Duty or Desire // Jon Snow // Robb Stark

57. I pity the fool

'I pity the man that goes up against my brother.' Odie said as Jordy and her rode, she was headed to the wall. She wasn't going to risk her life, not when Jon and Sandor might be alive. She rubbed down Jordys neck as he galloped briskly the sun descending in the sky. 'Sandor always said he would kill Gregor.' Odie didn't realize how much she missed human contact, she had been surrounded by the starks for years, they were constantly talking and then she went to the camps surrounded by people, chatter was endless, she had wished for the quiet. She craved the quite moments with Robb but now the quiet was killing her. she needed to talk to someone, Jordy wasn't cutting it.

She was reaching the end of the dreadfort, nearing the Karhold another two weeks perhaps and she would be at the castle black. Odie could only hope that Jon hadn't been killed. She didn't know if the men of castle black's families were notified when there was a death. Most of them were criminals with no families, jon had a family... Had. Most of his family was dead. But Odie was still here. She was still here. She was going to find him and sandor, how was she going to find sandor! She groaned miserably. The world was too big, sandor could be dead for all she knew. So could jon... she pushed the thought from her mind. Sandor always used to say that he was a hard man to kill, she just had to hope Sandor was right.

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Jon was chosen as the new Lord Commander, Stannis approached him again about his offer of legitimization. However, Jon declined again Stannis's offer. Jon reiterated that his place is with the Night's Watch. He also reiterated the Night's Watch's neutrality in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms. Stannis didn't look to pleased, Although having a Stark pledged to Stannis' cause would have been a great asset, Stannis respected Jon's decision and intended to leave Castle Black and march on Winterfell within a fortnight to take it back from the Boltons.

During Jon's first general meeting of the garrison in the main hall as Lord Commander, he started with some levity by assigning a black brother to oversee the digging of a new latrine pit. He also acknowledged Ser Alliser Thorne as an experienced and valuable member of the Night's Watch by naming him First Ranger. Jon then ordered Slynt to man and repair Greyguard, a ruined castle. Janos slynt refused to obey, saying it was below him.

'remember who are you talking to.' Sam told him.

'that is a direct order from your new lord commander.' Jon reminded him. But Slynt then refused him a third time and Jon asks slynt 'Are you refusing to obey the order?'

"You can stick your order up your bastard ass." Slynt screamed at him. Jon sucked in a deep breath trying to remain calm. Jon ordered slynt to be taken outside, and called for Olly to fetch him Longclaw.

'You think I'm scared of you boy!' slynt shouted. 'I'm not frightened of you!'

Jon remembered what his father used to say, Jon was going to follow his example.

'the man who passes the sentence must swing the sword.' Jon readied to personally behead slynt. While on the chopping block, slynt began to plead for mercy. Jon was hesitant for just a moment, he didn't want to be this type of leader but then again, he couldn't be seen as weak, they would never respect him. Jon executed the cowardly former Commander of the City Watch with a single blow. From across the courtyard, Stannis saw Jon behead slynt for refusing his orders, a grin across his face as well.

Stannis mounted up beside Melisandre; the red woman, and marched from the Wall towards Winterfell with his army. Davos stayed behind and tried to further persuade Jon to help Stannis retake the North. Davos iterates that the Night's Watch is "the shield that guards the realms of men", telling Jon that it may not just mean protecting the Seven Kingdoms from beyond the Wall, but possibly taking part in battles in order to prevent the Seven Kingdoms from suffering.

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