ADWD Spoilers - Jon I Summary

[red_temple]

As promised, here is the summary of the revised Jon I reading from ADWD that George gave at Marcon this past weekend. Enjoy!!!


Jon is having one of his wolf dreams. Ghost can sense his siblings out in the wild. Knows that they are down to 4 now - 2 of them are dead. Ghost is out in the cold and snow and keeps hearing the word "snow" being shouted.

Eventually, Jon is wakened by Mormont's raven, who is shouting "snow."

Dolorous Edd walks into Jon's room and he talks about his dislike for prunes.

Jon's thoughts - Wildings from all over are drifting down to the wall, searching for safety. Stannis keeps them captive in "wilding pens". Stannis picks wildings from the stockades for the Red Woman to question.

Edd tells Jon that Stannis is waiting to see him, so Jon must get ready and go.

Jon is under the common misconception that Bran and Rickon are dead, but knows that their wolves are still alive, due to his wolf dreams. <opinion - could this lead to Jon knowing that Bran and Rickon are alive as well?>

As Jon is walking across the training yard to see Stannis, he notices that the knights stand in separate groups. Notes are sketchy and my memory is fuzzy here, but I think he saw that the Melissandre's men and Stannis' men did not mingle at all. This may be important.

One knight, a Ser Gaudry?, calls Jon "boy" and tells him that his Valaryian steel should be used for more than scratching his arse. He challenges Jon to fight him on the training fields, but Jon only shows him his back and keeps walking.

As Jon walks outside, he notices that the repair work on the wall continues. They are fixing the switchback stairway to the top, which is currently unusable. Right now the only way to the top is by using the winch to lift people and supplies up.

He meets up with Sam and asks him how his archery practice is coming. Sam complains that it causes blisters so it is not going well. But he mentions that he found a good book on archery….

Jon enters the room where Stannis and Melissandre await him. Stannis looks stiff, uncomfortable, with pale, leather-like skin. Stannis is angry about a parchment he received from Liara? Mormont (a 10 year old girl) stating that the Mormonts know and will support no other other than a Stark. Stannis claims that this child "spit on me." He broods that all other Northern lords shun him besides Karhold, who have pledged support for Stannis.

Stannis, obviously in need of money to finance his efforts asks Jon how much he has with the Night's Watch. Jon states that have none save only turnips. He then tells Stannis that if he needs money, then try to gain the support of White Harbor - they are loaded.

Stannis intends to keep Mance's baby as heir to the wildings and kill Mance. He wants to use the baby to win their support. Jon tries to convince him that the wildings will only follow Mance and they recognize no heirs. Stannis argues that by law, Mance's life is forfeit on many levels - he is a deserter from the Wall, for one. He intends to kill Mance as that is what the law and justice demands. He says he will burn him to make an example of him. <Stannis' stubborn adherence to the "law" really shone in this passage>

Stannis then tells Jon he wants to garrison the empty castles along the wall with his men. Argues that Jon is only using 3 of them, so Jon should permit him the rest. He also wants to grant lands to his lords and knights and Rattleshirt and Magnar of Thenn.

Jon tells Stannis that he intends to send Gilly and her boy away. Stannis questions this, since Mance's son uses Gilly as a milk-mother. Jon says there is no need for them here, that her boy is the product of her father, Craster. Stannis then quips "her father is her boy's father as well? Then send them away, for this is not King's Landing."

Jon then denies the Wall's castles to Stannis. He tells him that giving away castles and lands to Southern lords and knights will not win support from any northerners. Stannis is angered, and tells Jon that he made him Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, so he could make another. He then tells Jon he intends to grant Winterfell to Arnolf Karstark, since he has Stark blood and plenty of heirs. It was around this time that Stannis, in his anger, drew Lightbringer, and light rippled up the blade in red, yellow, and orange hues. <this seemed important to me, I'm fuzzy on Lightbringer's characteristics, but could this be an indicator (or one of many indicators) the sword is NOT Lightbringer?>

Stannis then gives Jon 1 year to man the empty castles, or Stannis will take them with or without Jon's permission.

