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Why did Ned leave the bodies of his companions in Dorne?


Angel Eyes

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On 2/13/2019 at 2:42 PM, John Suburbs said:

There are so many things wrong with the entire story of Robert's Rebellion, I honestly don't see how it can all be resolved satisfactorily. Maybe this is the stumbling block in the last two books? The RR Knot?

I agree wholeheartedly. So much about Robert's Rebellion is just so weird. Why did people just sit around for so long? Why was there a year where nothing happened? What the hell was Rhaegar doing for a year when his house and future was being destroyed? Why does Arthur Dayne prefer to talk in riddles about "wars to come"? Why did the Kingsguard attack Ned and his companions? 

Bran needs to show us some weirwood visions now.

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8 minutes ago, Pride of Driftmark said:

Why does Arthur Dayne prefer to talk in riddles about "wars to come"?

He doesn't. Arthur says two things in the exchange with Ned and the other Kingsguard.

"Our knees do not bend easily," said Ser Arthur Dayne.

"And now it begins," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light. (Eddard X, AGOT 39)

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27 minutes ago, Pride of Driftmark said:

I agree wholeheartedly. So much about Robert's Rebellion is just so weird. Why did people just sit around for so long?

There was a short burst of fighting within the first three-four months or so with the smaller numbers of troops that could be quickly raised and got to the important places.
At the end of that (after Battle of the Bells) the Rebels don't have enough forces on hand to take Kings Landing. They need to clean up their rear areas (there were many loyalists scattered through the North, the Riverlands and the Eyrie) and establish a logistics network (supplies can't get to the army if there are loyalists strongholds still in their rear areas) before they can advance into enemy territory and contemplate any significant sieges. They are also waiting for their main levies to be brought up.
No doubt there were also diplomatic efforts under way, that needed time to bear fruit. The Lannisters and Greyjoys didn't seem committed, and the Dornish half-hearted.

Note that even by the end, when Rhaegar marched to the Trident, it was the Loyalists who moved, not the Rebels. I think they only felt they had the power to take KL after they had destroyed Rhaegar's army, and they had to move fast to get there before Tywin reinforced the King. But fortunately, given he got there first, Tywin turned out to be on their side.

27 minutes ago, Pride of Driftmark said:

Why was there a year where nothing happened?

Not a year. About 6 months maybe. And not, "nothing happened", just nothing of major significance we are told about. Plenty happened, but it was smaller scale stuff, 'off screen' so to speak, for our limited 'history lessons'.

27 minutes ago, Pride of Driftmark said:

What the hell was Rhaegar doing for a year when his house and future was being destroyed? 

He wasn't away for a year. Hightower was sent to find him after the Battle of the Bells, maybe 4 months into the war. He came back, spent some time preparing his resources, then marched to battle. We can;t tell exactly how long he was away for. Could have been 6 months, could have been 10.

Don't forget, news doesn't come easily if you are off the raven network.  News of events can take months to reach someone, and are often garbled badly by the time it arrives. And the Targaryens didn't take the rebellion all that seriously until the Battle of the Bells, so what news he got early on may have been coloured by that.

27 minutes ago, Pride of Driftmark said:

Why does Arthur Dayne prefer to talk in riddles about "wars to come"?

He doesn't. Sounds like fanfic.

27 minutes ago, Pride of Driftmark said:

Why did the Kingsguard attack Ned and his companions? 

They were holding to their oaths, defending a Targaryen heir, possibly King. Although Ned was the babe's uncle, they (correctly) couldn't afford to trust that his blood ties would be strong enough for him to rebel against the newly crowned Robert and the alliance of Riverlands, Vale, Stormlands and Westerlands. After all, Ned had just come from the Sack of Kings Landing, where not just Aerys, but even baby Aegon had been murdered. 

 

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On 2/12/2019 at 5:44 PM, Angel Eyes said:

Was he so invested in getting Lyanna's bones and Jon into safe territory that he had them so hastily buried and didn't dare go back to Dorne to recover them? It certainly did him no favors with the Ryswells and Dustins. 

Plot mostly. It hints at him having other things to deal with, like a baby, named Jon. Between the stated delivery of Dawn to Starfall, and the implied care of Juan, the bones were left behind as he had to get to winterfell.  He probably had Rhaegar's harp that he buried in Lyanna's crypt  

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On 2/13/2019 at 1:42 PM, John Suburbs said:

There are so many things wrong with the entire story of Robert's Rebellion, I honestly don't see how it can all be resolved satisfactorily. Maybe this is the stumbling block in the last two books? The RR Knot?

I doubt it. GRRM seems like he had that part planned out beforehand, and this is why he said there would be no need for a prequel dealing with that (as it would all be explained by the end). The Meerenese Knot happened because of a change of plans while he was writing. Originally he was just going to skip over five years. He also planned at one point that Dany would go to Asshai.

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