Chapter 195 Heading south

The parchment scroll was picked up, put down, and then picked up again.

The next piece of news about Tywin Lannister's assassination was that the Seven Kingdoms wanted Varys, the chief of intelligence.

The murderer was already known.

The cold wind blew from outside the tent, and a few sparks of charcoal exploded from the steel basin, just like Cole's uneasy heart.

Maybe it's time to set off, Cole thought.

It seems that someone wants to make Westeros more chaotic. Without Tywin, the Lannister family has lost half of its teeth.

The king is young, and without the decision-maker in the court, it will soon fall into a power struggle.

The Rose family will not miss such an opportunity, and Cersei Lannister will not give up her power.

Cole roughly read all the news in the letter, but his mind actually stayed on the most eye-catching words.

After putting down the letter, Cole quickly stood up, walked out of the tent quickly, stopped the training in the camp, and then called all the officers to his tent.

The attendants arranged the chairs on both sides of the charcoal steel basin, and the officers in charge of training quickly rushed to the tent after receiving the military order.

Cole sat in the main seat in armor. When they saw the fully armed prince, they seemed to have guessed something.

"Who else hasn't arrived?" The Prince of Storm's End asked.

Langge was walking into the tent at this time, and just met Cole's question, he couldn't help showing an embarrassed look. "Sorry, I'm late."

"Take a seat." Cole ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness." Langge quickly walked to the empty seat.

"It looks like everyone is here." He looked at the full chairs, "Then let's start the meeting."

Cole cleared his throat: "The purpose of this meeting is to prepare for the return trip south. I decided to divide it into two groups. I will lead two warbands first, and the remaining four warbands will continue to garrison here, waiting for Duran Bar Amon to bring back Her Royal Highness the Princess, and then escort her back to Storm's End."

He swept his eyes over the faces of the six warband leaders and quickly decided on the candidates, "Langge, Lyle, you will follow me south, now go and get the soldiers ready."

The two officers who were called stood up from their positions. Langge was a black-haired Andal, born a serf. He followed Cole to the city in the battle to capture Storm's End, and then joined the cavalry. He followed Cole in many battles. He was not tall, but he looked strong after a year of fighting and training.

Langge led a cavalry warband. This time, Cole brought two cavalry regiments north, about 400 people.

Lyle was a very capable new officer. He was born as a merchant. His father was a prestigious merchant in the town of Storm's End. He offered his loyalty and wealth to Cole and sent his son to serve as a soldier under Cole.

This kid was not a second-generation rich man with no ability. His father hired several teachers for him to cultivate Lyle's abilities in all aspects, including martial arts, management, business, etc.

"By the way, let the Starfish and the White Bird prepare for the voyage." Cole continued to instruct the two.

Cole assigned an officer to manage the affairs of the barracks after he left.

After issuing the task, Cole began to write a letter. He had to urge Duran to reach an alliance with the Stark family as soon as possible. If he was blocked, he would ask him to take Shireen back to Eastwatch as soon as possible.

He also wrote a letter to the Wall.

After everything was arranged, Cole thought carefully about whether he had missed anything.

By the time the ship began to set sail, it was already evening the next day. The sky had turned yellow. Westeros was called the Land of Sunset by the Orientals. The sun was slowly sinking from the west, casting afterglow on the sea, sparkling.

Cole stood on the deck, holding the railing, the sea breeze blowing his shawl and silver hair, looking at the long and distant Wall.

When the capital of the North gradually showed its traces in the manor and fields, it was the place Jon's soul was haunting. He grew up there with his brothers and sisters.

Robb, Arya, Sansa, Bran, Rickon. The faces of these familiar people came into his mind. Jon had hoped to ride his horse south and come back here.

They were walking through an abandoned manor in the hills. Two years ago, his father had executed a night watchman here. He was a ranger. At that time, Jon didn't understand what a ranger meant. He only knew that it was a deserter who escaped from the Wall, and he was full of all kinds of strange words.

