(aWoW Spoiler) Stannis's Comment: "Yet."

[George W. Lannister]

"We hold the ground, and that I mean to turn to our

advantage."

"The ground?" said Theon. "What ground?

Here? This misbegotten tower? This wretched little village? You have no high

ground here, no walls to hide beyond, no natural

defenses."

"Yet."

"Yet," both ravens screamed in unison. Then

one quorked, and the other muttered, "Tree, tree,

tree."

Two questions:

1) What does Stannis mean by "yet"? Does he intend to cut down trees and

fortifying the outlying perimeter? The Old Gods (and Bran, and Bloodraven) won't

be too rosy about that.

What else would he be referring to?

2)

What are the ravens (presumably BR and Bran) cooking up to happen during Theon's

execution? Did they somehow get Asha in on it as well, or does Asha have her own

intentions by leading Stannis out to the weirwood?

I am crazy excited about this.

[Thendel]

He's definitely implying that he'll put up some defenses that'll be more than just adequate. Moreover, any tree isn't sacred to the religion of the Old Gods - it's just the heart trees, and I really doubt he'll cut that one down.

[Independent George]

I like the theory that he plans on luring the Freys into marching across the frozen lake.

[Bear Island Bruiser]

Well there was the Umber trick of digging pits just outside Winterfell. It worked before.

[ServantOnIce]

Who knows . . . .

I do believe Stannis will die in the ambush on the Islet. I hope Stannis is smart enough to know that you never lesson to suggestions from your captives. If not he deserves to lose the, "Game of Thrones."

You win or you die there is no middle ground and the only winner in the end will be Drogon.

[George W. Lannister]

I think the Freys will be more than wary of pits now. The lake is interesting.

Like he says, it won't be long before Ramsay shows up. So he better get moving!

[E-Ro]

Google Alexander Nevsky, then marvel at our good kings brilliance.

[Damar]

I think the Manderlys will get involved. They need to be, or else there the war in the North going to continue endlessly.

[Timzy]

All I can say is Bran and Bloodraven (well at least Bran) are determined to try and tell Theon something.

I think Stannis intends to use the already broken ice with Lord Manderly as he insulted Bolton and the Freys plans but not Manderly. Also Manderly had the time to dispatch some men to randevou with stannis.

:)

[The Sound of Truth]

I assumed that he planned on trying to sink them in the lake somehow when they approach. In a DWD chapter there already have been references to how fragile the ice is because of all the fishing that has been going on. Heavily armord knights + unstable ice=lots of drowned Freys.

[cuendillar]

My first thought was to use the only thing he had in abundance - snow and ice. Stannis is going to build a massive snow castle, and probably combine it with wekening parts of the lake ice.

[E-Ro]

The key part is we're he says

we must fight afoot

the same exact thing was done in real life in a real battle.

ETA spoiler tags screwed up sorry.

[Bear Island Bruiser]

I think the Freys will be more than wary of pits now. The lake is interesting.

Like he says, it won't be long before Ramsay shows up. So he better get moving!

Possibly but Stannis definitely has a plan. I find the bit where he makes Justin Massey swear to raise troops even if he hears he's dead for Shireen a bit suspicious. OK Stannis is known to be intractable but there are limits.

[George W. Lannister]

the same exact thing was done in real life in a real battle.

Okay, just looked up Nevsky. If Mr. Grimace pulls that off, then he is certainly a badass military leader. Especially at adaptation...I mean come on, which other Southron lord could be that creative and quick to adjust in a cold and ice environment? Tarly maybe, but I doubt that even.

I find the bit where he makes Justin Massey swear to raise troops even if he hears he's dead for Shireen a bit suspicious.

I didn't catch this one until I read a comment from a thread on Ramsay's letter earlier today. Sounds like he already has a plan to trick the Boltons, but how? It could not have included Manderly yet...in the Theon spoiler chapter he goes on a tirade against "Mr. Too Fat to...", and still believes that Davos was brutally murdered by Wyman.

[Melifeather]

You know, it's been a very long time since I've read that chapter...it deserves closer examination. I think it would be a very bad to Stannis's health if he plans on cutting down any weirwoods, which it kind of sounds like he might since the one crow is "muttering" tree, tree, tree.

[irishtemper]

Well if you recall from one of Asha's chapters in ADWD, one of the leaders of the mountain clans who showed Stannis' men how to ice-fish declared the fish were all but gone and so many holes had been made by men to fish that the ice covering the lake looked like swiss cheese.

[Zupoleon]

Stannis clearly sees the potential of the lake, and I'm sure he'll use it to his advantage...

[sillent]

Shouldnt this be in tWoW section?

Anyway, yeah it was an interesting chapter.. I personally like the theory that he's going to lure the enemy into the frozen lake, after taking out a good chunk of the enemy he will force them through a choke point which would surely give him an advantage (especially if we believe some of the stuff from the great northern conspiracy thread)

[Son of the Smiling Knight]

The question is, how is he going to lure the other forces into charging over the lake? Is he going to camouflage it some how?

[E-Ro]

The question is, how is he going to lure the other forces into charging over the lake? Is he going to camouflage it some how?

They probably don't even know how weak the ice is, a mounted charge at stannis and his merry band should see the ice breaking rather easily. Remember the first wave will be freys not Northmen so the won't know much and will assume the ice is strong, also ser stupid will be in charge.