How did Gared and the Mother direwolf cross the wall?

[Falcon2909]

according to Benjen and Gared/Will, Direwolves are found north of the wall. They haven't been sighted south of the wall in 200 years until the stark kids find the carcass of the mother direwolf.

Question is, where did this direwolf come from? I think it came from north of the wall...but how?  Through the black gate? Obviously blood raven controlled it, but how did he make her cross the wall?

as for gared, the veteran NW range with over 40 years of experience, he must've used the black gate or scaled the wall. also why didn't he instead go to castle black? lord commander mormont would believe what he saw and take the right action.

What do you guys think?

[Mithras]

Did they? They are nocturnal hunters and the wolfswood is V A S T. Even today, every now and then some animals that are thought to be extinct are spotted. In some cases, the authorities deliberately mislead the public by declaring a certain species extinct as a means to protect them. 

[Falcon2909]

18 minutes ago, Mithras said:

Did they? They are nocturnal hunters and the wolfswood is V A S T. Even today, every now and then some animals that are thought to be extinct are spotted. In some cases, the authorities deliberately mislead the public by declaring a certain species extinct as a means to protect them. 

good point. and in medieval westeros it is harder to confirm if a species is extinct compared to our modern world with science and tech. so bloodraven through his warging/weirwood sight abilities must have spotted this direwolf in the wolfswood and brought her to the stark kids.

[Nevets]

32 minutes ago, Falcon2909 said:

according to Benjen and Gared/Will, Direwolves are found north of the wall. They haven't been sighted south of the wall in 200 years until the stark kids find the carcass of the mother direwolf.

Question is, where did this direwolf come from? I think it came from north of the wall...but how?  Through the black gate? Obviously blood raven controlled it, but how did he make her cross the wall?

as for gared, the veteran NW range with over 40 years of experience, he must've used the black gate or scaled the wall. also why didn't he instead go to castle black? lord commander mormont would believe what he saw and take the right action.

What do you guys think?

There is also the Bridge of Skulls by the Shadow Tower.  That's probably where Gared crossed.  The direwolf may have crossed there as well.

Gared was pretty well out of it when Ned got to him.  I doubt he could have told Lord Mormont anything 

[Falcon2909]

6 minutes ago, Nevets said:

There is also the Bridge of Skulls by the Shadow Tower.  That's probably where Gared crossed.  The direwolf may have crossed there as well.

Gared was pretty well out of it when Ned got to him.  I doubt he could have told Lord Mormont anything 

I don't know how can someone cross a heavily guarded bridge without going noticed.

[Loose Bolt]

42 minutes ago, Falcon2909 said:

I don't know how can someone cross a heavily guarded bridge without going noticed.

Actually closest castle Westwatch-by-the-Bridge is normally manned by nobody and closest manned castle Shadow Tower is so far that lucky persons could cross Bridge of Skulls without any problems. Naturally assuming that commander of Shadow Tower did not have any reasons to send patrol guarding that bridge.

[Aebram]

Without re-reading the relevant chapter, I think it's possible that Gared didn't desert immediately afger his encounter with the Other. He might have returned to Castle Black in the normal way, and perhaps made a report and had a meal and a night of sleep before bugging out.

Why do you think Bloodraven was controlling the direwolf? That's a new one on me. But if it's true,well, he's a sorcerer.  Maybe he glamored the wolf so that it was invisible to the black brothers; then it could slip through the Wall any time the gates were open.

[Jaenara Belarys]

Bridge of Skulls or the Black Gate. 

[Lord Lannister]

Not unreasonable to assume the Bay of Ice can get cold enough during these years long winters for animals(or people) to cross on foot.

[WhatAnArtist!]

6 hours ago, Aebram said:

I think it's possible that Gared didn't desert immediately afger his encounter with the Other. He might have returned to Castle Black in the normal way, and perhaps made a report and had a meal and a night of sleep before bugging out.

This is my interpretation of events. It's the most logical, and would be the easiest for Gared to pull off. Castle Black isn't a prison - you can practically leave whenever you want. 

[Mad King Bolton]

3 hours ago, WhatAnArtist! said:

This is my interpretation of events. It's the most logical, and would be the easiest for Gared to pull off. Castle Black isn't a prison - you can practically leave whenever you want. 

I’m trying to think if Mormont told anyone about Royce being missing or reported killed. If Gared did come back to CB, he’d have to have said one way or the other but I think there’s he discussion about it or mention in a Jon chapter even after the fact. That being said, you need climbing spikes, and or rope to climb the wall, not something you can just decide to do because you’re scared. And the scale of the wall makes it pretty ridiculous that a guy running from the Others would take a couple weeks to find a way around it like eastwatch or shadow tower. Also the idea of night fort seems far fetched. Seems like the gate there was quite mysterious. Maybe though. Of all the possibilities aside from it just being a detail the writer wouldn’t think would be so deeply questioned 20+ years later, the night fort might be the most likely.

