"He's dead, Waymar Royce and Will are both dead, the Others killed them," the Night's Watch deserter Gared trembled like a leaf.
The name 'Others' seemed to darken the sky a few shades.
Every child of House Stark had heard Maester Luwin tell stories of the Others, but it was Old Nan's tales that truly brought them to life.
Legend has it that eight thousand years ago, the Long Night suddenly descended, darkness covered everything, blizzards raged, and strong winds rose. The Others appeared in the cold lands Beyond the Wall. They had deep blue eyes, icy skin and bones, and rode ice spiders and dead horses.
The Others hated fire, warm blood, and life. They killed every living person they encountered, transforming them into wights with magic. The Others drove the wights, sweeping south from the north, ravaging the kingdom's villages, towns, and castles.
The Last Hero and his companions went deep into the forest to seek help from the Children of the Forest. With the Children of the Forest's aid, humanity formed the Night's Watch and built The Wall, which finally stopped the Others' southward advance. After the Others disappeared, the Long Night finally ended.
Most people believed the Others were merely mythical tales, not real.
Lord Eddard was a man who valued honor, and he despised deserters, so he naturally refused to believe the deserter's words. Lord Eddard stroked his sword belt and snorted, "Nonsense! I think you've been scared senseless. We don't live in Old Nan's fairy tales. Where are there Others in this world?"
Theon gave a slight smile, "my lord, this deserter must have murdered Waymar Royce and the other soldier. He murdered them, and naturally, he fabricated the lie of the Others to cover his crimes."
"my lord, we shouldn't waste time with someone who betrayed his oath. Just chop off his head and send it back to Castle Black."
The Night's Watch deserter Gared fell to his knees in fear, "Lord Stark, I'm not lying, it really was the Others! I swear it by the Old Gods and the New!"
Jon Snow stepped forward, "my lord, I dreamt it. Gared escaped the Others' pursuit. I believe he is not lying."
Whenever in public, Jon Snow always made sure to address his father as 'my lord.' After all, a bastard had no right to call his father 'father' in public.
Jon Snow had successfully predicted the Night's Watch deserter, even accurately predicting the Night's Watch deserter's name and physical features, shocking everyone around him. Lord Eddard could not ignore Jon Snow's advice.
As Lord Eddard hesitated, Maester Luwin cleared his throat, "Jon, you accurately predicted the Night's Watch deserter's arrival, but your dream could simply be a coincidence. The Night's Watch deserter's crime is heinous and can only be punished by death."
Lord Eddard nodded heavily. He gestured, and Theon handed him the greatsword Ice. Ice was House Stark's ancestral sword, forged from valyrian steel. Currently, Westeros possessed only a little over two hundred valyrian steel swords.
"Gared, you took an oath and then broke it. The only punishment is death. Do you have any last words?" Lord Eddard gazed into Gared's eyes. House Stark insisted that the lord himself carry out executions, never using an executioner. According to tradition, the executioner must look into the condemned's eyes and listen to his last words.
Gared stammered, "The Others killed my companions. I was scared senseless by the Others. I shouldn't have fled The Wall. I should have returned to Castle Black to find Old Bear, Benjen, and Maester Aemon. But I simply didn't dare to look back. Please, send me back to The Wall. I want to tell Old Bear, Maester Aemon, and Benjen everything I saw before I die."
Old Bear was the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Maester Aemon was the maester of Castle Black, and Benjen Stark was Lord Eddard's brother, currently serving as First Ranger in the Night's Watch.
Jon Snow seized the opportunity to say, "my lord, Uncle Benjen is the First Ranger of the Night's Watch, and Gared is Uncle Benjen's subordinate. At the very least, Benjen should be allowed to see Gared."
Lord Eddard frowned, "But according to the laws of the kingdom, we must execute this deserter sooner or later."
Farrow's bitch suddenly barked furiously, and flocks of crows cawed overhead. Several hounds rushed headlong into the nearby forest.
Seven-year-old Bran's eyes widened, "What's happening?"
Robb asked, confused, "These hounds have never acted like this."
Theon smirked, "I think they might be in heat!"
Jon Snow said coldly, "The hounds must have found something, like a Direwolf."
Theon snorted, "Where are there Direwolves? If there are Direwolves here, then there might be dragons in the Winterfell crypts!"
