The Whispering Wood is a forested valley in the northwestern riverlands. It is named after a battle which takes place in it, the battle in the Whispering Wood.
Location
- See also: Images of the Whispering Wood
The Lands of Ice and Fire places the site of the battle between Riverrun and Oldstones, west of Fairmarket and south of the Blue Fork of the Trident.[1] The non-canon map for HBO's Game of Thrones places the wood south of the Blue Fork and north of Raventree Hall.[2]
Geography
The forest has deciduous trees and evergreens like spruce and soldier pine.[3] The trees are thick enough to block most moonlight.[4]
A rocky stream runs through the forested valley; its northern end narrows and bends like a cocked elbow. Densely-wooded ridges slope down gently to the streambed.[4]
Snow shrikes live in the Whispering Wood.[4]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
The forest takes its name from the battle in the Whispering Wood, in which the army of Robb Stark must whisper as they wait to ambush Ser Jaime Lannister.[4]
A Storm of Swords
While journeying north from Riverrun to the Twins for the wedding of Ser Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Robb's army passes again through the Whispering Wood. Most of the leaves have changed from green to dull gold, brown, and red, but spruce and soldier pines still show green. Catelyn Stark sees remnants of the battle from early in the War of the Five Kings, including bones, weapons, armor, and stone cairns.[3]
Quotes
Here was a hush in the night, moonlight and shadows, a thick carpet of dead leaves underfoot, densely wooded ridges sloping gently down to the streambed, the underbrush thinning as the ground fell away.[4]
—thoughts of Catelyn Stark
As the gods would have it, their route took them through the Whispering Wood where Robb had won his first great victory. They followed the course of the twisting stream on the floor of that pinched narrow valley, much as Jaime Lannister's men had done that fateful night. It was warmer then, Catelyn remembered, the trees were still green, and the stream did not overflow its banks. Fallen leaves choked the flow now and lay in sodden snarls among the rocks and roots, and the trees that had once hidden Robb's army had exchanged their green raiment for leaves of dull gold spotted with brown, and a red that reminded her of rust and dry blood. Only the spruce and the soldier pines still showed green, thrusting up at the belly of the clouds like tall dark spears.[3]
—thoughts of Catelyn Stark
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Lands of Ice and Fire, "Journeys", where the routes of Catelyn, Theon, and Jaime meet
- ↑ Game of Thrones Viewer's Guide
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 45, Catelyn V.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 63, Catelyn X.