Run Away! Run Away! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Winterfell crypts

Aegon Targaryen (known as the bastard Jon Snow season 1-7) closes out this day in the Stark crypts, gazing at the statue of Lyanna Stark, his birth mother. In walks Daenerys. Aegon confides to her his true name.

Here's what other Starks are doing at Winterfell, the eve before battle:

Arya lies next to Gendry, the bastard son of the dead King Robert Baratheon. When Gendry delivers the spear Arya designed, she wants to know what physical love is like, since they may die soon. Gendry is shocked to see her deep scars. As Gendry sleeps Arya is wide awake. It seems she has a private plan for protecting her family.

Lady Sansa Stark, Lady of Winterfell, is composed and formidable as we've ever seen her, making her castle ready. Bran Stark has transitioned into The Three-Eyed Raven. He makes peace with Jaime Lannister, and tells what it means that he bears the mark of the Night King.

Arya grew up on screen before our eyes, played by Maisie Williams. Kit Harington plays Aegon. Joe Dempsie is Gendry. Sophie Turner is Sansa. Bran/Three-Eyed Raven is played by Isaac Hempstead Wright.

Answer: Winterfell crypts

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) has a very bad day at Winterfell, first holding court against Jaime Lannister for slaying her father. Her revenge is thwarted when Brienne, Bran and Sansa allow Jaime to live. She takes her rage out on Tyrion, furious he misjudged Cersei. She is wisely counseled by Jorah Mormont; deftly smooths Sansa's ruffled feathers but discovers the North has no intention of bending the knee to anyone; discusses battle strategy, and finally, joins Jon Snow in the crypts below the castle, where he gazes at a statue of a dead woman. Here in the tombs she hears the most horrific news anyone could say--that her arduous journey to get here to Westeros, to claim her rightful throne, very nearly in her grasp, is suddenly usurped by her lover's birthright. Before they can talk it through, a horn sounds the arrival of the White Walkers, and war.

Emilia Clarke suffered two brain aneurysms in the early seasons of "Game of Thrones". Had brain surgery, twice. Went back to work.

Answer: Blackwater Bay

The Iron Fleet, Euron Greyjoy's 1,000 ships (minus a few Yara and Theon took in episode 1), sits in the Blackwater Bay outside King's Landing. Whether Euron is back on "Silence", his ship, or still in the castle in Queen Cersei's chambers, he's committed to fight for Cersei and his fleet is at the ready.

Theon (Alfie Allen) arrives home to Winterfell where he grew up, betrayed them, and seeks forgiveness. He receives it. Sansa cried tears of joy to see him. He pledged his Ironborn to guard Bran Stark/Three-Eyed Raven, when he baits the Night King.

Answer: The Red Keep

Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) sits on the coveted Iron Throne in the Red Keep at King's Landing so far in season 8, except when she invites Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) to her bed. Episode 1 she hired Bronn (Jerome Flynn) to go kill her brothers, and she bought the Golden Company. But she is not seen in episode 2, as her promised army of "20,000 strong" is a no-show at Winterfell.

Cersei's Maester Qyburn (Anton Lesser), Hand of the Queen, and his Undead creation, an eerie version of what used to be Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane (Hafpor Julius Bjornsson), are at her side. They are all that remain of her original court.

Answer: Winterfell Great Hall

Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) escapes execution for his past deeds against both Bran Stark and Queen Daenerys, and renews his deep connection with his brother Tyrion and his dear friend Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie). He pledged to fight under Brienne's command, and in the great hall where everything began in season one, warmed by the fire, he makes Brienne a knight.

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) suffers the wrath of his Queen for failing to realize his sister will not send her army to help them. He insists he can fight, since he has done so and bravely, but Daenerys orders him to the safety of the crypts. He spent much of the evening in the warmth of companions by the fire. "Almost everyone here has fought the Starks at one time or another," he points out, "And here we are in their castle, ready to defend it, together." Still he spends the last moments before the battle alone, atop the castle battlements, peering intently out into the night.

Tyrion's friend Lord Varys (Conleth Hill), the "Spider" and "master of whisperers" serves Daenerys at Winterfell, but in this episode we glimpse him only briefly, at Jaime's hearing. He has survived a number of battles before by making cunning choices. But Varys deeply fears magic and sorcery. These power the Night King.

