Chapter Summaries

After waking in a peasant’s body in the Riverlands, Corleone discovered a system that granted him a dangerous skill before a band of riders arrived at Lord Finn’s farm. The newcomers announced they had captured Jaime Lannister and were taking him to Riverrun, leaving Corleone face-to-face with figures from the War of the Five Kings.

• Corleone woke beaten and bound in an apple tree, learning that the farmhands believed he had tried to steal Lord Finn’s apples.
• Corleone realized he had transmigrated into the Riverlands and saw a system identifying him as a doctor with a surgery skill.
• The system granted Corleone a free draw, giving him Fate’s Gambit, which could protect him from one attack and let him execute an enemy if they continued attacking.
• A company of riders arrived at Lord Finn’s lands, and their leader asked the steward for apples while introducing the group as knights sworn to Roose Bolton.
• The leader announced that they had captured Jaime Lannister by order of Robb Stark and revealed Jaime, with a severed hand hanging from his neck, and a bound woman on a horse.

Corleone watched Vargo Hoat and the Brave Companions pose as northerners before they attacked a farm and slaughtered its people. Facing death himself, Corleone claimed he could treat Vargo Hoat’s infected ear, and Vargo spared him for now.

• Vargo Hoat and the Brave Companions tricked the farm steward into letting them stay, then attacked and killed the steward and his guards.
• Vargo Hoat’s men hunted down the farmhands, while Brienne protested and Vargo beat her and threatened her and Jaime.
• Vargo Hoat spotted Corleone tied to a tree and ordered a companion to kill him.
• Corleone offered to treat Vargo Hoat’s infected ear, warning that the infection could cause a deadly fever.
• Vargo Hoat stopped the killing, threatened Corleone if he failed, and complained that the apple he picked was unripe.

Vito Corleone treated Vargo Hoat’s infected, necrotic ear under threat from the Brave Companions. After Urswyck tried to kill him, Yego protected Corleone and asked him to keep Jaime alive on the journey to Harrenhal; Corleone agreed and introduced himself as Vito Corleone.

• Corleone examined Vargo’s infected ear and explained that the dead tissue had to be removed, while Vargo beat Brienne for biting it off.
• Corleone used a heated blade to excise the necrotic ear and surrounding tissue, then rinsed and bandaged the wound with hot saline and honey.
• After the operation, Urswyck choked Corleone until Yego threatened him with a blade and forced him to let go.
• Yego told Corleone that Urswyck wanted Vargo dead so he could take command, and warned Corleone to keep Vargo alive until Qyburn treated him at Harrenhal.
• Yego asked Corleone to treat Jaime’s wounds and ensure he survived the journey; Corleone accepted and asked Yego to remember his name, Vito Corleone.

Vito Corleone treated Jaime Lannister’s severed wrist and tried to restore his hope by telling him about a one-handed ranger who mastered fighting with his left hand. Jaime and Brienne agreed to trust Corleone’s plan to get them back to King’s Landing, and Corleone identified Urswyck as the key to their escape.

• Brienne called Corleone a criminal for saving Jaime, but he defended his actions as necessary for survival and urged Jaime not to give in to despair.
• Jaime asked whether Corleone could reattach his hand, and Corleone offered to try for one million gold dragons before testing Jaime’s remaining nerve response.
• Corleone told Jaime about Coldhands Colin, a ranger who trained his left hand to surpass his right, giving Jaime a reason to believe he could adapt.
• Corleone proposed getting Jaime and Brienne back to King’s Landing in exchange for payment, and Jaime promised him a bathtub full of gold dragons.
• Corleone named Urswyck as their opening and said he would force him to help, promising to make him an offer he could not refuse.

Corleone entered the woods to meet Urswyck and used his medical knowledge to impress him while torturing Derek. He gained Urswyck’s interest and proposed using their skills to decide who would hold the title of Earl of Harrenhal.

• Corleone walked through the orchard of hanged tenant farmers and thanked Rorge for escorting him to Urswyck.
• Corleone found Urswyck torturing Derek, Ser Finn’s son, and offered advice on how to inflict lasting pain without killing him quickly.
• Corleone took Urswyck’s dagger and stabbed Derek in the thigh, demonstrating his method while explaining that he acted for business, not revenge.
• Impressed by Corleone’s precision, Urswyck asked him to teach the technique.
• Corleone introduced himself as Vito Corleone and urged Urswyck to use their precision and control to decide who would hold the title of Earl of Harrenhal.

