ChillyPolly

So you agree with me that they are setup chapters.

I never said it was a "bad thing".  That was entirely your invention.  You are in full agreement with what I actually said.

Yes?

Actually, I just said "setup".  You seem to agree with me.  

The point of hoarding food is to use people's desperation to acquire it in order to manipulate the situation to one's advantage.

There is a possible aspect to this that I have not seen mentioned. It's not merely that LF understands the law of supply and demand and nobody else does. It's not merely that LF realizes that winter is coming and nobody else does. I presume there are plenty of other merchants in the Vale who realize and understand these things.

I think LF may realize that more war and destruction are coming. Hence, he anticipates reduced supply beyond that which other merchants anticipate.

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surprised how many people think Brienne is "un"ed. We know from GRRM that she called out "sword", so she chose to serve LS, so pretty sure she lives. She looks like shit because her face is destroyed, and because she was forced to lie to lure Jamie (because of her vow to pledge her sword)... not because she is undead. She loves Jamie and hates lying so this duty makes her miserable.

I think that's mostly just me arguing for UnBrienne.

Her shouting "sword" cuts both ways. Your theory is that it sets up her getting cut down and surviving. My theory is that it sets up yet another subplot about the Red God's revenants being driven by their oaths. The reasons for her looking like shit can cut both ways as well, obviously. Your theory is that her oath to kill Jaime is making her miserable; my theory is that her loss of humanity make her apparent intentions more plausible.

But it does not much matter for our purposes. Alive or undead, we have this whole unresolved subplot about her hunt for Sansa, nothing stops her from appearing at Sansa's tournament in a guise we won't necessarily recognize.

Nothing stops her from appearing in the guise of a man. Very little prevents her from appearing in the guise of "the Hound".

She was last seen in the vicinity of Sandor's old helm, and then using false tales of Sandor to deceive Jaime.

I think a lot of people underestimate the skill required to take on multiple opponents at a time and win. That really is a remarkable achievement, even when the opponents are significantly inferior in skill.

Rorge weighed like 300 lbs and was taller than Brienne as well.

I think you're wrong about the "taller" part. Brienne is about 6'8" or 6'9" (4" taller than Renly who in turn is nearly as tall as Robert who is 6'6"). Unless I missed something, I don't think we have any indication that Rorge is nearly that tall.

Not sure what your point 4 is. All your best picks are befuddling.

Jaime hasn't proven capable since the losing of his hand. Brienne has only beaten one skilled opponent on even ground, and Sandor hasn't been mentioned since his potential cameo as a graveyard digger.

Also do we know if Brianne is even still alive?

(1) This is fantasy. Jaime may get himself a new hand. This has already been set up with: the healing of his hand by the occultist Qyburn; him receiving hand made of gold (but not animated ... yet); his rejection of the Faith of the Seven because they would not give him a new hand; the prophesy of the valonqar strangling Cersei with its HANDS; Bonifers warning to Jaime about revenants; and his rendezvous with the forces of darkness in the form of the revenant UnBrienne.

(2) Brienne is obviously a top tier fighter. I don't see the point of quibbling about how many other top-tier fighters we have observed her defeat first hand. One (Loras) is enough to prove this. And when she fought Jaime they were BOTH at a disadvantage, seeing as she was trying NOT to kill him.

(3) Right. Sandor hasn't been mentioned since he was last mentioned .... yet. I don't think this means his arc is over.

(4) No, we don't know that Brienne is "alive" in the full and proper sense. I think she is now a revenant and a monster. But that won't necessarily prevent her from showing up at a tournament.

Depends if she specifically used the term "Kingslayer" or Jaimie Lannister

Kingslayer can just as easily be a reference in Briennes mind to Stannis (or rather his shadow) killing Renly

LS did use the term "kingslayer". The word Brienne shouted ("sword") represented the oath LS demanded of her ("take the sword and kill the kingslayer").

And yes, this does echo her earlier oath to take a different sword (Renly's) and kill a different kingslayer (Stannis).

I not sure why we should assume the dagger detail will be significant. I mean, if Harry is going to die, how do you know he will not be strangled to death with Myrrish lace?

Fall guy is the one blamed for a person's death, if HTH dies, who's the person without the dagger?

