Great ASOIAF re-read

[Boaz]

I have not precisely planned to read one chapter a day, but it allows me to sleep on it over night...

Another thought on Gared potentially being a skinchanger... He was the first to feel the forest was different. He shared his thought and Waymar dismissed it. Will felt it too, but only after Gared mentioned it. Did Gared feel it himself or get it from the wolf?

A Game of Thrones, Catelyn I
Catelyn is introduced. House Tully. Family, Duty, Honor.
Comparison of Godswoods. Riverrun is a garden, bright, airy, streams, redwood trees, birds, and scent of flowers. Winterfell is an old forest. Silent, shadowy, dark, primeval, three acres, moist with decay, sentinel trees, oaks, ironwoods, a pool, and an ancient weirwood.
Catelyn relates all this to religion. But she prefers to worship in a sept, singing hymns.
All wierwood trees south of the Neck have been chopped or burned. Except for the trees on the Isle of Faces and tended by the Green Men. The only other reference to the Green Men that I remember is in Meera's story of the little crannogman.

A very short chapter only five and a half pages. It is the afternoon of the same day as Bran's chapter.

Eddard is cleaning Ice... and his soul. He is as hard and sharp as his sword. A bit formal as a husband. Concerned as a father. Eddard says Rickon must learn to face his fears. Is this foreshadowing for everyone or just Rickon? Stark words... Winter is Coming. Other family mottoes are more overt in declarations of attitude and deeds.

Asked of the children Catelyn mentions Arya (passionate), Sansa (ladylike), and Rickon (unsure). No mention of Robb, Bran and Jon since we've already met them and their pups.

Eddard and Catelyn are both proud of Bran.

Fourth deserter this year. I think that means Gared was the fourth total deserter this year, but the fourth he's personally beheaded.

Ice is four hundred years old.

Eddard says eventually he'll march north to deal with Mance Rayder. He thinks the Others are dead and gone.

Catelyn tells Eddard of Jon Arryn's death. A quick death. Pycelle administered milk of the poppy to relieve suffering. We learn of Aerys II Targaryen. The Mad King. Jon Arryn and Eddard are brothers in-law.

Eddard immediately asks after Lysa and tells Catelyn to take their children and visit the Eyrie. Catelyn is glad that Eddard is concerned and remembers the Tully words. Their uncle Brynden Tully, Knight of the Gate is mentioned. Then she tells him of Robert's impending visit. Catelyn has a premonistion of ill, but Eddard is joyful. Catelyn returns Eddard's thoughts toward her sister by suggesting to sned word to Eddard's brother Benjen.

Cersei and her brothers are mentioned. Eddard still holds a grudge about the rebellion. Eddard says that if the price for the king's presence is "an infestation of Lannisters, so be it." Obviously, the price will be way too high.

The feeling is that Catelyn is dutiful, protective, timely, loving, and wise. Of course this is what she thinks of herself and they reflect the Tully words. Eddard is further built up as moral, sympathetic, dutiful, filial, fatherly, brotherly and honest. He is frustrated and excited by Robert's spontaneity.

Is it odd that Catelyn does not object to the direwolves? I guess GRRM ends the argument in the previous chapter, but from my own experience even after dad says yes, mom still holds veto power... or at least there would be a conversation just so her concerns are on the record. Mayhaps all this is just relegated in Catelyn's mind due to the two pieces of shocking news for the realm.

 

[Boaz]

Narky, excellent. Waymar's courage did not seem to fit into my thoughts. Yet in that moment, Will thought, he was a boy no longer, but a man of the Night's Watch. And that is to set up Jon, Sam, Grenn, Pyp and all the others... once they swing their swords to defend the realm, they're men.

 

[Ori Vandewalle]

I want to do a re-read, but I'm not going to start until TWOW has a confirmed release date I can plan around. If I finished ADWD and it still wasn't out, that would be agonizing.

 

[Boaz]

@Ori Vandewalle I'm a glutton for punishment... and garlic popcorn.

