ACOK Reread - Bran

[Barba]

Bran (I) {VIII}

Introduced: Farlen* (kennelmaster of Winterfell; killed by Theon Greyjoy);

Gage* (cook at Winterfell);

Hayhead* (Winterfell guardsman);

Little Walder Frey (only son and fourth child of Merrett Frey and Mariya Darry, ward of Lady Catelyn; brother of Lady Amerei Lannister [provided her marriage to Lancel is considered fulfilled], Fat Walda Bolton [wife of Roose Bolton], and Marissa; half-cousin [is there such a thing?] of Big Walder);

Big Walder Frey (eldest son of Ser Jammos Frey [second son of Lord Walder and his fourth wife], also a ward of Lady Catelyn; lower down in the succession order than his half-cousin Little Walder);

Palla* (a kennel girl; possibly still alive, a captive at the Dreadfort).

Bran has been dreaming often of wolves, dreams where he is Summer and he and his brother hunt. Old Nan had told Bran that the Starks had wolf blood, though it is stronger in some than in others. Bran had asked Osha why the direwolves howled, and she told him, "They know truths the grey man has forgotten" (meaning Maester Luwin). Old Nan told him the comet foretold of dragons. Ser Rodrik had confined the direwolves in the godswood after Shaggydog bit Little Walder. The two Walders, wards of his lady mother, were problems, and during a game, Little Walder had seemed to hurt Rickon, causing Shaggydog’s attack. Bran wonders why the direwolves are howling now, and who it is they are mourning: his brother Robb, his mother, his sisters? Or was their howling something else as Maester Luwin and Old Nan seemed to think? When the maester comes to Bran, he asks the maester if trees dream. Luwin says no, but Bran tells him they do, because he sometimes dreams of a weirwood tree, and it calls to him. He also tells the maester about the wolf dreams. When Luwin returns with a potion to help Bran sleep dreamlessly, Osha asks him if it is the wolf dreams again. She tells him, "You should not fight so hard. Might be the gods are trying to talk back." Yet that night, Bran has a wolf dream again, and through Summer’s eyes Bran realizes the world was calling, and he knew he must answer or die.

[Barba]

IMHO this chapter is FILLED with all kind of (potential) foreshadowing (although, as GRRM said: "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar", wich means I might be wrong )

- We've got wolves howling, who knows why? In the end it was said that they howl for their pack. thoughts?

- We've got people talking about Comet. Osha says it brings "fire and blood, and nothing good". Fire and blood are targ words. Same thing for comet said Varys:"They say it comes as herald before King, to warn of fire & Blood to follow". Old Nan gives even closer clue:"Dragons"

- We hear about two kind of Bran's Dreams: "wolf dreams" (btw, is this the first time we've had wolf dream, or there was some in GoT) and "weirwood-calling-me dreams" (IMO it is Children of the Forest calling bran to come on his training in DWD).

- IMO 'the Game' means something. We've got rules nicely explained, like no other game in the book. it must mean something(t least some parts of it):

1. ] - Great deal of shouting: right now (after FFC) things in twins are starting to heat up. Shouting might represent the things that will start to happen between Edwyn walder and Black walder, because Edwyn thinks Black walder arranged murder of their fatger.
   
2. water was the most important - Old walder taught ser Stevon (his heir that died at oxcross) that blood is most imoprtant thing
   
3. Lord would ask"who goes there", and they would say who they were, and swore oaths: kinda like when Robb wanted to cross.
   
4. Oaths are binding unless you said "mayhaps": Guess Robb never said it:)
   
5. Little walder was lord more often than not - Maybe black walder will win
   

Some other interesting things about Freys:

- Much of them are called walder,

- this two are figuring out wich are they in ine of succession of the twins

this two facts sound to me like most of freys are trying to be like Old walder - they are trieing to become Lord of the crossing.

In Bran's Dream shaggy is described:

He could smell his brother too, a familiar scent, strong and earthy, his scent as black as his coat. His brother was loping around the walls, full of fury. Round and round he went, night after day after night, tireless, searching . . . for prey, for a way out, for his mother, his littermates, his pack . . . searching, searching, and never finding.

This might describe Rickon. Wild, searching for his pack, but never finding them. Maybe he will never see any of his brothers or sisters.

At the end he says that beyond walls world was calling him, and that he must answer the casll or die - He must go beyond the wall

Thoughts?

[The Adequate Jon]

He could smell his brother too, a familiar scent, strong and earthy, his scent as black as his coat. His brother was loping around the walls, full of fury. Round and round he went, night after day after night, tireless, searching . . . for prey, for a way out, for his mother, his littermates, his pack . . . searching, searching, and never finding.

