[Book Spoilers] GRRM Confirms Osha in WoW

[Masha]

Yeah it was, although I'm not sure if he still had that title in mind after discarding the idea of a trilogy / the original script. If yes then I believe it might still hold some clues as to how the story will be concluded. So fingers crossed. Although there's still that "bittersweet" part as well... :uhoh:

I have no reason to believe that the Skagosi would wish Rickon harm. Them being savage brutes seems to be just the same type of BS propaganda that is being spread about the wildlings. A Stark or not, murdering a child is a terrible act and I believe the Skagosi would expect their gods to rain severe punishment on whoever commits such crime. Besides, if they ever found out Rickon had warging powers they would probably think that the boy is marked or protected by the Old Gods or something similar. And maybe the Skagosi don't even know that Rickon is a Stark? Maybe Osha told him to never tell anyone?

I think, Skagos sounds like a wild place where people are very much like Wildlings but also sort of mystical (unicorn - anyone)?

It doesn't matter if Skagosi know if Rickon is Stark or not, just a fact of a small child being protected by giant Direwolf (who are probably extinct/non-existent) in that island, would give him sort of mystical status in Skagos.

Even, wildlings who know and hate Starks, have a sense of respect toward them as Kings of Winter. (doesn't mean they want to swear allegiance to them) but they are also will not recognize any other family as alternative to Starks.

So, while Skagos continuously rebelled and raided North, there is a reason to suspect that Stark names hold sort of legendary status there. They would respect a Stark with Direwolf as his protector.

I suspect, however, that Rickon became this uncontrollable wild boy, little better than wildest of Wildlings, that doesn't want to go with Davos, and whom Davos would be barely able to keep out of trouble.

[Brother Seamus]

There's no point in Manderly sending Davos on a wild goose chase

Before talking with Wyman, Davos had no idea that Rikon and Bran were alive and there were 1001 more profitable wild goose chases that Davos could have been sent on

The only reason for sharing what he had learned from Wex with Davos was to get Davos looking for the boy

We've also seen the set up of Ramsey's bitches being trained to fight wolves, so Shaggy vs the Girls should be an epic

I agree. we'll see rickon and shaggy and osha and davos, together. I'd wager a fair sum they show up, with Skagosi, and their appearance is timely in some way related to the battle of the ice or siege of winterfell.

[Justin Amey]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I just find it a bit weird that Manderly and Glover seem to know Rickon's whereabouts for a while now, and instead of doing something to retrieve him they were just sitting on their hands and waiting for a smuggler to come along.

C'mon, since when is Davos the only smuggler in Westeros? White Harbor is right next to the Three Sisters, the smugglers' den par excellence. As easy as sending Glover in secret to hire some old smuggler with a raft who would take him to Skaagos. And I don't buy that ALL of Manderly's captains are rivermen, as he said.

Something's fishy in White Harbor. I'm not saying Manderly send Davos on a wild goose chase, but either something's up or GRRM came up with a lazy excuse to get Davos to Skaagos.

And there's also the whole shaggy dog thing, that I'm not sure it's just a coincidence

Manderlys have frey spies in their lands. They can't just use any smuggle, They might just give Rickon to the freys. Davos however works for Stannis how is against the Bolton. There is no perfect man for the job

[Attitude]

At the San Francisco premiere recently, GRRM was interviewed and confirmed that we'll be seeing a lot more of Osha in WoW. Obviously, we know that Davos was tasked by Manderly to find Rickon and Rickon was with Osha last time we saw him. So do you think that us seeing more of Osha means Davos will find Rickon, or do you think GRRM will throw us a curveball (in typical GRRM fashion) and have Osha appear somewhere else, and possibly without Rickon?

Personally, I'm not really sure. I think we were all safely assuming that we'd see Osha/Rickon again, but from the interview it sounded like we'd be seeing her for more than one chapter. There's also speculation that Manderly is just leading Davos on a wild goose chase, so perhaps we'll see Osha and/or Rickon in another POV chapter altogether.

I don't think tWoW (and aDoS) will have (m)any curveballs. Pretty sure he will have to wrap his story up and tie up some loose ends in tWoW to make sure that aDoS isn't to big and it's 'easier' to finish the series.

As they already did in the show by killing of Stannis & Myrcella; No Baratheon line left and no 'Dorne Queen' possibility.