Vito Corleone persuaded Urswyck to consider killing Vargo Hoat and defecting to Tywin Lannister in exchange for Harrenhal. To prove his loyalty, Vito killed the bound Derek, and Urswyck welcomed him into the game of thrones.

• Vito reminded Urswyck that Vargo Hoat had claimed the rewards for the Brave Companions' work while Urswyck and the others received little.
• Vito said Vargo's fever would return and offered to ensure he died on the road before reaching Qyburn at Harrenhal.
• Vito proposed that Urswyck take Jaime Lannister's severed hand to Tywin and seek the title of Earl of Harrenhal.
• Urswyck demanded that Vito prove his resolve by killing the bound Derek.
• Vito killed Derek with a precise dagger strike, and Urswyck praised him and welcomed him into the game of thrones.

After earning ten gold dragons from Urswyck, Corleone spent them on a system skill draw and gained Insight, which helped him read people and their reactions. While changing Vargo Hoat’s bandages, he saw signs of infection and told Yego that Vargo would soon die, leaving the Dothraki to seek a new khal.

• Urswyck paid Corleone ten gold dragons and accepted him as one of the Brave Companions.
• Corleone spent all ten gold dragons on a skill draw and acquired Insight lv1.
• Rorge warned Corleone that Yego was difficult to deal with, then left to join his companions for a drink.
• Corleone entered the cabin, tested Yego’s reactions, and began changing Vargo Hoat’s bandages.
• Yego explained that Dothraki followers abandoned a dead khal to follow new strong leaders.
• Corleone found yellow-green traces and worsening redness around Vargo’s wound, then told Yego to find a new khal because Vargo would not live much longer.

Corleone told Yego that Vargo Hoat was dying and revealed he had agreed to Urswyck’s plan to sabotage the operation. He then offered Yego a chance to pledge allegiance to him and challenged him to test his claimed power with a bet.

• Yego threatened Corleone with his curved sword after seeing that Vargo’s wound was infected.
• Corleone blamed Vargo’s worsening condition on his own actions and warned that he would die within three days.
• After Yego lowered his sword, Corleone admitted Urswyck had asked him to kill Vargo during the operation.
• Corleone argued that Yego should seek a stronger leader and asked him to pledge allegiance to Corleone instead.
• When Yego mocked Corleone’s lack of fighting skill, Corleone claimed he had been reborn with the power to see through fate.
• Corleone flipped a Gold Dragon and challenged Yego to swing his sword at him, betting that the blade could not cut off his head.

Vargo Hoat woke from surgery with a painful throat and ear wound, then led the Brave Companions and their prisoners toward Harrenhal. Corleone remained behind at the farm, where the flayed farmer hung among the corpses.

• Vargo blamed his pain on drinking, accepted Yego’s account that his arakh had broken, and gave him a steel longsword.
• Vargo ordered Corleone woken and prepared to leave for Harrenhal with Jaime and Brienne as prisoners.
• Urswyck reported that he had sent a raven to Tarth to seek ransom for Brienne, while concealing his malice from Vargo.
• Corleone flicked a gold dragon toward Jaime, whose breathing quickened as he watched the doctor.
• Vargo’s company rode away through the fog, leaving Corleone at the farm beside the hanging bodies, including the flayed farmer.

As the Brave Companions rode toward Harrenhal with Jaime Lannister and Brienne captive, Jaime suspected that Vito Corleone was secretly aiding him. Corleone silently signaled Jaime to keep quiet, leaving Jaime convinced that the farmer was more than he appeared.

• The Brave Companions sang obscenely as they rode with loot from the Riverlands, while Jaime mocked Robert Baratheon and Brienne defended the late king.
• Jaime told Brienne he did not need to trust Corleone and said the man reminded him of his father, but Yego struck Jaime and ordered the prisoners to be silent.
• Urswyck challenged Yego over the treatment of Jaime, and their supporters gathered until Vargo Hoat ordered everyone to stop fighting and continue toward Harrenhal.
• Brienne checked whether Jaime was hurt, and Jaime revealed a small curved dagger hidden in his sleeve.
• Jaime suspected Corleone had arranged for Yego to help him, and Corleone silently raised a finger to his lips before bowing to Jaime.
• Jaime gripped the dagger and decided that Corleone was more like a true lion than the Lannisters in his family.

