Chapter Summaries

Aermir and his companions opened Pyke’s gates for the invading armies, then fought their way toward the great hall. Robert and the others drove the Ironborn back to Balon Greyjoy, whom Robert confronted on the Seastone Chair.

• Aermir sealed the guardroom doors while Caygan distracted the soldiers, and Harrick and Caygan killed the guards inside.
• After Bo signaled, Eddard Stark ordered the northern army to charge through the lowered drawbridge and raised portcullis.
• Aermir and the twins retrieved their armor and weapons beneath the guardroom, then joined the battle as the armies stormed Pyke.
• Aermir and Harrick pushed through the defenders on the spiral stairs while the Vale and Westerlands armies spread through the castle and Tywin’s men raided Pyke.
• Aermir strengthened Eddard with buffs, and the allied forces drove the Ironborn into the great hall.
• Robert and Harrick broke through the hall gates, and Robert threatened Balon Greyjoy as he sat on the Seastone Chair.

Balon surrendered Pyke after the Ironborn lost the main gate, and Robert spared him after Ned and Lord Royce argued against killing him. After the battle, Aermir healed the wounded and escaped the victory feast once Robert had celebrated him as a hero.

• Robert watched Aermir, Ser Selmy, and Jaime fight while he battled the Ironborn.
• Balon called on the Ironborn to stop fighting and surrender after the main gate fell.
• Robert urged Balon to take up a sword, but Balon knelt and begged for forgiveness.
• Ned and Lord Royce persuaded Robert to spare Balon and require him to swear fealty.
• Aermir returned as a Druid to heal the wounded, then left the feast after Robert made him drink eight more cups and declared him a hero.

After healing wounded soldiers, the protagonist sensed a dangerous force in the Iron Throne but recoiled before touching it. He then challenged the lords’ plans for Balon, arguing that their punishment would not end the Ironborn threat, and Robert asked him to propose another solution.

• The protagonist approached the Iron Throne, felt its unnatural power and his own unreadiness, and pulled back before touching it.
• The king and the lords divided the Iron Islands’ spoils, with Lord Stark receiving the island captives and eight hundred thousand gold dragons.
• The protagonist entered the council and asked how the lords intended to punish Balon.
• Lord Royce objected to the protagonist addressing a lord by name, and the protagonist rebuked him with a display of magic before Royce backed down.
• Robert said Balon’s son would be placed in Lord Stark’s custody and Balon’s treasury had been emptied.
• The protagonist argued that Balon’s son and lost wealth would not deter him or end the Ironborn threat, and Robert asked whether he had a better solution.

The narrator persuaded Robert to divide the Iron Islands’ rule between House Greyjoy and House Harlaw, then watched the plan spark conflict among the island houses. As the army withdrew, Robert announced a lavish tourney in Lannisport, where the narrator prepared to compete and Lord Frey arrived late.

• The narrator proposed making House Harlaw a rival power to House Greyjoy, and Ned supported the plan as a way to give Bear Island and the coastal towns years of peace.
• Robert proclaimed Rodrik Harlaw supreme ruler of the seas and rivers, granting him control over half the Iron Islands.
• Harlon Stonetree killed Balon Botley after Balon called Lord Harlaw a usurper.
• Robert announced a Lannisport victory tourney with large prizes, and the narrator looked forward to competing in archery and jousting.
• The tourney grounds were completed, and the narrator was matched against Lord Royce in the first joust while hoping to ride Sith.
• Lord Frey arrived on the eve of the competition, and Robert mockingly called him Lord Frey the Late.

The protagonist challenged Lord Royce to wager his bronze armor against Red Rain, arguing that the heirloom conflicted with Royce’s allegiance to the Seven. After defeating Royce in the joust, the protagonist claimed the armor and celebrated the victory, while Lord Stark looked displeased.

• The protagonist noticed faint traces of magic in Lord Royce’s bronze armor and proposed a wager, offering Red Rain for the armor.
• The protagonist questioned whether Royce could wear armor dedicated to the Old Gods while following the Seven, and a septon agreed that doing so bordered on blasphemy.
• Lord Royce accepted the wager after the protagonist challenged him to prove the Vale’s knights’ prowess.
• The protagonist repeatedly dodged Royce’s lance and struck his arm, wearing him down until Royce yielded after twelve clashes.
• The protagonist publicly demanded that Royce deliver the armor to his tent and celebrated for the North and the Old Gods as Lord Stark watched with a dark expression.

The protagonist explained to Lord Stark that his insult to Yohn Royce served a wider plan to strengthen the North, while concealing his ambition to unite the mountain clans against the Vale. He defeated Jason Mallister in the tourney’s second round, then joined the feast at Casterly Rock, where Boros Blount’s loss set him up to face Hosteen Frey next.

