The young Bran Stark, a crippled boy and heir to the Northern holdfast of Winterfell, tries his newly-made saddle on a horseback ride through the Wolfswood and is thrilled to find that he can functionally ride without the use of his legs. His older brother Robb Stark sits in the center of the clearing with his friend Theon Greyjoy as they watch Bran happily riding. However, Robb has received news of grave events that have occurred in the capital city of King's Landing, as House Lannister have attacked and killed several of his father Lord Eddard Stark’s men, with he himself injured in the leg. They come to realize that Bran has disappeared on horseback. Meanwhile, Bran continues to ride further into the woods as three wildlings, who recently crossed into the Seven Kingdoms from the lands beyond the Wall, start creeping after him. Stiv and Wallen sneak up and surround Bran, while the wildling woman named Osha grabs the horse reins. A panicked Bran informs them that he is unable to get off the saddle due to the design of the straps, allowing them to see that he is crippled. During the ambush, he is cut on the leg, allowing him to discover that he is immune to pain as well as being immobile. Robb and Theon race in and defend Bran, killing both Stiv and Wallen. The lone woman, Osha, puts her hands together and begs for her life, insisting that if Robb is to spare her, she promises to serve House Stark. Robb decides to keep her alive, to her great relief.

Days later, Theon attempts to bully Osha, who has been put to use as a servant around Winterfell but remains bound in chains on her ankles. When Theon enters the castle chambers Osha is working in, he informs her that where he comes from they do not show mercy to criminals. Theon adds that if she was to attack a lord in his home of the Iron Islands they would have chained her during low tide and watch her slowly drown. Theon then tries to throw his weight around, insisting that she call him "my lord," even though his father Balon Greyjoy still holds the title and he has spent most of his life at Winterfell. Osha, however, is unimpressed with his antics. She points out that he is not entitled to this, as his father is still alive. Maester Luwin then enters the room amidst Theon’s aggression towards Osha. The castle’s maester then dismisses Theon, who reminds him that he of all people should know that being a guest and a prisoner are not necessarily mutually exclusive. After Theon departs, Luwin then questions Osha about why her band of wildlings crossed the Wall and were fleeing "as far south as south goes." Osha claims that there were “things sleeping under the ice, which are not sleeping any more,” referring to the  ancient race of ice creatures called White Walkers, who have awoken after a millennia and are coming south to breach the Seven Kingdoms.

Some time later, word has reached Winterfell that King Robert Baratheon has died after being injured by a boar during a hunt. Bran’s father Lord Eddard then challenged the legitimacy of Robert's heir, Prince Joffrey Baratheon, with the recently-discovered evidence of Queen Cersei Lannister’s incestuous infidelity. However, Lord Eddard is then arrested in the capital for treason, which results in Robb Stark assembling the Northern bannermen to unite their armies in fighting the Lannisters. Upon Robb’s departure, Bran and his younger brother, Rickon Stark, alone represent House Stark at Winterfell. The following day, Bran prays by the heart tree in the Godswood when he is approached by Osha who tells him the Old Gods of the Forest are listening to his prayers. She then states that his brother Robb is leading his army in the wrong direction, and the true enemy lays to the north, beyond the Wall, again alluding to the looming threat of the White Walkers. They are interrupted by the sudden appearance of a simple-minded stableboy named Hodor, who was bathing and has forgotten to put his clothes back on. In seeing Hodor’s appendage, Osha remarks that he must have giant’s blood in him. Bran reminds Hodor to get dressed. Curiously, Bran then asks Osha if giants live beyond the Wall. She affirms that they do, and many other beings, though not all of them are friendly.

