A Song of Ice and Fire, #3
A Storm of Swords
by George R. R. Martin
Contents
CHAPTER 46: SAMWELL
Overview
Sam and Gilly reach an abandoned wildling village, where a wight—Small Paul—invades their shelter. Sam destroys him by fire, but more wights surround Gilly. A vast flock of ravens erupts from the weirwood to harry the dead, and a mysterious Night’s Watch–clad rider on a giant elk rescues them.
The chapter heightens the supernatural threat beyond the Wall while introducing an enigmatic savior whose inhuman hand hints at darker mysteries.
Summary
Samwell Tarly and Gilly, exhausted and half-starved, stumble into an abandoned wildling village dominated by a weirwood. Hoping it is Whitetree, Sam searches fruitlessly for supplies while Gilly kindles a fire in the longhall and nurses her newborn. They speak of the Wall’s warmth and safety, and Sam soothes them with a childhood song.
Night turns deadly cold. Their horse panics as a shadow enters: Small Paul, reanimated as a wight, blue-eyed and rimed with frost, a raven pecking his cheek. Sam places himself between the wight and Gilly, draws his dragonglass dagger, and attacks, but the blade shatters on Paul’s mail. The wight seizes Sam’s throat and begins to twist.
Gasping, Sam drags the wight toward the embers and smashes a burning brand into Paul’s mouth. Fire takes the corpse; the blue light leaves its eyes, and the grip loosens. Sam staggers outside to find Gilly ringed by dozens of wights, including dead brothers from the Fist, while their horse is torn apart.
The weirwood explodes with sound and motion as thousands of ravens descend, swarming the dead—pecking eyes and tearing flesh—while a shoulder-perched raven shrieks for Sam to go. Seizing the moment, Sam pulls Gilly away.
A hooded man in mottled blacks and greys appears astride a giant elk and calls to them. He hauls Gilly up, then Sam. When Sam clasps the rider’s bare hand, it is black, stone-hard, and bitterly cold, underscoring the uncanny nature of their rescuer as they flee into the night.
Who Appears
- Samwell TarlyExhausted Night’s Watch brother; protects Gilly; destroys the wight Small Paul with fire and secures escape.
- GillyCraster’s daughter-wife; nurses her newborn, faces encircling wights, and flees with Sam and the rider.
- Small Paul (wight)Former brother reanimated; attacks in the longhall until Sam burns him with a smouldering brand.
- Mysterious black-clad riderHooded man in Night’s Watch colors on a giant elk; rescues Sam and Gilly; has a black, stone-cold hand.
- Gilly’s babyNewborn whose living scent draws the dead; silent catalyst for danger and rescue.