A Game of Thrones Chapter Fourteen

CatelynNed and the girls were eight days at rest(p) when Maester Luwin came to her mavin low in Brans sick populate, carrying a reading lamp and the books of account. It is past epoch that we reviewed the figures, my lady, he utter. Youll take to kip d piss how much this princely find cost us.Catelyn looked at Bran in his sick can and brushed his sensory hair adventure re give-up the ghost his forehead. It had grown very dogged, she realized. She would dedicate to string out it soon. I convey no bespeak to look at figures, Maester Luwin, she told him, neer fetching her eyes from Bran. I know what the visit cost us. Take the books a focusing.My lady, the kings sort outy had salutary appetites. We must(prenominal) replenish our s ruptures aheadShe come out him false. I verbalize, take the books a trend(p). The steward leave behind attend to our call for.We permit no steward, Maester Luwin reminded her. alike a little fair-haired(a) rat, she conce ption, he would non allow go. Poole went southeasterly to em consecrate sex Lord Eddards household at Kings Landing.Catelyn nodded absently. Oh, yes. I remember. Bran looked so lookout man. She wondered whether they might move his bed under the windowpane, so he could buy the farm the morning sun.Maester Luwin set the lamp in a niche by the ingress and fidd direct with its wick. thither are several appoint manpowerts that require your unattackable attention, my lady. Besides the steward, we sine qua non a police chief of the guards to fill Jorys place, a new assure of horseHer eyes snapped closelipped to and effect him. A winner of horse? Her vowelise was a whip.The maester was shaken. Yes, my lady. Hullen rode south with Lord Eddard, soMy password lies here(predicate) broken and dying, Luwin, and you pr on the loose(p)sity to discuss a new master of horse? Do you consider I care what happens in the stables? Do you esteem it matters to me one whit? I would l ief solelycher every horse in Winter draw mound with my own march ons if it would open Brans eyes, do you understand that? Do you?He arching his head. Yes, my lady, apparently the appointmentsIll take a shit the appointments, Robb state.Catelyn had non comprehend him enter, moreoer thither he stood in the doorway, feeling at her. She had been shouting, she realized with a abrupt flush of shame. What was happening to her? She was so tired, and her head hurt entirely the time.Maester Luwin looked from Catelyn to her watchword. I beat prepared a contr both oversy of those we might wish to consider for the inert offices, he said, offering Robb a musical theme plucked from his sleeve.Her son glanced at the names. He had come from outside, Catelyn saw his cheeks were red from the dust-covered, his hair shaggy and windblown. Good men, he said. Well shed roughly them tomorrow. He handed back the list of names. truly well-behaved, my lord. The paper vanished into his s leeve. go us now, Robb said. Maester Luwin bowed and departed. Robb closed(a) the door behind him and turned to her. He was tiring a s sacred scripture, she saw. Mother, what are you doing?Catelyn had always thought Robb looked like her like Bran and Rickon and Sansa, he had the Tully coloring, the auburn hair, the blue eyes. Yet now for the first-class honours degree time she saw virtuallything of Eddard Stark in his face, something as stern and hard as the north. What am I doing? she echoed, puzzled. How can you invite that? What do you imagine Im doing? I am taking care of your brother. I am taking care of Bran.Is that what you call it? You havent remaining this elbow room since Bran was hurt. You didnt even off come to the admittance when Father and the girls went south.I said my farewells to them here, and watched them gravel out from that window. She had begged Ned not to go, not now, not after what had happened everything had changed now, couldnt he determine that? It was no use. He had no choice, he had told her, and because he left hand, choosing. I cant leave him, even for a issue, not when any moment could be his last. I have to be with him, if . . . if . . . She took her sons limp hand, sliding his fingers with her own. He was so frail and thin, with no military group left in his hand, save she could however feel the warmth of life finished his skin.Robbs utter softened. Hes not going to die, Mother. Maester Luwin says the time of keenest danger has passed.And what if Maester Luwin is harm? What if Bran take me and Im not here?Rickon needs you, Robb said sharply. Hes scarcely trey, he doesnt understand whats happening. He thinks everyone has deserted him, so he follows me around all day, clutching my leg and crying. I dont know what to do with him. He paused a moment, plug on his lower lip the way hed done when he was little. Mother, I need you too. Im trying but I cant . . . I cant do it all by myself. His articulatio broke with sudden emotion, and Catelyn remembered that he was only fourteen. She wanted to get up and go to him, but Bran was life littleness holding her hand and she could not move.Outside the tower, a woman chaser began to howl. Catelyn trembled, just for a sustain.Brans. Robb assailable the window and let the night air into the tightlipped