Snowflakes were falling; in the North, even summer snow was common.
Lord Eddard wiped his valyrian steel sword ice, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight, as snowflakes melted in his hair.
"Night's Watch deserter Gared has confessed to deserting his post. I have no choice but to uphold the King's law and sentence him to death."
Direwolf Ghost trod on the fresh snow, chasing Summer. These pups were only the size of puppies, but they grew quickly, eating many dried meats, bones, and fresh goat milk every day.
Jon couldn't bear to see Night's Watch deserter Gared executed like this.
"my lord, if what Gared says about the Others is true, executing him means we lose an important lead.
Could he not be spared?"
Lord Eddard frowned, "Even if he truly faced the Others, his desertion is an undeniable fact. This man swore an oath, yet chose to abandon his post. There is no one more dangerous in this world. He knows the consequences of desertion and that once caught, he cannot escape death. A dying man fears nothing; who knows how many wicked deeds he committed during his escape?"
Robb stroked Direwolf Grey Wind's head. "King Robert is arriving at Winterfell soon anyway. King Robert will surely hear the people's petitions and make a legal ruling then."
Jon suppressed a smile. Hearing petitions and holding legal rulings during a royal tour was something Aegon the Conqueror and King Jaehaerys the Conciliator would do. As for King Robert… King Robert only loved prostitutes, brothels, and hunting. Feasting and drinking at banquets were his favorite things. King Robert would not bother with the matter of a Night's Watch deserter.
Indeed, Lord Eddard understood Robert well. "Relying on the King for a ruling is unrealistic. This is King Robert's first visit to Winterfell; we need to welcome King Robert and his court warmly. We cannot disturb King Robert's mood with matters like a Night's Watch deserter."
Benjen sighed helplessly. "Furthermore, regarding the Night's Watch, we have more important matters to petition the King about. The Night's Watch needs men and funds."
When Aegon the Conqueror swept through the Seven Kingdoms, Harren the Black's brother served as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. At that time, the Night's Watch had tens of thousands of soldiers, with knights and retainers aplenty. The Shield Hall, where knights gathered to dine, was overflowing.
The Wall, from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to Westwatch-by-the-Sea, had all nineteen castles fully garrisoned; the Night's Watch was strong and mighty.
But now, things are not what they used to be. The Night's Watch has steadily declined. Most castles on The Wall have been abandoned and fallen into ruin, with weeds and trees occupying the halls.
Currently, the Night's Watch numbers less than a thousand Brothers of the Night's Watch. Lord Commander of the Night's Watch Old Bear Mormont leads his men at Castle Black. Ser Jase Mallister guards the Shadow Tower, controlling the western mountains and Skull Bridge. Cotter Pyke commands Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, which is also the busiest port Beyond the Wall and The Wall.
Benjen's trip to Winterfell was naturally for a mission. Lord Commander of the Night's Watch Old Bear Mormont hoped Benjen could use his brother Lord Eddard's personal friendship with King Robert to petition the King for men and funds for the Night's Watch.
It was precisely for this reason that Benjen did not want to waste too much time on Night's Watch deserter Gared.
Benjen stroked his sword belt. "Brother, I suggest that after King Robert leaves Winterfell, I escort Gared back to The Wall. He himself said that if he must be sentenced to death, he would rather die at the hands of his Brothers of the Night's Watch."
Lord Eddard nodded. "Very well, at least we can grant him that."
King Robert was arriving soon. Jory Cassel, Captain of the Winterfell Guard, recruited dozens of new soldiers from nearby villages to strengthen Winterfell's security, and the white-haired Master-at-Arms Ser Rodrik Cassel was responsible for training them.
Steward Weese Poole purchased a herd of cattle and sheep, keeping them in pens outside Winterfell. Farrow and the hunters brought back bloody wild boars, and the servants began to slaughter pigs and sheep. Chef Gage, with his kitchen staff, made lemon cakes, blueberry pies, and ham.
Catelyn was incredibly busy. She ordered the servants to prepare pastries and fruits, clean the guest rooms, clear the fireplaces and chimneys, and replace all the bedding and rush mats.
Bran was incredibly excited. He ran around the Winterfell courtyard with Direwolf Summer. He ran out of the Godswood, played in Hodor's stable for a while, and then, arriving at the Training Yard, ran breathlessly to Jon and Robb.
"Jon, we'll soon see the white knights of the Kingsguard! They are the most legendary knights; each one can fight a hundred men. When I grow up, I want to be in the Kingsguard too."
Jon suppressed a smile. "Bran, once a Kingsguard takes his oath, he cannot marry, cannot have children, and wears a white cloak his entire life. To put it plainly, there isn't much difference from the Night's Watch. Knowing this, do you still want to be in the Kingsguard?"
