Speculation on Future Tales of Dunk and Egg Novellas

[All-Seeing Aye]

Overview:

Three Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas have been released so far.

-The Hedge Knight: set in 209 AC, details Dunk and Egg meeting, the tourney at Ashford Meadow, the trial of seven, and the death of Prince Baelor Targaryen

-The Sworn Sword: set in 211 AC, details Dunk and Egg serving Ser Eustace Osgrey in the Reach and being embroiled in a local conflict with Lady Rohanne Webber

-The Mystery Knight: set in 211 AC (212 AC before the release of The World of Ice and Fire, still unsure why the change was made as it messes with the timeline), details Dunk and Egg at the Whitewalls tourney and the abortive Second Blackfyre Rebellion

The next planned installment has the working title The She-Wolves of Winterfell.  In addition we also know that the one after this has the working title The Village Hero and will be set in the riverlands.  GRRM has also provided (in no specific order) other possible future titles (working titles or set in stone, we don't know at this point): The Sellsword, The Champion, The Kingsguard, and The Lord Commander.

Key/Shared Characteristics of the Novellas:

Working from the three released stories, several shared characteristics emerge that can be useful in predicting plot points and structure for future novellas (assuming GRRM keeps things consistent, of course).

-Dunk is always the title character (The She-Wolves of Winterfell is a working title, although this may be an instance where there's an exception to the pattern).

-The stories' structure is the same: the narrative takes place over a period of at most several days/weeks interspersed with flashbacks/recollections.  In other words, the stories won't take place over years or months (but can certainly include information from years or months ago through flashbacks/recollections).

-The novellas are always told from Dunk's point-of-view.

Other Facts to Keep in Mind:

-We don't know the exact year when Dunk joined the Kingsguard, nor the year when he became Lord Commander (the earliest date for which we know he’s in the Kingsguard is in 236 AC during the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, while he’s only confirmed to be Lord Commander in 259 AC as of now).

-We know that at some point Dunk had at least one child, since Brienne is confirmed to be his descendant.  There is also the popular theory that Dunk had a relationship with either Rhae or Daella, Egg's sisters, that resulted in a child (bastard, or passed off as someone else's?) who married into House Tarth (the recent ties to House Targaryen mentioned in TWOIAF).  Genuinely not sure where/how such a relationship might fit into this timeline, especially if it was clandestine.  One would think that Brienne would have known the arms on the shield she recalls were from Ser Duncan the Tall if the relationship/familial connection was widely known in the histories, which makes me suspect that his child with either sister was passed off as someone else's.  Or not; we really don't have more information to speculate on firmly at this point.
-Per the postscript page of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk and Egg will visit the Disputed Lands and ‘the shining cities of Essos’.

 

Predictions on Future Plotlines:

One of the reasons The World of Ice and Fire's sections on Aerys I, Maekar I, and Aegon V left a lot of the specifics vague (think, for example, of the deliberate lack of details about the Third Blackfyre Rebellion, especially compared to other sections) is because it's highly likely that GRRM will include those details in future Tales of Dunk and Egg Novellas.  Below are my speculations on the order, timeframes, and content of future novellas based on the titles released thus far (keeping in mind that GRRM might change things up in the future).

 

The She-Wolves of Winterfell:

-probably takes place in 212 AC (assuming they move directly north from Whitewalls at a standard pace, complicated by TWOIAF shifting The Mystery from 212 AC to 211 AC)

-confirmed to be set at Winterfell as Dunk and Egg journey north to the Wall and meet with formidable Stark women during a succession crisis as Lord Beron Stark dies

-if, as many suspect, the vision Bran sees in ADWD of a woman kissing a knight 'as tall as Hodor' is (young) Old Nan and Dunk, it would probably take place here (though there are timeline questions with Old Nan and the Brandon Stark (son of Willam Stark) she was brought to nurse)

The Village Hero:

-probably takes place in 212/213 AC (assuming Dunk and Egg eventually wander back south and return to the riverlands directly after visiting the Wall)

-confirmed to be set in the riverlands and will probably feature Dunk and Egg in Pennytree, where they are caught in the middle of the Blackwood-Bracken feud.  Egg probably meets his future wife Betha Blackwood here.

-Pennytree will be the setting because it's where Ser Arlan was from and Dunk will want to visit it; it also leads nicely into the Blackwood-Bracken feud (especially as referenced during Jaime's ADWD chapter).

The Sellsword:

-will take place in 219 AC during the Third Blackfyre Rebellion

-there's some speculation that Egg will want Dunk to knight him, and Dunk will eventually own up to the fact that Ser Arlan never actually knighted him (there's plenty of proof for that in other threads/commentary, won't rehash it here).  If there's a falling out, perhaps Dunk takes service as a sellsword in the Free Cities after leaving Egg for a time?  We also know nothing about where exactly this rebellion was fought, so perhaps this is where their going to the Disputed Lands happens.

