Chapter Summaries

Gary defeated Brienne in a duel but stopped before killing her when Arya and Bran intervened. Brienne began to doubt that Lady Stoneheart was truly Catelyn and asked to see the Wights before deciding what to believe.

• Arya asked Sandor who Brienne was as Gary and Brienne prepared to duel in the Training Yard.
• Gary disarmed Brienne with Falling Plum and left her with a severely wounded arm, but she insisted the Trial by Combat was not over.
• Arya stopped Gary from delivering the killing blow and demanded Brienne withdraw her accusation against Luke.
• Brienne said she had come to kill Luke on Lady Catelyn's orders, and Bran explained that their mother had been turned into a Wight and would not have sent Brienne after him.
• Brienne recalled Catelyn's past words, agreed to see the Wights before judging, withdrew her accusation for now, and collapsed unconscious.

Brienne woke healed in Winterfell and learned that the city’s refugees had been cared for under the Supreme God’s followers. Gary sent Melisandre and Little Deer to investigate the talking wights in Riverrun, while Arya and Bran headed elsewhere to keep them away from their mother’s remains.

• Brienne woke after several days and learned from Annie that Margaery had changed her clothes and arranged new armor for her.
• Brienne asked Annie to take her outside the city to see the refugee camp before meeting the King in the North.
• Gary told Melisandre that Edmure Tully had reported wights in Riverrun and gave her a letter and Catelyn Tully’s necklace for the mission.
• Melisandre asked to bring Little Deer to Riverrun, and Gary also assigned her a squad of northern soldiers and asked her to retrieve Catelyn Tully’s remains.
• Arya and Bran entered the study, and Gary told them to travel to the Crownlands rather than get involved in the Riverrun mission.
• Gary confirmed that the wight controlling Catelyn Tully’s remains could talk, startling Little Deer.

At the welcome feast, Tyrion informed Gary that Karhold had surrendered and the refugee resettlement was progressing, then revealed evidence that Lady Sybell Westerling had conspired with Tywin Lannister against Robb Stark. Gary arrested Sybell, while Jeyne Westerling denied knowing about the scheme and accused Tyrion of lying.

• Tyrion told Gary that Karhold had surrendered after Jon Stark and Davos persuaded its defenders, and that the refugee resettlement was proceeding smoothly.
• Tyrion reported that many northerners still worshipped the Old Gods in secret, while the two hundred thousand refugees had become followers of the Supreme God.
• Tyrion delivered a letter to Gary accusing Lady Sybell of conspiring with Tywin Lannister to break the Stark-Frey alliance and prevent Jeyne from bearing Robb Stark's child.
• Gary ordered Lajos Furlong and Dasheel Lugo to seize Lady Sybell, who accidentally revealed her connection to Tywin while protesting her innocence.
• Tyrion told Jeyne that her mother had given her moon tea and that Tywin had rewarded their family, while Jeyne tearfully denied his claims and threw bread at him.

Gary settled the aftermath of the Red Wedding and arranged for Arya and Bran to travel south with Melisandre and their escorts. Brienne joined them to protect the children, Sandor received a magically restored face, and Gary assigned twenty Northern soldiers for the journey.

• Gary dissolved Robb Stark and Jeyne Westerling's marriage, spared Jeyne and her children, and ordered the Westerlings placed under guard.
• Tyrion denied involvement in the Red Wedding, and Gary assured Bran and Arya that Tyrion was innocent.
• Gary ordered Melisandre to take the Westerlings to Riverrun and arranged for Arya and Bran to travel south toward the Crownlands.
• Arya crushed a drinking horn, and Bran demonstrated his skinchanging by making Summer write a greeting to Brienne.
• Brienne chose to accompany Arya and Bran, and Gary used magic to heal Sandor's scars and restore his missing ear.
• Gary agreed that the Ice Warriors would stay in Winterfell and assigned twenty Northern soldiers to accompany the southbound group.

Gary survived an attempt to poison him with the Strangler and uncovered a Faceless Men assassin hiding among the maids. He captured her after she tried to escape and sent the maids back to their posts.

• After Gary drank the poisoned wine and began vomiting purple blood, Tyrion sealed Winterfell while Melisandre identified the poison as the Strangler.
• Gary used Healing Magic to repair the damage and sweat out the poison, then went to the Godswood hot spring while Margaery followed him.
• Daenerys brought Gary the assassin's human-skin mask and explained that the culprit was a woman who had disguised herself as a maid.
• Gary gathered the maids and used his sense of belief in the Supreme God to expose the heretic assassin.
• The assassin wounded several maids and ran for the doorway, but Gary shot her with an ice arrow and broke her leg before healing the injured maids.

