A Clash of Kings-Chapter 69

Bran VII
	A Clash of Kings chapter
POV	Bran Stark
Place	Winterfell
Page	699 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
	Bran VI; ↑
	↓; A Storm of Swords; Bran I

Bran and his companions survive the sack of Winterfell by hiding in the crypts. After emerging, they decide to part ways.

Synopsis

Summer and Shaggydog watch the sack of Winterfell from the edge of the wolfswood. The next morning the direwolves pad through the ruins of the winter town, and they kill and eat a wounded horse.

Jojen wakes Bran from his wolf dream of three days, and warns him that he is spending too much time as Summer, and that while the wolf eats in the dreams, Bran does not. Bran and his companions have been hiding in the crypts all this time. Bran informs them that Winterfell was on fire and everyone was killed.

Trusting Bran's vision, they decide it is now safe to come out of hiding. Osha takes the sword which Mikken had made for Eddard Stark's tomb, Meera takes Rickard Stark's sword, and Bran takes the blade from the tomb of his uncle, Brandon Stark. Hodor moves a massive stone blocking off the door out of the crypts, and they indeed find Winterfell in ashes. The direwolves rejoin them near the broken tower. They spend the morning exploring the ruins of the castle and find several of Theon's ironmen dead, along with men bearing the badge of the Dreadfort.

Summer leads them to Maester Luwin who lies near death in the godswood of Winterfell, which is still largely untouched. The maester is thankful that the boys are still alive. He knew that the bodies presented by Theon were not those of Bran and Rickon because of their looks, but had never revealed his knowledge to Theon. Bran explains that after reaching the wolfswood, the direwolves were sent on to create a trail for Theon's search party while the humans doubled back to hide in the crypts.

Maester Luwin admits that he is dying, and provides his last advice. He tells Osha not to send the boys off together, as they are Robb's heirs and must be separated. Osha asks him where to bring the boys, but Luwin is unsure, with the ironmen to the west, the Bastard of Bolton to the east, and war everywhere. Luwin tells Bran to be strong, that he is his father's son. He then asks a boon of Osha, and the wildling woman sends the others away.

When Osha returns, it is decided that Bran will go north with Jojen, Meera, Hodor and Summer, while Osha will take Rickon and Shaggydog along the kingsroad. As Bran looks upon Winterfell for perhaps the last time, he thinks to himself that the stone is strong, the roots of the trees go deep, and under the ground the Kings of Winter sit their thrones. It is not dead, just broken, much like Bran himself.

Character list

Events: War of the Five Kings Fall of Moat Cailin Harrying of the Stony Shore Sack of Winterfell Taking of Deepwood Motte	Houses: House Bolton House Cassel House Cerwyn House Greyjoy House Hornwood House Stark House Tallhart House Umber
Places: Deepwood Motte Dreadfort Greywater Watch Kingsroad Moat Cailin Stony Shore White Harbor Winter town Winterfell Bell Tower Broken tower Crypts East Gate First Keep Glass Gardens Godswood Great Hall Hunter's Gate Lady Catelyn's sept Library Tower Maester Luwin's turret Wolfswood	Terms: Apple Bastard Cat Crow Direwolf Dog Dragon Dream Wolf dream Elk Free folk Frog Gargoyle Ghosts Godswood Granite Great winged snake Heart tree Honey Horse Iron Ironborn Ironwood King King in the North Knight Lord Lord of Winterfell Maester Namesake Oak Others Pine Prince Raven Rookery Sept Skinchanger Snake Squid Steel Sun Treecat Weirwood

References and Notes

The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].
Analyses and summary of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.
Review and summary by Leigh Butler.