Recaps

Aermir told Eddard that the Night's King and his army of the dead were real, then explained why he planned to fight the Vale as well as prepare for the northern threat. He intended to weaken the Vale during the coming war so it could not use the aftermath to invade the North and convert it to the Faith.

• Aermir convinced Eddard that the Night's King existed by recounting what he learned through the weirwood root network.
• Aermir argued that the other kingdoms would likely send levies while keeping their elite forces in reserve, leaving the Riverlands and his own forces to bear the main burden.
• Aermir showed Eddard the Forced Invitation Curse on his ankle and admitted that he did not believe he could defeat the Night's King in a direct battle.
• Aermir warned that the Faith might exploit a depleted North after the war to convert it, and said the Vale's fanatical lords made it the likeliest force to carry out that plan.
• Aermir told Eddard he would keep the Vale on the same battlefield as his forces and ensure it emerged from the war too weak to threaten the North.

Aermir told Eddard that he would continue fighting in the Vale until the mountain tribes received land, then traveled to Newkeep to negotiate with Jon Arryn. The talks turned violent when Galen Hersy confronted Aermir over his weapons sales to the mountain clans.

• Aermir refused to reveal how he would counter other kingdoms and told Eddard he would not seek peace until after two more battles.
• Aermir said he would accept peace if Jon gave the mountain tribes Coldwater Burn and Newkeep, and urged Eddard to persuade him.
• Aermir, Eddard, and Gerold Grafton arrived at the coast, where Sith's roar frightened the Vale's knights and horses.
• The party crossed a mountain pass to Newkeep, where Aermir met Jon Arryn, Galen Hersy, and Gerold Grafton to discuss peace.
• Aermir admitted he had sold weapons to the mountain clans, and when Galen tried to seize him, Aermir punched him and grabbed his throat.

Aermir confronted Jon Arryn and the Vale lords over their hypocrisy and demanded that they acknowledge the Vale’s defeat and surrender. Jon restrained Lord Grafton and apologized, trying to keep negotiations peaceful.

• Aermir choked Lord Hersy for attacking him after offering bread and salt, then released him when Jon Arryn intervened.
• Aermir admitted he had supplied weapons to the Vale’s enemies and accused the Vale of hypocrisy for selling weapons to the Ironborn.
• Aermir defended the Mountain Clans and declared that he had come to accept the Vale’s surrender, not to ask for a favor.
• Jon Arryn called Aermir out for overstepping, and Aermir threatened to resume the war and said his sword saints could kill the Vale lords before help arrived.
• Lord Grafton reached for his sword, but Jon stopped him and apologized to Aermir before proposing that they return to peaceful negotiations.

Aermir presented Emre the Druid’s peace demands to Jon Arryn, whose losses and dwindling supplies made continuing the war dangerous. Eddard Stark urged Jon to accept peace, warning that fighting the Mountain Clans could draw Aermir, the Old Gods, and northern lords into a larger conflict.

• Aermir told Jon Arryn that the Vale had offered no meaningful help against the Ironborn and handed him Emre the Druid’s demands for peace.
• Jon received reports of more Mountain Clans marching north and agreed that he needed at least a truce to avoid being trapped between armies.
• Jon reviewed the Vale’s losses and food shortages, including the burden of feeding ten thousand troops stranded on the Paps.
• Eddard urged Jon to make peace, arguing that the Vale had been defeated and that Aermir’s demands were not unreasonable.
• Jon refused to yield, fearing that accepting terms from Aermir would make the Vale a laughingstock.
• Eddard warned that the Mountain Clans could turn to Aermir and the Old Gods for help, and that the Vale could face Aermir’s forces and northern allies as well.

Aermir argued with Eddard over weakening the Vale, warning that the North would face attacks after the Night's King was defeated. After four days of talks with Jon and the Vale lords, Aermir proposed a hunting party to ease tensions.

• Eddard challenged Aermir for planning to weaken the Vale and warned that his actions would harm innocent people.
• Aermir said he needed Vale manpower against the Night's King and believed the other kingdoms would threaten the North afterward.
• Aermir told Eddard to stop warning Jon, or he would attack the Vale with everything he had.
• After four days of discussions with Jon and the Vale lords, Aermir suggested a hunting party to break up the tense negotiations.