Weeks later, Hodor slowly trails behind in the castle courtyards, as Bran rides on Osha’s shoulders. Bran informs Osha of a recurring dream he’s been experiencing that feature a three-eyed raven. He also states that he saw his father Eddard in the crypts. Osha, however, is skeptical. Bran taunts her about her fear of the catacombs and eventually she agrees to take him down to the family crypts underneath Winterfell. Once underground, Bran recites the names of his deceased relatives as they pass by their statues. They approach the place where Lord Eddard appeared in Bran’s dream. There, they are then startled by his younger brother Rickon and his direwolf Shaggydog. Rickon eerily informs that he’s also dreamt of their father in that exact spot, to Bran’s disbelief. Bran and Osha then depart to return to the courtyard, as Osha attempts to soothe Bran’s worries about his father. As they exit the crypts, they cross paths in the courtyard with a distraught Maester Luwin, who bears bad news. Bran is then informed that Lord Eddard has been executed in the capital for treason when denying the claim of the new king, Joffrey Baratheon. This leaves the future of House Stark in danger, now with Robb at war with the Lannisters, and Bran’s sisters, Sansa and Arya Stark, held captive in King’s Landing.

Some months later, Bran dreams that he is his direwolf Summer and can see the world through the wolf’s eyes, as he stalks through the godswood and looks up at a red comet. He goes to the pool next to the heart tree and looks down at his reflection, staring into the eyes of his wolf. As result of his curiosity towards the dream, the following day Bran has Hodor carry him out to the godswood. Osha  accompanies them and finds a plant that can be used to make a pain-relieving tea, pointedly informing Bran of their healing properties. Bran informs Osha that he does not feel any pain, as she then retorts in saying that he is lucky this is the case. She asks Bran if he has had more strange dreams, though he lies when claiming that he does not dream at all. He changes the subject to the comet, saying that he has heard men say it is an omen favoring his brother Robb in the war against the Lannisters. Osha informs that she has heard people say the comet is Lannister red and favors their enemies. She then adds that she also heard a stable boy say the comet was blood red and marked the death of Lord Eddard. Hodor then kneels by the pool as Osha helps Bran to the ground by its edge, affectionately stroking his hair. She tells him that stars do not fall for men and that a red comet signifies dragons. Bran stares at his reflection in the water and asserts that dragons are extinct, unaware that in recent months the sole House Targaryen heir, Daenerys, has brought three dragons into the world.

Weeks later, Hodor carries Bran across to the stables as Bran questions Osha about the significance of his dreams. She tells him to ask Maester Luwin and he informs that he already has, to no avail. Luwin has never heard of a "three-eyed raven". Osha asserts that this must make the dream meaningless and Bran accuses her of lying. She warns him not to call her a liar despite his status. Hodor and Osha then help Bran into his saddle that Lord Tyrion Lannister designed for him. Osha establishes that his dreams have featured the three eyed raven and reminds Bran that he had told her that he didn’t have any dreams when they visited the godswood as she then calls him the liar. He can only smile at this, as it is true. Osha then presses him about the dreams as Bran reports dreaming that the sea had flooded Winterfell and drowned his people, including Ser Rodrik Cassel. Osha reassures him that the sea is hundreds of miles away as she hurries to take her basket of potatoes to the kitchens. Bran then asks her what they say about the three eyed raven north of the Wall. She refuses to answer, saying only that people say all kinds of crazy things beyond the Wall.

Some days later at Winterfell, Maester Luwin comes racing through a door as he quickly throws the latch to lock it behind him. Outside he can hear cries, crashes and raised voices while he frantically sends off a messenger-raven. A band of raiders from House Greyjoy, led by Lord Eddard’s former ward Theon Greyjoy, are seizing the undefended castle. Bran, awakened from his sleep by Theon, reminds the Greyjoy prince that he left Winterfell to fight for his brother Robb. Theon informs Bran that Robb sent him back to his home of Pyke in order to seek an alliance, however, this is not what his father Balon Greyjoy wanted and saw an opportunity knowing that Winterfell was unprotected. Theon then organized luring the remaining castle’s defenders away with a feint at Torrhen's Square. Outside in the courtyard, Theon tells the assembled retainers of House Stark that his father Balon has declared himself King of the Iron Islands, claiming the North by right of conquest and that they are now King Balon’s subjects. Theon then instructs Luwin to send ravens to Balon as well as his sister Yara Greyjoy at Deepwood Motte to inform them of his victory. Theon then demands for Bran to surrender the castle in order to save his people. Osha then offers to fight for Theon but he refuses, suspecting treachery. In the courtyard, Bran submits in front of his assembled people. Ser Rodrik Cassel is captured by Theon's men, as his first mate Dagmer Cleftjaw insists that Rodrik is killed, or lose face in front of his Ironborn raiders. Theon, under duress of the begrudging execution, botches the beheading of Ser Rodrik, requiring several hacks and a kick, horrifying Bran and the people of Winterfell.

