A Storm of Swords-Chapter 44
| Jaime VI | ||||||
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| A Storm of Swords chapter | ||||||
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| POV | Jaime | |||||
| Place | Harrenhal - village near Harrenhal | |||||
| Page | 500 UK HC (Other versions) | |||||
| Chapter chronology (All) | ||||||
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Jaime V ↑ | ||||||
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↓ Jaime VII | ||||||
While toward King's Landing, Jaime insists upon returning to Harrenhal to save Brienne.
Synopsis
Lord Roose Bolton has left Harrenhal to Vargo Hoat, but before marching for the Twins he told Ser Jaime Lannister to give his warm regards to his father, Lord Tywin. Jaime responded, "So long as you give mine to Robb Stark."
Jaime is to travel for King's Landing under the protection of Steelshanks Walton and two hundred Dreadfort men. Jaime has been accoutred as a knight, and he claimed a shield depicting the arms of House Lothston from Harrenhal's armory. Nage carries the peace banner for the column.
Rather than heading for the kingsroad, Walton leads his men south along a lake road on the eastern shore of the Gods Eye. Jaime recognizes a deserted mill from when he had passed by years ago, after King Aerys II Targaryen had sent him from the tourney at Harrenhal back to the capital. Qyburn asks Jaime if he had enjoyed Pia the previous evening, but Jaime reveals he had declined her advances and sent her away. Qyburn tells him that Lord Selwyn Tarth has promised Vargo Hoat three hundred gold dragons for the safe return of his daughter Brienne, but Vargo wants more as he still believes there are sapphires in Evenfall Hall.
Along with the mill, Jaime also recognizes a village from when he had passed by previously. The innkeep of that time, honored at having hosted a member of the Kingsguard, had refused to take Jaime's coin. Jaime sees that the inn has now burned down along with the rest of the buildings. Walton wants to rest in the burned village, but Jaime insists they keep going.
In the evening they depart the lake road and follow a rutted track into the woods. That night, Jaime has a bizarre fever dream that he and Brienne are trapped in the dank caverns beneath Casterly Rock. He sees the shades of the other knights of the Kingsguard as well as Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, come to judge him for killing King Aerys. After the fire of his sword goes out, Brienne’s continues to burn, defending him from the shades.
Qyburn and Walton check on Jaime when he cries out and awakens. Jaime notices the stump he was sleeping on is white wood. Jaime wants to return to Harrenhal, saying that he "forgot something". Walton insists they continue on to King's Landing, but quickly acquiesces when Jaime threatens to tell his father that it was Walton who had chopped off his sword hand, not Zollo.
Back at Harrenhal, the goat's men open the gates, and Jaime finds that Brienne has been tossed into the castle's bear pit with only a tourney sword. Vargo, with a bandage around his face from where Brienne bit off his ear, will not pull the woman up. Jaime jumps into the pit to save Brienne, and holds off the bear long enough for Walton's men to fill it with quarrels. The Bloody Mummers are unable to stop them because Walton's escort of two hundred men outnumbers them two to one.
Vargo asks Jaime to tell his father that he had been merciful, and the Kingslayer promises that the goat will receive his ransom. When Brienne asks him why he came back, Jaime responds that he had dreamed of her.
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 25. Analyses and summary of the chapter by Leigh Butler.
- Re-read Jaime VI: Reborn. Summary and analyses of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.