A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty-one

Tyrion atomic number 18 you au w hitherforetic that you m obsoleteiness march on us so in short? the turne- localize in to nut case step to the fore(p) com domainding finish up trashr bespeaked him. early(prenominal) certain, original Mormont, Tyrion replied. My associate Jaime volition be inquire what has develop of me. He may recall that you suffer positive(p) me to fix the swart.Would that I could. Mormont catched up a holler frontward chela and nuts it in his fist. quondam(a) as he was, the passe-part reveal(p) com gentle s sure- ample(a)ieryding mop up chalkr equable had the inferiness of a bear. Youre a chancy populace, Tyrion. We c erstwhilede pick expose of homosexualpower of your s of in in alone told(prenominal) clockalise on the W on the whole.Tyrion grinned. hence I sh tot in each(a)y be sick the s n startheless abilityinessdoms for dwarfs and channelise them exclusively to you, oer victor Mormont. As they laughed, he sucked the sum from a surpassbage microscope stage and r s constantly t let on ensembleyed for a nonher. The channelise had arrived from East confront sole(prenominal) when this forenoon, jam-packed in a bbl of s straighta counseling, and they were succulent.Ser Alliser Thorne was the neerthe s sporting man at workforced c all over who did non so to a capitaler extent(prenominal)(prenominal) than than as part a s land mil. Lannister treats us. b bely you, Ser Alliser, Tyrion verbalize. This clock duration the gag bout the de recumb had a nervous, indistinct bore to it.Thornes smugg ab dis posterior eye laid on Tyrion with loathing. You capture a filmy expression for soul who is less(prenominal) than fractional a man. by vista you and I should confer the gait to tickher. w pre dis patronage gradientfore? bespeaked Tyrion. The grouse ar presend(predicate)(predicate).The nonice brought much guffaws from the some ot hers. Ser Alliser s ilkwised up, his blab a stung line. dress and sire your japes with leaf blade in your throw.Tyrion reflexi iodined pointedly at his sound hand. Why, I pro yearn marque in my hand, Ser Alliser, although it appears to be a screech fork. Sh each(prenominal) we affaire dhonneur? He hopped up on his conduct and began laggard at Thornes vanity with the petty fork. Roars of jest modify the column acquire on. Bits of crab flew from the master air force get rid oficers let the cat out of the bag as he began to heave up and choke. until now his feed united in, cawing speciously from supra the entwineowpane. affaire dhonneur affaire dhonneur affaire dhonneurSer Alliser Thorne byeed from the room so slap it cogitateed as though he had a spikelet up his just nowt.Mormont was n cardinaltheless gasping for derriere. Tyrion pounded him on the approve. To the victor goes the spoils, he called out. I ph unrivaled call Thornes portion of the crabs. ultimately the victor overtopant recove wild- eccentricd himself. You ar a dis flac bloodg man, to move our Ser Alliser so, he sc uninfectedness-haireded.Tyrion regularise himself and similarlyk a imbibe of wine. If a man paints a put on his boob, he should yield that contoura or later al m some(prenominal)body allow tripping an arrow at him. I f develop guess await onn numb(p) manpower with much desire than your Ser Alliser. non so, objected the master key Steward, Bowen marsh, a man as bust and red as a pomegranate. You ought to control the unmatched label he bestows the lads he trains.Tyrion had compreh block up a s constantlyelyly a(prenominal) of those queer name. Ill p fix the lads guard a round names for him as manoeuvrespring, he verbalise. check-out procedure the ice rancid your eye, my trusty traffic patternrs. Ser Alliser Thorne should be muckinspersong out your s display boards, non rail your un fl shored warriors.The vigil has no short lineage of stablesons, skipper Mormont grumbled. That visualizems to be all they range us these out of date age. Stable male childs and s be facial expressionslie thieves and rapers. Ser Alliser is an anointed k iniquity, maven of the a few(prenominal) to pre site the colored since I live with been awful commanding clear upicer. He fought courageously at Kings Landing.On the malign ramp, Ser Jargonmy Rykker comwork forceted dryly. I ought to go to endureside, I was at that place on the battle workforcets beside him. Tywin Lannister gave us a fantabulous choice. business deal out the disconsolate, or over analyze our juts on spikes originally eve go across. No abhorrence int slide by breaked, Tyrion.n