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[Pre-ADwD Spoilers] Davos 1 - Spoilers for ADWD


Jon Targaryen

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Davos is marched across a bridge, across a drawbridge to a gatehouse. Below is a salt moat. Green waters below. His hands were bound together and he was shoved across the yard. Inside the keep the guard and Davos took off their cloaks - Davos had not forgotten his courtesies and it had been raining outside.

The Lord was in the hall drinking beer and eating sister's stew. The guard tells the Lord that they found Davos in the Belly O' the Whale (some smuggler's den), trying to buy his way off the island. Davos had a ribbon with the seals of the crowned stag, a flaming heart, and a white hand. Davos thought that one word from the lord and he would soon be hanging from the Gallows Gate of Sisterton. The waves were smashing against Breakwater's huge stone arches and swirling through the dungeons. Davos might end up there, chained to a wet floor, and would drown when the tide came in. Davos thinks he won't die a smuggler, because he is the King's hand, and this lord could sell him to the queen.

The lord had webbing between his three middle fingers. Davos heard that some of the lords of the Three Sisters had webbed hands and feet. The lord wants to see Davos' hands to make sure he is the Onion Knight and Hand. The lord is Godric Borrell, Lord of Sweetsister. Since he was found at the Belly O' the Whale, Godric asks him if he is returning to his old ways. Davos denies it, saying he was looking for passage to White Harbor - Stannis sent him to go there and deliver a message. Godric tells him he is in the wrong place, with the wrong lord, and he is in Sisterton, on Sweetsister.

Sisterton was not sweet - it was vile, small and mean and rank with odors. Davos knew it from his smuggling days. The streets were mud and planks, the houses daub-and-wattle hovels roofed with straw. Three Sisters had been a favorite place for smugglers for hundreds of years.

Davos and Lord Godric both say they have and had friends from the Sisters. Godric says he hangs the ones who aren't his friends. He asks why Davos was brought there if he was going to White Harbor.

He thinks - a king's command and a friend's betrayal - Instead he tells Godric it was "storms."

29 ships left the Wall, and Davos would be shocked if half were still afloat. Oldeo and Old Mother's Son crashed on Skagos - the isle of the unicorns and cannibals. Saathos Saan crashed up on the Grey Cliffs. Saaladhor Saan fumed at the losses - other boats were lost and the Lyseni fleet had been scattered all over the narrow sea. Saan fumes to Davos, asking where the gold is he was promised, and that he will be known as the Beggar or the Smashed. Saan goes off on Davos about the King's word, and how his men are tired of being patient. He says he was patient at Dragonstone and at Eastwatch.

Lord Godric goes back to Davos' answer of "storms" - he says that storms used to be sacred on the Sisters before the Andals came. Lady of Waves and Lord of the Skies - they made storms when they mated. Godric says the kings don't bother with the Sisters because they are poor and small, but the storms delivered Davos.

Davos thinks instead that he was delivered by a friend instead of storms. Godric tells the guard to leave Davos and that Davos was never there. Davos tells Godric that if he would send him to White Harbor Stannis would see it as an act of friendship. Godric says he could, or he could send Davos to a cold wet hell.

The Three Sisters were loyal to themselves. Supposedly they were sworn to the Arryns, but the Eyrie's grasp on them was tenuous at best. Godric tells Davos that Sunderland would require him to deliver Davos to him if he knew he was there. Borrell did fealty for Sweetsister, as Longthorpe did for Longsister and Torrent for Littlesister. All were sworn to Tristan Sunderland, Lord of the Three Sisters. Tristan had 7 troublesome sons who wanted to be knights and it was making him poor - he thinks he would sell Davos to Cersei. Davos says that Sunderland is sworn to the Eyrie so if anything Davos should be delivered to Lysa Arryn. Godric tells him the news of Lysa being murdered by a singer, and he asks Davos where the pirates are. Godric says Torrent spied their sails from Littlesister as well as the Flints from Widow's Watch. Davos tells him they are at sea and that Stannis sent them to trouble the Lannisters, but it was a lie - in truth Saan has abandoned the king and they were likely off to the Stepstone with what little ships they had left.

