A Game of Thrones

Khal Drogo leads his people on an attack on the Lamb Men, who are “herders of sheep and eaters of vegetables” (655). Drogo saw a rival Khal attack the Lamb Men, so Drogo killed the other Khal and took his people prisoner along with the Lamb Men. He plans to sell these captives as slaves for the gold to build Daenerys ships to sail across the Narrow Sea. Daenerys is horrified to see the victorious Dothraki raping the captive women. She claims as many women as she can to be her own slaves so she can protect them. Drogo was severely wounded in the battle, but he dismisses the injury as minor and fields complaints from his highest-ranking men that Daenerys has forbidden them from raping the prisoners. Drogo is amused at how fierce Daenerys has become and tells his men to obey her. Among the captives is a healer and wise woman named Mirri Maz Dur. Mirri offers to help the wounded Drogo, claiming that she has studied many magical arts. Drogo’s bloodriders dismiss her as a witch, but Drogo concedes that the arrow in his arm must be removed and allows Mirri to tend his wounds.

Tyrion’s clansmen have been armed, and Tyrion is informed that he and his men have been assigned to the vanguard (the first wave of soldiers) in the upcoming battle; command will be given to Gregor Clegane. Tyrion, angry that he won’t be commanding his own men, finds his tent in the center of the clansmen’s camps. Bronn has recruited a “slim, dark-haired” sex worker at Tyrion’s request (667). Her name is Shae. Tyrion has also been assigned a squire named Podrick Payne, who is cousin to the king’s executioner. During the night they are awoken by trumpets and told that Robb Stark’s army is “less than a mile north […] forming up in battle array” (671). Tyrion’s vanguard performs unexpectedly well in the battle, though Tyrion understands that Tywin hoped he would die. Tywin held his own forces in reserve to swoop in and defeat Robb’s army. After the battle, Tyrion accuses Tywin of placing him and his men in a hopeless position and Tywin admits that this is true as “a feigned rout is less convincing” (681); he meant to give Robb false confidence. A messenger soon reveals that Robb was not even leading his army. Instead, Robb is “riding hard” (681) to Riverrun to defeat Jaime and break the siege.

Catelyn watches from the woods as Robb enacts his plan to capture Jaime Lannister. Robb plans to take advantage of the fact that Jaime is “restless, and quick to anger” (683). They lure Jaime away from his army and Robb springs a surprise attack in the Whispering Wood. Robb captures Jaime and three other Lannisters, though he loses important people of his own. Theon urges Robb to kill Jaime, but Robb plans to keep Jaime as a prisoner for leverage. He knows Tywin commands a large army and that his father is Cersei’s prisoner. Furthermore, Riverrun is still under siege by the rest of Jaime’s army. Theon is excited by the battle and boasts about capturing the kingslayer. Catelyn reminds the men that they have “won a battle, not a war” (689).

Drogo’s wounds worsen. He becomes so ill that he falls from his horse. Daenerys calls on the khalasar to stop, but she does not understand the significance of what has happened: The Dothraki believe that any man who cannot ride a horse, cannot lead a khalasar. A new Khal will be selected, based on strength. Jorah warns Daenerys that any new Khal will execute her and her unborn child to avoid “[risking] his fury when he grows to manhood” (695). Jorah wants Daenerys to run away with him to Asshai, where they can find a ship to safety in Pentos. Instead, Daenerys asks Mirri to use her magical knowledge to bring Drogo back to his full strength. Mirri warns Daenerys that blood magic is not simple and “only death may pay for life” (698). Daenerys tells Mirri to do the spell despite her men’s warning. Mirri kills Drogo’s horse as part of the spell, then vanishes into Drogo’s tent. She sings to summon the dead, but no one alive can see. Shadows dance along the tent walls, and Drogo’s most loyal men are horrified and try to stop the ritual by force. Jorah helps fight them off, and many run away in the chaos and confusion that ensues. Daenerys goes into labor while Mirri sings. Jorah calls for Daenerys’s handmaids, but they believe she is cursed and refuse to help. One of the dying bloodriders tells Jorah to take her to Mirri. Daenerys resists since Mirri forbid anyone to enter the tent and witness the dead dancing, but Jorah carries her inside.

Arya hides in the slums of King’s Landing, all the belongings she gathered have been stolen, but she still has Needle. As bells toll, she follows a crowd to the Great Sept of Baelor, a large public square. Ned is up on the stage, so far away that Arya can barely see his face “drawn with pain” (712). He is forced to kneel so that everyone can hear, he confesses that he is a traitor. The priest calls on Joffrey to be merciful, and Joffrey announces that Cersei and Sansa have pressed him to allow Ned to join the Night’s Watch. Joffrey smiles at Sansa, denounces “the soft hearts of women” (714), and sentences Ned to death. Sansa screams, and all the small council tries to dissuade Joffrey, but they cannot change his mind. Arya draws Needle and runs through the crowd, desperate to save her father. Before she gets far, Yoren, still in King’s Landing, recognizes Arya and forces her to watch him and not her father as he is beheaded with Ice, his own sword. He insists that Arya pretend she is a boy.

Bran tells Maester Luwin about his dream: The three-eyed crow led him into the Winterfell crypts, where Bran talked with his father. After the dream, Bran tried to get Hodor to take him to the crypts, but he wouldn’t go. Luwin offers to accompany Bran to the crypts to prove that Ned is not there. Osha carries Bran instead of Hodor. As they walk, Luwin has Bran recount his history by telling Osha about the previous Stark lords. They arrive at the empty tomb reserved for Ned, and Shaggydog, Rickon’s direwolf, leaps out at Luwin and bites his arm. Rickon is there and tells Luwin to leave his father alone; Rickon had the same dream as Bran. Taking the two Stark boys to his tower, Luwin insists that the boys’ dreams are due to worry and that they were just dreams. Osha says the children of the forest could tell him all about dreaming, which inspires Luwin to tell the boys about the children of the forest and their magic. The children of the forest “were people of the Dawn Age, the very first, before kings and kingdoms” (725). The conversation is interrupted by the wolves starting to howl and Bran whispering “It’s coming” (726). A raven with “dried blood on its wings” arrives with news of Ned’s death (727).