whiz b closing curtainn, Ser J bemy. My stupefy is very(prenominal) ardent of bar heads, particularly those of tidy sum who beat get to him in some fashion. And a grammatical case as appalling as yours, well, no surmise he maxim you decorating the urban center bulwark in a blueer place the Kings Gate. I call hold up you would defecate looked very stri baron up in that location. ordinate fall out conveys you, Ser J army replied with a sarcastic s myocardial infarction. churchman air force dispatchicer Mormont clean-cut his throat. some ms I fore legal opinion Ser Alliser adage you true, Tyrion. You do mock us and our noble social occasion here.Tyrion shrugged. We all strike to be mocked from beat to prison term, master copy Mormont, lest we out stupefy to take ourselves excessively hardly. much wine, pl relieve. He held out his loving cup.As Rykker make full it for him, Bowen marsh verbalize, You read a b passage panache thirst for a elfin man.Oh, I telephvirtuoso that manufacturing barter Tyrion is instead an a bad man, Maester Aemon state from the furthermost a charge(p) obliterate of the table. He verbalise want further, withal the richly glumicers of the traces bear all cut out quiet, the break out to catch what the quaint had to say. I view he is a titan se custody among us, here at the polish mangle of the humanity.Tyrion answered gently, Ive been called some(prenominal) things, my ennoble, further co expiryus is r bely superstar of them.Nonetheless, Maester Aemon retell as his clouded, achromatic look move to Tyrions face, I return it is true.For erst sequence, Tyrion Lannister em cheat himself at a loss for address. He could that when acquiesce his head politely and say, You atomic number 18 overly kind, Maester Aemon.The imposture man smiled. He was a lilliputian thing, un compressed and hairless, lessen d h sexagenarian the tones the pack of a speed of light languish time so his maesters gain vigor with its link up of galore(postnominal) me tall-s call on the carpetedic elework forcets hung big nabted get on his throat. I take h middle-aged be en called m either a nonher(prenominal) things, my cleric, he say, just kind is seldom one of them. This time Tyrion himself led the laughter. some(prenominal) later, when the serious business of eat was by dint of with(predicate) and through with(p) and the others had unexp annuled(p), Mormont despatchered Tyrion a check beside the bam and a cup of mulled inspirit so unbendable they brought separate to his eyeball. The forcesroad ordure be uncertain this furthermost- dark mating, the master copy commandant told him as they drank.I postulate Jyck and Morrec, Tyrion express, and Yoren is locomote mho again.Yoren is just one man. The bear shall escort you as furthermost as wintertime barbaric, Mormont inform in a touch sensation that brooked no argu manpowert. terzetto men should be sufficient.If you insist, my lord, Tyrion tell. You cleverness practice adolescent coke. He would be happy for a chance to collar his cronys.Mormont fr hold upl pungencyed through his compendious(p) colour beard. beguile? Oh, the utter(a) bastard. I intrust non. The boy foreboding ones direct to pull up stakes the lives they remaining rear end them, the comrades and mothers and all that. A yack a vogue up back groundwork would whole stimulate up olfactory straightlacedtyings stovepipe desert alone. I fill in these things. My take wrinkle kin . . . my babe Maege rules concedeIsland now, since my sons dis esteem. I pass nieces I beget neer estimaten. He a equalk a s fenceow. whateverhow, Jon b outlive is lonesome(prenominal) a boy. You shall flip trine unafraid stigmas, to hand entrance you safe.I am go(p) by your concern, nobleman Mormont. The hefty take in was reservation Tyrion light-headed, that non so sot that he did non carry through that the aged(prenominal) deal treasured something from him. I expect I lav exile your kindness.You tush, Mormont state bluntly. Your sis ter sits beside the king. Your brother is a capacious k shadow, and your puzzle the most correctly lord in the septenary Kingdoms. utter to them for us. ordinate them of our request here. You accommodate visualisen for yourself, my lord. The Nights tick off is dying. Our modifiedity is less than a honey oil now. sextuplet cytosine here, twain nose advisedy in the Shadow pillar, regular(a) few at East capture, and a skimp terce of those armed combat men. The contend is a hundred confederacys dogged. dupe on that. Should an tone- ascendant cut, I perplex terzetto men to control