Dany is *still* beset upon all sides by enemies. Even most of her friends are probably enemies. Skahaz the Shavepate thinks her betrothed Hizdahr is the highborn one in charge of the terrorist Sons of the Harpy, but Dany does not believe it, although Hizdahr has managed to stop the murders for 26 days (74 to go, I think).
There is a new disease in town, the bloody flux, It sounds awful. There are refugees with it from Astapor coming because they have been attacked by Yunkai. They are being rounded up from the countryside. It's only a matter of time before Quentin and his people turn up, too. The trouble is the Yunkai are now heading for Meereen and they have large numbers. And the Golden Company is coming too (though Dany does not know they are on her side yet).
She decides they are going to have to meet the Yunkai in the field rather than wait in the city. To win the battle she needs to be married to Hizdahr zo Loraq, so she's going to bring the date of that wedding forward, I think.
I do wish she'd sort out the business with the dragons. There is not much point having them at all, which is a problem given that most of her power derives from them. I think Tyrion will know what to do when he turns up.
Tuesday, 3 September 2019
ADwD 29: Davos 445
Of course it was all a trick! Manderley, who it turns out is a thoroughly decent bloke, just had to make everyone *think* he wanted Davos dead to trick the Freys and make sure he got his son back. In reality he hates the Freys and their wedding butchery. Poor old Davos thinks he's going to be beheaded and get his hands chopped off, hopefully in that order, and it turns out there is a grand conspiracy. He might have guessed, though, given his dungeon had an en suite and the food was decent.
Anyway, Robett Glover (formerly of Deepwood Motte, now taken from Asha by Stannis) and Wyman Manderley are now plotting to build a navy and help out Stannis, as long as Davos brings Rickon to him. Because Rickon is now the true heir of Winterfell (apart from Bran). And Manderley has a boy who saw Rickon and knows something of where he's gone. Wherever it is, Davos doesn't want to go there because there are cannibals, apparently. But go he will. And Manderley is going to Winterfell to do whatever Ramsay Bolton wants him to, for now, to keep up the charade.
Incidentally we learn in this chapter a little bit more about how awful Ramsay is. He really is not a very nice man. Fake Arya really needs to get away from him, as does everyone else near him.
Anyway, Robett Glover (formerly of Deepwood Motte, now taken from Asha by Stannis) and Wyman Manderley are now plotting to build a navy and help out Stannis, as long as Davos brings Rickon to him. Because Rickon is now the true heir of Winterfell (apart from Bran). And Manderley has a boy who saw Rickon and knows something of where he's gone. Wherever it is, Davos doesn't want to go there because there are cannibals, apparently. But go he will. And Manderley is going to Winterfell to do whatever Ramsay Bolton wants him to, for now, to keep up the charade.
Incidentally we learn in this chapter a little bit more about how awful Ramsay is. He really is not a very nice man. Fake Arya really needs to get away from him, as does everyone else near him.
ADwD 28: Jon 434
Jon sends Ser Alliser and some rangers out on a ranging. He loses a fight with Rattleshirt. He finds out that fake-Arya is marrying Ramsay Bolton, but he doesn't know it's fake Arya. Melisadre tells him that if he joins with her they will have great power. This must be the schtick she used on Stannis! Jon isn't having it for now, but Melisandre tells him Arya will escape the marriage and come to find him (but does she mean real Arya or fake Arya? Does she know the difference?) She predicts two of the rangers will be killed, which will prove to Jon her powers and presumably then he'll want to make sorcery with her. Or something.
Monday, 2 September 2019
ADwD 27: Tyrion 409
Tyrion has a new captor, and it's Jorah Mormont. Which means Tyrion is probably going to be taken to Dany instead of Cersei, but it takes him the whole chapter to figure that out. They go to Volantis. Tyrion hopes Griff and crew will find him there, but of course they have abandoned that idea and gone off to Dorne instead. Tyrion figures this out when he hears rumours of an exiled lord hiring the Golden Company.
They meet some weird old ex-slave woman to ask for passage to Meereen. At first she doesn't want to help them. Then Tyrion gets attacked by someone I briefly took for Asha but was in fact the dwarf who rode the pig at Joffrey's wedding. She blames him for her brother's death, since like many dwarves he's been mistaken for Tyrion and killed for the lordship promised by Cersei for Tyrion's head. After this the ex-slave-widow decides she likes Tyrion after all and grants him passage to Meereen, saying she wants Dany to come to Volantis and free the slaves there.
They meet some weird old ex-slave woman to ask for passage to Meereen. At first she doesn't want to help them. Then Tyrion gets attacked by someone I briefly took for Asha but was in fact the dwarf who rode the pig at Joffrey's wedding. She blames him for her brother's death, since like many dwarves he's been mistaken for Tyrion and killed for the lordship promised by Cersei for Tyrion's head. After this the ex-slave-widow decides she likes Tyrion after all and grants him passage to Meereen, saying she wants Dany to come to Volantis and free the slaves there.
