Welcome to my A Dance with Dragons re- read. This week we are rejoining Davos in White Harbor, and checking in with Daenerys.
Davos has been imprisoned in a dungeon in White Harbor, and learning a few things. He is surprised to hear that the northmen at one time did blood sacrifice. Finally a man comes for him, but not to execute him. The man is Robett Glover, a bannerman of the Starks. He takes Davos to a room where Wyman Manderly, lord of White Harbor, is waiting for him and tells him that Manderly faked Davos' death. Manderly tells him that they owe a debt to House Stark they can never repay, and that his throwing Davos into a cell was all a ploy.
"When treating with liars, even an honest man must lie. I did not dare defy King's Landing so long as my last living son remained a captive."
Manderly explains that the Freys have corrupted several of his servants and two of his knights, so he has to be careful. And then he has Glover bring in a boy who happens to be Wex, the former squire of Theon Greyjoy. Turns out Wex survived when Winterfell was captured... and he saw Ned Stark's youngest son and Osha leave. He knows where they went. Manderly has been building ships for over a year and says he has a dozen petty lords and a hundred knights, and he will pledge them to Stannis if Davos does something for him. He wants Davos to bring him the boy and his direwolf.
COMMENTARY:
This is one of my favorite chapters of the book. After all the crap the Starks have been through, it's nice to see a lord who keeps the faith and remains loyal. Two actually... we see what Robett Glover has been up to. Together Glover and Manderly seem a good team, and they want Davos to bring the Stark boy back. That should be interesting. Manderly may be fat and seem foolish, but he's playing a game with the Freys and is loyal to Stark.
DAENERYS V
Dany is reflecting on how she doesn't have a fleet, as the ships of Meereen fled when she took over and now have gone to the enemy. The Shavepate brings her a report that Hizdahr has been visiting the pyramids, and he says that Hizdahr either knows who the Harpy is, or he is the Harpy. He would like to torture him and bring Dany a confession, but she says no. The killings have stopped and Dany is happy for that, regardless of how Hizdahr is accomplishing it.
Grey Worm comes to her and tells her that a rider came from Astapor, a rider on pale horse, and he was diseased. He brought word that Astapor was burning. She remembers the foretelling about the pale mare and tells Barristan to recall the Stormcrows, and brown Ben Plumm's mercenaries as well. She hears a harrowing tale of how Astapor fell, and how the people of that city were waiting for her to rescue them. She talks with her advisers and gets conflicting advice, but decides to stay and fight. Barristan asks her to let him ride out and meet her enemies. She realizes if her forces do ride out, she is vulnerable in the city... and she makes a decision. She asks for Hizdahr.
COMMENTARY:
We are reminded again that Brown Ben Plumm was fond of dany's dragons, and they were fond of him as well. Wonder if that will come into play at some point... and clearly she has made the decision to marry Hizdahr, in order to buy herself breathing room in Meereen.
No comments:
Post a Comment