Interesting lines on the re-read? (hindsight)

[Knight Of Winter]

By the way, there were similar threads about foreshadowing few months ago, so take a look if you're interested:

[Stark Revenge]

It really make you wonder how much of this GRRM put in on purpose and how much is chance. Obviously most is it is on purpose, I can't help but wonder how he manages to keep track of it all! I wonder what his IQ is.

[JLE]

Good point. When I read your post I also thought of Tyrion, though, as he did on more than one occasion strike Joffrey. I'm glad he didn't lose his hand as well as 1/2 of this nose. :P

Yes, but... Joffrey is not of the Blood Royal :-)

[Sword of the Mid-Afternoon]

"When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king.”

Hmmmmmm....

[JimZipCode]

Clash of Kings page 951, as the Wildlings are closing in on Jon and Qhorin Halfhand:

"Qhorin drew his longsword. The tale of how he had taught himself to fight with his left hand after losing half of his right was part of his legend; it was said that he handled a blade better now than he ever had before. Jon stood shoulder to shoulder with the big ranger and pulled Longclaw from its sheath."

Foreshadowing for Jaime? Is Jaime eventually going to become a better swordsman than ever?

[theotherstaketheothers]

It's probably an obvious one but I loved re-reading Dany,s journey through the house of the Undead, when she sees the visions in the rooms, particularity the room with the great feast with corpses at the table and at the head was the dead man with a wolfs head. Never took much notice or remembered that part until the second time round!!

[DrunkSister]

Clash of Kings page 951, as the Wildlings are closing in on Jon and Qhorin Halfhand:

"Qhorin drew his longsword. The tale of how he had taught himself to fight with his left hand after losing half of his right was part of his legend; it was said that he handled a blade better now than he ever had before. Jon stood shoulder to shoulder with the big ranger and pulled Longclaw from its sheath."

Foreshadowing for Jaime? Is Jaime eventually going to become a better swordsman than ever?

A shoutout to Tolkien.

[WinterPhoenix]

This is less a line and more a passage, also it deals less with foreshadowing and more with the many what if/if only moments that occur in AGoT (Eddard's myriad 'honourable' mistakes, Sansa's running to Cersei etc). I only make mention of it here because without hindsight it is essentially a throwaway decision, but a decision wherein the ramifications are still being felt for numerous characters as of the close of ADwD.

AGoT p585, the last page of the chapter in which Catelyn, Brynden and the Manderly's meet up with Robb's host at Moat Caillin. Having just revealed that he intends to split his force in two, Robb and Catelyn discuss who should lead the second host against Tywin's army.

"The Greatjon is always saying that we should smash Lord Tywin. I thought I'd give him the honor."

It was his first misstep, but how to make him see it without wounding his fledgling confidence? "Your father once told me that the Greatjon was as fearless as any man he had ever known."

Robb grinned. "Grey Wind ate two of his fingers, and he laughed about it. So you agree, then?"

"Your father is not fearless," Catelyn pointed out. "He is brave, but that is very different."

Her son considered that for a moment. "The eastern host will be all that stands between Lord Tywin and Winterfell," he said thoughtfully. "Well, them and whatever few bowmen I leave here at the Moat. So I don't want someone fearless, do I?"

"No. You want cold cunning, I should think, not courage."

"Roose Bolton," Robb said at once. "That man scares me."

"Then let us pray he will scare Tywin Lannister as well."

On first reading this may seem like a good decision, the kind of guy who laughs at loosing two fingers may also treat his command with the sort of reckless abandon born of fearlessness that Catelyn worries about so deeply. However, both Catelyn and Robb boil the whole thing down to a simple choice between the Greatjon and Roose Bolton, seemingly forgetting the other liege lords who could have been considered. Worse, the reasoning for choosing Bolton over the Greatjon is that Bolton A) scares Robb Stark and B ) exhibits a 'cold cunning'. It's no secret that the Boltons of the Dreadfort are at least in part anti-Stark as a result of the Stark position in the north. So why on earth would you trust command of a large portion of your army to their Lord entirely because he is both 'scary' and 'cunning', it seems as needless a risk as the Greatjon's possible Charge of the Light Brigade fearless bravado. Re-reading you cannot help but think of the ramifications of allowing Bolton out of his sight with a large part of his army, perhaps if he had kept Bolton and the Greatjon close at hand many future atrocities would have been circumvented.

Reading back through with hindsight all I could think was, 'You should have sent Rickard Karstark.' It is a compelling what-if moment in my mind, because of the sheer level of traitorous actions Bolton was allowed to put into play.

[Odon]

Kevan Lannister is reminiscing about the events leading to the death of the Mad King.

