Can we please talk about Brienne's last word again?

[Gray Ghost]

Has anyone suggested yet that the last word might be "Lysa"? .... As to catch the attention of Uncat -- as anyone that has read the books knows that it would (if Uncat was present).

I am thinking the last thing that goes through a person's brain when they are about to die, is "how can I prevent dying?". So if this is the case, and Brienne has already decided that she will not go against the oath she gave Jaime (George R.R. Martin would not make this so clear if there wasn't going to be a sharp twist in the "one word" scenario -- and not just a simple "OK, I'll do it" from Brienne). By giving the name Lysa, she can then be given time to explain that Cat's daughter(s) are alive, and that she knows where at least one of them is located.

Just a thought.. I'm new here. Thanks for reading!

[Timur Khal]

I don't think she'd say 'Lysa'; they were suspending her considerable weight a few feet in the air by the throat. She wouldn't have the air in her lungs to have a full conversation or really get all that much out. A conversation while dieing of strangulation is relatively uncommon, so I'm guessing it was limited to one word.

But I'll be unoriginal and say 'Sword' :P

[Knight of Ashes]

I quite liked what a boarder suggested that maybe Brienne's last word was "Arya". Though, I've gotten fuzzy on her chapters and know no reason why Brienne would think Arya's still alive.

[brashcandy]

My crackpot is that she said Sandor, as he's been following them from the isle. Or maybe she said it to convince them that the big bad scary Hound has Sansa :)

Why do people think she says "sword" btw?

[headtrip_honey]

I quite liked what a boarder suggested that maybe Brienne's last word was "Arya". Though, I've gotten fuzzy on her chapters and know no reason why Brienne would think Arya's still alive.

I am also fuzzy on chapters, but when she was on the Quiet Isle, the Elder Brother told her that she was seeking the wrong sister, that it was Arya who had traveled with Sandor, not Sansa.

[A song of rice and fire]

My crackpot is that she said Sandor, as he's been following them from the isle. Or maybe she said it to convince them that the big bad scary Hound has Sansa :)

Why do people think she says "sword" btw?

She was given the option of being hanged or taking the sword and killing Jaime. Brienne refused to pick..

..or did she?

[headtrip_honey]

She was given the option of being hanged or taking the sword and killing Jaime. Brienne refused to pick..

..or did she?

I refuse to believe that Brienne would betray Jaime. Everything we know about her character suggests that she would die rather than dishonor herself.

[brashcandy]

She was given the option of being hanged or taking the sword and killing Jaime. Brienne refused to pick..

..or did she?

Oh yeah, thanks! :)

[Knight of Ashes]

I am also fuzzy on chapters, but when she was on the Quiet Isle, the Elder Brother told her that she was seeking the wrong sister, that it was Arya who had traveled with Sandor, not Sansa.

Thanks.

[A song of rice and fire]

I refuse to believe that Brienne would betray Jaime. Everything we know about her character suggests that she would die rather than dishonor herself.

I'm not saying she said it (I like to think it was something super unexpected like "Shadow-Baby!").

But she could have said "Sword" to save Pod's life.

[headtrip_honey]

I'm not saying she said it (I like to think it was something super unexpected like "Shadow-Baby!").

But she could have said "Sword" to save Pod's life.

True, but I'd hate to see what happens to someone who double crosses unCat, if that's what you're suggesting.

[Jude-the-Obscure]

Here's a suggestion thats very different. She could have said three syllables .... "I'm sorry"

She was sorry she hadn't found either Sansa or Arya, she was sorry Cat had been killed. None of these were her fault, but she had given her word of honour to Cat to find her daughters - which bound her to Cat as well as the girls.

And last of all - she was sorry about Jaime. NOT sorry she hadn't killed him, but sorry she hadn't saved him.

[Defengar]

perhaps she just said "sword" to get away. I doubt that Uncat would send men with her... and most would agree that an oath taken in such circumstances would be null and void anyway.

[Gray Ghost]

Has anyone suggested yet that the last word might be "Lysa"? .... As to catch the attention of Uncat -- as anyone that has read the books knows that it would (if Uncat was present).

I am thinking the last thing that goes through a person's brain when they are about to die, is "how can I prevent dying?". So if this is the case, and Brienne has already decided that she will not go against the oath she gave Jaime (George R.R. Martin would not make this so clear if there wasn't going to be a sharp twist in the "one word" scenario -- and not just a simple "OK, I'll do it" from Brienne). By giving the name Lysa, she can then be given time to explain that Cat's daughter(s) are alive, and that she knows where at least one of them is located.

