AGoT Reread: Direwolves, Dragons [eggs], Momont’s Raven, and Cats, Oh My! Pets or Providence?

[Manderly's Rat Cook]

:bowdown: :bowdown: MANDERLY'S RAT COOK: Sjors - well, I love he opened mouth. Did you see my old Prince I picture? He is showing teeth as well, just like Sjors. I loved him in the scales - and those blue eyes are to die for. How did you get such perfect shots? :wub: They could be on a kitty calendar - you and LITTLE WING should get together and do a pussycat calendar with pictures of your cats.

How can such a sweety pie be evil? Oh, I know. I have a piece of a Reeses' cup, and my little Bella is giving me a story - she thinks she can talk. So IO am hearing the Reses' Peanut Butter Lament! :devil:

Thanks for sharing. This is great fun!

Haha yes I saw all your photos, your dogs look absolutely lovely, and happy :)

Well it's kind of a sad story, but the (then) boyfriend of my old housemate has probably abused her or something, because she changed from one day to the other from a sweet and social little angel into a sometimes agressive, terrified little thing, after a few hours alone with him. We thought he might accidentally have kicked her or stepped on her tail (that happened to us all the time, because she was constantly trailing around your feet), but he denied that anything happened at all. But since then she was terrified of strangers and especially men. she even growls at them and sometimes attacks them. I'm the only one who can safely touch her.

She's very cuddly with me though, although I can end up with nasty scratches as well, but she improved a lot. I wish I'd know what that guy did to her :( I love her all the same though :)

[evita mgfs]

Haha yes I saw all your photos, your dogs look absolutely lovely, and happy :)

Well it's kind of a sad story, but the (then) boyfriend of my old housemate has probably abused her or something, because she changed from one day to the other from a sweet and social little angel into a sometimes agressive, terrified little thing, after a few hours alone with him. We thought he might accidentally have kicked her or stepped on her tail (that happened to us all the time, because she was constantly trailing around your feet), but he denied that anything happened at all. But since then she was terrified of strangers and especially men. she even growls at them and sometimes attacks them. I'm the only one who can safely touch her.

She's very cuddly with me though, although I can end up with nasty scratches as well, but she improved a lot. I wish I'd know what that guy did to her :( I love her all the same though :)

:bowdown: :bowdown: MANDERLY'S RAT COOK: My Harley is a rescue golden, and I apologize if I repeat myself, but when we adopted him, the former owners packed with him a tpoy_ A PIECE OF PIPE. Well, we sure learned fast why a piece of pipe was his toy. When he came to live with us, he systematically destroyed all my goldens play toys, gnawing them to little pieces.

Because he lived next door to a fire house, wheneverhe moved in with us, even though we live a good distance fom a distance, when the sirens go off, he does the Harley howl - just like a wolf baying at the moon.

I personally think that the whistles hurt his ears. :dunno:

Thanks for responding to my post, and for posting your little rascal to share. I enjoyed the pictures very much, so good job!

[ArabellaVidal]

Haha yes I saw all your photos, your dogs look absolutely lovely, and happy :)

Well it's kind of a sad story, but the (then) boyfriend of my old housemate has probably abused her or something, because she changed from one day to the other from a sweet and social little angel into a sometimes agressive, terrified little thing, after a few hours alone with him. We thought he might accidentally have kicked her or stepped on her tail (that happened to us all the time, because she was constantly trailing around your feet), but he denied that anything happened at all. But since then she was terrified of strangers and especially men. she even growls at them and sometimes attacks them. I'm the only one who can safely touch her.

She's very cuddly with me though, although I can end up with nasty scratches as well, but she improved a lot. I wish I'd know what that guy did to her :( I love her all the same though :)

God rot the bastard who did it! All you can do is love 'em since the poor things can't talk.

[evita mgfs]

God rot the bastard who did it! All you can do is love 'em since the poor things can't talk.

