During the years of the Dawn Age, before the migration of men into the continent, the continent
of Westeros was populated by Giants and the Children of the Forest, as well as many forms
of wildlife like snowbears, cave lions, eagles and mammoths.
There were also wolves and their larger, more intelligent and ferocious relatives, direwolves.
Stories say the Children of the Forest used their magic to call upon these creatures,
so they might fight on their behalf against the First Men invaders.
Fully grown, Direwolves could become larger than ponies and were known as great hunters.
Social animals, they travelled in packs and if left without others of their kind, may
take leadership of a pack of common.
Over the many years that followed the migration of the First Men, then later the Andals and
Rhoynar, many of the species and wildlife of the Dawn Age went extinct or else fled
north to escape the changing landscape.
Beyond the wall, Direwolves survived however in the south they were eventually wiped out,
with the last of their kind seen roughly 100 years after Aegon’s Conquest.
However, in 298 AC Lord Eddard Stark, warden of the north came across a dead female direwolf
with a broken antler in its throat, while travelling with his sons near Winterfell.
Additionally they found a litter of 5 direwolf pups and because the Direwolf is the sigil
of House Stark, Eddard’s bastard son Jon Snow convinced him it was a sign from the
gods, 5 direwolf pups, for the 5 legitimate children of the Lord of Winterfell.
As they departed with their new companions, Jon Snow discovered a 6th pup which he kept
for himself, an albino direwolf, with white fur and red eyes, who’d been separated from
the rest of his siblings.
One of Eddard’s trueborn sons Bran, then noticed that Jon’s wolf was the only one
of the 6 to have his eyes open.
Named for his impressive speed, Grey Wind was the direwolf of Robb Stark, first born
son of Lord Eddard and heir to Winterfell.
The Direwolf, with his smoke-dark fur and yellow eyes, followed Robb everywhere and
joined him on hunts to help take down prey.
One day while out ridding, Robb left his brother Bran alone in the forest where he was found
by a group of wildlings travelling south of the wall.
Soon Robb and his direwolf returned to find Bran under threat, and a fight broke out,
with Grey wind killing two of the enemy.
When Robb Stark gathered the bannermen of the north to march south, many questioned
his decisions and experience.
Yet when he was threatened by Greatjon Umber during an argument, Robb only had to utter
a quiet word for greywind to immediately attack, tearing off two fingers from the northern
lord.
Yet rather than anger or alienate his followers, this action was seen as a display of strength
and authority, which won the respect of the northerners, with Greatjon Umber becoming
one of Robb’s most loyal bannermen.
As the War of the Five Kings erupted across the continent, and Robb was named King in
the North and the Trident, Grey Wind helped him grow a fearsome reputation, following
him into battle and fighting at his side.
Early on in the war, Grey Wind led Robb’s army to a secret goat path which allowed them
to fall upon the army of Stafford Lannister at the Battle of Oxcross.
To begin the battle, Grey Wind went after the Lannister horses causing a stampede which
allowed the Northmen to take advantage of the chaos and defeat the enemy.
During the fighting Robb’s direwolf killed six or seven men, making such an impact that
rumors after the battle even suggested the king in the North cut out Stafford Lannister’s
heart and fed it to his wolf.
Although Robb became close to Grey Wind, believing the direwolves to be protectors of his family,
he started to lose faith in the creatures after hearing about the deaths of his brothers
Bran and Rickon.
Before the events of the Red Wedding.
Grey Wind, sensed the impending betrayal and attempted to warn Robb by barking at the Freys
and acting out.
Lord Frey then forbade the creature from entering his halls during the celebration and Robb
hesitantly agreed.
After the betrayal of House Bolton and Frey, Ser Raynald Westerling released Grey Wind
who was able to kill 4 Frey Wolfhounds and rip the arm off the kennelmaster before being
killed.
After the massacre, Grey Wind's crowned head was mounted on Robb Stark’s body, in mockery
of their House.
The smallest of the direwolves, Lady as she was named was given the Sansa Stark, Lord
Eddard’s eldest daughter.
With grey fur and yellow eyes, Lady adopted the sophisticated and dainty mannerisms of
Sansa, and was a sweet, trusting animal.
Unfortunately when her littermate Nymeria attacked prince Joffrey on the King’s Road,
and disappeared shortly after, Queen Cersei ordered Lady killed in her place.
