Chapter 24: Bran

This chapter opens with Bran bitterly watching his little brother Rickon playing in the yard with the direwolves from the window in his room. He is being kept company by Old Nan who has been tasked with being his caregiver.

Prior to his fall Bran used to enjoy Old Nan’s stories but now he is somewhat bitter and lashing out a bit at her. Nan has been at Winterfell for as long as anyone living can recall. What family she had has either been killed in fighting wars or has long since moved away. The only exception being Hodor the simple minded giant of a man, who works in the stables.

In addition to being bitter at the loss of use of his legs, Bran is also dealing with feelings of abandonment. Prior to falling his dreams of riding to the capital with his father and becoming a knight seemed to be coming true. Now not only is that dream an impossibility, but many of the people who he cares about had to march south without him.

His mother, father, sisters, half brother Jon,  Jory, Rodrick, Varyon Poole, Hullen, Harwin, fat Tom along with a good number of house guards are all just gone upon his awakening. In fact the only family remaining to him is his younger brother Rickon and his elder brother Robb. Even Robb seems very much changed as Bran notes in the following passage..

Only Robb and baby Rickon were still here, and Robb was changed. He was Robb the Lord now, or trying to be. He wore a real sword and never smiled. His days were spent drilling the guard and practicing his swordplay, making the yard ring with the sound of steel as Bran watched forlornly from his window. At night he closeted himself with Maester Luwin, talking or going over account books. Sometimes he would ride out with Hallis Mollen and be gone for days at a time, visiting distant holdfasts. Whenever he was away more than a day, Rickon would cry and ask Bran if Robb was ever coming back. Even when he was home at Winterfell, Robb the Lord seemed to have more time for Hallis Mollen and Theon Greyjoy than he ever did for his brothers.

I think this is an important section as it shows the change in Robbs mentality and could also be Robb showing early signs of having insight and making preparations should things come to armed conflict.

At the very least Robb is clearly getting familiar with the various nobles and bannermen of the North as well as potentially strategizing with Maester Luwin. While nothing in the books states this specifically, it seems likely that Robb is at the least taking a good look at the board and where all the pieces are in the North so to be able to react to any moves that are made.

Nan, much to Bran’s annoyance keeps offering to tell Bran stories. We also learn that Old Nan is so old that she may be a bit senile as she apparently confuses everyone she’s known named Brandon over the many years thinking they are all one and the same.

Bran tells Nan that his favorite story isn’t the one of Bran the Builder, as she thought, and he tells her he likes the scary stories. So Old Nan begins to tell Bran of The Others.  and of the Long Night. I’ll break this down further a bit later on in this blog.

But to say the least the reader gets an idea of what the Others are and how long they have been in Westeros, as well as an idea of what the Long Night was and we also get a partial tale of a character whom Old Nan refers to as “the last hero.”, Bran is very interested in the story, but unfortunately it is interrupted by Maester Luwin and Hodor who have come to take Bran to the main hall as Tyrion Lannister and some men of the Night’s Watch have come calling.

Hodor carrie Bran with ease and when they enter Bran can sense the tension, in the room. He notices Robb is wearing armor and also notes that there are a dozen Stark house guardsmen present as well. Bran also notes that Robb has his blade unsheathed resting across his knees. This is a plain and outward display of hostility. Under normal circumstances a guest would never be greeted this way. As Robb suspects the Lannisters tried to kill Bran he is making is anger clear and Tyrion is perceptive enough to realize his hostility is directed towards him.  

Robb extends an offer of hospitality to the men of the NIght’s Watch but not to Tyrion and his retainers. Tyrion points this out, as well as the fact that Robb seems to be lacking the decency that his half brother Jon possesses.

Before anything can escalate things turn to Tyrion’s reason for calling on Winterfell and his business with Bran. Tyrion tries to get some information from him but Robb wanting the Lannister party out curtly tells him that Bran isn’t present to discuss his fall.

Maester Luwin does comment that Bran can’t recall anything regarding the accident.

Tyrion then presents plans for a modified saddle to Maester Luwin that should enable Bran to ride a horse. Something Bran thought he would never be able to do again. Luwin looking over the plans realizes that it should work. After providing some advice on what sort of mount they should use as well as the type of training that may be needed Robb, suspicious of Tyrion’s motives asks why he would help.