Ser Kevan had expected that afterward (the defeat at the Battle of the Bells) Aerys would have no choice but to summon Tywin once more (to be Hand of the King) but the Mad King had turned to the Lords Chelsted and Rossart instead, and paid for it with his life and crown.

Which wouldn't mean much except for this comment several books back when Jaime is telling Brienne of the same events.

"Prince Rhaegar returned from the south and persuaded his father to swallow his pride and summon my father. But no raven returned from Casterly Rock, and that made the king even more afraid."

Lord Tywin didn't tell even his trusted brother that he was contemplating treason.

[DrunkSister]

Kevan Lannister is reminiscing about the events leading to the death of the Mad King.

Ser Kevan had expected that afterward (the defeat at the Battle of the Bells) Aerys would have no choice but to summon Tywin once more (to be Hand of the King) but the Mad King had turned to the Lords Chelsted and Rossart instead, and paid for it with his life and crown.

Which wouldn't mean much except for this comment several books back when Jaime is telling Brienne of the same events.

"Prince Rhaegar returned from the south and persuaded his father to swallow his pride and summon my father. But no raven returned from Casterly Rock, and that made the king even more afraid."

Lord Tywin didn't tell even his trusted brother that he was contemplating treason.

There should be a thread called 'Things I noticed when only pointed out to me in the forums'.

[UVA]

There should be a thread called 'Things I noticed when only pointed out to me in the forums'.

Lol, very true!

Anyway, there's a line in ADWD that may hint at Lady Dustin's true feelings about the Starks. As she and Theon are walking past the former KitN and Lords of Winterfell in the crypts she says:

“So many,” Lady Dustin [said]. “Do you know their names?” “Once … but that was a long time ago.” Theon pointed. “The ones on this side were Kings in the North. Torrhen was the last.” “The King Who Knelt.” “Aye, my lady. After him they were only lords.” “Until the Young Wolf".

Dustin speaks contemptuously about several people (Roose, the Freys, the 'Grey Rats') yet she doesn't unleash this same tone when she talks about the Starks. Here she points that Robb was a King and not just Lord of Winterfell. Why make this distinction?

[Django]

Another insane foreshadowing line (also RW-related) that I just caught, which essentially describes Catelyn's transformation into Lady Stoneheart:

"After she'd undressed and hung her wet clothing by the fire, she donned a warm wool dress of Tully red and blue, washed and brushed her hair and let it dry, and went in search of Freys."

I really like this one, and would like to add a couple passages of Lady Stoneheart foreshadowing that I noticed on a recent re-read:

From AGOT, Catelyn VI:

""We learned that to our sorrow, Ser Donnel," Catelyn said. Sometimes she felt as though her heart had turned to stone; six brave men had died to bring her this far, and she could not even find it in her to weep for them."

And my personal favorite foreshadowing passage, from AGOT, Catelyn VII:

"Pale white mists rose off Alyssa's Tears, where the ghost waters plunged over the shoulder of the mountain to begin their long tumble down the face of the Giant's Lance. Catelyn could feel the faint touch of spray on her face. Alyssa Arryn had seen her husband, her brothers, and all her children slain, and yet in life she had never shed a tear. So in death, the gods had decreed that she would know no rest until her weeping watered the black earth of the Vale, where the men she had loved were buried. Alyssa had been dead six thousand years now, and still no drop of the torrent had ever reached the valley floor far below. Catelyn wondered how large a waterfall her own tears would make when she died."

Besides the obvious foreshadowing of Catelyn's upcoming story, I also like the potentially unintentional word play GRRM uses here, Allyssa's Tears and Tears of Lys. Possibly an early clue that the true poisoner of Jon Arryn was Lysa Arryn (more word play!)

[kaanchanoone]

When Jon says goodbye to Robb at Winterfell, Robb has snowflakes melting in his hair. "He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair"

Jon saying goodbye to Sam, when he leaves for Oldtown -

"the cold trickles on his face reminded Jon of the day he'd bid farewell to Robb at Winterfell, never knowing that it was for the last time. "And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair"

[Yuki_no_Jon]

I'll post the exact extract later on, but the tragic irony in Sansa's last POV in GOT, when Joffrey forces her to watch her father's head on the pike...

[...] it was Janos Slynt the one who pushed her father's head down. Sansa wished for a hero to put his (Janos Slynt) head down and cut it. "what am I thinking, littlefinger told it clearly, there is no such thing as a hero".[...]

reading this, I can't help but think, that from all the people, it was her half-brother (who, in my book at least, she never aknowledged) the one to chop his head off, giving justice as the North lords... not for what he had done to Eddard but for his conspiracy on the Wall...

and I wonder, if the first part is foreshadowing the beheading of Slynt... what the second part can mean??? that maybe Littlefinger's plans will not go as he wished??? maybe that there are still "honorable" people acting for more than just their personal gain?

