Post by stdaga on Feb 21, 2019 1:54:27 GMT
Trying to plug along with this parentage reread and this is an interesting chapter when Ned sit's the Iron Throne in Robert's place, and dispenses justice in the manner he see's fit.
I see a lot of Ned/Jon similarities in this chapter, so prepare yourself for a whole line up of those thoughts.
I am going in order of the chapter, so I might jump around a bit in ideas, and yes ... there will be a few tangent's away from parentage soup!
Right away, this has nothing to do with parentage, but this idea of the red of blood and the light of sunset really reminds me of this line in the Neddard's fever dream. "A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death." If sunset reminds Ned of blood, then perhaps this is a hint that what ever happened in Ned's toj fever dream took place at sunset. And, if blood is equated to sunset in this part of the dream, perhaps it does in this line as well, "He dreamt an old dream, of three knights in white cloaks, and a tower long fallen, and Lyanna in her bed of blood." Any thoughts on this? Could her bed of blood have something to do with sunset or the light it sheds? Something else?
There have been connections made in the reread before with the word sullen and what it could mean for Jon. Most of the sullen references seem to related to Robert, a few to Gendry, and a few to Jon. Now, sullen or sullenly is used for several other characters as well, but only once or twice. Robert is the most sullen, I would say, but Arya is sullen an awful lot, Sansa is, Jon is (as I mentioned) and now here we have Ned with sullen behavior! So, is sullen perhaps a Stark trait? It certainly seems to be a Baratheon one. Does it connect Ned to his children? Does is connect Ned and Robert to a type of behavior that they share and maybe passed on to their offspring? Perhaps GRRM needed a thesaurus and it means nothing at all? For some reason, this time around, it really connects Ned and Jon's behavior to me!
Never trust what a man tells you from his knees! Is this knowledge Ned has come to on his own over the years, is it something he learned from being raised as a ward to Jon Arryn, or is this knowledge gained from Rickard Stark? I just thought it was an interesting bit of advice, and one I don't think Jon ever expresses, as he does much of Eddard's teaching. But this line did strike me as a bit odd, considering one of our more historically famous Stark's is Torrhen "The King Who Knelt" Stark and it made me wonder if Aegon I trusted him in his surrender, or not. It does make a person wonder about any oath or pledge of fealty.
Two things in this passage stood out to me. The first is the black cloak. Not all of the time, but a majority of the time, black cloaks in this story are in relation to the Night's Watch. And here is Eddard Stark, who is most normally cloaked in grey or grey and white in this story, cloaked in black. This just seems like a connection between Ned and Jon, who took different paths and directions when they left Winterfell, but both find themselves dispensing judgement while wearing black cloaks. Of course, we are told time and time again that Jon looks like Ned or acts like Ned, but it is usually Jon doing something that emulates Ned. In this case, this seems like something that Ned is doing that emulates Jon. I don't think that Ned has done this on purpose, but I do think that GRRM could have placed this black cloak on Ned Stark for a reason. Perhaps another hint at the connection that seems to tie Ned and Jon together quite strongly.
The other part of this paragraph that stood out to me is Ned's thoughts on the colors of black and white and grey. "Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth". Ned is wearing white, is cloaked in black, and has a direwolf emblem on his chest, an emblem we know is traditionally grey in color. But what is really interesting is how black and white and grey are all "shades of truth". Of course, Ned could be telling us only a very small version of the truth in regards to Jon's parentage. I doubt he is outright lying, but he could be controlling the truth, using omissions, exaggerations, or covert communication in regards to Jon's parentage. Although black and white are opposites, so an outright lie could mean there is an outright truth that Ned isn't telling. Interestingly, later in this chapter, I think we get several "shades of truth" in regards to the story fed to Ned about the rampage that is blamed on Gregor Clegane in the riverlands.