That is the question.

You're getting too far ahead of me. I'm willing to consider the possibility that Harry may die at the tournament ... but anything beyond that - such as the weapon used and who-if-anyone gets framed for the killing - is just too much speculation.

Unless you know something I don't.

Loras volunteered for that mission (indeed, Cersei was surprised by it). He would have no reason to suspect her. Moreover, Loras' crippling injuries were reported in AFFC Cersei VIII. Margaery is not arrested, and Cersei's moves against the Tyrells not exposed, until AFFC Cersei X. And even if you believe the Tyrells had inside information, Cersei herself had not come up with that plan until AFFC Cersei IX.

The timeline simply does not support the idea that Loras' injuries are some kind of mirage. The Tyrells have no reason to fake his near-death. Even after Cersei's plans are exposed, it doesn't make sense; Loras is needed in King's Landing to defend Margaery against the charges. His not being able to do that is one of the things that puts her in dire straits.

My suspicion is that Loras and his magician relatives are involved in a scheme to wake stone dragons (ie. cure dragons preserved in a state of advanced greyscale) with the aid of blood magic and human sacrifice. But I expect they will have nothing to do with the Vale for a while.

But that's just a theory. Since I really have no idea what Loras is up to, and since I think he is probably up to something, I really cannot rule out the possibility that he will turn up in the Vale.

Any guess as who would be the fall guy in the tourney?

Dunno what you mean by "fall guy". But all the recently-introduced minor characters currently being set up as favorites (Lyn Corbray, et al) are probably going to go down in flames before it is all done.

ChillyPolly, you aren't making sense. Brienne and Jamie are currently WITH the BWB. That is who LS leads. Therefore of course the situation with the BWB needs to be resolved in some manner. Did you miss some chapters?

No, the Elder Brother's explanation left more questions than answers and it is in fact not at all clear why Sandor is still in this story. The Faith is hiding him, even from Brienne. That needs resolution.

I have no idea what you are talking about.

Brienne and Jaime are not currenly with the BWB. The last we saw of them, they were together, in the Riverlands. Perhaps it is you who missed a chapter.

Yes, I know LS leads the BWB. But the last we saw of Brienne and Jaime, they were not with LS either. Brienne (whether alive or undead) has obviously either escaped from the BWB/LS, or been released by the BWB/LS, or been sent on a mission from the BWB/LS. We do not know because GRRM has DELIBERATELY failed to tell us what happened in the interim. Other than "take the sword and kill the kingslayer", we do not know what that mission is or was. Even if there is a mission other than "kill Jaime", there is no reason for her to return to BWB/LS prior to the accomplishment of that mission, or even after its accomplishment. Hence, she (whether alive or Undead) may be in the Vale, either on a mission from the BWB/LS, or in an attempt to escape the BWB/LS, or doing her own thing.

The Elder Brother's reasons for healing Sandor are obvious. His reasons for hiding Sandor are equally obvious. Anyone who failed to pick up on these reasons, has no particular reason to believe Sandor alive, since it is not something we are directly told. I never said I knew exactly what Sandor is going to do next, or what his long-term purpose in the story will be.

1. IMO Stoneheart has no purpose after passing life to someone else and dealing with Jamie. She has already killed enough Freys and there are too many other characters who want Freys dead for it to be worth sustaining Stoneheart.

It would be closer to the truth to say she has already killed too many Freys. I don't agree that Stoneheart's purpose in the plot is to kill exactly the right number of Freys or to kill Freys alone. She has become a monster.

And though it's possible, it would be odd if she left the story without any of the 6 main characters (Arya Sansa Dany Bran Jon Tyrion) meeting her.

Brienne or Jamie are less likely unless there is some other chapter that resolves a bit what happened with the BWB first.

I see no reason to accept this. I know of no indication that there will be an encounter between Jaime, Brienne and the BWB. Assuming one does occur, I see no basis for the assumption that it will occur BEFORE Brienne or Jaime do other things (like attend the Vale tournament). Assuming even this, I see no reason why we cannot find out about these things when one or other of the 6 main characters (Arya Sansa Dany Bran Jon Tyrion) get filled in.

That leaves Sandor. His connection to the Faith ATM is confusing. Why did they revive him?

