Season 6 General Speculation v9

Brienne and Podrick find Sansa and Theon being persued by Bolton scouts, who Brienne handily kills. Brienne swears her oath to Sansa yet again, except this time she accepts. As Sansa learnt from Ramsay that her bastard brother is the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, she decides they must seek refuge with Jon at the Wall. After Theon leaves them for the Iron Islands with Yara, Sansa, Brienne and Pod find Jon Snow in command of his few remaining loyal men and cohabitating with the wildlings.

Eventually, the siblings decide the Boltons must be taken out, and while that storyline begins a different one starts for Brienne: Once Sansa learns about Brienne’s relationship with Jaime, she decides to send the Lady of Tarth after the Kingslayer: she is to take him to Winterfell, which the Starks must have taken by the time Brienne returns north with Jaime (or died while trying). Brienne is reluctant, and tries to explain that Jaime is a different man now, that he made a vow to keep Catelyn’s daughters safe, yet Sansa coldly reminds Brienne she made oaths of her own, both to Catelyn and to Sansa.

Brienne and Podrick learn that Jaime is laying siege to Riverrun. On the way there, they clash with a band of outlaws who have turned on the land they swore to protect; while they use their religion to justify their deeds, they are extorting the poor and vulnerable of the countryside. Brienne and Pod are saved by Meribald, a former warrior turned septon who guides them to safety to the sept of his pacifist sect. The grizzled priest lectures them on the nature of “broken men” —outlaws who may be dangerous but should be pitied. It is revealed that in the sept now lives an injured yet reformed Sandor Clegane. Though she is hostile at first, Brienne lets Sandor go free as she concludes he is a changed man, a broken man who has found his way back.

Eventually, Brienne and Podrick reach Riverrun, much to Jaime’s surprise. Though the reunion is warm at first, it turns sour when Brienne tells Jaime about the half-truth that brings her to him: she has found Sansa, who was forcibly married into the Boltons and is in need of rescue. Jaime is unwilling to abandon the siege, despite Brienne’s reminder of his oath —which is put in evidence by Oathkeeper, the aptly-named sword he gave her to save the Stark girls. After Jaime tries to convince the Blackfish to give up, Brienne also reaches out to Brynden, informing him of Sansa’s true circumstances and of the resurgence of the Starks. This emboldens the Blackfish and he escapes in the night. With the siege apparently done, though under somewhat enigmatic circumstances, Jaime decides to honor his oath and travel north with Brienne and Pod. And away they all go —except for Bronn, who is only interested in gold and stays behind, after a bittersweet parting, his story presumably over for good.

Brienne, Pod and Jaime arrive in Winterfell after the so-called Battle of the Bastards. Jaime expected to deal with the Boltons and is confused to find Sansa Stark in power. Though Brienne tries to explain she had to keep her oath to Sansa, Jaime feels betrayed—she finally understands what Jaime told her about the futility of keeping contradicting oaths. An equivalent to the forthcoming events with Lady Stoneheart in “The Winds of Winter” takes place here —whatever the outcome, at the very least Jaime survives, to fulfill his role as Cersei’s “valonqar”.