12 Questions Game of Thrones Needs to Answer in the Second Half of Season 7

Warning: Spoilers for Game of Thrones and wild speculation about the future of the series ahead.

There are just three episodes left in the shortened seventh season of Game of Thrones, and there have been surprisingly few deaths so far. Given the show’s nihilistic outlook on life, casualties in the remaining episodes are inevitable. But beyond the obvious questions of who will die and who will survive, we still have a number of queries about the show’s greater mysteries, including Jon Snow’s parentage, Daenerys’ war strategy and the White Walkers.

Though characters are moving at a faster pace this season — Jon Snow made it from Winterfell to Dragonstone in 30 seconds flat — the show still has plenty of plot to churn through before it gets to the battle with the undead. Here are just a few of the unanswered questions we have for the rest of the season.

What’s Arya going to do with Chekhov’s dagger?

Introduce a mysterious dagger in the first season, and it must end up in someone’s heart by the end of the show. But whose? The safest bet is Arya uses the dagger to kill Littlefinger.

Littlefinger might have conspired to kill Bran way back in season one. He admitted that the Valyrian steel dagger once belonged to him, but claimed he lost it in a bet to Tyrion. This could be a lie: Littlefinger has been known to pit great houses against each other to incite chaos.

Indeed, when Littlefinger gave Bran the dagger in episode four, Bran repeated a famous line that Littlefinger uttered to Varys in an earlier season: “Chaos is a ladder.” The conversation suggested that Bran knows something about Littlefinger’s many misdeeds.

MORE: The Significance of Bran Stark’s Cryptic Conversation With Littlefinger on Game of Thrones

Another possible clue that Littlefinger was involved in Bran’s attempted murder: When the assassin entered Bran’s room, he said to Catelyn Stark, “You’re not supposed to be here.” Why would he say that unless someone had specifically instructed him not to hurt Catelyn? Littlefinger carried a torch for Catelyn and would have told any would-be killer to steer clear of his lady love.

It’s unclear why Littlefinger would give Bran the dagger. As Sansa points out, he wouldn’t hand it over to Bran without an endgame in mind. Meanwhile, Arya is already giving Littlefinger the side eye. He could easily wind up on her list.

Other possible characters Arya could take out with the dagger: The Hound, Melisandre and Beric Dondarrion, all of whom Arya believes betrayed her in some way. A less likely option: Sansa, possibly if Littlefinger and Sansa threaten Jon Snow.

One thing is almost certain: Arya will kill a White Walker or two now that she has a Valyrian steel weapon of her own. She might even be the one to kill the Night King.

Can Cersei take down a dragon?

Some fans are theorizing that the spears Bronn shot at the dragon were poisoned. After all, Qyburn did name the big crossbow the Scorpion. (Fun fact: The Scorpion was a real weapon used by Roman armies, though they did not use poison on their spears.) If that’s the case, Drogon could be facing a long and painful death.

Boosting this fan theory is the possibility of a wight dragon. (Though fans have been referring to a dragon resurrected by the Night King as an ice dragon, that’s technically a different thing in the books.) If Drogon is poisoned but manages to fly North to aid Jon in his fight against the White Walkers before he dies, he could rise again as a wight.

However, if the spears weren’t actually poisoned, then there doesn’t seem to be an obvious way for Cersei to defeat Daenerys. Drogon will likely recover from his wound pretty quickly. He took several spears to the underbelly when he saved his mother from the fighting pits in Meereen but recovered after nibbling on a few goats and taking a nap.

Even if Drogon dies, things are looking bad for Cersei: Daenerys has three dragons. How many Scorpions does Cersei have and how good is her aim?

When will Jon Snow head back North?

We know from the season seven trailers that Jon will eventually return to the North this season and fight some wights. Both Bran and the Hound have seen an army of the dead marching past the wall, though it’s unclear whether their visions were from the past, present or future.

MORE: We Broke Down Every Second of the Game of Thrones Season 7 Trailer

We’re now halfway through season seven, and the King in the North hasn’t even started mining dragonglass yet. Get moving, Jon!

Will Jon and Daenerys get together before Jon leaves?

The tension between Jon and Daenerys continued to build in episode four when the two went on a very romantic spelunking date. But, as Jon told Davos, he doesn’t have time to think about girls right now. There’s too much to do what with fighting the Night King and saving the world.

Still, it seems inevitable that these two will either marry — that would be a nice way to get around the whole Jon needing to kneel issue — or at least relieve the tension between them before Jon returns to the North.

MORE: 10 Reasons Jon Snow and Daenerys Might End Up Together on Game of Thrones Even Though It’s Kind of Weird

The only hiccup could be Jon’s real identity. In the preview for episode five, Jon says that Bran saw the White Walkers walking past the wall. If Bran sent Jon a raven, did he include the little tidbit in it about Jon and Daenerys being nephew and aunt? That could put a damper on the romance.

When will Gendry show up?

