A Storm of Swords-Chapter 18

Samwell I
	A Storm of Swords chapter
POV	Samwell
Place	between the Fist of the First Men and Craster's Keep
Page	195 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
	↓; Samwell II

Sam recalls the fight at the Fist as survivors from the Night's Watch escape through the haunted forest.

Synopsis

Samwell Tarly sobs as he struggles through the haunted forest in the middle of night with a heavy snow falling. The column of some fifty survivors of the Night's Watch is ringed by men with torches to keep the wights away, but Sam is beginning to lag and is near exhaustion. He eventually falls in the snow, and cannot get back on his feet.

Sam recalls the horror that occurred in the fight at the Fist, when the wights fell on the Night's Watch. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont had commanded him to send ravens with warning, and Sam released birds with pre-written messages to inform Castle Black and the Shadow Tower that the Fist of the First Men was under attack. Sam then began writing more detailed messages while the rangers fought the enemy. The Watch held the Fist at first, using fire arrows to hold back the wights. But the dead were relentless and eventually overpowered the Watch, men dying by the score. When it came time to send ravens with word that their end was near, Sam released released the remaining birds but forgot to attach the new messages. Jeor had the survivors mount up and form a wedge, slashing past the wights and riding down the southern slope of the Fist into the forest. Now they are running for the Wall, pursued by the wights and perhaps the Others.

Grenn tries to get Sam to his feet, but the fat steward is too tired. Finally Small Paul arrives and carries Sam, but the three of them fall far behind the other survivors with their torches, and the cold sets in. Upon an undead horse, an Other appears from the swirling snow. The being kills Small Paul with its ice sword, but Sam stabs the Other with the dragonglass dagger that Jon gave him. The dagger causes the Other to melt away, body and armor, before Sam and Grenn's eyes. Grenn retrieves the icy cold obsidian dagger, and they once again run off to try and catch up with the other survivors.

Character List

Appearing: Grenn The Other Small Paul Samwell Tarly	Mentioned: Black Bernarr Blane Chett Craster Dywen Gilly Melessa Florent Lark Mallador Locke Maslyn Mawney Jeor Mormont Mormont's raven Pypar Qhorin Rast Thoren Smallwood Jon Snow Aemon Targaryen Dickon Tarly Randyll Tarly Talla Tarly Alliser Thorne Eddison Tollett Ottyn Wythers

Mentions

Events: Fight at the Fist Great ranging	Houses: House Locke House Mormont House Smallwood House Tarly House Thorne House Tollett House Wythers
Places: Beyond the Wall Craster's Keep Haunted forest Skirling Pass Castle Black Horn Hill Shadow Tower Wall	Terms: Archer Aurochs Bastard Bear "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" Bone Column Cow Demon Dog Dragon Dragonglass Free folk Giants Greatsword Heartsbane Horn Old warhorn Horse Iron Knight Longsword Lord Lord of Horn Hill Maester Night's Watch Lord Commander of the Night's Watch Rangers Stewards Old gods Others Pig Raven Sentinel Septon The Seven Father Mother Seven hells Sheep Silk Spider Giant ice spider Steel Wight

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 commentary of the chapter by Leigh Butler.
Re-read: Sam I: It ain't over until the fat boy swings an obsidian blade +2, part 1. Summary and analyses of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.
Re-read: Sam I: It ain't over until the fat boy swings an obsidian blade +2, part 2. Summary and analyses of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.