As Vargo Hoat’s infected wound and fever worsened on the muddy road, he grew suspicious of Corleone and Urswyck. He rejected Corleone’s advice to ride ahead to Harrenhal and ordered Yego to watch the doctor while secretly arranging to kill Urswyck and three newcomers that night.

• Vargo’s wagon became stuck in the mud as Corleone changed his bandages and warned that his wound showed signs of severe infection.
• Vargo ordered Yego to kill Corleone, but Urswyck intervened and urged Vargo to wait until they reached Harrenhal.
• Vargo grew suspicious after seeing Urswyck and Corleone exchange a discreet look, and Corleone advised him to ride ahead with Yego and the doctor for urgent treatment.
• Vargo dismissed Corleone and sent him to examine Jaime and Brienne, then told Yego to watch the doctor and secretly order Zoro, Timon, Pagg, and the others to kill Urswyck and the three newcomers that night.

Corleone treated Jaime and won his trust by recognizing the deeper reason behind his broken oath. While pretending to follow Urswyck’s plan to kill Yego and prevent Vargo from reaching Harrenhal, Corleone failed to notice that Vargo had witnessed their exchange.

• Corleone treated Jaime’s infected wrist while warning him that the dead tissue needed to be removed.
• Jaime mocked Corleone and threatened him, but Corleone defended the choice Jaime had made when he broke his oath, leaving Jaime stunned and emotionally moved.
• Urswyck sent the guards to push the wagon and ordered Corleone to treat his uninjured hand.
• Urswyck quietly urged Corleone to poison Jaime or help kill Vargo before daybreak, then ordered him to kill Yego if fighting broke out.
• Corleone feigned reluctance but agreed to try, while Vargo watched the exchange with a dangerous look.

Vargo tried to prevent Urswyck from rebelling by promising him a share of Harrenhal, while both sides secretly prepared to kill the other when someone shouted their signal. As Vargo and Urswyck reconciled, the signal rang out, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Vargo told Yego that Zoro and two others would kill Urswyck and his men when they heard the shout, and promised Yego the position of second-in-command.
• Urswyck, suspicious of Vargo, sent Rorge to give Corleone a dagger and order him to kill Yego at the same signal.
• Vargo drew Urswyck away from the campfire and reminded him of their shared past, warning that Roose Bolton might sacrifice the Brave Companions.
• Urswyck reconsidered his plans, chose the promise of Harrenhal over rebelling, and extended his arm to Vargo in reconciliation.
• As Vargo clasped Urswyck's arm, someone shouted, "Long live... the Brave Companions!!!!"

Corleone provoked Zoro to create an opening, and Yego killed Zoro before declaring loyalty to the Brave Companions, triggering a chaotic camp-wide battle. Vargo and Urswyck fought each other in the woods while Corleone watched safely from a tree.

• Corleone demanded a roast leg of lamb from Zoro and stood his ground when Zoro threatened him.
• Yego kicked Corleone down, accused him of failing to treat Vargo, then killed Zoro with his sword.
• Yego shouted, "Long live... the Brave Companions!!!" and Rorge, Fang, and others attacked Vargo's allies, setting off a spreading melee.
• Confused neutral members joined the fighting, following Yego and attacking anyone they suspected of betrayal.
• Urswyck attacked Vargo after hearing the slogan, and the two fought until they lost their weapons and grappled, biting and clawing each other.
• Corleone climbed into a crooked tree and watched the camp descend into violence.

Jaime Lannister and Brienne fought their way into the chaos consuming the Brave Companions’ camp, while Corleone urged Jaime to value survival over heroism. Jaime confronted the badly wounded Vargo Hoat and offered him a fair duel, ordering him to pick up his sword.

• Brienne freed herself and Jaime, and they decided to attack the Brave Companions as the camp descended into infighting.
• Brienne choked a burly attacker while Jaime killed him with a dagger; she rejected Jaime’s approach as unchivalrous and charged into battle with a longsword.
• Corleone watched from a tree and told Jaime that simply staying alive was enough, but Jaime defended doing what one believed was necessary even if it seemed foolish.
• Vargo Hoat killed Urswyck at the cost of his left eye, then abandoned the collapsing camp because his wounds left him too weak to stop the rebellion.
• Jaime blocked Vargo from taking his broadsword, held him at swordpoint, and challenged him to a fair duel by ordering him to pick up the weapon.