That evening, Osha is brought before Theon as she requests to serve him. He asks why he should trust the word of a lying savage, adding that all wildlings are lying savages with no loyalty. Osha says that she has done what she had to in order to stay alive and claims to hate the Starks. She offers to serve Theon as he warns her not to ask for a spear again. Osha suggestively informs that there are other ways to serve. Theon derisively asks what she knows and while unlacing her dress she says that the free folk know savage things. Theon dismisses his guard as she undresses further. Osha stands naked and he says he always wondered what she had under her clothes. She says that it comes at a price and asks for her freedom. Theon says she will have it if she serves him well. Afterwards, when Theon is fast asleep in bed, Osha sneaks out of his room but is halted by a Greyjoy guard in the  godswood. She kisses him passionately to distract him before stabbing him in the throat. She whistles twice as Bran, Rickon and Hodor emerge along with the boys’ direwolves, Summer and Shaggydog. Osha hurries them as they escape into the woods.

The following morning, as Theon and his men search the areas outside of Winterfell for the escapees, Summer and Shaggydog roam ahead of Osha, Bran, Rickon and Hodor along the banks of a stream. Osha regrets not bringing more food with them, but Bran asserts that it was too risky to approach the kitchens. Osha argues that the people of Winterfell love the Starks and would have done anything for them as Bran responds that he was not willing to endanger the lives of his people by exposing them to Theon’s wrath. Osha insists that young Rickon cannot survive on walnuts alone, but Rickon assures that he is fine. Hodor then cracks a walnut for him in the palms of his hands. Osha frets that they have been walking for hours, declaring that even Hodor will tire eventually. The simple-minded Hodor responds by repeating his name aloud, as Osha affectionately calls him a sweet giant. The party then crest a hill, and Bran asks them to wait, recognizing a distant farm. He says that it belongs to the shepherd who he recently assigned two orphan boys to. Rickon remembers the boys and adds that they will help them. Bran is dubious about risking their safety, however, Osha warns that Theon will be tracking them with hounds and that they cannot outrun the Ironborn men forever.

Days later, after Theon cannot locate the escapees whereabouts, he fakes the deaths of both Bran and Rickon using the bodies of the two young boys he captured from the nearby farm. The boys are burned so badly that they are unrecognizable and are hung outside in the courtyard for the people of Winterfell to see, believing them to be Bran and Rickon. Later, however, a distraught Maester Luwin crosses the courtyard and notices a starving Osha sneaking into the catacombs with loaves of bread. Luwin stares thoughtfully at the charred bodies, especially the leg muscle of the larger one, realizing that Theon has only faked their deaths. He then visits Osha down in the crypts, who lights a candle and explains that they went as far as the farm, but then evaded capture by doubling back. She asserts her hope in the fact that the catacombs will be the last place that Theon would think to search for the boys. Luwin insists that she’s been right thus far. Osha then asks about the bodies at the gates as Luwin relates his suspicion that they were the farmers boys. Osha is horrified that Theon killed and burned innocent children for his ruse, and passed them off as Bran and Rickon. Luwin warns her not to say anything to the Stark boys because Bran would blame himself. She promises to say nothing, agreeing that the Starks have suffered enough. However, Bran is awake and listening to every word as he is sat around the corner from them, while Hodor and Rickon are fast asleep.