Davos came ashore in a boat. Saan waited for the beacon of Night Lamp before dropping Davos off. Their friendship had been worth that much, at least. Saan would have taken Davos with him, but Davos refused to abandon Stannis. Stannis needed Wyman Manderly and trusted Davos to win him. Saan tells Davos that Stannis will kill him with his honors. Godric remarks that he has never had a Hand beneath his roof and he wonders if Stannis would ransom Davos. Davos wonders it as well. Godric asks Davos if Tyrion is at Castle Black with Stannis. Davos tells him no, and then is told about the murder of Tywin by Tyrion's hands. Godric's version of the telling is of course skewed, with Tyrion bathed in blood, etc. Davos is shocked that Tywin is dead. Godric says on the Sisters they did not suffer dwarfs to live - they would let crows feast on them when born, but the septons made them stop. Davos thinsk with Tywin dead, it changes everything and asks to send a raven to Stannis. Godric says Stannis will know, but not from him. Godric doesn't want it getting out that he aided Stannis' treason in any way. He mentions the Sunderlands dragged the sisters into two of the Blackfyre Rebellions, and house Borrell suffered much.

Godric calls for Davos to sit and get beer and stew. Good description of the sister's stew - super clam chowder served in a stale loaf. A specialty of the Sisters. Hey says his daughter Gella makes it and he asks if Davos is married. He says the stew contains 3 kinds of crabs, red, spider, and conqueror. He syas he never eats a spider crab except in the stew - he doesn't want to be taken for a cannibal - and he gestures to his banner above the hearth - a spider crab, white on a grey-green field.

Godric asks about Stannis burning his Hand. Melisandre had given Alester Florent to her god to conjure up the wind that took them north. His screams and agony blew them all the way to Eastwatch, if the red woman could be believed. Davos didn't like the wind. His granddaughter brought more bread - she had webbed fingers too - the mark of the Borrells for five thousand years. Eating meant Davos had guest right, and he would be save for a night at least. The lords of the Sisters had a bad reputation and none more than Godric Borrell, Lord of Sweetsister, Shield of Sisterton, Master of Breakwater Castle, and Keeper of the Night Lamp. Davos asks about the spices in the stew - saffron. Godric tells him it was from Qarth and there was pepper too. Cracked pepper from Volantis. He laughs that he took it off a sloe-eyed maid. A gale swept her intot he Bite and she smashed on the rocks. The forebears had been pirate kings until the Stakrs came down on them. These days the Sistermen did not participate in open piracy, but something much more sneaky - they would use their beacons along the shores of the Sisters to trap ships into coming into reefs and shoals instead of warning them and plundering the wreckage.

Godric tells Davos of White Harbor and that the storms did Davos a kindness. He reveals that Davos came too late. Lord Wyman means to bend his knee, and not to Stannis. Godric tells of the origins of the Maderlys - 900 years ago they came north - they had been great lords of the Mander when they overreached and got slapped down by the green hands. The wolf king took their gold and gave them land and let them keep their gods. The Lionstar was at Sisterton twelve days prior to get water. Full of Freys making for White Harbor. Davos thought that the Freys killed Lord Wyman's son. Godric says they did. Wyman was so wroth he vowed to only eat bread and drink wine but was soon stuffing himself. The Freys were bringing the bones back to Wyman. Godric had Rhaegar Frey to supper - he lost his wife but would get one in White Harbor. Lord Walder and Lord Wyman made a pact, and will seal it with a marriage.

Davos feels ill - thinking Stannis lost because White Harbor remained open even during the worst winter - and the city had silver on par with Casterly Rock's gold. It was the mouth of the north where Winterfell was the heart. Davos thought he must at least try. Davos begs Godric to help him.

Rape of the Three Sisters was two thousand years ago - Sisterton had not forgotten, which is why Godric has no love for northmen. They were free before that, afterward they had to swear loyalty to the Eyrie to get the northmen out. The wolf and falcon fought over the Sisters for a thousand years - until they basically raped the islands of everything. Stannis upset Godric as well, having pulled into port when he was head of Robert's fleet, unannounced, and threatened him if any of his ships went aground if the Night Lamp when dark. Godric asks why he should help Stannis. Davos goes over in his mind all the reasons - he is the true king, becaus he is just, he can defend the realm against the peril in the north, and he has a magic sword. Davos wonders what to promise him to win him - gold, marriage - he was lost... Alester had played that game and died for it. Davos only response was to tell him Tywin was dead - and he tries to put doubt into Tommen and Cersei. Davos feels that Godric has doubts and doesn't want to be on the losing side.