• The protagonist defended his treatment of Yohn Royce to Lord Stark, citing the North’s reputation and his intention to build its strength, while keeping his plan against the Vale secret.
• The protagonist told Lord Stark that he would accept Royce’s ancestral armor to study its magical properties.
• The protagonist defeated Jason Mallister on their third pass, then helped him up and praised his skill.
• Jorah Mormont defeated Lyle Crakehall, Jaime Lannister defeated Lord Hewett, and Hosteen Frey defeated Boros Blount, making Hosteen the protagonist’s next opponent.
• The nobles and knights gathered for a feast at Casterly Rock after the day’s tourney contests.

At the feast, Jaime Lannister challenged Aermir Drasil’s reputation, and King Robert arranged a friendly duel between Jaime and the Sword of Winter. In private, Tywin warned Jaime not to underestimate Aermir and ordered him to protect the Lannister name.

• King Robert urged Aermir Drasil to drink, then mocked the guests for failing to match him at drinking or swordsmanship.
• Jaime questioned Aermir’s achievements, prompting Jory Cassel to defend him and Aermir to rebuke both men for provoking a quarrel over wine.
• Eddard Stark explained Aermir’s titles, and King Robert arranged a friendly duel between Jaime and the Sword of Winter before the melee.
• Tywin scolded Jaime for insulting the northern lords and gave him intelligence reports detailing Aermir’s military accomplishments.
• Tywin warned Jaime that Aermir could be dangerous despite his age and ordered him not to let arrogance tarnish the Lannister family’s name.

Aermir Ser Drasil defeated Jorah Mormont in the joust and won the tournament, then faced Jaime Lannister in the melee. After a prolonged duel in which he relied on defense and agility, Jaime taunted him as the fight continued.

• Aermir Ser Drasil mocked Jaime Lannister after Jorah Mormont defeated him, then assured Lord Tywin Lannister that he would answer any challenge from Jaime.
• Aermir Ser Drasil jousted against Hosteen Frey and advanced to the final round.
• Jorah Mormont honored Lynesse Hightower before the final joust, but Aermir Ser Drasil unhorsed him on their seventh pass and won the prize.
• Aermir Ser Drasil gave his gold prize to Lord Stark for safekeeping and prepared for the melee against Jaime Lannister.
• Aermir Ser Drasil evaded Jaime Lannister's attacks and landed a blow, but Jaime remained in the fight and taunted him.

Aermir defeated Jaime Lannister in the tournament duel and joined the fifteen-against-fifteen melee. He fought to limit injuries, but the melee remained underway as he brought down Lyman and Hosteen Frey.

• Aermir used his foresight, swordsmanship, and Trap Spell to defeat Jaime Lannister, who dropped his sword and left the arena.
• Robert Baratheon praised Aermir and called the warriors to take their places for the melee; Caygan brought Aermir his horse and crescent halberd.
• Thoros of Myr set his sword ablaze, frightening horses, but Aermir calmed his mount with Command Animal and incapacitated Thoros with a halberd blow.
• Aermir used Command Animal to disrupt the opposing horses while the warriors fought across the battlefield.
• Lyman Frey struck Aermir’s leg with a spear, but Aermir hit Lyman’s shoulder and then stabbed Hosteen Frey in the leg, sending both brothers from their horses.

Ser Drasil won the melee after defeating Blackfish and Lord Mallister, then received gold and was ennobled by King Robert. The king offered him land as well, but Ser Drasil intended to refuse it to avoid provoking the other nobles.

• Ser Drasil helped defeat the remaining fighters, struck down the Mountain, and won his bouts against Blackfish and Lord Mallister.
• Lord Mallister yielded to Ser Drasil, and the crowd hailed Ser Drasil as champion after his victories in the joust and melee.
• King Robert rewarded Ser Drasil with gold and announced that he would make him a noble of the realm.
• King Robert asked Lord Stark whether Ser Drasil should also receive land, but Yohn Royce objected to granting him landed status at once.
• Ser Drasil considered the political risks of accepting land and resolved to refuse the offer while keeping his ambitions concealed.

Aermir asked King Robert to assign Tobho Mott to work exclusively for him for two years, then won the tournament’s archery contest and completed a sweep of its three championships. As the lords departed, Aermir planned to build his influence in the North and remained wary of Balon Greyjoy’s uncaptured brothers.