A Game of Thrones, Daenerys I
The first non-Stark POV. The first non-Westeros POV. So the story now has three locations: North of the Wall, Winterfell, and Pentos.
Illyrio is a/the Magister of Pentos. Sells spices, gems, dragonbone, and even friends if the price is right.
Dany knows Illyrio's gifts will have a price.
Daenerys = Dany. Violet eyes, pale silver hair, silver blond hair, molten silver hair. She's meek and obedient. Fearful of Viserys. Slouches.
Viserys. Gaunt young man. Nervous hands. Lilac eyes. Silver blond hair. Cruel. Inconsiderate. Self-absorbed.
Dany will be dressed like a princess, look like a princess tonight.

She does not feel like a princess. She does not act like a princess. At this point she's Little Orphan Dany.

Viserys is physically and emotionally abusive. He has never forgiven her for their mother's death birthing her. (Reminiscent of Tywin and Cersei's attitude towards Tyrion.)

The scene is Pentos. Illyrio's manse. Probably late afternoon since Dany presumably just had a riding lesson and it is night after Dany is ready.
They have been in Pentos for half a year. Guests of Illyrio. Pentos is one of the nine free cities. We are not told their names. Pentos is on the sea... west coast as sun sets on the water.

We learn of other places in the chapter: Vaes Dothrak, the Jade Sea, Myr, Lys, Qohor, Volantis, Tyrosh, the Summer Isles, the Port of Ibben, Braavos, old Valyria, Westeros, the Sunset Kingdoms, Dorne and the Iron Islands. Pentos is a much more cosmopolitan place than Winterfell.

Viserys almost touches Dany with affection. She is starved for it. So is he, if truth be told, but he does not give any. He says "sweet sister" twice, but then the Lannisters say stuff like that all the time too.

Khal Drogo looking for a bride.

Night fires and red priests in Pentos. They claim the Lord of Light will protect them. So Pentos has an official religion?

In Dany's mind Westeros is like a fairy tale. Green hill. Flowered plains. Rushing rivers. Dark stone towers. Blue-grey mountains. Armored knights. Banners. Lords. In Dothraki, the land is Rhaesh Andhali... land of the Andals. A bit like Angleterre, land of the Angles. Viserys calls it Our Land. (I'm sure Wash calls it This Land.)

"Do not steal from the dragon." "The dragon remembers."

Dany has no memories of mother, Dragonstone, nor Westeros. All she knows is what Viserys tells her.

The Usurper used treachery. Midnight flight to Dragonstone. Moonlight. Black sails.

Why does Dany think Rhaegar dyed "for the woman he loved" and not for king, country, nor righteousness?

KL sacked by Lannister and Stark. Elia pleaded for mercy. Aegon murdered. Kingslayer with a golden sword.

Dany born nine months after her mother and Viserys fled. Summer storm. Stormborn. Ser Willem Darry and four men kidnapped Viserys, Dany, and a wet nurse and fled for the Braavosian coast.

Ser Willem was a bear of a man. Half blind. Roaring. Bedridden. Kind to his "little princess."

Braavos. Big house with a red door and a lemon tree. Viserys took her to Myr, Tyrosh, Qohor, Volantis, and Lys.

Dany has never seen an assassin. GRRM sets up reader's expectations in one direction and then often takes the story in the opposite direction. Every use of never, always, and other absolute terms should draw the reader's attention. So, this means Dany will soon be confronted by an assassin.

Viserys promises to get it all back... which means he'll get nothing.

Pentos is a free city, yet Illyrio has slaves. Fair, blonde, sixteen year old girl. Old silent woman. (Tyrion in ADWD is the only other person to go to Illyrio's manse. There was a silent woman about his age. And a blond girl, fair, and willowy.)

The heat of the water gives Dany a clean feeling. Viserys says they are blood of dragons, gold blood of Valyria, kingsblood.

I don't know if this chapter takes place before or after the previous ones, but no one mentions the death of Jon Arryn.

