ASOS Bran III
Bran, Hodor, Meera, Jojen, and Summer approach an old, abandoned village on a lake with a tower on an island in the center. Summer spies three deer and takes off after them. They are out of the mountains, and the terrain consists of grasslands, fields, low rolling hills, and bogs all the way to the Wall. Jojen says they should stay there for the night as a storm is coming. No buildings are still intact save the tower, which appears unreachable. Bran says there is a hidden causeway to the tower. He recognizes the place as Queenscrown, where Queen Alysanne stayed on her visit north. She rode her dragon Silverwing to the Wall and was so impressed by the Night's Watch that she convinced her husband, Jaehaerys I, to double the size of the Gift, that land adjacent to the Wall controlled by the Night's Watch. The top of the tower is painted gold to honor the event. They find the causeway and make their way to the island. They get through the front door of the tower, but iron bars block access to the rest of the structure. Bran pulls down an iron grate over a murder hole, and they are able to climb through to the upper levels. Once they are settled, Bran asks Jojen how he means to get through the Wall. He says he means to go to one of the abandoned castle and try to find an opening. They see a lone rider heading towards the village and take cover in the tower as the first drops of rain begin to fall. Soon it is pouring, and thundering beside. Hodor gets scared and starts screaming. During one flash of lightning, Jojen spies men down below entering the village. Hodor will not stop screaming, and Bran reaches for him as he does for Summer and actually takes control of him for a second, frightening himself, but silencing Hodor. He then opens his third eye and becomes Summer, who is scouting the men warily in the rain. He can smell their fear.
Previous Chapter
(Arya VII)
Next Chapter
(Jon V)
Characters
- POV: Brandon Stark, 3rd in ASOS, 17th overall
- Previous Brandon Chapter (Chapter 25)
- Next Brandon Chapter (Chapter 57)
- Appearing: Brandon Stark, Hodor, Jojen Reed, Meera Reed
Groups
- The Night's Watch - The Night's Watch owns all the land south of the Wall for fifty leagues, an area called the Gift. Of the nineteen castles along the Wall, no more than seventeen were ever manned at the same time.
Creatures
- Silverwing - A dragon. She was ridden by Queen Alysanne Targaryen.
Locations
- The Gift - The land south of the Wall for fifty leagues is called the Gift and is owned and maintained by the Night's Watch for their sustenance and support. The original gift, called Brandon's Gift, was granted by Brandon the Builder according to legend, though was probably actually granted later. It consists of the first twenty-five leagues. Thousands of years later, Queen Alysanne Targaryen visited the Wall and was so impressed by the Watch that she made her husband, Jaehaerys I, double the size of the gift. This newer area is called the New Gift. The Gift is largely abanonded because of increased wildling raids due to the diminishing strength of the Watch.