Game of Thrones: Knight’s Honor

Chapter 354 - 354: Stark’s Bad Luck

Lynd's offer left Stannis with no room to refuse. He agreed to depart for the Wall as soon as possible, and instructed the Onion Knight to escort Shireen to Summerhall.

Shireen would be accompanied by her mother, Selyse Florent, along with a few servants—including Patchface.

As for the nobles of the Stormlands and Dragonstone who were unwilling to join the Night's Watch, they would escort Stannis to the Wall, then part ways.

Melisandre, however, would follow Stannis north to help fight the White Walkers. She also declared that the Red Temple in Volantis would send its followers to aid in the war against the gods Beyond the Wall when the time came.

Once the details of Dragonstone's transfer were finalized, Lynd departed—but not for Summerhall. Instead, he turned his course north, toward the Wall.

Having named a new Lord Commander, it was only proper to inform the Night's Watch immediately, so they could prepare and avoid any confusion on his arrival.

When Lynd reached the Wall, it was early the next morning. Even before getting close, he could feel it—the power within the Wall had grown significantly stronger. The abrupt increase gave him an uneasy feeling.

Trusting his instincts, Lynd altered course. He didn't head straight for Castle Black but veered toward Icemark instead.

It wasn't his first time there, and when he landed with Neltharion inside the walls, the guards weren't exactly calm—but at least they didn't panic. Still, they gave the fearsome dragon a wide berth.

Dismounting, Lynd walked up to the Icemark commander who had rushed to meet him and asked, "Bran and Rickon Stark came here for refuge. Where are they now?"

"Rickon and the others who fled with him have been sent on to Castle Black. But..." The commander paused, glancing toward the ice cavern. "But Bran Stark is still here—he's in the ice cave with Lord Willas."

Lynd frowned at that, then headed straight into the ice cave.

Reaching the center, he found Bran exactly as he'd expected. Like Willas, he had sealed himself within a pillar of ice. His eyes were white—he was in a Skinchanger trance—and his body had merged completely with the surrounding ice, as though he were a part of it.

Before Lynd could say anything, Willas spoke first.

"Stannis is a good choice for Lord Commander. I'll work with him when the time comes."

"You know damn well I didn't come here for that," Lynd replied sharply, shooting Willas a look. Then he pointed at Bran, who was currently possessing some creature. "What is this? What are you and the Three-Eyed Crow playing at?"

"With Bran's help, the Wall's defenses will become even stronger. Not even the Horn of Winter from back then would be able to affect it," Willas explained calmly. "That was the Three-Eyed Crow's decision. Rather than send Bran to that underground chamber to replace him and delay the White Walkers for a time, it made more sense for him to stay here and join forces with me. Together, we'll hold them off more effectively."

Then, as if remembering something, Willas added, "Oh, and he had the Children of the Forest leave that place as well. They're heading south now. Make sure the Night's Watch welcomes them and gets them safely to me."

Lynd was just about to press him further when Bran suddenly grimaced in pain. Blood began seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His eyes snapped back to normal, wide with alarm.

"He's coming! He's following me!"

Lynd's special sight had already activated, and he immediately saw it—a strange magical force was making its way through a channel Bran had opened in the Wall's enchantments. The force was targeting him directly.

Without hesitation, Lynd drew the Banished Knight's greatsword from his waist and hurled it toward the source of the intrusion. The blade pierced the magical energy in a single strike, and the dragon rune etched into the steel shattered the hostile force where it landed.

A shrill, inhuman scream echoed through the cavern. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ice. A freezing whirlwind materialized from thin air, howling through the cave.

And then—just as suddenly—it was gone. All was still again.

"I warned you not to go too far, but you didn't listen. You didn't just stray into the Land of Always Winter—you entered a White Walker city." Willas looked sternly at Bran, who sat there pale and exhausted. "Do you really think just because you have the gift of a greenseer, you're untouchable? There are forces in this world that can wipe out your very soul. I hope today has taught you what it truly means to be cautious."

"Yes, teacher," Bran replied, downcast.

Lynd raised his hand, and the Banished Knight's greatsword, still embedded in the ice, flew back into his grasp with a tug of telekinetic force. Then he turned to Bran and asked, "What did you see?"

"I saw lots of White Walkers," Bran said, still shaken but tinged with awe. "They were worshipping that female White Walker, like she was some kind of goddess. And I saw ice dragons—massive ones. One of them could swallow a whole town in a single bite." He paused, his voice growing uneasy. "Then that female White Walker looked at me. The crow I was warging into died instantly. I got thrown back to the Wall, and that's when I felt it—something was chasing me. It followed me through the Wall. Then everything that just happened... happened."

When he finished, Bran looked Lynd in the eyes and said solemnly, "Lord Lynd, I won't leave the Wall. After coming here, I understood my purpose. This is where I'm meant to be. I have a destiny to fulfill."

Lynd shook his head slightly. "I just needed to know whether it's your choice. If it is, then I won't stand in your way."

Bran nodded quickly. "It is. No one forced me—I chose this."

Lynd gave a small nod and turned to go.

"Wait, Lord Lynd." Bran suddenly called out again. "If you see my mother... could you tell her I'm doing well? That she doesn't need to worry about me."

Lynd was silent for a moment, then asked, "Do you know what condition Lady Catelyn is in now?"

"I do," Bran said quietly, nodding.

Lynd's tone grew colder. "Did she marry Roose Bolton of her own free will?"

Bran remained silent.

Lynd didn't press further. Without another word, he stepped out of the ice cave.

...

After leaving Icemark, Lynd headed to Castle Black. When Neltharion landed in the training yard, Samwell was already waiting with a group gathered along the edge of the grounds. Jon Snow had officially become a ranger and now wore the black gear of his order. Standing beside Sam was a boy who looked to be Rickon—though what caught Lynd's eye was that Rickon, too, wore the black cloak of the Night's Watch.