Dany expected to marry Viserys, to keep blood pure, not to marry a barbarian.

Dany has had her first period, but Viserys harps on over her childish figure.

Illyrio is grossly fat. Two men have to pull him up from the palanquin. Yellow beard. Flame colored robe. Illyrio proclaims Dany regal, a princess and a vision. Her eyes and hair mark her as blood of old Valyria.

Night has fallen.

Viserys speculates upon his support. Tyrell, Redwyne, Darry, and Greyjoy do not love Robert. Dorne will want revenge. The small folk love Targs.

Dany mistrusts Illyrio. She notices he respects nothing about Viserys.

Drogo's manse has nine towers, unsullied guards.

There are a number of scents and smells. Bath oils, Dany's perfume, Illyrio's perfume, party spices, Drogo's braid.

When Viserys is announced, his titles are word for word a copy of Robert's that Eddard used in Bran I.

Moonlight.

The guests are all male. Horselords, Khal Moro and his son Rhogoro, Pentoshi, Myrish, Tyroshi, Braavosi, sellswords, a red priest, Ibbenese, Summer Islanders, the brother of the Archon of Tyrosh, and Ser Jorah Mormont. Illyrio points out all of them. He puts Jorah on their radars.

Jorah. Over forty years old. Strong and fit. Balding. Green surcoat with standing black bear.

Drogo. A head taller than the tallest man there. Light on his feet. Graceful. Mustachios, no beard. Scented oils and bells in his braid.

Dany wants to flee... to go home. Viserys gets angry.

So the feeling of this chapter is the lonely life of an orphan for sale. The fondest person in Dany's life was Ser Willem. All of her affection is towards Viserys who is horrible to her. That she later jumps in bed with Daario is not surprising. In the Stark chapters, all the Starks feel good about each other. Dany does not like her life, but she basically goes along with it.

Illyrio is untrustworthy and will demand a price for his help. Viserys is selling Dany for his crown. Viserys' opening words, "This is beauty" (describing Dany's new dress) echo the splendor of Illyrio's manse and the wealth of Pentos. But Illyrio (a slave owning leader of a free city), Viserys (a brother who sells his sister), and Dany's predicament highlight the ugliness that is Dany's life.

Like the last chapter, we are given a lot of information. GRRM does not give out the information sequentially, chronologically, nor systematically. He just launches into the story and lets the readers keep pace. I like it. Previously, the Stark perspective was that Aerys I was insane... and we see Viserys is bitter, venegful, mayhaps depressed, and his constant talk of assassins may show he's paranoid. The emotional and physical abuse he puts on Dany shows him to lack empathy.

 

[Boaz]

A Game of Thrones, Eddard
POV: Eddard I
Location: Winterfell
Date: Unknown
Duration: A few hours during the day.
Time since last chapter: Unknown (mayaps a few months)
People present: Eddard, Catelyn, Robert, Cersei, Jaime, Tyrion, at least two Kingsguard, Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon, Sandor, knights and riders of Robert's company, all denizens of Winterfell (Jon, Theon, Luwin, Rodrick, etc)
Main events: Robert's royal arrival to Winterfell, Robert's offer of Handship
People mentioned: Jon Arryn, Lyanna, Brandon, Rickard, Balon, Robert Arryn, Lysa, Rhaegar, Howland Reed, Robert's army, Targaryen army, the Night's Watch, Benjen
Places mentioned: The North, The South, Highgarden, Storm's End, Iron Islands, Trident River, Riverrun, The Wall
Events mentioned: The Battle of the Trident, Brandon's death, Lyanna's death, Eddard's promise