If I had to pick a theme for this chapter, it would probably be justice. That word is mentioned ten times in the chapter, (the above quote is the first of ten) Ned seems aware that it is that he is expected to dispense justice, it's the kings justice, the crowns justice, the thrones justice these people seek, but since Ned is sitting the throne in place of the king, it is his justice to dispense. And we know that Ned is no stranger to justice. It was one of our very first images of Lord Eddard Stark, from his young son's eyes. From Bran's gaze, we met the Lord of Winterfell dispensing the "kings justice" to Gared, and afterward explaining that "justice" will some day fall to Bran, and he need take no pleasure in the task but should not look away either. The other person we met that first day that Bran associates with justice is Jon Snow, "Jon was fourteen, an old hand at justice.".
Jon and Ned are very strongly connected by the theme of justice. In Dance, we will see Jon Snow pass judgement on Janos Slynt and execute him, in the ways of the First Men, based on the teachings of Eddard Stark. I see such strong Jon and Ned connections in this chapter! Of course, this could be nurture vs nature, but either way, they are very alike.
Although, when Jon dispenses "justice" to Janos Slynt for disobeying the order of his Lord Commander, Jon also has a bit of vengeance in his heart, since I believe he knows just how Slynt was part of Eddard's fall. And in this passage, Ned says he is not handing out vengeance (I will get to that), but justice, but he has some fury (I will get to that too) in regards to the decision he makes, and it is directed toward the Lannister's, people I think Ned feels has wronged him several times in the past. So, justice tied with vengeance could be a theme for both Ned and Jon.
The whole passage:
I would like to point out that Ned is sitting the Iron Throne, sharp blades against his fingers, but as far as we are told, he is never cut by the throne. Does that mean that Aegon I would have approved of the "justice" that Ned handed out on this day? I hope so! The other interesting part of this whole passage is that Ned is passing out his decision on the king's justice but trying to keep the fury out of his voice. Fury is an interesting associating for Ned Stark. He tells us that his brother Brandon had some wolf-blood and Lyanna a touch of it, too. But on several occasions, we see Ned react to things with red rage or when his "fury was on him" at times from his own POV and from Cat's, or furious when Littlefinger takes him to a brothel. The Neddard has some "fury" in him, I think it's the wolfblood, and his time with Jon Arryn in the Eyrie didn't temper all of that "wolfblood" out of Ned Stark.
And we see this in Jon Snow. Jon has some fury in him as well!
Jon uses his fury and his smarts to fix this situation for Sam, and when that doesn't work, he is smart enough to use the very weapon the old gods seem to have given him to wield ... Ghost.
Jon reacting with fury to the decision that he will become a steward. He later calms but it takes time and some of Sam's wise council. This chapter with Ned using the weapons that he is given, which are the justice of the Iron Throne, his position as Hand of the king, and his own combination of fury and smarts, is very reminiscent to me of Jon's justice and fury that helped Samwell Tarly.
A little snark, a little sarcasm from Ned! I love it. And it very much reminds me of Jon's internal thoughts and his verbal expressions at time. As a sarcastic person myself, I really enjoy these little flares that come from Jon and Ned. I always appreciated it in Jon, but I am coming to recognize it a bit more each time I read over Ned's chapters. Just more connections between these two very similar men. I would like to highlight many of Jon's snarky comments and thoughts, but that would take up a ton of space and this is already running very much too long.
"Vengeance?" Ned said. "I thought we were speaking of justice. Burning Clegane's fields and slaughtering his people will not restore the king's peace, only your injured pride." He glanced away before the young knight could voice his outraged protest, and addressed the villagers. "People of Sherrer, I cannot give you back your homes or your crops, nor can I restore your dead to life. But perhaps I can give you some small measure of justice, in the name of our king, Robert."
