This chapter opens up with Catelyn still sitting by Brands side. It has been about 3 weeks since he fell and 8 days since Ned and everyone else left. Maester Luwin comes in to have her attend to the affairs of running Winterfell and she just gets upset and ends up shouting at Luwin without realizing it. Fortunately Robb arrives and lets Luwin know he will handle the books and decide who should be appointed to the positions left vacant by the departure of a good number of servants with Ned to King's Landing. We also learn that Catelyn has apparently in her sadness and despair over Bran's fall lost her senses. In addition to neglecting her duties and spending every moment with Bran she didn’t bother to see her husband and rest of the family off when they left. She also doesn’t trust Maester Luwin's assurances that Bran isn’t going to die, and has been ignoring her youngest son Rikkon.
Robb opens the window to let some air into the stuffy room and hearing the direwolves howl, and everything that has occurred is just overwhelming to her. I think it safe to assume she is having some sort of breakdown at this point.
This scene also offers a bit of insight about Robb. He seems to have an innate understanding that Bran hearing the howling will somehow help. In addition he can tell the differences between the wolves howls. He also quickly picks up on the fact that on this night the dogs joined in the howling and notes it’s unusual as they haven't done that before.
He also shows his concern as he helps his mother to the small bed and makes her promise him to get some sleep. Robb goes to close the window and notices the library tower is on fire and quickly sets off to fetch men to deal with it.
Catelyn closes the shutters window and when she turns around a stranger is in the room with her. The man is filthy and has a dagger in his hand. Quickly she realizes he’s here to kill Bran. She turns back to the window to call out for help but the stranger puts a hand over her mouth and brings his blade to her throat. Catelyn grabs the blade with her hand cutting deep into her fingers and bites the hand over her mouth. The stranger tosses her to the ground and is about to make a move when Brans wolf comes into the room, leaps knocking the attacker down and tears out his throat.
With that done the wolf then licks the blood off Catelyn's injured hand and then leaps up on the bed with Bran and lays down. If she wasn’t having a breakdown of some sort before this is easily the point because she starts to laugh hysterically.
NOTE: Some people have asked me how the Direwolf was able to open the doors to get to where Bran was and how it knew the assassin was going after Bran. First when Robb left the tower he more than likely didn’t bother to close the doors behind him in his haste. Not to mention the Catspaw/assassin was most likely trying to remain quiet, do the job quickly and make good his escape. So it’s unlikely he bothered to close the doors behind him as well. Further he didn’t expect Catelyn to remain with Bran.
The Catspaw: “You weren’t s’posed to be here,” he muttered sourly. “No one was s’posed to be here.”
Lastly the assassin had the stink of horses from where he had been hiding in the stables so even if there was no supernatural connection between the wolf and Bran, his scent would have easily been picked up by Bran's wolf.
She is taken out of the room with Bran and to her own chambers where her wounds are tended to and she is put to bed and finally sleeps.. For four days..
When she wakes up Robb, Theon, the new captain of the guard Hallis Mollen and Rodrik Cassel, the Master at Arms of Winterfell discuss the events of the attack. Collectively they figure out the following.
- The assassin showed up with the king's party and was hiding out in the stables
- The killer was paid 90 silver stags and given a valyrian dagger with a dragonbone hilt for the job of killing Bran
- The fire in the library was set as a distraction and the assumption is someone wants Bran dead to keep him silent.
- Catlyn also reveals her sisters belief that the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn and recalls that Jaime Lannister didn’t go out on the hunt with the king on the day Bran fell. She speculates that Bran was actually thrown.
At the end of the discussion it is decided that Catelyn and Ser Rodrik will travel to King's Landing by riding to White Harbor and then travel via ship with hopes of getting to the capital quickly and unnoticed.
I opted to call this narrative on the Chapter "Mother's Madness" as this really is where Catelyn starts to crack and breakdown. While completely understandable her concern for her injured son, the additional physical and mental burden she places upon herself by not resting and taking care of her basic needs is not normal. Unquestionably she is in a stressful situation with her children and son leaving to head south, but the additional physical stress atop the emotional and possibly spiritual stress she feels is just far too much for her to handle.
Additionally she completely ignores Rickon her youngest son who Robb noted was also confused and dealing with abandonment issues due to the departure of nearly all his siblings. Certainly these are the most trying of times for Catelyn, and she is unable to come to her senses until after she breaks down and awakens days later.
Indeed we see that she even regrets her behavior and vows to do better in this time of need. The question is going forward is will she be able to handle the stresses and pressure of the challenges that lie ahead?
For those of you keeping count we are up to 17 dead characters so far. Still a long ways from the Twitter Punchline of 140. This is also being generous and including the 12 Dothraki who died at Dany's wedding. Short them we are only up to 5 deaths and all so far have been minor characters. But it's a long way to go.
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