Some time later, Osha leads Bran, Rickon and Hodor out of the catacombs. They find Winterfell a smoky haze with dead smallfolk littering the courtyard. It is unclear who is responsible for the sack of Winterfell, as Theon wanted to seize the castle, not destroy it. However, the Ironborn are gone and the gates hang wide open. When they reach the godswood they find a fatally-wounded Maester Luwin leaning against the heart tree. Bran tells him that everything has been burned down as Luwin asserts that not everything is lost, taking comfort in the boys being alive. He warns that those responsible might return, urging them to travel to the Wall where Bran’s half-brother Jon Snow will look after them. Osha argues that they should head south to their mother and brother, but Luwin informs that they don’t know their whereabouts and have too many enemies in the south. Bran says that he does not want to leave Luwin, as the maester then grips his hand, telling him that he feels the same way and adds that he considers himself very lucky to have known them. Osha stays behind as Luwin succumbs to his wounds. Shortly after, as Winterfell pours black smoke into the sky behind, Osha and Rickon trail after the wolves. Hodor follows them while pushing Bran in a small cart laden with supplies as they embark on the journey ahead.

Some time after escaping the ruins of Winterfell, Bran dreams that he is walking and hunting in the woods when he sees the mysterious three-eyed raven again. As he aims his bow at the raven, he relives his memories of when he was practicing archery with his brothers Robb and Jon in Winterfell’s courtyard, and hears the voice of his father Lord Eddard commenting on his brothers asking: “Which one of you was a marksman at ten?” Bran attempts at shooting the raven but misses. A young stranger then appears and the boy informs Bran that he cannot shoot the raven, because he is the raven. Bran awakens suddenly, worrying Hodor for a moment, but he insists to the group that he is fine. Osha asserts they have enough problems without his dark dreams. The party continue to head north from Winterfell towards the Wall to seek out Jon Snow at Castle Black, home of the Night’s Watch. Later on, the same boy from the dream approaches their camp in the woods unarmed. Summer snarls at him initially but then sniffs his hand and turns away. Osha comes up behind the boy with a sharpened wooden spear, only for the boy's sister to surprise Osha and put a knife to her throat. The boy introduces himself as Jojen Reed, and his sister as Meera Reed. House Reed are loyal bannermen of House Stark, and they have been searching for Bran and Rickon so that they can protect him in his journey.

When they are on the move again, Jojen and Bran discuss his wolf-dreams. Jojen explains that Bran himself is a warg, as Bran recalls a conversation he had with the late Maester Luwin about people with the ability to live inside and control their animals. Jojen declares that warging starts out as vivid dreams seeing the world through their animal’s eyes, but assures that with practice Bran will be able to consciously enter the mind of his wolf and control its actions. Bran asks if prophetic dreams are part of being a warg, but Jojen explains that's a different yet related ability. Greensight allows those who possess it to see events that haven't happened yet, or events that happened long before they were born. Jojen adds that the ability could allow one to see events happening now but thousands of miles away. Jojen then confirms that Bran's dream of his father Eddard the day he died was an example of greensight, and that Jojen himself had a similar dream the very same day. He asserts that when he told his father, Lord Howland Reed, of the dream, Howland openly wept for his friend Eddard. Jojen insists that Howland doesn't like to talk about the war much and then confirms that Bran wasn't simply experiencing a vision of Jojen in his earlier dream, but that he himself reached out with his mind to contact Bran in his dream. He adds that he remembers seeing the raven as well.

Some weeks later, as they continue their journey towards the Wall, tensions rise when they stop for camp before sunset. Osha tries to instruct Meera Reed on how to skin a rabbit correctly. When Meera replies that she knows how to skin a rabbit, however, Osha insists that she does not, adding that when you grow up in the North you learn the proper way to handle game. Meera then suggests without her bow there wouldn’t be any game to skin and questions why they don’t teach people in the North to say thank you for catching their food. When an increasingly-annoyed Bran has had enough of their argument, he diffuses the situation by shouting at them, asserting that they have both been at each other since meeting. He insists that they make peace or they will never make it to the Wall. They then begrudgingly compliment each other in front of Bran to appease him. The awkward conversation is interrupted as Jojen Reed starts experiencing a seizure while sleeping. Meera explains they are caused by his visions and that they take a toll on his body. Osha dislikes this, thinking it is black magic. When Jojen wakes he then tells Bran that in his vision he saw his half-brother Jon Snow at Castle Black. When Bran questions what he saw Jojen asserts that Jon is on wrong side of the Wall and surrounded by enemies, meaning the wildlings.

