Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen arrive at the scary Nightfort. Bran remembers lots of Old Nan's scary stories about it. One of the stories involves a cook who was cursed for slaying a guest. Old Walder Frey clearly needed a Nan to tell him scary stories.
Jojen thinks there is a way through the wall here but Bran is sure there is not. Then they all go to sleep (no watch?) but Bran is woken by scary noises. The giant black monster emerging from the well turns out to be none other than Samwell Tarly! (The scary wailing noises are Gilly's baby.) This is the first big coincidence of the series, I think. Every story is allowed one or two. Sam leads them through an underground tunnel and a talking magic gate (the most overt magic we have yet seen).
Bran gets a new skill: he can mind-control Hodor. That's a bit weird. Hodor doesn't seem to mind, though, or even notice.
We also learn a little more about the elk-riding man Sam, Gilly and the baby have been travelling with. They have called him Coldhands and he seems to be a brother of the Watch who has turned into a zombie, but seems to be more intelligent (and possibly more good) than your average zombie. In fact it is no co-incidence: Coldhands seemed to know where Bran would be and brought Sam to him. Next we will find out what Coldhands wants with Bran, but presumably it involves the three-eyed crow.