Gary captured a Faceless Man assassin who had tried to poison him and entered her dreams with Melisandre to learn how masks were made. They found no clue to the person who hired her, and Gary ordered that the masks be made only from the faces of evildoers and the dead.

• The Ice Warriors brought the wounded assassin to Gary, who removed her mask and learned she had used the face of one of his maids.
• Tyrion suspected Cersei or Mace Tyrell might have hired the Faceless Man, while Melisandre urged Gary to keep the assassin alive for her specialized knowledge.
• Gary and Melisandre entered the assassin’s dreams, found no information about her employer, and copied the method for making masks.
• Margaery kissed Gary goodnight and left with an uneasy Daenerys, while Melisandre recognized that Margaery was angry.
• Gary had the assassin taken to the dungeon and told Melisandre that masks could be made only from the faces of evildoers and the dead.

The Faceless Men abandoned their contract to kill Luke Stark after learning he served the ancient Supreme God, and Kindly Man sent Alchemist to negotiate for Stern Face’s imprisoned apprentice. In Sunspear, Prince Doran visited the imprisoned Princess Arianne, who blamed his weakness for the consequences of her failed plot to crown Myrcella.

• Kindly Man told Stern Face that his apprentice had failed to assassinate Luke Stark and that he must answer for it.
• Stern Face and other Faceless Men questioned the contract, and Kindly Man decided to abandon it after revealing the Many-Faced God’s revelation about the Supreme God.
• Kindly Man said he would send Alchemist to negotiate with Luke Stark and retrieve Stern Face’s apprentice from Winterfell.
• Prince Doran entered Princess Arianne’s room and ordered the guards to leave them alone.
• Doran told Arianne that Myrcella had been disfigured, and Arianne blamed his weakness for the harm she had caused.
• Arianne had plotted with Ser Arys and her friends to move Myrcella from Sunspear and crown her queen, but the plot was exposed, Ser Arys was killed, and Arianne was placed under house arrest.

Prince Doran revealed the secret plan he and Oberyn had pursued to avenge House Lannister and explained that Arianne’s inheritance had never been threatened. After the Faceless Men failed to kill Luke Stark, Doran planned to send Arianne and Quentyn to Winterfell to seek marriage alliances with Luke and Daenerys.

• Prince Doran told Arianne that he and Oberyn had secretly planned to overthrow the Baratheon kingdom and avenge Elia.
• Arianne revealed that she had misunderstood a letter to Quentyn as proof that Doran meant to disinherit her, and Doran explained that he had planned for her to marry Viserys and become queen.
• Doran explained that the plan to invade Westeros with Daenerys, the Dothraki, and the Golden Company collapsed after Robert captured Viserys and Luke Stark seized Pentos.
• Doran rejected Arianne’s suggestion to ally with the Reach and revealed that Luke was Rhaegar Targaryen’s son, possessed a dragon, and had Daenerys in his power.
• Doran admitted that the Faceless Men had abandoned their contract to kill Luke and ordered Arianne and Quentyn to travel secretly to Winterfell to seek marriage alliances.
• Arianne confidently declared that Luke would marry her.

Melisandre led her party to Riverrun and displayed the Supreme God's power by creating walls of fire to pass through the Lannister siege. After handing Lady Sybell Westerling's remains to Edmure Tully, Melisandre prepared to discuss the wights with him and Brynden Tully.

• Bran and Arya entrusted their mother's remains to Melisandre before their parties parted ways in the Riverlands.
• Near Riverrun, Melisandre rejected Little Deer's suggestion to enter by water and chose to approach the castle in full view of the besieging troops.
• When Lannister soldiers charged, Melisandre created two walls of fire and led her party through the passage between them to Riverrun's gates.
• Edmure Tully welcomed Melisandre and, at her request, spared Jeyne Westerling and her younger siblings while placing them under strict guard.
• Edmure ordered Lady Sybell's remains sent to the Lannister camp, then Melisandre told him she was ready to discuss the wights.

Melisandre, Brynden, and Little Deer traveled to the Brotherhood Without Banners’ hideout to confront Lady Stoneheart and establish who had resurrected Catelyn. Thoros recognized Melisandre, who said she had converted to the Supreme God, and drew his sword against her.

• Melisandre told Edmure and Brynden that Lady Stoneheart was Catelyn’s corpse controlled by magic and said she had orders from the King in the North, Arya, and Bran to retrieve it.
• Melisandre revealed that Little Deer was one of the Children of the Forest, then left Riverrun with her and Brynden.
• After riding for half a day, Melisandre showed the Brotherhood Without Banners her credentials and was led to Lady Stoneheart’s hideout.
• Lady Stoneheart rejected Luke Snow’s claim to the northern throne, while Brynden recognized her and Thoros stood beside her.
• Thoros recognized Melisandre, heard that she had converted to the Supreme God, and drew his sword.