This could also describe Arya.

Good observations on the Lord of the Crossing game. If you look at Big Walder/Little Walder and Edwyn/Black Walder, Big Walder is very much analogous to Edwyn (both skinny, both older) and Little Walder is analogous to Black Walder (both bigger, both jerks, both younger).

I think this is Bran's first wolf dream. The only dreams I can think of from AGOT are the 3-eyed-crow dream and the dream where he talked to Ned in the crypts.

I noticed the "fire and blood" comment too. It's interesting the Old Nan is the only one who mentions dragons.

[Lady Blackfish]

What stands out to me in this chapter is Bran contemplating his fate. Immediately, there is the fact that he is crippled, and we get a lot of physical limitations (having to pull himself around the room, etc). Then we get Bran resigning himself to the unattainability of his dream of being a knight. He also thinks how odd it is to be called a prince, and yet he is indeed Robb's heir. And then he recalls welcoming the Walders and trying, in his 8 year old way, to be responsible for Rickon; he is, after all, the Stark in Winterfell. Finally his thoughts turn to the great beyond, the wolf dreams and the old stories and life outside of Winterfell. I like how this chapter relays a lot of information and gives us a starting point for the character at the outset of the book, all the while maintaining inner cohesion via the theme of Bran's fate/role/self-concept -- cripple, unsuitable knight, heir apparent, Stark in Winterfell, greenseer. Through it all we also see that while Bran is crippled and is having to grow up rather rudely, he still has a lot of youthful craving for adventure. I think his age is played against his situation pretty well in his mentality here.

[Barba]

Bran (II) {IX}

Introduced: Lord Wyman Manderly (Lord of White Harbor, bannerman to the Starks, father of Ser Wylis and Ser Wendel);

Lady Donella Hornwood* (of house Manderly, widow of Lord Halys Hornwood, mother of Daryn, cousin of Lord Wyman Manderly; later forced to marry the Bastard of Bolton, who then had her killed);

Mors Umber (called Mors Crowfood, uncle to the Greatjon);

Hother Umber (called Hother Whoresbane, uncle to the Greatjon);

Leobald Tallhart* (castellan of Torrhen’s Square, younger brother of Ser Helman Tallhart, slain outside the gates of Winterfell by Ramsay Snow's treachery);

Cley Cerwyn* (only son of Lord Medger Cerwyn, later Lord of Castle Cerwyn; slain alongside the forces of Ser Rodrik Cassel and Leobald Tallhart when Dreadfort men led by the Bastard of Bolton betrayed them).

First Mentioned: Larence Snow (bastard son of the late Lord Hornwood, a ward of Galbart Glover at Deepwood Motte; now held by Asha Greyjoy's men);

Beren Tallhart (son of Leobald Tallhart and Berena Hornwood [sister of the late Lord Hornwood], nephew through marriage of Lady Hornwood);

Reek* (servant of the Bastard of Bolton, real name is Heke);

Domeric Bolton* (only trueborn son of Lord Roose Bolton).

Bran is being carried by Hodor to host Lord Wyman Manderly, and on the way the two Walders begin to mock Hodor. Bran defends him until Maester Luwin appears and reprimands the boys. Bran meets the obese Lord Wyman, and they discuss White Harbor minting coins for the North, building a fleet of ships, and the Lord even inquires about a marriage to the widowed Lady Hornwood. He wants to know if an exchange of hostages can be arranged so that his son Ser Wylis will be released by Lord Tywin. After him, Bran hosts Lady Hornwood, whose husband had died at the Green Fork, and son at the Whispering Wood. Lady Hornwood warns that Roose Bolton’s bastard is massing men at the Dreadfort and he seems intent on her lands. Lord Bolton had never acknowledged the boy, yet he used the name Bolton and it was whispered that he and his servant Reek hunted more than just deer.

It is obvious that the widow will need to remarry to hold her lands, but to who is the question. Luwin notes that the lady likes Ser Rodrik. Bran suggests that Lord Hornwood’s bastard, a ward of Galbart Glover, be named as heir. The uncles of the Greatjon come next, and Ser Rodrik tells them they are to begin lumbering wood for Lord Wyman’s shipwrights. When Leobald Tallhart feasts with Bran, he suggests his younger son Beren could take the name Hornwood, as his mother was sister to Lord Hornwood, and become heir. Maester Luwin believes he may be their best choice. Later, Cley Cerwin arrives, and when he mentions Cersei’s incest, Bran begins to have a flashback and feels like he’s falling. That night he dreams of the crow pecking at his forehead and urging him to fly, and then he sees a man with golden hair pushing him from a window.