Every eye in the hall was fixed on him, waiting. Slowly Ned struggled to his feet, pushing himself up from the throne with the strength of his arms, his shattered leg screaming inside its cast. He did his best to ignore the pain; it was no moment to let them see his weakness. "The First Men believed that the judge who called for death should wield the sword, and in the north we hold to that still. I mislike sending another to do my killing … yet it seems I have no choice." He gestured at his broken leg. AGOT-Eddard XIJustice again! And vengeance! Ned claims he isn't about vengeance, but about justice, but I think there is both involved in his decision process.
But something else struck me in this passage, and maybe because I am working on a reread of Feast. This scene reminds me of the kingsmoot of the Iron Born.
At the kingsmoot, Erik Ironmaker has his chance to be king. He has support of his people, although he is old and has weakened over the years. Asha challenges him to stand and although he tries, he cannot do it, and he looses his bid to be crowned king. This scene really reminded me of Ned struggling to stand up on the Iron Throne. Ned is weak and in pain from his fractured leg, but he still manages to stand, and to not let people see how he struggles. And while standing, Ned dispenses his plan for justice. A kings justice from a kings throne!
And this very much reminded me of Ned claiming the Iron Throne from Jaime, who had claimed the throne from Aerys after he killed the Targaryen king. I see in many ways that Ned symbolically is the rightful king because it was he who claimed the throne from Jaime. Ned claimed it for Robert, of course, that is how the story play out. But ... if Ned had claimed it for himself that day, would he have had the support to keep the throne for himself? Sometimes I think that it was Ned, who had rightfully claimed the Iron Throne after the rebellion, and his dispensing of "the kings justice" with Beric Dondarrion in charge of the order to bring Gregor Clegane to justice, is one of the reasons that some type of power seems to be a part of Beric's arc. Perhaps the power of the old gods, perhaps a power we don't yet understand, but I think something in the "kings justice" that Ned dispenses from the very throne he claimed from Aerys via Jaime, is what empowered Beric, and in turn, what might be empowering the thing that Catelyn has become.
I don't think it's a coincidence that Catelyn and the "tinderbox" she set of in the Westerlands when she captured Tyrion, is part of the "fire" that Tywin orders lit in the riverlands, perhaps is part of the reason that Thoros's "fire magic" suddenly seems to be taking flame.
Pardon all of these terrible fire puns!
This is another one of those odd thoughts that Ned has that seem to show us that Jon and Robb are not as much "of an age" as we are led to believe. The other time is when Ned first meet's Gendry and thinks, "a tall lad about Robb's age". So... Gendry is Robb's age, Loras is almost as young as Robb. But we are told that Jon and Robb are "of an age" but in Ned's mind, that doesn't seem to be the case. Ned will at times in the text think of both Robb and Jon as either "a boy" or "the boy" but for some reason, he makes a clear distinction of their ages in his head, which seems to hint that the age is more than a couple months. But how can that be? Which is older? Which is younger? What is the real age difference? If I had to bet, I would put Jon as older than Robb, but it's hard to imagine it's by much, but it must be in Ned's head, or Gendry would be "of an age" with Robb AND Jon, and Loras Tyrell would be "almost as young" as Robb AND Jon. I just think this is some type of hint from GRRM that Robb and Jon are not as close in age as we are led to believe.
This could just be Ned telling us that Tywin is as fierce as a lion but as sly as a fox. And this is true, I think. But I also wonder if this isn't a hint that Lann the Clever who became a Lion of Casterly Rock, was indeed a descendant of Florys the Fox, who is a daughter of Garth Greenhand, which traces the Lannister's back to Garth Greenhand's "seed", just as I suspect that Stark's are from the line of Garth Greenhand's seed in the form of either Brandon of the Bloody Blade or Rose of Red (nee Blue) Lake OR both. These families are important in the world building scheme, and I think are important to the end game that GRRM will give us.
