The door opened and Ned entered. Benjen stood and smiled at his older brother, as the older man gaped at him.
"Ben!" Ned exclaimed.
Benjen bowed. "Lord Hand."
The door shut and Ned walked over and embraced him. Benjen hugged his brother back just as tightly.
When they pulled back, Ned looked at him and asked. "What are you doing here?"
Benjen laughed. "Well, first tell me how you and the girls are? Are you settling in?"
"Everything is going as well as can be, though the girls are having difficulties with their wolves. But it's nothing we can't handle." Ned said smiling. "And what about you? What brings you to King's Landing? How did you get here? Are Cat and the boys well?"
Benjen chuckled at his brother's series of questions. He led Ned over to the study table where they sat down in the chairs provided. "Cat and the boys are well. Bran woke up just before I departed. He's named his wolf Summer."
"Bran is awake?!" Ned exclaimed. "Does he remember anything?"
Benjen sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately not, he doesn't remember anything after he started climbing."
Ned nodded, then asked. "So, what brought you here?"
"Bran, actually." Benjen said. "There was an attempt on his life."
"What?!" Ned exclaimed.
"The man responsible set a fire in the old library building, you remember the one," Benjen said. "And whilst we all ran off to handle it, the man crept into Bran's room. Catelyn was the one who caught him. She got cut prying him away from Bran, Summer, Bran's direwolf was the one who finished him off."
"And Catelyn and Bran were fine?" Ned asked.
"Yes, Catelyn got there in time and Summer acted on instinct." Benjen said.
Ned nodded, looking understandably troubled. "Do you have the weapon that the man had on him?" Ned asked.
Benjen nodded, he leaned down and produced the weapon, placing it on the table before them. "It's made in the Vale." He said.
Ned looked at him and then the dagger. "Who do you think is behind this?" Ned asked.
Benjen shifted, he knew that going for his initial angle was not going to be welcome, so in as soft a voice as possible he said. "Catelyn thinks it is the Lannisters who are behind this, she mentioned that her sister sent a letter saying that the Lannisters killed her husband. I am inclined to agree."
Ned sighed. "But why? Why would they want to kill Bran?"
"Perhaps because of what he saw that day he fell." Benjen said. He'd had a lot of time to consider this question on the ride south. He was beginning to think that his initial reaction was the right one. There was no other explanation. Bran must have caught the Kingslayer and the Queen doing something they shouldn't have been doing. And when they saw him, they pushed him, and to finish him off, they sent the hired hand.
He explained his thought process to Ned, and when he was done, his brother sighed. "But what could Bran have caught them doing?"
"Perhaps something only Targaryens have only ever done before." Benjen offered. "Or perhaps they were plotting something."
"What though? What could be serious enough to warrant pushing a child out of a window." Ned asked. Benjen noted that his brother had ignored his suggestion of the Lannister twins following in the Targaryen footsteps.
"Maybe they were planning on disposing of the King?" Benjen asked. He hated referring to Robert Baratheon as the King, but he wasn't an idiot.
Ned raised an eyebrow. "Would they be that bold?"
"Well if Lady Lysa is correct," which Benjen doubted, something stank about that, "then it could be the next step in their plan."
"Remove Jon, then remove the King, have Joffrey crowned King, and exert complete dominion over the throne?" Ned asked.
"Yes. Just as Tywin Lannister wanted all those years ago." Benjen said.
"There's only one problem with their plan, I'm still here." Ned said.
"You are, but for how long?" Benjen asked. "You took the entirety of the household south, but you didn't take anymore northmen. No northern lords, no retainers nothing. You're exposed here Ned."
"I…" Ned began, as if to protest, then he sighed. "I did not think about that."
Benjen snorted. "Just give the command, Ned, and we can have enough northmen here to lessen the Lannister influence by the time harvest festival is over." He was not exaggerating. The network amongst the northmen he'd developed was for the King, the true King, but, if he could protect his brother, he would.
"I do not want to make it seem like I am starting something, Ben." Ned protested.
"Ned, you can't cough without a Lannister appearing. Let me do this." Benjen pleaded.
Ned sighed. "Give it some more time. Once I've found something useful, then you can."
Benjen wanted to protest this, he wanted to say that Ned was being a fool, but his brother had that determined set to him that he always got when he was decided, and Benjen knew that it would be pointless to argue. Therefore, he simply nodded.
"Will you stay, for a time? I know the girls would love to see you, and I would like your company." Ned asked.
Benjen hesitated, he would love nothing more than to stay, but he remembered what he had said to Catelyn. "I..." He cleared his throat. "I would love nothing more, Ned, truly, but we cannot have the Lannisters getting suspicious. After all, they will no doubt want to know why you and the girls keep coming here. And I have no desire to go to the Red Keep." Not after what had happened there.
Surprisingly, Ned didn't protest, instead, he simply said. "I understand. When will you depart?"
"Later today." Benjen answered. He had a horse ready and a long journey ahead of him.
Ned nodded. "Very well." His brother rose, prompting him to do the same. They embraced, and Ned whispered. "Keep safe, brother, and look after Cat and the boys."
"I will." Benjen replied. "You and the girls keep safe. And if you need anything, anything at all, then Val is your man." Val, was Benjen's closest spy here in the rat's nest of the capital.
Ned nodded, and then departed. Benjen watched him go, before sitting back down. He had letters to write.