[Lord Cadwan]

What age do you think Rickon is according to the timeline in TWoW? He was 3 at the start of the series,so around 6-7 years now? 8 maybe given that Sansa has been in Vale for almost a year?

In any case I don't see him being the great Stark lord everyone here expects him to be.I'm more curious about who the protector will be ruling Winterfell till he comes of age.[assuming something of that sort happens]

Rickon is currently 5 nearly 6.

[saillias]

I can't get over that GRRM named Rickon's direwolf "Shaggydog." Why would he do that?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaggy_Dog_Story/

I feel like Rickon is being set up as another Quentyn dead end.

[JonisHenryTudor]

No one seems to consider that Rickon has actually been killed by the Skagosi, who are known to hate Starks.

No. Martin would not send Rickon to Skagos to die. He may take awhile to write, but he is not that lazy.

Skaagos is pretty remote, and from what I can gather is pretty much left alone. I wouldn't be surprised if no one there knows who Rickon really is. For all they know he's just some kid with a giant wolf.

This and we know less about them than we do of the Others, and we know very little about the Others.

Any attempt by Skagosi to kill Rickon would probably end up with someone suffering a sudden and severe case of "wolf in guts", followed by "guts in wolf".

And there is this. Shaggydog is perhaps the most ruthless of the direwolves, so..... go luck to the Skagosi.

If anything, I can see Rickon finding some friends there. There is a reason to send Rickon there other than, hey let's hide the child for a book.

[TreeFaces]

Also Rickon accepting a wildling as a protector/motherly figure can help make peace with the wildlings. If the Lord of Winterfell Rickon Stark likes Osha, it makes a huge difference.

Rickon isn't only important because he is a Stark. He is important because he means "peace with the wildling". Thet is why we need Rickon so match into the picture again. If the North and the wildlings cant unit, they are lost.

I strongly agree with this, partly because I am strangely caught up in the whole Jon bringing the wildlings south of the wall and Alys Karstark marrying a Thenn, but I agree with Bastetcat that it is essential to the survival of the North. Especially after the Night Watch debacle and the mess to follow there. Osha could find herself in an influential and powerful position WHEN Rickon returns to the scene.

[A Ghost of Someone]

Given the timeline of Davos's journey when he receives his orders from Manderly and to where we leave off with Lord Wyman wounded in the brawl at Winterfell, I think glover with a secret host, including Rickon and Co are near winterfell ready to take it from the Boltons. Rickon will be installed in this book as King in the North or Lord of Winterfell, I am sure of it.

[Carey Snow]

Put me in the camp that thinks Davos is going to findh Osha/Rickon/Shaggy and bring them back. Rickon will be the Stark in Winterfell. And his presence, and the knowledge that he is alive, will have huge ripple effects.

1. Everyone will also know, or suspect, Bran is alive as well. Rickon/Osha can tell them.

2. Bolton's Arya plot blows up. Of course, he'hs got bigger problems at the moment.

3. Stannis will lose the grip on his army, at least to an extent. With a Stark to support still alive, the GNA will throw it's weight behind him. Of course, he has rallied the North after saving it at the Wall, and possibly freed Winterfell as well, so some gratitude will be there. Maybe some mending of the fences in the Stark/Baratheon relationship.

4. Theon will be exonerated for their murder. Though it might be posthumous at this rate.

5. Once word starts to spread that Rickon and Bran, it won't be long before word reaches the ears of Littlefinger/Sansa. That will put a crimp in his plans. No doubt he'll try to keep that info from her. It also could reach the ears of Lady Stoneheart, which could be interesting as well. Arya's reaction will also be interesting, though she'll likely be the last to know.

6. Rickon will likely to be very accepting of wildlings, given his closeness to Osha. Jon will likely have an ally in giving the Wildlings land south of the Wall, and making the North a much more productive and populous land. The dominant kingdom in Westeros (at least when it isn't Winter).

I can't wait. After the Bolton's bite it, and Stannis likely as well, and Sansa likely gaining control of the Vale/Winterlands somehow, things will be looking up. Littlefinger being the main fly in the ointment. If Sansa takes care of him, then the North, Vale, Riverlands, and possibly Baratheon if Stannis survives, if not Davos (as Hand) would rule for Shireen (who is very nice) once the whole females can't inherit thing gets blown away, either by Dany or Cersei (she has to do some good by accident eventually, yes?).

Oh sweet summer child . . . No way will Mr. Martin let that many things go right for the Starks.