After meeting with the small council and speaking with Cersei, Tyrion found Shae sitting with a group of Black Ears clansmen and Varys, who left with a riddle for Tyrion. It was the next day he arrived at the throne room to act as Hand and found Jon Snow brought before them.
"Lord Tyrion," Jon said as he knelt before the dwarf and placed his slender sword at his feet. "I am your liege man. I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give my life for yours, if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new."
Looking at the young knight, Tyrion felt pity at the boy's forced sworn servitude, but knew denying it would only put Jon at risk. "And I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and meat at my table, and pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you into dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new. Arise."
Jon rose and sheathed his sword, giving Tyrion a thankful nod before following him to his seat and standing behind him during court. He found he had little to do otherwise as Tyrion seemed to keep Jon at bay, treating him more like a maid than a sworn shield.
"Ser Jon, this is Bronn," he told him when the dark haired sellsword came to find him.
"You're a ser?" Bronn asked with a laugh.
"Knighted by the king himself for winning the tourney before his death, so I'm told," Tyrion said sipping at his wine.
"That is correct, my lord," Jon nodded, stood beside Tyrion as Bronn sat across from him.
"Jon would you spare us a moment?" Tyrion said sitting up, waving the knight away, to go stand outside.
He watched the boy leave and found himself chuckling as he turned back to Bronn. He had a squire his own in Podrick Payne, who he suspected had been inflicted with serving Tyrion as a joke much as Jon was made to swear himself to Tyrion as an insult. Ever the joke to his family, it seemed he became their dumping ground, given their spare whelps to curb or risk his neck. Now he had a squire, a sworn shield with his own squire, a sellsword in his service and the clans of the Vale supporting him. Once Bronn gathered worthy sellswords he could well end up with the strongest position in the Red Keep if things played out right.
Tyrion had always been one to enjoy the company of his niece and nephew as he was one of the few to pay attention to them. Both took to seeking him out more than usual after his return, yet both often turned their attention to Jon.
"Could you teach me to ride like you do?" Tommen asked him during his first visit.
"I don't think the king would allow it," Jon said solemnly.
"The King's Hand might," Tyrion offered with a smile. Jon's curious glance was expected, so he answered it, "I saw you helping him when I returned. And who better to teach him then a young knight who won his second tourney?"
"Wouldn't it be an insult to Ser Aron?" Jon asked, concerned the master-at-arms would cause some trouble.
"He'll have little say against my teaching him, and should my sworn shield share his own thoughts no one would say a word," Tyrion retorted.
Myrcella was the more interesting one, as she made her interest in Jon's company less obvious. When she came she did so to see Tyrion, speaking with Jon only briefly when the topic called upon it. Though it seemed she often found a reason to ask him of their discussions.
One day after she left, Tyrion had Jon join him at his table, pouring the boy wine. "What has come of you and my niece?" he asked, sliding the cup across the table.
"Nothing, my lord," he told Tyrion. Years ago he might have been worried or been embarrassed, but he had larger worries now. "I called her friend but I fear my father's betrayal has ended any hope of keeping her as one."
"It's for the best," Tyrion offered.
"It is," Jon said somberly.
Tyrion sighed. "It isn't as fun if you agree with me. Shouldn't you mourn the loss of your forbidden love?"
Jon chuckled. "I fear I may bore you then, my lord. I know better than to covet what I cannot have."
"And yet you seek the trust of my family."
Jon shrugged. "I will leave no doubt of my loyalty for the king or his family."
"There is always room for doubt," said Tyrion. "Don't worry though. I'll find you another girl. Best to turn your attention elsewhere."
Tyrion tried to observe the boy, to see what the truth of him was. He was friendly with the Tarly boy, seemed a good mentor for his squire, and even had a friendship with Thoros of Myr, who likely spent his days converting them as much as drinking and exchanging stories. Their unity seemed to come from their time riding together, yet it wasn't hard to tell that even Thoros looked to Jon at times. Though twice his age he looked to the boy knight he claimed was given a second chance at life by the Lord of Light.
There was little doubt of his martial prowess, but Tyrion doubted his reasons for returning. He wondered if perhaps he had some hand in Joffrey choosing to release Ned Stark rather than let him rot in a cell and be used in exchange for Jaime, but as far as any knew he never spoke with the king except for at court or in brief passing. Instead he spoke only to assure him of his allegiance, or the lack of one to the Starks.
