Booknerd2

Lollys?

I'm so antsy for that door to open….

Yup. Cieran is a great actor. Loved his Caesar too.

Littlefinger: When you tuck him in tonight, give him 5 more doses of the milk….he can't miss.

lol!

Oh, Sweetrobin….

Oh, and if she comes after you with leeches…run. Gendry? Where are you, still on the water, buddy?

He just gave her the untrusting stink eye already…ha!

Come on Sam, tell her your nickname….the Slayer! You're beyond practice...

Lord Snow!

No Rhaegar honey…sorry…thanks for playing.

Whoah….

Oh, wow...

Whew…never second. Ready to go.

This and That: Er, Part 2 So that is the beauty of this series…so many things. From that scene in my last full write up until now: So I write this…. This is from Riverlands Web V.2 So I read that “Mercy chapter.” It went something like this: So people respond and LeCygne just throws this back out at me: This is mine. But cut out is the part where I am flabbergasted. I just never entertained it being present yet. So I let it sink in…and then I ask myself: why not? And sometimes comparisions are warranted, okay, sometimes silly ones on my part, but sometimes when trying to take in, process something, and swirl it around to try to understand or see how it sits, sometimes it is just that simple: Now total speculation…of course, it could be wrong. But it really truly gives me something to think about. And I’ll just do what I’ve been doing, with this, and other stuff or ideas I’ve seen or thought about. Read, rip apart, write a little blurb, let it marinate, wait, see if I feel differently, come back to it and look again, rinse…repeat. And I’m not done. I think there are still things to look for in Arya and Pack chapters. The Gendry chapter in book 4 and other stuff too.

God help me…this was not planned. But the comments were so wonderful and insightful it just happened. You open a doc to type a few words you don't want to forget and a monster comes out. LOL! And guess what, it is long and I have to check things and need to put it in two parts, and eh, part two will need some time. Post-Essay Drabble and Connections to the Future: When a comment turns into a written piece by absolute accident (Part 1) Oh, man this is supposed to be a shorter response, the last post got me thinking… and it got long and grew…sorry, I have to put it under the box due to spoilers.

Thanks so much, Elba! It was the toughest one to do. I promised I would try not to do two parts once, and then this one required three because it is an important chapter, it sets up a lot, and yeah, there is just so much going on. And you're spot on. It has everything. It can be funny and sad with the Pack arguing. They have so many things to decide on and worry, it shows us Arya and Gendry have emerged as the leaders/decision-makers, we find out a lot about Arya and Gendry and their dynamic, and then all the terrible stuff at the end. But she won't even consider leaving him, despite the risk, walks right with Hot Pie in the face of Lannisters/possible torture and death, she might even stunt her chances at reaching her family, and knows that they want her, and that is the most moving to me. I teared reading that the first time. Also, that Hot Pie is scared, but steps it up, and does go in bravely to help her try to get Gendry. And I loved him more for that too. The Wolf Pack was truly created there. And I forgot that too, Longie. I never picked up on the cloak symbolism with Gilly and Sam. And Sam bestows it earlier. I was totally lulled by the sweet act, it is cold outside, and there is so much cloak stuff in the series, I should have learned to look for it. LOL! But it is like his relationship with Jon. He bonds with you early, and you know he is true from the get go, with his love and caring and friendship.

"We’re there when Jon meets Ygritte and when Sandor and Sansa meet, but not when Sam and Gilly do." So true, and I never thought about that. I remember too how I was sort of surprised when I read the app and the Sandor page and saw this: ​"Riding with King Robert to Winterfell, Sandor first meets Sansa Stark and becomes infatuated with her." Whoah, that early Houndie? It made me go back and look at earlier chapters in a new way too. I love how you traced Sam and Gilly's interactions and how their bond did grow stronger over time. Then I went through stages when I feel so bad. This poor guy would've been happy with even a simple life and the love of a woman and children, and well, life is not going to be easy for him, nor what he wants out of it. Well, for right now and for long time anyway. ​And the baby sleeping between him and Gilly and his reactions are adorable.