Aermir arranged a hunt to ease tensions during the peace negotiations, where spell gems let Eddard Stark and Harrick demonstrate enhanced strength. The hunt ended with Aermir confronting Lords Grafton and Belmore over their insults about his parents, and he vowed to make Grafton regret them.

• Aermir persuaded the gathered lords to pause negotiations for a hunt, and Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark agreed.
• Eddard used Aermir's spell gem to boost his strength and killed a charging boar with his spear, astonishing the Arryn knights.
• Harrick used spell gems to fight a mountain lion bare-handed, endured scratches, and killed it by snapping its neck.
• Grafton and Belmore insulted Aermir and his parents while walking through the forest, unaware that he was nearby.
• Aermir shot two deer with precise arrows, confronted the lords, and threatened to make Grafton regret insulting his late parents.

Aermir used his shapeshifting and martial strength to overpower Grafton and Belmore’s knights after they insulted his parents. He left both lords with shattered legs, warning them that they would be cripples for the rest of their lives.

• Aermir approached Grafton and Belmore, transformed himself, and challenged their twenty knights to fight him unarmed.
• Aermir broke the bones of the first four knights, then caught arrows fired at him and hurled them back to incapacitate two more.
• Aermir defeated the remaining knights in less than a minute, leaving Grafton and Belmore terrified.
• Grafton tried to flee while Belmore begged for mercy, but Aermir kicked Belmore down and broke both his legs in two places.
• Aermir caught Grafton as he tried to crawl away, broke both his legs, and left him unconscious.

After Aermir crippled two Vale lords who attacked him, Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark argued with him over responsibility and peace. An arrow struck Aermir during negotiations, prompting his men to protect him and withdraw as Jon tried to prove he had not ordered the assassination attempt.

• Maester Eddrick told Jon Arryn that the injured lords needed both legs amputated, and Jon ordered him to proceed while insisting their injuries came from a landslide.
• Aermir told Lord Stark that he had maimed the lords in self-defense after they insulted his parents and attacked him with weapons.
• Jon Arryn challenged Aermir over his treatment of the Vale lords, while Eddard Stark urged them to pursue peace.
• An arrow struck Aermir in the right shoulder during negotiations, and Ser Harrick accused the Vale men of attempting to assassinate him.
• Aermir's men formed a shield and began retreating with him and Eddard as Jon Arryn denied involvement and sent a messenger to ensure they could enter the castle.

Jon questioned Lord Grafton about the attempt on Aermir’s life, while Aermir admitted to Eddard that he had arranged the attack on himself to prevent peace with the Vale. Aermir insisted he would keep his promise to leave Drasil and his army on the Three Sisters and Pebble, but said he needed another army to divide the Vale’s forces.

• Jon questioned Lord Belmore, who denied involvement in the attempt on Aermir’s life, and Jon believed him.
• Jon confronted Lord Grafton, who denied arranging the attack but said he wanted to thank whoever had done it.
• Jon left Grafton’s room angry and suspected the Druid and Aermir were behind the Mountain Clans’ disciplined movements, though he lacked proof.
• Aermir and Eddard rode through the mountain pass with their men, and Eddard accused Aermir of arranging the arrow attack.
• Aermir told Eddard he had staged the attempt to make peace with the Vale impossible and said he would keep Drasil and his army on the Three Sisters and Pebble.
• Aermir said he needed another army to divide the Vale’s forces, leaving the Vale to station a considerable force along the coast of the Bite.

Jon assessed the Vale’s depleted forces and food supplies, then ordered grain bought for the coming war. At the Wall, Rickon continued training with Skadi while guarded by four Skinchangers, hoping to learn how to create a Magic Heart and use magic.

• Jon learned that the Vale could raise only thirteen thousand additional soldiers for a short campaign and would run out of food if the war lasted more than two months.
• Jon tasted a baked potato and ordered his adviser to buy enough grain to feed the Vale until the Riverlands’ next harvest.
• Rickon stayed at the Wall to train and observe Skadi while Aermir was away, spending much of his time with Shaggydog, Stoneclaw, and Silverwing.
• Robb and Commander Mormont executed a hundred mutineers from the Three Sisters, after which the recruits began to settle into the Night’s Watch.
• Dacey Mormont, Ariana Umber, Gric of Riddle, and Adru of Greywater followed Rickon as guards while he watched Skadi cast ice-shard spells beneath the weirwood.