Melisandre and Little Deer tried to subdue Lady Stoneheart and cleanse Catelyn's remains, but Lady Stoneheart's strange powers turned the confrontation against them. After Lady Stoneheart's howl left Melisandre unconscious, Melisandre awoke before a girl who revealed herself as R'hllor and accused her of betrayal.

• Melisandre summoned a ring of fire and attacked Lady Stoneheart, but Thoros intervened and was struck by four fiery spears.
• Little Deer wounded Brynden and disarmed him, then approached Lady Stoneheart to examine her.
• Lady Stoneheart sprayed acid into Little Deer's eyes, leaving her badly hurt, and Melisandre trapped Lady Stoneheart in flames.
• Lady Stoneheart burst through the flames, knocked Melisandre down, and attacked her while accusing her of betraying her god.
• Lady Stoneheart's howl made Melisandre lose consciousness, and she awoke before a red-haired girl who identified herself as R'hllor.

Melisandre returned from her encounter with R'hllor unable to remember it, while Brynden carried Catelyn Tully away. In Winterfell, Gary dealt with Val's complaints, and near King's Landing Arya and Brienne continued supporting Bran's surveillance until Arya encountered Jaqen.

• R'hllor offered Melisandre a chance to return, but she refused and was sent back to her body with her memories of the encounter gone.
• Thoros stopped the Brotherhood Without Banners from attacking Melisandre and her companions, and Brynden carried Catelyn Tully's body out of the ravine.
• Val confronted Gary about being neglected and his noisy nights; he carried her to her room, then went to sleep beside Margaery.
• Near King's Landing, Sandor and Brienne persuaded the twenty northern soldiers to return home, leaving Arya, Bran, Sandor, and Brienne at the stone house.
• Bran used his Skinchanger gift to watch the Lannisters, while Arya and Brienne gathered supplies and information in King's Landing.
• As Arya and Brienne left the city, Arya recognized Jaqen.

Jaqen met Arya on the road and later reached Winterfell to offer Gary a partnership on behalf of the House of Black and White. As Winterfell managed its refugees and grain supplies, news from the Reach revealed that the Ironborn had seized the Shield Islands.

• Brienne drew her sword to protect Arya when Jaqen appeared, but Arya recognized him as a Faceless Man and returned his iron coin.
• Jaqen told Arya he was traveling north to discuss cooperation with the King in the North, then disappeared into the refugees.
• Gary learned that grain from the Dreadfort had arrived and that Barristan and Davos's army was returning, while Highgarden could not send aid because the Ironborn controlled the Shield Islands.
• Margaery refused to take Daenerys and the dragons to defend the Reach, trusting Garlan to lead the Redwyne Fleet, and Tyrion reported that Sansa was betrothed to Willas Tyrell.
• Jaqen entered Winterfell in a stolen soldier's armor and told Gary that the Faceless Men had abandoned their assassination mission against him.
• Jaqen offered Gary a partnership on behalf of the House of Black and White.

Jaqen offered Gary a Westeros branch of the House of Black and White in exchange for three intelligence questions each year. Gary learned that Varys backed an impostor Aegon VI and that Jaqen suspected his identity was false, then used his last question to ask about Tyrion’s first wife, Tysha.

• Gary refused to let the House of Black and White establish a branch to compete with the Supreme God Faith, and Jaqen explained that it wanted to work in Westeros rather than gather believers.
• Jaqen offered to answer three questions a year with confidential intelligence, while Gary and Tyrion questioned what the arrangement would give the North.
• Gary asked whom Varys secretly supported, and Jaqen said Varys backed an impostor Aegon VI, the son of Illyrio Mopatis and a female descendant of House Blackfyre.
• Jaqen implied that Gary was also concealing his identity, prompting Gary to draw Falling Plum before Jaqen claimed Gary’s dragon blood was more ancient than House Targaryen’s.
• Gary asked where Tyrion’s first wife, Tysha, was, and Jaqen admitted the House of Black and White had no information but promised to investigate.

Gary agreed to let Jaqen remain in Winterfell as a maester after learning that he was Bertie Arias, a House of Black and White agent, and received a warning that Jaime Lannister planned to bring a vast force into the Riverlands. Gary summoned the northern lords and prepared to march south, while deciding how to deploy his giants and dragons.

• Gary agreed to House of Black and White cooperation and permitted Jaqen to stay in Winterfell as a maester, but barred him from the rookery and the castle’s affairs.
• Jaqen revealed that Jaime Lannister planned to gather twenty-eight thousand allied troops in the Riverlands and said the threat could come within two months.
• After Tyrion urged caution, Gary ordered ravens sent to summon the northern lords and announced that he would march on the Riverlands.
• Gary and Margaery discussed the shortage of giant plate armor, and he planned to take twenty giant cavalrymen south.
• Gary assigned Daenerys to command the three Dragons and planned to fight on a mammoth, while refusing to summon Krysalis from Pentos.

