WiSh - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: A Letter from the Wall

In the early hours of the morning, Captain of the Guard Jory Cassel knocked on the door: "Lord Eddard, Maester Luwin requests an audience."

Eddard Stark's voice replied: "Please let the maester in." Both he and Catelyn had instructed Maester Luwin to inform them whenever a raven returned from the Wall.

Maester Luwin entered, the metal links around his neck jingling.

Catelyn, in her large, soft bed, only showed her head. From her exposed smooth neck and disheveled red hair, it was clear she was not wearing any clothes.

"A letter from the Wall?" Eddard asked. He sat up from the bed, revealing a strong, muscular body marked by several faint sword scars.

"Yes, my lord."

Maester Luwin handed over a small, cylindrical piece of paper with its seal intact. Eddard broke the seal and unfolded the letter.

"What does it say, Eddard?" Catelyn sat up, using a shadowcat fur blanket to cover her chest.

"As we expected," Eddard said, passing the letter to Maester Luwin.

Catelyn asked: "There are no White Walkers beyond the Wall?"

"Yes, Lord Commander Mormont says his men have found no White Walkers beyond the Wall."

"Is Will a deserter?" Catelyn asked again.

She knew her husband's character; he was a man of integrity and courage, almost to the point of being rigid. In his eyes, many things were either black or white. But black, white, and gray were the three colors that symbolized truth.

"Yes, the White Walkers might just be an excuse for his desertion."

"Are you going to kill him?" According to the law, Eddard had the right to execute Will.

Maester Luwin said: "Maester Aemon in the letter hopes that Lord Eddard will send Will back. Lord Commander Mormont also does not wish for Lord Eddard to behead him. Will and Gared are top experts among the rangers. Lord Commander Mormont specifically sent Will, Gared, and Ser Waymar Royce to patrol the haunted forest to protect the newly sworn Ser Waymar Royce. Will is the best scout in the legion, while Gared is the most experienced ranger. Gared has been stationed at the Wall for forty years, and he knows the haunted forest, the Fist of the First Men, and the Frostfangs better than the lines on his own palm."

Eddard said: "Lord Commander Mormont is planning to send out a second group of rangers to patrol the haunted forest. He hopes to learn from Will what actually happened."

"Will's loyalty is beyond doubt; this is Maester Aemon's evaluation of Will in the letter. He believes that Will must have encountered some terrible incident. If Gared and Royce are dead, they need Will to return and lead the rangers to retrieve their bodies." Maester Luwin said.

Catelyn said: "What does Maester Aemon think about Will being the chosen one?"

"Maester Aemon believes that when a person encounters certain changes, the probability of awakening other talents increases dramatically. Having worked with the greenseer Bloodraven, Brynden Rivers, Maester Aemon does not rule out the possibility of Will being the chosen one." Maester Luwin said, glancing at the letter in his hand again.

Eddard said: "Back then, Maester Aemon, to avoid a royal tragedy, chose not to compete with his royal brothers for the throne and voluntarily donned the black. Hand of the King Brynden Rivers was sentenced to death by King Aegon V for luring and killing Innes Blackfyre, who was claiming his inheritance rights. However, considering Brynden Rivers' aim was to extinguish the Blackfyre rebellion once and for all, the king allowed Brynden Rivers to also wear the black and lead two hundred Raven's Teeth as 'honor guards' to accompany Aemon north to the Wall by sea. Maester Aemon is knowledgeable and highly respected; I hold him in great esteem."

Maester Luwin said: "All generations of the Night's Watch have great respect for Maester Aemon, and Lord Commander Mormont listens to him attentively."

Catelyn breathed a sigh of relief. A woman's intuition for supernatural matters was often more accurate than men. She believed that Will was a hundred percent chosen one, a highly malleable warg.

She didn't want her husband to kill Will out of a rigid adherence to the law. Her husband was straightforward but lacked flexibility.

"Eddard, since Lord Commander Mormont and Maester Aemon both ask you to send Will back to clarify the truth, then he is no longer a fugitive."

"There is certainly suspicion of desertion, but the death penalty has been waived, and the lesser punishment cannot be avoided. However, I don't need to do it myself. Yesterday at breakfast, Jory and Elyen asked Will to predict their fate for the next day. I knew they wanted to give Will a hard time. I didn't speak up to hint at anything; a bit of physical pain is nothing to a man like Will."

"Eddard, that's not your style of being open and aboveboard," Catelyn said.

"Will cheated to win against Ser Rodrik. If I don't let these young men vent their frustration, they won't be able to sleep." Eddard said.

"Are the men of the North afraid to challenge Will openly?" Catelyn's words were tinged with sarcasm.

"Of course, they can, but Will's victory over Rodrik was not achieved through fair means." Eddard said, "He also used trickery to win against Robb. Robb's lance requires a galloping horse to unleash its true power, but Will fought Robb on foot. Rest assured; they won't take Will's life."

Maester Luwin chuckled: "My lady, you are very protective of this brother of the Night's Watch. Jory and Elyen will know their limits."

Catelyn raised her voice slightly: "Maester Luwin, Will accurately foresaw the children finding the direwolves under the heart tree in the godswood, precisely describing how the direwolf died by antlers. When he told Lord Eddard the prophecy about the stag's pity for the three wolves heading south, we received a raven from the king, informing us that the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, had passed away."

"With the king's court lacking a Hand, and the king himself busy with state affairs, he should have stayed to handle the government. But instead, he's traveled thousands of miles to invite Eddard to King's Landing to help him manage the realm. With so many prophecies coming true, I have no reason not to believe Will. Maester Luwin, yesterday Bran was still climbing up and down the broken tower. I'm very worried about this. Eddard, while praying under the heart tree, think more about the chosen one's prophecy."

Maester Luwin said: "My lady, it's difficult for me to keep an eye on Bran; his agility is beyond me. Perhaps Elyen could follow him for a while."

"Maester Luwin, you may leave now. After breakfast, I will talk to Bran." Eddard said.

"Yes, my lord." Maester Luwin bowed to Catelyn and Eddard before exiting Catelyn's bedroom.

The sound of soldiers drilling outside could be heard; the day had already dawned.

Eddard walked to the window, looking at the gray dawn sky of the North, his thoughts drifting beyond the walls: "After a long summer, the harsh winter will come. Catelyn, Robert will be here the day after tomorrow, accompanied by the queen, courtiers, the Kingsguard, and the Lannister brothers with their retinue."

Catelyn saw Eddard's deep frown from the side.

Catelyn removed the shadowcat fur blanket that had been covering her chest and stood up: "Ned, if King Robert asks, will you go to King's Landing?"