A Game of Thrones-Chapter 31

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Tyrion IV
A Game of Thrones chapter
AGameOfThrones.jpg
POV Tyrion
Page 274 (US bantam HC) US HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Tyrion III
Eddard VII  ← Tyrion IV →  Arya III

Tyrion V

Tyrion Lannister finds he is being taken to the Eyrie instead of Winterfell, and is not longer so confident since he knows his rescuers will be fooled. As he is attempting to convince Lady Catelyn that he did not attempt to kill her son, then are attacked by the Mountain clans. Cat agrees to let him and his men assist in the fight. During the fight, he saves Cat. Afterwards, he tells her that Littlefinger’s story has a hole: he would never bet against his family.

Synopsis

As Tyrion thinks that there is another debt owed the Starks as watches his horse be butchered by the sellsword Chiggen, a horse given him by his brother Jaime on twenty-third birthday. The sellsword Bronn tells Tyrion that none of them will go hungry, to which Tyrion replies he does not like eating horse, particularly his horse. Bronn responds that the Dothraki like horse better than other meats. Tryion thinks that maybe his horse is lucky since he has many more hard cold days ahead of him. This is the third horse the group has lost.

He then remembers back at the inn when he was taken captive. When his guard Jyck goes for his sword, Tyrion stops him knowing that would only get them killed. Lady Catelyn. As Tyrion watches, Lady Catelyn raises as dagger stating that it was used to attack her son, and made the deep cuts in her hand. All the people in the inn, who were friendly enough before, are seem now to be screaming for his death. Tyrion knows that he has no chance against this crowd with only his two men, Jyck and Morrec, and his dagger (his other companion, Yoren, being of the Night's Watch he knew would do nothing). He tells the crowd that he will accompany Lady Stark to see justice. The Bronn steps forward to relieve them of their weapons, and then Winterfell’s master of arms without is whiskers states “Good.” Cat states that they are taking Tyrion to Winterfell for justice. Tyrion now has a chance to look over the crowd, and sees that things are not too bad for him. He announces that anyone that reports to his father of his capture will get a rich reward (Tyrion knows that his father would not, but Tyrion would make up for it). Ser Rodrik then tells the crowd that they are to remain silent about what has happened, and Tyrion thinks that he is a fool if he thinks word will not get out. Lady Catelyn then asks for help in getting Tyrion to Winterfell, and many rush forward. As they bundle him out of the inn he is not afraid, and is sure that they will never get him to Winterfell. Then a hood is pulled over his eyes and they make a hard gallop through the rain away from the inn. It was dawn and the rain had stopped when they pull the hood off, he sees that they are on the road to the Eyrie, and Tyrion loses hope. He knows where they are bound, these were the lands of the late Jon Arryn, and his wife Lysa was a Tylly, he did not look forward to meeting Lysa again. What was more galling than the abduction was that Lady Catelyn had outwitted him.

He was spared the hood, and after the second night they unbound his hands, and later hardly bothered to guard him There was nowhere for him to go; the terrain was hash and wild and road no more than a stony track and mountains contained shadowcats and the dangerous Mountain clans that are no more than brigands.

As he travels he makes sure he knows all their names as they travel so that he can property pay them back: “A Lannister always pays his debt.” He has a particular enmity towards the singer Marillion, who was responsible for this mess, and now was looking for words that rhyme with “imp,” like gimp and limp, for a song about this adventure.

Cat, Ser Rodrik, and several others are discussing their situation and the pursuit by the Lannisters when Tyrion breaks in with the comment of that there is small chance that the pursuit would reach them. Kurleket snaps that Cat did ask his views, but Cat allows him to speak. He tells them that if there is a pursuit it will be heading up the neck, and not towards Eyrie. He states that they will find no help until they reach the Vail, and they will only lose more mounts, which burdens the others more. The pace could also very likely cause Tyrion’s death, which she obviously did not desire; if she wanted him dead, he would be dead already. Cat replies that Starks are not murderers, and Tyrion states he is also no murderer. He follows by telling her the he is not stupid, and would not arm a common footpad with his own blade. Tyrion can see for a moment doubt in Cat’s eyes, but she instead asks why Littlefinger would lie. Tyrion’s response was that it was in his nature, and he mentions how Littlefinger often boasts of having taken Catelyn’s maidenhead, which angery Cat says is a lie. She calls him an evil man and he calls her a fool, continuing by stating Littlefinger only loves Littlefinger, and was only interested in sex with her. Kurleket puts a knife to Tyrion’s throat and asks if he can bleed Tyrion. She tells Kurleket to let him talk, and he asks how Littlefinger claims he obtained the blade. She tells him that he won the dagger from him at the tourney where the Knight of Flowers unhorsed his brother.