Jon is then walked out by Melissandre. She tells Jon that Stannis is growing fond of him. Jon says "I can tell, he only threatened to behead me twice." Melissandre then tells Jon to fear his silence, not his words.

Melissandre then goes on to tell Jon that she sees him in her flames a lot now. Jon gives her a wary look. She then tells him that even though the gods are perfect, their prophets are not, so sometimes signs are misinterpreted. <perhaps this is an indication that her belief in Stannis is failing, and that now she thinks Jon may be the one. Another possibility is perhaps the flames indicate Jon is a Targaryen?> She then talks about other things - how she is searching for Tormund, and that she knows Jon has a lot of enemies. Jon makes a comment that he is very aware he has enemies. She then tells him to keep his wolf close, and to fear the enemies that smile at him. The chapter closes with Melissandre saying "You know nothing, Jon Snow."

[Boaz]

Interesting.

This chapter obviously precedes the departure of Sam, Gilly, Aemon, and the singer from the Wall.

Stannis' comment on incest is curious. (Let me give at least one bizarre explanation.) Is it a reference to Cersei and Jaime or is it a specific reference to a man fathering a child upon his daughter in King's Landing? The latter would be a new twist to the story... does Stannis refer to the Targaryens? A member of the Small Council? Robert? Or could Stannis be referring to Mace and Margaery?

I'm not sold that Jon would know that Bran and Rickon are alive. Does a direwolf have to die with his/her human? Lady died, but Sansa lived... why can't the human die and the wolf live? Besides the reports about Bran and Rickon, Jon must have heard reports that Arya was lost and presumed dead. But he knows that Nymeria is still alive... so Summer and Shaggy could also presumably go on without Bran and Rickon. Jon knows that Robb, Grey Wind, and Lady are dead. He also knows that Nymeria, Summer, and Shaggy are still alive. He's heard that Bran and Rickon are dead and that Arya and Sasa are lost. We'll see what Jon can make of all this.

We can see the set up for Davos' trip to the Manderlys at White Harbor.

The Karstarks are the only major house of the North to accept Stannis. This means that the Mormonts and the rest could provide safe havens for the Blackfish. Presumably by the time Riverrun falls to Jaime, the news that Bear Island is still a stronghold for the Stark loyalists has gone far and wide. Stannis has no power to sail the western seas... so if Brynden can avoid the squids, he might visit the Mormonts.

Arnolf Karstark (via Stannis) and Ramsay (Snow) Bolton (via the Lannisters) are both claiming Winterfell. It seems that the Umbers, Mormonts, Reeds, Cerwyns, Glovers, Hornwoods, Tallharts, and the smaller houses of the North probably don't want to support either claimant. But the Manderlys, with their money, may be the deciding factor. Bran, Rickon, Sansa, and the real Arya are all still out there, too.

[TK-421]

Jon is a Targaryen...Jon is a Targaryen...but still a bastard. At least he's got it to stand up to Stannis.

Isn't that interesting. The gods are perfect but their prophets are not. Melissandre may be an evil, twisted being but she always makes for good reading.

[red_temple]

Originally Posted by Boaz

Stannis' comment on incest is curious. (Let me give at least one bizarre explanation.) Is it a reference to Cersei and Jaime or is it a specific reference to a man fathering a child upon his daughter in King's Landing? The latter would be a new twist to the story... does Stannis refer to the Targaryens? A member of the Small Council? Robert? Or could Stannis be referring to Mace and Margaery?

To me, in the context of the reading and the way it was said by George, this was fairly obvioulsy aimed at the Jaime/Cersei children. This line got a *lot* of laughs from the audience, and George even cracked a smile and had to pause.

[Dolorous Edd]

Originally Posted by red_temple

Stannis then gives Jon 1 year to man the empty castles, or Stannis will take them with or without Jon's permission.

Ooooh, interesting. Jon's gotta get more men now.

