Actually there was mention of pain I'm pretty sure it said something like "blinding pain" or something.
If you mean when they actually cut her, then you're right yes, but apparently knife cuts don't hurt right away - what she said about it being warm is accurate as its warm as the blood spills.
It's like for example when Jon gets stabbed at the end, he just thinks that he got punched where infect he got stabbed. Shock is a bitch.
But I do agree Arya is a fucken badass, I can't wait for her to return to Westeros fully trained by the many faced priests, I really have no concept of what George intends for her character. Arya is definitely one of my favorites and I see her having a huge part to play in restoring house Stark.
I also just finished last night and I what happened to Jon, I was expecting it for ages, but I didn't expect his brothers to be the ones that did it. I agreed with most of what he was doing (bringing the wildlings to the other side of the wall), but he didn't take enough into account how much animosity the nights watch held towards the wildlings. He should have taken the time to explain his intentions to his men more explicitly, he left them not properly understanding. The ranging to Hardholm was pure madness, first thing I did not agree with. Total absolute madness.
Jon's greatest failure was trying to use the watch against the bastard of Bolton. What the fuck was he thinking!?!?!!! I read the letter from Ramsay like eight times and I see now that Abel was Mance, but I don't believe that the Boltons have defeated Stannis or he'd have Theon and Jeyne back, he only captured Mance during the escape and he was trying to goad Jon.
Who's perspective will we have from the Wall now? Who?? Melisendre I guess. Such a failure of a red priest, reads her fires wrong so much.
We all understand that Dany is Azor Ahai right? Therefore eventually she is going to have to come to the wall and fight the White Walkers. But if the Wall is magical and they can't pass the wall, I don't see the problem with just closing all but the nightfort gates and put all the guards there I suppose...
Who is going to keep the peace between the three thousand wildlings and nights watch now? Lets just hope that Melisendre can revive Jon and does, I don't imagine she will be happy that he's gone, though I felt he was starting to make stupid choices anyhow.
So much of the book revolved around Dany yet her chapters were sort of boring and meaningless until closer to the end, George could have compressed or cut out a lot of that crap I think, I get that he wanted to make her feel helpless and lost, but this whole Meereen shambles just doesn't seem right for me. Not enough Dragons. She was so fierce and strong and trecherous against astapor and yunkai'i but then lost her gonads while sitting in Meereen, I was a bit disappointed by it. I do know and hope that she meets Victarion because she damn well needs that horn.
It seems to me that Westeros is almost in ruins after this whole thing and anyone who claims the throne has a hell of a mess to climb out of. It's amazing how badly Cersei managed to fuck things up for herself, loved her chapters.
Epilogue - just wow!
Where do I see it going from here? I have no idea. Of course Dorne is going to join with Aegon, he is a child of Dorne afterall, there will be more war on Westeros but during winter, many will die and it will be a long winter and even more will die of starvation. I don't know if this is too simple a prediction but if this series can end with a "happily ever after" then Dany and Aegon should wed and become King and Quenn of Westeros and they would truly be the greatest two rulers the land has ever known I would say. The realm has too much ignored the plight of the Wall and I think they're going to suffer for it. If the others or Wights start spreading below the wall they're screwed! But the two dead in the cells haven't risen so perhaps Wights can't breed Wights... Dunno. Zombie Gregor Clegane is going to be very dangerous. Didn't Qyburn take the hand that was found by Ghost back from the wall and brought to Kings landing or am I just imagining it? Perhaps I am. Either way, he is a Wight and something really bad is bound to come of him. Will Khal Jhogo join Dany or try and kill her and Drogon? I don't know. Probably kill but it will be an awesome battle either way.
Oh, and I am really looking forward to seeing all these places and cultures on the TV show to see how similar they make them to my imagination. The Slavers Bay cities remind me of Egyptian and Middle East cultures, Pentos and Braavos is more like Rome and Greece, Westeros is obviously France and Britain, Volantis I can't quite picture properly. Qarth is like southern America / Inkas. Valyria bred Westeros and most other areas but I can't picture what Valyria must have been like either, different, dragon cultured, most like, more advanced, almost renaissance or a bit further level tech, but not tech because they used magic and sorcery. Wow that would have been an amazing civilization to behold. Either way none should be strict copies they should all have differences and mix and match bits and pieces from each other.
