Chapter 44

Robb Stark was sitting in his father's solar and learning how to rule the North from him when they heard a knock on the door.

"My lord." Maester Lewin's voice came from outside the door.

"Come in." His father called out and the old Maester entered the room and gave him a small nod before he walked up to his father and handed him a missive.

"Letter from the Wall?" his father asked and Maester Lewin nodded.

"Yes my lord. A rider named Yoren just arrived from the Wall with this letter." Maester Lewin said.

"Rider?" his father asked "Why would they send a rider and not just a raven?"

"I'm afraid we'll only find out the reason once we read their letter." Maester Lewin said and his father gave a nod before he opened the letter and started reading it.

And the more his father read, the more incredulous his expression became until he too became curious about the letter.

Why would a letter from the Nights Watch elicit such a response from his father?

He remember hearing the rumor that his friend Domeric led a thousand men across the wall on an expedition.

No one knew why Domeric would do such a thing and most people had guessed that the boy lord would die North of the Wall but Robb doubted that such a thing would happen.

He had seen Domeric when he arrived in Winterfell while riding on top of his large black Direwolf and had spent a good amount of time with him when he stayed in Winterfell before he went to participate in the Greyjoy war. And he knew that the boy didn't seem the type of person that would make foolish decisions and die such a wasteful death.

No, there must be a good reason behind Domeric's expedition to the North of the Wall. And if his guess was correct, then this letter was probably contained some news about his friend. Otherwise why else would the Nights Watch send a rider to deliver it instead of a simple raven.

After his father finished reading it, he looked at the letter incredulously for a moment before he controlled his expression once again and looked at Maester Lewin.

"Perhaps I need to meet this Nights Watch brother after all." His father said and Maester Lewin gave a nod before going out to call Yoren.

"What does the letter says father?" he asked curiously once the Maester had left the room and his father looked at him with apprehension and he thought that his father won't tell him for a moment when his father let out a sigh and said.

"Lord Domeric Bolton had come back from his expedition from the North of the Wall." His father said and stayed silent after that, as if wondering how to say the next few words.

He grew impatient and asked "And…"

"And it seems that Lord Domeric Bolton had brought back some giants and wargs with him."

It took a few moments for him to properly register what his father had said and then his jaw dropped.