My second heroine throughout both first seasons of the Game of Thrones and the Clash of Kings is Ayra, the second daughter of Lord Stark of Winterfell. She epitomises what most contemporary parents hope their daughters to be, intelligent, thoughtful, caring, adventurous and a match for any male unless he uses brute force and weaponry.
In the first season Ayra’s father out of loyalty to the King he had helped to put on the throne and create one Kingdom where there had been seven and thus bringing some unity and peace to a troubled island land, had agreed to become his Hand, a kind of Prime Minister with only the King and a Council to exercise restraint on the use of power. The previous long standing incumbant had been murdered on behalf of the in a plan to make her incestuous born eldest son, King.
King Robert has exacted a high price demanding that Lord Stark agree to the betrothal of his eldest daughter Sanza still a child to the boy he appeared to believe to be his son although had no likeness to any of the other sons he had fathered whenever his fancy and opportunity came his way. Knowing what this would mean for his eldest Stark haddecided that his young daughter Ayra should accompany her sister despite the two being opposites in nature and behaviour.
In fairness to Lord Stark only his sense of duty and of loyalty had persuaded him to abandon his idyllic family life and position in which he was well regarded by the citizens of Winterfell and other Lords of the North. He then learned that the man who he had placed on throne by force of arms was a failure as a monarch, failing to work for a permanent peace within the former Kingdoms by seeking reconciliation with those defeated or developing a loyal army to sustain his control should revolts occur.
In part this was because Robert as everyone else wanted to make the most of the long unending summer, something of a metaphor although also a statement that a season could last for years into a decade as could the Winter which would inevitably follow. This overall description of climate also covered a situation where there were significant difference between the south where Mediterranean style conditions appear to prevail and the north where the weather was more akin to that of the UK and Scandinavia with it becoming colder until reaching the equivalent of the Artic, the giant wall of ice covered rock which separated the Seven Kingdoms from the dangerous waste beyond where deadly mysterious creatures were reported to have existed in ancient times whereas now there were only fiercely independent humans called Wildings with the understandable inclination to move southward because of the more advantageous land and conditions.
It was the brother of Lord Stark who held a senior position in the Watch, a brotherhood of celibate men sworn to protect the Kingdom by a lifetime of service guarding the wall and periodically venturing forth to assess the mood and positions of the Wildings. He had gone on such a mission several years before after bringing the illegitimate first born son of Lord Stark into service after his father’s move south. Jon Snow, a universal kind of name given to all such offspring was not cut out for the life of a celibate life and had wanted to return to the side of step mother and brothers once the news of his father’s murder reached him.
This has left Robb Stark the eldest son and still only a boy as family head, responsible for the care of Lady Stark and his two young brothers Bran who was an adventurous child who loved to climb any and everything with sure foot and brave heart and his youngest brother no more a babe in arms.
It was step brother Jon who had fashioned a small specially made sword for Ayra sensing that she would have need to protect herself in her new situation and it was her father on discovering this had the sense to arrange lessons to teach her to use the weapons and her skills of self defence.
Ayra as her sisters Sansa along with Jon, Robb and Bran had each been given one of dire wolf cubs that had been discovered with the carcass of their mother. These creatures are given by their author creator the kind of mythical loyalty and power which others have also associated with the common wolf hound. Ayra had commenced to lock horns with the betrothed of her sister on the way to Kingdom city Kings Landing, on the southern coast and this had led to the direwolf told to run off to safety as its immediate future was under threat and led to the execution of that belonging to Sansa instead. I mention this because I assume Ayra will be reunited with her animal at some point.
She had escaped from the city after witnessing her father being executed when he refused to accept the new regime having discovered the treachery of the Queen and her twin brother.
Ayra had commenced to travel north disguised as a boy on her way home as part of a caravan taking volunteers and pressed men to join the Night Watch until they had been attacked by the Kings men under orders of the Queen in an attempt to locate and kill all the illegitimate children of her late husband and who in fact had greater legitimacy that any of her three children fathered by her twin brother. Unbeknown to Ayra or the young man in question the pursuers were after the surviving eldest son of the former King who had been brought up as a blacksmith at the forge of his stepfather.
Ayra and several young companions had been pursued by a murderous group on behalf of the king who had broken up and killed the Nightwatch caravan and which had also included a group of offenders who were kept as prisoners because they had not volunteered their services. When the assault had taken place Ayra had freed the three prisoners from certain death by fire and which later was to bring her a change in fortune. The group has been captured and taken to the destroyed fortress of Harrenthal.