The Kingsguard:

-will take place in 236 AC during the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion

-least sure about this one, as we don't know when before 236 AC Dunk was named to the Kingsguard

The Champion:

-will take place during Lyonel Baratheon's short-lived rebellion as Storm King, which ends when Dunk as a Kingsguard knight serves as Egg's champion in a trial by combat

-set sometime between 239 AC (when Prince Duncan Targaryen breaks his betrothal and marries Jenny of Oldstones) and 245 AC (when Ormund Baratheon is Lord of Storm's End)

The Lord Commander:

-either this or an as-of-yet unmentioned additional title will cover the tragedy at Summerhall in 259 AC, where both Dunk and Egg die (with TWOIAF strongly implying that Dunk's valor saved some members of House Targaryen from perishing)

Other events that might be covered (in person or in flashbacks), either in additional novellas or replacing events discussed above:

-the Great Council of 233 AC

-the deaths of Rhaegel, Aelor, Aelora, Daeron, and Aerion

-the Rat, the Hawk, and the Pig (there's been some speculation that these individuals are Dunk's old friends from Flea Bottom)

Further speculation or critiques are welcome.

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

6 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

Key/Shared Characteristics of the Novellas:

 

Working from the three released stories, several shared characteristics emerge that can be useful in predicting plot points and structure for future novellas (assuming GRRM keeps things consistent, of course).

 

-Dunk is always the title character (The She-Wolves of Winterfell is a working title, although this may be an instance where there's an exception to the pattern).

 

-The stories' structure is the same: the narrative takes place over a period of at most several days/weeks interspersed with flashbacks/recollections.  In other words, the stories won't take place over years or months (but can certainly include information from years or months ago through flashbacks/recollections).

 

-The novellas are always told from Dunk's point-of-view.

Another theme is that the Blackfyre rebellions feature heavily. Granted, they are not mentioned in The Hedge Knight though.

I point this out because of all the theories around how the Blackfyres might be involved in the fAegon conspiracy.

[Macgregor of the North]

I have a Novella related Bloodraven thread I'll be posting soon, good timing with this one dropping today also. 

Looks like I'm not the only one looking forward to more Novellas. 

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

40 minutes ago, Macgregor of the North said:

Looks like I'm not the only one looking forward to more Novellas.

In many ways I’m looking forward to the novellas more than I am the rest of ASOIAF. There seem to be lots of crucial details in there.

I’m still uncertain to what extent the novellas are intertwined with ASOIAF, i.e. will it contain answers to some of the mysteries in the series, and therefore a complete understanding of the story can’t be achieved without reading them? I suppose time will tell.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

I have heard something about 18 novellas, I wonder if George changed his mind and will shorten the number.

You made a good amount of validy points. I also agree Dunk was not knighted by Ser Arlan, because when he is wondering what he was going to do next, he considered go looking for another knight to serve as a squire or to go to King's Landong or Lannisport and join the city watch, very strange options for a man who was knighted in my opinion.

[Macgregor of the North]

10 minutes ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

In many ways I’m looking forward to the novellas more than I am the rest of ASOIAF. There seem to be lots of crucial details in there.

 

I’m still uncertain to what extent the novellas are intertwined with ASOIAF, i.e. will it contain answers to some of the mysteries in the series, and therefore a complete understanding of the story can’t be achieved without reading them? I suppose time will tell.

 

I am particularly looking forward to what is slated to be the next instalment. The Winterfell story where Dagon is making a nuisance of himself. 

I can not wait to read about Winterfell back then and think it may help with a few answers to questions we have possibly. 

They will surely finish with Summerhall and what happened there. Of course it would be amazing to find out everything we can from Dunk and Aegon in the run up to that event. 

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

7 minutes ago, Macgregor of the North said:

I am particularly looking forward to what is slated to be the next instalment. The Winterfell story where Dagon is making a nuisance of himself. 

I can not wait to read about Winterfell back then and think it may help with a few answers to questions we have possibly. 

They will surely finish with Summerhall and what happened there. Of course it would be amazing to find out everything we can from Dunk and Aegon in the run up to that event. 

George himself told we won't learn about Summerhall in ASOIAF, so yes, we will see it in the Tales of Dunk and Egg, what is pretty cool, because we will learn it first hand. In ASOIAF, the only character who would be able to tell us what happened would be the Ghost of High Heart.

She is considered to be a child of the forest and most likely related to the Old Gods, she is probably a greenseer, due to her green dreams, she was also in Summerhall because Jeyne told Aegon V about her, or maybe she told Duncan the Small who then told his father. Also, Do followers of the Old Gods know something about hatching dragons? Because there was a ritual in Summerhall and we know the Ghost of High Heart was involved.

[Macgregor of the North]

1 minute ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

George himself told we won't learn about Summerhall in ASOIAF, so yes, we will see it in the Tales of Dunk and Egg, what is pretty cool, because we will learn it first hand. In ASOIAF, the only character who would be able to tell us what happened would be the Ghost of High Heart.

She is considered to be a child of the forest and most likely related to the Old Gods, she is probably a greenseer, due to her green dreams, she was also in Summerhall because Jeyne told Aegon V about her, or maybe she told Duncan the Small who then told his father. Also, Do followers of the Old Gods know something about hatching dragons? Because there was a ritual in Summerhall and we know the Ghost of High Heart was involved.

