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 Sandor Clegane riding Stranger, by M.Luisa Giliberti© | ||||
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| Alias | Driftwood[1] | |||
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| Species | Horse (courser) | |||
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| TV series |
Game of Thrones: Season 3 | 4 | |||
Stranger is the warhorse of Sandor Clegane.
Appearance and Character
[edit]Stranger is a heavy courser, almost as large as a destrier but much faster.[2] He is a handsome black stallion with a mean temper.[1]
Stranger is gentle with his master, Sandor Clegane, but aggressive toward others.[2] The horse was named after the Stranger, the death aspect of the Seven-Faced God,[2] which some consider blasphemous.[1]
Recent Events
[edit]A Game of Thrones
[edit]At the Hand's tourney, Sandor Clegane rides well in the jousts, unhorsing Lord Renly Baratheon during the first day,[3] and Ser Jaime Lannister on the following day;[4] it is unknown if Sandor's tourney horse was Stranger.
A Clash of Kings
[edit]
Dismounting just before the riots in King's Landing begin, Sandor is left afoot when his horse gallops away with the royal party. When Tyrion Lannister sends Sandor and Bronn to contain the fire in Flea Bottom, Sandor only goes so he can find his horse.[5]
During the Battle of the Blackwater, Davos Seaworth sees Sandor riding a horse up the plank and on to the deck of Prayer, hacking down anyone who blunders within reach;[6] it is unknown if Stranger is this horse. Later by the King's Gate, Sandor informs Tyrion that he has lost half his men as well as his horse. Frightened by wildfire, the Hound deserts after refusing Tyrion's command to return to the fiery battlefield.[7]
A Storm of Swords
[edit]
After deserting the Battle of the Blackwater because of the wildfire, Sandor escapes King's Landing on Stranger, but is eventually captured by the Mad Huntsman while hungover. The brotherhood without banners confiscate Sandor's sword, his horse, and his gold.[8] Sandor wins his trial by combat against Lord Beric Dondarrion within the hollow hill.[8] Sandor's sword, horse, and armor are returned to him when he is set free, but the outlaws keep his gold. Beric orders Anguy to kill Sandor's horse if he spots Sandor following them, but the archer and Lem would prefer to save the horse for their own use.[9]
After capturing Arya Stark, Sandor rides with her on Stranger through the riverlands. Arya rides double with Sandor, though he threatens that if she does not behave he will truss her up and throw her over the back of the horse. Shortly after being kidnapped, thinking she can ride off before the Hound can catch her, Arya tries to steal Stranger when Sandor is relieving himself against a tree. Instead Stranger almost bites her face off.[2]
Sandor attempts to ransom Arya to Lady Catelyn Stark by bringing her to the Twins, where Lord Edmure Tully is to marry Roslin Frey. They approach the Twins disguised as peasants delivering salt pork for the wedding feast, with Stranger tethered to the wagon. When Ser Donnel Haigh and two squires accost them to check their business at the Twins, Donnel inquires about Stranger, who is too fine a horse for smallfolk. Sandor claims that the horse is a wedding gift from Lady Shella Whent to Lord Tully, an excuse Donnel accepts. One of the squires almost winds up in the mud when Stranger bites at the squire's own mount.[10]
When the battle at Red Wedding begins, some Frey knights ride at the wagon. Sandor cuts Stranger loose with a single slash of his sword, and leaps onto his back to fight. As Arya runs towards the Twins' open gates, the Hound rides her down, catching her with the flat of an axe.[11]
After they escape the Twins, Arya acquires a horse to ride, which she calls Craven. Although the mare is a good enough horse, Arya resents her for running away from the fighting at the Twins, and thinks that Stranger would have remained to fight.[12] When Arya abandons Sandor as he lays dying by the banks of the Trident, she saddles up Craven and rides away, but leaves Stranger with his master.[13]
A Feast for Crows
[edit]
As Brienne of Tarth and her companions arrive on the Quiet Isle, they make their way to a whitewashed stable. At the far end of the stable, away from other animals, a huge black stallion trumpets at the sound of their voices and kicks at the door of his stall. Brother Narbert reveals that the horse had broken Brother Rawney's shinbone, and bitten off Brother Gillam's ear when he tried to geld him. The Elder Brother explains the horse was once Sandor Clegane's steed, Stranger, now called Driftwood to avoid blasphemy.[1]
Quotes
[edit]
Beric: Anguy, on the morrow, take the rear with Beardless Dick. If you see Clegane still sniffing after us, kill his horse.
Anguy: That's a good horse.
Lem: Aye. It's the bloody rider we should be killing. We could use that horse.[9]
The horse was a heavy courser, almost as big as a destrier but much faster. Stranger, the Hound called him. Arya had tried to steal him once, when Clegane was taking a piss against a tree, thinking she could ride off before he could catch her. Stranger had almost bitten her face off. He was gentle as an old gelding with his master, but otherwise he had a temper as black as he was. She had never known a horse so quick to bite or kick.[2]
—thoughts of Arya Stark
You may have seen a big black stallion in our stables. That was his warhorse, Stranger. A blasphemous name. We prefer to call him Driftwood, as he was found beside the river. I fear he has his former master's nature.[1]
—the Elder Brother to Brienne of Tarth
Behind the Scenes
[edit]Stranger may have been inspired by Bucephalus, the black horse of Alexander the Great. Both Bucephalus and Stranger were successfully tamed only by their eventual masters.
References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 31, Brienne VI.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 47, Arya IX.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 29, Sansa II.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 30, Eddard VII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 41, Tyrion IX.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 58, Davos III.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 59, Tyrion XIII.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 34, Arya VI.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 39, Arya VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 50, Arya X.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 52, Arya XI.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 65, Arya XII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 74, Arya XIII.
External Links
[edit]- Stranger on the Wiki of Westeros