Castellan

I was reading about Forley Prester. He is shown to be capable and no fool, experienced in warfare and a stubborn and sensible commander in battle. But this emphasis just makes me paradoxically think he is doomed because of the detail about him and about Jaime's consideration of the problem and his increasing the size of the column after Brynden escapes. Because I really think the idea that Jaime has improved militarily is overstated and that in fact he has improved, but not enough. I could see that letting Brynden escape was a fatal error that would come back to get him. I was of the mind that he would find his way to the BWB camp and Jaime would have a fatal encounter with him there. But considering that TWOW was initially titled A Time for Wolves, I can't help seeing that a bloody encounter between the column, and human and animal 'wolves' is on the cards. Even if not necessarily a prologue. Then I wondered about the name Forley Prester and whether there were any references there. I found that there is a Forley in a Joe Abercrombie novel. He is quite unlike Forley Prester, but he is noted for his fate. He volunteers for a mission as an envoy, and his head is sent back in bag. PS I was just reading the thread about what we know about TWOW (with summaries of readings etc) and I noticed at one point GRRM said, as part of a list: Nymeria's wolf pack will become important in one of the last two books. At the same time he said quite specific things such as that the prologue is already written and Jeyne will feature in it. This makes me think that the wolf pack won't feature in the prologue, if its placement in the books was still undecided. Unless he didn't want to reveal too much, of course. SIgh

@FantasyCreature about Sybil, I think she is just in denial about her son being dead, because there was no body. She spoke rather roughly to Jaime, wanting answers or demanding he help find him or something. Pretty dumb not to send him away like the Freys sent away their relatives who were friendly with Robb.

He may just have an otherworldly air. Or like raw meat. He will have been in Ghost, I assume.

The wights made by the Others seem to simply be zombies. We don't know how much if at all they control their own actions and if they have any higher thought. Maybe you really do need them on mass to get much use out of them. The fire wights seem to retain a lot of themselves initially and lose it with each revival. Although I actually think the way Beric discussed his fate was very human and more like fatigue than intrinsically changing. Perhaps its like accelerated aging.

ahem. I think Jaime and Sansa are major POVS and equivalent to Dany, Bran and Tyrion. So far all prologues have been from a once-off POV. We may have seen the characters before in other chapters - e.g. Chett - but they haven't had a POV and they then end up dead: Will-Cressen-Chett-Pate-Varamyr I agree that the prologues include some sort of 'set up' as you say. Its hard to pin down exactly how they differ from other chapters and I think there are ordinary chapters that resemble the POV chapters. I think the Varamyr prologue is probably there to get some ideas in around Jon's fate. We aleady knew about skinchanging and could guess that Jon might survive that way but this chapter shows how that might feel to him.It also shows the possible miserable lonely fate of a body hopping skinchanger whose original body is lost - so that will be in our minds even if we do see him in warg chapter. I have been assuming that his body will be thrown in an ice cell or something and be able to be revived by Melisandre, but this way we can't be sure of that happy result. I think the prologue to TWOW would be in a particular setting and raise issues or provide some information and then in the next chapters the story moves away from that setting. So yes, as seems a popular notion, it could follow up the Riverrun prisoner column, show Sybil Spicer up to something, then shift to one of the big battles for several chapters. But there are lots of other possibilities.

I agree its less obvious than some, but there is al lot of talk about dragons, and glass candles, - which seems important news to me - that people in the Citadel are aware - it shows the fire side of the conflict heating up. And not just militarily with a dragon princess at the head of a military force but that Marwyn may understand the battle for life/death that underlies it. However the introduction of the faceless man to the Citadel is a major element which I agree is a bit of s stretch to see as fire unless we basically equate Essos with fire and westeros with ice. If anything as he is an assassin you would think he belongs on the icier side of things.

Thanks!

