Recaps

Jon and his companions stopped at Skirling Pass despite his warnings that a dangerous nonhuman presence was following them. The chapter ended as a mysterious creature emerged from the mist and darkness, while Ghost began to change.

• Sam argued that the group should stop fleeing, and Pyp and Grenn agreed that they needed rest and a defensible position.
• Benjen accepted Sam's reasoning, so the group climbed onto a rocky formation, built a fire, and rested while Eddard cooked an arctic hare.
• Jon remained worried because Ghost was increasingly anxious and believed the pursuer was not human.
• A strange screech echoed through Skirling Pass, and Jon urgently told everyone to leave, but the others drew their swords and torches instead.
• Mist and darkness revealed small icy eyes above eight larger pulsing spheres, and Ghost began to take on a more solid, frightening form.

Jon, Benjen, Sam, Edd, and Ghost fought an Other and a giant ice spider, but Pyp and Grenn were killed and later raised as undead. The chapter ended with Benjen burning Grenn in the campfire and Jon decapitating the undead Pyp.

• An Other riding a giant ice spider attacked Jon and the Night’s Watch brothers, while Ghost, Sam, and Edd used torches to hold off the spider.
• Pyp’s sword shattered when he attacked the Other, and the Other killed him with an ice sword.
• The Other killed Grenn and left Jon and Benjen alive as Pyp and Grenn’s bodies began to rise as undead.
• The spider wounded Edd and Sam, while Ghost was poisoned after tearing off one of its legs.
• The undead Pyp attacked Jon and the undead Grenn fought Benjen; Benjen kicked Grenn into the campfire, and Jon cut off Pyp’s head.

Aermir raced to rescue Jon and Benjen from an Other and arrived just as they were about to be killed. He destroyed the Other with powerful magic and healed Benjen, while Skadi held off the spider.

• The Other killed Pyp, shrugged off Benjen’s burning log, and wounded Benjen while overpowering Jon.
• Aermir hurried toward Jon’s party as Skadi reported that the Other had caught up with them and was toying with them.
• Aermir dove into the clearing and used fire and wind magic to break the Other’s ice shield, while Skadi distracted the spider with ice shards.
• Aermir healed Benjen and used earth magic to blast the Other before killing it with a magically shaped fire arrow.
• The Other disintegrated into grains of ice as Aermir finished healing Benjen.

Aermir defeated the ice spider, revived the lich to test its weakness, and brought the rescued Night’s Watch party back to the Fist of the First Men. There, he learned that the Free Folk were gathering nearby and tried to persuade Commander Harald Stone to prevent a conflict and prepare for the walking dead.

• Aermir had Artio kill the ice spider, then tested the lich and learned that decapitation only temporarily stopped it before burning it with fire.
• After Ghost recovered, Aermir transported Eddard, Sam, Jon, and Benjen toward the outpost on Artio and Berus.
• Aermir learned from Bo that the Free Folk were gathering in a hidden basin after mistaking his pillar of light for an invitation from the Old Gods.
• Commander Harald Stone questioned Aermir’s claim that the Old Gods had sent him to unite the people beyond the Wall, but agreed to avoid fighting the Free Folk unless they attacked.
• Aermir told Harald that the rescued Night’s Watch men would arrive by evening and could describe their experience with the walking dead.

Aermir entered the Free Folk’s basin and tried to prevent the tribes from attacking the Night’s Watch by claiming the Old Gods had chosen him to warn them about the Others. Sigrid withdrew her people, but Eric remained suspicious and accused Aermir of trying to keep the Old Gods’ power for himself.

• Ragnar, Sigrid, and Eric discussed approaching the Fist of the First Men and agreed they needed caution while claiming the sacred grounds.
• Aermir landed in the basin, avoided the Free Folk’s arrows, and introduced himself as a Druid sent by the Old Gods.
• Aermir summoned his familiars and elementals to demonstrate his power, while Eric and Branno Daywalker showed envy and suspicion.
• Aermir warned Ragnar and Sigrid that he would stop them from attacking the Night’s Watch and told them the Others were advancing.
• Sigrid chose to return to her village, while Eric accused Aermir of using his story to keep the Old Gods’ power for himself.

Aermir drove Regnar and Eric from the hidden basin after promising to arrange a chance for them to worship at the weirwood unarmed. At Castle Black, Eddard Stark learned about the growing threat beyond the Wall and decided to wait for Aermir, while worrying about his family and Aermir’s influence in the North.

• Aermir told Eric that the Old Gods would grant a Druid’s power only to the worthy and promised to seek a compromise with Jeor Mormont for worship at the weirwood on the Fist of the First Men.
• Aermir expanded a ring of fire around the group, and Sigrid left the basin having made a decision while Regnar and Eric returned to their village.
• Eddard, Robb, and Bran arrived at Castle Black and saw the exiles serving there under Aermir’s decree, with impaled deserters’ heads lining the road.
• Jeor Mormont told Eddard about the growing danger beyond the Wall, the pillar of light connected to Emre the Druid, and Jon and Benjen’s mission beyond the Wall.
• Eddard chose to remain at Castle Black until Aermir arrived and pondered the magical display, his family’s safety, and Aermir’s power in the North.

Jon and Benjen reported their encounter with the Others to a doubtful gathering at Castle Black, while Eddard considered Bran’s powers and Aermir welcomed the survivors. The chapter ended with the Night’s Watch leaders debating whether the threat beyond the Wall was real.

