Chapter 144: Summoning the Banners
"Why did you save me? You're from the North, aren't you?" Jaime Lannister reclined in the wagon, took the waterskin Odis offered, gulped down a large mouthful, and then coughed violently.
"Further north than the North, Ser Jaime. I'm a free folk." Odis took a piece of jerky from his satchel and chewed it.
"A wildling? Why would a wildling be in Winterfell?"
"Free folk," Odis corrected, but didn't answer Jaime's question. "Perhaps you should show me some respect. I saved you, ser."
"Very well, esteemed free folk, why did you save me?" Jaime coughed twice, then spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm.
"Seven hells, the 'Kingslayer' would ask such a question. I saved your life, ser," Odis said with a faint smile. "Once I get you back to Casterly Rock, Lord Tywin will have to thank me with gold equal to your weight."
"Back to Casterly Rock? Gods." Jaime suddenly became agitated. "No, no!" He raised his voice. "My...my sister is still in Winterfell, ah!" He tried to get up, but aggravated his wounds, letting out a low groan. "I have to save her. I have to save them."
"Them? Which ones?" Odis feigned ignorance.
"Well..." Jaime paused, then looked at Odis hopefully, as if suddenly realizing something. "You got me out of Winterfell, so you can definitely help me save my sister, right?"
Jaime tried to get up again but failed. He was too badly injured to even move.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed the wildling before him to lead him away from Winterfell, away from his beloved Cersei and the children.
"Don't move," Odis warned, noticing the blood seeping from Jaime's hastily bandaged body again, "if you want to live."
"Help me," Jaime said, unconcerned. "As long as you can rescue my sister and my nephews—" He then steeled himself, abandoning all pretense. "My children. I swear I'll give you the greatest castle in the Westerlands, make you the most powerful lord, and your family will—"
"Free folk never kneel, ser," Odis interrupted Jaime. "And it's too late."
"Too late for what?" Jaime asked in surprise, glancing around to find no pursuers.
"After the hunting party returned to Winterfell, Robert Baratheon heard Catelyn's account and beat the Queen to death." Odis paused.
"That's a lie," Jaime shook his head, unwilling and unable to believe it was true. "A lie. You've been with me ever since we escaped Winterfell. How could you possibly know what's happening in the castle?"
"My hawk can see everything, ser," Odis replied.
"You want me to believe you have magic?" Jaime found it absurd but couldn't laugh.
"And right now, Robert has taken up his warhammer and is heading toward his chambers, while Lord Eddard is desperately trying to stop him." Odis didn't answer but continued describing the situation in Winterfell.
"Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen..." Although Jaime still didn't believe in magic, upon hearing this, his face instantly drained of color.
"Stop! Are you mad? The Kingslayer escaped, so you're taking it out on the children?" Eddard Stark caught up with Robert.
It was too easy. Eddard was still as strong and agile as ever, but Robert Baratheon, once the greatest warrior of the Seven Kingdoms, the 'Demon of the Trident' who slew Prince Rhaegar at the Trident, was now as round as a wine cask.
He had only just killed a defenseless woman, yet he was already drenched in sweat.
"Revenge? Gods, yes!" But Robert's voice was still thunderous, faintly carrying the same fierce spirit he had displayed years ago at the Trident when he shouted, "Rhaegar, come out and die!"
"Wasn't Cat clear enough?" Robert roared. "Those three bastards shouldn't have been born! Lysa wrote to you for help, saying that Jon Arryn was murdered because he discovered the Lannisters' secret... and now the truth is out—it was that adulterous pair! It was their secret! Don't forget, Arryn was your father too!"
"I've sent all my cavalry to hunt down the Kingslayer, and I will personally execute him if you give me that honor, but the children are innocent! And just this morning at breakfast, they were calling you father." Eddard didn't realize that his counsel was only adding fuel to the fire for Robert.
"Innocent? Ned, you always have that damned mercy. Did that bastard Jaime think about the child's innocence when he pushed your Bran out the window?"
Touched on a sore spot, Ned's face darkened, but he still stood in front of Robert.
"Don't hurt the children," Ned said firmly.
Robert stared at Ned for a full three minutes.
"Damn you, Ned. I am your king," Robert finally lowered his warhammer. "Why are you always right?"
Perhaps Robert himself didn't realize that deep down he also longed for Ned to forcefully stop him. After all, they were his children. Although Joffrey was as hateful as Cersei, Myrcella and Tommen were sweet children—his children. They used to be.
"If your cavalry captures Jaime, bring him to me. I will kill him myself."
"Lord Tywin will probably not let this go," Ned warned.
"I'm the one who won't let this go!" Robert scoffed. "If your cavalry fails to capture Jaime, then have your maester send a raven to Casterly Rock, demanding Tywin Lannister hand over Jaime, or I'll raze Casterly Rock to the ground."
"Lord Tywin will never hand over his only..." Eddard started to say his only son, but then remembered a certain dwarf and changed his words. "His eldest son, so war is inevitable. We need to summon all the lords in the realm now."
"Then do it all at once. Send ravens to Riverrun, Highgarden, and Sunspear, and to my two brothers. Oh, and the Eyrie. I wager Lysa will be eager to have the Knights of the Vale avenge Lord Arryn."
"Do it, Maester Luwin," Eddard said to the maester of Winterfell.
"My Lord Chancellor is in Winterfell. You can get the royal seal from him," Robert added.
"Yes, Your Grace," Luwin bowed slightly to Robert, then looked at Eddard. "My lord," before quickly departing.
"Then, Eddard, you are now my Hand of the King. I can only be at ease if the entire host is under your command. I will not allow you to refuse!"
"My sword is yours, Your Grace. The North will fight for you."
"The good news is that Lord Eddard successfully dissuaded the King from harming the three children." Odis turned from gazing at the sky to the dejected Jaime Lannister in the wagon.
Jaime breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression remained unchanged.
"The bad news is that Robert has ordered the summoning of all his bannermen to prepare for war against the Westerlands."
"War against the Westerlands?" Jaime paused, then realized. "Is it because I escaped? Perhaps I should have stayed with Cersei..."
"You should avenge her, then take back your children. Don't forget you're the Kingslayer; killing kings is your specialty." Odis interrupted Jaime, his tone mocking. "You could kill Aerys II Targaryen, so why are you afraid of Robert Baratheon?"
"Revenge? What can we use for revenge? The Westerlands may be strong, but we have no chance against the Six Kingdoms alone! Once Robert's host advances, we will surely be defeated..."
"I have a suggestion," Odis interrupted Jaime again. "If you can help me persuade Lord Tywin, then the Westerlands will at least have a glimmer of hope."
(End of Chapter)
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