Answer: Winterfell outer grounds

The army of the Unsullied, unsexed, ferociously trained, former slaves-now-soldiers from across the Narrow Sea, followed Queen Daenerys "Breaker of Chains" to the cold country of north Westeros. Here at Winterfell Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) commands them as free men.

In episode 1 we saw their tents pitched in the snow on the outer grounds of Winterfell, an Unsullied posted at regular intervals, tall and unwavering. During episode 2 they are hard at work, trying to fortify the outer castle against entry by the Undead. Aegon's war board shows the Unsullied posted outside the castle gate, guarding Winterfell's north side. Grey Worm promises to take Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) back to her home country, and to protect her people, "after Daenerys has won".

Answer: Tombs with Gilly

As the horn blows announcing battle, Samwell Tarly is in the Winterfell tombs with his love Gilly, and her son Sam.

Samwell (John Bradley) carries a wealth of knowledge in his head, as well as bravery in his heart. He reminds everyone he "was the first to kill a White Walker", and he stole a considerable number of books from the Citadel too! But Jon/Aegon tells him to stay in the crypts to protect Gilly (Hannah Murray) and Sam. Since he cannot lift his family sword "Heartsbane", Sam gifts it to Ser Jorah Mormont (Iian Glen), greatly easing the pain Mormont has felt since he made a mistake that cost him his own family sword.

Answer: Winterfell, on horses

Though Tyrion tells the Banners of the North gathered at Winterfell in episode 1, "We brought you TWO great armies" (Unsullied and Dothraki), there's not much screen time for Dothraki so far in season eight. They are fierce fighters, and legendary horsemen from the hot, dry grasslands across the Narrow Sea. Sworn to their khaleesi Daenerys, they will fight on horseback in the Battle of Winterfell.

Nearly all of Daenery's primary court, and her armies, and her dragons, are of "fire", not "ice". Though her Undead dragon Viserion now breathes ice. Jon/Aegon said the plan is to keep the dragons close to the godswood, to protect Bran/Three-Eyed Raven, rather than out roasting the White Walkers and wights. Good thing, because in the last scene of the episode, as the White Walkers approach Winterfell, each holds an ice spear like the one the Night King used to take down Viserion.

Answer: King's Landing

The Golden Company ("Our Word is Good as Gold") is thousands of the finest swordsmen in the world, calling themselves exiles, not sellswords, adhering to their own code, or lack thereof, but honorable in holding to their contracts. In season 8, episode 1, Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet sailed to Essos, bringing the Golden Company into Blackwater Bay at King's Landing. The Golden Company's Commander Harry Strickland (Marc Rissmann) presented their pledge to the Queen.

Episode 2, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" takes place entirely in the North country. Presumably the Golden Company remains south in King's Landing, since they contracted to fight for Cersei. Without their elephants.

Answer: Approaching Winterfell

At the end of episode 2 a line of White Walkers on their steeds stops in the pre-dawn, Winterfell seen in the clearing ahead. Each White Walker holds an icy spear, has long white hair, and has a very human if ghostly face. Notably, the Night King (Vladimir Furdik) is not among them.

Presumably he led his entire army of undead wights (zombies), White Walkers, Giants and the Undead dragon Viserion to Winterfell. Among his army will be the dead faces of people the living once knew, fought beside, and loved. As Tormund Giantsbane said from inside the castle, "Whoever is not here now...is with them". We know the Night King followed the "mark" he put on Bran Stark (season 6), and seeks to destroy the Three-Eyed Raven Bran has become.

As beloved characters prepare for the coming war, and their final season, I'm reminded of all those we've lost: Starks, Baratheon, little Shireen. House Arryn, the Frey family. Boltons, House Tyrell and Martell. The Sparrows. Tywin Lannister. His grandchildren. Khal Drogo. House Tarly, except Samwell. House Tully, Greyjoys, and Craster. Viserys and Aemon Targaryen. Littlefinger, Shae, Hodor, and Ygritte. Jojen and Meera. Olly. Maester's and Knights and Commanders. All but three of the Night's Watch. Many in Essos. The King-Beyond-the-Wall. Direwolves and horses. Even a few White Walkers were shattered to pieces. Those honorable and evil we have hated and loved. That's the astounding toll, so far, of the game. Run Away! Run Away!