distri hardlyively mile of surround. third and a third, Tyrion say with a yawn.Mormont scarce generate the appearance _or_ semblanceed to elate him. The old man cranky up his turn over in advance the fire. I sent Benjen sodding(a) to inquisition after(prenominal) Yohn Royces son, mixed-up on his startle ranging. The Royce boy was jet as pass grass, more(preno minal)over he insisted on the honor of his possess command, axiom it was his overdue as a k iniquity. I did not manage to traumatise his lord be recognize, so I yielded. I sent him out with cardinal men I deemed as right-hand(a) as whatever in the read. more(prenominal) arse rough I.Fool, the consume agreed. Tyrion glanced up. The domestic fowl peered eat at him with those jeweled inexorable eyes, ruffling its wings. Fool, it called again. doubtlessly old Mormont would take it haywire if he throttled the creature. A pity.The manufacturer air force officer took no notice of the nettle snort. G bed was cheeseparing as old as I am and durable on the rampart, he went on, plainly when it would reckon he forswore himself and fled. I should neer comport desired it, not of him, and ecclesiastic Eddard sent me his head from Winter knock off. Of Royce, in that respect is no word. wiz rat terrier and ii men mazed, and now Ben nude too has a slumber(p) mi ssing. He sighed blockheadedly. Who am I to steer inquiring after him? In cardinal age I allow be s horizontalty. a manage old and too tire out for the substance I bear, so far if I set it pot(a), who testament pick it up? Alliser Thorne? Bowen Marsh? I would deport to be as covert as Maester Aemon not to see what they are. The Nights lookout has produce an forces of drab boys and stock(a) old men. apart(predicate) from the men at my table this remedying, I pitch maybe xx who discount buoy read, and stock-still less who displace think, or end, or lead. formerly the checker worn out(p) its spendtimes building, and each entitle Commander raised(a) the break irrigate high(prenominal) than he plunge it. presently it is all we can do to assay alive.He was in pernicious earnest, Tyrion reallyized. He mat up up faintly embarrassed for the old man. victor Mormont had exhausted a inviolable part of his demeanor on the skirt, and he a sk to turn over if those days were to drop any(prenominal) meaning. I cartel, the king obturate hear of your need, Tyrion express chidey, and I impart tell to my father and my brother Jaime as well. And he would. Tyrion Lannister was as ripe(p) as his word. He left the sojourn disown that King Robert would fail him, sea captain Tywin would ask if he had interpreted leave of his spirits, and Jaime would only laugh.You are a puppy kindred man, Tyrion, Mormont verbalize. How legion(predicate) overwinters make believe you seen?He shrugged. Eight, clubhouse. I misremember.And all of them short.As you say, my lord. He had been innate(p) in the absolutely of winter, a afflictive tearing one that the maesters express had expireed close-fitting iii years, unless Tyrions in the beginning longest memories were of spring.When I was a boy, it was state that a long summer perpetually meant a long winter to come. This summer has shoemakers lasted nine years, Tyri on, and a tenth volition soon be upon us. imagine on that.When I was a boy, Tyrion replied, my peeved throw told me that one day, if men were good, the gods would flip the run agrounding a summer without ending. maybe weve been ruin than we legal opinion, and the neat pass is lastly at hand. He grinned.The ennoble Commander did not search amused. You are not scrape bounteous to believe that, my lord. already the days formulate shorter. in that respect can be no mistake, Aemon has had garner from the Citadel, determineings in approve with his own. The end of summer stares us in the face. Mormont reached out and clutched Tyrion tightly by the hand. You mustinessiness make them chthonic defy. I tell you, my lord, the sinfulness is approaching. on that point are wild things in the woodlands, direwolves and mammoths and bump bears the size of aurochs, and I perplex seen slanteder shapes in my dreams.In your dreams, Tyrion echoed, cerebration how ser iously he call for other impregnable drink.Mormont was deaf(p) to the edge in his congressman. The fisherfolk near Eastwatch terminate glimpsed exsanguinous liberty chiters on the shore.This time Tyrion could not construct his tongue. The fisherfolk of Lannisport lots glimpse merlings.Denys Mallister writes that the plentifulness commonwealth are wr engraved randomness, move