The Ghost of High heart won't be revealing anything in the seven main books I don't think. 

But how awesome is it to picture a younger version of herself on page appearing in Novellas. 

Im not sure she had knowledge of hatching Dragons, she was maybe just there because her prophecies were well received by the prophecy heavy Targs and she was Jenny's best buddy who was accepted as Duncan's woman. 

I'm not sure how much involvement she had in the actual ritual though. 

[Lord Corlys Velaryon]

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Mystery Knight: set in 211 AC (212 AC before the release of The World of Ice and Fire, still unsure why the change was made as it messes with the timeline)

Firstly, great work with this whole post! Interesting, how does having the 2nd BfR in 211AC mess up the timeline?

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The next planned installment has the working title The She-Wolves of Winterfell.  In addition we also know that the one after this has the working title The Village Hero and will be set in the riverlands.

Curiously, there's (perhaps) a possibility that The Village Hero may become chronologically (both in-universe & publication) before "She-Wolves".

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Sellsword, The Champion, The Kingsguard, and The Lord Commander.

I think there's a fair chance that these will be the final titles (or near enough) & in that order (again, or close).

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

Dunk is always the title character

This perhaps also extends to others:

• The Hedge Knight - Ser Arlan (Dunk's mentor who shapes this story the most, even with his death right at the start).
• The Sworn Sword - Bennis (also sworn to Osgrey), Inchfield (sworn to Rohanne).
• The Mystery Knight - John the Fiddler (secretly Daemon II Blackfyre), Glendon (as the reported son of Fireball, & left to Dunk & the reader for a time who Gormy & co may be talking about), Maynard Plumm (i.e. Bloodraven), perhaps even Uthor (given he's "the Snail", but actually so much more).

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The novellas are always told from Dunk's point-of-view.

I wonder if perhaps for at least one of the novellas we may get another PoV (even, nay especially, if with Dunk's) within the "Dunk & Egg" series.

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

We know that at some point Dunk had at least one child, since Brienne is confirmed to be his descendant ... (Text)

It may be that Dunk married a woman of House Tarth before becoming a Kingsguard whose offspring in turn married one of Rhae or Daella's. Though yes, I'm more inclined to believe (whether an actually legitimate child or not) that Dunk had a relationship with Daella or Rhae, & one way or another, that child continued the line of House Tarth that led to Brienne.

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

Dunk and Egg will visit the Disputed Lands and ‘the shining cities of Essos’.

Besides She-Wolves & TVH & the Peake Uprising (which I think was also a 3.5 BfR that was put down before the Golden Company could even land at Dunstonbury), this is perhaps what I'm most excited for in the future of the series!

5 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The She-Wolves of Winterfell: ... (Text)

Whether it comes before TVH or not, this one may even take place as late as say 215AC if D&E fight against Dagon & his Ironborn first for the main events (i.e. the Stark succession crisis - continued) to occur on the return to Winterfell. But yes, 212AC or 213AC is absolutely most like for She-Wolves. Particularly if it actually does come after TVH, then it may be that the Iron Throne's (perhaps when Maekar & Bloodraven actually begin to work together at least a little bit) eventual response in putting down Dagon & his men is a part of the story (if only through flashback like the Dorne & Oldtown travels in TSS).

So Beron's wife, Lorra Royce (of the main branch), is confirmed as one of the five Stark widows who vie for Winterfell to go to their own children/descendants ... Beron's mother, Alys Karstark, if one would presumably only be so in backing up Lorra, given that Rodwell seems to have died before Beron became Lord & had no issue (& so would also disqualify Myriame Manderly too). Wylla Fenn is a possibility, but very unlikely given that her son, Lonny, by Beron's father, Brandon, was a bastard. Jonnel doesn't seem to have had any issue, let alone surviving, so that would disqualify Sansa Stark & Robyn Ryswell (one of which at least would already be deceased for him to have taken a 2nd wife). Arrana & Aregelle are both likely given that (it seems like Cregard & Torrhen died young) by normal Andal inheritance (presumably the model which at least nominally was practiced for much of the time of the Targaryen dynasty all over the Seven Kingdoms besides Dorne & the Iron Islands) they & their children should've come before Barthogan, Brandon, & Beron. Their mother, Serena Stark, is also a fair chance to support at least one of them (perhaps somewhat for both & say pushing for a match between cousins to consolidate the claims). Particularly if the MUSH turns out to be canon, it may be that a daughter of Cregan & Black Aly also pushes forward for their line - say Mariah who married back into House Blackwood. Be that the case or not, if the Mariah-Seth match ends up canon & producing children, that may play into Willam Stark being married to Melantha Blackwood. Of course there's other male (& so their widow/s, that is) & female Starks on the family tree who may be missing matches & issue atm who perhaps could be possibilities. There's also ~10 children about as potential heirs which presumably includes 3-5 sons of Beron & Lorra (& they had two daughters), & likely at least one child each of Aregelle & Arrana. The (perhaps) last couple or so are harder to determine ...