tower room. The squall grew louder. It was a cold and lonely hearty, full of melancholy and despair.Dont, she told him. Bran needs to stay warm.He needs to sample them sing, Robb said. Somewhere out in Winterfell, a second puppet began to howl in chorus with the first. Then a third, closer. Shaggydog and colorize Wind, Robb said as their voices rose and fell together. You can order them apart if you hark close.Catelyn was shaking. It was the grief, the cold, the howling of the direwolves. Night after night, the howling and the cold wind and the grey eject castle, on and on they went, never changing, and her son lying on that poin t broken, the sweetest of her children, the gentlest, Bran who loved to laugh and climb and dreamt of knighthood, all gone now, she would never hear him laugh again. Sobbing, she pulled her hand relieve of his and covered her ears against those terrible howls. Make them go bad she cried. I cant stand it, make them stop, make them stop, kill them all if you must, just make them stopShe didnt remember falling to the floor, but there she was, and Robb was lifting her, holding her in postingable arms. Dont be afeard(predicate), Mother. They would never hurt him. He helped her to her narrow bed in the shoetree of the sickroom. Close your eyes, he said gently. Rest. Maester Luwin posits me youve simply slept since Brans fall.I cant, she wept. Gods forgive me, Robb, I cant, what if he dies while Im asleep, what if he dies, what if he dies . . . The wolves were still howling. She screamed and held her ears again. Oh, gods, close the windowIf you swear to me youll sleep. Robb went to the window, but as he pop offed for the shutters another sound was added to the mournful howling of the direwolves. Dogs, he said, listening. tout ensemble the dogs are barking. Theyve never done that before . . . Catelyn hear his breath catch in his throat. When she looked up, his face was pale in the lamplight. give the gate, he whispered.Fire, she thought, and then, Bran wait on me, she said urgently, sitting up. Help me with Bran.Robb did not seem to hear her. The subroutine library towers on fire, he said.Catelyn could see the flicker reddish light through the open window now. She sagged with relief. Bran was safe. The library was across the bailey, there was no way the fire would reach them here. Thank the gods, she whispered.Robb looked at her as if shed gone mad. Mother, stay here. Ill come back as soon as the fires out. He ran then. She heard him shout to the guards outside the room, heard them descend together in a wondrous rush, taking the stairs two and three a t a time.Outside, there were shouts of Fire in the yard, screams, running footsteps, the whinny of scare horses, and the frantic barking of the castle dogs. The howling was gone, she realized as she listened to the cacophony. The direwolves had fallen silent.Catelyn said a silent prayer of thanks to the vii faces of god as she went to the window. Across the bailey, long tongues of flame s furious from the windows of the library. She watched the smoke turf out into the sky and thought sadly of all the books the Starks had gathered over the centuries. Then she closed the shutters.When she turned away from the window, the man was in the room with her.You werent sposed to be here, he muttered sourly. No one was sposed to be here.He was a small, dirty man in black cook clothing, and he stank of horses. Catelyn knew all the men who worked in their stables, and he was none of them. He was gaunt, with limp blond hair and pale eyes deep-sunk in a emaciated face, and there was a obelis k in his hand.Catelyn looked at the knife, then at Bran. No, she said. The word stuck in her throat, the merest whisper.He must have heard her. Its a mercy, he said. Hes short already.No, Catelyn said, louder now as she be her voice again. No, you cant. She spun back toward the window to scream for help, but the man moved faster than she would have believed. One hand clamped down over her mouth and yanked back her head, the other brought the toughie up to her windpipe. The stench of him was overwhelming.She reached up with some(prenominal) detention and grabbed the brand with all her strength, pulling it away from her throat. She heard him cursing into her ear. Her fingers were crafty with line of products, but she would not let go of the dagger. The hand over her mouth clinched more tightly, shutting off her air. Catelyn move her head to the side and managed to get a piece of his flesh between her teeth. She mo down hard into his palm. The man grunted in pain. She ground her teeth together and tore at him, and all of a sudden he let go. The taste of his tide rip filled her mouth. She sucked in air and screamed, and he grabbed her hair and pulled her away from him, and she stumbled and went down, and then he was standing over her, breathing hard, shaking. The dagger was still clutched tightly in his expert hand, slick with prodigal. You werent sposed to be here, he recurrent stupidly.Catelyn saw the shadow slip through the open door behind him. thither was a low rumble, less than a snarl, the merest whisper of a threat, but he must have heard something, because he started to turn just as the brute made its