/me rubs hands together at the prospect of a full strength Night's Watch

[Winters_Sorrow]

Having Jon's authority openly flouted by Stannis and his cronies will not make for a happy working relationship

It's very interesting to her about Melissandre building up her own powerbase and, however tentatively, breaking some of her links to Stannis.

I think she's pretty certain he's not AA now and it looking for alternatives in her 'flames'. Got lucky with Jon but Jon isn't as stupid/desperate/disgruntled as Stannis was so it'll be interesting to see how she tries to get under his skin. Sex possibly? She's got red hair, already used Ygritte's line on him so that may confuse him a little.

Glad to hear about the Karstark/Mormont/Bolton crisis. I think once you throw the wildlings into the mix, the entire North is going to fragment into warring factions and beat seven hells out of each other.

Thanks for the excerpt, RT

[Jaxom_Ruatha]

Aren't the Karstarks cousins of the Starks or something like that. I thought they were close and extremely loyal to the Starks, it might not be such a bad thing if they overtook the strewardship of Wetfall.

[Winters_Sorrow]

Originally Posted by Jaxom_Ruatha

Aren't the Karstarks cousins of the Starks or something like that. I thought they were close and extremely loyal to the Starks, it might not be such a bad thing if they overtook the strewardship of Wetfall.

Yup, basically in the dim & distant past a Stark low down the pecking chain started his own off-shoot family with links to the Starks.

The betrayal of Lord Karstark against Robb Stark after the loss of the Kingslayer and the death of his own heirs put the spanner in those works however, and now they're regarded as a 'renegade' house - leaderless & loyal to no-one.
So in other words...cool.

[TK-421]

I always liked the Umbers more than the Karstarks. Great Jon is a good character and VERY loyal to Robb. Anyways, the frog eaters will set them all straight.

Will Melissandre now see Jon as AA reborn? Wait until she meets Dany and the dragons...

[the smiling weirwood]

Wetfall? What? And what did Stannis mean when he said that he put Jon in his position? It was the scheming of Samwell Lord of Ham that got Jon where he is. I've always hated Stannis and his blindly self-serving stiff-necked so-called righteousness. Aghh! The presumption! Stannis is the only character I truly hate. He's like that snotty little kid that tattled on everybody in school because they "broke the rules". What a little sh*t.

[Boaz]

tsw, your post is much too ambiguous. Could you please clarify you feelings toward Stannis?

Btw, what is Wetfall? Is that the description for Balon's death?

[Aegon the Unworthy]

Remember Robb beheaded Richard Karstark for killing the two younger Lannisters he had captive. So any Karstark on the throne of Winterfell would most likely be dedicated to burning out the Starks root and branch. As opposed to helping Bran and Rickon, and even Jon if it comes down to it. Though the protection of the Nights Watch vows kinda makes it a moot point.

In retrospect the vows they take as a member of the nights watch are beautiful things.

As for Lightbringer...or the alleged Light Bringer of Stannis....doesnt Aemon make it a point to point out its not actually on fire, I dont know if one of the characteristics of the sword is that it "actually" has flames or if theyre supposed to be illusion. But Im going to assume that its supposed to be aflame, because Aemon is a smart guy. If so then the current LB is a fake right...so then the source would be Melissandres magic....which would make me confused because why the heck would she make a sword only an illusion of flame...shes got the whole flame thing going for her, right?

Maybe Melissandre isnt who shes cracked up to be....Thoros seems to serve an enlightened benificent god....I dont know what Im getting at....I just derail threads then walk away...

[Dolorous Edd]

Actually, i think he aks Jon if he felt any heat from the blade.

[Winters_Sorrow]

Originally Posted by Boaz

Btw, what is Wetfall? Is that the description for Balon's death?

In reference to Jaxom's earlier post mis-spelling Winterfell.

I believe the description of Balon's death was Wetfallsplat!

[Jaxom_Ruatha]

Oops, didn't even realize it! Is there no way to edit on here except the second after you post something? I guess not since it would cause more confusion than it's worth.