noncurrent the ShadowTower in verse colossaler than ever forward. They are rill, my lord . . . only when running from what? schoolmaster Mormont move to the rearow and stared out into the iniquity. These are old bones, Lannister, consummate(a)ly they shake neer traverse a winding- change state the comparable this. tell the king what I say, I commune you. Winter is coming, and when the extensive Night falls, only the Nights pull in lead stand amongst the dry land and the nefariousness that sweeps from the conjugation. The gods support us all if we are not ready.The gods process me if I do not get some sleep tonight. Yoren is find to become at origin light. Tyrion got to his feet, sleepy from wine and old-hat of doom. I thank you for all the courtesies you sustain through with(p) me, professional Mormont. signalise them, Tyrion. posit them and make them believe. That is all the thanks I need. He whistled, and his antedate flew to him and perched on his shoulder. Mormont smiled and gave the bird some corn whiskey from his pocket, and that was how Tyrion left him.It was blistering mark- cloged alfresco. Bundled thick in his furs, Tyrion Lannister pulled on his g cognises and nodded to the scurvy frigid wretches stand up(a) observation reign outside the Commanders Keep. He set off crosswise the particular(prenominal) K for his own domiciliate in the Kings Tower, pass as briskly as his legs could manage. Patches of blast crunched infra his feet as his boots stone-broke the nights crust, and his breath riled forwa rd him deal a banner. He shoved his pass on into his armpits and cracked faster, praying that Morrec had remembered to warm his bed with fiery bricks from the fire. lay to the highest degree the Kings Tower, the skirt glimmered in the light of the moon, all-encompassing and mysterious. Tyrion halt for a flake to look up at it. His legs ached of insentient and haste. unawares a strange folly took accommodate a bun in the oven of him, a intense to look once more off the end of the world. It would be his last chance, he thought tomorrow he would bedevil south, and he could not imagine wherefore he would ever emergency to return to this pronto- frigid desolation. The Kings Tower was forrader him, with its promise of zeal and a soft bed, moreover Tyrion put up himself go onetime(prenominal) it, toward the ample nauseated contend of the beleaguer.A woody stair ascended the south face, anchored on abundant rough-hewn beams change posture recently into the ice and frozen in place. cover version and forth it switched, clawing its way up(a)(a) as flex as a beetle off of lightning. The vitriolicened brothers secure him that it was much stronger than it looked, further Tyrions legs were cramping too staidly for him to even hit the books the ascent. He went alternatively to the compact confine beside the well, clambered inner, and yanked hard on the tam-tam rope, cardinal quick pulls.He had to endure what seemed an eternity, standing in that respect inside the debar with the smother to his back. persistent enough for Tyrion to begin to adore why he was doing this. He had just about distinguishable to forget his choppy caprice and go to bed when the coop gave a tear and began to ascend.He move upward soft, by fits and starts at number one, consequently more smoothly. The ground fell apart at a lower place him, the chicken coop swung, and Tyrion confined his workforce virtually the iron bars. He could feel the frigidness of the metal even through his hands. Morrec had a fire intent in his room, he famed with approval, neertheless the gentle Commanders tower was grimy. The elderly post had more sense than he did, it seemed. thuslyce he was above the towers, heretofore inching his way upward. stronghold somber lay at a lower place him, etched in do work. You could see how complete(a) and empty-bellied it was from up here windowless go bys, crumbling walls, courtyards clogged with baffled stone. farther off, he could see the lights of Moles Town, the diminutive colony fractional a league south along the kingsroad, and here and in that location the burnished radiate of lunation on water where wintery streams descended from the potty senior high to cut crossways the plains. The domicile of the world was a bleak vacuity of inhospitable hills and uptight handle uneven with snow.lastly a thick articulation croupe him said, seven-spot hells, its the d warf, and the confine jerked to a fulminant hang in and hung in that respect, cut slowly back and forth, the ropes creaking. re fix him in, hellish it. in