Brienne, Podrick, Ser Hyle, and Septon Meribald come across a corpse a mile from the crossroads. He is hanging from a tree and has salt shoved into his mouth. After that, they come across another corpse every hundred yards or so, each hanging from a tree and with salt in their mouths. They are men who took part in the raid on Saltpans. As the forest gives way to fields, the corpses hang from gibbets instead of trees. Brienne thinks she recognizes some from Harrenhal, but none has a hound's head helm. They are moving towards the Old Crossroads Inn. After Masha was hanged, one of her nephews had tried to reopen the inn but could not garner enough custom even after adding whores. He was later hanged. Now, two of Masha's nieces haev apparently opened the inn once more. As theey near the inn, they can here hammering and see the glow from a forge. A large group of children great them before the door; they are orphans. The oldest introduces herself as Willow and arranges accomadations for the night. A boy appears behind them, and Brienne thinks it must be Renly for a moment. Brienne asks Willow if the children are her kin, and she explains that the sparrows bring them and she and her sister Jeyne, the innkeep, look after them. Meribald asks if rooms are available. The boy, Gendry says no, but Willow says yes and orders some of the orphans, Wat, Will, Tansy, Pate, and Jon Penny, to see to their needs. When they are in their rooms, Brienne tells Podrick that she means to leave early the next morning while Ser Hyle is still sleeping.

Brienne and Pdrick go down to the common room for dinner, which is crawling with children. Most of them are young, with the oldest being ten or twelve. Only Gendry approaches manhood. Ser Hyle approaches Brienne and tries to woo her to be his bride, but she rebuffs him. Meribald leads the assembled in a prayer before dinner, which Gendry does not join. After he stalks off, one of the orphans, Ben, tells them that Gendry worships the Lord of Light. Brienne takes some food out to Gendry at the forge. She questions him about his parentage, sure he must be King Robert's bastard, but the sound of new arrivals ends their conversation. Gendry says they are friends, but Brienne goes to the door and sees that there are seven riders, and Biter is one of them. Another wears Sandor's helm. Willow coems out to meet them with a loaded crossbow, and the man wearing the helmet threatens her. Brienne shows her self to save Willow. One of the men says they just want horses and will leave, but the man wearing the helmet wants to punish Brienne. He is Rorge. Brienne insults him, causing him to charge in a rage. Afer a short fight, Brienne kills Rorge with Oathkeeper. As she steps away, Biter slams into her, knocking her to the ground. He knocks her senseless and begins eating her as the other outlaws began fighting another enemy in the background.