:bowdown: :bowdown: ARABELLA VIDAL: Oh how true you are! I get sick when I think of how my poor Harley was abused. He had scabs all over his body. :frown5: They had allowed their "favorite dog" to abuse my poor baby! :dunno:

[Lady Wylla Manderly]

Just a reminder to you guys that I will be posting a summary of AGoT Prologue tomorrow, along with a few personal comments of mine =) I can't wait to hear your opinions about it. Keep up the good work! <3

[Manderly's Rat Cook]

:bowdown: :bowdown: MANDERLY'S RAT COOK: My Harley is a rescue golden, and I apologize if I repeat myself, but when we adopted him, the former owners packed with him a tpoy_ A PIECE OF PIPE. Well, we sure learned fast why a piece of pipe was his toy. When he came to live with us, he systematically destroyed all my goldens play toys, gnawing them to little pieces.

Because he lived next door to a fire house, wheneverhe moved in with us, even though we live a good distance fom a distance, when the sirens go off, he does the Harley howl - just like a wolf baying at the moon.

I personally think that the whistles hurt his ears. :dunno:

Thanks for responding to my post, and for posting your little rascal to share. I enjoyed the pictures very much, so good job!

Ahw yes, my Sjors hates it when I sing (I'm not a bad singer, but I've played in some amateur opera's, and I like to sing the soprano, which is probably too high for her to endure), and she attacks me when I sing, poor thing. Now I usually sing in the bath with the door closed, so it doesn't bother her too much (and me, cause I don't like to be attacked).

Poor Harley, he probably destroyed the toys out of frustration. I'm glad he found a good home with you :)

God rot the bastard who did it! All you can do is love 'em since the poor things can't talk.

Yeah it makes me so mad to think about it! She even loved the guy until that day. She used to sleep on his shoulder! Surely cats (especially kittens) can be very annoying at times, but they're just being playful. But they know the difference between being 'hurt' accidentally or on purpose. I often kick her when I wake up, because she always sleeps on my bed, and I stepped on her tail and paws a few times, but it never made her 'weird'..

I sometimes wish she would be a bit more social, cause I always have to warn visitors: "Do not touch the cat, neither of you will enjoy it", but she can be a real cutie, and she's smart as well; she can open closed doors, and open the cat-candy packages Last week she did this: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185147_4713820325377_685553070_n.jpg lol

[Florina Laufeyson]

Just a reminder to you guys that I will be posting a summary of AGoT Prologue tomorrow, along with a few personal comments of mine =) I can't wait to hear your opinions about it. Keep up the good work! <3

Holy crap i need to charge my Nook! Agh i nearly forgot about this! Dont kill me!

Oh, pics of beasts? I have no recent pics of my Samdog. Sad i know. But here is a pic of my kitty Simone sleeping like a peoples. D'awww Maine Coons are best cat beasts.

http://i49.tinypic.com/wjv2o6.jpg

[evita mgfs]

Holy crap i need to charge my Nook! Agh i nearly forgot about this! Dont kill me!

Oh, pics of beasts? I have no recent pics of my Samdog. Sad i know. But here is a pic of my kitty Simone sleeping like a peoples. D'awww Maine Coons are best cat beasts.

http://i49.tinypic.com/wjv2o6.jpg

:bowdown: :bowdown: FLORINA STARK: Simone is precious sleeping.

My dogs are the BEST BEHAVED when they are sleeping. As a matter of fact, all five of them get groomed - or they go to the groomers together. It is wild. When they come back, they are exhausted and sleep all night. So - I can only imagine the energy they expend at the groomer's, for they all suffer from severe anxiety when they are parted from my hubbie and me! :frown5: :bawl:

[Lady Wylla Manderly]

Holy crap i need to charge my Nook! Agh i nearly forgot about this! Dont kill me!

I may kill you for that icon because it honestly scared me xD

[evita mgfs]

I may kill you for that icon because it honestly scared me xD

:agree: THE PACK SURVIVES: I AGREE! Scary - BOO! :bawl:

[Alia of the knife]

Duncan

http://s1280.beta.photobucket.com/user/aliaoftheknife1/media/100_2346-1.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

[rivergirl]

Hello everyone! Your pets are gorgeous, all of them. I've tried a few times to take pictures of my two cats awake, but one of them keeps chewing on my phone so i've had to settle for them sleeping.

These are my girls, Maya and Lily. They're both shelter cats, the older of whom was abused as a baby and was petrified of everyone but my parents and i for a few months after we got her. She's warmed up though, probably due to her feisty little sister who she spends most of her time cuddling and cleaning.

