A Song of Ice and Fire - A Chapter a day discussion

Well, the last chapter of the first book in this amazing series! I loved rereading the book and noting all the details I missed, and the no so details as well. And this chapter was epic, just a great final chapter for the book.

1-We start off with the people building a pyre, and I assumed it was for Drogo the first time I read it, since they killed the best horse it was left. The khals go with a lot of ceremony.

2-Lol at the maegi telling Daenerys she was crazy and then if she untied her she would help her. This woman.

3-The fact they put Drogo’s tresuares in the plataform reminded me of the egyptians. She let them puta ll except the one the bloodriders gave her at her weeding.

4-Daenerys told Jorah not to call her princess but Queen, so she doesn’t want people to call her khalessi anymore? It was sweet Jorah asked her not to die when he thought she planned to burn with Drogo. She kinda did at the end, but not as he thought. She touched his face and kissed him, maybe she thought it was sweet as well.

5-I noticed, which I didn’t the first time, as he was asking her not to burn, he said “I understand that you loved him,” Ser Jorah said in a voice thick with despair. He really thinks she means to burn, and clearly doesn’t want it at all. I mean, the others didn’t tell her anything, just followed the rules. Jorah told Daenerys he won’t watch her burn, and she kissed him.

6-She calls the people left and tell them they are all free, I guess the whole slave situations and the horrible things she saw, and I really like that about her. She tells them if they’ll stay, they’ll always have a place there. And I don’t blame them if they are sceptical about her promise, she has nothing at all, just old and sick people. And I think they stayed because they had no place to go, and of course they were more sure about her promise when they saw the dragons.

7-Then she starts to hand out her cride gifts, the whip to Jhogo, the bow to Aggo, the arakh to Rakharo. She asked them to be her “blood of my blood”, and of course, they all refused her. I don’t think they ever thought they could serve a woman like that, and Jhogo even tells her it would shame him. I think they were in the same possition as the people, she had nothing to offer and is a woman. The shame! Also I really like her attitude, she must have been pretty sure about the dragons to not give a crap about all three refusing her.

8-She tells Jorah one day she’ll give him a sword like the world has never seen, which I forgot about, and then asks him to serve her like she did with the others, and he accepts. I think it was really important for her Jorah said yes, even if the others didn’t. And she kissed him in the lips! Lot of kissing for Jorah, but I don’t think he knows what it meant, and I don’t think I know either. As far as I know Daenerys doesn’t goa round kissing people, but maybe it just means she appreciates him a lot and I am overthinking. And she tolds him he is the first of her Queensguard, which is pretty epic, since there are no Queensguards in this world.

9-She takes a bath before burning her husband, because that’s what you do apparently, and the wáter was really hot, but she liked it. That crazy dream about her being the last dragon was not just a dream.

10-She prepared Drogo for his last ride, and mentions again how his hair has never been cut, and how many men could say the same. I was never a fan of Drogo, but I have to admit, it is pretty impressive.

11-They place him in the pyre, and she tells her handmaids to take her the dragon eggs, and something in her voice made them hurry. Maybe she knew at this point? It could be. She placed them around Drogo.

12-She sent Mirri Maz Duur to the pyre, and Jorah isn’t so sure at first to tie the maegi, maybe he is afraid something bad would happen, or maybe didn’t expect Daenerys would command to burn a person alive. She poured the oil in the maegi’s head herself, she really wants this woman to burn. After all, she took away everything from her. The maegi told her she won’t hear her scream, and Daenerys told her she will. I never forgot that part. She even thanked the magi for the lessons.

13-“The more fiercely the man burned in life, the brighter his star will shine in the darkness.” And she sees the comet burning red. Interesting.

14-She thinks she wants to burn with Drogo, but I think it had something to do with how fascinated she was with fire. And the description was beautiful.

15-Mirri Maz Duur sang for a while, then her song became a shuddering wail, thin and high and full of agony. I can’t even imagine the sound, and honestly I don’t want to.

16-Everyone starts to get back because it is too hot, but Dany steps closer to the pyre. She was so close her vest had begun to smolder, so she ripped it off. Among the beautiful description, she mentions she knew for a long time. So I think this is why she was so confident.

17-She saw Drogo smiling and riding away, for a second. But I think it was her imagination, and she saw him how she would have like to see him for the last time.

18-She hears a crack, from shattering stone, and a chunk of pale curved rock fell at her feet.. It was really cool reading this chapter and this part again. Even if you don’t like Daenerys that much, dragons are so cool! The pyre collapsed, but she wasn’t scared at all. Then more cracks.

19-Poor Jorah! He thinks she’ll die and burn just like she told him she wouldn’t. It must have been a terrible thing to watch, he had no idea what was going on. Maybe if he’d hear this: “The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don’t you see? Don’t you SEE?” (which was pretty epic) maybe he would have stopped screaming.

20-When the ground was cold enought to walk, Jorah found her, unharmed, feeding the dragons. I don’t think they ever thought about seeing a dragon, since they have been dead for so many years.

21-Of course, because this was fucking epic and she didn’t burn, Jhogo, Aggo and Rakharo accepted to be her blood of my blood, and who wouldn’t have?

22-And also all the people accepted her as well, and she knew they were hers as they’ve never been Drogo’s, which is huge.

23-And I’ll just put the last sentences of the chapter because it’s so goddamn epic and I love it:

“As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons."

It was a delight rereading this book, and I think I loved it even more than the first time. Just amazing.

Yeah I agree, reading it a second time was even better than the first because I really got a chance to understand what's going on in this incredibly detailed, amazing world. So excited to start Clash of Kings soon!

