1. Bran : Direwolf Pups for Stark Children

Location: Outskirts of Winterfell

Characters: Bran Stark, Eddard Stark, Robb Stark, Jon Snow, Theon Greyjoy, Jory Cassel (Captain of the household Gaurd), Hullen (Master of Horse), Harwin (Hullen's Son)

Referenced Characters: Mance Rayder (King Beyond the Wall), Old Nan, Robert

This chapter is from Bran's point of view. Bran is seven years old and is going to witness an execution for the first time. A man of the Night's Watch, Gared, a deserter, has been caught and the penalty for desertion is death.

The deserter from the Night's watch was sentenced to death because no man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile.

Old Nan told Bran a lot of stories about wildlings. She told that

"The wildlings were cruel men, slavers, slayers and thieves. They consorted with giants and ghouls, stole girl children in the dead of the night, and drank blood from polished horns. And their women lay with the Others in the Long Night to sire terrible half-human children."

At this point little is known as to how much these stories are true.

Bran's father Ned Stark carries out the execution himself using his Valyrian steel sword, Ice.

"The blade was Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge like Valyrian steel." 

Ned Stark believes that "If you take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die."

Bran's elder brother, Robb Stark, was big and broad and growing every day with his mother's coloring, the fair skin, red-brown hair, and blue eyes of the Tulleys of Riverrun.

On the other hand, Bran's bastard brother, Jon Snow, had grey eyes, so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. This probably means that Jon was quite observant. We may find out its significance later on.

On their way back to Winterfell, they find a dead direwolf with its litter. The wolf was killed by a stag as its antlers were found inside the wolf's body. Its quoted that no direwolf has been seen south of the wall in nearly 200 years.

What happened to the direwolves??

The fact that the direwolf was killed by the stag may have some significance as direwolf is the sigil of House Stark. It is evident from

"A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at the antler uneasily, and no one dared to speak. Even Bran could sense their fear even though he did not understand." Even the pups were considered ill omen as they were born from a dead wolf "Born with the dead"

The litter consists of 5 pups. And Ned Stark has 5 trueborn children - 3 sons and 2 daughters and direwolf is the sigil of House Stark, so the stark children were meant to have those pups. Jon keeps himself out of getting any pups himself as he is not a true stark.

This shows that Jon sacrificed his interests for the sake of his siblings and the life of pups.

Bran loves his half brother Jon just like his brother. It is evident from "He loved Jon from all his heart at that moment" when Jon delibrately left himself out to save the pups.

But few steps farther, another pup,  an albino is found and Jon gets to keep it. Jon's pup is white compared to the other pups which are grey and it must have crawled away from the others or in words of Ned Stark "Or been driven away". This may have a deeper meaning.