Gerold Forrester remains in The North to rule in his father's name, as he and his heir Domeric Forrester go down to rescue their sister Joanna. Unbeknownst to them, they may have seen each other for the last time in The North.
Immediatley Gerold is introduced to us within a dream. he dreams about abstract things from a raven and we can tell that he's going to be something special. But Gerold is as confused as the reader is, he doesn't have a clue what is happening in his dream and neither do we. Gerold doesn't think much about his dream, he continues to serve as usual however once again there is a shock to the system and Lord Vance interrupts his meeting, by having a complete meltdown. It doesn't seem like Gerold can escape these supernatural callings, despite continuing a life of absolute normality. Lord Vacne's breakdown about The Others, leads a young prospect like Gerold to investigate and perhaps if he were older maybe he'd chalk it off as madness - but he's young and curious. His intrigue questions the world around him, while people like Maester Corey argue against it. There's meaning behind everyone that Gerold is on the cusp of, while everyone is fighting the war down south - he's fighting a war thousands of years ago.
He can't escape his fate at all, when the Maester Corey gives him medicine to cure his dreams it fails. Humanity cannot fight the supernatural, but apparently Gerold can. His dreams from the raven and the Green Women all tell him to come and seek them out to find out the truth. In Gerold's life it seems like everything is pushing him away from humanity, when Samalah is captured she tells Gerold the wildlings are running from dead things, which he laughs at, but it's another reminder to Gerold that the absurdity is becoming more and more common.