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Jon turned away, done with the chattering dwarf.
The only sound was the crackle of burning wood.
Tyrion Lannister's smile didn't falter. Jon's little barb couldn't dent his mood. He was too thick-skinned for that.
Tyrion's gaze drifted from Jon's stubborn face to a calmer one.
Lynn.
The name had been everywhere in Winterfell lately. A deserter turned savior. A condemned man now trusted by Eddard Stark himself.
The transformation was fascinating.
"What about you?" Tyrion asked, swirling his wineskin. "Lynn, the Hero of Winterfell. Why did you take the black?"
His voice was quiet, but it cut through the camp like a knife.
Every eye turned to Lynn.
The recruits watched with dull curiosity. The Stark guards leaned in. Benjen stopped polishing his bow. Even Arya went silent, looking up at Lynn with wide eyes.
Lynn didn't answer immediately.
He looked up at the night sky, deep and starless.
"I committed no crime," Lynn said finally. "The Old Gods guided me here."
Silence.
The Old Gods?
Arya's eyes lit up like torches. Jon looked stunned. The Northerners murmured in reverence.
But the Southern recruits exchanged glances. Some smirked. Most didn't care. They believed in nothing but survival.
"The Old Gods?" Tyrion barked a laugh. "Now that's a better excuse than our Bastard Boy's brooding silence."
He took a long drink, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
"Let me guess. Did a weirwood tree whisper in your ear? Did a raven deliver a divine scroll?"
His tone dripped with mockery, but his mismatched eyes were sharp, watching Lynn like a hawk.
Tyrion was a Lannister. He believed in gold and power, not Northern fairy tales.
But he needed to test the story.
"Youâ!" Arya shot to her feet, face red with fury. "Lynn doesn't lie! And the Old Gods are real!"
Tyrion grinned at the little wolf's outburst.
Lynn placed a hand on Arya's shoulder. She looked back at him. He shook his head gently.
Reluctantly, she sat down.
"I was there when Lynn joined the Watch."
Benjen Stark's voice was low and steady.
"He had no brand. No warrant. No bounty. He wasn't a criminal."
Benjen's gaze was calm, factual.
"He walked through the Neck, all the way to the Wall. He said he wanted to serve. I was there."
Tyrion's grin froze.
He could mock faith. But he couldn't argue with the First Ranger's testimony.
A clean man, giving up everything to freeze on the Wall? That was insane. Or... something else.
Tyrion stared at Lynn.
For the first time, he felt like he was dealing with a puzzle he couldn't solve with gold or wit.
He raised his wineskin in a mock toast to Benjen.
"Well then, First Ranger. A man with no crimes, no debts, no reason... chooses the Wall."
His eyes returned to Lynn, sharper now.
"So what are you really after? Honor? Honor doesn't fill your belly. Power? There's nothing to rule but ice and wildlings."
He paused, then smirked.
"Unless... it's a woman."
Tyrion leaned forward, as if he'd cracked the code.
"A noblewoman you couldn't have? A scandal that ruined you? Love makes fools of the smartest men."
His tone was knowing, condescending.
Arya's face darkened. She hated this line of questioning.
~~~~ââ~~~~~~~~ââ~~~~
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