Come to think of it, i sort of have little Stark Girl cats. Maya is stunning, sweet and shy, and Lily is wild, boisterous and chronically skinny even though she has 5 meals a day. They hated each other when we first brought Lily home, because Maya was afraid of her (despite being twice her size) and Lily kept trying to wrestle with Maya. They've become best friends now, and get cuter (and fatter) by the day.

Anyway, that's my introduction to my pets. I'll be looking out for cats throughout the reread, especially of the Tully-Stark and Arya in Braavos variety :)

[evita mgfs]

Duncan

http://s1280.beta.ph...html?sort=3&o=1

:bowdown: :bowdown: ALIA OF THE KNIFE: Even though I have met Duncan before, I had to comment. His eyes are so very bright - as he rests on his back, either plotting mischief o preparing to sleep. One of my favorite kitties had his exact coloring, and I wish I had saved my pictures of him on my computer to share. He only had one distinction: my kitty was blind in one eye. I had rescued him from our neighbor the cat lady, who took in all local strays and cared from them, in a good, generous fashion. My kitty had been a Tom who liked to scrap, so she needed someone tocare for him who did not own other cats. So that was I.

Kitty and Princer I were the best of friends. During the day, they spent their time together in the garage - when we went to work, that is. All my cats loved my dogs, and vice versa. If the dogs were very good, they even received daily messages from the kitties.

It is fun to share! Thanks!

[evita mgfs]

Hello everyone! Your pets are gorgeous, all of them. I've tried a few times to take pictures of my two cats awake, but one of them keeps chewing on my phone so i've had to settle for them sleeping.

These are my girls, Maya and Lily. They're both shelter cats, the older of whom was abused as a baby and was petrified of everyone but my parents and i for a few months after we got her. She's warmed up though, probably due to her feisty little sister who she spends most of her time cuddling and cleaning.

Come to think of it, i sort of have little Stark Girl cats. Maya is stunning, sweet and shy, and Lily is wild, boisterous and chronically skinny even though she has 5 meals a day. They hated each other when we first brought Lily home, because Maya was afraid of her (despite being twice her size) and Lily kept trying to wrestle with Maya. They've become best friends now, and get cuter (and fatter) by the day.

Anyway, that's my introduction to my pets. I'll be looking out for cats throughout the reread, especially of the Tully-Stark and Arya in Braavos variety :)

:bowdown: :bowdown: ROSE RIVERS: What cuddly little babies, all curled up and sleeping just like my puppies do - I live in a "sea" of golden retrievers - so we all fit in Braavos.

I wrote above regarding my rescue kitty, and how he became attached to my late Princer. My kitty loved to mouse, and I allowed him out once in a great while - well, more like he sneaked out - because the urge in him was strong to mouse. One time he bought back a baby bird, another time a baby rabbit - and we had a terrible time gettinng him to release his prey. We could not let him out after those travesties. I do not mind the mice, but not little baby birds and bunnies - oh, no! He was a bad, bad kitty. I know it was his instinct, but still - I am not into allowing animals to run free to harm helpless babies, so his mousing freedom was definitely curtailed then on.

I also wanted to mention, you may cover all the shadowcats that are mentioned as well, and even - a stretch - but the Lannister sigil is the LION, which is a cat, so you should find lots of references to those cats until we get to Braavos, or until we get to Arya's cat-chasing episode. :laugh:

Thanks for sharing!

[Little Wing]

Oh my! Lovely kittehs everybody! :wub: Mine are all adopted as well, dogs and cats ... can't understand how someone could have abandoned them :(

Anyway, I'm just about to re-read the Prologue (my third round :smug: ) Let's go! :commie:

[Lady Wylla Manderly]

AGoT Prologue

POV: Will

Appearing: Gared, Waymar Royce, Will

Prologue takes place during a “ranging” (if we can call the patrols of three NW man “ranging”) beyond the Wall. Before the first conversation begins, Will has found a group of wildlings, all dead. (Though we do not see that, they’ve been displayed rather dramatically on the show.) Gared and Will try to convince their commander, Ser Waymar Royce, to head back to the wall and report it, as their job is now done and the said wildlings wouldn’t trouble them anymore.

