A Feast for Crows-Chapter 19

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The Drowned Man
A Feast for Crows chapter
AFeastForCrows.jpg
POV Aeron Greyjoy
Place Nagga's Hill
Page 267 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
The Prophet
The Iron Captain  ← The Drowned Man →  Brienne IV

The Winds of Winter
The Forsaken

Synopsis

Nagga's Hill, by Lake Hurwitz © FFG

Aeron is wading in the ocean, berating himself for running from Euron. He considers Nagga's bones, where the Grey King ruled for a thousand years and warred against the Storm God. At dawn, Aeron has his drowned men sound the drums and warhorns to announce the onset of the kingsmoot on Old Wyk. The prophet wishes for Victarion to win the claim, and hopes Euron will make a mistake and declare early.

The first claimant is Gylbert Farwynd, who rules a small barrier island far to the west of the Iron Islands where skinchangers are said to live. Aeron sees madness in the lord's eyes. He offers to lead the ironmen to a bountiful land beyond the Sunset Sea; few of the gathered captains shout his name.

Next up is Erik Ironmaker, who once might have made a great king. But age and his immense weight make him an easy target for Asha to dismiss by asking him to stand up from his chair.

The following claimant is another famous ironborn, Lord Dunstan Drumm, who asks the gathering, "Where is it written that our king must be a kraken?" But the Drumm's downfall is the cheap loot he offers to swing the vote of the captains.

Victarion steps forth next and asks for Aeron's blessing. His speech is short and concise and he offers to continue the rule his brother Balon set. His offerings are generous, and many captains give him their voice.

But it is Asha who interrupts the shouts of "Victarion!", and declares that her claim is best as she is Balon's daughter. She tells the ironborn that war is bleeding their people and to continue it would be folly. She offers peace with the northmen, and prosperous land on the western shores of the North. When she opens her chests to show the scant spoils of her warring in the north, the tumult of support she receives is staggering.

Fearing that a woman will win the kingsmoot, Aeron is shocked back to reality by the horrible bellowing of a horn. All eyes turn to a giant war-horn bound with ancient Valyrian glyphs being sounded by one of Euron's "mongrels". After sounding the horn several times, the giant mute nearly falls over, his lips bloody and blistering. Euron steps forward and announces that he has sailed further and braved more than any other ironman. He offers not only peace and land, but all of Westeros to the ironborn. When Asha asks him how he means to do so, her uncle responds that he will use dragons to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, as Aegon the Conuqeror did, using the dragon horn he found amongst the ashes of Old Valyria. When he tells the crowd that the horn can bind dragons to his will, and that he knows where three dragons can be found, he receives the overwhelming cheers of "Euron! Euron! Crow's Eye! EURON KING!"

References and Notes