One afternoon, later into their journey, Bran’s party makes camp, as Osha grows increasingly more tiresome of the Reeds. She rhetorically questions aloud to Hodor why Jojen gets to sit and talk with Bran all day while everyone else has to do all of the work. As Osha remains distrustful, she interrupts Jojen speaking with Bran to ask what he is telling him, adding that he is filling Bran’s head with black magic. She then reacts with horror when Jojen mentions that they intend to go beyond the Wall instead of Castle Black. Osha is outraged and says she will never go back north of the Wall again. Jojen insists that through his vision he has seen that Bran’s brother Jon is no longer at the Wall and their intended expedition is to now find the three-eyed raven. Bran further explains that with the loss of his legs the raven is all he has now, adding that maybe he fell from the tower for a reason. Osha bluntly refuses to go with them, as she rages that none of them understand what lies there. She painfully recounts her past to Bran and the Reeds, informing them that her husband Bruni had disappeared one night and everyone was convinced that he simply left her. However, Osha knew this was not the actions of her husband. She continues to explain that he indeed came back one night, but he was not her husband any longer. He was a dead man walking, who then attacked her until she stabbed him and burned her hut down with him inside. Osha declares that there is nothing left for men beyond the Wall and asserts that she promised Luwin to take them no further than Castle Black.

Weeks later, Bran and his group have passed far enough north that they have left the Seven Kingdoms and entered into the Gift: a stretch of land south of the Wall which was gifted to the Night's Watch thousands of years ago by Brandon the Builder. The Reeds are puzzled, because the Gift possesses good arable land but the countryside is empty. Bran explains, to Osha's discomfort, that wildling attacks coming over or around the Wall had caused most of the  smallfolk to flee the Gift over the centuries. Meanwhile, the Watch's diminishing numbers mean they don't really need that much support from the Gift anymore, explaining why they haven't encountered any brothers of the Watch working the lands either. Bran's group takes shelter in an abandoned mill to avoid an impending thunderstorm. Meanwhile, as Jojen’s vision proves correct, Bran’s brother Jon Snow has joined the wildlings, as he and a small party have also entered the Gift at the same time as Bran. Jon and the wildlings encounter an old farmer who they plan on attacking in order to steal his horses and gold, but Jon insists that the old man is no threat to the wildlings. The wildlings ignore Jon’s insistence, however, when they run towards the farmstead, Jon hits a rock with his sword, alerting the old man who then flees on horseback.

Later on, inside the abandoned mill of Queenscrown, as the storm continues thrashing through the countryside, Bran and Jojen discuss how they plan to cross the Wall before Meera spots the old farmer riding nearby from the window. She also witnesses the wildling party in pursuit of the old man. As the thunder begins to strike louder, Hodor grows increasingly frustrated and continues to shout from inside the mill, with Bran and the rest attempting to keep him quiet to evade them having to deal with their own wildling attack. Outside of the mill, after the old man is captured, the wildlings demand Jon Snow to kill him to prove his loyalty. Jon is ultimately unable to kill the innocent man, proving that he is still loyal to the Night's Watch, which then spurs on an aggressive fight with a warg named Orell. At the urging of Jojen, Bran then enters the mind of his direwolf in order to aid Jon. Summer, accompanied by Rickon’s wolf Shaggydog, kill two wildlings who threaten Jon. After an evenly-matched melee with Orell, Jon gets the upper-hand and is able to kill him with a sword through the chest, but not before the warg’s eagle attacks Jon, scratching his face with its claws. Jon then jumps onto a nearby horse and narrowly escapes the remaining wildlings, also leaving a possible reunion with his brother for another day, as Bran remains hidden inside the mill.