This was great! I love Sam especially, but I love him and Gilly. There is a special place in the seven hells for Randyll. I er, wish some type of a pox on him. He knew the NW would be torture for Sam, it turns out Sam found his way there and things got better, but Randyll's intent was nasty. Was it ever said why not even the septons or maesters? Probably because he felt Sam would be locked in for life and very far away at the NW. And I bear no ill will toward Dickon. Not his fault. But…that being said, I don't think he lives. Unfortunately, that is how Randyll will get screwed. And probably with all that Tyrell/Lannister/KL fall out coming. And I think we all know that Sam/Randyll show down is coming one day, and I hope Sam tells his ass off! And I feel so sorry for Lady Tarly and her daughters that were close to Sam. I will come back with more commentary. I have to like hi-light stuff.

Thanks so much! And I hope so too.

Oh, yeah. And it always the same trope with young people teasing each other, and still in the "ick" stage. That is so stupid, ew, you are so stupid, that is so dumb, etc.…almost said when you have nothing to say, and it just comes out.

Honestly, and it is pretty obvious he is one of my favorite characters, but yeah, I wouldn't want Gendry as King. No way. All the IT stuff has left a bad taste in my mouth. Robert died for it, Renly died seeking it, Stannis, well, seeking the throne isn't doing him any favors either. And of course, it would never be smooth with Edric Storm alive either. I am still concerned that his identity reveal that looks like it is coming, doesn't cause aggravation. A higher station in life than at the beginning for him, and I do think he is going to make or break himself with upcoming events, and I think it is leaning toward "make," a future with Arya years down the road, Hot Pie coming over for coffee and cake, Big Nyms in retirement lording it over on fluffy pillows in old age, being served rare to medium rare steaks after all those years she had to fight and had to leave Arya's side. LOL! I'd be happy with that. It is too optimistic, but hopefully some in that vein can come to pass.

Yeah guys, and there is even a little dual comparison. She earlier kicks him in the side after he has his funny Jack Tripper pratfall to the ground, and he laughs harder. When he is taken by the Lannsiter men, er, after the spear butting to the face, he is on the ground, and this is for real and probably painful, and he is kicked to the side. Man, he better check out those ribs!

Thanks! I love it too. There were a lot of turning points and important insight packed into that chapter. It was a big development for the Pack. Gendry takes on her secret and never tells. Hot Pie does not listen to Lommy, who he originally befriended and sided with back in book 1 when they first met Arya in KL, realizes the risks of taking on the guards to free Gendry, weighs it, and bravely tells Arya. "I'll come." It is said it is reluctant, which means even more to me. He is scared, but he agrees to help her. Arya’s caring, concern, protective instincts, and her friendship is boundless and unconditional. Lommy says more about her than anyone. He can be mean, bossy, call her names, not pull his weight, even before the leg, but if she bonds with you, when it clicks it clicks. She is the den mother of that male locker room. She is so not petty. It just highlights how incredible she is. How deserving of a better end. Out of all three including Gendry and Hot Pie, Lommy was more difficult nearer the end and she spent less time with him in comparison overall, yet she still dubs him and considers him the Pack. Over time his being a pain in the ass, she hardly recollects, and I think she intuitively understood, and how she discussed with Gendry, that that leg was only getting worse, and that Lommy might have been lashing out because of it. If one is inducted by her into the Pack you have a friend for life. The same reason I think her and Big Nyms will meet again. How do you function when the other half of yourself, a part of you is gone? It looks like GRRM explored that, and will explore the coming together again too. Now even the opposite end of the spectrum. If you are on her List, you are only off it if you die. She hasn’t let it go. Sandor is the exception, and is now off it after their road trip. And it is so Lyanna-like helping Howland in a way, or Ned and his sense of duty as warden and great lord of the North, and most certainly Jon defending and taking on Sam as a friend with no questions asked. She is a winner and even Gendry knows it.

Thanks so much, Longie!