Davos pushes him talking about Stannis' fine work - holding Storm's End, taking Dragonstone from the last Targs, smashing the Iron Fleet off Fair Isle, and Tommen can't compare with him. Godric counters, saying Tommen has the gold of the Rock and Highgarden, and Bolton and Freys... but Godric says that in the world only winter is certain, saying Ned Stark told his father that.

Godric tells Davos of before Robert's Rebellion, Gulltown remained loyal to Aerys, Ned had to cross the mountains to call his banners when Aerys called for his head. On the Fingers a fisherman carried him across the Bite, but they got caught in a storm - the fisherman's daughter got Ned to the Sisters. They say he left her with silver and a bastard in her belly - Jon Snow, she named it, after Arryn. Godric's father had a choice to send Ned to Aerys and win favor, or let him go - but Jon Arryn had taken Gulltown by then and Robert was the first over the walls and he killed Randyll Grafton. Their maester thought Rhaegar would crush the rebel, but Godric thought Robert fought the way a king should. That is when Ned said the line about winter being the only certainty. His father let him go and told Ned that if he loses, he was never there. Davos finishes the chapter, saying, "No mroe than I was."

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  • 1 month later...

It was mentioned in the AGoT. But I think I also remember that Willa was Jon's wet nurse and Ned sent them to Winterfell.

I don't see how Ned would send his lover and mother of his bastard to live under same roof with his young wife.

Or may be I remember it wrong.

BTW, what happened to Willa, was it ever mentioned how she died?

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It was mentioned in the AGoT. But I think I also remember that Willa was Jon's wet nurse and Ned sent them to Winterfell.

I don't see how Ned would send his lover and mother of his bastard to live under same roof with his young wife.

Or may be I remember it wrong.

BTW, what happened to Willa, was it ever mentioned how she died?

You forget, Willa was also Edric Dayne's wetnurse as well. . . hence, that's all she was . . .a wetnurse.

ab

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  • 4 weeks later...

I don't see how the whole Wylla, the wetnurse from Dorne and a fishermans daughter from Gulltown could add up. How would they end up somehow together? Why would Ned bring a wetnurse from Dorne to Gulltown ?

It wouldn't surprise me to find out this one is another bastard of Robert's and not Ned's. Just like the whole brothel segment in agot .

But who knows? It would really put kink in all R&L=J fanatics. :lol:

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I don't see how the whole Wylla, the wetnurse from Dorne and a fishermans daughter from Gulltown could add up. How would they end up somehow together? Why would Ned bring a wetnurse from Dorne to Gulltown ?

It wouldn't surprise me to find out this one is another bastard of Robert's and not Ned's. Just like the whole brothel segment in agot .

But who knows? It would really put kink in all R&L=J fanatics. :lol:

I think Robert already has a bastard at this stage, Mya Stone, and he isnt shy about admitting it IIRC. So to me, the notion that Ned would claim a child of Roberts seems far fetched.

I don take this story at face value, but it raises lots of possibilities.

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I think Robert already has a bastard at this stage, Mya Stone, and he isnt shy about admitting it IIRC. So to me, the notion that Ned would claim a child of Roberts seems far fetched.

I don take this story at face value, but it raises lots of possibilities.

sorry, I wasn't very clear. It says he left her with silver and a bastard in her belly. doesn't mean the bastard is his or that her Jon Snow is the same as our Jon snow. Ned has shown us to some extent that he does what he can to see to Roberts bastards.

Not saying I am right. I agree it does raise lots of possibilities too.

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Wow, i'm so glad Davos isn't dead, he's one of my favorite characters. I knew he truly wasn't dead, but had a feeling he might be since GRRM is unpredictable. The only reason i thought he was still alive was because of Cersei's chapters in AFFC, she showed us how screwed up her politics were.

