THE RAM AND THE WOLF PT. I

Chapter 15

Liam accompanies Sam to Maester Aemon's room. The old man was ill and delirious. Liam could feel death lingering among them.

The room was dark, and the candles flickered. Sam and Liam stood at one side of the bed, Gilly and her baby on the other. The baby giggled.

"There he is. That laugh. Egg! Egg laughed like that. One of the first things I remember about him." Aemon smiled.

Gilly looks at Sam, confused.

"His little brother, Aegon. He became king." Sam tells her.

Liam nods. This old man had rarely spoken a word to him, but this sight filled him with melancholy. It was obvious that Aemon missed his dead brother. It made Liam realize that he missed his own brother to an extent.

"And before that, he was a jolly fellow. Like this one." Aemon says, pointing at the baby. His demeanor changes, and he becomes panicky.

"Get him south, Gillyflower. Before it's too late." he warns. Gilly holds her baby close to her, looking at both Sam and Liam.

Liam walks to a chair nearby, and sits for a while. Sam and Gilly go on with their day, watching Maester Aemon and caring for him.

"Egg! Egg! Mother's looking for you! Egg!" he softly exclaims.

"Sam..." Liam gasps.

Gilly looks at Aemon, and then to Sam. "Get some sleep, you two. Especially you, Sam. You'll have to speak for him tomorrow."

"You don't know that..." Sam retorts.

"Get some sleep. I'll watch over him." Gilly assures.

"I'll stay too. He's always been good to me. I can't leave him now." Sam cries.

Aemon panics. "Egg! Egg.. I dreamed... that I was old...."

He gasps and breathes heavily. They watch as his frail chest expands with every breath. And then it stopped.

—

It was the next morning, and the courtyard at Castle Black was cold and sorrowful. Sam was eulogizing Maester Aemon. Tears well up in his eyes.

"His name was Aemon Targaryen. He came to us from King's Landing, a Maester of the Citadel, chained and sworn. And a sworn brother of the Night's Watch, ever faithful. No man was wiser or gentler or kinder. At the Wall a dozen Lord Commanders came and went during his years of service, but he was always there to counsel them. He was the blood of the dragon, but now his fire has gone out. And now his watch has ended."

"And now his watch has ended." they all repeat.

Liam watches as Sam sets fire to Aemon's funeral pyre. He passes the torch to Thorne, who passes it along.

Thorne leans in close to Sam.

"You're losing all your friends, Tarly." he whispers.

Liam grows even more worried about Jon. He stares sternly at Thorne.

Jon better be alright. The Watch can't take another loss.