[FireInTheNorth]

"Janos Slynt is a butcher's son." In re-reading I noticed this interesting contrast to Mycah the butcher's boy. Both were "butchered", but very different circumstances for very different characters. You're appalled by one's death and cheer the other's.

Something else I noticed on re-read, when Robb tells Catelyn to go to Seagard with Lord Jason Mallister, in addition to making sure she stays safe (and out of the way), he was probably doing some matchmaking for his widowed mother.

"Your part is to stay safe. Our journey through the Neck will be dangerous, and naught but battle awaits us in the north. But Lord Mallister has kindly offered to keep you safe at Seagard until the war is done. You will be comfortable there, I know."

This makes me laugh because Robb is naive to think Catelyn is anywhere near getting over her grief (Ned and her sons) enough to consider remarried. But also sad, because had Robb's other plans gone as planned, it may have worked out given enough time. (That whole scene is so depressing in hindsight because his plans for attacking Moat Cailin were so well thought out, but doomed from the start).

[Aderyn the Sly]

"His Grace has a unique way of winning the hearts of his subjects," Tyrion said with a crooked smile. "Was it Joffrey's wish to dismiss Ser Barristan Selmy from his Kingsguard too?"

Cersei sighed. "Joff wanted someone to blame for Robert's death. Varys suggested Ser Barristan. Why not? It gave Jamie command of the Kingsguard and a seat on the small council, and allowed Joff to throw a bone to his dog. He is very fond of Sandor Clegane. We were prepared to offer Selmy some land and a towerhouse, more than the useless old fool deserved.

"I hear that useless old fool slew two of Slynt's gold cloaks when they tried to seize him at the Mud Gate."

His sister looked very unhappy. "Janos should have sent more men. He is not as competent as might be wished."

"Ser Barristan was the Lord Commander of Robert Baratheon's Kingsguard," Tyrion reminded her pointedly. "He and Jamie are the only survivors of Aerys Targaryen's seven. The smallfolk talk of him in the same way they talk of Serwyn of the Mirror Shield and Prince Aemon the Dragonknight. What do you imagine they'll think when they see Barristan the Bold riding beside Robb Stark or Stannis Baratheon?"

I find this passage interesting for a few reasons. 1. Varys is the one who had Barriston dismissed, likely knowing he would take it as a slight, refuse the land, and depart KL and 2. They talk about how the smallfolk will react seeing him at the side of a potential new rular, although it wasn't Robb or Stannis's side that he went to.

The more I read the sneakier that Varys seems to me.

[Ramsay Gimp]

I find this passage interesting for a few reasons. 1. Varys is the one who had Barriston dismissed, likely knowing he would take it as a slight, refuse the land, and depart KL and 2. They talk about how the smallfolk will react seeing him at the side of a potential new rular, although it wasn't Robb or Stannis's side that he went to.

The more I read the sneakier that Varys seems to me.

And it is Illyrio who connects Barristan with Dany. Illyrio and Varys work together very closely, so it seems clear that Varys intended for Barristan to defect back to the Targaryens after Robert's death

[Yuki_no_Jon]

that's very probable.. I still can't find out which side he supports... he is like having multiple plans and seeing which will come to fruition...

[LadyMondragon]

I came upon a line in ASoS that interested me. Page 375

That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse. When she saw the Usurper's rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent.

Is this a glimpse of what Rhaegar would have done if he lived? Was Rhaegar actually Azor Ahai reborn? Or is it foreshadowing Dany as AAR?

My apologies if this has been mentioned before and/or if it's way crackpot LOL

[MaesterMarwyn]

Found a few lines on my re-read of GoT. Whether they are intentional or unintentional, pretty neat catching this stuff. Sorry if these have been pointed out, didn't see them in this thread:

Catelyn X:

When Robb turned his head to look at her, she could see only black inside the visor.

Catelyn X again:

Even at a distance, Ser Jaime Lannister was unmistakable. The moonlight had silvered his armor and the gold of his hair, and turned his crimson cloak to black. He was not wearing a helm.

Just lending some credence to the crackpot theory that the twins are Targaryen born. I don't buy into the theory, but it was funny finding this excerpt that changes Jaime's hair to the silver of the Targaryens and his cloak to the black of their sigil.

Bran VII (Bran suggests getting taught to use a poleaxe and using Hordor as his legs):

"I think that...unlikely," Maester Luwin said. "Bran, when a man fights, his arms and legs and thoughts must be as one."

Just some interesting finds on a re-read of GoT.