"Prince," Sam said respectfully, bowing with the others as Lynd approached.

Lynd returned the gesture with a wave, then pointed toward the boy. "That's Rickon Stark, isn't it?"

"Yes, my lord," Sam replied with a nod.

"Then why is he wearing the black cloak?" Lynd turned sharply to Jon, his tone demanding.

Jon looked down, his face filled with guilt. He said nothing. Sam hesitated to speak, while Rickon simply lowered his head.

Lynd frowned. "He's the last living male of House Stark. Lord Tywin may have named Sansa as Lady of Winterfell, but she refused. She wanted her brother to take up the title instead. One of the reasons I came here was to bring him back to Winterfell to inherit it."

"I don't want the title!" Rickon suddenly shouted, his voice echoing in the yard. "I want to be a brother of the Night's Watch!"

With that, he turned and ran off toward the castle.

"What is going on?" Lynd asked sharply, sensing something deeper was at play. He looked between Sam and Jon.

"Your Highness," Sam said softly, stepping forward, "this isn't something we should talk about here. Please—let's go to my chambers."

Lynd gave a short nod and gestured for him to lead the way. Sam dismissed the others and took Lynd inside. Jon followed close behind, posted someone at the door, and quietly shut it behind them.

"Speak. What exactly happened?" Lynd looked at the two of them and asked.

Sam and Jon exchanged a glance. At Sam's prompting, Jon finally explained why Rickon would rather take the black than return to claim the title of Lord of Winterfell.

When Bran, Rickon, and the others fled Winterfell, they ran into a wolf pack in the Wolfswood. Even with two direwolves and Hodor to protect them, Rickon was injured—and the wound struck a man's most vital place.

Though the Reed siblings had managed to treat the injury and Rickon physically recovered, he had lost the ability to function as a man. After arriving at the Wall, he voluntarily joined the Night's Watch and became Maester Aemon's attendant.

Lynd rubbed his temples. He hadn't expected the extinction of House Stark's male line to come about in this way. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if the family had been cursed.

He asked, "Besides the two of you, who else knows about Rickon's condition?"

Sam replied, "Hodor, Meera Reed, Jojen Reed, and the wildling woman Osha."

"Where are they now?" Lynd continued.

Jon answered, "Hodor joined the Night's Watch with Rickon. He's helping in the stables at Castle Black. Meera, Jojen, and Osha went Beyond the Wall."

"They went Beyond the Wall?" Lynd's mind immediately flashed to the Three-Eyed Crow. "Did they say what they were going there for?"

"No," Sam and Jon both shook their heads.

Lynd couldn't help but wonder if the Three-Eyed Crow had taken Jojen Reed as a potential replacement for Bran. But Jojen didn't appear to have Bran's gift, so it remained uncertain whether he could fill that role. Lynd suspected the crow had other plans for the Reed siblings.

As Lynd pondered, Jon quietly asked, "My lord... is Sansa all right?"

"She's doing fine," Lynd replied with a sigh. "Now that Rickon can't inherit Winterfell, the title must fall to her. She's still lacking in some ability, and she is a girl—commanding the hardened warriors of the North won't be easy for her. But with Dacey by her side, it shouldn't be a serious issue."

Sam, who had been listening in silence, took out a folder of neatly arranged documents. "Your Highness, did you come here to check on the progress of the plan?"

Lynd shook his head. "No. You don't need to show me anything. File those away. When the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch arrives, give them to him. From that point on, everything related to defending against wildlings or White Walkers will be his responsibility."

"The new Lord Commander?" Sam and Jon looked at each other, stunned. In unison, they asked, "Who is it?"

"Stannis Baratheon," Lynd replied.

"Lord Stannis?" Sam nodded thoughtfully. "His reputation as a commander is second to none in the Seven Kingdoms. My father always held him in high esteem. Making him Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and placing him at the Wall—it's well deserved. His noble rank alone will keep the Night's Watch in line."

"But would he really agree to become a man of the Watch?" Jon asked, confused. "Isn't the war still going?"

"No. He's out of options," Sam said, shaking his head. "With the Westerlands and the Reach allied and their armies well-fed and well-armed, there's no chance of victory left. Even if the Vale threw everything behind him, it wouldn't change the outcome. Don't forget, the wildling invasion already cost the Vale dearly—they're barely better off than the Riverlands. There's no way they can keep supporting Stannis. All he has left are the remnants on Dragonstone and what's left of the Stormlands host. He can't win."

Sam turned to Lynd. "Prince, you visited Dragonstone before coming here, didn't you?"

"I did," Lynd confirmed. "Stannis has agreed to come to the Wall and join the Night's Watch. And he's not coming alone—some of the nobles from Dragonstone and the Stormlands will be joining as well."

Despite the announcement, Sam didn't look pleased—in fact, he looked even more worried.

Lynd noticed. "You're concerned their arrival will disrupt the current balance of power among the Night's Watch leadership?"

"Yes," Sam admitted. "The new nobles will definitely want real power. But right now, all the posts are already filled—castle commanders, ranger captains, even the steward officials. If they want control, someone else will have to step aside, and that's going to cause infighting."

He glanced at Lynd. "Prince, maybe you could—"

Lynd cut him off with a firm tone. "I said the Night's Watch will be Stannis's responsibility. If he can't handle something like this, then I'll intervene. And trust me—if I do, the Night's Watch will face far greater upheaval than a few leadership disputes. You don't want that. So take my advice: support Stannis. Help him succeed. Don't give me a reason to interfere."

Sam and Jon both paled. They quickly nodded in agreement.