The Stark kids and their "darker" education

[Sister Goldenhair]

My theory at the moment is that the greenseers and children need something from Bran, otherwise it seems a bit improbable they would bring him all the way far north. So I think it will come to some kind of bargain struck between them in any eventual war beyond the wall.

Believe that all of the Starks will end up with the Others in some way fighting against human-kind as it were and Arya will probably warg into her wolf for good (or bad).

[vleeter]

I don't see Rickon really playing much of a role in the series. Sure he's wild, on a wild island, but he's like 6 years old.. there really isn't any time for development there. That's not to say he may not have a partr to play, but as of yet he's too young and we haven't even had a POV from his perspective.

[Dolorous Ali]

I am concerned about some similarities between the Stark children present situations: they all are getting to "dark" side.

Sansa is with Littlefinger and is becoming more skilled in game of thrones. Littlefinger is some kind of tutor (despite the fact that he is using her to his own purposes). Lord Beilish is not a sweet and nice person, we know that for sure: he is cynical schemer. Therefore, Sansa is being taught some "dark", in this particular case - quite dishonorable, techniques.

Arya is now at the house of FM, where she is taught to be an assassin. I do not think I should make my point more clear here, as it is quite obvious that FM are quite nasty organization.

Rickon is very small, has always been "wild" and is, presumably, at Skagos now, the land of cannibals and he is under protection of a barbarian warrior woman (don't get me wrong I like Osha, but she is a sort of barbarian). I mean what could he learn from her and in general in Skagos?!

Bran is a "student" of Bloodraven, who has quite "dark" past as a sorcerer (I, personally, like him, I don't know why, but it seems he had his reputation because he had an unusual look and was terrifying, not mentioning his talents for magic, which he obviously had. My opinion is based on the Dunk and Egg's stories). But in this board there are a lot of people, who think that Children of the Forest and Bloodraven are evil. Anyway, they are seem "dark" and creepy.

Well, now Jon! He is a tricky one, even more than Bran. His story hasn't got the similar pattern comparing to the other Stark children (a "dark" tutor), but there are suggestions in this board that Jon is meant to be "darker" after his "death" or if he is dead, he doesn't count in this subject. There are also hints in his prophetic dream about the Witerfell's crypt.

What do you think about that?

Maybe I'm "dark" myself, as I don't find any one of them being on a downward slope!

Sansa: I never liked her chapters or herself, but after she joined LF her chapters improved very very much. I believe she is still a pawn, not a player, and will not be one in a long time, maybe never unless she starts loving LF or some queer things happen. LF hasn't told any important things to Sansa, or even how the game is truly played. You win the game of thrones with treachery and cunning, but LF is making Sansa look at it like he's a good man doing great stuff. Maybe if LF kill Robin then Sansa gets a notion of LF is really up to and stand up to him or ruin him.

Jon: You can't condemn poor Jon on what hasn't happened yet. And I think many more (including me) believe that he'll become AA and save the realm from the Others. Crypts of Winterfell are believed to be related to his parenthood by many people here. And I have a crackpot theory that Jon will be "reborn" in the crypts of Winterfell as AA.

Bran: I don't know why people are thinking that COTF and BR are evil. COTF once fought against the Others alongside the first men. Maybe when BR says to Bran that he should love darkness and not be afraid of it gave people this idea, but there's gonna be another long night, which will be dark. Plus BR is talking about the trees then, and it's true, weirwoods have most of their parts in the ground which is dark. BR is not evil himself. In dunk & egg when people describe him as evil they talk about warging and sorcery. In the north people have problems with the wargs, but in the south people can't stand them. Not every man with sorcery is evil. And why would the wights attack Bran if he's gonna be the Great Other and then COTF save him? It's not like that they want to gain his trust. If they meant him ill, Bran couldn't have done anything, he would be their prisoner and would have to obey. Plus, the weirwoods are the old gods (or connected to them) and this is like the control room of the weirwoods network. People pray to them! They are gonna save Westeros. Please tell me why people think that they're evil. What have I missed? Is it because weirwoods are white and pale like the Others and can live forever? That's a bad reason.

Rickon: when we last saw him he was a little boy of around 4. He hadn't seen his parents for a long time and had been hiding in the dim crypts for some time. Of course he would be restless and wild. And we don't know about Skagos, we just know that people say that they're cannibals. What if the Skagosi just spread that lie to keep people off their lands? Osha is a good woman, no matter how barbaric she is. Even if he turns out to a wild boy, I think that would be OK as long as he knows where and when to be wild, becaus Winter has come and he has to defend the north against the Others if he's gonna be king or only lord of Winterfell.

Arya: FM don't seem that bad to me. Yes, they kill, but think about the price. If a good man wants a bad man dead and he's poor, he can give all he has to the Many Faced God, which is himself. if there's a bad man, that won't happen, because bad men don't give up themselves to have a good man dead, not usually. And if they're reach, they would be incredibly poorer because the price is so high and therefore not making it possible for someone to kill a lot of people by the FM. I don't know why people think that the FM are evil but are neutral to sellswords or even like them. Soldiers and sellswords kill in a nasty and painful way and do it cheap. But the FM give peaceful deaths, mostl of the time at least. If I lived in Braavos and were to die, I'd have gone to temple of the many faced god. Anyways, if Arya learns their tricks and their ways she could use it for very good ends, that depends on her. Even if she becomes one of them I can't call her evil and her education as kind of "dark". I think it's very good that they're all experiencing a different world.

[Northern Vengeance]

Won't it be terrible if the Stark kids get into horiffic situations because of their own and thier fathers honoruable actions and then end up in much better situations by following a much darker path?

Note exactly terrible, just realistic.

Edit: I realise that this may seem cynical but as the essay previously posted in this thread says, those who act purely with honourable actions are condemned to defeat by those who don't and those who rely solely on Realpolitik are likely to become consumed by their selfish nature and scheming. In summary, grey is preferably to completely black or white. Also, I agree with those who don't believe the darker nature the Starks have adopted to be a bad thing as they're not evil, only grittier and more willing to perform dishonourable actions. In the end I think this will be key to their victory, or at least let them kick some ass on their way out.