lamp

TIL a theory of how the axe that Arya finds in Yoren's body, could be the same one she threw to Rorge, Jaqen and Biter. Killing Yoren might be why the Lannisters took the three into their service.

Arya throws an axe to Rorge who uses it to break the wagon's floor

She threw the axe into the wagon. Rorge caught it and lifted it over his head, rivers of sooty sweat pouring down his noseless face. 

Arya later finds Yoren's body the next day, killed by an axe

The axe blow that had killed him had split his skull apart, but the great tangled beard could be no one else’s

She brings the genie genies out of the magic lamp wagon. One of them grants her three wishes but the other two unleash horror. Wow.

[whimshillow]

Songs and knights

Sansa

In the songs, the knights never killed magical beasts, they just went up to them and touched them and did them no harm

Daenerys

In the songs, the white knights of the Kingsguard were ever noble, valiant, and true

Brienne

In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining.

Arya

the knights would escort her home and keep her safe. That was what knights did; they kept you safe, especially women.

[whimshillow]

This scene cracked me up. Melisandre is out there proclaiming Stannis azor ahai reborn and 100 other names while mf is just fighting for his life putting out the flames lmaoo.

Melisandre lifted her hands above her head. "Behold! A sign was promised, and now a sign is seen! Behold Lightbringer! Azor Ahai has come again! All hail the Warrior of Light! All hail the Son of Fire!"

A ragged wave of shouts gave answer, just as Stannis's glove began to smolder. Cursing, the king thrust the point of the sword into the damp earth and beat out the flames against his leg.

[whimshillow]

Jon Snow's parentage has been debated to death. So is his real name. The show went with Aegon (throwing canon in the air) and the fandom divided with a side camped on a Targaryan name (Aemon, Daeron, Jaehaerys, all sorts from F&B and more from the creative minds of fanfiction) and another siding with "no name, it's just Jon" pointing out that it doesn't matter, that it will take away from his arc.

Now, this passage caught my attention while re-reading AGOT.

"You can call him Lord Snow," Pyp said as he came up to join them. "You don't want to know what his mother calls him."

Tower of Joy has a lot of questions to answer.

[whimshillow]

Sansa Stark's wishes

Sometimes, just sometimes, Sansa's wishes comes true. And we need to wait for TWOW for the last one.

In AGOT, she wishes for a hero to cut off Janos Slynt's head.

wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head.

In ACOK, she hopes that Janos Slynt's son, Morros, falls off the horse.

I hope he falls and shames himself, she thought bitterly. I hope Ser Balon kills him. 

Now both happens (to a degree). Jon Snow executes Slynt while Morros falls off the horse (tho he doesn't die)

In TWOW sample chapter, Alayne wishes for something similar.

And may your horse stumble, Harry the Heir, so you fall on your stupid head in your first tilt.

You go girl. Manifest it. I don't mind seeing Harry the Heir falling on his face.

[whimshillow]

Arya, Needle and Lommy Greenhands

Arya gets called as 'Lumpyhead' by Lommy, an orphan boy from the Riverlands. His first dialogue is him trying to steal Arya's sword Needle.

"Look at that sword Lumpyhead's got there," Lommy said one morning as they made their plodding way past orchards and wheat fields.

He wouldn't live to know that a few years later, across the Narrow Sea, the girl he used to call Lumpyhead would avenge his death with that very sword.

[whimshillow]

Stark reunions

Jon

He would give anything to be with her now, to muss up her hair once more and watch her make a face, to hear her finish a sentence with him.

Arya

She would have given anything if Jon had been here to call her “little sister” and muss her hair.

Sansa

Bran was back at Winterfell, a cripple, yet safe. Sansa would have given anything to be with him. 

Bran

He wished Robb were with them now. I'd tell him I could fly, but he wouldn't believe, so I'd have to show him.

And I would give anything to see some Starks reunions. It's about time George! Give my kids some happiness.

[whimshillow]

Women of ASOAIF

Moments in book A Game of Thrones, where the female characters face the world of ASOIAF with the label "woman", each in their own way.

Catelyn Tully

“You are a woman, my lady,” the Greatjon rumbled in his deep voice. “Women do not understand these things.”

“You are the gentle sex,” said Lord Karstark, with the lines of grief fresh on his face. “A man has a need for vengeance.”

“Give me Cersei Lannister, Lord Karstark, and you would see how gentle a woman can be,” Catelyn replied. “Perhaps I do not understand tactics and strategy… but I understand futility.

Arya Stark

"You'd think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother's House equal in honor to the king's."

“The woman is important too!” Arya protested.

Daenerys Targaryen

“Khaleesi,” he said hesitantly, “this is not done. It would shame me, to be bloodrider to a woman.”

Cersei Lannister

He had a goblet of wine in one hand, and he was drunk as a man could be. "You do not tell me what to do, woman," he screamed at Queen Cersei. "I am king here, do you understand? I rule here, and if I say that I will fight tomorrow, I will fight!"

Sansa Stark

He looked straight at Sansa then, and smiled, and for a moment Arya thought that the gods had heard her prayer, until Joffrey turned back to the crowd and said, “But they have the soft hearts of women. So long as I am your king, treason shall never go unpunished. Ser Ilyn, bring me his head!”

[whimshillow]

Hero's sword and Jon Snow

Jon Snow getting a special heroic sword (Valyrian Steel with wolf themed pommel) could be a cliche fantasy trope. But Martin doesn't give his character a sense of glory. Jon doesn't feel happy or cheered but is instead haunted by his thoughts and situation.

His first thought is shame. He thinks he has no rights to it and rejects it.

Even then he had known it was only a child’s folly; no bastard could ever hope to wield a father’s sword. Even the memory shamed him. What kind of man stole his own brother’s birthright? I have no right to this, he thought, no more than to Ice. He twitched his burned fingers, feeling a throb of pain deep under the skin. “My lord, you honor me, but—”

Then he wishes it was his father who gave his sword to him, not Mormont. The father who is currently arrested for treason and his brother Robb who is marching, while he himself is sitting at the end of the world.

He knew he should be honored, and he was, and yet…

He is not my father. The thought leapt unbidden to Jon’s mind. Lord Eddard Stark is my father.

And just before this, Jon resents Mormont for lying to him.

And you tell me what you want me to know, and that’s less, Jon thought resentfully. His brother Robb had called the banners and ridden south to war, yet no word of that had been breathed to him… 

When he shows his sword to his friends, he pretends to be proud.

“Valyrian steel,” he declared solemnly, trying to sound as pleased and proud as he ought to have felt.

He leaves his friends halfway, frustrated and angry.

His friends meant well, but they did not understand. It was not their fault, truly; they had not had to face Othor, they had not seen the pale glow of those dead blue eyes, had not felt the cold of those dead black fingers. Nor did they know of the fighting in the riverlands. How could they hope to comprehend? 

To me, ASOIAF is grim because of these aspects as well. Heroic and epic, yes, but there's an eternal sense of grief and tragedy. Sadness was my constant companion while re-reading AGOT.