A Game of Thrones-Chapter 70

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Jon IX
A Game of Thrones chapter
AGameOfThrones.jpg
POV Jon
Place Castle Black- Mole's Town and areas to the south of it
Page 645 US HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Jon VIII
Tyrion IX  ← Jon IX →  Catelyn XI

Jon deserts in the middle of the night, determined to join his brother Robb in the quest for vengeance. South of Mole's Town, his friends catch up and bring him back. In the morning, Lord Commander Mormont reveals he knows about the night’s events and manages to convince Jon to stay and join him on a Great Ranging beyond the Wall.

Synopsis

Late at night, Jon saddles a mare in the sables of Castle Black. As he mounts up, Sam appears in the doorway, insisting that Jon cannot do this. Jon warns Sam to get out his way, telling him he does not want to hurt him. When the fat boy refuses, Jon puts his spurs to the horse and forces Sam to leap out of his way, stumbling and falling. The mare leaps over Sam. As he heads south down the Kingsroad, Jon hopes that Sam has not hurt himself getting out of the way.

The whole castle is silent and there is no one to see him leave; all the sentries will be atop the Wall, looking north. Jon trusts that Sam loves him to give him a head start. In truth, he does not believe the timid boy can summon the courage disturb the guards to wake the Lord Commander in the night. As he rides he flexes his hand, appreciating having the bandages off.

Jon stays on the Kingsroad in the moonlight, knowing that he must get as far from Castle Black as he can before dawn, and then planning to go overland to confuse the pursuit. When he fails to bring the Lord Commander’s breakfast at dawn they will search his cell and discover Longclaw and know he has deserted. It had been hard to leave the sword, but in the end Jon had followed Jorah Mormont’s example. The thought of betraying old Jeor Mormont’s trust bothers Jon, but it cannot be helped. He still was not sure he was doing the honorable thing, thinking the the southerners had it easy since they could talk to their Septons to tell help sort out right from wrong; the Heart trees did not talk.

Once out of sight of Castle Black, Jon slows his pace to spare the horse. He hopes to trade her for a new one and cannot do that if she is injured or blown. He will also require an entire set of clothes; his black wool, leather, and steel will draw the suspicions of everyone north of the Neck. Once Maester Aemon ravens take flight, not even Winterfell will offer refuge to him.

Yet fond memories of Winterfell are not why Jon has forsaken his vows. He is his father’s son and Robb’s brother. Maester Aemon was right about the pain of choosing, but Tyrion Lannister was also right about denying a hard truth. Jon is done with denying the truth. For the rest of his life, he will be accursed and outcast but it will be worth it so long as he lives long enough to join Robb in avenging their father. Jon even envisions the moment he will reveal himself to Robb. Yet those visions stall at Robb’s reaction, wanting to see the smile, but he could not. Jon’s mind flashes to the deserter that their father beheaded, the words that his father had spoken to the deserter about speaking the words. He wonders his father’s reaction if that deserter had been his brother Benjen Stark; he thinks it must be different. The thought of being rejected and executed do not bear thinking about, so Jon begins riding harder again, as if to outrun his doubts. He does not fear death, but he did not want to die like that. He was not a true Stark but he could die like one; let them say there were four sons.

As Jon approaches the lights of Mole's Town, Ghost disappears, apparently to go hunting. Jon does not concern himself, knowing the direwolf will follow at his own pace. After passing through the town, which is mostly underground. When well beyond the village, he then stops to drink runoff from the snow and finds his finger’s ache worse than they had in days and he has a pounding headache. Since his horse is lathered, he walks the horse. Jon still has not seen his wolf and it concerns him. He decides to eat a sparse meal to give Ghost a chance to catch up. As he is finishing, Jon hears horses coming from the north. Knowing he cannot outrun them since they are too close, Jon quickly takes cover with the horse in a grove of sentinel trees off the road.

As the riders ride up, Jon quickly recognizes voices as belonging to the boys of his former training syndicate: Grenn, Pyp, Toad, Halder, and Matthar. Jon’s mare snorts, and Halder hears it as the others are argue about where Jon might be, and asks the others to be quiet. Jon realizes that Sam had not gone to the Lord Commander but he had not gone to sleep, either; Jon is concerned that the other boys would be named deserters if they are not in their beds by dawn. Just as the boys are about to pass him by, Ghost comes loping through the woods and spooks Jon’s horse, giving away his position.

