Wandering // Sandor Clegane // Thorin

14. Bastard

Golden Rose // Tywin Lannister is out now!

'Until tomorrow my Lord' Pycelle said heading out after a small council meeting.

'I've been meaning to talk to you about Lord Arryn.' Ned said bringing Pycelle to a halt.

'Lord Aaron? His death was a great sadness to all of us I took personal charge of his care but I could not save him. His sickness struck him very hard and very fast,' he noted 'I saw him in my chambers just the night before he passed.' Ned nodded thinking that through. 'Lord Jon often came to me for my council,' Pycelle told him

'Why?' Ned asked

'I have been grandmaster for many years. Kings and hands I've often come to me for advice.' Pycelle informed him.

'What did he want?' Ned pushed.

'He came in inquiring after a book.'

'A book?' Ned questioned 'what book?'

'I fear it would be a little less interest to you my Lord it was just a tome.'

'No I would like to read it' ned assured him

'The images in history of the great houses of the seven kingdoms.' Pycelle said dropping a very large book in front of Ned 'with discretion of the high lords and the formal ladies.' Ned flipped open the latch unlocking the book flipping through the pages old and worn and weathered with age. Ned started reading about the umbers.

''As I said my Lord it is quite a ponderous read.' Pycelle told him.

'Did Jon say what he wanted with it?" Ned went on.

'He did not my Lord and I did not presume to ask'

'Jon's death...' Ned went on

'Such a tragedy.' Pycelle agreed.

'Did he say anything to you during his final hours?' Ned asked

'Nothing important my Lord... Well there was one phrase he kept repeating the seed is strong I think it was.' Pycelle informed him.

'The seed is strong? What does that mean?' Ned questioned.

'Dying minds, a demented mind for all awake the last words are usually as significant as the first words.' Pycelle assured him.

'And you are quite certain that he died of natural elements?' Ned went on, unconvinced.

'What else could it be?'

'Poison?' ned offered.

'That's a disturbing thought no no I don't think it likely. The hand was loved by all.' Pycelle informed him

'Poison is a woman's weapon,' Ned reminded him.

'Yes women criminals in unics did you know that Lord Varys is a unic?' Pycelle pondered.

'Everybody knows that.' Ned told him

'Yes yes of course how that sort of person found himself on the kings Council I would never know.' Pycelle remarked.

'I thank you for your time.' Ned said closing up the book

'No trouble at all my Lord it is an honor.' Pycelle reached for the book but ned picked it up.

'Thank you I will find my own way out.' Ned said leaving with the book. Pycelle walked out after him

++

Arya was balancing on 1 foot at the top of the stairs.

'Syrio says that a water dancer can stand on one toe for hours.' Arya told Ned when he stopped in front of her.

'It's a hard fall down the steps.'

'Syrio says that every hurt is a lesson and every lesson makes you better.' Arya informed him. 'Syrio says that tomorrow I'm going to be chasing cats.'

'Cats?' Ned questioned looking between the two.

'Syrio says every swordsman should study cats there is quiet as shadows and as light as feathers you have to be quick to catch them.' she said coming down the stairs slowly

'Maybe when Bran wakes he can live with us?' Arya asked

'Well he needs to get his strength back first.'

'He wants to be knight of the kings guard he can't be one now can he?'

'No. But someday he could be Lord of the holdfast he could sit on the kings council.' They both sat on the steps, 'he might raise cattle or be Brandon the builder'

'Can I be Lord of a hold fast?' arya questioned

'You will marry a high Lord and rule his castle your sons will be knights and princesses and-' ned began.

'No that's not me.' Arya told him she went back to balancing.

++

'These knights stretch around like roosters out here, even those who have never seen battle.' Ned said riding around the town with Jory

'We shouldn't be out here you don't know who has eyes where.' Jory noted nervously, looking around.

'Let them look.' Ned said confidently dismounting from his horse, as he approached the welder.

'Lord Stark?' jory questioned unsure of why they were here.

'yes he did call on me, my Lord.' The welder told ned.

Why did lord Arryn come to see the boy?' Ned questioned.

'I don't know.' He admitted.

'I would like to see him as well.' Ned informed him.

'As you wish my Lord... Gendry,' he called 'here he is strong for his age and works hard show the hand the helmet you made.' He instructed. Gendry begrudgingly began rummaging through the metals and grabbed his helmet that he had made handing it over to Ned.

'This is fine work.' Ned told him looking it over.

'It is not for sale' Gendry informed him

'This is the Lord hand if he wants the helmet-'

'I made it for me.' Gendry informed him.

'Forgive me my Lord' the welder said looking over to gendry annoyed.

'There is nothing to forgive.' Ned assured 'when Lord Arryn came to visit you what did you talk about?'

'He just asked me questions is all, my Lord.' Gendry admitted.

'What kind of questions?' Ned pondered

'About my work first... If I was being treated well if I liked it here. Then he started asking about my mother.' Gendry went on.

'Your mother?'

'Who she was what she looked like....'

'What did you tell him?' Ned questioned

'She died when I was little. She had yellow hair. She would sing to me sometimes.' he said nervously looking around

'Look at me.' ned requested and Gendry's eyes went up to him. Ned looked his face over taking in the details his eyes his hair. 'Get back to work' he said handing back the helmet to Gendry. Gendry went back to work, as instructed.

'If there's a time with that boy would rather wheel the sword then make a helmet you send him to me.' Ned said walking off.

'you find anything?' Jory asked

'Roberts bastard son.' Ned added quietly.