They are interrupted by the cry from a lookout that there are riders, and Cat responds immediately by arranging the defense. Tyrion screams to Cat to arm them, that she will need every man; they both know that the Mountain Clans would willing to slaughter Lannister and Stark as they slaughter each other. Lharys slides down the ridge with the news that there are around 25 men: Milk Snakes or Moon Brothers; the clans know that they are here. Ser Willis Wode asks the singer for help with his breast plate, but he is frozen in fear, but Morrec springs to his assistance. Tyrion further pleas with Cat telling him that there would also be men wasted guarding them. At her request, he gives his word that he put down weapons when the fight is finished, and she orders them armed. Morrec arms himself with a bow being better with it than a sword, and Bronn rides up to offer Tyrion a double bladed axe which feels uncomfortable in his hands; Bronn tells Tyrion to pretend he is splitting logs. Tyrion joins the singer in his hiding place, who tells Tyrion that he is a singer and wants no part of the fight. Tyrion forces his way in. The clansmen boil into sight armed with a wide variety of weapons. The knights and sellswords meet the charge. As the others shout “Winterfell” and “Harrenhal,” Tyrion has an urge to stand up and shout Casterly Rock, but the insanity passes. Bronn charges through the clans cutting through foes right and left, while Ser Rodrik hammers the big man that was the leader. The singer shrieks when a rider leaps over them, and Tyrion charges when the rider turns, cutting the horse’s neck, and after the rider and his horse fall together on top of the singer, Tyrion buries the axe in the man’s neck. Tyrion uses this opportunity to step on the singer’s fingers. After that Tyrion keeps on the fringes, leaping out to cut at the legs of horses, and kills a wounded man; he takes the man’s helm. Tyrion watchs Jyck killed and then comes across Kurleket’s body; helps himself to Kurleket’s dagger. Then hears a woman scream. Tyrion goes to her aid even as he thinks that he should let them have her. Tyrion gets the first man in the knee, and Cat kills a second after he reels from Tyrion’s blow. The third man makes a quick retreat, and the fighting is over. As Bronn helps himself to Jyck’s boots, he asks Tyrion if it is his first fight, which Tyrion confirms. Bronn then tells him that he needs a woman now; nothing like a woman after a man’s been bloodied. Glancing over to Cat, who is dressing Rodrik’s wound, states he is willing if she is.

Looking over the clansmen and their weapons he notes that they are thin, ragged men, with unimpressive weapons. The leader who had been in a shadowskin cloak is not as big as he thought now that the shadowskin cloak was gone (the singer had taken it), and his great sword was a poorly made notched weapon. They had only three dead: House Bracken’s men at arms Mohor and Kurleket and Tyrion’s man Jyck. Tyrion remembers Jyck’s bareback charge, and thinks of him as a fool to the end.

Ser Willis Wode urges Cat to proceed on in haste. Cat wants to bury the dead, but he replies the soil is to stony so Cat states they will gather stones for cairns. Bronn tells Cat that he will not help since he wants to live. Ser Rodrik tells Cat the Bronn is right; if they stay there they will attack again. Angry, Cat agrees, and they will ride at once. Now there are plenty of horses. As Tyrion Jyck’s horse, Lharysdemands the dirk, but Cat intercedes, tell them to give him back his axe; he also acquired a helmet during the battle.

Tyrion is pleased that the singer had broken several ribs, lost his harp, and 4 broken fingers, but had acquired a magnificent shadowskin cloak. The singer, for once, has nothing to say. Tryion can see that the singer cringes when he hears the shadowcats behind them. He trots up to him and comments that craven rhymes nicely with raven. Then he moves up to ride next to Cat. He tells her that he was saying before they were interrupted that there is a serious flaw in Littlefinger’s story: he never bets against his family.

External links

References and Notes

  • The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].