158 ASOS 15 Catelyn II: Lightly Guarded

With Robb due back at Riverrun, Catelyn frets that he won't ask to see her. She reassures herself that he will. When he does, he forgives her too easily. It seems he was seduced during his grief about Bran & Rickon and wed his seducer. Meet the Westerlings. They have come over to Robb from the Lannisters. Grey Wind doesn't like some of them. After the formal meeting, The Blackfish turns on Edmure over the Stone Mill. Though their plan to snare Tywin in a Whispering Wood 2.0 did not sound likely to work, Edmure apologizes. Catelyn presses Robb to return to Winterfell. The Chapter Ends with the cliffhanger of Catelyn's idea of who to offer to Walder Frey to secure their passage.

"I took her castle and she took my heart."

This chapter is about all the traps Robb has fallen or is about to fall into. While he thought he could lure Tywin south, he instead was lured into taking the barely garrisoned Cragg. Ushered into the bed of the eligible daughter, Robb was quickly trapped into provoking Lord Walder who had already betrayed him for an alliance with Bolton and possibly also with Tywin.

The chapter sets up for the Red Wedding by introducing the Westerlings and Catelyn's idea to offer Edmure, who appears to owe amends for his victory at the Stone Mill since he delayed Tywin's passage until he learned Stannis was moving on King's Landing. However, knowing Tywin only pretended to consider laying siege to Riverrun as a stalling tactic to wait for Stannis to attack the capitol, which was made to appear to be lightly guarded.

Reveals

Robb has broken his contract with the Freys and lost their allegiance.

- forty Frey's left angrily

-Robb is not angry with her and seems apprehensive

- introduces the Westerlings

Tywin always meant to defend King's Landing

- "When you stopped Lord Tywin on the Red Fork," said the Blackfish, "you delayed him just long enough for riders out of Bitterbridge to reach him with word of what was happening to the east." 200

Just because a castle like the Dreadfort or the Red Keep or the Cragg seems lightly garrisoned doesn't mean it isn't valued.

Catelyn states her motive in freeing Jaime

Robb guesses: "For the girls."

"I had five children. Now I have three."

The phrasing of her answer suggests Catelyn's motive was not for the girls but out of grief for Bran and Rickon. That's a major, though subtle, difference.

References

Foreshadowing Lord Rickard's execution in Catelyn's concern her head will be called for and Karstark's naming her traitor.

Edmure's defending of the fords

Foreshadowing of Robb's having been in danger at The Cragg. In 129 ACOK Catelyn, Robb had been about to return. In 146 ASOS Catelyn I Judgement, Robb must delay to wait for a wound to heal. This suggests Robb's minor wound worsened under Westerling care.

Page by Page

1 Forgiven

188 Still confined to Hoster's chambers as he worsens, Catelyn hears Robb return

189 On the day Edmure returned, forty Freys left angrily. Vyman won't say why.

190 Awaiting Robb's judgment in the Great Hall, she sees he's become a war hero.

191 When Catelyn confesses to Robb, Lord Karstark confronts her: he lost two sons, too.

192 Karstark says "treason." Robb forgives Catelyn too easily. Grey Wind is not with Robb.

193 Robb intrduces the Westerlings, a minor house sworn to Lannister.

194 Robb has married Jeyne. Catelyn is shocked but recovers and welcomes them.

2 The Pen

195 In private, Catelyn questions Robb: Jeyne's father may be angry at the marriage since he's Tywin's man, Mallister's captive, and was not asked to bless the union. Tywin may leave the Westerlings with nothing. The Crag appears to have been a trap. Weakly garrisoned, they yielded as soon as Robb was injured Jeyne had Robb taken into her bed and comforted him bodily when news of Bran & Rickon arrived.

196 The Freys are dangerously insulted. Robb thought of offering northern marriages, bringing Bolton's to mind. Robb grieves having sent Theon to Balon, saying he lost the north then.

197 Grey Wind is left in the yard. Robb says he scared Jeyne and her mother and has killed too many men to fear them and becomes restless and irritable indoors. (Meaning in The Cragg)

198 Catelyn begs Robb to send Rolph Spicer away and reminds him the direwolves are protecting from the gods. Robb says he thought so, too, before Bran & Rickon.

3 The Red Fork

199 The Blackfish turns on Edmure, coming down hard for the Stone Mill, but their plan sounds like it would have failed, regardless. The Blackfish and Robb accuse Edmure of delaying Tywin long enough for him to learn of Stannis's attack on King's Landing.

200 Catelyn wishes Robb had been at Bitterbridge and fallen for Margaery Tyrell instead. Catelyn warns Robb he has to take back Winterfell and avenge himself on Theon before anything else. To do that they have to make peace with the Freys so they won't be a dagger at their back when they attack Moat Cailin.

201 Robb says Ser Rodrik may have succeeded in taking back Winterfell. Acknowledges they have to cross Frey lands. Catelyn suggests offering Edmure to Lord Walder.