Davos' quest to retrieve Rickon: How is it going to go wrong?

[ladytiger]

I think the surprise, as some posters have already stated, will be that the Skagosi aren't cannibal wildlingpirates and are actually civilized and loyal to Rickon. But it's definitely going to be difficult to convince Rickon to come back to Westeros, but I think Davos is capable. I'm really hoping GRRM would release a Davos POV but I think there's too much going on in that plot for him to do that (same with pre-releasing a Sansa chapter or Jon, Arya, and Bran's).

[PrimeRhaegar]

Davos survived Blackwater Bay and Mel i think we can handle a few cannibals and a feral boy with his giant man eating aggressive dire wolf. Hmmmm when you put it like that yea things will go south pretty quickly.

[Kennedy the Keen]

After having his family killed and experiencing first hand, how terrible war and power struggles can be, Rickon should be a hardened child who was forced to mature quickly because if his situation. Hopefully Davos can mentor Rickon during their journey back. He also was raised and kept safe by a Wildling, which mean Rickon understands Wildling customs and culture.

Being born in Winterfell as a Stark, then after house Stark crumbles and Theon take Winterfell he is raised by a Wildling, and now hopefully he is grateful that Davos came to rescue him and learns from Davos. With not many Starks left, and Wildlings moving south of the wall and being granted lands.

Rickon sounds very similar to Aegon. Both being trained to rule their respective areas. I think in the end Rickon will be king in the north and Aegon on the iron throne. They will start an alliance ushering in an new age of peace, a balancing between ice and fire, that will last many years.

[King of Vaes Tolorro]

I don't doubt that it will succeed. But I do doubt that the rumors are false. Or that Stannis will profit.

especially when Davos tells Rickon that Stannis prayed for his brother's death to the one god who actually does anything.

So yeah, Stannis is screwed. And any of you thinking Rickon will be a peaceful lord, are kidding yourselves. Winter will come to the South, the Cold Winds, not of the Others, but the First Men

[Frances Bean Corbray]

If you've ever read Heart of Darkness or watched Apocalypse Now, then you know exactly how I think this is going to go wrong.

Davos will be fine. Everyone sailing north with him is fucked.

[Quentyn Kartell]

I think Davos will be successful in finding Rickon but it'll take him a while. By the time he has Rickon, he'll get word that Wyman is dead and that Jon was killed. Instead of risking a long ride to Stannis, he'll take Rickon to Melisandre for protection under a different name. The Night's Watch always has a POV.

[Antler's Fury]

So, which are most likely? Any good possibilities that I missed?

How about something a bit less melodramatic? Like, Davos wants Rickon to come with him, but Osha is understandably unwilling to let Rickon go with a stranger like Davos. Or maybe the Skagosi want to eat Davos, or Rickon, or both. Let's not forget that some shipwrecks have been spotted on Skagos, including Salla's. Maybe the stranded crews of those ships will play some role.

I tend to think that the "twist" will actually be a net positive one: Davos goes to Skagos thinking it's Cannibal Island, when in fact it's actually organized but isolationist. I'm also someone who thinks that Rickon and Osha didn't go to Skagos so much as they were sent to Skagos, in which case Davos isn't in much danger, and nor will he have that much trouble bringing them back. So the "surprise" would be about Skagos itself. I also think that Davos is likely to find that bringing Rickon back does not yield the desired result of Manderly backing Stannis.

Why does there have to be a twist at all? Skagos is probably dangerous enough a place that there can be plenty of action there without there being a hidden twist, especially one as bizarre as this. For instance, if Manderly had Rickon, there would be no reason to send him halfway across the continent, to an isolated, possibly cannibal infested rock surrounded by rough sea just to keep him safe. Skagos seems like the last place anyone trying to find a safe haven would go if they had any other option, especially considering how dangerous it is just to travel to and from there. Manderly could have easily kept Rickon in safe, easily accessible places like the Wolf's Den, his secret rooms, his secret ships, or in the care of his trusted subordinates at Widow's Watch, Ramsgate, or Oldcastle. Plus, if Manderly sent Rickon to Skagos, he could simply send some men to retrieve him again; there is certainly no need to tell Davos about his secret and very dangerous plan, especially if Manderly intends to double cross him. Manderly is too smart to send Rickon to a place that could potentially become inaccessible due to bad weather. Indeed, Manderly himself tells us that he does not have men skilled enough to go beyond the Bite, and given what we know about White Harbor's relatively small size and very local maritime economy, I am inclined to believe him.

I also don't see how any of the things you mentioned is a net positive. The Skagosi's supposedly being organized does not in and of itself guarantee that Davos will not be in danger, nor does it mean that he will not encounter opposition in getting Rickon to leave with him, whether it is from Rickon and Osha, or the Skagosi themselves, or both. In fact, Manderly specifically says that he needs someone who can get in and out "unmolested" which suggests that there is very real danger there. Given its location, I am more inclined to believe that Skagos' society and culture are more akin to that of the wildlings, and therefore unpredictably dangerous. And of course, Manderly's backstabbing Davos is hardly a positive thing for Davos.

