Winterfell, which had served as the stronghold and ancestral home of House Stark for many centuries, is described to be a massive, but ancient and austere castle. Many acres lie within its two concentric granite walls. Its keeps and towers stretch toward the gray skies of the North above. That was when a black raven was flying into view, in which was heading towards the stronghold with a small parchment scroll dangling from its leg. The Black Raven glides over the walls of Winterfell, banks over the main courtyard, and comes to rest on the windowsill of Maester Luwin's chamber.
Maester Luwin was described to be tireless with grey eyes and grey hair. He wears a robe of grey wool with voluminous sleeves. In the sleeves are sewn pockets, from which Luwin is always drawing things. His maester's collar is a simple choker, and he often tugs at the chain around his neck when he is uncomfortable. Presumably the replacement at Winterfell for Maester Walys, Luwin was the one responsible in delivering all the children to Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Tully. Luwin educated the Stark children, as well as Eddard's bastard, Jon Snow, and Eddard's ward, Theon Greyjoy. For instance, he taught about maesters and stars to Jon, the history of the Night's Watch to Bran Stark and Robb's firstborn son Edward Stark, and the historical Kings of Winterfell to Theon.
Just as the raven jumps from its windowsill perch and lands onto the arm of Maeter Luwin, the Maester removes the scroll from the raven's leg and opens it. As he finished reading it, his face darkens. Feeding the raven, he then leaves his chambers and travels down to deliver the scroll to Catelyn. Catelyn was deeply shocked of when she read the scroll and then travels to a forest floor within Winterfell. Making her way among the dark tree trunks, with all its their twisted branches weaving a dense canopy over her head, Catelyn holds the small parchment from the above scene. She reaches a small grove at the center of the wood, where an ancient weir wood tree broods over a small, black pool.
Looking like no tree on Earth, the weir wood's bark is bone white, its leaves dark red. Long, long ago, a melancholy face was carved into its trunk. Its deep-cut eyes were red with dried sap. They seem to follow her as she rounds the tree. Seated on a moss-covered stone on the side of the tree, Ned Stark was resting his sword across his knees as he cleans it with a cloth dipped in the black waters at his feet.
"I knw I'd find you here," Catelyn responded.
Ned lifts his head to look at her. He sees her shivering and hand her his cloak, which she wraps around herself before sitting on the forest floor. He registers her somber face, and the scroll in her hand. Knowing something was up, he stops cleaning his sword.
"Tell me," Ned insisted.
"Forgive me, my lord... there was a raven from King's Landing," Catelyn began to explain. "Jon Arryn is dead."
Ned looks at the wet sword, lying flat across his lap, and asked. "How?"
"A fever took him," Catelyn answered. "He was healthy at the full moon and gone by the half."
"Your sister, the boy...?" Ned asked that as well.
"The letter said they're well," Catelyn informed.
Ned looks more angry than grief-stricken as he dries his sword with a swatch of oiled leather.
"I know he loved you very much," Catelyn said.
"I haven't seen him in how long, nine years?" Ned sighed in a bit of despair.
"You couldn't have known," Catelyn said, giving him some comfort toher husband.
"Of course I could have known," Ned sniffed through the air, sheathing the blade when his wife reaches for his hand. "He was an old man and a very good friend to our families. The girls won't remember him. Bran never met him."
"You'll tell them the stories," Catelyn suggested.
"He would have been proud of Bran," Ned added in thought. "The boy was brave, but he never see the execution happen."
"What happened?" Catelyn asked, feeling a sign of trouble by the thought.
"Seems that someone from the outside reported to the Cerwyns and Lord Medger Cerwyn rode just in time to prevent his nephew's execution for desertion," Ned explained what had happened early today. "Not every lord in the Seven Kingdoms is bound to follow these laws. If I executed the young man, then House Cerwyn would not forgive us."
"Medger is a good man, but the one thing he doesn't like to see or hear about, that no member of his family should ever die," Catelyn said.
"And what I did today was treason, I broke another law, this time letting a deserter go," Ned sighed and explained his story. "The last time I committed treason years ago... was a rebellion. I couldn't live my life in the sake of someone committing such madness, but Robert knew it from the start, so I had to go along with it to avenge my father and brother. What will my children think of me now? What will the rest of the Northern Lords say about it?"
"This was not your fault," Catelyn said. "Many Northerners saw you as a war hero for saving the lives of those who would perish if the Mad King had succeeded. I remember the story of how one of his kingsguard betrayed and assassinsted him in order to prevent wildfire from spreading across the city. Lives would've been lost. Your life would've been lost. And now today, you were stuck between two choices: fulfill the law or there would be war. You didn't want lives to be taken away. I know in your heart that you are a good man and that you would never want a war to happen again."
"House Cerwyn could never go to war against us, but Lord Medger was making a demand," Ned told her what he remembered early today. "No northern lord would make such a demand for the sake of a deserter, even their own children. I would never let a deserter escape justice like that."
"But you let him go," Catelyn said.
"And that I did," Ned sighed. But if I did kill him, then the Cerwyns would never forgive and they would rise up against me. I've seen war, Catelyn. Up close. Many Northerners died during the rebellion to overthrow the Mad King from power. Rebellion is a serious crime and an act of treason and oathbreaking. Our job was to enter the throne room and arrest the king for committing treason against the Seven Kingdoms. He would've been sent to Castle Black where his crimes could be forgiven."
"Then tell me, what will you do?" Catelyn asked. "I know deep down you'll be forgiven once you make up for you previous mistake."
"Have Maester Luwin send a raven to Castle Cerwyn," Ned planned. "Lord Medger is to send his nephew to join my banner. He is to serve at my will and will not be allowed to abandon his post or anything. As long as he keeps his oath, he will be forgiven, but should he break his new oath, then he will be sentenced to death."
"Our Lords will forgive," Catelyn said and changes the subject. "The raven brought more news. The king rides for Winterfell along with the queen and her brothers."
Upon hearing that, Ned considered this prospect for a moment. Clearly his wife already has. They both know what it means.
"He hates the cold," Ned recalled of Robert's attitude towards the temperature. "Always has. If he this far north, it's one thing he's after."
"You can always say no," Catelyn insisted.
Ned allows a grim smile, taking his wife's hand and helping her to her feet. "You don't know the king very well."
