Another chapter down. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 14 – Hindsight is 20/20
"It's time to go."
And with those words, Tyrion, Jon and Ned found themselves back in their bodies in Winterfell's Godswoods.
Lady Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, sat in her personal chambers in a state of disbelief, confusion and anger. She didn't understand why Petyr would say such things about her. And Lysa, why would she divulge personal secrets to the world at large, she just didn't understand. She hadn't understood anything since Tyrion's raven arrived.
Actually no, if she was honest with herself, she hadn't understood anything since she received Petyr's letter almost two weeks ago.
Petyr's letter had arrived a few days before Tyrion's raven from Moat Cailin and ever since then, she'd been in a right foul mood that she had taken out on Jon as usual but her mood only got worse when the raven from Tyrion arrived. Thinking about the last letter she got from Petyr, Cat decided to re-read it.
My Dearest Cat,
I just wanted to warn you that Tyrion Lannister is on his way North to Winterfell. He apparently wants to visit the Wall, but I suspect that as a cover story for the real reason he's going north as it's well known that Lannister and Starks hate each other.
While I can't confirm this personally, I have heard a number of rumours that Tywin Lannister is plotting to destroy the Starks once and for all and he's sending Tyrion on a scouting and spying mission to check out Winterfell's defences.
He will most likely try to sell you a story about how his family hates him and how his sister wants him dead. Do yourself a favour Cat and don't believe a word he's saying because his reputation as a lying, scheming, drunken, whoremonger is very true and I also suspect that his so called relationship with his family is also a ruse to fool the world as I have it on good authority that they are all on good terms in private.
Keep a close eye on him Cat. It's very possible that he could seek out your husband bastard to help him in this scheme because if Robb dies, he could inherit instead of young Brandon.
Be well Cat, be wary.
Your loving friend
Petyr.
Her first reaction was once again anger but this time she fought it back and thought about what Petyr had written.
Was he right? Cat wasn't sure. Ever since Tyrion had arrived in Winterfell, he and his men had done nothing suspicious or anything to warrant concern. Cat didn't like it that Robb was attending the lessons the sell-sword was giving in dirty fighting, but had concede that if it helped to keep her eldest son alive, then she'd quite happily allow it.
Tyrion had been nothing but polite, which was more than she could say, although her face burned in shame and anger as she recalled how he had manipulated her into hosting a name day celebration for her husband's bastard and even then, he'd done it within the bounds of polite courtesy. She actually had to admire the way he'd done it as he was right, Jon should have a name day celebration. She'd organized them in the past for him but for some reason, refused to do so now.
And once more, she was confused.
Jon was a sore spot with her as he was physical proof that her husband had slept with another woman. Proof, that Ned had broken his vows and been unfaithful to her. Cat thought back to that time. Had she been angry with Ned? Yes, a thousand times yes. Did she blame Jon?
No. Not at first.
Cat had actually taken well to him. Jon was such a quite babe. Where Robb was loud and demanding, Jon had been quiet. Only crying when it was needed it seemed. Such a small innocent babe had no say in who his parents were and she'd been determined to put the blame where it truly belonged, on her husband.
But then Petyr's letters had started to arrive.
Cat had kept them all as Petyr was a dear friend who was only looking out for her, or so he said, but after what Ned had told her this morning, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something more sinister going on.
After all, all of Petyr's letters had been focused on the shame she had to endure raising her husband's bastard one way or another. So, she read them again, this time with an eye for a possible ulterior motive.
And read them again, and again and by the third time, she was certain of it.
Petyr had been subtle, very subtle and very patient. It had taken Cat some time to see it but by the end she knew that he had over the years, deliberately cultivated hatred towards Jon and kept it fed with lies and innuendo's to keep her seeing Jon as a threat to her children for Petyr knew that she would defend her children at all costs. His letters were also peppered with negative references to House Lannister. Lots of references.
Petyr was trying to start a war between House Stark and House Lannister…And was using her to light the fuse.
She had to tell Ned and soon or Petyr might just get away with what he was planning.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
"Well, that was different." Was Tyrion's comment as he picked his body up of the ground beneath the heart tree. His mind on the other hand was racing with the fact that their Bran from the Time Before was alive in some fashion. This was going to be interesting. He couldn't wait for Bran's two souls merge for he had a feeling he would have to wait until then to speak to him again because naturally, he had a heap of questions.
Ned's already overloaded mind just accepted what happened without a fight. His younger son's older self was currently staying in a tree and somehow that didn't faze him in the slightest.
He shook his head and got off the ground. He needed to focus on what needed to be done in the immediate future in order to set up a more favorable long term results.
Jon was surprised but happy Bran was here. He was hoping that Bran would be able to help them more once he completed his training with Bloodraven. But that was in the future, for now, they needed to focus on the present. He spoke,
"Well it's nice to know that what we've done so far has been enough to give us a fighting chance." Jon was no fool. Bran hadn't said that they had changed the future completely, but only just enough so it wasn't a certain fact. Still it was good to know that they were making some impact on events to come.