As to Ned and Jon, this chapter again reminds me of serious and significant leg injuries that they have. Ned based on his broken leg from being fallen on my a horse, and Jon's arrow injury, most likely from Ygritte, but one Jon still manages to get while escaping from the wildling group. While I recognized the leg injuries before, I didn't really think on how a horse was involved in each injury. Causing Ned's but perhaps saving Jon from a worse fate. And honestly, if Ned had not had a broken leg, he would have ridden right into this well laid trap that Tywin a had laid, using Gregor as both bait and steel-trap. Perhaps the horse saved Ned from a worse fate at the Mountain's hands by conveniently breaking his leg? That doesn't seem to make any sense, considering Ned still died, and was probably going to die from his leg injury anyway, since it seems like sepsis had set in. But as we are told about the Stark's, "You Stark's are hard to kill"!!!
I see a lot of Ned/Jon similarities in this chapter, so prepare yourself for a whole line up of those thoughts.
I am going in order of the chapter, so I might jump around a bit in ideas, and yes ... there will be a few tangent's away from parentage soup!
Through the high narrow windows of the Red Keep's cavernous throne room, the light of sunset spilled across the floor, laying dark red stripes upon the walls where the heads of dragons had once hung. Now the stone was covered with hunting tapestries, vivid with greens and browns and blues, and yet still it seemed to Ned Stark that the only color in the hall was the red of blood. AGOT-Eddard XI
He sat high upon the immense ancient seat of Aegon the Conqueror, an ironwork monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and grotesquely twisted metal. It was, as Robert had warned him, a hellishly uncomfortable chair, and never more so than now, with his shattered leg throbbing more sharply every minute. The metal beneath him had grown harder by the hour, and the fanged steel behind made it impossible to lean back. A king should never sit easy, Aegon the Conqueror had said, when he commanded his armorers to forge a great seat from the swords laid down by his enemies. Damn Aegon for his arrogance, Ned thought sullenly, and damn Robert and his hunting as well. AGOT-Eddard XI
"Rise," Ned commanded the villagers. He never trusted what a man told him from his knees. "All of you, up." AGOT-Eddard XI
"His Grace is hunting across the Blackwater," Ned said, wondering how a man could live his whole life a few days ride from the Red Keep and still have no notion what his king looked like. Ned was clad in a white linen doublet with the direwolf of Stark on the breast; his black wool cloak was fastened at the collar by his silver hand of office. Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth. "I am Lord Eddard Stark, the King's Hand. Tell me who you are and what you know of these raiders." AGOT-Eddard XI
The other part of this paragraph that stood out to me is Ned's thoughts on the colors of black and white and grey. "Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth". Ned is wearing white, is cloaked in black, and has a direwolf emblem on his chest, an emblem we know is traditionally grey in color. But what is really interesting is how black and white and grey are all "shades of truth". Of course, Ned could be telling us only a very small version of the truth in regards to Jon's parentage. I doubt he is outright lying, but he could be controlling the truth, using omissions, exaggerations, or covert communication in regards to Jon's parentage. Although black and white are opposites, so an outright lie could mean there is an outright truth that Ned isn't telling. Interestingly, later in this chapter, I think we get several "shades of truth" in regards to the story fed to Ned about the rampage that is blamed on Gregor Clegane in the riverlands.
What Eddard Stark was doing sitting there he would never comprehend, yet there he sat, and these people looked to him for justice. AGOT-Eddard XI
Jon and Ned are very strongly connected by the theme of justice. In Dance, we will see Jon Snow pass judgement on Janos Slynt and execute him, in the ways of the First Men, based on the teachings of Eddard Stark. I see such strong Jon and Ned connections in this chapter! Of course, this could be nurture vs nature, but either way, they are very alike.
Although, when Jon dispenses "justice" to Janos Slynt for disobeying the order of his Lord Commander, Jon also has a bit of vengeance in his heart, since I believe he knows just how Slynt was part of Eddard's fall. And in this passage, Ned says he is not handing out vengeance (I will get to that), but justice, but he has some fury (I will get to that too) in regards to the decision he makes, and it is directed toward the Lannister's, people I think Ned feels has wronged him several times in the past. So, justice tied with vengeance could be a theme for both Ned and Jon.