[Barba]

Bran (III) {X}

Introduced: Poxy Tym*, Skittrick*, Alebelly* (guardsmen at Winterfell; killed when ironborn led by Theon conquer Winterfell);

Meera Reed (daughter of Lord Howland Reed, older sister of Jojen);

Jojen Reed (son of Howland Reed, younger brother of Meera, possesses the greensight).

Bran is hosting the remaining lords in the North for the harvest feast, when Meera and Jojen Reed arrive. Bran knows them as Crannogmen, from the Neck, and the children of his father’s bannerman Howland Reed. Many mock the crannogmen as frog eaters and thieves, but Maester Luwin tells Bran that Howland Reed was a great friend of his father. Meera and Jojen were sent by their father to renew their oaths, for Lord Howland has not set foot from Greywater Watch in over 15 years, since the war ended. Jojen asks Bran where the direwolves were, knowing of them even though he had just arrived. The singers in the Great Hall sing of "The Night that Ended", where the Night’s Watch rode forth to fight the Others in the Battle for the Dawn. That night, while Bran lies in bed, he remembers asking his father if the Kingsguard were the finest knights in the realm, and Lord Eddard had replied, "No longer. But once they were a marvel, a shining example to the world." Bran asked who the best of them was, and Ned replied, "The finest knight I ever saw was Ser Arthur Dayne, who would have killed me but for Howland Reed." His father had become sad then and would not speak any further. Later, Bran dreams through the eyes of Summer, and sees Meera and Jojen enter the godswood. When Jojen reaches out his hand to touch Summer, Bran loses contact and feels like he is falling again.

[Barba]

I've been on vacation this past week, so now I'm trying to make up the missed. So I'll post stuff from Bran's second chapter.

We have behavior of Little Walder. Bigger, and mean to the bone, as Osha says. He is younger and meaner. I see some connection to Black walder, who is after FFC second in line, after Edwyn Walder. Edwyn is courteous (IIRC he sounded nice in FFC last Jaime chapter) and can be connected with behavior of Big walder, who apologizes for mocking Hodor.

There was order to Whoresbane to work with Manderly on longships. And Manderly said that with enough money he can have fleet within a year. I wonder what happened with this?

SPOILER: ADWD spoiler

We know that Davos went to WH to get Manderly for Stannis. Does it mean Stannis will have fleet again, after Saan left him

Osha about Hodor

and hands strong enough to twist a man’s head off his shoulders, if he takes a mind to.

Maybe Bran will help there

Deepwood Mote steward:

A hedge wizard had told him there would be a bountiful spirit summer before the cold set in

SPOILER: ADWD spoiler

This is probably Stannis. He is coming to give DM back to Glovers

“Benfred has raised his own company of lances. Boys, none older than nineteen years, but every one thinks he’s another young wolf. When I told them they were only young rabbits, they laughed at me. Now they call themselves the Wild Hares and gallop about the country with rabbitskins tied to the ends of their lances, singing songs of chivalry.â€

Later on, Theon kills Benfred (who dies very cool, by cursing Theon), and wonders why Rabbits.

[Barba]

Thoughts on Bran 3

We see bran warging at the feast (awake) for the first time (IIRC). It is probably consequence of 3EC dream he had at the end of Bran 2 chapter.

The music grew wilder, the drummers joined in, and Hother Umber brought forth a huge curved warhorn banded in silver. When the singer reached the part in “The Night That Ended†where the Night’s Watch rode forth to meet the Others in the Battle for the Dawn, he blew a blast that set all the dogs to barking.

I can see this happening again sometime.

[The Adequate Jon]

Are you saying that Bran warged into the dogs and caused them to start barking or did he warg something else during the feast? Sorry, I've been on vacation for the last week and a half and haven't had time to reread this chapter. If you're saying he warged into the dogs, I'd say that's debatable. The dogs could have been reacting to Hother's blast on the horn.

[Barba]

Here is quote of Bran's daywarging

It is too hot here, and too noisy, and they are all getting drunk. Bran itched under his grey and white woolens, and suddenly he wished he were anywhere but here. It is cool in the godswood now. Steam is rising off the hot pools, and the red leaves of the weirwood are rustling. The smells are richer than here, and before long the moon will rise and my brother will sing to it.

“Bran?†Ser Rodrik said. “You do not eat.â€

The waking dream had been so vivid, for a moment Bran had not known where he was. “I’ll have more later,†he said. “My belly’s full to bursting.â€

[The Adequate Jon]

Thanks for clearing that up. I was trying to combine the two ideas in your post into one idea.

