Julia H.

Arya running into Rickon and Davos sounds like an exciting turn of events! It is true that Braavos to the North geographically may make more sense travel-wise, though other (Other?) circumstances may make is less possible at a given moment.

It was fun reading through this thread. I may be late to the party, but still... My predictions: 1) Jon will survive. I'm in the camp of simple survival instead of some dubious fire magic by Mel, but who knows... It is likely that he will be out of action for a while though. Yet, he could use that time for some esoteric mental exploration (a bit like Bran's coma dream in AGOT), perhaps he could magically explore the depth of the Winterfell crypts or the Far North or could get in touch with Bran or remember something really ancient. 2) Arya will meet Jeyne Poole in Bravoos and will travel back to Westeros as a result. In some manner, she will be reunited with both LS and Nymeria, and it will be, ultimately, a cathartic experience for her. 3) The Wall - or its magic - will fall, and the Others will get access to Westeros. 4) Sansa will find out the truth about LF. She will have an opportunity to escape from him, but she will decide to stay in the Vale instead because she will not want to leave SweetRobin without a protector. She will also decide to beat LF at his own game. It will take some time, but Sansa is a talented player and will be learning fast. 5) Howland Reed will finally make an appearance and we'll get some new hints concerning some of the secrets he is guarding. Hopes: 1) Shireen, Jojen, Tommen and Myrcella will survive. 2) Jamie (or someone else) will find a way to save Brienne from LS, and, one way or other, something good will happen to that girl finally. (Actually, I'm quite confident that she is going to live yet, but the second part seems unlikely.) 3) Both Jaime and JonCon realize (privately) that there is one last thing that they can do for Rhaegar (as in helping his real child), but it will cause conflicting feelings: Each of them will feel honour-bound to pay their perceived debt to Rhaegar, however, it would mean abandoning their current duties, and how could they possibly do that? They could reach opposing conclusions in the end. 4) The Blackfish will turn up again. Edmure and his family will be freed. 5) LS will find peace at last. Wishful thinking: 1) Val and Jon will be happily united in love. 2) Benjen will return alive and well. 3) The author will get rid of Euron as soon as narratively possible. 4) All mysteries will be explained. 5) The Daynes will actually play an important role.

Happy New Year, everyone! @Jez Bell, thank you for the call! Can I still join?

4) Special obsidian feline treasure.

1) 1 2) 8 3) 6

My thought exactly!

A Dame of Thrones (Or the life of Margaery Tyrell.)

Paws (The story of what happened on the shore.)

I hope everyone is well - speedy recovery to all who need it! My vote: 1. 6) Hark: Limited, original manuscript! Elegant! Handwritten! 2. 4) Highly limited offering! Maester’s extraordinary hagiography! 3. 1) Details of Valyrian Dudes.

Thanks for the invitation! I'm here.

I think the Hound can be excluded. During the scene where he wants to persuade Arya to give him the gift of mercy, he tries to make her enraged enough to kill him by reminding her of how he killed Mycah and what he might have done to Sansa. If he had had a hand in the attempt on Bran's life and the arson in Winterfell, he would surely add this confession to the list in the scene, but he does not. Blount and Trant are certainly very likely suspects as middlemen, though in this case I must conclude that the planning must have been done by the catspaw as likely the most intelligent member of the gang. I really like this theory. Even if it does not get confirmed by GRRM, it is very well built up and plausible (though it would make me hate Mance Ryder). I also like the idea that the burning of the Winterfell Library at a time when rediscovering ancient knowledge would be essential has some further significance beyond being a mere diversion.

A pyrrhic victory at best.

Well, he managed to start a civil war and "disorder" in the whole realm as well as discord and disaster in his immediate family. Of course, he shouldn't allow his son "to be taken at will by another great house". But the attack on the Riverlands was not his only option.

It seems that Jaime didn't think of this option. (I guess as a Kingsguard Jaime himself might have needed permission from the King to leave King's Landing, but he could have sent some Lannister men at least.) Tywin probably didn't want to involve Jaime in this business though.

To be honest, this is an issue even if R+L=J is not true. I mean we know what people in-world believe about Rhaegar and Lyanna, and as long as they believe that, they should wonder, regardless of the hidden truth. It is possible that Ned arranged the journey home in such a way that Lyanna's bones and the baby would not be transported together or seen arriving anywhere at the same time, just so people would dissociate Jon from Lyanna.