Chapter 43 Chapter 42: Jon

"I never saw such hopeless imps as you," said Ser Alliser Thorne, when they were all assembled in the practice grounds. "Your hands were made for picking dung, not swords. In my opinion, I'd send you all to the hogs. But last night I heard that Glenn was coming up the King's Row with five lads. One or two of them might be saved. To make room for them, I Decided to spare eight of you and leave it to the Commander." He called out the names one by one, "Toad, Dumb, Big Cow, Sissy, Freckled, Monkey, Sir Stupid," and finally he saw Look at Jon, "And the wild kind."

Pyp exhaled, throwing his sword into the air in excitement.Ser Alliser gave him a savage stare and said, "From now on you will be called the Night's Watch, but if you believe it, you are the biggest fool in the world. You are still pussies with summer all over you." Smell, and when winter comes, you'll all be dead like flies." With that, Sir Alliser Thorne left. The other boys immediately surrounded the eight promoted people, laughing, cursing, and congratulating them repeatedly.Hodder tapped Todd's ass with the back of his sword, and shouted, "Now you're a night watchman toad!" At the same time, they fell down, rolling and screaming on the ground.Dareon rushed into the armory and came back with a bag of inferior red wine in his hand.As they took turns drinking and giggling like idiots, Jon noticed Samwell Tarly standing alone under a bare tree in the corner of the square.Jon passed the wineskin over. "Do you want to have a bite?"

Sam shook his head. "No, Jon, thanks." "are you OK?" "I'm fine, really." The fat boy was lying. "I'm so happy for you." He tried to force a smile, but all that was left was a dull sway of his round face. "You're going to be Chief Ranger someday, like your uncle used to be." "My uncle is still Chief Ranger," Jon corrected him.He never believed that Benjen Stark was dead.Before he could say anything else, Hodder called out, "My boy, are you going to keep it all to yourself?" Pyp snatched the wine bag out of his hand and ran off laughing.Grenn took his hand, and Pip squeezed the wineskin hard, sending a thin stream of red wine onto Jon's face.Hodder yelled at him not to waste good things.Jon was slurred and speechless, struggling to keep his feet when Mesha and Jaren climbed up the wall and started throwing snowballs at them.

By the time he broke free, with snow all over his head and wine all over his clothes, Samwell Tarly was gone. That night, Three Fingers Hubb cooked a special dinner to celebrate the promotion of the boys.When Jon entered the Great Hall, the Bursar himself led him to a seat near the fire, and the veterans clapped him along the way.Eight soon-to-be Black Brothers tasted mint leaf garnish, lamb roasted with garlic and herbs, and mashed yellow radishes in cream. "It's a good thing on the Commander-in-Chief's table," Bowen Marsh told them.There was also a cold salad of spinach, chickpeas and turnips on the table, followed by chilled blueberries and sweetened cream for dessert.

"Do you think they're going to weave us together?" asked Pyp as they happily gobbled it up. Todd made a face. "Hope not, I've had enough of your ugly ears." "Well," said Pyp, "ravens ain't so black. Toad, I reckon you're a ranger, for they'll send you as far from the castle as possible. If Mance Rayder calls You just need to lift the mask, let them see your face, and keep them from fleeing." Everyone roared with laughter except Grant. "I really wish I could be a Ranger." "We are not all the same." Mesha said.Every member of the Blackshirts has the responsibility to defend the Great Wall. If the enemy comes, everyone must raise their swords to meet the enemy, but the rangers are the real main force in the Night Watch.Only they would ride north out of the Wall and sweep across the haunted forests and snow-capped mountains west of the Shadow Tower, battling wildlings, giants, and monstrous snow bears.

"Not necessarily," Hodder said. "I just want to be a craftsman. If the Great Wall falls, what use will the Rangers be?" The group of artisans included stonemasons and carpenters who repaired forts and towers; miners who dug tunnels and broke stones to make roads; and woodcutters who felled the woods near the Wall.It is said that many years ago, craftsmen transported huge blocks of ice from the icy lake in the Ghost Forest and transported them southward on sleds to build the Great Wall high.However, hundreds of years have passed since that time, and all they can do now is to walk along the city wall from the East Sea to the Shadow Tower, repair the cracks along the way, and pay attention to signs of melting.

"Old Bear is no fool," Dareon commented. "You will definitely become a craftsman, and Jon will definitely become a ranger. Not only is he the best swordsman in our group, he is also the best at riding, not to mention His uncle was also the first..." He remembered what he had mentioned, and shut up uncomfortably. "Benyan Stark is still the chief ranger." Jon Snow said to him while playing with the bowl of blueberries in his hand.Others may not have expectations for his uncle's safe return, but he will not.He pushed away the barely touched blueberries and got up from the bench.