Jaime Lannister fought Vargo Hoat despite his missing right hand and killed him after Yego sided with Corleone. Jaime reclaimed his confidence and reminded Corleone that he still owed him a bathtub full of gold dragons.

• Vargo attacked Jaime, but his injuries and missing eye made his strikes inaccurate while Jaime struggled to fight with his left hand.
• Jaime wounded Vargo's wrist, but Vargo tricked him into looking away, disarmed him, and cut him with a dagger.
• Corleone arrived with Yego, who ignored Vargo's pleas and tossed Jaime the sword Vargo had given him.
• Vargo collapsed from his fever, and Jaime thrust the sword through his throat, killing him.
• Jaime threw his severed hand onto Vargo's corpse and told Corleone he would pay his debt in gold dragons.

Corleone treated Jaime Lannister’s infected wrist and asked him to regard their hard-won bond as a friendship. Jaime reflected on the comrades he had lost and introduced himself to Corleone as a Kingsguard, offering his left hand.

• As dawn broke after the revolt, the Dothraki scavenged the camp while Brienne knelt in prayer.
• Corleone carefully cut away the dead flesh from Jaime’s wrist, stitched the wound, and dressed it with honey.
• Jaime praised Corleone’s medical skills and asked how a farmer had learned to treat wounds.
• Corleone said they each had secrets and asked Jaime to show their friendship the same consideration he had shown Jaime’s.
• Jaime remembered his lost sworn brothers and the end of his fellowship with Barristan, then introduced himself to Corleone as Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard.

Corleone persuaded Jaime to travel through Harrenhal despite Brienne's objections, while the group took the wounded Rorge alive. Jaime chose to trust Corleone, leaving Brienne feeling betrayed and rejecting their friendship.

• Brienne and Yego argued over who had defeated Rorge until Corleone claimed the wounded man and ordered Yego to keep him alive.
• Jaime asked how Corleone planned to get them through the northern soldiers' blockade, and Corleone proposed going through Harrenhal.
• Corleone challenged Brienne over her failed oaths, and Jaime stopped her when she reached for her sword.
• Brienne accused Corleone of planning to sell them to Roose Bolton, but he explained that Harrenhal was their quickest route back to King's Landing.
• Brienne tried to drag Jaime away, but Jaime said he trusted Corleone and called him a friend; Brienne rejected both Jaime and Corleone as friends.

At Harrenhal, Roose Bolton considered how Robb Stark’s broken marriage pact and Catelyn Tully’s release of Jaime Lannister had left the northern army in a perilous position. Walton reported that the Kingslayer had been found and was now at the castle gate, though Vargo Hoat had not brought him back.

• Roose Bolton dismissed the curse of Harrenhal and reviewed the army’s dwindling supplies.
• Roose judged that Robb Stark’s broken pact with Walder Frey had cost the northern army a vital ally and severed its supply routes.
• Roose blamed Catelyn Tully for releasing Jaime Lannister and worried that Vargo Hoat had left Harrenhal without permission to pursue him.
• Walton told Roose that the Kingslayer was at the castle gate, but clarified that Vargo Hoat had not brought him there.

Roose Bolton received Jaime Lannister, Brienne, Yego, and Corleone at Harrenhal, where Jaime and Roose exchanged threats over Jaime’s capture and severed hand. Corleone took over the negotiations as Jaime’s adviser, and his newly acquired Dignity skill unsettled Roose as the chapter ended.

• Roose Bolton received Corleone, Jaime Lannister, Brienne, and Yego in a reception room at Harrenhal.
• Brienne steadied Jaime’s roast beef so he could cut and eat it with his left hand.
• Jaime challenged Roose over whether he intended to claim the bounty, and Roose threatened to cut off Jaime’s other hand and send it to Robb Stark.
• Jaime threatened to blame Roose for the Brave Companions taking his hand, and both sides prepared for violence.
• Corleone interrupted and Jaime named him his personal adviser with full authority to speak on his behalf.
• Corleone used his Dignity Lv2 skill to project an imposing presence, leaving Roose shocked.