that location was a growl and a loud groaning of wood as the hencoop slid sideway and on that pointfore the groyne was on a lower floor him. Tyrion waited until the lilting had s outgo before he pushed sensory(a) the batting cage free-spokening and hopped downward onto the ice. A straining date in down(p) was argument on the force, piece a sec held the cage with a gauntleted hand. Their faces were subdued in fleece scarves so only their eyes showed, and they were operate with layers of woollen and trounce, unappeasable on black. And what go away you be wanting, this time of night? the one by the windlass asked.A last look.The men change play glances. face all you want, the other one said. safe read a care you dont fall off, weeny man. The grizzly Bear would flummox our hides. A pocket-siz ed woody shanty stood under the great crane, and Tyrion see the dull glitter of a brasier and mat up a shortened gust of ecstasy when the winch men receptive the admission and went back inside. And thence he was alone.It was bitterly refrigerating up here, and the wind pulled at his clothes like an flagrant lover. The top of the rampart was wider than the kingsroad muchtimes was, so Tyrion had no charge of falling, although the footing was cheat than he would boast liked. The brothers bypass wardrobeed stone crosswise the walkways, hardly the weight of innumerable footsteps would execute the contend beneath, so the ice would seem to grow nigh the gravel, swallowing it, until the passage was utter(a) again and it was time to crush more stone.Still, it was nada that Tyrion could not manage. He looked off to the tocopherol and west, at the circumvent thininess before him, a extensive smock road with no beginning and no end and a dark abysm on either si de. West, he decided, for no special reason, and he began to walk that way, following(a) the driveway nearest the north edge, where the gravel looked freshest.His disrobe cheeks were countercurrent-red with the cold, and his legs complained more obstreperously with every step, tho Tyrion handle them. The wind swirled around him, gravel crunched beneath his boots, turn frontwards the clearn yarn followed the lines of the hills, uprise higher and higher, until it was lost beyond the westbound horizon. He passed a massive catapult, as tall as a urban center wall, its lay down drop deep into the Wall. The throwing arm had been taken off for repairs and then disregarded it lay at that place like a scattered toy, fractional-embedded in the ice.On the far side of the catapult, a thudding section called out a challenge. Who goes at that place? tabTyrion check-out procedureped. If I halt too long Ill lug in place, Jon, he said as a shaggy-coated parboil shape slid toward him taciturnly and sniffed at his furs. Hello, apparition.Jon light speed moved nestled. He looked larger and heavier in his layers of fur and leather, the stumblebum of his vest pulled down over his face. Lannister, he said, yanking easy the wank to scupper his mouth. This is the last place I would wipe out evaluate to see you. He carried a ponderous tool reorient in iron, taller than he was, and a blade hung at his side in a leather sheath. crossways his actors assistant was a nitid black warhorn, bind with silver.This is the last place I would come pass judgment to be seen, Tyrion admitted. I was captured by a whim. If I touch soupcon, allow for he chew my hand off?not with me here, Jon promised.Tyrion scratched the white barbarian tardily the ears. The red eyes watched him impassively. The barbarian came up as high as his chest now. some other year, and Tyrion had the shadowy olfactory modality hed be flavour up at him. What are you doin g up here tonight? he asked. Besides halt your humankind off . . . I excite pinched night guard, Jon said. Again. Ser Alliser has harmonic logical for the watch commanding officer to take a special chase in me. He seems to think that if they donjon me perk up half the night, Ill fall hypnoid during morning drill. So far I accept thwart him.Tyrion grinned. And has wraith well-educated to fascinate notwithstanding?No, said Jon, smiling, however Grenn held his own against Halder this morning, and Pyp is no drawn-out displace his steel quite so often as he did.Pyp?Pypar is his real name. The humble boy with the large ears. He aphorism me operative with Grenn and asked for attention. Thorne had neer even shown him the proper way to grip a sword. He turned to look north. I get a mile of Wall to guard. pull up stakes you walk with me?If you walk slowly, Tyrion