Cyberdyne of the Night's Watch

Chapter 11

Cyberdyne crossed the bridge amidst the constant stream of Robb's infantry. He wasn't exactly hard for Jon to spot, standing nearly a head taller than anyone else. Not to mention the fact that he was still dripping wet from his little dip in the river, and had become tangled in some sort of mossy plant that was now draped around his neck like a scarf. Even in the tightly-packed formation of infantry crossing the river, the other men gave Cyberdyne plenty of room.

He spotted Jon, sitting atop a horse with all of the Northern Lords. Robb was busy divvying up the men of the Twins; letting them stay as one unit would only invite trouble. They were instead combined with the forces of the Northern houses a dozen men at a time, splitting them into helpless splinters amidst a much larger force. The commanding officers, mostly sons and grandsons of Walder Frey, were headed the other direction: back toward Greywater Watch for safe keeping with Howland Reed, an old friends of Ned's.

"Cyberdyne!" Jon leaped down from his horse and crossed the road to meet his friend. Robb and the other Lords dismounted and followed Jon.

"Great work," Robb commended him. "Honestly. Just tell me what reward you'd ask for your service, and it's yours. Gold, land, your own castle..."

"I've got a nice hold he can have," Lord Karstark volunteered.

"I've got a castle for him, and a daughter!" Lord Cerwyn added. The other lords began to make their own offers. Cyberdyne would be quite the valuable bannerman: strong as an ox, obedient as a dog, and apparently able to bring down a castle's walls in minutes? And those were just the talents they knew about.

"Well?" Robb asked before the collected Lords started drawing swords on one another. "What do you say?"

"I do not require a castle, nor a daughter," Cyberdyne answer. Jon smirked; Cyberdyne hadn't quite understood exactly what Lord Cerwyn was offering. "My primary purpose is to serve Jon Snow."

"Well, the offer stands for him too!" Lord Cerwyn said, causing all of the other Lords to laugh, including Robb. Jon didn't find it very funny, though. Just a reminder of his Night's Watch vows to never take a wife, nor to serve any lord. Vows that he was very close to breaking just by standing here with all of them. He wondered what his father might say when he learned how his own son had turned his back on the Night's Watch.

"How soon until we arrive in King's Landing?" Jon abruptly changed the subject.

"Soon," Robb answered. "First we need to relieve the siege against Riverrun. Perhaps acquire some Lannister hostages of our own."

Jon had known that that was the first priority; he'd attended the war councils. But at the same time, part of him had hoped that Robb might meet Tywin head-on and ride down the King's Road to rescue their father. Apparently not. "But then to King's Landing, yes?"

"Maybe we can discuss this on the road?" Robb's eyes darted quickly to Walder Frey, still sitting atop his horse nearby. He wasn't being sent back to the Neck with the rest of the prisoners; Robb had politely suggested that Lord Frey come to Riverrun with them so that he might personally present himself to Lord Tully and apologize for not sending forces to his aid sooner. Walder Frey had agreed that that would be a good idea, though the sword at his neck may have influenced his decision. But Robb still didn't trust him enough to discuss war strategy right in front of him.

Jon looked down the river, slowly meandering out of sight toward the Trident and eventually down to the Saltpans where it would meet the Narrow Sea. Robb's forces, however, were heading down the River Road, skirting the Blue Fork and Oldstones toward Riverrun.

Jon stepped closer to Robb and lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "I need you to promise. Promise me that as soon as we're done at Riverrun, we're going directly to King's Landing."

"It's not that simple," Robb said. "Tywin will almost certainly take Harrenhal, blocking our route south. Instead, I think we might continue down the riverroad toward Lannisport, forcing Tywin's hand. He can either pursue us, or turn back to face Stannis's army coming from the South. Then..."

Jon shook his head. "I can't do that, Robb." Lannisport was on the opposite side of the continent from where he'd told Lord Commander Mormont he was going. This was too far. "I'm going to King's Landing. With or without you."

Robb looked into Jon's eyes, all ready to convince him to stay and fight side by side. For years, he'd been able to get his brother to go along with him. Everything from stealing from the kitchens at the age of seven or eight, to sneaking out of Winterfell at night to visit girls outside the walls. Theon had joined them too, though he'd never needed much convincing. But something had changed in Jon. There was a fierceness he'd never really seen before. "All right," he said. He clapped a hand on Jon's shoulder and brought him in for a hug. "Best of luck, Brother. Hopefully we'll meet you there to free Father."

Jon breathed a sigh of relief as the weight was lifted off his shoulders, and he hugged Robb back.

"What about you," Robb asked Cyberdyne. "I could clearly use a man of your abilities." He gestured back at the broken gatehouse of the Twins, eliciting a laugh from the Northern Lords and a poisonous scowl from Walder Frey.

"I serve Jon Snow," Cyberdyne answered without hesitation. "I go wherever he orders."

Robb looked prepared to fight for this one. Cyberdyne could probably singlehandedly lift the siege of Riverrun, without the need for a whole army. But Robb didn't really have any leverage either. How do you persuade a man who doesn't want or need anything? The only option left would be keeping him by force, and that was not going to end well for anyone who tried. "Best of luck to you both, then." He turned away and looked toward Walder Frey. "Lord Frey, I trust you don't mind lending them one of your boats for a trip down the river?"

Walder Frey could barely contain the seething fury underneath. "Of course not, Lord Stark," he answered through clenched teeth.

Robb smiled and turned back to Jon. "One last thing. If you see Father, tell him that I'm coming for him. Tell him not to lose hope."