Small part in Dany 3rd in ADWD

[vervain_ashe]

Am I the only person here that does not read the spoilers by choice? I LOVE the suspense of that first crackling of the spine of a book I've been l-o-n-g-i-n-g for for years

Thank you SO much everyone for respecting those that may be like me and labelling your stuff with ** spoilers ** tags!

 

[DeannaBelle]

I've always wondered why none of these people that write those summaries ever thought to bring an audio or video recorder. I'm guessing that those devices aren't allowed because it would be way more useful to have GRRM's exact words rather the summaries. Better than nothing though, that's for sure!

I know, huh?! But bringing a recorder probably was prohibited and the people actually honoured that. Strange people, honoring the rules!

 

[Boaz]

Am I the only person here that does not read the spoilers by choice?

I think so... I don't have an ounce of patience. For instance, when I read the Viper/Mountain duel for Tyrion's life I kept glancing a pargraph or two ahead. I just don't have any self control. Well, maybe a little... I've only read two preview chapters for ADWD.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

I'm like you Vervain, I haven't read any spoiler chapters yet for A Dance with Dragons.

 

[Charming Serpent]

I originally thought that the "perfumed Senschal" was going to be Varys, but this simple sentence in AGoT has changed my mind. "Dany could smell the stench of Illyrio's pallid flesh through his heavy perfumes"

Well, that sentence, AND the fact that in the Tyrion Spoiler 2nd or 3rd one I believe we know and see that Illyrio is heading with Tyrion to Dany, but that Tyrion goes on ahead of him to make better time.

 

[TK-421]

I'd rather be spoiled than righteous or patient.

 

[Boaz]

Let's not lose the scent here... perfumed is only the adjective, seneshcal is the noun. A senschal to the best of my understanding is a steward, a chamberlain, and mayhaps, in politics, a minister. Varys' vocation to this point has been as a minister in the government of Westeros... he's served Kings, Queens, and Hands even though his title is Lord Varys.

Illyrio is called a Magister, iirc, of Pentos. Pentos is one of the Free Cities, i.e. they don't have kings. I get the feeling that Illyrio and a handful of other Magisters run Pentos like a board oversees an organization. His title sounds like a servant, but it seems like Illyrio does what he wants to. I don't think he serves anyone but himself and his associates.

 

[Syphon of Oor-Tael]

What if the Crow is not a Night's Watch soldier but in fact Bran? He might be the Three-Eyed Crow himself, and on his way to the east. Of course he wouldn't be mentioned the Three-Eyed Crow since that'd lead everyone to immediately know it was Bran.

As for Varys, I believe that whatever he says should be taken with a grain of salt. At least a hundred of them, that is. He is a schemer, and schemers scheme. It wouldn't surprise me that the whole tale about how he got his dingles snippedysnipped would be fake.

Heh, something just hit me. How hilarious would it be if Varys was Aegon?

As for the seneschal....perfumed seneschal did not point me to Varys like Boaz's case was. To me, it was Littlefinger. Varys is a spymaster, not a seneschal. In my mind, the seneschal is someone that keeps people busy while waiting for the real lord or lady. And especially one who makes himself out for more than he really is, often. You know, "I decide who sees the king, and nobody else". Then how does the perfume fit in? It's probably a sign of the status he assigned to himself. Probably not talking literally.

 

[Ghost of Harrenhal]

I was unconvinced at first but now I think Sam will be the Crow mentioned by Quaithe. It takes years to forge a maester's chain and if Sam actually became a maester then we can almost write him out the book because he'll be stuck in Oldtown attending lectures or lessons or whatever they do at the Citadel. Doesn't make for a very exciting POV, although he MAY learn a few interesting things in a library somewhere... But no, I think Sam's future lies on the path to finding Dany.

Also the perfumed Seneschal is someone in Meereen is it not? I didn't take it to be Varys or Littlefinger but one of the seneschals in Meereen. I think in one of the spoiler chapters I read Dany started avoiding one of her gentlemen callers in Meereen after Quaithe's advice because he stunk of perfume. She could be wrong though. Or maybe I am wrong and have just made this up in my head!

 

[Boaz]

I don't really like any of the options for Crow. I do think Bran is interesting, but it'll take some time, like Arya and Sam, for him to develop his skills. I think we're sooner to see some emissary of Jon's visiting Dany before Bran. Remember, like the Old Bear before him, Jon has requested help from the Kings and rulers of Westeros... what if he expands his requests a bit to include Dany? And here's a thought... Janos Slynt used to be on the Small Council... what if he heard of Dany and sent his own emmissary to bring her to Westeros and overthrow Jon?

Changing tack, are there any houses that have a Crow on their arms? Look again at Quaithe's words and you'll see Crow mentioned with Kraken and followed by Lion and Griffin, Sun and Dragon. All of them are emblematic of noble houses of the Seven Kingdoms. So who has a Crow on their coat of arms?

As for the Perfumed Seneschal... what about Daario? He paints himself in dyes, clothes, and perfumes. Dany is drawn to him, but her captains (okay, Jorah) mistrust him.

 

[IlliferThePenniless]

Daario definitely reeks of 'the wrong person to trust' but he's not really a seneschal is he? No more so then Ilyrio would be...