It wasn't until Varys told him Jon had told the king of Lord Starks' intent to send Jon to the Wall and damn him to a life he would never know that Tyrion began to suspect he was right. The more he thought on what he'd been told, and what he heard from others, he realized Jon had influenced the king, though much more subtly than he ever expected the boy capable of. So subtle, he wasn't particularly sure it was intentional.
He had made the irony of Ned Stark serving at the Wall too enticing for one as cruel as Joffrey to pass up. The lashing was surely more than he'd anticipated, yet he'd done what was demanded of him. He even managed to shift the king's view of him, leading to him offering the boy legitimacy and Winterfell if he remained loyal. Tyrion's doubts grew, but he was sure Jon could have left if he wanted. His friend had cut through their guards to leave, no doubt Jon could do the same if he truly desired.
At first Tyrion had thought to keep the boy at bay for his own sake. Even if Joffrey found him interesting or amusing, Cersei and his father would be wary of him. There was no need for Tyrion to add to the boy's plight, so he thought to spare the boy Cersei's ire if they grew close.
It would be too much of a risk to simply bring the boy close as he did Bronn. He may be so desperate to prove himself he would reveal his plans. Instead, Tyrion would use his friendship with Myrcella and Tommen to draw the boy closer. No doubt Joffrey or Cersei thought Jon would reveal himself a traitor by attacking Tyrion, but the boy was too smart for that. He would know he had only one shot and wouldn't waste it on Tyrion, or the two children he seemed to enjoy.
There was more to his sworn shield than a simple bastard knight born of the north, and Tyrion intended to find out the truth of him.
Early on in their journey Gendry took to helping Lord Stark as much as he could. The man had trouble enough moving as the cast became more a problem than the pain. The day of its removal finally came when they reached an ivy-covered inn and Gendry helped Ned cut through it.
It felt like watching a ghost as he saw the tall, muscled boy pull apart his cast, freeing his leg. It still stung walking on it unaided, but with his crutches or even just a walking stick the ache faded into near nothing.
"Did you want this?" Ned asked quietly.
"No thanks," Gendry said shaking his head, "I've no need of an old rotted cast."
Ned chuckled. "I meant this life. To be a brother of the Night's Watch."
"It wasn't my choice."
"What would be your choice?"
"To stay at the forge."
Ned nodded, but his smile quickly faded when gold cloaks came riding toward them seeking Gendry. Thankfully not even the guards with Ned had cared enough to learn his name, and the others had taken to calling him Bull for his helm. The Lannister guards seemed ready to jump in and help the gold cloaks, but as more and more of the recruits heading north took up arms they soon dropped their hands from their hilts, leaving the gold cloaks on their own.
That, and Yoren holding his sword to the officer's throat when he spotted Gendry, was enough to drive the gold cloaks away. The Lannister guards looked displeased with it, but seemed ready to accept it. It was their duty to take Ned to the Wall, not help the gold cloaks.
Picking up the sword the officer abandoned, Yoren looked it over. With a glance to Ned, he tossed the sword to the lord, who caught it and dug his stick into the ground as he turned and slashed at the throat of a Lannister guard. The man gasped and choked on his own blood, stumbling back. The others started to draw their steel but Yoren dashed forward and killed one with a thrust through his neck. Ned managed to block the strike from the third, but Gendry had pulled the hammer from Cutjack's hand and slammed it into the guard's knee. When the man fell forward, Ned pulled his sword up and drove it down into the man's neck and torso.
Yanking the blade free and letting the corpse fall over, Ned stumbled before pressing his stick into the ground to keep on his feet. "Take the mail, caps and arms," he told Gendry.
The boy looked up at him as the others stared in shock. "Best hurry," said Yoren. "We'll leave the kingsroad to avoid more gold cloaks."
Eddard, Gendry and Yoren took the mail and caps from the Lannister guards, though as Yoren already had a sword he gave the guard's to one of the willing recruits while Ned gave his officer's sword to Hot Pie, who earlier had only managed to wield a big rock when confronting the gold cloaks.
Now free of his guards, Ned found Gendry one night and told him of his plan to escape with the Fellowship of Fire. "I'd like you to come with me."