Observations:
King Robert's company arrives and Eddard knows many, but not all of them. The first person he recognizes is Jaime, not Robert, even though Robert is leading.
Jaime's hair is as bright as gold.
Sandor Clegane has a burned face.
Joffrey, the Crown Prince, is tall.
Tyrion, the Imp, sutnted
Robert, 6'6", fat, eight stone heavier than the last time Eddard saw him. (The weight of a unit of stone was standardized in the 19th century to 14lbs or 6.35kg. But in medieval times it could range from 5lbs to 40lbs. Using the standardized measure, Robert is 112lbs heavier than the last time they met. Assuming Robert is the same age as Eddard and assuming Eddard was eighteen when Brandon and Lyanna died and they were 20 and 16 respectively and knowing it's been fifteen years, but that Balon rebelled six years into Robert's reign, and knowing Robert's physique was from a maiden's fantasy and possessing a giant's strength, then I'd guess Robert at age twenty-four to have been 240-260lbs. This means Robert is now 350-370lbs.) Eddard remembers he smelled like leather and blood, but now smells like perfume.
Balon Greyjoy rebelled nine years ago. Robert and Eddard put down the rebellion and Eddard took Theon as a hostage.... and ward.
The Kingsguard wear white. Only two are mentioned... Jaime is not one of them.
Cersei, Eddard, and Catelyn all observe protocol, but not Robert.
Robert want to go to crypts. Eddard loves Robert.
Jaime talks to Cersei.
The North is bogs, forests, fields, but no people. Does not sound as picturesque as the description of Westeros in Dany's chapter.
Eddard says, "the Starks will endure. We always have." GRRM likes to have characters declare absolutes and then put them in impossible positions.
Highgarden has rose fields, melons, peaches, and fireplums.
Storm's End is Windy.
Summerwine.
Girls. Immodest girls, scantily clad girls, sweaty girls, naked girls. Robert loves them all.
Winterfell crypts are always cold. Swords keep vengeful spirits in check.
Rickard had a long stern face. Is seated and flanked by Brandon and Lyanna. Forced to watch Brandon's death.
Brandon, twenty years old. Strangled on the Mad King's orders. Engaged to Catelyn. Born to rule.
Lyanna, 16, woman-child of surpassing loveliness. Eddard loved her. Robert loved her more.
Eddard says, "This is her place."
Eddard was present at her death. She wanted to come home. (A dream of Viserys and Dany.) She wanted to be with father and Brandon.
"Promise me." Lyanna was weak. A fever took her strength.
"Promise me, Ned." After she calls his nickname, he assents. She had been fearful, but is at peace when he promised.
She held black petals when she died.
Eddard says, "Lyanna was... fond of flowers." Like he was going to say something else.
Rhaegar wore black armor. Three headed dragon in rubies.
Robert wore an antlered helm and bore a warhammer.
The Trident ran red.
Robert is not thrilled with Cersei.
Jon Arryn was healthy on Robert's son's name day, but dead in a fortnight. Fire in his gut. Sickness burned through him. Robert and Eddard loved him.
Lysa took young Robert to the Eyrie. Robert thinks she may be mad.
Tywin Lannister is at Casterly Rock. Eddard trusts him less than a snake.
Robert Arryn, 6, sickly. Named for King Robert. (The only other repeated name is Jon. Are we supposed to make this connection?) King Robert is godfather. Robert should protect young Robert.
King Robert wants to foster young Robert to Tywin. Eddard offers to foster Robert. (We know Robert's fostering comes in later in the story.)
King Robert's mood changes quickly. Joyful to solemn. Solemn to angry. Angry to humor. Humor to serious.
Jon Arryn held many titles. Lord of the Eyrie. Warden of the East. Hand of the King.
Robert is disinterested in The Wall, the Night's Watch, the Others...
Robert says laws are tedious business. He disdains counting coppers.
Robert wants Eddard as Hand. Eddard does not want it.
The King dreams and the Hand builds. The King eats and the Hand takes the sh*t. This has been Robert's modus operandi.. and will continue.
Robert offers Sansa to marry Joffrey. She'd be queen one day. Eddard's grandson would be King. This fires up Eddard.
Robert confesses his impatience.
As soon as Eddard starts entertaining the thought of becoming Hand, he is filled with foreboding. Winterfell is his place. (Like he said of Lyanna.) Winter is coming.
Smells in this chapter... leather and blood, perfume, blood and roses.
It is noted that Eddard loves Robert. They both loved Lyanna and Jon Arryn. Did Lyanna love Robert?
Eddard's mother is not mentioned. His father and his three siblings are mentioned. But she's not buried in the crypts. That must not be her place. Mayhaps this explains how Eddard still calls Catelyn a Tully in her chapter. Insiders and outsiders.