[Barba]

Bran (IV) {XI}

Bran, Jojen and Meera are playing with the direwolves, and Bran shows them that Summer will never hurt him or anyone he likes. Bran asks them if he would be welcome at Greywater Watch, and they assure him that their lord father would have welcomed him then or now, and that leaving Winterfell would be good for him. We learn that the Bastard of Bolton has forcibly taken Lady Hornwood as his wife, that Lord Manderly took her castle to protect it, and Ser Rodrik has gone east to settle the uprising and see that justice is done. Jojen asks Bran to share his dreams with him, but Bran is hesitant. Jojen knows, however, of Bran’s dreams because he has the greensight. In a green dream, he saw a winged wolf bound to earth with stone chains, and a crow trying to peck through the chains. When Bran asks him if the crow had three eyes, Jojen nods and tells him that a similar crow came to him when he nearly died from greywater fever, and ever since he has had the green dreams.

They tell Bran that the crow lies North, beyond the Wall, and that when Jojen had told their father of the dream, it was Howland Reed who sent them to Winterfell. Jojen tells Bran that he can fly, if he would ever just open his third eye. Bran doesn’t want to talk about the dreams anymore, but Jojen presses, revealing that he knows Bran has wolf dreams, and can see through Summer’s eyes. Jojen was aware of Bran’s presence in Summer that first night, and tells Bran that it is his fear of falling which prevents him from opening his eye. He asks if Bran dreams of falling every night, but as Bran becomes increasingly more agitated, Summer starts to growl and advance on Jojen. The boy tells Bran that it is his anger and fear which is causing Summer’s reaction, that the two are tied in emotion by strong bonds. Bran calls to Summer, but the wolf does not heed the call, and suddenly Shaggydog emerges snarling as well. Meera is fearful and tells her brother to climb the weirwood, but Jojen is unperturbed, stating "today is not the day I die". Nevertheless, they climb the tree to escape the direwolves rage. Finally Hodor chases the wolves off.

Bran goes to visit Maester Luwin and asks about the greensight. Luwin explains that the greenseers of the children claimed such power, allowing them to see great distances through the eyes carved in the weirwoods, and even communicate with the beasts of the forest. Luwin warns him that Jojen has no such power, and it is just coincidence if some of his dreams come true. Luwin then shows Bran a link of Valyrian steel in his chain, a link only one maester in a hundred has, that signifies he has studied the Higher Mysteries, or magic for lack of a better word. Luwin reveals that he even tried his hand at spellcasting, but did not succeed. He tells Bran that magic is gone from the world, gone with ancient Valyria and the last dragons. Bran later tells this to Meera, but she insists that Maester Luwin is wrong. She leaves him with another of Jojen’s dreams, that one day soon Maester Luwin will serve him a great feast, but the portion he gives to the Walders will be grey and dead, but they will like their meal better than he.

[The Adequate Jon]

I love how Maester Luwin, the skeptic, actually confirms the existence of magic by saying that magic has been gone from the world since the last dragon died.

[Barba]

I liked seeing Meera fight. Her fearless moves, beauty and Bran's comparing her to Arya made me think that Maybe: R+L=M. Howland was with Ned, so maybe... OK, I'm gonna drop it

Here Jojen confirmed Bran's Daywarging on the feast. Now I wonder how he could figure it out. He just got there during the feast, and could already figure out when Bran warged. I wonder if Wargs while skinchanged make certain faces. Maybe answer could be in Jon's chapter, while he is watching Varamyr skinchanging

"Today is not the day I die." I hope to see that day. and I hope it will be interesting

[Barba]

Bran (V) {XII}

Maester Luwin has just received word of Robb’s victory at Oxcross, and tells Bran and the Walders that Ser Stevron perished in the battle. The two Walders are not saddened at all by their uncle’s death, talking instead of who is now heir to the Twins, and Bran realizes the truth of Jojen’s dream, that the Walders are more pleased by this news than he is. Bran tells Jojen that he believes him, and Jojen reveals another green dream he had, where the salt water flows over the walls of Winterfell, and several men are drowned including Alebelly, Septon Chayle and Mikken. Jojen then asks Bran about his dreams, and Bran tells him that the most common are the wolf dreams, but he also dreams of the crow and of falling. Jojen calls him a warg, or shapeshifter, and that people will fear him or even try to kill him if they find out. Jojen explains that the wolf dreams are Bran’s ability to use his third eye while asleep, and that his power is strong.