Dunk & Young Nan = all but confirmed canon, imo. I wonder if it's possible Artos' Brandon was the one Young Nan came to Winterfell (or at least he was an early client of hers as it were), particularly as that would mean that Lysara (Karstark) would've died giving birth to him & also that he had a twin named Benjen ... It may even be that there was some other as yet unknown Brandon too. But yes, most likely Willam's Brandon - what's the potential timeline problem there though?

6 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Village Hero: ... (text)

It is (all) known. Again, whether it stays as the 5th in the series or possibly even becomes the 4th, this could perhaps be later than 212AC or 213AC, possibly c.215AC & I wonder if as late as c.217AC (particularly if there's more on Rhaegel's death, & perhaps even Aelor's). The Village Hero may end up also referring to Egg (say revealing his royalty again & using such to make Pennytree a royal fief to end the feud - well, that iteration anyway), Betha, &/or somebody else. Hopefully, we also learn how Betha & Melantha are related & perhaps even the possibility of Mya or Gwenys (Brynden's sisters) having say married back into the Blackwood line to be a mother or grandmother of theirs ...

7 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Sellsword: ... The Kingsguard: ... The Champion: ... The Lord Commander:

Some interesting & very reasonable thoughts here. There's also some similar & alternative thoughts on these here & here (written by the same person, IIRC, the first being from an original account).

For The Sellsword, I love the possibility of this being Dunk &/or Egg perhaps running into Aerion, Haegon (&/or some other Blackfyre/s), Calla, &/or even Bittersteel across the Narrow Sea! I like that you also have the possibility of a D&E falling out for a time (could also be linked to one of his sisters if Dunk had an affair with one). The 3rd BfR will obviously be covered in some detail in a D&E with TS being the most likely novella for such atm (Aerion, Haegon, &/or Bittersteel fitting as the title besides Dunk). Same deal for the 4th BfR & The Kingsguard. Although 236 is the earliest we know that Dunk is a KG, I'm guessing he was shortly after Egg's ascension at the very latest (given how Maekar died, I'd be very surprised if at least one KG didn't die in the Storming of Starpike either) & likely sometime during Maekar's reign.

Again, same deal for Lyonel's Rebellion & The Champion. Interestingly, although the rebellion was short, it's also described as bloody ... Whatever the losses were for both sides (how many of Lyonel's vassals called their banners to him?! Did he have any inter-regional help?! Who supported Egg outside of the Crownlands?! etc), I'm guessing the single combat was agreed upon to settle the matter & avoid further bloodshed. Was there something of a Paris vs Menelaus scenario with Dunk as Hector having to fight in the place of Duncan (ordered to stay in KL?) or Egg (injured?) instead? ...

Ah, whatever the title for the final novella (again though, The Lord Commander is the top pick thus far) ... Summerhall Sadness.

7 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

the Great Council of 233 AC

Between this, the Peake Uprising, Dunk escorting Brynden & Aemon to the Wall, Aerion's death the previous year (though I wonder that was right at the end of 232AC - say Aerion left in KL with Bloodraven - with the PU right at the start of 233 where Maekar, Egg & Dunk are), possibly Daeron dying recently, (less likely) & perhaps the Lothston fall also being recent; idk how there couldn't be a D&E in 233!

7 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

the deaths of Rhaegel, Aelor, Aelora, Daeron, and Aerion

I'm guessing the first will perhaps be mentioned in a 5th D&E (most like TVH) c.215AC, though in a 6th (particularly with Aelor, & perhaps Aelora's) is a fair possibility at least. As an aside, I've long wondered if we might even hear some (false) Blackfyre propaganda that Rhaegel's kids were fathered by Baelor or Maekar instead. Anyway, Aelor & Aelora will most likely be covered somewhat in whatever details the 3rd BfR. Perhaps Daeron's death will fall under a novella about the Lothston fall, something specific with Maekar's rule, &/or certain tryst/s. Aerion will most likely be under a 233AC one, imo.

8 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

the Rat, the Hawk, and the Pig (there's been some speculation that these individuals are Dunk's old friends from Flea Bottom)

I lean more towards these guys not being Ferret, Rafe & Pudding, but there certainly are some great arguments for such (just saw your old thread here about such after doing a search!). I do think they the 217AC & 251AC versions are one & the same, & have something to do with the Blackfyres ...

1 hour ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

Another theme is that the Blackfyre rebellions feature heavily. Granted, they are not mentioned in The Hedge Knight though. I point this out because of all the theories around how the Blackfyres might be involved in the fAegon conspiracy.

Good point! Mayhaps I'm too kind on GRRM, but I subscribe to the thought that he had an Aegon comeback planned by ACoK (cloth dragon from HotU), if not AGoT (how the prince was killed allowed for himself - miraculously saved beforehand - to come back, GRRM only confirming that Rhaenys died). But then changed it to fAegon (Perkin Warbeck, Daeron the Daring, etc) by FeastDance, if not ASoS (first Blackfyre mentions).

1 hour ago, Macgregor of the North said:

I have a Novella related Bloodraven thread I'll be posting soon, good timing with this one dropping today also. 