“My mother told me that dead men sing no songs,” [Will] put in.

“My wet nurse said the same thing, Will,” Royce replied, “Never believe anything you hear at a woman’s tit. There are things to be learned from the dead.”

Ser Waymar continuously mocks them about their reluctance to pursue the patrol and hints of unease. Will can see that this hurts Gared’s pride as he’s been a man of the NW for 40 years and wasn’t accustomed to take orders from “green boys.”

Gared had spent forty years in the Night’s Watch, man and boy, and he was not accustomed to being made light of. Yet it was more than that. Under the wounded pride, Will could sense something else in the older man. You could taste it; a nervous tension that came perilous close to fear.

However, Will also observes that Gared does indeed feel uneasy, and shares these feelings himself.

Something was different tonight. There was an edge to this darkness that made his hackles rise. Nine days they had been riding, north and northwest and then north again, farther and farther from the Wall, hard on the track of a band of wildling raiders. Each day had been worse than the day that had come before it. Today was the worst of all. A cold wind was blowing out of the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things. All day, Will had felt as though something were watching him, something cold and implacable that loved him not.

Then the chapter gives us brief information about Ser Waymar of House Royce. He’s the youngest son of an ancient house which apparently has got too many heirs. He’s described as:

a handsome youth of eighteen, grey-eyed and graceful and slender as a knife.

Now, this may sound a tad crackpot but bear with me. Can’t say much about “graceful” and “handsome,” but “slender” and “grey eyed” screams Stark look to me. It has been made clear (in ASoS, I think?) that House Royce and House Stark indeed has blood relations through Edwyle Stark and an unnamed lady of House Royce. Furthermore, when Brandon Stark went to King’s Landing, Kyle Royce was a member of his party. And lastly, the words of House Royce is “We Remember.” The North remembers, anyone? Perhaps it’s just a coincidence or perhaps GRRM wanted to hint a connection between Starks (and their relatives) and the Others right from the Prologue. Just something to consider.

Back to the chapter summary…

Waymar Royce asks Will to tell him everything that he saw, with all the details. There we learn that Will was a poacher who was caught in Mallister land, and that it’s claimed no one else can move in the woods as quickly as he can.

“The camp is two miles farther on, over that ridge, hard beside a stream,” Will said. “I got close as I dared. There’s eight of them, men and women both. No children I could see. They put up a lean-to against the rock. The snow’s pretty well covered it now, but I could still make it out. No fire burning, but the firepit was still plain as day. No one moving. I watched a long time. No living man ever lay so still.”

The discussion continues for some time. Gared suggests that the cold must’ve killed those wildlings, and talks about “ice wind howling from the North” and forty foot deep snows. Will sides with Gared at first, but hesitates when Waymar asks him if he drew any watches this week. Will says that he had, and Waymar Royce asks about the state of the Wall during those watches. Will replies with “weeping.”

“They couldn’t have froze. Not if the Wall was weeping. It wasn’t cold enough.”

They ride into the night, though they dismount after a while and continue on foot. Once again Gared points out his uneasiness, and claims that there’s something wrong there in the darkness. Ser Waymar mocks him again, not taking his warnings seriously. Then Gared requests a fire, but Waymar denies him again, saying it would draw enemies. Of course by “enemies,” the young commander means wildlings, but Gared feels differently.

“There’s some enemies a fire will keep away,” Gared said. “Bears and direwolves and... and other things...”

Correct me if I’m wrong here, but while fire kills wights, it doesn’t do any damage to the Others, am I right? But it’s entirely possible that they would shy away from it.

They reach the campsite afoot, and Will is shocked to see the wildlings’ bodies are gone. This time, it’s him who voices that something is wrong, yet Ser Waymar silences him too, and tells Will to get up and look for a fire.

He went to the tree, a vaulting grey-green sentinel, and began to climb. Soon his hands were sticky with sap, and he was lost among the needles. Fear filled his gut like a meal he could not digest. He whispered a prayer to the nameless gods of the wood, and slipped his dirk free of its sheath. He put it between his teeth to keep both hands free for climbing. The taste of cold iron in his mouth gave him comfort.

