"If that is all, thank you for your time, Lord Stark." With those words, Taylor ended the conversation Eddard, and left his Solar. Eddard stared after her, and tried to work out what he needed to do next, but he was jolted from his musings when Maester Luwin spoke.
"Was that wise my lord, to allow her to go south?" Luwin asked, worry in his voice. "Are you sure you can trust her?"
"While I do not trust her, I do believe it was the right choice." Eddard replied, turning to look at the Maester. Lady Hebert was difficult to trust, not helped by the story she had told of where she was from, and the general strangeness around her.
When Robb and Jon had found her while out for a ride, laying on the ground with two holes in her head, missing an arm, and in a form fitting clothing that their sharpest blades could barely cut, no one had expect for her to survive, and Luwin spoke of her never waking up.
When Taylor and what she carried were examined, the mystery behind the wounded woman deepened. The tools she carried on her person were well made, a dagger better than any castle forged steel, and some kind of collapsable club, that sprang forth when a small stud on the side was pushed.
Taylor herself had a number of old scars covering her body, along with a number of burns. Yet Luwin had spoken up about how despite her wounds, she was in remarkably good health, with good teeth, and no signs of any infection or illness, despite her time spent in the dirt. As time passed, she healed, and eventually awoke. It was hoped that some of, if not all mysteries around her would be dispersed, and while some were, others were added to.
When Eddard had first heard Taylor's story, he had doubted it, due to its absurdities, and the fact that Taylor spoke the common tongue, albeit with a accent; Yet the way Taylor spoke of her home, there were too many details for it to be completely false. He set Luwin to find any information of lands that may match her homeland, yet nothing turned up.
It was when Bran, and then his siblings started hearing stories from Taylor, that Eddard began to trust her, and believe more of her story. Through all the stories she told, facts remained constant about her home, such as names, and location. At the same time though, Taylor sometimes used words that neither Eddard or Maester Luwin had ever heard before, needing them explained.
Eddards family mostly seemed to enjoy Taylors company, with both Bran and Arya spending more time than necessary with her then any of the other children. Taylor was unique it seemed in how she treated Jon as well, speaking to him as if he was anyone else, which Jon enjoyed from what Eddard saw. Catelyn was a different story; while she enjoyed having Taylor's silks and stories, she did not approve of Taylor herself, and her actions around Jon. Catelyn wouldn't say it outloud, but Eddard was aware that his lady wife was scared of Jon being influenced by Taylor, no matter what Eddard said.
Adding to her oddness, yet also her credibility, was her skill with the knife she had on her. When she first started practicing with her blade, Rodrik had come and told of her skill with it. Eddard took the time one day to watch her practice, and he could tell that she was good with the knife, and had been even better before her wounding. While there was history of women taking up arms in the seven kingdoms, and Eddard would have to be a fool to try and Maege Mormonts arms, it was still an unusual sight; one that Catelyn disapproved of, considering it a bad influence on Arya.
Catelyn did not truly trust Taylor it seemed. Much of what Taylor did, and spoke of doing, went against his wife's southern sensibilities, and she had tried more than once to convince Taylor to act more feminine. Taylor had just nodded, and then ignored what Catelyn had said. When Eddard had heard what happened, he sympathized with his wife, and then laughed to himself later.
Eddard had gone to Taylor and ask her to refrain from practicing in front of others, Taylor had refused respectfully. When asked why, she explained that her training had been the difference between life and death when she was home, and that she refused to allow it to fall to the wayside. It wasn't often someone refused Eddard, and he was almost took umbrage of Taylor denying him. It was relieved though, when she offered to only teach Arya how to use a blade if she asked Eddard first. He decided to trust her word, and spoke to Catelyn about her practice.
His trust was rewarded it seemed, when she started producing the silk that could withstand the edge of blades, and yet she charged him only a pittance of what silk such as this would truly be worth. He asked if there would be any way to speed the process, yet there seemed there was nothing she needed, while also not revealing how the silk was made in any way. Eddard could have pressed the issue, yet he deemed that whatever her method was, it was not harmful to his people or family.
In the end Eddard decided to let sleeping dogs lie, and not question her about her home, or silk, anymore. When Taylor started to ask basic questions about life in Westeros and its histories, Eddard didn't answer but he did direct her questions to Luwin and Nan, so Taylor could learn more about the land she claimed to know nothing about, its laws, and the rules of hospitality.
"She is right, we have no right to keep her here, and if we do this she may come to trust us more."
"But what about her silks'?" Luwin had gone over each point before Taylor had arrived, but he repeated himself anyway, to see if his lord's mind had changed. "We will be losing access to some of the most marvelous material I have ever seen, and the taxes alone…"
"That is enough, Maester. I have made my mind, and she goes south with me." Eddard cut him off, before Luwin could start again. "While the taxes would be nice, we agreed there is not enough demand in the area for such silk, in the south she will be able to charge what such silk is truly worth. And if need be, we still have our deal for getting the silk cheap, and I will be able to order it in King's Landing."
"I agree my lord." Luwin looked around pensively. "Forgive me for saying, my lord, but it is also useful to have another ally in the south. If the Lannisters truly murder Lord Arryn..."
"Enough." It was all Eddard had to say, and Luwin bowed his head. "On to other matters, I need you to find any information we have on north of the wall."
"Of course my lord. May I ask why?"
"Benjen has spoken to me of the latest news from beyond the wall, and it does not sound good. Some of the brother's who venture beyond the wall have been disappearing, while others are deserting. And there is rumours of at least two kings-beyond-the-wall gathering forces, and good steel weapons in the hands of raiders."
"You mean…" Luwin trailed off, tugging on the chain around his throat. "But my lord, you will be in the south, and winter is coming."
"I will do as I must, as Warden of the North. If it comes time, I will ride north with my banners, and together with the watch, break the back of these king's forces."
"My lord, what of Jon? If there are King's-Beyond-The-Wall, Castle Black will surely be attacked."
"My lady wife will not have him here, and he cannot go south with us." Eddard tried not to think of Jon, all fourteen years old, bloodied and lying in the summer snows beyond the wall. "The Night's Watch is all there is for him, and I will trust Benjen to do right by Jon."
"I see." Luwin looked troubled. When he had first brought up sending Jon to the wall would be for the best, this was the first chance Eddard had to tell him how bad it had gotten. "If that is all, I have much to do."
"You are excused." With a bow, Luwin left the solar, and Eddard turned to his ledgers and his duty, while his mind turned to King's Landing, and north of the wall.