Jon first tries to flee but the boys are on him before he can. He draws his sword and attempts to frighten them into backing down, but the boys are unafraid. Jon demands to know what they want and the others explain they are here to take him back where he belongs. Jon insists that he belongs with his brother Robb, but the others remind him that they are his brothers now. Jon wonders why they cannot leave him in peace. They start reciting the vow, Jon cursing them. Pyp moves his horse closer, and the others surround him. Pyp grabs the reins, and Jon is told must either come back with them or kill them. Jon knows he could easily kill them all, they are not even armored. Jon agrees to go back, cursing them all. Ghost comes back from out of the trees and Jon glares at him and Ghost’s eyes seem to have a knowing look. Pyp notes that they have to hurry because they have to be back before first light, otherwise the Lord Command will have all their heads. They make is back an hour before dawn. To Jon it it no longer seems like home, and decides he will bide his time, and next time will not use the Kingsroad.

The next morning as Jon is serving the commander his breakfast, the Lord Commander reminds Jon of his comment that the things men love destroy them and that the hard truths are the ones to hold tight. Then tells him he look wearing, and asks Jon if his moonlight ride was exhausting. When Jon expresses his surprise, Mormont explains that Maester Aemon told him that Jon would leave, and the commander had told Aemon that he would come back. He adds that he knew honor would bring Jon back. Jon points out that his friends brought him back, but Mormont replies that he did not say it was Jon’s honor. He then tells Jon that he had had a watch put over him, and that if his friends had not brought him back, he would have been taken anyway. Jon thinks his life is forfeit and declares he is not afraid to die. Mormont says he hopes Jon is not afraid to live, either, pointing out that if they beheaded every man who rode to Mole’s Town for the night only ghosts would guard the Wall. Mormont also notes that Jon is plotting to desert again. When Jon keeps silent, Mormont asks him if he thinks he can actually bring his father back to life make any difference to Robb’s war; each of Robb’s bannermen command more swords than in the Night’s Watch. Mormont goes so far as to point out that his own sister, Maege, and her daughters dressed in men’s mail rode south with Robb.

He then tells Jon that his place is here, and asks where his is. Jon thinks he has no place; he has no mother, and now no father, and says he does not know. He then tells Jon that he does. The cold winds are rising: Cotter Pyke’s men have reported mammoths and huge misshapen tracks near Eastwatch. Denys Mallister has reported that the wildlings are abandoning their villages near the Shadow Tower and Qhorin Halfhand has taken a captive who revealed that Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, is massing his people in some secret stronghold for an unknown purpose. Then the Lord Commander asks if Jon thinks his brother’s war is more important than theirs is. He also asks Jon if he thinks it matters who sits the Iron Throne when dead men come hunting in the night. Jon has to agree; he has never thought of it that way before.

Mormont goes on to say that he believes Jon and Ghost were meant to be here, because the blood of the First Men is strong in the Starks of Winterfell, and it is the First Men who built the Wall. They remember things other men have forgotten. In addition, Ghost led them to the two wights. Some men, like Ser Jaremy Rykker, might call that happenstance, but Mormont stresses that Ser Jaremy is dead and he is alive. He wants Jon and Ghost with him when they go beyond the Wall; he wants to find Benjen Stark, alive or dead.

When Jon asks what he means, Mormont declares that he will not sit meekly and wait for the snows to come. The Night’s Watch will ride in force against the wildlings, the Others, and whatever else is out there. Mormont plans to command them himself. He continues that the Lord Commander’s steward also serves as his squire, but he does not want to be looking over his shoulder. Therefore, he asks Jon, “Are you a brother of the Night’s Watch or only a bastard boy who wants to play at war?” Jon, in his mind asks for the forgiveness of the brothers and sisters; this is his place. When Jon tells the lord commander that he is his man, Mormont tells him to put on his sword.

Jon pauses to apologize mentally to all his family before declaring that he is Mormont’s man and that he will not run again. Mormont expresses his approval and orders Jon to go put on his sword again.

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References and Notes