| Catspaw | |
|---|---|
 Catspaw, by TheMico | |
|
| |
| Alias | Footpad |
| Died |
298 AC Winterfell |
| Books |
|
| Played by | Lalor Roddy |
| TV series | Game of Thrones: Season 1 |
An unnamed catspaw[1][2] or footpad[3][4] is an assassin who tries to kill Bran Stark.[5]
In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, the catspaw is portrayed by Lalor Roddy.
Appearance
The catspaw is described as being a small, dirty man in filthy brown clothing that smells of horses. He has a gaunt face, limp blond hair, and pale deep-sunk eyes. He wields a Valyrian steel dagger with a dragonbone hilt. Catelyn Stark notes that he moves unexpectedly fast.[5]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
The assassin arranges for a fire to start in the library tower of Winterfell as a diversion. This succeeds in drawing Robb Stark away from the comatose Bran Stark in order to attend to the fire, leaving Lady Catelyn Stark behind. Upon entering the sickroom, the assassin finds Catelyn and claims that she was not supposed to be there. As he moves to Bran, the footpad states that killing him would be a mercy. As she attempts to scream for help, Catelyn is attacked by the assassin, who moves to try and attempt to slit her throat. They struggle and he injures her hand, as well as pulling out some of her hair. When the assassin is about to attack again, Bran's unnamed direwolf attacks him and tears out his throat.[5]
Following this, Hallis Mollen informs Catelyn that the assassin was not a servant or stableboy and had been seen wandering around the castle following the weeks after Bran's fall from the First Keep. Hal also reports that the assassin had been sleeping in the stables, explaining why he had smelled of horses. Amongst the possessions found in the stables, Robb mentions that the assassin had been paid ninety silver stags to kill Bran.[5]
Catelyn decides to travel to King's Landing to inform her husband, Lord Eddard Stark, of the attempt on their son's life, with Ser Rodrik Cassel agreeing to accompany her.[5] In the Red Keep, Lord Petyr Baelish tells Catelyn that he had once owned the Valyrian steel dagger but lost it to Tyrion Lannister during the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day.[6] After being arrested by Catelyn, Tyrion denies ever having owned the dagger.[7]
A Storm of Swords
Tyrion recalls a memory whilst he was at Winterfell, in which he overheard Prince Joffrey Baratheon jesting with the Hound, Sandor Clegane, to send a dog to kill a wolf. He guesses that Joffrey hired the catspaw from among those who joined King Robert I Baratheon's party as it made its way north, and that he had found the dagger amongst his father's weapons and had simply taken it. However, Tyrion is unable to figure out why Joffrey wanted Bran dead, and he attributes it to the boy's innate cruelty.[8]
Ser Jaime Lannister realizes that Joffrey sent the assassin in an attempt to impress his father, after overhearing a drunken King Robert say it would be kinder to put the crippled Bran out of his misery.[9]
Quotes by the catspaw
You weren't s'posed to be here.[5]
—catspaw to Catelyn Stark
Quotes about the catspaw
He was a small, dirty man in filthy brown clothing, and he stank of horses. Catelyn knew all the men who worked in their stables, and he was none of them. He was gaunt, with limp blond hair and pale eyes deep-sunk in a bony face, and there was a dagger in his hand.[5]
—thoughts of Catelyn Stark
Rodrik: Lady Stark, did you chance to notice the dagger the killer used?
Catelyn: The circumstances did not allow me to examine it closely, but I can vouch for its edge. Why do you ask?
Rodrik: We found the knife still in the villain's grasp. It seemed to me that it was altogether too fine a weapon for such a man, so I looked at it long and hard. The blade is Valyrian steel, the hilt dragonbone. A weapon like that has no business being in the hands of such as him. Someone gave it to him.[5]
Some poxy lackwit willing to risk his life for a prince's favor and a little coin.[8]
—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister
References
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 55, Catelyn VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 1, Jaime I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 38, Tyrion V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 77, Tyrion XI.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 14, Catelyn III.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 18, Catelyn IV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 31, Tyrion IV.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 60, Tyrion VIII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 72, Jaime IX.
External Links
- Catspaw assassin on the Game of Thrones wiki.