A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24

Bran II
A Storm of Swords chapter
POV	Bran
Place	Northern mountains
Page	274 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Bran I ↑
Daenerys II  ← Bran II →  Davos III
↓ Bran III

Bran Stark travels through the northern mountains and learns about the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

Synopsis

Traveling north to the Wall, Bran and his companions meet a Liddle in the hills. The man indicates that the Bastard of Bolton is offering gold for wolfskins and for word on the walking dead. Later, Meera tells the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree during the year of the false spring; the story names no names, but from their references, we know who they are. A crannogman (Howland Reed) had left Greywater Watch and visited the green men on the Isle of Faces. Returning home, he stopped at Harrenhal for the great tourney. Three squires accosted him and mocked him for his short stature, knocking him to the ground until he was rescued by a she-wolf (Lyanna Stark).

A knight (Jaime Lannister) was named to the Kingsguard, although his father was absent (Tywin Lannister had recently resigned as Hand). During the feast, the wild wolf (Brandon Stark) asked a maid with laughing purple eyes (Ashara Dayne) to dance with his shy brother (Eddard Stark). A pup (Benjen Stark) offered the crannogman some armor so that he could take his vengeance on the squires during the tourney, but the little man turned him down. The crannogmen prayed to the old gods, and the next day at the tourney, a mystery knight called the Knight of the Laughing Tree defeated the knights whose squires had wronged the crannogman. Instead of collecting a ransom from the three defeated knights, the mystery knight asked them to teach their squires honor. The Knight of the Laughing Tree disappeared before he could be unmasked, despite the fury of the king (Aerys II Targaryen).

The tourney was won by the dragon prince (Rhaegar Targaryen), but Meera ends the story by saying that what happened next is a sadder tale that deserves its own telling. Bran has never heard this story before, and both Reeds are surprised that Lord Eddard never related it to him.

Character List appearing/mentioned

• Bran Stark
• Osha
• Rickon Stark
• Shaggydog
• Wyman Manderly
• Greatjon Umber
• Hodor
• Meera Reed
• Howland Reed
• Jojen Reed
• Three-eyed crow
• Summer
• Arya Flint
• Old Nan
• Theo Wull
• Eddard Stark (quiet wolf)
• The Wull
• The Norrey
• The Liddle
• Bastard's boys
• Ramsay Snow
• Jeor Mormont
• Robb Stark
• Knight of the Laughing Tree
• Aerys II Targaryen (king)
• Rhaegar Targaryen (dragon prince)
• Jaime Lannister (new brother of the White Swords)
• Robert Baratheon (storm lord)
• Mace Tyrell (rose lord)
• Tywin Lannister (great lion of the rock)
• Oswell Whent (uncle of the reigning queen of love and beauty)
• Elia Martell (wife of the dragon prince)
• Little Walder Frey
• Lyanna Stark (she-wolf / wolf maid)
• Brandon Stark (wild wolf)
• Benjen Stark (pup)
• Harren Hoare
• Wandering crow
• Richard Lonmouth (knight of skulls and kisses)
• Ashara Dayne (maid with laughing purple eyes)
• Oberyn Martell (red snake)
• Jon Connington (lord of griffins)
• Aemon Targaryen
• Naerys Targaryen
• Aegon IV Targaryen
• Barristan Selmy

Places and terms mentioned

• Wolfswood
• Sentinel
• Soldier pine
• Ice Dragon
• White Harbor
• Last Hearth
• Northern mountains
• Kingsroad
• Winterfell
• Bay of Ice
• Wall
• Haunted forest
• Neck
• Andals
• Ironmen
• Greywater Watch
• Crannogmen
• year of the false spring
• green men
• Isle of Faces
• Green Fork
• Twins
• Trident
• Gods Eye
• Harrenhal
• White Swords
• queen of love and beauty
• mystery knight
• old gods

References and Notes

• The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].
• A Read of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords, Part 14. Analyses and summary of the chapter by Leigh Butler.
• Re-read Bran II: No cure for elusiveness. Summary and analyses of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.