Sweet, I look forward to it!

18 minutes ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

In many ways I’m looking forward to the novellas more than I am the rest of ASOIAF. There seem to be lots of crucial details in there.

Same. The historical interests more than ASoIaF-proper (which I'm still bonkers for) since TWoIaF.

19 minutes ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

I have heard something about 18 novellas, I wonder if George changed his mind and will shorten the number.

I'm pretty confident GRRM will finish ASoIaF, though I don't think he will with so many D&E novellas at minimum (he's expressed interest indoing Aegon III's Regency & one during Aegon IV's rule, IIRC - perhaps the latter would be part of Kaeth's Lives of Four Kings & mayhaps the former detailed by Munkun, Eustace, &/or Mushroom - compiled by Gyldayn again?). Along with things like the extended versions of The Rogue Prince & The Princess & the Queen (plus more on the Regent Wars hopefully & House Velaryon!), I think we will get whatever remaining D&E novellas consolidated into Fire & Blood when George publishes that.

27 minutes ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

You made a good amount of valid points. I also agree Dunk was not knighted by Ser Arlan, because when he is wondering what he was going to do next, he considered go looking for another knight to serve as a squire or to go to King's Landong or Lannisport and join the city watch, very strange options for a man who was knighted in my opinion.

Good points. Particularly considering how ordinary they were doing, my headcanon is that Arlan was going to knight Dunk at Ashford anyway to better their chances of employment, especially given Dunk's size but the little bit of extra legitimacy at least for hiring a knighthood would add to such.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

1 minute ago, Macgregor of the North said:

The Ghost of High heart won't be revealing anything in the seven main books I don't think. 

But how awesome is it to picture a younger version of herself on page appearing in Novellas. 

Im not sure she had knowledge of hatching Dragons, she was maybe just there because her prophecies were well received by the prophecy heavy Targs and she was Jenny's best buddy who was accepted as Duncan's woman. 

I'm not sure how much involvement she had in the actual ritual though. 

I agree and anyway, I am curious to see how the ritual was, also it was the very moment Rhaegar was born, it would be really cool if his birth has something to do with it.

[Macgregor of the North]

1 minute ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

I agree and anyway, I am curious to see how the ritual was, also it was the very moment Rhaegar was born, it would be really cool if his birth has something to do with it.

Sadly it will be a very long time as it's likely to be the last, but I share your enthusiasm and can't wait to read about it.

[Lord Corlys Velaryon]

14 minutes ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

She is considered to be a child of the forest and most likely related to the Old Gods, she is probably a greenseer, due to her green dreams, she was also in Summerhall because Jeyne told Aegon V about her, or maybe she told Duncan the Small who then told his father. Also, Do followers of the Old Gods know something about hatching dragons? Because there was a ritual in Summerhall and we know the Ghost of High Heart was involved.

The GoHH is an albino dwarf, but I'm adamant she has CotF-ancestry. She was possibly Jenny's mother. Whether related to that last or not (assuming it's even true of course), I think there was something special blood-wise about Jenny (descendant of Alys & Aemond? Descendant of Mya or Gwenys?, etc) & that Jaehaerys (& later Rhaegar) wasn't the only one in his family at the time trying to make a "prophecy baby". Sure, Duncan the Small may have pulled a Robb Stark or something, but I find it really weird he would allow a war to erupt instead of just marrying his Baratheon betrothed & just keeping Jenny as a paramour - I think he thought he needed a trueborn child by Jenny.

Well, the GoHH was the one who delivered the TPtwP would come from Aerys & Rhaella prophecy to Jaehaerys, who in turn married his children (much to Egg's dismay as those two were his last possible marriage pawns to try & push his reforms through - I'm guessing such was a catalyst that lead him to Summerhall). Egg was trying to hatch dragons from eggs at Summerhall, had some weird shit (e.g. wildfire) for such, & there's even theories that he meant to say sacrifice a newborn Rhaegar for such he was so desperate & driven by his dragon dreams. Jenny likely died with Duncan (& so many others) at Summerhall, & the GoHH was a fair chance of being there as well - hence her grief & "retirement" to High Heart.

As to bold, I don't think so as a whole, though Bloodraven as one is a possibility. One day I may fully flesh it out, but  put simply, I think that the Song ("those who sing the song of the earth") of Ice (Others, arguably related to the Starks) & Fire (Dragons, related to the GEotD & Valyrians - here specifically, Targaryens) = Earth (Old Gods, the CotF, the Blackwoods) - the balance between the two opposing forces of I&F. The Stark's Blackwood ancestry is critical (besides the direwolf catalysts themselves) to Ned & Cat's children having reawoken (in terms of House Stark) skinchanging abilities (Greenseer too for Bran). As is Dany's (& Jon's), along with their Dayne ancestry (i.e. First Men mixed with GEotD) through Dyanna, to dragons.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

11 minutes ago, Lord Corlys Velaryon said:

The GoHH is an albino dwarf, but I'm adamant she has CotF-ancestry. She was possibly Jenny's mother. Whether related to that last or not (assuming it's even true of course), I think there was something special blood-wise about Jenny (descendant of Alys & Aemond? Descendant of Mya or Gwenys?, etc) & that Jaehaerys (& later Rhaegar) wasn't the only one in his family at the time trying to make a "prophecy baby". Sure, Duncan the Small may have pulled a Robb Stark or something, but I find it really weird he would allow a war to erupt instead of just marrying his Baratheon betrothed & just keeping Jenny as a paramour - I think he thought he needed a trueborn child by Jenny.