Thoughts:
Eddard always thinks of himself as Ned. In Catelyn's chapter, she always thinks of herself as Catelyn. In Bran's POV, he thinks of himself as Bran though his name is Brandon. This is interesting since in most ways Eddard is formal and does not seem to take shortcuts.
The chapter introduces Robert and builds upon the title of the book. Viserys has a plot to overthrow Robert. Robert needs to replace his Hand and Warden of the East (the direction from which an attack by Viserys will come).

We begin to see that Robert likes fighting with his hands and dislikes fighting with words (ie. his brain). The story would have been completely different if Robert had chosen one of his brothers (Stannis the Master of Ships or Renly the Master of Laws), his father in-law (Tywin, Lord of Casterly Rock and we don't know it yet, but a former Hand), or his brother in-law (Jaime, a powerful knight). Just imagining any of these scenarios if fun. If Tywin was Hand, he'd have to kill Robert once either of them learned of Joffrey's true father and Stannis and Renly would have rebelled... probably seperately. If Jaime were Hand, he'd have killed Robert sooner or later. If Stannis were Hand, the Lannisters would've all been killed, and Robert would've remarried. If Renly were Hand, he'd have killed all the Lannisters and married Margaery to Robert.

The big reveals to me are: First, Robert ignores the Night's Watch and the Wall. Second, Eddard will get pulled to King's Landing. Third, Eddard's promise.

Eddard's promise is not a big deal in this chapter, it's only after further reading that it becomes important. We all assume it deals with the cause of Robert's Rebellion, prophecy of some type, or at least the key to the parentage of a key character down the line. We are supposed to assume that Lyanna was fearful of being buried in the south... really? Why would Eddard not grant that? Why would she have to ask twice and use his nickname? Why was she holding flower petals? A bed that smelled of blood and roses.

 

[Boaz]

A Game of Thrones, Jon
POV: Jon I
Location: Winterfell
Date: Unknown
Duration: An hour at night.
Time since last chapter: A few hours.
Characters present: Eddard, Catelyn, Robert, Cersei, Jaime, Tyrion, Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Rickon, knights and squires, Jon, Theon, Benjen, Ghost, people of Winterfell
Main events: Feast, Jon's desire to join NW, theme of Jon's parentage, introduction of Tyrion
Characters mentioned: NW, Tywin, Daeren Targaryen, Hullen, Luwin, Jon's mother, Tyrion's mother
Places mentioned: The North, Casterly Rock, Trident River, The Wall
Events mentioned: The conquest of Dorne,

