Mithras

Now we have a proof for this. Someone went to the Cushing Library and checked the 93 November and 94 November AGoT manuscripts. It is most curious that Ned's dreams about Lyanna first appeared in 94 November and back then it was Jon Arryn, not Howland Reed, who found Ned holding Lyanna's dead body at the Tower of Joy.

That would be a huge mistake.

In Turkey, Leopards were found to be disappointing during the operation in Syria. AFAIK, this was the most intense real combat action for the Leopards ever and they (at least the ones Turkey has) proved vulnerable to ATGM strikes employed by asymmetrical forces like ISIS. Due to mounting casualties, Turkey switched to heavily upgraded M60s that could withstand ATGMs much better than Leopards. Of course, Ukraine vs. Russia could be a conventional tank vs. tank battle where Leopards might suit better. Or not. If Leopards are sent to Ukraine and perform poorly, that would be a major blow to German arms exports. Perhaps the major reason why they are unwilling to provide Leopards to Ukraine is this.

Sansa I Preps for the tourney. Sansa II Littlefinger informs Sansa about the news from the North such as Ramsay’s victory and the death of Stannis (both of which are known to be wrong by the readers but not by Littlefinger or Sansa) and that Jon broke his vows to fight Ramsay. Harry is slain in a “tourney mishap” during the melee. Littlefinger comes up with a plan to get Sansa pregnant and pass the child as Harry’s. He also tells her that this is his price for taking the Vale armies to the North to help Jon against Ramsay. Sansa realizes that it was Littlefinger who arranged Harry’s death. She says no. Littlefinger tries to rape her and the maid slays the savage giant. Sansa III With Littlefinger lying dead on the floor, Sansa is in deep trouble. Shadrich breaks in and promises Sansa to take her to Jon for protection. Three Sunderland brothers are with Shadrich. Sansa thinks that she does not have any other direction to go. She agrees. They flee in secrecy and eventually come to the Sisters to find a ship. On the boat, Sansa realizes that she is betrayed. The ship is sailing south instead of north. Sunderlands and Shadrich mean to sell her to Cersei. This is how I see the Vale wrapping up for Sansa. After Littlefinger's death and Sansa's disappearance, there will be a power vacuum. The Vale will be nominally supporting the Iron Throne but the Vale Lords will remain divided. By the end of TWoW, Stannis will have consolidated the North and at the same time, Dany will have wrapped up Essos and be ready to ferry her troops to Westeros. Elsewhere, fAegon will have gained large domains from the Lannisters whose control will be limited to King's Landing and Casterly Rock. The allegiance of the Vale will be the major contention between Stannis and Dany, over which they will need to fight a naval war. The Vale Lords will make it clear that only the victor will get their allegiance along with their untouched food reserves and manpower. Stannis will be defeated and return back to the North where the Northmen will abandon him (which will finally make Stannis ready for a certain sacrifice) but I believe Davos will be a dragonslayer in this battle. After the victory, Dany will claim the Vale and start ferrying her troops from Pentos to the Vale. This will be the end of TWoW for the Vale.

When Tyrion made that promise, Wardens were a big deal in the story. More important stuff than the mountain clans fell victim to the writing process.

The 5 year time jump was created during the writing of ACoK when the series expanded from 4 books to 6. ASoS was written specifically to have a time jump at the end. If GRRM kept the 4 book plan, ASoS would not even exist in the first place, and much of the stuff that turned into current major plot threads in need for resolution simply would not exist. Likewise, many of the newer POVs would not exist. With Sansa at King's Landing, GRRM wouldn't need to create a Cersei or even Jaime POV.

I agree that the Vale is a detour but I don't think she returns to the North. If the story wasn't overly expanded, I don't think Sansa would leave King's Landing at all, and LF would get killed before Act 1 was over. I think Sansa is destined back to King's Landing via Shadrich.

Hmm, I see the confusion. The vision was just a single scene. It didn't say they were going from A to B. It is possible that the vision was from an instance where they did the ranging and were on the way back to Castle Black, which means they encountered the red lady during the mission. Or they did not return directly to Castle Black but continue ranging to Hardhome, after learning where the free folk were from the red lady. This was one of Jon's primary objectives. The vision might be from an instance on the way to Hardhome.

She doesn't have the authority to command Jon though. If he says no to her (and considering that he is even more distrustful of her in this draft compared to the published version, he will say no to her), then she will stay back. Besides, this was a proper vision and if the red woman in the vision was herself, Mel would know it and tell it. Like the grey girl on a dying horse, GRRM might have planned Mel as the misdirection in this case.

I think Val will take Jon's body to Queensgate.

Well, they might have come across the tracks of the great elk they were riding and followed them. Initially they were the hunters but they ended up being prey.

The mutineers from Crasters.

At this moment, Jon was thinking of leading a ranging party to deal with the mutineers at Crasters and at the same time, find out what happened to the rest of wildlings scattered to the Haunted Forest after Stannis defeated Mance. This woman is obviously not Mel. But who else might she be? I think I know the answer. > Grandmother, found the scarlet silk from Asshai, dead >> her daughter, old wisewoman, dead >>> her daughter, healed Mance and patched up his cloak with scarlet silk, unknown status I think the woman all in red is either the one who healed Mance or an unrevealed daughter of her (i.e. >>>>). I am leaning towards the unrevealed daughter being the one. But I don’t think we will see her in TWoW. I believe GRRM introduced a replacement for her in ADwD and she is none other than Morna White Mask, who is a warrior witch wearing a weirwood mask. The daughter of the old wisewoman healed Mance from a fatal wound before he bled to death. The last we saw Jon, he was bleeding to death just like Mance after getting shredded by the shadowcat. This connection is not a coincidence IMO. Morna White Mask will somehow be instrumental in Jon’s healing/resurrection (whichever case you believe).

Arya would return to Winterfell after Ned's death and from there they would go north of the Wall with her mother after losing Winterfell.

Not true. That 1993 outline included the first 13 chapters that were almost identical to the published version.