This is clearly a reference to the Old Gods, even though the tree he was climbing was not a weirwood tree. And, those of you who’ve read the threads about the importance of iron in supernatural elements of ASOIAF will know that they’re somehow linked to keeping the dead in check. Iron swords in the crypts of Winterfell, Old Nan’s claim of the Others not liking iron, later in the books wights not rising after Jon binds them with iron chains… another coincidence or another hint?

Down below, Waymar Royce calls out and asks who goes there. The only sound they hear is the sound of the woods. (Rustling of leaves, an owl hooting…)

The Others made no sound.

Will notes that he sees something with the corner of his eye;

Pale shapes gliding through the wood. He turned his head, glimpsed a white shadow in the darkness.

I find this “white shadows” description interesting because; 1. Mel’s speech about shadows being the servants of R’hllor and how they can’t live in the dark (which I’m sure we’ll discuss later as the thread moves on), 2. Gilly later describes the Others exactly the same. As “white shadows.”

Waymar then calls out for Will and asks him if he sees anything. He also asks “Why is it so cold?” Is it the Others that bring the cold with them, or do they follow the cold? Sam wonders about this later, too. Will doesn’t answer.

A shadow emerged from the dark of the wood. It stood in front of Royce. Tall, it was, and gaunt and hard as old bones, with flesh pale as milk. Its armor seemed to change color as it moved; here it was white as new-fallen snow, there black as shadow, everywhere dappled with the deep grey-green of the trees. The patterns ran like moonlight on water with every step it took. Will heard the breath go out of Ser Waymar Royce in a long hiss.

Again, the description includes the word “shadow.” Interesting.

Waymar Royce instructs “it” to come no further. Will notes that he grew afraid now, because his voice cracked like a boy’s. He also observes that the wind had stopped, yet it was very cold.

The Other comes forward, making no sound as he walks. He was holding a queer sword in his hand, which Will thinks that it wasn’t human made.

It was alive with moonlight, translucent, a shard of crystal so thin that it seemed almost to vanish when seen edge-on. There was a faint blue shimmer to the thing, a ghost-light that played around its edges, and somehow Will knew it was sharper than any razor.

Ser Waymar meets the other bravely and they start dueling. Will then sees the Other’s eyes. Blue, too blue to be humanly, “a blue that burned like ice.” More Others emerge from the shadows (at least five of them), and Will thinks that he should call out as it is his duty to do so, but he gets scared, and keeps hiding on the tree silently.

The Other and Ser Waymar keep fighting for a time. Will makes a note of how strange the sound of their blades crashing against each other is.

When the blades met, there was no ring of metal on metal; only a high, thin sound at the edge of hearing, like an animal screaming in pain.

The sword of the Other is obviously no metal, as Will speculates earlier. I’ve no guess as to what it could be, yet I’ve a crackpot theory about that material (and the armor of the Others) being somewhat of an anti-dragonglass. A sort of material that can only be found in the Lands of Always Winter, perhaps?

The fight continues until Ser Waymar is wounded, and finally, his steel shatters. Right before the blade shattered, though, the Other says something in a language that Will did not know (but he thought the Other sounded mocking.) Is this the tongue of the First Men which some wildlings and giants still speak? Or is it a language unique to the Others?

The “watchers” (the Others who were watching the fight) move forward towards Waymar Royce, who’s now on his knees. The swords rise and fall, all in silence. Will describes this as “cold butchery.” He covers his eyes and keeps hiding. When he looked again, the area was empty.

Will climbs down and finds only the body of Waymar Royce. The Others had vanished. He notes how young he looks in death, and takes his shattered blade, thinking to show it as a proof when he makes back to the Wall.

Will rose. Ser Waymar Royce stood over him.

His fine clothes were a tatter, his face a ruin. A shard from his sword transfixed the blind white pupil of his left eye.

The right eye was open. The pupil burned blue. It saw.

One more crackpot theory of mine. Later on, when Jon kills a wight, they note that the wight knew where to find the Lord Commander. Melisandre goes on and on about how “the bones remember.” Is it possible that when people become wights, they aren’t entirely “gone”? If so, perhaps Waymar Royce was angry at Will for not coming to help him? Just something to think about.

