Tyrion
Tyrion is traveling north with Benjen Stark and Jon Snow to The Wall. Form Tyrion's PoV we see a lot of the happenings occurring about the crew as they travel the kingsroad; we learn it's extremely cold, well below freezing, and the wind makes it worse.
But there isn't much else we learn until Jon Snow and Tyrion have their conversation in this chapter. Since Tyrion often gets in the way of making camp or breaking one, he goes off to the woods. We get a little insight on the history of dragons as Tyrion dug through the cellars of Red Keep after his sister wed Robert Baratheon, who had the dragon skulls removed from the great hall after he had taken the throne.
The smallest skulls were no bigger than mastifs, and only a century and a half old. They would be the last of the Targaryen dragons, possibly the last dragons to ever have lived. The other skulls were massive, big enough to stand inside the gaping jaws, one big enough to ride a horse through. There were three of them, named Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhaghar.
After some pondering of dragons, Jon shows up and asks Tyrion what he's reading. Tyrion tells him, and Jon wonders why would anyone want to read about dragons. And then Tyrion points out the obvious that I had called out a couple chapters ago before he left for The Wall.
Tyrion reads to keep his wits sharp. A book is to the mind as the whetstone is to the sword. Since Tyrion's physical stature and appearance cause others to think poorly of him, he must prove himself with his wit, intellect, and perception. What he lacks in strength and appearance he must make up in intelligence.
After Jon mentions the uselessness of reading about dragons, Tyrion gives up one of his darker secrets from when he was a boy and he used to light fires in the bowels of Casterly Rock, imagining it to be dragon's fire, burning his father or his sister.
He then says Jon must think the same way, to which Jon vehemently disagrees. Tyrion makes some sarcastic remarks about how wonderful the Stark's must treat him, and Catelyn must care for him as if he were her own son, and that Robb is heir to Winterfell while Jon is shipped off to the Wall.
Jon is furious. He screams at Tyrion to shut up, and that going to be a part of the Night's Watch is a noble venture. Tyrion puts the truth to the lie, saying that the Night's Watch is made up of all the misfits in the world and he knows Jon hates this.
Jon screams again, and then Ghost attacks Tyrion. Since the wolf is mute, he never him the thing coming and it tackles Tyrion down to the snow. He asks Jon to call the wolf off and help him up. Jon makes him "ask nicely".
Jon is kind of annoying.
Tyrion asks nicely, Jon tells Ghost to sit and then helps Tyrion to his feet. He asks why Ghost attacked him, and Jon jokes that maybe he thought Tyrion was a "grumkin". And Tyrion laughs heartily at this, asking what he does to snarks. Jon responds that he doesn't want to know.
Maybe if I knew what a grumkin or snark was, I'd have laughed at this too, but I was more so confused than anything else.
Jon hands Tyrion back his wineskin, and he drinks from it. He hands it back to Jon who tries some, and then he asks Tyrion if what he said about the Night Watch is true.
Duh? Did you not see Yoren and his men? They're all criminals of one sort or another ...
Tyrion admits it and Jon understands, admitting that "it is what it is". Tyrion finds Jon's ability to acknowledge a hard truth, rather than run away from it, an admirable quality.
They venture back to camp and Ben berates Jon for going off on his own. Camp settles down after some food, and they all go off to sleep.
What was the point of this chapter?
Seems more or less filler again. It gave us a little information on the developing relationship between Jon and Tyrion, but not much else.
Oh well, on to the next chapter.
After some pondering of dragons, Jon shows up and asks Tyrion what he's reading. Tyrion tells him, and Jon wonders why would anyone want to read about dragons. And then Tyrion points out the obvious that I had called out a couple chapters ago before he left for The Wall.
Tyrion reads to keep his wits sharp. A book is to the mind as the whetstone is to the sword. Since Tyrion's physical stature and appearance cause others to think poorly of him, he must prove himself with his wit, intellect, and perception. What he lacks in strength and appearance he must make up in intelligence.
After Jon mentions the uselessness of reading about dragons, Tyrion gives up one of his darker secrets from when he was a boy and he used to light fires in the bowels of Casterly Rock, imagining it to be dragon's fire, burning his father or his sister.
He then says Jon must think the same way, to which Jon vehemently disagrees. Tyrion makes some sarcastic remarks about how wonderful the Stark's must treat him, and Catelyn must care for him as if he were her own son, and that Robb is heir to Winterfell while Jon is shipped off to the Wall.
Jon is furious. He screams at Tyrion to shut up, and that going to be a part of the Night's Watch is a noble venture. Tyrion puts the truth to the lie, saying that the Night's Watch is made up of all the misfits in the world and he knows Jon hates this.
Jon screams again, and then Ghost attacks Tyrion. Since the wolf is mute, he never him the thing coming and it tackles Tyrion down to the snow. He asks Jon to call the wolf off and help him up. Jon makes him "ask nicely".
Jon is kind of annoying.
Tyrion asks nicely, Jon tells Ghost to sit and then helps Tyrion to his feet. He asks why Ghost attacked him, and Jon jokes that maybe he thought Tyrion was a "grumkin". And Tyrion laughs heartily at this, asking what he does to snarks. Jon responds that he doesn't want to know.
Maybe if I knew what a grumkin or snark was, I'd have laughed at this too, but I was more so confused than anything else.
Jon hands Tyrion back his wineskin, and he drinks from it. He hands it back to Jon who tries some, and then he asks Tyrion if what he said about the Night Watch is true.
Duh? Did you not see Yoren and his men? They're all criminals of one sort or another ...
Tyrion admits it and Jon understands, admitting that "it is what it is". Tyrion finds Jon's ability to acknowledge a hard truth, rather than run away from it, an admirable quality.
They venture back to camp and Ben berates Jon for going off on his own. Camp settles down after some food, and they all go off to sleep.
What was the point of this chapter?
Seems more or less filler again. It gave us a little information on the developing relationship between Jon and Tyrion, but not much else.
Oh well, on to the next chapter.
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