Bran thought about it. “Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?” – “That is the only time a man can be brave,” his father told him.
AGOT 01 – BRAN I (GRRM)
POV character
Brandon Stark 1
Chapter (AGOT)
2 / 73
Chapter (ASOIAF)
2 / 344
Summary
The seven year old Bran Stark is allowed to accompany his father, the Lord of Winterfell, and his two older brothers, as well as the ward of the Stark family to an execution of a deserter of the nightswatch. Lord Stark acts as judge and executioner in one person and beheads the deeply frightened deserter himself with the family-sword “Ice”. The older boys take that as business as usual and Theon the ward even makes fun of the victim and is called “ass” by Jon. Bran is a little bit shaken and deep in thoughts. His father explains that the Starks see it as their duty to execute the judgement themselves instead of using a headsman, and it is exactly that he expects from him later: to fulfill his duty.
While Bran talks to his father his brothers Robb and Jon race their horses. Robb finds a dead direwolf bitch – killed by an antler that punctured its throat. They discuss that no direwolf – a species “bigger than a pony” – has been seen south of the wall for two centuries. Everybody agrees that a “wolf killed by a stag” is a bad sign, as the wolf is in the Stark’s banner, while the stag is the sigil of House Baratheon – the king’s house. They find out, that the bitch gave birth to pups – either shortly before or even after she died (an even worse sign).
Theon opts for killing the pups and most agree with him first, even Lord Stark, but Robb and Bran oppose them. The group and Lord Stark are undecided until Jon points out that there are five pups. The litter (three male, two female) is a direct picture of the Stark children. He – initially – does not want a pup, as he “is no Stark, but a Snow” (a name given in the North to illigimate children). Bran instantly sees what his half-brother has done and is thankful. By stating not to be a Stark-child and not to be part of the family, Jon saved the pups and managed to convince Lord Stark to keep them. Lord Stark agrees on the condition that the children train their wolves well and by themselves.
Shortly before they depart Jon rides back as he has heard something. He finds a sixth pup, a short way away from the others. It is white with red eyes – an albino – and Jon keeps it for himself, taking it as a sign that he is in fact part of the family.
Thoughts
- I remember when I read this book the first time that I got really confused as soon as the revelations did not come “in the next chapter” anymore. Because here we directly see Gared from the Prologue again (although the first time around I thought it had to be Will).
- “In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, […]“
Everybody always makes fun of Daenerys and her obsession with titles. But that is simply a tradition and the way to go in the seven kingdoms. And monarchs in the real world – all of them have/had titles like “Protector of the Faith” – Elizabeth II held so many titles that the titles have their own Wikipedia-page. - The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks […]
I think this is significant. It may be an indication that they in fact have a deeper connection to the North, the Others and all that stuff. - “He must have crawled away from the others,” Jon said.“Or been driven away,” their father said, looking at the sixth pup. […] Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind.
So much foreshadowing in this chapter (I think I remember that this chapter was one of the first of all ASOIAF): – the stag that kills the wolf – the surviving of the pups – the comment that the white pup was “droven away” (as Jon will also be). But I think it is totally irrelevant that the white pup is the only one, that had “opened its eyes” at that moment. When did Jon see something sooner than his siblings? - Book vs. show: On the APOIAF-discord I got the question if I mix up actors from the show and characters from the books although my last read AND watch are long ago. I will try to point out if that happens. In this chapter it was partly easy and hard. The children are no problem – although the young actors were great, all of them are too old as Bran in the book is 7, Robb and Jon 14 and Theon slightly older.
The hard one here is Eddard Stark – Sean Bean was a great choice. For keeping actor and character apart the age-angle helps me: Bean is too old, therefore – easier seperation of show and books on that one.
My Song of Ice and Fire 