1. So Dany's khas are building a funeral pyre. They sacrifice a stallion for Drogo, because when a khal dies he needs a stallion to ride in the next world. It really reminds me of the ancient Egyptians, except where they worshipped cats, the Dothraki worshipped their horses.

2. Mirri Maz Duur says "maegi" simply means wise. Hmm, interesting. She chides them about their rituals, saying she can help them with whatever bloodmagic they are doing...omg...this woman. Not after what you've done!

3. They pile up everything that belonged to Drogo, but Dany says not the three weapons she got on their wedding, those are hers, lol. Damn right, don't forget that!

4. This is when Ser Jorah starts calling her queen instead of princess. He also tells her she should go east wit him, go see the world, anything, but please do not do what he thinks she's going to do, which is kill herself. He loves her too much to let her do this. But she promises she will not burn. ;)

5. The funeral pyre is at least three levels high, wow. Of the branches and matting, it is said: "They laid them north to south, from ice to fire..." Interesting. Is there no such thing as a south pole? Keep going south it should eventually get cold again. But I don't know the science of this world.

6. Dany wonders how many people Aegon the Conquerer started with. She only has 100. Good question! It almost seems like she knows what's going to happen.

7. Dany frees the slaves and calls all who are left her khalasar. :) To her khas, she names them her bloodriders and gifts them with her three wedding gifts. :) They are confused and politely explain a woman cannot be a khal. It would shame them. Just you wait, boys!

8. I think ko means bloodrider.

9. Dany turns to Ser Jorah and promises him she will gift him a valyrian longsword like the world has never seen. This sounds like a big deal! Of the four, he is the only one who accepts her offer -- probably because the Mormonts are used to strong female leaders, like his aunt and cousins! Jorah vows to serve, obey, and die for her if need be. He is first in her Queensguard.

10. They lay Drogo's head toward the Mother of Mountains, far to the northeast. She has them pour oil over everything and personally lays the eggs in there. Jorah urges her to sell them instead, lol, of course he'd say that. She sets the black one beside Drogo's heart, the green beside his head, and the white one between his legs. Interesting. I wonder if this detail matters for what's about to happen.

11. Mirri Maz Duur calls Dany mad, ha! She probably thinks it's an insane waste to "ruin" the eggs, like Jorah thinks. Dany commands Jorah to add Mirri Maz Duur to the pyre. For some reason, he protests, but she commands him so he does it. I like that Dany tells the maegi, "I thank you, Mirri Maz Duur, for the lessons you have taught me." That's a good way to look at this shitty situation.

12. When Mirri Maz Duur says she won't hear her scream, Dany says she will, but she only wants her death, hmm.. "Only death can pay for life." Dany really is starting to sound like she knows what's going to happen! The maegi's face loses her contempt; she may be afraid. Hell, I would be! You don't fuck with the dragon queen!

13. I like this passage: "The more fiercely the man burned in life, the brighter his star will shine in the darkness."

14. Just as they are doing this ritual, they see the red comet in the sky. "Bloodred; fire red; the dragon's tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign." :) I think I believe the comet was meant for Dany, as it moves westward, I believe.

15. Even the heat off this pyre is too hot for Dany as she steps back, wow. I thought she automatically moved forward.

16. I kind of feel bad for Mirri Maz Duur, who lost everything, suffered so much, and is now suffering being burned at the stake. But not too bad. :) She did not have to kill Rhaego. She should have recognized that Dany was only trying to help, but she punishes the girl anyway. Her death is necessary, though.

17. Wtf...part of Dany wanted to run in there and fuck Drogo one last time before the flames turned them both to char. This girl... lol.

18. "The heat beat at the air with great red wings..." Interesting analogy. Everyone stands back but Dany. The fire was in her. Now she moves toward the pyre, reaching for the fire. It is so hot she sweats like crazy. She describes the flames as beautiful, robed sorcerers, hmm... She sees many animals in the flames, one being the stallion, and she thinks it's Drogo, mounting to ride in the night sky. I think she's going a bit senile!

19. Her clothes burst into flame and she shakes it off. She hears a crack of shattering stone! The pyre starts to fall apart and she sees bits of broken rock, pale and veined with gold. I always wondered which dragon hatched first.

20. The second crack is louder, like thunder. Dany knows she is the mother of dragons. The pyre breaks and the flames leap 30 feet, holy shit! The third crack is the loudest, "...as loud and sharp as the breaking of the world." Hmm...

21. When the flames finally die out, Jorah goes to Dany, who is miraculously unhurt. She totally survived the fire, but is naked, as all her clothes burned off. Even her hair is gone. But she stands, with three motherfucking dragons! The white one suckles her left breast, the green one at the right. She cradles them close. The black one is draped across her shoulders. The black one's eyes are "...as red as coals." Who else's eyes are red as coals? Ghost. Just sayin'.

22. At that, all three of her khas lay their weapons at her feet, acknowledging her as "blood of my blood." :) lol...Yes, we'd be totally honored to be your bloodriders, lady who just hatched three dragons! Even the others are all hers now; hers as they have never been Drogos, and that's saying something!

23. I absolutely love the last paragraph to the ending of A Game of Thrones. I was gonna recite it, but Clara got to me first, lol. And I really need to get going!

It seems we both thought about the Egyptians! I thought I was the only one, lol!

About your point 8, now that you said it I think it means so! I also thought about it, but it's never said explicit.

Haha at your point 17 I too was like what the hell Daenerys?

OMG I totally missed the red eyes in your point 21. How could I?? I'm glad you noticed though.

The last paragraph is just awesome. I did remember how much I liked it from the first time I read it. It was too cool not to quote!