North of the wall, a group of rangers encounter dead wildlings, frozen in their sleep, though it had not been cold enough. They go to investigate and are met by the Others, pale ice creatures who slay their leader, shattering his sword. He rises again after that, and kills the youngest, Will. The other, Gared, flees.
On the way back from watching the execution of a Gared who had fled the wights, and lost his mind to fear, Robb and Jon find direwolves, one for each Stark. Their mother is dead, killed by an antler to the throat, taken as an ill omen by Catelyn. Yhough Ned is inclined to kill them, Jon convinces him to keep them, claiming they were sent by the old gods as their number match the Stark children. As they are on their way to Wintefell, Jon returns and fins a sith Direwolf, a mute white one, apparently driven away from the others for Jon, who claims he heard it.
On his return to Winterfell, Ned learns that Jon Arryn, his brother in law and foster father is dead. King Robert and his entourage journey to Winterfell. He visits Lyanna's crypt and offers Ned the job of Hand to replace Jon. He also proposes Joffrey and Sansa marry, as he and Lyanna were due to. Sansa immediately falls in love with Joffrey as he is tall and blond and she is stupid. At the feast, Jon eats on his own, so as not to offen the queen and decides to join the watch and befriends Tyrion. While most of the adults are hunting, Bran sees Jaime and Cersei having sex while out climbing and is tossed to the ground by Jaime, crippling him. Catelyn receives a letter from Lysa claiming the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn and tells Ned he must accept the job of Hand. Jon gives Arya a sword, Needle. He visits Bran and is told by Catelyn that it should have been him, before he leaves with Ben and Tyrion who has decided to go and have a look at the wall. Both Jon and Arya see Joffrey for what he is, as do Ned and Catelyn and anyone with an ounce of common sense.
On the way south, Arya reveals her dislike of the queen, to an appalled Sansa, who is too stupid to realise Arya sees things truely. Arya and Joffrey quarrel after she saves Mycah who Arya has befriended, when he decided to pretend Mycah was attacking Arya and punish him. Nymeria has to save her and she humiliates Joffrey by throwing his sword away, much to Renly's amusement. Lady is killed for this, by Ned at Cersei's orders after Sansa refuses to tell the truth about what happened. Unsurprisingly, she doesn't see the poetic justice in this. Mycah is killed by Sandor Clegane, earning Arya's hatred and no particular reaction from Sansa. In Winterfell, a knifeman, armed with Vallyrian steel, tries to kill Bran, but he is saved by Catelyn and Summer. He wakes after dreaming of a three eyed crow. Later, after his return from the wall, Tyrion designs him a saddle and while out riding he is almost abducted by wildlings untill Theon kills the last of them, capturing Osha.
On the wall, Benjen goes missing and Jon with the other trainees, effortlessly defeating them. After fighting off Grenn and Todder when they go looking for revenge, Noye makes him realise it is not so easy for them. He offers to help Grenn making an enemy of Ser Alliser Thorne in the process. Sam arrives and is useless and craven, but Jon and Ghost like him anyway. Jon takes charge of the recruits and forces them to accept Sam, and not to fight him, further earning the wrath of Ser Alliser. He talks Aemon into ensuring that Sam is passed into the stewards and not left in training when he and the others are passed. Sam says his vows in front of the old gods, with Jon, claiming the Southern Gods of his family have never done him any good.
Catelyn heads for King's Landing to tell Ned of the attempt on Bran's life, where she is met by Petyr. He claims the dagger was Tyrion's, won in a bet that Jaime would lose. In King's Landing, a tournament is arranged for Ned much to his disgust and he discovers that the crown is massively in debt. He learns of the attempted murder of Bran and of Arya's desire for swordplay, so hires Syrio Forel to pose as a dancing master and teach her. Catelyn meets Tyrion on her way back north and abducts him, taking him to her sister at the Eyrie. While breastfeeding the six year old Lord Robert, She accuses him of Jon Arryn's murder and places him in the sky cells for Mord to look after. He eventually chooses trial by combat, a sellsword, Bronn met on the way being his defender. After victory, they are put on the road for the clans to kill, but Tyrion survives by promising them better weapons
At the tourney, Jon Arryn's ex squire is killed by Gregor Clegane. Sandor takes Sansa back and drunkenly tells her how Gregor burned him, threatening to kill her if she repeates the tale. Loras annoys Gregor by using a mare in heat in a tourney and Sandor is required to save him. Gregor tries to kill Sandor, who merely protects himself until Robert is able to call an end to it. Ned and Barristan have to talk Robert out of fighting in a melee, in a plot of Cersei's to have him killed. Catching cats for Syrio in order to improve her balance and agility, Arya is forced to run from Myrcella and Tommen lest they recognise her and overhears Varys and Illyrio plotting together and talking about whether the hand must die.