[Ser Creighton]

The Lord of the Flies with a Direwolf, not good.

[Frances Bean Corbray]

Also the Skagosi will not let some southron jackanape take their GOD away from them without a fight.

And Rickon, a boy Warging prodigy (with HINTS of some precognition/clairvoyant ability in his limited page time in this series, albeit not on par with Bran's greensight gift), is at least tangible "proof" to the Skagosi that the old gods and their power is real, even if they don't actually hail him as an avatar/incarnation of said old gods (but don't count out them doing that too)

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Also the Skagosi will not let some southron jackanape take their GOD away from them without a fight.

And Rickon, a boy Warging prodigy (with HINTS of some precognition/clairvoyant ability in his limited page time in this series, albeit not on par with Bran's greensight gift), is at least tangible "proof" to the Skagosi that the old gods and their power is real, even if they don't actually hail him as an avatar/incarnation of said old gods (but don't count out them doing that too)

I admit that the "Skagosi worshiping Rickon as some sort of child-wolf god" has popped into my mind before. I know it's probably not likely, but I'm fond it all the same. :P

[Frances Bean Corbray]

I admit that the "Skagosi worshiping Rickon as some sort of child-wolf god" has popped into my mind before. I know it's probably not likely, but I'm fond it all the same. :P

Well, for my Apocalypse Now analogy to hold true, Rickon must become some form of Kurtz, so I have to go all in with Rickon As God Of Skagos :)

[shiola]

Why would the Skagosi be following Rickon? Simply because of his warging abilities and Stark heritage?

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Why would the Skagosi be following Rickon? Simply because of his warging abilities and Stark heritage?

I think the rationale is that the Skagosi are presented as being fairly primitive, almost wildling-like. We know from Varamyr's prologue that wargs are shown a certain reverence above the Wall, receiving tributes and homage. If Rickon turns up with a direwolf, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Skagosi will see him as someone to be revered.

[northwesterner]

Lord Manderly dies from his wounds. There will be no northern Lord strong enough to lead them to join Stanis against the Boltons. His son is broken and Robert Glover is just the younger brother of a master not a Lord.

I have to agree you with on this, unfortunately all the Northern leaders that are left are weak :crying:

[Swagwell]

What if Osha was sent by Mance to Kidnap a Stark boy? What if they never even went to Skagos?

[Frances Bean Corbray]

Why would the Skagosi be following Rickon? Simply because of his warging abilities and Stark heritage?

The idea is that Northern "civilization" (pacification) emanates from Winterfell. The further north one goes, the further back in time one goes, to places where the old north still holds more sway (i.e. Umbers still practicing First Night) until "civilization" ultimately ends at The Wall.

[like in my pet analogy, Heart Of Darkness, wherein the narrator describes that going up the river feels like "going back in time"]

Latitude-wise, half of Skagos is North Of The Wall. And as recently as a century ago it was actively rebelling against Winterfell/Pacification Of The North.

Therefore, the theory is that Skagos is culturally still more Wildling than Westeros and will share the "primitive" trait of Warg Reverence that Varamyr Sixskins describes. Or at minimum Rickon coming to Skagos will reflect Stannis' meet-and-greet with the hill tribes as a Show Of Respect that honors the Skagosi and earns their fierce loyalty in an old fashioned manner. Like, whereas the Uprising represents House Stark telling them to do something from outside, Rickon symbolizes House Stark making an official visit and asking them to follow. Or something like that.

[Dilecta]

<snipped>

<< And any of you thinking Rickon will be a peaceful lord, are kidding yourselves. >>

In my head, he is and always will be "Crazy-Ass Baby Rickon". It would nice if Osha has managed to tame him somewhat, but I'm not holding out much hope. I'm afraid that boy is going to "sow the wind and reap the whirlwind".

[Frances Bean Corbray]

<snipped>

<< And any of you thinking Rickon will be a peaceful lord, are kidding yourselves. >>

In my head, he is and always will be "Crazy-Ass Baby Rickon". It would nice if Osha has managed to tame him somewhat, but I'm not holding out much hope. I'm afraid that boy is going to "sow the wind and reap the whirlwind".

Rickon's childhood experience has some eerie parallels to that of Viserys. Here's hoping Osha lives longer and provides more semblance of stability than Ser Darry was able to.

[Lissa Nymeros Martell]

Why would the Skagosi let Davos take Rickon at all? We know that Davos is a pretty chill guy, but he's still Stannis's guy. From the Skagosi, POV Davos is an enemy. Stannis hasn't been to Skagos to recruit them. Likely all they've heard is that Stannis is preparing to attack Winterfell, where most of the north assumes Arya is living with her new husband Ramsay Bolton.

What could persuade them to let Davos take Rickon? It seems reckless.

[Ser Lady Stark Martell]

I honestly don't think it's going to go wrong. The quest to retrieve Rickon, at least. There's really no way to predict this because it could go 100 different ways, but I like to think he'll succeed. The thing is: this is not just about Davos and Rickon. We don't know how long it will take Davos to retrieve Rickon, lots of things can change in the meantime.