• Aermir declined another grant of land and asked King Robert for Tobho Mott’s exclusive services for two years, with the crown paying the smith’s wages.
• At the archery contest, Aermir, Anguy, Jalabhar Xho, Balon Swann, and Dick the Fletcher advanced to the longer ranges, while Balon Swann and Dick the Fletcher were eliminated at eighty meters.
• Aermir and Anguy tied at the hundred-meter target, then wagered that Anguy would enter Aermir’s service if Aermir won, while Aermir promised him all his gold if Anguy won.
• At 120 meters, Aermir shot three arrows in rapid succession, striking the bull’s-eye twice and splitting one arrow with another; Anguy’s shots fell short of matching him.
• Aermir won the archery championship, completing his victories in the joust, melee, and archery contests.
• As the lords left, Harlaw was confirmed as lord of the Iron Islands and Theon Greyjoy was placed in Eddard Stark’s custody, while Aermir worried that Victarion, Aeron, and Euron Greyjoy might threaten the North.

A red-haired woman confronted the other beings in an underground crypt, demanding that they leave the Druid to develop into a worthy opponent. They agreed not to interfere until he established a new order, while she revealed her longing for the battles of the Age of Heroes.

• A white-clad man asked why the elderly woman had called the meeting, and she demanded to know where the others were.
• The elderly woman accused the red-haired woman of killing her subordinates to conceal the Druid, and the red-haired woman defended her actions and warned the others not to interfere with him.
• The red-haired woman argued that war and chaos would serve their interests, and the man in white agreed they should wait until the Druid established a new order before intervening.
• The red-haired woman recalled fighting the Dawn Emperor and said she wanted another grand battle.
• The beings left the chamber to continue influencing events in the human realm from the shadows.

On the journey back to Winterfell, the protagonist discussed the exiled Jalabhar Xho’s lost throne and advised him to abandon his claim. He then told Lord Stark he wanted to rebuild Moat Cailin and explained his plan to address the growing influence of the Faith of the Seven in the North.

• The protagonist spoke with Jalabhar Xho, who explained that he had lost his throne in a sacred duel and was exiled.
• Jalabhar Xho lamented that the Iron Throne had refused to support him, and the protagonist warned that reclaiming his throne would leave him facing rebellions; Jalabhar fell asleep before replying.
• Lord Stark asked the protagonist why he had refused a title and what he planned to do with his wealth, and the protagonist said he hoped to receive land when he was older.
• The protagonist told Lord Stark he wanted to become the gatekeeper of the North by rebuilding Moat Cailin, rather than settling somewhere that would cause greater territorial disputes.
• The protagonist said he planned to persuade House Manderly to abandon its faith over time, warning that the Faith of the Seven could spread through the North; Lord Stark rejected any suggestion of a conspiracy against the loyal house.

Aermir returned to Winterfell after the war, bringing Sith and the spoils of victory as the people welcomed the northern army. He asserted his new status to Lady Stark and discussed the Warg abilities he and his familiars were discovering.

• Aermir arrived at Winterfell after two months on the road and reflected on the war’s losses and his growing animal intelligence network.
• Aermir greeted Robb, who had been acting lord of Winterfell while Lord Stark was away.
• Lady Stark stopped Robb from approaching Sith and scolded Aermir for bringing the Shadowcat into the inner castle.
• Aermir reminded Lady Stark that he was now a nobleman and hero of the North, then introduced Sith and explained their Warg bond.
• Sith told Aermir that Robb and Winterfell carried a magical scent, and Aermir replied that Robb was also a Warg.
• Lady Stark suggested Aermir had Wildling blood, and Aermir laughed and promised to remind her of her words later.

The protagonist explored the weirwood network and dreamed of crossing the Wall, where the Night's King seized him and cursed his ankle. Back in the Godswood, he sealed the curse within the mark but collapsed from exhaustion, leaving its threat unresolved.

• The protagonist reached nearly every weirwood south of the Wall but could not pass an unseen barrier in the roots.
• After a ritual strengthened his power, the protagonist dreamed that he flew north and crossed a wall of auroras into an icy mountain.
• The Night's King captured the protagonist and burned a handprint into his ankle before an old, mist-shaped man pulled him away.
• The protagonist woke in the Godswood and summoned Sith to bring him a sheep while he carved runes into a stone stele.
• The protagonist used a Wildfire Spirit, Searing Flame, and a sheep-sacrificed Life Burst to weaken and seal the curse within the ankle mark.
• The protagonist collapsed from exhaustion with the curse sealed but still present.

Lady Stark led soldiers into the Godswood to confront Sith after the Shadowcat stole a sheep, but they found Aermir unconscious beneath a pillar of light and Sith protecting him. As Lady Stark pressed the guards to attack, Sith fought them without killing anyone, while Bo forbade her from harming the Northmen; the confrontation continued with Lady Stark demanding that Sith be driven away.