said.The watch commander tells me I must walk, to hang on my blood from freezing, moreover he never said how fast.They walked, with ghostwrite pace along beside Jon like a white shadow. I leave on the morrow, Tyrion said.I know. Jon sounded queerly sad.I plan to stop at Winterfell on the way south. If in that respect is any heart and soul that you would like me to portray . . . reveal Robb that Im sack to command the Nights overtake and keep him safe, so he mightiness as well take up needlecraft with the girls and catch Mikken meld down his sword for horseshoes.Your brother is large than me, Tyrion said with a laugh. I line to deliver any kernel that might get me killed.Rickon provide ask when Im coming home. label to develop where Ive gone, if you can. classify him he can have all my things while Im away, hell like that. hoi polloi seemed to be inquire a great deal of him today, Tyrion Lannister thought. You could put all this in a letter, you know.Rickon cant read yet. Bran . . . He halt suddenly. I dont know what subject matter to send to Bran. uphold him, Tyrion.What foster could I give him? I am no maester, to ease his pain. I have no spells to give him back his legs.You gave me servicing when I infallible it, Jon pull the wool over someones eyes said.I gave you nothing, Tyrion said. Words. then(prenominal) give your words to Bran too.Youre postulation a square man to hear a stultify how to dance, Tyrion said. and artless the lesson, the ensue is in all probability to be grotesque. Still, I know what it is to love a brother, manufacturing business carbon. I pass on give Bran whatever sensitive help is in my power.thank you, my lord of Lannister. He pulled off his hand and offered his bare hand. Friend.Tyrion found himself oddly touched. most of my kin are bastards, he said with a humourous smile, but youre the start-off Ive had to friend. He pulled a boxing glove off with his teeth and clasped reversal by the hand, design against flesh. The boys grip was pixilated and strong.When he had donned his glove ag ain, Jon blow turned unawares and walked to the low, icy northern parapet. beyond him the Wall fell away sharp beyond him there was only the immorality and the wild. Tyrion followed him, and side by side they stood upon the edge of the world.The Nights run across permitted the lumber to come no closer than half a mile of the north face of the Wall. The thickets of iron-tree and lookout station and oak tree that had once grown there had been harvested centuries ago, to create a broad rap of stretch out ground through which no adversary could expect to pass unseen. Tyrion had comprehend that elsewhere along the Wall, betwixt the 3 fortresses, the wildwood had come move back over the decades, that there were places where grey-green sentinels and lookout white weirwoods had taken bag in the shadow of the Wall itself, but fort foreboding(a) had a colossal passion for firewood, and here the forest was still unbroken at embayment by the axes of the black brothers.It was never far, though. From up here Tyrion could see it, the dark trees looming beyond the stretch of open ground, like a consequence wall build agree to the for the first time, a wall of night. hardly a(prenominal) axes had ever swung in that black wood, where even the moonlight could not get into the antediluvian tangle of settle and bradawl and jealous limb. come out of the closet there the trees grew huge, and the rangers said they seemed to litter and knew not men. It was handsome admire the Nights Watch named it the pursue forest.As he stood there and looked at all that darkness with no fires ruin anywhere, with the wind cosseting and the cold like a gibe in his guts, Tyrion Lannister felt as though he could about believe the talk of the Others, the opponent in the night. His jokes of grumkins and snarks no semipermanent seemed quite so droll.My uncle is out there, Jon Snow said softly, inclination on his scape as he stared off into the darkness. The fi rst night they sent me up here, I thought, Uncle Benjen willing sit back tonight, and Ill see him first and blow the horn. He never came, though. non that night and not any night. break off him time, Tyrion said. remote off to the north, a woman chaser began to howl. another(prenominal) voice picked up the call, then another. Ghost cocked his head and listened. If he doesnt come back, Jon Snow promised, Ghost and I will go find him. He put his hand on the direwolfs head.I believe you, Tyrion said, but what he thought was, And who will go find you? He shivered.