• Jon and Benjen recounted their battle with the Others and giant ice spiders, but most of the gathering doubted their report.
• Eddard realized Bran’s visions were real and suspected his son might be a warg and one of the Green Men.
• Aermir arrived at Castle Black, where Jeor thanked him for saving his life and Aermir said he had come at the Old Gods’ behest.
• Bran asked to join the Temple of the Old Gods, and Aermir told him he would need to undergo priestly training before he could become a Druid.
• Jon, Benjen, and other Night’s Watch men thanked Aermir before the leaders gathered to discuss the threat beyond the Wall.
• Alliser Thorne dismissed the reports of the Others and giant ice spiders as children’s stories and urged the Watch to focus on the wildlings.

Aermir intimidated the Night's Watch commanders after Alliser and Cotter doubted his account of the Others, and Jeor Mormont pleaded for their lives. He left convinced that the lords of Westeros would also need proof of the Night's King, while planning to grow stronger and acquire dragonglass.

• Alliser and Cotter questioned whether Benjen had truly encountered Others, prompting Aermir to release his magical aura and challenge their doubts.
• Aermir immobilized Cotter and frightened the commanders, while Bran sensed the Druid's powerful magic.
• Jeor Mormont knelt and begged Aermir to spare his subordinates, and Aermir released them with a warning.
• Aermir assigned Skadi to search for a straggling Other that he could capture and display as proof.
• Aermir considered his urgent tasks and resolved to obtain more dragonglass after discovering it was a weakness of the Night's King.

Aermir questioned Maester Aemon about the Night's Watch’s missing history and learned that the Citadel may have deliberately erased records. Eddard then asked about Bran’s strange dreams, and Aermir agreed to train Bran and his other sons as Druids under a strict condition.

• Aermir visited Maester Aemon and asked why the Night's Watch’s cooperation with the Free Folk and its true purpose had vanished from historical records.
• Maester Aemon suggested that the Citadel may have systematically rewritten history to serve its own interests.
• Eddard told Aermir that Bran had strange dreams and asked whether he might have the prophetic gift of the Green Men.
• Aermir said Bran should learn to control his powers among the other Wargs and promised to protect him.
• Aermir offered to teach Jon, Bran, and Eddard’s other children to become Druids, provided they did not share the knowledge without his permission.

Aermir told Eddard that the coming war against the Night's King required more troops, magical weapons, and dragonglass, then sent Caygan to gather intelligence on Dragonstone. At the Wall, Alaric Blackthorn tried to assassinate Aermir, who arranged to punish him and vowed to erase House Blackthorn.

• Aermir explained to Eddard that he had underestimated the Night's King and the Others, and that they needed more soldiers and magical weapons.
• Eddard said Dragonstone held large quantities of dragonglass, so Aermir sent Caygan a raven asking him to send Crow Guard there to learn about Stannis's situation.
• Aermir and Jeor Mormont agreed to let the Free Folk make a pilgrimage to the Fist of the First Men without weapons.
• Alaric Blackthorn attacked Aermir with a dagger, but Jeor restrained him after Aermir's defenses blunted the strike.
• Aermir identified Alaric as the son of Ser Raynard Blackthorn and arranged for him to be taken to the temple for execution, declaring that he would erase House Blackthorn from the Three Sisters.
• Aermir continued his mutation experiments, which had produced some small successes but still failed to mutate other people safely.

Aermir returned to Moat Cailin, secured the war gods’ promise to keep Magic Heart creation secret, and directed his council to address famine and expand trade. He then reunited with his aunt Bris, who urged him to marry and secure House Drasil’s future, while he encouraged her to consider marrying Jory Cassel.

• Aermir inspected the magical armory and discovered that Valyrian steel weapons had been made with Blood Magic, while Dark Magic might produce stronger weapons.
• Aermir summoned the war gods to the temple and made them swear not to teach anyone to create a Magic Heart without his permission.
• At the council meeting, Aermir ordered his personal granaries and winter reserves sold cheaply in exchange for labor and quadrupled the workforce on the strait project.
• Aermir learned that charcoal exports had fallen and ordered ten large trading wagons to establish routes to Loras or Ibben.
• Bris confronted Aermir with marriage proposals and insisted he needed an heir for House Drasil.
• Aermir teased Bris about marrying Jory Cassel and urged her to consider the match.

A masked man and his five masked companions slaughtered the Night's Watch escorting Alaric Blackthorn to the temple. After learning that the Druid was experimenting on Alaric’s father and planned to do the same to him, the masked man decided Alaric could be useful and took him along.

• Harald and the Night's Watch beat Alaric Blackthorn while taking him to the temple, and Alaric's hatred of the Druid and the Seven deepened.
• A masked man appeared, demanded to know why the Druid was sending Alaric to the temple, and ordered his companions to kill the escort.
• Five figures in white masks leaped from the trees and killed Harald and the other Night's Watch men.
• The masked man questioned Alaric, who explained that the Druid was experimenting on his father and had threatened him with the same fate.
• After Alaric said he would rather die than help the Druid, the masked man decided to take him along because he could be useful.

With Aermir absent, Ulf tried to keep the mountain army from attacking Strongsong, but Toruin challenged his leadership and called for a duel. Ulf defeated Toruin, leaving the clans’ dispute unresolved.

• Toruin urged the chieftains to attack Strongsong, while Ulf insisted they wait for Aermir’s guidance.
• Rolf criticized Ulf’s reliance on the Druid, and Ulf punched him to the ground and warned the others not to disrespect Aermir.
• Toruin declared that the Red Smiths would attack Strongsong and accused the Moon Brothers of serving the Druid.
• Ulf challenged Toruin to a duel under the Moonlight Pact, and the two fought with their magical greataxes and armor.
• Ulf disarmed Toruin and kicked him away, winning the duel.