Ghost (SPOILERS)

[Nymeria Summer]

DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE FINISHED THE BOOK

Was anyone else ecstatic when Ghost returned to the wall? I was so happy, I kept wondering about him throughout the rest of the book. The death of some of the direwolves so far has been the worst to read. I think it was harder than reading about the deaths of some of the mains. Especially Greywind. What was done to Rob and that poor wolf was horrific, that part was super hard to read. Thankfully Ghost is still with us and we still have Bran and Rickon's two wolves. And, as far as we know, Nymeria is still out there somewhere. I keep hoping that she and Arya will be reunited somewhere along the way.

[Sinergi]

Was anyone else ecstatic when Ghost returned to the wall? I was so happy, I kept wondering about him throughout the rest of the book. The death of some of the direwolves so far has been the worst to read. I think it was harder than reading about the deaths of some of the mains. Especially Greywind. What was done to Rob and that poor wolf was horrific, that part was super hard to read. Thankfully Ghost is still with us and we still have Bran and Rickon's two wolves. And, as far as we know, Nymeria is still out there somewhere. I keep hoping that she and Arya will be reunited somewhere along the way.

/agreed!

[Crown]

I never even believed Ghost was gone, I thought he'd show up when the time was right.

[Melonica Stormborn]

It was a great moment whe Ghost reappeared. Jon was making one of the hardest decisions in his life and then he showed up and reminded Jon of what was truly important.

[SpareBoot]

All that time Arya was near the Trident, I kept expecting her to find Nymeria's pack! I didnt think Ghost was gone, but it was really cool to have him come back when he did.

Rickon and Shaggydog, where are they?!?!

[Nymeria Summer]

I wonder that same thing. Where is Rickon? And, how is he faring?

I also didn't really believe that Ghost was gone but it there were just so many devastations in this book that I was half expecting one more.

[Khal Drogo's Mighty Thighs]

I think we've all been going on about this "Where are Rickon and Shaggydog" business the wrong way. We've guessed all the obscure locations such as Skagos...while he is really right in front on us. Let me explain: Rickon Stark, while running from Theon, encountered Wyman Manderly. Wyman, who had secretly always wanted to be free, switched places with Rickon, and took a ship North of the Wall, becoming The Great Walrus with the help of Osha. Rickon then cleverly disguised himself as Manderly in order to get revenge for his family. Shaggydog operates a mechanism in his fake "belly" which operates larger legs. However, this is awkward and difficult, leading to Manderly often refusing to get up, as demonstrated in ADWD.

You might be questioning: how would Rickon have the voice and intelligence/knowledge to pull this off? Well, that traces back to Rickon's disputed heritage, which I call T + E = R. This near proved theory goes like this: Rhaegar never actually fathered any children with Elia of Dorne; Elia was actually, with Rhaegar's consent, having an affair with Tyrion Lannister. Rhaegar only wanted Lyanna. Now, when Ned supposedly picked up Jon, he was really picking up Rickon, Elia and Tyrions lovechild, at the Tower of Joy. Jon, meanwhile, was actually Ned's trueborn child with Catelyn, whom they switched with Rickon. However, being a midget like his father, they hid him in the Vale with Jon Arryn, until Catelyn gave birth to SweetRobin, and they switched babies again (Sweetrobin was then switched with Aegon, of course). Rickon is actually playing the part of an ignorant child, but is really a secret dwarf. No one ever caught on, not even Catelyn.

This knowledge in mind, it becomes obvious that Tyrion's child would know that the best place to hide was plain sight, and that no one would expect him becoming Manderly, and it would allow him to avenge the Red Wedding of his adopted brothers, and also avenge his parents. It is known.

[Khal Drogo's Mighty Thighs]

Now, it's important to remember that I never said that Rickon wasn't Rickon, or that Shaggydog isn't Shaggydog. Only that Rickon is actually a Dornish Lannister midget bastard masquerading as a fat nobleman in a mechanical suit operated by a direwolf.

[Khal Drogo's Mighty Thighs]

Yeah, revelation huh? Bet you're all kicking yourselves that you didn't see it first. Don't worry about it, it's a personal skill of mine to notice these things. I bet none of the rest of you figured out that R + L= Yoren?

[Stygian]

Ghost's return was the happiest chapter in the book! I was smiling like Jinglebells from the point where Jon sees Ghost to his election as Lord Commander. Such a great ending to his part of the book. I just can't wait to finish AFFC so I can get to his work as LC.

[SpareBoot]

I am roflmfao @ Kahl Drogo's *shudder* might thighs...interesting theory, even more so after a few bongloads

[Valyarian rose]

I think Lady's end was very unfortunate ... and Grey Wind, too. There are only four direwolves in the pack now technically, and even like this they are split apart by geography ... I hope no more of them die :( I won't be able to handle it if someday in the future books Ghost ends up dying. Nooo

Of course I was quite relieved when Jon took that chance in separating from Ghost, yet both of them were able to make it back to the Wall.

[Melonica Stormborn]

GRRM's silence on Rickon's predicament gives him a lot of space to bend the story in later books. That's the only reason I can see why there's no word of him, aside from not being with any POV character at this point.

[TwoHeadedSnake]

Ghost's silence intrigues me. What will cause him to finally "speak?" It's like the urban legend that Einstein never said a word until he was five, because up until then, everything had been all right.

[Saxony]

I was very happy to see Ghost. Bad things happen while the wolves are away.

[ParadiseSeeker]

I think it was right that Grey Wind died along with Robb, cause the direwolf and his person are just so tightly linked. It surely was very brutal and hard to read, but right.

Lady's death came a bit out of nowhere to me though. It's cruel for Sansa to be ripped of her direwolf that way, though it would be weird for the animals to be in KL.

I also expected Arya to reunite with Nymeria, perhaps in some great moment when Arya is in great danger to save her. Or maybe sense her brothers and went North to seek Summer and Shaggydog, cause we've seen in Bran's POVs that the direwolves are aware of each other.

It was obvious Ghost is gonna appear again, I only waited if he's not gonna be in Bran's storyline, perhaps sensing Summer and coming to see him, as they are in fact a pack. I half-expected him to mysteriously appear on the other side of the Wall in Castle Black, an when Jon's all wondering how he got here, Ghost would give him look like "What? You said we're gonna meet at Castle Black, so I'm here."