Rickon Stark discovered that fire-element magic naturally resonated with him after struggling to absorb other forms of mana. Aermir learned of Rickon’s breakthrough and left his army to hurry to the Wall and help him.

• Rickon watched Skadi practice magic beneath the weirwood and struggled to contain mana, while Adru lit a fire to warm him.
• Rickon realized that the different colors of Magic Hearts reflected distinct magical natures, and that raw ley-line magic overwhelmed him.
• Rickon saw red strands of fire-element magic around the campfire, absorbed them successfully, and recognized his natural affinity for fire.
• Rickon called for Skadi to summon Aermir after finding a way to absorb magic, raising hopes among his companions that they could learn too.
• Aermir received an urgent message about Rickon while preparing to besiege Hongor Castle, concealed his army, and traveled by weirwood jumps toward the Wall.

Rickon discovered a way to draw fire-element mana into his body, but creating a magic heart would require far more of it than the bonfire could provide. Aermir decided to take Rickon and Sith to the volcano on Skagos while Adru and Dacey followed by land.

• Rickon, Adru, and Dacey built a bonfire beneath the weirwood, but the surrounding ice mana suppressed its flames and Rickon made little progress.
• Aermir arrived through a portal in the weirwood and heard Rickon explain how he controlled mana and gathered fire-element mana around his heart.
• Rickon explained that he wanted to create a magic heart so others could learn to sense and manipulate mana.
• Aermir strengthened the bonfire with fire spells, but Rickon could not absorb the mana because Aermir was controlling it.
• Aermir chose to take Rickon and Sith to the volcano on Skagos, telling Adru and Dacey to follow as quickly as they could.

Jon watched Lord Commander Mormont discipline the arrogant Ser Robert Waynwood, then ventured beyond the Wall with Benjen and his brothers. After an attack by northern wildlings, Sam worried over their dying warning that death was coming for them, and Benjen agreed to investigate.

• Ser Robert Waynwood refused to share a room or associate with common brothers, so Lord Commander Mormont ordered him beaten for his defiance.
• Jon joined Benjen on his first expedition beyond the Wall with Sam, Pyp, Grenn, and Eddard.
• Northern wildlings attacked the party, and Jon saved Sam from a fatal blow.
• Benjen questioned a wounded wildling, who said everyone was dead and that death was coming for them before he died.
• Sam told the others he believed something was wrong with the wildlings, and Benjen promised they would follow the trail in the direction they had come from.

Aermir brought Rickon to Skagos Island, where Rickon absorbed the volcano’s fire elements and formed a Magic Heart. After hours of stubborn practice, Rickon cast his first Fireball Spell and fell asleep in Aermir’s arms.

• Aermir used Earth Sensing at the volcano and found fire magic within its depths as Rickon recognized the chance to forge a Magic Heart.
• Rickon drew in fire elements and spent two days forming his Magic Heart while Aermir built a shelter and arranged food.
• Rickon finished forming his Magic Heart, ate, and began practicing the Fireball Spell with Aermir’s guidance.
• Rickon refused to rest and kept trying to cast Perzis despite his exhaustion.
• Rickon finally formed a small fireball, then passed out from sleepiness as Aermir caught him.

Aermir trained Rickon in elemental magic, then helped Rickon and himself teach Dacey and Adru to sense mana and begin forming Magic Hearts. Dacey completed the process and discovered that the forest continuously buffed her, while Adru’s training was still underway.

• Aermir taught Rickon first-level elemental spells and trained him in combat, correcting his direct attacks and urging him to use movement and nature spells.
• Dacey and Adru followed Berus through the forest and found Aermir and Rickon training; they knelt and asked Aermir to teach them.
• Aermir and Rickon taught Dacey and Adru to sense mana, discovering Dacey’s nature affinity and Adru’s earth affinity.
• Dacey attuned to nature mana in a day, while Adru took three days to sense earth mana in the mountains.
• Aermir and Rickon guided Dacey and Adru as they gathered mana into their Magic Hearts, then left them to absorb the energy on their own.
• Three days later, Dacey finished forming her Magic Heart, discovered she received a constant forest buff, and hugged Aermir in delight.

