"I have to wonder if Lady wasn't meant to find Rue and because she died, she was unable to do it," Sansa says. "Direwolves are not the same as a pet dog or even another wolf. They're special. They were only bonded to members of House Stark and ours were the first that had even appeared in centuries."

It had been a strange happening, finding the litter of Stark direwolves, and it has never happened since.

"It seems it didn't stop Rue any, at least."