A Thread for Small Questions V

[shadow catlady]

What do dogs do to wolves?

I always thought that dogs were submissive to wolves, like giving wolves the alpha status, and the comment was actually meant as a way for Sandor to say he would protect Sansa. I thought Sansa just didn't pick up on it due to the entire world of fear she was living in at the time, and later, maybe subconsciously, this became part of her weird affection for him. I could be overthinking this.

What the RR in GRRM means?

I believe I read that he added the "RR" so that his name would be easier to Google, or maybe just stand out more in any kind of author search and I made that detail up, and the "RR" is a tribute to JRR Tolkien.

[SFDanny]

What the RR in GRRM means?

From the FAQon this site:

2.2.2. What does the R.R stand for?

Raymond Richard.

It's not an addition but part of his birth name.

[Zizoz]

^^I'm pretty sure the «What do dogs do to wolves?» thing was when Sandor was with Arya. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Manderly`s Personal Chef]

Who rules the Stepstones?

[Lord Pounce]

I hope this question isn't too "big" for this thread but why was Twyin fighting with so much of his force in the Riverlands for so long in book two against an enemy that had no intention of claiming the iron throne when there were two large armies about to attack KL?

[shadow catlady]

^^I'm pretty sure the «What do dogs do to wolves?» thing was when Sandor was with Arya. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Entirely wrong twice in a post with 2 answers, I think I've set a new bar for myself.

You are right. I still think it was a way of Sandor saying he will protect her, and Arya is in a world of fear (and anger) so takes it the wrong way. I totally mixed up the context.

[The Waif]

^^I'm pretty sure the «What do dogs do to wolves?» thing was when Sandor was with Arya. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yes it is Sandor that said that to Arya. I'm doing my reread and I don't remember him saying anything besides that when she starts to annoy him.

[Mad Monkey]

Specific breeds of dogs were bred to especially hunt and kill wolves. But Teddy Roosevelt remarked that few of them were actually capable of doing so anymore, since functionality has become secondary to appearance in most breeds these days.

That's cool to know! Do you think that, though, in the time period that ASOIAF was set dogs could have been used for that purpose? I don't really remember if we read anything about a huntsman using dogs to pursue wolves in the series or not. I don't think that dogs would be used to protect or assist wolves in anyway.

[MightilyOats]

No idea where people are getting this romanticized notion that dogs looked up to wolves and admired them from afar, whilst gazing at the stars in their lonely tower.

Hunting dogs would viciously maul wolves. It's what they are trained to do. You know how soldiers rape and maim when their blood is up? Same thing with dogs, but replace women with wolves and replace rape with mauling.

Sandor using some kind of...obscure/non-existent code to get through to Arya is...laughable.

For those still not grasping what I am trying to say, why not read Septon Meribald's comments about what Dog has done to wolves in the past?

[Ran]

I hope this question isn't too "big" for this thread but why was Twyin fighting with so much of his force in the Riverlands for so long in book two against an enemy that had no intention of claiming the iron throne when there were two large armies about to attack KL?

He did not believe the armies were going to be close enough to him. Tywin launched his attack on the riverlands well after Renly died and his army largely fell apart, while at the same time Stannis settled into what LOOKED like a very long siege because methodical Stannis would not leave Storm's End at his rear. Tywin bet on this long siege. After all, Storm's End stood more than a year when Stannis held it against Tyrell and Redwyne.

But he didn't know about Melisandre, and what she'd do to Cortnay Penrose. Stannis suddenly being free to launch himself at King's Landing was not something Tywin believed possible.

[Lord Varys]

Dogs tear wolves apart if they are bred to hunt them. There are many dog races which are fiercer, stronger, and bigger than wolves.

[gumby]

There are even more examples, and hopefully one day I'll have the time to sit down and go through all the "3's" and "7's" you see in the series.

I'll just add that it was the 7th build of Storm's End that with stood the wrath of the Sea God.

[JaimeLannister]

I hope this question isn't too "big" for this thread but why was Twyin fighting with so much of his force in the Riverlands for so long in book two against an enemy that had no intention of claiming the iron throne when there were two large armies about to attack KL?

