A Feast for Crows-Chapter 5

Samwell I
A Feast for Crows chapter
POV	Samwell Tarly
Place	Castle Black
Page	71 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Samwell V A Storm of Swords ↑
Brienne I  ← Samwell I →  Arya I
↓ Samwell II

The events of this chapter are later revisited in Chapter 7 of A Dance with Dragons, but from Jon's perspective rather than Samwell Tarly's.

Synopsis

Samwell Tarly reading, by Colin Boyer © Fantasy Flight Games

Down in the library beneath Castle Black, Sam is trying to dig up any information on the Others for his Lord Commander, Jon Snow. Returning to the surface, Sam considers how hard Jon has been working the men of the Watch. He meets Dolorous Edd, Pyp, and Grenn, and they mention how much Jon has changed, acting different and barely spending any time with his friends; although he never misses a day practising his sword work. We learn that Stannis has plans for Val, Dalla's sister, seeking to use her in order to forge an alliance between the wildlings and the northmen. Thus far only the Karstarks, who have no other choice, have agreed to ally with Stannis.

Sam arrives at Jon's solar, and Jon shows him a letter he plans to send to King Tommen which declares that Stannis is aiding them in their battle, but the Night's Watch is not sworn to his cause. They discuss how Melisandre means to sacrifice Mance Rayder for his king's blood, Jon states, "Mance's blood is no more royal than mine own". He reveals to Sam that he is sending Gilly and "the boy" far away from the Wall. Sam tells Jon that he has uncovered little on the Others, but one book mentioned dragonsteel swords as being effective against them. However, neither is sure if dragonsteel and Valyrian steel are the same thing.

Jon breaks the news that he is sending Sam to the Citadel so he can train to become a maester and replace Aemon. Sam will travel by sea from Eastwatch, along with Gilly, the baby, and Maester Aemon. The thought of becoming a maester frightens Sam, bringing back memories of his father's wrath when he had mentioned training at the Citadel to him when he was a boy. His father had chained him by the neck in a cell and left him there for three days, telling him "no son of House Tarly will ever wear a chain". Lastly, Jon commands Sam to never call himself craven again.

The next morning, as the party prepares to set off for Eastwatch where they will join up with Dareon, Gilly begs Jon to find a good wetnurse for the other baby.

Character List

Appearing: Jack Bulwer Clydas Ghost Gilly Grenn Hairy Hal Kedge Whiteye Left Hand Lew Mormont's raven Mully Pypar Mance Rayder's son Jon Snow Aemon Targaryen Samwell Tarly Eddison Tollett

Mentioned: Balerion Stannis Baratheon Tommen Baratheon Roose Bolton Brandon the Builder Orbert Caswell Coldhands Craster Dalla Melessa Florent Harmune Jorquen Gilly's son Tywin Lannister Last hero Melisandre Jeor Mormont Mullin Night's King Donal Noye Qhorin Mance Rayder Silverwing Janos Slynt Small Paul Ramsay Snow Bran Stark Eddard Stark Osric Stark Robb Stark Symeon Star-Eyes Aegon V Targaryen Aelor Targaryen Aerion Targaryen Aerys I Targaryen Alysanne Targaryen Baelor I Targaryen Baelor Targaryen (son of Daeron II) Daeron II Targaryen Daeron Targaryen (son of Maekar I) Jaehaerys I Targaryen Matarys Targaryen Rhaegel Targaryen Valarr Targaryen Randyll Tarly Thomax Alliser Thorne Three-Finger Hobb Ulmer of the Kingswood Val Vermithor Colloquo Votar

Mentions

Events: Aegon's Conquest Age of Heroes Long Night Coming of the Andals Conflict beyond the Wall Battle beneath the Wall Fight at the Fist Dawn Age War of the Five Kings Battle of the Blackwater Red Wedding

Houses: House Baratheon House Bolton House Bulwer House Caswell House Karstark House Lannister House Mormont House Slynt House Targaryen House Tarly House Thorne House Tollett House Tyrell

Places: Essos Free Cities Braavos Volantis Jade Sea Westeros Beyond the Wall Craster's Keep Fist of the First Men Haunted forest Crownlands Blackwater Rush Dragonstone King's Landing North Gift Karhold White Harbor Winterfell Reach Arbor Highgarden Honeywine Horn Hill Oldtown Citadel Quill and Tankard Riverlands Twins Seven Kingdoms Wall Castle Black Armory King's Tower Lord Commander's Tower Maester Aemon's tower Vaults of Castle Black Wormways Eastwatch-by-the-Sea Nightfort Shadow Tower Westerlands Casterly Rock

Terms: Andals Annals of the Black Centaur Archer Aurochs Bastard Bear Cheese Children of the forest Cider Cow Crow Crown Deer Direwolf Dragon Dragon egg Dragonglass Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons Eagle First Men Free folk Giant ice spider Goat Goose Honey Horse Iron Iron Throne Jade Compendium King King-beyond-the-Wall King in the North King's blood Knight Lead Lichyard Longclaw Lord Lord of Casterly Rock Lord of the Dreadfort Maester Archmaester Magic Mammoth Mouse Mule Name day Night's Watch Builders Lord Commander of the Night's Watch Rangers Stewards Northmen Others Ox Prince Rabbit Raven Rookery Runes Septon The Seven Ships Arbor Queen Blackbird Solar Steel Sun Thrall Treason Valyrian steel Wax Wayn Wet nurse Wights Wine

References

• The synopsis was copied from Aol member vbkorik27 previously at [1]

External links

• A Read of Ice and Fire: A Feast for Crows, Part 4. Analyses and summary of the chapter by Leigh Butler.