LongRider

Northern California and yes, these wasps are common pests at cookouts and picnics. Quite the little bastards.

What’s good about today is I learned my nephew survived a medical emergency yesterday. He was stung in the tongue and mouth by a meat eating wasp that was in his BBQ sandwich. He was in a powerboat in a lake w/wife and friends. They got him to the dock where the ambulance was waiting. His tongue, face, and throat were swelling and he had Benidryl with him. Until now he hasn’t been allergic to stings but I guess that’s changed. So thankful he had folks to help him and he responded well to treatment.

I quit smoking in ‘89, drinking in ‘93 and gambling some time mid-late 90s. Working in casinos for 10 + years ‘bout did me in. Thankfully all that Catholic guilt eventually helped me to clean up, and somewhere along the line I left the guilt behind too. I like being sober, I got plenty of issues of course, but my old habits aren’t some of them. I don’t know if I would date a smoker, wouldn’t date a heavy drinker that’s for sure, and no casino trips for me.

Me too! I survived Catholic school and have been a happy Atheist since age 18. I quit smoking a couple of years before quitting drinking. That was hard and took years and many tries. Now I’m like, well, people smoke, that’s their choice so be it. Can’t stand cigarettes, don’t mind smokers. Smoke ‘em if you gottem I guess.

I been sober since’93 and I like it. Before that I drank my fair share (and then some) and just haven’t missed it. shrug, for me sobriety just is, no big deal.

We don’t know because Jon and Rob didn’t pursue deeper into Warging their wolves. If they had a guide or a teacher to develop their skills, would they have locked up their wolves when they really needed them? Joejen counseled and cautioned Bran about getting caught up in Warging Summer for too long, and discouraged him from Warging Hodor, but didn’t really develop Bran’s warging skills.

True, and wilding Orel (sp) who warged the eagle and was known as a Warg and was valued for his high flying spying skills. So I don’t think we quite know what Osha thinks about wargs. I would like to think she would know more than just fear and old prejudices. I don’t follow how FM training ties into Warg training. Also, I would argue Ghost gave Jon his kickstart to warging when only Jon could hear Ghost when the pups were found.

My point is not so much that a Direwolf = WW tree, but warging goes into the space occupied by another being. The Stark kids stumbled upon warging with various amounts of awareness and success. Bran also wargs Hodor, something considered taboo, but he does it anyway. My point is that the kids could have used some training on warging, Bran, Jon and Arya especially. Rickon’s skills are undefined, but he too looks like he could be a powerful Warg. Osha as a wilding could have a different approach to that, as compared to those from south of the Wall, and help him develop his skills.

Skinchanging into a direwolf is entering another space, same as weirwood, no, but do not direwolves have magic of their own? A teacher for the Stark kids, on the true natue of the direwolves and warging could go a long way. BR did teach Bran to warg the crows, how to go in to warg them and how to release himself from them. Osha is well schooled in the Old Gods, and as such, can she school Rickon in warg magic, which might be an old magic from the Old Gods? edt: Direwolves can warg acoss oceans; Nymeria to Ayra. Not eternal, but what river is carrying her ablity to do that?

He's with Osha, remember she talked about why she and her group went past the wall and also about what should be remembered. BR is training Bran to be a powerful greeseer, will Osha train Rickon to be a powerful warg?

Why wouldn’t the same concepts apply to warging the direwolves? Unlike the greenseers, the Stark kids could have used some training in warging, so much talent and possibilities wasted.

A fallen star, the heart must be equal to the sword. The sword is forged in the heart and soul, It's the quality of the heart that defines the man or woman who uses it. So I was thinking, if a new sword of the Dawn is forged, could it be forged from a fallen Star(k). Who in story had a better heart than Eddard Stark? Ned put his heart and soul into Ice, using the sword for battles, protection and justice. Ned who's compassion for Cersie and her bastards led to his death on the order of one of very the bastards he tried to save. His sword was taken and re-forged into two swords, one known as Oathkeeper and wielded by Brienne of Tarth who, like Eddard Stark, tries to keep to her oaths and loyalties. Could Brienne have the qualities needed to wield a new Lightbringer? Would Oathkeeper need to be quenched in the heart of another fallen star to become the Lightbringer? hmmmmmm

Yanno, Ser Arthur Dane was slain in battle by Edward Stark and Howland Reed. Ned respected and admired Dane so much he returned Dawn to Starfall, so to me a fallen star in battle could have been a brave person respected by their enemies. A sword from the fallen one or perhaps the sword that brought mercy to the dying fighter, could be a sword forged from the heart of a fallen star. When Sandor showed Arya how to give the mercy to the dying knight, he showed her where the heart is.

I agree with this as darkness wasn't in my thoughts, but someone with the 'brightness' of a star, at least to the sword bearer and possibly to the legends as well.

Heart of a Fallen Star, I can't help but wonder, not what is that, but who is that?