When Aegon the Conqueror conquered six of the Seven Kingdoms, only Dorne refused to submit. Aegon, Queen Visenya, and Queen Rhaenys often rode dragons, burning Dorne, destroying castles and villages. In retaliation, the Dornish launched a series of assassination attempts against the King.
To protect the King, Queen Visenya formed the Kingsguard and, drawing inspiration from the Night's Watch oath, formulated the Kingsguard's oath.
Bran idolized the Kingsguard. At seven years old, he clearly couldn't understand the cost of becoming a Kingsguard. He nodded vigorously. "Of course! I want to be in the Kingsguard, to be the most valiant, brave, and righteous white knights."
Grey Wind, Ghost, and Summer chased and played in the Training Yard. The Direwolfs grew rapidly; their size had already caught up to small dogs.
At first, the servants, residents, and soldiers of Winterfell were terrified of the Direwolfs, but as time passed and days went by, the people of Winterfell began to develop a strange sense of pride in the Direwolfs.
Farrow often fed the pups wild boar ribs. Chef Gage would feed them some venison stew. Old Nan always held one of the pups in her arms when telling stories to Bran and Rickon every day.
People said that the appearance of Direwolfs south of The Wall, coming to House Stark in Winterfell, was an auspicious sign, and Lord Eddard's children would grow strong like the Direwolfs.
Robb stroked Bran's soft hair. "You don't understand the duties and costs of the Kingsguard at all."
Bran lifted his head. "Of course I do. The Kingsguard have always been the greatest knights, haven't they?"
Jon frowned. "Lyonel Redwyne, Duncan the Tall, Arthur Dayne the sword of the morning—these were indeed great knights. But in reality, most of the Kingsguard aren't great; they merely possess combat skills slightly superior to ordinary men."
"As for the current Kingsguard, only Barristan Selmy the Fearless is a great knight."
Bran blinked. "What about Jaime the Kingslayer Lannister? People say he's the golden Lion of the Lannister, and he won many Tourney. Even his plate armor is made of gold."
Robb scoffed, "kingslayer? He swore to protect his King, yet he wielded his golden sword and slit Mad King Aerys's throat. How can such a man still be considered Kingsguard? The kingslayer defiled his cherished honor, worse than a Night's Watch deserter."
A raven flew across the sky and landed on The Walls of Winterfell. Bran looked up at the raven.
"I'm going to climb The Wall. Once I climb onto the castle roof, maybe I'll be the first to see the King's retinue."
Bran was an expert climber. Old Nan often said that Bran learned to climb walls before he learned to walk. Whether it was Winterfell's main keep, the sept, the armory, the library tower, or the tall trees in the Godswood, Bran had climbed them all. Neither Lady Catelyn nor Lord Eddard could control Bran.
Jon Snow immediately had a bad feeling. As a transmigrator, Jon naturally understood the consequences of Bran continuing to climb up and down.
Once the royal party arrived at Winterfell, when Jaime and Queen Cersei were passionately having an affair, Bran would accidentally stumble upon the golden twins of the Lannister's illicit relationship. Jaime the Kingslayer would throw Bran out of the tower window. Bran would face a life-or-death ordeal, wake up paralyzed, unable to be a knight, or even have children.
"Bran, you can't keep climbing The Walls. Climbing is very dangerous. You'll fall." Jon warned.
The raven landed on a branch near Jon and Bran, watching them.
Bran smiled. "Maester Luwin and Old Nan both say I'll fall, but climbing walls is as easy as walking for me."
Robb let out a hearty laugh. "Jon, don't waste your breath. My mother and our father can't control Bran; you're just wasting words. Whatever Bran wants to do, he'll eventually do. No one can stop him. This is his life and his destiny!"
If Bran was destined to become a Greenseer, then Bran's fall might have been orchestrated by the Three-Eyed Crow. Even if he hadn't encountered the kingslayer, Bran might still have had an accident.
Jon began to feel suspicious. Was this raven on the branch an eye of the Three-Eyed Crow? The Three-Eyed Crow was a weirwood king; he could enter others' dreams and control many animals, including ravens.
Jon took a deep breath. "Bran, listen to my advice: don't climb anymore. Especially not during the King's visit."
Bran tilted his head. "Why?"
Jon placed a hand on Bran's shoulder. "Because I dreamed you would fall from the castle wall. Think about it: if you fall and become crippled, you'll never be able to walk, ride a horse, or become a knight. You'll only be able to sit in a basket on Hodor's back, becoming a cripple in others' eyes. Do you want that?"