Well, the GoHH was the one who delivered the TPtwP would come from Aerys & Rhaella prophecy to Jaehaerys, who in turn married his children (much to Egg's dismay as those two were his last possible marriage pawns to try & push his reforms through - I'm guessing such was a catalyst that lead him to Summerhall). Egg was trying to hatch dragons from eggs at Summerhall, had some weird shit (e.g. wildfire) for such, & there's even theories that he meant to say sacrifice a newborn Rhaegar for such he was so desperate & driven by his dragon dreams. Jenny likely died with Duncan (& so many others) at Summerhall, & the GoHH was a fair chance of being there as well - hence her grief & "retirement" to High Heart.

As to bold, I don't think so as a whole, though Bloodraven as one is a possibility. One day I may fully flesh it out, but  put simply, I think that the Song ("those who sing the song of the earth") of Ice (Others, arguably related to the Starks) & Fire (Dragons, related to the GEotD & Valyrians - here specifically, Targaryens) = Earth (Old Gods, the CotF, the Blackwoods) - the balance between the two opposing forces of I&F. The Stark's Blackwood ancestry is critical (besides the direwolf catalysts themselves) to Ned & Cat's children having reawoken (in terms of House Stark) skinchanging abilities (Greenseer too for Bran). As is Dany's (& Jon's), along with their Dayne ancestry (i.e. First Men mixed with GEotD) through Dyanna, to dragons.

The GEotD seems to be very important to the story, Ialso think about it a lot, due to the fact it has tales about the Long Night, tales about heroes, something related to the Battle of Dawn. Also, I think the Daynes have something to do with the Long Night, for the good or for the evil, Dawn is not a common sword, that sword was probably present during the Long Night and I think Dawn will have a major role during the second Long Night, I mean, it was mentioned a few times and I don't believe it is just for the lore. The Hightowers as well, I think they will get involved somehow, as we know Lord Leighton has been inside the Hightower for a decade, doing Gods know what, most likely practicing some powerful magic or researching about dragons.

[Lost Melnibonean]

2 hours ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

George himself told we won't learn about Summerhall in ASOIAF, so yes, we will see it in the Tales of Dunk and Egg, what is pretty cool, because we will learn it first hand. In ASOIAF, the only character who would be able to tell us what happened would be the Ghost of High Heart.

She is considered to be a child of the forest and most likely related to the Old Gods, she is probably a greenseer, due to her green dreams, she was also in Summerhall because Jeyne told Aegon V about her, or maybe she told Duncan the Small who then told his father. Also, Do followers of the Old Gods know something about hatching dragons? Because there was a ritual in Summerhall and we know the Ghost of High Heart was involved.

Would you please be kind enough to provide the source? I would dearly like to see it. Thanks! 

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

18 minutes ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

Would you please be kind enough to provide the source? I would dearly like to see it. Thanks! 

I wish I could find it, but if I remember correctly, it was years ago in his blog, someone asked him about Summerhall and IIRC, he said we will learn about the Tragedy of Summerhall in another story, out of ASOIAF. I think as he said that, many people drawed the conclusion it will be in the Dunk and Egg novellas, although I believe it would be nice to learn about it in ASOIAF too, that was a big tragedy and a huge event in history.

[Lost Melnibonean]

22 minutes ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

I wish I could find it, but if I remember correctly, it was years ago in his blog, someone asked him about Summerhall and IIRC, he said we will learn about the Tragedy of Summerhall in another story, out of ASOIAF. I think as he said that, many people drawed the conclusion it will be in the Dunk and Egg novellas, although I believe it would be nice to learn about it in ASOIAF too, that was a big tragedy and a huge event in history.

Your recollection does further suggest that the Dunk and Egg, and the Dance of the Dragons, novellas are truly ancillary to the main novels. 

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

I think Dunk and Egg probably is, well, or it is just for the lore, but Summerhall must be imporant to the main series, that's why I think maybe I got that piece of information wrong or I misunderstood what he said, maybe we will see it in the novellas and in the main story (ASOIAF).

[Lord Varys]

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

Overview:

 

Three Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas have been released so far.

 

-The Hedge Knight: set in 209 AC, details Dunk and Egg meeting, the tourney at Ashford Meadow, the trial of seven, and the death of Prince Baelor Targaryen

 

-The Sworn Sword: set in 211 AC, details Dunk and Egg serving Ser Eustace Osgrey in the Reach and being embroiled in a local conflict with Lady Rohanne Webber

 

-The Mystery Knight: set in 211 AC (212 AC before the release of The World of Ice and Fire, still unsure why the change was made as it messes with the timeline), details Dunk and Egg at the Whitewalls tourney and the abortive Second Blackfyre Rebellion

 

The next planned installment has the working title The She-Wolves of Winterfell.  In addition we also know that the one after this has the working title The Village Hero and will be set in the riverlands.  GRRM has also provided (in no specific order) other possible future titles (working titles or set in stone, we don't know at this point): The Sellsword, The Champion, The Kingsguard, and The Lord Commander.

