The twenty in all stuff- it was three against twenty in the brothel chapter, which resulted in their death, but probably coincidental. Martin may just like certain numbers.
“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
The twenty in all stuff- it was three against twenty in the brothel chapter, which resulted in their death, but probably coincidental. Martin may just like certain numbers.
I just noticed you and Kingmonkey talking about that in the other thread. Twenty is a nice round number. I was trying to break it down into something meaningful with the first paragraph dissection, but not sure if there's anything to be gained. I wonder if half the men in Ned's party rode to Winterfell to tell him they had Gared back at the holdfast. ...?
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."
But the man they found bound hand and foot to the holdfast wall1,2 awaiting the king's justice2 was old and scrawny, not much taller than Robb3. He had lost both ears and a finger to frostbite4, and he dressed all in black, the same as a brother of the Night's Watch, except that his furs were ragged and greasy5.
1. Far different than the show's version.
2. He's bound to the oldfast wall. Bound to the Wall, as ever. Awaiting Night's King's justice. The King of Winter's Justice. Northern Justice.
3. Is Robb short?
4. "I've had the cold in me too, lordling." Gared pulled back his hood, giving Ser Waymar a good long look at the stumps where his ears had been. "Two ears, three toes, and the little finger off my left hand. I got off light. We found my brother frozen at his watch, with a smile on his face."
5. Furs like Yoren's. Furs unlike Benjen's. Furs unlike Waymar's. Furs unlike Jeor Mormont's or Jon Snow's.
It seems the rabble of the Watch are better survivors than the noble lordlings.
The breath of man and horse mingled1, steaming1, in the cold morning air1 as his lord father had the man cut down from the wall2 and dragged before them3. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their horses4, with Bran between them4 on his pony5, trying to seem older than seven6, trying to pretend that he'd seen all this before7. A faint wind blew through the holdfast gate1. Over their heads flapped the banner of the Starks of Winterfell: a grey direwolf racing8 across an ice-white field.
1. White mists.
2. Cut down from the Wall. Gared cut and run. A crow, come down from the Wall.
3. Gared now kneels to Eddard the way Waymar was on his knees before Ser Crackles, and the same way Eddard will soon kneel before the Stag's Justice at the Great Sept of Baelor. And...
the way the Others knelt ("could not stand against") the Last Hero.
Symmetry.
4. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their mounts, one bound North, one bound South. A tale of two who had grown up like brothers, with only love between them. And who was that love?
Bran.
Cat II AGOT "I was eight when my father sent me to foster at the Eyrie," Ned said. "Ser Rodrik tells me there is bad feeling between Robb and Prince Joffrey. That is not healthy. Bran can bridge that distance. He is a sweet boy, quick to laugh, easy to love.Let him grow up with the young princes, let him become their friend as Robert became mine. Our House will be the safer for it."
5. Bran's first mount.
6. Faith of the Seven (year-old).
7. Maybe he had seen it all before, or it will seem so, once he's wed to the trees.
8. Racing from what? ...the Others? Were they hot on his trail?
Racing to what? ...the cotf? To learn their ancient magics and build the Wall on an Ice White Field?
Bran's father sat solemnly1 on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind2. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white3, making him look older4 than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast to his grey eyes5 this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire6 in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes7 and the children of the forest8. He had taken off Father's face9, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell10.
1. Starkly, on his mount. The stone carver knew his face well.
2. All he needs are leaves and dappled skin, and a few less fingers. (sorry I went full-crackpot there)
Sorry, I have a very mundane question: It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life.<->trying to seem older than seven If it's his 7th year, then shouldn't he be only 6? Or if he's 7 then the year being his 8th? Seeing that your 1st year happens before you're 1.
Sorry, I have a very mundane question: It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life.<->trying to seem older than seven If it's his 7th year, then shouldn't he be only 6? Or if he's 7 then the year being his 8th? Seeing that your 1st year happens before you're 1.
I think it just depends on where you start counting. I run into this a lot with my wife. If I say something is in three days, she'll count today, and think it's happening the day after tomorrow. But I'm talking about the day after that.
