A Storm of Swords

Jaime, Brienne, and Cleos arrive at an inn. After a brief standoff, Brienne convinces the proprietors to serve their party. After learning about their destination, the male innkeeper warns them about the outlaw band led by Lord Beric Dondarrion. This convinces the group to trade their skiff for the innkeeper’s horses. Cleos argues that they should stay for the night, but Brienne and Jaime insist on moving on, believing that the innkeeper is setting a trap for them.

The group rides away and stops to rest in a grove. When Jaime mocks Brienne once again, Brienne returns the taunt by mocking him for breaking his oath as a Kingsguard—Jaime delivered the killing blow to sociopathic King Aerys. Jaime resents her criticism and blames his actions on King Aerys’ cruelty. Jaime accuses Brienne of being envious of him, but Brienne refuses to be provoked. That night, Jaime’s dreams are haunted by visions of the dead.

With the help of the royal spymaster Varys, Tyrion reunites with Shae. They have sex, after which Tyrion warns her that they cannot see each other again. Shae deflects, recalling Tyrion’s promise to find a house for her. She also asks if she can attend the royal wedding. Tyrion insists that it is too dangerous. As Tyrion prepares to leave, Shae makes him promise to keep her safe. Tyrion agrees, even though this means keeping her close instead of sending her away.

Arya, Hot Pie, and Gendry encounter three men. Two of the men, Anguy and Lem, are armed, so Arya surrenders to them. The strangers offer to take them to a nearby inn for a meal. Arya is skeptical about their intentions, but knows she can’t fight them back.

At the inn, Arya spots a skiff that they can use to sail to Riverrun. She tries to barter their horses for the skiff. Suddenly Gendry alerts the group to the arrival of soldiers fresh from battle, but the men restrain Arya and Gendry when they try to escape. Arya recognizes one of the newly-arrived soldiers as Harwin, a boy whose father served at Winterfell. Harwin recognizes Arya as Ned’s daughter.

Robb finally returns to Riverrun, where his mother Catelyn answers for her crime of releasing Jaime. One of Robb’s bannermen, Lord Rickard Karstark, judges her harshly since he was hoping to take vengeance against Jaime for killing two of his sons. Robb, on the other hand, is merciful, conceding that Catelyn acted out of love.

Robb introduces Catelyn to the newest additions to his entourage, the Westerlings, a minor house previously sworn to the Lannisters. Among them is Robb’s new wife, Lady Jeyne Westerling. Catelyn is shocked that Robb has broken his oath to marry one of Walder Frey’s daughters. Later, Robb tells Catelyn how Jeyne comforted him through his recovery and his grief over Bran and Rickon, whom Robb believes to be dead.

Robb scolds his uncle Edmure for conducting short-sighted skirmishes when Robb’s intention was to draw Tywin from Harrenhal out west. He implies that had this strategy succeeded, Stannis Baratheon would have won the Battle at Blackwater Bay. Catelyn urges prioritizing reclaiming Winterfell from the Greyjoys, but to return north they will have to pass through Walder Frey’s domain, The Twins, making it necessary to regain his loyalty.

Tormund and Jon bond over a visit to Mance’s army of giants. Jon probes into Tormund’s history, hoping to learn whether Mance has discovered the Horn of Joramun, a mystical artifact of great power. Instead, Tormund brags about his sexual exploits.

Tormund teases that Ygritte is infatuated with Jon. Jon wants to maintain his vow of celibacy as a ranger, yet he admits his growing attraction to Ygritte. He comes up with different excuses for why he has remained celibate, none of which Tormund accept.

Ygritte, Rattleshirt, and Jon are summoned to the Fist of the First Men, which shows the ruins of a recent battle with the Others. Mance realizes that Jon gave him a false report on the number of rangers at the Fist. Ygritte defends Jon, claiming that they are in a relationship to prove that Jon is no longer loyal to the Night’s Watch. Mance accepts Ygritte’s defense and orders them to join a mission to cross the Wall. Later, Ygritte invites Jon to turn her lie into truth.

Sansa tells Ser Dontos Hollard about her impending marriage to Willas Tyrell. Dontos warns that the Tyrells are just as cunning and wicked as the Lannisters. They are merely accepting her into the family to possess her claim to Winterfell. Sansa is unsure whether to believe him.

Harwin was part of a mission led by Beric Dondarrion to apprehend Ser Gregor Clegane. Clegane ambushed Beric and his men, leaving Beric mortally wounded. Beric survived his injuries and reorganized his mission into a band of outlaws defending the smallfolk from Lannister soldiers. Arya and Gendry are given permission to ride north with the outlaws. Hot Pie chooses to stay at the inn, volunteering to work as a baker.

During the ride, Arya notices that they are going south. Lem confirms that they are riding to Beric’s camp, so that he can decide what to do with Arya as a highborn hostage. Arya attempts to escape, but she is caught by Harwin.

Sam sends out ravens to alert the Night’s Watch that they are under attack by the Others. The Others are only affected when struck with fire arrows. Jeor organizes a wedge horse formation to escape the ambush.

Sam is among the few surviving rangers. The trek to the Wall leaves Sam exhausted and terrified. His friend Grenn urges him to keep going, encouraging him to live on for everything he still has in the world. Later, another ranger named Small Paul carries Sam, but puts him down when they fall too far behind.

Grenn, Sam, and Small Paul are intercepted by an Other. During the ensuing battle, the Other kills Small Paul. In desperation, Sam uses the dragonglass dagger Jon gave him to kill the Other. This seemingly fragile weapon is extremely effective against the undead foe.

The small council (the king’s inner circle of advisers) discusses the war, anticipating Robb Stark’s move to reclaim the North from the Greyjoys. Tywin refuses this opportunity to ally with the Greyjoys, arguing that they have nothing to offer the Lannisters. Tyrion suspects that Tywin is planning something else for the Starks.

They move on to the question of the Vale, held by Lysa Arryn, Catelyn Stark’s sister. Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish offers to use his personal history with Lysa to win the Vale for the crown. The council members agree to his proposal and appoint Tyrion as Master of Coin in Littlefinger’s place.

They discuss the royal wedding, which the Martells of Dorne have declared their intent to attend. Mace opposes their attendance because of the enmity between the Tyrells and the Martells. Tywin explains, however, that he invited Martells because their house leader, Prince Doran, will soon sit on the small council.

After the meeting, Tywin speaks with his children and his brother, Kevan. Tyrion questions Littlefinger’s plans, believing he has an ulterior motive for the Vale. The others point out that Littlefinger has been a useful collaborator. To prove this, Tywin shares intelligence from Littlefinger: The Tyrells are planning to marry Sansa Stark to Willas. He suggests that they foil the Tyrells’ plan with their own marriages. He recommends that Cersei be married to Willas instead, but Cersei opposes this so strongly that she leaves the discussion.

Tywin then proposes that Tyrion be married to Sansa, arguing that the Tyrells cannot complain about it before the royal wedding. Tyrion is reluctant to accept the proposal out of sympathy for Sansa, a young romantic teenager, but then Tywin frames Tyrion’s compliance as a concession for Casterly Rock. The marriage will also give the Lannisters a claim to Winterfell, which could prove advantageous given Robb Stark’s marriage to Jeyne Westerling. Tyrion notices that his father is less angry about Robb’s marriage than he expected; this is surprising, given that Tywin once harshly punished a vassal named Reyne who betrayed him. The punishment was immortalized in the still popular song “The Rains of Castamere,” which has had a chilling effect on Tywin’s vassals.