Lord Eddard Stark argued against it, but when the decision was made, he killed the wolf
himself, believing she deserved better than to die by a butcher like Ser Ilyn Payne.
Afterwards he sent the direwolf’s body to be buried at winterfell.
There are some who believe the loss of her Direwolf left Sansa adrift, and more susceptible
to hardship.
With grey fur and dark Golden eyes, Nymeria was the direwolf of young Arya Stark, named
for the ancient Rhoynar Queen who married into House Martell and helped them conquer
Dorne.
While travelling on the king’s road, Nymeria attacked Joffrey Baratheon when he threatened
Arya with a sword.
Fearing retribution, Arya sent her direwolf to disappear into the forest, throwing rocks
at the animal to force it to leave.
Although they were now separated, Arya’s bond with Nymeria continued, as the girl was
able to warg into the direwolf in her dreams, hunting and running in the animal’s skin.
Overtime, word spreads of a great wolf pack roaming the riverlands.
Hundreds of wolves travelling together, following a she-wolf of monstrous size who attacks people
as well as livestock.
Lord William Mooton and his sons set out to hunt the wolves down but were forced to retreat
and lost their hounds in the attempt.
During one of her wolf dreams, Arya attacked Iggo of the Bloody Mummers, while in another
she found the body of her mother Catelyn Stark in a river after the red wedding, dragging
her to the shore before men arrived.
With Silver smoke fur and eyes of yellow gold, Summer was the direwolf of young Bran Stark.
When Bran fell into his coma after being pushed from a tower window by Jaime Lannister, Summer
howled restlessly by the tower where the boy slept.
Although Bran’s mother Catelyn was wary of the animals, she learned to love and appreciate
them after an assassin came to finish off her son and the boy’s direwolf attack tearing
out the man’s throat.
When Bran awoke, he gave the direwolf its name, and when the boy was later attacked
by wildlings in the woods, Summer leapt to his defense yet again, suffering a knife wound
and killing a woman named Hali.
After the capture and burning of Winterfell, Summer joined Bran on his journey north.
As Bran developed his skinchanging abilities, he most often entered the body of Summer,
able to see through his eyes similar to Arya and Nymeria, though Bran proved far more skilled,
learning to enter the mind of other living creatures as well.
At queen’s crown Summer encountered Jon Snow surrounded by Wildlings, and attacked
them, giving Jon a chance to escape.
Beyond the wall, summer found the wolf pack of Varamyr Six Skins, a wildling skinchanger
who’s mind entered the body of the wolf One Eye before dying.
Summer challenged One Eye for the leadership of the pack and forced the animal to submit.
Throughout their journey north, Summer remained Bran’s faithful companion, defending him
from wights as they reached the cave of the three eyed crow, and stayed by his side once
they entered.
With black fur and bright green eyes, Shaggydog is the direwolf of little Rickon Stark, the
youngest of Lord Eddard’s children.
When Lord Stark was killed and Robb marched off to war, Rickon became upset, developing
a bad temper and attitude, which transferred over to Shaggydog who became angry lashing
out and biting several people throughout Winterfell.
Shaggydog even attacked Maester Luwin forcing Bran to call upon his direwolf Summer to intervene
and defend the old man.
When Rickon and Bran went their separate ways, Shaggydog followed him master and their servant
Osha, who took them to the island of Skagos, to keep them safe during the war.
An albino direwolf with white fur and red eyes, Jon Snow named him Ghost, and the animal
became his faithful companion, following him North to the wall, fighting by his side and
protecting him from danger.
Though Ghost often went out on his own, sometimes for long periods at a time, he always returned
to Jon and their bond never diminished.
Jon also possessed the warging abilities shared by some of his siblings, entering Ghost’s
body in his dreams.
Through Ghost, Jon sees visions of the direwolf Nymeria off in the RIverlands, and even sees
Shaggydog fighting a unicorn in Skagos.
With Jon rising to Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, some of his brothers began to conspire
against him.
Like Grey Wind before the Red Wedding, ghost barked and lashed out in anticipation of their
betrayal, but Jon did not understand, and locked him away in his Quarters.
Ghost therefore was unable to protect his master when he was attacked, stabbed several
times and left to die in the snow.
As Jon felt the knives plunge into him, he whispered the name “Ghost” before collapsing
and losing consciousness.