Ned took command of the situation. "Right, we need to figure out what you want to accomplish first. What did you have in mind?" He asked them.
Jon and Tyrion both went to speak at the same time and what was heard was a jumbled mess. They laughed and Tyrion waved at Jon to speak first.
"Well, first of all, I want to make sure that my younger brothers and sisters know how to defend themselves and who to go to if they run into trouble. I was thinking that maybe the Stark's and the Mormont's of Bear Island can make some sort of arrangement of sanctuary for the Stark children if they ever need it. We know they can be trusted and Bear Island is remote. Also, their warriors are some of the finest in the North and that's including the women. Especially the women." Jon said, chuckling to himself. Lady Lyanna Mormont was defiantly a force of nature.
"Also, I want Sansa and Arya trained in blades and self-defence moves. Arya's Water Dancing lessons in Kings Landing kept her alive against some very rough characters and she's already a daemon with a bow. Also I don't want Sansa helpless in Kings Landing. Maybe if she had threatened to slit Joffrey's throat when he first starting abusing her, he might off backed off and left her alone."
Sansa had told Jon that she wished she had been strong and stood up to Joffrey. He was the ultimate coward and would have backed off if she could have proved she was a bigger threat then him and that it would cost him dearly to mess with her.
Ned looked at the Jon is bemusement. "You want Sansa to learn the art of the blade? Sansa? My beautiful little Lady who loves to sew, sing, dance and loves stories of gallant knights? Who doesn't have a violent or mean bone in her body?" He asked in confusion.
Jon and Tyrion just looked at each other and burst out in gales of laughter.
Ned hadn't survived long enough to see Sansa grow into the formidable woman she did. After what she has suffered at Ramsey's hands, she badgered Jon into teaching her how to fight. She was mediocre at best with a bow and the less about her lack of skill in wielding a sword the better, but daggers and knives suited her just fine.
It had taken her very little time to get very good at it. After all she had been though, she was determined never to be victim again and so with that much determination and will-power fueling her, it wasn't much time before she was more lethal with two knives then most men are with a single sword. She terrified Jon and Tyrion.
Tormund on the other hand just absolutely adored her.
The laughter petered off and Tyrion wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. "Oh trust me Ned, with her natural balance and grace; it will come easy to her. Another thing I would like to see is Sansa getting lessons in politics and court intrigue. The Red Keep is a viper's nest of liars and backstabbers. People all trying to tearing each down in order to rise over the political and sometimes real corpses of their enemies. She'll need to know how to navigate that if she is to survive court."
Ned gave the suggestions due consideration. They had thought this out and were trying to give his family the tools to survive in case things go very wrong. Cat would have a fit but Ned had grown up with Lyanna who would not be tied down to a Southern Lady's role. She wanted to ride and fight and hunt. She was a true Northern Lady and many a boy found out just how well she could defend herself, both in the training yard and out.
"Also, let's try to get Brianne up here as Sansa's sworn sword. I believe that Sansa will feel much more comfortable with a female guarding her then a male and Brianne could also start the girls basic self-defence training." Tyrion said and with a sly look to Jon, continued.
"There are two other people you might think of trying to come to Winterfell. They are Syrio Forel and Samwell Tarly, although if I'm honest, getting Syrio here will probably be easier." Tyrion was frowning as he remembered what he had been told about Sam's home life. He hated parents who abused their children.
Ned thought about those suggestions as well and saw they all had merit. Brianne and Syrio would train the girls but he was unsure as to what Samwell would do and from what Tyrion had said, there would be a problem trying to get him here.
"What is the problem exactly with Samwell Tarly and what would you have him do here?" Ned queried.
Jon decided he was the best one to answer that and would tell his uncle the truth. He knew Ned would do everything in his power to remove Sam from the bad situation he was in once he heard what Jon had to say.
"Well as far as what Sam would do while here, I've heard Tyrion bitching about the lack of organization in Winterfell's library in two lives now and Sam absolutely loves books. We ask him to organize and catalogue it for us. He'll be thrilled for the opportunity, trust me." Jon's happy tone darkened.
"Sam is one of the nicest and most decent people you'll ever meet and despite what he thinks, one of the bravest. Sam will outright admit to your face that he thinks that he craven and a coward because everything scares him. What he doesn't realize is that just because you're scared, it doesn't make you a coward."
"In the Time Before, Sam was the first person to kill a White Walker in over eight thousand years and he killed it with a dagger of dragon glass which means he had to get up close and within stabbing distance. He may have been scared enough to shit his breeches, but he didn't let it stop him." Jon took a deep breath. What he was about to tell his uncle still made him furious.
"After Sam made it to the Wall, he had the watch with me one night. He didn't want come sit next to the fire because he was scared of heights, he's scared of everything really, so I asked him what he was doing here, why did he joined the Watch. What he told me was this:
"On the morning of my eighteenth name day, my father came to me, "You're almost a man now" he said "but you're not worthy of my lands and title. Tomorrow, you're going take the black and forsake all claims to your inheritance and start north. If you do not" He said "then we'll have a hunt and somewhere in these woods, your horse will stumble and you'll be thrown from your saddle to die. That's what I'll tell your mother. Nothing would please me more."
