James Fenimore Cooper XXII

Good points. It is an act akin to burning down an ancient repository of knowledge. It destroys the foundations of the faith of a religion. It is destruction of gods and ancestors so far as the children of the forest are concerned. The Targaryens for their part refrained from burning down the weirwoods as a show of religious tolerance. Domination. Obedience. Acceptance of her religion. Forced upon the Wildlings. It could bite her back later if power shifts. An important ritual in a universe where reincarnation exists. Catelyn's soul is trapped in a damaged body. The body can no longer fully function but the thoughts are still in there. Hate and love are there. Or just a different way of making offerings to the gods. Craster gives his boys. The Starks kill people and offer blood. The fire inside the tree is queer. Setting fire inside a tree kills the heart of the tree leading to the death of the tree itself. I can think of two scenarios. One, the bones were burned outside, the tissue consumed by cannibals, and the remainder transferred to the tree. The heat from the material burned some of the wood but not enough to knock down the tree. Two, cannibalism was secretly practiced. The village had a flesh feast. They put evidence of their guilt inside the wood to hide the taboo. Fire and termites make short work of trees.

Ser Aliser Thorne has quite the interesting personal history. He was a loyal knight who came to King's Landing to defend the city and protect King Aerys during Robert's Rebellion. He would be hailed a hero today if the Usurper, the Lions, and the Dogs had not won the war. I want a happy future for Ser Aliser because he is deserving of it. His loyalty to House Targaryen deserves a reward. This will happen if the Targaryens return to power and I am hoping when Daenerys takes the throne. I know Ser Aliser could be dead by now because his foolish Lord Commander sent him on to a suicide mission. Here is to hoping Aliser survives that politically and revenge motivated assignment. Ser Aliser is middle aged by now and has spent two decades at the Wall. I would not label it prison but an exile. The Wall is a political exile but provides the "three hots and a cot." Basic needs are provided but freedom is taken. How would Ser Aliser handle freedom after a long exile? Daenerys and Aegon will reward Aliser because he is a deserving recipient of their gratitude. May I suggest enough gold to start a new life. Perhaps lord of his house is not there for him if one of his relatives holds the seat. But he is a skilled knight who could live a comfortable life as the new head of the City Watch and his loyalty and honor are proven by time. I could dare say he is qualified to join the Queensguard. Ser Aliser does not deserve to die in a foolish errand to rescue the wildings. I like Aliser. I wish him god's luck and hope he makes it back to the Wall in one piece and meets Daenerys Targaryen. Aliser deserves to see the return of Westeros to the Targaryens. I think he will be most pleased to learn of Jon's death. The order at the Wall can begin as soon as they put Jon to rest. Bowen should send a raven to find Aliser's party and recall them to the Wall.

The Twins are formidable but not impossible to breach. The Northern barbarian horde would have destroyed his fields, slaughtered some of his smallfok, and burned his villages. Lord Frey was rightly worried.

It most surely did. Three lives. Three royals died. Three deaths that can be looked at as barter with the gods. They were sacrificed. Three of them are kings. Viserys, Rhaego, and Drogo. Viserions, Rhaegal, and Drogon.

My thoughts are its better to send Robert and Ned to their graves. Avoid war that way. The Golden Company are too small in numbers to affect the war. I suppose they could defend the city for a time.

Joffrey wanted to have Robb's tarred and sent to him. It's on Robert's shoulders. You might say he lost his head and it went to Dorne. He gained a new head. A hound gets the head of a wolf. Quite ironic.

Jon is a traitor.

The show did not. As terrible and awful as the show was. No it did not go that far.

Truthfully any of the Starks have that capacity. Sansa betrayed her own father. Do not get me wrong. I like that she did it because I am against the Starks. But I am just saying any of the surviving Starks is capable of betraying Westeros like that. Jon is physically there and he is a confirmed oathbreaker, traitor, and murderer. Arya as well is on the same league.

Nothing more than an oversight by the author, George Martin. The optimal time for Aerys to hire assassins is the time between the executions of the traitors Brandon and Rickard and commanding Jon Arryn to execute Robert and Ned. It is what I would have done. Then maybe the king wanted to make an example of what happens to traitors. It is very appropriate if the Starks were planning to oppose the Targaryens. Murder Robert and Ned and the traitors are stopped in their tracks. Aerys had a strong economy and his accounts were full. He could easily afford to have Robert and Ned murdered. They were just lords and their status do not compare to his lofty status.

Dany is Azor Ahai. The show House of the Dragon even points to her as Azor Ahai. Though I do not consider the show definitive. But when you take into consideration the prophecies, the hatching of her dragons, and the killing of Drogo, yes, I am sure Dany is Azor Ahai.

Maybe but that is independent of whether madness runs in the Tullys or not. Both can be present in the child. Sweetrobin. Catelyn's children inherited madness from her Tully side of the family.

Cersei is no worse than what Arya is. Arya started killing sooner at a younger age. Cersei is partly to blame for Robert's death but he didn't exactly treat her with kindness either. The Freys will survive. I think Dany is their best hope for a fair resolution of their feud with the Starks.

Jon Snow could come back with white hair like a strange wight. I think his fury will bring death to Westeros. Which is the opposite of his sworn duty to protect them.

Killing the Starks prevented the deaths of many more. He would see it that way if the septon is a smart man. Robb was guilty of rebellion and treason.