A Storm of Swords

Ygritte asserts that the Wall was built by the Southern lords to privatize the world. Jon suggests that Mance does not have the power to succeed against them, let alone eliminate private property. Ygritte reminds him that Mance is fighting for him too, unless he is still a ranger. She declares that she will be content to die as long as she gets to live first.

After descending the other side of the Wall, the wildlings arrive at Queenscrown. The wildlings apprehend the lone rider at the inn, an old man. Styr orders Jon to kill the old man. Jon hesitates, wrestling with the morality of killing a man he knows the wildlings have condemned to death. When Jon backs away, Ygritte kills the old man. Styr orders his men to kill Jon. They are attacked by a dire wolf. Jon escapes, but not before an arrow goes through his leg. When he is safe enough to mend the wound, he wonders if Ygritte was the one who shot him.

Daenerys prepares to invade Yunkai, Astapor’s sister city. Yunkai is held by enslavers calling themselves the Wise Masters. Although Daenerys is projected to win the battle, she cannot afford to lose many Unsullied early on in her campaign. The city is defended by two mercenary companies, the Second Sons and the Stormcrows. She invites the captains of each company to meet with her.

The Stormcrows captains—Prendahl na Ghezn, Sallor the Bald, and Daario Naharis—arrive first. Prendahl refuses Daenerys’s offer to join her army. Two hours later, the Second Sons commander, Mero, arrives and tries to seduce Daenerys. His answer is tentative, though he desires Daenerys’s love more than gold. Daenerys’s advisors do not trust Mero. Finally, an envoy of the Wise Masters arrives and offers gold if Daenerys turns her army away. He refuses Daenerys’s demand to surrender the city.

That night, Daenerys stages an ambush on the two mercenary companies. Later, Daario Naharis arrives, claiming that he wants to surrender the Stormcrows to Daenerys. He presents the heads of his co-captains to prove his loyalty and explains that he was enamored by Daenerys’s beauty. Jorah warns that he does not trust Daario, but Daenerys believes that Jorah merely envies him.

Jorah leads the Unsullied in conquering Yunkai. Daenerys is paraded into the city, where she is celebrated by the emancipated people who call her Mhysa, meaning “mother.” Daenerys embraces them as her children.

While camped at High Heart, the outlaws consult the old woman, who reports that Balon Greyjoy and Hoster Tully are dead. The old woman calls Arya forward and smells death on her. She instructs Arya to find her mother Catelyn Stark at the Twins.

The outlaws ride for a nearby village to seek shelter from a storm. Arya bonds with Beric’s squire, Ned, who reveals that he was nursed by Jon Snow’s birth mother, a servant woman named Wylla. Ned’s true name is Edric Dayne. His aunt, Ashara Dayne, was once in love with Ned Stark. Arya is scandalized that her father ever loved anyone other than her mother. Harwin convinces her that her father was not unfaithful to Catelyn, who was promised to Ned’s brother Brandon at the time that Ned and Ashara loved each other.

The outlaws reach the village. While camping, Thoros sees a fire vision of the Lannisters surrounding Riverrun. He believes that Robb and Catelyn will die at the wedding. While the outlaws discuss what to do with Arya, Arya is kidnapped by Sandor.

Before leaving Harrenhal, Jaime asks Bolton to send Robb Stark his regards. He reflects again on his tenure in the Kingsguard and realizes that Aerys chose him not for his skill, but to spite Tywin.

Jaime learns that Brienne’s father, Lord Selwyn, offered Hoat a ransom of gold, but Hoat refused because he still believes that Selwyn has sapphires. Jaime worries that Hoat may rape Brienne to improve the ransom.

That night, Jaime has a dream of being trapped in a dark tunnel under King’s Landing. In the dream, Cersei claims that Jaime belongs in the darkness. She and Tywin abandon Jaime, leaving him only with a glowing sword. Sworn to keep her oath, Brienne is the only person who accompanies Jaime in the dark. They fight off the Kingsguard, who are led by Rhaegar. The knights remind Jaime of his failures as they descend upon him, extinguishing the light of his sword.