Just to clarify: We don't whether the Winterfell story will come next or only after 'The Village Hero'. George can change the time line as he sees fit. Dunk & Egg could only go to Pennytree after their adventures in the North or they could learn of Pennytree shortly after they leave Whitewalls and then decide to take a detour there before they go North.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

Key/Shared Characteristics of the Novellas:

 

Working from the three released stories, several shared characteristics emerge that can be useful in predicting plot points and structure for future novellas (assuming GRRM keeps things consistent, of course).

 

-Dunk is always the title character (The She-Wolves of Winterfell is a working title, although this may be an instance where there's an exception to the pattern).

'The She-Wolves of Winterfell' definitely isn't the title. He said as much. Presumably it will have something to do with Dunk as it did in the other stories, although John the Fiddler was as much a mystery knight in TMK as Dunk was.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-The stories' structure is the same: the narrative takes place over a period of at most several days/weeks interspersed with flashbacks/recollections.  In other words, the stories won't take place over years or months (but can certainly include information from years or months ago through flashbacks/recollections).

That's the modus operandi right now. However, I'd prefer if George expanded later stories to small novels or wrote a series of novels over important events. If the Third Blackfyre Rebellion is a big war it should be difficult to do it justice in just one novel. Instead, he could write a novella about the beginning of the war, another about key battles Dunk and Egg participate in, and then a final novel about the end and its aftermath (such a story could then also include Egg's wedding, considering it might have taken place early on in 220 AC, shortly after the end of the war).

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-The novellas are always told from Dunk's point-of-view.

I also hope that rule is going to be broken at least once, so that we also get an Egg POV.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-We know that at some point Dunk had at least one child, since Brienne is confirmed to be his descendant.  There is also the popular theory that Dunk had a relationship with either Rhae or Daella, Egg's sisters, that resulted in a child (bastard, or passed off as someone else's?) who married into House Tarth (the recent ties to House Targaryen mentioned in TWOIAF). 

I prefer an actually marriage between Princess Daella and Dunk.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

Genuinely not sure where/how such a relationship might fit into this timeline, especially if it was clandestine.  One would think that Brienne would have known the arms on the shield she recalls were from Ser Duncan the Tall if the relationship/familial connection was widely known in the histories, which makes me suspect that his child with either sister was passed off as someone else's.  Or not; we really don't have more information to speculate on firmly at this point.

If Dunk rose through the ranks he might have changed his personal arms later on. After all, the whole thing about Pennytree being a royal fief strongly suggests that the village was once ruled by Dunk and only passed back to the Crown when Dunk joined the KG and his daughter became Lady Tarth.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-Per the postscript page of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk and Egg will visit the Disputed Lands and ‘the shining cities of Essos’.

Indeed. And considering that I doubt Dunk and Egg will consider they travels ad nauseam it is not unlikely that they catch a ship at White Harbor or Eastwatch after they visited Winterfell and the Wall and eventually end up in Braavos and Pentos and continue to explore Essos from there. The story 'The Sellsword' might feature Dunk & Egg with one of the sellswords companies, possibly either the Second Sons (which could make Dunk and Aerion brothers-in-arms) or the newly founded Golden Company (which could introduce Bittersteel, Haegon, and other Blackfyres as characters).

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-if, as many suspect, the vision Bran sees in ADWD of a woman kissing a knight 'as tall as Hodor' is (young) Old Nan and Dunk, it would probably take place here (though there are timeline questions with Old Nan and the Brandon Stark (son of Willam Stark) she was brought to nurse)

Yeah, that's pretty likely.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Village Hero:

 

-probably takes place in 212/213 AC (assuming Dunk and Egg eventually wander back south and return to the riverlands directly after visiting the Wall)

Or prior to that, see above.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-confirmed to be set in the riverlands and will probably feature Dunk and Egg in Pennytree, where they are caught in the middle of the Blackwood-Bracken feud.  Egg probably meets his future wife Betha Blackwood here.

Yeah, and I'd like it if Betha and Egg have a very awkward start, with her liking Dunk much more at first and completely overlooking the bald boy until he does something heroic or relevant.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Sellsword:

-will take place in 219 AC during the Third Blackfyre Rebellion

That is very unlikely. That story is most likely going to feature Dunk as an actual sellsword, which he most likely won't be during that war.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-there's some speculation that Egg will want Dunk to knight him, and Dunk will eventually own up to the fact that Ser Arlan never actually knighted him (there's plenty of proof for that in other threads/commentary, won't rehash it here).  If there's a falling out, perhaps Dunk takes service as a sellsword in the Free Cities after leaving Egg for a time?  We also know nothing about where exactly this rebellion was fought, so perhaps this is where their going to the Disputed Lands happens.

