Chapter 30 - Bran - The powers of Ser Brynden

Oh, man.  This was such a friggin' awesome chapter!  It's been a while since we had a Bran chapter so this one was a pleasant surprise.  It was so good.  I feel like it had the right amount of new information and teasing nuggets of future information.

First off, I must admit that I am a dumb head.  How could I not have realized that Melisandre's vision in the fire of the wooden face was referring to Ser Brynden?  Stupidity is my only excuse and it's not a good one.  So, I am convinced that's who she saw which means that the Wolf boy is definitely Bran.  That doesn't clear up any of my other questions about whether Bran is being led down the wrong path or not.  I still don't know whether Brynden is an enemy or whether he is just at odds with Melisandre and R'hollor.  That's one of the great things about Martin's books.  There are so many characters who aren't clearly good or evil because everyone has different realistic motivations.  Also, could the dark haired girl that Melisandre believes to be Arya really be Meera Reed?

I was also wrong to expect that Bran was going to fly on a dragon.  I thought that Brynden was hinting at that the last time they spoke, but now I think that he was really referring to Bran using his Warg powers more openly to control ravens.  Brynden, or Woody wood face as I may sometimes refer to him, is showing Bran how to use his abilities properly.  It also sounds like the Children of the Forest have built a little throne for Bran alongside Brynden which makes me think that Bran isn't ever leaving this place in a physical sense.  The only way I can see him leaving is if the Reeds "rescue" him, but does Bran want to be "rescued"?  These powers that Brynden has are quite incredible after all.  I also wonder who Brynden was before he became Woody wood face.  He's been there for a looooooooooong time.  If Bran continues along this path, he's going to end up just like Brynden.  I think that part of him wants to do it, but the other part of him is afraid because he's already becoming cut off from the others.

Bran is then given a taste of the power to see through time.  This part was awesome.  We see Ned again, which I loved.  I forgot how much I loved Ned's character and how much I miss him being around.  The scene with Ned was obviously after he brought Jon home as his son.  I wonder if we'll be learn about Jon's true parentage using Bran's time-vision?

Bran also sees a bunch of other people running through the Godswood.  He sees a girl who reminds him of Arya, but she's not.  That has to be Lyanna and Benjen.  He sees a bunch of other people in his visions, too, but I'll have to ponder those a bit more.  I be's intrigued.

Another cool thing about this chapter is that we get a good description of the Children of the Forest, too, with their three-fingered hands and big eyes and their weird ears.  We also learn that many of the Children of the Forest are inside of the roots of the Weirwood trees.  Is that how these trees are created?  Do they all have the Children intertwined in their roots?

So, now I can't wait for a future Bran chapter.  I don't know what's going to happen and I love it.