ADwD 26: The Wayward Bride 387
Asha is at Deepwood Motte. I guess she got left behind too when everyone left for the kingsmoot, and with only a handful of men to defend the place. She learns that Moat Cailin has been taken (by Ramsay Bolton a few chapters back). We learn that she has been married in absentia, which is apparently a thing with Ironmen. But her husband, Erik Ironmaker, is old and far away and she has a boyfriend called Qarl. With a Q.
We learn that Damphair has gone AWOL since the kingsmoot. Was the last we heard of him?
Asha's Nuncle the reader once advised her to read a book about Haereg, pointing out that she is a danger to Euron while she is alive for having a stronger claim to the throne than him (since she is the previous king's daughter, rather than brother). But then Tris, who is in love with her and also full of advice, reminds her of some old king called Torgon who came home and declared a previous kingsmoot unlawful since he was absent. And of course Asha was absent from the kingsmoot... So Tris gets a kiss for that genius idea.
But it all might be moot (heh) since the castle is under attack. Presumably by Stannis' men, including mountain clan men whom Jon advised Stannis to recruit. After some debate they scarper from the castle and make for the ships. When they stop for a rest they are attacked and a short fight ensues, and we end the chapter with Asha about to get her head staved in wondering why a trumpet is blowing. I'm at a bit of a loss, too.
We learn that Damphair has gone AWOL since the kingsmoot. Was the last we heard of him?
Asha's Nuncle the reader once advised her to read a book about Haereg, pointing out that she is a danger to Euron while she is alive for having a stronger claim to the throne than him (since she is the previous king's daughter, rather than brother). But then Tris, who is in love with her and also full of advice, reminds her of some old king called Torgon who came home and declared a previous kingsmoot unlawful since he was absent. And of course Asha was absent from the kingsmoot... So Tris gets a kiss for that genius idea.
But it all might be moot (heh) since the castle is under attack. Presumably by Stannis' men, including mountain clan men whom Jon advised Stannis to recruit. After some debate they scarper from the castle and make for the ships. When they stop for a rest they are attacked and a short fight ensues, and we end the chapter with Asha about to get her head staved in wondering why a trumpet is blowing. I'm at a bit of a loss, too.
Sunday, 1 September 2019
ADwD 25: The Windblown 372
Quentyn Martell and friends did indeed join a free company of soldiers, though not the Golden Company. They recently raided Astapor. It was a bloodbath. Now they are heading for Meereen.
The Yunkai are in charge of all this. They don't seem very well organised, but they do have the free companies.
Quentyn and friends need to desert and go and join Dany before the battle starts against her. Luckily they get sent on a secret undercover mission to pretent to go and join Dany. That's pretty convenient!
The Yunkai are in charge of all this. They don't seem very well organised, but they do have the free companies.
Quentyn and friends need to desert and go and join Dany before the battle starts against her. Luckily they get sent on a secret undercover mission to pretent to go and join Dany. That's pretty convenient!
ADwD 24: The Lost Lord 356
Griff aka Jon Connington aka Mad King Aerys's exiled hand laments losing Tyrion. So Tyrion did not get away. Haldon came back without him and has been in the doghouse ever since.
Haldon buys some horses and they all ride off to meet the Golden Company. We learn that Connington was second in command there when Varys came up with the ploy of pretending to steal stuff from the company to be exiled again to raise Aegon in secret. The new commander of the company, Homeless Harry Strickland is mainly worried about his feet and seems to be avoiding battles. But he's already told everyone about Young Griff's secret identity.
Everyone is dismayed that Dany is just loafing about in Meereen, which is a bit far away. Young Aegon comes up with the oh-so-original idea of ignoring her, going to Dorne, and declaring himself. Their main worry is that Cersei Lannister is powerful and has lots of friends. Ha ha. The Golden Company bigwigs go for the idea anyway. Connington is impressed with Aegon's ability to persuade and come up with cool ideas. Plus it suits him since he is in a bit of rush now that he's caught Greyscale and will be a stone man and only has a few years to live. Ouch.
Haldon buys some horses and they all ride off to meet the Golden Company. We learn that Connington was second in command there when Varys came up with the ploy of pretending to steal stuff from the company to be exiled again to raise Aegon in secret. The new commander of the company, Homeless Harry Strickland is mainly worried about his feet and seems to be avoiding battles. But he's already told everyone about Young Griff's secret identity.
Everyone is dismayed that Dany is just loafing about in Meereen, which is a bit far away. Young Aegon comes up with the oh-so-original idea of ignoring her, going to Dorne, and declaring himself. Their main worry is that Cersei Lannister is powerful and has lots of friends. Ha ha. The Golden Company bigwigs go for the idea anyway. Connington is impressed with Aegon's ability to persuade and come up with cool ideas. Plus it suits him since he is in a bit of rush now that he's caught Greyscale and will be a stone man and only has a few years to live. Ouch.
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