Tower of the Hand

Summer and Shaggydog watch from the trees as Winterfell burns. The next morning, they enter the castle to see it mostly destroyed, with bodies scattered everywhere. Meera brings Bran back into his body, and he reluctantly closes his third eye. He awakens in total blackness with Hodor holding him. He tells Meera what he saw. Jojen tells him that he was out for three days, which is far too long. He cannot eat or drink when he is in his wolf. He has opened his third eye and can enter Summer whenever he wishes now. He tells Osha about his dream and says they must go see what happened. Osha lights a torch, which wakes Rickon. They are hiding in the crypts of Winterfell by Lord Eddard's empty tomb. The light of the torch dances on the other tombs and makes it look to Bran as if the dead are rising: Lyanna, Brandon, Lord Rickard, Rickard's father Lord Edwyle, Lord William and his brother Artos, Lord Donnor, Lord Beron, Lord Rodwell, Lord Jonnel, Lord Barth, Lord Brandon, and Lord Cregan. After Bran says he is sure it is safe, Osha agrees to take a look. As they walk, they pass the tombs of the Kings in the North, including Torrhen, Edwyn, Theon, Brandon the Burner, Brandon the Shipwright, Jorah, Jonos, Brandon the Bad, Walton, Edderion, Eyron, Benjen the Sweet, Benjen the Bitter, and Edrick Snowbeard. When they reach the entrance, Osha cannot get the door open because something is blocking it, so Hodor has to go up and force it open. They emerge into ruin. The great walls still stand, but most of the rest is destroyed. Bran recognizes Poxy Tym's corpse, and Osha spots the bodies of Smiler and Lorren. The wolves join them and lead them to the godswood, where Maester Luwin lies mortally wounded under the weirwood tree. He is pleased to see Bran and Rickon, though he knew they were still alive because he could tell that Bran's duplicate had not broken his legs in a fall. He tells Osha that they must be spirited away separately, but that most of the north is not safe. He asks Osha to finish him, which she does after the boys leave.¹ Osha will take Rickon, while Hodor, Meera, and Jojen will go with Bran. Osha departs, and then Jojen tells Bran they will head north. Bran looks back at the castle one last time and thinks that it is not gone, merely broken like him.