Brienna's "Last" word

[the smiling weirwood]

He can't spell, apparently. It's always been Thoros, of Myr, I believe.

 

[Koopa]

I'm pretty sure it is Stannis. Afrter all Lady stark made a promise with brienne. If she doesn't keep her end of the bargain, then there is no reason why Brienne should be held accountable for her connections with the lannisters. And since she hasn't killed anyone, except bad guys who would've harmed the children, they can't hang her for that either.

So is brienne being set up for becoming Stannis killer?

 

[Boaz]

jwsnasa, Welcome. Don't worry 'bout misspelling names in this thread... I mean look at the title, for Pete's sake.

Delran, good thought on Tom.

Kiwi, Brienne demanding for Stoneheart to remember her vow is plausible. But I cannot imagine Stoneheart allowing this. All her honor, compassion, and sanity are gone. In Stoneheart's thinking, it is okay to betray, to renege on promises, and to murder because she was betrayed, tricked, and murdered.

 

[Delran Stark]

Thanks Boaz. But I think it's a fact. The killing of Ser (forgot his name) Frey and his party several days after leaving the siege of Riverun and Tom's presence in the camp proves it.

 

[whiskeyntattoos]

"ICCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEE" as her neck snaps

 

[IlliferThePenniless]

Whiskey-

If you're right, how would we ever know? There are no other POV characters there, and I think that Martin's said there won't be any new ones after ADwD (save, one presumes, the expendable and invariably short-lived characters from the prologues and epilogues)...

I'm pretty confident that whatever Brienne's one word is (my money's on 'sword'), she's not going to die in that cave. Nobody in any of the books has died in their POV (save Cat, who doesn't really count for obvious reasons). Four books in I think that's a pattern we can count on.

It's the same reason I'm not too terribly concerned with the fate of everyone's reformed smuggler. Reports of his demise have, I think, been greatly exaggerated.

 

[Eulalia]

Shudder. Could there be an undead Brienne?

 

[IlliferThePenniless]

Anything's possible I suppose, but it seems unlikely to me... Going forward who will we have running around the Riverlands, giving us eyes on the ground?

I think Brienne is probably headed towards The Vale right? So that leaves Jaime, though I'm really not at all sure where he's headed, I guess trying to take down these bandits plaguing the land would be one of the possibilities...

It just feels to me that the Riverlands aren't going to be a major focal point for again for a while. They're more or less completely decimated after The War of the Five Kings and it just doesn't seem to me that we'll have that many POV characters doing much more then passing through for a while. Am I forgetting somebody?

On a slightly related note, do we think R'Hallor's plan for UnCat is? Does he have one? Thoros sort of gave the impression that Beric was chosen to do his god's will, and it was easy to admire the Brotherhood Without Banners under his leadership. They're less easy to admire under Lady Stoneheart, but are we to assume that she too was chosen?

Is it fair to presume that UnCat has an important role to play going forward simply because she's there? If she didn't Martin wouldn't have brought her back at all?

 

[TK-421]

I don't think GRRM has said that Brienne's POV will be in ADWD. Therefore, we will all likely have to wait until The Winds of Winter comes out.

 

[Ursa major]

Unless we know, by the end of ADWD, that Brienne is no more.

 

[Dolorous Nate]

Martin has already said that the ending is not a real happy one. I guess he could be lying, but he really hasn't so far, so why start now.

I agree with Raven, that in some ways Brienne is the most Heroic character in the books. And in contrary to prior belief, POV characters are gonna start biting it. As the story winds down some of them are going to die, and a heroine such as Brienne is going to die in a way befitting her outlook on life.

Look at some of the major death's in the story. Ned dies by his own sword, swung by a man without honour. Joff, the vile, hideous child is poisoned. Tywin, whose whole outlook in the series is to advance the position of the Lannisters gets capped on the potty taking a numero dos. Rob who has some gift for military strategy and can coordinate three armies striking at the same time gets ambushed at his wedding. Even catelyn dies killing someone else’s child, and like a lot of events in her life is a poor trade. The life of a halfwit fool for her own son and his entire army.

Brienne will die but I would assume it will be something that will offer her some peace. Perhaps she will die in process of killing Melisandre once she knows that the red woman is responsible for renly's death.

Damn you people are good... The part about Martin saying the ending isn't happy does not surprise me but has me worried.

It would be just like him to end the series with some heart-rending Red Weddingesque life sucks plot ties, and after what he's laid upon us during the series, if he ends it as a total tradgedy I can verifiably say I will be pissed off.

*Update*

That being said... I will be incredibly satisfied with WHATEVER happens as long as the series does reach a completion at some point.

 

[viZion]

I think his exact word for the ending was that it would be "bittersweet". I take that to mean that it won't it be a complete emo fest. I take it to mean that that "good" guys will win some and the "bad" guys will win some. In other words, it won't end up being <insert hero/heroine> completely in control and with peace and love and happiness for all like most fantasy series.

Somewhere in one of these threads some of us make predictions about what that bittersweet ending will be. I think I said one of the things would be that the Lannisters ultimately retain their power..there won't be any comeuppance for them. Something like that.

 

[IlliferThePenniless]

I've always been of the opinion that people try to read too much into the promised bittersweet ending. That could mean a lot of different things and it's pretty much impossible what bittersweet means specifically. I expect some characters I dislike will get their just desserts and some will unjustly prosper. I expect some characters I like and admire will end up rewarded for for their nobility and virtue while others will die or find themselves punished.

Anything more specific then that seems to be the pointless kind of speculation.

 

[viZion]

Anything more specific then that seems to be the pointless kind of speculation.

You mean, like about 99% of the content on these forums? The whole point of being here is to pointlessly speculate. I think you just hurt Boaz's feelings.

 

[IlliferThePenniless]

Not all speculation is pointless. Some speculation is textually based, or at least is based on inference from the text. Bittersweet can mean so many different things it doesn't end up illuminating much.

 

[TK-421]

Bittersweet could mean different things for different characters. For example, Dany could end up on the throne but she may pay a very heavy price for it.

 

[Landroval]

I know I'm draggging an old thread up buuuuuut....

I think she says "Stannis."

Why?

I'm in the process of rereading the books from start to middle and have just come to Renly's death in aCoK. Brienne is talking with Catelyn about what she will do after leaving her when they have arrived at Riverrun and says that she swore to kill Stannis no matter what "I swore a vow. Three times i swore. You heard me."

After offering to serve Catelyn Brienne says "...And I think that, when the time comes, you wil not try and hold me back. Promise me that. That you will not hold me back from Stannis."

Catelyn's reply is "When the time comes, I will not hold you back."

Brilliant. I think this is as close as we are going to get without further word from George.

 

[xLORDSNOWx]

What if she yells "Mercy!" just as Cat asked for at the RW?
Do you think that would move UnCat, or drive her further off the cliff?

 

[The Imp]

What if she yells "Mercy!" just as Cat asked for at the RW?
Do you think that would move UnCat, or drive her further off the cliff?

Welcome to the board Lordsnow

I somehow think that "mercy" is going to get the job done

 

[Eulalia]

And even Brienne is running into some oath complications.

Her impact on Jaime is interesting, too.