[S4E8] The Eagle Has Landed [VERIFIED]

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Arryn is the oldest and purest line of Andal nobility. According to tradition, the Andals landed on the Fingers, an area of peninsulas, hills, and rivers on Westeros's eastern coast, six thousand years ago and helped conquer the Vale. Ser Artys Arryn's duel with the Griffin King is said to have taken place on the shoulder of the Giant's Lance where the Arryns later built the Eyrie.

[S4E8] The Eagle Has Landed

During the War of Conquest, the Arryns planned to make a stand at the Bloody Gate, the only major pass into the Vale, and gathered their armies there while the king of the Vale (a young boy at this time) and his mother, the regent, took refuge in the Eyrie. Rather than risking a bloody battle, Visenya Targaryen simply flew her dragon Vhagar to the Vale and landed in the courtyard of the Eyrie while the young king was at play. He agreed to swear fealty to Aegon the Conqueror if Visenya allowed him to ride on Vhagar. Visenya agreed, the bargain was upheld, and the Arryns and their vassals became loyal subjects of the Targaryens.[29]

Mel Faust:Plus, the rotting carcasses and everything that brings on the vermin. Because the snakes go after the rats and anything else that are trying to eat with the leftovers. By doing all that, we took care of a lot of different problems at one time. We had hundreds of vultures and hawks, and small birds and doves, and eagles and osprey. All kinds of stuff.

Mel Faust:Now, by doing this multifaceted bird deterrent, we're down to almost nothing. The only hawk or eagle I see will be out on the fence line. And it'll be on the bobble or looking out over the thing, but they're not up on the tower.

Outside, the wildlings bring the old man to Tormund and the rest who have just arrived. They tell Jon to execute him, to prove beyond a doubt that he is one of them. Jon draws his sword, but hesitates during the swing, causing Ygritte to shoot the horse breeder herself. Orell uses this to rile up the wildlings, who surround Jon and Ygritte. Before she can shoot them, Jon knocks her down with his shoulder to prevent her from being attacked by the wildlings and starts fighting them himself. Tormund restrains Ygritte to stop her from getting killed at Jon's side. In the mill, Jojen convinces Bran to possess his direwolf to help Jon. Bran assumes control of Summer, and proceeds to down two wildlings with Shaggydog's help. Jon slays two more of his enemies in quick succession then clashes blades with Orell. After a quick exchange of strikes he slips past the warg's guard and manages to drive Valyrian steel through his heart, but Orell in turn throws the last vestiges of his consciousness into his eagle, which attacks Jon in manic fury, clawing deep gashes into his face with its talons. He drives it off, then jumps on one of the horses and gallops down the highway, leaving Ygritte and Tormund behind. The rage boiling over the red-head's roots tells us that Jon will be in big trouble if his fiery spear-wife catches up with him! 041b061a72