Jaime wakes up and immediately rides back for Harrenhal. He finds that Hoat has thrown Brienne into the bear pit for the Companions’ entertainment. When Hoat refuses to pull her out, Jaime leaps in to rescue her. Steelshanks orders his men to shoot the bear. Jaime and Brienne are soon pulled out of the pit. When Brienne asks Jaime why he came back, he tells her he dreamed of her.

The Starks and Tullys leave for the Twins. Jeyne is made to stay at Riverrun for fear that her presence might offend Walder.

Rain delays the Stark-Tully lines on the way to the Twins. Since Jeyne isn’t pregnant yet, Robb is anxious that his claim will fall to the Lannisters if he dies. Robb and Catelyn argue over naming Jon Snow as Robb’s heir since Catelyn does not consider Jon a Stark.

During the journey, the news reaches Robb that Balon Greyjoy has died after falling off a bridge. His death has left a power vacuum on the Iron Islands that his brother, Euron Crow’s Eye, is rushing to fill. Robb anticipates that the Iron Fleet will return from their siege of the North to participate in succession rites. He orders his bannermen to prepare to retake the North after the wedding. Robb then proclaims Jon his heir.

Sam and Gilly find an abandoned village and take shelter in the longhall. Later that night, the undead body of Small Paul enters the longhall and attacks them. Sam tries to stab Paul with the dragonglass dagger, but he only ends up breaking it on his armor. He finally manages to stab Paul in the gut, which kills him.

When Sam regroups with Gilly and the baby, they are surrounded by more Others. An unknown rider rescues Sam and Gilly. Sam touches the rider’s hand, which is cold and hard.

Sandor tricks some ferrymen into letting them cross a river by promising to pay them on his honor as a knight. After they cross, Sandor indicates that knights have no honor before riding away. He explains to Arya that he did this intentionally because he knows the outlaws will try to do the same thing if they hire the ferry.

While camping for the night, Sandor discourages Arya from trying to kill him, pointing out that worse men like his brother, Gregor, could kidnap her. Arya is scandalized when she learns that Sandor wants to kill his brother, though she wishes for Gregor’s death too. Sandor points out that he once saved Sansa’s life. Arya assumes that they are riding for King’s Landing, but Sandor tells her they are going to the Twins so that he can collect Catelyn’s promised payment for Arya for himself.

Jon races back to Castle Black. When he reaches the Wall, he is recognized by the armorer Donal Noye. He urges Donal to alert the Night’s Watch to prepare for the wildling ambush.

Maester Aemon tends to Jon’s arrow wound. Aemon reports that Jeor is dead and that Dolorous Edd, Grenn, and several other rangers have already returned. Bowen Marsh is acting Lord Commander until a new one is elected in his place. Jon admits to Aemon that he broke his vow of celibacy for the sake of his mission.

After several weeks, the Stark-Tully van arrives at the Twins. Catelyn urges Robb to invoke the laws of hospitality once they get inside.

Robb and Catelyn are met by several Frey envoys, though the introduction is disrupted when Robb’s dire wolf, Grey Wolf, scares one of the Freys off his horse. Robb realizes that Grey Wolf is afraid, but rather than taking this as a warning, he has the dire wolf kenneled outside the hall. The highborn guests are hosted in the castle while Robb’s army is made to camp outside.

Robb and Catelyn meet with Walder Frey. While waiting for Roslin, Walder makes Robb extend his personal apology to his daughters. Edmure is introduced to Roslin, who is more beautiful than Catelyn expected. Before the guests retire, Catelyn invokes the laws of hospitality, asking for some food and wine. When Walder welcomes them as guests, Catelyn is reassured that they are safe from betrayal. She remains cautious, however, wondering why Walder would offer his most comely daughter for marriage to Edmure. They theorize that Roslin may be barren, but Catelyn soon disproves this. Catelyn also learns that not all of the Freys are present at the Twins for the wedding.

Robb meets with his bannermen, including the recently arrived Roose Bolton, to discuss the presence of Lannisters in the region. Bolton defends his son Ramsay, who is resolved to retake the North from the Greyjoys. Ramsay has taken Theon hostage and is torturing him to increase his ransom value.