In Pentos, Ilyrio Mopiatis aranges the sale and wedding of Daenerys Targaryon to Khal Drogo in return for vague promises of aid to Viserys. The exciled knight Jorah Mormont offers Viserys his services, whilst spying on them for Varys. Drogo waits for Dany's somewhat reluctant consent before consumating the marriage. On the way to Vaes Dothrak, Viserys attacks Dany in one of his rages. Her Khas stop him and Mormont changes allegience to her. She goes into the open air to get pregnant under the stars, becoming bolder and more confident, beating back Viserys herself.
Robert orders Dany assasinated when he hears she is pregnant, being supported by Renly, Varys and Petyr, but not Barristan or Eddard, who quits. Jaime and his men attack Ned when he retuns from visiting one of Robert's bastards with Petyr. They wound Ned and kill Jory. Jaime flees Kings Landing, and Robert insist it goes no further, re-instating Ned before going hunting. Lannister men, under the control of Gregor Clegane attack the riverlands, apparently in retaliation for Tyrion's capture. Ned sends Beric Dondarion and Thoros of Myr to put an end to it. He also decides to send Arya and Sansa back to Winterfell, prompting Sansa to run straight to Cersei and tell. Ned realises that Cersei's children are illegetimate and that Jaime is the true father and warns her to leave.
Robert dies shortly after from a Cersei induced hunting accident with the aid of Lancel, naming Ned protector and rescinding his order to kill Dany and her child. Renly flees after Ned turns down his offer to help by taking Joffrey into protective custody. He also turns down Petyr's suggestion of letting Joff rule then replacing him with Renly if he proves troublesome. Ned trusts Petyr to pay off Janos Slynt, despite Petyr warning him not to and is betrayed and arrested. Barristan is also taken after hesistating when ordered to arrest Ned. Syrio saves Arya when Meryn Trant comes to take her. She flees, killing a stableboy who tries to stop her.
Robb wins the loyalty of his lords after sending his wolf to eat some of the Greatjon 's finger's. Robb marches to war to free Ned. Ned agrees to take the black and renounce his claims of incest on advice from Varys so as to save Sansa, but is executed on Joffrey's orders. Barristan is stripped of command and flees after Joffrey sends gurdsmen to arrest him. Sandor takes his place in the kingsguard though he refuses to swear knights vows and Jaime named Lord Commander. Joffrey orders the kingsguard to hit Sansa, which they do, except for Sansa and Jaime who is not present.
Robb agrees to marry a daughter of Walder Frey, amongst other things to pass the Twins and win the Freys to his cause. Mormont gives Jon his family sword. Jon tries to leave for Robb, but his friends bring him back. In Riverun, Robb is proclaimed king in the north, first by the Greatjon, then Rickard Karstark, then many other lords. Jaime is captured in battle and Tyrion sent to King's Landing to act as hand.
North of the wall, Ghost finds a hand and corpses of rangers which have not been eaten or decayed and have pale blue eyes, despite not being that colour when they were alive so are taken back. Jon attacks Ser Alliser with a knife after he calls Ned a traitor, so is placed in a cell. The dead men walk again at night, killing Ser Jaremy Rykker and Jon is forced to burn them to save Lord Mormont.
Dany's child is prophecised to unite the khals and Viserys is killed by Drogo due to his own stupidity, drawing a weapon in Vaes Dothrak and threatening to kill Dany. A man tries to poison her, but is stopped by Jorah and Jhogo. Drogo agrees to conquer Westeros. She saves a girl, Eroeh from gang rape. Drogo is later injured, and refuses to take his medicine so sickens badly. Mirri Maz Duur tells Dany she can give Drogo his life, but takes the child's in return. Dany's men fight Drogo's bloodriders. Drogo lives, but cannot do anything, so Dany kills him and his Khalesar falls apart, killing Ereoh. Dany burns him and Mirri to give life to her dragon eggs, after which her men agree to be her Bloodriders.
A Clash of KingsThe Library