It seems awfully redundant to warn someone not to trust Varys... Does anyone really trust him? I expect that Tyrion will manage to endear himself to Dany (after some initial consternation at his Lannisterness) and find himself in a sort of Hand of the Queen kind of posisition... and he'll have no compunction about warning her about The Spider. I can't imagine Barristan would stand idly by as our favorite eunuch sinks his claws in his queen.

Who would John send to Dany if he were to send a black brother to her? Dennis Mallister (that's the Mallister in The Watch right?)? I can't imagine Lord Snow would go himself as he's got a ton on his plate and, from a narrative prospective, we need somebody on the wall to keep us abreast of events there.

Could the crow be Euron Crow's Eye, following Victarion for some reason of his own? He's pretty clever so he may know that Victarion can't really be trusted to work on his behalf... I'm grasping at straws here.

The way the prophecy pairs off the new comers makes it seem like they'll be arriving in pairs. We have reason to believe lion and griffin will be arriving together, is it reasonable to presume that other pairs will come together as well?

Are we sure the Pale Mare is someone specific? Death rides a pale mare right? We know there's a rash of murders in Meereen, could that be what Quaithe is referring too? When death comes the others will soon follow. Maybe there will be a plague or something. I don't think this is right, but the Pale Mare part of the prophecy does seem different to me then the second part, maybe it should be looked at separately...

I think I'm in the minority in that I expect the 'mummer's dragon' to be someone we have not yet met. Given Martin's caginess on the question of Aegon I think we're going to meet someone claiming to be Aegon and it won't be clear whether or not he's telling the truth. Aurane Waters is too old and Barristan, at least, would know that. Tryrion too I would imagine.

 

[Boaz]

Seneschal, I think, means steward or domestic official. Daario is a military official... like your thoughts on the Crow's Eye, I'm grasping at straws... trying to make some connection.

Could the Pale Mare be the waif from the House of Black and White? If I recall correctly, she was white skinned. She appears to be a child but she's thirty-six. Could she be sent as a messenger or an assassin?

Speaking of the Faceless Men, they can change their appearances... so might one of them be the Mummer's Dragon?

 

[the smiling weirwood]

In the Dany chapter on display at GRRM's website, Reznak is referred to as a seneschal.

 

[Boaz]

We're so far into uncharted waters that I'm confused. Who is Reznak? Who's seneschal is he? Does he wear perfume? Is he on facebook?

 

[the smiling weirwood]

Reznak mo Reznak is one of the Meerenese nobles who defected to Dany's cause. He stinks of perfume, in fact, Dany thinks that he smells as if he bathed in it at one point. He's also extremely untrustworthy, but she seems to have figured that out on her own.

 

[IlliferThePenniless]

So he's a red herring then

 

[the smiling weirwood]

Probably.

 

[Werthead]

I think the prophecy is addressed, not to Dany, but to Quaithe's home, Asshai. If you read it like that, the 'pale mare' is in fact Dany herself, a Dothraki horse queen, and indicates that soon she will come to Asshai.

GRRM was recently asked if we will see Asshai in the books and he said no, if we do see it it will be in flashback or not at all.

 

[Bazza]

Could the "Pale Mare" be a representation of the invasion of the Others, and thus Dany must unite together those who come to her after she receives word? Jon may have sent Dany a letter similar to that sent to Stannis, detailing the battle with the Others. I'm pretty sure there were undead animals involved in the attack, possibly including a pale, dead horse. Furthermore, like the above poster said, a pale horse is usually associated with Death. It could also represent the coming long winter itself, which I believe is an extension of the representation of the Others.

Also the mummer's dragon could be more literal. Wasn't there a rumor that a dragon locked in stone and ice up at the wall. I wouldn't doubt Melisandre may take a crack at awakening it with some king's blood. It could somehow be a reference to Melisandre's efforts to wake a dragon.

 

[IlliferThePenniless]

To my mind, Mummer's Dragon means a false dragon. There's a bit in one of the books where Jorah (I think) talks about mummer's shows featuring a puppet dragon for the knight to defeat. If there is a real dragon buried in The Wall, it wouldn't be a 'mummer's dragon' at all. (personally, I think it's much more likely that Mel will tear the wall down in hopes of finding that dragon only to realize she's made a horrible mistake).

The way the prophecy pairs off 'sun's son' and 'mummers dragon,' it seems to me that it would be really weird for half of that pair to be metaphorical or, really, anything that's just a person. I think we can be pretty sure that 'the sun's sun' is Quentyn Martell, I'm of the opion that the pairs will be traveling together, or at least arriving together...

Pondering all of this, I have to keep reminding myself that we don't really know enough to figure this out... There's absolutely no reason for Martin not to be introducing a few new characters, for all we know Storm Crow the Crow Lord (with is cloak of 10,000 crow feathers) is bearing down on Dany, ready to offer his allegiance and that of his 10,000 crows. It's fun to speculate, but very likely fruitless in this case...

What do we suppose Dany is supposed to remember from the house of the undying? Is that something as simple as people who claim to seek your friendship might not always be forthright and trust worthy? Or is that reference to one the specific prophecies/visions Dany saw there? Maybe it's just an admonish to trust her Dragons, as they are the ones we saw through the warlock's subterfuge....