"Do you want any of these?" Todd asked. "It's all for you." In fact, Jon barely touched even the dinner that Hobb had cooked so well. "I can't eat any more." He took the cloak off the hook by the door, put it on, and was ready to go out. Piper followed. "Jon, what's the matter?" "It's Sam," he admitted. "He's not at table tonight." "The guy doesn't look like he's going to miss his meal," Piper said thoughtfully. "You think he's sick?" "He's afraid. Because we're leaving him." He recalled the bittersweet farewells he'd had on the day he left Winterfell.Bran is lying on the bed in pieces, Robb has snowflakes in his hair, and Arya kisses him frantically after getting the "needle". "Once we have sworn oaths, we will have our own obligations. Some may be sent far away, to Eastwatch or the Shadow Tower. Only Sam will stay and continue his training, and people like Lester or Coorg are Waiting for him on the Kingsroad. God knows what virtue they have, but I'm sure Ser Alliser will send them against him at the first chance."

Pip frowned: "You have done everything you can." "We haven't done enough," Jon said. He was deeply disturbed as he went back to Harding's Tower to find Ghost.The direwolf followed him to the stables, and as soon as they entered, a few more excited horses stretched their legs and kicked the fence, with their ears pricked behind.Jon saddled his mare and rode out of Castle Black, heading south by moonlight and night.Bai Ling galloped ahead, and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.Jon let him go, wolves always have hunting instincts. His mind was aimless and he just wanted to ride the horse.He walked first along the stream, listening to its cold water flow over rocks, then across the moors and onto the Kingsroad.The road stretched before us, narrow, rocky, overgrown with weeds, and did not look like a path to light and hope.However, this road filled Jon Snow with longing.Winterfell is somewhere on the road, and if you keep going, you will reach Riverrun, King's Landing, the Eyrie, and many other places, such as Casterly Rock, the Isle of Faces, the red mountains in Dorne, Braavos in the Sea There are more than a hundred islands in the world, and the ancient ruins of Valesia are full of smoke.These were places Jon would never see.The world is on the other side of the road... and here he is.

Once he had sworn his oath, it would be his home, and he would die there, just like Maester Aemon. "I haven't sworn yet," he murmured.He wasn't a lawbreaker, like they would have to face the law if they didn't wear black.He came here with a free body, and he can also leave with a free body... unless he swears an oath.He just needs to keep riding and leave everything behind.By the time the new moon was full again, he had returned to Winterfell to be reunited with his brother. They are your half-brothers, and a voice inside reminds him.And Lady Stark who doesn't welcome you.There was no place for him in Winterfell, let alone King's Landing.Not even his own mother could settle him.Thinking of her made him sad.He wants to know who she is, what she looks like, and why his father left her.Idiot, because she's a whore, or else a married woman.There must be some dark and disreputable things involved, otherwise why would Mr. Ed be ashamed to mention it?