• The Shadowcat broke into a livestock shed, stole a sheep, and fled toward the Godswood, prompting a guard to seek Ser Rodrik.
• Lady Stark learned the beast had gone to the Godswood and secretly ordered a guard to delay reporting the incident to her husband.
• Lady Stark gathered about eighty soldiers and led them into the Godswood, where they found Aermir unconscious beside Sith under a pillar of light.
• Sith asked Bo whether she could eat the humans, but Bo ordered her to protect Aermir without harming anyone.
• Lady Stark persuaded the hesitant soldiers to attack Sith, who dodged and retaliated against them while trying not to kill them.
• When a guard realized Sith was protecting Aermir, Lady Stark rebuked the soldiers and continued ordering them to drive Sith away; Sith asked Bo to let her bite Lady Stark, and Bo refused.

Sith fought off Catelyn Stark’s soldiers and killed one attacker, while her mana roar briefly worsened Aermir’s struggle with the curse. Eddard arrived, stopped the confrontation, and learned that Aermir was unconscious but stable as silent crows gathered around the Godswood.

• Sith endured the soldiers’ attacks until Bo urged her to make an example of one; she spared Catelyn but tore a soldier apart and threw his body toward her.
• Sith’s mana-filled roar frightened the soldiers and disrupted Aermir’s mana, prompting Bo to scold her before Aermir regained control a few minutes later.
• Eddard arrived with Ser Rodrik and the knights, ordered the soldiers to retreat, and slapped Catelyn after she blamed Sith and demanded that she be killed.
• Jory Cassel warned that the knights could not defeat Sith, and Eddard told Catelyn that she had knowingly endangered their house by attacking Aermir’s familiar.
• Eddard checked Aermir and questioned Sith, who confirmed with paw signals that her master was all right and had given no order to attack the barn.
• As Eddard awaited Maester Luwin, he saw more than a hundred silent crows surrounding the Godswood.

Eddard stripped Catelyn of her authority over Winterfell’s soldiers and warned her against antagonizing Aermir, while concealing his true identity and power. After waking from his encounter with the Night’s King, Aermir realized the undead threat was real and began considering ways to scout the far North, but a scream interrupted him as he spoke with Bran and Rickon.

• Maester Luwin examined Aermir and said he needed rest and food, so Eddard revoked Catelyn’s authority over Winterfell’s soldiers and knights.
• Eddard confronted Catelyn in their chambers, warned her about Sith’s strength and Aermir’s achievements, and demanded she stop her hostility toward him.
• Aermir woke to find his familiars worried and realized the Night’s King had drained much of his mana; he suspected the Wall might prevent the Night’s King from crossing south.
• Aermir considered taming a snowy owl to scout the far North and learned from Bo that Sith had been hurt while he was unconscious.
• Aermir found Bran and Rickon climbing on Sith, told them to leave her alone, and heard Bran admit they had run away from their nurses.
• A piercing scream sounded nearby, and Aermir turned toward it.

The narrator teaches Rickon and Bran that Sith and other beasts are dangerous by making them watch Sith hunt a sheep. Afterward, the narrator confronts Lord Stark about a more urgent matter, and the room grows cold as his anger rises.

• The narrator warns Rickon not to treat Sith or his direwolf like pets after a maid mistakes Sith's play with him for an attack.
• Sith admits she would kill anyone who climbed on her head, and the narrator explains to Rickon and Bran that wild animals can be dangerous.
• The narrator has Sith kill and eat a sheep in front of the children, frightening Rickon into understanding the danger of beasts.
• The narrator treats Sith's injuries and goes to Lord Stark's solar, where Lord Stark suggests choosing a sigil for his house.
• The narrator rejects the discussion of a sigil as a distraction from more urgent matters, and the room's temperature drops as his anger rises.

The protagonist confronted Catelyn for trying to kill his familiar, Sith, and warned her that her status gave her no authority over him. He used magic to make her believe venomous spiders were crawling over her, leaving her frozen in terror until Lord Stark returned.

• The protagonist rejected Lord Stark's plea to forgive Catelyn and said he would punish her without physically harming her.
• He entered Catelyn's room and rebuked her for her arrogance, explaining that he did not serve her and that Lord Stark had cleared the area of witnesses.
• The protagonist showed Catelyn his Icicle Snake, Im, and threatened to use animals to kill her if she tried to harm him or his familiars again.
• He demonstrated his immunity to poison by letting a spotted spider bite his palm, then used Glome Agri to make Catelyn see spiders covering her body.
• The protagonist released Catelyn's hands and ordered her to remain still until Lord Stark returned, leaving her paralyzed by fear.