Farrow, Lord Eddard, Robb, Jon Snow, Theon, Captain of the Guard Jory Cassel, and others followed the hounds into the forest. The hounds circled a giant Direwolf, none daring to make a sound. Despite lying on the ground, the Direwolf's size was still terrifying.
The Direwolf was larger than a warhorse. Maester Luwin, Lord Eddard, Theon, Robb, Bran, and the others all looked at Jon Snow.
Theon instinctively drew his dagger, "This...is this really a Direwolf? According to books and songs, Direwolves haven't appeared south of The Wall for hundreds of years!"
Stablemaster Hullen exclaimed excitedly, "Isn't there one right in front of us? Be careful, if this beast decides to bite, no one can stop it."
Jon Snow said calmly, "The Direwolf is already dead."
Indeed, everyone then noticed that the Direwolf's eye sockets and mouth were already crawling with insects, and there were small Direwolves nursing beneath her body.
Robb was utterly shocked. He reached out and pulled out a small grey wolf, "I can't believe she still had the strength to give birth to the pups."
Farrow said, "Perhaps the mother wolf was already dead when she gave birth."
Lord Eddard asked curiously, "What killed it?"
Farrow pried open the mother wolf's mouth, and a bloody stag antler appeared in her throat.
Everyone fell into silence and unease. King Robert Baratheon's house sigil was the crown stag, and the Direwolf was House Stark's sigil. A Direwolf dying from a stag antler was not a good omen.
Considering the Others mentioned by the Night's Watch deserter, the dead Direwolf seemed even more ominous.
Bran didn't care at all. He picked up a small pup and happily played with it.
Theon gasped, "These pups were born with death. This is not a good omen; they should be killed."
Robb said proudly, "Put down your sword. These pups won't harm us. I'm taking them home to raise."
Farrow was somewhat displeased, "You say that easily, but then you'll just leave them to the servants to feed."
Stablemaster Hullen said, "Right now, the pups are about the same size as small puppies, but when they grow up, they'll be man-killing beasts. Besides, the mother wolf is dead, these pups won't survive."
Jon Snow said calmly, "Bitch's milk and goat's milk can both feed the pups."
Bran held the pup, unable to put it down, "We can feed them ourselves."
A snow-white pup, with blood-red eyes, crawled to Jon's side. Jon picked up the pup, "This is my wolf."
Theon scoffed, "A white one, it suits you, bastard!"
Though he said that, Theon was actually a little jealous.
Theon was House Stark's ward. They had found a total of four male wolves and two female wolves, which meant that whether it was Robb, Bran, the girls Sansa and Arya, the young Rickon, or the bastard Jon Snow, everyone would get their own pup. He, Theon, wouldn't even get a single dog hair.
Jealousy drove Theon mad. Theon drew his dagger, half-jokingly saying, "Since these pups are destined to starve to death, why not just butcher them and let them follow their mother, going on their way quickly."
Robb glared at Theon with the look of Lord Robb, "Who dares? From now on, these are House Stark's Direwolves. Theon, if your family found a kraken, would you bear to kill it?"
Lord Eddard had no mind to care about the pups; he was more concerned about Lord Jon Arryn. The King had broken his right hand.
Eddard had never before realized that Jon Snow had the ability to prophesy. If Jon Snow's prophecies could remain accurate, it would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to House Stark. Who could refuse the temptation of prophecy?
Jon Snow's prophecies about the Night's Watch deserter and the Direwolf had all come true. Was Jon Arryn truly in mortal danger?
By the time Lord Eddard led everyone, escorting the Night's Watch deserter, back to Winterfell, it was already dark.
A raven cawed as it descended from the moonlight, landing on Maester Luwin's arm. Maester Luwin took the letter.
"This is the King's seal, a letter from King's Landing."
Lord Eddard's heart was in his throat, "What does it say?" Eddard prayed for Jon Arryn in his heart.
Maester Luwin slowly opened the letter. Jon Snow said, "Father, you already know what happened."
Indeed, Maester Luwin sighed, "Lord Eddard, Lord Jon Arryn has unfortunately passed away. The King has lost his hand of the king. King Robert has already taken half the court and is on his way to Winterfell; he is already en route."