But now thinking about it, maybe he was right. He told them that there were dead people outside the Wall, but everyone thought he was crazy.

The horses continued to move forward and they went into a forest.

This is it, Jon told himself, his eyes looked at Bai Ling.

It was here that they found the body of the direwolf and six little direwolves.

Jon didn't stop looking for something familiar until they reached the winter town. It was much more lively here than he remembered. People would only gather here when winter came. It seemed that the people in the North knew that winter was coming.

Robb and his men greeted them in front of the castle.

He had grown taller, Jon soon realized, and had a beard on his face. His reddish-brown hair was still conspicuous.

Jon rolled off the horse and handed the reins to his squire.

"Welcome home, my brother." Robb followed Grey Wind, a direwolf with only one eye left and a narrow scar on his face.

Jon hugged him. Behind Robb followed a group of people, including Maester Luwin, Sir Harris Moran, Sir Rodrik Cassel, and many unfamiliar faces, but Jon did not find Lady Catelyn among them.

The bastard could not help but laugh at himself. Even though he was already the commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch, he was still not favored by Lady Stark.

"I have set up a banquet in the hall. Bring the brothers of the Night's Watch in first." Robb said.

Walking from the city gate to the hall, he introduced Jon to the lords of the North. The tall man following behind him was Jon Umber, the patriarch of the Umber family, known as "Big Jon".

The Umber family of the Last Hearth actually has a territory from the Bay of Seals to the east of the Kingsroad. The wildlings always sneak through the patrols of Eastwatch to harass the territory of the Umber family.

Jon also introduced Lord Duran Bar Emmon, who came with him, to Robb.

"Winterfell also welcomes you, Lord Earl." Robb said in a calm tone.

"I'm deeply sorry for what happened to the Duke," Duran said.

The atmosphere of the banquet was not heavy, Robb arranged it in an orderly manner.

Jon sat between Maester Luwin and Robb. He was the commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch, not a bastard of Stark, and he deserved such an honor.

"I'm glad you can come, Jon," Robb told him.

Robb's every move was no different from his father's. He issued orders majestically and responded to guests calmly.

"If it can help you." Jon replied.

"I can't stay here for too long. You know that the war in the south has not yet subsided. The general must be with his soldiers." Robb said to him,

Jon thought bitterly in his heart, he was the same, and there were many troubles on the Wall.

There was also a girl next to Robb, and Jon was sure he had never seen her in Winterfell.

As if he noticed Jon was looking at her, Robb said, "I forgot to introduce myself. This is my wife Jeyne, 'Jeyne Westerling'. She is pregnant." His eyes were full of tenderness.

"Hello, Lord Jon." Jeyne greeted in a crisp voice.

She was a beautiful girl with chestnut curly hair, brown eyes, and a slightly bulging belly.

"He is my brother, you can call him Jon, Jeyne."

The girl smiled shyly.

"If it is a boy, I will call him 'Ed'." Robb said.

Jon nodded. "Father's matter?"

"I have ordered the best stonemason in Winterfell to carve a statue according to his appearance."

Both brothers looked sad.

When the dishes were cleared, the guests dispersed.

"Go see your father." Jon said to Robb.

They picked up the torch and walked towards the cellar.

Darkness and coldness quickly enveloped them, just like the memories they had explored again and again, they used to play here.

Going deep into the rows of stone pillars and statues, almost to the end.

There is no statue in the tomb, but they all know who is sleeping here.

"It's my fault." Jon's voice was a little hoarse, "If it wasn't for saving me, my father wouldn't have..."

"No, don't blame you, Jon." Robb's voice was extremely low, and Jon could see the tears in the corners of Robb's eyes by the firelight.

The wind was whistling in the cellar, and in the dark corridor, it seemed that countless shadows were swaying in the weak firelight. Generations of Kings of the North were sleeping here.

Jon Stark, Rickard Stark, Brandon Stark.

In the depths of the deep cellar, there are even more ancient kings.