Observations:
This chapter further notes the POV experience. Take Eddard for example... Bran calls him Father, Catelyn calls him Ned, Eddard thinks of himself as Ned, but to Jon he is Lord Father or simply Father.
Jon drinks with squires. Summerwine. Roasted meat and fresh baked bread.
Banners displayed. Stark, Baratheon, and Lannister. Why Lannister? Foreshadow of Tyrion's marriage?
There is a singer with a high harp.
When the narrative starts, the feast is in it's fourth hour. It is the night of the same day of Robert's arrival.
Jon has a man's thirst.
The feast began with a procession of the important people: Lord Father and the Queen, KIng Robert and Lady Stark, Rickon, Robb and Princess Myrcella, Arya and Tommen (not Prince Tommen), Sansa and the Crown Prince. The Starks are always listed first... but not Lady Stark. Also, Bran is not mentioned in the procession. In fact, he's not in this chapter.
Eddard is Lord Father.
Cersei, beautiful, emerald tiara, golden hair, green eyes, false smile
Robert , great disappointment, fat man, red faced, sweating, looks half drunk already, does not look like the fiercest, peerless, demon warrior that Eddard said. Not a giant among princes.
Rickon, three years old, likes Jon
Robb, wears grey and white, grins like a fool
Myrcella, wisp of a girl, almost eight years old, golden curls shy, timid, Jon thinks her insipid and stupid.
Tommen, plump, long white-blonde hair
Arya
Sansa, two years older than Arya, radiant
Joffrey, 12, taller than Robb and Jon, thick golden curls, deep green eyes, wears a golden choker, pouty lips, bored, disdaining of Winterfell
Jaime, a lion, Cersei's twin, tall and golden, flashing green eyes, cutting smile, wears crimson silk with golden lion, high black boots, black satin cloak, the Lion of Lannister, the Kingslayer. Jon thinks, "This is what a king should look like."
Tyrion, waddles, half-hidden, ugliest Lannister, Dwarf, half Jaime's height, stunted legs, Big head, squashed in face, swollen shelf of a brow, one green eye, one black eye, a lank of white hair falls over his face.
Benjen, NW, smiles
Theon, ward, ingnores Jon
Jon's been drinking for at least two hours when the narrative starts... mayhaps three.
Ghost, all white, red eyes, stares down black bitch three times his size
Jon thinks of bastardy, eyes sting, blames the smoke
Ben sits down with Jon. Very fond of Jon. Laughs. Long legs sharp features, gaunt, blue-grey eyes hint of laughter. Wears black velvet boots, silver chain, and silver buckle.
Benjen drinks.
Jon sits in back so as not to offend the royals with a *******.
Ben and Jon talk of Eddard's mood. Not festive, tight, something else on his mind.
Robert drinks heavily all night, broad face is flushed, many toasts, laughs loud, eats with gusto
Cersei, cold as ice, angry
Ben says Jon is observant. Says the NW needs men like that.
Jon is proud to hear it. Claims to be a good sword and great rider. Asks to join NW. Only 14 now, but will be 15 on name day.
Benjen drinks again. And then begins to put the brakes on Jon joining the NW.
Jon argues that Daeren Targaryen (the Young Dragon) conquered Dorne at 14.
Ben counters that he (the Boy King) lost 60,000 men and lost it within a year and died by 18. War isn't a game.
We learn Jon rooms with the Stark boys. He knows Robb's, Bran's, and Rickon's vocations and thinks there is no place for him at Winterfell. He also knows Sansa and Arya will go south to marry. He has been considering NW.
Night's Watch. Sworn brotherhood, no families, father no sons, duty is their wife, honor is their mistress.
Ben is really backpedaling here. It's like he's baited Jon.
The oath is costly. Ben says you have to know a woman first to know what you're giving up.
Ben calls Jon son. Jon takes this as patronizing and gets angry and says he's not Ben's son.
Ben replies, "More's the pity."
Does Ben have his own *******?
Jon says he'll never father a *******, gets embarrassed, cries, and runs out with Ghost following. Jon is furious.
He meets Tyrion.
Tyrion looks like a gargoyle. He grins and is inquisitive. He is acrobatic.
Jon forgets the Hall.
Ghost shows fangs just like with the black bitch.
Jon commands Ghost and Tyrion pets Ghost.
Tyrion is honest... and observant.... says Jon has more of the North than his brothers.
All dwarfs are bastards in their father's eyes.
All dwarfs are bastards, but not all bastards need be dwarfs.
Tyrion whistles, saunters off, and his shadow is as tall as a king.

