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A Game of Thrones Reread: Catelyn III


Maggie Mae

1,304 views

Chapter 14: Catelyn

Catelyn fights off an intruder.

Characters Present:

  • Maester Luwin: Maester to Winterfell.
  • Bran Stark: Cat’s son. In a coma after falling/being thrown from a high tower.
  • Catelyn Stark: Lady of Winterfell. Suffering from some sort of shock/trauma/general depression
  • Robb Stark: Oldest Stark son, in charge of Winterfell while his father is away. 14 years old. Has the coloring of the Tully Family.
  • Shaggydog & Grey Wind: Direwolves belonging to Rickon and Robb.
  • Ser Rodrick Cassel: Master of Arms
  • Theon Greyjoy: Eddard’s Ward
  • Hallis Mollen: New captain of the guard
  • Old Nan: Tells stories and helped to bathe Catelyn. I think I would like an Old Nan of my own.

Location: Winterfell.

Eight days after Eddard, Sansa, and Arya left Winterfell, Maester Luwin visits Catelyn in Bran’s room. He asks her to review the books, as the King’s visit has cost a lot. Catelyn, being a grief stricken mother, tries to tell him no. Luwin reminds her that there is no steward, as Poole (sniff) went south with Ned. Luwin also points out the other household things that need to be done, like finding a captain of the guards, a new master of horse, etc. Catelyn says she would slaughter all of the horses if it would open Bran’s eyes.

Robb, being the dutiful son, steps up and offers to take over the appointments. After he dismisses Luwin, he tries to talk some sense into Catelyn. She’s not doing anything useful by sitting in the “sickroom,” and Rickon needs Cat more right now. So does Robb. She notices that he is only 14 and wants to get up, but can’t.

The wolves start to howl, and Robb opens the window so Bran can hear them sing. Catelyn, not being a Stark, freaks out and tells them to stop, and to kill them if they must. (GODS Catelyn. You are so not a Stark.) Robb tells her that the wolves will never hurt him, and helps her to bed, promising to shut the window if she sleeps.  She’s barely slept since Bran fell. (This ALMOST makes me forgive her complete lack of usefulness as a person.)

As Robb goes to close the window, he notices that dogs are barking and the library tower is on fire. Because Catelyn is singularly focused on her favorite child right now, she feels safe that Bran is safe, and DOESN’T EVEN MENTION RICKON, her youngest child. Mother of the year, right here. She doesn’t seem to be too concerned about the fire, as it won’t reach them in Bran’s room.

Robb, realizing that his mother has gone mad, runs off to deal with the fire. Taking the guards, they descend the staircase.

Catelyn prays to the seven while listening to the shouts of “Fire,” feels sad about the loss of books, and closes the shutters. There is a man in the room with her when she turns around. The intruder says “You weren’t s’posed to be here” on repeat, and it becomes clear that he is there to make sure Bran doesn’t wake up.

The man attacks her, going for the throat. Cat grabs the blade of the dagger (OUCH) and wrestles with him and it. They fight, she bites his hand. And she is saved by Bran’s direwolf (Summer, but Bran STILL hasn’t named him! Come on, kid. Just because you are in a coma doesn’t mean that your dog can’t have a name. Get it together!)

In a very gross scene, the dog/wolf that is not yet called Summer licks all of the blood off of Catelyn.

Robb, Maester Luwin, and Ser Rodrik come back and find her on the bed with Bran. They bandage her wounds, give her “milk of the poppy”, and take her to her own chambers. There, she sleeps for four days.

Waking up, she reflects upon how ashamed she is over her prior behavior, and pledges to be strong. Rodrick Cassel, Theon Greyjoy, Robb Stark, and Hallis Mollen arrive. They do not know who the man is. They found 90 silver stags under the straw in the stable. Catelyn remarks on how her son’s life wasn’t sold cheaply, and explained to the disbelieving men that the assassin was there for Bran. Robb questions this and she asks him to answer his own question.

The story takes a paragraph long interlude to describe some food that Cat is not hungry enough to eat, despite the fact that she had JUST demanded her servants fetch it. Rich people. The food sounds OK, and includes a “rasher of bacon,” whatever that is. And a soft-boiled egg which, gross.

After our/GRRM’s break for some food porn, we continue the story. Catelyn tells the new Master of Guards that Robb is in charge of Winterfell, because OBVIOUSLY the adult in this situation is not capable of making decisions. Robb has guards posted around Bran’s room, and the guardsman leaves.

The remaining people in the room – Ser Rodrick, Theon, Robb, Cat, Luwin discuss the blade that the assassin carried. It’s Valyrian steel. Theon claims that Lord Eddard is like a second father to him. (LYING CREEP) They all take an oath and Cat shares the secret of the letter – how Lysa believes the Lannisters murdered Lord Arryn. She also points out that Jaime Lannister did not join the hunt the day that Bran fell. Catelyn does not think Bran fell from the tower, but was, in fact, thrown. Way to go Cat! You know suspect what we, the reader, have known for a while.