Robb's shadow seemed to merge with them, and Jon would never have the opportunity to join them. This is the tomb of the King of the North.

But when he turned his eyes to the tomb of Duke Rickard Stark, there might be an exception.

Jon walked to the statue of a woman. This was his aunt, Lyanna Stark. They slept together because of his father's longing for her.

But she was actually his mother.

The statue made him feel strange and confused. The price of the truth was so cruel. If he had to choose, Jon would rather be kept in the dark for his whole life than hope that his father would get into trouble.

Once upon a time, he was so eager to know who his mother was from his father. He never doubted whether Eddard Stark was his biological father.

"Father wanted to protect you." Robb told him, "Aunt Lyanna was abducted by Rhaegar. Robert Baratheon hated him so much. If he knew you were Rhaegar's child, he would not let you go. So father chose to hide it from everyone, including mother."

"Tell me about the Night's Watch, Jon." Robb asked.

"How can I start this?" Snow sighed, and he paused for a moment, "At least now I have the final say on the Wall."

"It seems that we have to cooperate, Jon." Robb smiled bitterly.

He shook his head, "If you are referring to the war in the Seven Kingdoms, then I am powerless, Robb. We have made an oath that in addition to not marrying and having children, we cannot participate in any affairs of the Seven Kingdoms."

Robb fell silent. He knew the oath of the Night's Watch. There was a deep friendship between the Stark family and the Night's Watch. They respected every guard on the Wall.

"The matter of the Wall." Robb said to him, "We have not yet avenged our blood feud with the wildlings."

"The armies of Randyll Tarly and the Frey family in the south are eyeing them covetously, and may cross the Neck and head north at any time, so the matter of the Wall can only be left to you." Robb stared at his face. "I'll let Big Jon go with you."

Jon paused for a while before speaking: "Robb, I hope what I say won't make you think I'm a madman."

He remembered what Cole had said to him. Enemies, their enemies are never living people.

The Young Wolf Lord was stunned, and only heard Jon Snow say: "I saw it with my own eyes, Robb." He said in a serious tone, "When we swore to join the Night's Watch, we passed through the city gate, left the Great Wall, and went to the Ghost Shadow. The oath was made under the weirwood trees in the forest, and the Heart Tree could not be found more than ten miles south of the Great Wall.

Bai Ling found two corpses in the woods. They were night watchmen and rangers who followed Uncle Benjen out of the Great Wall. We brought the corpses back to Castle Black. In fact, those corpses had turned into monsters who had risen from the dead. We Call them 'ghouls'. The wights came to life and attacked the command tower and the armory. Those monsters were difficult to kill with swords and only had flames, which ignited instantly. "

"I saw it with my own eyes." Jon emphasized again. "Old Bear was my commander-in-chief before me. He led us away from the Great Wall and deep beyond the wall. There, our team was attacked by ghouls and suffered heavy losses."

"I know who our enemy is, Jon. If there are dead people, they can't climb the seven hundred-foot-high wall, at least for eight thousand years." Helplessness flashed in Robb's eyes, "Compared to the dead. , the Lannister army is already close at hand. From here, go south along the King's Road, and you can reach the Neck in a few days. Although I don't think they have the courage to cross the Neck, the Riverlands is the territory of my grandfather. , I can’t turn a blind eye.”

Jon Snow looked at Robb in astonishment, "Are you still planning to go south?"

"Tywin Lannister is not having an easy time in King's Landing." Robb knew far more about things in the south than he did. "Go up, the torch is almost out."

They walked out of the tomb side by side. Jon looked back at the darkness and couldn't help but sigh, "I wonder where Bran and Arya will be."

"I have sent people to search. Arya was last seen in Seaside City."

The weather outside the cellar was no different from the cold underground. The night was cool and the cold wind was biting. A wolf howl sounded from the castle, followed by the howl of a wolf running across the ice field.

Robb looked at his brother beside him and found Snow looking directly at him. The two of them smiled at each other.

"Winter is coming, Snow."

"Winter is coming, Stark."