The Starks of Winterfell

Meet the Stark Children. The first book of A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones, starts with their story. At the beginning of the series, they all live together with their parents, Lord Eddard and Catelyn, in Winterfell. They are of the North, the cold, icy North, where they worship different Gods to the families of the South. Their Sigil is the Direwolf - a huge wolf that had not been seen south of the wall in years. Yet while out in the woods one day, Lord Eddard (Ned) and his sons find a dead mother with 6 pups - one for each of the children.

Everyone keeps saying that Winter is Coming - particularly the Starks, as they are the words of their house. Another interesting point is that Stark means strong in german, in english it describes perfectly the landscape in which lies Winterfell.

Once you have read all of the available books in the series, you can't help but feel bittersweet for the journeys of the 5 Stark children and Jon Snow, Ned Stark''s bastard son. They all end up far from eachother, and you are left wondering whether they will see eachother again. Will they find what is left of their mother? Will they have Winterfell again?

In Game of Thrones, we see Lord Eddard dead. He was an honourable man, and his honour betrays him. Robb is in Winterfell, and becomes the new Lord. Upon hearing of the capture and death of his father, Robb calls his banners (summons the armies in his kingdom) and declares war on the Lannisters.


Robb's character is pretty forgettable, he doesnt really stand out, but plays that important initial role of Lord of Winterfell. He is declared King in the North by his bannermen, and joined by his Direwolf, Grey Wind is a formidable opponent, and for a while, holds Jamie Lannister. The young wolf appears to be winning. He strikes a deal with the infamously fairweathered Lord Frey, keeper of the Towers needed to cross the river. Robb is betrothed to one of Frey's daughters, but falls in love with Jayne Westerling, from the lands of the Lannisters. He marries her. He and Catelyn are murdered thereafter as Frey's guests at what is thereafter known as the Red Wedding. The North is lost.

Catelyn's body was dumped naked in the nearby River. But it seems she is not dead, she comes alive with the Brotherhood without Banners - and becomes Lady Stoneheart. This is all we know, but surely her story continues.

In her story we come across Lord Beric Dondarrion, who gave his life for hers. At the time he was roaming the Riverlands looking for the Ser Gregor Clagane, who was looking for him in return. As the leader of the Brotherhood, he was killed a number of times, but brought back to life by Thoros of Myr, a priest with a flaming sword. Lady Stoneheart is unforgiving and seeks vengence on any who have crossed her children - particularly the Lannisters, Freys and the Boltons.

Sansa Stark remains a prisoner of the Lannisters, in particular the horrible Queen Regent Cersei and her evil son King Joffrey 1. During the war she is betrothed to Joffrey and later is forced to marry Tyrion. After Joffrey is killed at his wedding to Margery Tyrell, Sansa escapes with Lord Peter Baelish and travels to the Vale of Arryn, where her Aunt Lysa (sister to Catelyn) and cousin Robert Arryn live. We leave her at the end of the latest book travelling to the Gates of the Moon, from the Eyrie during winter. Lady Arryn is dead, and Robert is alone and sickly.

In the beginning, it is hard to like her. Sansa, beguiled by fairy tales of love, romance and gallant knights, quickly has her rose coloured glasses shattered by the cruelty of House Lannister as she is used as a hostage and pawn. In the end, Littlefinger Baelish has her in his plans, and the last we know is that she will marry the heir to the Vale, the cousin of Robert Arryn. Early in the piece, Sansa loses Lady, her direwolf, at the command of Cersei and King Robert.

Arya's story tempts to fascinate. The mischevious little sister of Sansa, she is everything Sansa is not. She is our little girl lost - she escapes Kings Landing while her father is beheaded, headed to the Wall with Yoren and his recruits for the Nights Watch. Along the way, she ends up in Harrenhal, manned by Roose Bolton. Arya has guts - she answers a question to the rich and powerful Tywin Lannister with a haunting "Anyone can be killed." She meets Jaqen H'ghar, who kills three people for her, gives her a coin and disappears behind a new face.

Arya travels through the Riverlands during the war, and we see the lawlessness and isolation that reigns. The evil characters that roam.. the Biter comes to mind. Arya lost Nymeria, he direwolf, at the beginning. She chased her away so she would not be killed for biting Joffrey, when he was a prince. Arya is also a warg, something that has been passed down through the generations in the north. Arya dreams and becomes Nymeria. Nymeria is the wolf who drags Catelyn from the river.

Arya travels to Braavos with the words Valar Moghulis (All men must die) and the iron coin from Jaqen. People seem afraid on the boat. There are hints that Jaqen was Syrio, the Braavosi Water Dancer. She reaches the House of Black and White, where she learns to lose her identity and become no one. She becomes an apprentice of the Faceless Men, where she might learn to become an assassin. The fate of Arya is unknown - personally I hope she finds her way, and that we discover more of the secrets of the supernatural.

Bran is another warg in the family. He is pushed from a window by Jamie Lannister, the Kingslayer, to hide the incestuous relationship between he and Cersei, his twin. Bran ends up a paraplegic, but dreams he is his wolf, Summer. He travels with Jojen and Meera Reed to find the three eyed crow. Bran finds him living in a weirwood tree and meets the children of the forest. We are led to believe that he will be the next three eyed crow, or at least a warg among them.

Rickon is the youngest, and not much is said. He is lost after the fall of Winterfell to Theon, and the sacking and burning by the cruel Ramsey Bolton.  He doesnt travel with Bran beyond the wall. He is almost the forgotten Stark. We find at the end that he is travelled to Skagos, an island off Westeros. If he is the last heir to Winterfell, will he succede it? What kind of ruler would he be, this boy who has become violent and unruly? Will he inherit the honour of the House?

And lastly, but certainly not least, we come to Jon Snow. The bastard son of Ned Stark, he grew up with the Stark children, but never shared their name. An outsider loved by his siblings, but hated by their mother, he saw no option but to join the Night's watch. So there he goes with Ghost, his direwolf. His tale becomes one with another major storyline of this Song - what is happening north of the wall?

There are so many stories and offshoots, characters, twists and turns in A Song of Ice and Fire. It would take days to learn the intricacies. They are the best part of Westeros. That they are only the creation of a man, George RR Martin, make them more wonderful. He is writing the next book, the Winds of Winter - and it is impatiently awaited :)