Just a thought.. I'm new here. Thanks for reading!

I did not mean that she would explain with the noose around her neck.. Rather, she would be allowed to avoid the death by hanging, and gain more time to explain her knowledge.

[Timur Khal]

perhaps she just said "sword" to get away. I doubt that Uncat would send men with her... and most would agree that an oath taken in such circumstances would be null and void anyway.

Brienne wouldn't think so; she is all about keeping even the most casual or impossible of oaths

Here's a suggestion thats very different. She could have said three syllables .... "I'm sorry"

She was sorry she hadn't found either Sansa or Arya, she was sorry Cat had been killed. None of these were her fault, but she had given her word of honour to Cat to find her daughters - which bound her to Cat as well as the girls.

And last of all - she was sorry about Jaime. NOT sorry she hadn't killed him, but sorry she hadn't saved him.

It makes sense, except I can't imagine UnCat going 'Okay, you said the magic word, you go free now'

And, from ADWD, we know that she somehow survives

[daenerys snow]

I refuse to believe that Brienne would betray Jaime. Everything we know about her character suggests that she would die rather than dishonor herself.

but she also had the life of the boy podrick payne to consider. he was being hanged too and that may have been her motivation for that.

plus we know in adwd

she lies to jaime about sansa and lures him off to gods know where, maybe to the lair of un-cat & friends.

[Kanyin Snow]

And, from ADWD, we know that she somehow survives

I thought her part in ADwD ended just before she was captured. I need a reread.

At the end of aFoC the text reads that she spoke A word.

My vote would be "Stannis" if Uncat is there since she made Cat swear never to stand in the way of her revenge against him and if It's the Brotherhood she has to convince to stop the hanging it would be "Robert."

I loved the whole Kingswood Brotherhood story, Robin Hood almost. You don't think much about the small folk when you read about knights and castles but when you stop to think about where your actual place in the story would be, I'd probably be a washer woman or a cook or farmers wife. So the idea of the Brotherhood I have loved. They were sent out by Ned Stark to uphold the king's peace before any of the war started and halfway through the third book they still announce that they fight for King Robert. And so I don't think try would find doing the deeds for Uncat as honorable as they were for Donderrion.

But how would Brienne know that? I can't figure that one out.

[kephv]

My guess is that she said a word, followed by some other words that made them

cut her down. I really can't think of any one word that would've immediately made them give in. Especially considering who roped her up in the first place.

[Errant Bard]

She said "sword",

was not hanged, and went to get Jaime, like Catelyn had asked.

Seriously, when you see a character be told "all she wants of you is Jaime Lannister" then "Sword or noose she says, choose"... then some time later you don't see her, like, going for Arya, looking for Sansa, hunting Stannis or whatever normal implications of those hypothetical alternativve miraculously convincing words, but rather getting Jaime, which is the direct action associated with "sword" (Hyle knews it, he shouted just that, also the alternative was dying) then I don't know what's your problem in still not wanting the word to be sword.

[Timur Khal]

I thought her part in ADwD ended just before she was captured. I need a reread.

At the end of aFoC the text reads that she spoke A word.

My vote would be "Stannis" if Uncat is there since she made Cat swear never to stand in the way of her revenge against him and if It's the Brotherhood she has to convince to stop the hanging it would be "Robert."

I loved the whole Kingswood Brotherhood story, Robin Hood almost. You don't think much about the small folk when you read about knights and castles but when you stop to think about where your actual place in the story would be, I'd probably be a washer woman or a cook or farmers wife. So the idea of the Brotherhood I have loved. They were sent out by Ned Stark to uphold the king's peace before any of the war started and halfway through the third book they still announce that they fight for King Robert. And so I don't think try would find doing the deeds for Uncat as honorable as they were for Donderrion.

But how would Brienne know that? I can't figure that one out.

Well, she had the bandage covering her cheek, which was eaten by Biter, so that would place it after the hanging (since she goes unconcious, and wakes up captured). Also, in the end, Jaime follows her after she mutters something about Sansa and the Hound (which we know to be probably untrue), and they head off to the Saltpans. Which means that she did somehow get out of it, returned to Jaime, and then led him off to some undisclosed location.