Davos' adventures on Skagos

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

Right now Davos is heading for the island of Skagos, the infamous island of the North whose inhabitants the Skagosi (literally stone-men) have the reputation of being savages and cannibals, and which have unicorns amongst its wildlife, as it's here that Osha, Rickon Stark and Shaggydog went after leaving Winterfell that had been burned and sacked by Ramsay Bolton. 

Davos is most likely in company of Wex Pyke, Theon's mute squire who survived the sacking and witnessed the Stark and Reed kids coming out of Winterfell crypt and splitting up before tailing the aforementionned trio to tell Wyman Manderly and Robett Glover of what has truly happened at Winterfell and where Rickon Stark went. 

He has no knowledge of Skagos and its inhabitants other than of the rumors and legends, but no doubt that his loyalty toward Stannis and sense of duty will strengthen him as he goes on this mysterious and perilous (to which degree is unkwown) journey to retrieve Rickon and bring White Harbor and the North's support to his king.

What do you think is going to happen to him, Wex, Rickon, Osha and Shaggydog ? How difficult do you think it will be for Davos to find and bring back Rickon ? 

What kind of people the skagosi truly are, and what should be their reaction and interactions with this stranger coming to find Rickon Stark ? What should be their relation with Rickon and the Starks in general ? 

Will they let Davos go easily or will he have to face some trials to leave ? Will the skagosi eventually send of their own to the North in preparation for the Long Night ? How do you imagine Davos' journey back to Stannis and to Winterfell with Rickon and the others ? 

[_Bittersteel_]

I don’t think the skagosi are near as savage as the stories suggest. I bet that the Feast of Skane was more an act of desperation for food during winter than a regular act

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

5 minutes ago, _Bittersteel_ said:

I don’t think the skagosi are near as savage as the stories suggest. I bet that the Feast of Skane was more an act of desperation for food during winter than a regular act

I honnestly think the same. 

Their influence could actually possibly be benefitial for Rickon, possibly giving him a family to raise and support him and allowing him to master his abilities and tame his anger and wilderness partially. 

[sifth]

I often wonder how many chapters Davos will have there. This is a strange plot line, because we can't even compare it to the show. Part of me wonders if Wex will be going with Davos.

[chrisdaw]

Davos needs more talking about. His arc seems to be that of the creation of the ultimate statesman, the man that will make the deals that will save Westeros, his theme revolves around words, language and communication. Going mostly from my memory the following has happened all relating to language;

• He was born a lowly sailor and speaks plainly because he knew no other way.
• He was raised by Stannis because he would speak honestly and candidly whereas other advisors would mince their words to him.
• He's sent to spread Stannis's words of the Lannister incest to all who he can.
• He can't read but he's learning.
• His strategy for saving Edric Storm is to repeat his name as much as possible in Stannis's hearing.
• He doesn't shy away in Manderly's court when Manderly has seemingly made allies with the Freys and will be hostile towards what Davos has come to say, he boldly casts them down and gives a stirring speech that ends up being his salvation.

And now he's off to Skagos with naught but his wits, voice and Wex.

The purpose of Wex is fairly straightforward. By accompanying Davos with only one who cannot speak I suppose Davos will come to further appreciate the gift of language, but perhaps also learn to understand and communicate with people by means other than language. It will teach him to be better able to read people.

The purpose of Skagos and a particularly savage people I guess will be about teaching the lesson that people have fundamental similarities irregardless of how different they may be, and so can be treated and dealt with for mutual gain.

What will happen in Skagos will be a test and lesson in communication. I guess he will somehow find out what these people want, find a way to convince them he can provide it to them and that giving him Tommen is a price worth them paying.

It may be the Skagosi are not very united and playing them against each other or healing rifts will be his work, a training run for forging alliances between the great houses of Westeros.

[Gilbert Green]

2 hours ago, sifth said:

I often wonder how many chapters Davos will have there.

On Skagos?  My guess is:  None.  His story goes dark.  GRRM is plotting a surprise for us, upon Davos' return, and wants us to be surprised.  He's only given enough setup that the surprise won't feel like a cheat. 

[Gilbert Green]

2 hours ago, chrisdaw said:

It may be the Skagosi are not very united and playing them against each other or healing rifts will be his work, a training run for forging alliances between the great houses of Westeros.

So GRRM will take a break from ASOIAF to write the 7-volume series "A Game of Unicorn Saddles".  He had originally planned for a chapter or two, but the tale grew in the telling.

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

18 hours ago, sifth said:

I often wonder how many chapters Davos will have there. This is a strange plot line, because we can't even compare it to the show. Part of me wonders if Wex will be going with Davos.

I think it's likely that Wex will go with Davos, to help him recognise Rickon and Osha since Davos doesn't know their appearances. 

As for the chapters, I think there might be at least two-three chapters on Skagos, I don't think that Davos is going to find Rickon and earn his and the skagosi's trust that easily. 

[Aebram]

11 hours ago, Terrorthatflapsinthenight9 said:

I think it's likely that Wex will go with Davos, to help him recognise Rickon and Osha since Davos doesn't know their appearances. 

He'll be the one with the gigantic pet wolf.    :^)

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

5 hours ago, Aebram said:

He'll be the one with the gigantic pet wolf.    :^)

He might not be able or authorized to see Rickon and Shaggydog at first, it's possible that Osha will meet him first.

