Hi Anon,
It’s the first reason you mention. It’s Catelyn’s grief, and it is foreshadowing Lady Stoneheart. We have Catelyn’s pov on Ned after he killed the Night’s Watch deserter. It’s in her very first pov chapter in AGOT. We see no judgement of Ned there for his feelings about killing, only acceptance.
This was a place of deep silence and brooding shadows, and the gods who lived here had no names.
But she knew she would find her husband here tonight. Whenever he took a man’s life, afterward he would seek the quiet of the godswood.“The man died well, I’ll give him that,” Ned said. He had a swatch of oiled leather in one hand. He ran it lightly up the greatsword as he spoke, polishing the metal to a dark glow. “I was glad for Bran’s sake. You would have been proud of Bran.”
“I am always proud of Bran,” Catelyn replied, watching the sword as he stroked it.We also have Catelyn’s views on war and on killing at the end of AGOT which very decidedly do not take any joy in killing.
“My lords,” she said then, “Lord Eddard was your liege, but I shared his bed and bore his children. Do you think I love him any less than you?” Her voice almost broke with her grief, but Catelyn took a long breath and steadied herself. “Robb, if that sword could bring him back, I should never let you sheathe it until Ned stood at my side once more… but he is gone, and hundred Whispering Woods will not change that. Ned is gone, and Daryn Hornwood, and Lord Karstark’s valiant sons, and many other good men besides, and none of them will return to us. Must we have more deaths still?”
In addition, we have Catelyn’s views on vengeance when she goes to treat with Renly on Robb’s behalf. Again, not taking joy in killing.
“My lady, I swear to you, I will see that the Lannisters answer for your husband’s murder,” the king declared. “When I take King’s Landing, I’ll send you Cersei’s head.”
And will that bring my Ned back to me? she thought. “it will be enough to know that justice has been done, my lord.”It is after Catelyn receives the (false) report of Bran and Rickon’s murders that her views change. It is the grief from the loss of her children that begins to turn her thoughts to vengeance. The quote you refer to is part of Catelyn’s coverasation with Brienne, where she tells Brienne that Bran and Rickon are dead, and thinks about Arya and how she must be dead too. It is a passage that is filled with grief, and desperation about her need for her remaining children to live.
“I want them all dead, Brienne. Theon Greyjoy first, then Jaime Lannister and Cersei and the Imp, every one, every one. But my girls… my girls will…”
“The queen… she has a little girl of her own,” Brienne said awkwardly. “And sons too, of an age with yours. When she hears, perhaps she… she may take pity, and…”
“Send my daughters back unharmed?” Catelyn smiled sadly. “There is a sweet innocence about you, child. I could wish… but no.”She is still Catelyn here. She wants them all dead, yes, but she wants her girls to live and knows that vengeance risks their lives. She still wants that vengeance, for Bran and for Rickon, and she believes Robb will deliver it.
Robb will avenge his brothers. Ice can kill as dead as fire. Ice was Ned’s greatsword. Valyrian steel, marked with the ripples of a thousand foldings, so sharp I feared to touch it. Robb’s blade is dull as a cudgel compared to Ice. It will not be easy for him to get Theon’s head off, I fear. The Starks do not use headsmen. Ned always said that the man who passes the sentence should swing the blade, though he never took any joy in the duty. But I would, oh, yes.”
This is Catelyn’s grief speaking. It is definite foreshadowing of Stoneheart too, and a hint of what we are to expect when Catelyn feels she has lost everything. She wants them all dead. Her living children restrain her from acting out on that desire, but once Sansa is taken from her (wed to Tyrion), then Robb is killed, there’s nothing remaining to stop her, and bringing her back from the dead leaves her consumed by those last feelings of vengeance, just as Beric is tied to his final mission.
I want them all dead.
But I would, oh yes.
Tag: asoiaf
wildling
I love my son Rickon who is alive and well and on his way to becoming a very powerful link between starks and
wildlings.
“Lyanna was beautiful,” Arya said, startled.
Everybody said so. “She was,” Eddard Stark agreed,
a lifetime ago
Will I ever get tired of drawing happy starklings in the snow? NO!
I wanted to add Jon, Robb and Theon as well, but didn’t like the way they turned out, so just imagine them trying to act adult someplace else. And I actually like it better this way, because I feel like the dynamic between Sansa Arya and Bran is often overlooked.
make me choose: cersei or catelyn | asked by anon
I am become a sour woman, Catelyn thought. I take no joy in mead nor meat, and song and laughter have become suspicious strangers to me. I am a creature of grief and dust and bitter longings. There is an empty place within me where my heart was once.
nobody is gonna convince me nymeria uniting all the wolves in the riverlands into one single pack under her command isn’t foreshadowing for arya doing the same with the men tbh – the brotherhood, the houses loyal to the starks/tullys and the smallfolk alike. this entire region is a chaotic mess with a destructive zombie in the center of it all but they need to join forces and become organized before the white walkers tear down the wall. arya is the one who’s gonna do it. she has so much history here. shes fought and bled and cried. we’ve already seen her deliver mercy and justice to soldiers all over the riverlands. she saved an innocent baby and protected her friends. she’s been a hostage at the hands of monsters but she’s going to rise to power and save this entire region when she gives her mother mercy. then she’s going to become the new stark leader just like her brother. she’ll even have his crown. but more importantly she’ll have her fathers words: the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. this is what arya’s meant to do.
#and its pretty clearly what the starks are being set up to do across westeros#jon in the north with the wildlings#and the northerners with robbs will#sansa is going to gain influence in the vale#when they all join forces eventually it’ll make them strong enough to fight the walkers (via @gendrie)
#arya’s arc is so much about abuse of privilege #she sees knights and highborns abuse power over and over #she’s going to use her highborn status for good #she is a natural leader #and her chapters are building towards her using all she has learned #from ned syrio yoren and her time in the hobaw and braavos #she named her wolf nymeria #it means something #she’s all about pack #arya would make friends with anybody #and she will and it will be vital for the war (via @madaboutasoiaf)
there’s a reason why ned tells arya and only arya ‘the lone wolf dies but the pack survives’ and this is it,it’s not a stark family motto like the show and fandom like to pretend,it only appears in arya’s chapters and is never said or even referenced anywhere else or by any other character before or after,and that’s because while it’s a powerful saying that looks great slapped on gifsets it’s a narrative imperative for arya specifically,she’s the only one that consistently thinks of ‘pack’ in terms of people – friends and allies – those she’s taken into her protection,and feels personally responsible for leading and providing for and defending even when it’s at a cost to her own person,and finally forming one large pack from all the disparate groups she found and lost over her journey is what her arc’s building to,just like her direwolf and the warrior queen she was named after did before her,arya’s the connecting thread between these factions crooked stitches and all,it’s yet another reason why she won’t remain in the hobaw – they want her isolated and to blindly follow when she’s meant to lead,(notice ‘valar dohaeris’ isn’t far from gregor’s ‘obey. serve. live.’ in harrenhal), (via @insomniarama )
“Remember that, Sansa, when you come to play the game.”
“What … what game?”
“The only game. The game of thrones.”
Rhaegar Targaryen ‣ “When the news reached the Red Keep”
Birds flew and couriers raced to bear word of the victory at the Ruby Ford. When the news reached the Red Keep, it was said that Aerys cursed the Dornish, certain that Lewyn had betrayed Rhaegar. He sent his pregnant queen, Rhaella, and his younger son and new heir, Viserys, away to Dragonstone, but Princess Elia was forced to remain in King’s Landing with Rhaegar’s children as a hostage against Dorne.
lyannas tumblr back up 