Dacey and Aermir spent the night together after she confessed her desire for him, and Dacey accepted that their relationship might never become marriage. Meanwhile, Aermir’s main force remained concealed west of Strongsong as a diversionary detachment misled the Vale lords and strained Jon’s resources.

• Dacey asked Aermir to be with her, and he eventually gave in to their mutual attraction as they spent the night together.
• Dacey woke sore but without regret, sensing the magic of her newly created Magic Heart and accepting that she could be Aermir’s lover without becoming his wife.
• Aermir returned with food, healed Dacey, and heard her insist that she wanted to stay with him until he found someone to marry.
• Dacey and Aermir set out to find the other two.
• The Vale lords continued searching the mountain passes, unaware that Aermir’s main force had secretly redeployed west of Strongsong.
• Aermir’s 1,000-man diversionary force drew the Vale’s attention with hit-and-run attacks, while Jon watched his army consume costly supplies.

Aermir and Dacey discussed her determination to remain free and why she trusted him to respect her as an equal. Far beyond the Wall, Jon and the rangers found a massacre and began investigating, while Jon sensed something unnatural at the scene.

• Dacey urged Aermir to act as himself and explained that she would not let marriage or gossip limit her freedom.
• Dacey told Aermir that she loved him because he respected her as an equal, and insisted she could defend her own honor.
• Aermir and Dacey rejoined Rickon and Adru, then waited two days while Adru prepared to create his magic heart.
• Jon, Benjen, Pyp, Sam, Eddard, and Grenn found the remains of women, children, and elderly people in a clearing beyond the Wall.
• Benjen ordered the rangers to investigate the massacre and identify those responsible before reporting back to Castle Black.
• Jon used his bond with Ghost to search the scene and sensed that something unnatural had occurred there.

Aermir learned that Jon and his companions were near an Other and rushed toward the Wall after ordering his friends back to the temple. Skadi warned Jon and Benjen to flee, but Aermir had not yet reached them.

• Adru and Dacey continued their sparring match while Aermir watched and heard Skadi warn that an Other was near Jon and his friends.
• Aermir ordered Dacey and the others to return to the temple, then flew toward the Wall while Sith carried them across the Bay of Seals.
• Aermir reached Deepdown Castle, opened a Root Path through its weirwood, and vanished through the portal as the smallfolk prayed.
• Skadi landed near Jon, who sensed her warning of deadly danger and told Benjen and the others they needed to turn back.
• Benjen agreed to retreat with the group and report what they had found to Castle Black.

Aermir risked crossing beyond the Wall to reach the Fist of the First Men and use its powerful ley-line convergence, hoping to help Jon despite the Night's King's curse. Bran dreamed of Jon being pursued by a deadly shadow and persuaded Eddard and Robb to leave for Castle Black at once.

• Aermir realized Jon's party was in danger but feared crossing the Wall would expose him to the Night's King's curse and tracking.
• Aermir sensed powerful magic at the Fist of the First Men and decided to teleport there, accepting that he might be unable to return south.
• Bran dreamed that an ominous shadow swallowed a white direwolf and awoke convinced that Jon was in terrible danger.
• Bran hurried to Eddard and warned him about Jon, but Eddard dismissed the dream as a nightmare.
• Robb suggested that they visit Jon, and Eddard agreed to go to Castle Black after Bran urged them to leave immediately.

Aermir summoned and fused elemental powers to create flames capable of rejuvenation and purification. As the Night's King's influence overwhelmed him, he transformed the Wildfire Spirit and began a ritual to purify the mark on his ankle.

• Aermir summoned a powerful nature elemental using water, earth, and the ley lines' pure mana.
• Aermir sacrificed the nature elemental and merged its vitality with a fire elemental, awakening rejuvenating power in its green flames.
• Aermir commanded the Wildfire Spirit to devour the combined elemental, creating a massive dark green wolf infused with crimson fire.
• As the Night's King's influence drained and weakened him, Aermir ordered the Wildfire Spirit to transform itself into the essence of purification.
• Aermir chanted before the monolith as the purification ritual began, and the flames around him shifted into rainbow hues of emerald and silver.