The chapter ends with Waymar-wight reaching out to Will, his fingers closing around Will’s throat. Gloved in the finest moleskin and sticky with blood, yet the touch is still “icy cold.

ETA: This is my very first re-read summary post. Ever. So I hope I did okay. Be nice, you lot. :blushing:

[The Lord's Kiss]

Really good analysis for just a prologue. I like the comparison between Stark and Royce, I had no idea their words were "We Remember."

I have to reread this now and see if I have anything to add but it's pretty doubtful because you did such a splendid job!

I can't wait to get to the next chapter on the list, that's the one I'm going to sink my teeth into, pun intended.

[Lady Wylla Manderly]

Really good analysis for just a prologue. I like the comparison between Stark and Royce, I had no idea their words were "We Remember."

I have to reread this now and see if I have anything to add but it's pretty doubtful because you did such a splendid job!

I can't wait to get to the next chapter on the list, that's the one I'm going to sink my teeth into, pun intended.

Neither did I. I just checked the ASOIAF Wiki to recheck the name of the Stark who married a Royce lady, and that's where I saw it.

Coat of arms: Orange, pebbles proper over runes sable, in chief runes of the same

Words: We Remember

Seat: Runestone

Thank you so much, though ^^ I'm glad I didn't botch it.

I'm really looking forward to finding of the direwolves bit myself, as well. I'm sure Evita will nail it, not to mention this thread will be full of Bloodraven speculations when it comes. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[Dark Heart]

Very nice summary, The Pack Survives!

Possible Royce / Stark / Others connection is very interesting.

Hm, I wonder; Bronze Yohn have that thousands of years old armor inscribed with runes that ward and protect him.

Maybe, it will be important later?

Iron and bronze are metals of Kings of Winter, so perhaps old magical bronze armor was made to protect from Others?

About Others;

To me they sound a bit like ASoIaF version of Winter sidhe.

What with weakness to iron, fire and bringing cold and snow.

Those legends of others hunting down girls to breed with them also sound like something Unseelie would do.

And they take offers of sheep and baby boys from Craster, another thing they have in common with folklore fairies.

p.s. Beautiful pictures and furry companions, everyone!

Here's my boy T-Rex in the snow.

He's a GSD but thinks he's part dinosaurs (he eats like one), part Yeti (he adore snow and winter is his favorite time of the year) and part shark (he'll go for a swim in rivers, lakes, sea, pond . . . any water).

[Little Wing]

Ah, man, that Prologue... just perfectly written.... I could read it a thousand times and still get the chills...

Great job on the summary, The Pack survives!

It's funny that the Royce's words are "We Remember" when it seems young Royce here surely doesn't - what I mean is, Gared knows what they could encounter, when he proposes to light a fire, Will also knows/feels there's something unhuman there, but Waymar is nonplussed and ignorant of what stalks beyond the Wall...or he simply chooses to ignore to acknowledge "anything you hear at a woman's tit" ie stories of the Others.

About the Other's blade, I always had the impression the blades are actually part of them...maybe that would explain the animal scream that the clash of iron and the Other's blade make? If it's part of it, the clash with iron would hurt it in a way... but that's just my impression.

Yes, GRRM has noted that the best way to describe the Others is to imagine them as Sidhe: "The Others are not dead. They are strange, beautiful… think, oh… the Sidhe made of ice, something like that… a different sort of life… inhuman, elegant, dangerous.”

Animals mentioned: a wolf howls in the distance, a snow owl and their horses.

Some lines that are interesting: "Listen to the darkness." ; "The Others made no sound." (...) "He must have felt them (the Others), as Will felt them."

It's interesting that you can only glimpse the Others approaching, can't hear them - but you can feel them. Gared says: "Nothing burns like the cold. But only for a while. Then it gets inside you and starts to fill you up" ...

I find this interesting, a really intimate encounter the cold/Others make with humans. It's as if they constantly reach for the living (or the dead when making them wights) like wargs reach for their familiars.

If I remember anything else, I'll come back. But the Prologue is very much Heresy territory, not many animals there. :laugh:

edit: spelling