It’s the worst kept secret on the internet that Gendry is coming back to Game of Thrones this season. Even the actor himself has admitted it. But four episodes in, and we still haven’t heard about Robert Baratheon’s bastard who was last seen rowing away from Dragonstone.

Considering Gendry trained as a blacksmith under one of the few men who knows how to work Valyrian steel, it seems very likely he’ll be the one to help Jon turn the mined dragonglass from Dragonstone into weapons.

MORE: This Game of Thrones Theory Makes a Long-Lost Character’s Return All the More Likely

Is it possible that he only pretended to row away and has been lurking around the castle this whole time? If so, he could reunite with his old buddy Davos and offer his help. Or did he head back to the Brothers Without Banners? (Though for some reason he isn’t traveling with Beric and Thoros.) If that’s the case, Jon could find him when he returns to the North. Gendry might even reunite with Arya there.

Either way, Gendry presents a problem for Daenerys. As Robert’s bastard, some in Westeros may believe that he has more of a claim to the throne than Dany does. Let’s hope she doesn’t go all Mad Queen on us and burn poor Gendry alive.

Will Jaime side with Team Tyrion or Team Cersei?

Jaime almost certainly survived that dive into the water at the end of “The Spoils of War” — though he may have to ditch his heavy gold hand in order to swim to shore. Once he gets there, he’ll become a hostage of Daenerys and his estranged brother Tyrion.

Remember, Jaime helped Tyrion escape from prison. But the one-handed knight also said he’d kill Tyrion if he ever saw him again in order to avenge their father, Tywin. How will the two react when they see each other?

Tyrion could let Jaime go to repay him for his help. Tyrion could also try to convince Jaime to turn against Cersei, perhaps by sharing the tidbit of information that she slept with Lancel. (A fact that the incestuous but faithful Jaime still doesn’t know.) Jaime, meanwhile, could soften to his brother or try to kill him.

Where is Euron?

Last we saw the deranged sailor, Euron was destroying part of Daenerys’ fleet and stranding the Unsullied and Grey Worm on Casterly Rock. Is he still there? Will Cersei have to call him back to King’s Landing after Jaime’s defeat in battle? Now that Daenerys has Jaime, this seems the perfect time for Euron to try to swoop in and become Cersei’s closest advisor. While that would be bad news for Jaime, it may give Grey Worm a chance to get back to Missandei.

Could both Daenerys and Cersei call in reinforcements?

Cersei has already suggested that she plans to hire The Golden Company, a group of sellswords, to fight for her. Though the Dothraki and Unsullied may be enough to take on Cersei’s newly expanded army, Daenerys could call in reinforcements of her own. Her former lover Daario Naharis could arrive with a band of soldiers if called upon, and Jorah Mormont would probably jump at the chance to lead troops for his beloved queen.

Alternately, is there any way that Daario and Jorah could infiltrate the Golden Company?

What will happen to Yara?

The Sand Snakes met an untimely end at the hands of Euron and Cersei. But what of Yara, who is still Euron’s hostage? Theon arrived at Dragonstone to ask the queen’s help in retrieving his sister. Hopefully, his plan works out better than Yara’s rescue mission to save Theon back in season four.

What role do the direwolves still have to play?

HBO, we understand that you spent your magical creatures budget on Drogon setting fire to an entire army, but that does not excuse the lack of direwolves this season.

It’s simply stupid for Jon to travel all the way to Dragonstone without his protector: Robb died because he left Grey Wind caged up outside during the Red Wedding. Plus, Jon leaving Ghost behind deprived audiences of the dragon-direwolf bonding scene this writer has been dreaming of for years.

But the direwolves may still get a few action scenes this season. Nymeria’s brief reunion with Arya suggested that the wolf and her massive pack may prove a formidable force when Arya is in need. Why else reunite girl and wolf?

Where is Howland Reed?

Meera Reed cried as she left a cold-hearted Bran in Sunday night’s episode and embarked on a journey to return to her family. This could mean her father Howland Reed will finally enter the story.

Meera’s father, you may recall, entered the Tower of Joy with Ned Stark. That means he saw what Ned saw: Ned’s sister, Lyanna, holding a baby Jon Snow. He knows that Ned is not Jon’s father, and that Jon’s real parents are probably Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen.

MORE: Why Meera Reed Probably Still Has a Major Role to Play in Game of Thrones

Though Bran as the Three-Eyed Raven can confirm that Jon is a Targaryen, the realm likely won’t believe the boy with weird visions and a monotone delivery. As the trusted head of House Reed, Howland could verify Jon’s heritage.

Who is the prince or princess who was promised?

For many seasons, fans have speculated about whether Daenerys or Jon is the Prince or Princess Who was Promised. The would-be savior is said to the second coming of Azor Ahai, someone who could deliver the world from the White Walkers. Jon or Daenerys or an offspring they have together could all possibly fulfill the prophecy. Or it could be another character entirely. Or the prophecy could be false.

At this point, we — like Jon Snow — know nothing.