Editing A Feast for Crows-Chapter 5 (section)

==Synopsis==
[[File:Colin Boyer samwell tarly.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Samwell Tarly]] reading, by [https://www.artstation.com/colinboyer/ Colin Boyer] © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Down in the library beneath [[Castle Black]], [[Samwell Tarly|Sam]] is trying to dig up any information on the [[Others]] for his Lord Commander, [[Jon Snow]]. Returning to the surface, Sam considers how hard Jon has been working the men of [[Night's Watch|the Watch]]. He meets [[Edd Tollett|Dolorous Edd]], [[Pypar|Pyp]], and [[Grenn]], and they mention how much Jon has changed, acting different and barely spending any time with his friends; although he never misses a day practising his sword work. We learn that [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] has plans for [[Val]], [[Dalla]]'s sister, seeking to use her in order to forge an alliance between the [[wildlings]] and the [[North|northmen]]. Thus far only the [[House Karstark|Karstarks]], who have no other choice, have agreed to ally with Stannis. 

Sam arrives at Jon's solar, and Jon shows him a letter he plans to send to King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]] which declares that Stannis is aiding them in their battle, but the Night's Watch is not sworn to his cause. They discuss how [[Melisandre]] means to sacrifice [[Mance Rayder]] for his king's blood, Jon states, "Mance's blood is no more royal than mine own". He reveals to Sam that he is sending [[Gilly]] and "the boy" far away from the Wall. Sam tells Jon that he has uncovered little on the Others, but one book mentioned [[dragonsteel]] swords as being effective against them. However, neither is sure if dragonsteel and [[Valyrian steel]] are the same thing. 

Jon breaks the news that he is sending Sam to the [[Citadel]] so he can train to become a [[maester]] and replace [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]]. Sam will travel by sea from [[Eastwatch-by-the-sea|Eastwatch]], along with Gilly, the baby, and Maester Aemon. The thought of becoming a maester frightens Sam, bringing back memories of [[Randyll Tarly|his father]]'s wrath when he had mentioned training at the Citadel to him when he was a boy. His father had chained him by the neck in a cell and left him there for three days, telling him "no son of [[House Tarly]] will ever wear a chain". Lastly, Jon commands Sam to never call himself craven again. 

The next morning, as the party prepares to set off for Eastwatch where they will join up with [[Dareon]], Gilly begs Jon to find a good [[wetnurse]] for the other baby.