The She-Bear

The She-Bear is the name by which Alysane Mormont, the heir to Bear Island, is known throughout the army of King Stannis Baratheon. A short, chunky, muscular woman with big thighs, big breasts, and big hands ridged with callus, she is a warrior of formidable reputation. Even in sleep she wears ringmail under her furs, boiled leather under that, and an old sheepskin turned inside out for warmth, all of which make her appear almost as wide as she is tall. She is ferocious, and it is sometimes hard for Asha Greyjoy to remember that she and the She-Bear are almost of an age.

Role as Gaoler and Companion

When Asha Greyjoy is captured after the battle at Deepwood Motte, Stannis entrusts her to Alysane Mormont's keeping. The She-Bear becomes Asha's constant companion on the brutal march south toward Winterfell, a march that stretches from a planned fifteen days into a nightmare of thirty-two days of snow, starvation, and death. Asha rides in a covered wayn, fettered at wrist and ankle, watched over day and night by the She-Bear, who snores worse than any man. The She-Bear is a considerate gaoler in her own gruff way, but she is also implacable; when Asha asks for a horse, promising her word she will not attempt escape, the She-Bear growls, "Why should we trust the word of any ironman after what your brother did at Winterfell?"

Identity and Background

Alysane Mormont is the daughter of Maege Mormont, Lady of Bear Island, and the sister of Dacey Mormont, who was murdered at the Red Wedding. She has four other sisters: Lyanna, Lyra, Jory, and the dead Dacey. When Asha asks if she has brothers, the She-Bear replies, "Sisters. Five, we were. All girls." She has a son of two and a daughter of nine, but she is not wed. When Asha presses the point, Alysane smiles with crooked teeth and says, "My children were fathered by a bear. Mormont women are skinchangers. We turn into bears and find mates in the woods. Everyone knows." This jest, delivered with ingratiating humor, masks a deeper truth about the harsh, self-reliant life on Bear Island, where women must be fighters and survivors.

The March and the Threat of Burning

As the march grinds on and the army begins to starve, the queen's men, led by Ser Clayton Suggs and Ser Godry Farring, grow increasingly vocal about burning Asha as a sacrifice to R'hllor, claiming her king's blood has the power to stop the snow. The She-Bear stands by her charge. When Suggs grabs Asha's arm and tells her she will be for the fire, Alysane intervenes: "My lady asked you to let her go. You would do well to listen, ser. Lady Asha is not for burning." When Suggs retorts that she will be, the She-Bear asks, "And if you burn her and the snows still fall, what then? Who will you burn next? Me?" Her defiance is a rare moment of protection for the captive ironborn.

Thematic Significance

The She-Bear represents the unyielding martial culture of the north, particularly of Bear Island, where women are expected to fight and die alongside men. She is a foil to the more politically minded southron knights and a stark contrast to the queen's men who see Asha only as a potential sacrifice. Her presence also deepens the sense of Asha's isolation; the She-Bear is her only companion, yet she is also her captor, and the two women share a wary, grudging respect born of shared hardship on a march that is killing them both. The She-Bear's final act in the narrative is to refuse supper, too sick at heart to eat, leaving Asha in the care of Ser Justin Massey, a man whose motives are far more ambiguous.