Melisandre and Little Deer left Riverrun for Winterfell with northern soldiers and Catelyn's remains, but a mysterious old woman attacked Melisandre on the road, accusing her of stealing the Primal Stone. Melisandre invoked Gary's power to fight the woman and her earth giants, leaving the battle unresolved as a massive earthen figure rose.

• Edmure overruled Brynden's objections and allowed Melisandre's party to leave Riverrun, while Daven Lannister ordered archers to attack them and Melisandre burned the arrows away.
• Melisandre's party traveled north past ruined Riverrun, where a strange old woman blocked the road and attacked them with a storm of leaves.
• The old woman demanded the Primal Stone and summoned seven earth giants, while Melisandre recognized the power behind the attack as divine.
• Melisandre sent Little Deer and the northern soldiers onward, then turned back alone to confront the old woman.
• Melisandre called on Gary for full access to the Primal Stone and used two fire snakes to destroy the earth giants.
• The old woman raised an enormous earthen figure from the ground as Melisandre continued feeding power to the fire snakes, her arms torn and bleeding.

Melisandre defeated the Crone of the Seven at Riverrun but was badly wounded in the fight and later stabbed by a possessed brigand. The Brigands Leader helped her escape toward Winterfell while he and his men stayed behind to fight the Crone.

• Melisandre destroyed the Old Woman after surviving her attack, then drank a Potion to slow her bleeding and sought a horse from the brigands at Riverrun.
• Melisandre told the northern deserters that Luke Stark had returned to Winterfell and offered to secure them forgiveness if they escorted her home.
• The Brigands Leader accepted Melisandre’s offer, but the brigand who fetched her horse stabbed her in the belly and prepared to kill her.
• The Brigands Leader saved Melisandre when an arrow killed her attacker, then sent her toward Winterfell while his men stayed to fight the Crone of the Seven.
• The Brigands Leader urged his men to defend the Queen of the North and make amends as the Crone possessed another brigand.

Melisandre was attacked by a Lannister force possessed by the Crone, but Jojen Reed intervened and revealed that the Seven were searching for the Primal Stone and had targeted Luke Stark. Melisandre rejected Jojen’s warning that Luke was doomed and insisted he would drive away the Long Night.

• Melisandre encountered a hundred Lannister soldiers on the Kingsroad, and the Crone possessed one of them and buried the soldiers and their horses alive.
• The Crone threatened Melisandre, but a pack of wolves attacked and killed its warhorse before Jojen Reed emerged and stopped it from killing her.
• Jojen told the Crone that the Primal Stone belonged to Luke Stark, and the Crone left its host before the wolves killed the surviving soldier.
• Jojen urged Melisandre to return to the Wall and warned her to stay away from Winterfell because the Seven had targeted Luke Stark.
• Melisandre accused Jojen of exposing Luke and declared that Luke would become the sun that drove away the cold and illuminated the Long Night.

Garlan Tyrell and the Redwyne Twins retook Arbor Castle through a secret passage while the Redwyne fleet confronted the Ironborn offshore. The chapter ended with Garlan facing Euron Greyjoy, the one-eyed Ironborn who had defeated the twins.

• Garlan realized the Ironborn had taken the Arbor despite House Redwyne's banner still flying, and learned from Paxter Redwyne about a secret passage into the castle.
• Garlan led the Redwyne Twins and more than two hundred soldiers through the passage while Paxter commanded the fleet against the Ironborn longships.
• The Redwyne soldiers surprised and killed the Ironborn guards and nobles in the castle, losing fewer than ten men.
• A soldier reported that a skilled Ironborn upstairs had wounded more than a dozen Redwyne men, and the twins rushed to confront him.
• Garlan found the twins defeated by a one-eyed man in black scale armor, identified him as Euron Greyjoy, and faced him.

Euron defeated Garlan with a poisoned powder, then revealed that Ironborn forces had taken Oldtown and summoned a colossal sea monster against the Redwyne Fleet. The Drowned God rose from the sea as the fleet faced destruction.

• Euron fought Garlan with vicious attacks and magic until he made Garlan inhale a poison powder.
• Euron gave the Redwyne twins an antidote for Garlan, then told them that only a third of the Ironborn forces were fighting in the strait and another third were on the island.
• Euron revealed that the remaining Ironborn forces had taken Oldtown and claimed his strange eye had helped destroy House Hightower.
• Violent waves battered the Redwyne Fleet as black tentacles rose from the sea and split its ships apart.
• Paxter Redwyne ordered the soldiers to attack the tentacles, but a colossal squid rose from the water and Euron called it the Drowned God.