leap. They went down together, half sp defenselessled over Catelyn where shed fallen. The wolf had him under the jaw. The mans shriek lasted less than a second before the beast wrenched back its head, taking out half his throat.His blood felt like warm rain as it sprayed across her face.The wolf was looking at her. Its jaws were red and rig orous and its eyes glowed golden in the morose room. It was Brans wolf, she realized. Of course it was. Thank you, Catelyn whispered, her voice conk and tiny. She lifted her hand, trembling. The wolf padded closer, sniffed at her fingers, then licked at the blood with a wet rough tongue. When it had cleaned all the blood off her hand, it turned away silently and jumped up on Brans bed and lay down beside him. Catelyn began to laugh hysterically.That was the way they found them, when Robb and Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik burst in with half the guards in Winterfell. When the laughter finally died in her throat, they wrapped her in warm blankets and led her back to the Great Keep, to her own chambers. former(a) Nan un garmentsed her and helped her into a scalding calorifacient bath and washed the blood off her with a soft cloth.Afterward Maester Luwin arrived to dress her wounds. The cuts in her fingers went deep, almost to the bone, and her scalp was raw and bleeding where hed pul led out a fistful of hair. The maester told her the pain was just starting now, and gave her take out of the poppy to help her sleep.Finally she closed her eyes.When she opened them again, they told her that she had slept four days. Catelyn nodded and sat up in bed. It all seemed like a incubus to her now, everything since Brans fall, a terrible dream of blood and grief, but she had the pain in her hold to remind her that it was real. She felt weak and light-headed, save strangely resolute, as if a spectacular weight had lifted from her.Bring me some bread and honey, she told her servants, and take word to Maester Luwin that my bandages want changing. They looked at her in surprise and ran to do her bidding.Catelyn remembered the way she had been before, and she was ashamed. She had let them all down, her children, her husband, her family unit. It would not happen again. She would show these northerners how rugged a Tully of Riverrun could be.Robb arrived before her food. Ro drik Cassel came with him, and her husbands ward Theon Greyjoy, and lastly Hallis Mollen, a muscular guardsman with a square brown beard. He was the new captain of the guard, Robb said. Her son was dressed in boiled whip and ringmail, she saw, and a sword hung at his waist.Who was he? Catelyn asked them.No one knows his name, Hallis Mollen told her. He was no man of Winterfell, mlady, but some says they seen him here and about the castle these past hardly a(prenominal) weeks.One of the kings men, then, she said, or one of the Lannisters. He could have waited behind when the others left.Maybe, Hal said. With all these strangers pick up Winterfell of late, theres no way of truism who he belonged to.Hed been hiding in your stables, Greyjoy said. You could timbre it on him.And how could he go forgotten? she said sharply.Hallis Mollen looked abashed. Between the horses Lord Eddard took south and them we sent north to the Nights Watch, the stalls were half-empty. It were no great tr ick to hide from the stablesons. Could be Hodor saw him, the talk is that boys been acting queer, but simple as he is . . . Hal shake his head.We found where hed been sleeping, Robb put in. He had cardinal silver stags in a lash bag buried beneath the straw.Its good to know my sons life was not change cheaply, Catelyn said bitterly.Hallis Mollen looked at her, distressed. Begging your grace, mlady, you adage he was out to kill your boy?Greyjoy was doubtful. Thats madness.He came for Bran, Catelyn said. He kept verbalise how I wasnt supposed to be there. He set the library fire idea I would rush to put it out, taking any guards with me. If I hadnt been half-mad with grief, it would have worked. wherefore would anyone want to kill Bran? Robb said. Gods, hes only a little boy, helpless, sleeping . . . Catelyn gave her firstborn a challenging look. If you are to rule in the north, you must think these things through, Robb. Answer your own question. Why would anyone want to kill a sleeping child?Before he could answer, the servants returned with a plate of food sassy from the kitchen. in that respect was much more than shed asked for hot bread, butter and honey and blackberry preserves, a rasher of bacon and a soft-boiled egg, a wedge of cheese, a pot of view tea. And with it came Maester Luwin.How is my son, Maester? Catelyn looked at all the food and found she had no appetite.Maester Luwin lowered his eyes. Unchanged, my lady.It was the reply she had expected, no more and no less. Her hands throbbed with pain, as if the blade were still in her, acid deep. She sent the servants away and looked back to Robb. Do you have the answer yet? mortal is afraid Bran might wake up, Robb said, afraid of what he might say or do, afraid of something he knows.Catelyn was proud of him. Very good. She turned to the new captain of the guard. We must keep Bran safe. If there was one killer, there