Skirmish at Littlefinger's brothel

The skirmish at Littlefinger's brothel was an ambush on Eddard Stark and his small retinue, led by Jaime Lannister to demand the release of his brother from Stark captivity. 
==History==
===Background===
Under suspicion of attempting to murder Bran, Tyrion is captured by Catelyn and taken to the Eyrie. Jaime retaliates by cornering Ned Stark outside the brothel with several Lannister soldiers at his back.
Jaime demands Tyrion's release, even though Eddard does not have Tyrion in his possession but Catelyn does; Ned falsely cites that Tyrion was captured at his command, to answer for his alleged crimes, thus escalating the situation. Impatient, Jaime draws his sword and advises Littlefinger to flee before a fight begins, to which the latter obliges while promising to bring the City Watch to the battleground. Jaime arrogantly challenges Ned to fight him man-to-man, which provokes Jory Cassel to defend his liege lord. Jaime silences Jory by threatening violence against Ned, to which Ned suggests Tyrion's potential doom if Ned were killed. Jaime acknowledges this, before ordering his men to slaughter the Stark guards and take Ned alive.
===The skirmish===
Two of the Lannister spearmen throw their spears at Wyl and Heward, killing them instantly. A violent brawl breaks out. Ned cuts down several of the red cloaks. Jory breaks through the guards and faces Jaime, and the latter kills him by driving a dirk into his left eye. Horrified at how Jaime cold-bloodedly killed Jory, Ned confronts Jaime, who silently challenges Ned once more. Ned attacks Jaime, and the two men duel ferociously, proven to be evenly matched (much to Jaime's alarm, and later delight).
Seeing that Ned is a match for Jaime, a Lannister guard intervenes and stabs Ned in the back of the leg with a spear, abruptly ending the combat. Jaime is angered and knocks the guard out, then mounts his horse, repeating his demand of Tyrion's release, and then riding away from the collapsing Ned and the multiple corpses.
===Aftermath===
This is one of the minor events which heighten the already existing tension between the Starks and the Lannisters, eventually sparking into the War of the Five Kings. Ned is reinstated as Hand of the King to King Robert, and continues his investigation about the incestuous relationship between Cersei and Jaime, as well as the death of Jon Arryn.
Robert should have used his authority to put an end to the mutual hostilities between the Starks and Lannisters, before the situation gets out of control; instead, he just orders Ned (not very firmly) to have Tyrion released and to make peace with Jaime, then leaves the capital for his entertainments. Ned ignores Robert's orders. Soon the Lannisters perform their next retaliatory action, which costs much more casualties.
Several years afterwards, when Jaime stands before Daenerys and the Starks, Sansa says that they cannot trust him since he attacked her father in the streets and had tried to destroy her house and her family, specifically referring to the aforementioned skirmish.
==In the books==
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the background and aftermath of the encounter are about the same, but the brawl is significantly different than in the series:
*Ned and his guards are horseback, and are away from Chataya's (not Littlefinger's) brothel when confronted by the Lannisters.
*The scene takes place at night, when heavy rain is falling.
*Jaime wants only to frighten Ned and orders his men to kill the Stark guards as a punishment; he does not order them to capture Ned.
*Jaime is armored.
*Jaime does not take part in the brawl; after giving the order to kill Ned's escorts, he leaves.
*Ned does not duel with Jaime, and is not injured by a Lannister guard; instead, his wounded horse falls on him, shattering his leg.
*It is unknown who killed Jory.
*Wyl is not speared; instead, the Lannister guardsmen pull him off his horse and kill him with swords.
*Four Lannister guards are killed in the brawl; Tregar, the captain of the Lannister guard, is injured by Ned and dies five days afterwards.
In A Storm of Swords, it is revealed that Jaime's retaliatory action inadvertently interfered with his father's plan: by sending the Mountain to raid the Riverlands, Tywin hoped Ned would lead the force, and planned an ambush, so he could have Ned killed or take him captive to trade for Tyrion. However, since Ned's leg was broken in the skirmish, he could not lead the detachment himself, and assigned Beric Dondarrion instead. 
==References==
===Notes===
Category:298 AC
Category:Battles
Category:War of the Five Kings
de:Straßenkampf von Königsmund
fr:Escarmouche au bordel de Littlefinger
ru:Схватка у борделя Мизинца