Huh? I thought the Elder Brother explained the situation well enough. What would you have done, if you were the Elder Brother?

Turning to the Blackfish - if he showed up at the Tournament, would Sansa know him well enough to recognize him?

Jaime did make a comment implying the Blackfish is an excellent swordsman.

I'm sorry and this may just be me but if we are suddenly facing an army of zombies with one mission each "must kill Kingslayer, Sansa Kingslayer, she must die" then I am going to be very disappointed and will probably be done with this whole thing. We already have the walking dead beyond the wall anyway.

Well, I'm sure people will be disappointed, whatever happens.

You're definitely not alone. I've heard the same idea from many people. I'm not sure I understand it myself, because I ask myself - if a reader had something against stories featuring zombie plagues, why would they read past the prologue?

Oh, would I love Ser Brynden Tulley, the Blackfish to show up at that tournament and throw a stick in that wheelspoke.

What do we know of his tournament skills?

Thoros is actually a red priest, though. From what it sounds like in the descriptions of how he brought Beric back, he used R'hllor magic in his kiss of life.

Thoros tells us he knew no magic. He performed a ritual, and became an instrument of forces he could not control and did not understand.

Because in the only precedent we've had for a fire zombie doing it, the fire zombie died. Permanently.

Why would one assume that there are different rules for LSH than for Beric?

Why would one assume that a single example establishes a universal rule?

We have six examples of giving the kiss of fire and not dying; and one of giving it and dying. It is you who decided that this depends on whether the one giving the kiss is already a zombie, but GRRM never said so. Maybe it depends on whether the one to be raised has been dead for three days.

Or perhaps it depends on the will of Rh'llor. Or ... anything else.

Sorry, but how would LSH be able to raise Brienne, or Brienne raise Jaime, without dying?

Beric was revived multiple times by Thoros, because Thoros had these powers through his God... However, when Beric passed on the revival to LSH, that really seemed like a one-off thing to me, in which he actually died as well (blood sacrifice for it to work?).

How? Presumably by giving the kiss and not dying. It's happened before, as you admit.

Obviously, Thoros is living proof that one does not necessarily die, and we don't know what the rules are. If Fire Priests can be instruments of the Red God, then why cannot Fire Zombies also be such instruments?

Perhaps the Red God released UnBeric because he had no further use for him, with UnCat available as a "grimmer" replacement.

Well, I find it quite hard to imagine Littlefinger would allow someone he does not know who it is to get into the melee, or even near them...

Why? There are 64 people in the jousting, and the melee is open to all present, including retainers. All the mystery knight need do is get himself/herself hired before the tournament, which might not be difficult for a skilled fighter.

Actually, I've no reason to believe that either Brienne or Jaime are dead. What Brienne will do in the future will completely hinge on the question what task/mission Catelyn gives her.

Catelyn already gave Brienne two missions. The first was find Sansa, the second take the sword and kill the kingslayer. There is no reason to expect Catelyn to give Brienne any more missions.

Surprise guests:

I doubt that Sandor or Brienne/Jaime will show up in the Vale. It seems as if major stuff is going to happen in the Riverlands (which is why I think Brynden Tully is not going to pay the Vale a visit, either), and I see Jaime/Brienne returning to/be drawn into events in KL rather than someplace else. And Sandor should be drawn to KL, too, when he learns about the abomination his brother has become.

(Un)Jaime and (Un)Brienne don't need to stay together. They can go their separate ways on their separate missions.

The Undead are driven by their missions, but they lose their humanity, becoming warped versions of their former selves.

UnBrienne's undead mission is "take the sword and kill the kingslayer" but also "find Sansa" (who is reputedly a kingslayer). Brienne is the last person the readers expect to be coming after Sansa with homicidal intent ... but it's been set up.

So after she slew Jaime, she kissed him, and he rose. Now he's got his own undead missions: (1) do glorious deeds to fill the white book and become AA weilding a flaming sword in his new creepy animated golden hand; and (2) strangle Lancel, Kettleback, Moonboy, and finally Cersei, with his new creepy animated golden hand. Next we see of him will probably be at kings landing, when he returns through Cersei's eyes ... but will not be the same.