The whole passage:
Ned could feel cold steel against his fingers as he leaned forward. Between each finger was a blade, the points of twisted swords fanning out like talons from arms of the throne. Even after three centuries, some were still sharp enough to cut. The Iron Throne was full of traps for the unwary. The songs said it had taken a thousand blades to make it, heated white-hot in the furnace breath of Balerion the Black Dread. The hammering had taken fifty-nine days. The end of it was this hunched black beast made of razor edges and barbs and ribbons of sharp metal; a chair that could kill a man, and had, if the stories could be believed.
What Eddard Stark was doing sitting there he would never comprehend, yet there he sat, and these people looked to him for justice. "What proof do you have that these were Lannisters?" he asked, trying to keep his fury under control. "Did they wear crimson cloaks or fly a lion banner?" AGOT-Eddard XI
What Eddard Stark was doing sitting there he would never comprehend, yet there he sat, and these people looked to him for justice. "What proof do you have that these were Lannisters?" he asked, trying to keep his fury under control. "Did they wear crimson cloaks or fly a lion banner?" AGOT-Eddard XI
And we see this in Jon Snow. Jon has some fury in him as well!
"Stop it!" Jon snapped angrily.
The other boys fell silent, taken aback by his sudden fury. "Listen to me," Jon said into the quiet, and he told them how it was going to be. Pyp backed him, as he'd known he would, but when Halder spoke up, it was a pleasant surprise. Grenn was anxious at the first, but Jon knew the words to move him. One by one the rest fell in line. Jon persuaded some, cajoled some, shamed the others, made threats where threats were required. At the end they had all agreed … all but Rast.
"You girls do as you please," Rast said, "but if Thorne sends me against Lady Piggy, I'm going to slice me off a rasher of bacon." He laughed in Jon's face and left them there.
Hours later, as the castle slept, three of them paid a call on his cell. Grenn held his arms while Pyp sat on his legs. Jon could hear Rast's rapid breathing as Ghost leapt onto his chest. The direwolf's eyes burned red as embers as his teeth nipped lightly at the soft skin of the boy's throat, just enough to draw blood. "Remember, we know where you sleep," Jon said softly. AGOT-Jon IV
The other boys fell silent, taken aback by his sudden fury. "Listen to me," Jon said into the quiet, and he told them how it was going to be. Pyp backed him, as he'd known he would, but when Halder spoke up, it was a pleasant surprise. Grenn was anxious at the first, but Jon knew the words to move him. One by one the rest fell in line. Jon persuaded some, cajoled some, shamed the others, made threats where threats were required. At the end they had all agreed … all but Rast.
"You girls do as you please," Rast said, "but if Thorne sends me against Lady Piggy, I'm going to slice me off a rasher of bacon." He laughed in Jon's face and left them there.
Hours later, as the castle slept, three of them paid a call on his cell. Grenn held his arms while Pyp sat on his legs. Jon could hear Rast's rapid breathing as Ghost leapt onto his chest. The direwolf's eyes burned red as embers as his teeth nipped lightly at the soft skin of the boy's throat, just enough to draw blood. "Remember, we know where you sleep," Jon said softly. AGOT-Jon IV
"Jon," Samwell Tarly said excitedly. "Wait. Don't you see what they're doing?"
Jon turned on him in a fury. "I see Ser Alliser's bloody hand, that's all I see. He wanted to shame me, and he has." AGOT-Jon VI
Jon turned on him in a fury. "I see Ser Alliser's bloody hand, that's all I see. He wanted to shame me, and he has." AGOT-Jon VI
"A false knight!" Ser Marq said. "Lord Tywin's mad dog."
"My lord Hand," Pycelle declared in a stiff voice, "I urge you to remind this good knight that Lord Tywin Lannister is the father of our own gracious queen."
