Borroq

Borroq is a skinchanger, a man who shares a profound and unsettling bond with a monstrous black boar. He is one of the free folk who, under the leadership of Tormund Giantsbane, passes through the Wall and into the realm of the Night's Watch. His arrival at Castle Black introduces a volatile element into the already strained coexistence between the black brothers and the wildlings.

Identity and Nature

Borroq is described as a hulking, black-browed man with a flat nose, heavy jowls dark with stubble, and small black close-set eyes. He is as ugly as the beast that accompanies him. His boar is a creature of terrifying proportions, twice the size of Ghost, covered in coarse black hair, with tusks as long as a man's arm. The bond between Borroq and his boar is a form of skinchanging, a magical ability that allows a person to enter the mind and control an animal. This places him among a rare and often feared group of individuals, a fact that is immediately recognized by Jon Snow.

Role in the Passage of the Free Folk

Borroq is among the last of the free folk to pass through the Wall, riding as part of Tormund's rear guard. When he approaches the gate, his boar's scent alerts Ghost, Jon Snow's direwolf, who bristles and bares his teeth. Jon Snow commands Ghost to stay, recognizing the potential for a violent confrontation between the two alpha predators. Borroq acknowledges Jon Snow with a single word, "Brother," before moving on. He offers a grim warning to the Lord Commander: "They're coming, crow." This underscores the shared, existential threat of the Others that unites the free folk and the Night's Watch, even as their own internal tensions simmer.

Tensions at Castle Black

Borroq's presence at Castle Black is a source of constant unease. Jon Snow is forced to keep Ghost confined to his chambers, as the direwolf would otherwise seek out and fight the boar, a battle that could prove fatal for one or both of them. Borroq takes up residence in one of the ancient tombs beside the castle lichyard, a choice that suits his solitary and grim nature. His boar roots among the graves, well away from other animals. This arrangement highlights the fragile peace and the deep-seated mistrust that exists between the wildlings and the crows, a peace that Jon Snow is struggling to maintain. When Jon Snow announces his plan to ride south to confront Ramsay Bolton, Borroq is present in the Shieldhall, and he is one of the wildlings who roars his support, ready to follow the Lord Commander into battle.