Thoughts:
Jon tries to find the positives of bastardy.
Bran is not mentioned. Bran thinks Jon is observant and Benjen mentions this twice in this chapter... did Jon miss Bran? Jon did not start drinking until after the procession. Where is Bran?
The Appendix lists Tommen as seven years old and the text says Myrcella is not quite eight. They are Irish Twins... or in Westeros, Ironish Twins?
Joffrey is wearing a choker to the feast. ... Joffrey. Choker. Feast.... If you don't get it, just wait.
Jaime is wearing a black cloak. He's been in the Kingsguard for about sixteen years at this point.
Putting a ******* with the royals would not be offensive since all three kids are bastards.
Thoughts about the calendar... age seems to be counted by name days. If you were born the day before your name day, you'd be considered one the next day. If you were born the day after your name day, then you'd basically be the same age that we would consider you to be. We basically count our ages by how many years we've completed, but the Chinese count how many years a person has started. So in Westeros, you get kind of a mixture between these two methods of counting. This gives GRRM up to 364 days (basically a year) to play with a person's age. And Jon says Luwin says that bastards grow up faster.
Ben brings up Jon enlisting in NW and when Jon gets excited, Ben shuts him down. This does not make sense. He does a complete reversal.
More's the pity. What does this mean? Is he saying Eddard is a horrible father and that Ben knows better? Is Ben saying he should've fathered Jon upon Jon's mother? Long lost love? We really don't get interaction between Eddard and Benjen, but I never felt they were competitors. I know the ideas of the Stark brothers taking in Lyanna's *******... so this could be Ben's regret he did not or could not stay and claim to be Jon's father.
Benjen, with the eyes that hint at laughter and who enters jovially, starts a theme and then argues against it. Was he drinking to give himself courage? Jon certainly seemed to do that. It's as if Benjen was just thinking out loud and then regretted it. Or was this all a bit of reverse psychology? Jon already wanted to join, mayhaps Ben was just pushing him to test his convictions.
Jon has been drinking a lot and quickly becomes emotional. Exuberance about NW become anger at being denied and then shame as his bastardy is discussed.
He gets defensive again with Tyrion, until Tyrion disarms him with some advice.
Tyrion's comfortability with himself is shocking after all of Jon's insecurities.

I think this chapter may have gone through numerous editions. The first problem is that Bran is not mentioned. The second is that Jaime does not wear a white cloak. He did not wear a white cloak in the previous chapter either. The Lannister banner is another problem. I think that GRRM and his editors and publishers probably worked and reworked this chapter... and left out important bits and left in others that became contradictory when characters were later changed. There are too many inconsistencies with the rest of the story.

Why are Lannister banners hanging in Winterfell? I understand Stark and Baratheon. But seriously, Cersei is no longer a Lannister. If she is, then where is the Tully banner? Jaime is not the heir to Casterly Rock, he's in the Kingsguard. Is it for Tyrion? He is not the acknowledged heir of Tywin. In fact, in the Appendix, Jaime is listed as the heir. Tyrion is not on the Council. Presumably Roose Bolton, Jon Umber, and Wyman Manderly should have been at the feast. The Mermaid, the Flayed Man, and the Giant should have been there with the Lion. But arguments by omission are not usually productive.... except where was Bran?!?!

Why did Ben join the NW? He's been in NW for at least thirteen years. We are not yet told, but Ben is First Ranger. What does Ben's comment on knowing a woman to know the cost of the oath mean? I see how some people take this comment and the "more's the pity" and "more of the north in you" to make the argument that Ben and Lyanna are Jon's parents.

When did Mance turn his cloak? Presumably before Ben joined. There is a singer with a harp at the feast... singing near the high table.

I presume Eddard is anxious over Robert's offers, but is there more? Four or five hours earlier, he was thrilled... for a minute before the foreboding began.

Even as a pup, Ghost is menacing enough to ward off a larger dog and a lion/imp.

I don't know what all this means... just reading, observing, thinking, and posting.

 

[Narkalui]

I've always assumed Bran's omission from the procession was just an honest mistake by George.

 

[Boaz]

Me too. I'm just fishing....

 

[Narkalui]

So I started rereading AGOT about six months ago and I'm only up to the part when the Cat has brokered a toll with Lord Frey for the Northern horse to cross the bridge. My previous rereads have gone just as slowly because I continuously want to scream "DON'T DO IT!"

 

[Brian G Turner]

I've always assumed Bran's omission from the procession was just an honest mistake by George.

Or was Bran away climbing?