Many fans were left wondering what will happen to Brienne of Tarth after her battle with The Hound at the end of "Game of Thrones" season four.
The encounter with The Hound did not occur in the novels, as Brienne never meets up with Arya Stark. With the appearance of Lady Stoneheart up in the air, its likely what's next for Brienne is the search for Sansa at The Vale.
Her search may lead her to Trident, where she encounters a group of men who have been killing and raping in the Riverlands, according to the novels. She is attacked by the group, and later rescued by Gendry, Robert Baratheon's bastard son, and taken to the Brotherhood With No Banners.
Soon after the encounter, she meets zombie Catelyn Stark, who goes by "Lady Stoneheart." Lady Stoneheart orders Brienne and Podrick's death, accusing them of aiding the Lannisters to help kill her family.
However, actress Michelle Fairley told Entertainment Weekly her character is dead and will not be returning to the series despite the rumors.
"You respect the writers' decision," Fairley told EW. "I knew the arc, and that was it. They can't stick to the books 100 percent. It's impossible-they only have 10 hours per season. They have got to keep it dramatic and exciting, and extraneous stuff along the way gets lost in order to maintain the quality of brilliant show."
Lady Stoneheart was a big part in Brienne's storyline, and could mean that her days are numbered on the "Game of Thrones" set. However, Littlefinger actor Aiden Gillen told News.com.au the show runners are straying heavily from the novels for season five.
"It's an adventure everyone is on - the audience, the cast. Not knowing where it's going, that's good," Gillen said. "People playing end games could work ... but if you don't know what the end game is, maybe you won't play the obvious thing."
