Chapter 41: Gratitude from a Stark
At the gesture of the new Lord of Winterfell, the guard turned to leave and closed the door, leaving only the two of them in the room. This one-on-one situation allowed Egger's tense nerves to relax slightly—it seemed this wasn't going to be a confrontation.
Robb signaled for Egger to sit. "Friend, was it you who discovered my brother's fall that day?"
The word "friend" put Egger completely at ease; the Starks were neither skilled at nor interested in hiding their likes and dislikes. He nodded. "To my shame, I might have been able to stop Young Master Bran's dangerous climb, but I failed."
"I know Bran's temper better than you, as his brother. Once he's on a wall, no one can talk him down. We're to blame as well—we spoiled him too much." Robb spoke with the gravity of an adult, letting out a weary sigh and shaking his head with an air of premature age.
...
Spoiled indeed. From chatting with the guards, Egger had learned that the Stark elders had tried various ways to break Bran of his climbing habit. Unfortunately, after several attempts, the boy kept climbing anyway, and Eddard Stark eventually gave a tacit nod to the situation.
While Bran's fall was inextricably linked to Jaime's interference and Egger's own distraction, were the parents entirely blameless? From a modern perspective, this was a failure of both education and supervision—to put it bluntly, if you go your whole life without falling, that's talent; if you fall, you had it coming. And for a stubborn child, when reason fails, a firm hand is necessary.
Egger had been a child once, too, and had been disciplined by his parents—for sneaking off to the river to fish, for stealing money for snacks, for skipping class to go to the arcade... Looking back as an adult, he felt no resentment, only a measure of gratitude. As long as the discipline is measured and the reasoning is made clear, the rod is not an unacceptable monster.
An active mind tends to wander... of course, as a man of the Night's Watch, Egger had no right to lecture the eldest son of Lord Stark. He waited silently for Robb to continue.
"Let's not dwell on what is past. It was your warning that allowed him to escape another disaster."
"My warning?" Egger's expression turned grave. "The assassin... he struck!?"
"One night shortly after you last departed, the Library Tower suddenly caught fire. Most of Winterfell was busy fighting the flames, but the guards my father stationed inside and outside Bran's room did not abandon their posts..."
"The man acted even with guards present?"
"No, he only showed his face. When he saw people at the door, he fled," Robb explained. "The guards feared a trap and did not give chase, but Winterfell is only so large, and everyone knows each other. After a full search, we found him."
The assassin was caught. Egger didn't know what face to make. During those two weeks staying at Winterfell, he had exhausted himself trying to change the plot, only to have his plans turned into a joke by both adults and children. Yet, a few whispered words to Benjen Stark in the dead of night had achieved his goal and swept away the threat to Tyrion and himself on the road south.
A series of frantic efforts were less effective than a single lie. Was this an irony directed at him, or was reality simply this absurd?
...
"Was he interrogated?"
"He didn't go quietly. He was killed while resisting arrest." Robb shook his head. "Actually, I gave the order not to leave him alive—since we know who sent him, he only deserved to die."
"I see." Egger nodded, feeling a secret sense of relief. If the assassin had been captured and confessed to someone other than Joffrey, it would have been a massive blunder.
"Uncle Benjen says you are a clever man, so you must understand that this assassin had to vanish, and the matter cannot be publicized," Robb said solemnly. "Most in Winterfell do not know what happened, but because you provided the information, I chose not to hide it from you out of respect. I hope you will keep our secret."
"I understand..."
Egger nodded. In this world, there was no concept of "the prince is subject to the same law as the commoner." Even if Joffrey had sent the killer, the Starks could hardly seek legal recourse. Unless the two Great Houses went to war, the most they could hope for was Robert giving his son a scolding.
In times of peace, they might have made a fuss; given Ned and Robert's relationship, the Starks certainly wouldn't have come out the losers. However, at this juncture—with Ned having just received news of the Lannisters murdering Jon Arryn and having departed for King's Landing—the Starks could not afford to fall out with their most important ally, House Baratheon.
This was a bitter pill the Starks had to swallow in silence.
"Take this." Robb reached behind the table and handed him a leather pouch.
Egger took the bag; it was heavy and let out the crisp clink of metal. It wasn't hard to guess what was inside. He put on an uneasy expression. "This is?"
"We found it where the assassin was hiding. It must have been the silver his little employer paid him." Robb's face flashed with anger. "My brother, worth so little."
"It might have just been a deposit... with a balance to be paid after the deed. But to give it to me?"
"You are going to King's Landing to handle business for the Night's Watch; your expenses will surely be significant. I added a gold dragon to the blood money for my brother's life. I hope you find it useful."
Holding the heavy bag of coins, Egger almost instinctively tried to decline as one might a sudden gift before transmigrating. But he quickly realized the customs of this world were vastly different—this was a reward from a Great Lord, and he truly did need the money.
Egger's departure from the Wall hadn't been an official mission from the Night's Watch. Commander Mormont certainly wasn't going to provide funds for a ranger who should have been on the front lines to head south for safety. Being penniless and having to rely on Tyrion even for room and board had been a miserable experience.
"Thank you, my lord."
"Keep it safe." Robb nodded. "My thanks again for your help with my brother. Remember what I told you. That is all. We shall meet at dinner."
"The North respects the Night's Watch."
Egger had heard this phrase countless times from his black brothers, but it wasn't until he stayed at Winterfell again after Robert's departure that he realized it wasn't just a saying.
The young new Lord of Winterfell actually sat at the same table for dinner with the twelve visiting Night's Watchmen.
From Yoren, Egger learned that Robb's gesture wasn't a new precedent or special treatment because he had saved Bran; rather, it was a rule established by Eddard Stark's example. Before he left to serve as Hand, every time the Night's Watch arrived at Winterfell, Ned would invariably greet them in person—if they were deserters or oathbreakers, he personally served them the headsman's sword; if they were soldiers on a mission, he provided fine food and ale and sat with them to hear news of the Wall face-to-face.
...
Strictly speaking, when Egger had arrived at Winterfell with Benjen Stark previously, he had been uncharacteristically neglected only because of the King's visit.
But such treatment was reserved for the North. After staying for a day, the ten-man escort of rangers headed back north to the Wall. Meanwhile, Egger, Yoren, and Tyrion's party set off at a leisurely, swaying pace on the long road south.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!