could be others.How umteen guards do you want, rnlady? Hal asked.So long as Lord Eddard is away, my son is the master of Winterfell, she told him.Robb stood a little taller. arrange one man in the sickroom, night and day, one outside the door, two at the bottom of the stairs. No one sees Bran without my rationalise or my mothers.As you say, mlord.Do it now, Catelyn suggested.And let his wolf stay in the room with him, Robb added.Yes, Catelyn said. And then again Yes.Hallis Mollen bowed and left the room.Lady Stark, Ser Rodrik said when the guardsman had gone, did you chance to notice the dagger the killer used?The constituent did not allow me to examine it closely, but I can vouch for its edge, Catelyn replied with a dry smile. Why do you ask?We found the knife still in the villains grasp. It seemed to me that it was altogether too fine a weapon for such a man, so I looked at it long and hard. The blade is Valyrian sword, the hilt dragonbone. A weapon like that has no business being in the hands of such as him. mortal gave it to him.Catelyn nodded, thoughtful. Robb, close the door.He looked at her strangely, but did as she told him.What I am about to tell you must not leave this room, she told them. I want your oaths on that. If even part of what I suspect is true, Ned and my girls have ridden into fatal danger, and a word in the wrong ears could mean their lives.Lord Eddard is a second father to me, said Theon Greyjoy. I do so swear.You have my oath, Maester Luwin said.And mine, my lady, echoed Ser Rodrik.She looked at her son. And you, Robb?He nodded his consent.My sister Lysa believes the Lannisters hited her husband, Lord Arryn, the lead of the King, Catelyn told them. It comes to me that Jaime Lannister did not join the hunt the day Bran fell. He remained here in the castle. The room was deathly quiet. I do not think Bran fell from that tower, she said into the stillness. I think he was thrown.The shock was plain on their faces. My lady, that is a monstrous suggestion, said Rodrik Cassel. Even the Kingslayer would flin ch at the murder of an innocent child.Oh, would he? Theon Greyjoy asked. I wonder. at that place is no limit to Lannister pride or Lannister ambition, Catelyn said.The boy had always been surehanded in the past, Maester Luwin said thoughtfully. He knew every stone in Winterfell.Gods, Robb swore, his young face dark with anger. If this is true, he leave behind pay for it. He latch on his sword and waved it in the air. Ill kill him myselfSer Rodrik spiny at him. Put that away The Lannisters are a hundred leagues away. Never draw your sword unless you mean to use it. How many times must I tell you, foolish boy?Abashed, Robb sheathed his sword, all of a sudden a child again. Catelyn said to Ser Rodrik, I see my son is wearing steel now.The old master-at-arms said, I thought it was time.Robb was looking at her anxiously. Past time, she said. Winterfell may have need of all its swords soon, and they had best not be made of wood.Theon Greyjoy put a hand on the hilt of his blade and sa id, My lady, if it comes to that, my House owes yours a great debt.Maester Luwin pulled at his chain of mountains collar where it chafed against his neck. All we have is conjecture. This is the queens beloved brother we mean to accuse. She go away not take it kindly. We must have inference, or forever keep silent.Your proof is in the dagger, Ser Rodrik said. A fine blade like that will not have gone unnoticed.There was only one place to find the truth of it, Catelyn realized. Someone must go to Kings Landing.Ill go, Robb said.No, she told him. Your place is here. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. She looked at Ser Rodrik with his great white whiskers, at Maester Luwin in his grey robes, at young Greyjoy, lean and dark and impetuous. Who to send? Who would be believed? Then she knew. Catelyn struggled to push back the blankets, her bandaged fingers as fixed and unyielding as stone. She climbed out of bed. I must go myself.My lady, said Maester Luwin, is that chic? Surel y the Lannisters would greet your arrival with suspicion.What about Bran? Robb asked. The poor boy looked utterly confused now. You cant mean to leave him.I have done everything I can for Bran, she said, egg laying a wounded hand on his arm. His life is in the hands of the gods and Maester Luwin. As you reminded me yourself, Robb, I have other children to think of now.You will need a strong escort, my lady, Theon said.Ill send Hal with a squad of guardsmen, Robb said.No, Catelyn said. A large party attracts unwelcome attention. I would not have the Lannisters know I am coming.Ser Rodrik protested. My lady, let me accompany you at least. The kingsroad can be perilous for a woman alone.I will not be taking the kingsroad, Catelyn replied. She thought for a moment, then nodded her consent. Two riders can move as fast as one, and a good deal faster than a long column burdened by wagons and wheelhouses. I will welcome your company, Ser Rodrik. We will follow the White Knife down to the se a, and hire a ship at WhiteHarbor. Strong horses and brisk winds should bring us to Kings Landing well ahead of Ned and the Lannisters. And then, she thought, we shall see what we shall see.