Howland Reed

Lord Howland Reed is the head of House Reed and father of Meera and Jojen Reed. At the end of Robert's Rebellion, he accompanied Eddard Stark to in an attempt to rescue Lyanna Stark, and participated in the Skirmish at the Tower of Joy.
==Biography==
===Background===
Howland Reed is the head of House Reed and the father of Meera and Jojen Reed. He is a loyal vassal of House Stark, ruling over the bog-filled lands of the Neck and the crannogmen.
Reed first met his liege lords at the great tourney at Harrenhal when he was a young man. While taking in the magnificence of the tourney, three squires, all larger than him as crannogmen are known to be shorter and smaller than most men in Westeros, started to beat and curse him as a "frog eater", until Lyanna Stark came to his defense; there he eventually met up with the rest of members of House Stark present: Brandon, Eddard, and Benjen. Later in the tourney, the Knight of the Laughing Tree defended Reed's honor by jousting and defeating the knights of the squires mentioned, and the only prize the mysterious knight asked for was that the defeated knights teach their squires honor. Reed would later tell his tourney experiences to his two children.
According to Bran Stark in a conversation with Jojen, Howland saved Ned Stark's life during Robert's Rebellion. Howland apparently never told his children anything about his part in the rebellion.
===Game of Thrones: Season 3===
While traveling in the Gift, Bran and Jojen talk about Howland Reed and his relation to Ned Stark. Jojen remembers that when he told his father about his visions of what had happened to Ned Stark, it was the first time he saw his father cry.
===Game of Thrones: Season 6===
Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven watch the Skirmish at the Tower of Joy between Ned Stark, Howland Reed, and four other Stark bannermen against two members of Aerys II Targaryen's Kingsguard; Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, and Lord Commander Gerold Hightower. Howland Reed is the first to charge in, receiving a slash across the chest by Dayne. The other Stark bannermen are killed along with Ser Gerold, leaving Ned Stark and Dayne to face each other. The two warriors briefly duel. However, Dayne's superior fighting skills get the best of Ned and he is disarmed.
Just as Dayne is about to strike Ned down, Howland - whom Dayne had assumed was mortally wounded earlier in the fight - rushes him from behind and stabs him through the back of the neck. Ned quickly ends Dayne's suffering with a slash to the neck, nearly lopping his head off. Howland is badly injured but survives, rushing to check the bodies of the fallen, while Ned continues on into the tower.
==Family==
==In the books==
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Howland Reed is a member and the ruler of the crannogmen, the inhabitants of the Neck. Disparagingly called "frog-eaters" because their lands are in the swamps of the Neck, the Reeds and the crannogmen keep to themselves and rarely travel beyond their borders. However, Howland Reed was an exception to this, becoming a noted friend and ally of Eddard Stark, fighting at his side during Robert's Rebellion. He remains one of House Stark's staunchest supporters but, so far, hasn't played a role in the War of the Five Kings.
Soon after Robb Stark summons his bannermen, he sends a message to Howland, ordering him to bleed the Lannisters if they march up the causeway through the Neck.
In A Clash of Kings, Howland sends his children to Winterfell, after being told by Jojen about a green dream of a winged wolf bound to earth with grey stone chains. Meera and Jojen are welcomed amiably at Winterfell; Ser Rodrik Cassel states that their father has been a great friend to Ned Stark. Meera announces that her father sent her and Jojen to renew the crannogmen's vows of fealty to the King in the North. 
In A Storm of Swords, Robb sends Maege Mormont and Galbart Glover to the Neck, to inform Howland about his plan to retake Moat Cailin from the ironborn; Robb is certain that Howland will not let him down. Robb is killed, however, before the plan can be realized. It is unknown whether Maege and Galbart have reached their destination.
One point of note mentioned in the books is the fact that Howland Reed was with Ned when he finally rescued Lyanna Stark. Howland was one of only two survivors of that mission; the other was Ned himself. With the death of Ned Stark, Reed is the only survivor of that battle left.
==Appearances==
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==References==
===Notes===
==External links==
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Category:Bannermen of House Stark
Category:Crannogmen
Category:Individuals appearing in Game of Thrones
Category:Individuals from Histories & Lore
Category:Lords
Howland Reed
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