[Lord Lannister]

5 hours ago, Mad King Bolton said:

I’m trying to think if Mormont told anyone about Royce being missing or reported killed. If Gared did come back to CB, he’d have to have said one way or the other but I think there’s he discussion about it or mention in a Jon chapter even after the fact. That being said, you need climbing spikes, and or rope to climb the wall, not something you can just decide to do because you’re scared. And the scale of the wall makes it pretty ridiculous that a guy running from the Others would take a couple weeks to find a way around it like eastwatch or shadow tower. Also the idea of night fort seems far fetched. Seems like the gate there was quite mysterious. Maybe though. Of all the possibilities aside from it just being a detail the writer wouldn’t think would be so deeply questioned 20+ years later, the night fort might be the most likely.

Could be as simple as him getting back to Castle Black at night and being told to make his report to the Lord Commander in the morning. Then he just keeps going south.

[Tucu]

8 hours ago, Mad King Bolton said:

I’m trying to think if Mormont told anyone about Royce being missing or reported killed. If Gared did come back to CB, he’d have to have said one way or the other but I think there’s he discussion about it or mention in a Jon chapter even after the fact. That being said, you need climbing spikes, and or rope to climb the wall, not something you can just decide to do because you’re scared. And the scale of the wall makes it pretty ridiculous that a guy running from the Others would take a couple weeks to find a way around it like eastwatch or shadow tower. Also the idea of night fort seems far fetched. Seems like the gate there was quite mysterious. Maybe though. Of all the possibilities aside from it just being a detail the writer wouldn’t think would be so deeply questioned 20+ years later, the night fort might be the most likely.

Mormont says this to Craster:

Quote

Lord Mormont said, "Ben was searching for Ser Waymar Royce, who'd vanished with Gared and young Will."

I don't think Mormont saw Gared alive again.

[Darth Sidious]

There is obviously a hole in the wall.  A secret passage.  Gared is a veteran and would know of it. The wolf stumbled on the passage by accident.  

[Willam Stark]

On 10/23/2021 at 11:10 PM, Aebram said:

Without re-reading the relevant chapter, I think it's possible that Gared didn't desert immediately afger his encounter with the Other. He might have returned to Castle Black in the normal way, and perhaps made a report and had a meal and a night of sleep before bugging out.

I agree, that would explain why Ned knew about his desertion and captured him.

[Mad King Bolton]

20 hours ago, Willam Stark said:

I agree, that would explain why Ned knew about his desertion and captured him.

I’m sure Gared was spotted moving in his NW garb away from the wall in obvious abandonment (don’t think he was even trying hard at that point), or even if I’m civies, he would still stand out as a stranger and be reported by the time he was near Winterfell.

 

as pointed out above though, Mormont hadn’t seen Gared again, so at least rules out return to castle black before desertion.

[Mad King Bolton]

On 10/24/2021 at 8:37 PM, Lord Lannister said:

Could be as simple as him getting back to Castle Black at night and being told to make his report to the Lord Commander in the morning. Then he just keeps going south.

The NW is not so vast in numbers and disorganization that a brother of 40 years out on a ranging and returning alone at night would be unreported. Even at night I’m sure horns blow foe returning rangers. And even if by chance it happened that way, Gared would come up in gossip or chatting around some hot breakfast the next morning or some other meal or chat eventually. He couldn’t stay a mystery.

”damn Royce, Gared, and Will ain’t come back yet”. 
“You mean Royce and Will.  Gared came back 3 months ago, he’s been catching up on his whoring I’m Moles town is all”.

[Frey family reunion]

On 10/23/2021 at 4:30 PM, Jaenara Belarys said:

Bridge of Skulls or the Black Gate. 

I’m more inclined to go with the Black Gate.  Presumably a panicked Gared would have immediately headed south for the Wall and looked for the first place to cross.  Since they were traveling north and north west it’s very possible that Castle Black may have been the first castle he reached.  

Now whether he knew about the legend of the Black Gate is a good question.  He was probably on the Wall long enough to hear a tale of it.  And after seeing the White Walkers it probably wouldn’t be the strangest thing he would have seen.

[Tucu]

12 minutes ago, Frey family reunion said:

I’m more inclined to go with the Black Gate.  Presumably a panicked Gared would have immediately headed south for the Wall and looked for the first place to cross.  Since they were traveling north and north west it’s very possible that Castle Black may have been the first castle he reached.  

Now whether he knew about the legend of the Black Gate is a good question.  He was probably on the Wall long enough to hear a tale of it.  And after seeing the White Walkers it probably wouldn’t be the strangest thing he would have seen.

I would bet on Gared being one of Coldhand rescuees. Stalk the guy, wait until he is in mortal danger (or setup the danger), rescue, assign a task and force an oath.

[Jaenara Belarys]

9 minutes ago, Frey family reunion said:

I’m more inclined to go with the Black Gate.  Presumably a panicked Gared would have immediately headed south for the Wall and looked for the first place to cross.  Since they were traveling north and north west it’s very possible that Castle Black may have been the first castle he reached.  

 

I'm more inclined to go with the Bridge of Skulls, considering it would be relatively well known....and even if he did by some luck find the Black Gate, how would he know how to work it?