Dunk and Egg might have some sort falling out but I doubt it will be over that. Egg is not stupid enough to not know that. Not to mention that Egg is going to be nineteen in 219 AC, making it rather likely that he is going to be knighted years earlier. I expect something of that to happen only later, possibly during the reign of Maekar.

In fact, I think their travels should end in the year 213-14 or so. They were supposed to last a few years and Maekar promised he would later finish Dunk's own training at Summerhall - at that should happen, I think.

I also want to have Dunk and Egg visit court at a rather early time when Dunk has not yet been refined manners and such, and they can still see Prince Rhaegel prancing naked through the castle. That should be sight to behold!

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Kingsguard:

 

-will take place in 236 AC during the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion

-least sure about this one, as we don't know when before 236 AC Dunk was named to the Kingsguard

I don't think 'The Kingsguard' will cover that one. That story should cover Dunk becoming a Kingsguard, not Dunk acting as one. A story about the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion could be named differently.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Champion:

-will take place during Lyonel Baratheon's short-lived rebellion as Storm King, which ends when Dunk as a Kingsguard knight serves as Egg's champion in a trial by combat

-set sometime between 239 AC (when Prince Duncan Targaryen breaks his betrothal and marries Jenny of Oldstones) and 245 AC (when Ormund Baratheon is Lord of Storm's End)

Well, I guess we'll get the whole story of Duncan and Jenny in this story. The trial-by-combat will be the grand finale of the story.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

The Lord Commander:

-either this or an as-of-yet unmentioned additional title will cover the tragedy at Summerhall in 259 AC, where both Dunk and Egg die (with TWOIAF strongly implying that Dunk's valor saved some members of House Targaryen from perishing)

I think this story will cover how Dunk becomes the Lord Commander or specifically act as such. Summerhall should be a completely different story, simply named 'Summerhall'.

Another story for the later career of Dunk could be 'The Hand', when Egg makes him his Hand. I think it is given that he will hold that office at one point.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

Other events that might be covered (in person or in flashbacks), either in additional novellas or replacing events discussed above:

-the Great Council of 233 AC

 

Yeah, possibly also covering the Peake Uprising and Maekar's death in battle. We know Egg was at Starpike, so Dunk might have been there, too. If Dunk was already a KG at that point he might even have been at Maekar's side when the man died.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-the deaths of Rhaegel, Aelor, Aelora, Daeron, and Aerion

 

I guess we could get Rhaegel's death if the feast where he chokes to death is some important event. Could be that it is Aerys I's nameday feast or something of that sort and Dunk and Egg are invited. In itself Rhaegel's death shouldn't be an important event. However, I really want them to meet him at least once before he dies.

I have an idea that Aelor and Aelora are very much into BDSM, and Aelora accidentally strangles her twin-brother during one of their games. Not sure that we should witnesses that whole thing in detail. However, I could see Aelora being raped by the Rat, the Hawk, and the Pig in a story that could serve as a tie-in to the Third Rebellion - those three guys being Blackfyre agents sneaking in the castle during the tenth anniversary of Aerys I on the Iron Throne to kill the king, Bloodraven, Maekar, etc. Dunk and Egg might successfully save Aerys I and Maekar but fail to protect Aelora and especially the Daemon II Blackfyre who might still be living as a hostage at court at this time.

Aelora's later suicide does not have to be covered by a story.

15 hours ago, All-Seeing Aye said:

-the Rat, the Hawk, and the Pig (there's been some speculation that these individuals are Dunk's old friends from Flea Bottom)

Yeah, I think I brought that up first after TWoIaF. The idea is that those guys might be evil mirror images of Dunk, climbing the career ladder in the crime world.

If Dunk ever settles down with Daella for a few years (say, as the Lord of Pennytree, or something similar) those years could easily enough be ignored. I could see something of that sort happen in the later 210s after Dunk first meets her at Summerhall (then the Third Blackfyre Rebellion would be what brings him and Egg together again) or during the first half of Maekar's reign.

Oh, and you forgot the mysterious disappearance of Lady Rohanne Webber Osgrey Lannister in 231 AC. That is most definitely going to be a Dunk and Egg story. Not sure whether Aerion's death is important enough to be the topic of a story. Not in itself.

[Valyrian Spoon]

I think that the speculation for "The Sellsword" sounds spot on. I can totally see Dunk owning up when it's time to Knight Egg and Egg being crushed when he learns the truth. If the confession happens in front of Maekar it could even lead to an exile or death option for Dunk which could explain him being in the disputed lands as a sellsword.

Of course the Novellas being slightly lighter and with generally happier resolutions, this will probably end with Dunk ending some Blackfyre shenanigans and earning his spurs for real. 

[All-Seeing Aye]

Lots of great speculation in here; I can easily see GRRM writing 10+ novellas because there's such a wide range of stories to cover.  That said, I still think that the structure of the previous stories will be maintained (Dunk's POV, limited to at most a few days/weeks, interspersed with recollections and remembrances to fill in gaps), which limits what can actually be covered.