Jon Snow turned his eyes away from the King's Road and looked back.The lights of Castle Black were shaded by a hillock, but the great, impassive Wall was clearly visible in the moonlight as it stretched toward the sky. He turned his horse's head and ran in the direction of home. He had just climbed the slow hill and saw the fire of the conning tower in the distance when Ghost came back.The direwolf's muzzle was red with blood, and he walked slowly beside the horse.On the way back, Jon found himself thinking of Samwell Tarly again.When he returned to the stable, he already had an idea in his mind. Maester Aemon's dwelling was in a strong wooden keep, just below the crow's nest.The maester was old and frail, so he lived with two young stewards who took care of him and assisted him in his affairs.There was a joke among the brothers that the two ugliest men in the Night's Watch were sent to him just because he was blind so as not to suffer.Clydas was short, bald, and barely chinless, with little pink eyes like a mole.Chett had a lump on his neck the size of a pigeon egg, and his face was covered in sores and pimples.Perhaps because of this, he always seemed to be angry at any time. It was Chett who answered the door. "I have business with Maester Aemon," Jon told him. "The maester is already asleep, and it's time for you to go to bed. Come back tomorrow to see if he would like to see you." After finishing speaking, he was about to close the door. Jon stuck his foot against the door. "I'm going to talk to him now, tomorrow morning is too late." Chett frowned and said, "A bachelor is not used to being woken up in the middle of the night. Do you know how old he is?" "I know he's older and knows how to entertain guests better than you," said Jon. "Please apologize to him for me, and I would never disturb his rest if it wasn't urgent." "What if I say no?" Jon planted his foot firmly between the cracks in the door. "I could stand like this all night." The brother in black snorted in disgust, then opened the door to let him in. "Wait in the library. There's wood over there. Make a fire. I won't let a maester catch a cold because of you." By the time Chett led Maester Aemon in, Jon was already building a crackling fire.The old man was wearing a nightgown, and the chain that symbolized his status was still hung around his neck.Even when sleeping, the maester cannot take it off. "I'll just sit in that chair by the fire," he said, probably sensing the warmth.Once he was comfortably seated, Chett took a fur to cover his feet, then walked to the door and stood still. "Bachelor, I'm sorry to wake you up so late," Jon Snow said. "You didn't wake me," replied Maester Aemon. "I find that the older I get, the less need for sleep, and I am very old. I often spend most of the night with ghosts of the past, remembering fifty years The past seems like yesterday. Therefore, a mysterious visitor in the middle of the night is considered a good thing. Then tell me, Jon Snow, what is the matter that came to me at this time?" "I would like you to ask Samwell Tarly to finish his training and formally join the ranks of the Brothers of the Night Watch." "That's none of Maester Aemon's business," Chett complained. "The Commander-in-Chief entrusts the training of recruits to Ser Alliser Thorne," said the master gently. "He alone can decide whether a child is fit to take the oath, as you must know. Why do you still come to me? ?” "Because the Lord Commander will listen to your advice," Jon told him, "and you will take care of the sick and wounded brothers of the Night's Watch." "So you, Samwell Tarly, have any sickness or injury?" "He'll have it soon," Jon assured him, "unless you lend a helping hand." He told the truth of the matter in every detail, and he didn't even miss the part about letting Bai Ling deal with Lester.Maester Aemon listened quietly, his eyes blinded to the fire, but Chett's eyes grew darker with every word he spoke. "Sam won't last without our protection," Jon concluded. "He doesn't know how to wield a sword. Even my sister Arya can tear him apart, and she is not ten years old. Sir Risa forced him to fight, and sooner or later he would be wounded or even killed." Chett couldn't take it anymore. "I've seen the fat boy in the hall," he said. "He's clearly a pig, and if you're telling the truth, he's a hopeless coward." "Perhaps that's true," said Maester Aemon. "Chett, tell me, what should we do with this child?" "Leave him alone," Chett said. "The Wall is no place for a squid. Let him train till he's fit for however many years it takes. Ser Alliser will Well make him a man, or kill him." "It's a foolish thing to do," Jon said.He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts a little. "I remember hearing Maester Luwin explain why he always wears a choker." Maester Aemon stroked his heavy collar with bony, wrinkled fingers. "go on." "He told me that the maester's necklace was to remind him of the vows he made," Jon recalled, "and I asked him why each link was made of a different metal, and I said that if it was a silver chain, It will look even better with his gray robe. Master Luwin told me with a smile: The chains are forged one by one as the bachelor’s knowledge grows. Different metals represent different fields of knowledge. Gold represents financial accounting, and silver symbolizes saving lives and healing the wounded. Steel is military knowledge. He said chains have other meanings besides that. Wearing a chain reminds the maester of the kingdom he serves, doesn't it? Think about it, if a lord is gold and a knight is steel , but these two metal rings alone cannot be connected into a chain, you also need silver, iron and lead, tin, copper and bronze, and other metals, they symbolize farmers, craftsmen, etc. People from all walks of life. A chain Metals of all kinds are needed, as a nation needs men of all kinds." Master Aemon smiled and said, "So?" "The same goes for the Night's Watch, otherwise why distinguish between rangers, stewards, and artisans? Lord Randyll can't make Sam a warrior, and neither can Ser Alliser. No matter how hard you try, you can't beat tin into iron." But that doesn't mean Tin is useless. Why not make Sam an clerk?" Chett said angrily, "I'm an office officer myself. Do you think it's an easy job that can be given to cowards? The night watchman's life depends on us officers hunting and farming, raising horses and cattle. , and gathering firewood for cooking. Who do you think sewed the clothes you wore? Who brought the supplies from the south? Let me tell you, they are all officials." Maester Aemon's reaction was milder. "How is your friend's hunting skills?" "He hates hunting," Jon had to admit. "Then can he plow the fields?" asked the bachelor. "Can he drive a chariot and sail a boat? Can he kill cattle?" "Neither." Chett smiled sinisterly: "I have seen the virtues of weak young masters like him when they are sent to do things. Tell them to whip cream, and they will bleed. His own feet were chopped off." "I know one thing Sam does better than anyone else." "What is it?" Maester Aemon asked. Jon looked warily at Chett standing by the door, his face flushed with sores and anger. "He can help you," he said quickly. "He can count, and he can read and write. I know Chett can't read, and Clydas has bad eyesight. Sam read all his father's books." Yes. He and the crows should get along well. The animals seem to like him very much. Ghost has a good impression of him when he sees him. There are many things he can do besides fighting. The Night's Watch needs everyone. Why bother? How about killing one for no reason? It’s better to know people and do their job well.” Maester Aemon closed his eyes, and Jon was worried for a moment that he was asleep, but finally he spoke, "Jon Snow, Maester Luwin has trained you well. It seems that your mind is as good as your sword Sensitive." "what do you mean……?" "I'll think about your words," the maester told him firmly. "Now, I'm going to sleep. Chett, send this young brother out."