The Summer Islands appear in the account of Lady Alys Westhill’s westward expedition both as a measure of how far her ships had travelled and as a refuge that one damaged vessel tried, unsuccessfully, to reach. The islands also enter the story through the Summer Islanders who came to the stranded crew’s aid on Sothoryos.

Position in the Westward Voyage

Alys chose a southerly route rather than following earlier westward voyagers through the northern seas. She intended to seek warm blue waters and steady winds that she believed would carry the Sun Chaser across the Sunset Sea. After the Sun Chaser left Oldtown in company with the Lady Meredith and Autumn Moon, the three ships sailed south by southwest.

Twelve days after leaving Westeros, the crews estimated that they were as far south as the Summer Islands and farther west than any ship had sailed before—or, at least, farther than any ship had returned to report. This was an estimate of their position, not a recorded landing on the islands. The ships’ crews celebrated the distance covered, though they had already gone four days without seeing a bird.

A Refuge Missed

After the expedition’s ships were separated, the Lady Meredith turned east for home while Alys and the Sun Chaser continued west. On the perilous return voyage, the Lady Meredith suffered further storms and damage. Its captain changed course for the Summer Islands, which he believed to be the nearest landfall, but the ship was farther south than he realized and missed them, reaching the coast of Sothoryos instead.

The episode makes the islands a point of reference rather than a destination the expedition is shown to reach. They mark the intended refuge in the captain’s calculations, while the misjudged position leaves his crew stranded elsewhere.

Help from the Summer Islanders

The Lady Meredith and its crew remained on Sothoryos for a year while the vessel was made seaworthy again. Passing Summer Islanders found them and helped the crew bring the damaged ship to Tall Trees Town, from which the survivors were able to return home. The islands themselves were missed, but their people became the means by which the expedition’s return was made possible.