Later that evening, inside the mill, Bran informs Jojen that he was correct about his gifts and now has learned through his experience with warging that he can go into Summer’s mind at any time. Bran then tells Rickon that under the control of his direwolf he saw their half-brother outside fighting against the wildlings, but assures Rickon that Jon got away safely. Osha asserts that Jon will now be heading to Castle Black and they should as well. However, Bran insists again to Osha that he must go beyond the Wall to find the three-eyed raven, as this is his new mission. However, as Bran is concerned for Rickon’s safety, he commands Osha to take his brother with her to the Last Hearth, a nearby castle and holdfast of Greatjon Umber, a loyal bannerman of the Starks whom Bran remembers meeting at Winterfell just before his brother Robb rode south for the war. While Rickon is upset to be separated from his brother, Osha realizes this was for his own good and cooperates with the plan. This arrangement also suites Osha because she is unwilling to travel with Bran and company due to the threat posed by the White Walkers. Bran bids a tearful Rickon farewell, who then leaves with Osha and his direwolf Shaggydog, while Bran plans on continuing northward with Hodor, Summer and the Reed siblings on his search for the three-eyed raven.

Following Osha and Rickon’s departure from the rest of the group, the pair were taken in under protection at the Last Hearth some years ago. After the death of Lord Greatjon Umber, however, the Last Hearth is now ruled by his son, Smalljon Umber. In recent months, Bran’s brother Jon Snow and his sister Sansa Stark have been rallying Northern support in effort to take back Winterfell for their family, which has been seized by the sadistic Lord Ramsay Bolton. Smalljon travels to Winterfell to meet with Ramsay in order to forge an alliance in fighting against Jon Snow and his supporters. However, Lord Umber refuses to bow to Ramsay; citing the late King Robb Stark's betrayal at the hands of House Bolton, who plotted his murder with Walder Frey and Tywin Lannister during the Red Wedding massacre. Smalljon then reveals that he has a "gift" for Ramsay as an incentive to rally together. House Umber guards then enter the room with two hooded figures, who turned out to be Osha and Rickon. The captive pair, no longer under protection, appear uncomfortable to find themselves in Ramsay's presence. When Ramsay asks Smalljon to verify Rickon's identity, an Umber retainer carries in the severed head of his direwolf Shaggydog, and Rickon's expression of dismay confirms this was his pet. Satisfied, a gleeful Ramsay sarcastically welcomes Rickon home.

Some days later, Osha is brought before Ramsay Bolton and he wastes no time questioning her allegiance. Osha lies and denounces House Stark, saying that her servitude and loyalty to them were forced. Ramsay presses the fact that Osha didn’t need to continue protecting Rickon after the death of Robb Stark. She then insists that she carried around Rickon to find a buyer for him, adding that the boy has value to Ramsay as a Stark heir. However, Ramsay coolly states his uncertainty of her worth. In order to further avoid danger, Osha then attempts to seduce Ramsay, climbing onto his lap and kissing him, all the while trying to get the knife he had been using to peel apples. Ramsay seemingly falls for it, saying that it took much longer for him to get Theon Greyjoy over to his side. He then states that Theon told him everything, including how Osha had seduced Theon in order to help Bran and Rickon escape from Winterfell. Osha then realizes that she has been lured into a trap, and tries to stab Ramsay, only for him to slash her throat first. Osha falls to the floor and grabs her bleeding throat in shock. Ramsay resumes peeling his apple complacently as she dies out on the floor.

*In the aftermath of Osha’s death, follow Bran or Rickon’s journey through the rest of the series.

“I’m used to worse than [Theon]. I'm used to men who could chew that boy up and pick their teeth with his bones.”

— ‘You Win Or You Die’

“You don't know! None of you know. None of you have been up there! I had a man once. A good man. Bruni, his name was. I was his, and he was mine. But one night, Bruni disappears. People said he left me, but I knew him. He'd never leave me. Not for long. I knew he'd come back. And he did. Only, he wasn't Bruni, not really. His skin was pale, like a dead man's. His eyes, bluer than clear sky…”

— ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’