Friday, November 24, 2017

AGoT 66: Bran VII

Rodrik Cassel is back in Winterfell, following his adventures with Cat Stark, and is helping to train the young recruits who will defend the castle. 

Bran is still crippled, so he's not down there. However, he is looking out of his window and watching the training while Maester Luwin fiddles with some stupid telescope. 

Bran: I'm gonna be honest, Luwin. These guys all suck.

Luwin: Well, your father took all the best men with him to King's Landing. Then the best of who were left went down with Robb to war. What we have now is basically shit.

Bran: I bet I could fight better than these guys, even being a cripple. Just put me on Hodor's back and send me out! I bet I could be just as good as Symeon Star-Eyes. He's that legendary knight who was blinded in both eyes, but then he replaced his eyes with sapphires, and kept on fighting. Old Nan told me about him!

Luwin: That might be the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Bran: So... what the hell are you doing with that telescope thing anyway?

Luwin: Oh, haven't you heard? There is this awesome red comet that has shown up in the sky. Check it out.

Bran: Nah. Sounds boring.

Luwin: Look, you need to quit these dreams of yours about fighting. It's not going to happen. You're a cripple.

Bran: Hey, speaking of dreams... I just had the craziest one. I was dreaming about that Three Eyed-Crow, right? And he took me down to the crypt. And my dad was there. In the crypt. You know, dead and stuff.

Luwin: It was just a dream, Bran. Your father is not dead.

Bran: No man, it felt so real. I woke up from the dream... and I felt... you know... weird. I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Or just one voice. My dad's voice, specifically. And he was shouting, "Holy Shit Arya, I can't believe I died in your POV chapter and you weren't even watching when it happened."  It was so real. I asked Hodor to take me down to the crypt so I could see if dad was there... but he wouldn't.

Luwin: Your father will be there one day, Bran. But not for many years I hope. But if you're going to continue to whine about this then let's have Osha take you down to the crypt so that you can see for yourself.

Bran: Osha? Sure. Why not.

And so Osha, rather than Hodor, takes Bran down to the crypt. Luwin goes with them.

They walk past all the crypts and statues of dead Starks. Finally, they get to the one that will belong to Ned. It's kind of freaky that it's already been built. Whatever. 

Luwin: See, Bran? Your father is not here. He's alive and we--AGHHH!!!

Shaggydog jumps out of Ned's future grave and starts biting Luwin's arm. 

Luwin: AGH!! WHAT THE HELL?!

Bran: SUMMER! SUMMER! HELP! We need you to beat up your brother again. He's being a dick!

And so Summer jumps onto Shaggydog and starts fighting him. 

Summer: *growl* [Translation: I'm the Alpha, punk!]

Shaggydog: *growl* [Translation: No! I'm the Alpha!]

As the wolves fight, Rickon pops out from Ned's grave. 

Rickon: No! Stop! Leave dad alone! Let him be!

Bran: Rickon, what the hell is your dumbass talking about? Dad isn't here.

Rickon: Yes he is! I saw him last night in a dream, so I came here. He's coming home!

Everyone then gets super quiet and stare at each other. 

They then head up to Luwin's tower so that he can get his bloodied arm tended to. Osha helps clean him up and puts bandages on him.  Bran is finally ready to talk about what happened down there. 

Bran: Oh shit. Like, me and Rickon pretty much had the exact same dream last night. You all know that, right?

Luwin: I dunno... a coincidence, maybe?

Osha: A pretty freaky coincidence. The Children of the Forest wouldn't think so. They know that sometimes dreams are MORE than just dreams.

Luwin: Shit, that really was a terrible idea to bring Osha down there with us, because she's just going to scare all you kids even more with her spooky Wildling superstitions about magic talking tree gods.

Bran: Old Nan tells those stories too! The Children of the Forest can talk to the trees.

Luwin: No they can't. You're thinking of the Lorax.

Luwin then stars to retell the old stories about the Children of the Forest, the First Men chopping down trees, the war between the two, the eventual pact made at the Isle of Faces in the Gods Eye, the coming of the Andals, the Age of Heroes, the Long Night, etc. Everyone starts falling asleep and Maester Luwin then starts handing out arrowheads made from obsidian for some reason. I forget why. Probably to wake everyone up because kids think arrowheads are cool. 

Luwin's story keeps getting longer and longer until it's cut off by the sound of the wolves howling again. 

Luwin: Oh damnit, those two are fighting again? I swear, we just need to have Shaggydog euthanized.

The direwolves then silence them selves when they, and everyone else, see a raven appear with a message.

Luwin: Oh crap, I do NOT want to read whatever this message has to say. Not after today. It's been too crazy.

Bran hugs Rickon and starts panicking. 

Bran: What does it say?! What does it say?!

Osha: Oh, I think you already know, Bran.

Luwin looks it over and then sighs really loudly. 

Luwin: I know this is going to come off a bit crass... but does anyone know a good stone caver that knows what Ned looked like?

Rickon: Hey! You said "looked!" That's past tense! I just learned about past tense in school!

Luwin: Very good, Rickon. Very good. 

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