A Storm of Swords-Chapter 17
| Arya III | ||||||
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| A Storm of Swords chapter | ||||||
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| POV | Arya | |||||
| Place | Riverlands | |||||
| Page | 187 UK HC (Other versions) | |||||
| Chapter chronology (All) | ||||||
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Arya II ↑ | ||||||
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↓ Arya IV | ||||||
As she travels with a group of outlaws, Arya learns they are bringing her to Beric Dondarrion instead of her family.
Synopsis
Arya Stark thinks their group is heading south instead of west, but Gendry says they are following the road. Arya misses Hot Pie, who decided to stay with Sharna as a baker at the inn. Arya told Harwin how his father Hullen had been killed during the arrest of Eddard Stark, and about her experiences since. She omitted how she killed the stableboy at King's Landing and the guard at Harrenhal, however, as well as her dealings with Jaqen H'ghar.
Harwin tells Arya the tale of how they first rode out in search of Ser Gregor Clegane, and about all the men they lost when the Mountain's men fell on them. Most of the one hundred and twenty men from their original group are dead, including Ser Raymun Darry, Lord Lothar Mallery, and Ser Gladden Wylde. It was all a trap; Lord Tywin Lannister had planned for Lord Eddard himself to ride out and deal with Gregor, but Ser Jaime Lannister did not know of the plan when he attacked Ned in the streets of King's Landing. As Eddard's leg was broken, he had to send others out. Lord Beric Dondarrion and his men learned a sharp lesson when the trap sprung at the Mummer's Ford. Beric should have died, having been run through with a lance, but Thoros of Myr saved him.
After Tywin became Hand of the King, Beric's survivors became outlaws themselves but they kept fighting in the name of the late King Robert I Baratheon. They harried the foraging parties and attacked the baggage trains of Tywin's army, and their numbers began to grow as many flocked to their cause, mostly commoners uprooted by the War of the Five Kings.
The outlaw band stop to rest at a seemingly-abandoned village, but villagers emerge to greet them after Jack-Be-Lucky blows his horn. As the outlaws and sympathetic villagers eat together, it is revealed that Ser Jaime Lannister has escaped the dungeons of Riverrun. Tom of Sevenstreams performs a song about the Kingswood Brotherhood. That night Arya has a dream in which she struggles to reach the gates of Winterfell, with wolves nearby.
The outlaws depart the road the next morning. When Arya announces they are heading south instead of toward Riverrun, the outlaws admit they are instead bringing her to Lord Beric like they do with all highborn captives. Arya tries to ride off through fields and woods, but Harwin catches her. Harwin, who was once one of her father's men, apologizes to Arya, saying he is now a member of a brotherhood who are loyal to Beric and are protecting smallfolk.
Character List
Mentions
References and Notes
- The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].
- A Read of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords part 10. Summary and analyses of the chapter by Leigh Butler.
- Re-read: Arya II, To Ride Peaceful and Shoot Straight. Summary and analyses of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.