"Thank you, Grand Maester Pycelle," Ned said. "I fear we might have forgotten that if you had not pointed it out." AGOT-Eddard XI
"My lord Hand," Pycelle declared in a stiff voice, "I urge you to remind this good knight that Lord Tywin Lannister is the father of our own gracious queen."
"Thank you, Grand Maester Pycelle," Ned said. "I fear we might have forgotten that if you had not pointed it out." AGOT-Eddard XI
"Vengeance?" Ned said. "I thought we were speaking of justice. Burning Clegane's fields and slaughtering his people will not restore the king's peace, only your injured pride." He glanced away before the young knight could voice his outraged protest, and addressed the villagers. "People of Sherrer, I cannot give you back your homes or your crops, nor can I restore your dead to life. But perhaps I can give you some small measure of justice, in the name of our king, Robert."
Every eye in the hall was fixed on him, waiting. Slowly Ned struggled to his feet, pushing himself up from the throne with the strength of his arms, his shattered leg screaming inside its cast. He did his best to ignore the pain; it was no moment to let them see his weakness. "The First Men believed that the judge who called for death should wield the sword, and in the north we hold to that still. I mislike sending another to do my killing … yet it seems I have no choice." He gestured at his broken leg. AGOT-Eddard XI
But something else struck me in this passage, and maybe because I am working on a reread of Feast. This scene reminds me of the kingsmoot of the Iron Born.
"Aye, me!" the man roared from where he sat, in a voice as huge as he was. "Why not? Who better? I am Erik Ironmaker, for them who's blind. Erik the Just. Erik Anvil-Breaker. Show them my hammer, Thormor." One of his champions lifted it up for all to see; a monstrous thing it was, its haft wrapped in old leather, its head a brick of steel as large as a loaf of bread. "I can't count how many hands I've smashed to pulp with that hammer," Erik said, "but might be some thief could tell you. I can't say how many heads I've crushed against my anvil neither, but there's some widows could. I could tell you all the deeds I've done in battle, but I'm eight-and-eighty and won't live long enough to finish. If old is wise, no one is wiser than me. If big is strong, no one's stronger. You want a king with heirs? I've more'n I can count. King Erik, aye, I like the sound o' that. Come, say it with me. ERIK! ERIK ANVIL-BREAKER! ERIK KING!"
As his grandsons took up the cry, their own sons came forward with chests upon their shoulders. When they upended them at the base of the stone steps, a torrent of silver, bronze, and steel spilled forth; arm rings, collars, daggers, dirks, and throwing axes. A few captains snatched up the choicest items and added their voices to the swelling chant. But no sooner had the cry begun to build than a woman's voice cut through it. "Erik!" Men moved aside to let her through. With one foot on the lowest step, she said, "Erik, stand up."
A hush fell. The wind blew, waves broke against the shore, men murmured in each other's ears. Erik Ironmaker stared down at Asha Greyjoy. "Girl. Thrice-damned girl. What did you say?"
"Stand up, Erik," she called. "Stand up and I'll shout your name with all the rest. Stand up and I'll be the first to follow you. You want a crown, aye. Stand up and take it."
Elsewhere in the press, the Crow's Eye laughed. Erik glared at him. The big man's hands closed tight around the arms of his driftwood throne. His face went red, then purple. His arms trembled with effort. Aeron could see a thick blue vein pulsing in his neck as he struggled to rise. For a moment it seemed as though he might do it, but the breath went out of him all at once, and he groaned and sank back onto his cushion. Euron laughed all the louder. The big man hung his head and grew old, all in the blink of an eye. His grandsons carried him back down the hill. AFFC-The Drowned Man
As his grandsons took up the cry, their own sons came forward with chests upon their shoulders. When they upended them at the base of the stone steps, a torrent of silver, bronze, and steel spilled forth; arm rings, collars, daggers, dirks, and throwing axes. A few captains snatched up the choicest items and added their voices to the swelling chant. But no sooner had the cry begun to build than a woman's voice cut through it. "Erik!" Men moved aside to let her through. With one foot on the lowest step, she said, "Erik, stand up."
