The White Knife

The river rises from two streams that meet south of the Long Lake and the lands of Clan Burley, in the Lonely Hills. From there it runs south with Winterfell to the west and the Dreadfort and Hornwood to the east.

South of Winterfell it takes in a tributary born in the southeastern edge of the Wolfswood, joining it west of Sheepshead Hill. The main channel keeps flowing until it mixes with the waters of the Bite at White Harbor. Those who live along its banks travel in narrow canoes built to hold against the current and the rocky stretches.

King Jon Stark built the Wolf's Den to guard the river's mouth. That stronghold changed hands more than once over the centuries: the Arryns sailed upriver to seize it during the War Across the Water, and later King Brandon Stark the Ice-Eyes took it back from slavers out of the Stepstones after the river froze over during a particularly hard winter.

Roughly a thousand years before the War of Conquest, the Starks handed the Wolf's Den to House Manderly, who settled at the river's mouth and there founded what would become White Harbor.

Lady Catelyn Tully and Ser Rodrik Cassel follow the river to take ship at White Harbor bound for King's Landing. Around the same time, Lord Halys Hornwood arrives at Winterfell bearing gifts for Robb Stark, hoping to be allowed to dam the river and so extend northward the rights his grandfather had already won.

Septon Chayle reminds Bran Stark that he is a strong swimmer, having grown up along the river's banks. Later, Bran and his companions consider stealing a boat and sailing downriver to shelter at White Harbor, but Bran decides instead that he must seek the three-eyed crow beyond the Wall.

Lord Roose Bolton, meanwhile, counts spearmen drawn from the river among the forces defending the fords of the Trident.

The smallfolk living along the river and in Hornwood seek shelter in White Harbor. There, Lord Wyman Manderly confides to Davos that he keeps warships hidden within the river itself.