In last week’s column, we discussed the characters in Game of Thrones who were described as dead but believed to be otherwise. In this week’s column, we shall discuss something somewhat on the opposite end— rather, the suspected fates of some folks who haven’t been heard from in a while, or whose fates have been left a mystery at the conclusion of A Dance of Dragons, which, coincidentally, this article is going to contain spoilers for. So be warned: if you have not read up to A Dance with Dragons and don’t want to be spoiled for both the show and books…. you have my permission to stop reading.
We begin with north of the Wall, to look at the fate of the Reed siblings, Jojen and Meera. Throughout Bran Stark’s journey north to find the three-eyed raven, Jojen oft faced danger with his personal mantra: “Today is not the day I die”. This, of course, references the future-seeing greendreams he is ‘blessed’ with. However, even after finally reaching the Children of the Forest and the three-eyed raven, Jojen’s solemn demeanour does not improve in the slightest—- in fact, he becomes even more depressed, something that his sister Meera notices with much bitterness. Bran and Meera discuss the correlation of his greendreams and the depression, lending to the evidence that Jojen knows his death is nigh.
To top it all off, in Bran’s last A Dance with Dragons chapter, he is unable to find either of the Reed siblings— a very ominous sign, as the series repeatedly correlates magic and sacrifice (see: Dany’s dragons and Melisandre’s powers). Many readers have begun to suspect that Jojen and/or Meera have been sacrificed on behalf of Bran in an attempt to help ‘awaken’ his powers (if they even work that way). The biggest foreshadowing that supports the theory comes from Jojen, who responds to Bran’s fears of being killed by the Children of the Forest with an ominous warning: “[Bran] is not the one who needs to be afraid.” Whether or not Jojen foresaw Meera’s death as well is unclear, but considering how protective she was over her sickly brother, it is more than likely she has shared whatever fate he met.
But enough about dead children. Let’s discuss someone who (probably) hasn’t kicked the bucket yet: Brynden Tully, uncle to Catelyn and Edmure. After fleeing the drawn-out siege of Riverrun, the Blackfish becomes quite the fish out of water. For the latter half of A Dance with Dragons, his whereabouts and intentions are unknown, and as one of the last remaining supporters of the late King in the North, renowned knight and strategist, and the last member of House Tully not in captivity, he could become a very crucial piece in the coming drama.
I personally see three possible places for the Blackfish to turn: the North, the Vale, or staying put in the Riverlands. The first option seems only plausible at best— while Brynden did support the Starks throughout the War of the Five Kings, his first loyalty would be to his own people, not the northerners. While the Boltons’ possession of Winterfell churns the stomach of many a Stark supporter, Brynden also does not have the men that would be required to usurp them from the seat.
The Vale seems a much more likely option; the Vale still holds soldiers that could be rallied to reclaim the Riverlands from the Lannisters, perhaps in memory of the late Lysa Arryn. It would also be a fascinating development for Brynden to stumble upon Petyr Baelish’s plot concerning Sansa— no doubt he would recognize the girl’s Tully appearance and give Littlefinger’s plans some major complications.
My own personal prediction, though, is for Brynden Tully to remain close to home to continue battle, battling with guerrilla warfare and secretly gathering men to his side, all the while attempting to bleed the Lannisters from the Riverlands one ambush at a time, Robin Hood-style. I’d then wager big money on a plot cross with the Brotherhood Without Banners, and thus the inevitable meeting with Lady Stoneheart— which would, no doubt, be a very, very interesting scene to see.
Next week is a doozy of a topic. Be sure to stay tuned!
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