Rodrick Cassel thinks that even the Kingslayer would flinch at the murder of an innocent child. They discuss the likelihood of Bran falling on his own. During the conversation, Robb draws his steel sword and is admonished by Ser Rodrik. Catelyn is surprised and pleased that her son is all grown up with a grown up sword. You couldn’t have graduated him to a real sword a few weeks ago? Before the whole Joffrey thing? No?

Cat decides she must go to King’s Landing to look for proof in regards to Bran being defenestrated. It is decided that she will go alone, with only Ser Rodrik. They will not be taking the King’s Road, either. They will be going on a ship and plan to arrive before Ned and the King.

Characters Mentioned, Not Present:

  • Ned: Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Hand to the King. Married to Catelyn Stark, née Tully. Father to Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, and Ricken Stark. Brother to Benjen Stark of the Night’s Watch. Fostered under Jon Arryn, along with King Robert Stark. Younger brother of the deceased Brandon Stark. Has a sister who is also deceased, Lyanna Stark.  
  • Steward Vayon Poole: Went south with Eddard.
  • Hullen – Master of Horse, rode South with Eddard
  • Rickon: Youngest Son of Cat & Eddard. 3 years old. Has the Tully coloring. Confused and lonely, as his mother is completely useless and his sisters and father have gone south to King’s Landing.
  • Sansa Stark: Cat’s elder daughter, also has the Tully coloring.
  • Hodor: A stableboy
  • Lysa Arryn née Tully: Cat’s sister. Widow of Jon Arryn.
  • Jon Arryn: Deceased. Former Hand of the King.
  • Jaime Lannister: Also known as Kingslayer. Loves his twin sister a lot.

Locations Mentioned:

  • King’s Landing
  • White Knife
  • White Harbor
  • Riverrun

Thoughts: 

This was a hard chapter to read and recap. I understand and accept that one of my many faults is what can best be described as a lack of empathy, especially for people and characters I find annoying or not very strong. Now, it's not that I don't care or feel for someone who is going through a hard time. It's not that I don't want to hear about it. It's that some people tend to appear to use their very tragic incident or whatever as an excuse to avoid their obligations. In this chapter, Cat hasn't slept. She hasn't done anything beside sit next to her son, Bran, and worry. This is not a productive use of her energy, especially when she is in charge of her other children. She is also in charge of Winterfell, and all of the lands and people and smallfolk and livestock and gardens that go along with that. If she can not handle that responsibility because of great personal loss, she needs to appoint someone else. Not yell at her subordinates and refuse to acknowledge her other children. Furthermore, the  Maester, who I guess is trained in some sort of healing art, has said that Bran will likely live. Cat's grief is leading her to be completely useless and that is very difficult to read. Furthermore, this chapter seemed longer that the last 13. I believe I started typing almost a week ago. 

Beyond my being uncomfortable with Cat at this time, there were a few other things. 

  • Theon is in Winterfell. This SUCKS for Robb. If Balon Greyjoy chooses to rise up in rebellion while Ned is in King's Landing, Robb will be called on to execute someone he treats like a brother. This sucks for Theon, too. 
  • Also, the library burned down. Tyrion has some books with him, but all that Westeros History. *sniff* 
  • I like how the wolves are keeping Bran strong, and Robb seems to really "get" that. 
  • I am sad we will never have a Robb POV. 

 

Links to Previous Chapter Recaps:

 

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clueliss

Posted

Hmmmmm It occurs to me that the TV version of Cat softened her and did away with some of the harsher edges like the obvious favoritism going on here.

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Maggie Mae

Posted

1 minute ago, clueliss said:

Hmmmmm It occurs to me that the TV version of Cat softened her and did away with some of the harsher edges like the obvious favoritism going on here.

I so agree. I think the TV show tried really hard to make almost every character likeable. Whereas the books seem to make more "grey" or "flawed individuals. And there's also the possible biases of having a very pretty actress play a character. 

Also, as I was looking up the scene where Not Jenye Westerling and Cat talk about Jon Snow, it just reminded me that Cat, Robb, Sansa, and Rickon are supposed to have auburn hair. Ugh. Adaptations. I love them anyway. 

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I agree that Cat was 'softened' for TV. She really, really dislikes (maybe even hates) Jon in the books, but that doesn't really come through on the show.

I think you're right, that they tried to make everyone likeable. The thing is, not all of the characters are meant to be liked. Ramsay has legit fans because of the show. Ramsay freaking Bolton. People like him because the actor is so charismatic. The thing is, Ramsay is not charismatic in the books. He's not attractive or cheeky or witty. He's just a psychopath.

Also, a rasher of bacon is just like a piece or two of bacon. That's what we call it in Aus. Might be a UK/Commonwealth thing?

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