The courtyard was a scene of bustling activity, with the white mist from people and horses mingling in the air.
Two groups were making their final preparations to depart.
One headed south, its banners fluttering.
They surrounded the King and the newly appointed Hand of the King.
The other headed north, much smaller in scale.
It consisted of only a hundred elite Northern cavalrymen, silent and grim.
Ned Stark, dressed in heavy furs, walked up to Lynn.
The courtyard's clamor seemed to fade away.
"Lynn."
Ned's voice was low.
"Once I reach King's Landing, I will begin the investigation immediately."
"I will make Lannister pay."
Lynn shook his head.
"Lord, now is not the time."
Ned's brow furrowed instantly, his gray eyes filled with confusion.
"Why?"
"You are the Hand of the King, but in King's Landing, you have no power of your own."
Lynn's voice was calm, yet every word was incisive.
"Who do the Gold Cloaks obey?"
"Who do the nobles in the court pledge their loyalty to?"
"If you investigate now, it's like putting your head into a lion's mouth and expecting it not to close its teeth."
Ned fell silent.
Lynn's words, though harsh, were the reality.
"Then what should I do?"
"Do nothing."
Lynn gave an answer that Ned couldn't comprehend.
"Lord, what you need to do now is nothing at all."
"Be the simple-minded, crude warrior they imagine, who only understands honor."
"Let them underestimate you, let them think you pose no threat."
"The more incompetent you appear, the more outrageous you act, the more they will relax their guard."
"This is the way to survive in King's Landing."
Ned's breathing became heavy.
These words completely overturned the principles he had lived by his entire life.
He was to play a fool?
This was even harder than death.
"Your primary task is not revenge, it is to survive."
"Now, Lord Arryn has just been murdered, and everyone is watching you."
"If Lord acts too sharply, he will surely become a target."
Lynn looked directly into Ned's eyes.
"Only by surviving can you protect the King, and protect your family."
"You need time, Lord."
"Don't rush, slowly uncover the hidden vipers in King's Landing, one by one."
"Then, in the Northern way, chop off all their heads, one by one."
Ned gripped his sword hilt tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
He glanced at Sansa, not far away, who was looking at Prince Joffrey with a face full of longing.
He then looked at Arya, who was standing beside Lynn, skipping and jumping, with Needle tucked into her belt.
Just for the sake of the children.
Ned's gaze finally softened a little.
"I understand."
Ned spoke slowly, his voice hoarse.
"I will… be careful."
He reached out and clapped Lynn heavily on the shoulder.
"My daughter, I leave her to you."
"And Jon, his identity will attract many attacks, please help him out too."
"Bring Arya back safely, and take good care of them."
"I'm counting on you, Lynn!"
Lynn nodded solemnly.
"As you command, Lord."
A horn sounded.
The southbound party began to move slowly.
"Ned!"
King Robert's impatient urging could be faintly heard.
Ned took one last look at Lynn and Arya.
He turned and strode towards the journey that led to power and death.
Lynn watched the massive procession disappear into the distance.
He turned around and looked at Jon Snow, Arya Stark, Benjen Stark, and an uninvited guest, the Little Demon, Tyrion Lannister, behind him.
"It's time for us to depart as well."
Jon led his white horse.
He showed little emotion, only nodding at Lynn.
Arya, however, was flushed with excitement.
She had finally left the suffocating Winterfell.
Lynn swung himself onto his horse.
The hundred Northern cavalrymen also mounted their horses in unison, their movements precise.
These were House Stark's most loyal warriors.
For the honor of Stark, they would give everything, including their lives.
Now, they obeyed only Lynn.
"Giddy up!"
Lynn shook the reins, his warhorse neighed, and he led the way north.
The party set out on the Kingsroad.
On both sides of the road stretched vast wilderness, snow covering the land.
The bare trees in the distance looked like rows of silent sentinels.
Arya was clearly experiencing such a long journey for the first time.
Riding a gentle pony, she darted around the group, finding everything new and exciting.
"Lynn, what's beyond the Wall?"
"Have you been there?"
"Can you take me to see it?"
… Jon silently rode beside Lynn.
He glanced back at the receding outline of Winterfell, his eyes complex.
That was the home where he had lived for over a decade.
And also a place that would never truly belong to him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lynn asked.
Jon came back to himself and shook his head.
"Nothing."
Lynn said to Jon.
"You must have visited Bran last night."
"Lady Stark didn't make things difficult for you, did she?"
Jon's expression was a little wistful.
"Lady has always been like this."
"I've long grown used to it."
Lynn smiled and comforted him.
"The Wall is a good place."
"There, your origin doesn't matter."
"The Night's Watch are brothers, regardless of whether you are a bastard."
Jon's body stiffened slightly.
He looked up at Lynn.
Lynn's gaze, however, was fixed on the North, the end of the world.
"Tyrion was right."
"Never forget what you are."
"Because the world will not forget."
"Use it to arm yourself, and no one can use it to hurt you."
Jon pondered these words, lost in thought.
He had been agitated when Catelyn had driven him away on the night of the feast.
Now, hearing these words again, his mindset was different, and his understanding naturally differed.
Tyrion, still on horseback, raised his cup to Lynn from a distance.
The party had traveled for most of the day, and dusk was gradually falling.
Lynn ordered them to set up camp at the base of a sheltered hill.
The soldiers skillfully built fires and pitched tents.
Soon, dozens of bonfires lit up the wilderness.
The warm firelight dispelled the cold and darkness.
Lynn handed a piece of roasted venison to Arya.
The little girl was already starving.
She grabbed the venison and ate it heartily.
Completely without any ladylike demeanor.
"Lynn!"
"I didn't realize you were such a good cook!"
Just then, a scout rode in from the darkness.
He dismounted in front of Lynn.
"Lord."
The scout's voice carried a hint of gravity.
"Five miles ahead, a merchant caravan has been spotted."
"They seem to be in trouble."
Lynn's eyebrow arched.
"Trouble?"
"Yes, Lord."
The scout replied.
"Their carriage is stuck in a mud pit, and around it… there's a lot of blood."
"It looks like they just went through a battle."
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