Beyond the wall, Mance is explaining to Jon the true breadth and difficulty of the wildling army–how it is a combination of so many tribes, many of them with their own conflicts and languages. He tells Jon the way he united them was to explain that if they did not get South, they would die, and they would never make it over the wall if they did not come together. They then go see a wildling named Orell (played by the fantastic Mackenzie Crook), whose eyes are white as he gazes at the sky. When Jon asks what he’s doing, it’s explained that Orell is a warg, and can wear the skins of animals, and right now he is looking through the eyes of a hawk, surveying the land. When he comes to himself again, Orell looks at Jon and reports that he saw a bunch of dead Crows at the Fist of the First Men.
The remaining Crows that are not dead are slowly making their way back to the wall. In Sam’s case, particularly slowly. He is tormented by one of the other brothers, who mockingly tells him he should just lie down and rest. Sam drops to the ground and Grenn and Dolorous Edd have to come back and try to get him up. This draws the Lord Commander’s attention, who orders Sam not to die, and then puts his bully in charge of him. If Sam doesn’t make it back alive, then neither will he.
In the woods, Bran wakes up again from sleeping to find Osha and Summer both on their guard. Summer is growling and Osha has her spear in hand. She darts off, and as Bran watches he sees the boy from his dream approach. The boy stops when he feels Osha’s spear at the back of his neck, but before Osha can do anything, the boy’s sister has her own weapon at her throat. Osha says Summer will rip them to pieces. But when the boy approaches Summer slowly, the direwolf’s aggression vanishes. The boy then introduces himself and his sister as Jojen and Meera Reed. They have come a long way to find Bran, who looks stunned.
Arya, Hot Pie and Gendry are trying to make their way North, when they run right into a group of misfit warriors who call themselves the Brotherhood without Banners. They pay no allegiance to the lords burning the country in war. They are led by a jolly but dangerous fellow called Thoros of Myr. The youngsters are outnumbered and have no choice but to fall in with them, though Arya makes a valiant effort to stand up to them.
In King’s Landing, Tyrion is returning to his quarters and finds Shae there. He is pleased but worried, because her being there puts her in danger. Shae asks Tyrion about Littlefinger, and whether Sansa should be more guarded with him. Tyrion says Littlefinger is a self-serving and friendless man, but Sansa will be fine. He rouses Shae’s jealousy on two counts: one, he has carnal knowledge of Ros, and two, he pronounces Sansa a “great beauty.” For the latter he is called a “pervert” by Shae, but their bickering turns quickly to banter, and banter turns quickly to something else…
In one of the creepiest scenes of the night, Margaery pays Joffrey a visit, and he calls her out, asking her about her former allegiance to a traitor like Renly, and then, changing tacks, asking why she was not able to bear Renly any children. It’s clear Margaery knows she has to tread carefully here, so she basically comes out and says that Renly was gay. She then sits next to Joffrey and admires his crossbow, asking him to show her how to use it. She obviously knows about his fetish for violence, because she plays to that, asking him if he thinks she could kill something, and would he like to watch her do it. Ick.
Theon is still getting tortured, and his tormentors are asking him repeatedly why he took Winterfell. He doesn’t know what answer to give, so they keep turning the screws. (Literally.) After they leave, a young man in the room comes forward and whispers that he was sent by Theon’s sister to rescue him, but he has to wait for nightfall.
Bran and Jojen are learning more about each other–they share the ability to dream the future, and they discuss this, and their fathers’ friendship. Jojen tells Bran that the raven brings the sight, and that’s why they must follow it. A little ways behind, walking together, Osha tells Meera she finds it odd that Jojen is content to let his sister protect him.
The Brotherhood without Banners have brought Arya and her companions to public house to eat, and Thoros tries to get more of their story. He learns that Gendry was a smith’s apprentice in King’s Landing, and that he knows how to use a sword. When Arya also claims to, all the brothers laugh, and she draws on Thoros to prove them wrong. Sadly, she’s still a bit out of her element, and with one move he knocks her sword right out of her hand. The Brotherhood doesn’t seem interested enough in keeping them, however, and the three young people are about to be released when some of the brothers enter with a larger, hooded prisoner. To Arya’s dismay, when the hood is pulled up, it’s the Hound, and of course he recognizes her and names her as Stark. Their opportunity to leave is effectively lost then, once the Brotherhood knows they have a Stark daughter on their hands.
This episode ends with Jaime and Brienne debating whether to ford a river, which would be dangerous and difficult, or cross a bridge, which would be much quicker, but much more exposed. Brienne, regretfully, chooses the bridge. Once in the middle of it, Jaime plops down and insists on resting, and when Brienne tries to get him up, he takes her second sword, cuts his rope, and the game is on. Their fight is fantastic–Jaime throwing words as well as blows, and Brienne doggedly countering every attack. She is very strong, and Jaime, with his hands still bound, and weak from prison, is on the point of losing when they are set upon by some men with the banners of the Flayed Man–House Bolton. They are led, of course, by the friendly traveler from the road, and they are far too many for even two such skilled swords as Brienne and Jaime to take on.
Quote of the Night:
“We enjoy a good fight. It gets our juices flowing.” – Jaime
