A Storm of Swords-Chapter 15

Jon II
A Storm of Swords chapter
POV	Jon
Place	Milkwater - Fist of the First Men
Page	166 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Jon I ↑
Catelyn II  ← Jon II →  Sansa II
↓ Jon III

Jon travels with Tormund's war band, and he and Mance observe the aftermath of the fight at the Fist. Mance orders Jon and Ygritte to join Styr and Jarl in a band which will go over the Wall.

Synopsis

Jon Snow observes Mance Rayder's host as it travels along the west bank of the Milkwater, taking note of all the giants and mammoths that make up the army. Thousands of wildlings have been gathered by Mance, but they are disorganized. Jon, Ygritte, and Longspear Ryk have left Rattleshirt's band and joined Tormund's instead. Ygritte, who is considered a beauty by the free folk, flirts with Jon and insists upon sleeping near him each night. Tormund speaks with the leader of the giants, Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg, and he tells Jon tall tales about himself. Tormund's war band sings "The Last of the Giants", which brings Ygritte to tears.

As the song ends, the eagle that was once Orell rakes Jon's face; Rattleshirt has arrived to bring Jon before Mance, this time at the Fist of the First Men. Jon sees dead horses along the south slope of the hill and frozen blood within the ringwall atop the Fist, but no human bodies are found. The king confronts Jon about how many men were at the Fist, and who led them. Jon, seeing how many of the Night's Watch died here and realizing Mance may kill him for lying, tells the truth that there were three hundred men led by Jeor Mormont, and that Bowen Marsh was left to command Castle Black.

A tense Jon feels that Mance may still have him killed because Jon lied to him previously. Styr and Rattleshirt continue to distrust Jon, but Ygritte saves him by lying to Mance that she and Jon are lovers; the wildlings respect any man who steals his woman. Mance informs Jon that he and Ygritte will be leaving with Styr and Jarl on the morrow to climb the Wall, with Styr to make use of Jon's knowledge of the Watch. Meanwhile, Mance will continue to lead the rest of the great host south toward the Wall.

As Ygritte and Jon descend the Fist, she tells him that they will be sleeping together that night for the first time.

Character List

Appearing: Dormund Ghost Harma Dogshead Jarl Longspear Ryk Lord of Bones Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg Munda One Eye Mance Rayder Sly Jon Snow Stalker Styr Toregg Tormund Varamyr Weeper Ygritte

Mentioned: Jarman Buckwell Rodrik Cassel Chett Farlen Gage Joramun Luwin Bowen Marsh Mikken Jeor Mormont Old Nan Orell Qhorin Jaremy Rykker Thoren Smallwood Arya Stark Bran Stark Eddard Stark Rickon Stark Stonesnake Samwell Tarly Ottyn Wythers

Mentions

Events: Fight at the Fist Great ranging

Houses: House Buckwell House Cassel House Marsh House Mormont House Rykker House Smallwood House Stark House Tarly House Wythers

Places: Barrowlands Beyond the Wall Fist of the First Men Frostfangs Skirling Pass Frozen Shore Milkwater Ruddy Hall Thenn Castle Black Neck North Rills Seven Kingdoms Shadow Tower Stony Shore Wall White Harbor Winterfell

Terms: Aurochs Bastard Bastard sword Bear Snow bear Boar Bone Bronze Cannibals Cart Chariot Column Common Tongue Crow Crown Direwolf Eagle Elk Free folk Cave dwellers Hornfoots Ice-river clans Men of the Frozen Shore Nightrunners Thenns Giants Grumkin Honey Horn Horn of Winter Horse Humans Iron Kennelmaster King King-beyond-the-Wall Kneelers Knight "The Last of the Giants" Longclaw Lord Lute Maester Magnar Maiden Mammoth Marriage Mead Moon Moon tea Mouse Night's Watch Rangers Old gods Old Tongue Rat Raven Shadowcat Sheep Skinchanger Sled Snake Snarks Soldier pine Spearwife Steel Turncloak Walrus Wayn Weirwood Wight Wolf Woods witch

References and Notes

• The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].
• Summary and analysis of the chapter upon a first read, by Leigh Butler
• Re-read: Jon II, Membership requiered. Summary and analyses of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.