I reckon it was a combination of 3 things

1. Robb (a greeb boy) had beaten house Lannister in the field both with swords in the whispering wood, and with brains ie the bolton feint, Tywin needs to reassert his authority to maintain his rep

2. Robb holds Jaime therefore Tywin can't just let him have him

3. Robb is attacking the westerlands therefore (just as Robb has to turn north when winterfell burns) he needs to protect his own lands

[Mad Monkey]

Sandor using some kind of...obscure/non-existent code to get through to Arya is...laughable.

Yeha, I really think it was a threat. Or a really awkward metaphor.

"I'll show you what dogs do to wolves."

"... Huh?"

"Yeah, fuck around with me, and I'll show you what squids do to raccoons."

"Wait, what?"

"I swear to the Gods, bitch, I'll wreck you like how horses wreck ostriches."

[shadow catlady]

No idea where people are getting this romanticized notion that dogs looked up to wolves and admired them from afar, whilst gazing at the stars in their lonely tower.

By "people" I guess you mean me, and my knowledge of cats is much better than my knowledge of dogs. My idea was from the fact that wolves are bigger and wilder than domesticated dogs, and the fact that Sandor never killed Arya when he could have. I didn't mean to sound as stupid as the idea posed above, which is why I said I thought not knew. I totally accept the other interpretations, especially since now I know there are such things as hunting dogs bred to kill wolves, which I didn't till now.

[Hic Sunt Dracones]

Small question: is it known how long it takes for a raven to fly from one location to another? I'm just wondering how many days/weeks/months it would take for Sam's message from Oldtown to reach Jon at the Wall.

Google says a raven flies 14.3 miles per hour btw.

[Solitae]

Yeha, I really think it was a threat. Or a really awkward metaphor.

"I'll show you what dogs do to wolves."

"... Huh?"

"Yeah, fuck around with me, and I'll show you what squids do to raccoons."

"Wait, what?"

"I swear to the Gods, bitch, I'll wreck you like how horses wreck ostriches."

This made me laugh so hard!

Anyway, I agree that it's a threat, and Meribald's Dog clarifies it. Also it fits as a threat since Sandor threatens Arya all the time.

[Lord Pounce]

When exactly did Roose Bolton decide to betray the Starks. It was clear in some of Jaime's chapters in ASOS but I haven't read ACOK in a while so I was wondering if there was any evidence in some of Arya's chapters.

[Rune Targaryen]

No idea where people are getting this romanticized notion that dogs looked up to wolves and admired them from afar, whilst gazing at the stars in their lonely tower.

Hunting dogs would viciously maul wolves. It's what they are trained to do. You know how soldiers rape and maim when their blood is up? Same thing with dogs, but replace women with wolves and replace rape with mauling.

Sandor using some kind of...obscure/non-existent code to get through to Arya is...laughable.

For those still not grasping what I am trying to say, why not read Septon Meribald's comments about what Dog has done to wolves in the past?

Well hunting dogs do not "maul", they are trained so they don't do that, usually they kill and bring the carcass to the human, usually what they hunt is food for the humans and how can the humans eat if the dogs tear the carcass apart?

Even with wolfs, that usually was not eat by humans the humans use their furs.

That is why when your dog brings you a dead bird or cat theirs instinct tells then that they are giving you a present.

Well, that being said, not all dogs are hunting dogs, most of them would be submissive to wolfs.

But what Sandor said was a treat, IMO.

[Ran]

In Arya's last chapter, he sends Robett Glover and Ser Helman Tallhart to attack Duskendale, supposedly on Robb's orders (which wasn't true). They are then caught in a devastating ambush by Lord Tarly and Ser Gregor Clegane. This is the clearest example of his treachery at this date, IMO -- he couldn't have expected Robb to blithely go on forever ignorant of the fact that he falsified orders. Eventually some survivor would come forward to tell the truth, that they had been told it was at Robb's orders. So at this point, he didn't really expect to be sticking with Robb for long, but then, he had seemed to have decided that Robb was going to lose out following Robb's marriage.