After completing the purification ritual, Aermir was transported to a frozen wasteland where he faced the Night's King and his Others. He summoned and fortified his familiars, then led them into battle against the Others.

• Aermir unleashed the Wildfire Spirit and cast Reogumen, shattering the seal around his mark before a fissure swallowed him.
• Aermir awoke on a snowy plain before the Night's King and realized he was physically present and able to use his replenished mana.
• The Night's King offered to add Aermir to his army, while Aermir challenged his claim that the living were doomed and tried to draw out more information.
• When the Others charged, Aermir raised an earthen dome, summoned his familiars, and protected them and himself with layered shields and Stoneskin.
• Aermir mounted Sith and burst the dome with an earth spell, knocking back some Others before leading his familiars into the fight.

Aermir and his familiars fought the Night's King and his Others, but their attacks barely slowed the ice-armored enemies as Aermir's mana ran low. He caught the Night's King off guard with a surprise strike empowered by nearly all his remaining strength, and the chapter ended in an explosion of flame.

• Aermir summoned a Wildfire Spirit and a medium fire elemental, then assigned his familiars roles against the Night's King and the advancing Others.
• Artio, Skadi, Bo, Im, Wannian, and Jilim attacked the Others, but their shields, armor, and resilience blunted most of the familiars' blows.
• Aermir and the fire spirits fought through the enemy ranks, while the Night's King extinguished most of their flames and supported the Others with ice magic.
• Aermir used Rain of Fire to kill several Others, but the growing enemy numbers and his dwindling mana left his side close to defeat.
• Aermir dove into the earth to surprise the Night's King, empowered his halberd with Blade of Flame and Transformation, and struck the Night's King's ice-armored arm in a huge explosion.

Aermir fought the Night's King but was overwhelmed as his familiars fell and his magic ran out. The chapter left Aermir close to surrendering as the Night's King prepared to bring the Long Night.

• The Night's King regenerated his arm, overpowered Aermir, and declared himself invincible.
• Aermir battered the Night's King while his familiars fought the Others, but Bo and Erebus were frozen, Artio and Berus were overwhelmed, and Sith was pierced by an ice spear.
• The Night's King's army killed Aermir's remaining magical allies as he watched helplessly and lost sight in both eyes.
• The Night's King stabbed Aermir with a black-ice dagger, and Aermir kept fighting until he could no longer raise his arms.
• Aermir closed his eyes and considered surrender as exhaustion and despair overtook him.

Aermir escaped the Night's King's mindscape after realizing the mark had let the enemy invade his mind, and reunited with his familiars beneath the weirwood. Bran Rivers investigated the emerald pillar of light and its guarded animals, then withdrew to warn the Night's Watch.

• Aermir realized the Night's King was using the mark to trap him in his mindscape, regained control, and forced the Night's King to disappear.
• Aermir awoke beneath the fir tree with his familiars around him and explained how the Night's King had nearly killed him.
• Aermir learned that visitors had waited nearby while he was unresponsive.
• Bran Rivers saw an emerald pillar of light beside the weirwood and went to investigate.
• Brandon spotted Aermir among the gathered animals, but a Shadowcat confronted him and warned him away from the weirwood.
• Brandon backed off and hurried to warn the approaching men of the Night's Watch.

Mance Rayder tried to persuade Styr to unite the Free Folk against the Night's Watch as a mysterious green pillar appeared in the sky. Aermir learned that his ritual had lasted two days and Jon's group was about to be caught, so he rode Sith to their rescue.

• Mance Rayder and Tormund Giantsbane urged Styr to unite the Free Folk, but Styr doubted their warnings about the dead.
• A green pillar of light appeared, and Mance called it a summons from the Old Gods, causing Styr to reconsider.
• Jon and his companions fled through the frozen forest while Ghost sensed a threat behind them, and Sam stopped to rest.
• Jon's group saw a pillar of light beyond Skirling Pass and the Frostfangs.
• Aermir learned from Skadi that Jon and his friends were in danger and from Bo that his ritual had taken two days.
• Aermir leaped onto Sith and ordered him to run.