"Why me?"
Ned considered telling him of his father, but decided it might be best to wait and learn the boy's character before telling him. For all he knew the boy could try to make his own claim as it seemed Renly was. Instead he said, "Because I've seen your work. You have true skill and I'd like to see you help my son."
Things might have been better if he let the boy take the black, but with how things had turned out for Jon it felt wrong to let him do so unknowingly. He also felt he owed it to Robert to make sure at least one of his sons survived and lived a decent life. He couldn't go find Edric Storm or any of the others, but he could at least care for Gendry.
Gendry seemed to accept Ned's reason and agreed to join him and avoid taking the black. While they abandoned the kingsroad Gendry continued to act as Ned's squire since he still had trouble with his leg. Ned had tried to console the crying girl whenever she cried, but she still hadn't spoken. Hearing her wails made him think of his own daughters, praying for their safety whenever he heard her crying.
It was near a month before they found a town on the southern shore of the Gods Eye which was abandoned. Or so they thought until thirty riders arrived to surround them. The riders all had weapons ready until one of them called out, "Lord Stark?"
Ned's eyes found the source and laughed upon see the stocky man dismounting and sheathing his sword. "Harwin."
A slim man bearing a brooch with his sigil of six white mullets on violet stepped forward after the Stark guard. "Lord Stark, I assume you know why we come."
"I do," Ned nodded, looking to Gendry, who was riding one of the horses they'd stolen from his former guard. "I come willingly."
"Good," Harwin smiled, looking to Yoren. "Is there any objection?"
Yoren looked to the men and shook his head. "No." He knew of their plan since Thoros had spoken to him, but needed to seem neutral. If it were any but Benjen's brother by blood he might have turned them down as he had the gold cloaks.
Ned glanced at Yoren before looking to Harwin and Lothar Mallery. "I ask you help Yoren and these men to pass north. Gold cloaks seek them along the kingsroad, to not aid them would be damning them to death."
"You need only let us cross the bridge to the south," Yoren noted, speaking of the wooden bridge Woth had found.
"You're lucky it still stands," said Harwin. "We found Amory Lorch going about burning towns to seek us out. He was set to burn the bridge when we ran his band down and took him prisoner."
"You have him?" Ned asked leaning forward.
Lothar nodded. "He is guarded by three of our men."
"You know the truth of your leader, don't you?" Ned asked them quietly.
The men shared looks before nodding. "We do, Lord Stark."
"Then you'll know he'll want him to be brought to justice. Let me take him with me as a prisoner."
Lothar glanced to Harwin before shrugging. "It could be done. And we'll help the black brothers make it north."
There was little surprise that some of Yoren's recruits tried to join the Fellowship, but they denied them all.
It was on their second day of travel that they heard the yells and found a band of the men charging toward them. The Fellowship and recruits all drew steel, ready to fend them off. Ned was never sure who they were, if they were the Mountain's men or Amory Lorch's come to check on his disappearance. They may have just been bandits or deserters for all they knew, the only thing certain was they sought to kill.
The crying girl wailed as chaos engulfed them. Men fired on them with crossbows, thrust spears at them and steel clashed. The wagon holding the caged men nearly shattered as the horses driving it ran to a field where a large rock waited. It caught the underside of the wagon, snapping the wood and causing the horses to choke until the cage fell from the wagon and the wagon bucked, letting the horses pull it over the rock.
It hit the ground and the lock snapped, so when the men inside flipped the cage they threw it open the two largest ones fought to escape first. While they rushed into the fray hoping to kill the men who kept the caged, the third with white and red hair left the cage and waited for one of the startled horses to pass. Grabbing it's reins, he pulled himself up and rode off alone.
The Fellowship men met their attackers. With the recruits of the Night's Watch supporting them they lost only two of their men and five of the recruits before the last of them died. Yoren had killed the two caged men who came for him with some help from Harwin and Ned, but noticed the third was nowhere to be seen.
One they stripped the dead of anything valuable, the band continued on their path. With the Night's Watch recruits among them, they wouldn't lead them to the hollow hill, but instead a village that they'd helped previously. Still, Ned knew he had to be patient. Even free, it would still be some time before he saw his family again, but at least now he had hope that the image of him with them in Wintefell may come true after all.