Tyrion replies with the following:

“Your brother Jon asked it of me. And I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things.” Tyrion Lannister placed a hand over his heart and grinned.

At that moment the Rikon and the Direwolves enter the hall. The Direwolves all snap at Tyrion, and Bran yells out “No” as the Lannister men begin to draw swords to protect him. Bran, Robb and Rickon call off the wolves who all come to heel at the sides of the Stark brothers.

Fortunately Tyrion isn’t harmed and even Robb seems surprised noting the Direwolves have never acted in such a way before.

Tyrion decides this is a good time to take his leave, but Maester Luwin asks him to wait a moment and quickly confers with Robb. Robb puts away his blade and does offer the hospitality of Winterfell to Tyrion if he wishes it noting the kindness he has done for his brother Bran.

Tyrion wanting none of what he calls Robbs false courtesies and opts to stay at the inn just outside of the walls of Winterfell. But before he and the other Lannister men leave he does mention to Yoren that they will be continuing the journey south come daybreak and he can meet up with them on the road.

Robb then offers the Night’s Watchmen to dine with him that that night. Hodor takes Bran back to his room where he has another dream.

This time he is climbing the broken tower and it goes to a great height. Bran notices the gargoyles who he thought may have once been lions, but were now grotesque and frightening with glowing red watchful eyes.  

He hears them whispering to one another and tells himself that he will be safe if he doesn’t listen. Unfortunately the gargoyles break away from the stone perches and begin climbing towards Bran. Bran panics and awakens repeating the words “I didn’t hear”  noticing a large shadowy figure in his room.

Thankfully it’s Hodor and Bran is safe. Hodor helps him get ready for dinner and they get an update on Jon and how he has been an annoyance to Ser Alliser Thorne.

When Robb asks how his uncle Benjen is the tone of conversation goes grim. But Yoren and the others tell him that Benjen went out to look for Weymar Royce who never returned at the request of Lord Commander Mormont and has not returned. Yoren relates that he thinks Benjen is dead and Robb gets angry at this news insisting his uncle isn’t dead.

One of the brothers comments that nobody knows the lands of the Haunted Forest better than Benjen, which reminds Bran of how the story Old Nan was beginning to tell him ended.

Bran says that the Children of the Forest will help out his uncle.This gets a laugh from Theon and a lecture from Maester Luwin who tells Bran that the Children have been gone for a thousand years and all that remains are the carved faces in the trees. Yoren points out that while Luwin may be right about how things are south of the wall, on the other side things aren’t always so certain.

The chapter ends with Robb tucking Bran into bed and promising him to find him a horse and together they will go on an adventure to the wall to visit Jon Snow. This is a really hard thing for Robb and Bran can hear him sobbing in the darkness, and reaches out to hold his hand.

While this chapter is from the POV of Bran there really is a lot in here about his older brother Robb. While at the beginning Robb seems to be showing some wisdom and foresight in getting things in order and keeping in touch with his bannermen should events lead to war, he also shows an amazing level of foolishness when Tyrion arrived in Winterfell.

His outward and obvious hostility towards a guest should be more than enough to tip off someone as smart and observant as Tyrion. In addition the following exchange is also tipping his hand and showing that House Stark is clearly angry with House Lannister.

The dwarf turned to look at him. “So it is true, the boy lives. I could scarce believe it. You Starks are hard to kill.” “You Lannisters had best remember that,” Robb said, lowering his sword.

This shows Robbs inexperience in dealing with others and politics in general. It is also surprising that Maester Luwin didn’t advise Robb to use a bit of guile with dealing with Tyrion. Clearly he had time to call a dozen men to the audience hall as well as decide to greet them with a drawn blade.

Perhaps Robb would feel it dishonorable to be deceitful, or at the least not direct when dealing with Tyrion. Regardless Robb chose to deal with Tyrion in this way, perhaps to do nothing more than send a message.

It’s also quite possible that Robb’s open hostility towards Tyrion caused the direwolves to come at Tyrion in the way they did. Greywind may have picked up the emotion via an empathic link and thus the others followed his lead. Even Robb was surprised in how they acted and claimed they had never acted as such before.

Regardless this is an example of Robb believing he is doing the right thing and not being able to repair the damage that is done by his actions. This is also a reoccurring theme with Robb as we shall see in future events. Robbs deeds end up defining him and how others come to view him. His words, simply aren’t enough for him to repair any damage that his hasty and ill conceived actions inflict.

