Bran

Folks, we have my first favorite character.


Jon Snow appears to be a stone-cold badass.  GRRM, please do not set out to prove my first impression wrong.

In this chapter we are introduced to several new characters and get some first impressions.  We also find out what happened with Gared, the other rider from the group of death.  Apparently he got away, but he was so terrified that he left and is being punished for deserting.  O, and the punishment for deserting is that this guy is GETTING HIS HEAD TAKEN OFF.

Like this, but not a chicken

I am guessing there are very few second offenses.

Anyway, this chapter is told from Bran's point of view and through him, we meet Lord Eddard Stark, Jon Snow, Theon Greyjoy, Robb Stark, and Jory Cassel.  Bran is going out with these men to witness the execution, a sort of coming-of-age thing.  I mean, I get it, but damn, child.

During the execution, Jon encourages Bran and helps him while Theon is a dick and kicks the head after it rolls.  Charming.  It's possible he's not actually that bad, but he is described as Lord Stark's nineteen-year-old ward who finds everything amusing and I don't do well with people incapable of being serious.  Also, Jon is only fourteen?  Really?  I guess in a land and a culture that harsh, people grow up quickly.

Hopefully not this quickly.

Jon is described...well, pretty much as being really intense, but I am ok with that.  As a bastard, the kid has a tough life.  He is damn observant too.  He saw the terror in the guy at the execution where others didn't.  O, so excited about you, Jon Snow.

I have no problem with Robb thus far, and I may be disposed to like him.  He treats Jon like a friend and seems to have a good mix of fun and serious.  Anyway.

Eddard Stark is pretty awesome.  I mean, I appreciate a man in this extremely harsh-seeming culture who is as concerned as he is with justice and being sure that a person in power never forgets the seriousness of his actions and judgements.  I do, however, feel like the man probably does not laugh much.

His honor does not allow him to break the serious face.

And then they find DIREWOLF PUPPIES!  There are five puppies with their dead mother's body.  Apparently, the mother got rammed by an antler because it is snapped off in her throat.  Anyway, the men all want to kill the puppies because they will be enormous and dangerous when they grow, but Bran and Robb want to keep them.  This argument comes to a stop when Jon does something awesome.

"You have five trueborn children," Jon said.  "Three sons, two daughters.  The direwolf is the sigil of your House.  Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord."

Jon discounts himself to convince his father to keep the pups and it is not lost on anyone there.  Seriously, what a BAMF.  So, lord Stark agrees to let them keep the pups if they train them carefully.  The whole crew is leaving when Jon stops, listening to something.  He goes back to the dead direwolf and rides back to them, smiling.

"He must have crawled away from the others," Jon said.
"Or been driven away," their father said, looking at the sixth pup.

It's a little albino pup and it is the only pup with its eyes open already.  This thing so belongs to Jon.  And it is awesome.

"An albino," Theon Greyjoy said with wry amusement.  "This one will die even faster than the others."
Jon Snow gave his father's ward a long, chilling look.  "I think not, Greyjoy," he said.  "This one belongs to me."

I love Jon Snow.