Tower of the Hand

The Brotherhood ambushes a group of Brave Companions just before dawn. Anguy takes out a sentry on a roof, while Kyle and Notch take out two guards in front of a sept. One of the sentries screams when the torch he is carrying lights his clothes on fire, and the rest of the Brotherhood charges at Thoros's command. Arya and Gendry are watching from a nearby hill, guarded by Beardless Dick and Mudge. Flaming arrows set the sept alight, and soon the Companions start pouring out and the battle begins in earnest. Watty takes a wound and Kyle goes down before Lord Beric gives the signal and the rest of his men, including Lem and Edric, leave their hiding places and charge into the fray. Soon, it is all over; all the Companions are dead or prisoners save for two Dothraki that Lord Beric lets escape to carry word back to Harrenhal. Jack-Be-Lucky, Harwin, and Merrit enter the burning sept to search for captives and come out with eight brown brothers and a septon. The septon is Utt, the leader of this group of Brave Companions. After a brief trial, Utt and the other prisoners are all hanged one by one, with Tom playing a dirge through the proceedings. Arya wishes they had hung Sandor too, but they had treated his wounds, returned his sword, and let him go.

That night, they stay at the brewery, one of the few standing buildings left at this monastery that once held forty-four brothers. Lord Beric catches Arya looking at him and beckons her closer. She says she thought Sandor had killed him, and Lem speaks up to say it was a grievous wound, but Thoros is a gifted healer. Beric sends Lem away and says that even brave men blind themselves from truths they do not want to see. He asks Thoros how many times he has been brought back by the Lord of Light, and Thoros answers six, though each time is harder than the last, and Thoros does not think he can do it many more times. Gregor has killed him three times, including with a dirk in the eye, Ser Burton smashed his skull, and Ser Amory hanged him. He no longer remembers where his castle is located, to whom he is betrothed,¹ who knighted him, his favorite foods, or many other basic things. The first time he came back to life, Thoros was giving him his last rights according to the faith of the Lord of Light and giving him the last kiss, breathing fire down his throat. It is a standard ritual, but never before has it brought a man back from the dead. The Lord of Light is not done with him.

Later, Gendry approaches Beric and says he would like to smith for the Brotherhood. Lord Beric reluctantly agrees after warning him of the dangers and knights him. Sandor appears and mocks the proceedings. Beric asks how he found them and got past the sentries, and Sandor says that there was enough smoke to track them from a long way off, and he may have killed the sentries. He has come for his gold, which Beric refuses to give back. He finally leaves. Harwin leaves to check on the sentries, while Beric orders Anguy to kill Sandor's horse if he follows the next day. Some of the men want to kill him, but Beric will not allow it, and Thoros points out that Sandor won his trial by combat when the Lord of Light snapped Beric's sword. The Lord of Light is not done with him yet either. Harwin comes back and reports that the sentry, Puddingfoot, is asleep but unharmed. The next morning, Likely Luke and Watty scout the area but find no sign of Sandor. The outlaws get underway.