One final thought on Old Nan’s tale about the Long Night and the Others. Clearly to some people like Tyrion who laughed at the notion of anything truly supernatural beyond the wall this tale would be nothing more than folklore, a legend with no basis in reality or fact.

In addition the way Nan tells it, it rings of a tale that has grown over the years in the telling. But being that this is the first real mention of the Others since we saw them killing Weymar in the Prologue let's try to separate some of the fact from the exaggerations of the tale and see what clues our author has left for us.

One thing we do get is a time frame. Nan states the Long Night occurs prior to the arrival of the Andals, but it’s after the First Men and the Children of the Forest have finished their conflicts. So sometime after the Pact, but before the arrival of the Andals who brought better weapons.

Now these were the days before the Andals came, and long before the women fled across the narrow sea from the cities of the Rhoyne, and the hundred kingdoms of those times were the kingdoms of the First Men, who had taken those lands from the children of the forest. Yet here and there in the fastness of the woods, the children still lived in their wooden cities and hollow hills, and the faces in the trees kept watch.

So at this point the Children of the Forest apparently still lived throughout some of the lands of Westeros and the Old Gods were the only Gods as the Seven wouldn’t be worshiped in Westeros until at least after the arrival of the Andals.

This also means that the Long Night happened well before the arrival of the Targaryens and the dragons they rode. So we can rule out the Others being defeated by riders instructing their mounts to rein down dragonfire upon them.

Nan also provides a description of the Others as well.

They were cold things, dead things, that hated iron and fire and the touch of the sun, and every creature with hot blood in its veins. They swept over holdfasts and cities and kingdoms, felled heroes and armies by the score, riding pale dead horses, and leading hosts of the slain.

Let's compare this to what Will in the Night's Watch noticed in the Prologue.

He turned his head, glimpsed a white shadow in the darkness. It was cold. Shivering... A shadow emerged from the dark of the wood. It stood in front of Royce. Tall, it was, and gaunt and hard as old bones, with flesh pale as milk. Its armor seemed to change color as it moved; here it was white as new-fallen snow, there black as shadow, everywhere dappled with the deep grey-green of the trees. The patterns ran like moonlight on water with every step it took.

So the description of the Others seems to be accurate; pale, gaunt and cold seems to either radiate from them or at the least accompanies them.

They hunted the maids through the frozen forests, and fed their dead servants on the flesh of human children.

In later chapters we can revisit this when we encounter the character Craster. But the “Dead Servants” certainly rings true as they did animate the corpse of Weymar Royce at the end of the prologue.

Lastly she begins to relate the tale of “The Last Hero”

So as cold and death filled the earth, the last hero determined to seek out the children, in the hopes that their ancient magics could win back what the armies of men had lost. He set out into the dead lands with a sword, a horse, a dog and a dozen companions. For years he searched until he despaired of ever finding the children of the forest in their secret cities. One by one his friends died, and his horse, and finally even his dog, and his sword froze so hard the blade snapped when he tried to use it. And the Others smelled the hot blood in him and came silent on his trail, stalking him with packs of pale white spiders big as hounds--

It’s at this point the tale is interrupted by Hodor and Maester Luwin.

Wait… The Others ride giant Ice Spiders?

Lets hope this is something that got added in as the tale grew in the telling. I mean it makes Brandon the Builder’s plan of making a giant wall out of ice to defend the realms of men a pretty bad one if the Others can just ride giant ice spiders over it.

Now I honestly have no idea if a spider can climb up an ice wall, but considering this is a fantasy story featuring dragons I’m gonna go with maybe. So perhaps they were all killed off after the first Long Night, or perhaps they are simply not able to survive in warmer climates?? Or maybe the Others are going to unleash the ice spider horde in one of the later books.Hard to say either way if they are real, or if they are something that was added in.

The tale of “The Last Hero” seems to foreshadow Brans adventures as we shall see going into future chapters. But for now let's keep in mind who the Last Hero took with him on his journey to find the Children of the Forest.

“He set out into the dead lands with a sword, a horse, a dog and a dozen companions.” It won’t be some time before Bran leaves Winterfell but for now it’s a pretty safe assumption that Summer will be filling in for the Dog the last hero took with him. But for now lets leave this here and pick up on the next chapter.