The Comet

67 AGOT Bran VII: Luwin watches a comet through his telescope.

"The maester was peering through his big Mryish lens tube, measuring shadows and noting the position of the comet that hung low in the morning sky." 729

73 AGOT Daenerys X: The first star of evening, Drogo's soul riding into the night lands, is a comet. The proximity of the chapters makes it feel likely this is the same comet, though it isn't described as distinctly red, so maybe not.

When a horselord dies, his horse is slain with him so he might ride into the night lands. The bodies are burned beneath the open sky, and the khal rises on his fiery steed to take his place among the stars. The more fiercely the man burned in life, the brighter his star will shine in the darkness. Jhogo spied it first. "There," he said in a hushed voice. Dany looked and saw it, low in the east. The first star was a comet, burning red. Bloodred; fire red; the dragon's tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign." 803-4

A Clash of Kings opens with a string of chapters that each mention the comet.

74 ACOK 1 Prologue: Cressen is watching the comet when the white raven arrives, associating it with a change of season. He wonders if the "omen of blood, foretelling murder" prophecies his intention to use the strangler on Melisandre.

Selyse would have Stannis see the comet as R'hllors blessing to murder Renly for his armies.

"There is the sign you have waited for, blazoned on the sky. Red, it is, the red of flame, red for the fiery heart of the true god. It is his banner—and yours! See how it unfurls across the heavens like a dragon's hot breath, and you the Lord of Dragonstone. It means your time has come, Your Grace. Nothing is more certain. You are meant to sail from this desolate rock as Aegon the Conqueror once sailed, to sweep all before you as he did. Only say the word, and embrace the power of the Lord of Light." 18

Shireen is afraid the comet means the stone dragons can come eat her, as in her nightmare.

"Dalla said she heard the red woman tell Mother that it was dragonsbreath. If the dragons are breathing, doesn't that mean they are coming to life?" 5

The ruby at Melisandre's throat is compared to the comet.

The ruby at Melisandre's throat caught the light as she turned her head, and for an instant it seemed to glow bright as the comet."

75 ACOK 2 Arya I: Gendry says the comet looks like a freshly forged sword and calls it "The Red Sword." Arya thinks of how Ice must have looked, red with her father's blood. 36

76 ACOK 3 Sansa I: Arys Oakheart calls it"King Joffrey's comet" as red is a Lannister color and visible on his Name Day. 38 Sansa disagrees, partly out of not wanting to imagine Joffrey victorious. "I've heard servants calling it the Dragon's Tail." She thinks the gods would have sent Joffrey a gold comet, as gold is both a Baratheon and Lannister color.

77 ACOK 4 Tyrion I: Varys brings up the comet to Tyrion in private to propose allegiance toward a Targaryen restoration.

"In the streets they call it the Red Messenger," Varys said. "They say it comes as a herald before a king, to warn of fire and blood to follow." 67

78 ACOK 5 Bran I: Luwin says direwolves are howling at the comet. He speculates they think its the moon. Osha says it means "fire and blood and nothing sweet." Septon Chayle says "It is the sword that slays the season." Then the white raven arrived from the Citadel. (Compare to 67 AGOT Bran VII) Old Nan says "Dragons."

79 ACOK 6 Arya II: The comet is referred to as "the Red Sword" throughout the chapter.

80 ACOK 7 Jon I: White raven and "pale red line." 97

"The black brothers had dubbed the wanderer Mormont's Torch, saying (only half in jest) that the gods must have sent it to light the old man's way through the haunted forest."

"The comet's so bright you can see it by day now."

81 ACOK 8 Catelyn I: White raven a fortnight ago. 116 Edmure sees it as an omen of victory for Riverrun. The Blackfish sees it as an omen of war.

"You can see it by day now. My men call it the Red Messenger...but what is the message?" 117

Greatjon: "the old gods have unfurled a red flag of vengeance Ned"

82 ACOK 9 Tyrion II: Varys attributes the arrival of various holy men preaching in the streets to the comet.

84 ACOK 11 Davos I: Story of Azor Ahai forging The Red Sword of Heroes, Lightbringer "after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world." 148

85 ACOK 12 Theon I:

"It is my comet," Theon told himself, sliding a hand into his fur-lined cloak to touch the oilskin pouch snug in its pocket. Inside was the letter Robb Stark had given him, paper as good as a crown." 166

Aeron: "It is the flame the Drowned God brought from the sea, and it proclaims a rising tide. It is time to hoist our sails and go forth into the world with fire and sword, as he did." 179

86 ACOK 13 Daenerys I: Though sje'd chosen the Red Waste out of having ruled out all other directions, Dany announces they shall follow the comet and is convinced it guided her true when that direction alone leads to Qarth, all others toward death.

"The Dothraki named the comet shierak qiya, the Bleeding Star."

Dany: "It is the herald of my coming," she told herself as she gazed up into the night sky with wonder in her heart. The gods have sent it to show me the way."

94 ACOK 21 Tyrion V: The comet hangs over the Red Keep. A sparrow preaching to a crowd points to it as "The Harbinger" of a coming justice. He lists various corruptions and associated with the crown and sept, calling the comet "The Father's scourge."

101 ACOK 28 Daenerys II: Seeking the guidance of the force that sent the comet, Dany decides Qarth must have something for her. The news the Usurper has died confirms Danys feeling that she is destined o conquer Westeros.

"The Bleeding Star has led me to Qarth for a purpose. Here I will find what I need, if I have the strength to take what is offered, and the wisdom to avoid the traps and snares. If the gods mean for me to conquer, they will provide, they will send me a sign, and if not...if not..." 429

108 ACOK 35 Jon IV:

The long red tail of Mormont's Torch burned bright as the moon."

114 ACOK 41 Daenerys III:

"The comet led me to Qarth for a reason. I had hoped to find my army here, but it seems that will not be."

122 ACOK 49 Daenerys IV: In the House of the Undying, a wizard king tells Dany:

"A thousand years ago we knew, and have been waiting all this time. We sent the comet to show you the way." 704

125 ACOK 52 Jon VI: The fire the wildling scouts have set is described in a way reminscent of the comet.

"They could see the fire in the night, glimmering against the side of the mountain like a fallen star. It burned redder than the other stars, and did not twinkle, though sometimes dwindled down to no more than a distant spark, dull and faint."

126 ACOK 53 Sansa IV: In King's Landing, in the south, the sky is so black with smoke as to make the stars invisible. 750

A Storm of Swords

198 ASOS 55 Davos V: Speaking of the list of kings who failed to hatch dragon eggs, Selyse says "None of these was the chosen of R'hllor. No red comet blazed across the heavens to herald their coming. None wielded Lightbringer, the red sword of heroes." 724

All other ASOS references to the comet also relate to Stannis as Azor Ahai.

A Feast for Crows

252 AFFC 27 Samwell III: Aemon says he long wondered why the gods would blind him yet condemn him to live so long. His answer is that he remembers dragons. Sam says the last one died before Aemon was born, so he couldn't remember them. Aemon says he sees them in his dreams.

"I see a red star bleeding in the sky." 545

261 AFFC 36 Samwell IV: On page 742 Aemon becomes convinced Daenerys is the prince that was promised. Rhaegar had interpreted "the bleeding star" as a comet and thought it must be his son, Aegon, who was conceived under a comet.