Jaime still has a fever, but is no longer in danger of losing his arm. Qyburn will accompany him to King's Landing, and his escort will be led by Walton. Ser Aenys departed for the Twins three days before, and Lord Roose is departing at the same time as Jaime. Lord Roose asks Jaime to give his regards to Tywin, and Jaime tells Roose to give his regards to Robb, which the lord says he will.¹ Several Brave Companions see them off, including Zollo, Pyg, Timeon, Shagwell, and Rorge, and Jaime promises to return to deal with them. Jaime rides with Roose for six miles before separating with an escort of two hundred men. Walton plans to avoid the kingsroad for greater safety. Qyburn rides up to Jaime and asks how he is. He sent Pia to Jaime the night before, but Jaime sent her away reluctantly. Qyburn also mentions that Lord Selwyn offered three hundred dragons for Brienne's return, but Vargo believes he is holding out. Jaime grows tired of Qyburn's company and rides up to Walton and Nage, who is carrying the party's peace banner. He wonders if his father has received his hand from Vargo yet and how he will respond. Tywin has never been one to act based on sentiment. When Tytos was still lord of the house, he imprisoned his unruly bannerman Lord Tarbeck, causing Lady Tarbeck to take three Lannisters prisoner including Stafford, brother of Tywin's betrothed, Joanna. She threatened to do them harm if any harm came to her husband, and Tywin said his father should send Lord Tarbeck back in three pieces. Tytos released him instead.

That night, Jaime has a dream that Tywin and Cersei abandon him and Brienne in the bowls of Casterly Rock where he faces the shades of Rhaegar and his brothers on the Kingsguard. The next day, Jaime asks Qyburn if he believes in ghosts, to which the man replies that he does believe a portion of the soul remains when a person dies, though none of the archmaesters cared much for his theories save Marwyn. Jaime makes a sudden decision to return to Harrenhal to rescue Brienne. Walton balks, but Jaime threatens to implicate Walton in the loss of his hand if refused, so he goes along. They arrive at noon, and Jaime is relieved that the gates are open for them. He hears cheering and realizes Brienne is in the bear pit. He arrives there to find her unarmored facing a bear while the Brave Companions look on. She bit Vargo's ear off, and this is her punishment. Brienne is not faring well, and Jaime realizes she is only armed with a tourney sword. Jaime offers to ransom her, and Vargo tells him to go get her, so he jumps in the pit. He orders an astonished Brienne to get behind him and distracts the bear until Walton's archers, forced to intervene to save him, can come to kill it. This angers the Brave Companions, and Zollo, Three Toes, and Rorge draw their weapons, but Walton has them two to one. Vargo, saying he will be merciful, orders Jaime and Brienne pulled out of the pit and lets them leave unmolested. After they leave the castle, Brienne asks Jaime what made him come back. After thinking up several nasty retorts, he simply replies that he dreamed of her.