So this is responding to a small point in your interesting post, Jaime's military skills, but anyway... I feel strongly that Jaime has improved his military skills, but not enough. On the obvious level, on the way to Riverun, and once there, he is very aware of having good picket lines and scouts because that's how he failed last time. I think if GRRM has pointed this change out in interviews he is just doing what he's done in the book - entwined an obvious reading and a more subtle one in Jaime's POV. Because at this rate, he will take decades to improve, fixing one problem at a time. He is a knight, not a hardened commander. And he is a romantic, not really liking a plain battle for control that has nothing to do with honour etc. He is reluctant to turn the red fork red again. Brynden is such a contrast, having concentration, experience, understanding the importance of detail. Jaime does show his Lannister flare and trickster side when he realises that Edmure is the Lord, not Brynden, and Edmure can be pressured, whereas Brynden is hard as rock. Then he makes what in my opinion will be a colossal mistake - letting Brynden escape - what with taking over a castle being quite confusing and all! His sister told him that she must have Brynden in chains because "that man is dangerous" and she is correct. Why did he not demand the important prisoners be handed over first so he could secure them? I can't help thinking that on one level he is reluctant to meet Brynden again, the great knight he admired who has shown him such contempt in his attempt to parley. Back to Jaime's skills - he also made the mistake of making the snap judgement that because Rafford was well spoken in contrast to Shitmouth, he was one of the more acceptable of Gregor's men and was suitable to escort the two knights who wanted to take the black to the wall. I think he'd be more likely to kill them to save the bother of travel. Which will cause more mistrust of the Lannisters. I have been thinking that Brynden will end up in the BWB camp (because I think they have scouts and small folk who tell them whats going on in the area so they mey be aware of him that way) and in confrontation with Jaime there. Brynden is also (and alternatively) a likely candidate to attack the hostage column, if anyone does. He has said he serves his queen. Notwithstanding your reasonable objections to raiding the column --- I think there'd be a fictional way around them! Or it could indeed be a bloodbath. Brynden would not know about the orders to kill the hostages.

Just seeing dragons in battle or perhaps the issue of whether anyone can actually control them might count as 'arcane'. It gets less arcane as the books go one and people realise all these weird things are actually happening I suppose. I was thinking either something like you describe or someone near Dany and Drogo. But he could have something more cunning up his sleeve, a mysterious prologue somewhere else, followed by a major battle scene from a POV.

These are some features of the prologues: 1. Ice and Fire themes alternate. The next one should be fire themed. 2. The Ice chapters have so far been set in the sparsely settled north of Westeros in difficult, cold conditions. The Fire chapters have been set further south in Westeros and the action has taken place in the midst of a group of characters who are interested in wider events and discussing them. Presumably the next prologue may shift to Essos, although not necessarily. 3. The POVs are once-off POVs and the POV character dies. 4. An arcane power has made itself known in most of the prologues although it’s a bit muddled. As well as seeing wights and Others in two of the ice-themed prologues, we have an ice-themed one which simply shows Varamyr unable to obtain a new host and dying. In the last fire prologue, a faceless man provides the most dramatic action, obtaining the face of an apprentice and a key to every door in the Citadel. So as well as wights and Others, talk of dragons and of glass candles and fire magic, we also see skin changing - something that has survived from the old ways, in the far north - and faceless assassins - something from Essos, possibly a lot newer than skin changing. Based on these features, any ideas on what the prologue for TWOW might contain?

Could be Victarion. An explosive exit. Or a beginning... depending what happens with that horn.

Jaime-Brienne and the BWB Tyrion (and I want to see Inkpots, who is absolutely and without a doubt Gerion Lannister, being a complete coward in battle. Not that I disapprove of that.) Victarion/Barristan etc - just to get this bloody battle out of the way Jon not so much, he'll be in Ghost or a raven or something for while, it seems like it may be slow moving at the start. Likewise Dany, seems like she'll be carted around as a prisoner for a while while battles happen. Aeron - the start of Ragnorak! You can't say Euron sailing around with a hold full of mages etc is not a gripping concept. Theon - hanging on Stannis' wall he seems to have become a new person - but I wonder if we'll actually get any more chapters from him - maybe we'll just see him through others eyes. Oh yes, we have the sacrifice business coming up - I wonder if that will happen. That's it. Well I have gone beyond the OP question. I guess the top two I listed are my priorities.

He'd detailed, but not that detailed! Anyway, it would not affect anything. Its not like they have the internet, planes and international stock markets. I don't know fast birds fly and for how long but .... no

yes it hints but its misdirection dates and other clues point to Tyrion.

I would like to have a job as a trader and travel to different ports starting with Braavos, Pentos, Volantis, then going further afield, to YI TI. ... PS I didn't read the question. I really don't want the books to take me very far afield. Or save that till the ADOS is published. have it in spin offs. But these are some of the places that inspire my imagination.