[Brother Seamus]

I predict we'll get one davos pov chapter in skagos, in which we see that Rickon is alive and being treated as a kind of honored guest/hostage by the skagosi elite. it will be up in the air whether the skagosi believe Davos about whose side he is on and what his mission is. while they're deciding Davos will be imprisoned again. the outcome of this situation will be left as a cliff-hanger, and then resolved chapters later when Davos, rickon, shaggy dog and a decent contingent - 50-100 - of skagosi warriors  will show up either at the battle of the ice or at winterfell before or after Stannis has taken it.

this will lead to conflict between Stannis and the northerners, who will gradually switch any loyalty they felt for Stannis to Rickon as lord of winterfell.  Word of this this conflic will spread and ill attract first Arya, Sansa, Jon and Bran back to Winterfell.

[Nathan Stark]

On 11/21/2022 at 9:39 PM, Gilbert Green said:

So GRRM will take a break from ASOIAF to write the 7-volume series "A Game of Unicorn Saddles".  He had originally planned for a chapter or two, but the tale grew in the telling.

I believe they call that "gardening."

[Gilbert Green]

I predict zero Davos chapters.  Rather, we will have a climactic battle, in someone else's POV, somewhere on the mainland.  Then, when we think all is lost, Davos and/or Rickon and/or Osha will show up with a Skagos dragon and/or an army of Skagosi on unicorns, to save the day.  When the battle is over, Davos will explain, in as few words as possible, where this surprise cavalry came from.

[StarkTullies]

On 11/21/2022 at 9:31 PM, Gilbert Green said:

On Skagos?  My guess is:  None.  His story goes dark.  GRRM is plotting a surprise for us, upon Davos' return, and wants us to be surprised.  He's only given enough setup that the surprise won't feel like a cheat. 

This is what I think.  We haven't since Davos since the first half of ADWD, and his mission is to bring Rickon to Winterfell to be named the new lord.  If Davos is still in Skagos while the Battle of Winterfell is upon us now, Davos is too late, and there was no point for his inclusion in ADWD at all.

I think there will be a few pages of Davos "remembering" his time in Skagos after he is already in Westeros, but that's all we'll see.

In general, I think the "otherness" of Skagos is extremely exaggerated, and the people there probably aren't too much different than most other people north of the Wall.

[Nathan Stark]

George R. R. Martin has said we will see unicorns in the next book, and those are basically only on Skagos. So I suspect we'll probably get some Davos pov's from there. Wouldn't surprise me if he and Osha got along pretty well if you know what I mean. 

But the main event isn't gonna be on Skagos. It's gonna be in Hardhome. 

[Gilbert Green]

3 hours ago, Nathan Stark said:

George R. R. Martin has said we will see unicorns in the next book, and those are basically only on Skagos.

He was talking about THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE.  That was his "next book" at the time.

Maybe there will be unicorns in WINDS as well. But I would not call it confirmed.  And, if unicorns appear, it could be because some unicorns have left Skagos and arrived on the mainland, along with Davos and/or Rickon and/or Osha and/or Shaggydog.

[Nathan Stark]

11 minutes ago, Gilbert Green said:

He was talking about THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE.  That was his "next book" at the time.

Maybe there will be unicorns in WINDS as well. But I would not call it confirmed.  And, if unicorns appear, it could be because some unicorns have left Skagos and arrived on the mainland, along with Davos and/or Rickon and/or Osha and/or Shaggydog.

That's semantics. He was most likely referring to his next ASOIAF book when he was talking about unicorns. I find it highly unlikely that he sets up Skagos and then delivers no payoff.

[Gilbert Green]

1 hour ago, Nathan Stark said:

That's semantics.

Not semantics.  Context.  He was promoting his next book at the time.  His next book that he was promoting was THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE.  And his next book did indeed turn out to contain unicorns when it came out.

Is it possible, in spite of the above, that he was referring to WINDS?  Sure.  But it isn't confirmed.

But there was a second reference in 2019, where he said that the future books (plural) would contain an "interesting take" on unicorns.  But "books" (plural) may refer generally to the rest of the series, without committing as to which volume.  And "interesting take" need not imply a direct POV encounter.

1 hour ago, Nathan Stark said:

He was most likely referring to his next ASOIAF book when he was talking about unicorns.

That's your opinion.  It might even turn out to be right.  But fan opinions are not confirmation.

1 hour ago, Nathan Stark said:

I find it highly unlikely that he sets up Skagos and then delivers no payoff.

Okay, but I never suggested there would be no payoff.  I just don't assume that it is inevitable that this payoff will involve all 4 of the following elements at once: (1) directly seeing unicorns, (2) while on Skagos, (3) in Davos' POV, (4) during WINDS.

[Darth Sidious]

It will be difficult to extract Rickon. Perhaps 2-3 chapters worth. The only reason Martin would do this is if Rickon is set up for a major role. Bran is a GS, the Sauron of Westeros. Jon will be looking for Arya. I would assume Rickon will be the claimant to Winterfell.  

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

17 hours ago, Nathan Stark said:

George R. R. Martin has said we will see unicorns in the next book, and those are basically only on Skagos. So I suspect we'll probably get some Davos pov's from there. Wouldn't surprise me if he and Osha got along pretty well if you know what I mean. 

But the main event isn't gonna be on Skagos. It's gonna be in Hardhome. 

Interesting, but how do you see Davos, and Rickon possibly too, coming before Hardhome ?