"After hearing that, I felt like a right ass. Poor Sam. If only his father could know the Sam that I know. He would soon take back his words about Sam being a coward." Jon told Ned with a lot of anger.
Ned was aghast. He knew the world wasn't perfect and the some fathers didn't and would never love their sons but this, this was way too harsh.
Ned was now determined to get Sam to Winterfell, however from what he had been told, it wasn't going to be easy as Randyll Tarly was a hard man and he wouldn't like it if he thought that someone like Lord Stark was doing his son a favour. Ned made a decision.
"Very well, what you've suggested makes sense and I will send ravens and start the process of getting these people here. In Samwell's case, it will require some thought as his father may not look kindly at someone trying to help his son. Is there anything else that we need to sort out right now?"
Jon looked reluctant to speak. "I need to be at the Wall." He said in voice of pure reluctance and loathing. He didn't want to go back but he needed to be there. "I don't want to take the vow again. I already died. My watch ended. Besides, Allister Throne will be there and I don't know if I can look my murderer in the eye and not kill him."
Tyrion decided that now was a good time to inform Jon and Ned of the idea he'd had concerning Jon and the Nights Watch.
"Jon, I think I know of a way that you can be at Castle Black but not have to say the words again and it will enable you to come and go as needed without permission or you being accused as a deserter. We make you an official liaison of Lord Stark of Winterfell to the Nights Watch."
"It would be your job to report to the Lord of Winterfell on the status of the Watch in order for Lord Stark to help the Watch more efficiently. You would do things like investigate the status of the various castles along the Wall, what sort of repairs do they need to make them habitable by humans again? Are all the tunnel under the Wall filled in with ice and stone? Find out what the supply situation is like. Do they need swords? Armor? More blankets? Clothes? Food?" He explained.
Jon would live as one of them, fight as one of them but not truly be one of them. Jon was going to need to have the freedom to come and go as needed to for there would be other things he would need to attend to that had nothing to do with the Watch. Tyrion continued,
"We need to make peace with the Wildlings. There are tens of thousands of them out there north of the Wall and they are some of the fiercest fighters you will ever see. We need those who can fight to help man the Wall and only the Warden of the North can make the decision to allow them to live south of the Wall. They fight the Night King and his armies with us in exchange for safety for their people behind the Wall."
"This is what Mance Rayder was trying to do in the Time Before. They knew the Long Night was coming long before we did. This is what you were missing Jon when you tried to do this. You needed the Warden of the North to back your decision." Tyrion went on describing the plan he had devised and the reasons for it. After all, he'd had a lot of time to think on things on his ride north.
Jon thought over Tyrion's idea. It wasn't perfect. He would prefer not to be at the Wall at all but Tyrion's way was more preferable then taking the vow and being chained to Castle Black again.
Maybe he could take Sam with him. He would need someone to help him keep track of everything and Sam was very good at organizing information like that. His intelligence was actually a liability for him in a fight because he knew how much damage a human body could sustain because he read about it in a book and he just couldn't get past that because his mind wouldn't let him forget.
"It's a lot better than having to say the vows again and being able to leave when I need to is a bonus. I could also bring Sam with me as some sort of clerk to help me keep the records straight. He can also help Maester Aemon when don't need him. There is a lot of information in the Maester's library at Castle Black. Some of it is as old as the Wall itself so there should be more information on the last Long Night and the Night King and his Walkers or at least I hope so."
While still not happy, Jon agreed with Tyrion's plan. It really would help his former Brothers out and he'd get to befriend Grenn and Pyp again. He missed his friends.
Ned also agreed with the plan. With Jon at the Wall, he knew he would get honest reports and the full story whether the Watch wanted him to know or not. He had to know what was happening in a timely fashion in order to start gathering the Northern army.
Another thing he thought of was that they needed to find a ready source of dragon glass for if the legends are true and Jon assured him that they were, then it was only two ways to kill a Walker. Dragon glass and valyrian steel, which was exceptionally rare. Limited to a few House swords like Ice, which had been passed down through the family for generations.
He described the problem to Jon and Tyrion, hoping that they may have a solution.
"Well there's Dragonstone, which has fields of dragon glass, also known as obsidian, but Stannis resides there and would want an explanation as to why we needed it and we don't want anyone to know just what were up to right now. There's also Lys, but that means we have to import it though White Harbour and that means gold." Jon told Ned what he thought were the best options, but something made him look at Tyrion.
Tyrion had a wicked gleam in his eyes and a smirk that Jon knew meant trouble. Usually for him.
"I know where we can get both dragon glass and valyrian steel without having to pay for it or tell anyone." It was the sing-song tone that Tyrion said it in that made Jon's heart sink into his shoes. He knew exactly where Tyrion wanted to go and Jon was not happy. He glared at Tyrion and uttered a single word.
"No"
Whew, what a chapter. I'll be starting the next one in a day or so.