This had become the HQ of the father of the Queen whose force had lost in three battles with Robb Stark who had been crowned King of the North and declared their independence of the new boy King. The head of the Lannister family was waiting to see what happened with the news that one of the two brothers of the former king who both claimed the throne had been killed, allegedly by the other and was moving on Kings Landing.
Upon capture Ayra had given up her disguise as boy and had the opportunity to act as a general servant which included scrubbing stairs as well as serving at table under direction. She picked up news about what was happening and what might be happening but she was not as close or as privy to Ser Tywin Lannister, the head of the family as suggested in the TV series.
The other significance difference is how she uses the three lives offered for freeing the three prisoners and the order which events are recorded in the book and TV series. She had used the first and second to get rid of her tormentors and commenced to believe the man possessed special powers when the second killing was achieved by getting the target’s dog to turn on him.
She then gives the man his own name for the third killing but explains she will withdraw his name if he agrees to arrange the escape of Northmen imprisoned and he agrees although it involves killing more than a dozen guards. The debt has been redeemed and Ayra has regrets on being reduced to defenceless young servant once more. It is at this point in the book and not after she makes her escape as per the TV series that she realises the individual has shape shifting powers as he changes his appearance before leaving Harrenthal. He offers to show her something of his powers if she is willing to accompany him across the sea where he has duties. She reluctantly declines because of her own mission and he gives her coin which he says will command any of his countrymen to take her to him if she says the words “valar morghulis.” In the book this exchange takes places after she left the castle fortress which is the request she makes of him and not the freeing of the north countryman. (493-506).
With the departure of Tywin Lannister to assist the attacked City held by his daughter, eldest son and grandson King Herrenthal come sunder control of others sympathetic to the cause of the North an Ayra learns that her home had been taken and her brothers killed
It is as the book comes to and end (648-661) that Ayra decides to leave accompanied by her friends on learning that a planned change in the control of Harrenthal will again place her in peril. The arrival of three hunting horses is the catalyst for a plan to leave. She entrusts the task of getting hold of the horses to her two young companions while she uses the silver coin given to her to trick the guard sufficiently to be able to use his sword to slit his throat. The three then depart. Like Daenerys Targeryen she continues to be on the outside but coming closer to what one feels is to be her destiny.
In the first season Ayra’s father out of loyalty to the King he had helped to put on the throne and create one Kingdom where there had been seven and thus bringing some unity and peace to a troubled island land, had agreed to become his Hand, a kind of Prime Minister with only the King and a Council to exercise restraint on the use of power. The previous long standing incumbant had been murdered on behalf of the in a plan to make her incestuous born eldest son, King.
King Robert has exacted a high price demanding that Lord Stark agree to the betrothal of his eldest daughter Sanza still a child to the boy he appeared to believe to be his son although had no likeness to any of the other sons he had fathered whenever his fancy and opportunity came his way. Knowing what this would mean for his eldest Stark haddecided that his young daughter Ayra should accompany her sister despite the two being opposites in nature and behaviour.
In fairness to Lord Stark only his sense of duty and of loyalty had persuaded him to abandon his idyllic family life and position in which he was well regarded by the citizens of Winterfell and other Lords of the North. He then learned that the man who he had placed on throne by force of arms was a failure as a monarch, failing to work for a permanent peace within the former Kingdoms by seeking reconciliation with those defeated or developing a loyal army to sustain his control should revolts occur.
In part this was because Robert as everyone else wanted to make the most of the long unending summer, something of a metaphor although also a statement that a season could last for years into a decade as could the Winter which would inevitably follow. This overall description of climate also covered a situation where there were significant difference between the south where Mediterranean style conditions appear to prevail and the north where the weather was more akin to that of the UK and Scandinavia with it becoming colder until reaching the equivalent of the Artic, the giant wall of ice covered rock which separated the Seven Kingdoms from the dangerous waste beyond where deadly mysterious creatures were reported to have existed in ancient times whereas now there were only fiercely independent humans called Wildings with the understandable inclination to move southward because of the more advantageous land and conditions.
It was the brother of Lord Stark who held a senior position in the Watch, a brotherhood of celibate men sworn to protect the Kingdom by a lifetime of service guarding the wall and periodically venturing forth to assess the mood and positions of the Wildings. He had gone on such a mission several years before after bringing the illegitimate first born son of Lord Stark into service after his father’s move south. Jon Snow, a universal kind of name given to all such offspring was not cut out for the life of a celibate life and had wanted to return to the side of step mother and brothers once the news of his father’s murder reached him.