Bran tries to warn Alebelly and the others of what Jojen saw, but they don’t believe him, and the crannogman assured Bran that nothing could be done to avert their deaths. Ser Rodrik soon returns with Reek as his prisoner, a servant of the Bastard of Bolton, whom Ser Rodrik claims was killed in the battle. Lady Hornwood was found dead, but she had signed over her lands to the Boltons, and though Maester Luwin states that vows made at sword point are not valid, Ser Rodrik claims that Roose Bolton may not agree since land is at stake. Bran tells Ser Rodrik of Jojen’s dream, and Maester Luwin confirms that raiders have been plundering the Stony Shore. But neither the Maester nor the Castellan believe that what Jojen saw will come to pass. Later, Jojen tells Bran of a new green dream, where the man Reek stands over Bran and Rickon’s dead bodies, having skinned their faces. Bran protests as does Meera, but Jojen, with pity in his eyes, tells them nothing they can do will change the truth of the vision.

[Ealasaid]

I wish Jojen's green dreams wern't so murky to the folks at Winterfell. Or perhaps Jojen could explain them a bit better. I really hate the upcoming chapters on Bran.

I think the Citadel trying to do away with magic and mystics in the realm hurts everyone. Marwyn would find Jojen's greendreams interesting.

[The Adequate Jon]

Bran (VI) {XIII}

Introduced: Ramsay Snow (the Bastard of Bolton, bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton, wed Lady Hornwood then killed her; later legitimized as Ramsay Bolton; betrothed to "Arya Stark" [who is most likely Jeyne Poole]).

Bran is once again dreaming through the eyes of Summer, and he and his brother can smell something wrong in the air. The direwolf tries to climb a tree to reach the wall, following Bran’s thoughts. Summer falls from the tree, and Bran awakes to find a strange man in his room, followed by Theon Greyjoy. Theon tells him that the castle is his now, that his ironmen had swam the moat and unlocked the postern gate. His father’s former ward informs him that he must make the people of Winterfell aware that Theon is in command, and that no one will be hurt if they concede. Bran watches as all those whom Jojen had seen in his dream die, and all of the crannogman’s words have come true. Most in the castle defy Theon, but Reek and Osha join his service. Bran is able to convince the rest that fighting is not the answer.

[The Adequate Jon]

I remember the first time I read this, I couldn't believe that Theon's plan worked. I thought for sure that Summer and Shaggy would get loose and save the day. Even after this chapter, there was always hope that Ser Rodrik would return to Winterfell and kick the Ironmen out. Things keep going from bad to worse in the Theon/Bran chapters until Winterfell is finally burned at the end of the book.

I like how Osha double crossed Theon, although I could see it coming.

[The Adequate Jon]

Bran (VII) {XIV}

Legends: Edwyn the Spring King, Brandon the Bad, Walton the Moon King, Edderion the Bridegroom, Eyron Stark, Jorah Stark, Jonos Stark, Benjen the Sweet, Benjen the Bitter, King Edrick Snowbeard (ancient Kings in the North, buried in the crypts beneath Winterfell);

Theon Stark (the Hungry Wolf, legendary King of Winter).

Jojen wakes Bran from a wolf dream, and warns him that he's spending too much time as Summer, and that while the wolf eats in the dreams, Bran does not. Bran informs them that Winterfell has been burned to the ground and is all ash except for the stone walls. They had been hiding in the crypts all this time. Trusting Bran’s vision, they decide it is now safe to come out of hiding. Hodor moves a massive stone blocking the door from the crypts, and they indeed find Winterfell in ashes. They find several of Theon’s ironmen dead, along with men bearing the badge of the Dreadfort.

The direwolves rejoin them, and lead them to Maester Luwin who lies near death in the godswood, which is still largely untouched. Jojen says, "There is power in living wood, a power strong as fire." The maester is thankful that the boys are still alive, although he knew that Theon had killed the miller’s boys from their looks, but had never revealed his knowledge to Theon. Maester Luwin admits that he is dying, and provides his last advice. He tells Osha not to send the boys off together, they are Robb’s heirs and must be separated. Osha asks him where to bring the boys, but Luwin is unsure, with the ironmen to the west, the Bastard of Bolton to the east, and war everywhere, "each man against his neighbor, and winter is coming…such folly, such black mad folly…" Maester Luwin tells Bran to be strong, that he is his father’s son. He then asks a boon of Osha, and the wildling woman sends the others away. When she returns, it is decided that Bran will go north in search of the crow with Jojen, Meera, Hodor and Summer, while Osha will take Rickon and Shaggydog south, perhaps to White Harbor. As Bran looks upon Winterfell for perhaps the last time, he thinks to himself, The stone is strong, the roots of the trees go deep, and under the ground the Kings of Winter sit their thrones. It was not dead, just broken. Like me. I’m not dead either.