But the man they found bound hand and foot to the holdfast wall awaiting the king's justice was old and scrawny, not much taller than Robb. He had lost both ears and a finger to frostbite, and he dressed all in black, the same as a brother of the Night's Watch, except that his furs were ragged and greasy.
The breath of man and horse mingled, steaming, in the cold morning air as his lord father had the man cut down from the wall and dragged before them. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their horses, with Bran between them on his pony, trying to seem older than seven, trying to pretend that he'd seen all this before. A faint wind blew through the holdfast gate. Over their heads flapped the banner of the Starks of Winterfell: a grey direwolf racing across an ice-white field.
Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast to his grey eyes this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the children of the forest. He had taken off Father's face, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell.
Bound to the holdfast wall--this makes me think of the 79 Sentinels--bound in the wall of Ryswell's (I think) place until death. He even put his own son in--put into the wall for desertion. This man has to watch, tied to the wall of the holdfast, suffering, until Ned comes to both execute him and put him out of his misery. Justice and mercy in one. Kinder than Ryswell. Am assuming you all have thought of this before.
But since the 79 sentinels fled the Nightfort--don't think the stories say exactly when, but seems not unreasonable to think it might have been around the Night's King's reign--the potential parallel between Ned and Winter's King comes into play--again. The Stark in Winterfell threw down the Night's King. Didn't like what was happening there (I assume). Now the Night's Watch is a penal colony. Different kind of failing. Not prepared for what the deserter saw. Let alone what's coming. Potentially foreshadowing another clash between Winterfell and the Wall--context and implications to be determined.
All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Oscar Wilde.
But do they actually know for sure that the justice is for a deserter? I know that Bran often gets caught up in Nan's stories, but it was Robb who told him it was a wilding. Where did Robb get this information? From Ned? Rumors? How much did they know about the prisoner before arriving at scene?
They must have known he was a deserter. Else, why summon the Lord of Winterfell? Robb wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. And people deal with wildling raiders regularly. A deserter of the Watch would warrant judgement and execution by the Warden of the North. Just my two coppers worth...
Hey, now! Don't be picking on my Robb! He may have been able to win that war if only he had been able to keep it in his pants...
Why must I always be the isle of crazy alone in an ocean of sensibility? The should to everybody else’s shouldn’t? The I-will to their better-nots?
They must have known he was a deserter. Else, why summon the Lord of Winterfell? Robb wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. And people deal with wildling raiders regularly. A deserter of the Watch would warrant judgement and execution by the Warden of the North. Just my two coppers worth...
Hey, now! Don't be picking on my Robb! He may have been able to win that war if only he had been able to keep it in his pants...
I think, yes... Yes, you just proved my point
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."
He may have not been Einstein, but I'm with ya Lady Dyanna, no-homo, but I loved Robb. My whole house went into mourning after the Red Wedding. Felt like I lost a family member!
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."
He may have not been Einstein, but I'm with ya Lady Dyanna, no-homo, but I loved Robb. My whole house went into mourning after the Red Wedding. Felt like I lost a family member!
In my first read I was really sad, on my second read I was just like wow, he made a lot of bad strategic errors.
He may have not been Einstein, but I'm with ya Lady Dyanna, no-homo, but I loved Robb. My whole house went into mourning after the Red Wedding. Felt like I lost a family member!
In my first read I was really sad, on my second read I was just like wow, he made a lot of bad strategic errors.
Its like shit man, I know this guy Walder Frey is a cunning calculator who has a history of waiting to see who wins the battles before siding with the winner, inviting me and some of my peeps to his crib after I insulted him by breaking my word, having sex with a women and then marrying her instead of marrying one of his daughters and thinking Walder would be like "its cool homie" my girl will just marry your uncle, we good. And before that have the guy from the family that does/previously skinned people alive and was a rival house to mine for centuries command half my army. Damn I just couldn't have listened to maester Luwin who advised me to stay in Winterfell. Sorry I am not a fan of Robb as you can tell.