A hush fell. The wind blew, waves broke against the shore, men murmured in each other's ears. Erik Ironmaker stared down at Asha Greyjoy. "Girl. Thrice-damned girl. What did you say?"
"Stand up, Erik," she called. "Stand up and I'll shout your name with all the rest. Stand up and I'll be the first to follow you. You want a crown, aye. Stand up and take it."
Elsewhere in the press, the Crow's Eye laughed. Erik glared at him. The big man's hands closed tight around the arms of his driftwood throne. His face went red, then purple. His arms trembled with effort. Aeron could see a thick blue vein pulsing in his neck as he struggled to rise. For a moment it seemed as though he might do it, but the breath went out of him all at once, and he groaned and sank back onto his cushion. Euron laughed all the louder. The big man hung his head and grew old, all in the blink of an eye. His grandsons carried him back down the hill. AFFC-The Drowned Man
And this very much reminded me of Ned claiming the Iron Throne from Jaime, who had claimed the throne from Aerys after he killed the Targaryen king. I see in many ways that Ned symbolically is the rightful king because it was he who claimed the throne from Jaime. Ned claimed it for Robert, of course, that is how the story play out. But ... if Ned had claimed it for himself that day, would he have had the support to keep the throne for himself? Sometimes I think that it was Ned, who had rightfully claimed the Iron Throne after the rebellion, and his dispensing of "the kings justice" with Beric Dondarrion in charge of the order to bring Gregor Clegane to justice, is one of the reasons that some type of power seems to be a part of Beric's arc. Perhaps the power of the old gods, perhaps a power we don't yet understand, but I think something in the "kings justice" that Ned dispenses from the very throne he claimed from Aerys via Jaime, is what empowered Beric, and in turn, what might be empowering the thing that Catelyn has become.
I don't think it's a coincidence that Catelyn and the "tinderbox" she set of in the Westerlands when she captured Tyrion, is part of the "fire" that Tywin orders lit in the riverlands, perhaps is part of the reason that Thoros's "fire magic" suddenly seems to be taking flame.
Pardon all of these terrible fire puns!
When the echo of his words had died away, the Knight of Flowers seemed perplexed. "Lord Eddard, what of me?"
Ned looked down on him. From on high, Loras Tyrell seemed almost as young as Robb. "No one doubts your valor, Ser Loras, but we are about justice here, and what you seek is vengeance." He looked back to Lord Beric. "Ride at first light. These things are best done quickly." He held up a hand. "The throne will hear no more petitions today." AGOT-Eddard XI
Ned looked down on him. From on high, Loras Tyrell seemed almost as young as Robb. "No one doubts your valor, Ser Loras, but we are about justice here, and what you seek is vengeance." He looked back to Lord Beric. "Ride at first light. These things are best done quickly." He held up a hand. "The throne will hear no more petitions today." AGOT-Eddard XI
Tywin Lannister was as much fox as lion. AGOT-Eddard XI
As to Ned and Jon, this chapter again reminds me of serious and significant leg injuries that they have. Ned based on his broken leg from being fallen on my a horse, and Jon's arrow injury, most likely from Ygritte, but one Jon still manages to get while escaping from the wildling group. While I recognized the leg injuries before, I didn't really think on how a horse was involved in each injury. Causing Ned's but perhaps saving Jon from a worse fate. And honestly, if Ned had not had a broken leg, he would have ridden right into this well laid trap that Tywin a had laid, using Gregor as both bait and steel-trap. Perhaps the horse saved Ned from a worse fate at the Mountain's hands by conveniently breaking his leg? That doesn't seem to make any sense, considering Ned still died, and was probably going to die from his leg injury anyway, since it seems like sepsis had set in. But as we are told about the Stark's, "You Stark's are hard to kill"!!!