I also like the part about Godric's and Ned's involvement in Robert's Rebellion. I can't wait for this book now. :)

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ADWD and AFFC take place simultaneously. Davos' chapter above will be near the start of ADWD. The report of Davos' death was somewhere in the middle of AFFC. Thus, Davos' chapter above precedes the report of his death in AFFC. Note that in the above chapter Davos is heading for White Harbour and still intends to go there after he's released. In AFFC we hear that Lord Manderly killed Davos in White Harbour.

Thus, the above sample chapter in no way 'proves' Davos is still alive. In fact, it might mean exactly the opposite (since GRRM has never allowed characters to cheat death twice the same way and live, it seems unlikely that Davos will be released by the Lord of the Sisters only to be released and actively helped by the Lord of White Harbour).

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ADWD and AFFC take place simultaneously. Davos' chapter above will be near the start of ADWD. The report of Davos' death was somewhere in the middle of AFFC. Thus, Davos' chapter above precedes the report of his death in AFFC. Note that in the above chapter Davos is heading for White Harbour and still intends to go there after he's released. In AFFC we hear that Lord Manderly killed Davos in White Harbour.

Thus, the above sample chapter in no way 'proves' Davos is still alive. In fact, it might mean exactly the opposite (since GRRM has never allowed characters to cheat death twice the same way and live, it seems unlikely that Davos will be released by the Lord of the Sisters only to be released and actively helped by the Lord of White Harbour).

Damn, i forgot about that. Thanks for clearing it up.

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Damn, i forgot about that. Thanks for clearing it up.

Why do people think its Robert's bastard, read the damm chapter. Robert stayed in the Vale, Ned went North by sea.

Ned arrived sired this "bastard", and then Robert and Jon Arryn stormed Gullstown and he got released. I mean sheesh Robert was good but I don't think he can be in two places at once.

Also this bastard.

Timeline for the War. Harrenhal > Brandon going nutz > Lord Rickard and Brandon dying > Aerys calls for Jon Arryn to send him Ned and Robert's heads, which means they were in the Vale. > Jon refused and raises his Banners, causing Gulltown to remain loyal > Ned went north by sea to raise his banners and got stranded and sired this "bastard" > Jon and Robert take Gullstown > Ned is released > I would say then Robert sails from Gullstown to Storm's Landing > Ned arrives in White Harbour > Raises his Banners and goes south > Linking up with Arryn and then meeting Holster Tully or maybe the other way around > Ned marries Catelyn has his wedding night and sires Robb and then rides to war.

So this bastard is infact older than Robb.

I can't remember if the sack of King's Landing was 9 months into the war. Which is when Martin has said Jon was born.

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Wow, I don't know if Jon being older then Robb is important but I imagine it could be. Also, while this child is not ROberts, it probably is not accurate either. Because Edric did tell Arya that Jon was born in Dorne or atleast nursed there. When someone at the Vericon told me the story I immediatly assumed it was a red herring and not infact Jon.

Also, The way I figure it, Davos is still alive even at the end of FFC when you see his hands. Because I believe the Manderlies have Rickon and are loyal Starks. They are tricking Cersei and maybe Stannis at the same time while waiting for Jon or Sansa to raise the Stark banner, or RIckon to come of age and do it himself.

I doubt Davos dies at white harbor.

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Didn't we learn about Davos' hands at the same time Cersei is presented several false Dwarf Heads.

I think that is supposed to be a clue that the Davos hands aren't real either.

Lord Manderly: "I will support Stannis, if he can free my son."

Lord Davos: "I have a plan ... "

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  • 1 month later...
the fisherman's daughter got Ned to the Sisters. They say he left her with silver and a bastard in her belly - Jon Snow, she named it, after Arryn.

this sounds like another rumor such a wallya or Ashara.

i bet we will find out some time in a Dance with Dragons. the returning POV will probably tell us wich jon theory is true science my guess is on a Eddard POV chapter in flashback whe the reeds tell bran/varys delivers that damn letter/that one guy tells danny.

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An Eddard POV in ADWD, eh?

This is certainly possible under the guidelines of GRRM saying 'a returning POV.' But highly improbable due to the fact that GRRM hasn't yet jumped around chronologically like that. Besides such a stylistic feature is unconvential to GRRM's style at this point. Why not simply make the 'new POV' Rhaegar, or even Lyanna instead if one to go this route, and have Theon as the returning POV.

I'm sticking with Theon and Quentyn as the unnamed POVs.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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