Are the Starks Going to Get Their Valyrian Steel Back?

[Three-Fingered Pete]

My gut says not entirely. I think Arya might recover one sword (once she's made aware of what happened to her father's sword). The other may be lost to dragon fire (assuming that dragon fire can destroy it).

[Euron III Greyjoy]

Well, one sword is currently with Brienne, who is currently making her way back towards Lady Stoneheart and the Brotherhood without Banners. The other is in the Red Keep waiting until Tommen comes of age to be able to wield it. 

Oathkeeper 

Brienne seems keen on being in service to the Starks. So if she completes this mission then the sword will kind of be in House Starks possession. I doubt Brienne will keep the sword for herself, and since I doubt she will have children then the sword will be passed back to the Starks to be handed down from generation to generation. 

 

Widow's Wail

I'm not entirely sure what will happen in Kings Landing in the next book, but if I where to make a guess I think Aegon will take the Iron Throne if only for a little while. So the sword will fall into Targaryen possession. I think Aegon was gifted Blackfyre by Illyrio so he probably wont need the sword. So really who knows. 

 

Longclaw

This sword is also an option, since I imagine the Wall will be abandoned by the end of next book, and Jon will be back in Winterfell. I suppose Jon could give it back to House Mormont if he survives the Long Night, but it could also become the new House Stark ancestral sword. 

[Three-Fingered Pete]

I don't consider Longclaw as a Stark weapon, but I suppose it could end up with them; a bastard for a two-hander. Longclaw is a lost weapon until Jon is something other than worm food. Also assuming that some dirt bag doesn't run off with it in the interim.

Oathkeeper I expect to make its way back to Jaime now that he and Brienne are together again, (this is why I think one might be lost to dragon fire), but it does have a chance to end up in Lady Stoneheart's hands if Jaime is unwise enough to open his mouth about it. That's the good thing about the two reforged blades; I don't think anyone but the Lannisters (and assorted lackeys) knows from where they got the steel, although I'm sure some have put two and two together. I guess LS could just string Jaime up too. That outcome is going to be interesting to see.

Widow's Wail is the one I think Arya will recover. It is the lighter of the two and the perfect weapon to help her finish her list. Needle may have to be lost or broken for this to happen.

[Nezza86]

I think they'll get both parts back. Though I believe some combination of Gendry, Sam and Melisandre will be needed to reforge the two swords back into Ice. Ive got a sneaky feeling that Ice will become Lightbringer too. Remember Beric Dondarrions flaming sword broke when he fought the Hound, and there was some discussion of Thoros ruining good swords by setting them on fire, whereas Longclaw was intact after the lord commanders tower was burnt down, well the blade anyway. So I take that as proof that Valyrian steel is fireproof.

I know that GRRM likes to throw in a few surprises, but it would seem quite poetic to have a resurrected Jon retake the North and then reforge Ice as a symbol of the Stark's rule. Of course a lot of people will point to the fact that they need more VS swords not fewer, but I'm not sure one more would make a huge difference against a vast army of wights. And I'm sure people will argue about the ability to fight with such a large sword but from Dragon-back it might be quite useful to have a massive sword.

[Three-Fingered Pete]

2 hours ago, Nezza86 said:

Remember Beric Dondarrions flaming sword broke when he fought the Hound, and there was some discussion of Thoros ruining good swords by setting them on fire, whereas Longclaw was intact after the lord commanders tower was burnt down, well the blade anyway. So I take that as proof that Valyrian steel is fireproof.

We have to consider the "real world" aspects before we speculate on the magical ones.

You can ruin the temper of normal steel with a hot fire; making it brittle and useless for combat or other stressful work, but normal fire is too cool to melt steel (iron melts at 2800°F). It stands to reason that Valyrian steel is as good or better than this. It is noted that the formula for the steel is lost, much like Damascus steel on which I'm pretty sure Valyrian steel is based, but the blacksmiths with noted skill can still rework the metal. So it is not "indestructible" or anything due to its nature or spells and so forth. A loss of temper can be repaired and/or reworked out of the metal.

We do know that sustained dragon fire will at least soften stone, as seen at Harrenhal, but we can only assume that a longer application will liquefy it. If this holds true, then the loss of Valyrian steel swords is possible, but the metal may be recoverable if the impurities introduced at that time can be removed from the molten metal afterward.

 

 

[Quoth the raven,]

Are the Starks Going to Get Their Valyrian Steel Back?

NEVERMORE!!!!

Thank you for giving me an excuse to quote the raven.  I don't think they get the sword back in one whole piece.  The kingdom is broken and the Starks are as much to blame as the Lannisters.  

[lAPPYc]

My headcanon is that the reforging of the two swords marks a split in the house Stark. I want Stark on the Iron Throne, hopefully Bran. Rickon will take care of Winterfell, but the North is too remote to rule the entire Seven Kingdoms. So I think there will be a new House Stark, at least in name, in the South. Jon-Arianne pairing seems good enough, as it will unite the weakest kingdoms in Westeros to augment the Stark on the Iron Throne.

Bran gets the Widow's Wail, Rickon Oathkeeper. And Jon and his descendants keep Longclaw.