This has left Robb Stark the eldest son and still only a boy as family head, responsible for the care of Lady Stark and his two young brothers Bran who was an adventurous child who loved to climb any and everything with sure foot and brave heart and his youngest brother no more a babe in arms.
It was step brother Jon who had fashioned a small specially made sword for Ayra sensing that she would have need to protect herself in her new situation and it was her father on discovering this had the sense to arrange lessons to teach her to use the weapons and her skills of self defence.
Ayra as her sisters Sansa along with Jon, Robb and Bran had each been given one of dire wolf cubs that had been discovered with the carcass of their mother. These creatures are given by their author creator the kind of mythical loyalty and power which others have also associated with the common wolf hound. Ayra had commenced to lock horns with the betrothed of her sister on the way to Kingdom city Kings Landing, on the southern coast and this had led to the direwolf told to run off to safety as its immediate future was under threat and led to the execution of that belonging to Sansa instead. I mention this because I assume Ayra will be reunited with her animal at some point.
She had escaped from the city after witnessing her father being executed when he refused to accept the new regime having discovered the treachery of the Queen and her twin brother.
Ayra had commenced to travel north disguised as a boy on her way home as part of a caravan taking volunteers and pressed men to join the Night Watch until they had been attacked by the Kings men under orders of the Queen in an attempt to locate and kill all the illegitimate children of her late husband and who in fact had greater legitimacy that any of her three children fathered by her twin brother. Unbeknown to Ayra or the young man in question the pursuers were after the surviving eldest son of the former King who had been brought up as a blacksmith at the forge of his stepfather.
Ayra and several young companions had been pursued by a murderous group on behalf of the king who had broken up and killed the Nightwatch caravan and which had also included a group of offenders who were kept as prisoners because they had not volunteered their services. When the assault had taken place Ayra had freed the three prisoners from certain death by fire and which later was to bring her a change in fortune. The group has been captured and taken to the destroyed fortress of Harrenthal.
This had become the HQ of the father of the Queen whose force had lost in three battles with Robb Stark who had been crowned King of the North and declared their independence of the new boy King. The head of the Lannister family was waiting to see what happened with the news that one of the two brothers of the former king who both claimed the throne had been killed, allegedly by the other and was moving on Kings Landing.
Upon capture Ayra had given up her disguise as boy and had the opportunity to act as a general servant which included scrubbing stairs as well as serving at table under direction. She picked up news about what was happening and what might be happening but she was not as close or as privy to Ser Tywin Lannister, the head of the family as suggested in the TV series.
The other significance difference is how she uses the three lives offered for freeing the three prisoners and the order which events are recorded in the book and TV series. She had used the first and second to get rid of her tormentors and commenced to believe the man possessed special powers when the second killing was achieved by getting the target’s dog to turn on him.
She then gives the man his own name for the third killing but explains she will withdraw his name if he agrees to arrange the escape of Northmen imprisoned and he agrees although it involves killing more than a dozen guards. The debt has been redeemed and Ayra has regrets on being reduced to defenceless young servant once more. It is at this point in the book and not after she makes her escape as per the TV series that she realises the individual has shape shifting powers as he changes his appearance before leaving Harrenthal. He offers to show her something of his powers if she is willing to accompany him across the sea where he has duties. She reluctantly declines because of her own mission and he gives her coin which he says will command any of his countrymen to take her to him if she says the words “valar morghulis.” In the book this exchange takes places after she left the castle fortress which is the request she makes of him and not the freeing of the north countryman. (493-506).
With the departure of Tywin Lannister to assist the attacked City held by his daughter, eldest son and grandson King Herrenthal come sunder control of others sympathetic to the cause of the North an Ayra learns that her home had been taken and her brothers killed
It is as the book comes to and end (648-661) that Ayra decides to leave accompanied by her friends on learning that a planned change in the control of Harrenthal will again place her in peril. The arrival of three hunting horses is the catalyst for a plan to leave. She entrusts the task of getting hold of the horses to her two young companions while she uses the silver coin given to her to trick the guard sufficiently to be able to use his sword to slit his throat. The three then depart. Like Daenerys Targeryen she continues to be on the outside but coming closer to what one feels is to be her destiny.
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