Chapter 5 A chat with Maester Luwin

The Bard stayed silent as Torrhen asked the question that could get the Bard killed.

Torrhen got up on his feet carrying Winter, who was lazy and refused to get up. 

"You have until tomorrow to convince me to spare your life," Torrhen said. "If you can't then I would have to give you up to Father and the King, he would be happy to see you, no doubt."

"Keep an eye on him," Torrhen said to his pack.

As he was leaving the Bard spoke again, "You can tell if someone is lying right?"

"Yes," Torrhen said turning back to the Bard.

"The Others," Bard said. "They are real and they are attacking villages and taking the men as their thralls to kill the next village they fall upon. I am trying to unite the Free Folk to help them survive against the others. Tell me whether I am lying or not."

The pack looked to Torrhen, expressions of fear upon some of them.

"Of course," Bennard the septon said. "Its a lie. He just wants to attack the Wall and bring the Wildlings to the North to rape and pillage."

Jax looked to the Bard then sighed.

"I don't think its a lie," Jax said.

"Torrhen tell us," Bennard said. Doubt and fear seeping in his voice over the possible existence of an enemy that was only a scary story that the others used to scare off children.

"Even if it is true," Torrhen said to the Bard. "That is not reason enough to save your life. You have enough time to think on how to convince me. I suggest you to think very carefully as it can either save you or get you killed."

Jax followed Torrhen as he left.

"There are people north of the Wall Torrhen," Jax said. "More people than the people South of the Wall believe. There are children and women too with the Free Folk its not only the men that raid that live beyond the wall."

"I know," Torrhen said.

"We have to do something to help them," Jax said, desperate. "The Lords won't let them pass the Wall. They will be slaughtered by the Others if they are real. I have a mother and sister that still live there, I can't let them die as we do nothing."

Torrhen turned towards Jax and held his shoulder.

"Listen to me Jax," Torrhen said. "You know me right?"

Jax nodded.

"Do you think that I would stay still doing nothing as men, women and children get killed?" Torrhen said. "Even if they are of the Free Folk, their blood flows red as does mine. I won't let your family or the Free Folk die without a fight. I will kill anyone that try to stop me from saving them, whether they be of the Free Folk or the Lords of Westeros. This I promise you on my Father's Honor."

"Thank you Torrhen," Jax said. 

"It has been a long day," Torrhen said. "We will discuss how to get the Free Folk safe across the Wall tomorrow. Go get some sleep."

****

Torrhen was walking to his chambers when he saw the Maester Luwin leaving his tower and hurrying to his parents chambers.

Torrhen wondered what made Luwin so jumpy so he decided to go to the Rookery tower and wait for Maester Luwin there. Torrhen put the Direwolf on the floor of the Tower.

Winter whined as he was lowered and complained about the cold ground with a bark, but went back to sleep quickly after.

Maester Luwin entered the Rookery as Torrhen was feeding the Ravens meat.

The Maester ignored Torrhen as if he was not present.

"How long are you going to keep ignoring me Luwin," Torrhen said. "I am sorry for what I did at the Citadel when I was there. I didn't mean to do those things. It just happened."

"It was upon my reputation as a Maester that I endorsed you to the Citadel Torrhen," Maester Luwin said. "And what you did there, didn't only sour House Stark's relations with the Maesters. No, my reputation and standing among the Maesters, which I have gained by spending years to do, is gone. Just because you couldn't control yourself."

"I apologize for that," Torrhen said. "But the Maesters at the Citadel, they were trying to stop me from getting more Knowledge. Every time I asked them to read more advanced books, they would not let me do it. They were forcing me to say my oaths to become a Maester to the Citadel. I didn't like them guarding the Knowledge that was supposed to help us. So I did what I had to do." 

Luwin sighed and said, "I thought you would change and become better when you were at the Citadel gaining knowledge to sate that unending curiosity of yours but I must have known that it was impossible to change your nature. You will always be wild like an animal, that won't ever change I think, though I pray to the Seven everyday for you."

Torrhen smiled. "I know how much you love me and my family Luwin. But I must ask what you were doing late at night in my parent's chambers."

"It was nothing," Maester Luwin said. "A raven from one of your Father's Lords."

"Oh," Torrhen said. "It must have been very important to insist upon meeting my parents at this time, when they don't like to be disturbed. I would like to know what you discussed with them."

"It was nothing," Maester Luwin said. "It was about a trade that your Father wanted to know about as soon as possible."

Torrhen caught the lie he was saying.

"Why are you lying to me Luwin," Torrhen said. "I would really like to know what you discussed with my parents. Currently I am not in the mood to play games with you. I trust you Luwin as an individual but it is hard to trust a Maester of the Citadel."

"Winter," Torrhen said.

With one word the Direwolf was on its feet and baring his fangs at Maester Luwin.

"You know how I can easily tell whether you are lying or not, right Luwin." Torrhen said.

Luwin nodded.

"Then," Torrhen said. "Tell me everything that you discussed with my parents. Don't leave a single word out."

Luwin told everything about his father's reluctance to go south and accept the offers from the King, the letter from his aunt warning about the Lannister's and how they killed Jon Arryn, the Old Hand. And finally Father's decision to let Jon go to the Night's Watch.

"Father allowed it?" Torrhen said. "I don't believe it."

"Your Father cares about your brother, Torrhen," Maester Luwin said. "But he knows that he can't leave Jon with your mother at Winterfell or take him south to Court where he will be mocked because of his last name. Your Father made the decision that he thought best."

"I won't let Jon swear his life away to the Night's Watch," Torrhen said. "I promise you that. He's just a child like us, how can father do that to him?"

"It was Jon that suggested it in the first place," Luwin said.

"He is Stupid as a child of fifteen ought to be," Torrhen said. "You should not have let Father send Jon to the Wall."

"It is done," Luwin said. "You need to convince Jon to not join the Night's Watch. Its what Jon wants to do."

"About that letter," Torrhen said. "Are you sure that it was from my Aunt Lysa." 

"Who else would send it?" Maester Luwin said. "Lady Catelyn knew that it was from her sister from the writing on the parchment."

"Then House Stark has more to prepare for than I thought," Torrhen said. "If what the letter said was true. War would break out in the Seven Kingdoms. We will discuss about this again Maester."

Torrhen left the Rookery with more on his mind than before. With the chance of a war breaking out between the Lannisters and the Crown and the Starks.